General Gameplay tips
For the sake of simplicity and my own sanity, I made a few assumptions when writing this guide so we don't end up with dozens of variations:
- You are the only Chronomancer in the squad;
- You are expected to take care of most mechanics as long as your kit allows it.
Please note that, Power Quickness Chronomancer is an extremely versatile class. An incalculable amount of factors determine what build variants you should even consider and there is no single best solution to any given problem. All I can do is provide you with suggestions that I would follow, when joining a group of people I have never played with before.
Never follow these suggestions blindly, but rather try to understand them and be flexible enough to adapt to whatever your group needs. After all, if you ask three Chronomancers what they would suggest for encounter X, you would get three different answers.
Spirit Vale
Vale Guardian
| Skills | Weaponset |
|---|---|
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General Tips
is the perfect ability to deal with . When running , it will be available for every . Simply count to two in a calm manner once those pesky blue circles appear and then cast .
Alternatively, you can use and its sequence ability . While that is certainly not a DPS increase, it is still better than being dead.
Split Phases
Make sure to remove Blue Pylon Power from Blue Guardian, otherwise no one will be able to damage it. For that, you can either cast or .
Technically you also could trigger with either , or even , but you generally want to save those abilities to damage Defiance Bars.
Considering that most groups still pull Blue Guardian and Green Guardian together: Save your Defiance Bar Damage for Green Guardian as most of your buddies will unload everything onto Blue Guardian — and considering that you are actually reading a guide, we already know that you are smarter than that.
Keep up your rotation to maintain permanent Quickness, but in a way that you start the next main phase without any ability on cooldown. What you can and cannot cast depends on how fast your group is. On one hand you want to maintain Quickness during the split phases, but you also have to make sure that you are able to apply Quickness when the next main phase starts.
Other than that, you ideally want to finish every split phase on shield, to cast Tides of Times at the start of every main phase and then immediately swap to greatsword.
Gorseval
| Skills | Weaponset |
|---|---|
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General Tips
To help deal with you can swap for , if not dealt with correctly, will turn the sweetest people you know into angry gremlins that will come for you online. Cast just before it hits to provide Stability and to prevent hate whispers.
It is recommended to play focus variant so that you can deal with the adds that spawns frequently to Pull them.
Split Phases
Keep up your rotation to maintain permanent Quickness, but in a way that you start the next main phase without any ability on cooldown. What you can and cannot cast depends on how fast your group is. On one hand you want to maintain Quickness during the split phases, but you also have to make sure that you are able to apply Quickness when the next main phase starts.
Should the Angered and Enraged Spirits still be alive, roaming around and causing havoc, you can help deal with them.
Also you can use to Cripple the add if they are running too fast toward Gorseval.
Defiance Bars
Use for all three Breakbar during the fight.
Always have three clones to instantly cast and cast if you are on greatsword.
You can also swap for if you need extra CC.
Sabetha
| Skills | Weaponset |
|---|---|
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General Tips
As Chronomancer, you can take all of the mechanics. The closest person to Sabetha will get them and you can continue your rotation while bringing them out.
You can equip instead of to deal with cannon. Place your , jump up to the cannon, immediately open your , destroy the cannon and take the portal back.
You can play the focus variant if you want to help your squad to Pull the bandits that will spawn.
Pay attention to the Flamewall so it doesn't burn you to crisps.
Salvation Pass
Slothasor
| Skills | Weaponset |
|---|---|
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General Tips
Usually I'm an advocate of "dealing more damage results in fewer lethal mechanics". However, given that to this date Slothasor is the bane of most groups, it is in everyone's best interest that you sacrifice your personal damage to avoid wiping over and over. Chronomancer really has the ability to carry the entire squad by dealing with the most painful mechanics on this encounter to ensure it runs smoothly.
It is highly recommended to play the focus variation on Slothasor.
?? If you have the resources, you should consider getting a set of Superior Rune of the Mesmer. This will greatly increase the Defiance Bar Damage of Counter Blade and Mantra of Distraction.
Controlling slublings
Save your to Pull in the Slubling. Poor Slubling control is one of the most common reasons for groups to wipe. Slubling spawn every 30 seconds at xx:00 and xx:30, with the first wave spawning at 6:30 left on the timer.
Be careful when you Pull Slubling, as you will also pull in a party member if they are transformed at the time.
Spore Release
Once Slothasor reaches 50% health, it will use a new attack called . This attack will happen every 45 seconds after it reaches 50%.
Slothasor will shake two rounds of projectiles that inflict an insane amount of conditions and physical damage, and quickly annihilate your entire squad.
Save to destroy them. destroys the projectiles before they are released. To destroy them, you must be jumping inside Slothasor's hitbox center while he is shaking.
Breakbar Phase
You can swap for if you need extra CC.
Use when available for Breakbar during the fight.
Always have three clones to instantly cast and cast if you are on greatsword.
Stronghold of the Faithful
Keep construct
| Skills | Weaponset |
|---|---|
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General Tips
To help deal with you can swap for , to give Stability.
During the Breakbar phase, use for all Breakbar, Always cast with three clones and cast if you are on greatsword.
Xera
| Skills | Weaponset |
|---|---|
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General Tips
It is highly recommended to play the focus variation here.
Use to Pull in the adds. This will massively help your group as the adds can deal significant damage if they are not dealt with. If you have a second Chronomancer, coordinate with them and decide who will Pull each group.
You can use your to help Pull the orb on the first island. Decide with your subgroup as to which orb you will Pull. Make sure that this is the last orb that is going through a rift, otherwise you may Pull other orbs.
will not last for the full duration of , unless you don't have Quickness.
Bastion of the Penitent
Cairn
| Skills | Weaponset |
|---|---|
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General Tips
As you are running the , it is not ideal to get since you need to get close to your subgroup to provide Quickness.
To skip dealing with you can swap for , to give Stability.
If you are going to run to , make sure you delay your shatters until you are back with your subgroup.
Mursaat Overseer
| Skills | Weaponset |
|---|---|
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General Tips
This is a perfect DPS golem for you to practise your rotation on.
If you are using Claim and there are incoming Jade Knight, ensure that you delay using it so that the tiles are first claimed by the Jade Knight and then you can reclaim them.
Samarog
| Skills | Weaponset |
|---|---|
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General Tips
You can run Focus if you are the only option to Pull Rigom during the split phases.
Split Phase
During the split phases, ensure that you keep up your rotation.
Breakbar Phase
You can swap for if you need extra CC.
Use when available for Breakbar during the fight.
Always have three clones to instantly cast and cast if you are on greatsword.
Breaking Samarog quickly during his mechanic is very important, not only will it save your party member but also Samarog is immune to damage during this period.
Deimos
| Skills | Weaponset |
|---|---|
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General Tips
Getting Quickness up immediately for the Unnatural Signet is important.
Keep doing your rotation while being ported and be sure to CC the different Sauls.
To help deal with you can swap for , to give Stability.
Dhuum
| Skills | Weaponset |
|---|---|
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General Tips
After each boon strip, , you will have your back up. Make sure you apply Quickness as quickly as possible.
Use the to help removes boons after .
If you are doing a green mechanic you can swap or instead of to deal with it.
Conjured Amalgamate
| Skills | Weaponset |
|---|---|
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General Tips
You can run Focus to help Pull the swords during the arm phases. Delay your as much as possible to Pull in the Swords. If you use it too early, you will definitely miss some of them.
Coordinate with your squad as to you who is collecting Swords and who is collecting Shield. You may have to do one of those as Chronomancer. The Orbs, for the Swords and Shields, always spawn in the same pattern. Collect up to 10 stacks of either, once you have 10 you will need to get someone else in your squad to collect more. You can only collect one type!
If you are not collecting anything, keep up your rotation to maintain Quickness for your party.
Qadim
| Skills | Weaponset |
|---|---|
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General Tips
Qadim doesn't have a Toughness based aggro mechanic, instead it is proximity based. This is the same for Qadim and his creatures. You won't really be able to tank Qadim, but you definitely will be able to tank the creatures as a Chronomancer. If you do, make sure you are the closest!
You can swap instead of to help your squad during the Pyre Phases and the final jumping phase!
You will need to coordinate with your squad to decide which Pyre you go to. If you have drop it right under where Qadim will be at the next phase, then go to the pyre and when the pyre is dead, use to go back to Qadim directly and start your rotation.
Make sure to save your and for the Breakbar. The Breakbar is always after .
You can play focus to help Pull the elementals during the damage phases.
Creature tips
Underneath each creature there is an AoE which spawns that will teleport you to Qadim if you stand in it. You will get the yellow warning around your screen when it spawns, if you have this option enabled.
If you are tanking, make sure you communicate with your squad so you know which Wyvern you are tanking.
The hydra pattern is the following :
- 2 x
- 2 x
- Breakbar
- 2 x
- .
You need to break the Hydra as quickly as possible or will cause a lot of damage to your squad.
The destroyer pattern is the following :
- Breakbar
- 2 x
- into
- 2 x
- 2 x into
- 2x .
For the Destroyer Breakbar you should instantly break it.
The wyverns pattern are the following :
For the Wyvern Matriarch:
- 2 x
- .
For the Wyvern Patriarch:
- 2 x
- Breakbar
- .
Make sure to face the Wyvern Patriarch away from the Wyvern Matriarch to ensure that doesn't hit the rest of your squad. The burning should not hit the tank nor the platforms that your squad need to use to get to you.
The same applies to the Wyvern Matriarch, make sure you face it away from the squad when she uses .
Adina
| Skills | Weaponset |
|---|---|
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General tips
You can swap instead of to help your squad during the split phases.
Be careful to give enough Quickness if you are doing the pillar mechanic.
You can use to come back quickly after dropping a pillar.
Split Phase
Keep up your rotation during the split phase to make sure you maintain Quickness. Killing the hands as fast as possible will massively reduce pressure on your squad.
Sabir
| Skills | Weaponset |
|---|---|
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General tips
You can use to avoid .
You can swap instead of to help your squad during the split phase.
Split Phase
Keep up your rotation during the split phase.
Break the Wisps as fast as possible, they will die extremely quickly once broken.
Breakbar Phase
In order to break Cardinal Sabir quickly during the large Breakbar, there are a few things you can do:
- Take and make sure you have it on both offhands. This sigil will proc on and the Special Action Key.
- Try to have up 3 clones when you use .
- You should also use for every Breakbar.
Don't waste your CC when it's the coordinate Breakbar. Only use the Special Action Key to break it.
Qadim The Peerless
| Skills | Weaponset |
|---|---|
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General tips
Help to CC the Pylons during the main phases with , and . Breaking the Pylons quickly will help speed up your kills, you can also help to CC the anomaly if needed.
During the final 20% phase, you should help remove any boons by making sure to finish your auto-attack chains.