Post by Edem on Aug 9, 2006 18:12:26 GMT
History
On my first account my most successful character was (is) an elementalist, Amy Washburn. Recently I realized that since I have and use my new account, I don't have an elementalist, so I decided to create one here too. The first two skills I got hold on was Teinai's Wind and Aftershock, and since their combo worked out pretty well, I decided to experiment with a melee range nuker. First I tried Assassin as a secondary, for their shadow stepping skills, but then I got a good sword, so changed to a Warrior secondary, so I won't lack damage output while not casting. After some tweaks and additions I finally ended up with this build.
Overview
The Full-contact Elementalist is a melee range nuker: having a melee weapon helps to get the proper distance for the spells. Using both spells and attacks prevents total blocking by a mesmer, and with Armor of Earth can match the armor level of primary Warriors. The skills are easily obtainable for a Factions character. The build use Factions and Core skills.
Profession: E/W. You'll need one Warrior skill, and the Attribute for your weapon.
Skills
(As in my last build listing, E, C, R stand for Energy Cost, Casting Time and Recharge Time, respectively.)
Important! This build doesn't have any resurrection skills; always check if your team is okay with that. (You'll probably die among the first ones, anyways.)
Armor:
Everlasting Aura (+1 Energy Storage) as headgear, since you'll need energy; Tempest Leggings and Robes for the +10 Armor and Archamge's Gloves and Boots for the +10 Health.
Attributes:
(Used attribute points: 200)
Weapons:
Rajazan's Fervor - or replaced by a max damage, req 9 sword with a 20% enchant mod and +5 energy; as a focus take the collector's Earth Scroll with the 20% faster cast/recharge for Earth spells. (If you don't have Prophecies, ask a friend to get it from the desert.)
Usage:
Also, pretty straightforward. Before engaging battle, put Sliver Armor on, then Sprint to the enemies. If your spells haven't been locked by any means, cast Bed Of Coals, Teinai's Wind and Aftershock, in this order. Wait with Teinai's until you're sure the most foes around you are attacking and not casting a spell or something. If you're getting too much damage, activate Armor of Earth, and cast the Ward if you're surrounded with too many melee foes. If you're hindered in spells (Backfire, Diversion, etc), rely on attacks; if you're hindered in attacks (Empathy, Pacifism, etc), use spells. Note that your attack spells doesn't target anyone, so Guild and Shame won't affect you.
Another player with knockdowns, or a Ritualist with Earthbind could help timing Aftershock.
Weaknesses:
Since the lack of any self-healing, this build is very healer-depending - as most tank builds. However, its damage output can be really great.
Variations:
Early levels
While on early levels, use Teinai's Wind and Aftershock. Concentrate your points in Earth magic ad Energy Storage first, fire can come later. Aura of Restoration - as with all elementalists - can help you out on early levels.
Go on, try it, test it, and leave your comments here.
Edit: you won't get Armor of Earth when you switch to a secondary Warrior, but if you switch to a secondary Elementalist at Senji...
On my first account my most successful character was (is) an elementalist, Amy Washburn. Recently I realized that since I have and use my new account, I don't have an elementalist, so I decided to create one here too. The first two skills I got hold on was Teinai's Wind and Aftershock, and since their combo worked out pretty well, I decided to experiment with a melee range nuker. First I tried Assassin as a secondary, for their shadow stepping skills, but then I got a good sword, so changed to a Warrior secondary, so I won't lack damage output while not casting. After some tweaks and additions I finally ended up with this build.
Overview
The Full-contact Elementalist is a melee range nuker: having a melee weapon helps to get the proper distance for the spells. Using both spells and attacks prevents total blocking by a mesmer, and with Armor of Earth can match the armor level of primary Warriors. The skills are easily obtainable for a Factions character. The build use Factions and Core skills.
Profession: E/W. You'll need one Warrior skill, and the Attribute for your weapon.
Skills
(As in my last build listing, E, C, R stand for Energy Cost, Casting Time and Recharge Time, respectively.)
- Bed Of Coals (Fire Magic)
- Campaign: Factions
- E: 15; C: 1; R: 30
- Details: Create a Bed of Coals at your location. For 10 seconds, foes standing still near this location are struck for 5...24 fire damage each second. Any foe knocked down on the Bed of Coals is set on fire for 3...6 seconds.
- Trainer: Michiko (Kaineng Center)
- Notes: Use this when you get next to a large (at least 3-4 foes) group; always cast it before Teinai's Wind.
- Campaign: Factions
- Teinai's Wind (Air Magic)
- Campaign: Factions
- E: 10; C: ¾; R: 8
- Details: All adjacent foes take 15...51 cold damage. Attacking foes struck by Teinai's Wind are knocked down.
- Trainer: Zhao Di (Shing Jea Monastery)
- Notes: Use to trigger the burning for Bed of Coals and the extra damage for Aftershock.
- This skill has a Prophecies duplicate, called Whirlwind, available from Firstwatch Sergio in Lion's Arch, or from the "A Heart of Ice" quest.
- Campaign: Factions
- Aftershock (Earth Magic)
- Campaign: Core
- E: 10; C: ¾; R: 10
- Details: Adjacent foes are struck for 26...85 earth damage. Knocked down foes are struck for 10...56 additional earth damage.
- Trainer: Zhao Di (Shing Jea Monastery), Harnil (Marhan's Grotto)
- Notes: The main damage output skill, it's blasting power is almost doubled when the foes are knocked down.
- Campaign: Core
- Shockwave [E] (Earth Magic)
- Campaign: Factions
- E: 10; C: ¾; R: 20
- Details: Adjacent foes take 5...41 earth damage, nearby foes take 5...41 earth damage, and foes in the area take 5...41 earth damage.
- Capture: Arbor Earthcall (Morostav Trail), Bahnba Shockfoot (Gyala Hatchery (Explorable)), Azukhan Stonewrath (Altrumm Ruins), Zarnas Stonewrath (Arborstone (Explorable))
- Notes: This skill can deal devastating AoE damage without having to trigger a combo, but placing is extra important, since foes standing a little bit further will take less damage.
- Campaign: Factions
- Sliver Armor (Earth Magic)
- Campaign: Factions
- E: 10; C: 1; R: 30
- Details: For 5...10 seconds, you have 25...45% chance to block attacks and whenever you are the target of a hostile Spell or attack one nearby foe is struck for 5...29 earth damage.
- Trainer: Xu Fengxia (Ran Musu Gardens)
- Notes: Always put on this spell before engaging battle - this will help deal damage while you're approaching your enemies. It can deal with low level enemies without additional help.
- Campaign: Factions
- Sprint (Strength)
- Campaign: Core
- E: 5; C: -; R: 20
- Details: For 8...13 seconds, you move 25% faster.
- Trainer: Captain Osric (Yak's Bend), Zhao Di (Shing Jea Monastery)
- Notes: Though will only last for 8 minutes, it has some advantages to Windborne Speed and Armor of Mist: first, no casting time, second, it's not an enchantment so can't be removed; third, it only costs 5 energy. Use it to engage or escape enemies.
- This skill is available through the "Military Matters" quest, through the "Snaring Course" quest, or by changing profession to a Warrior at Senji.
- Campaign: Core
- Armor of Earth (Earth Magic)
- Campaign: Core
- E: 10; C: ¾; R: 15
- Details: For 30 seconds, you gain 24...53 armor, but move 50...21% slower.
- Trainer: Captain Osric (Yak's Bend)
- Notes: Use it when you approached a large group and don't intend to run away.
- This skill is available through the "Elemental Knowledge" and "Spark of Interest" quests, or by changing profession to an Elementalist at Senji.
- Campaign: Core
- Ward Against Melee (Earth Magic)
- Campaign: Core
- E: 10; C: 1; R: 20
- Details: You create a Ward Against Melee at your current location. For 8...18 seconds, non-Spirit allies in this area have a 50% chance to evade melee attacks.
- Trainer: Captain Greywind (North Kryta Province)
- Notes: Use this to defend yourself or the healers from melee fighters. Might be replaced with Ward Against Foes so Shockwave can be timed after Aftershock better.
- Also available from the "Advanced Defense Techniques" quest, or by changing profession to a Warrior at Senji.
- Campaign: Core
Important! This build doesn't have any resurrection skills; always check if your team is okay with that. (You'll probably die among the first ones, anyways.)
Armor:
Everlasting Aura (+1 Energy Storage) as headgear, since you'll need energy; Tempest Leggings and Robes for the +10 Armor and Archamge's Gloves and Boots for the +10 Health.
Attributes:
- Air Magic: 3 + 1 (rune)
- Earth Magic: 10 +1 (rune)
- Energy Storage: 8 +1 (headgear) +1 (rune)
- Fire Magic: 9 +1 (rune)
- Swordsmanship: 9
(Used attribute points: 200)
Weapons:
Rajazan's Fervor - or replaced by a max damage, req 9 sword with a 20% enchant mod and +5 energy; as a focus take the collector's Earth Scroll with the 20% faster cast/recharge for Earth spells. (If you don't have Prophecies, ask a friend to get it from the desert.)
Usage:
Also, pretty straightforward. Before engaging battle, put Sliver Armor on, then Sprint to the enemies. If your spells haven't been locked by any means, cast Bed Of Coals, Teinai's Wind and Aftershock, in this order. Wait with Teinai's until you're sure the most foes around you are attacking and not casting a spell or something. If you're getting too much damage, activate Armor of Earth, and cast the Ward if you're surrounded with too many melee foes. If you're hindered in spells (Backfire, Diversion, etc), rely on attacks; if you're hindered in attacks (Empathy, Pacifism, etc), use spells. Note that your attack spells doesn't target anyone, so Guild and Shame won't affect you.
Another player with knockdowns, or a Ritualist with Earthbind could help timing Aftershock.
Weaknesses:
Since the lack of any self-healing, this build is very healer-depending - as most tank builds. However, its damage output can be really great.
Variations:
- The Sword can be replaced with a Totem Axe, having Rank 9 in Axe Mastery instead of Swordsmanship.
- Shockwave might be replaced with Star Burst.
- Using Inferno instead of Aftershock might result in a more static damage output - however, it deals less than Aftershock on knocked down enemies.
Early levels
While on early levels, use Teinai's Wind and Aftershock. Concentrate your points in Earth magic ad Energy Storage first, fire can come later. Aura of Restoration - as with all elementalists - can help you out on early levels.
Go on, try it, test it, and leave your comments here.
Edit: you won't get Armor of Earth when you switch to a secondary Warrior, but if you switch to a secondary Elementalist at Senji...
Watch yourself goes on whenever you have adrenaline, which with flurry is most of the time.
