Guild Wars 2

Disclaimer: I know many will tell me to try many builds before I decide on one and I have, but pvp plays quite differently from wvw and pve so I want diverse opinions! :p

I recently 80’d my mesmer coming from a guardian, ele and necro background. I can’t really afford to gear my mesmer with multiple armor sets at the moment so if I do it, I want to do it right. I really like every type of mesmer playstyle but I’m still pretty undecided.

What I’m asking is this: If you had to choose a mesmer setup that worked for both pve and wvw with minimal or no tweaking between the two game modes, what would it be?

The build in my Sig is designed just for that, thought there is a slight trait variant for PVE. Staff/sword-focus is the most versatile weapon setup if you can’t afford the others.

i just run my own builf because i am pretty lazy at optimizing my gear

sword/focus build with staff or greatsword

0/20/0/20/30

utils are null feild, blink, and feedback

i run a damage denial build with medic feedback and glamour on blind with the usual traits such as warden feedback and IP

i made this build to help carry pugs and cause the enemy lose their first strike advantage

there isnt a real meta in wvwvw because builds might be optimal in some situation butbad in others

I like that build where your clones make clones, who also make clones…really makes me question reality…maybe not the meta you were going for.

I never understood what people mean when builds very by wvw pve and PvP I use the same build in all three

kahzee.6042:

I never understood what people mean when builds very by wvw pve and PvP I use the same build in all three

PvP builds need to be able to move between and contest points…there are a few specific roles that they need to fill, and the ability to effectively fight in and against small groups is important. Ending fights quickly is good here, so glass cannon builds can really excel, as can very tanky builds, aimed at holding off 2-3 players alone.

WvW has massive groups of players – zergs show up and try to ruin your day, also distances are greater, so running back from spawn is a problem. Therefore survivability is more important. A glass cannon build might do well in certain fights, but it will die often, which in a zerg v zerg fight means free rallies for the enemy, and can hurt your team. Builds tend to be more balanced, and geared toward survivability. As a mesmer, there may also be things expected of you…if attacking a tower, you may be asked to use focus pulls to yank people off the tower, or use staff to do aoe to people on the tower. Other times, you may be expected to carry skills like veil, which is nearly useless in PvE and mediocre in PvP, but very strong in WvW.

PvE is predictable, with tough mobs that deal lots of damage, but in predictable ways. That means the damage is easily avoided, which makes glass-cannon builds the norm. In certain CoF groups, you’ll get kicked if you’re not wearing all berzerker gear.

It’s certainly possible to play the same build in all settings, but the roles are different, and it is hard for one build to be optimal for all settings.

kahzee.6042:

I never understood what people mean when builds very by wvw pve and PvP I use the same build in all three

Statements like this kill me a little bit inside.

I remember when theory crafting and min maxing was the way you played mmo’s.

Now theres this whole new generation of mmo players that don’t even know what spec they’re playing much less whether it’s a good spec or not.

I watched spvp matches the other day and just /facepalmed at how weird the specs I saw were. The specs were just all over the place with no real identity or direction.

I swear half the people playing this game don’t even know what spec they’re in if you asked them. It’s fine I guess but it still hurts how little thought people put into it.

Godmoney.2048:

kahzee.6042:

I never understood what people mean when builds very by wvw pve and PvP I use the same build in all three

Statements like this kill me a little bit inside.

I remember when theory crafting and min maxing was the way you played mmo’s.

Now theres this whole new generation of mmo players that don’t even know what spec they’re playing much less whether it’s a good spec or not.

I watched spvp matches the other day and just /facepalmed at how weird the specs I saw were. The specs were just all over the place with no real identity or direction.

I swear half the people playing this game don’t even know what spec they’re in if you asked them. It’s fine I guess but it still hurts how little thought people put into it.

lol this.

Im an old school UO and Dark Sun player. In Dark Sun, if our set up wasnt right we’d make a new character the next day and grind. UO took months just to max one character, and a year+ just to get perfect armor that you could lose in a single death. I remember those days…. ahhh

For meta:

Portal and Illusion of life are essential. Your goal is to deny the enemy kill points or reinforce cap points. If you want to bunker or be offensive you should be a guardian or necro.
Preferably with some kind of aoe damage (shatter).
20/20/0/0/30, 0/20/20/0/30 both work well. One for high dmg shatter and boon removal, the other for more defensive work or better/more blinks for mobiity.