Guild Wars 2

Hello, all. I’ve been tinkering with this in unranked play for a little bit. It’s been pretty successful.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fhAQRAsf7alknpRtlqxMNcrNSpBh6ycnmSyAUhSeiyB-TpRHwADeAAC3fIwJAQwBBAwRAwZZAA

I have a weakness that I really want Rampager’s Amulet to work well for Mesmers. It synergizes nicely with Sharpened Images, particularly with the pistol and if you trait for Phantasmal Fury. The small power investment doesn’t hurt either when you’re trying to put out a little bit of pressure. Against lighter classes and Thieves, it can still crit for the higher end of 3k, not factoring in might stacks from shattering.

I like the option of having a stun on one set and an immobilize on the second set to help you land those shatters. Even though Sword-Torch is intended to be the defensive set — offering a blur, a stealth AND condition cleanse — it also provides a great opener. Particularly with mind wrack for some nice direct damage, and beginning some stacks of torment and confusion. From there, provided your opponent starts dodging, you can maintain distance with scepter-pistol and shattering as needed.

Regardless of whether you think this build is “bad” or “good,” I think it’s fun. What I’d love is some input as far as trait flexibility. The adept traits are quite flexible. I like crippling dissipation for when a scepter or sword clone is cleaved down and I’m looking for some breathing room. Many people will disagree with the traited torch — and I know that shattered concentration is very strong, I’m just enjoying the extra defense provided by stealthing more often, and clearing a condi away right into stealth. Also, it increases the burn rate. Without might stacks, bleeds are at 99 per stack, burns are a little over 600.

With it’s current rune set and sigils, this build provides every condition in the game EXCEPT for Weakness. Part of me is debating a sacrifice in Domination and going 24206, to pick up debilitating dissipation to further reduce any damage I would take. However, this may negate the use of Rampager’s amulet because you’re losing 100 power.

Staff is an obvious choice for a MtD build, but I like using weapons unconventionally, and sword-torch does offer some very unique defensive capabilities.

Have at it. But please be nice.

Uuummmm,

You know what I hate when going hybrid? It’s anytime you have to weaken one aspect of the build for the other. I don’t know what other classes are like but for Mesmer things can get a bit tricky.

Looking at your build you’ve got a condition shatter setup. All you traits, and even your weapons, fit this role. But your amulet is the deviation splitting it from pure condition into hybrid. Sword also favors a power build but has its place in a hybrid, and makes up for the “power” aspect of things, and of course the pistol phant can be used to dish out high direct damage aswell as good bleeds. But its not so much about what is there as it is about what isnt.

So in a solid power build you’d have certain traits to make the most out of your power aspects. That being + phantasm damage (Empowered Illusions), and + mind wrack damage (Mental Torment, Illusionary Persona). Obviously you can’t have these because they take away from the condition aspect of your hybrid build. This makes the power side of your build substantially weaker than it ought to be. Maybe that doesn’t seem so bad but it raises the question, why are you adding in a power factor to your build but not properly boosting that side of it? And have you thought about the cost? The amulet itself gives you the worst of both worlds (weak condi and power stats), and in place of something like rabid only weakens all that condition setup that you’ve got going.

When creating a solid hybrid build it’s not just about looking at the stats and saying “Yes, that’s a nice spread between power and condition”, it’s about taking into consideration what makes a powerful power build, what makes a powerful condition build, and making sure you’re not gimping both in the pursuit of making the whole somehow viable. Your build, as it stands, would be far more deadly with straight up rabid.