Guild Wars 2

Grimms, that finish at the end of 1/14/13 Video. . . LOL I did that the other day, but by accident. I hit my Phase Retreat to get out of an AoE while mid finisher and realized that my finisher was still going, I looked down, saw Blink and was like, sure why not?! WHAM! Oh the poor guy on the ground had to have been so mad.

Glad you run a non glass cannon build too, I’d been running something with slightly more Crit damage and less toughness for awhile to good effect. The toughness though looks to be pretty good, might have to swap out some pieces for Knights pieces.

Awesome new vid Seven, love the finish! hahaha

@ Seven, Wery impressive, So glad you do this for the community, your finess and timing is superb and I like that you never panic, you wait out the cd,s of the stealth to close to exact before autoattack and let the clones do their work. I know how hard it it to not hit that low hp player just cause you “might” get him down and by that waste 1-2 sec of stealth. Cheers.

/Osicat

Delofakitten & Kazhiel,

Thanks, yeah that finisher is boss. I’ve used it on so many guardians, as long as you have blink up when the guardian is low on health, you’re good to go, because of the short cooldown from our phase retreat.

Osicat,

Thank you for kind words, ma’am. You have inspired so much of my play style, and I have learned a TON from watching you. I agree about the timing. The Mesmer is so reaction based, that it requires those split second decisions and proper setup. You make it look easy. I have also learned a lot from Andromeda from [ENVY] on the FC server. Hands down the best mesmer I’ve come across.

Now… about the finisher…
Let’s hope we don’t get a bunch of guardian’s complaining… :/

@Seven, I have to admit that more toughness + vitality is superb these days in WvW especially when your server is higher rank and everyone is running in zerg. This guide is superb but if you could modify your first post and summarize a little bit I guess many people will appreciate that.
THX m8

- never mind, I can’t read. Great vids!

maniakos.7916:

@Seven, I have to admit that more toughness + vitality is superb these days in WvW especially when your server is higher rank and everyone is running in zerg. This guide is superb but if you could modify your first post and summarize a little bit I guess many people will appreciate that.
THX m8

Added current build info and gear. Good idea!

Rune of Air would synergize well with this.

I noticed that it looks like you have 25 stacks of Precision so I am assuming you equip a weapon (or multiple weapons) with Sigil of Precision prior?

I gotta say you are the best mesmer i have seen. Keep up the good work and inspire more players. You are like a shining beacon of awesome bright purple light for mesmers everywhere. Hahaha. Seriously, awesome job recording and posting the videos. I’m even amazed you could comment while dueling an ele (and dealing with a necro and engi on top of that). Will surely follow this thread from now on. More power to you and God bless.

OliverJustin.8934:

I’m even amazed you could comment while dueling an ele (and dealing with a necro and engi on top of that).

I thought the same thing. I’m like tunnel vision when combat starts… That’s probably one of the reasons he’s on top of his game, he doesn’t panic or waste cooldowns spamming all his available abilities at the same time. When I’m outnumbered I get a little rushed and find that I burn though too many things at once leaving me trying to stay alive while I should be keeping a few tricks up my sleeve to pressure on the target(s).

Becoming good means you can perform the basic mechanics by reflex against average opponents.

You only have to apply your mind when fighting a good opponent or thinking about larger fight strategy.

EasymodeX,

You are absolutely right about the rune of air, that would lay on some extra damage for sure! Everytime I put on my set with the air runes I just get frustrated with how short the swiftness is… :P Centaur runes kinda spoiled me I presume.

Also, very insightful on the reflex type game-play you mentioned. The reason I can talk (fairly well) or plan out a strategy while fighting is this. Practice. Thats all. :P

I’m sure many of you will agree, but it’s almost like the skill cooldowns are running in my head (if I like it or not) and you just “know” when another skill is ready, even on a different weapon set. More than anything, though, is I watch what is around me. Probably the most important thing to me is being aware of my surroundings, so I don’t get run over by a group I never saw coming. Often, I will be face tanking one opponent, but using my blinks, dodges, and phase retreats in reaction to the three people swinging behind me. (Turn on Free Camera in your general options!)

Also, I keep a close eye on health and conditions. If I’m fighting a group and all of a sudden I notice a big chunk gets taken, I know a heavy hitter has joined the fight, and adjust accordingly.

Xavi,

Yeah I have a few different weapon sets with bloodlust, or accuracy. I switch them up often, depending on what I’m trying to do. So yes sir, good eye bro.

OliverJ,

Hey thank you brother, I am not the best by any stretch of the imagination, but I am getting a better handle on the Mesmer. I have come up against some amazing people, some probably even in this thread! Thanks for following me man, it means a lot.

Mike T,

The fact the you go tunnel vision shows your focus, which I wouldn’t dub a bad thing. It just shows that you dial in! Try to dial in on everything around you… make that tunnel vision just as wide as your monitor is all that’s left, affectively drowning out the nagging wife/gf, co-worker’s, and general real life responsibilities and presto! You got it!

And one more thing to remember, that I think we as Mesmer’s neglect. The third attack on our main-hand sword strips a boon. One more time. Third attack. Strips a boon… it’s so good. You don’t always want to use a leap to blurred frenzy. Especially on a fleeing opponent who has swiftness up. Lock them in place with leap, then start the sword swings and lead them a bit. You will peal off swiftness!

Hi thanks for posting a wonderful guild, it makes wanna try out Mesmer as my first playing profession. I am super noob here just bought the game few days ago and turned level 11 today, wondering what slot skills or Elite should be useful in your build? Can you give some advice for super newbie like me? Appreciate it!!!

empty.2365:

Hi thanks for posting a wonderful guild, it makes wanna try out Mesmer as my first playing profession. I am super noob here just bought the game few days ago and turned level 11 today, wondering what slot skills or Elite should be useful in your build? Can you give some advice for super newbie like me? Appreciate it!!!

I would recommend Mirror Images, Blink, and Decoy with Mass Invisibility for WvW Roaming. All of your utilities and the elite’s are situational, though, so you will want to change them often.

Hey Grimms, you still running 0/20/20/0/30 or 0/20/30/0/20 from your original post? What traits are you finding the most beneficial?

I am currently running the 0/20/30/0/20, using the traits I listed. Although, I change around the build often. I’m curious to see what kind of AoE changes they are implementing on the 28th. If anything drastic happens, be sure that we will adapt accordingly.

how do you manage to get that much HP? buff food? can’t get above 17k hp..

thanks for all your input on playing as a mesmer. (even though it’s hard in germany to watch all your videos because of the music)

Great video! I just rolled a Mesmer two days ago after witnessing some amazing Mesmers in WvW. Glad to know I can still be a tank.

I’ve also seen you here and there in WvW. Next time, I’ll be sure to stalk you.

Great WvWvW videos!

Maybe I’m just lazy but what do you run when you do PvE? Do you respec / wear different gear or just swap some traits and do dungeons etc?

Manudiao,

You are probably seeing food + WvW buffs. I’ve also replaced two pieces of gear with p/t/v. I apologize about the music hampering your video viewing. :< Maybe I can get some custom tunes, or artist agreement for the next one.

Gisei,

Awesome! Welcome aboard. If you whisper me in game I’ll be happy to run with you. And it looks like you are an alt-aholic, lol.

Blest,

Thanks! For PvE I just switch some traits around, or if it is a serious run, retrait. Alas, this build shines brightest in WvW settings.

Seven, what pieces did you switch for p/t/v?

lol@ alt aholic comment. I’ve tried making alts but never get far with them, love my Mesmer too much haha

Jalliel,

Switched out head and shoulders, for a better shampoo. :>

Oh having a dandruff problem. Hopefully within the next few weeks I can upgrade my trinkets (which currently don’t amount to much lol) and then see if I want to push stats one way or the other. You’ve probably got enough precision and crit% from your fancy trinkets you would still get plenty of crits for vigor buff and losing more precision on armor wouldn’t matter.

Hey Seven! May I ask why you decided to add more Soldier’s armor? Is it just for the extra vitality and because you could afford to give up some precision? Looking forward to more videos!

Yo Edo,

Yeah exactly that. Keeping the crit chance high is important, but after running numbers I found that the extra vitality does wonders in WvW zerg AoE. Being able to stand up where others fall. Once the Ascended Amulet’s come out (bye bye Triforge pendant… :/) I will most likely shift around more gear as well.

Hey there! I’ve been following this thread for a some time now, keep up the great work, you have tons of skill and some neat ideas.

I can’t wait to get my new pc gear, I just can’t do things as fast with the bit of delay I have on my cliente right now haha
Would you mind posting your stats (a/t/v/p/c-dmg/c-chance/etc)?
I’m still trying to find a spot where I get crit chance/crit damage enough but don’t lack much on vit.
Also, do you know the exact number that equates to 1% chance of crit? I heard 21 points = 1% chance, but I’m not sure.

@ Grimms,

thanks for sharing this build, respecced this morning in gear and traits like the way you have it. I was a GS + Sword pistol zerker + valkyre. But after some hours training I must say i am impressed, survivability high. damage output less but still effective. All with all nice that you where willing to share this with us. just between you and me, didn’t die once, for the whole time playing.

Cool stuff, I really enjoyed your videos. I’m running a full zerker GS + Sword/Focus or Sword/Pistol right now, but this is making me contemplate things.

Dan,

Hey main. My stats change so often I really couldn’t shoot you a straight answer. If you put together the gear I had listed and the build you’re looking at 3ksih attack, 2.9k armour, 41% crit chance with a 71% crit damage.

Opacus,

Nice man glad you’re jumping on the survivability movement. You can still dish out damage, just have to find ways to squeeze out extra power/crit! Nice job staying on your feet.

Dokyo,

Glad you are enjoying the vids. I love being able to stand up in a crowd. I find myself outnumbered so often that it is fast becoming necessity.

Update [01/25/13]

Heres some team play with guildies for anyone interested, mixed some things up as I like to stay flexible.

Hey Seven,
It’s always a pleasure running into you in WvW. I feel much more secure when outnumbered with a player like you on my side. I look forward to seeing how your build develops in the future.
Cheers,

Flo.2167:

Hey Seven,
It’s always a pleasure running into you in WvW. I feel much more secure when outnumbered with a player like you on my side. I look forward to seeing how your build develops in the future.
Cheers,

PSH I’m the one that feels secure when I see FKM. You rock.

loving ur build and style!!! i went 10/20/10/0/30 to see how it goes…..I think I just need to get my gear up to be on par with you and shattercat style

Do you use Combat Mod with your setup? Looks kind of like you do.

Thanks for reminding me how much fun WvWing is with a mesmer Seven! It’s been way too long since I’ve WvWed with my mesmer. So methinks you’ll be seeing a bit more of Lusnatuis in our WvW maps soon.

Also what are some of those keybinds? Like your main auto attack looks like it’s bound to the hyphen key, do you just have it set to auto cast so that you don’t need to worry about it? Also curious about your dodge key.

SamStar,

Awesome bro, very interesting build!

Manoa,

Good deal, I’ll be looking for Lusnatuis out on the battle field.

Sazdek,

I don’t use Combat Mod, as targeting nearest enemy with Capslock is my preffered method of targeting. I had to google Combat Mod to see what it was.

q = heal
e = util 1
r = util 2
alt + e = util 3
alt + r = elite

wad = movement (i’ve unbound the “s” key, I always do this, because backpeddling is a no no, it’s like putting a cripple on yourself, and is the slowest form of movement.)

s = mindwrack
z = distortion
x = diversion
c = cry of frustration

scroll mouse wheel forward = attack 1
scroll mouse wheel backwards = dodge
mouse button 2 = attack 2
mouse button 3 = attack 3
mouse button 4 = attack 4
mouse button 5 = attack 5
mouse wheel click = switch weapons

tab = target
capslock = select nearest target (very important)

Also as a note, I always have Free Camera checked in options, so I can look behind me and still use skills without the camera auto panning to the front if I let go of the mouse.

Question about some gear and there stats.
While I still use some jewels based on toughness and vitality, I am missing a real chunk of critical chance and crit damage.

Atm I use 1 berserker neck, 2 rings based on power/toughness from fract.
and some carrion earrings.

While having my weapons and gear on Knights stats, my crit rate is 34% with 37% crit damage with this. So i am doing something wrong i think, because you have double that crit damage stat. So where is this going wrong?

To replace some earrings etc will not realy give the crit chance boost to 72%
Please can you look where things can be better for me.

thx in advance.

How in the hell did you bind mouse scrolls to abilities? Macro with mouse software?

Sazdek,

I’ve bound the scroll (forward and backward) to keypad 8 and keypad 2, respectively, in my Razor mouse software. Then in game, bound attack one to Keypad 8, dodge to Keypad 2. Macro-ing is a no no in the user agreement, but since they are bound to a single key stroke, it doesn’t fall under the definition of a macro. One key press, one skill use.

Opacus,

Hey bud sorry you’re missing some stats! If you check the first post I list the gear I’m using. Perhaps you don’t have Ruby upgrades in your trinkets?

Ah ok that’s kind of what I figured. I use a Logitech G700 gaming mouse that uses setpoint software, unlike razer however it doesn’t allow remapping of the scroll up/down. So I guess I’ll have to find alternative means until Anet implements remapping of scroll wheel.

Thx for the response,

Yep there is my flaw, i will do the recheck

Inspiring stuff, thanks Seven!

Can I ask what your decision process is for when to shatter and when not to shatter?

Oellph,

You sure can! Basically it goes “Oh kitten they see me -shatter-” :P

I look at it a few different ways. If I’m running a phantasm build with little points into illusions, then I don’t shatter often. If I have no phantasms up, and am in sword/torch, I shatter then. If an opponent is closing in on me, and I think they are going to blow some cooldowns, I’ll do a cry of frustration. I save the diversion shatter for when I see a class channeling a heal. Some classes are really easy to interupt if you know what to look for. The ele has a pretty animated heal process, for instance.

I also hang on to diversion when I am going to rez an ally. I do a sword 3 to the target enemy that has just downed an opponent. I then run to the ally, don’t leap, and begin rezzing. When the opponent goes to stomp the ally, then hit diversion. Simplified if you have illusionary persona…

One thing that I rarely do, is do a shatter that leaves me lonely… Meaning, always make sure you have enough endurance to generate a clone on dodge, or you have your skills off cooldown that generate clones, before a shatter. You want them back up and ready to rock immediately.

Grimms/Seven:

I’ve been playing with your build for about 5 days now, and wanted to point out one variation of your core build that I’m really liking a lot. Basically, its your gearing and your traits, but with the following differences:

1. Focus instead of Torch.
2. The Adept slot in Illusions is the II trait (Cry of Frustration grants Retaliation) instead of the I trait (+10% crit chance on Mind Wrack)
3. Elite skill is Time Warp instead of Mass Invisiblity.

What you give up versus what you gain instead:

Give up:

A. Two stealths. But they’re short stealths, honestly, that won’t save your bacon but will only let you stay irksome for a few moments longer before you need to staff2 away or Blink away and get distance to staff from range for a bit. Yes, I know this is fundamental to your playstyle and build intent but for many of us, we spend 80% of our time in zerg vs zerg frontline attrition fights, not out roaming and harrassing small groups. Those two extra stealths aren’t that useful in ZvZ attrition contests.

B. 40% crit on Mind Wrack instead of 50% crit. That’s a very small difference IMO. Not much of a loss.

That’s it. That’s all you give up.

Gain:

A. Effectively full-time Retaliation with the right combos. Yes, nearly 100% uptime. See PyroAthiest’s [Guide] The Immortal Mesmer build for details. This works fine even with your traiting and my adjustment to the Adept slot in Illusions.

B. Full-time swiftness. Between your 6x Centaur runes and swiftness from Temporal curtain, you will never run at normal speed. Ever.

C. Torch5 pops the phantasm too far from the target, IMO, making it less reliable for quick shatters. Focus5 pops the phantasm right on top of the target.

D. Time Warp is handy every time your zerg front line is evenly matched at a choke point and a little more “oomph” will help turn the tide in your favor to break through or push them back. Or rout them completely. Time Warp is a serious tide-turner for your entire front line.

Give it a try. You don’t even have to retrait to try it out. Just grab a focus and practice the two combos that give you 14 seconds of Retaliation (each) back-to-back. The curtain > leap > swap combo is pretty easy to get down smooth.

Shaktiboi,

I haven’t used the traits listed for some time, but only as a primer for others and a solid foundation to build on. It looks like you have done just that! Very nice info listed in your post, and I thank you for the time you spent showing me the pro’s and con’s. Very cool bro.

Unfortunately, I run in a very small team, vs. a very large zerg. The core of my playstyle is being able to break the target of the 4 or 5 other people that I am not focused on bringing down. If a stealth is only a nano second long, it still does it’s job of breaking the target lock of a group of people, forcing them to target me again among clones. I’m sure it doesn’t sound that impressive here on paper, but as I work inside the T5 kill’s within WvW, it has fast become necessity for how I play this game. Outnumbered.

The focus can be such an amazing weapon, pull, and interrupt if used right! I carry one around always. I started with a focus when I first began playing a mesmer, such a great tool to use.

I am currently in a hybrid phantasm build at the moment, using a scepter off hand sword, sword and off hand torch, shown in my latest vid. I love using crazy builds and have probably exhausted every combination of traits and weapons.

I love what you have done here though, and the info you are giving is really clean. You are spot on. Your build modifications that you have introduced would be 100% more effective in Zerg vs Zerg type situations. So my hats off, thank you for posting and showing another great example of how versatile the Mesmer is. Well done, sir!

Hi Seven,

Thanks for sharing this build!!! I’ve done some WvW tonight on this and had an awesome time. I run with 6 x Air Runes (the lighting strike proc is really quite nice), Sw/P + Sceptre/Torch, I just really like having the CC from the off-hand pistol (since most people run from me) and I’m not convinced an off-hand sword is just for me yet :P

I use Decoy/Mirror Image/Blink and Mass Invis for my utils/elite. I had a blast with this tonight, I really did. Even though the stealth is only a short duration, it does enough to break lock on me and confuse the people chasing me. Or give me breathing space to get a clutch heal off, I love it!

Highlights have been winning a 3v1 Solo capping a supply camp with a necro trying to defend it and managing to escape from 2 x Thieves who were harassing our poor dolys :P

Thanks for taking the time to post these builds/videos, looking forward to more of your exploits!

Loco,

Sounds like you are tearing it up man, very cool. I like that weapon combination you are using, too. Very interesting combination.

Hey… if Ozi Shattercat build is stickied why this one hasnt?? I want a Seven Mirror stiky!
Btw, nice work Grimms

Fear the Mesmer~!