Guild Wars 2

So I’ve mained mes since launch and got the FSP right before the last patch… you all know the story. Anyway I’ve been trying to come up with a reason to use the shield along side Bolt but I just can’t come up with a good “selfish” build. I mainly play pvp but lately I’ve been doing fracs and various HoT content not including raids. I’m not looking to be a utility bot since nothing I play particularly requires utility support or is even useful for that. I am a fairly skilled player so I don’t care how “hard” the build is to play… I’ll manage. I just can’t seem to develop a build whether it be shatter, lockdown/rupt, condi, phantasm, or even bunker with the chrono line that I can’t make better with some OTHER trait line… it just seems all I get from chrono is a shield and a 25% movement increase so I can use runes other than runes of the traveler.

anyway if you got anything let me now…

In PvP, I like to play interrupt crusader:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNAR8OncfClpB2oBEgilTjycH2mbgMAWggqOarWA-T5ABABA8EAivMQR7PAA

or the condi-resilient version (i.e. if I see a reaper in the enemy team)
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNAR8en0nBlphlqB2oBEgilTjqOarWnPRU0EkBwCEUA-T5ABABxXGAgnAQR7PAA

(chrono GM is up to choice, I tend to take CP).

The goal is to slow with interrupts or shield phantasm and then, shatter burst the slowed enemy for a damage on par with marauder.

This build is much less thief-sensitive than typical shatter mesmer, which is good currently.

Silverkey.2078:

In PvP, I like to play interrupt crusader:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNAR8OncfClpB2oBEgilTjqOavWm7w2cDkBwCEUA-T5ABABxXGAgnAQR7PAA

or the condi-resilient version (i.e. if I see a reaper in the enemy team)
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNAR8en0nBlphlqB2oBEgilTjqOavWkBwCEUnPRU0EA-T5ABABxXGAgnAQR7PAA

(chrono GM is up to choice, I tend to take CP).

The goal is to slow with interrupts or shield phantasm and then, shatter burst the slowed enemy for a damage on par with marauder.

This build is much less thief-sensitive than typical shatter mesmer, which is good currently.

Why crusader? I feel paladin should almost always be better. It is not like we get a lot more sustain with crusader.

Exciton.8942:

Silverkey.2078:

In PvP, I like to play interrupt crusader:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNAR8OncfClpB2oBEgilTjqOavWm7w2cDkBwCEUA-T5ABABxXGAgnAQR7PAA

or the condi-resilient version (i.e. if I see a reaper in the enemy team)
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNAR8en0nBlphlqB2oBEgilTjqOavWkBwCEUnPRU0EA-T5ABABxXGAgnAQR7PAA

(chrono GM is up to choice, I tend to take CP).

The goal is to slow with interrupts or shield phantasm and then, shatter burst the slowed enemy for a damage on par with marauder.

This build is much less thief-sensitive than typical shatter mesmer, which is good currently.

Why crusader? I feel paladin should almost always be better. It is not like we get a lot more sustain with crusader.

We get more damage if we can ensure the sufficient crit chance. If we proc “Danger Time”, we have marauder damage.

edit: I realized I misclicked and forgot to put Danger Time, which is the core of the build. Edited the links above.

I tried danger time but it still feels very underwhelming. Interruption also doesn’t feel very rewarding either.

I wouldn’t take an interrupt build in PvP. With the stability flying around in the state that it is, you’re not going to be throwing out as many rupts as you think. And Shattered Concentration isn’t going to be enough, either.

I’d say Chrono’s most viable options right now are

[Chrono/Insp/X] OR [Chrono/Chaos/X]

with X being either Domi (Power) or Illusions (Condi)

The Chaos line would be PU

I have two builds I like to use in pvp:

The first is a clocklock build I like, its also great when fighting lots of creatures with breakbars, such as almost anywhere in HoT lol: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQRAra8encfC1fiNoB2oBEgilTjiMA2ggysF2mboOar2uF-T5ACABD/EAUa/BAOJAAA

I didnt put an amulet in because I’m experimenting with different stats (and also the sigils, sometimes trying out some crit hit sigils instead), but I think precision is important regardless. I also have a variant where I change the second trait line: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQRAra8encfC1fiNoB2oBEgilTjqOar2utsEWhEgMA2ggC-T5ACABD/EAA4kAo0+DAA

Honestly, I think the former is superior to the latter, but I’m still playing around with it. Also, in pvp I sometimes swap out gravity well with signet of humility. It depends. The build has a hard time against anyone running lots of stability/stunbreakers, but otherwise it can lock down targets really well – and as I said, in pve, this thing can break bars like no tomorrow.

My other is a condi shatter, using the fast respawns of illusions to constantly reshatter on the targets: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNArfWncfCVohNoBeqBEgiFWjCN6+pqrOZb2olMBCggD-T5wXABz9EAAY/hOLDAA

For this one, I use runes of perplexity in pve; I’m considering switching to runes of tormenting for pvp. I change the elite a lot to other skills, and use the signets passively for condi improvement (I need to check and see if I’m hitting an upper wall on those durations and such); I had been using sigil of energy for my other sigil on each set, since I dodged a lot using deceptive evasion, but now that I’m using chrono instead, I am looking at several sigils to replace it.

With this condi shatter, the alacrity helps recharge the shatters faster too.

Matty.1953:

I wouldn’t take an interrupt build in PvP. With the stability flying around in the state that it is, you’re not going to be throwing out as many rupts as you think. And Shattered Concentration isn’t going to be enough, either.

I have to agree. I ran my clocklock a couple days ago, and the stabilities/stunbreakers were VERY prevalent. I felt somewhat handicapped. Despite my posting my clocklock build above, the condi shatter is probably a better build for pvp currently.

As for pve, if you are in a breakbar-rich environment, ironically the clocklock actually does better than pvp. Never thought I’d see that lol

I also feel condie shatter is currently the best bet for mesmer.

With chrono line, there is a good supply of illusions. So the damage pressure is decent. Illusion line gives nice CD reduction for shatter skills, with means more alacrity and faster F5 recharge.

Then you can take either chaos for PU or inspiration for condie cleanse depends on if you like a more bursty style or a better on-point fighter.

So guys it’s a little out there but I’ve come up with this and it seems pretty decent. Main shortcoming is decapping points but here it is:

http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNAR8encfC1qhVoBmpBMrhlTj68IiisjMAShlreav2vF-T5AIABrv/QYPBAAuIAAA

The synergies between distortion sharing, boonshare signet on phantasms, and distort on signets is pretty huge.

I can’t see why people keep saying condi shatter is Mesmer’s best option despite Necro being the FoTM.

Matty.1953:

I can’t see why people keep saying condi shatter is Mesmer’s best option despite Necro being the FoTM.

We were talking what’s best for mesmer, not what’s best condi.

Morfedel.4165:

Matty.1953:

I can’t see why people keep saying condi shatter is Mesmer’s best option despite Necro being the FoTM.

We were talking what’s best for mesmer, not what’s best condi.

I think he was saying that condi Mesmer isn’t that good since there are so many necros, not that you should just play a necro.

I would have to agree with condi shatter being our best as well. I’ve been running a mix between condi, power, and rupt and have been doing fairly well. However, I’m just not seeing how chrono is ever worth bringing. The build I run currently is dom, ill, duel. I get better cd with illusions than with chrono, and I’m able too retain most of the burst dmg from a power build while using rupts to lockdown the enemy. The condis are there for survivability (blind, weakness) and an added punch at the end of the burst (confusion, torment). If I substituted any of these lines for chrono I would lose a ton for basically 25% movement speed so I can stop taking runes of the traveler and superspeed on shatter which is clearly a double edged sword. Maybe if I were running a full condi build… then maybe chrono would be half useful but I find condi builds to be sooooo boring and frankly easier to play than the op bunkers were. No appeal to me in spamming skills and waiting for an enemy to drain out.

Falir.4251:

Morfedel.4165:

Matty.1953:

I can’t see why people keep saying condi shatter is Mesmer’s best option despite Necro being the FoTM.

We were talking what’s best for mesmer, not what’s best condi.

I think he was saying that condi Mesmer isn’t that good since there are so many necros, not that you should just play a necro.

This

Uncle Dalty.8327:

I would have to agree with condi shatter being our best as well. I’ve been running a mix between condi, power, and rupt and have been doing fairly well. However, I’m just not seeing how chrono is ever worth bringing. The build I run currently is dom, ill, duel. I get better cd with illusions than with chrono, and I’m able too retain most of the burst dmg from a power build while using rupts to lockdown the enemy. The condis are there for survivability (blind, weakness) and an added punch at the end of the burst (confusion, torment). If I substituted any of these lines for chrono I would lose a ton for basically 25% movement speed so I can stop taking runes of the traveler and superspeed on shatter which is clearly a double edged sword. Maybe if I were running a full condi build… then maybe chrono would be half useful but I find condi builds to be sooooo boring and frankly easier to play than the op bunkers were. No appeal to me in spamming skills and waiting for an enemy to drain out.

I know Chrono traits now suck balls, but the line still grants you access to Continuum Split which is really important. Bringing a traditional Mesmer burst build pretty much means you’re outclassed by meta picks (Daredevil, Dragonhunter, Herald), whereas Continuum Split allows you to fulfil the utility-bot niche. Portal and Moa are basically all we have left (so learn to use them really well).

Matty.1953:

Falir.4251:

Morfedel.4165:

Matty.1953:

I can’t see why people keep saying condi shatter is Mesmer’s best option despite Necro being the FoTM.

We were talking what’s best for mesmer, not what’s best condi.

I think he was saying that condi Mesmer isn’t that good since there are so many necros, not that you should just play a necro.

This

Ah ok.