Guild Wars 2

I am new to playing an Elementalist, and I love it so far. I noticed moving around fast plays a big role for any Elementalist. I started off with D/D, and I soon started using Acana VI: Windborne Dagger, giving me 25% extra movement speed. I looked around a bit, and noticed most D/D players don’t even use Windborne Dagger. Besides, I am thinking I might prefer D/F. I can’t get ride the lightning without off-hand dagger, but there are many other ways to be fast.

So what do you think are the best tricks to use for fast movement for D/D or D/F? This includes traits, runes, gapclosers, anything. And how important do you think movement speed is in sPvP and WvW?

you can get close to perma swiftness with elemental attunement + zephyr’s boon.

you can get 25% run speed from traveler’s runes or signet of air

lightning flash and fiery greatsword are gap closers/escapes.

since you’re new, you have to know that elementalist have many many trait 100% useless/underpowered.
Windborn dagger is one of them cause i said mcarswell, elemental attunement gives you near perma swiftness
Vigorous scepter is kitten too, cause renewing stamina gives you perma 100% stamina regen (which is the cap by the way)
super speed, or “super LOL” as i call it dont even need explanation. The list is still long but i would go offtopic ^^

Some people use the glyph of elemental harmony to get perma swiftness in combinaison with elemental attunement.
But exept if you’re alone, elemental attunement will always be enough.

For SPVP/ TPVP in my opinion Arcana VI is unusefull ,Arcana II is much better … for wvw it can be different

Thanks guys, that is helpful. Our trait options definitely don’t make much sense now that I look at it carefully.

the trait options don’t make sense if you pick ones that don’t synergize with your playstyle.

a good build is one where you’ve picked exactly the traits that DO make sense for what you’re trying to accomplish.

that said, yes, there are some traits that don’t make sense for ANY build, and windborn daggers is one of those

The only time I would drop windborne dagger on D/D is with zephyr’s boon. Then again… Zephyr’s boon is part of the most common D/D build.

Great choice to start with the ele. D/D is the easiest but one of the most fun and reliable weapon sets to perform well with the ele. Follow up with d/f next. Once you have developed enough understanding not only with your profession skills/traits/combos etc but also with other professions you might want to try staff and scepter. In regards to speed runes/utility that provide 25% permanent speed and fiery greatsword is more than what you need. Of course permanent swiftness instead of 25% movement speed is even better within some builds.

I’m not entirely sure why everyone thinks wind borne dagger is useless. Then again, I don’t run the standard, “meta” build. Anyways, I find wind borne dagger one of the best ways to gain speed without sacrificing much. Sure, arcana II may be a better option but not by much. Especially when you don’t want to sacrifice cool downs on important auras or attunements just to get swiftness.

The way I see it, you can either sacrifice a utility skill, sacrifice an entire rune set, sacrifice multiple skills/attunements, or sacrifice one mediocre trait.

Of course, I do run D/D so that’s a bonus. Not everyone runs D/D so the trait is useless for them.

So between a buff that you can get like easy (swifness) and one that you need and that you can get only by spending the adept arcana trait (vigor), you think that vigor is just “by little” above ?

Think of it:
- Signet of air is the best stun breaker we got, when i fight warrior, i always take it
-spamming attunement make you only on CD for 10sec, if you dont see your opponent at such a distance, i think you should think about glasses
- you can even use the “swap weapon” trick to use (or abuse, as you want ^^) the #4 staff air

Mattmatt.4962:

So between a buff that you can get like easy (swifness) and one that you need and that you can get only by spending the adept arcana trait (vigor), you think that vigor is just “by little” above ?

Think of it:
- Signet of air is the best stun breaker we got, when i fight warrior, i always take it
-spamming attunement make you only on CD for 10sec, if you dont see your opponent at such a distance, i think you should think about glasses
- you can even use the “swap weapon” trick to use (or abuse, as you want ^^) the #4 staff air

1. As I stated swiftness means sacrificing important skills. Unless you aren’t running D/D in the first place which means of course wind borne dagger is useless.
2. Once you burn signet of air, you lose your swiftness (unless traited otherwise from the earth grandmaster trait. If traited for this, you have bigger issues to deal with.)
3. Choosing a measly blind/stun break over another utility is massive. Much more massive than losing some extra vigor which is only granted on a critical hit.

Once in fight, switness is less important so i heavily dont mind to “burn” signet of air. (and you’ll use your attunement so you’ll get swifness from air)

i usually run mist form and blink, the last slot is arcane wave / signet of air / cleansing fire, depending on what i face. Signet of air is amazingly strongh, i dont really where it’s “massive” to take it. Even if i got caught in fight against an opponent where SoA isnt the best utility i don’t feel like "i have the bad one, i’ll get killed :’( " cause against thief, i rather get arcana to pressure him, signet of air allow me to counter backstab basilick venom. Against necro, i obviously rather cleansing fire, no problem, i can cleanse a fear.
I really dont get why you think SOA is underpowered

Mattmatt.4962:

Once in fight, switness is less important so i heavily dont mind to “burn” signet of air. (and you’ll use your attunement so you’ll get swifness from air)

i usually run mist form and blink, the last slot is arcane wave / signet of air / cleansing fire, depending on what i face. Signet of air is amazingly strongh, i dont really where it’s “massive” to take it. Even if i got caught in fight against an opponent where SoA isnt the best utility i don’t feel like "i have the bad one, i’ll get killed :’( " cause against thief, i rather get arcana to pressure him, signet of air allow me to counter backstab basilick venom. Against necro, i obviously rather cleansing fire, no problem, i can cleanse a fear.
I really dont get why you think SOA is underpowered

Lol what? All I was saying is that wind borne dagger is a decent trait to have. I have no beef with your option to run signet of air. Though I personally wouldn’t take it, I couldn’t care less if others do.