Guild Wars 2

i don’t know if my build has a name i use
0/20/30/20/0
-shortened cooldown on sword and popping illusions on dodge.
-3% less damage for each illusion, random condition on illusion kill, shortened cooldown on staff
-condition cleanse while healing, shortened cooldown on focus

i use staff, sword/focus mainly using berserker gear and celestial ascended on pve and dungeon, occasionally swap to rampager gear with rune of undead for more resistance and condition damage in certain fight and wvwvw (i swap sword for scepter in that case and maybe a torch). utility: nullfield, feedback, signet of inspiration. elite: timewarp

in pvp i go for
20/0/30/20/0
i don’t even remember what i have as first trait in domination (i think 20% more damage with mind wrack), but i traited the torch cooldown.
chaos line is same as before but since i shatter in pvp more often for confusion stacks or daze, i didn’t trait the random condition on killing clones but i could trait with prismatic understanding.
inspiration line same as befor but with scepter traited.
i use scepter/torch and staff of course.
carrion amulet and rune of dolyak, it takes ages to kill someone but i often don’t even need to dodge or kite. (utility blink, nullfield, decoy. elite: moa morph)

Same mesmer build i have used since this games launch 15/20/0/25/10. Has never let me down just ask jayvux in lead =P

Sword pistol
Sword Sword
Yes i have 3 swords get at me

I run 20 0 30 20 0 full apothecary gear scepter/torch and staff.

I started off my mesmer running a phantasm spec but found it was so easy with no skill curve that I could faceroll 95% of non mesmers the first day I hit 80. It is designed so any imbecile can be a pro at it but it limits actual good players from gaining skill. I am praying for the day that a build based on never doing anything yourself, except dodging will be nerfed to the ground where it belongs, and builds that require some actual skill rise.

I’ve mostly been playing the Blackwater style build too (20/20/30/0/0). All the stealths and conditions and trolling potential is just what I wanted from my mesmer right from the very beginning. Plus, it’s easy to swap to Staff/GS for things like camps.

I used to run 20/20/10/0/20 GS/Staff.

i am frontline mesmer
i mostly like to play aggressive and competitive,
so i go shatter build, s/t gs with mirror images and signet of illusion in wvw it makes me great mobility high burst and i think is the best effectiveness..

In dungeons i usually go phantasm or boon support. Long ago i always went shatter eerywhere, but both damage and support is kind of lackluster compared to ofhers :/.

For wvw roaming i pretty much always go shatter, same for Tpvp and hotjoin pvp.
For hotjoin pvp i like trying random builds from the forums and other unique builds, but i alsays come back to shatter :P.

I dont do much roaming though, mainly because on certain days its really hard to find action, and Spvp is full of it :p.

I still see myself as a Shattercat, because in games and fantasies i always pick rhe agile characters, instead of the “brute force” or “someone who only uses magic from really far aaay and dies when sneezed on” characters. Cats are also my favourite animals :D.

I like to support others by disabling and stunning opponents. Others can take advantage of a stunned opponent—beat them like mad and stay safe from damage for a few seconds.

My build (also credit to others in the forum) is 10/0/30/0/30.

I also like support/healing builds so perhaps I will try a different build at some point.

Been using Blackwater since today. It’s amazing.

UPDATED 8/13/13 Wow! Condition Mesmers are on the rise, Shatter used to be by far the most used but now there seems to be a more of a balance between Shatter, Condition, and Phantasm

Btw guys, I calculate “what kind of Mesmer” you are by your main source of damage… Except in the case of interrupts, which I didn’t want to simply shelve under “Hybrid.” (Hybrid = Idk wtf else to call it in my eyes)

Varconi.1804:

I run 20 0 30 20 0 full apothecary gear scepter/torch and staff.

I started off my mesmer running a phantasm spec but found it was so easy with no skill curve that I could faceroll 95% of non mesmers the first day I hit 80. It is designed so any imbecile can be a pro at it but it limits actual good players from gaining skill. I am praying for the day that a build based on never doing anything yourself, except dodging will be nerfed to the ground where it belongs, and builds that require some actual skill rise.

Hey man, that’s not fair. Phantasm specs can be superior in places where Shatter just can’t cut it (like certain dungeons/fractals). As far as the playstyle, some people like a more laid back approach rather than something super fast and active for all kinds of reasons (older player, slower reflexes, reeallyy high, or simply more fun for them). Its not a matter of pride or skills, its a matter of what’s more fun. Shouldn’t judge people for that.

Varconi.1804:

I started off my mesmer running a phantasm spec but found it was so easy with no skill curve that I could faceroll 95% of non mesmers the first day I hit 80. It is designed so any imbecile can be a pro at it but it limits actual good players from gaining skill. I am praying for the day that a build based on never doing anything yourself, except dodging will be nerfed to the ground where it belongs, and builds that require some actual skill rise.

Ah, this makes sense. Because a build is – by your account, which is obviously The Truth™ – easier to play, other builds lower in skill ceiling. A concept any pro gamer is well familiar with. Not.

I am old(ish). I am slow. I play Phantasm. Yeah, I said it.

LordByron.8369:

phantasm because i play PvE mostly nowaday.
used shatter but its really useless in pve.

W h a t? What kind of pve do you play, open world exploration and jumping puzzles? Shatter, an aoe damage skills is useless when fighting mobs of enemies but a single target (most phantasms at least) is useful? C’mon now… Shatter builds crushes phantasm builds for pve, especially dungeons.

So you’re saying it’s better to produce some clones, shatter and repeat for damage spikes rather than dropping hard-hitting phantasms for constant DPS and damage spikes?

For AOE you have your zerker phantasm, which in full berserker just shreds mobs (takes like 66%+ of their HP or something) and your warden which will kill basically every mob it hits for its full attack (and mobs don’t run around or evade so it’s perfectly reasonable). Plus with points in inspiration you get a traited warden which is nuts, shorter cooldown on feedback and longer duration on it.

Its not like you’re not using your phantasms in a shatter build… You still use iZerker to “shred” enemies and deal more aoe damage with shatter instead of waiting half a century for it to re-attack (which they may be dead by then), build might stacks for even more damage and free aoe confusion damage as well. You also have access to IC which increases useful phantasms spam even more often. Its really hard for me to believe how could anyone consider running a phantasm build for dungeons/general pve 11 months after game’s release. No wonder a lot of ppl call mesmers useful only for feedback/TW or say things such as “mesmers have meh DPS in pve”… This is a no brainer and i seriously don’t feel like starting this conversation again because i’ve talked about this months ago. If (which won’t happen cuz its anet) there’s a DPS meter in the near future, remember what some random dude told you on a forum, shatter is MUCH superior for pve.

3.2 seconds on phantasmal swordsman is “half a century”?

Actually, kill some risen giants and record your kills to prove if a shatter build does more consistent DPS.

colesy.8490:

3.2 seconds on phantasmal swordsman is “half a century”?

Actually, kill some risen giants and record your kills to prove if a shatter build does more consistent DPS.

Its single target, who cares…. Here’s the beginning of your DPS loss, you run phantasms that attack one target when there’s 5+ in front of you. Why do you even bring a risen giant in this? HE’S ALONE, aoe isn’t even needed, its like doing a 1v1 against another player, phantasm builds are extremely powerful… Now take a mob of dredges in level 48 fractals and show me how fast you’ll be killing them with your or any1’s elses phantasm build. Not only having poor aoe and having your phantasms being destroyed after their initial attack which then let you with blurred frenzy and auto attacks lol but you don’t even have access to boon striping which makes this fight EVEN longer and harder. Again, phantasm build=for 1v1 and other low amount of mobs/player is beast. Shatter=for when you’re attacking tones of ~~~~ and in pve that’s what you’re doing

Its single target, who cares

Because it has a decent amount of HP and the mobs it spawns are that irrelevant that you can basically full focus the giant so you can get a vague idea (unless you fully analyse of course) of the amount of damage you can deal over a prolonged period of time.

Here’s the beginning of your DPS loss, you run phantasms that attack one target when there’s 5+ in front of you

Warden? Berserker?

Why do you even bring a risen giant in this? HE’S ALONE, aoe isn’t even needed

He spawns adds, and the fact that he’s alone makes him good to test DPS on since it means you don’t get interrupted that much.

its like doing a 1v1 against another player, phantasm builds are extremely powerful

Not quite. Players don’t stand there doing nothing besides shout, the occasional knockback or spawning 5 adds.

Now take a mob of dredges in level 48 fractals and show me how fast you’ll be killing them with your or any1’s elses phantasm build.

Traited warden and traited feedback gives you I believe 13 seconds of reflect. If a guardian uses wall of reflection then by the time that expires your warden is off cooldown. While your warden reflects, your group can burst down. If you don’t have a guardian, you can even use temporal curtain for reflects. Warden also hits three enemies at a time. If you’re that desperate for AOE, you have your phantasmal berserker.

Not only having poor aoe and having your phantasms being destroyed after their initial attack

The warden will survive five seconds reflecting projectiles. If it survives till its next attack … the mobs should be dead by then. If not, well good for you, you have a warden that’s still alive.

but you don’t even have access to boon striping which makes this fight EVEN longer and harder

Besides null field, the final attack on sword auto, and phantasmal disenchanter?

Again, phantasm build=for 1v1 and other low amount of mobs/player is beast. Shatter=for when you’re attacking tones of ~~~~ and in pve that’s what you’re doing

Or I can open up against a group of mobs with berserker, swap to sword/focus, drop a warden or just blurred frenzy and the cleave will kill three guys.

This is too much points for me to answer and i don’t feel like writing a wall of text so you’re right and im wrong. One question tho, do you play much dungeons that isn’t the easiest paths such as TA/up? Because if you were doing high level fractals you would’ve never bring a point such as “take phantasmal desenchanter” when you have 15+ dredges in front of you each with 3+ boons… I’m done lol proving anything here without a youtube video is worthless.

I gave you examples of condi removal. Null field works fine, but against dredges in that fractal you’re just going to be LoSing, camping reflects and DPSing them down, so feedback, wall of reflection (guardian) and phantasmal warden are solid there along with the warden actually dealing damage in addition to reflecting.

colesy.8490:

I gave you examples of condi removal. Null field works fine, but against dredges in that fractal you’re just going to be LoSing, camping reflects and DPSing them down, so feedback, wall of reflection (guardian) and phantasmal warden are solid there along with the warden actually dealing damage in addition to reflecting.

And i can’t have null field/feedback on a shatter build? Don’t bring guardians to the subjects cuz their walls are obviously good and no one said anything otherwise. iwarden will die after its first attack because they don’t just range but deal tones of melee damage as well, then you use your izerker, it does good aoe damage and dies. Now you’re stuck with zero phantasms (making all your phantasms traits worthless) and nothing else but some utilities/auto attacks. And please don’t tell me “my iwarden never dies” and other crap like that because its absolutely not true and at lev48 it doesn’t just die, it gets destroyed. Also, how are you helping your team dps with blurred frenzy (which i also have on shatter if i wanted to) and auto attacks, attacking foes with regeneration/protection? Even if you use Null Field and strip them, you will never be able to keep up because they spam boons. So instead of stripping boons to maximize whole team damage, inflict aoe free damage from confusion, dealing solid damage which is all in aoe, you’re using 2 phantasms per 20-25sec which die 70% of the times after their initial attack and spam your auto’s? I swear this forum sometimes-.-

iwarden will die after its first attack because they don’t just range but deal tones of melee damage

You don’t LoS the whole bunch of them obviously. You a smaller group of them, guardian puts up WoR so all of the ranged dredge are non-issues, your group starts DPSing the melee ones then you drop your warden so it doesn’t get hit since the dredge are focusing on the players. In your second weapon set if you use duelist, that ranges and stacks bleeds so it doesn’t get gibbed, and swordsman leaps to attack then leaps away, and during the whole time it counts as evading so it doesn’t just get gibbed.

Also, how are you helping your team dps with blurred frenzy (which i also have on shatter if i wanted to) and auto attacks, attacking foes with regeneration/protection?

Blurred Frenzy is for when you’re starting to take hits but you still want to attack, so you deal basically the same damage as a sword auto chain but evade all attacks while doing so. You help your team’s dps by stripping boons through sword auto and null field.

Even if you use Null Field and strip them, you will never be able to keep up because they spam boons

Good thing they die fairly quickly then.

So instead of stripping boons to maximize whole team damage, inflict aoe free damage from confusion

I already told you confusion is terrible in PVE. It’s a terrible idea for high-level dredge fractal since by then their HP is all scaled up making the confusion even worse, like I said with the bosses and their massive HP pools making confusion and retaliation useless.

you’re using 2 phantasms per 20-25sec which die 70% of the times after their initial attack and spam your auto’s? I swear this forum sometimes-.-

…not like I can shatter myself either. No, only shatter specs can shatter teir illusions apparently.

Secondly, I’m not understanding the condescension towards autoattack, it’s actually perfectly fine DPS for a lot of classes.

Will only talk about the last point cuz its kinda funny. So you shatter in a phantasm build without Mental Torment/Shattered Concentration/DE/Dazzling/Illusionary Distribution/Compounding Power/precise Wrack/Shattered Strength/IP/IC? That’s the thing you seem to not understand… When you run a phantasm build, you run phantasms and may only shatter to finish off a target, not spam shatter just because its available. In a shatter build there’s no restrictions, you spam your phantasms as they were clones, clones that deal good aoe damage then shatter after first attack (depends on the situation) and always have three illusions up at all time (because with DE/IC and Mirror Images that isn’t a problem). Okay im done, keep using phantasms and in a year or two, when you’ve actually done enough half challenging pve and played your mesmer enough you’ll understand what i’m talking about.

You know.. All the emotional angst aside, its a pretty interesting debate. Good points on both sides.

In a phantasm build you shatter if you know your phantasms are about to bite the dust or as extra burst against some boss you’re trying to kill asap (provided it actually increases your DPS, with a fast recharging phantasm like swordsman it might not be worth it) so that you actually get something out of them rather than them just dying.

You still haven’t given a convincing argument for confusion either, it’s atrocious in PvE.

colesy.8490:

In a phantasm build you shatter if you know your phantasms are about to bite the dust or as extra burst against some boss you’re trying to kill asap (provided it actually increases your DPS, with a fast recharging phantasm like swordsman it might not be worth it) so that you actually get something out of them rather than them just dying.

You still haven’t given a convincing argument for confusion either, it’s atrocious in PvE.

In my personal shatter build i have 360 condi damage without including all the Might stacks i’ll be getting from SS and four stacks of confusion from 3 illusions/IP/Mind Wrack is enough to deal a little over 1k. Is 1k aoe (could be more if they attack twice in that 3sec) a lot? No, its not, but as i stated multiple times its “free damage”, not your focus. and you don’t just shatter because one phantasm of the two or three (if you happen to have that many lol) is about to bite the dust… You only shatter to end the last enemy at ~5% HP or moving to another target… I also would like to ask you, why do you always bring iSwordsman to the conversation? not only he’s pathetic for pve because of none existent aoe but weren’t you running iWarden? If you run both then what do you use as MH other than sword, a LOLpter (scepter)? Not because iSwordsman has low refresh on attacks thakittens good everywhere and is automatically amazing and worth running because it attacks every 3sec.

wow i just noticed its a thread i posted in 4 months ago and said shatter>phanta without really giving any reason and made lots of people rage… Why do some require a youtube video or a long ~~~ explanation for why X is better than Y? Don’t you know your class by now? in 11 months you should know what’s good/bad and weaknesses of each build…

In my personal shatter build i have 360 condi damage without including all the Might stacks i’ll be getting from SS and four stacks of confusion from 3 illusions/IP/Mind Wrack is enough to deal a little over 1k. Is 1k aoe (could be more if they attack twice in that 3sec) a lot? No, its not, but as i stated multiple times its “free damage”,

Right, and 12 bleed stacks from a warden or 8 from a duelist are my “free damage” too, except in that case it’s over a longer period of time and it’s not conditional like confusion is (relies on skill activation). Also, it doesn’t require me to use any other skill besides summoning the phantasm, whereas you need to shatter, so I get repeatable condition application while I can literally sit there doing nothing (theoretically of course …).

you don’t just shatter because one phantasm of the two or three (if you happen to have that many lol) is about to bite the dust… You only shatter to end the last enemy at ~5% HP or moving to another target…

Right, let’s say I drop a swordsman then it dies straight after hitting. Then I drop a warden, it takes a hit and then I see a dredge winding up an attack – I can then shatter even though it’s in the middle of its whirling defense so at least I get shatter damage to make up for it not finishing its attack.

I also would like to ask you, why do you always bring iSwordsman to the conversation? not only he’s pathetic for pve because of none existent aoe

You’re talking about dredge fractal. You also said that phantasms suck there because they just get destroyed, so I mention the evasive phantasm that leaps in and out when it hits as an example of a phantasm not getting insta-gibbed. I don’t ever debate about open world PvE because everything works there, it’s not even remotely challenging.

Swordsman is actually a solid phantasm because it hits hard and hits quickly, plus it evades during its leap which means it can hop in to combat while not getting hit by a boss.

weren’t you running iWarden?

Yes. Most cases if you’re running greatsword in a dungeon it means you’re bad, so I’ve been running sword/focus and sword/pistol. I’m starting to experiment with swordsman though.

If you run both then what do you use as MH other than sword, a LOLpter (scepter)?

Main hand sword to give myself full melee uptime. Sword, focus and pistol phantasms are all strong and don’t require me to go to 900 range to get as much as possible out of my auto like a greatsword would. Scepter is trash.

Not because iSwordsman has low refresh on attacks thakittens good everywhere and is automatically amazing and worth running because it attacks every 3sec.

A phantasm that hits for around 5k in open world PVE (as in, without group might and vuln stacking, banners, dungeon sigils and X slaying potion) that refreshes every 3.2 seconds is extremely powerful, especially since it has an evasive leap attack. You miss out on bleed stacking you get from warden or duelist, but it chases mobs unlike the warden, has a much faster attack which enables it to refresh quicker tan the duelist and has a quicker refresh than duelist anyway and it doesn’t stick there in the middle of combat so it’s not as exposed as warden (which is more of a utility phantasm, and very strong at that may I add).

Bumping for update soon

“Yes. Most cases if you’re running greatsword in a dungeon it means you’re bad, so I’ve been running sword/focus and sword/pistol. I’m starting to experiment with swordsman though”. wow you certainly see a lot of wild stuff on these forums lmao.

It’s not that wild. If you’re using greatsword it means you haven’t learnt to dodge since you’re camping range in an effort to not get hit.

On the second point, since that post 16 days ago I’ve found a lot of merit in iSwordsman and have shifted from Sw/F + Sw/P to Sw/Sw + Sw/P as my weapon sets for situations where DPS is the only thing that matters while swapping out OH sword for focus when the utility of mob positioning or reflects is required.

Even though my weapon sets and traits continue to improve over time to reflect a playstyle that I am slowly getting used to myself…I do know that I am a Hybrid.

The main focus of my play style is to stack bleed and other conditions through the use of Sharper Images and high crit chance iDuelist. Therefore, I am a Sword/Pistol and Staff user, to have access to a wide variety of movement control and damage options. Infact…thinking about it…this build has a lot of daze, stun, and immobilize. With my traits set up as 20/20/0/0/30 to maximize pistol range and sword damage and to apply a decent burst from mind wrack and remove boons from enemies with any shatter. I also have imbued diversion, to increase the amount of daze I have available at any given moment.

So yeah…very hybrid build. xD

colesy.8490:

It’s not that wild. If you’re using greatsword it means you haven’t learnt to dodge since you’re camping range in an effort to not get hit.

On the second point, since that post 16 days ago I’ve found a lot of merit in iSwordsman and have shifted from Sw/F + Sw/P to Sw/Sw + Sw/P as my weapon sets for situations where DPS is the only thing that matters while swapping out OH sword for focus when the utility of mob positioning or reflects is required.

Sweet jesus

I play Inspiration/Support.

I just love the feeling of having high durability with rabid gear and boons, yet still have clones, stealth, and a lot of utility on top. It feels very powerful to play.