Guild Wars 2

So, I’d like to play a mesmer that primarily summons. I am torn between two builds, the Phantasm build and the Staff condition build, and had questions about each. I will primarily be PvEing, with occassional forays into WvW.

Staff/conditions- staff clones deal damage/debuff enemy, combined with the Phantasmal Warlock, shatter when the Phantasm is just about to come off cooldown. I know I should go 25 Chaos and 20 Illusions, but not sure where to put the rest of the points. Was considering 20 Domination for longer condition duration and possibly taking Empowered Illusions to increase Warlock damage, but should I max Illusions instead for the condition damage and, if so, what major traits do you suggest?

Phantasm build- 25 Inspiration and 20 Illusions for Phantasm traits, but not sure where to go from here. I hear 20 in Dueling for bleed stacking and a faster Duelist summon, but I also have heard 20 in Domination for power to increase Phantasm damage. I also have no idea what weapons to use. I was thinking Scepter/Focus since I can get both the cooldown reducers for those weapons if I go Inspiration 30 and I hear a traited iWarden is very nice (for reflects I assume). Then either Sword/Pistol if I go 20 Dueling, using the sword clone to put on some vulnerability to increase phantasm damage or going Greatsword if I go 20 Domination for faster summon of AOE iBerzerker.

My main problem is that while I understand the basics behind the builds, there are a few things here and there I am not sure are most effective.

If you have a level 80 Mesmer, I doubt you’d be this confused…

I have just finished uploading my video guide for my condition tank build.

Maybe it can help you out with seeing how Staff builds come togeather…..

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/mesmer/Guide-Samski-s-Condition-Tank-Mesmer/first#post1608418

I’m not really confused. It’s more a matter of what is best. I know how builds can work, but don’t know what works better for the type of playstyle I am looking for.
It sounds like from your videos Samski, I should actually be going at least 15 dueling to add the poissibility of extra bleeds when clones crit. I could also go 20 and get deceptive evasion to shatter more often. I will seriously consider that.

If you are going Staff condition, forget the iWarlock; it won’t be as effective as a Staff Clone. +CondDuration is not as helpful as it seems because it has no effect on Illusions, which is where about 33% of your DPS comes from. If you plan to Shatter often, 25 Illusion would give you more CondDmg than 25 Chaos. 20 Dueling, as far as I’m concerned, is mandatory so you can spam Clones, plus you want Sharper Images for more DPS.

A good base for a Staff condition Mesmer would be 0/20/20/0/20, with 10 points to spend as you will. The best place to put those 10 points would be in Chaos, Inspiration or Illusions.

Interesting. I was thinking most of our stats transferred to illusions, and wasn’t aware that condduration wouldn’t affect them. Forgetting the iWarlock completely is odd, but I can see how that would help if you are focused on condition damage, since the clones could stack conditions faster and that’s where my damage is.
Thanks for the input.

Ramiah.5648:

Interesting. I was thinking most of our stats transferred to illusions, and wasn’t aware that condduration wouldn’t affect them. Forgetting the iWarlock completely is odd, but I can see how that would help if you are focused on condition damage, since the clones could stack conditions faster and that’s where my damage is.
Thanks for the input.

To my knowledge the iWarlock stacks with Power currently too, with a condition build you wont be having much power to pump its DPS, I usualy spawn it just for the first shatter then only respawn it when needed to get a 3rd illusion up.