Hello. Before I begin, I’m sure you’ve noticed the ongoing balance argument that is currently going on in the forums. While I believe that Ele’s could use a little love in a few places, I don’t feel it’s anywhere near as bad as some would make it out to be. I also believe that a lot of that is merely a lack of experience with the class.
Yes, the Elementalist is an advanced class. It’s going to take some extra time to learn and some extra practice to get good at. And yes, some people may just not be cut out for the complications that the Elementalist class design brings. I have found that the Elementalist is most enjoyable when you bring a good mental game. There’s a LOT of multitasking, skill combinations, and situational awareness needed to truly excel. And it’s not that you’re dumb if you can’t get a handle on the Ele, or if you don’t like the way he feels. Everyone is different and should make that decision on their own.
Well, since your still here, let’s get started with some tips.
1) LEARN YOUR WEAPONS AND YOUR ATTUNEMENTS SLOWLY.
We have more to learn about our weapons than other classes do. So, don’t go changing your weapon every 10 levels. Pick a weapon you like and stick with it. I’ve played D/D for the vast majourity of my 100+ hours of Ele time, and it makes a huge difference knowing your skills like the back of your hand rather than fumbling through your cooldowns.
-Start by selecting the weapon you like, and sticking with one attunement.
Blasphemy, I know. Bear with me here. Stick with it until you know it in and out. You might have a rough time with just one attunement, but it’ll pay off in the long run. This is about learning the class in manageable, bite sized chunks.
-Once you get really comfortable, switch to another attunement, and stick with it.
It’s going to feel different. It should! This is the power of the Elementalist. You’re going to play and feel almost like a different class. Keep going at it until you’ve got it down.
-Now, start switching between the two as the fight demands.
Don’t worry, just use those two attunements like any other classes’ weapon swap ability. You know, like how other classes switch weapons based on the situation they’re in. Do the same thing! Heck, it is the same thing.
-Once you’ve got that down, add the third attunement. Then, the last.
It’s probably going to start feeling like a lot to juggle. That’s ok! You’ll get the hang of it. Try really learning each skill rather than cherry picking your favorites. Each skill has it’s use, and learning the swiss army knife that is the Elementalist is part of what it’s all about. Seriously, stick with one weapon until you’ve really REALLY got it down. It’s going to take some time. Get a feel for it and have fun while you do it.
-At some point, you’re going to want to repeat this process with water combat. I suggest avoiding water combat until you’re ready to learn another weapon, and then going to a huge underwater zone so you can stick with it and really get the hang of it. Just remember, as your character gains experience, you gain experience as well with handling your character. Have fun and keep going.
2) DON’T FEEL THE NEED TO SWAP ATTUNEMENTS CONSTANTLY.
I see people tossing this around, and I want to address it. Yes, we have a lot of skills with big cooldowns. Yes they are good. However, just cycling through them all can leave you at a tactical disadvantage. You don’t want to be attuned to fire when you’re badly hurt, you want to be in water getting some healing going, then you want to be able to go to earth to keep some defense up. HAVING EVERYTHING ON COOLDOWN MEANS THAT SKILL YOU NEED WILL BE ON COOLDOWN WHEN YOU NEED IT THE MOST.
Take D/D for instance. I see so many people saying they start with air 4, 5. (Ride the Lightning, Updraft). It’s cool, and it certainly helps open up the match, but now you’ve put one of your nicest dodge/interrupts on cooldown. If you hold onto updraft for your foe’s big charge combo, you have a good interrupt that leads perfectly into fire 3,5. Not only does it disrupt your opponent, he’s immedately on the defensive because of how brutal 3/5 is.
3) 30 ARCANE IS GOOD, BUT IT’S NOT AS AMAZING AS YOU THINK IT IS.
Yes, a shorter C/D on attunement swapping is helpful. It makes it easier to get to the element you want to be in at any given time. However, 30 in arcane doesn’t make your skills cooldown any faster!!! It doesn’t matter how fast you can swap back to fire if you’ve already used your 5 ability. Those points can go a long way elsewhere! Give it a try and see how you do.
That’s some of the more general tips I can think of for now. Please feel free to add any tips you want. Please, refrain from making this a balance discussion. Regardless of how you might feel about the balance, the Elementalist can still be played if played well, and some of us enjoy that.