Guild Wars 2

So, I’ve actually been playing a decent amount of Mesmer (Ben the Annoying, some of you have probably witnessed my salt, some of it directed at myself). That being said, I feel like there must be some tricks that I’m not picking up on.

I play mostly your traditional Shatter (44006) and CI (44600). I have 0 interest in PU and not much interest in Torment builds. One thing I struggle with is opening up a fight, mostly in 1v1s. I use several like Decoy – Zerker – Mirror but that is super predictable. There’s also Blink – Wave – Zerker – Mirror which can work really well but can MAJORLY backfire too. There’s also the really strong Prestige – Zerker – Mirror + Shatter which is great if they don’t see you but if they do and avoid it you’ll have trouble. All of these are good for spiking unaware targets but if they see you and understand Mes then chances are those combos are too predictable. I’d like to improve in those situations.

I’m also really bad at using Distortion wisely. My instinct is to use it as a last resort but I notice a lot of good Mesmers seem to use it at the first sign of trouble. This is probably a holdover from playing Warrior and Engi where you can use skills like Endure Pain and Elixir S after things start to go wrong and be OK with Distortion seems to be more about predicting trouble.

I also have issues with using Sword mainhand. I always forget that I can use sword 2 as a defensive move, but that’s just on me. What I sometimes run into is making use of Swap reliably. It feels like swap always teleports me a few feet behind where the clone actually is and the immob doesn’t actually connect even if they aren’t evading/blocking/blinding at all. Am I doing it wrong?

Just any general tips would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I’d say you can use F4 Distortion also for Stomping (if trouble is nearby).
Also you have to change your Mindset on Sword Mainhand. About 95% of my Sword #2 uses are defensive (if you can predict/see some big damage, switch weapons and use it).
It’s ok if you can’t avoid 100% of the incoming damage.
You can use Sword 3 also as an Immobilize (at least thats my use of Swap).

Other than that, I’d say you need more practice with mesmer.

If your openers are too obvious, try just not opening with ’em. Like, Mirror Blade is something you can just throw whenever, particularly at close range. It also has a small enough cooldown that you can use it for “fake outs.”

This video’s just a bit old but it’s got some great examples of super-fast shatters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tcjVz12Ago

One thing I struggle with is opening up a fight

Don’t always use the same old predictable openings, bait dodges by cancel casting mirror blade and leading with f2 shatter before your f1 spike, you don’t have to follow the same old cliche shatter rotations.

I’m also really bad at using Distortion wisely

The more you play the more comfortable you’ll feel with it I guess, sometimes using it it pro-actively will pay off better then re-actively, particularly vs thieves/necros.

I also have issues with using Sword mainhand

I’ve always seen sword as more of a defensive/utility weapon then an offensive one.
S2 is just something your gonna have to get used to using defensively it gets stuck in your muscle memory as an evade. You can blink during s2 as well if you used it as a last second ‘oh kitten’ button.
S3 is great, once you learn it’s knack. You can cancel cast the clone animation allowing an instant swap/instant immob, it takes a bit of practice, but is far more reliable and cuts off a 1/4-1/2 second casting. if you don’t need the immob/swap don’t always use it, often it will instantly bait one dodge then leaves you with a free stunbreak for the next 5 seconds and a second chance at the immob which they will have to random dodhge to avoid.

Ah, I think the cancel casting of Sword 3 is what has been throwing me. I’m used to doing that on War but I didn’t know that it basically let you trick the system. It always seemed like my Swap took much longer to work.

I also wouldn’t call my opening predictable, I just hated using one of my stunbreakers as the opener. Using F2 to fake them out is a pretty cool idea though.

Neptune.2570:

S3 is great, once you learn it’s knack. You can cancel cast the clone animation allowing an instant swap/instant immob, it takes a bit of practice, but is far more reliable and cuts off a 1/4-1/2 second casting.

Sorry, but this is untrue. When they made the changes to iLeap, I decided to test out whether sheathe-canceling it would increase the speed at which I could leap. I tested it extremely extensively with various tools allowing for perfect precision of timing, and got absolutely no gain out of it. The very fastest swap was achieved by simply mashing 3.

twitch.tv/thelordhelseth
twitch.tv/hansawesome

Watch these guys play and you will learn A LOT.
It is PvP but the mechanical side of things is the same.
I’d also recommend you read through my guide(linked in my sig) to understand the build better, then through supcuties guide which is linked in my guide to understand gameplay, combos, get tips and tricks. Also go on youtube and find shatter vs shatter by supcutie. Its a long video where he 1v1s shatter mesmers a bunch and explains everything.

@Fay yeah it doesnt allow you to leap instantly but instead of being stuck in the anim you could cast other things.

Look for Vashs Shatter Vids, he explained it really good. If you want to see how you use it against outnumbered fights, look one Page earlier in this Mesmer Forum for Diiverse Outnumbered Fights. After watching that, most of your question marks should be answered.

S3 is great, once you learn it’s knack. You can cancel cast the clone animation allowing an instant swap/instant immob, it takes a bit of practice, but is far more reliable and cuts off a 1/4-1/2 second casting.

This is indeed not correct, but cancelling sword #3 can still be good to do as to get another autoattack where you would usually aftercast it. Also with sword #3 remember that you should not always use it immediately, especailly since it is very very likely to bait out a dodge. Instead you wait and use it to immob or just teleport to confuse the enemy.

I’d advise you to start with the basic mesmer stuff first, like getting better at when to shatter and such. F2 you oftentimes don’t want to use with many clones up, as you will probably need those clones for one of the more important shatters.

In terms of distortion, which you say you have trouble with, you should use it when you are going to take damage rather then when you have taken damage. One reason for this is that if the opponent it for example throwing a chill nade on you, it will likely kill your clones thus shortening your distortion. This is especailly true for sword build, since you probably have the trait that resets shatters on 50% hp. Something to remember as a general thing is that you can ddodge just before the distortion to get an extra second of it. Usually you can regen the lost endurance withing the invulnerability duration (almost).

Diversion can be even harder to use than distortion but there are a couple of ways you can use it. Either you can make use of illusionary persona and inteuupt some skill, for example a heal, a prybar, a burning speed ETC. The other good option you have is to be aware of your clones’ positions (this is really important always) and line up a “dazetrain” by letting your clones run at your opponent in a train to get multiple dazes/ interrupts.

When opening a 1v1, it depends on what class you are up against (of course). But as a general thing, you shouldn’t be bent on using a classic shatter open that you see in combo videos or whatever- those are often not the best way to win a duel. Vs most classes, it is good to pressure from range with your greatsword and wasting their cooldowns. Then you can go in with sword and try to for example immob into mirror blade. Something to keep in mind is that you cannot trade with ANYONE. Therefore you need to avoid high damage skills and pressure them back as well as you can.

Some builds on some classes are of course best duelled differently. Vs power ranger, for example, it is usually a good idea to ot pressure from range as you will die. Quick bursts and stealth as well as distortion reflects are important in this matchup. Something to remeber vs some classes (mesmer, theif etc) is that prestige is often better used in melee range to get the blind off.

If you play mesmer decently, you will have little trouble in most situations. The problem really arises when fighting decent thieves. This is were you need to use cooldowns and terrain efficiently and with habit. VS DP panic stike, really try to interurpt their heartseeker in black powder combo- it will really screw them over. When you have played a mesmer for a while and perhaps duelled thieves you will also get a feel for when they will jump on you. If you can predict and dodge a steal this way you have a much bigger chance to win. Vs most classes, thieves especially, you will need to use blurred frenzy defensively.

After you are confident with mesmer, you should try learning more advanced techniques such as blurred frenzy stow and illusionary wave cancel to bait dodges. But i think you have a while to go first.

Phew, tha t was an essay and a half. =S

I should probably mention that I started playing Mes as a 44600 CI and I’m not to bad at it. I think the habits I picked up from that build are fairly different from traditional shatter builds. I can play CI and be fairly aggressive but shatter is more about waiting for your moment.

Neptune.2570:

One thing I struggle with is opening up a fight

Don’t always use the same old predictable openings, bait dodges by cancel casting mirror blade and leading with f2 shatter before your f1 spike, you don’t have to follow the same old cliche shatter rotations.

This is a really important one – sure, there’s still good reason to use the core skill sequences, but being creative/unpredictable vastly increases your chances of winning against better opponents.

One thing that has worked for me a number of times is stealth (either decoy or prestige) + dodge if necessary + immediate F1, when illusions are appropriately placed near to or surrounding the opponent and you’re “running” past the target (stealth just before running past and make sure to have used up their dodges first). People usually expect you to sit in stealth for a couple of seconds and open with mirror blade or ileap, and the quick drop target followed by burst can often suprise players.

I had the same issue as you before i discovered the wonderful diversion shatter. That shatter put insane pressure to someone and let you breath/do free dmg. Plus it add nice vulnerability stacks for an incomming mind wack. I think its a huge part of shatter mesmer because it can also be a life saver (IE: hammer warrior f1 on you, you can interrupt it.) as well as a pressure tool.

To play mesmer effectively, try to mind conrol him haha. Force him in defense mode.

I would consider not using Decoy at the start of a fight. Decoy is very versatile (can be used offensively and defensively) but has a long cooldown. Typically you want to save your “Aces” for when you really need them and that means trying to hold onto them as long as you think possible. I generally never use Decoy at the start of a fight unless its against someone that I think I have a 50/50 percent chance against. For example, against a good mesmer who uses Decoy at the start of a fight.

The other issues you mentioned (e.g., when to use Distortion, using S#2 defensively, landing immob) are all things you’ll get better at with more practice.

Leodon.1564:

I would consider not using Decoy at the start of a fight. Decoy is very versatile (can be used offensively and defensively) but has a long cooldown. Typically you want to save your “Aces” for when you really need them and that means trying to hold onto them as long as you think possible. I generally never use Decoy at the start of a fight unless its against someone that I think I have a 50/50 percent chance against. For example, against a good mesmer who uses Decoy at the start of a fight.

The other issues you mentioned (e.g., when to use Distortion, using S#2 defensively, landing immob) are all things you’ll get better at with more practice.

As you say it depends entirely on the situation as well as the weapons you’re using.

Sometimes, if “in the zone”, then opening with decoy is a good tactic. For example one time vs this thief in graveyard on foefire we were running straight at each other from opposite sides. I decoy dodged overhead as he tried to Steal, got hit which spawned two clones – swapped weapons to sword for ileap blurred frenzy 4 clone mind wrack which ended the fight. I wouldn’t have done that all the time, but it just felt right to decoy in that situation – the funny thing was instead the “normal” use of sword 2/2/3/F1 which usually everyone and their grandparents can avoid but I got lucky.

So to the OP, if you have two stunbreaks (ie decoy and blink), try to keep one off cooldown at all times – if they both go on cooldown make sure you have an alternative survival plan (distortion, diversion, kiting, blurred frenzy, etc…), or run away to reset for a bit.

But don’t be afraid to use decoy or blink offensively as an opener because it can be a good tactic.

Any tips for getting Swap to connect? There are a lot of times when I’ll pop it to try to stop movement and it does nothing. Like they moved out of clone range between the clone deciding to pop and the immob actually hitting.