Guild Wars 2

First things first: I love my ele and most of his skillset. Actually i feel pretty faceroll.
BUT i can’t seem to fit any of my elites in my build, i’d much rather take a fourth utility.

Tornado: spvp/situational
Sword: looks awesome, but thats about it
Elementals: seem to be the only viable choice, but my earth elemental seems to die as fast as the fire one.
HoB: see elementals, but worse

Might as well just take mistfire for the looks…

Am i missing something here or is there a way to make use of tornado or the sword in pve? Make use is as in “better than just using your normal skills”

I’ve been pretty let down by the ele elites too. The tornado, even if not especially useful, at least feels great on an air set. The theme is there. I’d really like an elite tailored for each element. An awesome earthquake, a maelstrom, some searing flames. Anything other than a few summons, weapons which I just can’t bring myself to use and a whirlwind.

There’s a real sense of disconnect when your favourite element is water, but your elite skill is a flaming greatsword. Ruins immersion.

This is what I do. Glyph of Elemental is unbeatable for solo PvE. the earth and water attunement ones are invaluable in tough encounters. If I use it in dungeons, I rarely use earth, but the other three are all pretty good. I don’t know what’s going on, but my earth elemental is almost never killed. He pretty much always survives until his time limit is up.
In sPvP, I use Tornado. The launch effect is great. It is probably the most annoying thing for a player to be chased down by a tornado that won’t stop knocking you on yourkitten
Then again, I’m D/D. If I were Staff, or even scepter main, I would probably use fiery gsword. It has great damage and you can give it to an ally who can also use its great damage.
In dungeons, I actually sometimes take avatar of melandru (human racial) because of the awesome support abilities…even if it does have the shortest duration EVER.

pretty much sticking with elemental atm, and sometimes switching to greatsword for dungeons. most are indeed barely decent to deserve being called elite

not like we have that much of a choice anyway. hopefully, more will come with future updates and xpacs.

I really enjoy the greatsword in PvE. It isn’t worth holding on to for the duration, but popping some AoE then getting out the greatsword and 5, 2 and 3 gives a huge boost to your DPS. Lets me down twice as many mobs as usual.

As for sPvP, elementals aren’t too effective and the greatsword is a risk to use. The others aren’t even worth mentioning.

Pinkerton.5643:

This is what I do. Glyph of Elemental is unbeatable for solo PvE. the earth and water attunement ones are invaluable in tough encounters. If I use it in dungeons, I rarely use earth, but the other three are all pretty good. I don’t know what’s going on, but my earth elemental is almost never killed. He pretty much always survives until his time limit is up.
In sPvP, I use Tornado. The launch effect is great. It is probably the most annoying thing for a player to be chased down by a tornado that won’t stop knocking you on yourkitten
Then again, I’m D/D. If I were Staff, or even scepter main, I would probably use fiery gsword. It has great damage and you can give it to an ally who can also use its great damage.
In dungeons, I actually sometimes take avatar of melandru (human racial) because of the awesome support abilities…even if it does have the shortest duration EVER.

Interesting i might give Melandru a shot, although i have the feeling that switching between earth and water might have the same effect.

Another thing i’ve notice is the ice elemental never seems to heal anyone. Is it indirect regen or is it supposed to actively cast a heal spell on someone?

RizziVanizzi.1532:

Another thing i’ve notice is the ice elemental never seems to heal anyone. Is it indirect regen or is it supposed to actively cast a heal spell on someone?

The heal works kind of like your cleansing wave with dagger offhand…except without the cleanse. Watch for it. You’ll see it.

the sword is actually ok does ok dmg slows while dashing very far ok aoe dmg high burning but yes it disables your ability to do any kinda healing, but it is ok as a weapon, but as a ult its horrible.

Tornado:bulleye target+easily kitable mode.
elemental:The only good elite but suffer from the pet AI could use a little more health.
fiery sword:Flashy…thats about it.

Outside pve i easily trade my elite slot for another utility slot and i not the only one who think like that.

The summon/pet sound glitch triggers too much for my tastes to use the elite Elemental. I also find that as “bait”, it simply doesn’t live long enough or is unable to take/keep aggro enough to bypass a group of mobs.

For PvE exploration, I use the Norn Snow Leopard for the stealth. For PvE group events, either Tornado or Sword, but I find Tornado to be a bit weak even with the knockdown when you cast it. In large PvE group events, I’d prefer setting up combo fields and stacking might than changing my skill bar.

For dungeons, nothing is really useful. Tornado gets you killed, though the stability is nice. Maybe the elemental, as it getting 1-shotted is one less hit against the other players. Basically turns it into a less controllable 2 minute blind.

What gets me is many of the other professions have a passive/signet style elite. We really got ripped off in the elite department. Heck I would use the racial elite skills over my class/profession elite skills if they let me in pvp.

Agree with this post. Last nite I actually made the comment that I wish I could use a Utility ability instead of an Elite ability in the number 10 slot.

In PvE, Elemental is great. It works fine for what it is (a DoT or damage over time for those not quite aware). Don’t expect anything else out of it and you won’t be disappointed. It won’t tank, it won’t do much else. I try to cast it in Fire attunment for the high damage or Water attunment for the healing it provides (which is almost too low to even consider).

In PvP, the elemental is worthless. The Tornado was great for like the first day when people did not realize what it was. Now, you turn into a tornado in WvW you’ll die faster… guaranteed. Plus, it takes forever to change into Tornado form dwindling its usefulness. Needless to say, I rarely hit the elite skill in PvP or WvW. It’s just an empty spell slot to me.

The fix? I see a lot of people complaining (and I’m prolly one of em) that the elementalist is a glass cannon who is more glass than cannon… change our elite skill to be a long reuse direct damage ability.

From a WvW standpoint all of our elite skills are worthless. I would love to have an elite “panic button” but they all root you and take time to channel.
- Tornado is a complete waste
- Glyph Elemental survives for 2 seconds with aoe’s flying around
- Fiery Greatsword is astonishingly bad compared to our normal weapons

I wish I rolled another race (asura now) with an attractive elite skill so I could at least have something useful there.

I must agree that our elite skills are lacking. I tend to switch between the Glyph of Elementals and the Hounds. They are useful in tough situations but I feel they should have their duration increased.

I would go as far as to suggest that we can trait to have the elementals be permanent. For example, 30 points in air would allow us to have a permanent air elemental. Just my thoughts.

I agree, elites are pretty lackluster for Ele. The problem I have with the elites is that most of them change your skill bar for a while. As an Elementalist, swapping between different elements constantly is a huge part of the profession, anything that prevents you from doing so and locks you into some other skill set kind of goes against the way the profession is built. The utilities are done perfectly, particularly the glyphs, changing their effect based on what element you’re attuned to. This, just like traits and everything else about elementalists, promote element swapping. Turning into a tornado, losing all ability to swap elements yet still taking damage works completely against that…

Hynoris.3684:

Outside pve i easily trade my elite slot for another utility slot and i not the only one who think like that.

Even IN PvE I’d trade my elite for another utility, as much as I love the greater water elemental (and I do love it to pieces), we already have the lesser elemental utility so it feels kind of disappointing just getting a bigger version of an existing ability.

That flaming greatsword has helped me more times than I could count. You could leap and use the skill that slashes through everything.

I agree as well. The ele elite skills do not have enough elite in them. I would think that an elite skill would be something you WANT to use rather than something that you might consider using, maybe, if you have the time.

Tornado in particular. In order to use it you have to sacrifice all of your damage mitigation skills for the duration of the skill and then rush into close combat if you hope to make use of the tornadoes impact. Thus using it is almost like becoming a Kamikaze pilot and hoping that you don’t miss the ship and simply die in the ocean.

I agree with you Iylas! I wish the minions could be permanent. They don’t live long enough anyway so why not just make their duration permanent, or at least, a lot longer.

The greatsword 2 has the strongest burn effect in the game… so worth it for that, maybe.

just checked, 11k burn damage on my condition damage build in 6 sec… ya, owie

EnochDagor.6185:

Agree with this post. Last nite I actually made the comment that I wish I could use a Utility ability instead of an Elite ability in the number 10 slot.

In PvE, Elemental is great. It works fine for what it is (a DoT or damage over time for those not quite aware). Don’t expect anything else out of it and you won’t be disappointed. It won’t tank, it won’t do much else. I try to cast it in Fire attunment for the high damage or Water attunment for the healing it provides (which is almost too low to even consider).

In PvP, the elemental is worthless. The Tornado was great for like the first day when people did not realize what it was. Now, you turn into a tornado in WvW you’ll die faster… guaranteed. Plus, it takes forever to change into Tornado form dwindling its usefulness. Needless to say, I rarely hit the elite skill in PvP or WvW. It’s just an empty spell slot to me.

The fix? I see a lot of people complaining (and I’m prolly one of em) that the elementalist is a glass cannon who is more glass than cannon… change our elite skill to be a long reuse direct damage ability.

What are you talking about the elemental doesn’t tank? Not if you use it in fire or air attunement, sure, but my earth elemental tanks like a boss! I can take down 4 veteran mobs at once if I use my earth elemental. And the water elemental has helped me through some tight spots and is definitely a huge help in a group setting.

The tornado is not that bad. Yeah, it’s bad if you use it as a last ditch effort when you’re near death. Not all elites are supposed to work in this game. When I use it at a node in sPvP when we’re struggling to take it from the other team, the other team is suddenly constantly on their backs and my team totally cleans house. I mean, you damage and launch foes on contact, you can do more damage with the lightning ability, you can send out dust devils in all directions that blind, and you can send out debris in all directions that knocks back. How is that not totally OP in PvP?

PvE:

Elemental: It’s alright, nothing spectacular. It’s useful, but it’s pretty boring, since we get the same thing (but weaker) as a utility skill as well. Don’t expect me to get excited about a copy/paste elite.

Tornado: lol

Sword: Meh. It’s alright damage, it looks really cool, but I just don’t feel it’s strong enough for an elite. It’s got the cool factor, but I actually feel more limited using the sword.

WvW:

Elemental: Useful in something like a 1v1, anything else it’ll be dead in seconds.

Tornado: When multiple elementalists use this at the same time against a zerg hitting the door, it can be devastating, but extremely situational. Very cool when it works, too bad it’s useless or plain suicide 99% of the time.

Sword: Again, doesn’t feel that special, and I simply lose too many spells using the sword.

Basically, the elemental is ok in PvE most of the time, but it’s a plain boring spell because it’s a copy/paste of a utility. Tornado can be ok in WvW, under the right conditions. Most of the time, I’d just rather have another utility slot. That screams of utterly failed design with elites, if I’d even consider wanting to use another utility slot instead. You have some classes who have extremely useful elites, where they can’t wait to unlock them. If they removed my elite slot entirely, I wouldn’t even notice most of the time. That’s just a giant failure by Anet.

none of the elite skills are realy that great elemental summons are the only one i would think of using but they are extremly stupid and attack anything that looks at them funny usally resulting in a horde of angery adds.

Playing as a asura elem tho and have the option of the D-series which does seem to pull arrgo away from me when im beening attacked and slighty smarter…

In PVE I’m in the opposite situation with Earth ele: air dies too quickly to do anything, water and fire effects and damage rates are mediocre at best , earth is at least durable enough to be thrown as a threat bait at mobs’ face.
I agree that Sword is flashy and worth the 10SP only in a fire conjure build and Tornado is situational.

nukularpower.2106:

just checked, 11k burn damage on my condition damage build in 6 sec… ya, owie

Burn tick every second, Unless your burning ticked for 2k(which is impossible.) 11k damage over 6 second with burning is impossible.

With a full condition build, 11k damage would take 15’ish second

The only elite i ever find myself using is Elemental.. and its only “meh”

I was really excited about tornado, but its possibly the most useless tier 2 elite in the game! When you use it in pvp there is a cast time PLUS a 3 second delay before it actually starts throwing someone right next to you around… and throughout all that time the enemy is getting free damage on you from both melee and range. It does not help that the damage that tornado deals is crap either.

Other classes with whirling elites can at least deflect projectiles while doing it.. but as a tornado your completely exposed. The only possible use for this elite is to knock people off a control point in a close spvp game..and even then your pretty much sure to end up dead.

I really dont know what arena net was thinking.

Unfortunately, I agree. Our elite skills are pretty lacking. as D/D I use my greatsword in PvE, I use the Elemental in Dungeons (Mind you it dies in the blink of an eye), and sPvP I use Tornado. WvW I’ve yet to find anything worth popping.

Morthis.3968:

PvE:

Elemental: It’s alright, nothing spectacular. It’s useful, but it’s pretty boring, since we get the same thing (but weaker) as a utility skill as well. Don’t expect me to get excited about a copy/paste elite.

Tornado: lol

Sword: Meh. It’s alright damage, it looks really cool, but I just don’t feel it’s strong enough for an elite. It’s got the cool factor, but I actually feel more limited using the sword.

WvW:

Elemental: Useful in something like a 1v1, anything else it’ll be dead in seconds.

Tornado: When multiple elementalists use this at the same time against a zerg hitting the door, it can be devastating, but extremely situational. Very cool when it works, too bad it’s useless or plain suicide 99% of the time.

Sword: Again, doesn’t feel that special, and I simply lose too many spells using the sword.

Basically, the elemental is ok in PvE most of the time, but it’s a plain boring spell because it’s a copy/paste of a utility. Tornado can be ok in WvW, under the right conditions. Most of the time, I’d just rather have another utility slot. That screams of utterly failed design with elites, if I’d even consider wanting to use another utility slot instead. You have some classes who have extremely useful elites, where they can’t wait to unlock them. If they removed my elite slot entirely, I wouldn’t even notice most of the time. That’s just a giant failure by Anet.

With Tornado, you’re doing it wrong. I’ve done plenty of PvP, I always use Tornado, and I use it very often. At least once or twice a match. I have only ever died once while in tornado form. Also, I can stop an entire team from capping a point for a significant amount of time by myself when I use Tornado. I repeat, you’re doing it wrong.

Pinkerton.5643:

With Tornado, you’re doing it wrong. I’ve done plenty of PvP, I always use Tornado, and I use it very often. At least once or twice a match. I have only ever died once while in tornado form. Also, I can stop an entire team from capping a point for a significant amount of time by myself when I use Tornado. I repeat, you’re doing it wrong.

Notice the WvW part? That’s not sPvP. In sPvP, there are very few people, and there’s a good chance you can shut down the ones that would be able to attack you. Try the same thing in WvW where there’s a few dozen people not getting hit by your tornado and able to attack you from range.

Why is “Tornado” not deflecting projectiles? It doesn’t make sense right

Valhalla.5620:

Why is “Tornado” not deflecting projectiles? It doesn’t make sense right

The silly part is that a Thief spinning around can apparently deflect projectiles fine, but turning into air to form a tornado, not only has no effect on arrows, but they still damage you like before. ><

Elites are definitely a weak part of the class – along with traits. Many other classes have gamechanging traits and elite skills. For ele they are all pretty underwhelming.

The most viable ele build for tough content right now is staff support and for that the greatsword can be good because the build lacks good damage that doesn’t come from ground target effects. But as an elite skill it is rather disappointing.

I really wish I could take another utility skill for my elite. Wouldn’t it be cool to have all four arcane skills?

The elemental is useful, but if there was something at least as useful as it is in all situations I would take it. I really don’t like the other two, not because of their power level, but because they lock me out of my normal abilities. Hopefully elite skills are something they will add in future small patches instead of waiting for a big expansion.

Tornado is amazing, but it has to be coordinate with the group. It is a VERY LONG whirlwind finisher, if your group stack combon field under you during the duration it can be a tide turner.

Biggest problem with Eles elites is that they failed to give the class an elite that truly feels part of the damage play style.

You can’t use tornado or the greatsword, you are CCing yourself out of your way more useful spells and attunements, and in exchange you get knockbacks and mediocre dmg.

And this is why most people pick the summon elemental elite, you can actually play with your Ele when your use it, even though the summons really don’t do much in PvP.

Was it so hard to give Eles an long CD AoE nuke? you can even make it delayed dmg (Meteor?) so it requires some setup to land, but when it does it should hurt.

Arciel.9650:

Tornado is amazing, but it has to be coordinate with the group. It is a VERY LONG whirlwind finisher, if your group stack combon field under you during the duration it can be a tide turner.

Yeah this is the best use for it. If you can get people to drop 4-5 fields under you you can do some pretty ridiculous stuff with tornado. But that level of coordination is extremely hard to pull off anywhere but maybe a dungeon.

Rithral.4891:

Biggest problem with Eles elites is that they failed to give the class an elite that truly feels part of the damage play style.

You can’t use tornado or the greatsword, you are CCing yourself out of your way more useful spells and attunements, and in exchange you get knockbacks and mediocre dmg.

And this is why most people pick the summon elemental elite, you can actually play with your Ele when your use it, even though the summons really don’t do much in PvP.

Was it so hard to give Eles an long CD AoE nuke? you can even make it delayed dmg (Meteor?) so it requires some setup to land, but when it does it should hurt.

I agree that the problem with the “other” two elites is that they lock us out of our other attunements, basically self-cc. But I don’t want another delayed damage aoe skill— we have too many of those already. Sometimes it seems like Elementalist should really be called the Dodge Trainer profession because we are there to teach people how to dodge out of red rings.