Guild Wars 2

I’m having great fun on my mesmer at level 18, but I notice my clones hit for between 0 and 1 damage each time, regardless of the weapon I’m using. I know they are meant to be weak, but this seems far too low. Can someone say whether they are working as intended? As it stands, they are really only useful to keep aggro from me for the one or two hits they stay alive.

In some of the betas clones did damage but they removed it on launch. Presumably to give people shatter fodder instead of just trying to keep up 3 clones/phantasms without shattering (which is what some people are doing now with three phantasms…)

Personally I love it when they crit for 0. Really glad the UI decided to show me that lol.

Don’t worry at level 80 the damage goes between 4 and 18 so it’s pretty a consistent “confused face” you wear throughout your leveling experience =P

They are intended to do no damage. They are meant to:

a) Grab aggro from PvE mobs
b) Divert an attack or 2 in sPvP (either from being distracted, or getting in the way of projectiles etc.)
c) Be annoying in WvWvW (so frantic LOTS of people will waste time on clones thinking someone is just being stupid-aggressive)
d) Be used for Shatters (which if you are currently just letting your clones die, you should try Shattering more often unless you are maintaining multiple Phantasms and don’t need the spike/utility at the time)

EDIT: As said above, they removed the damage for balance reasons. They were patently ridiculous when they did any sort of half-way decent damage.

I have a trait, that makes my clones do bleeding damage to enemies and so they do pretty good damage with me, plus I use sword. So they do bleeding and vul to enemies and cripple them when there killed. In all my clones are awesome.

Sword/Focus for the win

EsLafiel.4517:

I have a trait, that makes my clones do bleeding damage to enemies and so they do pretty good damage with me, plus I use sword. So they do bleeding and vul to enemies and cripple them when there killed. In all my clones are awesome.

Sword/Focus for the win

It’s bleed when they crit if I’m not mistaken. So when they crit for zero they apply a bleed -.- Honestly, that specifically is a leftover trait from when clones (not phantasms) used to do damage.

Sardoni.8361:

EsLafiel.4517:

I have a trait, that makes my clones do bleeding damage to enemies and so they do pretty good damage with me, plus I use sword. So they do bleeding and vul to enemies and cripple them when there killed. In all my clones are awesome.

Sword/Focus for the win

It’s bleed when they crit if I’m not mistaken. So when they crit for zero they apply a bleed -.- Honestly, that specifically is a leftover trait from when clones (not phantasms) used to do damage.

I am pretty sure it is less “leftover” and is entirely intentional so that the clones that don’t have their own condition they apply. Sword-clone does Vulnerability, Staff-clone does random. The other 2 MH Weapons, Greatsword and Scepter, also produce the greatest number of attacks (Greatsword via 3-hit channel, Scepter through clone-spam) which works great for maintaining Bleeding stacks.

OK. What determines how much a clone can crit? Is it my own crit rate?

If clones/phantasms are not pets (like some people insist) do they mirror my stats? We know they do not mirror my own vitality… so I’m curious now.

Sardoni.8361:

OK. What determines how much a clone can crit? Is it my own crit rate?

If clones/phantasms are not pets (like some people insist) do they mirror my stats? We know they do not mirror my own vitality… so I’m curious now.

To the best of my knowledge, they mimic all stats except Vitality and possibly Toughness. Chances are they mimic them, too, but have different multipliers applied to them (so they scale with those stats, but don’t use them explicitly). More specific to what you asked, they DO use your current crit rate, so if you have 50% crit chance, so do they (and Phantasms with Phantasmal Fury have 70%)

1. They mirror your precision/crit. Not sure if clones pick up your total crit% (includes Fury if you have it) or just the Precision.

2. Pretty sure they mirror your vit, but not positive. I recall a specific comment/statement at some time that referenced that the “Clone HP multiplier was increased by 50%” (stress test). That implies that the Clone references some HP source, which is probably the Mesmer, although it could be a static “level times X” table.

Edit: I vaguely recall the clone hp coefficient was changed from .2 to .3 or something, maybe. Probably wrong so don’t quote me on that. It was a 50% bump though.

I’m level 80 and asking these questions about clone stats. Imagine the confusion of a new player picking up the class. It’d be nice to have some transparency in game (somewhere on the stats page or something) to this… but then people might treat them like “pets”.

Can’t win for losing.

I’ll stop derailing now =P

Sardoni.8361:

I’m level 80 and asking these questions about clone stats. Imagine the confusion of a new player picking up the class. It’d be nice to have some transparency in game (somewhere on the stats page or something) to this… but then people might treat them like “pets”.

Can’t win for losing.

I’ll stop derailing now =P

I agree that more and better descriptions for each skill and maybe a “Profession Page” that gave hard data on various profession features would be ideal.

That’s what wiki is for!
…

If the clones do no dmg whats the point of empowered illusions in the domination skill line? (illusions do extra 15% dmg)

Clones are meant to by more of a PvE and sometimes PvP decoy as well as shatter material. The GS clone is probably the weakest after the damage change since it still uses the initial ranged attack that doesn’t have a secondary effect to the damage like the other clones. Would probably be better utility but even less of a PvP decoy if they used the second attack that throws the sword which bounces and buffs allies/debuffs enemies.

Chumsy.5714:

If the clones do no dmg whats the point of empowered illusions in the domination skill line? (illusions do extra 15% dmg)

Illusions includes phantasm skills which do damage but don’t have as much vitality/toughness as clones.

Morbius Immortalis.1926:

Chumsy.5714:

If the clones do no dmg whats the point of empowered illusions in the domination skill line? (illusions do extra 15% dmg)

Illusions includes phantasm skills which do damage but don’t have as much vitality/toughness as clones.

So does that stack with Phantasmal Strength in the Inspiration skill line? (Phantasms do extra 15% dmg)?

Chumsy.5714:

Morbius Immortalis.1926:

Chumsy.5714:

If the clones do no dmg whats the point of empowered illusions in the domination skill line? (illusions do extra 15% dmg)

Illusions includes phantasm skills which do damage but don’t have as much vitality/toughness as clones.

So does that stack with Phantasmal Strength in the Inspiration skill line? (Phantasms do extra 15% dmg)?

It should stack with that trait as well if you are working up both skill lines.

Clones are supposed to do essentially nothing offensively outside of shatters. (effects on death , are arguable, though it taking hits for you I’d classify under it’s defensive uses)

Really should somehow selectively shatter your illusions.. the phantasms aren’t worth shattering most of the time and the clones don’t contribute anything when they’re not taking hits for you.. =\

Helberus.4320:

Really should somehow selectively shatter your illusions.. the phantasms aren’t worth shattering most of the time and the clones don’t contribute anything when they’re not taking hits for you.. =\

That’s where the player is challenged to time the shatters appropriately. I usually summon a full set of clones and reposition myself before shattering them and summoning my iWarlock, switching to GS and summoning the phantasm on 4, iBeserker. Knockback, 2, then pull off decoy and start over again.

You’ll want to avoid summoning Phantasms if you’re going to shred very soon. Always try to save them for right after you shred a first set.

That’s my suggestion anyhow.

One of the biggest gripes is that there is a summoning cast time on phantasms, a lot of the time, the mob dies while you finish summoning, and pretty much have to wait a full CD.

Chumsy.5714:

One of the biggest gripes is that there is a summoning cast time on phantasms, a lot of the time, the mob dies while you finish summoning, and pretty much have to wait a full CD.

Not to call you out, but that is part of knowing when to use your skills. If the target is almost dead, then it does not make sense to cast a phantasm.

Sardoni.8361:

In some of the betas clones did damage but they removed it on launch. Presumably to give people shatter fodder instead of just trying to keep up 3 clones/phantasms without shattering (which is what some people are doing now with three phantasms…)

Personally I love it when they crit for 0. Really glad the UI decided to show me that lol.

Don’t worry at level 80 the damage goes between 4 and 18 so it’s pretty a consistent “confused face” you wear throughout your leveling experience =P

Well they can bleed on crit. Having a beserker clone crit 3 times gets you 3 stacks of bleed, which sort of does do damage.

Skuld.1382:

Chumsy.5714:

One of the biggest gripes is that there is a summoning cast time on phantasms, a lot of the time, the mob dies while you finish summoning, and pretty much have to wait a full CD.

Not to call you out, but that is part of knowing when to use your skills. If the target is almost dead, then it does not make sense to cast a phantasm.

So you’ve never farmed Dynamic Events in Orr.