Help Finding the Proper Build

Help Finding the Proper Build

in Mesmer

Posted by: Damnosus.1348

Damnosus.1348

Hello folks,

I am still rather new to this game (been playing for around 2-3 weeks), and as I am approaching level 80 with my Mesmer, I am having a difficult time coming up with a build that suits my playstyle. My playstyle usually revolves around being more defensive and supportive (was a Priest back when I played WoW and I prefer playing support in LoL), preferably from a distance (thus my decision to not play a Guardian in this). Thus far, I have really disliked the chaos that is pug sPvP so I mainly play PvE and WvW. I don’t mind not really doing damage so long as soloing in PvE isn’t horrific. Are there any builds/weapon selections that I should look into?

Thanks for any help!

Help Finding the Proper Build

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Posted by: calavel.6249

calavel.6249

GW2 has a reasonable high skill curve, if you are used to more traditional MMO’s.

Movement and mobility is very important, not so much in PvE, but PvE gives you plenty of opportunities to practice dodging and positioning in a relatively safe environment, take as much advantage of this as possible.

When you are trying out a new build, try the various skill combos out on PvE mobs first and try to find out if they do what you want them to do before you commit a lot of money and resources to a certain build (this is all mostly concerning endgame, up to lv80 it is reasonably safe and cheap to mess around with gear and builds).

Slot as many different traits as you can bothered to try out and find out if they work for you. The descriptions can sometimes be misleading or vague, so try everything out for yourself.

The Chaos trait line is somewhat defensive in nature, and offers some decent traits for condition (DoT) builds as well as giving you access to more and longer buffs. Inspiration offers a lot of group utility and various defensive and healing traits.

Staff is a weapon with many defense skills, and focuses mostly on condition damage. Scepter is also a good condition weapon, but it’s kind of in a weird place right now because of its auto-attack being bugged and not offering much in general.
Sword and Greatsword is mostly for power (direct) damage.
Torch is the only weapon with stealth and that makes it quite powerful. The Prestige is a weird skill, doing a lot of things in a short time, but it can be difficult to take advantage of all of them at once.
Focus is kind of a utility offhand, but the phantasm can do more damage than most if you time it just right. It’s hard to use, but fun.
It’s also most mesmers’ choice for a quick swiftness buff (swap to it, use skill, swap back) out of combat if nothing else is available.

Help Finding the Proper Build

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Posted by: NICENIKESHOE.7128

NICENIKESHOE.7128

Check the sticky thread on finding your build, there are lots of awesome suggestions up there. Personally I like 0/0/30/30/10 Staff/Sword-focus which allows you to provide decent buffing and healing for your group. I can’t say for sure how it is compared to other professions or even other game. You’ll also lack damage by yourself but I do find this build fun, which is what matters.

For buffing, bountiful interuption (Chaos VIII) gives 5xmight for each interuption and confusing cry (Illusions II) gives 15s retaliation upon 3 illusions shatter. The interuptions comes from temporal curtain or chaos storm. Phantoms themselves give regeneration. Staff’s chaos storm provide random boons and auto-attack gives fury or might. Activate signet of inspiration and you can deliver quite a bit of boons to your allies.

For defense you get chaos armor from staff skill 4 or leap+ethereal field combo. Which the field itself comes from chaos storm or utilities (nullfield or feedback). Your focus also provides reflects with Warden’s feedback (Inspiration VIII), allowing you to reflect projectiles when standing behind temporal curtain or inside iWarden.

For healing equip mantra of pain with restorative mantra (Inspiration X) and you can heal about 2500 hp to your group in approximately every 6s. You might want to keybind that utility though, because if you like healing you’re going to button smash that a lot lol. You can also have mantra of recovery as your healing skill to give yourself 7500 hp heal every 15s. Charging it also gives 2500 hp to your group but it takes longer time and can be easily interupted. Equiped with mender’s purity (Inspiration IV) and you’ll have 2 condition removals from each power return.

Now you have 2 free traits in Chaos and a free utility, which you can get creative yourself. If you feel like condition cleansing is too slow you can have mantra of resolve. Additionally you can have mantra of concentration for stability and stun breakers. Staff’s phase retreat isn’t exactly a stun breaker and ileap swap may take too long to break the stun.

(edited by NICENIKESHOE.7128)

Help Finding the Proper Build

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Posted by: NICENIKESHOE.7128

NICENIKESHOE.7128

Additionally grandmaster in Chaos trait line isn’t exactly a must (although 20% reduction in staff skill can be helpful). You can invest that 10 trait on Dueling for vigor and Mantra Mastery (Dueling VI) or Illusion for illusionist celerity and Illusionary elasticity (Illusion VII). Correct me if I’m wrong but as I recall Phantasmal Haste (Illusion X) doesn’t work on iWarden so it isn’t very helpful. Or 5 in both for vigor and illusionist celerity.

Help Finding the Proper Build

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Posted by: Dawdler.8521

Dawdler.8521

10/20/20/20/0 greatsword/staff is one of the more offensivly defense oriented full ranged omni builds I know of. Mind wrack dmg, deceptive evasion, mantra cd+heal, staff and glamour cd. With all the strong passive traits you can frontline in zergs and if you pack zerker armor you can roam/PvE decently enough.