User:Silimaur/elementalist/newbiecondiweaver

Newbie Condi Weaver

Introduction

Please note this guide is a work in progress that I will be adding to as and when I have time. If you have any specific questions or suggestions please get in touch!

The below builds assume you have reached level 80 as an elementalist and fully unlocked the weaver elite specialisation. Therefore you have all traits and utility skills unlocked. Do not use this build if you have not fully unlocked weaver, instead stick to the Core Condition Elementalist.

These builds are designed to work both in the open world and in instanced content such as fractals, raids and strikes.

Skill Bar

Scepter/Focus

Utility

Optional first utility

Signet of fire will no longer benefit from the Written in Stone trait but still provides an easy option to apply damage at range. You can swap Signet of Fire for Primordial Stance if you want to begin improving your build and moving towards an 'official' end game DPS build.

Optional skills for your third utility:

Glyph of Elemental Power Note: always cast in fire attunement

• Pros:
  • Decent DPS
  • Acts as a stun break
  • Simple to use in all content
• Cons:
  • Higher damage options available

Glyph of Elementals Note: always cast in fire attunement

• Pros:
  • High DPS
  • Can be pre-cast multiple times to stack your elementals (cast before a fight starts)
• Cons:
  • Can be clunky in the open world as elementals will die when you mount up
  • If you are not able to pre-cast this skill stacking your elementals prior to starting an instanced encounter you will not be able to get the most out of this skill
  • Encounters such as the Kaineng Overlook strike will also kill all your elementals making this skill sub-optimal
  • Damage can be RNG based

Lightning Flash

• Provides additional mobility in the open world
• Situationally useful in encounters requiring a lot of movement

Arcane Shield

• Useful if you require additional defence
• Situationally useful in certain encounters requiring blocks

Heal Alternatives

Signet of Restoration

• You can use Signet of Restoration instead of Arcane Brilliance if you want to retain some self-sustain. However, as you are not using the earth traitline you no longer have access to Written in Stone as you would if you were running a core condi elementalist. Therefore anytime you use your signet you will lose access to the passive healing. You may therefore benefit more from the higher damage of Arcane Brilliance.

Specializations

Variants

• Arcane Resurrection can be very helpful group support if your group is struggling with a lot of downstates.

Equipment & Consumables

For your equipment you will want to choose from the following:

• This uses the same gear as the original 8 gold core elementalist (32.9k DPS)
• Vipers build using the gear set up on Snowcrows (although still using your simplified build) (35.4k DPS)

Playstyle

Basic DPS

The DPS rotation only slightly more complicated than the core ele version. Now instead of just camping fire you will swap into earth/fire and immediately swap to fire/earth and then back to fire/fire on loop while spamming all available damaging weapon skills.

The only new DPS skill will be Fracturing Strike when you are in Fire/Earth or Earth/Fire - make sure to use this too!

If using Primordial Stance, you should use this when swapping between Fire Attunement and Earth Attunement.

But you can get more out of some of your skills, for example:

• Glyph of Elementals: if you can, precast this before a fight starts so you are starting the encounter with 3 elementals - always use in fire
• Glyph of Elemental Power: if you are instead using glyph of elemental power, this can also be pre-cast prior to starting an encounter - always use in fire
• Arcane Power: can also be pre-cast prior to an encounter - note that if you are playing solo you will want to summon your elementals prior to casting Arcane Power - always use in fire

Elite Skill

Typically you will summon your elite elemental in fire for the highest damage available but elite elemental can be used flexibly.

• If you require additional healing, summon a water elemental
• If you need additional CC, summon a lightning elemental

Due to the Final Shielding trait your elite can also be used as a powerful defensive tool providing 3 blocks on command. Lesser Arcane Shield can be triggered both on the initial summoning of your elemental and also when you order your elemental to cast its ability. This gives you the option to control your elite elemental casts to provide you with blocks as and when you need them. Note, the cooldown of your elite elemental's skill is faster than the 16 second internal cooldown of the trait so if you want to trigger Lesser Arcane Shield on every cast you will need to delay your skill casts. Alternately, you can keep things simple and accept that you will have access to the blocks every other elite elemental cast.

Crowd Control

In order to access your CC abilities you will generally be required to leave fire attunement (I know, sacrilege). On the brightside, all of your crowd control is ranged which can come in handy.

Hard CC:

• Comet - a 2 second daze
• Gale - a 4 second knockdown
• Glyph of Elementals - summoning your elite elemental in lightning provides access to a 1.5 second stun
• Earthen Synergy (air/earth dual skill) - 1.5 second stun

Soft CC:

• Shatterstone 2.5 second chill
• Freezing Gust - 3.5 second chill
• Blinding Flash - 2 x 7.25 second blind
• Dust Devil - 1.75 second cripple and 7.25 second blind
• Magnetic Wave - 6 second cripple
• Glacial Drift (air/water dual skill) - 4.25 second chill

Defensive Skills

Core ele has access to some powerful defensive skills on top of Final Shielding mentioned above.

• Signet of Restoration can be used whenever needed and will continue to provide constant passive sustain due to the earth trait Written in Stone
• Phoenix provides you with a consistent source of cleanse while providing more than 50% vigor uptime for more dodges
• Water Trident can be used when additional self-healing is required
• Swirling Winds is a 6 second projectile block for when you are struggling with ranged enemies
• Rock Barrier grants you 250 additional toughness (although watch out for this in instanced content relying on toughness based tanking), barrier, and 4.25 seconds of resistance allowing you to shrug off non-damaging conditions.
• Magnetic Wave is a 3 second projectile reflect (combined with swirling winds this gives you up to 9 seconds immunity to incoming projectiles) and also cleanses 3 conditions
• Obsidian Flesh gives 3 seconds of invulnerability to almost everything the game can throw at you - this is your get out of jail free card
• Fiery Frost (water/fire dual skill) is a 1 second evade but be careful with positioning as it will dodge backwards
• Glacial Drift (air/water dual skill) provides a stack of stability

Combo Fields & Finishers

• Flamewall provides a fire field that that you can blast for might or fire projectiles through. Generally if you are camping fire for DPS you will want to open with your flame wall and immediately blast this fire field with Dragon's Tooth and Phoenix which are both blast finishers providing quick access to 6 additional might - note this is more relevant when playing solo as in instanced content you will likely have supports assisting with might generation.

• Magnetic Wave is also a blast finisher. While it is good to be aware of this (and to use it as and when it is useful) you are unlikely to want to swap to earth purely to get off this blast finisher due to the impact it will have on your DPS.

• Similarly, Rock Barrier and Stone Shards can be used as projectile finishers - make use of them if you do find yourself stuck in earth.