Curse

Raven Nebula · Jan 20, 2007, 06:09 AM // 06:09

Hey, okay I've been playing a couple months so don't hammer my idea if it's really bad :-) I haven't tested it yet.

Conjure Lightning
Ignite Arrows
Thunderclap
Dual Arrows
Hunters Shot

That's the basic part of the build. I believe that is the best casting order. Ignite and Dual go together, obviously. And Thunderclap and hunters, that way they start to bleed.

What i'm not sure about are two things.

1) Energy - even with high expertise it's going to drain energy and so maybe I need Glyph of Lesser Energy?
2) Time - The amount of time you have to inflict the damage isn't very high, so maybe Serpent's Quickness?

You would of course need a shocking bowstring, high expertise, high air magic...I was just trying to come up with a powerful R/E build...I wanted to do a water based one, but there is no skill akin to Thunderclap in that area. Possibly substitute Thunderclap for Glimmering Mark?

Any suggestions on what could be added to this build to make it work...if it even can work? Thanks everybody :-)

ubermancer · Jan 20, 2007, 07:38 AM // 07:38

You wont even be able to trigger Thunderclap like that. Read the wiki, look at the mechanics of your skills.

Raven Nebula · Jan 20, 2007, 08:29 AM // 08:29

Skill details
[edit skill details]
Thunderclap
Image:Thunderclap.jpg
Campaign: Prophecies

Elementalist
Profession: Elementalist
Attribute: Air Magic
Type: Elite Hex Spell
10 Energy 2 Activation 15 Recharge

For 8...18 seconds, if target foe is struck for lightning damage, that foe and adjacent foes are knocked down, and you lose 15...9 Energy or Thunderclap ends.

With a lightning wand (and good attack timing) or a shocking shortbow, you can effectively keep another player on the ground for the entire duration of the hex (assuming no hex removal). This will leave you with little or no energy.

http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Thunderclap

What am I not getting then? Besides that I shouldn't use it with conjure frost...is that what you mean?

Vexed · Jan 20, 2007, 11:54 PM // 23:54

Actually that will work to trigger thunderclap, but it's not really a great way to do it. Thunderclap is going to suck your energy dry in no time. Expertise will not affect either the casting of it or the energy lost when it triggers.

Also, as the wiki description says, using Conjure Lightning with a shocking string will cause lightning damage twice, which means you get twice the energy loss in a single hit.

You'll get, at best, 2-3 shots off before you're dry.

Glimmering mark might be all right if you're facing lots of melee, but I don't know, using elementalist elites as a Ranger just doesn't feel right.

The best use for your ele secondary as a ranger is probably mark of Rodgort with a fiery bowstring for lots of burning. You can toss Conjure Flame in there too for extra damage - just watch your energy. Ele skills are expensive for a ranger's low energy pool and 3 pips of regen.

Sir Mad · Jan 21, 2007, 12:03 AM // 00:03

^ Yeah I agree, since the buff of the fire line, the best choice for R/E is probably Barrage, Glyph of Lesser Energy, Mark of Rodgort and Confure Flame. Rangers are generally pretty bad with spells: they don't have a huge energy pool, and only 3 pips of regen. Expertise is their way of managing it, and it doesn't work with spells, so generally: stay away from then

Raven Nebula · Jan 21, 2007, 01:20 AM // 01:20

Hmm okay, that makes sense. I use glimmering mark with one of my friends when we farm together. He's a tank and so I use it with conjure lightning to help keep things off him. I'll have to think about other possibilities. I am trying to find a good dmg dealing r/e that's not using rodgort...trying to be creative :-)

Darkpower Alchemist · Jan 21, 2007, 01:36 AM // 01:36

Ranger players generally stay away from spellcasting, since it doesn't get effected by Expertise. Conjure may take a backseat to Splinter Weapon and its brethren in the near future,thanks to the Rit weapon spell buff.

However.the Conjure/Barrage combo is not new and is well documented as being effective. Maybe if another character could cast the hex, then it would be effective, but on the ranger, it just becomes a drain.

Oh, btw, Conjure spells are enchantments, so the cost is a one time per cast, not a repeating use cost.

[skill]Conjure Lightning[/skill]

It would take significant investment into the air attribute line to get decent damage from it, but it is viable.

Raven Nebula · Jan 21, 2007, 03:37 AM // 03:37

Well, I believe I have 9 in air magic, 11 in exp, 9 in ws, and 10 in marks. That gives me +13 with conjure frost, which is nice.

Faust Bane · Jan 21, 2007, 05:09 AM // 05:09

You could use Kindle arrows+conjure flame with a bow string of your choice. That would be +13 from conjure flame and +16 from kindle arrows with the attributes your running.

jesh · Jan 21, 2007, 07:32 AM // 07:32

To elaborate, unless it's been changed, Kindle changes your damage type to fire, thus freeing up your choice of bow string. You can tack on another +5 from a 5/1 vampiric to that.
To a 60 AL target, that's +34 damage to each arrow. Only the 5 from the vampiric string will stick on higher AL targets, though.

Maria The Princess · Jan 21, 2007, 08:07 AM // 08:07

why dont u replace thunderclap with pin down and take burning or poison arrow as your elite?