Guild Wars 2

Hey all…I have been really chewing through the various builds. I really appreciate all of the effort behind the videos and various philosophies on the builds. I don’t think any are without merit. But I found it surprising that that there were no recommendations for a GS/Staff build. So I started to think maybe there’s something fundamentally wrong with it that I am missing.

I’ve been using the following progression with good results. This isn’t set in stone but it is for the typical mob(s):

This build also assumes 20 in Dueling for Deceptive Evasion (create a clone on dodge)
- Mirror Blade (2)
- Berserker (4)…pop Mirror Image or a couple dodges
- (optional) MindStab for groups
*****SWITCH to Staff
- Winds of Chaos on auto
- Phantasmal Warlock to swap out a clone
- Chaos Storm over mobs and phantasms/clones
- (optional) Null Field + Phase Retreat for combo application of Chaos Armor

Back to GreatSword for rinse/repeat. Most mobs are done pretty quickly. I have learned this offers great group utility (without having to open inventory and swap weapons) and of course works great for solo.

So what am I missing? I know most people recommend sword/pistol or sword/focus for alternate weapon. I am not saying mine is superior or inferior, but it feels on par.

Here is a link to a build I have going right now. Thanks in advance for any feedback.

http://www.intothemists.com/calc/?build=-NZ-g;1VPkz027cV-71;9;4JJ99909-19-4;04;00k

Your trait setup is a bit confusing. Are you shattering all those illusions or not? ^^

Btw, I love the GS/Staff combo. The day that I can get perma runbuff without a focus, it will be my secondary weapon for most activities, using my own build though. ^^

I use to run GS/Staff while using a phantasm build and was even pursuing Sunrise. Then I switched into a condition build which has no need for greatsword. Though I miss using it, my survivability has skyrocketed. In fact, just an hour ago, I was practically soloing the priest of Grenth for half the encounter. Still, I’m tryng to figure out how to work the greatsword back in as I was halfway to Sunrise and staff attacks just isn’t as visually appealing as GS.

I use GS/Staff combo with semi-condition build. Trait setup:
http://www.intothemists.com/calc/?build=-NZ-g;1VPkz027oW-71;9;5JJ-J;119-49;226E

Last 10 points – anywhere you want, I currently put them into Inspiration for Mender´s Purtiy (helps with condition heavy dungeons). I’m running Rampagers and Cond/prec/Tough armor with Carrion/Berserker mix of trinkets with 6/6 runes of the centaur and am at:
43% crit
2900 attack
850 cond dmg
18k hp
2.1 defence

For more survivability you could go for full cond/prec/tough armor, but with constant dodging/chaos storm/armor etc. I didn’t really see it as necessary. As illusions don’t share your condi duration I didn’t really invest in Domination.

The build is still a bit green and I don’t really know which sigil to use for the GS, but so far it’s been fun I currently have sigil of earth on the GS but as it has ICD of 2s it’s not really that good, I’m thinking about changing it to Frailty. For staff I use Sigil of Fire to give it a bit more direct dmg. With centaur runes I get 14s swiftness on a 20s cooldown and sometimes I get swiftness from the signet = swiftness around 80-90% of time.

Full rotation: running towards the target I start with GS autoattack to measure distance -> iBerserker -> and when I´m close Mirror Blade (with Elasticity it jumps 3 times, giving me 6xmight, hitting the target twice and stacking 6x vuln on the mob), then I dodge back (I now have 3 clones all very close to the target) -> switch to staff -> iWarlock (one of the clones explodes due to Debilitating Dissipation causing either 3x bleed, 3x Vuln or Weakness) -> dodge (another clone explodes), phase retreat (another explosion) -> shatter

Throughout the rotation I always have 3 illusions = +9% dmg, the mob usually has weaknes and vulnerability and I can keep around 8-10 stacks of bleeds on it, I dogde quite a lot and always have the option of chaos storm/armor for survivability.

Thanks for the fast replies.

@Kaiyanwan: The confusion is probably due to me trying to figure things out. Also, it is situational; meaning sometimes I shatter and sometimes I keep the phantasms up. I usually only shatter at the end of the fight. And yes, I miss having the focus for the cheap run buff.

@Crossplay: That’s kind of where I am at. I really like the idea of a GS wielding mage. The staff is so common from a lore perspective. Part of the reason I took on the Mesmer was to use the sword; which looks awesome.

@Leshay: I like your build. I purposely left out elasticity because I didn’t think I would get much bang for my buck…but I might be wrong looking at what You have built…I’ll give it a second look. You’re rotation looks solid.

With regards to your build, I think that at 80, a spec of 20/20/10/0/20 would perhaps be more ideal for me. I use staff more as a backup than as primary. So the GS bonus from 20 in the Domination line would be more ideal for me.

@exilio: If you run with GS out most of the time then yes, your trait distribution would suit you better. One advise though, if you don’t really shatter much consider changing Mental Torment for either Empovered illusions (good for boss fights when you have 3 phantasms out) or Crippling Dissipation (synergizes better with Debilitating Dissipation from Chaos and helps you kite mobs)

Leshay.5801:

@exilio: If you run with GS out most of the time then yes, your trait distribution would suit you better. One advise though, if you don’t really shatter much consider changing Mental Torment for either Empovered illusions (good for boss fights when you have 3 phantasms out) or Crippling Dissipation (synergizes better with Debilitating Dissipation from Chaos and helps you kite mobs)

Yeah, if you do not shatter much, there is no need to improve Mind Wrack. I will play around with a phantasm build in the near future, I will give you feedback if I manage to find something suitable.

20/20/0/0/30 works better, in my opinion.
Start with GS 3,2,4 then weapon swap to sword 3 leap/swap, sword 2 and shatter. That usually kills any mob and only takes about 8 seconds.

The staff/gs combo is my personal favorite for PvE. Here is how I play it.

I always have a staff, greatsword, sword, and focus with me at all time, swapping them out as necessary.

I make the build into a tanky/dps build focused on phantasms. I take the traits 10/10/0/30/20. Domiation for 15% increased illusion damage, dueling for fury on phantasms, 20 illusions for 3% increased damage per illusion and faster phantasm recharges.
30 inspiration has multiple uses. I almost always have inspiration IV for condition removal on healing. If I am just nuking with staff and greatsword, I will also have V for increased phantasm hp, and then lastly I take X, mantra heals. In cases where projectile reflects are necessary, I will take off gs, put on sword and focus, trait the focus, take feedback, trait glamours, and be in super duper projectile reflection mode.

For gear, my armor is all berserkers. My accessories are all berserkers with the exception of an ascended soldiers ring. Weapons are all soldiers except the greatsword which is berserkers.

The way this build works is a hybrid high dps through phantasms, tankyish, and lots of aoe healing. With the fury and all the %damage buffs to phantasms, your phantasms will do tons of damage, even without a lot of traits into domination or dueling. In a team situation, I generally will see my warlock hit for 7K+ crits on targets, with my highest crit ever seen a 14k crit at grenth. The berserker is still a bit buggy, and has variable damage between 1k and 5k (every now and then it hits for 8k+ and I don’t know why).

So, phantasms are how you deal damage. You stay alive because in this build you have 20k hp, and about 2000 armor. Lastly, you are also the group healer. Due to the inspiration traitline, your phantasms pulse aoe regen, meaning your whole group should more or less permanently have regen. Additionally, your charging mantras does an aoe heal for about 2200 with just the 300 healing power you get from inspiration. Taking mantra of pain allows this 2200 to be massively spammable, producing one of the highest aoe healing rates in the game.

The utilities I take are x, mantra of pain, and decoy. X can be anything necessary, between feedback, blink, arcana thievery, disenchanter null field, etc. This allows you to have some defense, the heal spam, and one group utility pick. I also use ether feast for healing.

This build allows you to set up a couple phantasms for damage and then transition into healing mode, running around spamming mantra of pain to keep everyone in your group healthy and happy. You have the versatility through traits and weapon swaps to become a massive reflection powerhouse, such as in the harpy fractal. This is my favorite PvE build due to its versatility, raw damage, and group healing utility that makes it amazingly successful both in solo PvE (though other builds are more effective here) and group PvE. I would not recommend this build for PvP, go take a look at my immortal mesmer build or osi’s shattercat build for that.

I use this build: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fgAQJAWRlwzKoHVzqGaNJiJF9GyhWAZGqWqVSBudhA;TQAg0WiMEZTA (Copy and Paste Link)

The 9% reduced damage and extra toughness is very noticeable when wearing all Berserker gear. 40% reduced cooldown on Phase Retreat and Mirror Blade is also very great.

Great responses and much appreciated. I have been happy with my build, but I see some merit to what Pyroatheist was talking about—so I am going to try that and see how it works. My only concern is the generation of clones/phantasms…I have been spoiled by dodging to make them if I needed to.

Thanks again!

exilio.5640:

Great responses and much appreciated. I have been happy with my build, but I see some merit to what Pyroatheist was talking about—so I am going to try that and see how it works. My only concern is the generation of clones/phantasms…I have been spoiled by dodging to make them if I needed to.

Thanks again!

Since my build isn’t dependent on shatters for pretty much anything, rapid clone generation isn’t a problem due to clones being more or less useless. The only things you really care about are your phantasms, and those can’t be hurried of course.

It is not a bad idea no, as long as you stay more in GS than in staff.

kandolo.2574:

I use this build: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fgAQJAWRlwzKoHVzqGaNJiJF9GyhWAZGqWqVSBudhA;TQAg0WiMEZTA (Copy and Paste Link)

The 9% reduced damage and extra toughness is very noticeable when wearing all Berserker gear. 40% reduced cooldown on Phase Retreat and Mirror Blade is also very great.

I’ve been looking for a phantasm build that uses both the greatsword trait boost to power and the staff trait boost to toughness. Thanks for sharing! In my current play style, I do the greatsword ranged for as long as possible, getting the berserker and a clone with mirror blade out, then switch to staff if I get forced into melee. I like being able to add all of that toughness easily. Also if the enemy is in your face, drop chaos storm for dazes, then hitting phase retreating (stun breaker) out of the field gives a free chaos armor for extra survivability, and then you STILL have another button for a phantasm (warlock) and a button for your actual chaos armor. I think I would prefer to use 5 points in 3rd tier Domination for the first five points in Inspiration.

Any chance someone could link a current build for GS/Staff? every one of the links here are bad..

NVM, have to edit the crap out of the links to get them to work….