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Witchwork Staff ZvZ Build

Overview

Weapon: Arcane Staff
Focus: Range DPS
Mode: ZvZ

Strengths

  • Easy to play
  • Great Support

Weaknesses

  • Low Mobility
This build is up to date for the November 6, 2024 Horizons Patch #1.

Overview

This Elder's Witchwork StaffElder's Witchwork Staff build offers is a great choice for Bomb Squads in ZvZ PvP but can work well even in smaller scale ZvZ fights where you play with the main zerg. Black HoleBlack Hole is a great skill for clumping enemies and enables your party to make plays and kill groups of enemies with ease when played correctly. The build is rather easy to play once you've figured out the combo so even newer players can have a great time playing this. This build is also a great choice for those looking to become shotcallers.


Equipment

Elder's Witchwork Staff
Main Hand Weapon
Elder's Witchwork Staff
Arcane Protection
Motivating Cleanse
Black Hole
Lingering Power
Elder's Cryptcandle
Off Hand Weapon
Elder's Cryptcandle
Elder's Cleric Cowl
Head
Elder's Cleric Cowl
Ice Block
Aggression
Elder's Lymhurst Cape
Cape
Elder's Lymhurst Cape
Energy Reserve
Elder's Royal Jacket
Armor
Elder's Royal Jacket
Royal Banner
Quick Thinker
Elder's Boots of Valor
Shoes
Elder's Boots of Valor
Premonition
Toughness
Major Gigantify Potion
Potion
Major Gigantify Potion
Pork Omelette
Food
Pork Omelette
Keep in mind: Gear shown in this build is meant as a reference. Choosing the correct tier of gear is very tricky as there are many variables. Some of them being your budget, your spec and minimum Item Power requirements of your guild if used for ZvZ.


You should always check prices based on IP of the items. For example, a masterpiece quality 4.3 Elder's CryptcandleElder's Cryptcandle could be cheaper while providing roughly the same IP as an 8.0.


Usage

Elder's Wildfire StaffElder's Wildfire Staff

Arcane ProtectionArcane Protection — Use this on yourself before an engage for the large shield that helps a lot and denies enemy damage, allowing you to push a bit deeper without taking any real damage. This skill can also be used on other allies to help them remain healthy during fights, often enough saving their lives.

Motivating CleanseMotivating Cleanse — Use this to save your group from CCs whenever they get caught in CCs. This AOE will not only cleanse CC debuffs (and other debuffs that aren't DoT damage) but also give a good movement speed increase.

Black HoleBlack Hole — This is the main skill you want to use in ZvZ as it casts a large AOE on the location and pulls all enemies caught in it to the center after 1 second, dealing damage and allowing your team to follow up with CCs and damage.

Lingering PowerLingering Power — This passive triggers after every skill cast and increases your auto-attack speed for the next 3 auto-attacks. This shouldn't be a priority but its still a decent choice as you can do a bit of damage after a fight and when chasing down enemies.


Elder's Royal JacketElder's Royal Jacket

Royal BannerRoyal Banner — Make sure to use this for your group after an engage to lower their cooldowns (and yours) before doing another engage. Try to call out when you are using this skill so your party knows.

Quick ThinkerQuick Thinker — This is a great passive as it decreases your cooldowns and lets you use all your skills more often.


Elder's Cleric CowlElder's Cleric Cowl

Ice BlockIce Block — Use this as your main defensive skill whenever enemies engage on your zerg. Make sure not to move after you use this skill as it will cancel the ice block and make you vulnerable again. Often enough, shotcallers will ask for you to use this when they see an engage happening but you should still keep your eyes on the enemy movement and anticipate.

AggressionAggression — This passive grants you extra damage which is great to have even though damage isn't your main goal.


Elder's Boots of ValorElder's Boots of Valor

PremonitionPremonition — While not particularly easy to play, this run allows you to ignore CCs, however, you want to use this BEFORE walking over slow effects like the Frozen HellFrozen Hell.

ToughnessToughness — This extra damage resistance is very useful.


Elder's Lymhurst CapeElder's Lymhurst Cape

Energy ReserveEnergy Reserve — Long ZvZ fights are very mana intensive, especially when you are in a defensive position and you are fighting multiple enemy engages. This cape will constantly regenerate your mana which is perfect for such moments. An alternative is to use a Elder's Martlock CapeElder's Martlock Cape for extra defence but only if you use a different helm.


Rotations

Black Hole Engage ↴
Premonition
Arrow right.webp
Arcane Protection
Arrow right.webp
Black Hole
Arrow right.webp
Royal Banner
  • Start off by using PremonitionPremonition to increase your movement speed and move into position. You want to follow up with Arcane ProtectionArcane Protection to give yourself a shield so you don't get killed while repositioning. Use Black HoleBlack Hole on a group of enemies before moving back and letting your allies do damage on the pull you've made. Use Royal BannerRoyal Banner once allies have used their skills and feel free to use Motivating CleanseMotivating Cleanse to free any CC'd enemies.


Consumables

Major Gigantify PotionMajor Gigantify Potion — Use this as your secondary defensive skill after Ice BlockIce Block, pop it if you see the enemy zerg trying an engage on you or if you need to reposition through an enemy group.

Pork OmelettePork Omelette — Only good choice for food, the Pork OmelettePork Omelette decreases your cooldowns and allows you to use skills more often. Use at least a 7.1 version if you can afford it.


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