Guild Wars 2

Compounding Power (Illusions trait): 3% more damage for each active illusion.

Does this work with Mind Wrack? The damage each illusion deals from MW is calculated before they shatter, since it’s dependent on how many illusions are active at the time. Does this mean that damage takes Compounding Power into account as well and boosts the damage 4% for each one, or does the act of shattering them negate the trait bonus? (new mesmer here)

Im not 100% sure, but i think it is something like this:
You hit Mind Wrack with 3 clones, first clone shatters (you lose one clone) dealing dmg with 6% more dmg (2 clones alive), second clone shatters (you lose second clone) deals dmg with 3% more dmg (1 clone alive) and last clone shatters (you lost all the clones) dealing normal dmg (0 clones alive).

It works as Reidir described.

So the bonus each illusion gets from Compounding Power does not apply from the shattered illusion, only the bonus from the other remaining illusions. Gotcha.

Which means if they all shatter simultaneosly…all 3 get a 6% boost from the other 2 illusions?

Simultaneous will almost never happen, for you it could look like 3 clones shattered at the same time, but in reality they shattered one by one.

Ofcourse i could be wrong, but the dmg is always calculated after clone is already gone (shatters) and if 3 clones would shatter at the same time it would be 3 times for normal dmg.

If you test with steady weapons, which makes your shatters hit for a constant damage, the damage boost appears to be 9/6/3% instead of 6/3/0%.

Even if all 3 clones are in melee range and appear to shatter together, the log shows 9/6/3% bonus.

What happens if i go for the shatter burst and have 6 clones out?

TheGuy.3568:

What happens if i go for the shatter burst and have 6 clones out?

In my experience you can only have 3 and if a clone fails to reach a target when you summon another one it will vanish to be replaced by another clone.

Zelulose.8695:

TheGuy.3568:

What happens if i go for the shatter burst and have 6 clones out?

In my experience you can only have 3 and if a clone fails to reach a target when you summon another one it will vanish to be replaced by another clone.

Wrong, when a clone/phant is issued a Shatter-order, it stops counting towards your 3 illusion cap (although it still shows up at the circle where it shows how many illusions you have out).

In sPvP, you can sometimes see people running away from Shatter mesmers and the mesmers can constantly spawn more and issue them to shatter. I once had a guy keep running in a giant circle until I had 15 clones out and he converged into them all at the same time and didn’t roll.

Let’s just say I didn’t have to stomp him.

I think the first shatter doe 9% danage and then 6% and 3%. Also, dont forget that illusionary persona does 9% damage aswell, if your illusions arent in shatter range yet. You canget 9/9/9 with mindwrack though, but you have to spread them out and summon a new illusion every time one shatters. Its also really easy go dodge when theyre spread out.

Happy shattering,
Alissah

Thanks all. I’m still getting used to the mesmer shatter mechanics so this is all good stuff. At first I felt like shattering was dumb; why would I want to get rid of my illusions? They deal damage and distract. But as I leveled I realized how easy it is to create illusions and how hard Mind Wrack can hit. I’m trying to work the shatters in.

Is there a general rule/guideline for how/when to shatter mid-fight? I’m only 25 and running Sw/Sw & Staff and having a ball but I don’t know when the best time to shatter is and when I should just let em fight for me.

@seras
In general you want to shatter clones and leave phantasms alive. When thr mob is about to die hou can finish it a bit faster with mind wrack. If your phantasm is about to die you might aswell shatter it for some bonus damage. If you choose to play a shatter build (you cant really untill level 60) then you usually let a phantasm do 1 attack, and then shatter it.
Youll also want to shatter if you have 3 clones because they cant do alot for you anyway.

Hope this helps,
Alissah