[For the next elite spec, pls devs, go ALL IN!]

We already had a spec with a melee weapon (weaver) and a spec with a mid range weapon (tempest). Now we need a long range weaponWe had a MH weapon and a OH weapon. Now we need a 2H weaponWe already had a spec that makes you stay longer in attunements (tempest) and one that makes you swap faster (weaver). Now we need a no attunement specSo what we need is an elite spec that removes the attunement skills but gives weapon swap and uses a longbow (2H long range).

See here: https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/comment/1262299

[Tempest should get a real trade off]

You want a trade off, you need to give tempest something.As it is, overloads are trade offs in itself, where if you use it you get an AoE in exchange to longer attunement CD.Tempest without using overloads is a weaker version of core ele.

There isn't much you can take from core ele. The only thing it has is attunements. Everything else is based on traitlines (stats, CDs, etc).Ele doesn't have utility belts, pets, shrouds, special skills or anything to be replaced by overloads...So the only trade-off it can have is even longer attunment times.

Now if you are going to make attunement times longer just by being a tempest (without even using the overloads) then you would need to make overloads not trigger the longer attunment time or make them provide something else. For example:

• Attunements have longer CD by default with tempest, but overloads can be used as soon as you get in the attunement (no singularity time).
• Attunements have longer CD by default, overloads need time to use (achieve singularity), but when an overload is successful it recharges all skills in that attunement.

In the first way, tempest get longer attunements CD but can start overload when swaping attunements, then use his weapon skills and then swap attunements. This increases the attunement CD but gives the tempest more things to do in that attunement, since it can start the CD earlier (with the overload).In the second, the longer CD can issue can be reduced by using the overload and, if successful, regaining the weapon skills to use while the attunement/Overload is on CD.

[[Poll] Weapon for the next Elementalist Elite Specialization]

@Teratus.2859 said:

@"lLobo.7960" said:We got long range aoe with staff;We got mid range burst with scepter;We got short range PBAoE with dagger;We got melee range with sword;We got OH defense with focus;We got OH offense with dagger;We got OH support with warhorn;

We had an OH Espec with tempest warhorn...We had a MH Espec with weaver sword...

We have shortbow, hammer, axe, shield and greatsword conjures...

The logical option next is a long range single target

LONGBOW

.

Arcane Archer Elite spec.

Longbow and offensive support. Attunements become weapon enchantments you provide to the group for bonus dmg and effects.

I like this idea, perhaps the weapons skils this time remain the same but have additional effects that change based on the attunement instead.For example:

Longbow auto fire attunement, slow speed but applies burning.. closer range = longer burning duration.Longbow auto water attunment, slow speed but removes conditions on allies it passes through to target, has small chance to weaken target.Longbow auto lightning attunement, fast speed, low damage and applies Vun on enemiesLongbow auto earth attunement, medium speed, applies bleeds.. at long range has small chance to cripple target.

Yea that was the suggestion I did a while back here: https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/76602/new-elite-spec-disciple-weapon-swap-and-longbow

[BEST Cantha E-spec Ideas!!!]

@"Swagger.1459" said:Elementalist (Ranged Condition Damage)

• Shortbow Condition E-Spec. This spec will be different in that the skills are the SAME regardless of Attunemeny, BUT the arrows have different effects tied to them based off of Attunement. IE: Fire Attuned arrows cause Burning. Water arrows do moderate damage plus ally healing from arrows passing through them. Earth arrows cause Bleeding. Wind arrows have have faster projectile speed and/or range.

Elementalist specs should not focus on condi or direct dmg. These are what the attunement traitlines are for.The E-spcs for ele focus on how the attunements work (tempest stays longer in attunements for overloads, weaver quick swap attunements for bonuses and dual skills)That being said, I made a post with a similar idea HERE.The idea of an elite spec that have attunements as just bonuses is a nice way to change Ele gameplay and open opportunity to attune to different elements at the same time combining not only the bonuses that attunements give by the new elite spec, but traitline bonuses also.Also, Longbow gives more range than shortbow, and that is what Ele needs, a long-range single target weapon.

[Thematic Opportunities for the Third Wave of Elite Specializations]

@"Brad.9730" said:[...]Elementalist

• Tempest: Auras, Conjuring Storms
• Weaver: Glyphs/Attunement Augmentations
• Missing Theme: Arcane
  • Potential theme may focus on Arcane Magic[...]

I wish tempest was the aura spec, and they would finally put the aura-share trait in there and put the heal on aura trait on water. This would open up a lot of opportunities for all ele specs. But anyway...

I see more as:Elementalis

• Tempest: Stay longer in attunements, longer attunement CD in exchange to large and long-lasting AoE effects. AoE effects in general (shouts/overloads/WH fields)
• Weaver: Shoter attunements, fast swapping and dual wielding attunements. Focus on fast moving through attunements to keep bonuses and using extra skills (dual skills). Skirmishing focus with evasions and barrier.
• Missing themes: No attunements, 5th Attunement.
  • Potential theme: 5th attunement as arcane, spellslinger with dual pistols.
  • Potential theme: No attunement, weapon-swap instead of 20 attunement skills. You still have attunements, but they dont have unique skills, instead become just bonuses and give skills special effects. Elemental martial artists with special weapon imbues and longbow with elemental imbued arrows.

I've made a post with the longbow/weapon swap idea a while back here.

[New XPAC anounced - Cantha teased! - New Elite Spec?]

@Sunshine.5014 said:I'd like a new spec that makes use of the weapon swap mechanics better. For example, being able to swap between a Short Bow and Staff in combat.

Another idea is to create a spec centralized on mobility. Ele used to be the king of mobility, even officially said so by ANet. [...]

@Waisenpai.6028 said::) Anything that's two handed like Great Sword, Hammer, Long bow, Shortbow or Rifle. Something with mobility decent mid range single target burst and can short range aoe cleave. MUMHAHA! Give us an elite skil with 48-60 seconds cool down please.

@"alain.1659" said:A proper ranged spec would be really good. Staff is love, but it is not enough. It all depends if anet wants to preserve the class roles that had been given before expansions. If yes, ele can get an aoe mage type of an elite spec. If not, I think a single target ranged weapon will be the thing. Or they can go crazy and let eles focus on a fewer number of elements with more power but dont think so.

Agree with all of those.The idea I threw around a while back was focusing on those.Have a look HERE. Maybe comment on it to build up a discussion.

The idea is to remove attunements giving unique skills (so no more 20 skills per weapon) but keep the attunements as fight styles, where attunements give you bonuses and special effects to your skills (like glyph of elemental power or arcane power skills). In exchange you can weapon swap in combat.Instead of getting one new weapon with 20 new skills, you get a Longbow with only 5 new skills, but new skills to each old weapon (to a total of 20 new skills). And old weapons play differently with a martial arts style (Staff plays similar to daredevil staff, scepter similar to guardian mace, dagger similar to thief or spellbreaker daggers, focus similar to engi shield), with the Longbow being a long-range (up to 1500) single target weapon.Utility skills focusing on mobility and control (leaps, knockbacks, stuns, freezes, etc).And since attunements become just bonuses (instead of a set of skills) the spec would give you the opportunity to mix attunements, being attuned to 2 or more (with the elite skill) at the same time. The downside of attuning to multiple attunements is that they all go on CD together...

[New Expansion = New Builds? Let's hear your ideal concepts for professions]

Martial arts elementalis with longbow!

Tempest had the style of staying longer on attunments to get overloadsWeaver had the style of mixing attunments to have dual attacksThe new one would have attunments as fight-styles and exchange multiple skills per attunement to weapon swap (in combat) with a new single set of skills per weapon (regardless of attunement) with a martial arts style. Instead of giving new skills (with independent CDs) attunements would give bonus and special effects to weapon skills (similar to arcane power or sigil of elemental power).

[which weapon do you want your class to get in the new expansion?]

Martial Arts Elementalist with Longbow!

Attunements become fight-styles and exchange multiple skills per attunement to weapon swap (in combat) with a new single set of skills per weapon (regardless of attunement) with a martial arts style. Instead of giving new skills (with independent CDs) attunements would give bonus and special effects to weapon skills (similar to arcane power or sigil of elemental power).

[New XPAC anounced - Cantha teased! - New Elite Spec?]

After feeling the game got really stagnant for me, they just announced a new XPac and teased Cantha on it.New XPac means new E-Specs and with Cantha as a theme, I'm really hoping for a martial arts style elementalist with longbow!

What are your hopes for the ele in the new XPac?

[mini seasons... more modes?]

@Ben Phongluangtham.1065 said:We have to add an additional rating type for every game-mode we want to run a mini-season with. However, my understanding is that much of the work done going into the 25th release, this will be much easier to do in the future. We've already talked about the possibility of additional game modes for mini-seasons in the future, including Courtyard, Stronghold, and maybe even some others that have no maps created for (ctf?). However, those are much further away. And, at least for stronghold, we'd probably want to finally get around to some updates there before doing so.

I'd love to see southsun survival, aspect arena and dragonball worked into mini-seasons during special events.Bring the pvp mini-games into the pvp.

[Patch Feedback]

I think zerk/marauder staff (both core and weaver) will fare better than now.With the nerfs on everyone's protection, stability, stun-breaks and heals, staff capacity to just dump a lot of dmg fields and CC on a point might make it shine on group fights, while the lower dmg on everyone's burst will improve staff ele survival (no more one shot by thief or mirage).

Duelist ele with water is looking like it will still be viable, as a weaver (water/arcane/weaver) or the old core d/d. I think celestial ammy will get more use due the nerf to 4 stat amulets, removal of boon duration ones and nerfs to healing coeficients. With dmg reduced on everyone, that extra toughness and healing power from celestial might be the better option.

@Dadnir.5038 said:

@MyPuppy.8970 said:

@Dadnir.5038 said:Because they weren't popular, devs tried to make them popular. Personally I liked the lesser elemental active skill (It's a loss for me, I was especially fond of the lesser air elemental swiftness), however being able to more or less maintain up to 3 lesser elementals might be interesting.

Edit: With how the patch is worded the elemental might even have the lesser command in built in their attack patern (which could be really great).

Yesss it's our turn to clutter everyone's screen! Let those 3 earth elementals body block for me!

4-5 in fact, 3 to 4 lessers and the elite with a pretty good uptime in PvE after the patch. Ele zoo incoming...On a side note, a pack of fire elementals will even have the potential to keep you at 12 might stacks without much work while the earth elementals have the potential to perma weakness foes, unfortunately, water and air won't have this much potency. The value of swiftness in combat is arguable and the way chill is applied by the water elemental is poor.

Dunno about the lesser one, but the elite water elemental has some nice heals and condi cleanse, IIRC.Air elementals can range and have stuns, can be a good aid if placed correctly in PvP, specially the stuns with the nerfing of stab all over the place.I can see a FA weaver using elementals in PvP.

[Twist of Fate nerf]

But hey... now you can summon more elementals!And you aura might look good again.

[Thanks Anet]

Look on the bright side.... Auras might look good again. /s

[What are your hopes and wildest dreams for the upcoming balance patch?]

So we are waiting on a big balance patch (they said over 700? traits and skill changes).With that much change coming soon, what are some of the trait and skill changes/reworks/swaps that you would love to see for the ele, and why?

My ones:

Make each element minor adept trait give 2 stat bonuses instead of one (since they are on attunement only): fire: power and condition damage; air: ferocity and precision; earth: toughness and expertise; water: soothing mist and healing powerChange smothering auras to give resistance instead of cleansing. - Leave cleansing to water and resisting conditions to fire, giving each one a distinct playstile with different counters instead of more of the same.Give each element traitline two aura traits, one for all auras, one for the element aura : fire: one gives might(3-5) to all auras, other resistance to fire aura; air: one gives swiftness and fury to all auras, other quickness to static aura; earth: one gives protection to all auras, other stability to magnetic aura; water: one heals on all auras, other gives vigor and regen to frost aura.Swap aura-share and aura heal traits: So water have a trait to heal on aura application and tempest is the one sharing auras. This (along with aura traits above) will allow tempests to be better support and focus on different support types: offensive (fire/air) with might, fury and quickness; defensive (water/earth) with protection, vigor, regen; condi resistance and removal (fire/water) with resistance and cleanses; condi and dmg mitigation (fire/earth) with resistance, protection and stability...Bring back arcane precision in a new form : applies lesser arcane power (next 2 attacks are critical hits) when swapping attunements. This will give back some of the old trait functionality with a nice synergy with elemental surge.Bring back lingering elements and make it work with all traits instead of just minor ones. Let the arcane ele keep its attunement specific traits going for longer when traited with this and swaping attunements, making it a rewarding experience to quick rotate your attunements. This will give core ele an advantage as it can bounce between two attunements and keep their bonuses longer than weaver or tempest arcane eles (since it has access to two attunement traitlines)Make arcane shield an aura, even if just when traited in arcane, so it activates aura traits and can be shared, giving ele a great group defensive utility.Make arcane, weaver and tempest traits that give direct bonuses change based on attunement : things like elements of rage, or bountiful power. Instead of a flat dmg bonus, make it a dmg bonus on fire, a dmg reduction in earth, a healing increase in water, a critical bonus in air... Giving the trait more use instead of just dps and enabling more variety to other playstyles.

Make fireball, meteor shower, and lava-found apply burn giving staff a bit more dps and maybe a viable hybrid/condi appeal.Make flame burst copy burns from the target to 5 nearby targets making it a burn-only version of epidemicMake mist form applies chill to foes around so its a better escape toolmake armor of earth pulses protection and stability so it cant just be corrupted with one skill leaving nothing but a little cosmetic stone skirtmake the elite elemental glyph to not have an expiration and start CD when the elemental dies similar to necros flesh golem.

Make all conjure utility skills a 2 charges ground target skill , if the caster is inside the target area it conjures it on its own hands, otherwise creates a weapon to picked up in the ground.

[New Elites Suggestion]

Elementalist is in an interesting position where giving it a new weapon with skills for all 4 attunements, or giving it a new weapon with only 5 skills and 5 new skills for each core weapon results in the same amount of new weapon skills.

With this in mind, I've made the suggestion of creating an elite spec for the Ele that looses the access to their unique skills per attunement and gain weapon swap. It uses longbows for range while the other weapons become more melee oriented with a martial arts flavor. Attunements become fighting styles, giving your weapon skills special effects instead of new skills (like glyph of elemental power or arcane power).
You can use it as a monk, with unique fighting styles or as an arcane archer with imbued elemental arrows.

And, by having a new set of skills for core weapons, any skill imbalances that need to be adjusted won't cause a nerf to core or other specs.

[Favorite spec and weapon for what modes?]

Open World: Fresh Air tempest (Air/Water/Tempest) with dagger/warhorn and staff for the occasional zerg meta.

PvP: S/D celestial weaver most of the time (water/arcane/weaver) and Burst Fresh Air Weaver (air/water/weaver) if I see that the team comp (both mine and opposing) is favorable for it.

WvW: Power Staff Weaver for zergs, support tempest when commander needs more reflects and heals, celestial Sw/d weaver for roaming.

Meanwhile, daydreaming about the Longbow Ele... someday...

[PvP Weaver; How do you deal with core fear necro? Heavy condi in general?]

@AliamRationem.5172 said:I also agree on the celestial stats. While toughness is useful, I don't think it's worth giving up a chunk of everything else. It seems to me that having more healing would benefit pretty much any weaver build more than toughness would. Playing with Sage just feels right to me. It's an almost perfect stat balance for fire weaver, with the extra health cushion to survive a little punishment and healing power to take advantage of those excellent heal combos in water/earth for rapid recovery. Yet it has full power and condi on it, too, so you're quite bursty and dangerous if opponents get careless! Perfect!

I play celestial Sw/d weaver in pvp and really prefer the celestial amulet.Keep in mind toughness is not the only stat you get over sage.You loose a some power but you get precision and ferocity... That is a little over 20% crit chance and 30% crit dmg.And that toughness is quite nice to have with so many burst builds going around.

[New Elite Spec - Disciple (Weapon swap and Longbow!)]

@Stand The Wall.6987 said:there is no beauty dood. its 40 kitten skills. to get the same results as a warrior auto attacking with an axe. who the hell would want that? not many. ele really doesn't need another entire set of watered down skills that barely do anything. it would also be a balance nightmare cuz as soon as 1 or 2 skills are over performing then the whole weapon gets nuked to uselesstown when those skills get nerfed. oh guess what, that's basically ele in a nutshell.

The idea is exactly to reduce the number of skills per weapon and increase the power and effects of the skills based on attunement effects.It's not 40 skills. It's basically turning the ele weapons into regular weapons with a single set of skills, while attunements only add bonuses and effects to those (similar to how sigil of elemental power and arcane power add effects to your next few attacks, or how evasive arcana adds effects to your dodges).

The loss of 4 sets of skills per weapon is partially compensated by having with weapon swap, and partially by traits that allow extra combos, booms, and faster swap.The loss of the attunement versatility is partially compensated by adding some effects to weapon attacks based on attunements. So, although you won't have a full set of skills ready to go when you swap attunements, you will still be able to slightly change the effects of whatever skills you have out of CD.

[Ideas for Elementalist]

@"bowsefuss.1496" said:Friendly bump of this subjectively genius idea. You know, as we keep talking about new weapon specializations!

Have a look: An Elite spec suggestion that gives Ele the Long-bow and (in combat) weapon-swap with physical utility skills for mobility and control.A martial take on the elementalist where attunements become like fight styles adding effects to weapon skills (similar to glyph of elemental power, or how evasive arcana gives different effects to dodge based on attunement) instead of giving new skills.

[Elementalist Traitlines for the current state of the game]

Really hope Ele gets some more synergy in the upcoming patch.Maybe the devs now come around the forums to see suggestions and feedback.

[New Elite Spec - Disciple (Weapon swap and Longbow!)]

@Stand The Wall.6987 said:this spec will be so easy to balance with 40 skills.../sThe beauty of it is that by making a new single set of skills (5 skills) for each weapon (d/d - 5, staff - 5, s/f - 5, LB- 5 = 20 skills) you are developing the same number of skills than for a new 2-handed weapon in 4 attunements (5*4 = 20 skills), but you will not change older skills (and therefore affect balance of core or other specs).

@ROMANG.1903 said:I really like the idea of having a longbow with weapon swap as a mechanic, it's amazing. However I'm not sure I understand what you're doing with the attunements?

Attunements become like fight styles. They won't give you a new set of skills when you swap to them, but they will give some different effects to skills when you attune to them. So an attack that would deal single target dmg and cause vulnerability in air will instead cause some splash dmg and burn in fire. Its like having a buff that affects your skills, similar to how the signet of elemental power or arcane power skills add effects to your next few skills.The main change of this is that you can combine attunements simultaneously (like being attuned to both air and fire at the same time) with the appropriate traits, to apply both effects at the same time. So in the same example, the skill would cause direct dmg, splash dmg, burn and vulnerability. While this is great, leaving the double attune will place both attunements in CD. Also, due to the skills and CD not being ruled by the attunment, but by weapons, you can swap attunment without breaking auto-attack chains.

[Now Ele seems rather balanced to play...or is it my imagination?]

Ele is quite balanced right now, and more so as other specs and classes start to get their trade-offs and become less OP.

But still, Ele has a lot of wasted potential being locked up in certain styles and not taking opportunity of the class natural versatility. Examples:

• Aura buffs are independent of aura duration, so you can just spam auras for more buffs instead of having any benefit for longer duration auras (from runes or traits) or managing auras and transmutes better.
• Aura share is in water. This locks aura based support into a defensive support. If aura-share was in tempest, it would open the possibility of being an offensive support with other attunement traitlines.
• No access to quickness. A wasted opportunity on the air line.
• Terrible access to stability. Armor of earth needs to pulse stability and protection... earth line needs to provide better source of stab.
• Condi cleanse in both fire and water. Yes, we wanted another way to deal with condis besides water, but it didn't have to be the same thing. Give fire the ability to resist conditions with a trait that makes fire auras provide resistance (the buff) instead of just cleansing. Have water eles cleanse and fire eles resist...

[The Next Elementalist Elite spec]

@"Aylpse.6280" said:A bow. Yes, a Bow. Why a Bow? Have you ever played Dragon's Dogma? Have you ever seen a MYSTIC ARCHER? Imagine conjure ice bow but on kitten crack. Throw in some irony like Longbow - Physical. Make the utilities do cool flips and evasive stunts, make the F1-5 have some kind of volley mechanic on attunement swap. Or ammo for "charged shots" that either change the weapon 1-5 or add additional effects. Make the ammo refresh on attunement swap.

https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/76602/new-elite-spec-disciple-weapon-swap-and-longbow

[The Next Elementalist Elite spec]

@"lightinthedark.2596" said:I would like it to be a spec where you stay in ONE Elemental attunement and instead have 2 weapon sets. One of the things I really dislike about Weaver is the Mozart like grasp you need to get the decent dps by having to swap to all the different attunements. Imo, it asks too much of your patience for competitive dps. For the next spec I would like to be able to stay in ONE attunement. Thematically there is nothing like a pure ice mage or Lightning caster and it would be unique for the ele to switch weapons rather than constantly swapping between all 4 elements.

You can use fire tempest if you want just one attunement dps.http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PGgAs2lNwSYXMEGJOqWttfA-zxIY/ohPMSKguEwZWo+sC-eCamp fire, overload and blast to keep perma might and fury. Super simple and quite efficient. Only thing remotely complex is to time your aura and aura blast to make the best of overload aura and weapon aura for max burns and might.Very "fire mage" if you want...Was meta for a while in raids before PoF.

Go with trailblazer gear if you feel squishy in open world.

[Elementalist Needs New Blood]

Why not an elite spec that instead of giving one new weapon with 20 skills, gives one new weapon with 5 skills and new skills for each old weapon and weapon swap?This way we can get a entire new way to play ele (weapon swap instead of unique skills per attunement), and as the new spec doesnt use old weapon skills, there are no issues of the elite spec ending up in core being nerfed.