Guild Wars 2

Is there a way we can focus on one element instead of 4?

If you’re asking if this class can be played effectively without swapping attunements, I’m pretty sure that’s a “no”. Thematically, this class isn’t so much about “fire mages” and “water mages” like in something like Avatar, but rather something more like Masters of the Swirling Elemental Maelstrom.

That said, if you want to play a “fire mage” or an “earth mage”, you can do much with your build and your choice of clothing and dyes.

For instance, my character, “Tarvok of the Waves” is primarily a water mage—thirty points—-with enough earth and air to emphasize that place where those three elements meet: the surf. Also some arcana. He’s probably not the most effective character out there… but really, the Elementalist is only as strong as you play it. A competent player with a gimpy build will outclass a poor player every day of the week.

When I’m in town or with a party expecting trouble, I run around in Water attunement (though of course I travel in Air, because that’s just practical). My clothes are all shades of blue with just a touch of an aquamarine like color (I think it’s technically olive or something). I am, to all appearances, a “water mage”. However, I usually begin combat in Air, switch to Fire to lay down some damage and a field, to earth to combo that field four times, and only then do I switch to water to recover. Theme is all well and good… but you gotta play the class the way it’s written.

So if you want to be thematically an “earth mage”, wear lots of brown or maybe grays (dirt and/or stone), run around in earth attunement in public, put as many points in earth as you can, give your character an earth themed name, and viola! You are an earth mage! Just don’t forget that even in many elementalist based fictions, only novices are restricted to one element. The true master can weave all four like the very tapestry of nature itself.

Daecollo.9578:

Is there a way we can focus on one element instead of 4?

It doesn’t make any sense to do that. After your skills are on cool down in one attunement, another attunement usually something better than the auto attack you are left with. Staying in one attunement loses you cross-attunement combos and finishers. The list goes on and on.

Pve…whatever floats your boat mate, it´s not gonna be a problem there.
Pvp, short answer no, long answer NOOOOOOOOOO

Strang.8170:

Pve…whatever floats your boat mate, it´s not gonna be a problem there.
Pvp, short answer no, long answer NOOOOOOOOOO

Lol, lets add a footnote to that. Depending on the diffuculty of the content and the strength of the rest of the party. The ele won’t be pulling their own weight in other words.

Conjure builds can stay in one conjure if traited and given the right circumstances but thats as close as youre going to get to a sustainable mono-type setup.

Next closest would probably be a fresh air build but its still better if you swap around.

Nope. Which is why Anet completely failed with the Arcana tree and Attunement Recharge Rate.

Well I wanted the option to be viable and focus on only one or two attunements, I don’t like spamming and i’ve always like the elementalist as a class, however I don’t like switching between 4 attunements and spamming skills.

Guess I may never play an ele? :/

At most you can set your build up so you use certain attunements more than others. Fresh Air builds means you’ll be switching back to Air almost every 5 seconds and using the others as supplements. My staff build revolves around juggling fire and earth to stack Might and Fury while doing AoE damage around me. Both cases the rest of the elements are switched to for quick utility before returning to the preferred element.

But yes, you do have to use all the elements.

Ehecatl.9172:

At most you can set your build up so you use certain attunements more than others. Fresh Air builds means you’ll be switching back to Air almost every 5 seconds and using the others as supplements. My staff build revolves around juggling fire and earth to stack Might and Fury while doing AoE damage around me. Both cases the rest of the elements are switched to for quick utility before returning to the preferred element.

But yes, you do have to use all the elements.

Pretty much this. You can get by in most PvE content by sticking to one attunement, kinda, but it’s going to be much less effective than switching around. You’d be dead weight in dungeons, WvW, and sPvP if you don’t swap attunements, though.