Chronomancer - Boon Support Healer
Our curator decided this build is in the current metagame regardless of rating. The community gave this build a rating, making it top-tier: Great
Focused on: Support and Utility
Designed for: Raids
Expansions required:
Overview
Due to the incredible range of utility and active defense that Chrono can bring, it remains a good choice of tank and boon support in raids.
However, many players will lean so hard into the defensive/utility aspects that they end up dealing no damage. If you find yourself DPS-racing a healmech, you might as well be a healer yourself!
Chronomancer provides EITHER 100% 
Quickness uptime or 100% 
Alacrity uptime as well as 
Fury and 25 
Might. Both variants can dedicate multiple slots for utility skills.
Skill Bar
Weapon Variants
Rifle should be considered mandatory, with Scepter/Shield being a potent defensive set. If desired, Scepter/Shield can be swapped out:
- Staff can provides burst healing and it can also be used to provide some random extra boons via .
- Offhand Focus can be taken if you need to pull adds into the boss.
Skill Variants
Healing
- is a massive group heal that can be boosted even further if using .
- provides more consistent healing, as well as being able to trigger frequently. Crucially, as the charges are instant cast it can be used to provide an AoE condi cleanse to counter
Fear or 
Taunt. - doesn't provide any group healing, but does offer a short projectile reflect, and if running Chaos with it can also be used to provide AoE
Aegis.
Utility
provides ~12 average Might to your subgroup. Combined with , this is sufficient to provide over 20 average Might. is taken as standard to fill in any gaps, but can be swapped out if you have other sources of Might in the group. With Rifle, neither of these utilities is vital.
- CC options:
- does decent CC and also removes boons.
- is not as strong as but recharges on a much shorter cooldown, which may make it better on encounters that require very frequent CC. When charging the mantra, it also reduces the cooldown on .
- has a long cooldown, but could be taken along with the above if you really want to go overboard on CC.
- Aegis:
- if running Chaos with - short cooldown and instant cast, but be aware that the Aegis triggers at the location you activate the skill, not where you end up.
- can be used less frequently, but the duration of the Aegis is longer, which may be useful if you have concerns about your timing.
- If running , any signet will also provide Aegis.
- if running Chaos with - short cooldown and instant cast, but be aware that the
- provides a long-duration reflect.
- provides Stability to your group.
- if you need a portal.
- allows you to get a second use out of a key skill if you'll need it more often than the cooldown. Often used together with .
Elite
- is not required to maintain quickness, but it provides an easy way to start fights with quickness and can be used to cover up any mistakes in the rotation.
- - your biggest and fastest CC.
- could be taken if you need AoE CC, and the extra healing is a nice bonus.
Template Code
Note: Due to the aforementioned variety, these codes are incomplete. In particular the grandmaster trait in Chronomancer has not been selected.
Specializations
Quickness variant: Use .
Alacrity variant: Use .
Trait Variants
- can be taken if running Focus and the reflect will be valuable.
- gives you greater access to Distortion and Aegis, but you lose a major source of healing.
- If taking this, you can constantly spam to trigger as your sustained healing instead.
- - if not bringing any wells, you can slightly increase your CC with this.
Build-your-own Tower Chrono
With the extreme tankiness of this build, with a few modifications it can easily fulfill the role of solo-capturing towers during Siege the Stronghold. There is a good amount of flexibility in the traits and skills used, but our default recommendation is:
Weapons
Offhand Focus and Greatsword are mandatory.
Skills
Healing
- is the default pick because it provides an instant-cast heal. This is particularly useful as it can save you from Fear.
- is a massive heal that can keep you and allies alive on the towers if things go wrong.
- reflects projectiles during the cast, and if traited also gives you Aegis. This makes it an excellent option for surviving the mushroom cave.
Utility
- - Even the most experienced player is not going to manage all towers all the time, so it is required to take portal as a backup.
- or - In the event that you need to use a portal twice in quick succession, ensures that you can do that. can replace it if you are confident, or if you are struggling to survive the mushroom cave.
- or - Access to
Stealth on every tower is important, as some enemies can summon minions or blind you so you need to be able to knock them before they aggro. has the longer duration, but can be activated in midair and has a shorter cooldown.
Elite
Nothing can compete with for reliably soloing towers.
Traits
Chaos
- or - gives you extra time in stealth, which can be very useful if you struggle to activate your skills fast enough. allows you to spam shatters on the tower for
Stability
Inspiration
- or - can be useful if you want the extra defense or if the ground team is fast enough that you don't reliably have off cooldown. adds more clones to fuel your shatters.
- or - gives you some distortion if you're using , otherwise will provide some extra sustain if you end up fighting on the tower.
Chronomancer
- or - will
Slow enemies on the tower after the first pull, making them less able to interrupt the second. could be worth taking if you're using if you'd rather have more healing.
Mirage?
If available, Mirage (mid-mid-mid) gives you access to a movement skill on mainhand Sword that will make the mushroom cave much faster and safer. It also allows you to dodge during the cast of other skills to make towers more reliable.
Soloing Towers
Place near the start of the mushroom cave to give yourself 
Swiftness. Run through the cave, avoiding the mushrooms and running through as many of the pools as possible. Be sure to use your heal and or to stay alive.
After the cave, heal yourself up if necessary, then use and immediately jump onto the bouncing mushroom. Once on the tower, quickly use ⇒ near the middle of the tower, then weapon swap and use to knock everyone to the edge (you can also use or for extra safety). If successful, this should instantly capture the tower. To deal with the enemies on the tower, you can either jump onto the turret and aim the attacks at them, or hop over the parapet and run along the wall to give yourself some space.
Be aware that the capture circle is not perfectly centred, so knocking in some directions will not put the enemies outside of it - in general, trying to hit them between the parapets is advised.
For the second tower, once the leyline appears, jump inside and use stealth gliding to keep yourself safe. As you exit the leyline, use or to Stealth yourself, and repeat the knocking as before. Depending on your group's speed, you may have available for consecutive towers, but entering a leyline will remove Stealth from you so you will need to cast it after you've exited the leyline and used or . Be aware that timing is important with - it can be used in midair but you cannot stealth immediately after gliding, so pressing it too soon can waste the skill.
If at any point you fail to instantly capture the tower, drop a then jump off the tower and glide back to your team. Make sure there isn't a warg about to eat Glenna, then use ⇒ .
Unless your team is very fast, you should have or available for every tower - remember to use shatters while waiting to give yourself Alacrity. You may find it useful to peek at the tower ahead before you take the leyline. In particular you want to look for Cultists and Battle Mages, as the former can summon minions that make it hard to hit all the White Mantle with your CC, and the latter can 
Blind you.
Equipment
Any combination of 
Minstrel stats or 
Harrier stats (or even 
Giver stats) will provide more than enough concentration to maintain boons. The setup below is merely a suggestion.
Minstrel
Harrier
Harrier
Harrier
Minstrel
Harrier
Minstrel
Minstrel
Minstrel
Minstrel
Minstrel
Minstrel
Harrier
Harrier
Harrier
x6
x18
- This setup will hit ~100% boon duration with Chaos and +100 Concentration food, but neither of these is necessary.
- is very strong when using or .
Consumables
Food
- or any Healing Power/Concentration ascended food with the 10% outgoing healing effect.
Utility
Usage
As a healer, you don't really have a fixed rotation beyond using certain skills off cooldown, but consider the following guidelines.
Boons
Quickness/Alacrity provision comes from / so frequent clone generation and shattering is key. Open with your offset phantasm, then your phantasm for some opening clones for . Within CS spam shatters and use , and/or to give yourself a large buffer of boons.
Outside of CS, autoattack on sceptre to generate clones and use and as soon as you have three clones.
is almost enough to cap might alone. The rest can be provided by , and .
Thanks to , permanent 
Protection will be "automatic" as long as you are regularly shattering clones.
With , your healing skills apply AoE 
Regeneration. Between this and the combination of and , Regeneration should also be permanent. More will be generated when on Staff and Rifle.
If you have , you can use it should you notice Quickness dropping.
Healing
Your primary healing sources are and (which provides barrier), as well as AoE healing on each shatter via .
You have three options for sustained healing:
- splashes healing in a small AoE around your target.
- heals in an AoE every time an illusion is generated. Phantasms will trigger this trait twice (once when they appear, and again then they become clones).
- provides a moderate AoE heal every time you use a mantra charge. has practically no cooldown after its charges are expended so you can spam it constantly for healing.
Rifle autoattacks are the most potent of these options, and both of the other two provide roughly equivalent healing per second, and due to the downtime on from having to expend charges, you can get in a full auto chain on sceptre. However, having to constantly activate will be quite awkward and the Quickness build needs consistent clone generation, so relying on sceptre autos is better in practise, leaving uncharged in case extra healing or Might is required.
If playing with , you will have regular healing from your wells. You can save for an emergency as it has an inherent heal on the final pulse as well as triggering the trait.
Tanking
You have many options to deal with incoming damage. Aside from your inherent healing you have the following:
- - a two second channeled that blocks an attack and causes you to evade afterwards. Also generates two clones so you are immediately healed via . The cooldown is very short so you can use it liberally even if you're not tanking.
- - A lengthy channeled block that will provide AoE Protection after use, as well as triggering twice from the phantasm. If you block an attack, it flips to for 10 seconds, allowing you to repeat the skill.
- - Up to four seconds of invulnerability with three clones, allowing you to completely ignore the majority of attacks. Activating it also provides Aegis in an AoE.
- - three pulses of Aegis in an AoE and personal Stability, which is enough to prevent a lot of incoming damage.
Continuum Split
Aside from providing an opening buffer of boons, you can use to get extra uses out of skills, either for the utility or for healing.
Crowd Control
Always have:
- -
Daze. Even on the Quickness build you shouldn't need to use this for boons, and so can save it for CC. - -
Stun
On off-set:
Optional utility:
Encounter Specific Tips
Spirit Vale
- Bring for the breakbars.
- You could bring a Greatsword to provide boonrip during the split phase.
- You could bring a Focus and to help with seeker control.
- Use or to block/evade through blue AOEs without having to move.
- Cast just before the Green hits to quickly recover your subgroup's health.
- Save to negate the damage of a Green.
- You can bring to immediately refresh your after a green, allowing you to use it twice per phase.
For more information, see our Vale Guardian Guide.
- With , and you can quickly move your group through these events.
- Drop at your group's location. When you see a rift appear, ⇒ and open at the rift location. Then to the closest Adrenal Mushroom, and return to your group to repeat for the next rift.
- During the Spirit Run event, you can drop a at the rift immediately after the glide section and ⇒ ⇒ to the spirit wall. If your group has enough DPS, you can destroy the wall and finish the event before the final two rifts explode.
For more information, see our Spirit Woods Guide.
- Bring for the breakbars.
- You can either use a manipulation such as along with the Chaos variant, or , to provide Aegis or Stability for the slams.
- You can bring a Focus to use to pull the adds. The pull works best if you place the curtain just behind his hitbox.
For more information, see our Gorseval Guide.
- Bring as there is only one breakbar which your teammates can easily cover.
- Use Focus and to pull the bandit adds for easier cleaving. You can do this when Sabetha starts her flamewall.
- Be careful of teleporting into flamewalls with . You might have to abort CS early or delay it to avoid this.
- You might need to abort Continuum Split if you have to throw a bomb.
For more information, see our Sabetha Guide.
Salvation Pass
- Bring for the breakbars.
- Use to pull some slublings but always make sure you don't pull your friendly slubling.
- You can use without the pull (or delay the pull) to provide more projectile defense.
- If you are using keep in mind where your group will stand in the next few seconds. When you're about to move don't place it on your current position.
- can be used to destroy the projectiles from the unblockable shake attack by jumping inside the boss when it shakes like a wet dog.
For more information, see our Slothasor Guide.
- Bring for add control.
- Use focus to pull mobs together.
For more information, see our Bandit Trio Guide.
- Bring as failing to CC will result in a squad member's death.
- Be careful with your reflects! You should only use to break Bloodstone Shield. If you reflect his slam attack Matthias will get a damage buff for each projectile you reflected.
- Also be careful with as this skill will eat the shards needed to break Bloodstone Shield.
For more information, see our Matthias Guide.
Stronghold of the Faithful
- Bring for add control.
- The most popular strat for this encounter is "all up" or "insta cap", where one chronomancer solos the cave, tanks the tower mobs, and uses to taxi the group up to every tower. This lets you effectively have 9 people on both the main path and the towers. If you are filling this role consider running extra toughness to make it easier to survive the tower mobs on your own. See above for details.
- If your group is fast you might need to your , or ask another mesmer to bring and help you port the 4th tower.
- If your team is okay with you not giving quickness in order to make sure you can reliably solo the skip part, you can bring and .
- Use focus to pull mobs together.
For more information, see our Siege the Stronghold Guide.
- Bring for the breakbars.
- Make sure to have Quickness ready for the burn phase.
- You can either use a manipulation such as along with the Chaos variant, or , to provide Aegis or Stability for the Tower Drop.
- Use to help pull the core through the rifts. Coordinate with other players on who is going to pull and when.
For more information, see our Keep Construct Guide.
- If tanking, consider running extra toughness as there is a lot of random damage on this fight and your healer will have their hands full.
- Bring for the breakbars.
- can be useful for condition cleanse and uptime.
- Use your to pull adds into the boss.
- You can use to pull orbs. Make sure to pull the last orb to make sure you're not pulling more than one orb.
- If you're tanking, make sure to keep Xera facing away from your group as her Blurred Frenzy will deal massive damage to your DPS. You can use , or to protect yourself from the attack while staying in place.
For more information, see our Xera Guide.
Bastion of the Penitent
- Bring as there are no breakbars here.
- If doing greens, you should delay your Quickness until everyone is back in the center.
- If skipping greens, you can provide Stability with .
For more information, see our Cairn the Indomitable Guide.
- Bring as there are no breakbars here.
- You should take either Claim or Dispel to get on the special action key.
For more information, see our Mursaat Overseer Guide.
- Bring as Samarog has a huge breakbar and failing to CC will result in a squad member's death.
- Coordinate your CC with your teammates; try not to burn too many big CCs on the same breakbar.
- Use to pull Rigom under Samarog during the split phases.
For more information, see our Samarog Guide.
- Bring as the breakbars are small and easily broken by your teammates.
- You can block the pizza attacks and Mind Crush with or .
- In order to be able to block all of them, you will need to use along with .
- Note that a player standing in two pizza slices at the same time will still get hit.
- You can use any of your blocks or to block Mind Crush.
For more information, see our Deimos Guide.
Hall of Chains
- If tanking, consider taking extra toughness as the boss's autoattacks hit fairly hard.
- Soulless Horror attacks very frequently, so it's easy to get the clones from .
- Bring as failing to CC will wipe the group and is risky with the Tormented Dead around.
- Take care when using as it will freeze Tormented Dead in place and interrupt knockbacks.
- You can block the AoE attacks for your team with .
- If you're tanking, coordinate the aggro swap with the other tank. Aim to swap aggro as soon as your current stacks expire.
- If you're tanking, move the boss near the wurms at the start so your DPS can cleave them down (with or otherwise).
- Make sure to stand behind Soulless Horror if possible. If you're the tank, keep her facing in the same direction as her attacks deal massive damage to anyone who isn't the tank.
For more information, see our Soulless Horror Guide.
- It could be useful to bring Greatsword and to quickly strip boons from Dhuum.
- can allow you to minimise your time away from the group if doing greens.
- can also be useful if you bait the shackle mechanic by standing as close to Dhuum as you can, then immediately blinking away to break them (this assumes you are not tanking).
For more information, see our Dhuum Guide.
Mythwright Gambit
- Focus is very helpful for pulling in Swords.
- Focus and can be used to ensure the players collecting orbs have Swiftness.
- can CC multiple Shields if placed carefully.
- You can either use a manipulation such as along with the Chaos variant, or , to provide Aegis or Stability for the slams.
- If you really doubt your group, you can use and - drop it just before Thunderclap hits to start reviving people that get downed.
For more information, see our Conjured Amalgamate Guide.
- Both bosses attack very frequently, so it's easy to get the clones from - practically every mechanic can be blocked here.
- If going to Kenut's side, might save people from the shockwave attack.
- It can also be used as a stunbreak if you get CC'd.
- Greatsword might be useful to have boonrip available in case Kenut steals boons.
- You have a lot of condition cleanses, so be sure to use them frequently.
- If your group is very slow with CC, then or can keep people safe from the projectiles during the breakbar attack.
For more information, see our Largos Assassins Guide.
- Portal is incredibly useful here for quickly moving your group around the arena and even skipping the entire jumping puzzle at the end! See our guide for more details.
- Focus is also very useful as it can pull the Magma Elementals into the group for easier cleaving.
- may be useful to protect agains the Magma Elemental's knock attacks.
- Bring to ensure you can break the legendary creatures before they finish their attacks.
For more information, see our Qadim Guide.
The Key of Ahdashim
- Bring to break Sabir's breakbars as quickly as possible.
- can be used to save some distance in the split phases
- Timed correctly, can be used to ignore the shockwave.
For more information, see our Cardinal Sabir Guide.
- Many groups will stick together in the split phases. By dropping a near the north-west hand as you run around to avoid the sand beam, you can portal your group after killing the south hands and avoid the dangerous run.
- If tanking, make sure to keep a block or for the cone attack.
- Greatsword can be useful for boon removal if no-one else is doing it.
- Focus can be nice for providing Swiftness during the split phase.
For more information, see our Cardinal Adina Guide.
- Greatsword is useful for frequent boonrip during the final phase.
- You can either use a manipulation such as along with the Chaos variant, or , to provide Aegis or Stability for the knockbacks.
- You can destroy the Caustic Chaos shockwaves by standing in front of them with .
- You can help break Distortions with long-range CC such as or .
- If you can afford the lower healing, in combination with one of the above will be sufficient to break them.
For more information, see our Qadim the Peerless Guide.
Ratings
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