Guild Wars 2

As of right now I am no fan of mind wreck, it becomes absolutely self-destructive when one or more phantasms are out. Phantasms are one of our primary sources of damage in a variety of builds, and when you’re without phantasms out you are like a a gun firing rubber bullets. Ineffective. So I suggest a low-tier talent is added (can easily be added on), that makes it so phantasms do not shatter with mind wreck, just clones. Again you cannot talent for phantasm effectiveness and mind wreck, or you’re just wasting points. I am speaking strictly from an sPVP standpoint but I imagine my PVE counterparts could find this agreeable.

In regards to phantasms in general; they’re fun, I like them, but they need help. Did you know the majority of classes can one-shot a phantasm? Absurd, isn’t it? We cannot spend talent points for something that is easily mopped up by a untalented AOE or a number one ability. I feel phantasms are generally in the right place for damage but simply cannot stay present long enough to justify talents against a skilled opponent. So I feel a special talent or health boost is much needed beyond our present options.

All in all I feel like mesmers are in a good place for sPVP, and generally speaking WVW. PVE is another story completely however.

I would suggest that if you’re going a phantasm heavy build that you pick up phantasmal health (adept inspiration trait) and signet of illusions… however it seems that signet of illusions is increasing illusion health by 200% instead of 50%, so I feel that we will see an adjustment soon.

Also, not shattering phantasms is beyond overpowered. I suggest instead making phantasms contribute more to the shatter than does a clone, making it at least somewhat feasible that we blow up our shinies in order to take advantage of the class mechanic.

Phantasms are extraordinarily fragile. They are one-shotted by pretty much any AoE.
Shatters synergize EXTREMELY well with phantasm builds. Why?

You pop one out, it manages to attack.
Do you risk letting it die before it can get its next cast off? Or do pop out a clone or two and shatter? If you let it live, will your opponent be alive by the time it can get another cast out?

Shatters allow Mesmers to choose HOW their phantasms go out. And trust me, those phantasms will be dying whether the Mesmer wants them to or not.

The illusion/shatter mechanic requires THOUGHT.
Instead of relying entirely on passive DPS and traits to buff this DPS, and then complaining when your very low health illusions die, THINK. If you shattered them instead of letting them die, you’d have dealt a very nice chunk of damage.

Furthermore, if you’re having trouble sustaining DPS without 3 phantasms out, you’re doing something wrong.

If you have a power build, your sword/GS does pretty decent DPS.
If you have a condition build, throw out more clones for Confusion/condition on death/staff clones.

While you wait for your phantasms to come off CD, throw out more clones and shatter them however you need.

Mesmer’s skills are highly situational.
Think about your situation, and act accordingly.

With all the health boons to phantasms, most of my phantasms have at least 10k damage. They do not get one shotted. In fact, it takes my warrior boyfriend an entire hundred blades to kill my warden. (This is all based off of sPvP, which is more reliable and repeatable than other testing mediums)

Just commenting, though as I said, apparently Signet of Illusions is doing more than what it’s supposed to.