Guild Wars 2

I know some people LOVE phantasms for their deeps. So for those of you with that preference, please hear me out before crapping all over the idea.

What if the Mirage spec REPLACED all of our phantasm skills to have an on-cast effect themed to the phantasm, and also summoned a clone(s)? The on-cast would then be balanced in light of the damage/condis/utility lost by the phantasm.

This would help to resolve the conflicting mechanic of wanting more clones for Ambush dps, and also give more opportunities for clone generation so that shatter can be used more often.

Thats how the Phantasm skills should work on base Mesmer.

I wouldn’t be opposed to this, actually I quite like it.

But certain traits would need looking at so as not to be useless with Mirage – eg Warden’s Feedback and how it would affect the change to focus 5.

My easy-fix suggestion is to only have mirages phantasms shatter, and never clones.

And make phantasms 100% leave behind a mirror when they shatter.

Phantasms should just be minions. That’s what they always should’ve been. The “illusions die on target death” has been five years of an awful idea slavishly adhered to for no good reason, and is responsible for the fatally contradictory design philosophy that will never stop haunting Mesmer: we’re supposed to maintain phatasms, yet they die when targets die, and we’re also supposed to shatter them.

Only clones should shatter. From the beginning, Phantasms should’ve just been minions that you summon and they fight for you. But since we can’t have that on core Mesmer, hey, that sounds like a great idea for an elite spec doesn’t it? Such an obvious idea, isn’t it? It’s almost as though it could’ve been a spec already…

Or you know, just make Mirage Cloak reset Phantasm skills.

Refia Montes.3205:

Or you know, just make Mirage Cloak reset Phantasm skills.

That’s what I was thinking too, reset the attack of the Phantasms when you enter Mirage Cloak. That can solve several issues at once.

MikeL.8260:

Refia Montes.3205:

Or you know, just make Mirage Cloak reset Phantasm skills.

That’s what I was thinking too, reset the attack of the Phantasms when you enter Mirage Cloak. That can solve several issues at once.

Except the one good thing about Mirage is trying to move away from Phantasms.

Levetty.1279:

MikeL.8260:

Refia Montes.3205:

Or you know, just make Mirage Cloak reset Phantasm skills.

That’s what I was thinking too, reset the attack of the Phantasms when you enter Mirage Cloak. That can solve several issues at once.

Except the one good thing about Mirage is trying to move away from Phantasms.

How is that a good thing? It only gets in the way of our potential. You did notice that clones do 0 dmg anyway right?

MikeL.8260:

Levetty.1279:

MikeL.8260:

Refia Montes.3205:

Or you know, just make Mirage Cloak reset Phantasm skills.

That’s what I was thinking too, reset the attack of the Phantasms when you enter Mirage Cloak. That can solve several issues at once.

Except the one good thing about Mirage is trying to move away from Phantasms.

How is that a good thing? It only gets in the way of our potential. You did notice that clones do 0 dmg anyway right?

You did notice that Phantasms are terrible for all game content right? You did notice that we all agree Mirage is terrible and basically not finished right?

Moving away from Phantasms is nothing but a good thing. Changing them so they act like Guardian spirit weapons wouild be ideal.

Levetty.1279:

MikeL.8260:

Refia Montes.3205:

Or you know, just make Mirage Cloak reset Phantasm skills.

That’s what I was thinking too, reset the attack of the Phantasms when you enter Mirage Cloak. That can solve several issues at once.

Except the one good thing about Mirage is trying to move away from Phantasms.

Well the only way Mes can do deeps is through Phantasms. Did some tests earlier, Mirage Axe clones don’t do enough damage compared to Duelist Phantasms.

I feel like people only read half of my post. Mirage is crap and does nothing, we all know this.

Phantasms are crap and don’t mesh with the mechanics of the game or with the Shatter mechanic. Useless in WvW, a pain in the ass in PvE and Shatter has always been better then Phantasms in PvP.

Moving away from Phantasms is a good idea. Mirage just moves away from them to go nowhere.

Levetty.1279:

I feel like people only read half of my post. Mirage is crap and does nothing, we all know this.

Phantasms are crap and don’t mesh with the mechanics of the game or with the Shatter mechanic. Useless in WvW, a pain in the ass in PvE and Shatter has always been better then Phantasms in PvP.

Moving away from Phantasms is a good idea. Mirage just moves away from them to go nowhere.

yes, yes moving away from Phantasms is a good idea, but transitioning into clones isn’t good too. It’s the same thing entirely, cause AI is stupid. But doing a whole rework of core Mesmer Phantasms and Clones would be too time consuming and not worth it in the long run as a lot of people do like the clone/phantasm play style.

If anyone would want it, I think a new Elite Spec could fill that gap. An Elite Spec that materializes Phantasms into a kit. Like using iSwordsman doesn’t give you a Phantasm, rather getting a new set of weapon skills from it…. buuuut that’s a long way down the road…. and many other ideas would be better maybe.

Levetty.1279:

Thats how the Phantasm skills should work on base Mesmer.

Exactly this. I still want the phantasms to appear, but it should automatically disappear in a cloud of pink butterflies (<3) after one attack, which in turn re-forms to become a clone.