Guild Wars 2

Generally, I cannot cross gaps or ascend/decline ledges using Blink or Phase Retreat. I find that I simply blink to the the very edge of the current surface I’m on. Other times, I spontaneously pull off blinks that my experience would say aren’t possible. The most notable examples are how a Mesmer can blink all over the sPvP map, Legacy of Foefire, dramatically exploiting the map’s verticallity and underused spaces. One extremely notable case of this is the video that Lord Helseth recently put up, where he is playing ranked PvP on this map. I will link the video below.

These blink spots break everything I have learned about how a Mesmer’s blink mechanics work. Can someone please explain to me the more advanced mechanics behind Blink and Phase Retreat, or at least point me to a location where I can learn about them. I want to not only do what Lord Helseth is doing, but I want to learn to discover these tactics on my own… I want to know my Mesmer’s real capabilities.

Thank you!

Lord Helseth’s video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYz9RbHHE4w

Here is a Wooden Potatoes video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35ozCg25--E

It explains in great detail how shadowsteps/blinks work. Definitely worth a watch.

Blink basically will teleport you anywhere if you can walk there without jumping. In sPvP where the maps are very carefully made you can blink huge distances in certain places, but on most other maps there are the smallest of bumps can hinder you from blinking huge distances.

Phase retreat is a bit different since it will always prefer lower ground over higher ground, so even if you could blink up a ramp you wont be able to phase retreat there if there is any space underneath it. It can be abused (with luck mostly) in other ways though like teleporting from the tunnel under clocktower to a ramp on the other side of the building, which you could never do with blink since you can’t actually see or target that area.

Alex.9268:

Blink basically will teleport you anywhere if you can walk there without jumping. In sPvP where the maps are very carefully made you can blink huge distances in certain places, but on most other maps there are the smallest of bumps can hinder you from blinking huge distances.

Phase retreat is a bit different since it will always prefer lower ground over higher ground, so even if you could blink up a ramp you wont be able to phase retreat there if there is any space underneath it. It can be abused (with luck mostly) in other ways though like teleporting from the tunnel under clocktower to a ramp on the other side of the building, which you could never do with blink since you can’t actually see or target that area.

I think there may be something wrong here. On Legacy of Foefire, there are two bridges near the Graveyard point. It’s possible to use Phase Retreat from the low ground and get up to either bridge. This doesn’t work with Blink, as far as I know. This makes be believe that Phase Retreat doesn’t always prefer the lower ground.

Watch the video I linked. I can’t explain the specifics of Phase Retreat. It’s completely consistent from what I have experimented with (Phase Retreating from certain spots always leads to the same results), but I can’t seem to be able to figure out the rules to determine what the ability will actually do.

Verry helpfull this thread, thankyou!

I get the Phase retreat, stuck can’t move so must type /no to fix bug all the time. kittenes me off.

Xavi.6591:

I get the Phase retreat, stuck can’t move so must type /no to fix bug all the time. kittenes me off.

I hate this, but I don’t use staff at the moment fortunately.

Regarding blink – personally I think there’s an element of luck involved, in that sometimes it just does what it wants, when on another occasion it will do something different (used in the same location).

I think it’s better to play a lot and learn where you can/can’t blink through memory/experience – rather than going by what you expect to happen based on a set of rules that I don’t believe are at all consistent.

Sometimes it will just kitten up and move you nowhere, or ten paces forwards.

I get stuck in terrain all the time too, even in PvP maps. I also get stuck in invisible roots for about 30 seconds very often. I think it is the ranger skill with the healthbar roots that really bugs it out reliably, but roots in general bug it out. It is very annoying, but it used to be even worse so count your mesmer blessings!