Guild Wars 2

Which race is better for an elementalist?

As a norn, I get access to an extra minion (wurm) to use together with my Elemental minions. However, as an Asura, I get a poison combo field.

Which do you recommend? Personally I’m leaning towards asura for spammable combo field for weakness spam. But I want your input.

I also chose the Asura, but not for racial skills, because they are blocked in PvP… I just like the race for the humor and also the dodge animations.

For PvE I tried the radiation field for a short time, but I stopped using it because I tend to move a lot as an Ele (even when using staff) and the poison field must be cast when standing still (not like e.g. static field or frost field). Apart from that, it’s a useful combofield when standing somewhere in the back and if you don’t need the utility slot for e.g. a survivabilty skill.

Another useful racial skill of the Asuran race i like a lot would be Pain Inverter – can be very useful when being surrounded…

When it comes to other races, I can’t give useful comparisons, for not having played an Ele of another race, but I saw lots of human Eles lately (maybe due to the Hounds of Balthazar?).

Asura is pretty nice for elementalist – not only do you get access to the poison field, but the elite golem also uses a light field.

I went human for kittens and giggles. The racials aren’t anything spectacular. The elite skill, Avatar of Melandru, has a decent AoE root and 10 second water field, but there’s no jumping and the skills have a pretty big cast time. The hounds of Balthazar use leap finishers which are nice to combo with Lightning Fields for the daze.

The only racial I ever used was the prayer to lyssa (gives a random boon and random condition) at lower levels. I don’t think I bother with any other racials on any of my characters in general though. Seems like your class skills are superior for the most part.

Honestly most of the racials in this game aren’t very good and you likely won’t want to use them. That being said go Norn because beards.

Asura. Every other race has higher laundry costs, due to their constantly rolling in the dirt with every dodge. Asura do not sully themselves in such a base manner, flipping cleanly through the air like little ninjas…..

Check out the Sylvari racial skills too. I see a lot of people running with the elite that gives 2 sec invulnerability.

It’s hard for me to sub any racial skills for my 3 cantrips and fiery greatsword though, except for screwing around or really specific things. Asura D-series golem helped tank/block in a couple tricky spots when I duo’ed CM story mode with my lady the other day, so there are some interesting uses for racial elites, but nothing to pick one race over another.

Poison is the one condition we can’t normally apply, so I love my radiation field

I’d recommand you human. I went asura and now it’s kinda annoying. I’d rather be human. And as good ele you would rather use cantrips or arcanas, than this worthless thing easy to avoid.

emikochan.8504:

Poison is the one condition we can’t normally apply, so I love my radiation field

And confusion (pain inverter, also gives retaliation, the one boon we can’t get normally). Asura all the way for condition elementalist.

I made a Norn Ele First-and to be honest. After messing with our elites-I vomited and deleted her. If the ele had some good elites-I could survive with my norn. I know its up to debate, but i would just want one 60 second elite cooldown. That way i can use it pretty often, rather then once in a dungeon during a particularly fast clearing.

That said-I actually went humans, just for the balth hounds. They are way better then any of the other elites-and ive never gone back. The fact that they leap(great combo abilites) and deal very heavy damage is a bonus. They seem to survive just about everything~The only ofset is the incredible recharge time. But I recomend go for the race you like best. Anet did a good job on the races enough that any can fill the ele role easily.

I took Sylvari mainly because of the look but really @frostflare why delete because you look at the elite? You actually shouldn’t choose because of skills. TBH Norn are not all that bad..but you gotta use Snow Leopard..the other are horrible if you ask me(which is unfortunet). But the racials were never meant to be the decisive point in choosing your race.
I already had a human at max level but I just can’t stand humans anymore thus I made Sylvari(my favorite race overall).

If I had to choose again I would go Asura for Pain Inverter – AOE confusion and retaliation would be great for D/D or scepter + condition dmg.

That said, Sylvari Take Root elite is also consistently good in any situation, PVE or PVP, ranged or D/D, especially considering how crap the Ele elites are.

Charr >.>

Because Eles with pistols.

Asura ele’s who spec bunker can add a little punch with Pain Inverter. Especially against glass cannons. In WvW of course.

After posting in this thread, I also had to equip my racials (mainly radiation field and pain inverter) once again and crafted a second armor set based on condition dmg. In combination with the bunker traits it adds a lot of fun to an elementalist in WvW, even though you can’t use your cantrips.

I think that confusion and poison are the conditions least expected from an ele, and it’s a lot of fun watching groups of 5 jumping at you and then jumping back into the distance, when noticing the confusion and poison on them… Still you lose a lot of survivability…

Another racial I started to use in WvW recently is the D-Series Golem, especially when defending a keep with staff on the keep walls or just wanting to protect my zerg from ranged skills (the Golem casts Shield of Absorption). Also the push back is very nice to strategically block enemies in some spots.

I went human with my Ele, she is also my first character and my “main” despite being only my 3. to get to 80.

Not testes hound of Balthazar… but maybe they can beat my elemental.

Whirlpool underwater is rad tough

Take root is pretty nifty. Use it to buy myself a couple of seconds for rtl to get off cooldown if the zerg is on me.

Norn → Snow Leopard form. Stealth on demand? Yes please! Huge distance sprint skill? Of course!

Plus, beards for that extra wizardly look.

I personally went Human, as I think they look the best in Light Armor. Though I do really like the Asura cultural light armor, and think they fit the class very well.

Ability wise, I would say Asura, mostly for Radiation Field. I’m a huge combo field junkie though, as I play Staff 90% of the time and I love setting up fields, so a poison field on top of the staff’s multiple fields would be sweet.