Guild Wars 2

Blinding Ashes- I like this trait, when I’m doing 1v1 or dueling. When playing the game how it was meant to be played though and fighting multiples with a team at my side, I feel like this trait is lack luster due to the global cooldown, I advise the global cooldown be changed to a cooldown per target effected by the trait. The trait feels extremely underwhelming when you hit a mesmer clone or necro pet and then can’t even blind the target you initially wanted to until 5 seconds have passed.

Lightning Rod- I do love the idea behind this trait, I love to see traits which require skill in order to be utilized. There is a downside though, this trait isn’t offering enough reward for interrupting IMO. I feel this way because the Elementalist class has a small selection of skills to interrupt, most of these skills also have very long cooldowns. This trait might offer something to a d/f ele utilizing shocking aura and comet (due to their short cooldowns), but even then I still wouldn’t take this trait since I feel like I’d be better off with Fresh Air and dagger’s #2 (Lightning Touch). I’m basically going to accomplish the same thing as lightning rod with this combo, but it will be way more effective.

Elemental Contingency – I was pretty appalled by the looks of this skill, it seemed to be a mockery of this class but I decided to test it anyway, I was shocked that there was a cooldown on all 4 possible boons after one has been used. I thought perhaps lingering elements was hindering the potential of the skill but thats not even the case. Theres just simply a 10 second cooldown between each potential boon. There are a few things that I see that are just plain wrong with this skill.

1.) This skill doesn’t offer enough reward for being hit
2.) The adept trait in the arcana line (renewing stamina) for vigor is far superior compared to this GM traits usefulness in water attunement. Infact with this adept trait in mind, there is absolutely no benefit from Elemental Contingency while in water attunement. All elementalists want the renewing stamina trait unless they are perhaps playing staff.
3.) The elementalist class is about being evasive, and not getting hit
4.) Evasive arcana > Elemental Contingency. Hands down, no question about it.

Elemental Contingency is a joke and makes me think who ever was in charge of assigning new traits to the elementalist didn’t take their job very seriously.

Only good new trait is the one in earth.

Good analysis though.
Binding Ashes: exactly that
Lightning Rod:
I am D/D so i have 2 real interrupts (air 5 and earth 4) okay and shocking aura, so I dont know if i really benefit from it, both are in my burst rotation though.

Elemental Contingency :
Each and utter crap that trait, even if there was no internal cool down at all, the only build i can think of profiting from it would be the Aquamancer (otherwise you dont live long enough to profit) and that build usually takes evasive arcana there.

What about a GM trait that reduces attunement recharge by another 2 or 3 sec, that would be grandmaster worthy

Duran.3196:

Good analysis though.
Binding Ashes: exactly that
Lightning Rod:
I am D/D so i have 2 real interrupts (air 5 and earth 4) okay and shocking aura, so I dont know if i really benefit from it, both are in my burst rotation though.

Elemental Contingency :
Each and utter crap that trait, even if there was no internal cool down at all, the only build i can think of profiting from it would be the Aquamancer (otherwise you dont live long enough to profit) and that build usually takes evasive arcana there.

What about a GM trait that reduces attunement recharge by another 2 or 3 sec, that would be grandmaster worthy

It sounds nice to have Elemental Contingency replaced with a GM trait that reduces the cooldown on all attunements…. That sounds like a wonderful idea, 5 seconds less wouldn’t make the elementalist OP imo. No more heal dodge in water, no more blind in air, no more burning in fire, no more blast finisher/bleed/dd from earth. Instead you would be able to utilize your 3 point traits better, along with skills that had short cooldowns. With 30 points into arcana you’ll only get to choose two of them at the most. Overall this trait would mainly benefit staff elementalist by giving the class a potential build for sustaining a fair amount dps on a single target.

On the contrary there is one problem I see with a trait like this… Not that this isn’t already a problem, but the Ele would surely stay stuck to a few meta builds, like it already is. Most people would probably greatly appreciate if there was more selection.

#Elepocalypse

Blinding Ashes: If it was per target cd instead of global it would be much better.
Lightning Rod: Make it master so it can synergize with Temp. Defense.
Stone Heart: Perfectly fine and balanced gm.
Aquatic: I haven’t tested this so idk, I hear its good though.
Elem. Contingency: It really needs to be per attunement and not on global cd. Either that or just make a new gm.

I really hope anet will take the time to look into these new GM traits for all classes and balance them accordingly…

Lightning rod would of made a much better Minor GM trait in air.

Elemental Contingency would of also made a decent Minor GM trait if it had a separate cd per boon instead of global cd per use of one boon. Right now though, Elemental Contingency as it stands is so bad I wouldn’t even want to trade it for Arcane precision (Minor GM trait in Arcana)

This good analysis they where to safe with many of the traits across all classes. That is why alot of people are running the same setups mostly. So far I have heard good things about the necro curses trait, ele water trait, ele earth trait thats about it. The mesmer trait was good but they “fixed” it.

The new arcana trait would be weak without the cool down. The additional source of protection is nice, but the retaliation is a waste on a class that can’t take a hit and the other 2 boons are easier to get elsewhere, and without getting hit. Really that’s the biggest problem. Why give a class an on hit ability that is mediocre at best, when it is the one class that absolutely can’t take the hit? I don’t get it.

no one wants my analysis on the new major grandmasters
but i’ll type it in anyway
just to emphasize what a clusterfo0o0o elementalist is
 
i’d gladly trade all the new major grandmaster traits combined for this following attachment to be the new minor adept in arcana
 

Blinding Ashes – Really Good in 1v1 except against petting zoos and mesmers.

Lightning Rod – I use it on my Staff Ele. I’m not exactly sure if it’s making an impact. There are times when I think that Tempest Defense is still better with the bonus damage against KD’ed enemies.

Stone Heart – This is the trait I’m most excited about YET I haven’t really tested builds on this. I’ve been enjoying playing with Aquatic Benevolence.

Aquatic Benevolence – Sure, this trait is useless for solo players but it’s really awesome in teamplay. I think there will now be at least 1 or 2 Cleric DD Elementalists in GvG fights.

Elemental Contingency – Wut?

Kyon.9735:

Elemental Contingency – Wut?

Mhm totally agree

I agree on these

Stone heart is good, but i’ve stopped using that setup.

Aquatic benevolence is good, but mostly in zergs.

Others are pretty useless.

The biggest thing this patch did for eles is the new runes and sigils have given us alot of burst damage. Overall i’m happy with the changes

The problem with blinding ashes and elemental contingency is the global cooldown.

There are many variables against blinding ashes.

1. It’s ineffective in group battles;
2. It’s defective in small skirmishes against pet builds (aka, ALL mesmers, spirit rangers, MM necros, and any elite other professions might bring, like turrets or elementals);
3. AoE burning screws with blinding ashes – and elementalists have a lot of aoe burning;
4. The minor #5 trait can randomly proc versus a pet, and you can’t do anything about it;

It’s unfortunate how poor this trait works with the way its own profession is designed.

About elemental contingency, there’s nothing to say about it. Go on, test it. It’s horrible. The effects themselves are not bad, but the cooldown, oh my good, that global cooldown. You can very well only proc a very needed (and very short) protection every 20, 30 or ever 40 seconds while the battle is going (sometimes never), and the same applies to all other boons. You have no control over it. You can’t build around it. It’s completely ineffective design-wise, and yes, I’m being very hard to anet’s devs for this specific trait. I can understand they were worried about blinding ashes being too strong with a different cooldown, but this trait doesn’t works, ever, nor will it, ever, with a global cooldown.

Takes a breath.

Stone Heart is good, Aquatic Benevolence has potential, I like both of them. I even suggested in this forum, several months ago, that a healing trait like the later one should exist in this game.

Lightning Rod is a cool trait by itself, but it doesn’t works in the context of this profession. In a mesmer, it would have been a decent/ good grandmaster trait, I’d say. But an elementalist does not have enough interrupts, nor low enough cooldowns on said cooldowns, to justify using it. You’ll only trigger lightning rod from time to time, and for that, 2k damage and 4 seconds of weakness will not be relevant enough.

Yea way to safe with these traits across all professions. I mean if these where available at launch replacing existing traits I only see 2 of them being used ever.

Say something Anet….

I thought perhaps lingering elements was hindering the potential of the skill, sort of like how it does with Glyph of elemental power, only worse but thats not even the case

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Glyph_of_Elemental_Power

“The determined condition does not change when swapping attunements and affects any source of direct damage. "

It’s unrelated to lingering elements.

Just had an idea: Would Lightning rod work with Shocking Aura and Powerful Auras? I mean, If they attacked one of your allies who had one of your Shocking Aura’s on them, would they be weakened? Could be more powerful then…

with Aquatic benevolence staff auto heals ~1000 around the impact.
soothing mist regenerate 200 hp each second.
geyzer heals 1500 per tic (3 heals)

only exotics, no food no sigils.

Uhtameit.2413:

I thought perhaps lingering elements was hindering the potential of the skill, sort of like how it does with Glyph of elemental power, only worse but thats not even the case

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Glyph_of_Elemental_Power

“The determined condition does not change when swapping attunements and affects any source of direct damage. "

It’s unrelated to lingering elements.

Thanks for clearing that up.