Guild Wars 2

I made a Norn mesmer at midnight and played for a bit. I brought her up to like level 8 today. Thing is, she’s died like 5 or 6 times already. What level does it get better? Or could it just be me not knowing how to play it?

At level 40. You can pretty much become unstoppable in PVE and a good match for almost anyone in wvwvw if traited and played right.

That long? ;-;
What is it at level 40 that makes it unstoppable? Also, does it get better along the lines? Like do I start dying less as I approach 40?

Major master level traits. The game changed for me was the clone on dodge trait (as it is for many mesmer builds).

I hardly died after level 40 except when blindsided and often did missions rated for several levels higher than my own. Keeping gear up to your current level is important, too. Don’t be afraid to spend karma/silver on gear. You can always make it back much faster at higher levels.

Well when do you start noticing more progress? Is it exactly at 40, or do you start sensing a change at a lower level like 20?

CommanderPC.8609:

Well when do you start noticing more progress? Is it exactly at 40, or do you start sensing a change at a lower level like 20?

Exactly at 40, when you retrait to the next tier of traits. They completely change and define how you play mesmer.

So I’m stuck getting clobbered for the next 40 levels?

CommanderPC.8609:

So I’m stuck getting clobbered for the next 40 levels?

use staff as main weapon. helps tremendously in surviving.

I’ve been using greatsword and scepter/pistol.

Maybe that’s why I’ve been getting destroyed?

Of course not. Silly answer. At 40 you get a big boost, yes, but until then you can kick serious kitten

I suggest picking up the staff. Most of its damage comes from auto attack so you’re not bogged down by cooldowns. Grab Decoy (pretty much never remove it, it’s a great panic button), Mirror Images and whatever you want for the third one.

First mob. Staff 2, then staff 3, then Decoy. When the mob is at 30% HP use Shatter 1.

Second mob. Staff 2, Mirror Images. When the mob is at 30% HP use Shatter 2.

Third mob. Staff 2, staff 3, staff 5. Shatter 1 at 30%.

Just rinse and repeat and you should never need to twiddle your thumbs while you wait for CDs.

First 5 points go in Illusion. Whatever build you do never remove them as they work on all weapons and all skills.

I wouldn’t recommend a scepter in PvE.

Sword in MH with an Off-Hand is pretty decent in Field PvE.
Sword’s trait is also available when you have 10 Trait Points, it’s in the adept collumn.

As for second weapon set, either a Staff or a GS. You can do both GS and Staff tho, but I personally prefer a Sword for Field PvE when leveling from exploring maps.

^

Scepter is pretty much the weakest, especially so in PvE since its main damage source is stacking confusion and confusion is ineffective against mobs because they attack so slowly.

MH sword is much better for dishing out damage while getting a 2-second invulnerability with a low cooldown, if you’re getting pummeled at melee just swap to your staff and retreat.

If you want to stick to scepter, pair it with offhand sword. The phantasm does good damage and you get two blocks/counter so works nicely for defensive play. Both have quite short cooldowns so you won’t have too much trouble fighting veterans and champs if those are what kills you. Also, always have decoy and feedback for pesky ranged mobs.

i leveled mostly with sword/pistol and staff and had no problems at all, i found 30-39 to be the most challenging range.

Key to making the leveling process easier is to focus on toughness stat on gear as it makes your survivability that much better.

The first time I used Staff with Mesmer in early levels is the first time I felt OP in this game.

Tried the staff and it’s pretty awesome.

I noticed the hardest time with my mesmer was from level 6 until level 16, after that it changed slightly. And then it continued to get better and better with every new level.
So keep yourself motivated, you can overcome that really annoying phase. :-)

Staff/GS is one of the easier and most efficient paths to level. That being said, once I started using sword/focus, it never left my bar unless I found a very powerful pistol or extra sword to try out until I found another focus of equal level. I rotated staff and GS for my secondary set.

Once you get used to using a focus effectively, everything else feels subpar. Though pistol is much easier to learn/use, nothing matches the combine power/utility of a focus if used well in a power build, esp if you have Warden’s Feedback. Though staff can rival it in a condition build.

I carry around a Staff as my secondary weapon for serious AoE cleansing, but am I doing something wrong with it? It seems to kill enemies soooo slowly with the auto-attack, certainly no faster than if my other Scepter/Pistol build (which I use for solo’ing single tough opponents like Veterans or Champions).

It should be noted that I like keeping a little distance between me and the enemy, so a big part of the delay comes from the fact that the staff’s auto-attack projectiles move extremely slowly.

Depends a lot on how you play.

Sword / Sword nets you a LOT in the way of survival.
Sword 2 provides 2 seconds of not taking damage.
Sword 4 is a block (for 0 damage)
Both have a fast recycle time. (epsecially if traited)
and you have 2 dodges.

For AOE your better off with a great sword.
-Staff nets you 1 big AOE with 35 sec cd
-GS 2 bounced between attackers (+1 if traited)
-GS 3 is a small AOE.
-GS 4 is your phantasm. It will hit several targets + cripple.
-GS 5 is a cone dps/knockback.

With the GS trait (Domination 20, Trait X: Greatsowrd training) and the faster illusion (5 points in illusions) summoning you can get GS2 down to 4.5 sec CD and GS 4 down to 12 seconds I beleive.

If you run with the signit of illusions your illusions will live through a hit or 2 for shatters. It also makes your phantasms more durable too (they ARE considered illusions)
If you use the Mirror immages skill you can poop out 2 more illusions on demand in case you need a second shatter effect. Especially useful if you want do a confusion shatter on top of a damage shatter fast. you can get quite a few stacks up quick especially with the illusion 15 that makes all shatters inflict confusion.

As you can see a lot of those abilities do not become available until you dig much deeper into the various talent trees.

The other advice I can offer is carry pretty much 1 of every weapon with you. Then you can swap out as the situation dictates. Makes a HUGE difference.

(oh, in case your wondering I run 20/30/0/0/20 and swap in whatever traits match whatever weapons I am using depending on if I am dungoneering, gathering, pvp’ing etc)

CommanderPC.8609:

I’ve been using greatsword and scepter/pistol.

That could be a large part of your issue. If there was 1 piece of advice I would give low level mesmers it would be avoid scepter and be weary of great sword.

GS is amazing at higher levels, but at low levels kiting and defense are much more important and the staff/mh sword shine for those.

Mesmer is fine from level 2, there’s just a learning curve to it. Here’s my suggestion:

1. Always keep your gear up to date. There’s no reason to even lag 5 levels behind in gear. Most blue items are available on TP for vendor value, so you can just vendor your old blue gear and buy up to date blue gear from TP for same price or just a few copper more. There’s a TP guy in every zone.

Also, just wear blue gear to 80. Green gear loses its edge in just like 2 levels, and yellow gear is 4 levels I think. Not worth the price premium. Just stay in blue. Then upgrade to exotic.

2. Stack toughness and vitality gear.

3. Put Decoy in your bar the moment you get it. Toughness + Vitality + Decoy + Focus (for swiftness) means you basically never have to get downed. You can take on four mobs at a time and then if a fifth and sixth add, you just temporal curtain and decoy and you’re out.

4. Use sword+focus and GS or staff. Learn to use the focus. There’s a learning curve, but it’s really good.

5. Give yourself chaos armor repeatedly by laying down an ethereal combo field (chaos storm, null field, etc.) and then using the #3 sword ability. This one is big if you haven’t been doing it already. It’s easy if you’re using staff. You chaos storm, swap, hit #3 for chaos armor.

6. Here’s what I’d take for traits. First 10 points in Dueling and take the Sword skill. (Or if you are willing to respec, first five points in Illusion and then respec once you have 10 points and put them in Dueling.) The sword skill lets you blurred frenzy faster, and BF is an awesome skill. You can also try sword offhand once you have this trait, since it benefits also.

Next 5 in Illusions for Illusionist Celerity

Next 5 in Chaos for the Regen at 75%

Next 10 in Domination for more power.

Once you hit 40, as everyone says, you use your training book and respec, and whatever you choose I’d suggest 20 in Dueling and grab clone on dodge and at least 5 in Illusion for Illusionist Celerity. (IMO you have 5 in Illusion at all times after level 25.)

mesmer never gets better, cause it already is THE best class since lvl 1. period.

PvP-wise.. the moment you learn how to press the “I messed up button” every time you get caught by Basilisk Venom + Steal or Shield Bash + Skull Crack.

Not only limited to stun break + invisibility AND going invulnerable every time you get caught by something that can link to a combo.

No seriously its a pansy class that takes no skill, do you really need help with this pathetic class where people hide their lack of skill?

Schwahrheit.4203:

PvP-wise.. the moment you learn how to press the “I messed up button” every time you get caught by Basilisk Venom + Steal or Shield Bash + Skull Crack.

Not only limited to stun break + invisibility AND going invulnerable every time you get caught by something that can link to a combo.

No seriously its a pansy class that takes no skill, do you really need help with this pathetic class where people hide their lack of skill?

Man you are butthurt. First of all, stop blatantly making stuff up. You completely invalidated your whine with a lie. Decoy is a stun break and short term invisibility that spawns a clone. It does not grant invulnerability. Further, it won’t remove a root or snare.

Based on your post you play a thief and a warrior. Is the one button iwin on your characters not working? How about this: try playing a mesmer. Actually learn about the profession, rather than spewing this drivel.