Guild Wars 2

Illusionary elasticity is supposed to make bounce skills get an extra bounce, however this doesn’t seem to affect illusion’s skills.

Was it ever mentioned anywhere that this is the intended behavior of this trait? It seems like it would make more sense and be more useful if it did affect them.

It does not affect staff clones, nor does it affect any phantasm with a bouncing attack. It does however, affect underwater trident clones.

Wait.. It works on some clones? So is it a bug or working as intended?

I’d argue it’s a bug though we can’t be sure since ANet didn’t bother to give a statement on it.

Actually they don’t give statements on any situation like this, it seems.

I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that at least some involvement with the community with regards to what is/is not a bug would be greatly appreciated.

It worked also with the iDisenchanter altho not sure how it is now. Ive noticed it like 1 month ago so i guess it should be working with the clones too since the skill that staff clones use clearly is a bouncing attack but there comes the problem that it would make staff clones kind of unbalanced since they would add twice as much stacks of conditions on enemy. (or at least 50% more stacks) Im guessing it would be around 15-20 bleeding stacks and full time burning with all 3 clones up and autoattack :P.

To the best of my knowledge, this is just another half-working buggy trait to add to the list. It works as I listed in my original post, and that’s really all I’ve got for you.

Balance, is my assumption. Underwater we go 20 stacks of bleeds in seconds (though also we do not waste 33% on Vulnerability).

But a skewed balance since condition damage lags behind. It is the assumption that 25 stacks for one person is too much, and whatever the case useless, since the current system of random tiny bleeds from random skills take up the precious slots from the 25 limit cap.

It must be bugged. Why would anyone use this trait if it doesn’t apply to clones spamming WoC? Mirror Blade/Magic Bullet isn’t enough to waste a trait for this one.

Even if it only applies to your own winds of chaos it’s still a very good trait imo. It lets your winds potentially strike twice rather then once when close to the enemy. Frankly clones getting an extra bounce would be outright OP.

Jelle.2807:

Even if it only applies to your own winds of chaos it’s still a very good trait imo. It lets your winds potentially strike twice rather then once when close to the enemy. Frankly clones getting an extra bounce would be outright OP.

but would you take it over additional 33% confusion duration or 10% more crit chance with mind wrack for example? This is why this trait ain’t worth it if it doesn’t apply to clones.

Nuka Cola.8520:

but would you take it over additional 33% confusion duration or 10% more crit chance with mind wrack for example? This is why this trait ain’t worth it if it doesn’t apply to clones.

Yes I would definatly take it over mind wrack crit chance, but that choice depends entirely on the type of build you’re running. If you’re looking to nuke with mind wrack I wouldn’t run staff to begin with anyway.

And that’s exactly it – it depends on the build you are running. I sometimes run a Shatter/Condition build with Staff/GS and Illusionary Elasticity is king. The might and extra damage from the GS and Staff are well worth taking the trait when using these 2 weapons. If using Staff or GS and <MH whatever>/Pistol off-hand, the extra bounce/confusion from Magic Bullet is cool as well.

I think it’s a bug but I feel like devs also don’t wanna make it apply to illusions since the outcome could make some of them much much stronger. Which is lame… the only trait that’s supposed to make iMage actually have some use.

ya, i see opness being the reason also. every mesmer would run some version of a staff build.

Yup. Definitely OP if it was to be “fixed”. So they should fix it

Well to be fair, it never claims to affect Phantasms or Clones. The skills summoning these aren’t “bounce skills”. GS#2 excepted, which is affected. :P

If they fixed that, condition mesmer would probably beat out shatter as the #1 spec only to get nerfed again just after that…

Nuka Cola.8520:

Jelle.2807:

Even if it only applies to your own winds of chaos it’s still a very good trait imo. It lets your winds potentially strike twice rather then once when close to the enemy. Frankly clones getting an extra bounce would be outright OP.

but would you take it over additional 33% confusion duration or 10% more crit chance with mind wrack for example? This is why this trait ain’t worth it if it doesn’t apply to clones.

people underestimate this trait for the reason said. It is almost as if your auto-attacks are hitting twice as fast (you have to be within range for it to bounce however), you are giving yourself more might and longer lasting fury. The DPS adds up quite a bit.

Why does it need to apply to your condition stacking clones?

It affected the staff clones in BW1 + 2. Received a stealth nerf in BW3 and was never mentioned in the patch notes. I wouldnt be surprised if they’ll do the same to our water clones too eventually. Water combat seems to low on their priorities. If, and thats a big IF, it was unintentional they would have fixed it by now.

Jelle.2807:

Nuka Cola.8520:

but would you take it over additional 33% confusion duration or 10% more crit chance with mind wrack for example? This is why this trait ain’t worth it if it doesn’t apply to clones.

Yes I would definatly take it over mind wrack crit chance, but that choice depends entirely on the type of build you’re running. If you’re looking to nuke with mind wrack I wouldn’t run staff to begin with anyway.

and what a staff has to do with ‘mind wrack nuking’? Its a defensive weapon which can be used on all mez builds… Plus iLeap is extremely useful to port away when you’re immobilize and getting 100swaged by a warrior for example. For a 20 trait points, it should be applied to your illusions as well (at least clones).

Nuka Cola.8520:

and what a staff has to do with ‘mind wrack nuking’? Its a defensive weapon which can be used on all mez builds… Plus iLeap is extremely useful to port away when you’re immobilize and getting 100swaged by a warrior for example. For a 20 trait points, it should be applied to your illusions as well (at least clones).

If Illusionary Elasticity’s description was “increase your Staff DPS by 50%”, would you still think it needs work? Because that’s what it does. Three Staff Clones is roughly equivalent to one Mesmer using Winds of Chaos. Illusionary Elasticity doubles the damage dealt by the Mesmer, so your overall DPS is increased by 50%.

Making it apply to Staff Clones would mean it becomes “double your Staff DPS”. Don’t you think that’s too much?

Embolism.8106:

Nuka Cola.8520:

and what a staff has to do with ‘mind wrack nuking’? Its a defensive weapon which can be used on all mez builds… Plus iLeap is extremely useful to port away when you’re immobilize and getting 100swaged by a warrior for example. For a 20 trait points, it should be applied to your illusions as well (at least clones).

If Illusionary Elasticity’s description was “increase your Staff DPS by 50%”, would you still think it needs work? Because that’s what it does. Three Staff Clones is roughly equivalent to one Mesmer using Winds of Chaos. Illusionary Elasticity doubles the damage dealt by the Mesmer, so your overall DPS is increased by 50%.

Making it apply to Staff Clones would mean it becomes “double your Staff DPS”. Don’t you think that’s too much?

That’s not true at all. In order for the bounces to work effectively, there has to be either multiple targets close together, or you have to be close enough to the targets for the attacks to bounce to you, and remain close enough to the targets for the bounces to bounce back. It is not nearly as simple as just increasing staff dps by 50%.

Pyroatheist.9031:

Embolism.8106:

Nuka Cola.8520:

and what a staff has to do with ‘mind wrack nuking’? Its a defensive weapon which can be used on all mez builds… Plus iLeap is extremely useful to port away when you’re immobilize and getting 100swaged by a warrior for example. For a 20 trait points, it should be applied to your illusions as well (at least clones).

If Illusionary Elasticity’s description was “increase your Staff DPS by 50%”, would you still think it needs work? Because that’s what it does. Three Staff Clones is roughly equivalent to one Mesmer using Winds of Chaos. Illusionary Elasticity doubles the damage dealt by the Mesmer, so your overall DPS is increased by 50%.

Making it apply to Staff Clones would mean it becomes “double your Staff DPS”. Don’t you think that’s too much?

That’s not true at all. In order for the bounces to work effectively, there has to be either multiple targets close together, or you have to be close enough to the targets for the attacks to bounce to you, and remain close enough to the targets for the bounces to bounce back. It is not nearly as simple as just increasing staff dps by 50%.

That’s why condition Mesmers like to keep in close range (also facilitates Shattering, and in the case of asura Mesmers Pain Inverter). And let’s be honest, with the slow speed of WoC (and to get Clone bounces) a condition Mesmer would stay in range with or without IE, so what difference does it make? It is, indeed, +50% DPS for condition Mesmers.

To say it’s not true “at all” is being incredibly pedantic.

One mesmer using just WoC wouldn’t be a 50% dps increase. There’s no chaos storm, no summoning warlock, no use of chaos armor. All part of staff. That said I still don’t think the clones need another bounce. The DPS on it is already fantastic.

Grigthar.1892:

One mesmer using just WoC wouldn’t be a 50% dps increase. There’s no chaos storm, no summoning warlock, no use of chaos armor. All part of staff. That said I still don’t think the clones need another bounce. The DPS on it is already fantastic.

When talking about Staff condition DPS that means a Mesmer and three Staff Clones spamming WoC. iWarlock does less damage than a Staff Clone. Chaos Armour and Chaos Storm are both mainly defensive skills with only a small offensive aspect, coupled with their CDs they don’t really have much of an effect on your DPS.