Nuker

From Guild Wars Wiki

A Nuker is a type of build that rapidly uses a few high damage AoE spells. The build concept is closely associated with the elementalist profession. Hence, most players expect elementalists to be nukers, and it is advised to tell your team if you are not a nuker. Nukers often use echo chains.

Many spells are used for this, such as: Meteor Shower, Searing Heat (Teinai's Heat in Factions), Searing Flames, Fire Storm, Fireball, Smoldering Embers, and Rodgort's Invocation.

A serious problem the Nuker may run into is energy supply because of the high energy cost of some of the spells used (some can be as high as 25). To counter this, most Nukers will use Fire Attunement or Elemental Attunement which gives 30% and 50% of the base energy cost back to the caster of the spell has been cast. Using one (or preferably both, this is called dual attunement and it gives a caster almost unlimited energy) of these spells can give an elementalists a huge advantage in battle. The following chart was made at attribute level 12 of the corresponding attribute.

Another issue a nuker can run into is the high cast time of some of the spells. A commonly used solution to this is to use Glyph of Sacrifice. Though it will take an extra 30 seconds to recharge the move, by the time all of the nukers skills are cast whatever you will be fighting will be dead anyway.

It is also possible to use all elements using the elite skill master of Magic. Master of Magic also gives some energy management.

Although elementalists are the main profession associated with nuking, other classes, such as Necromancers using Feast of Corruption, or Mesmers using Cry of Pain are considered nukers, and characters such as Barrage Rangers and attackers with Splinter Weapon fill a similar AoE damage role.

[edit] Comparison of common nuking spells

Damage over time

Skill	Time	Damage per second	Total	Damage per energy	Extra conditions	Cost
Searing Heat	5	34	170	11.333	Burning for 3 seconds when it ends	15
Teinai's Heat	5	34	170	11.333	Burning for 3 seconds when it ends	15
Fire Storm	10	29	290	29	None	10
Breath of fire	5	34	170	34	None	5
Bed of coals	10	24	240	24	6 seconds of Burning to knocked down foes	10
Meteor Shower	9	(91/3)	273	10.92	Knockdown every 3 seconds	25
Savannah Heat*	5	17,34,51,68,85	255	51	None	5
Churning Earth	5	34	170	11.333	Moving faster then normal are knocked down	15
Sandstorm*	10	26(52)	260(520)	17.333(34.666)	+26 more to attacking foes	15
Lava Font	5	41	205	20.5	PBAoE	10
Maelstrom	10	22	220	8.8	Interrupts spells with hit	25
Unsteady Ground*	5	34	170	17	Knockdown to attacking foes	10

Single damage

Skill	AoE	Cost	Damage	Damage per energy	Extra conditions	Cast	Recharge	DPS
Fireball	Adjacent	10	91	9.1	Projectile	2	7	~10.1
Phoenix	Adjacent	15	91 (adjacent) + 75	9.1 + 7.5	Projectile	2	10	~7.6 + 6.25
Rodgort's Invocation	Nearby	25	99	3.96	Burning for 3 seconds	2	8	9.9 + burning
Searing Flames*	Nearby	15	82 or Burning	~5.5	Burning for 6 seconds if not on fire	1	2	~27.3 "or" burning

[edit] Nukes from Other Professions

Damage Over Time

Profession	Skill	Time	Damage per Second	Total Damage	Damage per Energy	Extra Conditions	Cost
Monk	Ray of Judgement	5	37	185	18.5	Inflicts Burning for 3 seconds per pulse	10