Overview and role
The Cleric in Ashes of Creation remains the backbone of any serious group in 2026, a class built to sustain teams through prolonged fights, mitigate burst damage, and provide the utility that turns chaotic encounters into controlled wins. This guide centers on a Greatsword + Book hybrid that leverages finisher mechanics for mana recovery while maximizing healing throughput through Wisdom and Mentality scaling. The goal is a build that excels in dungeons, raids, and node warfare: reliable AoE sustain, clutch single‑target saves, and enough mobility and control to survive open‑world threats. You will learn how to prioritize stats, choose gear and enchantments, sequence your rotation for efficiency, and adapt to PvP and solo play without sacrificing the core identity of a raid‑grade healer.
Build summary
This Cleric build emphasizes three pillars: sustained AoE healing, mana economy, and positional mobility. The weapon pairing of Greatsword + Book is chosen for its finisher synergy and ranged toolkit. Primary stats are Wisdom for heal potency and cast speed, and Mentality for mana pool and regeneration. Light armor is the baseline for maximum magical scaling; swap in medium pieces only when you need extra survivability in the open world. Talents and nodes should be selected to increase finisher frequency, reduce cooldowns, and strengthen HoTs and group heals. The playstyle favors preemptive mitigation, layered HoTs, and finishers to refill mana rather than spamming expensive burst heals.
Why Greatsword plus Book
Greatsword finishers are the linchpin of this build. Finishers restore mana and often trigger on‑hit or finisher bonuses that feed into Bless Weapon uptime and overall resource sustainability. The Book provides ranged options, utility spells, and situational crowd control that keep you relevant when you can’t stand in melee. This hybrid allows you to toggle between melee finisher loops during controlled pulls and ranged support when repositioning or kiting is necessary. The synergy between finishers and mana return means you can maintain high healing throughput without constantly draining consumables.
Stat priorities and why they matter
Put your primary investment into Wisdom first. Wisdom increases healing potency and often reduces cast times, which directly improves throughput and reaction speed. Second is Mentality; a larger mana pool and better regeneration let you sustain longer fights and reduce reliance on potions. Third is Intelligence for supplemental damage and scaling of certain magical effects, useful for soloing and contributing to AoE pressure. Avoid overinvesting in raw defensive stats early; instead, use positioning, cooldowns, and light armor scaling to survive. Once your healing output is stable, tune secondary stats like cooldown reduction and finisher chance through enchantments and accessories.
Core talents and nodes
Begin by locking in Bless Weapon as a baseline buff. This talent is the backbone of your mana loop: it increases finisher potency and returns mana on successful finishers. Next, prioritize Soothing Glow or its equivalent HoT talent to provide continuous, low‑cost healing on tanks and high‑threat allies. Communal Restoration or a similar group heal should be taken early for proactive mitigation in heavy pulls. Invest in talents that reduce cooldowns on your major AoE heals and increase the radius or potency of HoTs. Mobility talents such as Wing of Salvation or short teleports are essential for staying alive in node fights and sieges. Finally, take at least one talent that enhances finisher frequency or finisher effects; this directly feeds your mana economy and keeps your rotation sustainable.
Gear progression and enchantments
Early game gear should focus on survivability and basic stat scaling: pick light armor pieces with the highest Wisdom roll you can find and a weapon that increases finisher chance. Mid‑game, hunt for pieces that add Mentality and cooldown reduction. Endgame gear should be optimized for Wisdom, Mentality, and finisher‑related enchantments. Accessories are where you can tune the build: mana regeneration, cooldown reduction, and healing potency are the top three priorities. For weapon enchantments, choose finisher chance and magical scaling; for armor, prioritize cast speed and healing output. If you must sacrifice a slot for survivability, choose a chest or boots with a medium armor option rather than a headpiece, so you retain most of your magical scaling.
Consumables and augmentations
Stock mana potions and a few high‑tier healing consumables for emergency saves, but rely on finishers and Bless Weapon to reduce consumption. Use food that increases Wisdom or Mentality depending on the content: Wisdom food for raid throughput, Mentality food for long dungeon runs. Augmentations should focus on cooldown reduction and mana regeneration; these provide the most consistent benefit across content types. In PvP, swap to consumables that increase resistances and crowd control mitigation.
Rotation fundamentals
Your rotation is less about spamming the highest heal and more about sequencing efficient, layered effects. Start every pull by applying Bless Weapon and pre‑casting Soothing Glow on the tank. Use a short crowd control or gather tool to cluster enemies, then follow with your primary AoE heal (e.g., Consecrated Wave) to both damage and heal. Place Divine Flare or similar ground heal where allies will stand, then immediately cast Communal Restoration to stabilize the group. In the mid‑fight, maintain HoTs and use finishers with the Greatsword to restore mana. Only use large single‑target cooldown heals when an ally is about to die; otherwise, rely on layered HoTs and efficient AoE heals to conserve resources. When cooldowns are down and you anticipate heavy damage, use Barrier or Wing of Salvation preemptively rather than reactively.
Mana management and finisher loops
The single biggest difference between a competent Cleric and a top‑tier one is how they manage mana. Finishers are your primary mana source. Time your Greatsword finishers to coincide with Bless Weapon windows and when you have multiple targets clustered. Avoid using high‑cost burst heals unless you have a finisher queued or Bless Weapon active. If you find yourself low on mana, switch to a conservative rotation: maintain HoTs, use low‑cost AoE heals, and prioritize finishers over direct heals. Accessories and enchantments that increase mana regeneration are more valuable than raw healing potency when you’re struggling to sustain.
Positioning and movement
Positioning is a healer’s first defense. Stay behind the main tank line but close enough to reach the group with your AoE heals. Use terrain to your advantage: pillars and elevation can block line of sight for enemy casters while still allowing you to place ground heals. Mobility talents let you reposition quickly; use them to avoid predictable telegraphed damage and to reach split groups. In node warfare, keep an escape route in mind and avoid being the first target of enemy burst rotations. Your survival is more valuable than a single overheal.
Crowd control and utility usage
Your utility toolkit is as important as your heals. Use crowd control to interrupt dangerous casts and to isolate high‑priority targets. Place ground control effects to deny space to enemy melee and to funnel opponents into your team’s AoE. Use defensive cooldowns to bait enemy cooldowns and then punish them with coordinated burst from your allies. In PvP, swap some talent points into crowd control resistance and mobility to survive focused pressure.
Group synergy and communication
A Cleric’s effectiveness scales with team coordination. Communicate Bless Weapon windows and finisher timings so melee can time their own finishers and maximize mana returns. Coordinate pre‑emptive cooldowns with tanks and off‑healers: if a tank is about to use a major mitigation, delay your big cooldown heal until the mitigation ends to avoid overhealing. Call out when you need peel or when you’re forced to reposition so DPS can cover. In raids, assign a secondary healer to handle specific mechanics so you can focus on maintaining group sustain.
PvP adjustments
In PvP, survivability and control trump raw throughput. Shift some talent points into defensive nodes and crowd control resistance. Equip accessories that increase resistances and reduce incoming burst. Use your Book toolkit more often for ranged interrupts and slows, and rely on mobility talents to avoid being pinned. Your role becomes triage and peel: keep key players alive, deny enemy healers, and create windows for your team to engage. Finishers still matter for mana, but you’ll often need to prioritize escape and survival over perfect finisher timing.
Solo and open‑world play
This build is surprisingly capable solo because finishers and AoE heals let you clear packs efficiently. When soloing, lean into Intelligence and damage nodes to speed up clears, and use the Greatsword finisher loop aggressively to refill mana. Swap to medium armor if you expect to be contested in the open world. Use your Book for ranged pulls and to kite when necessary. Solo play is about balancing damage and sustain: you want to kill packs quickly enough that your HoTs and finishers keep you topped off.
Advanced tips and micro‑optimizations
Timing is everything. Learn the exact cast times of your major heals and practice weaving finishers between casts so you don’t lose global cooldown windows. Use pre‑emptive HoTs on players who will take predictable damage rather than reacting after the damage lands. When multiple allies are low, a well‑placed AoE heal plus a finisher can be more efficient than several single‑target heals. Keep a mental timer for Bless Weapon and finisher windows; many fights are won or lost in the seconds after a major cooldown expires. Finally, practice clutch saves in low‑risk environments so you can execute under pressure.
Gear checklist by progression tier
Early: prioritize light armor with high Wisdom, a Greatsword with decent finisher chance, and a Book with utility spells. Mid: add Mentality rolls, cooldown reduction enchantments, and accessories that increase mana regen. Endgame: optimize for Wisdom, Mentality, finisher chance, and cooldown reduction; choose augmentations that increase HoT potency and group heal radius. Swap in medium pieces only when open‑world survival is a concern.
Playstyle examples
In a typical dungeon pull, you will pre‑apply HoTs, Bless Weapon, and then use a gather to cluster enemies. Follow with Consecrated Wave and Divine Flare to both damage and heal. Maintain HoTs and weave finishers to refill mana. If a tank takes a spike, use Barrier or a single‑target cooldown heal; if multiple allies are low, use Communal Restoration. In a raid, your role is to maintain uptime on group HoTs and to time large cooldowns with raid mechanics. In PvP, your role is to keep key players alive and to deny enemy healers with interrupts and pressure.
Troubleshooting common problems
If you run out of mana quickly, check your finisher frequency and Bless Weapon uptime. If you’re overhealing, you’re wasting mana; switch to HoTs and more conservative heals. If you die often, reassess positioning and consider swapping a light armor piece for medium until you learn to kite. If your group complains about slow clears, coordinate with DPS to focus targets and use your AoE heals to sustain faster kill speeds.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is the single most important stat for this build? Wisdom is the primary stat because it increases healing potency and often reduces cast times, directly improving throughput. Q: Is Greatsword mandatory? No, but Greatsword finishers are central to the mana loop that makes this build sustainable; alternatives will require more consumable use. Q: Should I ever wear heavy armor? Only in extreme open‑world situations where survivability is more valuable than healing output. Heavy armor negates much of your magical scaling. Q: How do I handle long dungeon runs without potions? Rely on finishers, Bless Weapon, and mana regen accessories; use conservative rotations and prioritize HoTs. Q: How do I adapt this build for PvP? Shift talent points into defensive and mobility nodes, equip resist accessories, and use your Book toolkit for interrupts and slows. Q: What consumables are essential? Mana potions, Wisdom or Mentality food depending on content, and cooldown reduction augments for long fights. Q: Can this build solo farm efficiently? Yes; with the right damage nodes and finishers, AoE clears are fast and sustainable. Q: How do I coordinate with other healers? Assign roles: one healer handles raid‑wide mitigation while the other focuses on tanks and mechanics; communicate cooldowns and Bless Weapon windows. Q: What’s the best way to learn the rotation? Practice in low‑risk dungeons and focus on finisher timing and preemptive HoTs until the sequence becomes muscle memory. Q: How often should I reforge gear? Reforge when you can significantly increase Wisdom or Mentality rolls; otherwise, prioritize enchantments and augmentations.
Closing and next steps
This build is designed to be practical and adaptable. Start by acquiring a Greatsword with finisher chance and a Book with utility spells, then focus on Wisdom and Mentality through gear and enchantments. Practice the rotation until finishers and Bless Weapon windows become second nature, and tune your accessories for mana regeneration and cooldown reduction. In group content, communicate your cooldowns and finisher windows so your team can synchronize burst and mitigation. In PvP and solo play, be willing to swap a slot or two for survivability without abandoning the core finisher loop.
Concise Gear Progression Checklist
Goal: fast, practical upgrades that keep your Cleric effective from early dungeons to endgame raids. Follow this linear path and prioritize Wisdom, Mentality, and finisher‑related enchantments.
Early (levels 1–40)
Acquire a Greatsword with any finisher chance and a Book with basic utility spells.
Equip light armor pieces with the highest Wisdom rolls available.
Use accessories that add flat mana or small Mentality boosts.
Consumables: basic mana potions and food that increases Wisdom.
Mid (levels 41–70)
Replace low‑roll pieces with gear that adds Mentality and cooldown reduction.
Seek a Greatsword with improved finisher chance and a Book that grants a reliable AoE or interrupt.
Add one medium armor piece only if open‑world survival is an issue.
Accessories: prioritize mana regeneration and cooldown reduction.
Start socketing augmentations that increase HoT potency or reduce cast time.
Endgame (70+)
Optimize all slots for Wisdom then Mentality; enchant for finisher chance and cooldown reduction.
Weapon enchantments: finisher effect; secondary: magical scaling.
Armor enchantments: cast speed, healing potency, HoT radius.
Accessories: max mana regen, cooldown reduction, and healing potency.
Swap in situational medium pieces only for contested open‑world content.
Enchantments and Augments (priority order)
Finisher chance / finisher effect on Greatsword.
Cooldown reduction on major heal items.
Mana regeneration on accessories.
Wisdom rolls on armor and jewelry.
HoT potency / radius augments for group sustain.
Quick upgrade rule: if a new piece increases Wisdom or Mentality by a meaningful margin, equip it immediately; otherwise wait for an enchantment that matches the list above.
Step‑by‑Step Rotation Video Script
Purpose: a tight, watchable script for a 2–3 minute rotation demo that teaches the finisher loop, pre‑healing, and emergency saves. Use this as a voiceover guide with on‑screen ability icons and a live combat clip.
Opening shot (0:00–0:08) Narration: “This is the Ashes of Creation Top Cleric Build 2026. Weapons: Greatsword + Book. Stats: Wisdom then Mentality. Watch the finisher loop and pre‑healing in action.” Visual: character equip screen briefly, then cut to dungeon pull.
Pre‑pull setup (0:08–0:20) Narration: “Pre‑apply Bless Weapon and Soothing Glow on the tank to start the mana loop and HoT coverage.” Visual: show Bless Weapon cast, Soothing Glow on tank; overlay text: Bless Weapon → Soothing Glow.
Engage and gather (0:20–0:35) Narration: “Use a gather or Chains of Restraint to cluster enemies, then drop Consecrated Wave for AoE heal and damage.” Visual: gather animation, Consecrated Wave placement; slow motion on impact.
Layered healing (0:35–0:55) Narration: “Place Divine Flare where allies stand, then cast Communal Restoration to stabilize the group. Maintain HoTs rather than spamming big heals.” Visual: ground heal placement, Communal Restoration cast; health bars showing stabilization.
Finisher loop demonstration (0:55–1:20) Narration: “Weave Greatsword finishers between casts to restore mana. Time finishers during Bless Weapon windows for maximum return.” Visual: show Greatsword finisher animation, mana bar rising; overlay: Finisher → Mana Return.
Mid‑fight sustain (1:20–1:40) Narration: “Keep HoTs active, use low‑cost AoE heals, and only use large single‑target cooldowns when a player is about to die.” Visual: split screen of HoT icons uptime and cooldown icons.
Emergency save example (1:40–1:55) Narration: “When the tank spikes, use Barrier or Wing of Salvation preemptively to buy time for cooldowns.” Visual: show tank health dropping, Barrier cast, health stabilizes.
PvP and solo notes (1:55–2:10) Narration: “In PvP, shift talents to defense and use the Book for interrupts. Solo, lean into Intelligence and damage nodes to speed clears while keeping finishers active.” Visual: quick PvP clip and solo AoE clear clip.
Closing (2:10–2:20) Narration: “Practice the finisher timing and pre‑healing. That’s the core of the 2026 Cleric meta: sustained AoE healing, mana economy, and mobility.” Visual: final overlay with three bullet takeaways: Bless Weapon, Finishers, HoT maintenance.
Production notes: show ability icons and cooldown timers; include a small HUD overlay with current Wisdom/Mentality values; use slow‑motion for clutch saves and finisher mana returns.
Printable One‑Page Quick Reference
Title: Ashes of Creation Top Cleric Build 2026 Quick Reference
Core identity Weapons: Greatsword + Book Primary stats: Wisdom > Mentality > Intelligence Armor: Light baseline; swap one medium piece if needed for survival
Exact talent path (high‑priority picks) 1. Bless Weapon — baseline; enables finisher mana returns. 2. Soothing Glow — primary HoT for tanks. 3. Communal Restoration — proactive group heal. 4. Consecrated Wave / Divine Flare — AoE heal + damage layering. 5. Finisher enhancement node — increases finisher frequency/effect. 6. Cooldown reduction node — reduces major heal cooldowns. 7. Mobility node (Wing of Salvation) — reposition and escape. 8. Barrier or emergency single‑target cooldown — clutch saves. (Allocate remaining points into HoT radius, mana regen, and crowd control resistance as needed.)
Enchantment priorities (top to bottom)
Finisher chance / finisher effect (weapon)
Cooldown reduction (armor/accessories)
Mana regeneration (accessories)
Wisdom rolls (armor/jewelry)
HoT potency / radius (augments)
Quick rotation (one‑line flow) Pre‑pull: Bless Weapon → Soothing Glow on tank. Pull: gather → Consecrated Wave → Divine Flare placement → Communal Restoration. Sustain: maintain HoTs; weave Greatsword finishers to refill mana. Emergency: Barrier or Wing of Salvation → single‑target cooldown heal.
Mana rules of thumb
Finishers are primary mana source.
Avoid large burst heals unless a finisher is queued or Bless Weapon is active.
If low on mana: switch to HoTs, use low‑cost AoE heals, and prioritize finishers.
Consumables
Mana potions (emergency).
Food: Wisdom for raids; Mentality for long dungeons.
Augments: cooldown reduction and mana regen.
Situational swaps
PvP: move points into defense and mobility; equip resist accessories; use Book interrupts.
Solo: add Intelligence/damage nodes; use aggressive finishers for sustain.
Open world contested: swap one light piece for medium for survivability.
Emergency checklist (fast)
Bless Weapon active?
HoTs applied to tank?
Finisher queued?
Barrier/Wing ready?
Mana regen accessories equipped?
One‑minute practice drill
0–10s: apply Bless Weapon and Soothing Glow.
10–25s: gather and Consecrated Wave + Divine Flare.
25–50s: weave two finishers, maintain HoTs.
50–60s: simulate tank spike and use Barrier.
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