Guild Wars 2

Gaiawolf.8261:

@dank:
I’m using a very similar trait loadout and gear set, but I have less focus on phantasms. Basically, 0/20/20/20/10 with +3% damager per illusion and Blade Training instead of phant fury since I run both MH and OH sword.

I found that since I started using this build, I don’t shatter very often and almost always have +9% damage. I never liked relying on pet damage, but I guess that’s more of a personal choice. It would allow more of my damage to be automated which would be nice though, so I may have to try that out. Still, I love BF on 8s CD.

One question though. You say you use food to offset lack of condition removal, but it looks like you have Mender’s Purity. Do you find that is not enough? Seem like another food would be more valuable, and you can always go MoRecovery w/RM in a clutch.

Well I do like Blade Training and swap it in every now and then but I find that with the way the CD’s work and how often I’m swapping back and forth it synergizes well without it. But the main reason I pick Phantasmal Fury instead is because I want to guarantee my iSwordsman crits, that Phantasm is very good especially against thieves..

I have the same experience, I RARELY shatter if I do it’s either a Mindwrack on someone I’m sure that will be finished off by it, or a distortion shatter to spike someone. I really want to keep my sword phant up, it’s a major source of my damage (I always open with that skill btw).

Menders Purity only removes one condition every 20 seconds which is usually fine for a 1v1 or maybe even 1v2, but when your jumping into 1v5’s like I do on a regular basis you tend to acquire a lot of conditions.. Things like chill/cripple etc can really cramp your style. If you aren’t worried about conditions then I would probably take omnomberry ghost(which I do sometimes), a very good food, either that or the one that boosts power by 100(i forget it’s name).

I have 2 main gripes about Scepter/Torch (this is from a sPvP perspective, I don’t PvE much so there may or may not be issues in those areas of the game):

1) The devs stated in beta they wanted it to be a condition-based, defensive weapon. Yet currently it actually dishes out more damage in power/crit-based builds, and in no way shape or form is it a defensive weapon as the #3 skill functions much better as a DPS-skill with a block trigger than anything else.

2) I’m unsure why Torch is channeled, and why it is blind → burn. The initial blind isn’t worth all that much since even if you swing at air it wipes the condition off you, and guess what you’re stealthed anyway.

What the devs should do:

1) Scepter – align the intended design of the weapon with its actual abilities. Right now condition-based Mesmers are severely underpowered, and a true defensive, condition-based 1h’er is much needed.

It’s difficult to say what exactly is needed since this will require a total rework of all 3 of the Scepter’s skills, but given that the Mesmer lacks the cover conditions necessary to combat cleanses I think the focus should be on the shorter, higher burst conditions like burning and confusion. This would fill a needed niche in the current meta as well (a bursty condi-based class). I think a good baseline to work with would be an auto-attack that applies confusion, a DPS-oriented ability that applied burning, and then lastly a true defensive-oriented ability (such as a channeled block). Also either the DPS or defensive-oriented ability would create clone somehow.

2) Torch – It should apply burn on activation and then blind upon return. The blind upon return makes much better sense as it would now is useful since you are no longer stealthed. Also they should remove the channel and just make the unstealth portion an activated secondary trigger so you can perform actions while stealthed. I also think iMage cooldown also needs to be brought into line with the rest of the Phantasms. It’s kind of ironic how the weakest Phantasm also has the longest cooldown.

3) Illusionary Elasticity – They need to make this trait affect iMage and Staff clones.

If they do these 3 things then I believe condi-based Mesmers could be viable in high-level sPvP.

@EasymodeX: That’s interesting. A rampagers stat gear with that sort of build might be interesting. I have a bit of a skewed perspective with guardians though, as they are the easiest matchup (other than a flamethrower engie) for my build, because they do so much weak aoe. I’ve seen them literally 80-0 on a single whirling wrath purely from retaliation damage.

I was considering Rampager, but I wanted the Vit from Carrion; something to test for sure. The might stacks from Illu25 would supplement the raw pow/cdmg somewhat.

The issue is that sPvP Rampager has really low condition damage (PvE Rampager has mid-level cdmg, although it has no Vit). Even with extra might, you’re really losing a lot of cdmg with Rampager from Carrion.

I like using the Guardian example because most people complain about bunker Guards.

EasymodeX.4062:

I was considering Rampager, but I wanted the Vit from Carrion; something to test for sure. The might stacks from Illu25 would supplement the raw pow/cdmg somewhat.

The issue is that sPvP Rampager has really low condition damage (PvE Rampager has mid-level cdmg, although it has no Vit). Even with extra might, you’re really losing a lot of cdmg with Rampager from Carrion.

I like using the Guardian example because most people complain about bunker Guards.

Ah, right. I always forget that they screwed around with stat distributions for no apparent reason in sPvP gear.

Okay. . . so I spent the entire past 2 days maxing my Artificing so I could make a Scepter that I would use for WvW. I will say this much, I really didn’t think I was going to like it. . . but I do, I’ve said it before and I will say it again I don’t think it’s a great weapon. In many ways, I actually still hate it, but it is quite effective at what it does in my build. In fact, coupled with a Pistol it can make for some fun plays and an interesting chain burst that people tend to just fall into it, and failing that just swap weapons and throw them around with my focus (which I never run without).

Scepter now has a place in my heart, it’s much better than I gave it credit. That said I’m still pretty certain that I like Staff a touch better for solo roaming. . . if someone gives me issues with my build I can just run away with a combination of good timing and proper playing.

There are still issues with Scepter like the fact that it’s not a very flexible weapon with no finishers or fields to make use of, skills that do not benefit team play as much, and just an overall lack of coherency to the feel of the #1 attack. I don’t let the clones come out unless they have managed to kill everything of higher value and I’m trying to save endurance for a dodge on an attack. That isn’t terribly often to be honest.

Here’s the benefits. . . it gives me 3 options of offhands that give me various different things that I REALLY wanted to use for a long time now. First I wanted to be able to use my pistol again, I can because I have a scepter in main hand now (other set has a sword/focus). Scepter also allows me to swap over to a sword off hand which I’ve missed for some time as well and it’s really nifty to walk into all those AoEs with blocks just to proc their abilities. Lastly it let me try out Torch, which of all the options available definitely felt the most lackluster for my current build, but would have to be amazing with 30 points in Chaos or some points in Domination, which I will try at a later date.

Thanks for this thread. . . after almost a half a year of hating the scepter I can now say I actually like it and hate it in equal portions now!

Skyro.3108:

It’s difficult to say what exactly is needed since this will require a total rework of all 3 of the Scepter’s skills, but given that the Mesmer lacks the cover conditions necessary to combat cleanses I think the focus should be on the shorter, higher burst conditions like burning and confusion. This would fill a needed niche in the current meta as well (a bursty condi-based class). I think a good baseline to work with would be an auto-attack that applies confusion, a DPS-oriented ability that applied burning, and then lastly a true defensive-oriented ability (such as a channeled block). Also either the DPS or defensive-oriented ability would create clone somehow.

Not really. The problem with scepter is that it has one of two weapon abilities that stack confusion, but it’s only the one, channeled ability. It takes a lot of work to maintain even one stack of confusion during a fight. The other one is iMage, who always fires her rabbit off just after an attack, and the confusion wears off just before the next with a ~5s(?) cooldown.

Put confusion into the autoattack (and the clones), similar to the necro scepter with bleed, and mesmer scepter would be a hundred times more viable. Hell, condition builds for mesmer in general would be a hundred times more viable.

I use a mix of carrion, rampager’s and zerker. Full power builds felt a little weird to me, with so many of our skills about conditions, but full condition (rabid) just didn’t have any punch.

I don’t exactly like the scepter but since it is our only ranged onehand weapon, well …
On the other hand it has a block (which is good especially in wvw/pvp but not so in general pve (I know sometimes it helps with bosses and their easily seen attack animations for some powerful attacks)). But I still think a block on a ranged weapon is unnecessary. But I love scepter#3. In pve it’s decent damage (direct and confusion, even thought confusion is not very good in pve) and in wvw/pvp it’s awesome: There are two possibilities: the enemy uses one/two dodge rolls to negeate the damage but then your shatter hits him or the attack hits which makes, well, the attack hit.

Of course I would really like it if the scepter autoattack would be changed (something like necro) but I don’t think it will happen anytime soon.

Been using a scepter/sword sword/torch in WvW lately. And let me tell you. It is not something to be trifled with. Now if you are in a 1v1 duel against someone the #3 slot is okay at best. But if you are in a group fight and catch someone that is not watching you and you throw that confusion on them plus a CoF they are just doomed. Usually the confusion has stacked so high that by the time they realize its there they are downed. And the next area where scepter 3 shines is Tornado form Ele’s (brings them down in 2 seconds) and dagger storm thieves (same). If you are doing it right the secpter is definitely a force to be reckoned with. Now on to clone generation. Since most wvw/pvp folks like to mash buttons you generally have a guaranteed 2 blocks both of which do respectable damage when the clone is produced so this weapon set not only has the highest damage potential but the highest clone generation. That’s not to say that it doesn’t have flaws. It clearly does but it is not as terrible as everyone makes it out to be. And then we have sword/torch. This weapon set has good condi damage (vuln/blind/burn/confusion) and if you are going for an in yo face shatter right after you get an Image off it has confusion stacking comparable to the scepter. Now are these weapon sets perfect? No they have their place. But I really believe that if you want to be a condition damage mesmer try being a confusion condition damage mesmer. In pve its great if you can time things properly had risen mobs taking 3-4k damage just from confusion stacking. So don’t knock it completely. I still love my GS my staff my sword/focus and my sword/pistol. But this weapon combo is better than people give credit for.

Scepter is the worst weapon of any class in the game. Don’t try to make it sound as it was half decent telling people ‘i fund a way to use it and its awesome’ because ANY weapon works better.

Nuka Cola.8520:

Scepter is the worst weapon of any class in the game. Don’t try to make it sound as it was half decent telling people ‘i fund a way to use it and its awesome’ because ANY weapon works better.

To each his own and my opinion was about right in line with yours until I gave it a real shot and I’m not saying I am in love but I am saying that I think it is a good weapon that we can use.

Hammerguard.9834:

Lets all just agree that the only good weapons Mesmers have are staff and greatsword.

Pistol is probably the best offhand weapon of any class especially for pvp (magic bullet useless in pve)

Skill 1: Decreased Damage, first two attacks apply bleeding for 2.5sec, third attack summons a clone AT YOUR LOCATION and gives 1 stack of confusion for 3sec.

Skill 2: Replace dat **** completely

Skill 3: Decrease casting time by half OR make it aoe with a 300 radius.

Nuka Cola.8520:

Skill 2: Replace dat **** completely

‘Man you are crazy, don’t touch my iCounter or I shall scream.. Scepter/Sword is THE best thief troller there is.. Open with my iswordsman who hunts him like a rabid wolf, smack a confusing image on him as he try’s to stealth (they always do right now), throw up a sword block, oops no backstab and you took 5k, oops swordsman did 5k too, oops blocked your cnd attempt with scepter 2 and you are downed glass thief(or running in which case confusing images for the finisher, even if they try to stealth)..

YOU may think Scepter sucks, and that’s fine, but I enjoy it quite a bit as many others do. Sure it could use some minor adjustments but it definitely is not trash.

dank.3680:

Nuka Cola.8520:

Skill 2: Replace dat **** completely

‘Man you are crazy, don’t touch my iCounter or I shall scream.. Scepter/Sword is THE best thief troller there is.. Open with my iswordsman who hunts him like a rabid wolf, smack a confusing image on him as he try’s to stealth (they always do right now), throw up a sword block, oops no backstab and you took 5k, oops swordsman did 5k too, oops blocked your cnd attempt with scepter 2 and you are downed glass thief(or running in which case confusing images for the finisher, even if they try to stealth)..

YOU may think Scepter sucks, and that’s fine, but I enjoy it quite a bit as many others do. Sure it could use some minor adjustments but it definitely is not trash.

Phase retreat is much better thief troller. The problem with scepters skill 2 is, when you decide to blind a target it doesn’t summon a clone which means this is the ONLY weapon of all mesmer weapons that has no illusions unless you happen to block something. No able to generate a clone for needed shatter because X person isn’t attacking you is…………..

Nuka Cola.8520:

dank.3680:

Nuka Cola.8520:

Skill 2: Replace dat **** completely

‘Man you are crazy, don’t touch my iCounter or I shall scream.. Scepter/Sword is THE best thief troller there is.. Open with my iswordsman who hunts him like a rabid wolf, smack a confusing image on him as he try’s to stealth (they always do right now), throw up a sword block, oops no backstab and you took 5k, oops swordsman did 5k too, oops blocked your cnd attempt with scepter 2 and you are downed glass thief(or running in which case confusing images for the finisher, even if they try to stealth)..

YOU may think Scepter sucks, and that’s fine, but I enjoy it quite a bit as many others do. Sure it could use some minor adjustments but it definitely is not trash.

Phase retreat is much better thief troller. The problem with scepters skill 2 is, when you decide to blind a target it doesn’t summon a clone which means this is the ONLY weapon of all mesmer weapons that has no illusions unless you happen to block something. No able to generate a clone for needed shatter because X person isn’t attacking you is…………..

Not everyone plays in shatter builds ya know. It helps if you actually use the block, to you know, block an attack rather then just throwing it up willy nilly.. And, I can’t see myself using it just for the blind or a clone honestly,

dank.3680:

Nuka Cola.8520:

dank.3680:

Nuka Cola.8520:

Skill 2: Replace dat **** completely

‘Man you are crazy, don’t touch my iCounter or I shall scream.. Scepter/Sword is THE best thief troller there is.. Open with my iswordsman who hunts him like a rabid wolf, smack a confusing image on him as he try’s to stealth (they always do right now), throw up a sword block, oops no backstab and you took 5k, oops swordsman did 5k too, oops blocked your cnd attempt with scepter 2 and you are downed glass thief(or running in which case confusing images for the finisher, even if they try to stealth)..

YOU may think Scepter sucks, and that’s fine, but I enjoy it quite a bit as many others do. Sure it could use some minor adjustments but it definitely is not trash.

Phase retreat is much better thief troller. The problem with scepters skill 2 is, when you decide to blind a target it doesn’t summon a clone which means this is the ONLY weapon of all mesmer weapons that has no illusions unless you happen to block something. No able to generate a clone for needed shatter because X person isn’t attacking you is…………..

Not everyone plays in shatter builds ya know. It helps if you actually use the block, to you know, block an attack rather then just throwing it up willy nilly.. And, I can’t see myself using it just for the blind or a clone honestly,

Blinding befuddlement trait makes the scepter/torch combo easily stack confusion along with whatever shatters you use. The third auto attack on the scepter generates a clone. The Mesmer scepter is the only class that doesn’t need a target to do its chain so if you are fighting a stealthed thief and you do the third attack in chain a clone still pops as long as you are in combat. (the ONLY weapon/illusion skill that doesn’t require a target aside from clone on dodge). And Phase retreat is a good thief troller but phase retreat doesn’t do damage on the block. iCounter and iRiposte both do because they produce a clone that easily does over 1.5k damage each. I am not going to say the staff is garbage because it most def is not. And the scepter (can’t believe I’m saying this after months) is actually a good weapon not the best end all be all weapon for mesmers because a MH sword is usually present in most builds so that would be it. But a MH scepter is pretty darn good.