I wanted to post a thread specifically discussing this trait and where the Mesmer dueling traitline is in the current meta (in all forums).
For those who don’t know, Anet is planning on implementing a new grandmaster trait, Triumphant Distortion, which reads: “Gain 3s of distortion on killing an enemy.”
[PvE]
This trait is not something that would be valuable in PvE.
- Mesmers already have a good amount of damage mitigation via blurred frenzy, counter blade, and distortion. Mesmers also have a plethora of reflects available to avoid projectiles.
- Adding this trait only benefits players who cannot properly utilize their skills while dealing damage.
- This trait does not contribute to the team.
[WvW]
This trait is situational in wvwvw.
- Roamers can use this trait to capture camps.
o Power builds can use PU to clear camps already; shatter builds and condi builds don’t need this trait to solo camps.
- Mesmers can wade into large zergs and face tank everything!
o Mesmers lack any strong AoE damage to utilize this trait, as in large zergs your main forms of damage (illusions/phantasms) are killed instantly.
o Mesmers depend on people dying, which is extremely situational. PU is a much safer option.
[PvP]
This trait is not something that would be valuable in PvP
- This trait does not make me more survivable group situations. This trait is only useful when people die (IE: disengaging people after the stomp), and yet mesmers already have a variety of disengages (Blink, decoy, phase retreat). Why spend 30 points here when I have to worry about condi-removal, dealing damage, being useful to my group?
- This trait is selfish and provides no benefit to my party.
- This trait does not contribute to my overall damage in team-fights. Mesmers already have AoE problems as their main forms of AoE (shatter and phantasms) can be dodged/killed off. With the upcoming crit. damage nerf hurting both power shatter and phantasm builds, I am more concerned about providing enough damage to even be considered useful.
o The vigor nerf on mesmers means that I have to be more dependant on energy/purity sigils in the current meta to survive long enough to go in to stomp (so I won’t be able to utilize fire+lightning which seems to be suggested in the live-stream).
o The crit damage nerf is less significant on classes that can stack +% damage bonus traits instead of “self-preservation” traits when wielding certain weapons. Since mesmers only have two of these traits (one which is mantra-dependant, which is nowhere near viable for competitive pvp), this means that I am less effective than other damage-dealing classes after the crit. nerf.
- This trait does not provide support to my party.
- Fighting on point with this trait is actually detrimental to my party. Since distortion was changed to prevent capping/decapping while active, I am actually hurting my team by taking this trait. This is exacerbated by the fact that as long as people stay in combat they remain “tagged,” So if my team kills someone I’ve tagged somewhere else on the map, I’ve just become useless in contending a node/ bunkering.
I don’t believe this trait should make it to the live version; it’s not strong enough to be viable aside from incredibly niche situations.
Let’s look at the two current traits.
1. Empowered Mantras
Empowered mantras are horrible in the current meta and design of mantras. Equiping all four mantras cripples your damage and burst potential due to the nature of the skills. ONLY ONE MANTRA ACTUALLY DOES DAMAGE. Since EM only boosts your own damage, and mind wrack/ cry of frustration, the only reason to take this skill to boost your shatter damage. The problem with this is that both domination and dueling offer much better investments points-wise (Ilusionary persona increases your shatter damage by 33%, Mental torment increases shatter damage by 20%)
2. Furious Interruption
Furious interruption is also a terrible trait. A lot of the damage that comes from mesmers are from low cast/instant cast skills (IE: phantasms/shatters). Mesmer skills in general have some of the lowest cast times in the game, so this trait benefits very few builds. The only reason to invest in this trait is to make mantra-casting faster, which doesn’t help when mantras are in their current state.
MESMERS NEED A VIABLE GRANDMASTER TRAIT IN THE DUELING LINE.
With the upcoming nerf to crit damage, mesmers need traits that supplement their damage or make the delivery of their damage easier to achieve in order to remain active in the meta.
Please discuss the current trait, how it may be useful in today’s meta, or how it might be changed to keep damage-dealing mesmers viable.
THIS THREAD IS TO DISCUSS TRIUMPHANT DISTORTION, NOT TO WHINE ABOUT PU.