Guild Wars 2

Hello everyone, I always try new conditions builds on my elementalist (used to play affliction/unholy). This build is about conditions using arcane spells and traits.

+
-Can DISABLE an ennemy for a long time.
-Balanced damages and healing.
-AoE possibilities.
-Can win 90% of the long fights.

-
-Counterred by dispell professions.
-Low protection (toughness).
-Cannot tank.

*Comparing with a signet conditions build : *
This build has :
-Lesser mobility and defensive assist.
-Higher resistance.
-Less free to switch attunements.
-Same damages and offensive assist.

*Comparing with a glyph conditions build : *
-Lesser mobility and defensive assist.
-Higher resistance.
-Freer to switch attunements.
-Higher damages.

To resume :
Mobility and defensive assist : Signets > Glyphs > Arcane.
Resistance and healing : Arcane > Signets > Glyphs.
Freedom to switch attunements : Signets > Arcane > Glyphs.
Damages : Arcane = Signets > Glyphs.
A link :
http://bit.ly/18geRHS (by TactualRain)

*Weapons : *
Main hand weapon MUST be a scepter, why ?
-Autoattack of fire and earth : can start good condition damages.
-Autoattack of water and air : for harassing.
-Can use air spells while stomping/reviving.
-Can dodge more with phoenix.
…
Off hand could be a dagger or a focus, the dagger offers more mobility, control and healing, the focus brings better defense and long distance fighting possibilities.

*Traits : *
We will focus HEAVILY on arcane.
-Earth : 20 (OPTIONAL) :
III to survive more
VIII to depend less on the earth attunement
Points could be placed in fire for better burning, or in air to execute or gain mobility(fury and swift on auras) or in water, vita is op.
-Water : 20 :
II Applying more conditions and making more damages
V A great defensive dispell.
5 and 15 : Really useful for me, can save your life.
-Arcane : 30 (obligatory) :
I because most of our damage output will depend on arcane spells
IV or V
XIII The most important trait of the build, I’ll explain later.

*Amulet : *
A lot of choices, I prefer shaman/shaman to balance between damages and resistance, but you can perfectly go carrion/carrion – rabid/rabid – carrion/rabid – shaman/carrion – shaman/rabid.

*Runes : *
Possible to mix.
Recommended :
-Undead
-Lich ( 20 points in earth become obligatory )
-Afflicted ( will focus on bleeds )
-Nightmare
Not recommended :
-Krait
-Elementalist
-Necromancer
…

Sigils :
Superior doom : This sigil will help you to win most of long fights, it destroys the ennmies healing (ok I exaggerate a lil’)
Geomancy or Superior venom to enhance one of your conditions.

*Spells : *
-Signet of restoration : If you take shaman/carrion with 20 points in water you’ll obtain :
3660 on activation every 25 seconds
279 passive.
To compare with the glyph :
5471
It means, if you launch 10 spells and then activate the signet, you’ll be healed 6729 (total).
Ether renewal can’t be used here, its cooldown is short but it’s too long to cast.

-Arcane power : The most important spell, can be used in any attunement, you can make heavy condition damages with it (XIII arcane) with only 5 attacks (if they all touch the ennemy..), it means that is you use it with the autoattack of fire you’ll have :
(5*2 + 5*5) seconds of burning on your ennemy(35 – (time to cast + latency)) and some vulnerability. Or you can disable your ennemy by rooting him (earth) or blinding him (air) or chilling him (water)

-Arcane blast : To complete our conditions output. You can perfectly use the wave for might but you can use the blast at long distance with a burning effect if you combine it with your fire’s 4.

-Arcane shield : You can perfectly use mist form instead, but the shield will put conditions on attackers.

-Glyph of elementals : The only elite which will work, fire damages, water heals + puts a “frost combo zone”, air stuns and gives swiftness, earth tanks the PVE objectives.

Gameplay and tricks : *
*Basic rotation to start good condition damages :
Fire -> Arcane power -> 5 autoattacks or a phoenix/dragon tooth if you are sure to touch you ennemy -> Arcane blast -> Earth -> Spam autoattack.

*Protecting a point : *
Earth -> Arcane power -> Spam autoattack -> Arcane blast -> Dust devil -> Earthquake if dagger -> Air -> Blinding flash ->
if dagger
Ride the lighting -> Updraft
if focus
Gale -> Water -> Comet

*Emergency healing : *
Water -> Water trident -> Cleansing wave if dagger -> Signet

Healing over time
Spam autoattacks and press escape when the cast bar is in the middle (earth and air). I didn’t find how to change it.

Stomping
Air -> Blinding flash/Arcane shield.

AoE conditions
Earth -> Arcane power -> Arcane shield -> Churning earth if dagger.
or
Fire -> Arcane power -> Phoenix.
or
Water -> Arcane power -> Shatterstone.

• Important notes *
  Arcane power is extremely buggy, some skills consume multiple charges when don’t consume enough. By ThiBash

This guide is now finished, I hope it helped you, don’t hesistate to comment.

Did you know you can cause up to 30 seconds of chill on multiple targets with Arcane Power and Dagger water 1?

Thing is, Arcane Power is extremely buggy right now…some skills may take up multiple charges in a single cast, where others (like the earlier mentioned Vapor Blade) don’t consume enough charges.

Hum.. To be honest I didn’t try the dagger with this build, but thanks for the note, I’ll add it.
EDIT : For the vapor blade, don’t you think it’s because the blade returns ? 5 attacks * 2 = 10 times the spell touches the ennmy which means 10*3 seconds of chill.

Strife.2693:

EDIT : For the vapor blade, don’t you think it’s because the blade returns ? 5 attacks * 2 = 10 times the spell touches the ennmy which means 10*3 seconds of chill.

Yes, that’s probably how it works, but it shouldn’t. :-) If you take Fireball (staff fire 1) for example, that always consumes 3 charges regardless of what you hit. Frozen Ground consumes all charges even though it never deals damage, and doesn’t apply the extra effect. Chain Lightning on the other hand, applies a blind per hit but consumes a charge per cast (for a maximum of 15 blinds).

How many charges are consumed and how many effects are applied varies wildly between all skills, so it’s useful to test your skills in the Mists before you actually play your build. That’s the main thing I wanted to inform you of. It’s not 1 charge per damage number at any rate.

Apologies for my earlier post. Apparently this got fixed at some point. Arcane Power triggers a lot more ‘normal’ now. Which is a good thing really. Time to bust out the Arcane build!

Good to know.

But.. how do you play arcane with a staff ? I mean, you’re trying to compensate the long casting time with instant arcane spells ?

I like your guides Because I don’t cope well with the wall of text, is this the kind of thing you’re talking about:

Strife’s Affliction/Unholy Elementalist

Strife.2693:

But.. how do you play arcane with a staff ? I mean, you’re trying to compensate the long casting time with instant arcane spells ?

If I were to use them, I’d use them as utility. Arcane Blast would be a 1500 range spell that’s both a projectile finisher and (in earth) and immobilize. Arcane Wave is a blast finisher, which would have very good defensive utility (cast it in a water field for chill on your opponent and extra healing for you). Finally, Arcane Power combines well a number of spells, be it any of the auto-attacks, or something more specific like a Fiery Greatsword #5 while in Earth to make sure the target can’t leave the AoE blast.

There are a lot of possibilities, but I’m kinda worried about the lack of stunbreaker/panic button that such a build would have.

TactualRain.7109:

I like your guides Because I don’t cope well with the wall of text, is this the kind of thing you’re talking about:

Strife’s Affliction/Unholy Elementalist

Thanks I’ll add the link. ^^

ThiBash.5634:

Strife.2693:

But.. how do you play arcane with a staff ? I mean, you’re trying to compensate the long casting time with instant arcane spells ?

If I were to use them, I’d use them as utility. Arcane Blast would be a 1500 range spell that’s both a projectile finisher and (in earth) and immobilize. Arcane Wave is a blast finisher, which would have very good defensive utility (cast it in a water field for chill on your opponent and extra healing for you). Finally, Arcane Power combines well a number of spells, be it any of the auto-attacks, or something more specific like a Fiery Greatsword #5 while in Earth to make sure the target can’t leave the AoE blast.

There are a lot of possibilities, but I’m kinda worried about the lack of stunbreaker/panic button that such a build would have.

I’ve tried your build, it’s really fun to play, thanks because I’ve never tought to play arcane like that. ^^