Build:E/Mo 330 Elementalist

From PvXwiki

The PvXwiki community finds this to be an excellent build. Through the PvX vetting system, it has reached an overall rating in the range from 4.75 to 5.0 and thus qualifies for the highest category of working builds: Great. This build has been designed for the following use: PvE farming

This build takes a new spin on the classic 55 Monk, the 330 Elementalist. Using Protection and Earth skills, this build negates damage more effectively than the SoA 55, with a respectable damage output that does NOT cause enemies to scatter. This build can be easily modified to allow for almost any situation.

[edit] Skills and Attributes

Elementalist / Monk 12 + 1 + 3 Earth Magic 12 Protection Prayers 3 + 3 Energy Storage Protective Spirit Core Monk. Protection Prayers 12 Protective Spirit Enchantment Spell For 19 seconds, target ally cannot lose more than 10% max Health due to damage from a single attack or Spell. 5 ¼ 10 Stoneflesh Aura Nightfall Elementalist. Earth Magic 16 Stoneflesh Aura Enchantment Spell For 16 seconds, damage you receive is reduced by 33, and you are immune to critical attacks. 15 2 10 Sliver Armor Factions Elementalist. Earth Magic 16 Sliver Armor Enchantment Spell For 11 seconds, you have 52% chance to block attacks and whenever you are the target of a hostile Spell or attack one nearby foe is struck for 37 earth damage. 30 1 10 Shockwave Factions Elementalist. Earth Magic 16 Shockwave Elite Spell Adjacent foes take 63 earth damage, nearby foes take 63 earth damage, and foes in the area take 63 earth damage. 15 ¾ 10 Crystal Wave Prophecies Elementalist. Earth Magic 16 Crystal Wave Spell Foes adjacent to you are struck for 106 damage but are cured of any negative Conditions. 20 ¾ 15 Teinai's Crystals Factions Elementalist. Earth Magic 16 Teinai's Crystals Spell Foes adjacent to you are struck for 106 damage but are cured of any negative Conditions. 20 ¾ 15 Optional Core No Profession. Unlinked Optional Optional Optional. Balthazar's Spirit Prophecies Monk. Smiting Prayers Balthazar's Spirit Enchantment Spell While you maintain this Enchantment, target ally gains adrenaline and Energy after taking damage. (The amount of adrenaline gained increases depending on your rank in Smiting Prayers.) 2 10 -1 Template code

[edit] Equipment

• Full Radiant Armor with Runes of Attunement where necessary
• Any +20% Enchanting weapon, such as a Totem Axe.
• A 20/20 Earth Focus, such as Joffs' Focus.

NOTE: While the build is called a 330 Elementalist, it does not require 330 HP. It is perfectly useable with less than 330 HP, meaning that you do not suffer from having death penalty. Less HP will not hurt, except against degen, life stealing, or health loss.

[edit] Usage

• Precast Balthazar's Spirit.
• Immediately before aggroing, cast Protective Spirit and Stoneflesh Aura in that order (this is important).
• After the monsters are adjacent to you (move forward if they're attacking at range), cast Sliver Armor.
• Cast Shockwave, Crystal Wave, and Teinai's Crystals.
• If there are still living monsters, just wait and maintain Stoneflesh. When a skill recharges, use it.
• Always recast Protective Spirit just before Stoneflesh is recharged, and cast Stoneflesh when it recharges.

[edit] Variants

• Shockwave can be replaced with Obsidian Flesh, for an effect similar to Spell Breaker on a 55 monk.
• If you bring Obsidian Flesh, consider also taking Glyph of Swiftness (it pays here to bring a Superior Air rune, to make the glyph more effective) to keep Obsidian and Stoneflesh up easier
• Consider taking Ward of Stability to prevent knockdowns or Glyph of Concentration to prevent general interrupts.
• Shield of Regeneration can be a possible elite choice to help deal with monsters like Vermin that inflict conditions like Burning and Bleeding.
• Glyph of Renewal can be another elite possibility if you prefer permanent Sliver Armor to Shockwave.
• Divert or Remove Hex can be use to counter dangerous hexes such as those that inflict Health Degeneration.
• Mending Touch or Dismiss Condition can be taken to alleviate conditions like Bleeding, Poison, or Daze.
• Earth Attunement can also be taken if you run into any energy management problems.
• This build can be done with a Monk/Elementalist as well, using a skillbar like this one:

Protection Prayers = 12+1+3, Earth Magic = 12 Divine Favor = 3+3

• Spirit Bond can be taken as a self heal to cast before Protective Spirit and Stoneflesh to alleviate the tiny window that you can take damage in while recasting Stoneflesh, if you have a slower computer/reaction time/reflexes.
• Intensity can be used to increase the damage output of your damage skills. It adds a significant amount of damage to Shockwave, Crystal Wave and Teinai's Crystals and adds damage output for 9 of the 11 seconds of Sliver Armor at rank 8 Sunspear. For the 10 second duration of Intensity the increase in damage output is equal to Earth Magic being set at 20.
• Aura of Resoration can be used to provide a self heal for similar reasons to Spirit Bond.
• Adding Glyph of Elemental Power erases any window that might be open during the recasting of spells (increases duration of enchantments).

[edit] List of Farmable Areas

• Hulking Stone Elementals in Old Ascalon.
• Hydras in the Crystal Desert can easily be farmed using Ward of Stability in the optional slot to avoid interruptions from Meteor.
• Stalking Nephila in the Plains of Jarin.
• Stone Scale Kirins in the Pongmei Valley
• Any area with foes that attack in melee or clump together can be farmed, in both Normal Mode and Hard Mode.
• Every monster in the Underworld can be killed by this build, as long as the Obsidian Flesh variant is used. The only thing that could be dangerous is the degen from the traps that the Obsidian Behemoths use. An SS/SV Necro is also necessary for this to work.
• Power Leveling in Talus Chute (against the Mountain Trolls) is also easy using this build.
• Luxon Assassins in Boreas Seabed during The Halcyon Job. Aggro all the Assassins and then walk up one of the Stairs placed around you. This can be done without Sliver armor and Shockwave, will make the run slower though. this can be done both in NM and HM.
• Variants of this build can run the Ruins of Morah mission, replacing the 55 monk. See the Build:Team_-_4_Man_Ruins_of_Morah Variants section; usage is nearly identical.

[edit] Notes

• It is usually advisable to have slightly lower than 330 health, as this allows you to survive morale boosts (from killing a boss) or a +health bonus from something like Blessing of the Luxons. Going above 330 health will cause you to die.
• Protection Prayers can be dropped by a couple of points and moved elsewhere, if desired, because optimally, it will be synchronized with Stoneflesh Aura (in practice at least rank 10 is needed). Moving the points to energy storage gives +15 base energy.