Guild Wars 2

This has likely been gone over about a bagillion times already, but I decided to put this out there in the event that someone doesn’t see or like the builds available. My in-game name is Sorceress Bathory and you can PM me at anytime to ask mesmer or WvW related questions.

The focus of this mesmer is to provide zerg support in WvW. For roaming, I would suggest a different build (such as an actual PU build). This build is also heavily based on conditions, and you will obviously be most supportive in ascended gear with the proper food buffs.

First, a link to the build: WvW Zerg Confusion Mesmer

Gear

The weapon choices are Staff and Scepter/Focus for heavy condition application. The staff skill 5 (Chaos Storm) is great for putting down AoE conditions and interrupts on enemy zergs, while staff skill 2 (Phase Retreat) is a great way to quickly get out of damage areas. Using staff skill 2 inside of a Null Field or Chaos Storm applies Chaos Armour for a bit of protection, when available.

The scepter and focus provide great support for adding more conditions through scepter skill 3 (Confusing Images) on single targets, and focus skill 4 (Temporal Curtain/Into the Void) for speed buffs, cripple, and critical pulls from towers or against backline/kiting enemies. The scepter skill 1 (Ether Clone) helps to throw out some extra clones to apply AoE confusion when they die. Keep in mind, the focus 4 (Temporal Curtain) speed boon does not stack with any other speed buffs (including itself) if a speed buff is already applied. Try to apply this speed buff first, before any other speed buffs are applied.

I highly suggest a full set of Rabid ascended gear. The reason is for extra procs on the Superior Sigil of Torment, enough toughness for survivability, and extra condition damage. A heavy focus on endurance and AoE conditions is key. Each dodge creates a new illusion which can create a set of AoE conditions upon death, and the AoE torment helps to apply pressure to pushing or kiting enemies. As such, I suggest Superior Sigil of Energy on each weapon set, which grants enough endurance for one more dodge per weapon swap. A full set of Superior Rune of Perplexity is required for this build. So, save up some gold.

Confusion

Some notes about confusion and perplexity runes:
- Each interrupt applies 3 stacks of confusion.
- Each hit has a chance to cause confusion.
- Confusion lasts longer.
- All conditions deal more damage per proc.

Take note of all methods of interrupting foes. Not only does it stop their action, but the confusion stacks up quickly. It is not uncommon to hit 25 stacks of confusion on a set of enemies at any given time.

Some ways to interrupt foes include:
- Any stun, daze, pull, knock, or fear effects.
- Chaos Storm randomly causes interrupts.
- Power Lock (Mantra of Distraction charged skill) causes daze.
- Into the Void (focus skill 4 shatter ability) causes a pull.
- Shatter skill 3 (Diversion) can cause AoE daze.

Skills

The healing skill (Signet of the Ether) is chosen due to the lag which comes with zerging. You do not have to worry as much about dying due to lag (hopefully) simply because the heal is passive. For smaller groups, I would suggest Ether Feast, as it can provide better healing from the lower recharge and the constant shattering of illusions. Just be sure to try and heal, with Ether Feast, only when you have three illusions out already.

Utility skill slots 8 and 9 in the linked build are pretty much required for zerging. The Veil and Null Field provide great support for stealthing your entire zerg during movement, and stripping enemy boons during pushes. Dropping a Veil in front of a portal, right before a push into an enemy zerg on the other side, is a great way to get the initiative in battle. I typically Veil right before a push, then right after the zerg runs through for stealth and attacks, I immediately drop a Null Field on their frontline to strip warrior and guardian boons.

Utility skill slot 7 is variable. In the linked build I put Signet of Domination for increased condition damage and a stun for applying 3 stacks of confusion to a single target, but I will swap the skill out with Illusion of Life (which can raise a dead Keep Lord), Feedback, and Portal Entre for utility purposes as needed. I will skip the discussion of portal usage, as that is an entirely different topic, which is quite lengthy. Feedback and Illusion of Life are preference skills, and Illusion of Life is highly recommended for use while defending. If the keep lord you raised with Illusion of Life ends up getting a couple hits in on someone that your zerg kills, then he will stay alive, much like with Vengeance. So, essentially, this skill can be as effective as a warrior banner in the right circumstances.

The elite skill slot is typically going to be Time Warp, but it can also be Mass Invisibility as needed. Though, there is little use for Mass Invisibility in zergs, as it has a limit of how many people it can stealth at a time.

Traits

The trait line fits extremely well with the Rabid armour set, and is focused heavily on condition damage and confusion as well. The whole build has some pretty great synergy between all of the choices, with only a few odd selections due to lack of a better option.

In the precision traitline (Dueling), the Adept III (Retalitory Shield) is chosen because many others in your group will be granting you blocks, as well as some blocks from your own stealth buffs and scepter skill 2 (Illusionary Counter). The Master X (Deceptive Evasion) is pretty much a staple for most mesmer builds I have seen. Being able to spit out a clone, simply from dodging, is pretty strong. Also consider that each killed illusion applies a number of conditions, including confusion. The 25 points are in precision traitline specifically for Confusing Combatants. There really is no other reason the extra 5 points are assigned. To ignore that minor trait really reduces a lot of confusion application though. The minor adept trait (Critical Infusion) is very helpful for reducing damage incoming, increasing illusion count and subsequent condition application, as well as synergising well with rabid gear.

The toughness traitline (Chaos) is the source of a lot of both survivability and outgoing damage. Specifically, the minor grandmaster trait (Chaotic Transference) greatly increases your overall condition damage without losing any defence. The Grandmaster XII (Prismatic Understanding) is chosen to lengthen the stealth time of your Veil and to apply boons to you as you remain in stealth. The Master X (Chaotic Dampening) trait is for both defence and to increase the amount of Chaos Storm you can use. Chaos Storm is a critical skill for zerging, and is too hard to ignore. One stacked set of Chaos Storm and Null Field can completely wreck an enemy zerg. The Adept V (Debilitating Dissipation) trait is used to apply random conditions which can hamper a zerg, considering you are spamming illusions in every way possible.

The final, condition damage traintline (Illusions), is where some of your extra condition damage comes from, but more importantly, your confusion support. The Adept V (Master of Misdirection) increases the duration of your applied confusion. Where as the minor traits, for adept and master, both help to apply more confusion.

Shatters

Your most useful shatters are going to be 2, 3, and 4. The 2 (Cry of Frustration) and 3 (Diversion) shatter skills both apply confusion to enemies, with shatter 3 also interrupting foes. The 4th shatter (Distortion) is great for unblockable stomps, as well as survivability if the damage spikes on you. Remember, that every time you shatter illusions, they apply a range of conditions on your nearby enemies, to include… more confusion.

That’s pretty much it. Mesmers are light armour classes, but this build permits you to sit more about the midline to mid-backline, with the option for a quick frontline push and retreat. This build also sees its best effectiveness in larger zergs, as there are better builds suited for havoc and solo roaming. Good luck, have fun. =)

Erm. Zerg confusion mesmer without any glamour traits? I don’t even…

But seriously, you have almost no ability to apply confusion to large numbers of people, you don’t have access to any reflects, no access to lower cooldowns on your glamours, and you’re wasting a trait on PU. I’m just not sure what you’re trying to do with this build.

Just as an FYI, perplexity runes are bugged, they don’t apply confusion duration. Additionally, they were nerfed a month or two ago, and the interrupt has a 10 (15?) second icd.

Oh, one more thing. Ether signet will give you very minimal healing, because none of your illusions will last more than a second or two in fights. You take that signet for the phantasm refresh in large fights, not for the passive heal.

And one last note. Illusion of life doesn’t work on NPCs as it’s not a proper res (I think).

Actually, I lied. 2 more things. Firstly, shattering illusions doesn’t count as a clone death, so you don’t get aoe conditions from clone-death traits if you shatter them. Also, until the feature patch is released, your on-crit sigil (torment) will conflict with your on-swap runes (energy) making them effectively non-functional.

The biggest problem is a zerg build designed from a small scale POV. Here’re what I see it has a lot of room for improvement.

- Signets, both are useless in a zerg. Signet of Ether relies on having illusions up, and in a zerg they’re the first thing to die. Signet of Domination doesn’t add useful things. The extra condition damage isn’t worth, as it can be bumped with sigil and might stacks. And the stun is only single target.
- A confusion zerg build without Confusing Enchantments is like a shatter build without IP. You will see a huge difference even if you only have Null Field.
- Your defensive stats are awfully balanced. You have too much armor while your health is minimal. Conditions would cannibalize you alive.
- Sigil of energy is wasted in mesmers, as we have perma-vigor. The same with Perplexity runes (they’re bugged and is only single target). Also, Veggie Pizza is the way to go with any condition build in zergs, as most of enemies run Lemongrass, Melandru or even both.
- PU isn’t that good in a zerg. You only get the boons and the extra second of stealth is not a big deal, when zergs normally use 2 veils when enemies are quite far.
- Shatters and clone-death together is like trying to play the gray team in chest… You have to choose one of both.

I think a 20/25/25/0/0 would be the best build for clone-death and condition spreading. Also:

- Blink+Far-Reaching Manipulations provides you with the best mobility in zerg fights, both defensively and offensively.
- Have one alternative weapon for the stacks of corruption. When you reach 25, change to the standard weapon.
- Don’t bother to have high base critical chance. Around 30-35% is enough, better bump other stats.
- And finally, positioning and mobility is what truly determinate if you’ll survive or not, for a satellite class (eles, necros, thiefs, mesmers, nades engis…). Defensive stats are there only to give you an extra little time to react.