Replacing the Invoke Ele

Lol, I'm an idiot. I'll try out Lava Arrows. Being spammable may not be an advantage though, if the AI winds up casting it more often than it does (say) Rodgort's. Before the last AI update, it would use Lava Arrows (and just about anything else) before it would even think of using Rodgorts. (See my first post i nthis thread.) Post-update, the skill usage seems acceptable.

Another idea I could use is both "Incoming!" and "Fall Back!", compensating for the lack of useful Death elites, and then spec out the third Fall Back for something else. Not very confident about that, though. I tried that. If you use them they cast both at once, so you get the sum of their healing rather than the sum of their durations. It's no help for perma-speed, assuming that's what you're after.

Ehm, just to comment on that teambuild, since there's so much I don't like I'm just gonna comment on the parts i think is plain wrong:
5x ress = too much
3x Mistrust = Too much in my experience, 2 is the sweet spot.
Invoke Eles = Don't use em, they stop casting once their exhaustion builds up a bit, if you wanna do air use Elemental Attunement instead, they can handle 1x Chain Lightning Alright
Spiritual Pain and Unnatural Signet = Great skills!
Hex removal is nice but unnessesary for casters. Beyond the fact that I haven't played much...

1) 5x rez is definitely not too much considering 80% of my play is in areas when I lose if I wipe.
2) Depends on how they are used. If consistently calling targets, it can be a bit overwhelming - still useful, though. Better than many other skills. If left to their own devices, it goes on multiple different enemy casters (heroes will lock on single targets via standard AI priority, if not called). However, it's a good point and considering something like an unnatural signet could be better.
3) Been away for a while. Notice the first line - I'm trying to replace them.
5) Again, area-dependent.

I usually change skills on entering most areas. It's only an approximate framework for a build. I rarely just load and play.. builds were the reason I enjoyed this game. I always look at the enemies I face and load up on blind, hex removal, hexes, daze/interruption, depending on what the dangerous enemies in an area are. You get the idea.

Anyways: Not to get all defensive (guess I have, a bit), but play-style determines a build more than anything else. There's definite reasons I've chosen most of the skills (spirits, minions, intentionally avoided, for example). Builds based more defensively, but a similar concept, completed the DoA foundry HM as an ele primary running invoke, without cons. :P

Now, on to my issue. An adequate replacement for the ele's. Air is not an adequate line without invoke being used; thunderclap and blinding surge are sometimes useful, but only in more niche situations when I need the conditions (an ineptitude often covers blind). The rest of the air line is very weak, involving only two reasonably good skills. Fire is obviously the next possibility; earth lacks damage and casting time, water lacks damage extensively. Fire has weaknesses; namely, lack of armor penetration, lack of immediate spike damage, adjacent AoE on many spells. Less utility slots, as I need 4 skills to maintain a set of damage line-up.

In choosing a fire replacement for the invoke ele line-up; what's the preferred replacement? Preferably, in a manner to maintain the defensive protection line-up, with an appropriate attribute spread. 4 fire skills, ele attunement, 3 prot skills/para skills? 3 fire, glyph of ele power, ele attunement, 3 others? Should fire attunement be used alongside ele attunement? The skills are higher energy, and protect skills are energy-intensive, but a BiP backs them also.

What about that necro bar? Enough damage on the death magic line-up? IV requires a hefty investment into SR, while DM contains most of the damage spells - this of course immensely hurts any secondary potential, but an 8-spec could be ran with some appropriate runes. They'd be runed high to keep aggro off the BiP and ST (as the mesmers are). I'm considering this off the top of my head, finals next week and my circuits final is worth 40% of my grade, not to mention Diff EQ... so not much time to test out other combinations.

Don't put a rez on a healer unless its UA. If another hero is taking spike damage while the healer is stuck in a 4 sec rez cast its going to get bad. It stays disabled on healers, micro'd if needed.

If you were to open up two slots on each ele, which skills would you remove? I'm going to give it a try with AoR and FA removed, though I do like AoR. The extra heal can be substantial on high energy spells.

If you were to open up two slots on each ele, which skills would you remove? I'm going to give it a try with AoR and FA removed, though I do like AoR. The extra heal can be substantial on high energy spells. AoR is useful beyond its heals and energy, its a good cover enchantment for FA and EA. I wouldn't drop FA or AoR because it works too well for me.