Guild Wars 2

I’m just focusing on the new ones for the sake of simplicity.

Power Block: Not bad, in my opinion, though I could wish for some interaction with thief initiative

Triumphant Distortion: Not great, but possibly good in WvW or PvE where you might be able to gain more reliable 3 seconds of distortion per 10 seconds via zerging.

Bountiful Disillusionment: I find that the concept itself is appealing, yet needs something more. Perhaps longer boons, or something other. Truth is, I can’t find a good fix since it seems that if it’s buffed a little too much it could actually become OP.

Disruptor’s Sustainment: I think the concept needs to be scrapped or at least look for something new. Perhaps gaining raw health on interrupt, not healing? This might help more with a “Disruptor”, AKA Lockdown, which would mostly go into the Domination, Dueling, and Chaos, thus not a lot of normal “sustainment” except from heal skills.

Maim the Disillusioned: Fine as is, probably.

That’s my take on them. If you have anything you think would be a better fix, or a whole replacement for one of these traits, post at your leisure.

Power Block
This one is really simple. Just make it work with thief skills and it would be more viable, though still not necessarily worth taking over CS.

Triumphant Distortion
This trait has a flawed concept. The only way I could see it being more useful is if it were changed to distortion upon downing an enemy instead of on killing it.

Bountiful Disillusionment
This trait has a severely flawed concept. It’s a shatter trait in a position where a shatter trait doesn’t really belong. On top of that, all of the effects it gives are incredibly weak. In order to make it every remotely viable, 2 things need to happen. Firstly, all of the boons it gives need to be aoe. Secondly, all of the boons need to be completely reworked and drastically enhanced.

Disruptor’s Sustainment
If BD is has a severely flawed concept, then I’m not sure what to term this one. Healing power is bad. Something that might be more workable would be a strong aoe heal on interrupt, not sure.

Maim the Disillusioned
This trait isn’t viable because it doesn’t pack the punch that shatter builds absolutely must do. Currently it applies 1 stack of torment per clone for 4 seconds on shatter. I would propose increasing it to 4 stacks of torment per clone, but reducing the duration to only 2 seconds. This allows you to actually do spike damage with conditions, as well as decreasing the potential for very long lasting torment through duration stacking.

This should be applied to absolutely every class, and I feel used as a starting point before improving any existing traits(but after bug fixes):

REMOVE ALL TRAITS RELATED TO FALL DAMAGE, BEING DOWNED, OR RALLYING.

Fall damage reduction, specifically, should be innate; the ability to reroll traits anywhere makes it more of a needless contrivance. Make it innate for the same reasons Magic Find was removed as a standard gear stat; it gimps trait selection for a fairly obscure advantage.

The others though – the idea of selecting a trait that goes on the assumption that you are specifically failing in a fight is ludicrous – especially considering that the Downed state isn’t supposed to be a combat advantage, but instead a last ditch effort to win.

I feel like freeing up three slots for Mesmer (and different numbers for other classes) could allow for more shuffling around existing traits, and open up some more interesting builds.

As for what I’d like shuffled into those slots… Tough call. I wouldn’t mind seeing some uncommon shatter trait moved into the Chaos line; perhaps move Shattered Conditions somewhere into Chaos(bumping some traits down as needed), allowing room for a -/-/30/30/- super supporty Mesmer with healing and condi-clearing shatters. Maybe bump Disruptor’s Sustainment into there too, so we can get some actual synergy between that and Restorative Illusions.

The main problem with mesmer traits is that each trait line has a couple very good traits and a lot of mediocre ones. The fact that certain traits combos are mandatory greatly limits build diversity. This is especially apparent with shatter, where there are 50 mandatory points between deceptive evasion and illusionary persona.

Touching on the new traits:

Power Block: This needs to work against thieves. Without that functionality, this trait is near-worthless.

Triumphant Distortion: Clearly this was intended for a zerg-minded build. However, to work well there needs to be no ICD.

Bountiful Disillusionment: The number and/or duration of boons needs to be increased. Additionally, it is in a very strange spot. Shatter has a hard time justifying 30 in Chaos.

Disruptor’s Sustainment: This is a useless trait. Healing power, of any amount, is not useful for such a short duration (or at all, really). I like the suggestion for healing on interrupt.

Maim the Disillusioned: This is decent, but I wouldn’t mind having it swapped with Bountiful Disillusionment.

Now for some other traits, since we’re talking about them:

Confusing Enchantments: Needs to apply more than one stack of condition to be worth it post-confusion nerf.

Wastrel’s Punishment: Complete re-work. It’s unclear how this skill functions, but regardless, 5% is a very slim amount for any “inactive” opponent.

Furious Interruption: A longer duration of quickness would make this more useful.

Chaotic Revival: Remove completely. A skill based on rallying is flawed, since most competent players will not being going down regularly. Even then, chaos armor is not nearly strong enough for an on-rally effect.

Retaliatory Demise: Remove completely. Any skill based on going down is flawed (see above).

Mirror of Anguish: Cooldown needs to be reduced and work on a per-enemy basis (that is, each enemy has a separate cooldown, not the mesmer).

Cleansing Inscriptions: Needs to remove at least three conditions to be worthwhile, given the long cooldown of signets.

Compounding Celerity: Mesmers have very good in-combat mobility and this seems underwhelming. I’d be in favor for a complete rework, but I know some people like this trait.

Shattered Conditions: Increase the radius slightly and increase to two conditions per illusion.

Dazzling Glamours: Make cooldown on a per-enemy basis.

Blinding Befuddlement: More than one stack of confusion to compensate for the confusion nerf.

Imbued Diversion: Not terrible, but will never be taken over IP. Maybe turn diversion into a stun.

There are quite a few traits I would change. For the most part I agree with Kadj, so I’ll just exclude those traits.

Rending Shatter
This should just be moved because there are too many stronger traits than this in the tree. Putting it in Dueling or Inspiration could make it actually worth getting. Even putting it in the Chaos tree would be fine (though it wouldn’t make much sense).

Confusing Enchantments
This skill should put 2 stacks of confusion. Since the nerf it’s just lackluster.

Greatsword Training
I think this should increase all boon stripping abilities by 1, and take away the 50 power.

Cleansing Conflagration
This should remove 2 conditions instead of just 1. Conditions are pretty easy to apply and reapply so I don’t see how this would be a problem.

Wastrel’s Punishment
This just isn’t a very rewarding trait. It either needs to be buffed or changed completely

Power Block
It needs to have more associated with it. As it is now it’s pretty much our 2nd worst interrupt trait. Tbh just making it work against thieves could easily give it a spot, but that’s probably not going to happen.

Confounding Suggestions
I would like it if this was 100% stun on daze with a 3-5 second icd. Even though a 50% chance to stun is high, nothing is as reliable as a 100% chance. It doesn’t need this change at all, but I would welcome it easily.

Blurred Inscriptions
It would be nice if this activated before the signet use instead of after it, but I can see how being able to always cover your heal could be too strong.

Furious Interruption
Just seems like an awkwardly long cooldown to use effectively after the first cooldown. It would be nice if it still gave fury on a lower icd, but I understand how that would also be too strong.

Triumphant Distortion
I’m guessing this got a preemptive nerf since we were first told it was no icd, but this is actually how it should have stayed. The trait is basically only usable in wvw and pve so I don’t see why it needs an icd. Either the icd needs to be taken away or changed to a downed enemy.

Cleansing Inscriptions
I think this should remove 2 conditions since 1 is a bit weak.

Chaotic Interruption
This shouldn’t apply cripple. If anything, applying poison would be a much better effect. I personally would like to only apply chill, but having other useful conditions being applied is good too.

Restorative Mantras
This needs to scale better with healing power, so that healing power is actually a desired stat.

Disruptor’s Sustainment
It’s not very well designed, plus it doesn’t stack in any way. Couple this with the fact that healing power is a mesmer’s worse stat, this trait just needs to be changed. Healing on interrupt seems like a pretty nice idea (Pyro). Making it stack in duration or intensity would actually make this trait semi-useful.

Dazzling Glamours
This skill should apply blind if people walk into it too. It just seems like a fair punishment if you’re not going to pay attention, you get the full effects of our glamours.

Shattered Strength
I think should give 2 stacks of might, but it isn’t bad how it is now.

Imbued Diversion
I think this should either refresh the cooldown on Diversion or lower it by 20% upon interrupt. Or lowering it by a flat 20% at all times would be a welcomed improvement. Being able to use an ability every 30 secs that you put a GM slot in to make better seems really……unrewarding.

Pb was fine before just needed to not affect revive/finish. Now it’s cs over pb, but still even choose ci over both of them for added control due to long cool downs on interrupts.

Bountiful disillusionment – garbage. You can get all the buffs it gives through minor traits on minor traits

Disrupters stustainment – logic on this was simple, we didn’t have a lol trait in the gm section.

Maim the the disillusioned – its an ok trait.