Curse

Sowaka · Dec 04, 2006, 04:14 AM // 04:14

Hey, I've been playing this game for a month now... having extreme difficulty picking a class that I like and actually sticking to it... so far I have a level 20 Ranger whom is getting her bum handed to her by Dijin and a Necromancer that was meant to be blood magic but it's getting a little.. frustrating I suppose, cant seem to be able to balance damage output with the rate at which I sacrifice health, just putting more pressure on the monks in my parties if they accept me at all, I tend to get kicked when I dont run my MM build.

Anyways, back onto topic, I've been attracted to Air Magic for awhile now... I know it's not too great unless I'm in PvP but I still want to run the build in PvE... especially since I recently found a godly Air Magic staff by accident. So my question is... are there any nice PvE Air Elementalist builds out there? I'm hoping to be able to get most of the skills from the Nightfall chapter without having to get too far into the game... I dont want to be needing to capture a key skill when I'm almost done with the whole storyline. Mind you, I can travel to the Prophecies and Factions chapters as well to get the skills afterwards. Any help regarding a build would be great, especially if I could solo or duo farm with it later, I'm very interested in the vabbian armor for female Necromancers, Warriors and Rangers so I want to be able to buy it at some point. @_@

LightningHell · Dec 04, 2006, 04:23 AM // 04:23

You want to go support?

Sowaka · Dec 04, 2006, 04:25 AM // 04:25

Hmmm... I suppose I could. I'm always just a fan of doing a crapload of damage without dieing too fast.

Thom Bangalter · Dec 04, 2006, 04:32 AM // 04:32

searing flames+monk. it's nightfall only, too.

Francis Crawford · Dec 04, 2006, 05:04 AM // 05:04

The only good reason to go air magic is for conditions -- blindness, maybe weakness. Along with decent single-target damage, of course.

In PvE, that suggests you should go /Me secondary and bring Epidemic.

Dual Attunements (Elemental (E) and Air) will allow you to do a lot of casting.

LightningHell · Dec 04, 2006, 05:07 AM // 05:07

I suggest using /Mo due to the Elementalist's synergy with the overcosted Monk spells.

Reiterating my point over, over, over, over...x100 again.

Francis Crawford · Dec 04, 2006, 05:21 AM // 05:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by LightningHell

I suggest using /Mo due to the Elementalist's synergy with the overcosted Monk spells.

Reiterating my point over, over, over, over...x100 again.

He's Nightfall-first. He can't cap Ether Prodigy any time soon.

That said, if he takes dual Attunements (Fire) and the Glowing Gaze engine (Immolate or Mark of Rodgort), he'll have a ton of energy left over. But he did say he'd like to try Air, which I think is something you'd generally support.

pingu666 · Dec 04, 2006, 05:47 AM // 05:47

on mine i use...
lightning orb
blinding flash
chain lightning
Enervating Charge
Lightning Javelin
elemental attunment
air attunment
a heal
res

just remove 1 attack skill, or res in certain situations.

with 2 attunments u can cast like a machinegun (just be careful on the chain lightnings)

if you cant get elemenatal attunment, then cunjore lightning is good for your wanding/staffing

skillsbas8 · Dec 04, 2006, 05:50 AM // 05:50

Blinding surge has its uses in PVE for its adjacent blind. Just hit enchanted foes. The weakness spells also help against many bosses. In PVE, I mainly see air as support.

Sowaka · Dec 04, 2006, 05:56 AM // 05:56

Well, I suppose I could switch my motives of using an Air Magic build to another element although I'd prefer not to, especially now that I've got a nice Air Staff and dont want to fork over half my months savings for a staff of another element. I can also start in Factions instead of Nightfall if need be, but I definantly will not start in prophecies @__@

Either way, I'd just like a very damaging build that is simple to use, can survive a mission without dieing constantly and can farm a nice area so that I can get some gold to spend on buying myself some of that nice armor. I know it's quite a bit... it's like asking for the perfect build for the game XD

Francis Crawford · Dec 04, 2006, 06:03 AM // 06:03

If you care a lot about survivability that doesn't depend on the monks, make room on your skillbar for Aura of Restoration and/or Kinetic Armor.

As for that staff you love -- you ARE familiar with the concept of collectors weapons, aren't you? Getting a max fire staff is easy, for example (11-22 damage, +10 energy, 20% chance each of HSR and HCT). Many people, me included, would happily sell you one for 1K, and some (not me) would do it for 500. (I used to charge 2K, but the price of everything has come down ...). Or you can save up and get one yourself.

Then stick whatever mods on it you like that you salvage from other weapons.

Look at Guildwiki's guide to collectors for more details.

Wands/offhands are easy to get too. Well, 20/20 flame artifacts are a bit awkward, but I'm about to go on an expedition to fetch a bunch of them for my various heroes.

TLLOTS · Dec 04, 2006, 07:30 AM // 07:30

I wouldn't bother with Blinding Surge in PvE, it's really not worth it. Given the lack of condition removal in PvE you can easily get by with Blinding Flash provided you're not spamming it everywhere. For your elite I'd take Ether Prodigy, Second Wind or Ether Prism (in order of preference) and go for a monk secondary for Heal Party and a hard rez combined with Glyph of Sacrifice.

Your full build would be something like this:

1. [skill=text]Blinding Flash[/skill]
2. [skill=text]Lightning Strike[/skill] / [skill=text]Lightning Javelin[/skill]
3. [skill=text]Enervating Charge[/skill] / [skill=text]Lightning Strike[/skill]
4. [skill=text]Lightning Orb[/skill]
5. [skill=text]Ether Prodigy[/skill] / [skill=text]Second Wind[/skill] / [skill=text]Ether Prism[/skill]
6. [skill=text]Heal Party[/skill]
7. [skill=text]Glyph of Sacrifice[/skill]
8. [skill=text]Resurrection Chant[/skill]

Attributes:

Air Magic: 11 +1 (Headpiece) +2 (Major Air Magic Rune)
Energy Storage: 10 +2 (Major Energy Storage Rune)
Healing Prayers: 10

Until you get some form of elite energy management you may want to go without Heal Party and use attunements instead. Otherwise the build is fairly simple to run, just use your damage skills as they recharge, hit any melee enemies attacking you or another person on your team with Blinding Flash, and as necessary crank out Heal Party. Glyph of Sacrifice is reserved solely for Ressurection Chant, don't bother with it for anything else.

The damage from this build won't be as good as something like Searing Flames, but it will give you a fair degree of flexibility mainly due to Blinding Flash and your monk secondary.

Amadei · Dec 04, 2006, 08:01 AM // 08:01

This is the air build that got my Nightfall elementalist to survivor:

1. Glyph of Lesser Energy
2. Air Attunement
3. Lightning Orb
4. Lightning Strike
5. Lightning Bolt/Gale/Aura of Restoration/cap sig (i.e. variable slot)
6. Blinding Flash
7. Ward Against Melee
8. Rez

No elite, so pick one you like. I've found that inbetween the new and improved Glyph of Lesser Energy and Air Attunement, there's no real need for an elite energy management. No sup or major rune (because I was survivoring), around 8 or so in earth for a reasonable Ward Melee.

I don't know about an air farming build, but there's a very good Stoneflesh Aura/Double Dragon fire build that I use on the mesmer to farm outside Maatu Keep.

LightningHell · Dec 04, 2006, 09:58 AM // 09:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Francis Crawford

He's Nightfall-first. He can't cap Ether Prodigy any time soon.

That said, if he takes dual Attunements (Fire) and the Glowing Gaze engine (Immolate or Mark of Rodgort), he'll have a ton of energy left over. But he did say he'd like to try Air, which I think is something you'd generally support.

Ether Prism works fine, just requires more management. It can provide more energy than Prodigy, so...

Francis Crawford · Dec 04, 2006, 05:26 PM // 17:26

Good point re Ether Prism.

Takes the right weapon set, of course.

And Mantra of Resolve, I would think. (I haven't actually capped the skill.)

Enix · Dec 05, 2006, 11:33 PM // 23:33

Here is my Anti-Tank damage build for Air Ele (speciallizes in killing Glint). The energy costs are high on some skills, but you get it all back from regen and double attunements. The bad thing is that Air skills will not finish their cast if the target dies since they are not AoE skills, thus negating the energy return of double attunes. Also, you must have line of sight for Orb and Javelin.

Ele Attune {E}
Air Attune
Aura of Restoration
Blinding Flash (spam it on physical damage foes)
Engraving Charge (spam on physical dmg foes, too)
Lighting Javelin (spam spam spam, interrupts attack skills)
Lightning Orb
Lighting Hammer (sorry, it is Factions, but you can replace with another Air skill - Chain Lightning maybe)

Sowaka · Dec 06, 2006, 12:13 AM // 00:13

Holy cripes, at the moment that's my current build although Aura Of restoration is subbed for a Resurrection Signet. For now, does the build seem okay for everyone else? Are there any suggestions for improving that build?

After I have perfected the Air Magic build I'll probably move on to earth magic or fire magic XD

And much thanks to everyone who has input on this build for me, I'm going to be trying to cap some more elites so that I can use some of the suggested ones. My current problem with the dual attunement build is that enemies constantly remove the enchantments from me, so I've taken to casting elemental attunement first and then air attunement but even having the second one removed leaves a noticable difference.

TLLOTS · Dec 06, 2006, 01:20 AM // 01:20

You should consider fitting in Aura of Restoration purely for its value as a cover enchantment. Simply cast it after your attunements are up and watch for it getting stripped, if it does then just cast it again and your attunements should remain protected.

Ozric · Dec 06, 2006, 08:41 AM // 08:41

I haven't seen alot of problems with energy mgmt in my air build at all really. The only time I'd consider going with anything more than Air Attunement is when I wanted to include something like Lightning Hammer, and I don't use that one much.

[skill=text]Lightning Strike[/skill]
[skill=text]Enervating Charge[/skill]
[skill=text]Lightning Bolt[/skill]
[skill=text]Blinding Surge[/skill] or [skill=text]Invoke Lightning[/skill]
[skill=text]Lightning Orb[/skill]
[skill=text]Chain Lightning[/skill]
[skill=text]Aura of Restoration[/skill]
[skill=text]Air Attunement[/skill]

This build is very fun as you're never waiting for a recharge of anything. The baddies are just taking one shot after another of one of these guns. If I have an aggro tank and I know there will be Dervishes, I'll take Blinding Surge along as they're always enchanted and I get the secondary effect from it.

Aura of Restoration is really only a cover enchant because in between blinding and/or weakening the enemy meleers you don't take alot of damage, but depending on the area I might put Storm Djinn's Haste or Windborne Speed in there.

I know I'm bad,..I don't take a rez,...

Permasiel · Dec 06, 2006, 09:28 AM // 09:28

1. Air attunement
2. Glyph of Lesser
3. Mind Shock
4. Lightning Orb
5. Lightning Hammer
6. Lightning Strike
7. Cap Sig (it is pve after all

)
8. Rez Sig

Works very well, particularly with heroes/hench, as they'll follow your calls, and you call one target, who's gonna get downed pretty fast.
Just be sure to manage your mind shocks well. It's not hard in pve, as you run between mobs and get time to wipe off your exhaustion