Profession Build Suggestions: Elementalist

joshofstl

New Member
I’ve experimented with all four elements in all sorts of combinations, including Air-Water, Earth-Air, Fire-Water, and even Earth-Water. But, try as I might (and I desperately wanted Air to be “the stuff”), I simply could not find a build that ultimately surpasses Fire-Earth. Properly set, the Fire-Earth is one of the most startlingly-formidable builds out there, and after running my elementalist through the game it remains my build of choice. I recommend high fire (say 12-13), moderate-high earth (say 8-10), moderate-high energy storage (10) with leftovers in a secondary class like mesmer inspiration or monk healing.

Suggested Elementalist build (Fire-Earth)

1) Elemental Attunement (elite)
2) Mark of Rodgert
3) Flare / Fireball
4) Firestorm
5) Meteor Storm
6) Armor of Earth
7) (optional spell – I carry a mesmer spell like mantra of concentration or mantra of resolve)
8) Res signet / Rebirth

Rationale:

1) Elemental Attunement gives you 50% return on spell cost for 45 seconds, allowing you to cast Meteor Storm for only 13 energy and armor of earth for 7. Value like that is simply hard to beat. With a good staff you can stretch that enchant out to 55+ seconds
2) Mark of Rodgert does burning damage for around 15 seconds, properly set, and is activated any time a foe is hit by any sort of fire damage. This spell does incredible amounts of damage over time and by nature ignores armor.
3) I put some mainstay spell here just to have. Fireball is probably a better alternative, although flare is cheap and does decent enough damage.
4) This staple spell is perfect to pair with the Mark (spell 2) because it offers constant fire damage on a foe. It’s not the most powerful spell in the game but it will give you a good 170-190 damage on high-level foes.
5) Not as powerful at high levels but is as useful as an interrupt and knockdown. A staple “nuker” spell.
6) Armor of earth is, in my view, the best defensive spell in the game. Even a relatively fragile ele can see their armor totals vaulted to 110 for 30 seconds. I’ve seen “tank” elementalists outlive their warrior counterparts simply with this spell.
7) You have lots of options here depending on your tastes and your secondary. Monks might carry breeze or such. Rangers might carry a sprint spell or troll ungent. Necros might opt for one of any number of spells. I recommend mesmer secondaries because they are very versatile and can make you interrupt-proof (mantra of concentration) or even an energy beast (channeling).
8) I always suggest everyone carries some form of resurrection ability. Nothing can be more annoying than having a team where people decide they don’t need to, only to have the monks die.

Recommended primary spells casting order:

Elemental Attunement… Earth Armor (if you anticipate being attacked)… Firestorm… Mark of Rodgert… Meteor Shower…
 
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I'll also throw my Air Spiker build out there for criticism...

PvP Air Spiker E/Me
Air Magic: 12+4 (Superior rune + headgear)
Energy Storage: 12+1 (rune)

Skills:
Air Attunement
Thunderclap (Elite)
Lightning Orb
Lightning Strike
Whirlwind
Gale
Arcane Echo
Rez Signet

On first glance, Thunderclap is a HORRIBLE spell. I mean, what's the use of casting something that is only going to work three seconds from now? Of course, when you factor in that Lightning Orb takes 2 seconds to cast and a second in flight, casting them right after each other means you're doing almost 200 damage with 25% armor penetration within one second. A well coordinated team of 3 spikers can take down almost anything in basically one shot. Then, simply echo Lightning Strike and hit for about 50 every two seconds until TC and LO recycle.

Whirlwind is great for those pesky warriors when they try to attack, because it knocks down anyone attacking. Gale is an AWESOME shutdown spell that knocks down a target for 3 full seconds, and can be recast in 5.
 
Here's my Ele/R

Fireball (I love splash damage)
Firestorm
Pheonix (I just love that adjacent damage thing.)
Immolate (burn baby burn)
Charm animal (for my snow wolf Deathfang)
Comfort animal (jeez animals die alot...)
Troll ungent

When I don't have my pet with me:

Flare (for low-energy last ditch attacks)
Fireball
Immolate
Pheonix
Fire Storm
Ressurection Signet
Troll Ungent
(open space, it depends on mission/quest)
 
Bill...

I like the build, although I've learned (sadly) that Air Spiking is hard to do with just one. But in the 3-spiker lineup you suggested, I could see it working, especially in PvP. I might suggest either Lightning Javelin or perhaps even Chain Lightning in lieu of Lightning Strike, since both of them have nice extra qualities. Also, whirlwind can be useful in coming to the aid of an assaulted monk, if done right.

ChickenSoup...

A good build for your needs and a good build for the level you are at and the spells you have access to at this time. Once you get that pet up to level 20, he'll stay alive a lot better. I would suggest carrying an attunement of some sort if you could (i.e. fire attunement), in order to help conserve your energy costs. Also, I'm not as big on Phoenix because - although it is quite cool - I rarely find myself adjacent to foes when I can get away with it.

One other thing... later on, employ Mark of Rodgert instead of immolate when you get it. It will turn your firestorm into a full 15-17 seconds of burning damage. :)
 
I would suggest carrying an attunement of some sort if you could (i.e. fire attunement), in order to help conserve your energy costs.

I wholeheartedly agree.

...where do I get that? :( (and yes, I am counting on getting Mark of Rodgert as soon as I can)

BTW, my pet is level 9 or 10 I think.
 
Oh yhea, and I might get meteor shower eventually. (I've tried meteor a few months ago with a PvP character, it's not all I thought it was cracked up to be in most situations)
 
Meteor Storm does good damage against lower-level foes and only moderate damage against armored foes. It does, however, cause area knockdown, which can be useful in interrupiting an aggroed group of enemies, especially casters. Casting meteor storm and firestorm in successsion against PvE foes is, in my experience, the best AoE artillary out there.
 
Basically, they run like a scalded dog until the AoE is over.

It's added a bit of strategy to runs though-- just throw a Fire Storm/Smite on your enemies, they'll get out of the way and let you run right through.
 
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