Guild Wars 2

Here’s the line from Karl’s blog post:

We’ve altered the scepter a bit, pushing it more toward the condition role we would like it to have.

I’d love to get some guesses on what this means. I’m hoping the direct damage has not been nerfed and that conditions have just been added. I’m also hoping that the condition role they are improving is adding more covering conditions.

So my ideal change would be auto-attacks 1 and 2 randomly apply 1 sec of one of the following:
– Weakness
– Blind
– Cripple
– Chill

The clones created by the scepter cast the same attack (randomly applying one of those effects)

Seems like this would help with both condi and power uses of scepter.

Anyone have another guess?

I guess it will inflict some damage conditions.

Definitely think they’re talking about damaging conditions, especially considering the beta behavior of the AA. Doubtful they go back to that, but who knows.

Probably will add a few more stacks with super low duration, meaning it’s still painfully slow to ramp up (and doesn’t ever really make it up that ramp).

AA: Bleed-Bleed-Torment.
Illusionary Counter: Torment duration reduced by 3s.
Confusing Images: Channel time reduced.

It won’t do dmg for us but I still want that 0.1 seconds of fear that will work with clones just to mess with ppl as fear from different sources spin them around.

This would be an incredible lockdown nightmare and OP as hell, but definitly funny.

Bleed-Bleed-Torment or Bleed-Bleed-Confusion or Torment-Torment-Confusion.

Fear-Thorment-Fear
please !

I’d hope for Burn – Burn – Torment, personally. Mesmer already has plenty of ways to apply bleed passively (the main one being Sharpened Images) so having Bleed on the AA would seem a bit redundant, and Poison doesn’t seem very Mesmer-ish.

Unless they make clones go through the full autoattack cycle instead of just using the 1st attack. Which I suppose they might if they remove the auto-clone on the 3rd hit in leiu of making it condition-based.

If they do that, then perhaps Burn – Torment – Torment just to keep a single clone (and the player) from being able to apply perma-burn, much less 2 or 3 clones.

Don’t forget that clones may also have these AA attacks. Burn won’t happen because of that, I suppose.

I’d love to see more confusion on Mesmers, but sadly anet decided to rather apply that to a runeset.

When I first read the blog I was thinking conditions on auto attacks as well. I was thinking something like Confusion (3 sec) > Torment (4 sec) > Clone. As the clones only use the first part of the chain, they would contribute only Confusion.

Ether Clone will become Ether Phantasm which summons an iMage. Torch #5 will then get a new phantasm that isn’t just cannon fodder.

My immediate guess is that they’ll make the auto attack add conditions. I’m guessing they’ll incorporate weakness, which ideally should be a hallmark condition of the Mesmer along with torment/confusion.

If it does land weakness, then mesmers can move away from traiting it on clone death.

Your scepter will now break in half on the third attack while bleeding yourself as you grabbed the splinters.
“Shattering Scepter”

Ross Biddle.2367:

If it does land weakness, then mesmers can move away from traiting it on clone death.

Very true, but it’s not like that trait has much competition in that line anyway! haha Maybe Master of Manipulation or Illusionary Defense in certain builds.

I’m just excited for whatever rework comes along. I’m one of the few who likes scepter a lot as as except for its auto attack.

We need access to Fear on Scepter to couple with Torment.
Please Anet do it!!!

On a separate note, Blind and Chill are very strong conditions and I personally dont think they should be on any autoattack chain.

Yes more condi PU mesmers is exactly what this game needs…

(sarcasm)

Vulnerability, vulnerability, blind. Blinding befuddlement changed to 2 stacks of confusion @ 3s duration rather than 1 @ 4s. Vulnerability I,m basing on sword and staff auto,s but weakness would seem a possible alternative. The blinding befuddlement change because that trait (like many others) needs an overdue buff .

No, tii. Blinding Befuddlement needs un-nerfed. ICD on that skill was always stupid, especially when Mesmer isn’t the king of Blind application. As for Vuln, that simply strengthens physical damage, so I’d hope they weren’t so foolish as to place it on a weapon they want to make more condi-focused.

As for what I think their Scepter “buff” will be:

• I don’t see (damage) condis on AA, considering they’ve (months back) mentioned wanting to get away from condi-spam on autos. I could see the AA chain sped up a bit, and/or a non-damaging condition added in. I’d personally hope for Weakness or Blind, but YMMV.
• Nothing really done to the block. As is, it can be at least argued as a skillshot, considering that if the enemy’s not dumb/has crappy graphics … it can be avoided
• I could see a speed increase on the Confusing Images channel. Failing that, one would at least hope for a widening of the beam’s path.

The vulnerability would not be my preferred outcome, its speculation based upon the sword and staff AAs and seems to be the only tame condition they could add to the first 2 chains in the auto attack. It is still a condition and as such is not at odds with their stated intention with scepter.
As for blinding befuddlement, if they are not going to remove the ICD then they should buff the stacks in compensation because as it stands now 1 stack of confusion with a five second ICD is a joke.
In all other respects I agree with what you posted.

Just speed the auto-attack, it’s the slowest in the game and easy to evade.

I am calling it: Mirror the conditions from the Mesmer to the target