Guild Wars 2

So I don’t want this to be a discussion about meta vs not meta or so on. This thread is going to be all about one skill Portal.

More specifically, the reasons people have for not taking it? Some feel it doesn’t bring enough to the team, others say it just doesn’t fit with their build, and some say it’s flat out useless.

That isn’t necessarily something I see here on the forum all that often, but the ones I see in game hardly ever run it, and I’m curious why? I can’t live without in on my bar anymore between the portal stomps, emergency team evacs from a point, and portal bombs, I find it so fun and very useful. So if you don’t take portal I’d like to know why, maybe I can use a different skill on my bar to better effect.

Because if I’m not in a coordinated team, it won’t get used. Just me using it isn’t enough to be worth having a 90 second cooldown ability on my bar that will have to take the slot of another important utility.

Fay.2357:

Because if I’m not in a coordinated team, it won’t get used. Just me using it isn’t enough to be worth having a 90 second cooldown ability on my bar that will have to take the slot of another important utility.

Do you announce it to your team? I soloque 80% of the time and as long as i say “hey take that portal” it gets used. Even had some nice vapor form evacs from eles that I didn’t even have to say anything to.

i use it most of the time for backcap in soloq.

you go far, place the portal, people see you and start chasing you, you lure them to mid and open the portal, jump right back to far easy decap

It’s really really really simple and it has nothing to do with if you have a pre-built, competent, or utterly useless team. 90s cd.

So your average match is about 10 mins. If you used it immediately from the start and at every available interval, you’re looking at 10 total uses. And that doesnt take into account the added 60 second window between dropping and opening it. Given if you don’t use it, you get the 30s cd, but if you do its a full 90s before you can use it again.

It also has to be set up ahead of time. And what it is really? Massive team mobility. Super powerful in that regard, but that’s all it amounts to. It works well enough on a shatter mes because what else are you really doing? Duke in and out of fights dropping mass amounts of instant damage. However for all a shatter mes’s potency there’s plenty of things he can’t do in return (ideally your teams there though).

In it’s place I might make a rupt build and take MoD instead. That way instead of needing to portal out of a fight, or bring in allies, I can sit somewhere myself and handle the proverbial jandal.

I’d LOVE to have portal. But 90s on my little 3 slot bar?

:/

Ross Biddle.2367:

It’s really really really simple and it has nothing to do with if you have a pre-built, competent, or utterly useless team. 90s cd.

So your average match is about 10 mins. If you used it immediately from the start and at every available interval, you’re looking at 10 total uses. And that doesnt take into account the added 60 second window between dropping and opening it. Given if you don’t use it, you get the 30s cd, but if you do its a full 90s before you can use it again.

It also has to be set up ahead of time. And what it is really? Massive team mobility. Super powerful in that regard, but that’s all it amounts to. It works well enough on a shatter mes because what else are you really doing? Duke in and out of fights dropping mass amounts of instant damage. However for all a shatter mes’s potency there’s plenty of things he can’t do in return (ideally your teams there though).

In it’s place I might make a rupt build and take MoD instead. That way instead of needing to portal out of a fight, or bring in allies, I can sit somewhere myself and handle the proverbial jandal.

I’d LOVE to have portal. But 90s on my little 3 slot bar?

:/

Yeah I think that the cd needs reduced… But I don’t know I guess I’ve gotten away with way too many awesome moves from portal. And honestly I don’t use it for myself to get out of a fight that often, more so to bail out teammates, or to do massive jukes on enemies. Also it is kinda fun to just pop a portal on a point you don’t own and sit in a 4v5 for the next minute because someone on the other team is dumb enough to sit and watch the portal to make sure you don’t decap the point.

Unless I know I can count on my team to cleanse me than I will take power cleanse. I see way too many mesmers in soloq take portal only to die to burning or other various aids. Soloq or duoq means that no one is really going to be looking out for me and I have to take the utilities that give me the most sustain. If I ever start up another team I will def take portal though, it really just depends on if you can count on your allies to watch out for you.

Interrupt mesmer so always blink, MoD and decoy or portal depending on the map and opposing team comp.

I opt for decoy if the opposing team is bursty and portal if the opposing team is tanky. I’m also more willing to slot portal on maps with good verticality (khylo) because it’s easier to deaggro.

jportell.2197:

Ross Biddle.2367:

It’s really really really simple and it has nothing to do with if you have a pre-built, competent, or utterly useless team. 90s cd.

So your average match is about 10 mins. If you used it immediately from the start and at every available interval, you’re looking at 10 total uses. And that doesnt take into account the added 60 second window between dropping and opening it. Given if you don’t use it, you get the 30s cd, but if you do its a full 90s before you can use it again.

It also has to be set up ahead of time. And what it is really? Massive team mobility. Super powerful in that regard, but that’s all it amounts to. It works well enough on a shatter mes because what else are you really doing? Duke in and out of fights dropping mass amounts of instant damage. However for all a shatter mes’s potency there’s plenty of things he can’t do in return (ideally your teams there though).

In it’s place I might make a rupt build and take MoD instead. That way instead of needing to portal out of a fight, or bring in allies, I can sit somewhere myself and handle the proverbial jandal.

I’d LOVE to have portal. But 90s on my little 3 slot bar?

:/

Yeah I think that the cd needs reduced… But I don’t know I guess I’ve gotten away with way too many awesome moves from portal. And honestly I don’t use it for myself to get out of a fight that often, more so to bail out teammates, or to do massive jukes on enemies. Also it is kinda fun to just pop a portal on a point you don’t own and sit in a 4v5 for the next minute because someone on the other team is dumb enough to sit and watch the portal to make sure you don’t decap the point.

I’ve come into a 2v2 with my teammates in downed state, using MoD + my various interrupts managed to lock down all stomp attempts, down the enemy opponents, and res/rally my team for the win.

This sort of thing plays out in just about every fight and potentially multiple times. And all it costs me is the right build setup with MoD, in place of something like portal.

So yeah, epic plays with portal, but also epic plays with a solid interrupt build.

From a WvW point of view I can say that the portal is a really good skill IF used right. The thing is that I as a mesmer in my WvW guild am supposed to deliver: boonstrip, veil, reflection, quickness and damage. If I want to have all of these I am going with veil, nullfield and feedback. There is no space for a portal that has such a high cooldown.
As mesmer I am also supposed to shut down enemy elementalists, thieves and rangers and other backliners for which I’d need even more different utility skills.
I cannot provide everything of this in one build and in addition the effective use of a portal bomb is strictly bound to stealth/blink to which I switch when I’m asked to do one.

In WvW you do not have the space on your skillbar to take that skill with you when fighting. If it’s needed you’ll try to get ooc and switch.

CD is too long and I need more condi clear on utilities.

There is (practically) no reason, even in solo queue I always use it: it’s perfect to control two points and also very useful to escape from hard situations.

Your Reasons for Not Taking Portal?

Not being able to slot in utilities into Elite skill slot.

Me Games Ma.8426:

From a WvW point of view I can say that the portal is a really good skill IF used right. The thing is that I as a mesmer in my WvW guild am supposed to deliver: boonstrip, veil, reflection, quickness and damage. If I want to have all of these I am going with veil, nullfield and feedback. There is no space for a portal that has such a high cooldown.
As mesmer I am also supposed to shut down enemy elementalists, thieves and rangers and other backliners for which I’d need even more different utility skills.
I cannot provide everything of this in one build and in addition the effective use of a portal bomb is strictly bound to stealth/blink to which I switch when I’m asked to do one.

In WvW you do not have the space on your skillbar to take that skill with you when fighting. If it’s needed you’ll try to get ooc and switch.

this is why I hate WvW, Mesmers are like utility robots, and I dont like to be treated like one or expected to act like one.

I stopped using portal when I go up against LB rangers who Judy sit there and attack. Feedback has been quite useful as of late.

But I usually run portal,null field, or mantra.

Fay.2357:

Because if I’m not in a coordinated team, it won’t get used. Just me using it isn’t enough to be worth having a 90 second cooldown ability on my bar that will have to take the slot of another important utility.

^^^
pretty much this.

Because, of the one optional utility slot (I always use both blink and decoy), I value clutch condition cleanse far more than portal because if playing shatter it is a lifesaver – compared with not having condition removal and having to run around like crazy if you get tagged with some conditions.

I like being able to pop off that immobilise or poison without having to wait – it allows me to take control of a fight rather than having to run away from it, just for the luxury of having a skill which only works in a coordinated team and only shines in one game mode (conquest) – but even then, with traveler runes and proper map awareness you don’t even need portal in the lower 90% of matchups, and as I don’t aspire to get to the high end, I don’t care about using it.

Fay.2357:

Because if I’m not in a coordinated team, it won’t get used. Just me using it isn’t enough to be worth having a 90 second cooldown ability on my bar that will have to take the slot of another important utility.

This. I’m usually solo when doing PvP and teams tend to be too uncoordinated. I sometimes use it in Khylo for trolling by instantly repairing the treb, though.

I would love to see Portal getting a significantly lower cooldown (e.g. 45-60s) but having the number of available ports cut based on the cooldown reduction. This would encourage people to use Portal while fighting and not only for fast-travels between cap points.

OP, I’d say keep taking using it if you’re having that much success. I don’t take it myself due to the lack of team coordination when solo.

Most mesmers taking portal probably don’t communicate they have it in the beginning of matches. The fact you do though is going to achieve a better use of it.

The solo uses I’ve seen always involve the obvious stomps, escapes and such but most commonly I see it used to push far at the start of a match (not even necessarily to cap), dropping portal just off the point and helping back mid. Port after mid fight to decap or cap far. This is a great strategic opener but unfortunately it’s one of the only things you can really plan on when solo. The rest of the fight you’re using it randomly between the long CD’s.

Xaylin.1860:

I would love to see Portal getting a significantly lower cooldown (e.g. 45-60s) but having the number of available ports cut based on the cooldown reduction. This would encourage people to use Portal while fighting and not only for fast-travels between cap points.

That’s actually a really cool idea, I’d never thought of that before.

Xaylin usually pops up with some cool ideas.

As for Portal.. I used to never take it for pretty much all of the above mentioned reasons. Was a shame too, because Portal is one of the skills that drew me to the class in the first place. But the CD was too steep and I never really felt effective using it like twice in a match. I’d usually always go Blink, Mantra of Distraction, and the glorious Null Field.

But then I decided to force myself to use it.. A lot.

I always felt Portal is such a staple Mesmer ability -something we could do that no other class could even duplicate- and such a cool idea that I had to learn to use it. It really sucked at first, I barely whipped it out in a match and when I did I usually failed with it more often than not, almost 3 or 4 separate times each day I’d wanna go back to good ol’ Null. I didn’t, though, and eventually all those screw ups and failcasts started to pay off.

Each mistake was a lesson I learned from subconsciously and eventually I started weaving together tactics and strategies for my portals. I’d inform my team “portal m-h” or “portal m-f” but I’d mostly be using it for myself. Now I can’t see a reason NOT to take it, its become so natural and so effective to use that I feel uncomfortable without it.

Good yolo portal plays can carry a bad team more than any other ability we have. Good portal plays with a good team is a massive advantage. Sure the CD sucks and the skill won’t be used more than 3 or 4 times in a PvP match, but those times end up being pivotal

Also.. Portal is just fun as hell in PvE when you get creative. =P

Xaylin.1860:

Fay.2357:

Because if I’m not in a coordinated team, it won’t get used. Just me using it isn’t enough to be worth having a 90 second cooldown ability on my bar that will have to take the slot of another important utility.

This. I’m usually solo when doing PvP and teams tend to be too uncoordinated. I sometimes use it in Khylo for trolling by instantly repairing the treb, though.

I would love to see Portal getting a significantly lower cooldown (e.g. 45-60s) but having the number of available ports cut based on the cooldown reduction. This would encourage people to use Portal while fighting and not only for fast-travels between cap points.

This again, so bump?

As it stands, portal is too situational with too long a CD for anything uncoordinated. I purposely pretend it doesn’t exist to the chagrin of many in WvW because I’m not there to drive a golem bus. Maybe if I got xp for every golem I carried I’d reconsider.

So I’m going against the flow here, but I think the only times I’ve ever used the skill is for like PvE exploit areas. Even then, it’ll be a situation where the team makes me use it. =P

I don’t like the skill, so whatever. Just my opinion.

I think in PvP, it goes against how I like to play. Taking advantage of large distance travel is certainly a great tactic, yet I just like to be more confrontational. It’s really that simple. =/

I think my issue with portal is its cooldown. If it was up more often it would be a staple on my bar,it is a staple on my bar for a few things,Zerg in wvw,jumping puzzles in pve,But for spvp its cooldown in such a fast paced game really makes me question it. And things i question that hard usually i dont use. I do find however it has some serious playmaking ability which people who can pull it off for capping,stomping etc all the respect to you for being able to pull it off,I have tried it in spvp and rarely do i get people to use it and to be fairly honest,i dont want to have to type it out to someone when i could be running somewhere or portaling myself there saving myself time of typing. If it had a lower CD i would nonstop run it lol

honestly, i beat myself up whenever i don’t take portal. Cause you can yolo and port out, who died? nice. But if anything, the range between ports should be increased more so for deeps in WvW. I normally know my range for portals in pvp but large scale wvw maps can be tricky.. portal fail.. "out of range? " …spams o kitten buttons

From a pvp perspctive…….IMO you should ALWAYS take portal.

In tpvp premade pvp its vital and one of the only reasons you would bring a mesmer. Good co-ordinated portal play will help massively with out rotating enemy teams…(pushing far with thief and portal playing it) effectively meaning you can play 3 bases really fast.

In unranked/ hotjoin….i would still take it….learn it…you will be unkillable with it. It might not help your team as you are playing with randoms..but use it selfishly…resetting a 1v1….pulling out of an unfair fight (2v1/3v1 etc) and free roam capping/decapping by yourself. I use it and when it is on CD…i pretty much cannot die.

There really is not much option tbh. If you want to be a valued mesmer…learn how to portal play

PS. its almost ALWAYS better to pull out of a fight via portal and reset/ loose the base…than die and wait for respawn…..a dead mesmer is no help to anyone

Liam McColgan.7689:

From a pvp perspctive…….IMO you should ALWAYS take portal.

In tpvp premade pvp its vital and one of the only reasons you would bring a mesmer. Good co-ordinated portal play will help massively with out rotating enemy teams…(pushing far with thief and portal playing it) effectively meaning you can play 3 bases really fast.

In unranked/ hotjoin….i would still take it….learn it…you will be unkillable with it. It might not help your team as you are playing with randoms..but use it selfishly…resetting a 1v1….pulling out of an unfair fight (2v1/3v1 etc) and free roam capping/decapping by yourself. I use it and when it is on CD…i pretty much cannot die.

There really is not much option tbh. If you want to be a valued mesmer…learn how to portal play

PS. its almost ALWAYS better to pull out of a fight via portal and reset/ loose the base…than die and wait for respawn…..a dead mesmer is no help to anyone

While I agree with pretty much everything you said about portal’s strength what you don’t take into account is this. What if you could have WON a fight out right if you had another utility rather than portal? Then you do not need to reset the fight or lose a point.

Mogar.9216:

Liam McColgan.7689:

From a pvp perspctive…….IMO you should ALWAYS take portal.

In tpvp premade pvp its vital and one of the only reasons you would bring a mesmer. Good co-ordinated portal play will help massively with out rotating enemy teams…(pushing far with thief and portal playing it) effectively meaning you can play 3 bases really fast.

In unranked/ hotjoin….i would still take it….learn it…you will be unkillable with it. It might not help your team as you are playing with randoms..but use it selfishly…resetting a 1v1….pulling out of an unfair fight (2v1/3v1 etc) and free roam capping/decapping by yourself. I use it and when it is on CD…i pretty much cannot die.

There really is not much option tbh. If you want to be a valued mesmer…learn how to portal play

PS. its almost ALWAYS better to pull out of a fight via portal and reset/ loose the base…than die and wait for respawn…..a dead mesmer is no help to anyone

While I agree with pretty much everything you said about portal’s strength what you don’t take into account is this. What if you could have WON a fight out right if you had another utility rather than portal? Then you do not need to reset the fight or lose a point.

This is a massive point, particularly since portal usually takes the spot of condie removal. If taking pDisenchanter would have completely shut down the condie build I’m fighting and given me an easy win, that’s a distinct advantage over portal.

I don’t use it because it just doesn’t fit with my build. I’m surprised that some people feel that it’s a “requirement” for a Mesmer.

I could say the same about TimeWarp. For the life of me, I have no idea why more Mesmer’s don’t use it. It’s a game changer in sPvP!!

I need to put a video together of nothing but TimeWarp saves/wins and such.

SlimChance.6593:

I don’t use it because it just doesn’t fit with my build. I’m surprised that some people feel that it’s a “requirement” for a Mesmer.

I could say the same about TimeWarp. For the life of me, I have no idea why more Mesmer’s don’t use it. It’s a game changer in sPvP!!

I need to put a video together of nothing but TimeWarp saves/wins and such.

Mesmerse don’t use timewarp as much because the cooldown is even more massive than portal, and IMO Mass invis has saved so many more fights (peeling for your team mates, surprised bursts etc.)

Whilst portal is great, you still can get beaten with it, so I don’t see it as very important.

I’ve got to agree with some things that others already have said. If I would 1. be glassy shatter and 2. play in a coordinated team, then sure. I would take portal. But since I play MtD shatter and normally queue solo, I’d rather take that condi-removal. Whenever I’ve tried running without it, it would sometimes happen that I escaped a fight that I couldn’t win, but got downed by that burning and/or bleeding that was still ticking on me and which I couldn’t remove. It sucks to watch your character die slow and painfully without being able to do anything about it. :P

Edit: A lower cooldown would maybe also make me reconsider.

I personally take my portal anyway so I can learn how to play with a portal in my utility. I can understand most people who don’t take portal though, since it hardly matters in hotjoin and it’s not ideal to use it on uncoordinated teams in tpvp. However, I strongly recommend portals for ranked teams.

I don’t take portal because of the high cooldown. If it was 45 to 60 seconds, I could see myself using it on my confusion/glamour mesmer to flutter around and kitten off the opposing team by constantly back-capping everything. If they made it an elite, I’d even consider using it in WvW. But as it is, there’s just too many better options that can be used more often.

It also doesn’t fit my playstyle. I’m almost always in 1v2 or 1v3 fights and I prefer to keep those opponents distracted while the rest of my team captures objectives. Or make bunkers swear more than drunken sailors.

Fay.2357:

Because if I’m not in a coordinated team, it won’t get used. Just me using it isn’t enough to be worth having a 90 second cooldown ability on my bar that will have to take the slot of another important utility.

Portal works even better in lowskill pvp, because enemies don’t think about your ability to teleport.

Fay.2357:

Because if I’m not in a coordinated team, it won’t get used. Just me using it isn’t enough to be worth having a 90 second cooldown ability on my bar that will have to take the slot of another important utility.

This.

Before the C/D increase I have found it worth it for personal use.

Anton.1769:

Fay.2357:

Because if I’m not in a coordinated team, it won’t get used. Just me using it isn’t enough to be worth having a 90 second cooldown ability on my bar that will have to take the slot of another important utility.

Portal works even better in lowskill pvp, because enemies don’t think about your ability to teleport.

If you’re talking about opponents that don’t realize a mesmer can portal, then you’re talking about the type of opponents that I can 3v1 on point in PU condie and still keep it decapped. That’s not exactly the type of opponents that I aim my strategies towards.