Elementalist sPvP | Tournament Dagger/Dagger | Support D/D Celestial Ele
Table of Contents
Summary
This is my guide for the D/D celestial elementalist build that I use in sPvP. The new trait changes have given this build more survivability by allowing you to use traits deeper in the earth specialization.
This build has very high 1v1 potential as well as being a great support in team fights due to the boons and condition clears that you will grant to your nearby teammates. Might stacking is extremely important in this build.
Watch me play this and other builds at twitch.tv/hinterhalt!
I. Weapons and Skills
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- 0Fury: 2 s
- 0Fury: 2 s
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- 0Fury: 2 s
- 0Fury: 2 s
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- 0Fury: 2 s
- 0Fury: 2 s
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- 0Fury: 2 s
- 0Fury: 2 s
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- 0Fury: 2 s
- 0Fury: 2 s
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- 0Fury: 2 s
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- 0Fury: 2 s
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- 0Fury: 2 s
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- 0Fury: 2 s
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- 0Fury: 2 s
Weapon and Skill Details
VARIANTS
Glyph of Elementals over Fiery Greatsword for better 1v1 potential and extra support in team fights.
SKILLS
Armor of Earth - Use for safe stomps/breaking stun
Cleansing Fire - Use to clear conditions. Try not to waste this skill on less impactful conditions that you can just eat through. Good for breaking immobilizes and removing high stacks of condi damage.
Lightning Flash - Great for map mobility, such as blinking up to middle node on Kyhlo, as well as escapes from fights. Ex: blinking up to the ledges at middle node on Forest or up to the roof from middle node on Kyhlo. Learning all of the blink locations can be extremely valuable!
Lightning flash can also be used during casting without interrupting your skill. For example, you can use it while casting earthquake/churning earth to guarantee a hit on a target or to catch them off guard. Lightning flash is also good to use to guarantee your updrafts hit during 1v1s.
Conjure Fiery Greatsword - Mainly used as mobility to move around the map. Also drops one for your team so this skill is well used from the spawn area to get back into a fight because it will leave one for the next person if they need it. Fiery Eruption and Firestorm can be cast before entering a team fight to add some additional pressure. FGS is also a great skill to use for escapes!
Traits
Water Magic
- Soothing MistYou and nearby allies regenerate health while you are attuned to water. Radius 300.
- Soothing IceGain regeneration and frost aura for 4 seconds when critically hit. 20 second internal cooldown.
- Piercing ShardsWhile attuned to water, your spells deal 20% more damage to vulnerable foes. Vulnerability lasts 33% longer.
- Stop, Drop and RollDodge-rolling removes burning and chilled from you and nearby allies.
- Healing RippleHeal nearby allies when attuning to water
- Soothing DisruptionCantrips grant you regeneration and vigor for 6 seconds. Cantrips have 20% reduced recharge.
- Cleansing WaveRemove a condition from you and allies when attuning to water.
- Aquamancer’s TrainingDeal 10% extra damage when your health is above 90%. All water weapon skills have their recharge reduced by 33%.
- Aquatic BenevolenceHealing done to allies is increased by 15%
- Cleansing WaterRemove a condition when granting regeneration to yourself or an ally.
- Powerful AuraWhen you apply an aura to yourself, grant that aura to all nearby allies as well.
- Soothing PowerThe healing effect of soothing mist is increased by 200%.
Earth Magic
- Stone FleshGain 150 toughness while attuned to earth.
- Earth’s EmbraceGain armor of earth when struck while below 50% health.
- Serrated StonesBleeds you apply last 20% longer; deal 5% more damage to bleeding foes.
- Elemental ShieldingGrant 3 seconds of protection when applying an aura to yourself or an ally.
- Earthen BlastDamage foes and cripple them for 3s when attuning to earth.
- Strength of StoneGain condition damage based on 10% of your toughness attribute.
- Rock SolidGrant 2 seconds of stability to nearby allies when attuning to earth.
- Geomancer’s TrainingYou recover 33% more quickly from chilled, cripple and immobilize. Earth abilities recharge 33% faster.
- Geomancer’s DefenseYou take 10% less damage from foes within 360 range of you.
- Diamond SkinConditions cannot be applied to you when your health is above the threshold (90%)
- Written in StoneMaintain the passive effects of signets when you activate then. Reduces recharge of signets by 20%.
- Stone HeartYou cannot be critically hit while attuned to earth.
Arcana
- Arcane FuryGain fury for 2s when you switch attunements.
- Arcane PrecisionSkills have a chance to apply a condition, based on your current attunement, on critical hits.
- Renewing StaminaGain vigor for 5s when you deliver a critical hit. 5 second internal cooldown.
- Arcane AbatementTake less damage from falling. Create a spell when you take falling damage, based on your attunement.
- Elemental AttunementWhen attuning to an element, you and nearby allies gain a boon.
- Arcane ResurrectionYou have increased 10% revive speed. When you revive an ally, you and the revived ally gain an aura based on your attunement.
- Elemental ContingencyGain a boon when you are struck, based on your current attunement
- Final ShieldingCreate an Arcane Shield for 5s when your health drops below the threshold (25s)
- Elemental EnchantmentBoon duration is increased by 10% and attunements recharge 15% faster.
- Evasive ArcaneCreate an attunement-based spell at end of your dodge. Fire: Flame Burst. Water: Cleansing Wave. Air: Blinding Flash. Earth: Shockwave
- Elemental SurgeBased 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 PowerDeal 2% more damage for each boon on you.
Trait Details
VARIANTS
- Cleansing wave over soothing disruption will give more condition cleansing support for your teammates if they need it/you are against heavy condi team comps.
- Elemental contingency over final shielding if the opposing team has very little burst and you find yourself rotating into smaller fights more. NOTICE: Lately I've been using this more often over final shielding.
III. Stat Specifics & Effects
Primary Stats
- Health 17245 (+5600)
- Vitality 1560 (+560)
- Armor 2480 (+560)
- Toughness 1560 (+560)
- Attack 2716 (+735)
- Power 1735 (+735)
- Critical Hit 31% (+31%)
- Precision 1560 (+560)
Secondary Stats
- Boon Duration 10% (+10%)
- Condition Damage 560 (+560)
- Critical Damage 37% (+37%)
- Damage 981 (+0%)
- Defense 920 (+0)
- Ferocity 560 (+560)
- Healing Power 560 (+560)
- Might Duration 45% (+45%)
Boons
Conditions
Control
Fields & Finishers
IV. Runes, Sigils, Accessories & Jewels
Armor & Runes
- Power: 25
- Might Duration: 10%
- Power: 50
- +15% Might Duration; 25% chance when struck to gain might for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 5 seconds)
- Power: 100
- +20% Might Duration; +5% damage while under the effects of might.
- Power: 25
- Might Duration: 10%
- Power: 50
- +15% Might Duration; 25% chance when struck to gain might for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 5 seconds)
- Power: 100
- +20% Might Duration; +5% damage while under the effects of might.
- Power: 25
- Might Duration: 10%
- Power: 50
- +15% Might Duration; 25% chance when struck to gain might for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 5 seconds)
- Power: 100
- +20% Might Duration; +5% damage while under the effects of might.
- Power: 25
- Might Duration: 10%
- Power: 50
- +15% Might Duration; 25% chance when struck to gain might for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 5 seconds)
- Power: 100
- +20% Might Duration; +5% damage while under the effects of might.
- Power: 25
- Might Duration: 10%
- Power: 50
- +15% Might Duration; 25% chance when struck to gain might for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 5 seconds)
- Power: 100
- +20% Might Duration; +5% damage while under the effects of might.
- Power: 25
- Might Duration: 10%
- Power: 50
- +15% Might Duration; 25% chance when struck to gain might for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 5 seconds)
- Power: 100
- +20% Might Duration; +5% damage while under the effects of might.
Rune Stat Totals
- Power 175
- Might Duration 45%
Rune Bonuses
PvP Rune of Strength- Power: 25
- Might Duration: 10%
- Power: 50
- +15% Might Duration; 25% chance when struck to gain might for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 5 seconds)
- Power: 100
- +20% Might Duration; +5% damage while under the effects of might.
Accessories & Jewels
Accessory Totals
- Power:560
- Precision:560
- Toughness:560
- Vitality:560
- Condition Damage:560
- Healing Power:560
- Ferocity:560
Weapon Set Sigils
- Weapon Strength: 924-981
- Weapon Strength: 924-981
Weapon Set I
Sigil of Superior BattleYou gain 2 stacks of might for 20s when you swap to this weapon while in combat.
Sigil of Superior DoomYou deal poison on your next attack for 8 seconds after you swap to this weapon while in combat.
- Weapon Strength: -
Water Weapon I
Upgrade Item Details
VARIANTS
Hoelbrak runes over strength if you feel you are taking too much pressure from condition damage.
Runes of the Pack for even more support in team fights.
Sigil of Leeching over sigil of battle for more sustain. (currently using this)
V. Basic Gameplay
This build is extremely useful for supporting your teammates in team fights while also putting out a decent amount of damage. You also have very high 1v1 potential and good mobility with lightning flash and fiery greatsword. Learning what classes you fare well against and poorly against will help your decision making on when to engage in 1v1s or whether you should move on and +1 another fight.
TIPS
- Switching into water attunement while resurrecting and downed teammate will speed up the process. Armor of earth/earth attunement can also be used to prevent interrupts.
- Get used to spamming lightning whip. A lot.
- You can heal up fairly quickly using your water attunement skills, so learn when to lightning flash out of a team fight, heal up, and then jump right back in.
- Learn as many useful lightning flash spots as you can!
- Pay attention to your allies health as well. A cleansing wave at the right time can keep an ally alive long enough to turn a team fight around.
- Burn the might stacking skill rotation into your brain. Once you have that down really well, you can think about everything else going on around you rather than concentrating on your rotation.
- You can alter the distance traveled when casting burning speed depending on how your camera is angled. Looking more directly towards the ground will cause you to travel a shorted distance. Landing this blast is a significant source of damage!
- Switching to earth attunement to gain stability during a stomp is a great low cooldown way to secure stomps.
Main Skill Rotation
This is the main might stacking/dps rotation that I use while playing d/d ele. You want to make sure your dodge roll(in earth attunement)/blast finishers(earthquake and frozen burst)/magnetic leap happen inside the ring of fire you put down.
Use skills such as frost aura and shocking aura for some relieve from incoming damage. Your traits give you additional protection after activating these skills. Stuns from shocking aura as well as ride the lightning/updraft combo are great at the beginning of a 1v1 to help land burning speed and to keep the opponent in your fire field while you are stacking might.
If you are taking heavy pressure try to switch into water attunement and pop your auras/heals as often as possible. Sometimes necessary to switch to water before earth during might stacking to clear conditions or relieve some pressure while still getting might stacks.
Lightning whip is one of your highest dps skills and can burn down opponents quickly at high might stacks. It also gives great healing from healing signet, so don't be afraid to sit in air attunement and spam 1 for periods of time! (you should always be spamming your auto attack if you aren't at full health and using another skill)
In regards to traits, Geomancer's Training over Rock Solid is an option. Less team support, more selfishness. Stone Heart over Diamond Skin is an option too, though not one I'd find myself taking that often, for similar reasons to why you shouldn't need Final Shielding. Stop Drop and Roll is kind of an option as well, though with Elemental Shielding I'm not very inclined to encourage it.
I haven't played my DD ele much since the changes (mesmer is so fun!), though pre-patch, and post-patch given all the condis, I'd likely default to Hoelbrak over Strength, with Strength being a potential option. If it saves you from going down or having to back out of a fight once in a match, it's worth.
Well written man, gj.
I actually started with elemental contingency when I first made a build, but with the crazy damage other builds are doing (like mesmer lol) I like the escape opportunity you get with arcane shield. Still kind of back and forth about it.
Rock solid and geomancer's training is an interesting one. I think I might just be biased because of how much solo queue I play, but I love how you pretty much have a safe stomp/general stability ready all the time. Plus the team support. Although geomancer's training combined with Hoelbrak runes is really nice. I'll definitely need to add that in.
I haven't tried stone heart yet, but definitely an option. I just love the 1v1 vs condi builds with diamond skin. Also when not being focused in a team fight, not catching those area conditions is nice.
This is what is so nice about the update though. So many options that are actually viable!
Fire over earth is definitely really strong with the condi cleanse/extra burning and will give you some nice extra damage. Depending on what your team needs fire is a viable option over earth, but i still like the damage reduction you get from the earth traits. Especially considering how much damage all of the other builds are putting out.
At the end of the day it's all about whatever works for you though!