What is it?
The hit and run (abbr. HnR) elementor is typically a high INT build that slows the target using the windfield skill before killing. By doing this, the elementor can maintain a safe distance between the target and itself, thus avoiding being hit.

This guide aims to provide the basic information that you require to be a successful HnR elementor

Builds:
HnR elementors, if skilfully played, will not require much STA. As a HnR elementor, you should aim to keep a safe distance between yourself and the target thus avoiding being hit. If you’re not being hit, you don’t need the HP/def, right? The three main builds you can use are detailed below:

Full INT: xxx INT
Put all your stat points into INT. This allows for maximum damage, but can make collecting a little tricky. Be aware that windfield does not have a 100% chance to slow the monster down, so being full INT is risky and you may die if faced with a bad crit.

Typical HnR: 40-60 STA, xxx INT

This build gives a bit of HP to survive the odd hit from those pesky monsters that just refuse to slow. Of course, you can’t tank too many still, but it should provide you with a cushion while still providing excellent damage.

Hybrid: 80-100 STA, xxx INT
This build is a good all round build. With it, you don’t really have to worry too much if monsters aren’t slowing (I don’t even bother slowing the spawn until I’ve finished collecting with this build) and can even level by tanking if you fancy a change from HnR from time to time. This build doesn’t provide the highest damage output, but it does allow more flexibility with regards to your levelling style.

Equipment
Armour
65-75: Use either the Misty/Teba set for decreased casting bonus or the ahes/anoos for +10 INT (and more damage). If you can afford to, you might find it beneficial to reduce the level 75 set so that you can use it early.
75-105: The Myurian/Myuran set is a great investment for any HnR ele. It gives decreased magic motion time and more defence that the Misty/Teba. Most elementors will stay with this set until 105, or even longer.
90: (Optional) You can opt to go for the Ellean/Elder set at this point if you wish, for the +7 INT bonus, but most HnR eles will stick with the 75 set.
105+: Here you might like to opt for the Shurian/Shabel set. This has a 15% decreased casting time bonus AND an additional 15% HP bonus – useful for surviving a few more hits when collecting.

Suit Piercing
It’s desirable to get your damage as high as possible so +Atk (lightning card) piercings are the best option.
Why to avoid other piercings:
+HP: (volcano card) You do not have much hp to start with, so adding these cards will not provide much extra
+Def: (Earthquake card) You do not have much def to start with, so adding these cards will not provide much extra
+MP: (Ocean card) Eles get quite a lot of MP/INT point, and as a high INT build you should have enough MP to get by with
+FP: (Vacuum card) Should be self explanatory… What does an ele need FP for?

Weapon Piercing *New*
v12 saw the arrival of a weapon piercing option. Weapons may now be pierced with up to 10 slots. This is not an easy task, and you will need a gpro to prevent your weapon from breaking (even going 0/1!).
Water cards: In keeping with the desire to do as much damage as possible, water cards would be the best option for your elementor. These add INT and DMMT.
Water card A: tbc
Water card B: 4 INT, 1% DMMT
Water card C: 3 INT, 1% DMMT
Water card D: 2 INT
The INT and DMMT stack, so a 3/3 piercing with 3 Water card B’s would give 12 INT and 3% DMMT to your weapon. Not too shoddy
Other piercings to consider, but in my opinion, these aren’t as good:
Land cards: Give STA. Might save you from dying from time to time if you get hit.
Land card A: tbc
Land card B: 4 STA
Land card C: 3 STA
Land card D: 2 STA
Wind cards: Give walking speed. This could be considered useful for HnR elementors.
Wind card A: tbc
Wind card B: 4% run speed, 1% atk speed
Wind card C: 2% run speed, 1% atk speed
Wind card D: 2% run speed
And what not to go for?
Fire and Electric cards: Give STR and DEX respectively. Neither of which an elementor needs.

Jewelry
You want to add to that damage to make levelling as fast as possible.
Intelli rings: More INT = more damage
Gore: Helps survive the odd hit when collecting
Demols: MORE DAMAGE (although you might want to stick with plugs for a bit more defence when starting out, to help you tank some hits. The levelling style does take some getting used to, and you’ll be taking a few blows until you master it).

Staves
I’d tend to use the appropriate green staff for your level UNLESS you can awaken a blue one close to your level with a good INT or decreased magic motion time awakening. A staff with a good attack awakening can also prove quite useful as this damage is added onto the DOT damage of Poison Cloud (for example, if you have a staff awakened with +150 attack, your DOT damage for poison cloud would be (100*attack piercing)+150+100). The Legendary Golden Staff has a decreased magic motion time bonus (one of the most useful bonuses of the green staffs), so if you are going to reduce a staff, this would be the one to reduce.
Elementing your staff with +1 wind will add damage to your windfield. However, elementing past +1 does not significantly increase damage.

Levelling techniques:
Sgtchidori’s guide can answer this far better than I can. Find the guide here
There are also some videos in the guides section of this forum, which are worth taking a look at.

Collecting
There are several ways you can collect the spawn you want to AoE.
1. Use windfield: This will give you an early start on slowing some of the monsters down. However, it is a slow way to collect as compared with some others BUT a much safer way.
2. Use other AoE skills: such as Burning field and Poison cloud. These give DoT and will give you a head start in killing the bad guys.
3. Use a lower level mage skill: These cast quickly and are ideal if there’s a monster sat in distance on it’s own.
4. Hit them with your staff: This is my preferred method – careful however, as sometimes you get stuck hitting one monster and then it’s game over when the spawn catch up…

Where to level?
There are a few ways to go about levelling as a HnR elementor. You can stay close to your level or go all out and kill waaay above your level.

Killing monsters of your level:
You will want to find a good spawn – spawns that are spread out will be slow exp. Azria is ideal for AoEers, and HnR elementors in particular because the spawns are huge and the monsters are tightly packed. At lower levels you will probably want to collect by using windfield and continue killing using the same skill. As you get higher level and more experienced, you can use other techniques to collect, and so long as the monsters remain slowed, you can even use other skills to kill the monsters (eg. Earthquake). I find it useful to run in a circular fashion when using the HnR method, as monsters have an “attention radius”. By this I mean that if you run too far away from this their initial spawn point in any direction, they will lose interest and run away/respawn. Using blinkpool can be helpful in gaining distance between you and the spawn.

Level 98 hybrid build elementor vs level 105+ chimeradon

Killing monsters of a higher level:
Basically this is the crucio for elementors. Use windfield windfield windfield because you do NOT want windfield to wear off from these things! You might want to party with other elementors to help ensure that the monsters stay slowed. This is excellent exp, but does take a lot of endurance. It can take 25-35 minutes to kill one spawn. Again, it is useful to control the spawn in a circular manner so that they don’t stry too far from their initial spawn point, and blinkpool can help gain some distance on the target.

Level 65 full INT elementor vs level 109+ mammoths

Pros:

• Can AoE huge numbers of monsters at one time. The only limit is the spawn size
• Because you will be a high INT build, your damage output will be good and things should die relatively quickly
• Combining the above 2 points = FAST LEVELLING
• More INT = longer self buff timers. You won’t need to worry about your mastery running out too often
• Doesn’t require many skill points to be effective, therefore is a good technique if you have messed up your skill build somehow
• Not a RM-dependant way of levelling (although a RM/healer does make the process much easier/faster)

Cons:

• You will have low HP, so will be prone to dying more often
• Although damage in PvP will be pretty good, you won’t last long
• Lag = death.
• Currently there’s a glitch in which the spawn warps on you under certain conditions (position lag?). Most often occurrence on slopes (eg. chimeradon, cannibal mammoth). Warning signs include monsters taking damage despite not appearing to be in your spawn
• Reliant on good spawns. If the spawn is too small/spread out then exp will be slow

Hopefully this guide has covered the most important aspects of this levelling build. Good luck ;3

Credits go to patangua.