Curse

Kool Kirby · Jul 28, 2006, 08:27 PM // 20:27

I am looking for an elementalist secondary profession that will: (Factions)

1. support it well
2. make me hold my own better
3. make me play a good part in pvp and pve battles.

Thanks! I am a newbie btw. Looking for a good guild, lol. (kurzick)

And which AIR spells should i use, FACTIONS, maybe use water or earth too? PLEASE HELP ME, I am a DAMAGE DEALER.

Jetdoc · Jul 28, 2006, 08:43 PM // 20:43

There's a ton of builds right above you that will help you pick the element you want to specialize in and your secondary.

Honestly, most elementalists either utilize the Mesmer secondary (for Echo/Arcane Echo/Energy Recovery) or the Monk secondary (for self heals and to help with backup healing when the monk(s) get overextended).

But then again, every secondary has a very good use, but those two are the most common.

Pick Me · Jul 28, 2006, 09:03 PM // 21:03

Hi Kool Kirby,

Welcome to the wonderful profession of the Elementalist.

Unfortunately I cannot help you regarding PvP, but PvE, I can (I think

).

In all truth, Elementalists tend to stand on their own, not really using any 2ndary profession.

However, there are times when the secondary profession may provide some aid. Mesmer, Monk, Ritualist and Necromancer.

Okay,

Mesmer - energy management, condition spreader, spell copier, defense

Monk - minor healer, protector, hard rez

Ritualist - healer, protector, hard rez

Necromancer - bigger energy pool for curses, blood spiker

E/N are not very good Minion Masters (FYI).

Warriors have stances (not all that useful)
Rangers have stances (a little bit useful), change all elemental damage in to cold, healing (not as good as monk though)
Assassins really don't have much to offer you at all (not good for beginners)

My suggestion is Ritualist or Monk. The lack of Divine Favor dimishes the monk healing powers by a lot. Mesmers maybe hard to use for beginners.

In the beginning, Fire is a good start. But you'll find that Earth becomes better once you have the right spells. Protection spells and spells that ignore resistance and defense.

Hope this helps.

Stormlord Alex · Jul 29, 2006, 02:54 AM // 02:54

Excellent, another Elementalist has joined our folds... Mwahahahaha...

Now, for secondary profession, I'd recommend either Mesmer or Monk.

Mesmer gives you more means of regenerating energy, as well as defensive skills, in the Inspiration Magic line. Also, Mesmer gives you access to the spells Arcane Echo and Echo, allowing you to have multiple copies of spells. With good energy management, echo-casting some of the more powerful Elementalist spells, such as my beloved Rodgort's Invocation, can cause lots of enemies to... die.

And to top it all off, Mesmers have access to interrupt skills, that require no investment in attributes to do their work (I heartilly recommend Power Return, low energy cost, short recharge, and in PvE, the energy it gives back won't matter... AI monsters seem to have infinite energy anyways...)

However, the downside to Mesmer is that you'll be limited to the Resurrection Signet to bring people back to life, and it only recharges when you defeat a boss. In some areas, such as the Fissure of Woe, there's few/no bosses to recharge your signet.

Monk, on the other hand, gives you access to 'hard' resurrection spells, such as Rebirth, that you can cast as much as you want. Monk as a secondary adds powerful healing and protective magics to your repetoire; spells like Healing Breeze or Protective Spirit require only a little investment to get a fair amount out of them. Also, with the Elementalist's high energy, and the ability to rapidly regenerate energy (the elite spell Ether Progidy is key here, and I can't remember whether you can get it in Factions...), you can constantly cast high-energy cost, powerful healing spells such as Heal Party and Heal Other to serve as a powerful back-up healer.

The problem with Monk, compared to Mesmer, is that it lacks the Echo skills that are very useful in augmenting the Elementalist's damage.

So, for secondary, either of those two are 'best' for a newbie, both easy to work with and effective.

Now, for your element...

I happily recommend Fire Magic as your starting element, it's all powerful, area-of-effect, direct damage spells, very easy to learn.

After you've got to grips with Fire, I'd recommend you collect skills from the other elements, then see which element suits your play style...

Fire: AoE damage, nice big numbers, lots of burning. Energy management is key here, Fire spells are expensive. Most groups will also expect you to be a Fire mage.

Air: Single target strikes, powerful at debilitating one enemy - blind, weakness, knockdowns, etc.

Earth: The most defensive element with enchantments and wards that help you and your party take less damage. However, also has some powerful offensive skills (Earthquake/Dragon Stomp and Obsidian Flame in particular).

Water: The jack-of-all-trades element, with powerful defensive spells (Armour of Mist and Ward Against Harm come to mind), AoE spells that also slow foes (Deep Freeze is an insane area of effect), and hexes that weaken foes as well.

Hope it helps.

P.S... Watch the Exhaustion.

Kool Kirby · Jul 29, 2006, 01:47 PM // 13:47

Thanks! Currently I started off with an air mage (and he is pretty good, now i have super spells that can unload damage very quickly and also regen quickly). I also got some water spells. Ill try fire.

I think mesmer is right for me, and I'll try to eliminate targets before they can elminate my allies

Just one thing: Where can I find a seller for rodgort's invocation?

Stormlord Alex · Jul 29, 2006, 11:19 PM // 23:19

Good choice with the Air Magic.

Rodgort's Invocation is only available in the Prophecies campaign. Marhan's Grotto, right in the south of the Southern Shiverpeaks, is the earliest available place to get Rodgort's Invocation from a skill trainer, and I can't think of any bosses earlier than that which you could capture it off. It's well worth the trek though.

LordLucifer · Jul 30, 2006, 02:48 AM // 02:48

id stay away from fire if you have only factions, no met shower, no rodgorts invocation, those are the main nuker skills =/

you could use other AoE stuff but...they all make mobs run around and spread aggro like hell, 95% of the times its better to have 7 members than 8 with 1 ele spamming fire storm and the likes

Kool Kirby · Jul 30, 2006, 03:09 PM // 15:09

What Air spells should I use? Any elites? Factions only pls.

LordLucifer · Jul 30, 2006, 05:56 PM // 17:56

elem attunement+air attunement (energy costs for air spamming are insane without them) get some dmg spells to keep you always casting and stuff of your choice (dunno if blinding flash is avaliable in factions, maybe rez?)

Kool Kirby · Jul 31, 2006, 02:54 AM // 02:54

Okay...flash is in factions yeah

so like lightning strike, lightnin arrow, ener charge, orb, flash, air attunement, ele attunement, rez?

I'll try that

I have found peace with a necro secondary. But hey, nothing hurts to try

Vampiric gaze, life siphon (that doesnt really work though), and animate bone fiend (yes, skills are VERY expensive for me, at least, in my eyes)

Pick Me · Jul 31, 2006, 03:23 PM // 15:23

If you can get it, get Blood Renewal, if not, then Parasitic Bond, if not, then vampiric Gaze. These in order are the best self healing spells you can get. Blood Renewal sacs 25% of life, but gives you health regen and then a health boost at the end. Parasitic bond is a cover hex that does -1 health degen and at the end, gives you a health boost. If find spamming Life Siphon is not always a good thing.

As others have said, Air Magic is the best in Factions, since some of the better spells are in Prophecies (Meteor Shower, Rodgort's, Glyph of Energy, etc.). Ride the Lightning I think may be one of the better offensive elites Air has.

Have fun, and good luck.