Guild Wars 2

The mesmer is receiving a few different additions and reworks. Time Warp is one of the select skills and traits in this update, which is being changed to affect ten targets. Also in this update, we are implementing initial attacks on several phantasm skills, allowing the mesmer to deliver a primary attack in addition to the summon in order to provide a bit more constant pressure on your targets.

Arcane Thievery: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 35 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP only.
Null Field: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 32 seconds to 25 seconds.
Feedback: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 32 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP only.
Signet of Midnight: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 30 seconds to 25 seconds.
Phantasmal Defender: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 25 seconds to 20 seconds.
Time Warp: The interval of quickness and slow that this skill applies has been increased from every 1 second to every 2 seconds. Quickness and slow duration have been increased from 1 second to 2 seconds. This skill now affects up to ten targets. This skill will now apply slow through an unblockable attack rather than directly applying through all defense.
Portal Exeunt: This skill now has a 1-second recharge after Portal Entre is used.
Well of Action: Increased the quickness duration from 3 seconds to 4 seconds.
Chaos Armor: Reduced recharge to 30 seconds. This skill now applies a random condition (confusion, cripple, or weakness) to nearby foes when activated.
Illusionary Counter: This skill now evades attacks during the counterattack animation.
Illusionary Riposte: This skill now evades attacks during the counterattack animation.
Phantasmal Duelist: In addition to its previous effect, this skill now fires a slow-moving homing bullet that cripples its target if it hits.
Phantasmal Mage: In addition to its previous effect, this skill now burns nearby foes when activated.
Phantasmal Warlock: In addition to its previous effect, this skill now also fires Winds of Chaos projectiles at up to 3 unique targets within a radius of 600 of the caster.
Wells: Fixed a bug that caused wells to display their effects incorrectly while under the effects of quickness or slow.
Gravity Well: Fixed a bug that caused this well to be destroyed prematurely when used with Continuum Shift.

You forget one important detail on mesmer balance:

• We’ve been looking to improve the support role for the revenant. Alacrity will now be available through the Salvation specialization line, allowing Ventari’s Tablet to project it at a constant rate.

Silverkey.2078:

You forget one important detail on mesmer balance:

• We’ve been looking to improve the support role for the revenant. Alacrity will now be available through the Salvation specialization line, allowing Ventari’s Tablet to project it at a constant rate.

and just like that, 1 year down the line, our CLASS SPECIFIC buff is not class specific anymore

well played ANet

Oh yeah those are some sexy buffs.

Especially loving iWarlock, iMage, Chaos Armour and iCounter/iRiposte.

Quite pleased with that for my favourite weapon set of Sw/T + Staff.

Menaka.5092:

Silverkey.2078:

You forget one important detail on mesmer balance:

• We’ve been looking to improve the support role for the revenant. Alacrity will now be available through the Salvation specialization line, allowing Ventari’s Tablet to project it at a constant rate.

and just like that, 1 year down the line, our CLASS SPECIFIC buff is not class specific anymore

well played ANet

What the actual kitten ANet? If ventari was underperforming on Rev then you needed to rework it, not give away chronos unique effect. This is absolute bullkitten. Why do other classes get to keep their unique effects? Why wasn’t GotL given away? Why wasn’t spotter or Engies new effect, or banners given to more classes? Why is it that only chrono isn’t allowed to have an unique effect? Why?

OriOri.8724:

Menaka.5092:

Silverkey.2078:

You forget one important detail on mesmer balance:

• We’ve been looking to improve the support role for the revenant. Alacrity will now be available through the Salvation specialization line, allowing Ventari’s Tablet to project it at a constant rate.

and just like that, 1 year down the line, our CLASS SPECIFIC buff is not class specific anymore

well played ANet

What the actual kitten ANet? If ventari was underperforming on Rev then you needed to rework it, not give away chronos unique effect. This is absolute bullkitten. Why do other classes get to keep their unique effects? Why wasn’t GotL given away? Why wasn’t spotter or Engies new effect, or banners given to more classes? Why is it that only chrono isn’t allowed to have an unique effect? Why?

While I’m not a fan of the trend, I don’t really think this is going to make ventari relevant. They’re just throwing random things at the wall to see if anything sticks. It definitely feels insulting to have alacrity just given to revs like that though.

Well Chrono is still the only class that can output a considerble amount of quickness. And most of the time Quickness > Alacrity (yay autoattack meta).

Overall I like the changes. The question is if 1 chrono will be able to give out enough quickness now or there will still be 2 needed.

New meta comp: Certain abilities have been buffed to affect 10 people:
Banners (but not empower allies), gotl (but not spotter/spirits) and TW.

Group 1: Power
Berserker: Empower Allies
Ventari Herald: Assassin’s Presence + Alacrity group 1
Druid: Spotter/Frost/glyph
Power DPS #1 (DH for bonus quickness shout)
Power DPS #2

Group 2: Condi
Chrono: Alacrity group 2 + 10 ppl quickness (ToT and TW)
Condi DPS: Ranger (Spirits/spotter)
Cond DPS: Engi: 150 bonus condi damage aura
Cond DPS: Not Engi (Ranger/Necro/Mesmer/Warrior)
Condi DPS: Not Engi (Ranger/Necro/Mesmer/Warrior)

All groups gets banners. All groups get gotl. Both groups get alacrity. Condi team gets condi aura buffs (spotter, sun, pinpoint) while power team gets bonus power/ferocity and frost/empowerment. So what really matters is can Chrono now provide aoe quickness to 10 people with TW and ToT? Or more so, can it provide enough quickness that a DH shout can cover group 1 while obviously group 2 has perma quickness as usual.

Overall it looks like a lot of class diversity.
Edit: There is still the issue of organized groups using double chrono for distortion share.
Edit 2: If distortion share is needed, there is still the idea of having 2 chronos with ToT and TW being enough quickness for all 10 people.

OriOri.8724:

Menaka.5092:

Silverkey.2078:

You forget one important detail on mesmer balance:

• We’ve been looking to improve the support role for the revenant. Alacrity will now be available through the Salvation specialization line, allowing Ventari’s Tablet to project it at a constant rate.

and just like that, 1 year down the line, our CLASS SPECIFIC buff is not class specific anymore

well played ANet

What the actual kitten ANet? If ventari was underperforming on Rev then you needed to rework it, not give away chronos unique effect. This is absolute bullkitten. Why do other classes get to keep their unique effects? Why wasn’t GotL given away? Why wasn’t spotter or Engies new effect, or banners given to more classes? Why is it that only chrono isn’t allowed to have an unique effect? Why?

C’mon.. Mesmers/Chrono somehow someway dodges any nerfs, and received buffs instead. Now that’s bullkitten. You are still the only reliable source of quickness for groups, which to me is the signature of Chronos.

Ventari has been utter trash since it’s existence, and giving them alacrity isn’t by any means going to make them relevant.

Yea, I don’t think it will make ventari relevant either. I have yet to try it myself on my rev, but from what I have heard it needs a complete redesign to be anywhere near useful. I’m just upset that ANet took the easy way out of giving away our unique mechanic instead of actually trying to redesign that legend.

And don’t get me wrong, I love the changes that mesmer itself got. But at the same time, a bunch of other classes were getting damage buffs on underused skills, and mesmer who already has low personal power damage didn’t get any, nor did iBerserker get an added effect when it was cast. Though the CD reduction on AT will give power mesmer a decent condi cleanse now if they take it.

I’m overall pleased by the mesmer update, mostly because it enforces my way of playing :-p
That part about alacrity reminds me about how confusion was supposed to be mesmer only condition… Let’s just consider us mesmers as generous people !

DuckDuckBOOM.4097:

New meta comp: Certain abilities have been buffed to affect 10 people:
Banners (but not empower allies), gotl (but not spotter/spirits) and TW.

Group 1: Power
Berserker: Empower Allies
Ventari Herald: Assassin’s Presence + Alacrity group 1
Druid: Spotter/Frost/glyph
Power DPS #1 (DH for bonus quickness shout)
Power DPS #2

Group 2: Condi
Chrono: Alacrity group 2 + 10 ppl quickness (ToT and TW)
Condi DPS: Ranger (Spirits/spotter)
Cond DPS: Engi: 150 bonus condi damage aura
Cond DPS: Not Engi (Ranger/Necro/Mesmer/Warrior)
Condi DPS: Not Engi (Ranger/Necro/Mesmer/Warrior)

All groups gets banners. All groups get gotl. Both groups get alacrity. Condi team gets condi aura buffs (spotter, sun, pinpoint) while power team gets bonus power/ferocity and frost/empowerment. So what really matters is can Chrono now provide aoe quickness to 10 people with TW and ToT? Or more so, can it provide enough quickness that a DH shout can cover group 1 while obviously group 2 has perma quickness as usual.

Overall it looks like a lot of class diversity.
Edit: There is still the issue of organized groups using double chrono for distortion share.
Edit 2: If distortion share is needed, there is still the idea of having 2 chronos with ToT and TW being enough quickness for all 10 people.

Group 2 might see sustain issues without a druid. If you wanted to do that comp, I think you’d need the druid in their own party. That would really screw with distortion sharing though…

If it’s a full power team then the druid and ventari herald could be in opposite groups. Or the chrono could be minstrel. Group 2 also has the necro blood auras for “amazing sustain.”

That 1/2 second evade after scepter block love, mmmm. I’m a scepter player anyway but now, even better.

Pretty good update overall.

I love the phantasms changes

As a WvW player I wish the buffs went to power mez instead of condi.

Quick FYI that the AoE effect on Chaos Armor only applies to the skill use, and not obtaining the aura from combo finishers.

No ones going to be using a rev ventari unless they’re support its damage is awful ppl will most likely still use 2 druids to get gotl at 5 stacks not to mention to actually upkeep the tablet alacrity isn’t energy friendly

“Arcane Thievery: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 35 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP only.”

Why not in the rest of the game?

I’m curiose how our healing well will work with torch now, U know our only blast for condi cleans…

The bugged Continuum Split recharge while having the Illusions trait line equipped and waiting the full duration seems to have been fixed.

Emtiarbi.3281:

I love the phantasms changes

Having this mechanic is a step forward… But they are close to nothing, lets take a look:

Pistol: a 3s cripple projectile(20% chance to finisher combo), damage is 0, just like magic bullet.

Staff: You gain a wooping auto-attack when summoning the phantasm. Ah the amazing staff auto…

Torch: Pointblank 2burn for 3s. The only one that is somehow decent… (still probabily useless on pve condi mesmer since you want to keep pistol phantasm)

Still nothing for the most used phantasms ( focus/sword). I really hope Anet step up on that ones.

@Simonoly – I asked the same question in the last balance patch that made some PvP only buffs and never got an answer. I think its safe to say that this would be far from overpowered in PvE, especially since it would only be a condi cleanse, the amount of mobs with boons in PvE is so small as it is.

For anyone that wants to know. The initial attack on Illusionary Duelist is like a .2 power coefficient. I don’t know if the Torch change is good enough to make it worthwhile, but I doubt it.

Eponet.4829:

For anyone that wants to know. The initial attack on Illusionary Duelist is like a .2 power coefficient. I don’t know if the Torch change is good enough to make it worthwhile, but I doubt it.

0,2 is magic bullet coef. The initial dmg is like 0,09 coef. Kappa

What I found interesting is the auto attacks now built in phantasms. Which means that now, if you are casting phantasms while cloaked like in pvp or wvw, which I do, you are now going to break your cloak by casting them.

EDIT: Unless of course the attack comes from the phantasm instead of you? Working, can’t test it yet.

Morfedel.4165:

What I found interesting is the auto attacks now built in phantasms. Which means that now, if you are casting phantasms while cloaked like in pvp or wvw, which I do, you are now going to break your cloak by casting them.

EDIT: Unless of course the attack comes from the phantasm instead of you? Working, can’t test it yet.

It comes from the phantasm. No idea if it breaks stealth.

Morfedel.4165:

What I found interesting is the auto attacks now built in phantasms. Which means that now, if you are casting phantasms while cloaked like in pvp or wvw, which I do, you are now going to break your cloak by casting them.

EDIT: Unless of course the attack comes from the phantasm instead of you? Working, can’t test it yet.

Oh… I hope not otherwise it’s going to be a pain to play around.

Yes it does reveal. Simple to reproduce on torch for example. Just stealth up and summon the phantasm targeting a far away target while standing near another target close to you.

I like the riposte and counter buffs but uhhh…

Why no phant summon skills for offhand sword? or Focus?

I kind of understand why GS didn’t, but the other two could have used it.

Focus could have really used it.

Even something like Reflect projectiles while summoning the iWarden.

One other problem with the iMage AoE burn on cast -> in use you usually cast iMage at range either in preparation of another play or while kiting and waiting for other cooldowns to come back.

I don’t usually cast iMage while standing right next to an enemy.

Perhaps if the effect was instead to inflict AoE burning centered around the targeted enemy (instant hit effect after the cast animation for iMage has played) there would be less restriction with having to be in close range to cast iMage for the additional effect.

Best thing of this patch is that we have our own class meme!
Just like engie have “purity of purpose” we have “more constant pressure” built in our 0.09 coeficient dmg on summoning some phantasms Constant pressure on mesmer Kappa…

Srsly Anet, if you want more constant pressure just speed up our slowpoke sword auto chain, give mesmer access to dmg moddifiers, make phantasms get affected by them and add proper impact to phantasm summoning skills :S

Quote for reference “Also in this update, we are implementing initial attacks on several phantasm skills, allowing the mesmer to deliver a primary attack in addition to the summon in order to provide a bit more constant pressure on your targets.”
(sry for somewhat jk post)

This game has become such trash the only thing we needed were the evades on the counter skills four years ago. The rest is just more mindless power creep. If only the clock on balance could be set back two years.

So depressed, moving on now.

Couple of quick test items:

- The initial attack for the iMage is not 1200 range. If you cast from far away, you will not land the burning on the foe.

- The second instance of the phantasm (from Chronophantasma) does not seem to generate the “on cast” effect.

FYI this initial casts are not from phantasms, but from mesmer!
Just like on shield you block and then summon phantasms, now you do smthg and summon those phantasms… So it makes sense not triggering those effects on chronophantasm ofc.

Using Time Warp while Temporal Enchanter is equipped will grant resistance and superspeed to ten allies, despite the trait description listing five targets.

The Ventari thing is kinda dumb, but apart from that I like the sound of these changes. Probably not enough to pull me back into the game, but it’s nice to see some positive attention that benefits both core Mesmers and Chronomancers.

I guess the real question is: Does this change anybody’s builds, or does it just make the existing ones (that don’t rely on permastealth) a little nicer to play?

Menaka.5092:

and just like that, 1 year down the line, our CLASS SPECIFIC buff is not class specific anymore

To be fair, with how weak Alacrity is right now, and how badly it is implemented between AWTEW and Alacrity-on-shatter, does it matter? It’s just another spammable minor effect now, just like everything else in the game.

tobascodagama.2961:

I guess the real question is: Does this change anybody’s builds, or does it just make the existing ones (that don’t rely on permastealth) a little nicer to play?

It made TW more appealing to raid groups. Now that it applies quickness every 2 seconds it has less of a chance of overlapping with other quickness stacks, which means you are wasting fewer sources of quickness. And making the slow unblockable was a nice change for PvP/WvW as well. But I don’t think any raid build will change substantially due to this.

Positive thinking guys! Alacrity is not mesmer-only! Now it can be buffed!
Just give mantras to other class so ours can be also buffed.

tobascodagama.2961:

I guess the real question is: Does this change anybody’s builds, or does it just make the existing ones (that don’t rely on permastealth) a little nicer to play?

Well the phantasm change is likely to change how I would play when casting from stealth.

For example previously I may decoy or prestige and kite while casting iMage or iWarlock. Now that’s going to be a bad idea for iMage because not only will it break stealth but also the aoe burn will not do anything unless you’re near to your target.

Other than that I’m not changing anything, so tbh back to other games and waiting for Mirage.

OriOri.8724:

tobascodagama.2961:

I guess the real question is: Does this change anybody’s builds, or does it just make the existing ones (that don’t rely on permastealth) a little nicer to play?

It made TW more appealing to raid groups. Now that it applies quickness every 2 seconds it has less of a chance of overlapping with other quickness stacks, which means you are wasting fewer sources of quickness. And making the slow unblockable was a nice change for PvP/WvW as well. But I don’t think any raid build will change substantially due to this.

Well, now that it essentially quadrupled in power (since it won’t overstack with itself anymore, and also doubled it’s number of targets) and Well of Action was also buffed, there’s a possibility that one chronomancer might be able to provide enough quickness for 10 people, but not enough alacrity for them, in which case we might see the ventari revenant come out.

No, TW was not quadrupled in power. A chrono tank will shoot for close to 100% boon duration, which means that even before this change the TW stacks would conflict with each other, since they would be 2 sec of quickness applied every 1 second. Now, at 100% boon duration you will see the same effect, but it will just happen every 2 seconds instead of every second. That extra second buffer will be enough so that TW stacks don’t override other stacks that were applied before TW was.

One down side of these activation effect of phantasm skill is that you have to be more careful when using them in stealth.

They now can reveal you if you are not careful.

I do think that was intentional on ANet’s part. A subtle way to reduce the impact of our access to stealth, yet ghost thief still wasn’t addressed.

I didnt expect people to still be surprised by them giving away mesmer-stuff to other classes. They already did that before. Like giving defender phantas to necro and engi or giving thief mantra of distraction (+ Power Block traited effect on top of it). Im sure theres more stuff that elites have that were “inspired” by mesmer skills and im sure there will be more to come with future elite’s. Maybe we can atleast keep the illusion summoning for ourselves, but i highly doubt that one aswell. At this point I’m just waiting for something like “the ninja” as the new thief elite that can summon clones.

@Takashiro – You forgot that DD also stole the power block notion and then made it about 10 times better.

Curunen.8729:

waiting for Mirage.

:)