Guild Wars 2

The Mirage looks alright, but it doesn’t really feel like you’ve changed from a mesmer.
Like taking chronomancer made you feel like an entirely different breed with different powers. The Mirage still kinda feels like what the mesmer already is.

Personally Chrono doesn’t seem like a different breed though – it feels more like the bandaid fix/enhancement that it is to base mesmer.

I see where you’re coming from.

I feel like Mirage is what base mesmer was intended to be from the beginning.
But it never really was the deceptive illusionist class.

I feel like thats what they try to make Mirage to be now.

I do like the theme of the spec though. Suits the desert perfectly.

To me BOTH chronomancer and mirage are bandaid fixes to the persistent problems with the mesmer profession

Shatters are too costly to our DPS – chronomancer resummons an illusion after shattering.

Illusions are locked to a single target – mirage can retarget illusions.

Both of these features should be built in to the core Mesmer. And both of tbese are things we had been asking for on the core Mesmer since beta.

Yes.
Its a shame mirage is just a mesmer with axe. After all cool new effects, if we think well even the advertised trailer for mirage talks about deception and blend with surroundings using them to power up. And no new mechanic skills adds to that matter, nothing that the base mesmer already have (just skill type categorized as deception).
Contributing to the same feeling of nothing new:

1- More confusion more torment. Mesmer already have this condis in buckets. It will only will make the haters cry out loud for nerfs (still remember 1st impressions of " oh great more stealth for mesmer for PU kitten and so far no new stealth skill lol), and we all know how nerfs are in the wrong ways concerning mesmer..

2- No new F mechanic upgrade. All classes had thier F skills upgraded or changed ( with back compability with already existing traits) in their elites, except mesmer. So no new flavour, again still mesmer theme. Mirage can still be worst than daredevil in hot thematicly. We have to invest traits to build up our new “mechanic”, cause in raw it is just a dodge evade frame without the jump role. Imagine a daredevil had to 1st choose a trait to give them dmg on bound, then another trait to add the leap on bound and the other trait to add the dmg mod buff. Imagine it without a baseline add of endurance bar. It insanely decreases the space for new traits.

3- More dead traits. Like explained in part on 2, and also adding the fact that few things had to be shipped baseline for things not to feel lackluster (already discussed, will add Speed of Sand) we still have dead traits.
Self Deception is just a conditional trait that offers nothing base like CD on this skill category or wte,
Mirage Mantle – 1s of protect after dodge ( i know its not the only source of mirage cloak but its the only not rng). 1 wooping long second. Even if we had mirage cloak in buckets, protection only stacks 5 times for a Max of 5s, wich is also impossible since it is after each mirror cloak wich lasts 0,75s.
Shards of Glass – another trait that JUST offers rng to Possibly access our base mechanic.
Riddle of Sand – this one….. A wooping 2 stacks of confusion (again) 5s for the first ambush!!! Like ambush isnt already limited and required heavy investment. The second part of the text is just there to “add” F synergy, our only synergy between mirage and base mechanic.
And the worst thing is some of this trait are the only/pick in their tiers… Who will ever pick Renewing Oasis to Conditionally counter condis when u just can spec to condi clear them?

4- The axe: first it have low power dmg skills, limiting it only to condi. Again.
Then the condis are again mainly confusion. The chain is low speed like sword, when in melee the tradeoff is big. Then the big selling points: detarget and illusion retarget.
Detarget will be useless if it only acts like that, remove target. Its just like going in stealth but knowing where you are… If it doesntl act like a taunt, forcing no target, ppl can just hover with mouse on you to retarget instantly. If it doesnt interrupt ongoing casts or channeled skills will be like stealth and rapid fire. And how will it work with auto-target enable? You drop his target, hit him and he gets retarget instantly?
Illusion retarget – will illusions have a grace period when its current target dies? When i change my tsrget after my previous is dead will my illusions will still be there waiting? Or will i have no illusions?

I guess time will tell…. So far it feels lacking, more of the same, and after all the hype of a new thing is over, it will be boring….