Guild Wars 2

I have been playing GS/Staff while leveling and wanted to try out Sword/Focus, or Sword/anything.

What is the best way to use Illusionary Leap/Swap? It seems that Leap has a really really small range and if you use it from too far out, no clone is created and you don’t leap at all.

But when you do leap/swap, I assume you use Blurred Frenzy (#2) first and then spam Mind Slash/Gash/Stab (#1) until Blurred Frenzy is over, then get out of melee range?

Is this correct?

The process seems a little awkward and I was thinking Leap would have more range than it does. Also, if you are too close to your target it looks like there is no leap (at least no animation) for it. Does that mean that there is no cripple?

Help me Sword/xxx!

Thanks.

Blurred Frenzy is an attack, you can’t do anything until the attack is done or until you cancel it.

iLeap leaps the clone at your target, not you. When you use iLeap, you have probably noticed that there is ¾s cast time, that’s to throw your clone at your target. If you interrupt that cast time, it will not leap.

Swap breaks stun, so it can be used as a prevention when you forsee a stun/etc coming at you(Swap stays about 4s until it reset) or you use it to immobilize the foe.

I’m not sure about the cripple part, but the foe has to be near the iLeap clone to be immobilized if you use Swap.

1. Get familiar with the range.

2. Use it slightly within max range to be safe and to buffer for lag.

3. Get in the habit of tracing the clone’s movement with your peripheral vision.

4. When the clone dives for your target, press it again to swap+Immobilize.

5. Follow with Blurred Frenzy usually.

6. If the clone is not properly diving for your target (you will be able to tell instantly after using it for awhile), then use an alternate plan.

Personally, with my current setup I tend to combo iLeap as part of a longer and much more interesting combo when I can. Specifically:

- iWarden
- Curtain, pause, Void into the iWarden
- iLeap
- Swap
- Blurred Frenzy + iWarden hurhurhur at the same time
- Mantra of Pain for bonus onus
- Shatter just because it hurts before the Immobilize runs out (they will attempt to dodge immediately)

Assuming everything goes perfectly (which doesn’t happen often unfortunately), that’s a 25k damage combo if everything crits (which also doesn’t happen often).

Yeah I know iLeap leaps the clone that it creates to my target. I must be interrupting the cast time somehow by maybe trying to use swap to early?

So when do you use #1? After Blurred Frenzy?

Yes, do not use swap too early. The clone actually takes a moment (or two, or 5) to do its thing. Get into the habit of actually tracking where the clone is moving. When it does its leap, it’s pretty obvious once you’re looking for it. Then when the clone is at your target, use swap.

Okay thanks. I obviously just need more practice to get comfortable.

What about the #1 ability (Mind Slash/Gash/Stab)? Do we use that before or after Blurred Frenzy or do we usually skip it favouring only being in melee when Blurred Frenzy is up?

Blurred Frenzy does higher DPS. While you have your target Immobilized, most players will use that time to BF, and them spam 1 (or do other things) after BF ends.

In some situations, it may be optimal to use 1 spam during the Immobilize, then use BF afterwards (e.g., if your target cannot attack you because they are facing away from you while Immobilized, but after they are free they will attack you — in this case, you may want to maximize the defensive component of Blurred Frenzy).

Awesome. Thanks for the info.

There are some times when I’ll stay in melee or even use the auto attack instead of BF if I know certain skills are on/off CD. The best you can do is get to know your enemy.

For example, I’ll usually save BF when fighting a GS warrior, especially if I know his stun is on CD. Then when he cripples me, or I see him wind up for 100B… well, let’s just say I’ll trade blows with a warrior that way all day long if he’s stupid enough.
Tip: BF is shorter than 100B, and 100B does more damage on the last hit, so wait half a second into his attack to start BF so you are invulnerable for his last big hit.

iLeap is tricky, a)because the clone has to be at the target, so if it’s running away, chances are you’ll miss, b) if you’re out of range, the clone won’t spawn at all, and c) if the target is moving at all, you may leap to the wrong direction.

So the best advice is spawn the clone proactively when you think you’re target’s going to run, before you use decoy, or before you have to dodge. It takes some finesse and practice. If you try to spam it, you’ll end up in a bad place.

depending on what weapons I’m using, If I remember correctly, my favorite is with focus:

-Toss down a warden if I’m in the mood
-Toss down Temporal Curtain thing in between me and the mob
-Leap a clone at my foe
-Dodge roll sideways to create a new clone
-Swap, putting me in melee range and giving me Chaos Armor from the Leap finisher
-Blurred Frenzy
-Shatter

Tons of damage. Chaos Armor combo is boss.

Mass Invis
Run toward enemy
Phantasmal Warden, timed to finish when you enter a reliable leap range
Leap+Swap
Blurred Frenzy

in WVW zerg-like fights the next pretty much involves blinking out.

I run Sword/Focus and Scepter/Pistol, so in a more 1v1 fight there is a dodge or two for some clones then a decoy, if they try to run switch to ranged for phantasm and the pistol stun, then some confusion damage.

-Toss down Temporal Curtain thing in between me and the mob
-Leap a clone at my foe
-Dodge roll sideways to create a new clone
-Swap, putting me in melee range and giving me Chaos Armor from the Leap finisher

Curtain is a Light field, not Ethereal. Leap will give you Retaliation, not Chaos Armor :O.

All awesome ideas. Exactly what I was looking for.

The sword/pistol combo is

1. #5 #3 maken another clone or phantasem #2 shatter you stuff.

sword/sword is
drop and combo field #5 #4 #3 extra clone # 2 shatter

Both are burst combos. sword/sword will give you chaos armour up to 3 times ( on casting the swordsman, on casthing the clone for leap and on leaping) You can cast and extra clone either by using a utlity skill like decoy or by useing the dodge utlity.

Well if ya wanna use a sword and you wanna be a major melee.

Then I would trait for it and get a vit/power/tough armor and weapons.

I have it and I have tank 2 warriors, with both being lvl 80 and won.

With no tricks either and just tanking their kitten #8217;s.

Done same with multy gaurdians to.