Seems like a shame to leave them behind, when they could add more builds to the ele repetoire. There should be ways to increase their usefulness, ways to create synergy like you see with Cantrips.
Current issues with signet builds, is probably the severe lack of condition removal and survivability. As arcane and water offer you survival, there are limits to what you can spend your traits on, when delving 30 in earth. If you wish for aura synergy, you must spend 20 points in fire, which leaves you with little for arcane and water traits that are life saving and necessary if you wish to survive; condi/celestial specs demand time to take someone down (slow condi/baby bursts), time signet builds doesn’t grant you.
While there are skills to support signet builds, they aren’t currently making it viable.
Traits that support signets:
- Signet Mastery: Cooldown reduction on signets: 20%.
A must have for a signet build.
- Written in Stone: Maintain signet passives at all times.
Something you’d want to have, a must have in my book.
- Shard of Ice: Vulnerability x3 for 8 seconds.
This trait won’t do you much good, as signets and earth appeal to condition or celestial builds and 3% won’t make a significant change. Appears to be an unnused trait.
- Arcane Energy: Endurance gain: 25.
Potentially usefull, except the fact that it lies in master arcane. If you go this deep, you’d pick Elemental Attunement. A quarter of energy is nothing when you have energy sigil + Renewing Stamina. I have never seen anyone use this trait.
There is better synergy to be found, but it has its costs.
With 20 points in fire, you get:
- Fire’s Embrace: Using a signet creates a fire aura.
If this trait is used, three traits are unlocked to create synergy
1. Zephyr’s Boon: Fury and swiftness for 5 seconds.
If not using Signet of Fire, fury has more value. Swiftness is good, but you’ll likely be using Signet of Air for the stunbreak, AoE blindness and 25% speed increase, and with Written in Stone is doesn’t become a necessity.
2. Elemental Shielding: Protection for 3 seconds.
Important if you can’t afford 20 points in arcane for elemental attunement. The duration is short though. Taking this will leave you without Rock Solid.
3. Powerful Auras: Share auras with up to five allies.
Useful, but you’ll have to sacrifice Written in Stone, which in itself is problematic.
My suggestions to improve signet builds.
- Fire’s Embrace: Moved to adept.
This would allow you to spend 10 points in defensive traitlines and allow a variety of builds without sacrificing everything (Written in Stone mainly). This is a very important change.
- Soothing Disruption: Cantrips grant you regeneration and vigor: 6 seconds. Signets grant you vigor: 6 seconds.
This suggestion would grant signets needed vigor without the need to go into arcane, should you want to head for 30 water. This would also benefit you if you toss one cantrip in the mix for mobility, extra cleansing/burning, invulnerability or stability/protection.
- Shard of Ice: Signets of Restoration and Signet of Water cure 2 conditions when used.
Signets severely lack condition removal tools, especially condition removal on command. This, with my suggestion to Signet of Water (below) would make more of an impact without forcing you deep into water, allowing for build diversity.
- Signet of Water:
Passive: Cures a condition every 10 seconds.
Active: Chills your foes and removes a condition.
Cast time: Instant (Like Signet of Air)
Damage: 211
Chilled: 3 seconds.
Radius: 240
This change would allow you to escape horrible situations like being immobilized and jumped, while chilling nearby attackers briefly. Such an effect would lessen the need for cantrips and make you focus on signets, which a signet build should.
- Continued.
