Guild Wars 2

Hey guys. I was thinking about mantras, was curious if there was a way to get them to feel less sticky, and flow more with actual game play. and I came up with a (hopefully not to crazy) idea.

Now from what I can see mantra traits usually revolve around “casting” or “using” mantras and I think that’s half the problem. We are in a skill based game and mantras essentially change a significant part of the meta in a fight, and a mantra user would be forced to rely more on a limited resource.

We have one trait I feel is truly in the right direction of what I’d in-vision a combat mantra player running, that being Empowering Mantras. Empowering Mantras is a passive effect directly rewarding us for keeping our mantras unused.

Now 4% per charged mantra adding to our dmg is pretty cool, but in the long run 4 mantras charged build is still not truly viable as a power build. Even more so when you go 30 into dueling… and that’s pretty much where our power comes from.

So here is what I propose/suggest/would like input on:
Clone Buffed Mantra Related Traits: Something allowing for a build to feel slightly more direct beyond phantasm and shatter, and more over all viable or even compatible with condi mes.

How? Well lets start with damage, I remember in the beta it was pretty fun to have clones smack em hard and put stacks of bleed on, and such. But that was CLEARLY OP. What I suggest now is something a little bit more dulled. I don’t know numbers and I’m no dev but it goes without saying that the clones should not hit as high as a phantasm or even the player. but the direct damage of said clones should scale with the number of mantras charged.

Also what is needed is a mantra trait for players defense. Not just while charging! Something to allow the player while in tandem with something like “Empowering Mantras” to give them a more direct part in the combat beyond shatter bomb or phant spam.

“But Your just trading phantasm spam for clone spam.” Only partly true. If Phantasms are not hitting at their optimal and are still slower than the clones per hit it means in exchange players will have to directly supplement the damage on their own, Implying:

Sword users HAVE to go in. Not just for a snared blurred shatter.

Scepter would become Viable.

GS Has to try to keep distance.

Staff will be much stronger beyond “kite 4 cool downs”.

Philosophy behind the idea:
By having mantras as your utilities and them being a resource related skills, that then also ask you to charge when depleted along with waiting out C/Ds. I find this draw back opens up much beyond asking for a instant cast skill which IMO is ultimately just not worth it.

so in exchange you focus a build that while holding mantras charged you gain more power, However forcing an intensive enough “build” or “spec” that makes sure you are sitting with moderate phantasms, and moderate shatters, however allowing them to still be used instead of rendering them obsolete like phantasms builds. or forcing phantasms into something to be saved for off C/D like some do in shatter.

Thoughts? Comment? Constructive Criticism welcome.

TL;DR: I suggest Cheap, fragile, damage dealing clones to assist at picking away at your foe making them more viable over all targets, and an increase to sustained damage in exchange for building directly into Mantras, making the player have to try to make only informed decuisions when using them.

To devs/moderators: (I’m posting this in both the mesmer and suggestion sections due to not actually knowing where it falls under, and I understand if one is consequently removed.)