Guild Wars 2

This is strictly PvE.

So, I planned to main a Mesmer at release, got to lvl 58 and quit because Dark Souls.
I started playing again with a friend and got a Guardian lvl 80. Can’t believe how easy it was. I read on this forum people saying Mesmer is easier to level than Guardian, seriously wtf, I annihilate mobs by packs of 6 and fight a champion+2 veterans without breaking a sweat. On my mesmer I barely manage to kill a single mob per minute, and by then his friends already respawned behind me.
At level 40 my guardian did around 1k damage with his GS spin. My 57 mesmer does 330 with any phantasm.

So I wonder, how does one deal damage as a mesmer?
My current build is full-on health and condition damage, I thought it would be super clever to be a tanky dot machine. I play with scepter+focus/torch. Sad thing is, stupid confusion lasts like 3 seconds, mobs don’t even attack that fast. Once in a lifetime I manage to reach 12 stacks just as the mob attacks and do a whooping 1600. Rest of the time my stacks fade and mobs get hit for 600. Once every 15 seconds or so. Mind Wreck does… Well I don’t even know, I don’t notice any damage when it goes off.
My best damage skill is Feedback.

So what happens in a fight? I engage with illusion utility skills, pop a 3rd one from weapon skills, use Confusion. Usually I add the combo warden phantasm+feedback, as it (for some mysterious reason) puts stacks of confusion as well. I get 12 stacks of confusion, the stacks instantly drop to 5, the mob takes 600 dmg. And there we go, no illusions, no skills, no damage. I just run around and wait for 3 more illusions, thank you specter autoattack. Then I Mind Wreck. Ennemy should be at 30-50%, almost there! I wait some more and finally my CDs are back up and I can finish it.
Note that I am pretty much invincible. But I couldn’t even kill a Dredge mining suit, I took it to 50% and had to run, being overrun by 6 summoned minions.

Silly me thinking confusion was such a cool dot. It’s actually a one-hit delayed attack that loses power the longuer it takes the mob to attack. Maybe it’s cool in PvP with those scrub warriors spamming 5 skills per second, but in PvE that seems out of the picture.
So what? Do I put everything in power and get a GS like everyone else?
I understand perfectly Mesmer is supposed to deal damage over time, but I wasn’t expecting 10 times the times. What am I saying, 60 times the time, since my Guardian would take SIX mobs at once. Six because there usually isn’t any more to pull.

Btw, Guardian is boring as balls.

No, lol mesmer is not easier than guardian. Someone would only say this as hyperbole or if they’d truly never played one. Please don’t compare the PvE experience of any other class to a healing tank.

For champions, really hard hitting mobs, or ones with pbaoe, a kiting class may outperform a stand and tank class. But certainly not for trash.

Guess I ranted a bit too much about the Guardian vs Mesmer thingy because I’m at work and bored. Seems normal to me to see such a class take plenty of mobs at once.

No, this is actually about builds that allow you to deal “normal” damage". I think I did something wrong. Maybe it’s my use of the shatters, I dunno. I have 20 pts in… the +HP tree and 20 in Illusions.

If you’re looking to do real damage in pve as a mesmer, you shouldn’t be putting more than 10 points in +hp. Mesmers already have high base health, so don’t put points into it unless you REALLY want a specific trait (the only one that could even warrant that is Mender’s Purity so that you can free up a utility slot, but even that is iffy). You need the power for raw damage.

Also, if you aren’t planning on running a conditank build, you really need 20 in precision. I would love to be able to slap each and every mesmer who doesn’t run it without a REALLY good reason, such as the one I mentioned.

Nyaru.7954:

This is strictly PvE.

I read on this forum people saying Mesmer is easier to level than Guardian, seriously wtf,
Btw, Guardian is boring as balls.

I missed that thread. Not calling you a liar, but if there is one thread that states this with proof, and stuff, I’d wonder how to discern it from all the other threads that teach you the multitude of ways to Hurt Things with a mesmer.

I put in “mesmer damage” in Youtube and got this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scCKlAxSIIM

Took like 15 seconds.

You said “balls”. lol

I missed that thread. Not calling you a liar, but if there is one thread that states this with proof, and stuff, I’d wonder how to discern it from all the other threads that teach you the multitude of ways to Hurt Things with a mesmer.

There you go
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/mesmer/Mesmer-PvE-Omg-O-why

Heh, I watched that video a few months ago. It might be nice but it’s PvP. I’ll watch it again but I don’t expect much.

Also just for you: wee-wee.

Nyaru.7954:

I missed that thread. Not calling you a liar, but if there is one thread that states this with proof, and stuff, I’d wonder how to discern it from all the other threads that teach you the multitude of ways to Hurt Things with a mesmer.

There you go
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/mesmer/Mesmer-PvE-Omg-O-why

Heh, I watched that video a few months ago. It might be nice but it’s PvP. I’ll watch it again but I don’t expect much.

Also just for you: wee-wee.

What works on an intelligent, human controlled enemy should work just as well or more on several, stupid AI mobs, no?

Ok, what you’re trying to do doesn’t work. Confusion won’t rock pve. Confusion is useful because it annoys your opponent and they are more likely to mess up. AI doesn’t get annoyed so confusion isn’t the best way to operate

First change your gear. Vit is less useful, you already have as much health as a warrior. If you lack survival try toughness. But honestly even as a glass cannon you can tank several mobs at once, and remember dead mobs can’t hurt you. Power > presicion > crit damage works. Or condition damage > presicion > toughness. Or what you like. I liked condition and toughness with staff, you almost can’t die, I liked power with GS.

For simple PVE, get 20 points in illusions and 20 in dueling. Take illusionary elasticity and deceptive evasion. Engage mob with staff auto attack. Dodge to him twice, making two clones. Drop chaos storm on you and him, wait a few sec and phase retreat out. Mind wrack. He’s dead, or will be in a sec. For groups, use GS as a wrecking ball. It’s quick, straightforward, and very simple.

That’s not the only way to go, and probably not the best. It is very, very easy though.

Thanks Tina. Your name arouses me.
Dead in a simple chaos storm+mind wrack you say? I’m gonna try that. I just repec’d in power+dueling with GS, it is already much better. I didn’t expect condition damage to be good for a mesmer if you don’t play with confusion that much, since it’s the only major condition we inflict.

Make sure to take a look at MrPrometheus’ guides for the mesmer. He likes to run a condition-based build and focuses primarily on the staff with a secondary sword/focus (and agrees that confusion sucks in PvE).

Videos, videos everywhere
Back in my time people read books with spreadsheets and numbers

Tell me about it

I prefer reading over videos, especially becuase its easier to reference later, but it doesn’t appear the GW2 is compatible with the written language. At least MrPrometheus adds links to most of his vidoes that acts like a table of contents so you can find what you need easier.

Heh, that vid was actually amazing. I watched an early version around release and it wasn’t very good but this one rocks. I want to be 80 now kitten

EDIT: really, “dämn” is kittenized? Oh, America.

If you are lvl40+ and want to deal damage as mesmer (don’t go for a tank build …) get at least 15 points in Dueling and get precision gear. You should learn the rest automatically while leveling.

i don’t get it, seriuosly

I don’t think i am such an awesome player, but my PvE experience as a mesmer has been really good, i have no problems dealing damage at lvl 80 and the lvling process was as smooth as posible, i never NEVER felt that my damage was too low, I rarely got killed and solo-killing vets/champs has never been easier…

so please explain me why…. WHY?!?! maybe the problem is the condition-based build, i allways used the direct/phantasm-focused damage build and i’m telling you, it is fun and smooth

Power on all your armor jewelry and weapons. Precision for secondary stat. Precision and critical damage on your traits. A lot of em.

Full glass cannon. Is the true meta of gw2. Always.

Tank=more time killing. You don’t want that. You want to kill fast and learn hard. Make every dodge count and every phantasm spawned hit like a truck

You play with a scepter, that explains it all. Ditch that terrible thing and grab yourself a staff. Ditch the Vita too. If you’re leveling you want Power + Precision even with a staff.