WvW Ele Build assistance
I don’t really WvW, so all I can really tell you is that it’s possible to get objectively better stats by mixing in some marauder’s gear. because its stat totals are higher (and unlike celestial, it has no wasted stats, and a great distribution of stats)
As an example, this has slightly higher in all stats: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vFAQFAWn0XCdOgVOAGOAcYilGAzdy2ZDtCFgAQMk4IUD+BA-T1SGQBA4BAAi9HKnOgpoEMJKhqnqKBStiCqMAJKFg2FAoIKZIDg+YA-w
(edited by reikken.4961)
Reikken’s setup is good, but yours is fine, even though it can be better. You want like 2600ish toughness so you can, at least, reduce the incoming power damage down to what is normal for a lvl 80 hit.
Like, for comparison, our base armor with no toughness bonus is 1967 if you have full ascended armor. Another elementalist with a legendary or ascended weapon and 2500 power will hit you for 1259dmg on a max weapon roll.
If you have 2600 armor, that same fireball only lands for 962, which is a 25%ish decrease.
So like, armor around that amount nets you significant damage reduction without losing out a lot to diminishing returns.
Now, as far as your trait selection, get rid of Tempest all together. Seriously. If you are going to play backline, then you will never be close enough to the melee train to use any of your tempest abilities when they matter, because if you are, you are out of position and most likely going to die within the next few seconds.
If you want to play frontline and use Tempest, you have to gear and trait very differently and its debatable whether or not that build really provides much value over a staff backline build.
Take Arcane instead. You want Renewing Stamina, Final Shielding and Evasive Arcana.
I would also drop Aeromancer’s Training for Tempest Defense. This is, because most of your valuable damage abilities are in Fire, not Air and Tempest Defense not only provides some form of defense if you get rushed by a melee, but it provides a 20% damage increase to stunned foes that applies when you are in your Fire attunement. A lot of CC gets thrown around in WvW, so it’s going to get a lot of value.
Also drop Zephyr’s Boon, since you are no longer using Tempest and take Ferocious Winds, since it’s another dmg increase that works in Fire Attunement.
Lightning Flash and Mist Form are absolutely essential for when you get caught out of position, but Armor of Earth not so much. The thing is you aren’t running in with the melee train ever, so you don’t need stability. I prefer to run Arcane Wave, because blasting water fields is where all the zerg sustain comes from and having a blast finisher I can use on demand is something I find valuable.
Since you are no longer using Tempest, take Ether Renewal for your heal. You have some small condi clear from your water abilities and cantrips, but it’s not enough if you get condi bombed. Ether Renewal, because it’s a cantrip, is a large heal on a 18 second CD that completely wipes a full condi bomb.
Also, for your Elite, use Conjure Fiery Greatsword, because it gives you a lot of mobility that you can use to disengage in a losing battle. Tornado has SOME situational usage, but for the most part, you will FGS more than Tornado and Tornado is usually a death sentence unless you are really smart in how you tactically use it.
Your rune and sigil setup is fine. Cleansing is okay, I guess, but with Ether Renewal, 2 Cantrips and Healing Rain, you don’t really need it. Even with all the vigor in the build I am recommending, if you still finding yourself needing that one extra dodge, then take Sigil of Energy. Otherwise, something that does a damage increase like Force or Air is good.
That’s about it. Most of staff backline is learning how to position yourself so you don’t die and being in TS so you can respond to calls out for various fields. Your most valuable fields are water fields, which when coordinated with the zerg’s blast finishers, provides all the zerg’s sustain and static field, which is used to cut the tail off other trains. Fire fields are important, too and commanders will usually call them out before the melee train goes into battle so the zerg can stack might with blast finishers.
You have to play conservatively and avoid death as much as possible. This is why my build recommendations are so geared towards survivable. If all your staff elementalists die, then you lose all your water fields, which means the zerg loses all its sustain and eventually dies as well.
Rehabilitated Elementalist. Now, trolling the Thief forums with my math.
(edited by MadRabbit.3179)
I don’t really WvW, so all I can really tell you is that it’s possible to get objectively better stats by mixing in some marauder’s gear. because its stat totals are higher (and unlike celestial, it has no wasted stats, and a great distribution of stats)
As an example, this has slightly higher in all stats: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vFAQFAWn0XCdOgVOAGOAcYilGAzdy2ZDtCFgAQMk4IUD+BA-T1SGQBA4BAAi9HKnOgpoEMJKhqnqKBStiCqMAJKFg2FAoIKZIDg+YA-w
Thank you! That def looks better stat wise!
Reikken’s setup is good, but yours is fine, even though it can be better. You want like 2600ish toughness so you can, at least, reduce the incoming power damage down to what is normal for a lvl 80 hit.
Like, for comparison, our base armor with no toughness bonus is 1967 if you have full ascended armor. Another elementalist with a legendary or ascended weapon and 2500 power will hit you for 1259dmg on a max weapon roll.
If you have 2600 armor, that same fireball only lands for 962, which is a 25%ish decrease.
So like, armor around that amount nets you significant damage reduction without losing out a lot to diminishing returns.
Now, as far as your trait selection, get rid of Tempest all together. Seriously. If you are going to play backline, then you will never be close enough to the melee train to use any of your tempest abilities when they matter, because if you are, you are out of position and most likely going to die within the next few seconds.
If you want to play frontline and use Tempest, you have to gear and trait very differently and its debatable whether or not that build really provides much value over a staff backline build.
Take Arcane instead. You want Renewing Stamina, Final Shielding and Evasive Arcana.
I would also drop Aeromancer’s Training for Tempest Defense. This is, because most of your valuable damage abilities are in Fire, not Air and Tempest Defense not only provides some form of defense if you get rushed by a melee, but it provides a 20% damage increase to stunned foes that applies when you are in your Fire attunement. A lot of CC gets thrown around in WvW, so it’s going to get a lot of value.
Also drop Zephyr’s Boon, since you are no longer using Tempest and take Ferocious Winds, since it’s another dmg increase that works in Fire Attunement.
Lightning Flash and Mist Form are absolutely essential for when you get caught out of position, but Armor of Earth not so much. The thing is you aren’t running in with the melee train ever, so you don’t need stability. I prefer to run Arcane Wave, because blasting water fields is where all the zerg sustain comes from and having a blast finisher I can use on demand is something I find valuable.
Since you are no longer using Tempest, take Ether Renewal for your heal. You have some small condi clear from your water abilities and cantrips, but it’s not enough if you get condi bombed. Ether Renewal, because it’s a cantrip, is a large heal on a 18 second CD that completely wipes a full condi bomb.
Also, for your Elite, use Conjure Fiery Greatsword, because it gives you a lot of mobility that you can use to disengage in a losing battle. Tornado has SOME situational usage, but for the most part, you will FGS more than Tornado and Tornado is usually a death sentence unless you are really smart in how you tactically use it.
Your rune and sigil setup is fine. Cleansing is okay, I guess, but with Ether Renewal, 2 Cantrips and Healing Rain, you don’t really need it. Even with all the vigor in the build I am recommending, if you still finding yourself needing that one extra dodge, then take Sigil of Energy. Otherwise, something that does a damage increase like Force or Air is good.
That’s about it. Most of staff backline is learning how to position yourself so you don’t die and being in TS so you can respond to calls out for various fields. Your most valuable fields are water fields, which when coordinated with the zerg’s blast finishers, provides all the zerg’s sustain and static field, which is used to cut the tail off other trains. Fire fields are important, too and commanders will usually call them out before the melee train goes into battle so the zerg can stack might with blast finishers.
You have to play conservatively and avoid death as much as possible. This is why my build recommendations are so geared towards survivable. If all your staff elementalists die, then you lose all your water fields, which means the zerg loses all its sustain and eventually dies as well.
Thank you so much! Everything you have said makes perfect sense. I was playing dagger/warhorn previously and I think that trait mind set lingered. I will make the adjustments you recommend and see how things go. Thank you again for your help!
I have a couple ppl in my guild that run tempest backline. They really only use it for an occasional water overload. My guild typically runs 4-5 eles so we can usually afford to be less tanky. This is similar to what I am running.
Bad Elementalist
While maurauder looks better then zerker for me the setup from Frowny is quite nice and about what i would do myself without tempest.
An for elite. In WvW its always FSG for me!