Guild Wars 2

I’m curious as to what everyone’s experience on the current WvW “meta” is. A debate came up with a group that I used to WvW with when we were picking builds apart. Their argument was that the groups that they normally play against almost never run condi removal, so glamour/condi builds are still a viable option. I can only think of a few groups on the opposing server that this would actually work against though.

Glamour/blinding: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fhEQNAsdWlknpMtlqxVNUrNCqxg6u26NSGRAlsjvB-TFCEwA22fol6PbVCyU5nhHpQH9NAOSAPOBBkCgJlRA-w

In my experience, it’s easier to stay alive by dishing out as much damage as possible (before you go down) and rallying off a single target than to play defensively on mesmer. I despise playing defensively on a mesmer. Personal preference aside, it seems like the current zerker shatter builds are a lot more viable. Blinding on mesmers relies too much on other builds that your guild is running. I can see it working if your guardians and necros and thieves were ALL pitching in and dropping what essentially a “blinding bomb” on the enemy zerg. (And I can guarantee that necros/guardians/etc. in his guild aren’t providing this synergy, because I’ve seen their builds.)

So something like this: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fhEQNAsdWlknpMtNqxYNUrNiqxg6uabNSGQBlsktB-TFCEwA23fYrSQmK/M8IFYp+TH9NAOSAPOBBkCYUlRA-w

…is more of what I run. It’s meant for a combination of zerg utility (veil/portal/null field), backline/gank (blink/mirror images/decoy) and occasional portal bombing, which generally means put on all your stealth skills + blink and hope the enemy isn’t dropping heavy damage before you get a chance to drop your port. It doesn’t really rely on your guild’s “meta”. It just kind of does it’s own thing and adapts to the meta with utility.

TL;DR: Are glamour/blinding builds still viable, even without the guild “synergy”? Even if the rest of the guild ran builds to complement your own, would just mes/guard/necros running blinding traits and skills be enough to get around the heavy condition removal that most groups tend to run?

If you’re talking small scale fights and you wan’t a condi build, I’d take condi shatter with maim.

If you’re talking large scale fights then yes, people don’t run much if any condi cleanse, but that’s because the zerg offers cleansing on the train. You can, of course, target the ranged and kiters, but it can be difficult to secure a ‘down’ with conditions before they can retreat back into, or to the other side of their zerg. Power on the other hand can drop someone in one. Which is why you have a lot of power running around without a lot of condi removal in the first place.

As for glamors? You’d only want to take this to drop on mass aoe zerg situations. But in that sutuation what’s 1 blind lost to 1 AA, and 1-2 stacks of confusion for a couple hundred a tick that’ll get zerg cleansed before long anyway.

Condi in havok, small roaming, or solo roaming is golden however as Condi’s are so spammable and condi removals to limited.

The reason you don’t see glamour anymore has more to do with the nerfs to the traits.

From the wiki:

• Blinding Befuddlement: This trait can trigger only once every 5 seconds on any target that is blinded by the Mesmer.
• Dazzling Glamours: If Confusing Enchantments, which also makes glamours confuse foes, is active, only one stack of confusion will apply.

The blind on glamour is still a pretty powerful trait on its own, but you don’t get as nearly many stacks of confusion as you used to.

SuburbanLion.8095:

The reason you don’t see glamour anymore has more to do with the nerfs to the traits.

From the wiki:

• Blinding Befuddlement: This trait can trigger only once every 5 seconds on any target that is blinded by the Mesmer.
• Dazzling Glamours: If Confusing Enchantments, which also makes glamours confuse foes, is active, only one stack of confusion will apply.

The blind on glamour is still a pretty powerful trait on its own, but you don’t get as nearly many stacks of confusion as you used to.

This was more what I was looking for, in zerg situations.

I forgot to include in initial post, but I’m more referring to how it’s not quite as viable due to the melee trains that have condi removal (guardians/cleanse warriors/etc.), especially if that’s where the initial bomb is going to be.

Triumphant distortion with greatsword is great for tagging clumped up groups in a zerg while in a damage spec. I usually run a bountiful interruption build with signet distortion and boon share to up my survivability in a zerg and still pump out big numbers with illusionary berserker. Ever wondered what its like to run through a melee train as a zerker mesmer and come out the other side untouched? :p

Ive beat a couple of people in 1v1s in this spec although its not ideal, but your access to invulnerability is a little annoying for them. Thieves will hate you for a while until you run out of distortion. But its more built towards group fighting.

I’m still using 2-6-0-6-0 and I think it’s the most effective WvW build we have.

2/6/0/6/0 mantra phantasm build GS-S/F(or 4/0/6/4/0 for more damage) based on bringing more support through Restorative Mantras + Mantra of Pain.

2/6/0/0/6 GS-S/T shatter build based on spike damage.

I run 4/6/0/4/0 but that’s bc I prefer less phant damage and less healing in return for the GS cool down.