Guild Wars 2

Clones
Auto attacks need to be the same speed as the main mesmers, otherwise it’s way to easy to find the real one.

Ambushs
Sword and GS ambushs need to do good dps. Not just utility like dazzing, but damage. Playing pve with spamming daze attacks does not seem fun at all, neither does camping GS (if the ambush would be actually good).

Mirage Mirrors
Duration increased from 5 seconds to 15-20 seconds. Mirage Mirrors are now capped at 3 or 4. Should you summon more than 3/4, the 1. will be destroyed, just like illusions do.
If enemys touch the mirror, it shatters, granting the mesmer mirage cloak and enabling you to use a F5 skill, which is basically Axe3 just for all illusions.
This is based on the whole thematic of “shattering a mirror grants you bad luck/terrible karma”, with the mirage enforcing it.

Axe Auto-Chain
Needs to be much faster, it feels like you’re playing a warrior swinging a greatsword. Make the individual strikes weaker to compensate for the speed increase if necessary.

Lingering Thoughts
The mirage spawned by this skill needs its duration increased to 3-5 seconds.
The skill overall needs to be more fluid (no ending lagg).

Axes of Symmetry
Replaced with another skill, maybe something similar to Revenant Axe 5.

False Oasis
This skill needs to be targetable so you can place the mirror where you want it to be. Placing it on yourself is kind of dumb, as it forces you to either stand there for 3 secs or waste a jaunt or similar port on it to return.
Also blurrs illusions near the false oasis.

Illusionary Ambush
Mirage cloak duration increase to 1 sec and ideally a CD reduce to 25 seconds.

Mirage Advance
To be honest, i’d like this skill just be reworked, its not like we’re missing simple blinks at this point. New effect would be something like: Switch the position with your target. 900-1200 range.
*If used against a defiant enemy, it instead just blinks you to it and reduces it’s cooldown by 20%.

Sand Through Glass
Distance increase to 400.

Crystal Sands
This skill should use the ammunition mechanic.

Jaunt
Distance needs to be increased to 600.

Nomad’s Endurance
Should also increase power.

Shards of Glass
Additional effect added: Chance for phantasm to turn into mirage mirrors: 50%

Speed of Sand
Superspeed duration increased to 1 second. Also grants you 3 seconds of swiftness when mirage cloak ends.

Infinite Horizon
The effect of this trait is mirage baseline now. It instead does this now:
Allies can now also shatter your mirage mirrors, granting mirage cloak to you and your ally.
Basically a distortion that allies can activate whenever they see fit.

Not sure about Renewing Oasis, Riddle of Sand and Mirage Mantle, but i feel these need to be reworked aswell. They seem pretty generic and uninspired, while they could do so much with the whole mirror thing.

My suggestion

1. Mirror should give the mirage cloak effect to mesmer when it naturally expires. You will still be able to gain cloak earlier if you touch it yourself.

2. All ambush skills need buff. It can be either cast time reduction or damage increase.
GS ambush skill needs major buff considering clone damage don’t scale well with power.

Mirage, as underwhelming as it is, is actually not THAT far away from being competitive. If mirror and ambush mechanics are actually useful, the spec can somewhat work well.

Slightly off topic but what you said about Mirage mirrors made me think that a spec that replaced clone and Phantasm generation for Mirage mirrors and replace our F skills with ambush attacks which would then destroy the mirrors would have been a lot better. Obviously put more damage on Mesmer weapons to compensate the loss of Illusions doing anything. Mirage Mirrors don’t do anything except fuel the ambush except traits that applies small effects around them, regen from the inspiration line etc and thus can’t be damaged, just visable so enemies know you are building up to a big attack. Mirrors wouldn’t have to be tied to enemies since they are not attacking. The attacks that were slapped on Phantasm summoning skills will be made much stronger.

A Spec much better then Mirage, with an actual new mechanic that isn’t just a worse dodge.