My build has bountiful interruption and imbued diversion. The more enemies there are, the better to use F3 shatter. Instant 15 to 25 stacks of might plus other buffs. Then share to party/team mates.
For other builds/playstyle, it’s supposed to be an interrupt for threatening skills with usually longer cast times unless the enemy has stability/defiant. But yeah, as you’ve said, timing it is pretty tricky since you have to be aware of the location of your illusions and then the time it takes for them to run to the enemy you are trying to interrupt and then shatter.
“The boss you just killed respawns ten minutes
later. It doesn’t care that I’m there.”
Shatter builds with IP traited usually chain F1-F2-F3 together to somewhat lock down the target (or at least buy time) to prepare for the next shatter.
Shatter builds with IP traited usually chain F1-F2-F3 together to somewhat lock down the target (or at least buy time) to prepare for the next shatter.
They do? Why would you want to stack confusion with (traited) shatter 1 and shatter 2, just to do a shatter 3 so that they can’t proc the confusion for 1 second (or more)?
Shatter builds with IP traited usually chain F1-F2-F3 together to somewhat lock down the target (or at least buy time) to prepare for the next shatter.
They do? Why would you want to stack confusion with (traited) shatter 1 and shatter 2, just to do a shatter 3 so that they can’t proc the confusion for 1 second (or more)?
F2 Shatter does direct damage also in addition to the confusion stack, so it’s still an added damage for burst.
“The boss you just killed respawns ten minutes
later. It doesn’t care that I’m there.”
Shatter builds with IP traited usually chain F1-F2-F3 together to somewhat lock down the target (or at least buy time) to prepare for the next shatter.
They do? Why would you want to stack confusion with (traited) shatter 1 and shatter 2, just to do a shatter 3 so that they can’t proc the confusion for 1 second (or more)?
Just to clarify, I was talking about power-based shatter build where F1 is the bread-and-butter dmg dealer.
You get the wrong idea, it’s not about stacking confusion. It’s about the extra damage u get from F2. F3 is there to stall the opponent or prevent them healing —> put them on the defensive.
In a shatter spike it can be a nice close to finish off the spike and if lucky, get an interrupt on heal combined with bountiful interruption for follow-up damage.
I find its only useful with self shatter, not with 2 or 3 clones out. Unless the clones are staggered, the daze doesn’t stack up, so they get wasted. Assuming your running +3% damage per illusion, then the damage output is more beneficial with them alive and waiting on the next mind wrack.
Others have already mentioned its use with IP traited.
In my case, even in a condi build, it is useful whenever
a) the enemy’s health is low
+
b) he is attempting to heal
With the Runes of Perplexity, interrupting will stack confusion, making their desperate straits much more so.
If you have the trait Illusionary Personality it is a FANTASTIC stomp move.
Enemy downed —> (1/3-1/2 way through stomp) F3 --> (once daze is about to wear off) F4
It’s like the stealth stomp, but for mesmers.
Also the F3 self-shatter is fantastic at breaking up a warrior/thief bursting you in melee (in case F4 is on cooldown). You can also disrupt stomps on allies.
1. When i have no Phantasm, All Clones
2. When i see Another GS Shooter Mesmer coz GS #1 is channeling 1,5s
3. When focusing fire with CTRL+T to Raise all P Members damage from Vul
4. When enemy is Casting Reviving/ Stomping. Thou Sword #4 is better coz it’s a line
If you have Deceptive Evasion, it is great at putting a little extra distance between you and PvE enemies that are chasing you. Dodge one of the incoming attacks (make a clone), then Distraction. Dazes seem to work as stuns most of the time in PvE, and the enemy will not only be dazed (possibly interrupted if you timed it right) but they will also stop chasing for the duration of the daze.
If you use Illusionary persona, this is an amazing skill. I use it all the time as basically a poor man’s Distortion shatter to prevent an incoming attack. Without Illusionary persona you can still do this, but you just need an Illusion up already. When I’m not using Illusionary Persona, if I feel that I will need to use this strategy (lets say I’m reviving someone out of downed) I’ll summon an illusion first, this is very similar to using the Distortion shatter in this way (even when using Illusionary Persona, for extra invuln duration).
tl;dr: I use it all the time, especially when I’m using Illusionary Persona.
In pvp I use it for two primary things. First, I fairly often use it to interrupt a spike. Second, I time it to interrupt someone’s heal. You slowly burn someone down to about 40% health. They will go for the heal. Diversion them and burst them down the rest of the way.
In my typical Shatter build I use it frequently (though I’m messing with Phantasm at the moment).
Note that this, of course, utilizes illusionary persona.
PvE: Combined with Dazzling I can stack 20-25 Vuln easy, I then follow that up with iLeap and Blurred Frenzy Mirror Image and Mind Wrack. I consider this useful for increasing team damage overall.
PvP: Sometimes as a Vuln burst, but usually F1 + F2 is better for taking someone out quickly. But I’ll still toss in an F3 to prevent a reaction briefly. I often use this for saving my allies from being stomped. If I have IP I just beat on the enemy or Rez the ally and hit F3. If I don’t have it I throw out an Illusion in the target first. IP is easier, but prepping with an illusion is useful once you get the hang of it.
I definitely use it for the Imbued Diversion bomb now. Prior to 60, I didn’t use it much. Sometimes I used it to get in a blurred frenzy if my Illusionary Leap flubbed, but I wasn’t making clones so fast for F1 and F2 cooldown to be a common issue. Anytime it was, I would just drop two phantasms and wait it out.
It’s best with Illusionary Persona. I always fired it to interrupt a stomp attempt on an allie, or a thief stealth/heal attempt. Also if you add it into your shatter burst on the end you can interrupt teleports and stunbreakers breakers etc.
as far as i can tell. in evry build else than a shatter build, the shatter mechanisms are not that much of a deal.
f2, f3, f4 i hardly use anytime.
f1 is only justifyable in aoe circumstances and even then not that big dealer (its even worse than mantra of pain, and this IS already not the jackpot).
i wouldnt say anything, cos its pretty ok with some builds not using the shatters regularly, but
it is supposed to be a primary profession design for ALL builds, as far as i understand the sense and use of these bars in evry profession i played til now.
therefor i can say that i use, at least, F3 next to never, cos its a waste of combatflow
with ipersona