Guild Wars 2

Ok so this skill creates a phantasm when either you block or when the skill ends. If you block you basically get to use the same skill again. What I don’t understand is why youre given a phantasm when the skill ends. It feels like it should be on block only. Similar to how #4 on sword works. It’s kinda weird cause you can either wait the few seconds for your phantasm to spawn or have it spawn immediately by getting a block. I do like the skill but it seems a bit odd to me.

check the cd on this skill versus other phantasm. also staff phantasm is created without block, torch, sword etc.
an phantasm is created just by pressing

you meant create clone on block and not phantasm

Every mesmer weapon must have a skill that creates a phantasm, that’s just the way it is. Shield’s phantasm just so happen to land on a block skill, it doesn’t make it similar to sword 4 (which only gives clone).

Well what doesn’t make sense to me is why you’re given 2 opportunities to create a phantasm by either blocking, which spawns it sooner, or waiting till the skill ends which creates it later.

circuitnerd.5863:

Well what doesn’t make sense to me is why you’re given 2 opportunities to create a phantasm by either blocking, which spawns it sooner, or waiting till the skill ends which creates it later.

You get a block skill. The block summons a phantasm. If the block fails to initiate (lets say because the target refuses to attack) the phantasm summons at the end of the block channel. It summons the phantasm at the end of the block channel so that you still get your phantasm even if someone doesnt proc the block.

…its a fail safe.

circuitnerd.5863:

Well what doesn’t make sense to me is why you’re given 2 opportunities to create a phantasm by either blocking, which spawns it sooner, or waiting till the skill ends which creates it later.

You don’t choose to block, by the by, it either happens or doesn’t. The point of the skill is to intentionally be in a position to get hit and reduce the cast time to lower than that of a normal Phant summon, or just deal with the ridiculous “cast time”.

Basically, since every weapon set has a Phantasm tied to it (offhand or 2h), the Shields is also a block. Having a 1s block skill is extremely high skill floor and since it’s the first elite spec, ANet probably doesn’t want to make it difficult to use. The reason why I bring up 1s is because that’s the time it takes to cast a Phantasm.

The only way I can see this “pleasing everybody” is by giving it a “cancel skill” similar to almost all other blocks in the game, where you can instantly summon the Phantasm. This skill would either not have a cast time AND only be available after 1s of blocking, or have a 1s cast time and be usable instantly.

Tl;dr: It’s a block. That’s how blocks do.

every phantasm on power/condi build do great/good dmg . shield DONT! thats why we get 2 for the slow and alacrit

if we block we get 2 if we dont we get 1

also check the base cd of the shield

Esplen.3940:

Basically, since every weapon set has a Phantasm tied to it (offhand or 2h), the Shields is also a block. Having a 1s block skill is extremely high skill floor and since it’s the first elite spec, ANet probably doesn’t want to make it difficult to use. The reason why I bring up 1s is because that’s the time it takes to cast a Phantasm.

Worth mentioning: The channel for Echo of Memory is 2 1/4 seconds. So, if you use it without a block, it takes (more than) twice as long to cast as every other Phantasm.

It’s ridiculous what some people arbitrarily decide is overpowered.

Oh I forgot to bring that up. I knew it was long, but I actually thought it was 3s not 2.25s.

IIRC, from the dev video, they wanted it to be punishing if you were playing super safe with it.

I like the skill the way it is – pretty amazing imo. Just the phantasm is another stupid bouncer instead of an aoe

Xyonon.3987:

I like the skill the way it is – pretty amazing imo. Just the phantasm is another stupid bouncer instead of an aoe

I wish it gave AoE alacrity like iDefender does and applied Slow with a single-targeted attack…

On the one hand, it’s another Phantasm with a bounce skill. On the other hand, it’s Captain America. Soo… ¯\(?)/¯

EDIT: Not even gonna bother trying to fix the Unicode rendering thing, I like the result too much.