User:JP/Build:E/Me Degen Nuker

The Degen Nuker combines the Elementalists immense energy reserves and management with the Mesmers Illusion hexes to spam expensive health degrading hexes on opponents. You can be hitting 3 opponents with -10 degen (20 health per second) near at the beginning of an encounter.

Attributes and Skills
[build prof=eleme/mesme energy=11+1+1 illusi=11 inspir=8][conjure nightmare][conjure phantasm][phantom pain][optional][aura of restoration][ether prodigy][mantra of persistence][resurrection signet][/build]

Recommendations for Optional Skill

 * Imagined Burden / Kita’s Burden – To assist in shutting down a single melee attacker.
 * Distortion – This clashes with Mantra of Persistence but provides cover from multiple attackers.
 * Illusion of Haste – Allows you to quickley get away from melee and, due to high amounts of both energy and illusion, can be kept up indefinatley if needed.
 * Resurrection Signet may be removed for Alliance Battles.

Armor

 * Tempest Armor (+10 when enchanted) if you are packing Aura of Restoration
 * Battlemage’s Armor (+10 vs Physical) if you are not.

Weapons

 * Set 1: Vokur's Cane, Jeweled Chakram from Arliss Vaughn (P) or Dauv Merishahl (F)
 * Set 2: -5 Energy Weapon for emergency use; when you’re going to take lots of damage from Ether Prodigy. (Gives an effective -17 to energy)

Usage
Cast Mantra of Persistence followed by Ether Prodigy and Aura of Restoration (in that order otherwise Ether Prodigy will remove Aura of Restoration). Then let fly with the hexes.

When casting hexes mid-battle try to cast them in groups, this helps to avoid having too many removed and only use Conjure Nightmare if you have an abundance of energy. If you are not attracting much attention you may wish to leave Aura of Restoration inactive and cast an extra hex instead. Try to keep Mantra of Persistence up while to casting hexes as it greatly increases their duration.

Choose your 1st targets carefully and watch to see who has anti-hex abilities. (Monks and Mesmers). See if you can lure out these spells with Conjure Phantasm so Conjure Nightmare will be left alone. Good early targets are Warriors as the hex damage ignores armor. Additionally, if you have packed Imagined Burden or Kitah's Burden, Touch rangers and Assassins can make good targets. Once the pressure is building you can target the monk, if they have one, as they’re resources will have been stretched by the pressure on their team mates.

In PvE, choose targets away from the rest of the team. Your hexes approximately 17 seconds with Mantra of Persistence get the most out of them, if the recipient dies after 10 seconds you’ve lost the potency of almost half that hex.

Counters

 * Skill shutdowns, such as Power Block.
 * Anti-caster hexes, such as Backfire or Spiteful Spirit.
 * Hex removal, thou this is midigated by the sheer number of hexes.
 * Enchantment removal.