Guild Wars 2

Yep it Tis the Season

> Merry Mantras <

And by the name, yes you guessed it, there are mantras. Wait and this is a world vs. world build? Correct. So why does Merry Mantras rock? I mean WHY DOES THIS BUILD ROCK!!!

eh heh well its really more of a jingle… You don’t need them to attack, its just more fun that way. This is a roaming power lock down build.

Note: The forums are always growing. Looking through the list of builds I did not see any matching this build. With recent changes in the Dec 10th patch I do not believe a similar build has been posted. Please accept my apologies if this is not an original build.

Traits (30/30/0/10/0)
Domination
II – *Halting Strike Interrupts deal damage
X – Greatsword Training Reduced cooldown on weapon skills
XI – *Harmonious Mantras Charged Mantras can be used 3 times
Minor traits synergy with interrupts, daze and inactivity
Dueling
VI – Mantra Mastery Reduced cooldown on mantra utilities
X – Deceptive Evasion Create a clone when dodging
XI – *Empowering Mantras Damage increase for each charged mantra
Minor traits synergy with critical strikes and provide cover conditions for cripple
Inspiration
IV – Mender’s Purity Heal removes 2 conditions (this is per mantra charge)
Minor traits Phantasms have retaliation
*Denotes required trait

Utilities
Mantra of Recovery : Power Return Heal and condition removal (trait)
Mantra of Concentration : Power Break Stability, Stun Break, Stomp
Mantra of Distraction : Power Lock Daze, Interrupt
Blink Mobility and Positioning, Gap Closer, Stun Break
Mass Invisibility Stealth, Mantra Recharge, Positioning

Weapons
Greatsword
This is the main weapon. For anyone unfamiliar the weapon skills: Clone with Might and Vulnerability stacks, Boon Removal, Crippling AoE Phantasm, Directional AoE Knockback/Interrupt.
Sword/Torch
This is your defensive weapon set. Weapon skills: Damaging Evasion, Clone/Cripple/Immobilize (when it works), Stealth (great for mantra of concentration recharge), Retaliation/Confusion cover Phantasm

Equipment
Armor: Soldier’s with Runes of the Traveller
Jewelry: Berserker, Cavalier, Valkyrie to fit skill level (keep high power and crit damage)

Difficulties:
Limited boon removal (stability and protection lower effectiveness)
Condition Spam (condition stacking opponent not an issue)

Stats:
2200 power 50% crit chance and 240% crit damage with 2400 armor and 19k hp

Open to critique!

Will be entered in OMFG BOTM. Give it an upvote after you try the build. Thanks

Dekk.3459:

Stats:
2200 power 50% crit chance and 240% crit damage with 2400 armor and 19k hp

Errr… How on earth do you reach 240% crit damage when your build has 90% crit damage? 240% isnt even possible. 140% maybe with all buffs and crap but even that is a stretch.

He has counted the base 150% from critical hits. 150+90=240 xd

I tried a pure mantra build but got bored charging mantra’s.

Charging mantra’s mid combat is a big waste of time.
Without PU, those stealth are not enough to charge 2-3 mantras.
Illusions also wont help since they know the real mesmer.

A burst mantra build that wont require to recharge mantra in combat would be awesome. But that would require some serious reflex.

With harmonious mantras, recharging mantra of pain in combat is higher dps than greatsword AA and it heals or increases damage depending on traits. Others give similarly powerful effects, it’s no waste.

bOgz.7263:

I tried a pure mantra build but got bored charging mantra’s.

Charging mantra’s mid combat is a big waste of time.
Without PU, those stealth are not enough to charge 2-3 mantras.
Illusions also wont help since they know the real mesmer.

A burst mantra build that wont require to recharge mantra in combat would be awesome. But that would require some serious reflex.

The idea is to interrupt opponents hard hitting attacks and healing… lockdown. Not spam your mantras.

You should be able to recharge mantra of concentration while in stealth. Start another mantra use MoC for stability. The timing works. Hopefully you aren’t blowing mantra charges when there isn’t a need. Can also use distortion for a mantra charge… Or, and this is a great trick imo, if the enemy has figured out youre using mantras (shouldn’t be too hard), you can fake them out making them blow a longer CD skill.

Sorry but this isn’t shatter burst.

@ Toe
He doesnt have MoP on his build and I doubt the MoP traited>GS AA in DPS

@ Dekk
The problem with mantra is you are wasting 3sec in combat. Maybe that’s too short for you but in wvw roaming, time is of the essence.

You have 5 interrupts at 24/24/45 CD. MoD with 5sec CD after using a charge. Im wondering if your landing 2/3 interruptions on fights and killing fellow roamer.
Can you show some videos of your gameplay?

I also have been running a mantra build but heavily focused on defensive support (this is a zerg fighting build though, not roaming). It is amazing.

bOgz.7263:

@ Dekk
The problem with mantra is you are wasting 3sec in combat. Maybe that’s too short for you but in wvw roaming, time is of the essence.

You have 5 interrupts at 24/24/45 CD. MoD with 5sec CD after using a charge. Im wondering if your landing 2/3 interruptions on fights and killing fellow roamer.
Can you show some videos of your gameplay?

Right so with this build mantras are traited for 3 uses, its not a ‘problem’ with mantras. It is a game mechanic. And as I explained earlier there are multiple ways to guarantee successful recharge. It is usually easier to use torch #4 to guarantee mantra recharge. However there aren’t many builds that spec for interrupt, the stuns are just part of the rotation. Also I tried using Dueling XII – Furious Interruptions (for the 3s of quickness on interrupt) and personally I like the 4-12% damage bonus from Empowering Mantras.

This seems to be a comment of I cannot see this working and therefore will not try it, excuse me if you find honesty rude. Trust me lockdown builds are not easy, it isnt intuitive, you have to understand the other class you are fighting. The other lockdown builds I have tried also have the same issue of not being a gw1 blackout lockdown. I do not know what you are expecting exactly… Sure its 24/5×3(24)/45 and each are traited with Halting Strike, so its decent 1.5k – 4k for each interrupt. And it isn’t that hard to cause an interrupt. Which is why you use them for battle changing skills. Its played similar to a shatter build with the addition of watching/expecting skills to be used. And you would be surprised how many people falter when their keystone skill doesn’t work. However this isn’t a spike build.

If I’m wrong about the meaning of ‘landing 2/3 interruptions’ from the explanation above then please feel free to elaborate and explain how you see it working.

I will try and put something together for a video. However I don’t usually make videos so I doubt it will be very soon.

This seems to be a comment of I cannot see this working and therefore will not try it
Its more of a, i’ve tried several mantra builds and concluded its not feasible for wvw roaming.

Dont get me wrong, I see so much potential on mantra’s + GS interruptions so I am trying to help polish the build (by criticism that is).

Then do me a favor and delete your last comment.

I don’t see any helpful criticism, or follow-up commentary that is based in facts. Just opinion… by ‘trying’ you could just say i lost 3 fights and gave up. Its a different playstyle (interrupt/lockdown for the 3RD Time), not burst, definitely not a PU build which is the only trait worth taking apparently from your comments. So thanks for your opinion, really dont think you read my comments, now get off my nuts if you dont have anything to add. thanks

Tis the season!….

Well I started collecting video… Really not sure how these other guys keep their cameras so still. Anyway here is a short of the awesome capabilities of a mesmer.

Why I love Warriors!

(I really shouldn’t post this in a build thread)

in this short video why mantras been using for?

Hey Dekk, have you tried using Furious Interruption? It takes some getting used to but it really helps for charging mantras and milking more damage from the greatsword.

@Messiah
The build really doesn’t matter for the video… It was just a really new player

Chaos Archangel.5071:

Hey Dekk, have you tried using Furious Interruption? It takes some getting used to but it really helps for charging mantras and milking more damage from the greatsword.

Well there are a couple of things to consider… Ive only been playing interrupt builds for a few weeks.
Anyway my experience with FI is that it needs a XII buff icon to be more useful at charging mantras. Usually running with 2 or 3 charged mantras the straight damage boost seems better to me because it effects shatter damage as well. Could be useful for stomping in 1vsX fights…

@Dekk
I give this build wholehearted support. I really like this setup when you’re running with a large group, and I’ve been testing the setup (and variants) for the past few days, but I’m finding your damage output a bit limited in smaller fights.

A couple quick observations:

- Ditch Empowering Mantras. Unless I’m mistaken, it does’t affect phantasms, and as such doesn’t do a whole lot for you. Instead, consider taking Phantasmal Fury or, in large groups, Protective Mantras. The extra 600 toughness goes really far in zerg battles.
- Also, when running in large groups, consider swapping mantra of distraction for mantra of resolve. The three stuns, while amazing in small battles, don’t really do as much in large fights with all of the damage mitigation of massed groups, and the aoe condi clear of resolve can provide a lot of team support (not to mention veil or null field or so forth).
- Finally, consider the pistol or offhand sword instead of the torch for small group roaming, and decoy instead of mantra of stability. Since most of your damage is coming from phantasms, you really need two hard hitting phantasms to do enough damage. With all of your interrupts, the torch adds a bit less than a hard hitting phantasm. And between sword and blink, you already have a couple stun breaks. Instead, decoy will give you another and time to recharge your mantra

Anyway, love the build, but I think you should tailor it into two versions—one for small roaming, and the other for large battles. Of course take it as you will, but I’ve been using:

Large Battles: Domination III, X, XI; Dueling II, VII, X; Mantras Stability, Resolve & Blink; GS, Sword/Torch
Small Fights/Roaming: Domination II, III, XI; Dueling II, IX, X (taking pistol); Mantra Distraction, Decoy, Blink; GS, Sword/pistol (or staff and sword/pistol).

Just food for thought. But great build. I’m fully on the 30/30/0/10/0 bandwagon.

@Bunda

Thanks for your support. I have been running a different build for larger groups… However with those suggestions I may run this build for large groups too. MoDistraction is a small group skill, agreed. With the upgrade to mantras effecting group and the channeling toughness, great!

Recently I was playing with Decoy, the added stealth does help a bit. What I ended up doing instead is swapping food to Bowl of Orrian Truffle and Meat Stew which has allowed for a better shatter setup. Mind Wrack and weapon damage are the reason for taking Empowering Mantras. With the combination of Diversion/interrupts for vulnerability stacks then a Mind Wrack there is some good damage (very much the same idea from Osicat’s Tutorial II). The extra dodging is very helpful both with clone production and survivability. It would probably be easier to run it as a phantasm setup. I can definitely see a phantasm variation working, especially with your suggestions, however I was going for a shatter/interrupt hybrid…

Pistol does seem like an option for offhand and would probably work. Especially considering the lower CD even when untraited. One of the larger cons to the build are your opponents having stability and protection boons though. I have been running with torch since it is more defensive.

Mantra Recharging:
Stealth (Torch, Decoy, MI)
Instant, start recharge teleport for better position (Blink, Swap)
Stability, start recharge then stability thru recharge (MoConcentration/PowerBreak)

They are all viable options… I’m really starting to like having stability though.

Edit: The damage can be a bit slower… Timing and patience is definitely required. Originally I didn’t see this as much of shatter build, since there is no added profession CD, and more for utility. It is working out quite well if you can land shatters though.
Edit2: Empowering Mantras also effects Halting Strike (great for people healing)

Bunda.2691:

@Dekk

- Finally, consider the pistol or offhand sword instead of the torch for small group roaming, and decoy instead of mantra of stability. Since most of your damage is coming from phantasms, you really need two hard hitting phantasms to do enough damage. With all of your interrupts, the torch adds a bit less than a hard hitting phantasm. And between sword and blink, you already have a couple stun breaks. Instead, decoy will give you another and time to recharge your mantra

Yep gonna agree pistol is working better instead of torch. Still going to stick with MoConcentration though… 3 stun breaks, stomp, mantra recharge cover… Can’t give it up.

The reason I didn’t go with sword offhand is that better players avoid the one attack. And I find the 3 person bounce interrupt from pistol easier to use in WvW then the block/line daze sword ability.

And thanks for the up vote 8D

So Ive been roaming with decoy instead of blink and using runes of centaur instead of traveler. Also updated to Sw/Pistol with a sigil of energy. Mantras do take a bit of getting used to for WvW if you can keep a cool head though its fairly easy. Had only played this build for a few hours total before submitting it…

Still working on putting a video together which focuses on techniques for charging mantras during a fight since there have been so many wonderful comments.

and Shameless bump

Still time to vote in Build of the Month Contest > Merry Mantras <
Not that id expect a paradigm shift towards mantras for pvp but it cant hurt.