Guild Wars 2

Lets discuss the playstyle in general.Our role in party.We arent heavy hitters(hello warriors),we arent supportive(lfg fractal 99+ guardian only), we arent utility based (portals from mesmers).yet we are given lowest base hp and armor.What is idea of our class?

I feel like Elementalist can do whatever they want to do.

If we want to be a DPS class, we can do that.
If we want to be support, we can do that.
If we want to be mobile, we can do that.
If we want to be a nerf-goat, we can do that.

I feel like I can provide just as much support as a guardian in a dungeon but provide more might while maintaining a high DPS and mobility as an elementalist.

Frost Bows, Fireswords, Meteor Shower. (SO much damage, on anything)

Scepter/Dagger Fire fields stacking might then whacking with Lightning Hammer/firesword etc

Removing conditions from party members who are struggling a bit

Healing Jonez from the other side of the room while you kite the champ spider

Mist form res someone when they’re in a red circle, because everyone else is too afraid to

Our earth elite can tank pretty much anything while we drop massive nukes and heal it

The idea of our class is to be awesome, and we are.

Elaron.8150:

Lets discuss the playstyle in general.Our role in party.We arent heavy hitters(hello warriors),we arent supportive(lfg fractal 99+ guardian only), we arent utility based (portals from mesmers).yet we are given lowest base hp and armor.What is idea of our class?

I am pretty sure in WvW our purpose is to help other classes get enough badges for ascended armor.

More seriously though (although there is some truth to the above statement) we are supposed to be AOE damage dealers, with some utility and a combo field machine.

How well we perform that role is debatable. It is hard to retain the AOE damage title when we are limited to 5 targets and melee can hit 3 targets.

If you came to the Ele class expecting the typical mage class like every other RPG (A DPS class with unsurpassed AOE DPS, good single target DPS, and some unique utility) you will be very disappointed. We have terrible durability and pretty spells and that is were the similarity ends.

Ele’s can do just about any role in a group (except tank), you just need to work twice as hard and be prepared to either get rezzed a lot or not do much damage.

Mash Hog.5672:

I feel like I can provide just as much support as a guardian in a dungeon but provide more might while maintaining a high DPS and mobility as an elementalist.

90% lfg is +1 guard,and isnt +1 ele.Why so if we are equal?

If we want to be a DPS class, we can do that.

I really want to!People simply wont pick zerk ele over a warrior in terms of raw damage.
I want to be credit to team,wanna just know my role.

Shadowfall.6543:

If you came to the Ele class expecting the typical mage class like every other RPG

I did.But the description change topic is below.I want to role play and master “mage class” anyway.
AOE damage huh?Sounds like “role” at least,thanks!

In wvw, staff = water bot/cc machine with bit of damage.
In wvw, d/d = Ganker/Boon bot with bit of burst.

As a long-time thief player, I now prefer my staff elementalist alt in WvW (which is my primary interest here). If the two met in combat, the thief would win 10 of 10 fights, but the ele does so much more to help the zerg win out. He’s good at so many things — AoE damage, healing, CC, permaswiftness for overland speed, even if he’s great at nothing.

That last bit is why the 5-man meta prefers other classes, though. Flexibility, crowd control and healing don’t matter much when all you want is five heavies in zerk gear to clear a dungeon fast. Personally, I don’t care, as I don’t like that playstyle anyway. If I want to do a dungeon, it’s with guildies. We all play whatever chars we want.

I agree with Oghier. I recently started playing staff ele in WvW and I love it. Going from Thief to Guard and now to Ele has given me a good snapshot at all areas of WvW.

I love harassing the enemy zerg as they approach. Drop statics in the middles of them, Unsteady Ground out front, Frozen ground and such. Being able to control the enemy’s movement and attract their attention is a ton of fun. I was able to get entire zergs to follow me into choke points where my guild was waiting to kill them.

Also, the support roll is great. I feel like I am keeping my guildies alive and more directly influencing the battle.

Plus, popping Meteor Shower and Tornado is always a laugh.

Mostly like this:

BlackBeard.2873:

Mostly like this:

In TPvP, pretty much this.

But you need to turn up your texture levels, since so much time is spent staring at the ground it should at least be a detailed ground that’s nice to look at.

BlackBeard.2873:

Mostly like this:

Where is your lava font?

full zerker + persisting flames + blasting staff + lava tomb
that is how you play ele. take advantage of all the time you spend downed

reikken.4961:

BlackBeard.2873:

Mostly like this:

Where is your lava font?

full zerker + persisting flames + blasting staff + lava tomb
that is how you play ele. take advantage of all the time you spend downed

Thing is though, when I play on other classes (especially as ranged) I never bother trying to stomp a full-zerker ele. Instead I just destroy their downed health pool, it only takes a few seconds to do. Usually Ele’s wait till someone attempts to stomp them and then mist-form away at the last moment, so it’s better to just blow them up lol.

Lately have been seeing a few ele’s around trying 30 earth (Diamond Skin) + zerker amulet, I had to remind them that nothing has changed and it’s still possible to 2-shot them (or insta-kill them) if they’re not careful.

PvP

D/D – Mid/Melee-range frontline spiker
S/D – Ranged backstab
D/F – Mid/Melee-range DPS support; bunker
S/F – Ranged DPS support; roaming point support
Staff – Ranged DPS support; roaming point support

Ele is the the class the devs hit with the Ugly Stick. Except they used the “kitten so Hard their Grandkids are deformed fetuses Stick” instead.

The Ele is supposed to be the “Jack of All Trades” according to the Devs — which means they are below par in all aspects. In a game where the “Trinity” is not intact and everyone is by default a kitten version of DPS, Eles are even below that kitten level.

That said, the resourceful Eles do their and come up with ways to make trash usable.

As Staff Ele, I’m a ranged Nuker. Staff Ele is so much fun to play in WvW. Sure, we die when someone so much as looks at us, but we clean house like nothing else.

Is it just me or is 95% of the Forum some thread complaining about feeling weak?

I actually think Elementalists are doing quite fine.

I’m feeling fine as well. I actually think I’ve been buffed with this latest patch.

It’s still Hard Mode but I wouldn’t be maining and Ele if I really thought it was a problem.

Elaron.8150:

Lets discuss the playstyle in general.Our role in party.We arent heavy hitters(hello warriors),we arent supportive(lfg fractal 99+ guardian only), we arent utility based (portals from mesmers).yet we are given lowest base hp and armor.What is idea of our class?

Actually if you think Warrior is the heaviest hitter you are dead wrong most classes when buffed hit harder than Warrior. The reason Warrior is so popular is because it is hard to screw up. Guardian S/F + GS is one of the highest DPS in the game and Ele with FGS and Lightning hammer is right up there. In most speed runs, you generally see 1-2 eles, 1 mes or guard, at least 1 warrior, n possibly a thief. The main DPS in that group comp actually comes from FGS on the eles. (AKA heavy DPS n debuffing role)

Second, ele is quite survivable provided you can play it correctly. Ele has a good amount of damage migitation through blinds and attunements not to mention practically perma vigor and insane burst if needed.

Now if you are referring to PvP or WvW some of this doesn’t apply but in general Ele can still be played however you feel like playing it and fill any role.

And for the record, Ele actually got a pretty good buff this last patch so stop QQing

I’ve always thought of us as a jack of all trades, master of none. We’re the groups annoying little brother/sister tagging along.

Play it as you want cep for tank, can’t be a tank. But we can be dps, support, pseudo healers, field machines. You have to work you kitten x4 harder but hey think of yourself as a pianist instead of those crippled pug warriors who press 2 all day which I have to ress constantly trou glyph and mist form.

Here is my playstyle with Elementalist:

Personally, I do excellent in PvP, and PvE like dungeons and such.

I don’t have a elementalist, but it seems like to me they are the best aoe class in the game, whether damage or heals.

kelman.9451:

I don’t have a elementalist, but it seems like to me they are the best aoe class in the game, whether damage or heals.

I think those honors go to grenadier engineer and healing guardian, respectively, but the staff elementalist may be the best combination of both.

Titanimite.2534:

Actually if you think Warrior is the heaviest hitter you are dead wrong most classes when buffed hit harder than Warrior.

Now if you are referring to PvP or WvW some of this doesn’t apply but in general Ele can still be played however you feel like playing it and fill any role.

And for the record, Ele actually got a pretty good buff this last patch so stop QQing

It is play style dissussion,not qqing = )Most people think warroirs have superior damage in game.“LFG ONLY ZERK WARS AND MESMER 6000 AP”This is their role.

Is it just me or is 95% of the Forum some thread complaining about feeling weak?

I actually think Elementalists are doing quite fine.

In pvp ele is not played.At all.Not a single ele was in recent tournaments.(not solo q,but real tournamets)Prove me wrong.
Most of the time,party is looking for a guard,or a war.This thread is for the situations where ele is needed.And what is party expects from ele.