Guild Wars 2

I have to admit I was surprised by the change. As it is, every team that is currently competitive or aiming to be runs a shatter mesmer. Most of the folks in here defending the change are most likely mesmer players, and hey, why wouldn’t you defend the change?
My only guess at this point is that Anet are attempting to keep mesmers in line with other classes that have received beneficial changes, while promoting build diversity, but overshot the mark somewhat with this one.
Just because one class is able to generate high stacks of boons doesn’t mean that every other class should too, that isn’t how balance works. Would you say the same thing if they enabled thieves to generate might at such a rate? Not likely.

If Mesmers are allowed to exist at their state, I say every class should be buffed at the same efficiency.

No seriously, I don’t get it. I don’t know why ANET has to be GOD incompetent for making Hyper Carry BS even existent in this game. LEARN ANET. PLEASE LEARN. Take some notes from RIOT games or something and ACTUALLY BALANCE MESMERS OUT.

This was a very educational thread. Pre- patch everybody was whining about Mesmer shatter burst. It was too high they said, dead in a single 16k shatter they cried.

Now post-patch, apparently that burst is gone! People are now living long enough to see Mesmers shatter NINE illusions in less than 10 seconds in order to get a 25 stack of might. And seeing as the cooldown of Mind Wrack is 10 seconds itself, they must be using Signet of Illusions to reset their shatter cooldown and strike at that exact second before the stack starts wearing off. Then, of course, the burst is back.. and completely overpowered when compared to the likes of weak attacks such as Hundred Blades, Kill shot, and Backstab.

I learned so much today.

Some mesmer players will always be in denial: this happens with every profession in this game. Ele players are in denial that their bunker builds are too good, thief players are in denial that their backstab builds are too good, etc. And then all of them talk about this myth called the HB Warrior, based on their experience from the meta a few months ago, when people still didn’t know how to play this game and HB could actually kill something.

HB Warriors have excellent burst, but they can’t hit anyone by themselves, and they can’t offer much more than a burst. Shatter mesmers and Backstab thieves contribute a lot more to the match.

But it’s clear that SS is extremely strong. It not only directly buffs an overpowered mesmer’s burst build, it also offers more versatility.

Shatter Mesmer builds have been overpowered because they are excellent at bursting, CC and have great survival for a glass cannon build. The new Shattered Strength does not only buffs them, it makes them much better at three distinct areas:

• Even stronger bursting: SS works with any of your four shatters, so you can, say, use your Cry of Frustration beforehand to prepare for a huge Mind Wrack burst with 3-9 extra might.
• Excellent sustained damage: Burst builds are usually poor at sustained damage, and vice-versa. For a reason. Now, Mesmers can get 3-9 stacks of might after bursting, up to 6-18 stacks of might by simply using two shatters, giving them excellent means to deal excellent damage even after their bursts are under a cooldown.
• Excellent party support: With their 6-18 stacks of might – a little more than that with an extra sigil and/ or rune, they can use a signet to spread all that to the party around them, transforming your team into a burst/ damage machine. Add in the quickness elite for a free win.

So that’s a direct improment in power AND more versatility, to a build that was already a bit too good at both.

I play a mesmer and IMHO this buff is just ridiculous. I dont even know why they think they had to do it – because nobody asked for it. The shatter-build was strong enough without that buff, perhaps to strong.
But instead of making other builds more attractive they buff the one 90% of mesmers are playing.

Well – thats ANets conception of balancing. I really loose my faith in them with each “patch” a little more.

Its obviously badly thought out but what people tend to miss is if you actually stack 25 stacks of might using shattered strength with a shatter spec you don’t really have anything to do WITH those stacks once you get them besides spam auto attacks unless your opponent happens to get you below 50% so you get a reset on your shatter skills.

People see 25 stacks and think “omg ridiculous!” when the powerful part of the skill isn’t the 25 stacks of might someone stacked to show off, it’s the constant 5-10% dps boost you get from the more or less passive stacks you get just from doing your normal routine.

DiogoSilva.7089:

• Excellent sustained damage: Burst builds are usually poor at sustained damage, and vice-versa. For a reason. Now, Mesmers can get 3-9 stacks of might after bursting, up to 6-18 stacks of might by simply using two shatters, giving them excellent means to deal excellent damage even after their bursts are under a cooldown.
• Excellent party support: With their 6-18 stacks of might – a little more than that with an extra sigil and/ or rune, they can use a signet to spread all that to the party around them, transforming your team into a burst/ damage machine. Add in the quickness elite for a free win.

See posts like this are what I’m talking about. These are both just plain silly. Might isn’t a dramatic dps boost. 18 stacks of might is about a 25% bonus. It does not even begin to make shatter mesmers good at sustained damage. 25% more staff auto attack damage is not good sustained damage.

For the same reason it would be really pretty dumb even if you are going to run signet of inspiration to use it how you describe. Wasting two shatters just to set up a ~20% damage bonus for your group for a few seconds is just bad play most of the itme.

unfortunately JSharp has informed us that we have to put up with this silliness for an undisclosed period of time while they “watch it very closely”. /end thread.

Meanwhile players are going back to WoW or anything else that isn’t called GW2.

i just dont understand how they could let such a ridiculous thing go live in the first place. they can still redeem themselves by acting swiftly, but i doubt this is gonna happen.

Yukishiro.8792:

See posts like this are what I’m talking about. These are both just plain silly. Might isn’t a dramatic dps boost. 18 stacks of might is about a 25% bonus. It does not even begin to make shatter mesmers good at sustained damage. 25% more staff auto attack damage is not good sustained damage.

For the same reason it would be really pretty dumb even if you are going to run signet of inspiration to use it how you describe. Wasting two shatters just to set up a ~20% damage bonus for your group for a few seconds is just bad play most of the itme.

Wait, what? A 25% damage boost is bad for sustained damage, and using a SINGLE utilility to give to your entire party 6-18+ stacks of might is bad play?

You’re not even “wasting” shatters. You’re playing normally.

nerva.7940:

unfortunately JSharp has informed us that we have to put up with this silliness for an undisclosed period of time while they “watch it very closely”. /end thread.

It also means they’re pretty much well aware of it. :P Jon did say the build was way strong.

DiogoSilva.7089:

Wait, what? A 25% damage boost is bad for sustained damage, and using a SINGLE utilility to give to your entire party 6-18+ stacks of might is bad play?

Yes and yes. 25% added to bad sustained damage is still bad sustained damage. And wasting a utility just to spread a few stacks of might for a few seconds to your group is also bad play most of the time.

Like I said the benefit of the trait is the basically passive boost it provides just to all around play. It’s not a trait you play differently because you have. It is probably too powerful but not for the reasons people typically quote. Anyone who is actively trying to stack 25 stacks of might with it is doing it wrong.

The might stacks are there for more confusion damage on the second shatter, and for a couple lucky auto attacks. Because soon as the mesmer uses the second shatter its time to switch weapons and get ready for the count attack. And by then you sitting at 6 stacks, by the time you get three more clones up all the might has went away.

Oh and I wish dodge clones would shatter to the actual target I have targeted, they seem to veer off to the closest enemy sometimes.

Game needs and Elo rated arena system.

Nothing makes tracking balance easier. If a class is way outperforming in the top ratings you can be virtually certain its overpowered baring some other unsual variable. LIke being overplayed because people think its cool. so more of them enter but dont actually outperform there demographic percentage.

Would still indicate a problem though.