This is my custom build, have been using it since the june specialization patch and before i used a similar custom build for aprox one year or so (this one its the evolution of the old one).
I generally dont put builds in any game, of course like a lot of people i try to get a strong build that reflects my play style, this one its not exception.
Why im publishing one now: Because two reason:
- First: I believe 100 heads can give more insight of something than one.
- Second: theres a chance it needs some balance and fair play.
Disclaimer: I dont believe im the only person ever to get to the same build, thats unrealistic, so if this build have been posted before, i dont want credit for it, in the other case, call it SNO lol.
http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNAR8al0nhy0YjawINwsGLrG05RSyzL3wxDA60PTVA-TJBBwAAuIAE3fAcZgAPBAA
Description:
This is a all ground build,
I generally switch and combine four main play styles: Kiting, burst, dps and defense.
In general i do decent damage and burst (i shatter not a litle) and at the same time have semibunker capabilities.
Kiting: Its what i love more -.-.
- Blink:
-Your typical kiting, “dodging”, moving skill that allow you to dominate the batlefield and engage and disengage in vertical terrains (typical clock tower, cementary, etc disengaging for a mantra charge and heal", includes the basical lets go down and the war follow me, blink up and cap, dudes coming on foot -.-, if he not, well im healing (ranged enemies require some dodges and or covering yourself with the envromental – your basic stuff).
Great for movement also.
Your average mobile stomper.
- Illusionary leap (sword 3):
- Typical spawn the clone and move later when the guy come with a movement or leap skill or he tries to go running against you, if he want to kill it and dont have stability a f3 can do the job or well, his losing time, more time for the healing mantra to recharge -.-.
- You are in the higher of a plataform of mid tower of nilfhel or any other similar, spawn the clone, go down, if the enemy follow you, switch back, his stuck -.-. This works better if he follows you after a disengaging blink, meaning he used his own and doesnt gonna have a form to follow you later.
- Decoy:
- Disengaging tool, not been seen when you cross the visual camp of enemies to got o a fast decap por decap + camp or steal mob if necesary (pug quest or the awkard moent wehere your team theif its dead or cant go there).
- Its also a great use for recahrging mantras, specially the healing one.
- Combining it with decoy to sneak around and disengage its also good.
- You need to go far from home, you pass for mid using it and blink and spawn phantoms + shatter them later, without been seen.
Pistol 2(5) and gs 5: Interrupt and get the annoying dude away.
Gs5 its good to throw the enemy out of caps. In clock tower, coming from the inner scales, use it and jump.
Defensive
Most gw2 skills have a damage use and a defensive use, so you can choice how to use them situationally, thsi ones serves as kiting ones as a form to mantain or “try” to mantain a point" and to defend yourself – stealth and distortion arent for maininting , jsut defense and kite of course:
- Sword 3 and GS2 (phantoms can but arent that recomended, use situationally of course):
- Spawning clones for a distortion or a f3 and screwing your enemies burst, leap atack, etc.
- Spawning for trigerring wells or traps.
- Sword 2: Invuln + damage + count as an evasion, also remember that this and clones switchs, distortion, some timed dodges, etc can help to prevent backstabbing.
- Distortion (f4): Typical use, you can alternate of the 0,1,2,3 illusions versions, some times a quick without illusions f4 can basically finish a opponent build (fellow mesmers ones).
- F3: My personal favorite for this one its the 0 illusions one, but you can use it with 1,2 and 3 illusions, situational use of skills its key to play properly -.-, with cero illusions its your fast melee interrupt.
Basically its great to interrupt bursts when you are defending a point.
Also for interrupting stompers (either when you res or a re near or spawning a clone, phantom and use it from a far to interrupt).
- Dodge
Dodge has four functions in this build and for the best use try to check all of them:
- Typical dodge function, yeah I don’t want to get damaged, im dodging this skill of yours, etc.
- Reflect: Been attacked by enemy projectiles and want covers: dodge get reflect, you are save, this can lead in your enemy been hit, stopping the attack, or dodging the reflected attack (second best outcome, some times best one -.-).
-Mass blind: Faster form to destroy a burst chain: one dodge, one blind, you got screwed -.-.
An important extra against focused fire and minions, mesmers, or however comes with his AI army that match.
- Illusionary defender:
Dodge, you get one, its true its extra damage and fast shatter, but also can help to mitigate damage (this with protection from an ally its very powerful), specially against more than one opponent, shattering him at the end its normally good.
Spawn one when you are about to res someone if its necessary and can, will help you get the job done (and can make some situations avalilable for ressing that without that cover will not).
- Healing mantra:
Condi cleans (two), healing, burst healing, healing friends, healing when you res someone and are focused or are been poisoned for it. – Remmeber to either blink away of the control or blin to a safe spot or use distortion or go stealthy to charge it. Also distraction can interrupt the enemy interrupt skill.
*Cleaning mantra: Extra heal, aoe heal and aoe cleanse – same as healing check when you can charge it, don’t go there to get interrupted.
- HEaling and cleaning shatters, excellents for counter burst. Use with caution and situationally, don’t go wasting shatters.
- Blkinking + res or blinking + distraction or blinking + res+ distraction are good two, plus you can use blink + distraction to interrupt important enemy skills.
- Defensive moa: Yes you can use it, some enemies can run from moa, also can destroy some elites (rampage and company).
Remember moa its great to do faints, people have some kind of moa trauma, just cancel it and make them waste their dodges or active defenses -.-
Burst
Not super big burst, but isn’t bad.
You have your typical F1 and F2 , im emphatising that if its true preparing 3 illusions it’s the jackpot, it takes time, risky and can be counteres with some illusions killings, in other words, try to combinate with other less prepared shatters, for instance an sword 3, switch of weapon and clone can be pretty decent against glassy opponents.
Also take in account that if its true that shatter damage augment with the number of illusions, it has marginal decreasing damage, sometimes one illusion can do the work, some times just you -.-
Phantoms and gs2 and 3 can be used as bite for shatters, you have also your average f2 or f1 bite for the next shatter.
Can combine f1 and f2 depending of the effect you want, creating extra condis for a f1 then f2 or extra damage for a f2 + f1, generally for finishing or making a opponenet retreat.
Since the build isn’t the burstiest, try to low some health of your enemies before hand.
That and the burst can hit the jackpoint if its critical, you use sword 2 later, interrupt the enemy before retreating and specially against glassy ones.
Typical spawn phantom or phantoms, gs2 + blink + shatter or shatters burst and or change sword and use sword 2.
- Defense + Burst (specially counter shattering):
One of the bests parts of the build its that counter shattering its more viable since it have more innate health points and toughness:
Enemy attack, if its more a condition application just get hit and clean with the shatter, if nto a distortion or a easier to notice sword 2 are good.
When you are been atacked you can : decoy + shatter/s, sword 3 + and then add for example sword 2 or a knockback or stun, then dps as hell:
This can finish a glassy enemy: thief, Mesmer, guard and ranger., try to use it after luring the dodges and invulns, if you get a too long quee and get a bad MMR enemy or your friend have lower MMR, theres chance a bad enemy will come and well, they get easily destroyed with this -.-, if you have a bad MMR or are new to Mesmer this thing will help you go up lol.
- GS5 and pistol 2 (5) are good for making the moment for bursts and phantoms second attack (better than the first to use succeed since theres casting times).
After a good but not sufficient burst you can time a quick distraction shatter if the enemy try to use a defense or specially healing skill, making him your dummy to test your damage -.- .
- Moa: finish them, specially tough oppents in general and enemies that can counter the build, yes for whatever you aren’t strong, exist moa -.- (try to use it at less than 505 hp, chain and stun opponents as any well used moa).
The normal tips for moa applicate here: Count dodges, blocks , invulns, dont waste the elite kitten!, use a stealth moa (warning: predictable), cast it in an illusion or two (yes we have illusion cover for something a side of some proyectiles).
Sword 3 its good for getting near an opponent chaining him and burst also.
DPS
- Not super big dps, but isn’t bad -.-
- Confusion+ bleed and phantoms, this is the lazzy mode of the build, depends of your opponent (if he has aoes), if his too focused on you (some times happens, specially in lower health moments from your part) and if his not glassy.
- Phantoms faster atack rate will help in this, you dont need to mantain them spawned for a long rate, more than a third phantom its generally better to use the recharge phantom on shatter factor when there s 2 or three (specially three), try to use it when you can recreate the rotation for faster bursts phantoms (shatter + 2 phantoms) or either check the life of your illusionary defender so you use his 50% damage mitigation better. Generally mantainig a two hit for phantom then shatter will be a better dps and more bursty, but be situational.
- Some distortion for hitting after it if you are gonna get interrupted or stuned as a mean for surviving can be contextually good, and it’s a god way to teasy your opponents.
- If you ever become a moa: remember to use a dodge (specially a moa set skill dodge) to get a illusionary defender (if you have it available in that moment), engineer moa aoe can be worthy to “receive” to get this guy in the combat, believe me its rewarding, very rewarding…
- GS5 and Pistol 4:
Remember to use them also with faints, canceling them its crucial to steal semi advanced opponents of their active defenses.
Pistol weakness are reflexs, so take in count when its more valuable to use it as a shatter or as a phantom at least one time.
(edited by Lucius.2140)