I’ve played elementalist exclusively from rank 17 to rank 37 with over 1400 matches. Until the recent patch I’ve used evasive arcana builds exclusively. I am a casual player and only want what’s best for overall balance (I am not an elitist[nor do I have any reason to be] I value everyone’s opinion). I appreciate your response and I will do my best to respond even in my currently inebriated state.
I have dropped evasive arcana since the latest patch. I do agree that attunement swapping is entirely mandatory to be an effective elementalist. By reducing the base attunement swapping to 12 seconds and halving the recharge rate, the new swapping cooldowns would be 12,11,10, and 9 depending on arcana investment. This was greatly reduce ele’s dependance on arcana. The reduction on the protection duration is to reflect the fact that even those with little arcana investment would have greater access to this buff and it would possibly be overpowered to not reduce its duration. The nerfs I propose aren’t really nerfs, but a way to balance out the buffs. The buffs I propose are to increase the viability of all ele builds, and the nerfs are to insure that specific builds don’t benefit disproportionately.
I do have to disagree that bunker builds didn’t require evasive arcana. Perhaps a third party could chime in on this?
I am perhaps slightly biased, for in the spvp forum people often refer to elementalists synonymously as bunker elementalist. For those of us using berserker amulets and having zero room for error in order to perform properly, it is slightly insulting to be compared to the low risk cleric’s amulet using bunker elementalist who can tank 2 people almost indefinitely.
I don’t want to force people into dps specs. I am just tired of people parroting the notion that our traitlines are broken unless you spec into water/arcana. I’ve used water/arcana builds and fire/air builds and find both to be equally suitable. I can’t speak for conditions builds although the general opinion seems to be that they are ineffective and I agree in theory.
Most poeple agree that the current meta of unkillable bunker builds is ruining the game. Guardians are still the main culprit here but I don’t think that should give elementalist a free pass.
As casual player you should realize that glass cannon eles are effective only in sPvP against newbs, likewise bunker builds are “unkillable” only for players who don’t know what to do, place a bunker ele against 2 players worth their salt and he’ll go down in no time.
The bunkers are not unkillable, their role is to survive until help come, but what you’re asking would literally destroy the elementalist role in tPvP as I see no good team picking a burst ele over a thief or warrior like now.
Burst eles are simply not effective as thiefs or warriors, these two can kill a target in half the time required by an ele while having more survivability innately, one has got stealth and the other got heavy armour+shield, on the other hand a burst ele would use mist form that every player knows last only 3s
Regarding the fire trait line, yes people are correct in saying its’ bad, it forces you to stay in fire for as long as possible, too specific traits in it and this should change.
The problem with ele is that survivability drop too much ( almost to zero) once you move away from earth/water trait line, that’s why the word ele has become synonymus with bunker, a glass cannon ele is a free kill unless babysitted by others in which case he may do some dmg while still not as effective as other professions