Guild Wars 2

I’m a martial artist (Capoeira.. er.. like Eddie Gordo from Tekken), and a pretty big fighting game fan and one thing I learned about combat of all types is thakittens just as much a mental battle as physical. Like chess, everything has a counter, and nothing is ever absolute. What separates two players/fighters of similar skill is usually which one out-thinks the other.

As Mesmer, we take advantage of this fact almost constantly.

I wanted to share some of the mindgames/feints I use against opponents or alternate ways to look at some of our moves in combat and hopefully learn some tricks used by other clever Mesmer out there.

• Illusionary Leap (Sword 3) is the only skill that sends a clone racing at the opponent. People who recognize this will usually dodge.. which is exactly what you want. 1 dodge without Vigor takes 10 seconds to recharge, and many classes are vulnerable after being forced into rolling. Wait for them to dodge once, then use iLeap as a feint to force their second dodge(it tends to be a reflexive action) and THEN swap >> Blurred >> Mirror Images >> Mind Wrack.

• Phase Retreat + Decoy = all sorts of confusion. While cloaked, sneak around behind the opponent. If you’re a condition build with staff, they pretty much have to guess which one is the real you.

• If you have iPersona (Illusions XI) your Scepter (or sword counter) can be much more deadly. Use a counter, and pop Diversion before they can hit you again. Same goes for Scepter 3’s channel. Use it in Melee range so it looks like you’re vulnerable before popping Diversion >> Mirror Images >> Cry of Frustration.

• Having Portal equipped in Temple of the Silent Storm (sPvP) you can place a portal at Stillness, and jump down to the room with Tranquility if you’re being chased. If they jump after you, /laugh at them and port back up.

Sounds like a standerd shatter-burst routine. Granted, there’s nothing standard about it as it is an exceptionally fast and effective burst. I like to say that mesmers are a higher form of life to razz other classes.

Playing a gs/staff bleed build with veil and decoy can be a lot of fun (as the invis drops your target). It plays how I had imagined mesmer would be. I wish it worked better in tournies.

Only spec I know that forces you to retrain your brain as standing still is what’s needed. Saving phase retreat or a blink right as their arms go up. Sometimes (if you play really cool-headed) its ok to just stand there and absorb a couple attacks if you recognize that they aren’t too nasty, once in a while they’ll peel off of you and thats a cool feeling.