Guild Wars 2

I often find myself being able to 1vX low to medium ability players but when I come up against 2 good players I get rofl stomped pretty fast. I’m running with 1300 tough, 103% crit damage, over 2k power after bloodlust stacks with enough precision to make everything crit. I switch up a bit but mostly run either sword sword/ staff or scepter sword/ sword pistol. Phantasm build. blink, decoy, arcane transfer with MI.

If you are coming up against GOOD players then you cant really counter that. If they are working well together. You SHOULDNT be able to steamroll when out numbered against GOOD players.

Of course you could make it a bit easier for yourself, a bit more toughness? I personally run a Toughness/Condition build and came up against a Mesmer (power) and a Warrior, they couldnt kill me. I managed to get the Mesmer down but the warrior ran when reinforcements came.

The use of Staff and Scepter/Torch combo helped alot, using Stealth to confuse and lose “Target” is great. Of course something similar COULD be done with a Power/Toughness build and using stealth i think.

I have read that it’s bad to click skills. An extreme time difference. Really though in a phantasm build where they do the majority of damage for you how is clicking bad? I do a combination of both clicking and mouse/ key binding play. Anticipating an attack I can hold my cursor over a block skill. Doesn’t seem to be detrimental to me as I can still move or strafe. shatters on key bind. I don’t use a controller or a keyboard with the ability to key bind multiple skills.

I don’t think anyone can put their thumb on the “Best” roaming build. I don’t think there is ever a best, because

1) player skills are compared when getting into fights, there’s always someone better or worst than you

2) builds will clash as well, some builds will trump others, but they’re not always the same, its sort of synergetic, which ones thrown into the combination will be stronger

3) Luck, mistakes, human error, mood, psychological state of mind, LOL whatever! whatever gives you a split second of hesitation or mistake or whatnot that you know made you screw up, or perhaps you don’t know but it was human error anyway rather than your usual skill and build

Overall, my own build that i’ve been using for the past two weeks has been doing really well roaming and 1vX hasn’t been much of a problem. I pit myself up against outnumbering enemies all the time, 2 thieves, 2 warriors yesterday, sometimes 3 or 4 players. Sometimes 1 v1 with a super good player where the fight lasts forever, sometimes its a super good bunker, all sorts of combinations happen.

But so far my build has been really durable and really strong. I focus on defensive traits, so stealth PU boons, and other traits, using staff and gs, and constant kiting, maneuvering, stealth etc. I have 2.4-2.5k armor, while my gear gives me high power around 2.2k, 45 / 48% crit chance, 72% crit damage. Overall a rounded stats build, but definitely not a burst damage build because my traits are for survivability and tanking, rather than getting in those shatters. But its sustained heavy damage over time. So most of the time, i last long enough to get players down. But most of the time these fights are really fun cuz it lasts kind of longer and u really have to be on top of things, but I can’t tell enemy skill, because it’s not burst, regardless who I face, it won’t be over in two seconds even if they suck for example haha

And I also do a combination of key and clicking, sometimes its faster to have the mouse AND keys at the same time lol Obviously you shouldn’t be spending time searching for the skill to click, that’s where the problem would be

I have found that consistently win 1vx fights your best bet is scepter/torch and staff. I run 2 very similar builds for condition and power 20 0 30 20 0 with just different trait choices.

In my opinion the torch is the best offhand you can get, traited its insanely good. People often think it is a low dps offhand but by using the prestige burn and instant damage combined with a staff phantasm in a power build followed by a shatter I get 8-10k damage off within a second of coming out of stealth while still running 3100 armor.

If you want the easiest to play go a phantasm build, but I found with phantasm builds I actually became a worse player from the lack of any actually challenge to the playstyle.

I was planning on making a post about my condition build when I finish gearing it. Hopefully I will make one with a video showing my combinations this weekend.

I have some poor quality footage I uploaded because of numerous people accusing me of hacking on forums and in /w that shows a little of the play style. This was recorded in the first 2 hours after buying a torch and making the build. I later changed some of the gear to up my damage a bit but this shows off a lot of 1vx with numerous downs and stomps including a lot of 1vx in their camp.

I’ve been running a 10/30/30/0/0 build and have won around 30 1v1s (around 60 1v1s including spvp, although the build is far superior in wvw) and about 10~ 1v2s in the week or so i have been using it, only losing to a thief that jumped me with all my utilties on CD. One of the things i love about this build is i am literally impossible to catch if i don’t want to die, which is very important roaming when you are fighting a 1vx and see a huge zerg coming your way you can always get away.

I used to run a 20/0/30/20/0 power build for around a week after the patch with sword/torch+gsword and found the build i am using now has much better killing power, and i still live longer without the extra stealth and condition removal.

I have conflict of play sometimes. I don’t want to shatter to evade or distort to get away but because I lose my phantasms and without 25 in illusions I can’t pump em out fast enough. This is a big problem when facing opponents that just wade through your clones and phantasms like they’re wisps of air( you don’t see this with a rangers pets or a necros minions). When a guard or warrior just spins through your illusions picks up a few conditions your left SOL and on the ropes till cool downs refresh. My other conflict is wanting a diverse build with strong phantasms but ability to spawn quick. We don’t have enough trait points to go around. I want clone on dodge, I want phantasmal strength and I want empowered illusions. I want that build diversity that allows me to stand toe to toe with all builds. I don’t like that every build has it’s bane issue. Maybe it’s just my play that needs improvement. I have gone through so many builds with Mesmer. I start feeling like I’m doing so well then bam I’m staked on the grass thinking what the kitten just happened. So I start trying out other build configurations.

EDIT. I meant to say I want to be able to use shatter for distortion or daze but I don’t spawn phantasms fast enough.

Varconi.1804:

I have found that consistently win 1vx fights your best bet is scepter/torch and staff. I run 2 very similar builds for condition and power 20 0 30 20 0 with just different trait choices.

In my opinion the torch is the best offhand you can get, traited its insanely good. People often think it is a low dps offhand but by using the prestige burn and instant damage combined with a staff phantasm in a power build followed by a shatter I get 8-10k damage off within a second of coming out of stealth while still running 3100 armor.

If you want the easiest to play go a phantasm build, but I found with phantasm builds I actually became a worse player from the lack of any actually challenge to the playstyle.

I was planning on making a post about my condition build when I finish gearing it. Hopefully I will make one with a video showing my combinations this weekend.

I have some poor quality footage I uploaded because of numerous people accusing me of hacking on forums and in /w that shows a little of the play style. This was recorded in the first 2 hours after buying a torch and making the build. I later changed some of the gear to up my damage a bit but this shows off a lot of 1vx with numerous downs and stomps including a lot of 1vx in their camp.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycniCIYlisM

Oh Emm Gee… It’s YOU! I fought you a few times this week in WvW (HoD) using my necro, my thief, and my ele (both staff and d/d bunker). All I have to say is you are an outstanding player. I took note of the weapons you were using and have dusted my own mesmer off which has breathed a whole new life into this game. I wouls be extremely interested in your choice of gear/runes/sigils, but of course I wouldn’t want you to divulge any secret recipes

Again, I tip my hat to you!!

Hi mate.

I do an extreme big amount of solo roaming and done so sens start of the game. Created the shatter cat guide based on solo roaming and have several viable builds for this including smal team and medium team aswell.

The build I use atm solo roaming is same I use for group but with different utilitys. Basicly is a surviving ower crit build who stack high number of Might and in a 1 vs x I often reach 25 might stacks. I win a good share of 1 vs x and if the fight is to hard (several good players) I can withdraw from combat and lose em most of the time. Not often die in my roaming runs tbh but kill alot of ppl.

Have a look in my gide if you like.

/Osicat

I run almost exactly what i run in most challenging pve content such as Arah or lev40+ FoTM. 20/20/0/0/30 with a mix of Soldier, Cavalier and Zerker gear in a shatter/phantasm hybrid. Without any buffs im at 2005power/78% crit damage with 1880 toughness. Tones of aoe damage if needed, awesome for single target and high survivability.

Thief is the best 1v1 roaming build.

Varconi, I’d be interested in seeing your build.

I upped my toughness and vitality at the loss of some power and crit damage. 1600 toughness just isn’t enough though. I would like to see your build nuka if you don’t mind. Are you using phantasmal fury? I always try to get 53 to 56% crit change so all my attacks crit. That requires alot of precision. If i sacrificed that my main and word wouldn’t do as much damage when using blurred frenzy.

Whirlpool.9410:

Varconi, I’d be interested in seeing your build.

Finished a quick guide and uploaded a video of a fight from this morning poor quality recording but shows off the builds capability.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/mesmer/BUILD-Condition-build-for-roaming-WvW/first#post2412413