Chronomancer - Boon Support Power DPS

The community gave this build a rating, making it top-tier: Great

Focused on: Direct damage and Support

Designed for: Raids

Expansions required: Heart of Thorns builds

Difficulty:
TBD
This build was last updated on October 26, 2022 and is up to date for the February 27, 2024 patch.

Overview

Power Quickness chronomancer provides EITHER 100% Quickness Quickness uptime or 100% Alacrity Alacrity uptime to its subgroup while dealing okayish DPS. The quickness variant is good and flexible, the alacrity variant is not and should only be played by people that truly enjoy chronomancer, as other alacrity providers are simply better. Generally speaking, Build: Mirage - Alacrity Support Condi DPS will perform better at giving alacrity, or at least provide more boons.

This build can also easily tank. If the aggro is toughness based, simply equip some toughness. The amount needed will depend on the encounter and you and your squad's performance and skill. Nevertheless, it is better for a healer to tank.

As with all mesmer builds, it has access to plentiful utility should it be required, such as , , or .

Quickness chronomancer was in the past rarely used as an offhealer, but nowadays that is a very bad option that simply cannot compete with the boons provided by reliable quickness healers.

Note that chronomancer used to be able to provide both quickness and alacrity at the same time, this is no longer possible.


Skill Bar

Sword/Shield
Greatsword
Utility
Quickness variant
Use in the empty slot.
Alacrity variant
Use in the empty slot.


Weapon Variants

Greatsword is mandatory but offhand Sword can be replaced by a Focus if you need to pull adds into the boss. These variants use different gear, so check the gear section.


Skill Variants

Utility

Quickness variant
Can replace Mantra of Pain if needed, and Well of Calamity if absolutely needed.
Alacrity variant
Should not replace skills. Only replace Phantasmal Disenchanter if it is asbolutely mandatory.
  • provides a long-duration reflect.
  • provides aegis to your subgroup, useful for fights like Deimos CM.
  • provides Stability to your group.
  • for encounters that require heavy CC.
  • offers more CC than but on a longer cooldown, which may be more suitable for some encounters.
  • 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

The Quickness variant can use a different elite skill. The alacrity variant cannot.

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.

  • should be used if an encounter requires heavy CC.
  • bigger and faster CC than but on a longer cooldown, which may be more suitable for some encounters.


Template Code

Quickness variant
[&DQcKGQEdKC0jDyMPaQFpAQQTawGPAY8BvAG8AQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA=]
Copy Template Code
Alacrity variant
[&DQcBHQoZKB0jDyMPhxJpAQQTawGPAY8BsxK8AQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA=]
Copy Template Code


Specializations

Quickness variant
Use .
Alacrity variant
Use .

Trait Variants

  • - very minor dps gain if you don't need the extra CC from Delayed Reactions.


Specialization Variants

Sometimes, utility is more important than damage. The Inspiration traitline can be very powerful on encounters where you specifically need Aegis Aegis, such as Deimos, or the distortion from can be used to cheese certain mechanics, such as Slothasor's shake. Replaces Dueling.

  • If the feedback from might cause problems (such as as Cairn), then you can swap it out for or depending on whether healing or condition cleansing is more useful.
  • If using a focus, then is very nice, assuming the reflects won't be an issue.
  • When running Inspiration, is very powerful and its short cooldown makes it convenient for dealing with mechanics. If you are struggling with the timing, then is instant-cast and still has a relatively low cooldown.


Equipment

Quickness variant
Can use either shield or focus, but focus requires more boon duration leading to lower damage, it should only be played when you need the utility of .
Aalacrity variant
Uses shield. If you absolutely need the utility of Temporal Curtain, you will need to replace Phantasmal Disenchanter with yet another well and do even lower damage.

Quickness shield

Head
Berserker
Shoulders
Assassin
Chest
Berserker
Hands
Berserker
Legs
Diviner
Feet
Berserker
Backpiece
Assassin
Accessory
Assassin
Accessory
Berserker
Amulet
Assassin
Ring
Assassin
Ring
Berserker
Sword
Berserker
Shield
Berserker
Sigil
Sigil
Greatsword
Berserker
Sigil
Sigil
Rune
x6
Infusion
x18
  • This gear set provides 15.4% boon duration so you can comfortably upkeep permanent Quickness Quickness. You have 75% critical chance with food, reaching 100% with Fury.
  • If you want to maximise your damage, swap the for a for 5.4% boon duration, but your quickness will drop if you can't maintain a perfect rotation.


Quickness focus

If you absolutely require the utility of , replace shield with focus and use this gear set because you will need a lot more boon duration.

Head
Diviner
Shoulders
Assassin
Chest
Diviner
Hands
Assassin
Legs
Berserker
Feet
Assassin
Backpiece
Diviner
Accessory
Assassin
Accessory
Diviner
Amulet
Assassin
Ring
Assassin
Ring
Diviner
Sword
Assassin
Focus
Assassin
Sigil
Sigil
Greatsword
Assassin
Sigil
Sigil
Rune
x6
Infusion
x18
  • This set provides 38.33% boon duration will lets you comfortably upkeep permanent Quickness Quickness. And 99.05% critical chance with food and Fury.

Alacrity shield

Head
Berserker
Shoulders
Berserker
Chest
Berserker
Hands
Berserker
Legs
Assassin
Feet
Berserker
Backpiece
Berserker
Accessory
Assassin
Accessory
Assassin
Amulet
Berserker
Ring
Assassin
Ring
Berserker
Sword
Berserker
Shield
Berserker
Sigil
Sigil
Greatsword
Berserker
Sigil
Sigil
Rune
x6
Infusion
x18

Consumables

Food

  • /


Utility


Usage

The usage section focuses on the quickness variant. If you are playing the alacrity variant, follow the same rotation but prioritise above everything else using all your wells off cooldown.

Rotation

Opener

Start on Sword/Shield

  1. (while engaging the boss, but if the fight starts inmediately then use Time Warp first and cast one greatsword auto before Phantasmal Berserker)
  2. Weapon swap Weapon swap to cancel the aftercast animation.
  3. with 3 clones at the end of the casting time. Cast both charges of Mantra of Pain.
  4. so Mind Stab cancels the long aftercast of Well of Calamity.
  5. Continuum Split ends during Mind Stab.
  6. and start spamming Mantra of Pain anytime it gets a charge.
  7. so Signet of Ether cancels the long aftercast of Well of Calamity.
  8. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap


Loop

  • The loop is very simple. In the greatsword set, you will use 3 times thanks to . You use once per weapon set.
  • If you need a full breakdown, this is the full loop:
  1. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap
  • Fill the gaps with auto attacks. Use off cooldown.


Continuum Split

  • When is almost off cooldown, prepare 3 clones to use it on greatsword. You want to use and twice thanks to , plus , and .


Video example of quickness rotation

Video example of alacrity rotation


Notes

  • Shield is the default weapon because it allows you to run lower boon duration, in turn doing more damage. But focus is still very good with to pull adds onto the boss. Just remember that the quickness variants needs higher boon duration if you are going to use focus —check the gear section— while the alacrity variant will have to run 4 wells.
  • is not necessary to maintain quickness. Once it comes off cooldown after the first use, just use it when your allies might not have quickness, for example when coming back from doing cannons on Sabetha, or when coming back from the demon realm on Deimos.
  • and can be used to avoid incoming damage with less of a DPS loss than dodging.


Clone Sources

The following skills summons clones

  • summons a clone on your target.
  • summons a clone on your target if you succesfully block.
  • summons a clone on your target when the projectile hits.

The following skills summon phantasms than later become clones

  • summons 2 phantasms that latter become 2 clones.
  • summons a phantasm that latter becomes a clone.
  • sumons a phantasm that latter becomes a clone.
    • If you block an attack with Echo of Memory, you can use , which sumons a phantasm that latter becomes a clone.


Shatter Usage

  • is your primary shatter and does by far the most damage. As you practice this build, you will always have 3 clones ready for it, so you're going to be using if off cooldown.
  • should only be cast in the greatsword set shortly after , because the greatsword loop rotation generates enough clones to have 3 ready for Split Second.
  • should be saved for emergencies to provide CC or cover quickness gaps.
  • Neither of your shatters line up perfectly in your loop, so they will drift, but you should be using at least once on each weapon set.

Crowd Control

  • - daze.
  • - stun (shield only)
  • - pull
  • - Knockback.

If you need more CC remember you can take , or , or , or .


Encounter Specific Tips

Spirit Vale

Vale Guardian Toggle
  • If tanking, consider taking extra toughness as the boss's autoattacks hit fairly hard.
  • Bring for the breakbars.
  • Maintain a sword clone in the split phase to help with boon removal.
  • Use to help with seeker control.
  • Save to evade through blue AOEs while keeping up DPS.
Ghost events Toggle
  • Feel free to bring for some reflects. and can be used for more mobility.
  • Abuse the adrenal mushrooms to reset your and .
Gorseval the Multifarious Toggle
  • Bring for the breakbars.
  • You can use your signets (if you're using ) to Aegis Aegis Gorseval's knockback or the black zones during the CC phase.
  • You can use and to immobilize Charged Souls.
  • Use to pull the adds. The pull works best if you place the curtain just behind his hitbox.
Sabetha the Saboteur Toggle
  • Bring as there is only one breakbar which your teammates can easily cover.
  • Use 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.


Salvation Pass

Slothasor Toggle
  • 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.
Bandit Trio Toggle
  • Bring for add control.
  • Use focus to pull mobs together.
Matthias Gabrel Toggle
  • 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.


Stronghold of the Faithful

Siege the Stronghold (Escort) Toggle
  • 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.
    • 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.
Keep Construct Toggle
  • Bring for the breakbars.
  • Make sure to have Quickness Quickness ready for the burn phase.
  • Use to help pull the core through the rifts. Coordinate with other players on who is going to pull and when.
Xera Toggle
  • 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.


Bastion of the Penitent

Cairn the Indomitable Toggle
  • Bring as there are no breakbars here.
  • You can use to evade through red AOEs while keeping up DPS.
  • If doing greens, you should delay your Quickness Quickness until everyone is back in the center.
Mursaat Overseer Toggle
  • Bring as there are no breakbars here.
  • You should take either Claim or Dispel to get on the special action key.
Samarog Toggle
  • 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.
Deimos Toggle
  • Bring as the breakbars are small and easily broken by your teammates.
  • You can block the pizza attacks and Mind Crush with .
    • Note that a player standing in two pizza slices at the same time will still get hit.
  • If tanking, save to dodge the pizza attack while staying in place.
  • You can use any of your blocks or to block Mind Crush.


Hall of Chains

Soulless Horror Toggle
  • If tanking, consider taking extra toughness as the boss's autoattacks hit fairly hard.
  • 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.
  • Try to 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.


Ratings

This build has a rating of 5 stars based on 4 votes.
Log in or register to rate this build.
5 stars
Velkix gave this build 5 stars • December 2023
0 boon duration but pretty sufficient boon uptime. Compared to Cata, both of them need an enemy to attack, but chrono doesn't need any time to set up and has much longer uptime for the invulnerable phase. If the boss blinks a lot or the fight is pretty short, chrono would be painful. Luckly, in strikes that would be unlikely to happen.
5 stars
Warming Hearth gave this build 5 stars • July 2023
Boon chrono is on a great spot these days. Being able to provide either quickness or alacrity by simply changing one trait and nothing else is absolutely amazing. It's not super easy to play, but it's a really good option. The only downside is that it cannot provide quickness/alacrity without enemies to attack, which can a minor inconvenience during phases.
4 stars
OfficerAndyGentleman gave this build 4 stars • November 2022
A long-time staple of raid groups, chronomancer still brings reliable quickness along with amazing CC, active defence, and good access to group aegis and stability. Teleports and portals also allow for skips no other class can provide. Doesn't offer many boons other than quickness or alacrity, but it's pretty common for alacrity sources to provide everything chronomancer lacks.
5 stars
Onlywrin gave this build 5 stars • August 2020
STM / Power Boon chrono is an absurdly fun and effective build that can manage extremely high DPS even as a support. This build should be a staple of any chrono main's arsenal.

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