Go with the current? Possible Underwater Fields & Finishers

http://guildwars.incgamers.com/wp-co...t_Combos_E.png

The amount of Projectile Finisher skills professions got with the Nov 15th update 2012 leaves a pending question open:
Where are the Combo Field effects that go along with the finisher skills? The Elementalist is a leading class, when it comes to combo fields, yet he lacks a single one after the update (like other professions, too - only the Guardian has a Light Field so far).

So, here are some suggestions how those missing fields could be added to the skill bar and what finishers could be added to the Elementalist's arsenal:

Combo Fields

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/th...tning_Cage.png Lighting Cage makes a great candidate for a Lightning Field. As the cage is only up 5 seconds, the possible multiple Daze conditions are not that "balance bad", as it looks, You have to react fairly quicky to get a daze effect (if "leaps" would be possible - currently, there are none). Other field effects don't affect balance that much.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/th...urky_Water.png Murky Water could open up the possibility to give the Elementalist access to the Smoke Field effects. This would make it possible to blind foes even more, which could greatly enhance the skill, as its 1 second blind effect isn't that awesome. The 6 second duration of Murky Water would enhance a team effort shooting through the field.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/th...x-Ice_Wall.png Ice Wall is another candidate, but it includes a "logical barrier". Shooting through a wall that enemies can't pass will give you an Ice Field benefit? It is a fantasy game after all and adding more chill effects could mean more crowd control which is difficult under water anyway.

Combo Finishers

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/th...-Magma_Orb.png Magma Orb makes a good Blast Finisher. The orbs move slowly and can be evaded, even by the AI. It does not sound over powered (Magma Orb is a #1 skill, shooting quite often), as you hardly can hit a field more than twice, due to the speed of the orbs.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/th...Air_Pocket.png Air Pocket makes a good Leap Finisher, as the "Vacuum" teleport would require a lot of skill to spot and hit a field in time.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/th...Rock_Blade.png Rock Blade and http://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/th...er_Missile.png Water Missile are candidates for a Projectile Finisher. Only Rock Blade could be used to "self-combo" with Murky Water, Water Missile would require to switch attumenents for that.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/th...-Whirlpool.png Whirlpool is a great choice for a Whirl Finisher. It has it written in its name *g*. To avoid exploitation of the long duration of Whirlpool, the whirl effect could be limited to every second damage pulse.


So, what do you think about those ideas. Please discuss and leave a reply.

Absolutely this a thousand times. I think what really makes underwater combat so lacking is the absence of combos. I would also suggest Tidalwave (water #5) as a leap finisher as you 'dart' forward when you use it and it also goes where you direct the camera rather than your enemy making it easier to aim.

Although ArenaNet did chose a few other spells than the one I listed and Redean commented, the December 14th update included a few fields & finishers. Here is the complete list:

• Tidal Wave: This skill is now a leap finisher.
• Ice Wall—Detonate: This skill is now a blast finisher.
• Boil: This skill is now a fire field.
• Murky Water: This skill is now a smoke field.
• Rock Blade: This skill is now a small projectile finisher.
• Lightning Cage: This skill is a Lightning field.

Personally, I would have liked to get one or two more fields. The Smoke Field was a good guess. *g*

Quite some time has gone by since the December update gave us the underwater combo fields and finishers.
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Tabl...t_combo_skills

How do you use them these days? Have they made underwater combat for your Ele more appealing?

From my POV, nothing big has changed. With only Rock Blade as a quick to get finisher I rarely self-combo with Murky Water or Lightning Cage. The fact that you do not see a "red circle" under water makes the fields extremely hard to spot, too (with the cage being the exception), so I do not seek out fields to combo with in the first place.

If you are playing other professions, do you like the fields the Ele puts up and do you use them more man I do?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gorani

If you are playing other professions, do you like the fields the Ele puts up and do you use them more man I do?

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I honestly never noticed them at all when underwater. All I usually see are spell effects everywhere. It doesn't help that half the time I end up just mashing keys as well. I'm not in there often enough to remember what my underwater skills are most of the time.

@Gorani: For most of the post, I thought that you were talking about being under water attunement because you used a space in between under and water and was thoroughly confused.