Guild Wars 2

Hi guys! First off, elementalists are far more complex than other classes, spawning these tiny little things that give the profession even greater complexity. So, this list is going to name those tiny little things for newer elementalists! Before you post, try to put your own tips and tricks before any discussion/explanation (by separating them with a line) so people doesn’t have to dig through posts for them. Okay, let’s get started!

1. Switching your attunement after you start dodging but before you complete the dodge, you get a spell effect with the next attunement from Evasive Arcana.

2. You can cast mist form when interacting with an object or person, such as picking something up in the middle of a mob, or executing/healing/reviving an ally to buy yourself some time.

3. When using conjured weapons, you can switch attunements for different bonuses while retaining your weapon. This is much more effective with Evasive Arcana, since you can switch attunements specifically for the dodge rolls.

4. A grandmaster Arcane trait called Elemental Surge works with Arcane Power to apply an effect, depending on your current attunement, to your next five spells.

5. Stomping downed opponents with Armor of Earth can sometimes be better than using Mist form (beginning stomp, starting mist form while in the stomp). It lasts long enough for you to cast, approach the downed player, and stomp them with your stability protecting you from interruption from them or from other players.

6. You can lightning flash to teleport to an opponent while casting churning earth.

7. For PVE, the Earth Elemental from our elite is surprisingly durable. Use it to distract large groups of mobs and buy your group some time during difficult trash pulls. Even in high level fractals it continues to be useful.

8. Switching attunements counts as a “weapon swap” for sigil purposes.

1. All cantrips and some (all?) arcane utilities can be used while channeling a spell. That means if you’re channeling Drake’s Breath, you can use Cleansing Fire to remove conditions without stopping the channel.

2. Other spells can be used with Lightning Flash, not just Churning Earth. A favorite of mine is Earthquake, but you have to be a lot faster about it.

4. If an enemy is standing on a ledge above you, your auto attack, as well as a few other spells in Earth attunement will hit them, and they will have a hard time hitting you if you’re flush up against the wall. Great if you’re defending on Forest of Niflhel mid.

5. Auras can be activated while stunned, good for popping shocking aura if you just got jumped by a thief or warrior’s burst combo and have no stun breaks.

6. By deslecting “Autotarget nearest enemy” in the options, you can use Ride the Lightning to escape a dangerous situation if you have no target selected (click the middle of your screen.)

7. Many of your AoE’s still hit around hard cover, you can use this to LoS people. Very handy when outnumbered.

1. Lightning Strike and Blinding Flash (Scepter Air2 and Scepter3) can be used while channeling Arch Lightning without interrupting it, also they can be used while you are using Updraft. I think they can be used while you are on the ground or even stunned (just like cantrips) This boosts both your survivability (blind) and your damage (strike)

2. Burning Speed (Dagger Fire3) deals its full damage if you are either immobilized but in melee range (for example by those Risen Acolytes who immobilize then stand next to you) or when you and your opponent are close to a wall/object. This happens because Burning Speed creates some fire behind you and that fire deals damage, the shorter the distance the more “compact” those fires will be. This can also be used to burst large immobile objects like the Burrows in AC or the Trebuchet in Battle of Khylo

3. Dragon’s Claw (Dagger Fire1) fires 3 projectiles in a spread pattern, the closer to your target, the higher the chance for all of them to strike your opponent (for triple damage)

4. Vapor Blade (Dagger Water1) has 600 range, it’s your highest range skill if you are using D/D, learn to use it wisely. Also, Vapor Blade strikes 2 times, one time when it hits your target and one when it returns, be sure to strike while close to a wall so the return trip is shorter, it will also apply Vulnerability 2 times.

5. All Earth Dagger skills except Magnetic Grasp can hit foes above or below you

Good thread. The big one in this list for me was that weapon swap sigils work with attunement swapping.

I don’t suppose someone would want to explain how to properly treb block here? I’ve heard it mentioned before in regards to using Foci. Do swirling winds, magnetic wave, and magnetic aura all reflect treb shots?

cznrhubarb.5946:

Good thread. The big one in this list for me was that weapon swap sigils work with attunement swapping.

I don’t suppose someone would want to explain how to properly treb block here? I’ve heard it mentioned before in regards to using Foci. Do swirling winds, magnetic wave, and magnetic aura all reflect treb shots?

magnetic aura does nothing to treb shots as far as i have seen.
swirling winds works pretty good against them.

With 20 in Air for 20% reduced cooldowns you can just manage to defend against 1 bad treb user assuming they’ve not macro’d once they have the correct range. It’s much easier with two ele’s alternating swirling winds. Haven’t had the opportunity to test with more than two but for me a basic rule of thumb is two ele’s for each treb firing.

-Updraft works as a dodge whilst immobilized.

-Frost Bow 5 is a 4-5 sec stun that cannot be broken with stun breaks or condition removal

-Changing attunement counts as an attack so be careful when you have confusion on you.

-2 people with fiery greatsword at point blank on a door in Foefire will break the large door very quickly by using the whirl at point blank toward the door, as well as the storm.

-Fiery GS can kill the lords soldiers (melee ones) in Foefire quickly. Use 1 or 2 to aggro them, then 5 where they will walk and finally 3 into the stair/ramp so your fill spin is stuck in a corner.

-Lightning flash works with most skills if you are fast enough. You can also lightning flash then do a move, such as updraft for a 900 range blowback.

-Cantrips can be cast whenever. Therefore you can cast cleansing fire while casting flame grab. This will apply burning to them then firegrab for 50% extra damage. This is handy if you foe has removed your conditions.

-Auras can be cast at anytime. Use frosty aura to apply insane chill to rangers or thieves when they open up on you. Use shocking aura to stun foes while you cast churning earth.

-You can change attunements whenever. Using a conjure and have at least 5 in arcane? Change attunement before each attack and you will apply fury to yourself before the attack.

1. Conjure Earth Shield’s Magnet skill pulls people off walls! Extremely useful for when a variety of things like siege and jumping puzzles.

Air attunement focus 4 ability for protecting siege from trebs and catas. Get a few other eles to join you to keep protection up 100%. Always carry a focus.

Churning Earth triggered by dodge rolling with Evasive Arcana deals much lower damage then the normal casted spell. However its a blast finisher, so dodge into your fire fields while attuned to earth. Dont waste dodges just for the purpose of dealing more damage.

- Evasive Arcana’s water dodge is a nice heal AND condition removal. I often use it right after attuning to water.

- Thieves have the annoying ability to teleport when downed, especially while you’re in the middle of finishing them. You can still get them with one finish though! Start finishing them, and get lightning flash ready. When the thief ports, lightning flash right on top of them. Practice will improve your timing, and good timing will allow you to kill the thief at their own game every single time.

- RTL and Mistform will trigger your weapon swap sigils effect when you are in combat.
- You can use all you aoe skills behind WvW gates to hit enemny behind and close the gate.(You will smile when you see that much white damage on the screen)
- Ice spike, Eruption and Meteor Shower is best to destroy siege on the walls since they has most range of aoe on the walls.
- After you use Static Field around enemy, you can use Gust to push enemy inside/outside of Static Field and cause enemy to be stunned because of S.Field.
- Tidal Wave(Underwater, Water-5) will do insane damage if you manage not to move away from your targets.
- You can use Lighting Flash, while Burning Speed and make the blast where you teleported.
- Your fire staff auto-attack will hit in range more than 1200 since its aoe.
- Healing Rain, Eruption+Evasive Arcane into combo field, double Aoe Heal at very same time.
- You can first use Dragon Tooth and then use Ring of Fire and you still get the mights from combo
- If you have Zephyr’s Boon or Elemental Shielding and Powerful Aura, your allies will also get the boons from Zephyr’s Boon or Elemental Shielding.
- If your enemey has projectile reflecting and if you throw a projectile, you can make fun with activating Magnetic Aura. The projectile will do go crazy in air.

Energy
Zephyr’s Focus (and Obsidian Focus) works very well with channeling spells. So Ether Renewal and scepter air and earth auto attacks will charge your energy bar quickly. If using cantrips with vigor, and other means of energy replenishment (Sigil of Superior Energy, Renewing Stamina, Vigorous Scepter etc.), you will rarely need to worry about having a dodge handy.

1. signet of air is not just an speed increase, its also an instant blind. its awesome to blind your downed target so they cant knock you down, pull or stun. you will need good timing tho. you can also use it to avoid incomming stuns or knockbacks. if you were to late for that you can still use it while flat on the floor to avoid the next big hit thats comming.

2. conjure ice bow skill 4 is AWESOME against lots of things but especially objects.

3. if you put your enemy against a wall or in a corner and you will use burning speed, the stretched line will now be all on the same spot dealing much more damage.
(you can test this in world v world on a gate)

Churning Earth blast finisher registers the moment you cast it and comes into effect when the cast is finished

A lot of Field/ Finisher people usually not take advantage of:
Burning retreat and burning speed are fire field.
Stoning and Shockwave from staff are Projectile finishers. use them together with Frozen Field and Unsteady Ground can heavily disable a target for a very long time.
Earth auto atk from scepter has a chance to be a projectile finisher
Rock Barrier is 5 Projectile finishers
Comet and Magnetic Wave are Blast finishers.

Burning Retreat can be use to running away if you face the enemy. It is also a very long dodge.

Windborne Speed also remove chill, cripple and immobilize

Churning Earth blast finisher registers the moment you cast it and comes into effect when the cast is finished

A lot of Field/ Finisher people usually not take advantage of:
Burning retreat and burning speed are fire field.
Stoning and Shockwave from staff are Projectile finishers. use them together with Frozen Field and Unsteady Ground can heavily disable a target for a very long time.
Earth auto atk from scepter has a chance to be a projectile finisher
Rock Barrier is 5 Projectile finishers
Comet and Magnetic Wave are Blast finishers.

Burning Retreat can be use to running away if you face the enemy. It is also a very long dodge.

Windborne Speed also remove chill, cripple and immobilize

Pure PvE leveling tips.

Cast Glyph of Elemental Power while in fire attunement, then swap to earth (especially scepter auto-attack\churning earth) – you can stack bleeding and have chance for burning.

Casting Glyph of Storms while in earth provides replenishing AoE blind which leads to extremely good protection. Combine with Churning Earth can apply mass bleed to lots of enemies simultaneously. (very long chain example but fun- dragon’s tooth-fire field-Glyph of Storms in earth-churning earth-earthquake (latter can be reversed)).

Glyph of lesser elementals, Arcane Shield, Glyph of Storms provide pretty good defense and are easy to obtain.

Efficient way to use Whirlpool is to cast protection spell, then transform, circle around targets.

Early levels, trait points provide a lot of advantage (first line). Consider putting 10 points into air/earth first. Air line has a trait that reduces glyph cooldowns by 20% and your first heal is a glyph. Earth can provide automatic earth shield.

Do not underestimate the power of the secondary effects, like: Scepter weapon – phoenix skill cures condition and gives vigor. Switching to earth with elemental attunement + arcana trait (elemental attunement) gives protection and combined with Scepter’s armor of earth provide prolonged defense increase.

Dodge!

Always be on the move.

Do not burst all your spells on single target. Better to save the cooldown and kill it a bit slower. You never know what is behind you

Elementalist can put down multiple melee mobs with the same efficiency as putting one down. Sometimes it is better to just get 3 mobs to attack you. Saves time.

Dragon’s tooth – A nice way to land it is to run towards the target while casting it. When the target is close to you, dodge towards the spells landing point and cast fire field. Requires a bit of timing but it is good exercise.

While in a group try to use healing spells next to wounded ally – a lot of them are AoE based. You help the team at no cost.

Do not buy gear with money while leveling – use karma, there is no point in saving it. Use your money for map teleports.

Experiment. You can discover skill combos that you may feel pretty useful.

Auto-attacks may feel weak but they are always available – always use them while other skills are on recharge.

Combo fields are your best friend

You can summon two elementals at the same time by using both elite and non-elite skills.

Last night i saw something new.
The charr ele i mentioned in a different post, i think his name is Pierre, did a lightning flash stomp against a thief.

It looks almost like he hacked it but no he started a stomp and when the thief did his number 2 to blink to a new spot the ele flashed to him and completed the stomp.

It was… pretty kitten impressive and will strike fear into the hearts of enemies.
that looks to be a pretty high skill move.

Some tricks :
-Obsidian skin and Mist form don’t protect you from conditions.
-Frost zone/Water zone + Explosion => frost aura/regeneration.
-You can hit many times the ennemy with phoenix.
-Phoenix doesn’t grant vigor if it doesn’t come to you.
-Dragon’s tooth doesn’t hit the ennemies if you’re CC’d.
-A simple dodge is really usefull to stop begginers burst.
-Burning retreat is a dodge.
-[b]Lateral move reduces your speed(like backped), so you don’t gain swiftness.[b]
+Elem’s auras are :
Fire aura (focus – 5)
Frost aura(oh dagger – 4)
Shock aura(mh dagger – 3)
Magnetic aura(staff – 3)
-With the trait 3 of fire, using a signet grants fire aura.
-Trait 1 of air → Using aura = Swiftness and Fury.
-A trait of earth → Using aura = Protection
-A trait of water → Auras can be applied to mates.

+The spell 5 of the focus(forgot the name sorry) silences a zone for 2 seconds(interrupts also), it touches the targetted ennemy at 100%,, don’t believe the circle on the ground

+Personnal POV : Condition damages (scepter/focus + signet build) is the best for 1v1 in most of situations.

Azrael.1408:

Pure PvE leveling tips.
Do not buy gear with money while leveling – use karma, there is no point in saving it. Use your money for map teleports.

Very often gear is just 1 copper over npc resale. It’s definitely worth upgrading at the trading post as long as you don’t let yourself get ripped off.

I should have figured out the teleport finisher. I’ve had myself killed in hopeless situations running circles in mist form instead of trying to escape when I knew I couldn’t just to get impaled anyway because I walked right back into it.

For asura friends, while less versatile and shorter duration(And I think longer cd), the offensive golem summon IS stronger than any of your elementals.

OMG, so many tips to contribute where do I start? My biggest tip: experiment. I’m still finding new and incredibly effective skill rotations, trait and weapon combinations for various situations.

1. In WvW, all weapons are useful and you improve your versatility if you keep all on hand.

2. In WvW, always keep a focus on hand to protect an area from treb/catapult fire. The focus has 2 skills that can block enemy fire – Air 4 (Swirling Winds) and Earth 5 (Obsidian Flesh). In order to use Earth 5, you must catch the actual projectile before it hits anything.

3. Underwater, your most damaging skill is Water 5 (Tidal Wave), which is now a leap finisher and can be used with Fire 2 (Boil) for a Fire Aura. The longer you are in contact with an enemy while using Tidal Wave, the more damage you do. This means that Chill and Cripple IMPROVE your DPS with this skill, you do more damage to enemies that are running, floating, or sinking away from you (parallel to your trajectory), and you do the most damage when using the skill against a solid object (eg, a Power Node, player against a wall/floor, etc.).

4. You are the God of combos. Learn them: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Combos – start with knowing your own, then learn what fields and finishers other classes can use. With a staff, projectile (Earth 1, 5, Arcane Blast) and blast (Earth 2, Arcane Wave) finishers come easy. Don’t forget, you also have access to leap and whirl finishers via utility (Flame Axe, Lightning Hammer) and elite skills (Firey Greatsword, Tornado/Whirlpool).

5. Many of your skills are ray attacks that travel through and can affect multiple targets. The enemy you have selected is your pivot point – so it’s often useful to target the enemy in the back and move yourself such that other enemies come between you and your target. Staff Earth 5, Dagger Main Water 1 and 2, and Fire 2 are all good examples.

6. AoE does no damage to enemies outside of their areas. Fortunately, you are also the God of Crowd Control and can stun, cripple, chill, immobilize, knockdown, and push enemies to keep them where you want. Going up against a melee target? Put those AoEs on yourself and make them come to you.

7. There are many ways to stack might as an Elementalist. One which I rarely see folks use is Burning Retreat (Staff Fire 4) > Eruption (Staff Earth 2) – the fire field lasts long enough without any traits for the Eruption to blast finish before the field is gone.

8. Sharpening Stones (weaponsmith) are a consumable that stack with food and increase your power based on a % of your vitality and toughness. Very useful for bunker builds. It also provides a bonus to XP that stacks with food effects. Tuning Crystals (artificer) are similar to sharpening stones, but instead increase your condition damage.

This list can go on, but I should really get back to work >.>

-If you need to capture a channeled skillpoint, and don’t want to fight your way through, start the skillpoint, and then go into mistform. the invulnerable time should be just long enough for you to acquire the skillpoint and get out. (Also works with Obsidian Flesh)

-while mining be careful with your skills. Changing attunements at the wrong time can lead to ruined ore chunks, and log pieces. Although I haven’t done enough thorough research you can mist form while mining, and still get items

-If you go down while trying to get a channeled skillpoint go into mistform and you will be able to get a full channel before you die.

-Magnetic aura in Earth Focus skill 4 is not considered an aura. That Aura is in Staff 3

-The trait Blasting staff will make your aoes from staff larger, but it will not be shown on the targeting reticule.

Ride the Lightning- It´s good skill for escape to safety, BUT be sure you dont have any targer ( becouse stupid switching targer and rotating camera by right mouse button you can accidently click to enemy and not escape to safety but into the enemy zerg and die – This happend to me many times)

I wrote this into suggestion few month ago, but how I expected Anet didnt anything to make it right :-(

Permanent Swiftness – it’s easy to get permanent swiftness as a D/D Ele: just put 10 trait points into air and take the major trait Zephyr’s Boon (grants fury and swiftness when applying an aura – Air Major trait 1). You’ll likely want that trait anyway.

Additionally, you’ll want to bind the “About Face” key to something convenient (Q or V or whatever you like). Pressing this key will turn your camera around 180° which can be very powerful (allows you to look behind you very quickly and useful to stack swiftness with Updraft – see below).

To stack swiftness while travelling around use the following rotation:

Start attuned to Air -> Ride the Lightning (Air #4) (doesn’t grant swiftness but moves you forward kitten fast) -> GoEH (the healing glyph that grants swiftness when used in air) -> Shocking Aura (Air #3) -> while running forward with auto-walk (!!) press the “about face” key and instantly cast Updraft (Air #5) and then press “about face” a second time (this grants swiftness and moves you backwards – that’s why you use “about face” to turn before and after casting) -> Attune to Water -> Frost Aura -> Attune to Air -> rinse and repeat.

Important: “about face” only works as described above if you’re moving forward with auto-walk. Pressing [W] and using “about face” does not work because it will only turn your camera around but your character will still be facing in the same direction. But you get used to that fairly quickly (and this rotation is only intended for travelling anyway).

This should grant you permanent swiftness (or for very low levels near-permanent swiftness at the very least) and allows you to use Ride the Lighting virtually on cool down. Combined this makes you one fast mofo. Great for levelling!

The Glyphs of Greater and Lesser Elementals are great in PvE, however their use in PvP is limited because none of the elementals can attack while moving, making it nearly impossible for their melee attacks to hit a moving target.

If you want to use these glyphs in PvP…

• Stick with the Air Elemental for damage, it’s attack has very very very long range and can hit moving targets.
• Use the Fire Elemental for condition damage, they can attack moving targets however their range is medium at best.
• Use the Ice elementals rarely, for healing if you are fighting in a tight group.
• Don’t ever use the Earth Elementals in PvP, they may be tough but they are incredibly slow, can’t hit moving targets, and are easily bypassed if you try to use them as meatshields.

Focus: Swirling Winds has its uses when stomping. Use the skill on top of a downed enemy using projectile weapons, and they will not be able to hit you while it is up, securing your stomp.

Mainly tips for staf users:

-While channeling Staff Fire 5 in WvW switch to earth attunement to get protection if you slotted Arcane Power V. Helps if you get targetted while channeling. Also:
-You can start casting Staff Fire 5 on the edge of a wall in WvW and then use Lightning Flash to teleport away into safety while channeling the spell. Same for standing on even ground.
-If you need to run away from something, turn your camera and use Air 5, Water 4 and Earth 4 on the area behind you to slow your enemies (PvE and PvP).

-The tornado Elite is extremely useful when you want to get multiple people off siege. You can also use it to throw them down a nearby cliff :-)

For d/d: double left-click twice on the screen (not clicking on an enemy) is the safest way to remove target-lock on an enemy if you want to get away fast.

Last thing: tele-finishing is awesome.