Guild Wars 2

In WvW, dagger/dagger bunker Elems are the new FOTM, and they are a tough nut to crack. In talking to some guildies who run that build they stress that the way to defeat that build is through confusion, vulnerability and bleeds.

Any of you folks have some input/experience on how to deal with this build?

Wait for them to max their buffs then rip them from them and watch them die. Key is the timing in corrupt boons to take off their protection. Also works for Tank guardians.

Once boonless the DnD ele is weak.

Also if you see them switch to water, and you have conditions on them, pop all your fears for more time for your conditions ( Since ele’s remove condtions in water form) before reapplying.

hmm kk, will tinker with well of corruption or Corrupt Boon and see how that works. Will keep that fear for when they go water handy

appreciate the feedback!

any others??

Nope definitely all about the boon stripping against ele’s. Played one myself and if played right the spec basically keeps up permanent might, fury, protection, vigor, regen, swiftness. They rely on the might stacks to do any meaningful damage without vigor they don’t get the extra heals and blast finishers from as much dodges. Worst case if you corrupt em right they ride the lightning the hell outta there and try again in a bit (which as a necro unless your using a MH dagger your really not gonna do anything about)

Corrupt Boon is easily predictable, and has a cast time that experienced players will dodge. You can remove their boons, but their boons are easily reapplied and they have mist form and updraft and lightning flash to counter any burst that will happen when their boons are stripped.

They are by far one of the best 1v1 classes, but the good thing is that unlike mesmers and thieves they cannot 3-shot you, so you have time to react and stall until you get help.

My toughness/power/spectral necro outlasts D/D eles, so the best tip I can give you is tweak your build until you are comfortable with how it performs against them. I do have some smaller tips:

- Dodge / use stability right as Ride the Lightning hits to to avoid the Updraft.
- Cleanse the Burning off of yourself before they use Fire Grab (2x damage vs. burning foes)
- If they start Churning Earth when you are obviously not in range, they probably have Lightning Flash as a utility. Don’t bother running, take the time to do some free damage since they’re standing still, then dodge it at the right time.
- Don’t “commit” to trying to kill them until you’ve seen Mist Form used. Save whatever burst you may have until after.
- Corrupt Boon helps. Well of Suffering really helps since they have to be close to you to do damage. Wait until they use a gap-closer to drop it.
- Keep Chill and Cripple up as much as possible. In addition to limiting their mobility it also reduces the distance that Ride the Lightning travels, I think.
- D/D eles rely on many (relatively) small hits to do damage, so Retaliation helps a lot.

Zenith.7301:

Corrupt Boon is easily predictable, and has a cast time that experienced players will dodge

Corrupt Boon cast time is like .25s. Are you thinking of Spinal Shivers?

don’t usually have much trouble vs them as Condition. Just wait for them to waste dodges and then corrupt boon them + ds fear when possible. Worst case scenario they will just run away and be back when corrupt boon is off cd.

For me, they are the only class I can’t beat. As soon as I take down there boons, they come right back. If by some chance I am starting to win, all they do is run away. I think they are op and should be nerfed but maybe that I just have to learn how to beat them instead of winning about it. Either way, they are ANNOYING

Corruption boon is only predictable if you cast it at a predictable time. If they pop a bunch of buffs, then an invul, and then you decided you want to waste your corruption boon, then that really isn’t on the ele, that is on you.

I don’t really have issues with DD eles as a condition spec, as long as you pass any conditions back at good appropriate times, like after they clear, or when you have a bunch on you. I also don’t run corruption boon.

Consequently they will run away, and you won’t catch them. But pretty much everyone has that problem with them.

As far as running a PVT build, I tend to disagree with that being a doable fight. Your damage is too low to really account for their regeneration, and their regeneration will outpace yours. Necro regeneration is very lack-luster compared to every other class (thanks DS form). Last PVT fight I had against a DD ele lasted about 5 mins, and I eventually ran out of HP.

It is a high skill cap build too. Meaning the really good DD eles are REALLY good and nearly impossible to kill, just like with shatter mesmers, and some thief builds.

I used to main D/D Ele before it became FOTM. I ran a build that specifically gave me the ability to cleanse and fairly regularly too as conditions is really an Ele’s Achilles heel. I only met one necro who beat me in a 1v1 Scenario, all the others I killed, primarily because they just weren’t very good. The one that beat me timed corrupt boon correctly (just after I had rolled twice and had vigor up) and used his CC very well, including good timing on Golem charge and keeping me slowed down as much as possible. D/D Ele’s rely on boons (especially vigor) and mobility to win.

If a D/D Ele manages to hit you with the RTL + Updraft combo, immediately switch to DS and fear them off, you can do that while face down on the ground. It will at least shake up their rotation which is normally RTL, Updraft, Burning Speed, Fire Grab Drakes, then Earth for CC. Also helps to learn the attunements and when / why they switch to them at certain times. If they average or even good, you should be able to kill them. If they are REALLY good your best hope is to make them think twice and try to get them to disengage.

I made a guide for fighting these guys that I hadn’t bothered to link yet..Here it is and I haz video

If you don’t feel like clicking scary links here’s the overview

Dagger elemental have some very decent damage to look out for but it is usually attached to chain attacks that can be quite visible and easy to counter if you know them. Their opener is usually the skill Lightning Flash and Updraft which is a quick engage and a follow up skill to knock you down. From there they will switch to fire for the big damage combos, interrupt them here and stay out of fire. Just remember that these fire aoe’s are lines and only affect you if you pass through so either stay within or dodge through.

Just remember that in this fight fear is your friend, save them as you may need to to interrupt these chains rather frequently. Anytime they look like they are breathing something you need to avoid or fear. One skill is Drakes Breath which hurts, the other is Cone of cold which heals them a fair bit.. try and fear the water one.

Tips

• Putrid Mark should be saved for when your getting a little overwhelmed by conditions. Use when you either have the fire condition as that kitten hurts, or best time I think, when they are in water atunement as they will stack a decent amount of chill. Fighting an Ele with chill makes it a lot harder to avoid the big hitters.

• Poison cloud is useful to throw in as bunker ele’s have a ton of healing. Best time is when they switch to water. Also while it may be hard to maneuver in the right way with how much they move but using the Necrotic Grasp on staff adds extra poison if you fire through it

• Well of Darkness is a great pick as most of their damage is up close so putting this down and standing inside gives you breathing room whether they stay in or wait outside of it.

• Focus is my usual off hand of choice, which is a better choice over dagger here. Spinal Shiver’s is invaluable as it can give you regular boon removal and chill. Save for regeneration in particular. Also Reaper’s Touch gives you regeneration which is nice for these long drawn out attrition fights.

• Switch into death shroud just after the initial 2 Air attacks as the brunt of the damage comes after from either fire or earth. Also switch when they are close to you and in air, lightning whip hurts for a spammable.

• Churning earth = watch the kitten out, it will usually be channeled away from you with doing a lightning flash onto you right near the end. Easy to see and with a few seconds cool down you have time to do damage then fear.. Placing a Reaper’s Mark on your feet negates it.

• Trait Death Magic VII – Reaper’s mark. Dagger Ele’s will be knocking you down often in order to guarantee big damage chains, annoy them immensely with this trait.

My Build for this…

Necro fear bomber. Not really suited in terms of 1v1 as it is my group pvp spec but here’s some notes for it :

• I’m a noob and need greater marks

• Retaliation on death shroud. DS is a punching bag, make them hurt a little for hitting it

• life force on marks – who could say no

• Reapers Protection – nice back up fear

• Soul reaping trait III, great for extra fear and I tend to like Transfusion as it is actually a decent group heal

• Rune of nightmare – with this and the other fears you end up interrupting, them quite often. Fear is always disorientating as they turn the camera around, in combo with others you are putting a fear on them every 10 or so seconds which is nuts.

• Hybrid power/condition.. I feel like power adds more weight to your attacks over the bleeds from precision and this way life blast hits for a decent amount.

..Also if they want to run your probably not going to catch them

Rennoko.5731:

As far as running a PVT build, I tend to disagree with that being a doable fight. Your damage is too low to really account for their regeneration, and their regeneration will outpace yours. Necro regeneration is very lack-luster compared to every other class (thanks DS form). Last PVT fight I had against a DD ele lasted about 5 mins, and I eventually ran out of HP.

Was this directed at my comment? If so, I disagree – it’s very doable in my experience. My build isn’t straight PTV. All the 1v1s I’ve had against a D/D ele are either (a) lasts a few minutes but I eventually win or they run away (b) I take them down in two brief skirmishes, separated by them popping mist form and healing to full.

You don’t compete with them on regeneration, because you’re right, theirs is better. But our life force generation is better than their healing with the right build, and it lets us last longer.