(edited by Abelisk.4527)
Pros and cons of Warhorn and Focus
Warhorn has some slow skills and take positioning, mobile targets tend to move out of the fields. However you have a fire and water field for aoe might or healing, you get boons from 4/8 skills (might, regen, swiftness, protection, plus magnetic aura from earth 4), and Cyclone (air 4) is one of the best CCs Ele’s have for breaking stun bar. I personally main warhorn for the might stacks (fire 4 directly and fire 5 is a field), strong water heals, and Cyclone’s swiftness boost and CC.
The best thing about focus is invulnerability from Obsidian Flesh. Air 4 and Earth 4 protect from projectiles. Air 5 is also a strong CC but not as strong as Cyclone. I don’t like Fire 4 as the target area is quite small, but Fire 5 grants an aura to synergize with Invigorating Torrents (tempest trait: auras give regen and vigor). Water skills are why I don’t use focus. A simple chill (water 4) is very weak given the 25 sec cooldown and Comet (water 5) takes a long time to drop.
Conclusion: Warhorn has strong heals, more might stacking potential, and a strong CC but poor positioning can be punishing. Focus has a valuable invulnerability skill, condi clear, projectile protection, and a decent CC, but no healing and a smaller burn area.
Focus Air 5 knock-down… I love it.
Part of me thinks that someone in ANet was thinking “hey, wanna see something funny? Watch this…”
warhorn: god tier PvE. Good AoEs with strong effects, for damage, defense, and support. But the skills are slow, delayed, so it’s not as great against players, who can avoid them.
focus: amazing personal defense and solid single target cc, but offers little else
(edited by reikken.4961)
I am guessing from his build that OP speaks about PVP
personally I find warhorn extremely slow for PVP and I cannot part with focus earth 5 which is the ultimate savior/safestomp.
Oh oops! This is about PvP. Sorry about that.
Nevertheless, interesting responses so far.
What seems particularly intriguing is that Warhorn doesn’t have any really slow skills that are meant only to do damage. I use the slowest (Tidal Surge) for Healing me and allies, granting regeneration as well as cleaning off a condi. The second slowest offensive, air 5, has a really large area of coverage. You can have enemies far from it, but the orb will be shooting small-but-potent projectiles that stack vulnerability and can do decent damage especially if they crit.
The second two offensives, fire 5 and earth 5, I use very often. I place them over nodes/points for protection so that if I’m being followed and attacked, the enemies will slowly but surely be damaged. The fire 5 also provides an excellent might field.
Water 5 heals a whopping 3k with this build if one were to stay within it for its 4 pulses. It’s a water field too.
Air 4 is great CC especially at close range. So far I haven’t had any real problems with Warhorn, perhaps the fire field and earth 5 can load faster, and heat sync can transfer all boons, not just fury and might. Otherwise, it feels great playing with it.
Imo it’s simple – WH is superior support/buff/boons w/ CC. Focus is defensive/utility/condi clear – solo/selfish/survival. It offers no heals/boons, some CC/projectile.
If I am, an often am supportish, I easily go WH. It’s too good for the boon/heals for allies. Focus earth and air are the main reasons focus is so good; I mean, earth 5 come on, if I was roaming/small group or pure DPS focused I’d go D/F easily.
I mainly play with a friend 2 player roaming and use focus. I don´t trait water and use mainly the three other elements and swap throuh water often just firing one skill (i get regen from arcane traitline) . The shouts are enough support in this setup rest is kill and survive so much more offensive. Obsidian flesh as a savestomp is very valuable and air5 if someone goes into block mode is often a kill. Tried warhorn, but in fast fights against 1-3 players it´s to clunky and we avoid engaging 4+.