Guild Wars 2

Iv been thinking about giving gw2 another shot, have not really played since a few weeks after it came out (2 years ago). I level’d my ele into the 50’s before I got sick of the game. My biggest problem was that during beta/ early launch eles were glass cannons with no actual damage. My ele was full fire spec with good gear, but it took 15+ spells to kill a single target, and I would normally die in 2-3 hits.
What ultimately made quit the game was seeing a warrior argo 6+ creatures, hardly take any damage, and kill them all with a single bladestorm (or whatever that move is called).
I also wanted to throw nukes like Rodgort’s Invocation(gw1) from the back line but in beta/launch the only way to do damage was to just spam every spell the moment it comes off CD, regardless of what spec you went.

Should I give my ele another shot now that the game has had several updates, or should I just roll up a warrior, or whatever the new strongest PvE class is.

Lictor Alpha.3724:

strongest PvE class

That would be the class played by the player with the strongest will to achieve more

There is no easy mode! The ele is difficult to play but it can do so much more than other classes.

To answer your question: yes the ele has changed significantly, mostly positively, but what has changed more than anything is our understanding of the class. Once harnessed, the power of the elements makes us masters of PvE, and warriors cannot rival with that.

Nothing changed, that is how Elementalist is, the damage is rather low compared to other classes, but you have a more skills to spam, to compensate with quantity over quality.

Lawful.5314:

Nothing changed, that is how Elementalist is, the damage is rather low compared to other classes, but you have a more skills to spam, to compensate with quantity over quality.

…. or we have one of the highest potential damage output of the game, awesome group utility, and wonderful group support? But maybe we are not playing the same game!

Lawful.5314:

Nothing changed, that is how Elementalist is, the damage is rather low compared to other classes, but you have a more skills to spam, to compensate with quantity over quality.

Afaik ele has the 2nd highest DPS in PvE.

awesome, thanks guys I will give ele another shot.

witcher.3197:

Lawful.5314:

Nothing changed, that is how Elementalist is, the damage is rather low compared to other classes, but you have a more skills to spam, to compensate with quantity over quality.

Afaik ele has the 2nd highest DPS in PvE.

In PvE, he is one of the better classes, in PvP, he is still mediocre.

The damage potential is there, but it still doesn’t take away from what i said, overall damage elementalist does, is with quantity over quality, we have to spam all our abilities in 4 different attuenements to be effective, while dealing suboptimal damage with singulary spells.

Lictor Alpha.3724:

PvE class

Lawful.5314:

In PvE, he is one of the better classes, in PvP, he is still mediocre.

Looks like you answered on the offtopic subject of PvP before answering on the OP’s topic of PvE.

Lawful.5314:

witcher.3197:

Lawful.5314:

Nothing changed, that is how Elementalist is, the damage is rather low compared to other classes, but you have a more skills to spam, to compensate with quantity over quality.

Afaik ele has the 2nd highest DPS in PvE.

In PvE, he is one of the better classes, in PvP, he is still mediocre.

The damage potential is there, but it still doesn’t take away from what i said, overall damage elementalist does, is with quantity over quality, we have to spam all our abilities in 4 different attuenements to be effective, while dealing suboptimal damage with singulary spells.

Not sure if trolling or got 0 experience. A Good S/F ele burst is far from mediocre and the build is hard to play.

And if we don’t go for pure burst – D/D ele is the strongest spec in PvP. Even top teams stack those on their roster. You can even see teams being effective on higher ratings with 3 eles.

witcher.3197:

Lawful.5314:

witcher.3197:

Lawful.5314:

Nothing changed, that is how Elementalist is, the damage is rather low compared to other classes, but you have a more skills to spam, to compensate with quantity over quality.

Afaik ele has the 2nd highest DPS in PvE.

In PvE, he is one of the better classes, in PvP, he is still mediocre.

The damage potential is there, but it still doesn’t take away from what i said, overall damage elementalist does, is with quantity over quality, we have to spam all our abilities in 4 different attuenements to be effective, while dealing suboptimal damage with singulary spells.

Not sure if trolling or got 0 experience. A Good S/F ele burst is far from mediocre and the build is hard to play.

And if we don’t go for pure burst – D/D ele is the strongest spec in PvP. Even top teams stack those on their roster. You can even see teams being effective on higher ratings with 3 eles.

Eh? I have plenty of experience, sure its not the “tip top pro player” kind of experience that you guys are day-dreaming about, but its there.

Most people on these forums, overapreciate the class, based on how the tip of the iceberg plays, then the new players try it and get dissapointed. Try to lower the standarts and open your eyes, yes the damaeg on every single ability the elementalist has, is lower than average, while he has just more of them, than the average class with two weapon swaps.

He asked if the elementalist improved over the past two years, and the answer is still, not really, the class is about the same as it was in the past, but it was never a bad class in PvE to start with.

Try to make it clear whether you are speaking about pvp or pve.

The ele has changed a lot in PvE, also we have learned so many new and more efficient ways to play it. Currently the ele in number one in PvE.

Since launch ele have been through a lot of phase.

- At first people though of staying in 1 attunement.
- Then they understood that swaping attunement is probably the most important thing to do with ele. (at this point we end up with unkillable elementalist that needed a well deserved nerf to mobility. Around the same time they decided to add a limited number of targets on aoe)
- After some struggle people end up understanding the true value of boons and combo (Good thing that elementalist is the best at that)
- a little while after, they buffed the staff (which don’t have small damage value at all especially if you undestand that you can stack different source of damage : AA + meteor shower + lava font = more damage than any other classes. Good thing that at this moment people were already exploiting the fiery greatsword).
- And we end it now. FGS has been nerfed (it was destroying PvE content). Elementalist have still very interesting tools (conjure weapon, easy access to aura, uber combo abilities and weapon that deal nice damage depending on how you build.)

So, does it improved over the years? Yes. It improve a lot. It improve through nerf and buff as well as through our understanding of how to build, overcome pve mechanism and use combo mechanisms.

To be honest, since more than a year, Elementalist are number one in PvE. Even if for a long time peoples were looking only for warrior because warrior have better passive abilities to survive a tough fight. Now that most people know the fights mechanism (and that warrior’s dps had been tone down) elementalists are PvE kings (and that’s whether they play staff or dagger or whatever).

PVE Eles are king. PvP, only the meta cele build, but then everyone else can do the same with more than one viable build so…

In PVE: Ele is the second most sought after in dungeons with warriors being 1st and guardians/mesmers tying for 3rd.

In PvP: Ele is freaking broken. D/d cele 0/0/2/6/6 roll face from left to right…. profit? It is down right the meta right now. D/D celestial ele along with Celestial rifle engis and Celestial shoutbow warriors.

Ele is top dawg. (Sadly)

If you are still level 50, nothing in this thread applies to you. Top tier dps: yes, if you stack +% dmg traits. Top tier offensive group support: yes, if you have access to the GM fire trait Persisting Flames. Nothing really changed for the “early game” of the ele. Armor of Earth has a shorter cooldown and Lightning Whip has more dps. That’s about it. (The single most powerful buff to ele was Persisting Flames, available at lvl 80)

So, while leveling: learn to dodge, learn to stack might, learn to use your defensive skills. Or equip lightning hammer and auto-attack things to death.

Well, basically this thread summed up into.

Ele is great in PvE, get to 80 then wonder how to build them.
Ele is okay in PvP, D/D is currently strong cause of the celestial meta, but that can change at any time, otherwise PvP ele doesn’t have many amazing builds.

If you enjoy the class, just play it.

Where does this ‘second highest damage in game’ nonsense come from?

The ele is outstanding in PvE. Beating warriors easily – if played right. Knowing your skills, traits and rotation is fundamental.

You can’t say a class is bad or good. It solely depends on the person sitting behind the keyboard and playing the class. If you know what you’re doing, you will be great. If not..you’re not.
Same goes for warriors. There also is a rotation. Playing warrior doesn’t mean to just ‘camp’ on GS spamming skill 1 and 2.

The ele has undergone a lot of changes, so did other classes.

I would just recommend to play the class for yourself. It doesn’t take that long, to get it to 80. If you don’t want to try leveling it to the cap – try PvP. (You can’t compare it with PvE), but you will get used to dodging and learning rotations.
If you can’t befriend yourself with the class, drop it and stick with warriors.
But you will regret it >:D

Good luck

Zention.1849:

Where does this ‘second highest damage in game’ nonsense come from?

If I am not mistaken, with some of the recent patches, Thief has highest single-target DPS now which would explain some people referencing Ele as second highest damage.

Lawful you must not be playing DD ele right in PvP. Its the strongest spec in the game.

Zention.1849:

Where does this ‘second highest damage in game’ nonsense come from?

From the actual dps of each profession. Each profession have numbers and when you compare those numbers you can see that Elementalist are 2nd after thief on a single target without using icebow.

Elitist.8701:

Lawful you must not be playing DD ele right in PvP. Its the strongest spec in the game.

Not even close, only good in the hands of a good player, which i am not.

Lawful.5314:

Elitist.8701:

Lawful you must not be playing DD ele right in PvP. Its the strongest spec in the game.

Not even close, only good in the hands of a good player, which i am not.

Just because Ele isn’t your strongest class, doesn’t mean they are not the strongest class in PvP.

Ele’s can be somewhat hard to play, but D/D is so ridiculously good that an average D/D ele is going to be really effective. A highly skilled d/d ele is just going to wreck havoc on everything…Save for maybe a certain type of thief builds that can counter them.

But yes, if you’re less than an average player, there are easier classes that you will do better with. But profession strength is not determined by the lowest common denominator of players.

Kagamiku.9731:

Lawful.5314:

Elitist.8701:

Lawful you must not be playing DD ele right in PvP. Its the strongest spec in the game.

Not even close, only good in the hands of a good player, which i am not.

Just because Ele isn’t your strongest class, doesn’t mean they are not the strongest class in PvP.

Ele’s can be somewhat hard to play, but D/D is so ridiculously good that an average D/D ele is going to be really effective. A highly skilled d/d ele is just going to wreck havoc on everything…Save for maybe a certain type of thief builds that can counter them.

But yes, if you’re less than an average player, there are easier classes that you will do better with. But profession strength is not determined by the lowest common denominator of players.

Oh yes, because the lowest common denomination, which is 99% of the players, doesn’t count, right?

Please, stop with the nonsense.
I said that i’m not a good elementalist, but i can still kill almost any class with almost any elementalist build.
The class is okay, but its not the “strongest” as you claim.
The limit of the class, is its low overall stats in every category, with very poor trait balance.

How good will the elementalist be if they nerf the meta celestial D/D? Not very good, i’ll tell you right now – and everyone will be back to whining (QQ – ele is the weakest pvp class, anet doesn’t know hot to balance, ect, ect)

Compare the current celestial d/d ele with a warrior build that doesn’t focus on zerker and isn’t braindead? Ha, i surely had fun doing NO damage to them, while they mop the floor with me.
PS. Up to now, i’ve only met a couple of warriors like that, and i’ve seen even less “good” Elementalists. And if i had to compare the two, we are not higher on the food chain.

There are options for eles in case they ever nerf celestial. It’s just that while d/d celestial is this good, not many will look for other builds.

Saying that ele is the weakest in pvp is a bucket full of nonsense overflowing.

Lawful.5314:

Oh yes, because the lowest common denomination, which is 99% of the players, doesn’t count, right?

The lowest common denominator is not 99% of the playerbase. Maybe if you count every player in pvp and pve…But if we’re just talking pvp, I see plenty of decent to good eles in pvp. Ele has a really high skill ceiling, but it’s not like you can’t learn the fundamentals rather quickly.

Please, stop with the nonsense.
I said that i’m not a good elementalist, but i can still kill almost any class with almost any elementalist build.

You’ll need to post a video before I believe anything about your skill level…based on what you say about ele’s.

The class is okay, but its not the “strongest” as you claim.
The limit of the class, is its low overall stats in every category, with very poor trait balance.

It is the strongest as I claim(well, right there with Cele Engi). D/D ele’s are extremely difficult to kill to the point where they can classify as a bunker. Who cares what their overall stats are if they clearly have the potential to both deal damage and take a beating. Their insane healing potential along with an absurd uptime to protection(aura skills and AoE) as well as permanent vigor (from an adept trait and SD) is what makes them so beefy. Not to mention how easy it is for them to cleanse conditions. They even have ports to escape and an invulnerability if they need it(cantrips…). Their damage comes from their high burn uptime and being the only real class that can stack a full 25stacks of might consistently. Not only that, but it’s one of the most mobile class builds in pvp because of ride the lightning, FGS and lightning flash.

How good will the elementalist be if they nerf the meta celestial D/D? Not very good, i’ll tell you right now – and everyone will be back to whining (QQ – ele is the weakest pvp class, anet doesn’t know hot to balance, ect, ect)

Unfortunately, D/D is in the Ele resume, and it’s the build that makes them the strongest PvP class. That will not change unless something about that build is toned down.

Lictor Alpha.3724:

Iv been thinking about giving gw2 another shot, have not really played since a few weeks after it came out (2 years ago). I level’d my ele into the 50’s before I got sick of the game. My biggest problem was that during beta/ early launch eles were glass cannons with no actual damage. My ele was full fire spec with good gear, but it took 15+ spells to kill a single target, and I would normally die in 2-3 hits.
What ultimately made quit the game was seeing a warrior argo 6+ creatures, hardly take any damage, and kill them all with a single bladestorm (or whatever that move is called).
I also wanted to throw nukes like Rodgort’s Invocation(gw1) from the back line but in beta/launch the only way to do damage was to just spam every spell the moment it comes off CD, regardless of what spec you went.

Should I give my ele another shot now that the game has had several updates, or should I just roll up a warrior, or whatever the new strongest PvE class is.

Eles are one of the strongest classes in PVE, lots of damage and great support. They just need a bit of time to get used to, a Good Ele is equal (or sometimes better) than a Warrior, a bad Ele unfortunately is perma-dead, while a bad Warrior can still survive.

Ele is best class in PvE and PvP and most needed in WvW because of the waterfields

The elementals is the strongest class in PvE. Its support and Blast Finishers on demand is unmatchable. (talking about weapon swaps)

Thief and Ele are pretty much on par when it comes to damage. You can’t just exclude the frostbow in the ele’s rotation. It should always be considered in every meta orientated build, with some exceptions of course.

It pretty much depends on the length of every fight, of which each class shows its true potential. One of the problems in this game is, or problem of the current meta is – that almost everything dies in an instant.
Considering the frostbow part of any damage orientated build – the damage dealt by it + the second frost bow useable by another party member boosts the damage dealt significantly. Making it the “true” winner of the highest damage in this game.

maddoctor.2738:

Lictor Alpha.3724:

Iv been thinking about giving gw2 another shot, have not really played since a few weeks after it came out (2 years ago). I level’d my ele into the 50’s before I got sick of the game. My biggest problem was that during beta/ early launch eles were glass cannons with no actual damage. My ele was full fire spec with good gear, but it took 15+ spells to kill a single target, and I would normally die in 2-3 hits.
What ultimately made quit the game was seeing a warrior argo 6+ creatures, hardly take any damage, and kill them all with a single bladestorm (or whatever that move is called).
I also wanted to throw nukes like Rodgort’s Invocation(gw1) from the back line but in beta/launch the only way to do damage was to just spam every spell the moment it comes off CD, regardless of what spec you went.

Should I give my ele another shot now that the game has had several updates, or should I just roll up a warrior, or whatever the new strongest PvE class is.

Eles are one of the strongest classes in PVE, lots of damage and great support. They just need a bit of time to get used to, a Good Ele is equal (or sometimes better) than a Warrior, a bad Ele unfortunately is perma-dead, while a bad Warrior can still survive.

A good ele is unmatchable by any class. It’s pretty much useless to have more then one warrior in any organized group. There are classes which give greater support – boosting the overall party’s damage.

Still that ONLY applies to parties, which know what they’re doing. If they know nothing about strategies, a warrior might be the better choice. It will deal damage and won’t die as easily as any light armored class.

As i already stated earlier, the ele isn’t as forgiving when doing mistakes. Other classes are ‘easier’ to play – if you want to put it that way.

But still that applies to all classes. You will always deal more damage if you’re alive and not lying around, dead.