Guild Wars 2

What’s a good build for someone with pure berserker equips (slotted with ruby orbs) if I want to use an offhand focus?

If you’re running offhand focus, I’d assume you’ve got at least 20 in inspiration for reflection on focus skills and maybe -20% CD on focus skills.

From there, it depends on whether you want phantasm or shatter build.

20 in domination for mental torment (+20% MW damage) and GS training (-20% CD on GS skills)

at least 5 in Illusions for Illusions celerity (-20% CD on illusion skills)

20 or so in Dueling for crit damage, deceptive evasion if that strikes your fancy, or Sword training, to compliment a sword/focus build focusing on berserker gear.

that leaves 5 for wherever. Maybe 5 more in Dueling for sharper images/+5% crit damage? maybe 5 in chaos for regen? maybe 5 more in illusions for higher mind wrack crit %?

thanks for the suggestion, although i have to ask, is it a good idea to run a shatter build without going deep (30) illusions? as for my alternate weapon, should i go GS or Staff?

Going 30 in illusions for Illusionary Persona is kind of assumed to be “oh god you need this” kind of trait for a build, but in practice it’s not cripplingly bad to skip out on it. Some people have found more or less the same thing out about Deceptive Evasion because while having clone on dodge is amazing, it’s also not especially necessary considering Mesmer’s impressive ability to shove illusions out anyway.

The only -other- reason to go 30 into illusions besides IP is the -30% CD on your shatters, which, in a shatter build, would be your primary method of dealing damage. That’s great, but like you’re aware, it sucks up trait points like mad that you could be putting into Duelist for extra crit damage, or other trait lines for specifically useful traits.

In regards to IP – Unless you plan to be melee, it’s actually kind of counter-productive for shattering mesmers who like to stay somewhat at range. Since you count as a clone, your other illusions deal less damage individually. So unless you’re in range immediately when you shatter, your overall damage goes down due to your ‘shatter’ missing.

If your looking to be a melee shatter build, run with staff and maybe try dropping 10 from domination (lose GS training) and see about pulling 10 from inspiration or dueling to get your IP.

The initial question was what was good for offhand focus, so I’d rather lose -10% crit damage than lose focus’ reflection trait. If you’re okay with that trait being lost, and just wanted it for speed, then drop down to 10 inspiration and keep 20 duelist. That should give you enough spread to boost up to 30 illusions for IP.

So…

Melee shatter w/ offhand focus: 10/10/0/20/30
Melee shatter w/o focus emphasis: 10/20/0/10/30
Use staff and sword/focus

Ranged shatter w/ offhand focus: 20/20/0/20/5 (5 wherever)
Ranged shatter w/o focus emphasis: 20/20/0/10/5 (15 wherever)
use GS and scepter/focus or sword/focus

edit: I dunno why stuff got underlined.

The question is really whether you want to melee with your shatters or not. If you do, IP is an amazingly useful trait – If not? It’s an overall hindrance.

Alright thanks for the tips! I do want to get the offhand reflect so im going 20 inspi, for inspi 10 I get vigor with shatter..

for shatter (because phantasm traits atm are bugged imho) ill go 20 dueling (to get deceptive clones) 10 domi (for MW damage) and 20 illu for shatter recharge? is it viable? staff and sword/focus with berserker equips

Ayanavi.1904:

In regards to IP – Unless you plan to be melee, it’s actually kind of counter-productive for shattering mesmers who like to stay somewhat at range. Since you count as a clone, your other illusions deal less damage individually. So unless you’re in range immediately when you shatter, your overall damage goes down due to your ‘shatter’ missing.

IP does not count the player when determining the damage per illusion for mind wrack, so the damage centred on yourself is free.

Also, 30% shredding recharge rate apparently gives you 77%(1/1.3) instead of 70% recharge duration.

Ok, if I’m gunning for a shatter-centric build with a mainhand sword+offhand focus, is it imperative to take focus mastery? because as of now I’m using:

10 domi (mw 20%)
20 duel (sword mastery+deceptive evasion)
10 inspi (vigor every shatter)
30 illu (persona, damage per illu and mind wrack damage)

As for the alternate weapon, Im still not sure whether staff or sword will benefit this build more.

for runes I use Superior sigils of energy on both weapon set (swapping has a cd of 9 sec IIRC) so i always get the 50% vigor every swap (or is this overkill even on a shatter build?) although i must admit, having tons of endurance via vigor and the sigil gives me a lot of room to maximize IP and of course survivability/