Guild Wars 2

I’m not grasping exactly how scepter is now viable option. It seems like very little was changed about it, but I’ve seen more than a few people in map, and my guild, mention they were switching over to it..

Would anyone mind helping me understand why it is now viable, and why anyone would switch over to it? :x

It is slightly improved, its #3 skill got a nice buff and that was it. I still don’t think it if viable outside of specific niche builds.

Confusing Images now can hit up to 5 people, which means that it can potentially have 5 enemies afflicted with 5 stacks of confusion, and that’s neat. I don’t see it THAT much improvement overall, though, I mean, it’s just one ability that has a medium cd and has to be channeled. I would rather see Ether Bolt chain fixed.

Confusion builds now have a viable mh weapon. the 5 person confuse for 5 sec with the blind from #counterspell (traited to confuse) and traited for 20% cooldown will make a difference.
. . Not sure if it’s enough though with the buff Gsword got
Would of liked to have seen bouncing work for staff clones

Just like with the new greatsword buff though, they have to be in such a straight line that it kinda sucks. If they want us to be able to hit multiple targets with it then make it chain without a STRAIGHT line. It is near impossible. They have npcs stand in a triangular formation when they group not linear. Maybe just have these hit with a short range for the chain!

Eh, I don’t think this was as big as the change to the GS was. It’s only good for increasing confusion spam, which is pretty meh in PvE. In PvP, it’s a lot harder to get targets lined up and it’s very unlikely that you’ll have them lined up the whole time.

Unfortunately, I can’t get into WVW to test it, but for mobs in PVE its pretty good so far. CI does decent damage in a power build so targeting towards the back is getting me several hits on at least a few targets for respectable AOE damage. I have to imagine I’ll have similar success with it in wvw zergs. My con damage sucks, so I ’m not seeing big numbers there, but I do see a lot more purple bubbles.

Now if they can just improve the auto chain.

I’m with you Duma.I can’t wait to try confusing images in WvW.So many times a cast that booger just to have my target get out of distance, being able to channel it through a cluster of targets just sounds so yummy.

Also, chaos storm triggering the dazzling trait.I can’t believe they did this being it’s not a glamour skill but man, I’ll take it.

I always found confusion pretty useless for PvE (mesmer currently at lvl 58) because of slow attack speeds. Mesmer is all about positioning in WvW and as i am building towards a confusion based build using scepter i really want to try the new #3.

If I recall correctly, Scepter actually gets some pretty decent attack damage ratios, CI too.

The problem with scepter #1 damage is it works like the GS in reverse. The closer you are the faster you attack the more damage you do… since it waits for the shots to land before shooting another. This is very weird for a ranged weapon.

The #3 wasn’t the problem… it was the #1 & #2 (and the do nothing clones). While the confusion being able to hit 5 targets is strong, it doesn’t make up for the rest of the weapon being rubbish.

That being said zomg gs auto attack + sigil of fire into a group or shooting people when they are ressing downed… SO STRONG xD

I was playing with it in a power build before the change since I like to fight at range.

In Orr, it’s fun for those cases where four mobs come running down the road. It can get five ticks on all of them, and each hit is approx. 500 non-crit and 1000 crit for me (so about 10,000 to 20,000 total damage). Starting off with berserker to cripple and damage them, the scepter is enough damage to finish most of them.

I think that’s about the best case scenario since they line up so perfectly

Aberrant.6749:

The problem with scepter #1 damage is it works like the GS in reverse. The closer you are the faster you attack the more damage you do… since it waits for the shots to land before shooting another. This is very weird for a ranged weapon.

The #3 wasn’t the problem… it was the #1 & #2 (and the do nothing clones). While the confusion being able to hit 5 targets is strong, it doesn’t make up for the rest of the weapon being rubbish.

That being said zomg gs auto attack + sigil of fire into a group or shooting people when they are ressing downed… SO STRONG xD

I usually fight with the scepter at the 300-600 range. Closer the better. The more close range fight you play the more your clone death traits will actually land as you are kiting your opponent into your clones. In bonus you generate clones faster to further increase rate.

Scepter survivability is pretty decent as well. Traited for death you can permanently stack cripple on opponents making it fairly easy to keep oppenents in the 300-600 range and no close, and when they do get close you have a walloping block. Off hand sword to go with it and you now have two.

scepter #3 also works better at closer range as opponents have less time to respond. Confusion makes a lovely skill denial.

also, traited for death you can keep weakness up fairly constantly. Personally this is probably one of my favorite defensive debuffs, 50% chance at 50% damage is epic for shrugging off blows.

As you can see though, scepter really only becomes amazing when it is traited.

In agree scepter is better at closer range, and why I usually have a MH sword in my other set when using it, but one point to clear up: CI is an instant Beam. Opponents have no more time to react from 900 range as they do at 150, though general chaos of close combat can make it a bit more confusing to read your attacks if you juke around.

The auto-chain is much better at close range tho.

I agree that scepter is better at close range. If I remember correctly, someone did a damage comparison between weapons and scepter was a surprise, since it does more damage at close range.

It’s a weird playstyle though. Never got used to it.

Agreed with the comments above. Scepter might be as good as, if not better, than Sword for condition/hybrid builds in close quarters.

I sort of wish they did this instead though:
1a: Deals damage.
1b: Deals damage. Applies Confusion.
2a: Blocks ALL attacks for 1.5s.
2b: Applies Blind. Creates a Clone.

I really hate how Scepter Clones only do #1a. I also hate the redundant #1b step. They should just let us confuse every other hit with Scepter on. As for the #2, blocking only one spell is pretty lame, and creating a Clone should be optional.

Here’s a nice feature:

Last night I targeted a player in WvW running toward a gate. Started Sceptre 3, hit him a couple times, he got inside, and the chain continued through the gate (hitting the gate), hitting his allies beyond, and downing him.

Oh yeah

I concur that it’s usage in WvW is quite good for both pure condi and as glam which I’m currently running. With a lot of stacking that zergs do, it’s quite effective. Narrow chokes are a dream when you target behind the front-runner.

It’s wvw usage is now awesome with this hitting enemies between you and target. I just pick someone on the far side, even out of range doesn’t matter, and run sideways to hit the people close to me with confusion. So fun.

Whitebeard.5172:

I’m with you Duma.I can’t wait to try confusing images in WvW.So many times a cast that booger just to have my target get out of distance, being able to channel it through a cluster of targets just sounds so yummy.

Also, chaos storm triggering the dazzling trait.I can’t believe they did this being it’s not a glamour skill but man, I’ll take it.

Chaos Storm should always have applied Dazzling. Not Dazzling Glamours, that’s a different Trait entirely.

Dazzling is 15 points in Domination and does the following:

“Dazing a foe also applies 5 stacks of vulnerability (8 seconds).”

Chaos Storm dazes so should apply this. Glamour doesn’t come into it.

Dazzling Glamours is the VIII trait in Illusions:

“Glamour skills blind foes at target location.”

That still doesn’t work with Chaos Storm (which isn’t a Glamour), unless ArenaNet themselves got confused between the two.

1b: Deals damage. Applies Confusion.
2a: Blocks ALL attacks for 1.5s.

Tbh that seems pretty op to me. Mesmers already got their sword #2 for invulnerability and can’t move in exchange to it.

Your 2a would make scepter 2 essentially a half Renewed Focus, which is an elite skill on a 90s cd (it does reset your virtues though).

Confusion on autoattack i think would be too strong. Mesmer downedstate works that way and is able to dish out a lot of damage if you actually have to fight more opponents while trying to finish that mesmer.

Mesmers should have reliable survival skills; as it stands, Scepter #2 does not block multi-part attacks. And this is not Distortion. They would still be affected by AoE/DoT/Conditions. (Think of shielding mobs. They have the same ability.)

Blurred Frenzy is 2s of invulnerability ontop of an AOE melee attack. I somehow doubt the bar is being set too high here.

Renewed Focus does more than just provide invulnerability. -_-

ONE stack of confusion on every OTHER attack (counting the .5s wind-up, this is not as bad as you think). Downed Mesmers confuse every attack.

Scepter #2 (and sword #4) actually provide a deceptively decent defense. When you block, it takes a almost a second for the evade animation when creating your clone giving you more time than the skill implies to escape AOEs, and multi-hit attacks will often miss because the skill moves you.

Don’t underestimate it. The block + return damage + quick evade + displacement can save your kitten