Guild Wars 2

I just got a mesmer to level 80 and would like to solo dungeons with her (just for fun, not for record times), but I’ve got an issue with fighting mobs that deal AOE non-projectile damage (melee damage, in particular):

• Phantasm builds: I can’t keep phantasms alive for any decent period of time against these types of foes so my DPS becomes really low. Perhaps using iduelist and trying to spawn them away from the boss?
• Shatter builds: I’ve tried using shatter instead of phantasms, but that seems low DPS as well. I’m a noob at mesmer, so I think maybe this is what I should be doing, but am doing it wrong?
• Are there non-illusion, high DPS builds for mesmers?

Any advice welcome! (I’m experienced in soloing with Necros and guardians, so I’m not a total noob.)

Yes, one.
Reroll warrior.

Dub.1273:

Yes, one.
Reroll warrior.

Can confirm that this is good advice. Dub is an expert Mesmer.

^ In the lines of Obal’s guide to condi guardian.

30 30 0 0 10 is the build I guess, with mantras. Warrior is still better tho. Illusions draw aggro and die quiet fast, which is a real problem as it hurts your damage output.

Try the duelists, and keep them at max range. You really just have to deal with it and keep resummoning though. Sandy has some nice solo videos, and that’s what he’s always doing. If you can keep aggro on yourself, though, duelists can stay alive in some situations and feel lots of consistent damage that way.

The mesmer is a strategist class in my eyes, every encounter you need to see which appraoch will make you get the best out of the situation. Do keep in mind however, with the absence of reflection, the mesmer is a very low damage class, though phantasm builds were boosted with the viability of strength runes(use strength/battle sigil for 12-15 stacks of might upkeep).

In any situations in which you can not rely on phantasms there are two options, both of which you’ve already sort of mentioned.

First off, phantasms are all different, they have their own ways of dealing with things, and all end up getting useful at some point:

-Swordsmen dodge-> phantasmal haste -> more attacks -> more dodges -> more survivability. That aside, they stay at around 200-300 range, making them perfect for some enemies such as lupicus(they jump just outside kick range).

- Duelists do a good amount of damage and stay stationary at a distance, these are often what I end up using when I end up in an AOE fight. Consider traiting them to 1200 range, as I do with the abomination in arah, to keep them alive better.

Wardens – duhh, projectile reflect nothing else.

So after considering all of your viable phantasms, and you still dont get any good results, consider either of two options.

- Spam phantasm build – get a lot of cooldown reduction, use your signet heal properly and just spam the …. out of your phantasm skills, when they die you just make them get up again just to have them die again, because they hit once spawned, you’ll keep up some dps, but also have some meatbags around to keep your own damage more consistent.

- Shatter build, with the new traitsystem and all you can swap builds on the go, so techniquely you can always consider using shatters, Try to always use deceptive evasion with it, mantras, and as you’re running direct damage. NEVER forget about illusionary riposte, its our highest direct damage skill. Only use shatters in PvE as a last resort though.

Builds for full non reflect damage in solos should usually be around 30/30/0/0/10 or 30/20/0/0/20, but solos like yours are about getting by through any means necessary, so if you’re going to play a mesmer and solo, please look at your traitlines and decide your own approach

Last note: Never forget about Crowd Control, this may seem obvious, but as this mechanic is not used in groups very frequently, people tend to forget about its existence. In solos, and definitely in ones where your phantasms get killed, and you cant get in melee a lot. CC is definitely something you can count on, signet of domination is awesome.

^ This is your man right here

New solo online

http://youtu.be/-dhYrZiJe80

I guess this is one of those where I chose the phantasm spam

+ requested thief video tomorrow

WEEE NEW VIDEO OMG OMG

.__. halting strike no longer procs through defiant

Thanks everyone! … I’ve been in the process of leveling a warrior for a long time now but leveling is just so tedious.

Sanderinoa.8065:

-Swordsmen dodge-> phantasmal haste -> more attacks -> more dodges -> more survivability. That aside, they stay at around 200-300 range, making them perfect for some enemies such as lupicus(they jump just outside kick range).

Funny, I just watched your Lupi video before checking this thread for replies and noticed the swordsmen were surviving.

Hadn’t thought about the dodge/phantasmal haste going well together!

Sanderinoa.8065:

- Duelists do a good amount of damage and stay stationary at a distance, these are often what I end up using when I end up in an AOE fight. Consider traiting them to 1200 range, as I do with the abomination in arah, to keep them alive better.

Funny again, the reason for my post was because the abomination that was taking forever.

Sanderinoa.8065:

- Spam phantasm build – get a lot of cooldown reduction, use your signet heal properly and just spam the …. out of your phantasm skills, when they die you just make them get up again just to have them die again, because they hit once spawned, you’ll keep up some dps, but also have some meatbags around to keep your own damage more consistent.

Signet heal… I totally ignored that, stupid me.

Sanderinoa.8065:

Last note: Never forget about Crowd Control, this may seem obvious, but as this mechanic is not used in groups very frequently, people tend to forget about its existence. In solos, and definitely in ones where your phantasms get killed, and you cant get in melee a lot. CC is definitely something you can count on, signet of domination is awesome.

I wish they’d scale Defiant down for parties smaller than 5… I think that’d open up a lot of interesting ways to deal with bosses that are unviable right now.

Lord Kuru.3685:

Funny again, the reason for my post was because the abomination that was taking forever

Then y u no just watch my p2 solo guide?

Sanderinoa.8065:

Lord Kuru.3685:

Funny again, the reason for my post was because the abomination that was taking forever

Then y u no just watch my p2 solo guide?

Didn’t know you had one until right this moment.

I’ve never really gotten the hang of the 1200 range duelist method for the berserker abomination. Even if I manage to get one up sometimes he ignores me and just runs off to attack the duelists.

So normally I just fight him with 4 mantras. The goal then is to spawn phantasms behind him and keep him focused on you to direct his attacks away from the phantasms. Typically all the phantasms will die when he jumps so shatter when he does.

It takes me about 10 tranquilizer guns with this method.

You do not need any transquilizer darts, as you can interrupt all of his berserker modes by getting off 5 defiant stacks within 48 seconds.

If you interrupt his berserker stance it goes on 5 second cooldown and he will use it again quite quickly.

draconx.3102:

If you interrupt his berserker stance it goes on 5 second cooldown and he will use it again quite quickly.

I must be cheating.