Guild Wars 2

My bad. I pulled the trait number out of my tiny brain and did not check the description. I meant it to be Arcane Lightning. Not the other.

Thank you both for the replies. Im not a meta player or a speed runner, however Ill play around more with fire and see if it grows on me and as for the d/f .. well.. we will see

I loved this article the time I laid my eyes on it a few months ago.

I have been as a D/F zerker for a while and, while I do get downed a lot (as this is a Glass Cannon Build), it worked great to help me improve my awareness and timings as to the telegraphs the enemies have.

I have been playing around with the new changes, including our new Dagger Water 3 Blast Finisher and some of the new traits, been also considering balancing out some zerkers for celestials or even replacing the rubys / Scholar for the new Strength Runeset, for now I can easily maintain 16 might stacks (and peak at 25 stacks for a few seconds, if my sigils proc right and the mob has enough HP to withstand a full rotation).

So, TL;DR, this is a “thank you very much” post, as this topic helped me a lot to understand the mechanics of my favorite class.

Also, I am eager to see this updated to the April Feature Patch. I got myself some reasoning and how to work the changes better, but I still lack the funds and the math skills to check it all out…

Hey there, I am Zelyhn. I am using a friend’s account because my main account has been permanently banned from these forums.

Unless the moderators un-blacklist my email and allow me to appeal, at least, then there is no chance that I will be able to update my thread.

This is a shame because the feature patch brought about a lot of interesting changes. Maybe in the future I will start this thread anew.

Darox.8069:

Hey there, I am Zelyhn. I am using a friend’s account because my main account has been permanently banned from these forums.

Unless the moderators un-blacklist my email and allow me to appeal, at least, then there is no chance that I will be able to update my thread.

This is a shame because the feature patch brought about a lot of interesting changes. Maybe in the future I will start this thread anew.

Both things would be nice: If ANet allowed you to appeal or if you could restart this Thread as a new one, many things might have changed with the balace changes and whatnot…

Just one quick question: What I am using today is very close to your full zerker build. As mentioned before, I can maintain a lot of might stacks while soloing some content. Do you think I should get a Strength rune set instead of those Rubys on armor?

Yes of course Strength runes are better than Ruby Orbs.

I think that DEKeyz is doing a very good job at guiding elementalists towards efficient choices in her awesome thread, therefore me continuing to update my guide would just be redundant.

I have always put emphasis on the mind process that lead me to construct my builds. I believe that such philosophical approach is essential because it enables players to understand how to best deal with any kind of situation, not just the “meta”. However, now, we can switch templates at will so there is no need for the one build that rules them all. For this reason, DEKeyz’s global and practical approach has become very valuable. Arguably, though, players do not become excellent until they have perfectly assimilated the philosophical concepts.

Oh I see! Thanks, Zelyhn! Cool that DEkeys updated her topic, I was following that too!

Well so I can only thank you for all you did for us Eles

If it is time for thanking then I have too many to make, so I’ll just say a few:

The elementalist community. The only reason why I have kept posting on these forums is because I truly enjoy discussing theory with my fellow element wielders. Thank you all. A quick browse through the forums of other classes shows that we are evidently the best community . I must bring forth the names of our great companions along who I have had the pleasure of providing guidance: Neko, Daphoenix, and more recently DEKeyz.

The Retaliate[rT] guild. The best of the best. Spearheaded by the almighty Sanderinoa, they have constantly promoted clever gameplay and excellence. Playing alongside rT members is what has given me my will to achieve more and never settle for less. In all my lengthy gaming life I had never encountered such extraordinary individuals. I highly recommend anyone to ambition to join them, as the experience is enriching on so many levels.

Finally there is someone without who none of this would have been possible. When I first arrived on these forums there was little theorycrafting available, so I wrote the first version of my guide. I was very inexperienced. But what I wrote was unusual enough to be noticed by a man known to few, the dark lord: Haviz. His mentoring is what led me to develop my guide. Although his powers are only matched by his lack of tact , any self-respecting elementalist should carefully listen to his advice.

Eh well, I like to be pompous. Anyway, even when the environment was hostile, it has been a lot of fun!

This is the end of my guide.
Zelyhn

Hat off to you, Master Zelyhn!

This was a nice guide to read. I’m pretty happy that the vast majority of all information in the thread I already knew. ^^

Hey there,
Dulfy has given Haviz and I the opportunity to write a guide for her awesome website, you can find it with this link:
http://dulfy.net/2014/07/11/gw2-elementalist-pve-class-guide-by-haviz-and-zelyhn/

We tried to make it as new-player friendly as possible. We will cater to more advanced players in a future update

D/F is still a very viable PvE build option, particularly in low-reflect FotM groups. The set isn’t an elementalists’ top DPS option, simply the most defensive one with good sustain.

(The Minstrel is a cool focus though, which always makes this much more appealing..)

I just wanted to tip my hat to Zelyhn for creating such a clear and thorough guide (specifically talking about the updated one on Dulfy). While it doesn’t include all of the possibilities regarding builds (how could it really?) it gave an exhaustive expository about quite a number of optimal builds and the theory crafting behind them as well as their situational use. Going through and clearly explaining every weapon, utility and healing skill available to Elementalists is especially appreciated.

I wish I could say this about the other ‘PvE meta’ builds for the other professions posted by others on Dulfy but whatever. This one gets a tip of my hat, a gold star…and a special cookie.

Dear friends,

As the D/F elementalist gains more and more popularity over time, I feel obliged to produce a video explaining the optimal rotation so that this knowledge is easily accessible to everybody.

http://youtu.be/kLpEcF5pGbQ

I hope you enjoy it
Keep practising!

Quick update to reflect the changes the patch have brought us:

Lightning whip’s animation is now significantly faster, and even though it is slightly less damaging, the DPS output from the skill has been increased.

Due to the shorter animation time on this skill, the timing of the blasts on the optimal rotation has to be altered a bit:

Phase 1: Water
Once burning speed is complete, swap to water after 3 or 4 lightning whips. Use comet then frozen burst, instead of frozen burst then comet, so that you are sure to land both blasts regardless of your timing.

Phase 2: Earth
Once burning speed is complete, swap to earth after 4 or 5 lightning whips. No change apart from this.

As always, swap to fire when it comes off cooldown to start the next phase (this takes more than 7 lightning whips now; interrupting a lightning whip to swap to fire is not a DPS loss).

As you may have noticed, the timings have become looser, thanks to the faster LW animation time. This is really nice, since it gives us more flexibility in tough battles.

Additional notes

I have recently noticed that if your target stands in the burning speed trail, then the burning uptime of the rotation is well over 100% even without burning precision. This depends on the size of the target (larger targets take more hits per second from the trail), but on boss fights or large enemies you can definitely expect it to be true. This makes burning precision a bit useless, but it quickly becomes important if your target walks out of burning speed trail.

If your target is often out of your fire fields, then you need to alter the way you blast them. First, comet will not land correctly, so replace the comet cast by a lightning whip (once burning speed is complete, swap to water after 4 or 5 lightning whips then cast frozen burst). Also, arcane brilliance’s blast occurs at the location of your target if you have one selected, so if it walks out of the field then make sure to deselect your target before casting this spell (Thanks to Wandelaars for pointing this out).

A tip to land comet even if you have no target selected: position your chat window in the top left corner of your screen. Then the horizontal bottom line of the chat box frame will be at the level of the landing spot of comet if you cast it after stepping back/forward with your camera fully facing the ground (check attachment).

Zelyhn, since you recently make an update and now i know you are still around. One quick question about rune, what about rune of ogre for pve? Is it good for d/f if you can’t afford scholar or not? I mean of course, it loose some 65 ferocity compare to scholar or ranger, but on the 6th it also have like 6% damage increases if im not mistaken, not to mention about summon pet rock dock. So what do you think about it?

Zanzibar.5904:

Zelyhn, since you recently make an update and now i know you are still around. One quick question about rune, what about rune of ogre for pve? Is it good for d/f if you can’t afford scholar or not? I mean of course, it loose some 65 ferocity compare to scholar or ranger, but on the 6th it also have like 6% damage increases if im not mistaken, not to mention about summon pet rock dock. So what do you think about it?

Just a note, I’ve seen that rock dude cause a lot of problems. Attacking things at the wrong times and what not. Might be solid for damage but I personally hate Ogre runes for that lack of control.

Yes, Zanzibar, the rune of the ogre is one of the cheap alternatives to strength/scholar runes. But as Jerus explained, the AI of the rock dog can be an issue. Purchasing power was never really an issue for me in-game, so I never looked into this matter carefully, but when I started my character I used ruby orbs everywhere.

Side note: I am quite fond of the place that your name refers to

Is there an alternate setup (using the 66002 D/F) build you would recommend for pugging dungeons and Fractals? When I try to use D/F, the mobs are always focused on me and most of the groups lack the basic stuff like stability, reflects, etc. Usually I give up and go back to boring old Staff because hey I live.

I don’t run full zerker (use Valk armor for that tiny bit of HP that’s saved my rear more times than I can count). I really started having fun with the build, but it’s a hassle to play it in a PuG environment. I tried going 06044, but I don’t like how that variant plays (in terms of lining things up since I only have time for one blast finisher in Water and just barely). I’m not looking for a speedrun “meta”, just something viable that I can actually enjoy playing.

Fade.1743:

Is there an alternate setup (using the 66002 D/F) build you would recommend for pugging dungeons and Fractals? When I try to use D/F, the mobs are always focused on me and most of the groups lack the basic stuff like stability, reflects, etc. Usually I give up and go back to boring old Staff because hey I live.

I don’t run full zerker (use Valk armor for that tiny bit of HP that’s saved my rear more times than I can count). I really started having fun with the build, but it’s a hassle to play it in a PuG environment. I tried going 06044, but I don’t like how that variant plays (in terms of lining things up since I only have time for one blast finisher in Water and just barely). I’m not looking for a speedrun “meta”, just something viable that I can actually enjoy playing.

You do not want to drop Persisting flames in PVE, bringing Fury is one of the largest boosts to your group (20% crit ftw).

Try to max melee, your whips have a HUGE range, and often agro goes to the closest person, if your whole group in ranging…. well yeah, might be better to just equip a staff and join your group’s play style.

D/F just gains so much from the last trait in both the damage lines I’d have trouble suggesting dropping either, fresh air is great(and fun), and persisting flames is a must have in PVE.

why is this still sticky?