Guild Wars 2

For WvW or sPvP

First off the build:
http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=-NFR3l;0VPkz097sU-71;9;4JO9-E48-39-4;34;0aNX8a;1KJGAhoHA2Fw

weapons: sword/pistol and scepter/torch with sigils of corruption (for faster cond stacking)
gear: mix of rabid(mainly) and carrion
runes: 2 rune of Lyssa and 4 rune of nightmare (20% condition duration)

Now the reasoning:
I think that confusion is a great concept and would like to utilize it more. I understand that it isn’t a reliable source for PvE due to the low attack rate of mobs. But, against another player who attacks faster and sometimes doesn’t notice the debuff until it’s too late, it’s great. If they do notice the debuff and don’t attack, that’s free rain for you to take ’em out. This build I believe should focus more on killing clones than shattering to make use of confusing combatants, crippling and debilitating dissipation.

Pros (imo):
1) Mass clone creation. Some of our defense comes from people not attack us but attack our clones. If they don’t hit us then that’s higher survival. With every glamour/confusion build I’ve come up with, I loose out on clone production. thus reducing survival. Gotta love deceptive evasion.

2) All weapons produce clones that are near or run to melee range of the target excluding mirror image with scepter. Since they are near the target they die quick from AoE or when they get overridden they will proc confusing combatants, crippling dissipation, and debilliting dissipation.

3) Shatter causes confusion (illusionary retribution). So cry of frustration is twice as strong. Diversion with dazzling (15 point domination) will cause confusion and vulnerability. The sword clones also stack vuln so that synergizes well.

4) Defense counters. i.e. sword2, decoy, magic bullet (stun), torch4, scepter2, and as mentioned above clone generation

Cons (imo):

1) No staff. I really enjoy the staff. It has great defense utility, provide good mobility, and staff2, when traited, can drop to a 6 second CD. Staff1 is also all about conditions.

2) Condition duration, I’ve read that clones do not gain anything from condition duration. Therefore, all the above mentioned traits that proc on clone death won’t either. The traits specifically say that your clones apply them, not the mesmer. That being said, the build could probably get more out of a different set of ruins.

Thoughts?

I run something along the lines of a killing clones build, it’s not perfect but i love it running around with it. The idea I had was to have the clones stay alive long enough to get some bleeds up on the enemy, and if they were killed/replaced they would add more dots. If someone wasn’t killing them, they would increase my damage/defense.

www.guildhead.com/skill-calc#mMmz0Mz9bapp0aVVaVmc

I go for gear with power/toughness/prec, rings/trinkets/back were power, prec, cond
My idea was that if they take out my clones, it’ll dot them, and if they don’t, it’ll help me. I am just starting out in WvW but have found it’s pretty tough and fun to run around with. The scepter could easily be replaced with a sword or a staff, I just like having the focus for speed increase, pulling retreating enemies back, and warden for extra illusion. Wish I had videos, however this is my first time posting on the forums so I haven’t tried making any yet

Jamezwood
80 Mesmer
Sanctum of Rall
PLUM

Used a couple of spec’s with this concept in mind in sPvP. I found it was actually quite good for killing noobs, and absolutely terrible for killing anybody that has half a brain. You are essentially doing very little damage yourself and relying on your conditions to whittle your opponent down. 1v1 this was ok, 2v1 it wasn’t great. I never did try it in WvW where confusion has the potential to actually hurt somebody, but honestly the only class I worry about is a thief, and a smart one would just run away if he saw these sorts of shenanigans. Wait for you to get distracted or weak and them BAM BS you’re dead.

Torch is good for stealth, but the phantasm sucks, why not the offhand sword? It has a quick cooldown on its already melee phantasm.

Crippling Dissapation and Confusing Combatants are amazing traits imo. Many times you’ll create an illusion and they might be killed instantly, well at least the enemy gets confusion or crippling.

And I’m not sure if many mesmers realize a clone being “killed” means not only if they get hit, but if they get overwritten as well.

I have so many thief kills in wvw dedicated to Crippling Dissapation. They’ll stealth, I’ll shatter, and they’ll come out of stealth a few seconds later with a limp, typically they’d be a mile away, but if they’re crippled, it’s an easy blink/MI/MW kill.

I used a build for a while I called my “suicide bomber” build. Because I would just make as many clones as possible to sacrifice to the enemy.