Guild Wars 2

Here’s an idea for the new armor type. I used rabid for this build since sinister is not in the build editor yet (I think the final numbers would be around 700 more power and less toughness)

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fhAQNAscWl0npMtNqxINcrNyqxYyW2BlZ1VpHJ7AA-T1RHABGp8rQ1fSb/BAOFAopPQgnAQUKBDAgAMzysMnZgje0je0je0u4Fv4Fv4FLFAMLrA-w

It’s a hybrid damage build with the idea that you won’t mind if the opponent leaves the staff clones alone or kills them since you have a couple of on death skills. Even the sword clones aren’t too bad in that they can add bleeds and vulnerability as a covering condition. An occasional shatter can be fine if you wanted to do cry of frustration to stack more confusion.

The idea that seemed interesting to me was starting with some staff clones and then switching to the swords. With blade training, you’ll basically always have the block, leap and blurred frenzy available whenever you swap. So you have some nice defense and ability to pin down the opponent and make sure the staff clones hit and you get the bounces from winds of chaos.

Seems like it might be a little too squishy, but maybe there’s something that could work here.

I really am curious if anyone thinks this is viable. Here’s a small variant with more dire gear mixed in (so assuming all sinister armor, I think you would end up with about 1200 power and about 1700 toughness).

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fhAQNAscWl0npMtNqxINcrNyqxYyW2BlZ1VpHJ7AA-T1RHABFq+Ta7P4m+g7UCCwpAQgnAwRK/CAgAMzysMnZgje0je0je0u4Fv4Fv4FLFwiKrA-w

Here’s a possible rotation:
- Start in staff and get 3 clones out (phase retreat plus 2 dodges)
- Close the distance to the enemy
- Swap to swords
- Cry of Frustration shatter/leap/swap
- Blurred frenzy
- Sword block
- Dodge back twice
- Summon swordsman (should get you an on kill effect from first sword clone)
- Swap to staff
- Chaos storm on self
- Phase retreat (should get you chaos armor and another on kill effect)
- Summon warlock (should be another on kill effect for the last sword clone)
- When phase retreat is ready, do another shatter (mind wrack or diversion) and then repeat the rotation

Any thoughts? Is it the power too low to do anything (even assuming some might stacks?)

The concept that seems interesting to me is switching between condi pressure (from the staff clones, confusion shatter, and on death traits) and some burst/power pressure (from the blurred frenzy and two, power-based phantasms).

Well, I guess you could theoretically kill people, but it’s not an efficient or effective choice. Sword isn’t a hybrid weapon, so that’s sort of a waste. You’ll have the defenses of a traditional shatter build (+ 200 toughness I guess) which is to say…none. You’ll squish just like any other full glass build, but you completely lack the damage pressure to make a dent against someone before you squish.

Shouldn’t any build already tailored for Rampager’s work? You’d essentially get more condition damage but less sharper image bleeds.

Am I missing something here?

Thx Pyro.

I know sword is not a hybrid weapon, but I was thinking of it as basically defense plus a supply of illusions that are close enough to the opponent that the on-death traits are likely to hit. I was trying to think about swords in a different way.

It feels like staff clones should be able to create quite a bit of condi pressure if you get the extra bounce and had have a reasonable level of bleeds from crit.

Thanks much for the feedback.

@adelaide this certainly wouldn’t have to be a sinister armor build. I think the majority of the damage would come from bleeds and burning in the way I’m thinking about this.

It just occurred to me that maybe you could get a reasonable level of power damage as well to add a little burst to the condi pressure.

I might try testing this out. I’m not great at playing new builds, so it’s often hard to tell how much the poor performance of a build is my skill versus how bad the build is.

Thx for the feedback

eldenbri.1059:

Thx Pyro.

I know sword is not a hybrid weapon, but I was thinking of it as basically defense plus a supply of illusions that are close enough to the opponent that the on-death traits are likely to hit. I was trying to think about swords in a different way.

It feels like staff clones should be able to create quite a bit of condi pressure if you get the extra bounce and had have a reasonable level of bleeds from crit.

Thanks much for the feedback.

Here’s how I think about it. Playing a full rabid PU condie build has basically the same pressure from staff. You’ve got the burns, the bleeds, the bounces, the crit bleeds. This creates some pressure, yes. However, that pressure is sorta moderate sustain. All of the burst and really dangerous pressure that secured kills and deletes health bars comes from the scepter block. While you’re manouvering to land the block and keep up pressure, the innate defenses of rabid (and PU) are important in keeping you healthy from the stray hits you’ll eat.

In this build, you sub out the pressure of the torment for the pressure of a single iSwordsman. However, with no illusion damage traits and pretty low crit damage, the swordsman isn’t going to be the enormous threat that it could be. This is an issue because you are squishy like a shatter build.

Think about how a shatter build is played. You have to be really careful to avoid ever being caught or locked down because of how quickly you can lose your health. This is facilitated by the enormous burst you unload making people wary of really closing with you. In this build, you’re vulnerable in the same way, but that massive burst threat doesn’t hang over their heads. Your damage is moderate pressure; painful over time, but nothing to stop them from jumping in and erasing you real quick.

Far as I can tell sinister armor is for.classes that can hybrid effectively.

Classes like necro or thief or ele or warrior…

Mesmers just don’t do hybrid very well and it’s not due to lack of gear choice or option..

Thx much. I don’t actually play shatter, so I only get it at a conceptual level. I have tried a couple of times to do condi-shatter builds, and it always feels like it doesn’t have a burst (but it’s hard to tell how much is my poor play).

So I was just mulling this over as a something different kind of build. But it seems like it’s just different in bad ways, so I’ll let it go

Thx again

This would definitely make hyrbid builds for Mesmer more appealing since they’re SO hard to actually pull off.

The builds I can think off right off the bat are condi shatter and Phantasm clone death. Maybe I’ll take a look at the builds you suggested later tonight.