Guild Wars 2

Hi everyone, I am new to ele and had previously played her as a support/damage zergling and ran with huge zergs with a staff.

I am thinking of changing her to a 1 vs 1 roamer and was really attracted to the Arcana synergy traits and utilities.

This is the build I am running.
I have been failing badly because I don’t really know how to fight in a 1 vs 1 with her yet.
But I was wondering what you guys who have more experience with the ele think of this Arcana build?

I checked metabattle builds and there is no mention at all of Arcana builds in WvW or PvP…

I like the Arcane syngergies that gives a 20 second heal, 16sec and 20sec utilities that damage and apply conditions and gives you ferocity +150 and vulnerability on enemy and gives you back endurance for more and more dodges.

Is this build viable for 1vs1 in WvW? should I continue to train with this build or just use one of the meta DD or freshair builds?

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fFAQJArdnMISPDWyAuMAfEIgAQINNUAhlyUeb8xA-T1BPwAE1DASpBA1f8s/wIlYwUCiSZAhAEMBA-w

This build isn’t really viable for 1v1’s. There is no condi cleanse, and the benefits you get from the “arcana” skill traits just aren’t that good as the standard arcana traits (renewing stamina, elemental attunement, evasive arcana).

Also, the whole class is basically balanced around having elemental attunement, not taking it is seriously hurting yourself. Further, as you are finding, eles base defense is just atrocious. While a lot of the +damage things are decent for pve, you need to spec into more defense to even play the game as an ele, otherwise you are just thief food. Even fresh air itself gives you extra defense, as it gives you access to tools to both counter-pressure and valuable defensive skills in air.

Before you try to change up from the meta, play those builds first to understand how and why they work. I think you’ll come to appreciate why renewing stamina is better than arcane energy, even if you go full arcane. You’ll understand why signet of restoration is strictly better than the arcane heal for pvp (it gives you the passive heal for a significant time, as well as a bust heal that is nearly as strong, without being punished for not hitting people). You’ll understand why the GM arcana trait is laughably under-powered (seriously, it isn’t even strong enough for an adept trait).

At the end of the day, the traits that the meta-builds use are significantly more powerful than all the others, and the class really relies on them to keep up.

There actually is a viable arcane build I played with some time ago. It’s not one of the stronger builds, but it’s a hell of a curve ball and well played it can be effective. The biggest reason I stopped using it is because it’s not good for small group fights, but it does well in 1v1 like you’re looking for.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fFAQJArdnMISPDWyAuMAfEGQAwIdFCHASAFxyfh2wZA-T1RHABNq+DUKBFTPQRK/o+BAAwJAQm9HIFAYDrA-w

Try this version out. I haven’t used this concept outside of sPvP but the basic build is sound enough. The fun part is all the arcane skills will always crit, so your ferocity isn’t going to waste. Because of this you can trade all the stats that would normally go into precision for other things and still get your big hits. At the same time you’re flooding your opponent with long lasting conditions. There’s no +condition damage, but the damaging conditions aren’t really what you are going for. Denial is key for this build, every arcane skill has a chance to proc burning, which in turn can proc blind from Burning Ashes. Add in your own blinds and you’ve got a very frustrating build to fight against. The flood of other conditions will also make your opponent think you’re a condi build and likely won’t expect the massive hits from your arcane blast and wave.

I noticed you have S/F so I kept the weapons, but I’d recommend staff instead. The blasts on staff are very useful, and playing without blasting staff isn’t so hard when you’re used to it.

Let me know if you try it and how it works out, I’ve always wanted to try it out in a more serious setting but never got around to it.

Edit: TIL “hard” and “once” is turned into kittence.

I wouldn’t expect to get those 1v1 often while roaming. Maybe if you go to arena in OS.

Bluefox.9580:

There actually is a viable arcane build I played with some time ago. It’s not one of the stronger builds, but it’s a hell of a curve ball and well played it can be effective. The biggest reason I stopped using it is because it’s not good for small group fights, but it does well in 1v1 like you’re looking for.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fFAQJArdnMISPDWyAuMAfEGQAwIdFCHASAFxyfh2wZA-T1RHABNq+DUKBFTPQRK/o+BAAwJAQm9HIFAYDrA-w

Try this version out. I haven’t used this concept outside of sPvP but the basic build is sound enough. The fun part is all the arcane skills will always crit, so your ferocity isn’t going to waste. Because of this you can trade all the stats that would normally go into precision for other things and still get your big hits. At the same time you’re flooding your opponent with long lasting conditions. There’s no +condition damage, but the damaging conditions aren’t really what you are going for. Denial is key for this build, every arcane skill has a chance to proc burning, which in turn can proc blind from Burning Ashes. Add in your own blinds and you’ve got a very frustrating build to fight against. The flood of other conditions will also make your opponent think you’re a condi build and likely won’t expect the massive hits from your arcane blast and wave.

I noticed you have S/F so I kept the weapons, but I’d recommend staff instead. The blasts on staff are very useful, and playing without blasting staff isn’t so hard when you’re used to it.

Let me know if you try it and how it works out, I’ve always wanted to try it out in a more serious setting but never got around to it.

Edit: TIL “hard” and “once” is turned into kittence.

Thanks for the tips! I’ll give your build a try. the burning to blindness looks like a strong combo!

Also is a staff ele suitable for roaming 1v1 in WvW? I always thought staff eles are more support than killers.

EremiteAngel.9765:

Thanks for the tips! I’ll give your build a try. the burning to blindness looks like a strong combo!

Also is a staff ele suitable for roaming 1v1 in WvW? I always thought staff eles are more support than killers.

Staff is very viable, however it’s the most difficult to learn. The build should work with whatever weapons, just choose which you’re most comfortable with. I recommended staff because it has fields you can blast with your arcane skills, most notably water.

I have been using a build very similar to this in wvw for about a month now. In large scale combat it doesn’t do too much, but in small groups it is amazing at setting up a kill on a player. As for sPvP it doesn’t work as well in there because of the stat barrier.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fFAQJArdhMMKZWzwyBf0AQACxdtE2IQ5hPXC-TVBFABIt/o8LN9EA8AAKU9nrUCSIgFjBA-w

While I do agree to an extent, Elemental Surge (The arcane Grand Master) isn’t that amazing, it does have one fantastic use. While attuned to earth your arcane skills will apply immobilise. Immobilise is a very strong condition and makes it so your opponent will stand still and be unable to dodge. Scepter, Earth, 2 is your rock barrier, You can activate it for extra toughness and then reactivate it on an enemy to throw 5 rocks at your foe over the course of about 2 seconds. These rocks, once activated, will follow your target even in stealth, and are not interrupted if they go behind you.

Arcane power is what makes this build pretty great, when activated you get 5 guaranteed critical hits, each of these hits counts as you landing an arcane attack and will apply the conditions based on your attunement. Arcane blast is a 1500 projectile that you can use to catch people and deal a moderate amount of damage.
So with what I’ve told you, you can create a combo that goes something like this:
Earth: 2->2->(3 if you want to blind)->Air:2->3->5->Fire:->2->3(aimed slightly behind them)

This combo basically locks them down in immobilises then bursts them with air and then knocks them down for enough time for your dragon’s tooth to land and your pheonix to hit them 3 times. This will do A LOT of damage. It may not be as high as some other burst builds but it still does a lot.
Pheonix will give you vigor, that is why I haven’t taken any vigor/endurance traits.

As for food, you’ll notice I took the condi duration stuff just to give me that extra time, though it probably isn’t neccessary.

LuckyTortle.1529:

I have been using a build very similar to this in wvw for about a month now. In large scale combat it doesn’t do too much, but in small groups it is amazing at setting up a kill on a player. As for sPvP it doesn’t work as well in there because of the stat barrier.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fFAQJArdhMMKZWzwyBf0AQACxdtE2IQ5hPXC-TVBFABIt/o8LN9EA8AAKU9nrUCSIgFjBA-w

While I do agree to an extent, Elemental Surge (The arcane Grand Master) isn’t that amazing, it does have one fantastic use. While attuned to earth your arcane skills will apply immobilise. Immobilise is a very strong condition and makes it so your opponent will stand still and be unable to dodge. Scepter, Earth, 2 is your rock barrier, You can activate it for extra toughness and then reactivate it on an enemy to throw 5 rocks at your foe over the course of about 2 seconds. These rocks, once activated, will follow your target even in stealth, and are not interrupted if they go behind you.

Arcane power is what makes this build pretty great, when activated you get 5 guaranteed critical hits, each of these hits counts as you landing an arcane attack and will apply the conditions based on your attunement. Arcane blast is a 1500 projectile that you can use to catch people and deal a moderate amount of damage.
So with what I’ve told you, you can create a combo that goes something like this:
Earth: 2->2->(3 if you want to blind)->Air:2->3->5->Fire:->2->3(aimed slightly behind them)

This combo basically locks them down in immobilises then bursts them with air and then knocks them down for enough time for your dragon’s tooth to land and your pheonix to hit them 3 times. This will do A LOT of damage. It may not be as high as some other burst builds but it still does a lot.
Pheonix will give you vigor, that is why I haven’t taken any vigor/endurance traits.

As for food, you’ll notice I took the condi duration stuff just to give me that extra time, though it probably isn’t neccessary.

wow thanks for posting this! sounds like arcane power is the key to an arcane build?
I had no idea all the kittens of arcane power counts as a arcane skill!

That just makes the elemental surge trait awesome!

I’ll give it a try thanks!

I tried very hard to make an arcane build that actually works, it may happen after the path with burning stacking and dragons breath + arcane power but until then there are better builds interms of both damage and survivability.