Elementalist WvW | Large Group Staff | Support Staff build for organized groups

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Summary

Notice: This guide isn't updated anymore since the nerf of icebow (pre HoT release). Since not much changed, the guide can be still used as a general guideline.

The staff elementalist is a key class for any organized group in WvW. He provides easy-to-use support for the raid and delivers a constant high amount of dps and, if necessary, well timed point focus damage.

 

This guide provides intermediate information and key elements for staff elementalists, who want to play in an organized group. Basic knowledge of the class, gameplay and group organization are required.

 

Check out http://www.twitch.tv/chemsorly/ for footage.

 

Changelog
23.06.2015: Pre-HoT Balance and skill changes
03.02.2015: Changed stuff for latest balance patch
13.12.2014: Changed stuff for the 10th december patch
17.04.2014: Changed stuff for the 15th april patch
02.06.2014: Minor tweaks: Added comment to celestial stats choice, changed accordingly to stacking weapon fix
20.06.2014: Added icebows. Pew pew pew.
11.09.2014: Updated Guide to latest patch (Sharknado fix).


I. Weapons and Skills

Zojja's Spire
  • Weapon Strength: 1034-1166
  • Power: 251
  • Precision: 179
  • Ferocity: 179
  • Weapon Strength: -
Zojja's Trident
  • Weapon Strength: 950-1050
  • Power: 125
  • Precision: 90
  • Ferocity: 90
  • Fire Attunement
    Attunement. Attune to fire, gaining heavy damage and burning abilities.
    Fury: 2 sMight: 15 s
  • Water Attunement
    Attunement. Attune to water, gaining superior support and healing abilities.
    Fury: 2 sRegeneration: 5 s
  • Air Attunement
    Attunement. Attune to air, gaining heavy damage and control abilities.
    Fury: 2 sSwiftness: 8 s
  • Earth Attunement
    Attunement. Attune to earth, gaining superior damage-over-time and defensive abilities.
    Fury: 2 sProtection: 5 s
  • Fireball1
    Cast a fireball that explodes on impact and hits multiple foes.
    Damage: 314Area of effect: 180Range: 1,200
    • 0
      Fury: 2 s
    • 0
      Fury: 2 s
  • Lava Font¼ 4
    Make lava erupt from the target area.
    Damage: 296Duration: 4Radius: 180Combo Field: FireRange: 1,200
    • 0
      Fury: 2 s
    • 0
      Fury: 2 s
  • Flame Burst½
    Burn foes at the target location.
    x2Burning: 6 s (1640 damage)Radius: 240Range: 1,200
    • 0
      Fury: 2 s
    • 0
      Fury: 2 s
  • Burning Retreat20
    Quickly roll backward, leaving behind a line of fire that burns.
    Damage: 37Duration: 6Burning: 1 s (328 damage)Combo Field: Fire
    • 0
      Fury: 2 s
    • 0
      Fury: 2 s
  • Meteor Shower20
    Call down a meteor shower onto the target area.
    Damage: 481Storm radius: 360Damage radius: 180Range: 1,200
    • 0
      Fury: 2 s
    • 0
      Fury: 2 s
  • Ether Renewal 14½
    Cantrip. Heal yourself and cure a condition with every pulse.
    Healing: 418Duration: 4
    • 0
      Fury: 2 s
  • Lightning Flash 32
    Cantrip. Teleport to target area.
    Damage: 366Radius: 120Range: 900
    • 0
      Fury: 2 s
  • Conjure Frost Bow ¼ 60
    Conjure. Manifest a frost bow in your hands and at the target location. Wields of this weapon gain increased condition duration and healing power.
    Conjure Frost Attributes: 20% Condition Duration, 180 HealingDuration: 60Range: 1,200
    • 0
      Fury: 2 s
  • Mist Form60
    Cantrip. Morph into an invulnerable, vaporous mist for a brief time.
    Duration: 3Breaks Stun
    • 0
      Fury: 2 s
  • Conjure Fiery Greatsword 1 180
    Conjure. Manifest a fiery greatsword in your hands and at the target location. When it lands, it damages and burns foes. Wielders of this weapon gain increased power and condition damage.
    Damage: 244Burning: 3 s (984 damage)Radius: 150Conjure Fire Attributes: 260 Power, 180 Condition DamageDuration: 60Range: 1,200
    • 0
      Fury: 2 s

Weapon and Skill Details

A staff elementalist obviously uses a staff.
As Healing Skill he uses Ether Renewal since it heals a very high amount, provides a lot condition removal and most important: has a very low cooldown, compared to the other healing spells. Since it got changed to a cantrip, it also has now synergies with the cantrip traits, giving additional vigor and condition removal.
As Utilities, Mistform and Lightning Flash are more or less mandatory, while the third utility depends on the taste of the player. Recommended is either Icebow for coordinated aoe dmg/single target stun or Armor of Earth for the additional stability.
Since the latest patch removed the usefulnes of our remaining elite skills, they are all pretty bad now. Because of that I won't be able to give any recommendation. Glyphe might be useful for smaller combats and you can still abuse Tornado as an additional stability.


Traits

Fire Magic

  • Empowering Flame
    Gain 150 power while in fire attunement.
    • Burning Precision
      Critical hits have a 33% chance to cause 2 seconds of burning. Burning duration is increased by 20%.
    • Conjurer
      Gain fire aura for 5 seconds when an ally picks up a conjured weapon; Conjured weapons have 10 more charges.
    • Burning Fire
      Use cleansing fire automatically when you have 3 conditions on you.
  • Sunspot
    Inflict damage at your location when you attune to fire, and gain 3 seconds of fire aura.
    • Pyromancer’s Training
      Deal 10% more damage while attuned to fire. Fire abilities have a 33% reduced recharge.
    • One with Fire
      Fire auras you apply last 33% longer and grant 2 stacks of might for 10 second when applied.
    • Power Overwhelming
      Gain condition damage based on 10% of your total power attribute.
  • Burning Rage
    Deal 10% more damage to burning foes.
    • Persisting Flames
      Executing blast finishers on fire fields grant 10 seconds of fury. Fire fields last 2 seconds longer. Create a lava font on your position when you go down.
    • Pyromancer’s Puissance
      Each skill you use while attuned to fire grant you 15 seconds of might. This effect works in combat only.
    • Blinding Ashes
      Blind foes for 4 seconds when you burn them. 8 second internal cooldown.

Water Magic

  • Soothing Mist
    You and nearby allies regenerate health while you are attuned to water. Radius 300.
    • Soothing Ice
      Gain regeneration and frost aura for 4 seconds when critically hit. 20 second internal cooldown.
    • Piercing Shards
      While attuned to water, your spells deal 20% more damage to vulnerable foes. Vulnerability lasts 33% longer.
    • Stop, Drop and Roll
      Dodge-rolling removes burning and chilled from you and nearby allies.
  • Healing Ripple
    Heal nearby allies when attuning to water
    • Soothing Disruption
      Cantrips grant you regeneration and vigor for 6 seconds. Cantrips have 20% reduced recharge.
    • Cleansing Wave
      Remove a condition from you and allies when attuning to water.
    • Aquamancer’s Training
      Deal 10% extra damage when your health is above 90%. All water weapon skills have their recharge reduced by 33%.
  • Aquatic Benevolence
    Healing done to allies is increased by 15%
    • Cleansing Water
      Remove a condition when granting regeneration to yourself or an ally.
    • Powerful Aura
      When you apply an aura to yourself, grant that aura to all nearby allies as well.
    • Soothing Power
      The healing effect of soothing mist is increased by 200%.

Arcana

  • Arcane Fury
    Gain fury for 2s when you switch attunements.
    • Arcane Precision
      Skills have a chance to apply a condition, based on your current attunement, on critical hits.
    • Renewing Stamina
      Gain vigor for 5s when you deliver a critical hit. 5 second internal cooldown.
    • Arcane Abatement
      Take less damage from falling. Create a spell when you take falling damage, based on your attunement.
  • Elemental Attunement
    When attuning to an element, you and nearby allies gain a boon.
    • Arcane Resurrection
      You have increased 10% revive speed. When you revive an ally, you and the revived ally gain an aura based on your attunement.
    • Elemental Contingency
      Gain a boon when you are struck, based on your current attunement
    • Final Shielding
      Create an Arcane Shield for 5s when your health drops below the threshold (25s)
  • Elemental Enchantment
    Boon duration is increased by 10% and attunements recharge 15% faster.
    • Evasive Arcane
      Create an attunement-based spell at end of your dodge. Fire: Flame Burst. Water: Cleansing Wave. Air: Blinding Flash. Earth: Shockwave
    • Elemental Surge
      Based on your current attunement, arcane skills inflict a condition on foes that they hit. Gain 150 more ferocity for 15 seconds when you use an arcane skill. Arcane abilities recharge 20% faster.
    • Bountiful Power
      Deal 2% more damage for each boon on you.

Trait Details

For the staff ele the water and arcane line are pretty much mandatore. They provide survivability, support and everything that is relevant for the group. Additional you can either pick air or fire for additional DPS. Earth is too selfish and is not an option. In general fire should provide better dps and support than air.

 

Fire Magic
Since we can now max 3 trait lines, fire will be an optimal candidate for it, providing additional damage and group support:
Burning fire: Automatically activating "OH-KITTEN" button for immobilizes or condition bombs. Alternatives are worse, especially considering Burning Precision's ICD.
Pyromancers Training: Straight damage increase and cooldown reduction while attuned to fire, what could be better?
Persisting Flames: This trait gives fury on blasts for your elementalist mates. 3 Elementalists can easily stack up one minute of fury in a 2 second combo. Alternative would be Pyromancers Puissance for the more selfish elementalist.

 

Water Magic
Stop,Drop and Roll: Group removal of burning and chilled. The ICD makes the trait a bit bad, the alternative (Soothing Ice) is even worse, so better stick with SDR
Soothing Disruption: Probably the best trait ever. Since we use many cantrips (even more after the patch), this trait blatantly increases their effectiveness (regeneration + vigor) AND gives a flat cooldown reduction.
Cleansing Water: Gives regeneration the ability to remove conditions on application. A VERY strong trait which doubles the effectiveness of healing rain, gives a condition removal on water attunement swap (Elemental Attunement) and gives condition removal on cantrip usage.

 

Arcana
Renewing Stamina: Also a VERY strong trait which nearly gives you perma vigor upkeep time. Even though vigor got nerfed to 50%, still a very useful boon to have.
Final Shielding: Not a super awesome trait, but useful one. It will very like save your ass during a fight at least once. Also very useful against thieves and focus party. Alternatives are bad, so there is not much choice anyway.
Evasive Arcana: Awesome trait that gives additional heal, condition removal (water) and an additional blast. Alternative would be Bountiful Power, but the overall damage increase is just too small (average 5x2%) to be worth using.


III. Stat Specifics & Effects

Primary Stats

  • Health 15255 (+3610)
  • Vitality 1361 (+361)
  • Armor 2174 (+207)
  • Toughness 1207 (+207)
  • Attack 3706 (+1540)
  • Power 2540 (+1540)
  • Critical Hit 42% (+42%)
  • Precision 1798 (+798)

Secondary Stats

  • Agony Resistance 70 (+70)
  • Boon Duration 10% (+10%)
  • Condition Damage 207 (+207)
  • Critical Damage 65% (+65%)
  • DMG to Guards and Lords 2% (+2%)
  • Damage 1166 (+0%)
  • Damage while moving 10% (+10%)
  • Defense 967 (+0)
  • Experience from Kills 20% (+20%)
  • Ferocity 978 (+978)
  • Healing Power 207 (+207)
  • Magic find 20% (+20%)
  • Might Duration 45% (+45%)

Boons

  • Aegis
    Block the next attack.
  • Distortion
    Allows mesmers to evade attacks for some time.
  • Frenzy
    Increases damage taken by 25%. It typically seen as a mechanic to offset a beneficial effect such as quickness.
  • Frosty Armor
    Chills foes that hit you.
  • Fury
    20% critical chance increase. Stacks in duration.
  • Haste
    Regenerate endurance at 50% effectiveness when under the effects of this skill. It's typically seen as a mechanic to offset a beneficial effect such as quickness.
  • Invulnerability
    Prevents the target from taking damage or receiving conditions. It is also placed on rallied players for one second.
  • Might
    X damage per attack increase. Stacks intensity.
  • Protection
    33% damage reduction. Stacks in duration.
  • Quickening Zephyr
    Prevents healing. It typically seen as a mechanic to offset a beneficial effect such as quickness.
  • Quickness
    Makes all skills and actions 50% faster.
  • Regeneration
    Regenerates X health per second. Stacks in duration.
  • Rejuvenation
    Regenerates health. This effect is exclusive to the guardian profession through the Virtue of Resolve.
  • Resistance
    Resistance temporarily negates the affected target of all effects caused by conditions.
  • Retaliation
    Does X damage to an opponent each time they hit you. Stacks in duration.
  • Smiting
    Causes every fifth attack to apply burning. This effect is exclusive to the guardian profession.
  • Stability
    Cannot be knocked down, pushed back, launched, stunned, dazed, floated, sunk, or feared.
  • Stealth
    Allows the user to be invisible to enemy players and avoid being spotted by enemy NPCs.
  • Swiftness
    33% movement speed increase. Stacks in duration.
  • Vigor
    Faster endurance regeneration. Stacks in duration.

Conditions

  • Agony
    Agony is an effect unique to Fractals of the Mists that removes a percentage of the player's health every second and reduces received healing by ~50%.
  • Bleeding
    Bleeding is a stackable condition that deals damage over time.
  • Blind
    Causes the target's next hit to miss instead.
  • Burning
    Inflicts X damage per second. Stacks in duration.
  • Chilled
    Reduces movement speed and skill recharge by 66%. Stacks in duration.
  • Confusion
    Inflicts X damage each time a foe uses skill. Stacks in intensity.
  • Crippled
    Crippled is a condition which decreases movement speed by 50%. Stacks in duration.
  • Fear
    Causes the target to run directly away from the caster.
  • Immobilized
    Immobilized is a condition which prevents movement and dodging. Victims also can't turn. Stacks in duration.
  • Poison
    Inflicts X damage per second. Reduces outgoing heals by 33%. Stacks in duration.
  • Slow
    Slow is a condition that reduces the activation time of skills and abilities.
  • Taunt
    Taunt is a control effect that forces the affected target to run towards the source of taunt with all skills except stun breakers disabled while using their auto-attack skill.
  • Torment
    Deals damage every second; deals additional damage if moving; stacks intensity.
  • Vulnerability
    Increases damage the target takes by 1%. Stacks in intensity.
  • Weakness
    Causes 50% of attacks to be glancing and reduces endurance regeneration by 50%. Stacks in duration.

Control

  • Break Stun
    Stun break is an effect which can break control effects on a character.
  • Daze
    Interrupts and prevents the target from using skills for a period of time.
  • Float
    Forces the affected target(s) to move towards the surface.
  • Knockdown
    Interrupts and causes the foe to be unable to move or use skills for a short duration. Knocked down foes fall to the ground.
  • Launch
    Interrupts and tosses a character into the air.
  • Pull
    Shortens the distance between the user and the foe by drawing one of them to another. If a foe is pulled, this can result in an interrupt.
  • Push
    Physically pushes foes away from the player and interrupts them.
  • Sink
    Forces the affected target(s) to move away from the surface.
  • Stun
    Interrupts, immobilizes, and incapacitates foes for a short duration.
  • Teleport
    Teleport to target location.
  • Teleport
    Teleport (alternatively, flash) is a mechanic that causes the user or target(s) to instantly move from one location to another.

Fields & Finishers

  • Dark Field
    Dark Combo Effects

    Blast Finisher: Area Blindness
    Leap Finisher: Blindness
    Projectile Finisher: Life stealing
    Whirl Finsher: Leeching Bolts
  • Ethereal Field
    Ethereal Combo Effects

    Blast Finisher: Area Chaos Armor
    Leap Finisher: Chaos Armor
    Projectile Finisher: Confusion
    Whirl Finsher: Confounding Bolts
  • Fire Field
    Fire Combo Effects

    Blast Finisher: Area Might
    Leap Finisher: Fire Shield
    Projectile Finisher: Burning
    Whirl Finsher: Burning Bolts
  • Ice Field
    Ice Combo Effects

    Blast Finisher: Area Frost Aura
    Leap Finisher: Frost Aura
    Projectile Finisher: Chilled
    Whirl Finsher: Chilling Bolts
  • Light Field
    Light Combo Effects

    Blast Finisher: Area Retaliation
    Leap Finisher: Retaliation
    Projectile Finisher: Remove Condition
    Whirl Finsher: Cleansing Bolts
  • Lightning Field
    Lightning Combo Effects

    Blast Finisher: Area Swiftness
    Leap Finisher: Dazing Strike
    Projectile Finisher: Vulnerability
    Whirl Finsher: Brutal Bolts
  • Poison Field
    Poison Combo Effects

    Blast Finisher: Area Weakness
    Leap Finisher: Weakness
    Projectile Finisher: Poison
    Whirl Finsher: Poison Bolts
  • Revealed
    Revealed is an effect applied when stealth is broken, for example by entering combat or exiting a Shadow Refuge circle prematurely.
  • Smoke Field
    Smoke Combo Effects

    Blast Finisher: Area Stealth
    Leap Finisher: Stealth
    Projectile Finisher: Blindness
    Whirl Finsher: Blinding Bolts
  • Super Speed
    Activate your slick shoes, enabling you to move at superior speeds.
  • Water Field
    Water Combo Effects

    Blast Finisher: Area Healing
    Leap Finisher: Healing
    Projectile Finisher: Regeneration
    Whirl Finsher: Healing Bolts
Combo
  • Blast Finisher
    Blast Combo Effects

    Dark: Area Blindness
    Ethereal: Area Chaos Armor
    Fire: Area Might
    Ice: Area Frost Aura
    Light: Area Retaliation
    Lightning: Area Swiftness
    Poison: Area Weakness
    Smoke: Area Stealth
    Water: Area Healing
  • Leap Finisher
    Leap Combo Effects

    Dark: Blindness
    Ethereal: Chaos Armor
    Fire: Fire Shield
    Ice: Frost Aura
    Light: Retaliation
    Lightning: Dazing Strike
    Poison: Weakness
    Smoke: Stealth
    Water: Healing
  • Projectile Finisher
    Projectile Combo Effects

    Dark: Life stealing
    Ethereal: Confusion
    Fire: Burning
    Ice: Chilled
    Light: Remove Condition
    Lightning: Vulnerability
    Poison: Poison
    Smoke: Blindness
    Water: Regeneration
  • Whirl Finisher
    Whirl Combo Effects

    Dark: Leeching Bolts
    Ethereal: Confounding Bolts
    Fire: Burning Bolts
    Ice: Chilling Bolts
    Light: Cleansing Bolts
    Lightning: Brutal Bolts
    Poison: Poison Bolts
    Smoke: Blinding Bolts
    Water: Healing Bolts

IV. Food, Armor, Trinkets & Upgrade Items

Food Nourishment

Bowl of Seaweed Salad
Duration: 30min
60% chance to gain Swiftness (10s) when you kill a foe
Damage while moving: 10%
Experience from Kills: 10%
  • (30min)
  • 60% chance to gain Swiftness (10s) when you kill a foe
  • Damage while moving: 10%
  • Experience from Kills: 10%

Utility Nourishment

Furious Maintenance Oil
Duration: 30min
Vitality: 100
Ferocity: 10
Experience from Kills: 10%
  • (30min)
  • Vitality: 100
  • Ferocity: 10
  • Experience from Kills: 10%

Armor & Runes

Wupwup Masque
  • Defense: 77
  • Power: 30
  • Precision: 30
  • Toughness: 30
  • Vitality: 30
  • Condition Damage: 30
  • Healing Power: 30
  • Ferocity: 30
Superior Rune of Strength
  1. Power: 25
  2. Might Duration: 10%
  3. Power: 50
  4. +15% Might Duration; 25% chance when struck to gain might for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 5 seconds)
  5. Power: 100
  6. +20% Might Duration; +5% damage while under the effects of might.
Versatile Mighty InfusionOmni Infusion
  • Power: 5
  • Agony Resistance: 5
Wupwup Epaulets
  • Defense: 77
  • Power: 22
  • Precision: 22
  • Toughness: 22
  • Vitality: 22
  • Condition Damage: 22
  • Healing Power: 22
  • Ferocity: 22
Superior Rune of Strength
  1. Power: 25
  2. Might Duration: 10%
  3. Power: 50
  4. +15% Might Duration; 25% chance when struck to gain might for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 5 seconds)
  5. Power: 100
  6. +20% Might Duration; +5% damage while under the effects of might.
Versatile Mighty InfusionOmni Infusion
  • Power: 5
  • Agony Resistance: 5
Wupwup Doublet
  • Defense: 330
  • Power: 67
  • Precision: 67
  • Toughness: 67
  • Vitality: 67
  • Condition Damage: 67
  • Healing Power: 67
  • Ferocity: 67
Superior Rune of Strength
  1. Power: 25
  2. Might Duration: 10%
  3. Power: 50
  4. +15% Might Duration; 25% chance when struck to gain might for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 5 seconds)
  5. Power: 100
  6. +20% Might Duration; +5% damage while under the effects of might.
Versatile Mighty InfusionOmni Infusion
  • Power: 5
  • Agony Resistance: 5
Wupwup Wristguards
  • Defense: 140
  • Power: 22
  • Precision: 22
  • Toughness: 22
  • Vitality: 22
  • Condition Damage: 22
  • Healing Power: 22
  • Ferocity: 22
Superior Rune of Strength
  1. Power: 25
  2. Might Duration: 10%
  3. Power: 50
  4. +15% Might Duration; 25% chance when struck to gain might for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 5 seconds)
  5. Power: 100
  6. +20% Might Duration; +5% damage while under the effects of might.
Versatile Mighty InfusionOmni Infusion
  • Power: 5
  • Agony Resistance: 5
Wupwup Breeches
  • Defense: 203
  • Power: 44
  • Precision: 44
  • Toughness: 44
  • Vitality: 44
  • Condition Damage: 44
  • Healing Power: 44
  • Ferocity: 44
Superior Rune of Strength
  1. Power: 25
  2. Might Duration: 10%
  3. Power: 50
  4. +15% Might Duration; 25% chance when struck to gain might for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 5 seconds)
  5. Power: 100
  6. +20% Might Duration; +5% damage while under the effects of might.
Versatile Mighty InfusionOmni Infusion
  • Power: 5
  • Agony Resistance: 5
Wupwup Footwear
  • Defense: 140
  • Power: 22
  • Precision: 22
  • Toughness: 22
  • Vitality: 22
  • Condition Damage: 22
  • Healing Power: 22
  • Ferocity: 22
Superior Rune of Strength
  1. Power: 25
  2. Might Duration: 10%
  3. Power: 50
  4. +15% Might Duration; 25% chance when struck to gain might for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 5 seconds)
  5. Power: 100
  6. +20% Might Duration; +5% damage while under the effects of might.
Versatile Mighty InfusionOmni Infusion
  • Power: 5
  • Agony Resistance: 5

Armor Stat Totals

  • Defense 967
  • Power 412
  • Might Duration 45%
  • Precision 207
  • Toughness 207
  • Vitality 207
  • Condition Damage 207
  • Healing Power 207
  • Ferocity 207
  • Agony Resistance 30

Rune Bonuses

Superior Rune of Strength
  1. Power: 25
  2. Might Duration: 10%
  3. Power: 50
  4. +15% Might Duration; 25% chance when struck to gain might for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 5 seconds)
  5. Power: 100
  6. +20% Might Duration; +5% damage while under the effects of might.

Accessories & Jewels

Distinguished Circle of LogicUtility Slot
  • Power: 157
  • Precision: 108
  • Ferocity: 108
Magical InfusionUtility Infusion
  • Magic find: 20%
Berserker's Valkyrie Back (Infused)Defensive Slot
  • Power: 63
  • Precision: 22
  • Vitality: 18
  • Ferocity: 40
  • Agony Resistance: 5
(Infused)
Versatile Mighty InfusionOmni Infusion
  • Power: 5
  • Agony Resistance: 5
Bagh Nakh (Infused)Offensive Slot
  • Power: 126
  • Precision: 67
  • Vitality: 18
  • Ferocity: 85
  • Agony Resistance: 5
(Infused)
Versatile Mighty InfusionOmni Infusion
  • Power: 5
  • Agony Resistance: 5
Crystalline Band (Infused)Defensive Slot
  • Power: 126
  • Precision: 85
  • Ferocity: 85
  • Agony Resistance: 5
(Infused)
Versatile Mighty InfusionOmni Infusion
  • Power: 5
  • Agony Resistance: 5
Althea's AshesOffensive Slot
  • Power: 110
  • Precision: 74
  • Ferocity: 74
Versatile Mighty InfusionOmni Infusion
  • Power: 5
  • Agony Resistance: 5
Experiment ZX-27115Offensive Slot
  • Power: 110
  • Precision: 56
  • Vitality: 18
  • Ferocity: 74
Versatile Mighty InfusionOmni Infusion
  • Power: 5
  • Agony Resistance: 5

Accessory Totals

  • Power:717
  • Precision:412
  • Ferocity:466
  • Vitality:54
  • Agony Resistance:40
  • Magic find:20%

Weapon Set Sigils

Zojja's Spire
  • Weapon Strength: 1034-1166
  • Power: 251
  • Precision: 179
  • Ferocity: 179
  • Weapon Strength: -
Sigil of Superior Bloodlust
You gain +10 power each time you kill a foe. (max 25 stacks and ends on down or weapon change)
Mighty WvW InfusionOffensive Infusion
  • Power: 5
  • DMG to Guards and Lords: 1%
Mighty WvW InfusionOffensive Infusion
  • Power: 5
  • DMG to Guards and Lords: 1%
Sigil of Superior Strength
60% chance to apply might for 10s on critical. (Cooldown 1 second)

Weapon Set I

Sigil of Superior Bloodlust

You gain +10 power each time you kill a foe. (max 25 stacks and ends on down or weapon change)

Zojja's Trident
  • Weapon Strength: 950-1050
  • Power: 125
  • Precision: 90
  • Ferocity: 90
Sigil of Superior Bloodlust
You gain +10 power each time you kill a foe. (max 25 stacks and ends on down or weapon change)

Water Weapon I

Sigil of Superior Bloodlust

You gain +10 power each time you kill a foe. (max 25 stacks and ends on down or weapon change)

Upgrade Item Details

Stats for equippment: Celestial
The staff elementalist can utilize most of the stats and celestial gives an overall stat boost between 20% and 70% depending on the slot.
Downside: Celestial gear is harder to optain than normal stat combinations. As alternate use Valkyrie.

 

Since most people want it more offensive, one clarification: the gear choice are guidelines! You can easily swap any celestial piece with zerker or valk/knight without losing too much defense. When chosing your gear, keep in mind the following rule of thumb: As tanky as necessary, as much offensive as possible. Pick whatever suits your needs and your gameplay.

 

Runeset: Strength
The Strength runeset provides a lot of power, additional 45% might duration and 5% dmg under the effect of might (which is literally permanent). In combination with sigil of battle/sigil of strength you have between 15 and 25 stacks of might permanently on you.

 

Sigils: Bloodlust/Strength/Energy
Since the battle sigil nerfed, I switched from battle to strength. Combine it with bloodlust for a long lasting additional power bonus. Use energy instead of bloodlust when the GvG ruleset is applied.

 

Food Buffs:
Seaweed salad for normal play. It basically gives a 10% increase in damage. Compared to 200 power + 70 ferocity from steak, the damage bonus is higher. Also it gives free swiftness.
Lemongrass for important matches like a GvG where surviving is more important and conditions hit harder.


V. Basic Gameplay

Like every class, the first goal is to survive. But instead of running with the meele train, the staff elementalist plays on his own and provides his main spells in the right moment.

 

Healing Rain
Pretty much the most important spell of the elementalist. It provides a big waterfield for a long duration with insane condition removal if traited properly. The raid needs to use blast finishers to trigger PBAE healings on the blast location. Some classes can provide multiple blast finishers with one spell (e.g. thief and cluster bomb). This spell should be used offensive when the meele group runs into the enemy group. Usually while fighting the meeles use spells with blast finishers which heals them up. This allowes them to stay longer on the enemies and reduces the chance to get downed. Also the condition removal shouldn't be underestimated.

 

Static Field
The Static Field stuns for 3 seconds and has no target limitation. If used on an enemy group which has no stability up, they get all stunned for the whole duration. If your group manages to get on the enemy group in that moment, they have 3 seconds to unleash hell on them. Thats enough time to down a lot of players. A well placed and timed static can turn the tide of a fight.

 

Surviving
The staff elementalist can survive an atomic war on his own if played properly. Positioning is the most important aspect for this. The cantrips are only used in cases where you have to. Dont waste them. The staff elementalist usually stays out of hostile and friendly crowds of players, making himself an unattractive target. The staff elementalists defense is the low attention he gets from the enemies. If there are enemies focussing him, he should utilize the own meele group to survive by forcing the enemy to get through them.

 

Utilizing the Staff Elementalist as a group
A staff elementalist without a group who knows to utilize it isnt worth more than any other class. There are 3 situations where the group has to react properly to the staff elementalist. The Healing Rain as offensive waterfield to get infight healing for the meele group. The Static Field which catches the enemies without stability (and makes them an easy target). And the Geysier which is used for quick healing regroups.

 

Providing a Geysier for regroups
The Geysier itself has a very short radius and a very short duration, so it's very important to time it properly with the meele raid lead. Usually the meele raid calls where he regroups. In this moment the Geysier needs to be casted and usually thiefs use their cluster bombs in this direction to provide PBAE healing blasts in the short duration.

 

Communication is the key
Use voice communication. If the staff elementalist doesn't have a microphone, he should get one. A staff who is not able to call where and when he drops his Healing Rain, Geysier and Static Field is pretty much useless. He should call his fields as soon he starts casting the spells. This gives the raid enough time to react.

 

Rotations, Rotations everywhere
Nothing is more wasted than dropping multiple fields on the same spot. For this the staff elementalists should make a clear rotation which will be used in all fights. The usual rotation size for organized groups is 3 or 4 staff elementalists. From my experience, a rotation size larger than 4 is too hard to maintain. Depending on how many staff elementalists you run in the rotation, the traits should be adjusted accordingly. For 1-3 staff eles: Swap water 9 with water 8. If you run 4 (or more) in the rotation, keep water 9. With this, the elementalists can provide a healing rain for 6 seconds every 10-12 seconds. Static fields should also be rotated, but are more dependend on the situation.

 

Icebow madness
The Icebow #4 (Ice Storm) provides high density, high burst aoe dmg which can, when coordinated with multiple players, deliver enough damage to instantly kill a whole group of enemy players. Try to have a couple of elementalists in the raid, that run icebow. Swap to them when regrouping, so raidmembers can easily pick them up. Also call that you dropped an icebow (including where). Icebow #5 (Deep Freeze) delivers a long duration stun, which can be negated by stability and its projectile can be reflected and blocked. For safety (and self-freeze) issues, you may want to use the spell on low stability/reflect classes like necromancers. You can use blink right before the projectile gets shot to reduce the flying distance and have a guaranteed hit.

 


Main Skill Rotation


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