Guild Wars 2

I created a semi-support tanky mesmer build, and I’d like some feedback on it. Here’s the build: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fgAQJAWRl0zqq3UTqGa9IxJFMv5oeA+s/dSKgdqB-jUyAorARigoEAZviox2BKiGryGT9SEVbv1qN5CRCBIbMA-w
The idea is to stack 25 stacks of vulnerability through having 3 clones and using f3 shatter (4 dazes + 4 shatters + 1 interrupt = 25 stacks), swapping to greatsword (gaining might by sigil of battle proc), and summoning berserker for huge damage, then playing like a shatter build from there. Using greatsword 2 and you shatters consistently will keep your enemy near 10 stacks until your vulnerability burst comes again. This substitutes for the loss in crit chance and damage from full zerk shatter (not completely, but the survivability tradeoff is great imo). It also boosts the dps of your party through the vulnerability. High health pool and toughness allows you to be in the middle of the pack, dropping vulnerability stacks and feedback and lots of aoe damage into the enemy.

What I want to know: what runes would be good? I considered Melandru, but don’t have the gold to test it atm. Any other runes that would fit well with the build?
Do you like it? Would you, as a mesmer, try this out, or is there something screaming to stay away from it that I don’t see? What are some pros and cons that you see right off the bat? Any other general comments? I’m not a mesmer main so I don’t know all the ins and outs of the class. Is there any way you would improve the build?
Thanks in advance for the comments.

This looks like a bunker build. Bumping this up because I want to hear comments from others on this build as well.
To OP: how’s your playing experience with your build so far?
I’ve never played a bunker build so I can’t comment much, just a couple of questions if you don’t mind me asking:
- how often do you shatter? can you keep up with creating shatter fodder to use shatter often enough?
- you have lots of health, will healing power of 200 enough to sustain against condition spamfest?

Hi mate,

Cool looking build, love the power.

Understand this is a support build for group play right? Looks intersesting, and how it work depend on the team. A 12-15 man guild smal cluster mele focused will take you close to enemy and into their ranks, for close range combat I think you might lack a mele alternative, tested focus/sword?

Runes Melandru would give the best defense as you have alot of direct dmg survival thru stats. STill your team also is a defense. Should consider Centaur or Air, have a feeling you have hard keep up with the team if u ever get a little behind your group.

I guess your team already have a portal mesemer in the front line using shatter survival so then portal is not needed.

This is my support build. As you see I am a little more fragile in stats, focus in on buff teams speed, blind enemy with glamour , reflect projectiles + enought dmg to add some burst. Effective in mele and long range.

/Osicat

For the runes, I’d for Melandru or Hoelbrak. This second gives you more power and might while getting the benefits of condition reduction.

Talking about the build, I see 2 main problems.

First, pure bunker builds don’t tent to excel as well as other defensive builds for Mesmers. And that is because we have a lot of ways to avoid damage, so we don’t need to put all the efforts on upgrading defensive stats.
I first tried a pure bunker build, with sentinel gear, so I had like 2900 of armor and near 29k of health. But I realized that it had no-sense, cause in WvW, if they focus you, no matter what you’ll die. After that I started changing my gear to have more precision and critical damage, but keeping a lot of toughness and some vitality (Knight, Cavalier and Valkyrie). The result is that I’m still able to survive a lot in WvW, but also I do quite a lot of damage. My stats are ~3050 of armor and 18k of health. With Magi armor I have +2700 of armor and 20,3k of health and 300 more healing power.

And then, I think you’d do better with Imbued Diversion instead of Illusionary Persona. The thing is that you’re not running a melee weapon, you tent to play more ranged, as greatsword gets better as more ranged you’re.
Also, since your Diversion will be AoE, you’ll spread like 10 stacks of vulnerability up to 5 enemies, much better for me than 5 stacks more to only 1 enemy.

PD: This are my 2 variations:

http://tinyurl.com/msqfkan
- Same traits as you just with Imbued Diversion.
- Changed sigil of Peril for Bloodlust, to have more power. That +10% vulnerability duration does very little job, as it only gives you 0.8 seconds. Vulnerability does nothing every second, so is not important to reach the upper second.

More power and a bit more critical hits, with still good survivability, you lose 6k of health, but even this stats are quite deffensive.

http://tinyurl.com/kgauycn
- Spending just 5 points in Duel to get Critical Infusion, you gain a lot more survivability, as you can dodge much more. I take them from Inspirations, cause the 2 seconds to Glamour are not so good, cause in small scale fights people move a lot.
- I also changed Sigil of Peril, for Perception, so you’ll have more critical hits.

With these changes you’ll have nearly perma vigor, and the lost of power is covered with critical hits. The survivability comes more from active play, as you are able to dodge much more.

@Keenlam: Our guardians run 3k healing power with 25 life stacks. They easily substitute for the lack in healing I have. Also, against condi spamfest, that’s why I have null field: get the the back and drop it and I’m good. Also why I consider Melandru runes. regariding clones, I found that if you learn to shatter with only 1 or 2 clones out, it keeps vulnerability up and does more dps (with this build) than if you wait for 3 clones being out, otherwise you have to weapon swap on cool down, which takes away from your utility (you want staff when you need it, and gs is your main dps).

@Osicat: melee I use staff. Chaos storm almost always dazes at least once, and if you get lucky, you get the interrupt too. It also grants great defensive buffs while you stand in it. Gs with this build actually does pretty good damage up close too, simply cause you don’t auto attack much. You’re using mirror blade on cool down, mind stab for boon removal and decent damage (great to remove stability right before a daze/knockback), gs5 for knockback which is good if you see a shadow refuge or if you need an interrupt. iberserker is your main for of damage, and another clone to shatter. Once 25 stacks of vulnerability are up, berserker does huge damage, but doesn’t attack again before stacks drop, so a mind wrack with just the berserker does more damage here. However, I may test out sword/focus instead and take the projectile reflect on focus skills. It has less rng on interrupt, but no daze. However, more projectile reflects might increase my dps enough to negate the loss of vuln stacks. Thanks for the advice. And yes, we have mesmers running almost every kind of build, including the typical veil and portal, so those aren’t needed, though I switch them out occasionally if we happen to need them.

@Ansau: Illusionary persona isn’t just for the extra vuln stacks. I use it defensively for an extra second on invuln through f4 to get away, or to dodge a bull rush→hundred blades that takes me by surprise. I do, however, like the idea of the vigor on crit, and may try knights trinkets to increase my precision enough without sacrificing too much survivability. However, if I run sword/focus as Osicat suggested, I’d need those 5 points in Inspiration. Not sure if I’d willingly sacrifice much else (only option would be greatsword training, but that keeps my illusions up more for more sustained dps, and boosts power by 50). I’ll have to test to see which I like better.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think I’m set on Melandru runes (unless someone convinces me otherwise). Gonna test sword/focus a bit and see if it works better, but if not I’ll probably take the 5 from inspiration and go with knights trinkets to keep perma vigor and increase dps a little.