Guild Wars 2

The Elementalist class has a whole bunch of skills that target a foe and only hit this targeted enemy or the area around them. They fail and go on full cooldown if used without a target, completely wasting the cast.

A few examples:
- Lightning Surge (staff air #2)
- Lightning Strike (scepter air #2)
- Blinding Flash (scepter air #3)
- Signets of Earth/Fire/Water/Air (utility skills)
- Fiery Eruption (FGS #2)
- Grasping Earth (downed #3)
There may be others that I’ve missed on weapons, utilities or conjures.

Of these, there’s only one that an Ele might want to cast without a target – the stun-breaking Signet of Air. All the rest are rendered completely useless if the targeted foe goes into stealth just before the cast, or if the game makes the player lose target for any other reason.

Most Mesmer skills that summon clones and phantasms can’t be cast without a target, since most illusions will focus attacks on the enemy they were cast at. Why don’t all skills that can only hit a targeted foe work like this?

Note: I’m aware that there are other professions with skills that become useless without a target yet can still be cast – Necromancers have Ghastly Claws (axe #2) and Feast of Corruption (scepter #3), for example. Any fix to stop Elementalists wasting their cooldowns should of course also be applied to affected skills used by other classes.

There is actually a purpose you can get out of casting them, Procing signet of restoration. And I don’t really think the class needs hand holding of this type, just make sure you have a target and if the enemy drops target with stealth, then that is basically a dodge and they earned it.

ArthurDent.9538:

There is actually a purpose you can get out of casting them, Procing signet of restoration. And I don’t really think the class needs hand holding of this type, just make sure you have a target and if the enemy drops target with stealth, then that is basically a dodge and they earned it.

Stealthing before your opponent starts their cast is not a dodge. Stealth does not grant immunity frames.

Dodging the cast as it finishes is good timing. A lucky stealth is just that – luck, not skill.

I agree for the non-weapon skills. Stealth is really the only situation where this will happen and waiting to recast a single spell until they reveal themselves is likely a death sentence. Better to switch to another attunement and preempt their attack.

if they stealth before you successfully cast a skill then they outplayed you to be honest. There is not any insta cast stealths in this game besides maybe blinding powder. What you are saying would allow us eles to just mash are keys with no care in the world… I’m sorry but I really think this is just a patience/L2p issue.

Scepter Earth 2nd skill, Hurl. This skill behaves just like what OP says. Does not trigger without target, which is what those skills also should be like.