where to use which type of element skills/damage?

Hi all, I'm trying a R and also a D build with E as secondary, the basic idea being to use the conjure spells to enhance my damage. My question is, how do u know which type is best to use in a given area? My inclination is to basically pick a couple of areas to farm, look at what monsters are there, and pick whichever element will be most effective against them. I have done some research online, but cab't really find anything on this. I can guess for example that fire is probably best in the shiverpeaks and ice is best for ring of fire, but beyond that its hard to tell.

you can go to gw.gamewikis.org, and read about the creatures that are in a given area, to determine if they have any special defense verse a certain type of elemental damage. Usually, you shouldn't even have to worry about it, choose one which comes with other useful skills in the elemental line, for instance, you might use conjure lightning so you could ues storm djins haste or shock.

I did do that some, but didn't find anything about any of the creatures being resistant or vulnerable to ANY kind of damage, and I have a hard time believing the majority of monsters are affected the same by slashing, piercing, ice, etc. But I could b wrong and just overcomplicating things.

The only real elemental concern you should have is to NOT use fire damage on Destroyers. They only appear in Eye of the North. I don't recall any other specific creatures having more or less armor against specific element types.

Cold damage against titans in Hell's precipice, many plant-type creatures are very weak against fire based damage as well. Just a few examples of creatures that do in fact have weaknesses to certain damage types.

also, what you want to be looking at is skills that the monsters use. There are skills that give +armor to certain damage types.

prophecies charr are generally weak vs water
proph shiverpeak tengu are weak vs lightning
vaettir and mandragor and drought/crags are very well protected from earth magic

Ice and Stone type elementals have a high resist to earth. Don't see anything in writing anywhere but both appear to be weak to fire.

The enchanted in the Crystal Desert are weak to lightning (per wiki).

Cool thanks. I have been checking diff monsters on wiki but for the most part I just see what level and class they are. Is there any areas in the shiverpeaks worth running? I would like to try using a fire n lightning combo (for the trolls and avicara) and see how that works.

As per everyone above my post. Really it's just a matter of religiously testing it out and documenting to put on the wiki (but sadly not many people do that).

I think the best thing would be to keep a Fiery and an Icy modded weapon, since less than half of all enemies have vulnerabilities/resistances.

To OP, if you press F11 to re-arrange your layout of things. I have enemies I'm targetings skills they use show a little above my head (It's handy for getting to know what type of skills they use and if it's been interupted or if you should run from an AoE )*

Also you can check wiki, it gives a list of alll enemies in the area/mission etc. and their skill bars!

*Dunno where the default layout of this is but pretty sure it's up in a corner, Skill Monitor I think it's called in F11, hope it helps!