So I recently got back into the game after a long hiatus, and for some reason I see a load of elementalists running around with sword and shields.
Now don't get me wrong, they look cool, better than the butt ugly staves us eles are usually saddled up with but I don't see the point, us eles are squishy, why equip frontline weapons?
I've asked a few in-game but the responses I usually get vary from none, to "lol noob".
So can anyone please tell me what the point is of equipping an ele with a sword instead of a nice staff?
Eles with...swords???
Face Melter
aznhalf
Same reason any caster class should equip sword+shields. You get the half of the AR bonus of the shield and two fortitude mods.
Then you switch to your efficiency set(40/40) everytime you want to cast a spell. And then can fall back on the shield set to take less damage.
Hope this helps.
Then you switch to your efficiency set(40/40) everytime you want to cast a spell. And then can fall back on the shield set to take less damage.
Hope this helps.
Nikki Moonlight
sword and shield=60 health and 8 armor, may as well have more health/armor when you don't need the energy you can get from "proper" off-hands or staves. can also be an axe or spear, really.
EDIT: also, what ^ he said.
EDIT: also, what ^ he said.
N1ghtstalker
i've seen an ele using daggers and dagger attacks in AB
Ner Zhul
The aim of equipping sword/axe/spear + shield is having a better defensive set when u need it. Not only eles, but casters in general use to do this 
Bowstring Badass
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Originally Posted by N1ghtstalker
i've seen an ele using daggers and dagger attacks in AB
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N1ghtstalker
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Originally Posted by Bowstring Badass
That's AB anything and everything works there.
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Sir Tidus
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Originally Posted by aznhalf
Same reason any caster class should equip sword+shields. You get the half of the AR bonus of the shield and two fortitude mods.
Then you switch to your efficiency set(40/40) everytime you want to cast a spell. And then can fall back on the shield set to take less damage. Hope this helps. |
Red Sand
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Originally Posted by N1ghtstalker
so that's why i saw a war using [skill]backfire[/skill] against me
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hurdlebeast
[skill]Stoneflesh Aura[/skill] + [skill]Armor of Earth[/skill] + [skill]Shockwave[/skill] + [skill]Stone Striker[/skill]
plus any of the "Conjure" spells, with a corresponding weapon prefix (Conjure Flame + Fiery Sword/Axe/Dagger/Scythe)
I do that in Pve sometimes, pretty nice build actually (modified Terratank build, the base can be found here.
might explain it a bit too, in addition to above posts
plus any of the "Conjure" spells, with a corresponding weapon prefix (Conjure Flame + Fiery Sword/Axe/Dagger/Scythe)
I do that in Pve sometimes, pretty nice build actually (modified Terratank build, the base can be found here.
might explain it a bit too, in addition to above posts
Nyktos
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Originally Posted by hurdlebeast
[skill]Stoneflesh Aura[/skill] + [skill]Armor of Earth[/skill] + [skill]Shockwave[/skill] + [skill]Stone Striker[/skill]
plus any of the "Conjure" spells, with a corresponding weapon prefix (Conjure Flame + Fiery Sword/Axe/Dagger/Scythe) |
N1ghtstalker
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Originally Posted by Red Sand
Yeah, you take on mesmer shrines a few times and watch your casters get chewed up, it gets you thinking.
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a war shouldn't be doing such a thing in the first place, and you can tell me his armor is equipped with runes of attunement and radiant but then again, what kind of a war uses that kind of armor?
hurdlebeast
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Originally Posted by Nyktos
Taking a Conjure is kinda pointless with Stone Striker on your bar....
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HawkofStorms
Also keep in mind that a caster sword can have enchanting mods and +5 energy all the time, unlike wands which don't have any enchanting mod and only provide +5 energy while enchanted/or while health ^50%.
Red Sand
This is funny, cause I was discussing this with one of my monks the other day: a Warrior, without a large energy demanding build, could carry Backfire to help shut down a caster.
I wouldn't put on Radiant armor to do it, I'd carry a +15e staff and swap out like a caster to my high energy set, cast, swap back and then work adrenal skills after that.
Backfire's casting time is long, but you have to hope the other sides interrupters are focused on your casters and not you when you toss it on them.
I wouldn't put on Radiant armor to do it, I'd carry a +15e staff and swap out like a caster to my high energy set, cast, swap back and then work adrenal skills after that.
Backfire's casting time is long, but you have to hope the other sides interrupters are focused on your casters and not you when you toss it on them.
Esoteric Mesmer
Welcome to the Guild Wars of caster weapons. It made it so inscript weps with a q 13 could add a +5 energy and 20% enchant and still be worth something depending on the skin.
As for the eles, haven't seen to many of them with the caster set, yet its huge with most monks.
As for the eles, haven't seen to many of them with the caster set, yet its huge with most monks.
Tokar Terrius
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Originally Posted by Esoteric Mesmer
Welcome to the Guild Wars of caster weapons. It made it so inscript weps with a q 13 could add a +5 energy and 20% enchant and still be worth something depending on the skin.
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aznhalf
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Originally Posted by Sir Tidus
If you switch weapons, then wouldn't it be better to have a sword pommel of defense? Because if you put the sword away, then you lose all the health bonus, resulting in a absolutely no benefit at all (same as if you never had that health bonus in the first place). But if you have armor instead, then that armor bonus would have prevented damage before you put your sword away. This is why I think conditional health boosts are worthless.
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Most people idle in their efficiency sets anyways and only switch when they're getting spiked. So the time when you're most concerned about the health bonus is when you need to have it equipped. If you die in your efficiency set then you've failed
Sir Tidus
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Originally Posted by aznhalf
A normal spike consist of Orb and shatter in addition to wars unloading. Cracked armor will nullify your armor bonus, shatter is armor ignoring. Extra health is universally useful against spikes.
Most people idle in their efficiency sets anyways and only switch when they're getting spiked. So the time when you're most concerned about the health bonus is when you need to have it equipped. If you die in your efficiency set then you've failed |
runchippyrun
+20 % enchanting and in ha piercing slashing and all the major buffs in pvp
Bigger Redd
Also, since Ursan Blessing, everyone is a potential frontline character. Swords help keep the damage coming
Jam Jar
Or you can have a E/W who's trying to be suicidal. 
RPGmaniac
Also monsters in PvE will only put hexes like Backfire on people wielding caster weapons and spells like empathy on people wielding martial weapons. An ele with a sword prevents those kinds of hexes.
Why would it matter? You're losing the armor bonus too by switching weapons.
Quote:
| If you switch weapons, then wouldn't it be better to have a sword pommel of defense? Because if you put the sword away, then you lose all the health bonus, resulting in a absolutely no benefit at all (same as if you never had that health bonus in the first place). But if you have armor instead, then that armor bonus would have prevented damage before you put your sword away. This is why I think conditional health boosts are worthless. |
Sir Tidus
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Originally Posted by RPGmaniac
Also monsters in PvE will only put hexes like Backfire on people wielding caster weapons and spells like empathy on people wielding martial weapons. An ele with a sword prevents those kinds of hexes.
Why would it matter? You're losing the armor bonus too by switching weapons. |
TheLordOfBlah
lol... noob.
moriz
the trick is to not leave that set until your health stabilizes.
the defensive set is especially important when you're being targetted and being damaged. the +8 AL equates to close to a 10% damage reduction (if you are using a shield with +10AL vs TYPE, that's over 21% reduction vs that type), and the additional health gives you a bigger health buffer to survive with. 30hp might not seem like much, but your monks will thank you. i've survived with 1-4hp left in my defensive set more times than i can count.
this defensive set is not exclusive to eles and casters. pretty much all my characters will have a defensive set. today, my ranger's defensive set allowed me to survive a hit from the trebuchet in gvg. the simple action of switching sets saved me from getting 15%DP... and it was a pretty close call: i had about 21hp left after the trebuchet hit.
the defensive set is especially important when you're being targetted and being damaged. the +8 AL equates to close to a 10% damage reduction (if you are using a shield with +10AL vs TYPE, that's over 21% reduction vs that type), and the additional health gives you a bigger health buffer to survive with. 30hp might not seem like much, but your monks will thank you. i've survived with 1-4hp left in my defensive set more times than i can count.
this defensive set is not exclusive to eles and casters. pretty much all my characters will have a defensive set. today, my ranger's defensive set allowed me to survive a hit from the trebuchet in gvg. the simple action of switching sets saved me from getting 15%DP... and it was a pretty close call: i had about 21hp left after the trebuchet hit.
Omega Precept
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Originally Posted by aznhalf
Same reason any caster class should equip sword+shields. You get the half of the AR bonus of the shield and two fortitude mods.
Then you switch to your efficiency set(40/40) everytime you want to cast a spell. And then can fall back on the shield set to take less damage. Hope this helps. |
Izu
Sir Tidus, You may also notice that the closer you are to max health, the faster it regenerates..So If you get spiked with your defensive set equipped (whether it be PVP or PVE0, you not only compensate, at least partially, for the damage, but since your health is higher, the percentage taken is lower which in turn= Faster health Regen
Feel free to correct me if I am wrong
Feel free to correct me if I am wrong
BlueNovember
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Originally Posted by Izu
Sir Tidus, You may also notice that the closer you are to max health, the faster it regenerates..So If you get spiked with your defensive set equipped (whether it be PVP or PVE0, you not only compensate, at least partially, for the damage, but since your health is higher, the percentage taken is lower which in turn= Faster health Regen
Feel free to correct me if I am wrong |
Passive regen also doesn't pay much of a factor in pvp either, as it will stop if you attack, cast, or take damage.
Painbringer
Well it looks cool on an elementalist and a monk and a Necro
If a mesmer has one thye are running IW or trying to look cool
Bling baby its all bling
If a mesmer has one thye are running IW or trying to look cool
Bling baby its all bling