Guild Wars 2

Hey All!

I’m just wondering what it’s like for you to play the game for so long knowing that your main character is the elementalist class — what your perspective / outlook is on situations, for example what you feel like when you go solo PvEing, solo roaming — or do you depend more on others.

How do you feel maining ele in comparison to other class mains -
IS it fun? Do you feel useful everywhere? Do you feel outclassed or squishy? Do you feel all-powerful or niche? Does anything seem possible or do you feel like you might need to barely squeeze into something with a lot of effort?

This is kind of a broad open-ended question but I’m just wondering what everyone’s experience is!

Thanks!

I don’t pve much so I cant comment on that. In WvW I am solo roaming most of the time. I can handle myself well if there are 2 or 3 more players attacking me at once, but I’m heavily reliant on my FGS so that I can escape. Once I drop that or it runs out it’s game over for me (if they catch up or new group appears).

I like to think I’m useful when I’m zerging because they always need waterfields and statics. If they think I’m hitting like a wet noodle then they are wrong. We can also do lots of damage while providing support. Also, we are the main targets of snipers whilst zerging/roaming. If you aren’t getting targeted by the latter then count yourself lucky because you will survive the whole fight and run away with the commander when things go bad, haha.

ele is very fun. I don’t see how other classes can top it.

highest pve damage, and has multiple uses for wvw or pvp in general.

about the “lot of effort”… well, I think it is rewarding. even if some other class might perhaps perform a certain role with less effort and semi afk while mashing the same button, I still would choose to play my elementalist in any scenario.

in 2 years, the only classes that I bothered leveling to 80 are ele, thief and engi (in that order). warrior, guardian, necro, ranger, and other classes that allow you to rely on your dog to take over temporarily while you gotta do something… never interested me in the slightest.

it feels awesome, i mained a mesmer for few months, and there was like no build diversity at all (not viable ones), shatter mes was the most fun spec, tried everything possible , but due to needing 6 in illusion and 4 in dueling for sure, it just wasnt much fun anymore, i am someone who loves playing around w builds and theorycrafting

as an ele u got a lot of possibilitys, u can think of anything,try something out , see if it works, and in most cases it works

u got 20 different spells, and on ur weapons only! then u can summon a greatsword wich 1. looks awesome 2. gives u 5 different skills 3. due to all other elites beeing underwhelming u dont feel guilty using it!

meanwhile other proffessions only got 10 weapon skills + max 5 proffession skills

u get bored of dagger ? try scepter! (altho i have yet to see a condi scepter build, dagger just works better for condi)

i enjoy when playing s/d ele to see my enemys going down in 1 sc or less, screaming in caps ’ WTF’

anyway , ele is a rly awesome and good choice cause : u r the best proffession for pve content if well played (l2dodge!), pretty solid in pvp, pretty awesome roamer (altho i would like to see rtl beeing buffed to have 30-35 sec cd)

its hard to explain due to english not beeing my main language soz!

Just get over the fact that people see you as a conjure dispenser and that everything instadowns you and it actually isnt too bad.

Solo.9027:

Just get over the fact that people see you as a conjure dispenser and that everything instadowns you and it actually isnt too bad.

This. Most groups see eles as Might/Fury/FGS machines.. This and getting the lock on from pretty much everyboss are the downsides from this class.. The damage output though is very good.. Dem 19-21k Thunderclaps…

Tripzter.8623:

This and getting the lock on from pretty much everyboss are the downsides from this class..

Really? I read that PvE mob targeting prioritizes targets with heavier armor / more HP making the ele the last prioritized target.

Domzz.1260:

Tripzter.8623:

This and getting the lock on from pretty much everyboss are the downsides from this class..

Really? I read that PvE mob targeting prioritizes targets with heavier armor / more HP making the ele the last prioritized target.

Well tell that to.. for example the Golem in CoE or.. the first boss in CoF p1.. or.. lol just pick one out of a hat.. I play with warriors and guards everyday and so far I’ve been tanking pretty much everyboss I get close to.. meaning all of em since I run LH.. Could it be bad luck for some reason? I doubt it.

For me, playing an ele main gives me the feeling I can literally do everything. No matter what situation, I’ll have skill to handle it. Making combos with my own fields is fun.

On the other hand, I have great trouble playing other professions. It feels like they never have anything worthwhile to do besides auto attacking. It took me about half a year just to come up with an engineer build that matched the fun of my ele.

Being an Elementalist is GREAT!
This is just my personal opinion, okay?!

PVE: We have the biggest DPS, a lil squishy but the dps compensate that. Best class for dungeons together with warriors.

WvW: Staff zerk bomber in zergs is just a floor full of bags.
Solo Roaming as D/D Ele is nice, one of the best classes too, have dps, survivability, mobility.
Havoc is great too, you can either be the dps in group or the fight initiator. Sharing might, protection and healing for a good amount.

You can see here how i solo roaming as D/D Ele:

https://www.youtube.com/danxicow

It’s fun, but as dahir said, you’re reliant on FGS if you’re roaming solo.

Which is annoying as i’d love an elite I could use actively in fights instead of always just sitting there as my escape tool.

Also ele’s are usually focused first by everyone when there are multiples, especially rangers, and it’s then you realise your low hps and low armour are an issue. I honestly think eles need a better ranged dps option.

What is not fun:
As for mesmer, having one of the most skill intensive and fun builds, and being forced into the 1111111 conjured dispenser or healbot in WWW, feeling even dumber than a warrior.

Unfortunately seems anet buff easy builds and nerf any interesting one instead.

I got my Elementalist to level 80 back in the early GW2 days. I took a break from GW2 for a year+ and came back a bit ago. I started out leveling a new character, but I missed my Elementalist. And now that I’ve started playing my Elementalist again, I find it hard to go back to my newer character (warrior, fwiw), because Elementalist is just so much more fun/engaging to play.

I recently picked up ele and I can say compared to all the other classes I have played its far more engaging and a lot more fun:-)
Much better than my ranger main where #1 skill was all I did. Feels like a whole new game.
Like others have mentioned I find other classes a tad boring now

Thanks for your input all.

I initially started out as a mesmer main and quickly shifted over to necro because I like to control and be indomitable. What I didn’t like about necro is that it falls short of most game modes and is really very niche in a select few places such as tPvP and WvW zergs. I want to be able to play the game for all it is — though the warrior is dreadfully boring.

So I was exploring the idea of elementalist. All of y’all’s input has helped me a lot in my decision making process; you’ve got a new ele main in the world

I am also a new ele and it is more complicated, but way more fun than any other class I have played.

2200 hours of total game-play 1400+ hours on my elementalist. I’d say the elementalist is alot of fun in pvp and pve though a bit too squishy for wvw. I like to make my own niche builds for pvp and get compliments about ‘m almost constantly. Don’t get that with the other professions I play.

comparison of ele vs. guardian in dungeons:
guardian – auto attack – alt tab to check skype and facebook and check back in every so often to cast a wall of reflection.

Ele – weaving through the elements protecting, cleansing, healing, buffing, damaging everything and everyone.

But the first 500-600 hours I was bad at the elementalist sticking to one atunement and such. Once you get used to the weaving between atunements the fun really starts. Learning all the CD’s intuitevly to the point where you don’t even need to look at your cooldowns. (besides maybe utility).

Being indispensable in any end-game mode.

How does a D/D ele do against a thief?

Depends on the spec of the thief.

Easiest to hardest for me:
P/p<D/d<D/p<S/d<P/d.

P/d is just a joke of a cheese spec, I do much better against it when i play with diamond skin though.

None of the others will be a push over, if the thief is good it’ll be a close fight and if you’re caught in the wrong rotation it’s over. Even poor thieves will be a pain if they land a backstab as it can be a sudden 7-9k damage, and then they spam heartseekers for 3-4k a pop.

So my advice is to time your dodges really well, don’t wander round spamming auto attacks in a circle as it makes it so much easier to land backstabs when you do that. I played a d/d thief for a year, and i found eles to be one of the easier classes to kill.

Using FGS for roaming is like playing with the mindset of losing.
I know we were nerfed in mobility, but i still refuse the idea.

I’d rather use elemental or a racial elite (reaper of grenth :/ since i’m human).

FGS is useful just if you run focus and want to prevent a siege.
Attune earth=>cast FGS=> before cast is finished use earth 5=> ude FGS on a wall over a siege

I run my ele as tanker/support with full celestial gear.
Got 0/0/6/2/6. I’m running with the signet for a healing skill and since I got written in stone as a trait for earth I get perma-healing with some bursts once the signet is recharged. Of course my dps dwindles compared to the zerker-ele’s but I can solo-tank the Gravelings at the traps in Ascalon P2.

I find it quite amusing how the rate of people dropping dead is going close to zero once I enter the scene in water-attunement and how I can rez people in dot-fields.
Then I dodge a bit in water-attunement and place some healing rain to keep conditions from the group.

To sum it up: I get bored when I don’t play my ele.

phaeris.7604:

Depends on the spec of the thief.

Easiest to hardest for me:
P/p<D/d<D/p<S/d<P/d.

P/d is just a joke of a cheese spec, I do much better against it when i play with diamond skin though.

None of the others will be a push over, if the thief is good it’ll be a close fight and if you’re caught in the wrong rotation it’s over. Even poor thieves will be a pain if they land a backstab as it can be a sudden 7-9k damage, and then they spam heartseekers for 3-4k a pop.

So my advice is to time your dodges really well, don’t wander round spamming auto attacks in a circle as it makes it so much easier to land backstabs when you do that. I played a d/d thief for a year, and i found eles to be one of the easier classes to kill.

Awesome advice, how about an engineer?

The versatility is hard to give up when playing alts. I can do absolutely anything a group needs at any point, and — maybe it’s just because I play it more and therefore better than other classes, but — I find it’s the easiest for me to solo on as well.

Ele needs a lot and I mean a lot of time to master, more than any other class I feel how important good keybinding and good finger dance is to be proficient.
I don’t feel like any other class can give me the same pleasure and same feeling of accomplishment that my ele gives me.

however it is not a forgiving class. If your rotation is wrong, if you make the slightest mistake in your movements or skills than everything can go wrong and the fight you had so much fun with becomes a true nightmare.

It is fun and versatile. It requires skills but you never feel bored because you’re always using the same combination. It is hard, and stressful, but there’s never been a prouder moment than getting out of a fight alone only thanks to a good finger dance.
It’s hell and heaven at the same time.