Guild Wars 2

What’s everyone’s thoughts on the shatter recharge signet?

I cant say for everyones but personaly i say it with another passive might be a winner but atm the survival from portal and blink is needed and burst of mirror immage. Some trade portal for decoy and thats is extremly valid option, or null field but same again.

2 defensive 1 offensive utility is kinda needed with the lack of passive survival. It would be if you dropped portal and time warp then got mass invis to pick up the signet but it is a down trade.

Pls thu feel free to experement, if you after a week feel you do superb with it, film it and get a vid to prove me worng

Cheers, think outside the box is easy as there is no box

i dont care for it since we already have that traited. giving them more health and another trait that we already have isn’t worth giving up a spot imo. but like osicat, ill always watch a vid of it

now if you felt the elasticity was more important and traited out of shatter recharge, it would make more sense but i just dont see what you would want to drop for it

Sinergy.6374:

What’s everyone’s thoughts on the shatter recharge signet?

Wrack already has such a low CD, combined with the 50% HP refresh trait you’ll rarely feel like you can’t shatter. Remember there is a non zero time to setup a shatter anyway.

But, if there’s one thing the Mesmer class is good for it’s finding a style that works for you.

Run with it for a week, see how you feel. For me damage comes from my traits and gear. My utility is my survival (Decoy, Blink, Portal/Null Field as appropriate).

Running with Torch for the current week, so far, so different.

Thank you Osicat, love this build.

I’m still working on my gear and I’m not as effective as I could be yet but so far this build has been working wonders for me.

One small request though, could you make your vids available for mobile use. Most of my research / YouTube time is spent either on breaks at work or freetime that I cant spend in game and during those times I’m usually on my phone because work has YouTube blocked, it would be much appreciated.

I tried a [Shatter] build for a while, but the limitations of clones in regards to terrain and positioning made we switch over to a [Glamour] build for Zerg-tastic WvW.

Only real difference is I prefer Decoy to Blink and Mass Invis to Time Warp.

Osicat, what do you think about replacing mirror images with arcane thievery?

Fwost.7084:

Osicat, what do you think about replacing mirror images with arcane thievery?

I would avoid it, personally. Before it was assumed that Arcane Thievery was bugged in that it didn’t strip all buffs from the target or clear all conditions from you … but in the last patch the “fix” was for ANet to change the tooltip such that it states that 3 conditions/buffs will be swapped which makes the 45 second cooldown ridiculous.

Also, you may have noticed that Null Field was nerfed as well in that it doesn’t strip all buffs/conditions each tic as it had before the patch. You actually have to stand in it for a few seconds to get rid of all your conditions.

@Jadjay, sadly its hard to get any videos with music alloved to be shown on youtube and music is a central part of my videos. I will instead tell you a little trick to get past this block that might work for you ( it work for most ppl). Go to first page in this thread where I posted my vids, then click the play button on the tubnail vid, it should now start play the movie without take you to youtube ( proxy by guildwars 2 hompage). Important is that you not click the link but the film. Its after yu got it stated possible to maximice it.

@Taldren, sure mate, what ever works for you. I presented my build/guide in a time when it was heavy doubted due to its low passive survival and 90% of the mesmers played phantasm and GS,s. I never claimed it to be the best build or that the other builds out there to be unvalid, what I do is present a guide of a setup and build that work for me, show why it work and add some video guids how I get it to work.

@fwost I in non wvwvw pvp been running Arcane thevery and null field instead of portal when I found it needed, for pve its absolutley a needed choice for some bosses in instances, for wvwvw thu as the mecanics been changed latley and yortal is sutch a strong tool I would not do that but sure try it out. Best way in roaming to handle a condition target for me is to juke heavy and land maxed bursts. Land a big burst, juke out and let some conditions drop while you keep a phantasm / a few clones at target, then juke in and land a new burst etc. Condition players generaly is build for substained dmg and passive survival, try deny them their brawl ala roll around in the grass close combat. Also use terrain, staff 2 , blink and portal al can in short notice give you los who dont affect your clones but stopp condition application.

/ Osicat

I used your guide to build my own for WvWvW and other PvE stuff and I am happy with it.
It is the first time that I really learned to play a shatter build and it is just fulfilling to play my Mesmer like that.

Your build really opened a new way of playing my mesmer to me and gave me the curage to invest the gold in equipment and time into learning the way of the shatter cat.

Only one thing that annoyed me: i needed a proxy for your how-to videos :/

Thank you very much for sharing your guide.

Osicat, have you tried CoF retaliation trait?

@ zid Yes its a solid trait for longer substainted fights and one of the 3 options to use as the 3 rd trait in illusion listed in the guide explanatin section for traits, read if you want a deeper explanation. I personaly prefere 3% dmg / clone but retaliation and reflection is both solid traits. Only backside I see is that in smal group romaing or solo you usualy strike like a viper and out again, not receving full benefit of the retaliation trait but using the % dmg fully.

I do use it thu in my non wvwvw build 0-20-20-0-30 that I play with sometimes.

/ osicat

I totally adore your build and playing style. After trying it out I have to say that despite the full berserker gear my mesmer is still quite tanky due to all my clones and the right use of distortion. Keep up the good work.

ok Osi, I’ll bite; what is your suggested dungeon play style? I would love a mini guide on your suggested build, but I am asking too much im sure. The WVW guide is priceless already.

@Merry, cheers

@Influx, Il see what I can do. I do alot of dungeons with my guild on the side of the wvwvw ing and I run the same build. I dont think its so big difference in gear/skills/food that I can fill a full guide but Il try get enought for a Mini guide as you said if there is ppl who accualy Is interested in this. I start film sections to explain how I try be of use to the team on the side of my next wvwvw film (who going to be awsome, working on something special).

/ Osicat

Small mini skill guide for clones and Time warp:

/osicat

Hello Osi, nice guide, I would like to ask some questions, Im mainly a PvP Player, PvE is boring for me, really boring… but to do WvWvW i have to do some PvE… I am lvl 51 or something like that and im having a nightmare doing pvp, i think im very weak, i dont die… but it takes me a lot to kill 1 single thing, it will be forever like that? any tip you can tell me, because ive been finding myself stopping playing/wanting to reroll, i would like to know some builds, tips, where to lvl, etc. because im really frustrated and i really like the class. Thanks in advance, thanks for your time, And sorry for my poor english.
Cya

@Kalf, Best tips I can give you for lvling a mesmer is eather

a) (like me) be overenthusiastic and love every part of what you do, take detours to look at a nice wiev and climb random trees for fun. Spend a silly amount of time wipe vs better geared higer lvl ppl that dont undertstand why the low lvl mesmer keep jump them in wvwvw and so on.

b) Speed lvl up to higher lvlvs 60+ get some gear and feel the power of your later Traits. To lvl fast in guildwars there is a few things that help, crafting can get you alot of lvls very wast with xp on crafting bonus thing, also always use food for xp bonus etc. Alot of deiciverys and focus on 1 profession, arteficing is cheep, the higher you get the more you get / discovery.

Also remeber as long you in pve gear is making matter, if you run with some + crit dmg and presition you kill things easier. Go for events and try dom instances with your guild, not only good rewars, you get ALOT of xp.

:)

/osicat

First of all i would like to say that i was not fond of the whole shatter thing, but now i get it. It so much damage done quickly. Your technique is astounding, GRATS!! altough i’m having some trouble learning the gameplay of it.

When you mean in the ninja attack, the fourth illusion when you dodge, it means that your the fourth illusion(the trait makes you have the same effects as one)
or the second skill of staff is the fourth illusion? Also i find myself sometimes with everything on c’d, after facing 2 a third shows up. How do you figure out what to use and what to save? Its like a ninja gaiden movie, everything is planned and they fall like pawns on a table.

Could you tell us what do you try to see first as important, skills that must be save, terrain issues, enemy burst capabilities.

PS: its my second day with your build but it made my mesmer brand new to me.

Thanks!!!

@striker. Hi mate and its fun you ask just this question as its the main subject of my next movie I been working on for about a week Its just about to be done and I should have it ready to post today. Just need to see if I can find out why some ppl dint get the sound on my last vid correct.

I will line up some base tipps thu that al will be more clear when you see the comming video guide. In you face multiple enemys you want to save one distance opener/closer, get portal up and dont spend the shatter reset to fast. The burst you do in the start should be aimed on get eather the most dangerous or easiest kill. in a 3 vs 1 its not cowardish to with a non full mw burst focus and bring the weakest /low lvl player down 1 st to save you some headace. some base rules that help:

-Never stomp thiefs, mesmer or elementalists with spiritform left without a time warp, burst the down.

-In a 1 vs x never try burst a enginer, necro or guardian down 1 st if you have options.

-Save disorsion if you have distraction (shatter nr 3) free and enemy close, use a 0 clone snatter 3 will save you as good.

-Terrain is not your enemy, its your friend. No other class can in a instant move so many time up and down a cliff and los like you. A Los is as effective as a dmg immunity, you still spawn clones and you with some cowardish hiding can get a few cd,s up before engage again ( juking los is pro! in, burst, los in burst).

-If you down a warrior dont waste burst on him, eather a) shatter nr 4 stomp him, b) time warp stomp c) leave him and be prepaired to kite him a while. As soon he pop hes super rally, blink, drop a portal and start kite, alternative use a already dropped portal.

Al this tips sound easy but is harder to execute, what they have in common is that they save you from use cd,s you need for the other enemys. In a 1 vs 1 situation it dont matter, just kite, juke burst etc. Why a good executed mesmer fight sometimes can se staged it cause its accualy is, but not from al parts, if a mesmer from start know what he want to do he can in a way controll the fight, I often say to myself before I jump a pack, I want to down player a, kite player c and supress, cc player b etc.

wvwvw is great in this way, as its beside camp capping is no points you need to hold for your team for x seconds you can take your time and self chose where and when to fight. About what is most benefit for yor server and reward most points I say solo or 3-5 man pvp roaming is best but its also most fun.

/ love osicat

Hi mate, love the thread you really know your stuff, was wondering if you could be more specific with your armor breakdown ie Berserker chest, Valkyrie legs, Knight boots etc, you said you use all berserker accessories, at the moment I feel a bit squishy any further advice would be much appreciated. See you on the battlefield :-)

Tried your build, works awesome, now I can kick enemy’s kitten but I believe I have much to learn, but I can say that my gameplay has improved alot, also I think I die a little more, but this is due to my lack of skills, but now I can confuse enemy and let them waist their CD’s. Awesome build

@Cares Less. I remaking the gear part recomendation today, will move away form specific what gera in what slots. Il instead recomend stats as some ppl prefere get a invader ring for defensive stats etc.

Il going to do recomended defensive stats, how you reach em is up to your number of gold, badges crafting etc. Hope this help some confusion as I recently been using some jewels in some slots for hp/crit, a event ring with 25 to al stats and 3% crit etc.

Recemeded stats is now listed in the guide, also list them here:

My recomended defensive stats for shatter cat spec.

16500-16900 hp to handle conditions.

1100-1150 toughtness for camp capping,.

50% minimum crit chanse with food (70% with fury) for constant vigor in battle.

Defenisve stats is ranked in this order for me.

16500-16900 hp > 50% crit > 1100-1150 toughtness.

@ Unknown, ty mate, it take practice but so many fun

/osicat

Thanks mate, much appreciated, I was going to shelve my Mesmer after the last nerfs and came across this thread, it re-invigorated me and got me back into it again. Cheers.

Thanks for the help dude, really nice you take your time to help us out.

But how about the “fourth” illusion thing? is it the actual fourth illusion ou the trait that makes you become a illusion as well}?

@Striker

Yes when I talk about the 4 illsuion effect I mean:

Illusionary Persona: “Shattering illusions creates the shatter effect on you as well.”

Trait line: Illusions
Tier: Grandmaster
Type: Major

It give a addtional shatter effect for dmg and utility but aslo make it possible to do a shatter without have a clone out, examplae you se a enemy jump towars you, hit f4 and imune the 1st s of attack. Hit f3 dazze him, then counter attack.

A thre clone mw who if al crit hit for 3k+ x 3 would be 3k x 4 but also apply 4 stacks of confusion and award 4 stacks of might.

/Osicat

Ohhhh thanks!! I was kinda confused with the explanation of how the ninja atk goes but now i get it ^^ sorry for the hastle.

3k crit? Wow, max i got was 2.5k

:) Had 4 × 3,8 on some poor glascannon last weekend.

The problem I have always had with a full glass/shatter build is splash damage from seige and thief adds. Lately the only roamers I am seeing are thieves and D/D elementalists. P/D cond thieves eat a glass shatter mes for lunch. For DD eles you need boon removal to have a chance.
Lately I have been running a 20 0 20 0 30 toughness/cond shatter mes (yep no crit and no clone on dodge) 1800 power 1500 tough 1500 cond damage with cond duration food. My first shatter is N2 and after burst I get ~12 stacks of confusion at ~375 damage and 25 stacks of vuln and strip boons (bye bye Might)
It works well more of a defensive shatter build. The rest of the time it plays like a straight cond mes.

Edit: forgot to say that this build with a trident is the most OP class in the game

quercus.9261:

The problem I have always had with a full glass/shatter build is splash damage from seige and thief adds. Lately the only roamers I am seeing are thieves and D/D elementalists. P/D cond thieves eat a glass shatter mes for lunch. For DD eles you need boon removal to have a chance.

Hi and ty for feedback. I understand but dont 100% agree

Yes tbh Shatter Cat build dont fit everyone or even is fun for everyone. What I trying to show with this guides etc is a alternative way to play the mesmer compared to the original phantasm or passive deffense builds. For those who get it to work even the classes/situations you mention is not a problem. Note that this is not a full glass cannon in eather gear or build, defensive stats is listed in start.

About only roamers you met is eles/thiefs I can just say that i beleve you but I been roaming soon ower 450 game hours of my 560 played with mesmer and I meet a good variety of classes, and i can asure you that mesmers are scary roamers.

About splach dmg etc its just a matter of learn to play the build.

For you and some others who still want a even tankier Shatter Cat setup I created this movie.

Its even more defensive gear on and reflection aswell.

PS new movie is ready and getting uplaoded 2 night.

• * ****** UPPDATE ****** **** **

Second part of the mesmer Shatter spec Shatter Cat video Guide is up.

Enjoy and feedback

Hi Osicat,

Your last video is blocked. Can you unblock it?

@Xavi. Its blocked in germany and Canada, you can thu see it thru proxy.
Have you tryed to watch it thru guildwars 2 forum? just click the play button on the video picture/tubnail then max sice it.

Try it, Al ppl i have talked to say it work and they also say its my best video so far so its worth a watch Im wery happy with it.

Yeah I am in Canada. I can see all your other videos but this one.

I wanna ask, will 2 superior runes of energy (1 per set to get energy per swap) benefit a shatter build or is it better to just have 1? particularly with glass cannons.

@Xavi, PM,d you. Seem to be only canada and germany as said, germany never work so they usualy proxy. New movie is Fantastic thu if it helps

@Leo Paul, with high crit you have so mouch vigour that 2 energy is not nessesery, better have 1 acctive dmg aoe and 1 passive. Best in my oppinion is Fire aoe + 5% dmg alt 5% crit chanse.

/Osicat

@rest, Second part of the mesmer Shatter spec Shatter Cat video Guide is up.

Osicat i was computing the stats here, 1 valk and 1 knight won’t be enough for 1100 tough, 16.5k of vit. Could you kindly tell all ur gear precisely, including weapon stats?

Why I listed the stats instead of the gear, I taken the exact gear guide away and given recomendated stats. I gone up from initial 1050 toughtness and 16050 vit to a bit higher vit of valkyr jevels, event ring. crit dmg stay the same that way and with maitence oil and prec / crit dmg food + a 5% crit dmg sigil my burst is about same.

The guide is in constant develop and last 2 weeks I changed some of my jewelery to increce my stats. One change was get the event ring who give 25 to al stats and 3% crit dmg.

If you need a little extra toughtness and vit get the invader ring and put in a berserker jewel.

/Osicat

PS: Second part of the mesmer Shatter spec Shatter Cat video Guide is up.

and this is what happens when I run ~1100 toughness (nerf thief)

Osicat.4139:

Try do pistol 4—-> sword 3——> dodge——-> pistol 5 —--> sword 3 —-—> sword 2+shatter 1——-> shatter 3——-> mirror immage——-> shatter 2

@Osicat, When you have a moment can you explain how the shatter 3 works above?

Also, I noticed in one of your videos that you’ll hit nr 1 and nr 2 together in one shatter (unless my eyes are deceiving me).

What is the behavior of multiple shatters executed on the same clones? And when there are no clones? I was trying to test this last night, I’ll to continue to test tonight to determine the +/- benefits.

I’d also like to throw in a big thank you, your videos are great fun and personally am really enjoying this new and challenging (and exciting) play-style.

@quercus, I undertand it hurt, but in my oppinon even if others mabyte dont share it the answer to that is not build more passive defensive stats but to use the skill mecanics etc. If thiefs need a nerf to burst or not I wont discuss in this thread thu as it kinda litter the threads it taken up.

I dont die to thiefs more than other classes, not do I find em especialy hard compared to other classes and you know my stats.

Feel free to see my latest vid, its alot about surviving, im sure you like it.

@Swedeamon, shatter 3 daze the target repvent it form escape by use a defensive skill. It also awars a might stack for you.

About 1 + 2 What I in most cases do when it look like I hit em simultanius is that I hit 1 then mirror and 2 in a extremly fast sequence. A few times thu I hit the 1 and 2 in same time if enemy is 5-10% hp and i just need to get that last extra little dmg out or i know i will reset shatter wery soon so i mightaswell use it.

/love Osicat

PS: Second part of the mesmer Shatter spec Shatter Cat video Guide is up.

Watched you newest vid, so much skills, wish I was that good, but I have to learn to use my portal ability’s more, and have to learn each skill’s CD, in order to maximize damage, but I wonder what’s your damage with Blurred Frenzy, when at last strike?, i got mine to around 2,5k, doing something wrong or what, I used PvP gear when tested, 5*mesmer rune, and one other so I get +25 power, and I have 23.5k hp, too much?, or you choose your own?, and my critical is 54%, and +35% critical damage, can you get even higher?

below is for PvP

Stats:

• Power 1900
• Precision 1960
• Toughness 916
• Vitality 1759

• Attack 2914 (sword) ~3000 (staff) (300 condition)
• Critical chanse 54% (35% critical damage)
• Armor 1836
• Health 23512

Gear

• Amulet PvP Knight’s amuled (Berserkers jewel)
• 5 Superior rune of the mesmer (+165 power, + 50 prec)
• 1 Superior rune of the fire (+25 power)

Weapons

• Staff (Sigil of superior hydromancy)
• Sword (Sigil of superior force)
• Pistol (Sigil of rage)

Looks like your build, but have changed the runes, don’t know about the amulet have made similar build in PvE, WvW, but haven’t bought any runes yet, not enough coins also running on a different sigil build, and I have around 17.8k hp, then I get buffed more and more as we get points in WvW, so now I have around 19k hp.

Also vs a thief that basically had perma cloak, almost, was impossible to kill due to that I was unable to get any stuns on him, etc. But it felt like that almost perma cloak thief is impossible for mesmer, any tips? he had a dual pistol build, so that’s may be why it was hard to kill him, experimenting with some other runes and sigils, to find my kind of build based on yours

EDIT: will try superior rune of the falk, and with berserkers amu, giving me 18k, and around 53% critical damage, also 59% critical chanse

Question after that, about combo fields, seem to know how to use them, I was able to get 18 stacks of confusion, with practise, calculated that a thief would about die if he was going to do any counter with that amount of confusion on him, 3,3k confusion damage (18 stacks), if he has around 14k hp

@UnknownFreak

Hi happy you like the vid.

For stats its important to split sPvP stats discussion and wvwvw stats. Runes thu is same. I basicly living in wvwvw with 450 hours minimum of pure wvwvw of my 560h played as solo or group wvwvw’ing, never realy go with zerg unless guild work with another guild for a keep etc.

For runes if you after high blurred and shatter dmg you need to get your crit dmg higher. Air runes x5 give 10% extra crit dmg, with 1 divinity 12%.

In wvwvw I only have 16900 hp atm, 1150~toughtness but as you see Im not easy klled, in groups im usualy one of the last to go down even with ehvay AOE dmg going around. In offensive stats im around 102% crit dmg and 53% crit chance, with fury (20% crit chanse) and some stacks of might I had 7500+ blurred frenzys, best mindwrack I had was a crit of 5200, but thats not common numbers, just some glascannon with low dodge skill.

About thiefs, I try add atleast 1 thief fight in every film, will in the future do a porper guide for thiefs unless ppl work it out. Yes they hit hard and have som bugged mecanics but its possible to sort it out, and dotn forget we hit about as hard, mabye harder if you add that our dmg is aoe. Trick is to participate when to use immunitys, move alot and hit in solid bursts when time is. I run ito this high stealth thiefs in wvwvw from time to time early morning roaming and its usualy interesting and LOOOOOONG fights if they skilled, if they bad they take a burts and die. Tip is that AIR runes and FIRE AOE sigil both make life a piss for this buggers, its almost unavoidable dmg for many of them and if you also add a shatter nr 3 and a mindwrack they go down.

For SPvP I run berserker amulett and air runes or divinity runes. Have higer crit dmg that way. If im a point holder I switch spec to 0-20-20-0-30 if not I run shatter cat 10-30-0-0-30

/Osicat

PS @all,Second part of the mesmer Shatter spec Shatter Cat video Guide is up.

Osicat.4139:

@Swedeamon, shatter 3 daze the target repvent it form escape by use a defensive skill. It also awars a might stack for you.

OK – question was not so much what shatter 3 does but rather how it would do anything with no clones up. You answered that, shatter 3 still gives you a brief daze even if no clones up to shatter. Shatters still give you something even when you have nothing o.O Correct me if i misunderstand please.

im around 102% crit dmg and 53% crit chance

that’s why you kill everyone :P, I guess you have that amount by using food items, right?, then what kind of food?, if that’s not a secret :P

EDIT, found out that with Illusionary Leap, teleport to enemy, then exactly when at them , making mirror images, and when you have 3 clones next to enemy, you shatter(1) them, grants you quickness it seems, very good if you use sword skill 2 after, means you will make that attack in one sec, making alot of damage instantly :O

EDIT2, still do alot of missclicks, but I like my build my way, but as I said Im not done with my build, as I don’t have the runes I wan’t, and I haven’t got the chance to make a 1v2, or 1v3, cause it seems that all people on my server, and enemy server zerg’s, but I was able to kill a stupid engineer 3 times, before he understood, mesmer is strong in 1v1

Swedemon.4670:

Osicat.4139:

@Swedeamon, shatter 3 daze the target repvent it form escape by use a defensive skill. It also awars a might stack for you.

OK – question was not so much what shatter 3 does but rather how it would do anything with no clones up. You answered that, shatter 3 still gives you a brief daze even if no clones up to shatter. Shatters still give you something even when you have nothing o.O Correct me if i misunderstand please.

None of the Shatter Skills 1-4 will work without clones unless you have 30 points in Illusions for Illusionary Persona. You also become the 4th shatter (3 clones and you).

@Osicat, you say that the player are not supposed to stomp thief’s.
To their downed skills, or you just cautious?

I say you can stomp them, just make sure of the following:

1. you know what you are doing
2. you have quickness buff

@UnknownFreak, yeah well I try explain as I understand it can be missunderstood. I do stomp them but whatever cd,s you use they will be slippery, the truth is that with high dps its faster to burst them down than to stomp them. Even if you do use dissorsion and or timewarp they will go stealth and blink, it take ~2-3 sec to move and start / execute a stomp, time you as a shatter mesmer be vulnebal to dmg unless you use a disorsion. If you get 3 clones, do a leep and a bladeflurry + 4 clone mindwarck you is immune to dmg al time, down the downed thief and accualy save time as even if he stealthed he take dmg and die.

@Xavi, @Swedeamon Thats exact what I mean

/Osicat

PS @all,Second part of the mesmer Shatter spec Shatter Cat video Guide is up.

The fact I can’t watch the second part in Canada makes me a sad panda