Guild Wars 2

You chose a class for 2 overpowered skills. Then get mad when they eventually get nerfed.

Well played. I suppose this is why I can’t take Elementalists seriously.

The no warrior meta?

All Trait Lines are great, and it really depends on your playstyle so I’m just inputting some Majors.

Best Fire Majors: Internal Fire, Pyromancer’s Alacrity, Pyromancer’s Puissance.
Good Fire Majors: Ember’s Might, Conjurer, Persisting Flames.
- The best ones provide the highest damage increase, while the good ones a bit less. Conjurer is good since there’s always uses (and most of the time, great uses) for the Conjured Weapons, and it’s especially awesome with Fiery Greatsword.

Best Air Majors: Bolt to the Heart, Aeromancer’s Alacrity.
Good Air Majors: Zephyr’s Boon, Quick Glyphs, Air Training, Tempest Defense.
- Zephyr’s Boon would be in the “Best” if all weapons had at least 2 auras to make a great use of it, but unfortunately only D/D really benefits from it, and Air doesn’t have always have a high damage (Staff) to make Air Training really worth it.

Best Earth Majors: Earth’s Embrace, Geomancer’s Alacrity.
Good Earth Majors: Signet Mastery, Written in Stone, Salt Stone, Stone Splinters.
- Signets are only really useful if you’re using Written in Stone, and Salt Stone and Stone Splinters are good if you’re either PvEing or meleeing, but they’re good damage increases that doesn’t depend on your attunement.

Best Water Majors: Aquamancer’s Alacrity, Cleansing Water, Cleansing Water
Good Water Majors: Vital Striking, Cantrip Mastery, Soothing Disruption, Powerful Aura
- Soothing Disruption might be regarded as Best but it’s subjective since you get only 6~ or so seconds from Cantrips that usually have long cooldowns, and if used preemptively, the boon doesn’t make much of a difference.

Best Arcana Majors: Renewing Stamina, Elemental Attunement, Final Shielding, Evasive Arcana.
Good Arcana Majors: Blasting Staff, Elemental Surge, Arcane Mastery.
- Meh.

The Best ones will work in pretty much any build and weapon, and they’re incredibly great in numbers/effects. The good ones can be made to work with little effort or a small tweak with utilities/builds, but they’re either situational (depending on utilities) or their effect isn’t as great as the Best ones.
Any other Major not listed is either weak or have way too much variables to work, such as Air’s Grounded – 20% more damage to knocked down and stunned foes – although it’s a great damage increase, you don’t get to attack too many people knocked down or stunned, not as often as you get to attack someone with less than 33% health (Bolt to the Heart).

Major:
Adept:

Arcane Mastery
Reduces recharge on arcane skills.

• Rating: 3
• Nice if you use arcane skills.

Renewing Stamina
Gain vigor when you deliver a critical hit.

• Rating: 5
• This trait is one of the reasons why a lot of elementalists have perma vigor. It adds a lot to your survivability and synergizes well with a lot of traits.

Final Shielding
Create an Arcane Shield when your health drops below the threshold.

• Rating: 3
• Decent survivability boost.

Vigorous Scepter
Endurance recharges faster while wielding a scepter.

• Rating: 3
• Good trait although Renewing Stamina is better.

Blasting Staff
Area attacks with staff are larger.

• Rating: 4
• Must-have for any staff build. It gives you and your group more damage and survivability.

Windborne Dagger
Move faster for each dagger that you wield.

• Rating: 2
• Basically useless since it doesn’t stack with other passive movement speed effects.

Master:

Arcane Retribution
Gain Arcane Power when your health drops below the threshold.

• Rating: 3
• Nice damage boost although the ICD is pretty long.

Elemental Attunement
When attuning to an element, you and all nearby allies gain a boon.

• Rating: 5
• Really good trait even after the nerf. Synergizes well with other traits and gear.

Arcane Resurrection
You have increased revive speed. When you revive an ally, you and the revived ally gain an aura based on your attunement.

• Rating: 2
• The Auras are nice but the increased revive speed doesn’t really help. Since you usually don’t revive too often I wouldn’t use this trait.

Arcane Energy
Arcane and signet skills restore endurance when used.

• Rating: 3
  Can be nice if you need more endurance fast and use arcane or signet skills. I prefer Renewing Stamina though.

Grandmaster:

Evasive Arcana
Create an attunement-based spell at the end of your dodge. Fire: Flame Burst. Water: Cleansing Wave. Air: Blinding Flash. Earth: Churning Earth.

• Rating: 5
• Really strong trait even after all the nerfs. Useful for any build and essential for a lot of them. Synergizes well with a lot of other traits like Renewing Stamina.

Elemental Surge
Based on your current attunement, arcane skills cause a condition to foes that they hit.

• Rating: 4
• Useful if you use arcane skills. Adds damage and utility.

Arcana
Arcana is a trait line of the elementalist that focuses on general improvements, arcane utility skills and the switching of attunements.
Per point:
Boon Duration +1%
Attunement Recharge Rate +1%

• Rating: 4
• Good trait line when it comes to stats. Boons are one of the major advantages elementalists have over any other profession and the additional Boon Duration will help you to maintain them. The Attunement Recharge Rate buffs your support abilites, damage and survivability. Without it you would have to wait a lot during a fight instead of using your skills. Slightly less important stats after the Attunement Recharge Rate Reduction though.

Minor:

Arcane Fury
Gain fury when you switch attunements.

• Rating: 4
• Fury increases your damage output a lot.

Lingering Elements
Attunement bonuses linger after leaving that attunement.

• Rating: 4
• Depending on which Attunement bonuses you have this can help a lot or just a little bit. Either way this trait is always useful.

Arcane Precision
Skills have a chance to apply a condition on critical hits.

• Rating: 2
• Disappointing trait. The chance is pretty low and a lot of builds are not focused on critical hits. Not worth 25 points.

Major:
Adept:

Arcane Abatement
Take less damage from falling. Create a spell when you take falling damage, based on your attunement.
Fire: Ring of Fire
Water: Healing Wave
Air: Static Field
Earth: Earthquake

• Rating: 2
• Ok for WvW, useless for PvE or PvP.

Shard of Ice
Arcane and signet skills cause vulnerability when activated.

• Rating: 3
• Nice damage boost if you use arcane skills or signets.

Cantrip Mastery
Reduces recharge on cantrips.

• Rating: 3
• Good for Cantrip builds.

Piercing Shards
While attuned to water, your spells deal more damage to vulnerable foes.

• Rating: 3
• Situational, strong damage boost. Nice synergy with conjured weapons.

Soothing Wave
Gain regeneration when critically hit.

• Rating: 3
• Activates quite often but the Duration is short.

Vital Striking
Deal extra damage when your health is above the threshold.

• Rating: 3
• Nice damage boost if you want to start a fight with a huge burst or if you are able to keep your HP > 90%. Works with all Attunements.

Master:

Stop Drop and Roll
Dodge rolling removes burning and chilled.

• Rating: 2
• Ok against condition builds. Besides that I don’t see any reason why you should use this trait.

Aquamancer’s Alacrity
Reduces recharge on all water weapon skills.

• Rating: 3
• Good survivability boost. Really good for staff builds in WvW.

Soothing Disruption
Cantrips grant you regeneration and vigor.

• Rating: 4
• Great for Cantrip builds. Synergizes well with Cleansing Water and Evasive Arcana.

Cleansing Wave
Remove a condition from you and your allies when attuning to water.

• Rating: 4
• Really good against Condition builds. Also helps your allies.

Grandmaster:

Cleansing Water
Remove a condition when granting regeneration to yourself or an ally.

• Rating: 5
• This is one of the best major traits for an elementalist even after the PvP nerf. Since you will grant regeneration to yourself or an ally quite often this trait will remove a condition every single time. Keep in mind this includes any regeneration you grant not only regeneration granted by skills .If you have problems with conditons use this trait.

Powerful Aura
Auras are applied to nearby allies.

• Rating: 4
• Must-have for Aura builds and good for any other build. Your team will love you for this trait.

Water Magic
Water Magic is a trait line of the elementalist that focuses on use of water magic and defensive tactics, as well as exploiting Vulnerability on foes.
Per point:
Vitality +10
Healing Power +10

• Rating: 4
• Really nice stat bonuses. Since elementalists don’t have a lot of HP this really helps. The additional Healing Power also makes it easier to stay alive.

Minor:

Soothing Mist
Regenerate health while attuned to water.

• Rating: 4
• Strong minor trait. It heals you and your allies. More Healing Power makes this trait even better.

Healing Ripple
Heal nearby allies when attuning to water.

• Rating: 5
• Huge heal which is even better the more Healing Power you have. One of the best minor traits for an elementalist.

Bountiful Power
Deal more damage for each boon on you.

• Rating: 3
• Not as good after the nerf but still decent.

Major:
Adept:

Obsidian Focus
Gain toughness while using a channeled skill.

• Rating: 3
• Only works if you use channeling skills but the Toughness bonus is huge.

Signet Mastery
Reduces recharge on signets.

• Rating: 3
• Good for Signet builds.

Earth’s Embrace
Gain Armor of Earth whenever your health drops below the threshold.

• Rating: 4
• Really good trait. The ICD is ok for the buffs this trait offers. If you have 10 points left and you don’t know which trait you want this one would be one of my recommendations.

Serrated Stones
Bleeds you apply last longer; deal more damage to bleeding foes.

• Rating: 4
• Nice damage boost. Since bleeding usually lasts longer than burning this trait also helps other Attunements. Especially good for Condition builds.

Elemental Shielding
Gain protection when applying an aura to yourself or an ally.

• Rating: 3
• Strong for Aura builds, ok for other builds. Also synergises well with Powerful Aura.

Stone Splinters
Deal more damage when you are within a range of 600 of your target.

• Rating: 4
• Huge damage boost for all Attunements. Only mediocre if you use a staff.

Master:

Strength of Stone
Gain condition damage based on your toughness.

• Rating: 4
• Great for Condition builds since they usually have a lot of Toughness.

Rock Solid
Grant stability to nearby allies when attuning to earth.

• Rating: 4
• Really good choice for any build. Great if you use many channeled skills or your enemy has a lot of CC.

Geomancer’s Freedom
You recover from crippled, immobilized, and chilled faster.

• Rating: 2
• We already have enough Condition removal. Can be useful sometimes.

Geomancer’s Alacrity
Reduces recharge on all earth weapon skills.

• Rating: 3
• Decent damage and survivability boost.

Grandmaster:

Diamond Skin
Conditions cannot be applied to you when your health is above the threshold.

• Rating: 4
• Very situational. Usually either overpowered or useless.

Written in Stone
Maintain the passive effects of signets when you activate them.

• Rating: 4
• Must-have for Signet builds.

Earth Magic
Earth Magic is a trait line of the elementalist that focuses on use of earth magic, bleeds, defense, and signets.
Per point:
Toughness +10
Condition Damage +10

• Rating: 3
• Toughness and Condition Damage are always useful. No matter which build you play this always improves your survivability and damage.

Minor:

Stone Flesh
Gain toughness while attuned to earth.

• Rating: 3
• Good trait although it’s only active while attuned to earth.

Earthen Blast
Damage foes and cripple them for 3 seconds when attuning to earth.

• Rating: 3
• Underrated trait in my opinion. The damage is really low but the Cripple helps a lot.

Enduring Damage
Deal more damage when your endurance is full.

• Rating: 4
• Nice addition to any build. The synergy between Vigor and this trait make it really useful.

Major:
Adept:

Zephyr’s Boon
Auras grant fury and swiftness when applied.

• Rating: 4
• Strong for Aura builds, ok for other builds. Powerful Aura will cause Zephyr’s Boon to apply fury and swiftness to allies too which means this trait can be extremly useful.

Zephyr’s Focus
Your endurance regenerates faster while channeling skills.

• Rating: 2
• Ok if you use a lot of channeling skills. There are better traits though.

Quick Glyphs
Reduces recharge on glyphs.

• Rating: 3
• Good for Glyph builds.

One with Air
Gain superspeed when attuning to air.

• Rating: 2
• Mediocre trait since the Duration is really short.

Soothing Winds
Gain healing based on your precision.

• Rating: 3
• Good if you have ridiculous amounts of precision.

Bolt to the Heart
Deal more damage when your foe’s health drops below the threshold.

• Rating: 4
• Huge damage boost. Really strong for high DPS builds and good for any other build. This trait is one of my 10 point recommendations.

Master:

Arcane Lightning
Gain more critical-hit damage for a short time when you use an arcane skill. Does not stack.

• Rating: 3
• Strong for high critical-hit damage builds with Arcane skills.

Inscription
Grants a boon associated with your current attunement when you cast a glyph.

• Rating: 3
• Good for Glyph builds.

Aeromancer’s Alacrity
Reduces recharge on all your air weapon skills.

• Rating: 3
• Good for every build.

Air Training
Deal more damage while attuned to air.

• Rating: 3
• Really good for burst builds, decent for every other build.

Grandmaster:

Tempest Defense
Surround yourself with a Shocking Aura when disabled (fear, stun, daze, knockback, knockdown, launch, float, or sink). Deal more damage to stunned or knocked-down foes.

• Rating: 4
• Huge damage and survivability boost. Combining it with Grounded and reducing the ICD really helped this trait.

Fresh Air
Recharge Air Attunement on a critical hit.

• Rating: 4
• Strong for burst builds since you can use high damage skills more often.

Air Magic
Air Magic is a trait line of the elementalist that focuses on use of air magic and additionally glyphs, movement speed, and spike damage.
Per point:
Precision +10
Critical Damage +1%

• Rating: 3
• Strong for high DPS builds. If you want to play a more supportive role I would not recommend this trait line.

Minor:

Zephyr’s Speed
Move faster while attuned to air.

• Rating: 1
• Useless trait since you have perma Swiftness, Signet of Air or other Speed buffs. Besides that speed buffs don’t stack. Really disappointing trait.

Electric Discharge
Strike your target with a bolt of lightning when attuning to air.

• Rating: 3
• Decent damage boost.

Weak Spot
Chance to cause vulnerability on critical hits.

• Rating: 3
• Nice addition to high Critical Chance builds. Keep in mind it is only 1 stack for 5 seconds.

Major:
Adept:

Lava Tomb
Create a Lava Font when downed. Deal more damage while downed.

• Rating: 2
• If you are Downed this helps you to get back in the fight without your team. You usually have a team though which means this trait is only mediocre.

Conjurer
Conjured weapons have more charges.

• Rating: 3
• Good trait if you use Conjured weapons.

Ember’s Might
Burns you apply last longer.

• Rating: 3
• Good for most builds, extremely good for Condition builds. Underrated trait in my opinion.

Spell Slinger
Cantrips grant you might when used.

• Rating: 3
• Good damage boost if you use Cantrips.

Burning Precision
Critical hits have a chance to cause burning.

• Rating: 2
• If you have a high Critical Chance this trait can be ok but keep in mind it is only a 1 second Burning. If you really want the Burning damage there are better ways.

Internal Fire
Deal more damage while attuned to fire.

• Rating: 3
• If you use fire skills like Meteor Shower a lot this trait is a good choice. Since fire is one of the major damage attunements this trait is never bad.

Master:

Pyromancer’s Alacrity
Reduces recharge on all fire weapon skills.

• Rating: 3
• Adds a lot to your damage output because the fire attunement is one of your main damage sources.

Burning Fire
Use Cleansing Fire automatically when you have a number of conditions on you.

• Rating: 3
• Good trait if your enemies apply a lot of Conditions.

Fire’s Embrace
When you activate a signet, you gain a fire shield.

• Rating: 3
• Nice for signet builds.

One with Fire
Flame Barrier’s chance to burn foes goes up the longer you are attuned to fire.

• Rating: 2
• Since Flame Barrier is close to useless I would never pick this trait.

Grandmaster:

Persisting Flames
Blast finishers you execute on fire fields give fury. Fire fields last longer.

• Rating: 4
• Decent before the buff, even better now. The additional Duration combined with Fury greatly increase the damage output and synergize with other parts of many builds.

Pyromancer’s Puissance
Each fire spell you cast grants you might.

• Rating: 4
• More Might means more damage. If you focus on the Fire Attunement for your damage output this trait can help a lot. The more you switch between Attunements the less this trait is effective.

Fire Magic

Fire Magic is a trait line of the elementalist that focuses on use of fire magic and conjured weapons.
Per point:
Power +10
Condition Duration +1%

• Rating: 3
• Power and Condition Duration are always nice to have. The majority of your power comes from Might and your gear which just makes this a good addition. The Condition Duration is strong for condition builds but instead of the the fire trait line I prefer the earth trait line which gives you Condition Damage and traits which usually fit the build better.

Minor:

Flame Barrier
You have a chance to cause burning whenever a foe attacks you in melee. Only triggers when attuned to fire.

• Rating: 2
• A lot of eles aren’t in melee range and if they are they don’t want to be hit. Besides that you are constantly switching between attunements which makes this trait even less effective.

Sunspot
Inflict damage at your location when you attune to fire.

• Rating: 2
• Extra damage is never bad but in this case the damage is so low you won’t even recognize it. Disappointing for 15 points.

Burning Rage
Deal more damage to burning foes.

• Rating: 4
• Decent damage boost after the buff. Since most builds apply Burning in some way this traits is always good.

One word: @daphoenix

there is simple rure in this game:
1v1:
tank cant kill tank – endless battle
gc cant kill tank, tank wins
gc vs gc – messmer wins

2v2 and 3v3. ..4v4…5v5
2/3/4/5 gc wins vs 2/3/4/5 tanks

that is because in this game GC complement each other while tanks and especially condi builds does not combine so well… and that is why chiftain ninjas (DPS oriented PT build) owns so hard any tank PT in pvp.

I can outbunker everything except grenade spam engi’s and trap rangers. CC isn’t a big deal when I can DS tank your hundred blades. Especially since while you sit there trying to smash my face in, my minions are definitely smashing yours in. Yes CC can be an issue, but I have never been CC’ed enough by a single person to make it a big issue.

However, recently in hotjoin (and one reason I hate hotjoin), I have been the ball in an intricate game of pinball using god-knows-what CC chains. All I know is I walk into some crapstorm of CC and by the time its over I’m staring at the sky.

I’m not sure where this would be correctly posted but I was told here, so here’s my question, why give us mystic fountains when we can’t pick up a torch with it on? ~ 3 people in my party doing jump puzzle, 10 invaders, all camping at the start of it. I finally did the puzzle in the dark, (after dying 2 times because of people camping) and the stealth runs off as I’m in the round room, make it up to the top, on my way to the next fountain and guess what, invaders camping the door way with aoe so I can’t leave the room so I died. I’m not a “bad” player, but strength in numbers, why make fighting in the jump puzzle? there are GUILDS that camp the puzzle so only those invaders can get it, and that’s not fair. you can’t expect 20 people from a single guild to go do a puzzle just so one member can get the chest. ~Why do I want the chest? because I need badges of honor and I don’t really like doing WvW/killing people, I’m a PvE person, not PvP, why not make it fair for us PvE’ers to get jumping puzzles?