Arena of Valor‘s newest character, Elsu, is a sneaky sniper. Compared to the game’s other characters, he’s something different. And depending on your playstyle, that can be either an advantage or a disadvantage.
He has a few tricks up his sleeves that potentially make him a potentially big-hitter, but players need to use Elsu the right way if they want to get the most out of him.
This guide will help break down the Elsu and provide some guidance on how to make the most of him in Arena of Valor.
A Marksman of a Different Color
Unlike the rest of the marksman characters in Arena of Valor, Elsu actually provides an interesting support ability with Sentinel. When used, this ability will deploy a device that will buff Elsu’s attack, but more importantly, it will provide vision on the map. This means a team can finally see if enemies are hiding in the brush.
The best layout for Elsu’s Sentinels is as follows:
- A strategic jungle position to help the team find enemies
- Near Elsu to gain buffs
- Near Elsu to do extra damage to nearby enemies
Another ability to make use of is Elsu’s Snipe ability. Using the ability will zoom out on the map allowing players to get a view of what’s happening in a sizeable area.
Snipe will deal heavy damage and should be used to chase down injured enemies. It will take some practice to get the targeting right, but with proper timing, opponents will find it hard to escape a battle.
Stay in the brush or use Elsu’s passive cloak ability, Stalk, to hide the targeting laser for the ability.
Elsu’s ultimate, Disengage, is different than most marksman ultimates in that it’s not key to his damage dealing. The ability is actually an escape move. When used, it will throw Elsu back a nice distance allowing him to escape.
It can still do heavy damage, but Disengage should be saved for when you need to get the hell out of a fight.
What Items Should You Buy for Elsu?
Fenrir’s Tooth – Arguably the most important item for Elsu is Fenrir’s Tooth. Some players have even gone so far as to purchase multiples in order to stack damage. Since Elsu’s normal attacks get progressively stronger and Snipe is a slow, but powerful attack, it’s important to increase damage output rather than speed.
Muramasa – While this item will not provide the big damage numbers of Fenrir’s Tooth, it has a passive of 45% armor piercing, which stacks with the armor piercing buff from the Sentinel. Its 10% cooldown speed will also help with having a Snipe ready to go and a Disengage when needing to escape.
The Beast – Having a life-stealing item is always helpful for a marksman. Combine the 25% life steal and the 100 extra damage, and Elsu will hit hard and heal fast.
War Boots – Elsu’s normal attacks pack a punch, but thanks to Stalk, they will slow down between attacks. To counter this, having War Boots with 25% attack speed will keep those attacks coming.
For the last two slots, players should decide on whether they want to focus on damage or survivability, but make sure to ignore items with an additional critical chance as Elsu’s normal attack will not crit due to Stalk.
Which Lane Should Elsu Be in?
The real battle Elsu’s players will have to face when choosing the character is how to explain to the rest of the team what the character can do. The new marksman works best in either the mid lane or as a jungler, and some may not understand why.
In the mid lane, Elsu can clear the lane fast, as well as do big damage to weak magic users from a distance. His Sentinels can also counter the junglers on the opposing teams. He can also help top or bottom lane without having to travel the entire distance.
As a jungler, Elsu’s big advantage is his movement speed and long-distance attack. Stalk will camo him and increase movement speed, making him move quickly to any lane in order to gank. Once in the brush, he’ll be able to use Snipe without the enemies noticing it until its too late.
Whatever lane you decide to use, remember that Elsu is horrible up close and by himself. Players should not stand their ground when the other team is charging. Get way back behind the rest of the team and do some big damage from there.
That’s all you need to know about Arena of Valor‘s newest character, Elsu. Hopefully, these tips will better help you use the marksman to gank the competition.
