Guild Wars 2

PVE-Wise, how is Mesmer DPS* compared to other classes?

Many thanks

*Without taking in account the reflects.

It’s swell.

Assuming you’re using the “right” build, it’s all down to how many and how much phantasms are up.

“Personal” DPS isn’t really that good.
3x Duelists/Swordsmans on same target, full buffed, are one of the highest DPS achieveable in game.

Ryn.6459:

*Without taking in account the reflects.

I still don’t consider a mesmer a great choice unless reflects are involved, and I probably wouldn’t want one if not mainly for their utility.

Technically, the popular phantasm builds can do very good damage, but I personally have a lot of problems actually keeping these phantasms alive and doing damage, making the potential DPS moot. Maybe I’m just terrible at mesmer.

The numbers are there though, if you’re able to pull them off.

I pretty much have to agree with what has already been said

Mesmers have a very good ‘potential damage’, and their damage output is therefore dependant on the situation. In a situation in which there is very little aoe damage, and/or only a single target to kill, the mesmer can put out an amazing amount of damage if running the right build, the same is true for fights which have a lot of projectiles involved, as reflections can sometimes do outrageous damage.

That aside, mesmers aren’t really good at aoe damage, our best phantasms(dps wise,no reflects accounted) are the duelist and the swordsman, which are both single target, making your damage output lower than classes with lots of cleaving damage.
On the same note, as you need to put illusions into the fight, damage scales with time, in trash mob fights, mesmers are unable to attain their maximum damage output, simply because they can’t spawn their illusions quickly enough.

Running 30/30/0/0/10 in non reflect dungeons is a blast though, the amount of damage you can put out with battle signet might upkeep and 4 mantras up is insane, but on the other hand, there are many bosses which really ruin my experience due to their constant aoe that almost literally destroy your dps.

As others have said, Mesmer DPS is situational but generally high. Most boss fights I can keep up at least two duelists most of the time, three on super clueless ones. Highest DPS is probably duelist and swordsman, but for utility purposes you will likely run with a focus on switch so you’re stuck with duelist and warden. Your wardens will die, but that’s life.

One of the really nice things about mesmers, though, is their ability to add to team DPS with minimal traiting/slotting. Boon copying with signet of inspiration is great if anyone else is providing might, and timewarp is a real boss burner. Plus, enemy pulling with phantasmal curtain (focus 4) effectively increases team DPS by positioning multiple enemies together so they can be cleaved or pulling bosses against walls so ele’s can cheese them with fiery greatsword.

Mesmers dps without phantasms is the by far lowest in the game.
When you have 3 swordsmen up your dps is going to be very high (relying on team buffs still) but in what fight does that happen? Normal boss fights take less than a minute, so assuming you can get 3 phantasms up you’ll only deal good damage in the last seconds. And once your target has aoe abilities your phantasms will die after or even before their first attack. In realistic fights you’ll deal about half the damage of a necro.

To sum it up: using a mesmer in dungeons where you don’t need their utility is a bad idea.

In PvE it’s phantasm damage or bust.

Anicetus.1253:

Mesmers dps without phantasms is the by far lowest in the game.
When you have 3 swordsmen up your dps is going to be very high (relying on team buffs still) but in what fight does that happen? Normal boss fights take less than a minute, so assuming you can get 3 phantasms up you’ll only deal good damage in the last seconds. And once your target has aoe abilities your phantasms will die after or even before their first attack. In realistic fights you’ll deal about half the damage of a necro.

To sum it up: using a mesmer in dungeons where you don’t need their utility is a bad idea.

So the question is how many dungeons are where you don’t need their utility.

AC 1-3, (CM?), TA up/fw, SE 3, HotW 1-3, CoF 1-3, CoE 1-3, Arah 1-4.

Id say mesmers are pretty important in CM and its nice to have one in cof p1/ se. But they can be replaced. The problem with cm is a guards reflects on its own isnt really enough so a mesmer kind of makes it a lot easier. And theres a few portal/stealth tricks you can do with mesmer in cm.

Anicetus.1253:

AC 1-3, (CM?), TA up/fw, SE 3, HotW 1-3, CoF 1-3, CoE 1-3, Arah 1-4.

Same goes for every other class. None are needed, but some are highly appreciated and mesmers usually are among those-

serialkicker.5274:

Anicetus.1253:

AC 1-3, (CM?), TA up/fw, SE 3, HotW 1-3, CoF 1-3, CoE 1-3, Arah 1-4.

Same goes for every other class. None are needed, but some are highly appreciated and mesmers usually are among those-

Maybe in pugs. In organised groups we dont take them that often. But you are right, almost every class can be replaced. Warrior is the only exception because of banners.

Those are dungeons where taking a mesmer doesn’t improve. Bringing an ele or a warrior instead is good for absolutely all dungeons. Also guardian for most.

Mesmer isnt really worth it on TA up either tbh. Only useful thing is instagibbing malrona but you save more time by having faster classes and better dps for the rest of the dungeon.

TA up was included in my list. A guardian just kills malrona as fast as. Just have to remember to switch the healing signet out.

Woops I cant read.

Also have to remember not to whirl finish inside symbol of wrath/WoR. Those cleansing bolts!

They don’t remove your conditions so it doesn’t matter.

Hmm i guess it must of been a warrior using whirlwind attack or cyclone axe that cleansed the poison then.

Anicetus.1253:

AC 1-3, (CM?), TA up/fw, SE 3, HotW 1-3, CoF 1-3, CoE 1-3, Arah 1-4.

You wouldn’t take a mesmer for any of Arah? What do you use on Lupi’s p2?

Fun fact, been pugging and a mesmer in my party used feedback on malrona at TA just at the best possible time when she was about to use her poison burst. She puked herself and got down with about 20% of her life, which killed her. We all were like (O_O)

Ethics.4519:

Anicetus.1253:

AC 1-3, (CM?), TA up/fw, SE 3, HotW 1-3, CoF 1-3, CoE 1-3, Arah 1-4.

You wouldn’t take a mesmer for any of Arah? What do you use on Lupi’s p2?

wall or dodge.

Mes is nice for casuals anyway, not really a (big) loss to take one.

cmud.5689:

Fun fact, been pugging and a mesmer in my party used feedback on malrona at TA just at the best possible time when she was about to use her poison burst. She puked herself and got down with about 20% of her life, which killed her. We all were like (O_O)

If you are poisoned, you do a lot more damage to her. Mesmers/Guardians can stand in her poison spray (not the projectile one), then feedback/wall the aoe projectile to do massive damage.

hybrid.5027:

Ethics.4519:

Anicetus.1253:

AC 1-3, (CM?), TA up/fw, SE 3, HotW 1-3, CoF 1-3, CoE 1-3, Arah 1-4.

You wouldn’t take a mesmer for any of Arah? What do you use on Lupi’s p2?

wall or dodge.

Mes is nice for casuals anyway, not really a (big) loss to take one.

How reliable is guardian wall? My regular group (I being the mesmer) uses feedback for the first one (as all I have all my extra % through mantras and phantasms) but the transition we are defenseless. We’ve tried dropping wall but it doesn’t reliably reflect from what we’ve seen.

Stack tight in the wall, its pretty reliable. Try have the guard pop an aegis in transition. May as well fb though if you have the mes

@5:20

spoj.9672:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXK3xJUj37g

@5:20

Thanks man, that’s pretty solid. I might have to switch to my thief or war from now on =)

@ 4:20-ish, how did the abominations not charge into the corner…. cripple? Have you guys accidentally pulled another mob with the GS #5 pull?

Edit: Sorry I have to edit, still have my 900 second punishment. We usually stack in the corner and use the wall to hide the charge. It seems like one of them went out wide, and you were easily able to pull them in close with GS #5.

Very nice run, will have to attempt some of your strategies =)

If you just walk into the corner they usually aggro without you even hitting them. And they usually get stuck on the wall when they charge and then walk over. But yeah you can cripple or cc them if they dont get stuck. In the vid they were crippled.

Also aggroing extra mobs happens more often than id like. Usually not a big deal. Kill the aboms fast and then LoS the extras inside the room.

So if I want to make a toon just for dungeonsn runs, which class do you recommend?

If you only plan on sticking to one, then warrior.

Ryn.6459:

So if I want to make a toon just for dungeonsn runs, which class do you recommend?

Like spoj said, warrior is a good option. If you plan on pugging a lot, think about guard as well.

I only PUG… So a guardian?

I only PUG… So a guardian?

Warrior is good for pugs aswell. Taking a guard could mean you get kicked out of the group if they already have a guard. People dont mind stacking warriors though.