http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNAreWncfClphtfCmfCEgilnj6sACgDr+PT0FFdxynDA-T5gHwAv2fAwTAwYZAA
I was just curious to making a well spam build effective in PvP and this build surprised me on it’s performance especially due to the new changes on All’s Well that Ends Well and have had relative success with this build on ranked arena over BWE2.
Looking for comments, criticism and general discussion.
The main aim of this build is to focus on area denial (like contesting points and defending keep lord in stronghold) and AoE damage.
Weapons : Scepter/Shield, Staff
Scepter/Shield gives alot of blocks in addition to providing some cc on Shield 5; Tides of Time, and damage from Scepter 3; Confusing Images which deals both power and condition damage.
Staff helps for disengage or just having additional ‘dodges’ from Staff 2. In addition, the build runs 3 of wells and thus giving alot of fields to proc leap finishers.
Utilities: I prefer blink for the additional mobility and ability to blink back into my wells when i get cc’ed out of it. It really up to personal preference.
Wells: Well of Calamity and Eternity as they are the wells with the shortest cooldowns. I have tried this build with both Well of Action and Well of Recall, but do not find there to be much difference. Currently using Well of Action as it has a shorter cooldown.
Elite: Gravity Well; the ability to CC several people in a team and aoe damage them is simply amazing especially in a 5v5 scenario. However, this slot is also up to personal preference as Time Warp coupled with continuum shift is a good pick. Mass Invisibility is also always strong as party wide stealth with a coordinated group and the ability to prevent stomps are always helpful.
Sigils:
I run geomancy to get some additional damage out really, I haven’t found most sigils to greatly benefit this build. So… at this moment it’s really up to the user to decide what to use.
IMO: Sigil of Earth, Torment, Generosity, Doom, Energy, Bloodlust, Leeching are all possible picks.
Amulet: Celestial
This build does both power and condi damage; wells and torment on shatter, having some additional precision to help power damage and healing power to improve sustain also helps.
Possible alternatives include:
Carrion: For much more vitality, condition damage and power while having lesser toughness and precision. The lack of toughness is not that bad tbh as the build has alot of access to blocks coupled with evasion skills such as blink and staff 2, in the hands of a perspective player, be able to mitigate most hard hitting skills.
Rabid or Settler: To be more condition focused, but reduces damage on wells.
Trait lines: Inspiration, Illusion, Chronomancer
Runes: Undead
I use Undead runes to slightly boost my armor to 2.6k which is the comfortable range for me and also to boost condition damage. I have also tried this build with Dolyak runes and Melandru runes that adds to the build’s survivability. When running Carrion amulet, Runes of Scavenging would be a better option.
Inspiration:
Persisting Images: This simply gives your phantasms slightly more survival in AoE heavy fights. Since I am running all wells I don’t see the need to run Restorative Mantra. However it could be a better pick if one were to run Mantra of Recovery or Mantra of Resolve. Medic’s Feedback could be useful if you’re wish to have more support but I generally find it better to take out enemies and / or CC enemies with gravity well instead of rezzing my teammates in the middle of a fight.
Restorative Illusions: An obvious pick as it is the condi cleanse of the build and adds alot of sustain through the healing. Especially with alacrity, the cooldowns on your shatters should be fast.
Mental Defence: I find having access to an additional clone production skills on blocks (even though it on 25 secs cd) to be useful and it will almost always proc at the start of fights, assuming you get the block in on shield 4; Echo of Memory and Deja Vu, you will easily get up to 3 clones to be able to maximize your shatters. Illusionary Inspiration is another possible choice however I find that since most of my shatters will come from my phantasms the additional regeneration would not be able to tick that often. In addition, I do not find that I have alot of boons on this build (alacrity is not a boon; there has been some misconception by some people on other forums and / or map chat that alacrity is a boon and thus could be shared / increased duration; this is simply a clarification).
Illusion:
Persistence of Memory: The main clone production of this build comes from phantasms and any cooldown reductions on those skills would be helpful. Especially since shield 4; Echo of Memory, is also a phantasm skill, it enables me to block more often as Alacrity + Persistence of Memory greatly decreases it’s cooldown.
Maim the Disillusioned: Torment on shatter; helps damage and being a condition means you do not always have to be on your enemies toes, (allowing one to damage the target while performing other actions). Phantasmal Haste could also work if you do not intend to shatter the phantasms that often.
Malicious Sorcery: Reduces the cooldown on scepter 2 block to 6 seconds and makes auto casting on a scepter less painful to watch. The other two GM traits are also strong choices IMO, but I have not tested them. Ineptitude seems interesting and causing a blind after your block further frustrates your opponents and work as damage mitigation. Master of Fragmentation gives additional effects to your shatters which is always a good thing.
Chronomancer:
All’s Well that Ends Well: This trait, in my opinion is incredibly powerful, it gives you 2 seconds of alacrity when your wells ends. This allows you to have more access to alacrity other than your shatters and phantasms; this allows you to save your shatters to condi cleanse, heal or deal damage rather than to proc alacrity. In addition, in most cases, the wells WILL benefit you regardless if it hits the enemy or not. Time Catches Up may be useful but since most of our phantasms on this build are ranged, it is not necessarily a better pick.
Improved Alacrity: This makes All’s Well that Ends Well and your shatters give 3 secs and 3/4 secs of Alacrity respectively, thus helping to maintain near permanent alacrity. Illusionary Reversion is a possible candidate, but I found that I was able to keep my clone and phantasm production up without this trait.
Chronophantasma: Since most of the clone production of this build comes from phantasms; having an extra shatter on each of them would always help.
Playstyle:
I usually use this to contest far point or cap home point at the start, as I found this build to be rather strong in 1v1 scenarios where your opponent is forced to attack you (since there is no other targets).
In group fight scenarios; I try to force myself to be the main target, as the build’s clone production comes mainly from blocks. This could also be done by standing in the enemies way (while blocking) as they try to hit my teammates using melee attacks, aoe and skillshots (like warrior gs 4). With 2.6k armor and 21k health, the heals from Restorative Illusions, and 3 blocks on one weapon set, this build is can be quite tanky by PvP standards.
In addition, I try to use well of calamity whenever it is on cooldown, it does good damage if it hits, or simply act as area denial as you enter the well to get the proc on alacrity.I tend to use well of eternity rather often (sometimes even when I’m at 14-18k health as well) as it has a relatively short cooldown together with alacrity. It can also be used as preparation when expecting to get hit by a high damaging skill even when at high health.
Weaknesses: This build is a reactive build, against an enemy that doesn’t attack, alot like bunker builds, the ability to dish out damage is diminished. In addition, since most of the build’s defenses are one off blocks (for one attack only), multi hit attacks is easily able to breakthrough it’s defenses (ranger rapid fire, mesmer gs 1, thief stealth pistol 1 etc.). Also while I have not experienced it yet, a good lockdown mesmer would be able to interrupt the blocks and leave you open to it’s burst.
I was able to get about 70-80% uptime on alacrity while on this build while in teamfights (around 2v3, 3v4 scenarios). Couple that with the number of blocks available and shatter, it is able to both take and deal out alot of damage throughout the entire fight.
(edited by Astrimas.6431)
