Guild Wars 2

I think either 10/30/0/0/30 or 10/30/0/30/0 with Phantasm build will do the most damage in dungeons. But which one is better or rather what are the pros and cons?

I know the Illusion build will give you more sustain damage and distortion on demand, while the Inspiration gives a lot more utility and more instant burst damage and more HP hence survivability

And also, sword vs pistol for offhand?

When “dungeons” includes fotm too – definitly 10/30/0/30/0. Also in general reflection beats everything. Or utility in general. As mesmer your damage is secondary. Inspiration trait in my option.

Also I really disklike the pistol, since the sword grants you much more benefits. It does more DpS, it wont miss, it has a piercing line daze, its automaticly traited with 20 points. So I also recommend to go 20/20/0/30/0 if it fits your personal playstyle. See this thread btw:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/mesmer/New-to-Mesmer-and-GW2-Help-Please/first#post3168284

check out the 4th, 6th and 8th post – all from me

hope i could help ^^ greez

I should focus more on utility than damage then? Ok thanks

No you shouldn’t. But I would do it

Xyonon.3987:

No you shouldn’t. But I would do it :D

I’m confused :(

Straight damage is always best. But a few percent sacrifice for more reflect is almost certainly worth it. Unless you know you’re running with guardians that have reflect locked down, you will actually be doing more damage (most of the time) with a nice set of reflect utilities. 10/30/0/30/0, with sword/focus and sword/X, is highly preferred for this reason.

Take a look at this post: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/dungeons/How-to-play-a-Mesmer-in-dungeons/page/2#post3167872 to get some very valuable tips.

After December 10th its going to be 10/20/0/25/15.

Butter.3024:

Xyonon.3987:

No you shouldn’t. But I would do it

I’m confused

I just want to say that I play like this but you don’t have to. I recommend it but you have to figure out what works best for yourself. Everyone is individual

TooBz.3065:

After December 10th its going to be 10/20/0/25/15.

I will never understand why one can spend points in Illusion trait :S It just won’t fit with my playstyle

Butter.3024:

I think either 10/30/0/0/30 or 10/30/0/30/0 with Phantasm build will do the most damage in dungeons. But which one is better or rather what are the pros and cons?

I know the Illusion build will give you more sustain damage and distortion on demand, while the Inspiration gives a lot more utility and more instant burst damage and more HP hence survivability

And also, sword vs pistol for offhand?

Between those two I’d say 10/30/0/30/0 was better since it lets you pick up support traits from inspiration. Ignore anyone who tells you to stick 20 points in to domination, there’s nothing worth taking at 20. Ideally you will have both pistol and sword off hands but if you need to swap one out for focus then I’d say it really depends. Against trash mobs swap sword out since magic bullet is nice for taking pressure off the team if they are elite mobs, but against bosses the block is nice on sword 4 so it might be better to use off hand sword. Experiment yourself though, if I broke down every major example and what weapon to use I’d probably break the letter cap on posts.

Dominion 15 is pretty strong imo and instead of wasting the last 5 points somewhere I better invest them into 20 for a semigood trait. Thats also the reason why I personally just use the sword. It’s harder to use but with dom. 15 it’s more rewarding than the pistol because of its line daze. However I just can agree what colesy says: 10/30/0/30/0 and traiting pistol won’t make it worth going for dom. 15+ and vice versa.

Offtopic: I already tought you stopped playin, deleted your account or died colesy Where have you been? ^^

Xyonon.3987:

Dominion 15 is pretty strong imo and instead of wasting the last 5 points somewhere I better invest them into 20 for a semigood trait. Thats also the reason why I personally just use the sword. It’s harder to use but with dom. 15 it’s more rewarding than the pistol because of its line daze. However I just can agree what colesy says: 10/30/0/30/0 and traiting pistol won’t make it worth going for dom. 15+ and vice versa.

Offtopic: I already tought you stopped playin, deleted your account or died colesy Where have you been? ^^

Two week suspension because somebody in this sub forum reported me. Don’t worry, I’m not like completely bitter and frustrated or anything. Regarding the domination points, you could roll 15/30/0/10/15 post patch to pick up IC and dazzling which would be fine but I can’t think of any other case where you would really want more than 10 points unless you were purposely just trying to waste points. For x/30/ I’d say it’s probably worth swapping pistol training with that damage per mantra trait if there’s no utility skills worth taking for a specific encounter.

Haters gonna hate eh? Well – welcome back^^

I was on this “journy” too with the 15/30/0/10/15. Back then I tested +4% mantra damage vs mantra heal and surprisingly the mantra heal won. It’s really incredible 2k heal aoe and I couldn’t image something better togeter with Mantra of Pain especially vs mobs like Subject Alpha. I also saved plenty of kitten from Mossman, it’s a great heal I really underestimated it.
To cut the long story short: I prefer 30 in inspiration over everything else. The traits there are just too powerful to ignore – my opinion / my playstyle ^^.
So I became 15/20/0/25/10 first, to have the illusion damage, then I realized I could simply give myself a bit power and 2 new traits so I went to 20/20/0/30/0. It reflects my playstile perfectly, but I’m sure I’m gonna test some illusion trating post patch

Xyonon.3987:

15 it’s more rewarding than the pistol because of its line daze.

Sword #4 is 900, Pistol #5 is 1200. Pistol bullet will bounce around while Sword won’t since it’s only a straight line projectile. Pistol is much better for pulling mobs for a LoS tactic. All it requires is one block/evade for iSwordsman to fail where iDuelist has 8 attempts/projectiles. If mob is running around iSwordsman will run around chasing the guy while iDuelist will keep unloading as long as he’s within 1200. Also, because of this I can summon iDuelist in safe spots without worrying about them coming too close and getting killed. On paper sword offhand might sound better while in reality pistol is much more practical and reliable. This is why I much prefer pistol offhand than the sword.

Don’t get me wrong, I still do use sword offhand and it’s good weapon but only in specific situations such as lupi in Arah where that extra block can be a difference between living or dying.

0/30/0/25/15 after next patch should be meta actually.

frifox.5283:

Xyonon.3987:

Sword with Dom 15 is more rewarding than the pistol because of its line daze.

Sword #4 is 900, Pistol #5 is 1200. Pistol bullet will bounce around while Sword won’t since it’s only a straight line projectile. Pistol is much better for pulling mobs for a LoS tactic. All it requires is one block/evade for iSwordsman to fail where iDuelist has 8 attempts/projectiles. If mob is running around iSwordsman will run around chasing the guy while iDuelist will keep unloading as long as he’s within 1200. Also, because of this I can summon iDuelist in safe spots without worrying about them coming too close and getting killed. On paper sword offhand might sound better while in reality pistol is much more practical and reliable. This is why I much prefer pistol offhand than the sword.

Don’t get me wrong, I still do use sword offhand and it’s good weapon but only in specific situations such as lupi in Arah where that extra block can be a difference between living or dying.

• A straight line projectile can hit infinite targets.
• The projectile is also pretty wide, not what it looks like.
• 1200 range? For what? In groups you’re gonna pull the mobs anyway together with the focus, solo they run straight to you. They are in a line in both cases. And since you are melee (I really hope you are) the range really doesnt matter.
• Its a block AND (or) a daze while the pistol has an interrupt only. Not flexible, no “oh kitten” protection.
• I said with dom. 15 it’s more rewarding. I just can’t take you serious if you say a stun → daze → blind is better than a line daze with 5-8 stacks vulnerability for 10 sec. I just can’t.
• The block thing makes sense. Howver on the other hand it deals its full damage at once and can’t be killed during dealing it’s damage.
• If mobs are running around the swordsman will hit the pistol will go in range and start shooting and misses everything if the target moves away a bit more.
• “safe” spot is something that is too sitational to define. The swordsman moves around, the duelist doesn’t. This can either be good or bad for a defense. However the swordsman never stays melee.

The mention it once again. Traited pistol makes it pretty ok. However either traited or untraited, the sword has more benefits from Dom 15 and this was my message.

I won’t argue with the bullet points you posted since it’s obviously a matter of opinion and experience so we probably won’t agree anyway. The last one I do agree on though, if I don’t have pistol traited then it’s hard to justify not swapping in a sword instead. The trait is what makes pistol better than sword for me. A weapon with one of the best phantasms, near instant single target shutdown skill, and a 1200 range aggro tool even if mobs are spread out.

It’s not like I don’t use the pistol my friend. But I went away from it, slowly. I used it all the time but after I’ve realized that there are better traits especially for the ultra waisted 25 in duelling I’ve just … put it “away”. With sword traiting you simply trait your main and offhand and don’t have to invest any more. I won’t give away dominion 15 at all costs. So I kinda forced my self into this.

But why do you need a 1200 range aggro tool even if they are speard thing? o.O

Standard for organized groups will remain 10/30/0/20/10.

There is no "standard". Ppl call their own build "meta" to feel protected against arguments.
Also 10/30/0/20/10 is definitly not meta, nor a good desicion to build *imo*. It seems like a sword/sword + sword/pistol build? Also I guess it’s supporting phantasms. So why throw away +17.25% phantasm damage and +2% damage and if well played plenty of vulnerability for ... +3% - +9% damage for yourself?
Since I won’t be able to earn your thrust anyway... Nevermind.

Think you will find most people in rT/DnT/HC/LoD will continue to use 10/30/0/20/10 in most situations. So yeah it will still be the standard build even if you disagree with it.

Would be very interesting to be honest :o Just for fun, I’m gonna ask every mesmer what his/her build is Huehue statistics ftw xD

Go ahead. Id be curious to find the results. My claim is based on the discussions ive had with a few people within those guilds. But i could be wrong.

The arguement seems to be that the personal dps loss is not worth the extra phantasm dps because of how unreliable phantasms are in most fights. Empowering mantras, compounding power and 10 in domination are pretty important for personal dps and reflects.

Well as for me I go 20/20/0/30/0 and then 100 power are about 4% damage. If I daze something with sword 4, F3, or mantra there is a global +5% for 10 sec. You can even start with 2 clones and F3 for 10% and if you interrupt even 13% or 16%. Most classes have to slowly build up vulnerability and the mesmer gives a nice starting stack up to the others got their stacks.

5% additional damage for 10 sec equals 15-20k damage in a party with 5 members. If you count this to the “personal” (passive) damage I bet it’s pretty even with the +3% – +9% from illu trait. Just that I also got a sexy additional +17.25% phantasm damage aswell a 3rd illusion trait wich can be even more useful than any damage source since (imo) utility >>> damage.

I could be wrong too about the “meta mesmer”. But now I want to know it

Xyonon.3987:

Well as for me I go 20/20/0/30/0 and then 100 power are about 4% damage. If I daze something with sword 4, F3, or mantra there is a global +5% for 10 sec. You can even start with 2 clones and F3 for 10% and if you interrupt even 13% or 16%. Most classes have to slowly build up vulnerability and the mesmer gives a nice starting stack up to the others got their stacks.

5% additional damage for 10 sec equals 15-20k damage in a party with 5 members. If you count this to the “personal” (passive) damage I bet it’s pretty even with the +3% – +9% from illu trait. Just that I also got a sexy additional +17.25% phantasm damage aswell a 3rd illusion trait wich can be even more useful than any damage source since (imo) utility >>> damage.

I could be wrong too about the “meta mesmer”. But now I want to know it

No, traiting the trash sword will never be meta and you should seriously consider cutting 5 in dom and 5 in inspiration for 10 in illusions or dueling. In regards to the topic at hand, I use 0/20/0/25/25 though I can definitely see the merit in 10/30/0/20/10 and post-patch 10/30/0/10/20 builds since it allows you to stack personal multiplicative damage modifiers which are far more consistent than phantasm damage modifiers. Of course, practical Mesmer dps is pretty awful anyway so they might as well not even exist when it comes to dungeons – slow at skipping, poor dps and replaceable utility does not a strong class make.

I never talked about traiting trashsword … but cutting is worth a try.

Xyonon.3987:

I also got a sexy additional +17.25% phantasm damage

Are you sure that the damage of empowered illusions + phantasmal strength is +17,25% and not +30%?

SteZ.2546:

Xyonon.3987:

I also got a sexy additional +17.25% phantasm damage

Are you sure that the damage of empowered illusions + phantasmal strength is +17,25% and not +30%?

No it’s +32.25%.

colesy.8490:

Xyonon.3987:

Well as for me I go 20/20/0/30/0 and then 100 power are about 4% damage. If I daze something with sword 4, F3, or mantra there is a global +5% for 10 sec. You can even start with 2 clones and F3 for 10% and if you interrupt even 13% or 16%. Most classes have to slowly build up vulnerability and the mesmer gives a nice starting stack up to the others got their stacks.

5% additional damage for 10 sec equals 15-20k damage in a party with 5 members. If you count this to the “personal” (passive) damage I bet it’s pretty even with the +3% – +9% from illu trait. Just that I also got a sexy additional +17.25% phantasm damage aswell a 3rd illusion trait wich can be even more useful than any damage source since (imo) utility >>> damage.

I could be wrong too about the “meta mesmer”. But now I want to know it

No, traiting the trash sword will never be meta and you should seriously consider cutting 5 in dom and 5 in inspiration for 10 in illusions or dueling. In regards to the topic at hand, I use 0/20/0/25/25 though I can definitely see the merit in 10/30/0/20/10 and post-patch 10/30/0/10/20 builds since it allows you to stack personal multiplicative damage modifiers which are far more consistent than phantasm damage modifiers. Of course, practical Mesmer dps is pretty awful anyway so they might as well not even exist when it comes to dungeons – slow at skipping, poor dps and replaceable utility does not a strong class make.

LOL well said.

In reality you’re better off just making a guardian or warrior for pve. Use your mesmer for WvW and solo roaming. Use a guardian for pve. You’ll be happier in the long run.

I doubt it. Since I like the playstyle of the mesmer and therefore it’s more fun to play a mesmer than anything else. I don’t know why you play this game, but if it’s not fun you desire i really start to understand your decisions.