Condi Chronomancer [cDPS]

A strong condi dps option for the chronomancer. All staff, no swapping, heavy on the signets

Notes

Condition Chronomancer is a simple build with solid damage potential. Due to the high amounts of Confusion it applies, it excels at fights with fast-attacking bosses.

It has very high range and is able to provide all important Boons to itself in open world gameplay: (Might, Stability, Aegis, Regeneration, Quickness, Alacrity, Fury and Protection).

It can also be turned into a simple Alacrity or Quickness provider with just one trait change.

Gearing

Food & Utility

•  Cilantro and Cured Meat Flatbread (Ascended)
•  Plate of Beef Rendang (Non-Ascended)
•  Toxic Tuning Crystal (Utility)

Build

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Rotation

In the opener, we're making use of Continuum Split in a simple way to reset phantasms and creating a nice amount of burst damage.

Opener:

1. Mirror Images -> Continuum Split
2. Phantasmal Warlock (Staff 3) -> Signet of the Ether -> Phantasmal Warlock (Staff 3)
3. Fit any other skill you are able to before Continuum Split ends
4. Phantasmal Warlock (Staff 3) -> Signet of the Ether -> Phantasmal Warlock (Staff 3)

You can use this opener whenever there is a phase change and Continuum Split is off cooldown.

The rest of the rotation is priority based and should be performed after your opener.

Priority:

1. Phantasmal Warlock (Staff 3)
2. Signet of the Ether -> Phantasmal Warlock (Staff 3)
3. Rewinder -> Split Second -> Mirror Images
4. Chaos Armor (Staff 4)
5. Chaos Storm (Staff 5)
6. Phase Retreat (Staff 2)

Take note that Phase Retreat (Staff 2) teleports you away from your target by 360 distance, and you'll have to move back towards the target after every time you cast it.

Mirror Images has a longer cooldown than Rewinder and will not always be available. Skip Mirror Images if it is on cooldown.

Crowd Control

Your CC skills are, in order of priority:

CC Skills:

1. Signet of Humility
2. Chaos Storm (Staff 5)
3. Time Sink (Small DPS Loss)
4. Signet of Domination (Big DPS Loss)

Signet of Humility does 600 breakbar damage, and will almost always be enough CC as long as everyone in your group is doing some CC. You should wait a bit before using your other CC skills once you have cast Signet of Humility.

Chaos Storm (Staff 5) is used in your damage rotation and might not always be available.

Build Concepts

Like core mesmer, the gameplay on chrono evolves around creating clones of yourself and then shattering them. Creating clones can be done in two ways:

1. Directly by skills or traits that create clones on certain actions, like Phase Retreat (Staff 2)
2. Indirectly by using phantasm skills, like Phantasmal Warlock (Staff 3), which perform an attack and then turn into clones afterwards

Illusionary Membrane increases your condition damage by 7% for 5 seconds when you apply Chaos Aura to yourself and stacks in duration.

Sharper Images makes your illusions apply bleeding on critical hits, making it very important to have three clones up at all times. This build generates a lot of clones and rarely shatters them, making it relatively easy to execute.

Improved Alacrity makes Alacrity stronger but harder to keep up. With this trait, your skills recharge in ~67% (two thirds) of their original cooldown time. This increases the APM of the build, but is also a very strong boost to everything you do.

Chronophantasma makes your Phantasms exceptionally strong, since they do their damage twice in a row. That's why using  Phantasmal Warlock (Staff 3) and resetting it with Signet of the Ether are your main priorities.

Continuum Split

Continuum Split deserves its own section, as it is one of the unique aspects of Chronomancer. It reverts time, in that it will save the skill cooldowns, health and position when you activate it. Then, for each Clone you shattered with it, it gives you more time to use skills and have them reverted.

Video