Guild Wars 2

Are Phantasm builds on par with Clone builds. What I mean by that is…

Phantasm builds: Letting Phantasms doing most of the damage

Clone build: Positioning Clones to setup a shatter burst

I guess this is how they’re played. I am not that knowledgeable on Mesmers, but I want to play the more. I like having summons/pets, but I don’t want to play Necro/Ranger, because they’re way too many of them right now and I want to be a bit different.

Here’s my 2 cents
i believe Clones build – Shatter build (power or condi) is much better than Phantasm build. My problem with Phantasm build is at the Mesmer’s core mechanic, Shatter (F1-F4), with Phantasm build is almost encourage not to use it, like if you’re forced to use shatter to interrupt or distortion, you’re trading your offense for defense. Also, there’s things like heal on shatter, boons on shatter, condi on shatter, basically if you run Phantasm build, you’re just limiting yourself on things you can do.

Hi

First, I think what one would call “clone builds” would be a build where you set up clones and let them do the damage (it works only with staff clones since they do conditions). So better using the name “shatter build” when you refer to a build where clones are only used for shatters.

Otherwise, the answer depends on what you are playing:

• in open-world/casual PvE, just do what you prefer. Shatter builds are more active, which I like, but you can’t really call it a “summons” build anymore.
• in organized PvE (dungeons/fractals/raids) then the most efficient is a phantasm build where you let the phantasms do damage and only use shatter (F1 mostly) to finish off enemies as it does decent burst damage. If you have unlocked chronomancer (which you definitely should) you can then buff your party by using alacrity and quickness. There are guides explaining how to do that properly. Note that chronomancer also brings you “chronophantasma”: when you shatter a phantasm for the first time, it is resummoned. With that, you can add a bit of shatter in your otherwise mostly phantasm playstyle.
• In PvP, phantasm builds are not so great, mostly because phantasms die too fast and rarely get to attack twice. So shatter is by far the most common then.

Thanks for the suggestions!

gs/ staff is fun in custom games.