2 replies to this topic

[FrancisCrawford]

I've run in 20/10/0/10/30 pretty consistently since hitting Level 80 (landscape only). My reasons include:

• Power, boon duration, and attunement cooldown are very nice stats.
  
• I run 3-4 glyphs, so Quick Glyphs is strong.
  
• Internal Fire and Pyromancer's Alacrity help a lot with DPS.
  
• Cleansing Wave helps a lot with condition clearing.
  
• There are lots of good arcane traits -- Elemental Attunement, Final Shielding, the endurance granters, Blasting Staff, Evasive Arcana, and perhaps more.
  
• (Least important) If for some weird reason I want to pop out a conjured weapon, I have access to Conjurer.

Above all, I switch frequently between s/d and staff, and I don't need to change many traits at all (really just Blasting Staff, although probably I should swap in Hydromancer's Alacrity as well).

And that's just me; I've seen other people post builds using the same trait allocation in other ways.

So, given the awkwardness of changing actual trait numbers -- an ArenaNet mistake IMO -- I thought I'd start a thread just to discuss uses for this allocation.

-- FC

[Nonlinear]

I run this build after seeing Ephex post it in my other staff thread and have never looked back.  It's a 20/10/0/10/30 build.

Staff + Glyphs = win (at least in dungeons).  Signet healing benefits a lot more from faster weapons like D/D.

I use 33% chance for vigor on crit and expanded staff AOE.  Without 33% vigor on crit you can't dodge into every lava font because you won't have enough energy with the 20% increased CD from fire.  They really synergize well together and let you get those extra might stacks.

I use arcane wave for three more stacks after the dodge.  It's a lot of aoe:  lava font, blast from dodge and arcane wave AOE with six stacks of might to boot.  Then  you have meteor shower, earth 5, etc. for even more and your ice and water fields for a bit of added support (frozen ground and water fields are like icing on the cake).  

If I am in no fear of taking damage I'll swap out mist form for storms or elemental power glyph, and if my lesser fire elemental has no chance of survival or I want AOE I'll use storms, elemental power for single target (it is up 35 out of 40 seconds with quick glyphs).  For all out ranged DPS I typically use glyphs (storms, elemental power and elemental x2) and sometimes the arcane skill that grants 5 crits (although I dislike the CD) because I won't be able to stack might.

If I can't stack might (i.e. max range/kiting/surviving/running) I swap out vigor on crit for elemental attunement and swap out staff AOE for arcane shield at 25%.  If I need even more I'll swap out arcane wave for Armor of Earth, pop two earth elementals and keep mist form on the bar.  I can survive and outlive a lot of other classes when longevity is the priority over DPS (especially with mist in downed state).  Any more survival I change out my gear from berserker to heal/vit/prec (karma gear).

I have 2,150 power, 31% crit, 49% crit damage (32% and 50% with DW) about 13k health and +400 healing which actually comes in handy sometimes.  I have over 1000 healing using my survival set but I found it wasn't really much of a benefit because healing scales so poorly and water is weak dps.

I use CoF berserker 6 pc with soldier crests and berserker staff with fire sigil (it's the best), sapphire/cleric jewels with two rubies for a little more power and crit in exchance for some healing and toughness and a few points of power.  the jewels give me some toughness and healing to help me support myself.

Edited by Nonlinear, 09 November 2012 - 11:00 PM.

[FrancisCrawford]

I'll have to practice the dodge roll Might stacking in the landscape. I've just been going w/ other sources. Thanks for another nudge!

Do you ever wish you were running Hydromancer's Alacrity instead of Cleansing Wave? Conversely, do you ever find that even with Cleansing Wave you don't have enough condition removal?

-- FC