Guild Wars 2

I’ve been running a Scepter/Torch and Sword/Shield condition mesmer build with great success. Each weapon set has at least one block, and you also have a torch.

In Illusions I take The Pledge so that my torch stealth skill recharges more quickly. I also take Malicious Sorcery for faster scepter CD recharge thus allowing more blocks.

Staff is great for cloning and juking as well as an AoE, but having more blocks + stealth is greater IMO. I also take Mass Invisibility for high stealth uptime. This allows me to generate clones with safety and make a preemptive attack (with Scepter 3 perhaps).

Your thoughts?

Pvp or wvw?

In pvp the mobility of phase retreat is too useful to pass up. In wvw sure scepter/torch with sword/shield is very strong defensively.

But what game mode? And what gear/amulete?

Staff is great in survivality and has good synergy with conditions. Sword/shield looks like a waste to me, but then again i don’t know what build are you running or where are you using it.

i use scepter/torch and staff on mine, but i only do non-pvp/wvw.

i use a setup similar to you i think , sage amulet, sword shield, scepter torch. It is probably not the best setup but i find it easier than the classic meta becouse it is easier to survive and it is really easy to disengage . You have not the mobility of staff and many other things, but burning from torch and stealth are quite strong and scepter traited is really good. It will be bad and not for pro mesmer, but for myself, i am more effective with that setup .

my hint, for ranked, is to play what you feel more rewarding for yourself . it is better for you and for your team …

PierPiero.9142:

my hint, for ranked, is to play what you feel more rewarding for yourself . it is better for you and for your team …

I totally agree that your personal play style should inform some of your decisions. I use staff/scepter-torch for condi application (still using carrion ammy too) on my Mesmer. it doesn’t quite have the defensive capabilities as shield, but it’s not shabby either because I use some other stealth in conjunction with scepter-torch – e.g. Decoy over Blink.