New player question about elementalists

Hi! I'm playing with an elementalist and all my attacks have been with spells. But I can see my char is holding a dagger. So, how can I attack with a melee weapon rather than spells?

Or is the dagger just a decoration? -- I'm at the very begginning of the game, haven't bought any weapons yet.

In this game the elementalist is all about channeling the powers of nature into magical attacks. You're using a dagger to do so doesn't change the fact that the elementalist is a spellcaster and not a melee role. By using a dagger you have access to different attacks because the tool used to channel the energy is of a different nature than a staff or scepter which has more range.

If you're more interested in seeing melee damage done by actual weapons another profession may be more suitable. Hope that explains it.

But how can I use the dagger? is there any option to do that or does it get used automatically?

Once you have a weapon equipped it is what allows you to have skills in positions 1 through 5 (bear in mind that one handed weapons only apply to either 1-3 or 4&5). If you have skills in those positions you have successfully equipped the weapon in question.

Your abilities are tied to your weapons.When you have a dagger equipped for instance you get the abilities tied to that weapon specifically .That means you cant get access to lava font (= Which is a staff ability) without actually wielding a staff.

It makes sense thematically I think.The spells you get from dagger are more melee oriented, while staff skills for instance are long range.So there always is a trade-off depending on what weapon you use.Mix-and-match is only available for skills that go into your "utility slots" (which are the 5 slots right of your healthbar).

See it as such: No one is just "using a dagger". Everyone uses it differently, wether it be a thief, an elementalist, a ranger... No one will have the same abilities. There is no "physical" and "magic" damage. What you seem to call "using the dagger" sounds like you expect a thing closer to what a thief would do. Both are using a dagger, but they just don't do the same thing with it. And if you equip a sword, it will also be different than what another class would do with a sword.

So, do the spells I can use write now depend on the melee weapn (e.g. dagger) I'm currently holding?

@Proxy.2308 said:So, do the spells I can use write now depend on the melee weapn (e.g. dagger) I'm currently holding?

Yes. All 1-5 skills depend on your equipped weapon(s).

As an elementalist you will not 'stab' people with a dagger, as that is the thief's (or necromancer's) job. Instead an elementalist will use the dagger to cast mostly close range spells.

All right, now I get it :-)

The only melee weapon that you actually hit people with is Weaver sword. In this game, your weapons decide which attack abilities you have. Change your weapon, get an entirely new set of attacks. As such, depending on the profession you may or may not physically strike with the weapon in hand. For instance, Revenant hammer is a ranged weapon. It's auto-attack slings mist energy at people. It can create a giant hammer from the mists to slam into people with. Revenant axe lets you teleport and opens up a deadly rift into the realm of Torment. Mesmer can use the greatsword to channel magical energy through it and strike people as opposed to whacking people with it like you would with a Guardian, Warrior, or Ranger.

As a general rule, Elementalist is not a melee fighter. So while it uses some melee weapons they are mostly there to channel magical energy. If you play Weaver, however, you do get to physically attack people with your sword.