Guild Wars 2

For speedclears.. Could anyone share an up-to-date build. Traits and utilites included, thx!

There’ll be most likely 3 builds and you will switch between them a lot (at least for the first 2)

Mantra build with phantasmal warden: 6 (III / I or VI / XI) /4 (II / IV) /0/4 (II / VIII)/0
Mantra build without phantasmal warden: 6 (III / I or VI / XI) /4 (II / IV) /0/0/4 (III / X) or 6/5/0/0/3 (You will lose the reflect on curtain and warden but your warden will still absorb projectiles)
Lupicus build to maximize feedback damage (in a group situation): 6 (III / I or VI / XI) /6 (II / IV / X)/0/0/2 (III)

You want the Mantra of Recovery or the Signet of the Ether as your healing skill.

Concerning utilities, you will have almost always 2 mantras in your bar for every fights, depending of the situation, it’ll be Mantra of Resolve and Mantra of Distraction (if you need condition removal) / Mantra of Concentration and Mantra of Distration (if you need stability) or Mantra of Resolve and Mantra of Concentration (if you need both condi removal and stability).
Keep in mind that each time you daze a boss (with the Mantra of Distraction) you will inflict 5 stacks of Vuln.
Third utility is usually Feedback / Null field / Signet of Inspiration / another mantra.
For Elite skill you will take TimeWarp most of the time.

And a full phantasm build for pure DPS?

2(III)/3(II)/0/5(II & VIII)/4(III & X)

Ansau.7326:

And a full phantasm build for pure DPS?

2(III)/3(II)/0/5(II & VIII)/4(III & X)

Pure warden dps*

Sanderinoa.8065:

Ansau.7326:

And a full phantasm build for pure DPS?

2(III)/3(II)/0/5(II & VIII)/4(III & X)

Pure warden dps*

Pure warden an iSwordman DPS**

2/4/0/4/4 for a phant build i would switch to 6/4/0/2/2 for any reflect heavy encounter

Magi.8643:

2/4/0/4/4 for a phant build i would switch to 6/4/0/TWO/2 for any reflect heavy encounter

that doesnt make any sense .__.

Sure it does, for EM wich got ninjaswitched to dominion. So your reflects hit harder. But untraiting the warden doesn’t seem so smart for heavy reflect encounters.

Xyonon.3987:

Sure it does, for EM wich got ninjaswitched to dominion. So your reflects hit harder. But untraiting the warden doesn’t seem so smart for heavy reflect encounters.

I hope you realise I made some stuff bold to show what I was actually commenting on

Jerem/Sandy, do you guys have a feeling for why 6/4/0/4/0 is better than the 2/4/0/5/3 builds for general DPS with warden?

My thought is that you have more personal DPS with 6/4 than 2/4, but the overall DPS is probably the same (and personal is generally favored since phants are paper and die so easily). Did you do any testing with this yet?

Thanks!

Tried a few dungeons/fotm last night and I was swapping traits almost every fight. 6 domination though with the new interrupt trait is great for trolling the AC troll trolling HotW. He didn’t get 1 jump off and my group facerolled him without dodging.

Other fights like grawl shaman had mixed results. I could interrupt 1 dive bomb but not the other(since he evades). The animation would finish but no damage/knockback happened. Because I saw a lot of this, it was hard to determine if I actually interrupted and only the animation finished or if this is still really buggy with defiant or if some bosses still just can’t be interrupted or if some specific skills just can’t be interrupted. Either way, the gw1 mesmer in me is super happy right now.

This one trait, if actually working as intended for PvE, is going to make it really hard to decide what is optimal DPS. Being able to prevent bosses from doing much will let your team keep DPSing. It can also keep your phantasms alive better. However, enemies doing nothing are enemies not being reflected at. Feedback can still be brought for 1 really strong reflect and mesmers will have to learn what to interrupt, what can be interrupted and what can be reflected.

However, this also means no 4% mantra damage trait. The 6/6/0/0/2 has it easy with swapping between the 2 domination grandmasters. The extra charge on mantras is nice as well. 4/4/0/2/4 will still be a go to for fights like Alphard and the midpoint golem at harpy fotm where you want the warden spinning as much without reflecting. Speaking of harpies, the warden is definitely more buggy than before on this fractal =(.

TLDR: Domination XIII is potentially too good but needs to be tested a lot before a new mesmer meta is really decided. There won’t be 1 build anymore but swapping can be done whenever now.

I didn’t have time to test it yet, but I think a build like 2/4/0/5/3 might be useful for solo play, but not as useful in an organized group situation (well maybe it’s good for longer fight when you can keep your phantasm up). I think we’ll be using most of the time 6/5/0/0/3 (or 6/6/0/0/2), and 6/4/0/4/0 if we really need warden’s feedback. As Duck said, if the new trait is working as intended, there will be new possibilities.

@DuckDuckBOOM:

I noticed the same thing with animations and dmg / knockback. However when I tested it on channeled unloads, like a champion thiefs pistol pistol 3 attack, it still dealt damage. Strange.

Ty for sharing. I’ll start with a phantasm build, cus I like that playstyle more. But as you said, they are squishy. I’ll go mantras if it doesn’t work out.

Actually right now phantasm builds can easy go for 25 in inspiration, whereas mantra builds are now forced to go 30 into dominion, making phant builds tankier than mantra builds.

A Mantra build is right now more a … hm … max dmg build. I’d go for 6/6/0/0/2 or 6/4/0/0/4.

Phant build looks more like you have to be able to reflect stuff, so I’d go for 2/4/0/4/4 or 2/4/0/5/3, the difference is: will your phants survive or will they do one attack?

Any better suggestions?

There’s also 6/4/0/4/0 for when you want focus reflects and mantras. But you listed all the options.

6/6/0/0/2 is undeniably best dps (6/5/0/0/3 might be easier to play because the phant cooldowns are better). What you do when you want focus reflects… Is unclear. There are lots of good options so just pick your favorite, I guess!

The main question is – do you I want more reflection due faster attack speed of the warden, or stronger personal reflects with mantras? I mean reflected damage from the warden does not count as personal reflection so … only curtain and feedback.

I guess it allways depends but in general … I’d say … I have no idea =_=

Xyonon.3987:

The main question is – do you I want more reflection due faster attack speed of the warden, or stronger personal reflects with mantras? I mean reflected damage from the warden does not count as personal reflection so … only curtain and feedback.

I guess it allways depends but in general … I’d say … I have no idea =_=

It’s a matter of reflect coverage vs. reflect damage. You have to look at every encounter and decide “do I need to provide my team complete reflect coverage, or can someone else help out and I’ll focus on spiking the damage on bigger hits.” And you balance this with the DPS output of the build. The 6/6 build is great for maximizing damage and reflection spikes, but it’s probably best to run it with a reliable guardian that can make up for your holes in reflect. The 6/4 build has less damage but more reflect uptime in the situations when you absolutely need that (Alphard for example).

And correct me if I’m wrong, but untraited warden still blocks projectiles— not reflecting obviously stinks, but you can still protect your party with the full DPS build.

Anyway, it’s a huge pain in the butt to have to switch builds constantly and adjust for this, but that’s how it’s gonna have to be.

maxinion.8396:

Jerem/Sandy, do you guys have a feeling for why 6/4/0/4/0 is better than the 2/4/0/5/3 builds for general DPS with warden?

My thought is that you have more personal DPS with 6/4 than 2/4, but the overall DPS is probably the same (and personal is generally favored since phants are paper and die so easily). Did you do any testing with this yet?

Thanks!

too… many… builds… too.. many… situations, everything’s useful somewhere .__.

Sanderinoa.8065:

maxinion.8396:

Jerem/Sandy, do you guys have a feeling for why 6/4/0/4/0 is better than the 2/4/0/5/3 builds for general DPS with warden?

My thought is that you have more personal DPS with 6/4 than 2/4, but the overall DPS is probably the same (and personal is generally favored since phants are paper and die so easily). Did you do any testing with this yet?

Thanks!

too… many… builds… too.. many… situations, everything’s useful somewhere .__.

lol, pretty much. I’m considering just simplifying it and using 6/6/0/0/2 and 6/4/0/4/0 most of the time. Seems like that will be less stressful than constantly adjusting everything….

maxinion.8396:

Sanderinoa.8065:

maxinion.8396:

Jerem/Sandy, do you guys have a feeling for why 6/4/0/4/0 is better than the 2/4/0/5/3 builds for general DPS with warden?

My thought is that you have more personal DPS with 6/4 than 2/4, but the overall DPS is probably the same (and personal is generally favored since phants are paper and die so easily). Did you do any testing with this yet?

Thanks!

too… many… builds… too.. many… situations, everything’s useful somewhere .__.

lol, pretty much. I’m considering just simplifying it and using 6/6/0/0/2 and 6/4/0/4/0 most of the time. Seems like that will be less stressful than constantly adjusting everything….

my mouse broke from clicking after a hotw solo run x_x too many traitswitches,

in solos I do run 4 in illusions often though

Sooo… I was thinking about going for 6/4/0/4/0 but then I realized that I do not use any mantras anymore since the new patch is out. I simply have NO SPACE for those medicore utility skills. Since I went rune of strength aswell sigil of battle as before but chaged bloodlust to sigil of strength I can create a lot of might myself. Since then I’m sure that the damage the team deals with my buffshare is higer than the personal damage I would deal more with some crappy mantra bonus. So I started to use the signet of inspiration again, like in old days when I tried them once. Now I’ve traited signet cdr since I use 2 of them and I went 5/4/0/5/0 for double phant trait and no mantra dmg. Anyone else does approximately the same? Or why don’t you? I’m 80% pug.

I dont because signet of inspiration approves of mesmer slavery! Stop the suppression! Oh and because warriors and does stack might to 25 anyways, plus you using a build for reflection and instead of precision go for power.

That reason is kinda silly … The warrior might thing seems not that correct, I can’t confirm that they can do this, and if they can it definitly requires a long time til they stacked up. Also there aren’t only warriors in a party, at least not in mine o.O

But what I really don’t understand is your last sentence o.o “plus you using a build for reflection and instead of precision go for power”. Wat?

Xyonon.3987:

Sooo… I was thinking about going for 6/4/0/4/0 but then I realized that I do not use any mantras anymore since the new patch is out. I simply have NO SPACE for those medicore utility skills. Since I went rune of strength aswell sigil of battle as before but chaged bloodlust to sigil of strength I can create a lot of might myself. Since then I’m sure that the damage the team deals with my buffshare is higer than the personal damage I would deal more with some crappy mantra bonus. So I started to use the signet of inspiration again, like in old days when I tried them once. Now I’ve traited signet cdr since I use 2 of them and I went 5/4/0/5/0 for double phant trait and no mantra dmg. Anyone else does approximately the same? Or why don’t you? I’m 80% pug.

what armor/weapon setup you using? zerk or assasin?

Xyonon.3987:

That reason is kinda silly … The warrior might thing seems not that correct, I can’t confirm that they can do this, and if they can it definitly requires a long time til they stacked up. Also there aren’t only warriors in a party, at least not in mine o.O

But what I really don’t understand is your last sentence o.o “plus you using a build for reflection and instead of precision go for power”. Wat?

Power still doesn’t affect reflection, so going into domination for a warden reflect build higher than 2 but less than 6 seems wasteful.

That aside, I don’t know everything about it of course xD but phalanx strength seems to have made warriors great might stackers.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/dungeons/phalanx-warrior-new-meta/first#post3937076

Sooo… I was thinking about going for 6/4/0/4/0 but then I realized that I do not use any mantras anymore since the new patch is out. I simply have NO SPACE for those medicore utility skills. Since I went rune of strength aswell sigil of battle as before but chaged bloodlust to sigil of strength I can create a lot of might myself. Since then I’m sure that the damage the team deals with my buffshare is higer than the personal damage I would deal more with some crappy mantra bonus. So I started to use the signet of inspiration again, like in old days when I tried them once. Now I’ve traited signet cdr since I use 2 of them and I went 5/4/0/5/0 for double phant trait and no mantra dmg. Anyone else does approximately the same? Or why don’t you? I’m 80% pug.

Stop hiding behind the pug excuse for using suboptimal builds. I pug Arah all of the time and don’t use them, jesus christ.

That reason is kinda silly … The warrior might thing seems not that correct, I can’t confirm that they can do this, and if they can it definitly requires a long time til they stacked up. Also there aren’t only warriors in a party, at least not in mine o.O

A phalanx warrior can drop a battle standard, go afk and maintain 12 might stacks and 60 seconds of fury on a group.

A phalanx warrior can give out 13 might stacks to a party with hundred blades + whirlwind (4.5s cast times combined), 6 with fgj (19) and then 5 with signet of rage (24). At that point you just auto with GS, do hb/ww off cd and you’ll permanently have the party at 25 might.

RIP eles

RIP mesmers

Stop to say mesmer is dead. That’s not true.

Mesmer has never been in party for might stacking cause our might stack sux.

Ele are in party for conjured.

A phalanx warrior lose around 10%+ dmg compared previous meta, and 4,5 sec to take up 25 might stack it’s a lot counting that trash die in less that time.

About mesmer if you aim for record you are there for portal skip and reflect whenever needed. Exactly as before.

If you aren’t aiming for record but you are on good party dont rely over phantasm, go 30/30 and you are exactly as before.

If you are on a crap pug party then they need 2x reflect and fight last so long that you have time to summon phantasm, exactly as before.

The only things that’s changed compared to before is that you can’t go anymore with max reflection mantra build + curtain traited but:
1) in good partys there are 5 istance\fotm only where you need curtain traited for reflect uptime.
2) there are different situation where you want your warden untraited to absorb unblockable projectile.

Basically this patch told us 3 things:
1)phantasm build are pugs build (like it has always been).
2)we need to respect between 3 builds depending on party compositions\istance we are goin to do (and we can do this istant now)
3)we need to craft some assasin gear and that’s bad but even with zerk+perception is viable.

I prefer how it was before with empowering mantras on dueling but if you follow that 3 points you are in meta exactly as before, otw if you look just at your autoattack dmg like a war or rely just in phantasm you arent optimal but that’s not mesmer fault.

My 2 cents

Mesmer still makes a great FGS holder. After thief.

My one cent.

Iris Ng.9845:

Mesmer still makes a great FGS holder. After thief.

My one cent.

what?

hendo.1940:

Sooo… I was thinking about going for 6/4/0/4/0 but then I realized that I do not use any mantras anymore since the new patch is out. I simply have NO SPACE for those medicore utility skills. Since I went rune of strength aswell sigil of battle as before but chaged bloodlust to sigil of strength I can create a lot of might myself. Since then I’m sure that the damage the team deals with my buffshare is higer than the personal damage I would deal more with some crappy mantra bonus. So I started to use the signet of inspiration again, like in old days when I tried them once. Now I’ve traited signet cdr since I use 2 of them and I went 5/4/0/5/0 for double phant trait and no mantra dmg. Anyone else does approximately the same? Or why don’t you? I’m 80% pug.

Stop hiding behind the pug excuse for using suboptimal builds. I pug Arah all of the time and don’t use them, jesus christ.

That reason is kinda silly … The warrior might thing seems not that correct, I can’t confirm that they can do this, and if they can it definitly requires a long time til they stacked up. Also there aren’t only warriors in a party, at least not in mine o.O

A phalanx warrior can drop a battle standard, go afk and maintain 12 might stacks and 60 seconds of fury on a group.

A phalanx warrior can give out 13 might stacks to a party with hundred blades + whirlwind (4.5s cast times combined), 6 with fgj (19) and then 5 with signet of rage (24). At that point you just auto with GS, do hb/ww off cd and you’ll permanently have the party at 25 might.

RIP eles

RIP mesmers

On the flip side, the Phalanx warrior sucks for DPS. I’d rather have a mesmer with Signet than a Phalanx warrior, assuming both get me to 25 stacks of might either way.