Hey guys I took a long break from the game after the big overhaul of the build trees and have come back to see that…the builds have been overhauled again! At least that’s what it looks like to me the whole setup is completely foreign now.
I am still leveling my mesmer so I’ll likely just run with a leveling build for now but I am wondering what, if any, support builds are available for dungeons and WvW. I know a lot of the attention has been turned to the upcoming expansion release and utilizing the chronomancer spec but I’m really a bit overwhelmed right now and could just use some direction of where to look.
Alrighty, I have composed a few builds for you, mostly revolving around PvE dungeons and fractals. Those are my main specialty. I did try to piece together a nice WvW build to hold you over until Heart of Thorns comes out.
PRE-HEART OF THORNS
Simply Shattered
For when you reach level 80, I a simple build that deals a lovely amount of damage, sacrificing survivability for more output of course. Though with getting used to this, blink will be some you will heavily rely on for mobility and means of escape. I myself have used this build in the past when I came back after a year break from GW and like you, I was traumatized. I felt panicked, but I was able to remember some things. I hope you too find this relatively helpful.
This is actually a good build for dungeons, it’s kinda my go-to for my “I don’t give a f*** about my party” moments.
Under Domination, I gave you Confounding Suggestions to help you control enemies a bit more, but you can switch to Rendering Shatter, which is super nice when using a sword.
In Dueling, if you don’t like shattering your illusions, you could take up Mistrust WITH Confounding Suggestions for spreading your confusion.
When you combine Confounding Suggestions and Furious Interruption (Domination) with Blinding Dissipation and Mistrust from Dueling along with Ineptitude from Illusions, it creates a nice spread of AoE confusion as well as a control over your enemies. However, choosing this route does require attention and practice.
If you’re easy about being so squishy, you can switch out berserker gear for knight.
Majestic Mantras
The second is a PvE ranged setup of staff and scepter with focus that not only deals not only nice damage but provides outgoing healing to those nearby. It’s a full mantra build that’s very simple to use and supportive when allies are nearby.
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNAW7dl0nhq0YRawGNQtGLrG05RCSRMLxO6Z5GKeAA-TRSBABUcRAKS5Xg7PEhSwbU/ZiDUAK6eQw8HAPRBSBonUL-e
Note: The reason you do not take up feedback is because with the focus and trait, “Warden’s Feedback” it takes care of projectiles. HOWEVER if you’re not sure about the focus projectile block, switch out Mantra of Distraction for Feedback and then under Illusions specialization, swap out the current trait for Restorative Illusions for even more healing output. This is of course if your party takes lots of damage.
Aid of the Ether
For a less medic-like dungeon build, something with a little more…ferocious, this is a combo of greatsword and staff, utilizing not only damage output, but it also focuses on survivability for not only you, but for your party members as well.
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQJARWnsICVphtqBmqBUrhlUD6cIRPJmp4HzgcAlIAA-TRSDwAMuAA9U+lf/hEKBfp+ziDUAIdMAM/J5BKQKA9kaB-e
The key to using this build is you do not shatter your illusions. Your healing that comes from the Signet of the Ether, which applies a HoT (heal over time) to you whether you have illusions up or not. The more illusions you have (3 max), the more healing it does per tick. What’s also good about this signet is that if you need a sudden surge of health, you can activate it for an overall heal, as well as recharge all of your phantasm skills. However, with using the signet, it goes on a 35 second CD (default), 28 second CD thanks to Blurred Inscriptions, you will be cut off from your top source of healing, so I advise you use it wisely.
World Wide Survivor
I am a huge fan of Prismatic Understanding in general and taking this to WvW, at least with small groups/roaming while providing enough support to keep your group alive through condition clearing as well as ripping boons from your enemies but also enough utility to make a quick escape. So here, you’ll find something should you feel brave enough to enter the borderlands with dwindling numbers.
The sword and torch is a default weapon due to the capability of inflicting vulnerability on your opponents, cleaving up to 3 of course. This will increase their incoming damage. Blurred Frenzy is pretty much your second Distortion to protect you from something like an engineer’s mine field or necro’s stack of wells when you’re immobolized and waiting for your Illusionary Leap/Blink/Null Field to come off cooldown.
Torch is our first offhand choice for not only the 6 seconds of stealth, but also for the 5.5 seconds of blindness you inflict to up to 5 nearby foes. The boons you gain from the Prismatic Understanding is also nice for executing an escape or finishing off a foe with the blast finisher. Phantasmal Mage is a nice source of bouncing AoE that can ricochet up to 3 times between others that will inflict burning and grants fury to you and allies.
For times you’re traveling around the map or going to solo garry, using the focus is good for mobility.
Staff is our other weapon due to the underestimated Chaos Armour which not only protects you from incoming attacks, but also inflicts blindness/confusion/cripple when you’re struck while protected. Chaos Storm is amazing for the daze it inflicts along with the condition damage and provide combo field ethereal for another set of Chaos Armour.
If you don’t like Prismatic Understanding, you can always take up Chaotic Interruption.
To increase your survivability, you can abandon Mirror of Anguish (Chaos) for Chaotic Dampening (Chaos).
When needing to make a fast escape down a cliff side, or setting up a portal for fast supply carry, you can take up Descent into Madness (Chaos).
As for utilities, you can mix things up for what you like. Some of my favourites are purely for mobility mostly.
I’d keep Decoy for the sake of the possibility of getting swiftness while stealthed, however you can switch out Null Field and Feedback for Blink and Mimic. I’d advise taking Mimic ONLY if you think you can stand the painfully long cooldown of 72 seconds (default being 90 seconds. If not, then taking Veil would be good for staying out of enemy sight.
Other commentary:
Honestly, I do not have seperate gear sets for WvW and normal PvE, just because I don’t want to waste the gold. Hence my choices for armour and whatnot. If anything, you can always go solder or sentinel.
Regarding runes, I’d stick with Traveler’s for the moment for the sake of how slow we are….
HEART OF THORNS
Sadly, I have not really speculated TOO much for chronomancer concerning dungeons and ESPECIALLY WvW. Most of my focus is just going through the motions with the balancing, specialization combinations, so piecing together this one HoTs build for you really helped me get back into the zone of fully understanding every detail of the mesmer and helped me understand the very fine interworkings of the class.
Wonderous Wells
Like you, I am highly anticipating the chronomancer. From the gameplay I’ve experienced in both PvE and PvP, it makes me super excited. This is a simple supportive chronomancer build that focuses on support through the utilization of your wells and taking advantage of your alacrity, which will take practice of course. This build, I believe would be interesting to test out in the beta as well as during HoTs itself. I am also confident in its capability of providing the supportive edge you seek in dungeons.
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNAW7encfC1fi9fCuqBUrhlTjiMA2gCo+Zz2uFdMejuA-TRSDgAMXAgelfs7PkoE8V9nlDUAoOGAzfSPQBA-e
Once again, for the dungeons/fractals, we’re taking up the greatsword and scepter with shield combination to take advantage of their ranged capabilities where as multiple encounters have mechanics in which mesmers just could not survive. Where this build provides condi clears for those who stand in your wells, it also helps to slow down your enemies.
For your desired support, you can use All’s Well that Ends Well (Chronomancer) to clear 2 conditions on up to 5 targets when they expire, and this is per well. If conditional damage isn’t a problem for the fight, taking up Delayed Reactions (Chronomancer) would be a nice switch up.
Improved Alacrity (Chronomancer) will make the said buff applied to you last 33% longer and henceforth will decrease your cooldowns effectively. If there is some reason you’d want to switch out of it, Danger Time (Chronomancer) is good.
Finally, taking up Lost Time (Chronomancer) will inflict slow when you critically hit 5 times, lasting for 2 seconds. If you wanted to be different, you could differenciate to Seize the Moment (Chronomancer) for a personal gain over the party support Lost Time (Chronomancer) gives. However assuming that you will be using exotic berserker gear, your chances of critically striking your foes are roughly 46%, so it’s a toss up there in all honesty with your final trait as a chronomancer.
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@criinamancer
Thank you for sharing several different builds! I too took a break from GW2 (roughly 2 year-ish) and while I was able to pick my mesmer back up again, the new trait specialization and adjusted skills took some time to get use to. I’m actually inspired of your “Aid of the Ether” build and made my own variant of it using Sc/Sw and GS and Dueling instead of Chaos spec. I use to theorycraft/buildcraft often when the game first came out, but now I’m just wanting to get back into the groove and once HoT officially comes out, I’ll probably do some more buildcrafting.
