Guild Wars 2

im currently using staff and AA stuff to death with 3 illu. i’ve jus unlocked the whole chrono tree and wonder how do i convert to it. altho i run sceptor and pistol as backup but i dun really swap to it. am using chaos,illu,dueling b4 unlocking chrono.

for gear im wearing rabid with krait runes.really interested in chrono but have no idea how to implement into my gameplay as u know, im only AA all the while..

Is this for PvE or WvW?

for pve tho.might try pvp after i finish all the content of HOT

I use the same build, roughly. Though, I do use my pistol/scepter more than you seem to. In particular, I have a Sigil of Corruption on my scepter that I always stack before I swap over and focus on staff.

There are two main aspects that I’ve found so far in the swap to chronomancer:
1. Shatters are king. I do a lot of workhorsing and kiting with my staff clones, but when you really need to do a lot of damage now, chrono has amazing condi shatter support. Learn to use chronophantasma and illusionary reversion to maximum benefit, and you can unleash a full string of 3/3/3/2 illusion shatters, for 19 confusion applications and 15 torment applications without too much difficulty. Confusion/torment may be weaker in pvp, but at those levels even slower mobs die pretty fast.
2. Shield is amazing against HoT mobs. The alacrity/slow from the iAvengers is actually pretty great, the duration of the blocks gets you some strong sustain time, Tides of Time is fantastic, and the abundance of iAvengers makes for really strong shatter food. I’ve actually found myself using scepter+shield even after I’ve got my Corruption stacks, though I still use staff for champs.

Incidentally, I finally found a champ I can’t solo: that one in the Temple of Balthazar in Auric Basin. He ate me so fast I crossed paths with myself heading to go fight the champ in the Temple of Balthazar :P

I would like to use a similar build, which gear stat combination would be best for solo/open world play?

Samurro.1463:

I would like to use a similar build, which gear stat combination would be best for solo/open world play?

Start with Rabid, and transition to Sinister as you become better with your active mitigation and timing. Just replace one piece at a time, as there will probably be a balance point between Sinister and Rabid that works best for you.
Eventually you’ll be confident enough to go back and reevaluate whether you want to go full hybrid (full sinister, Viper, or whatever), and then you can start planning out your ascended gear.

Thanks a bunch dude, you are really a mesmer expert!

AlphatheWhite.9351:

Samurro.1463:

I would like to use a similar build, which gear stat combination would be best for solo/open world play?

Start with Rabid, and transition to Sinister as you become better with your active mitigation and timing. Just replace one piece at a time, as there will probably be a balance point between Sinister and Rabid that works best for you.
Eventually you’ll be confident enough to go back and reevaluate whether you want to go full hybrid (full sinister, Viper, or whatever), and then you can start planning out your ascended gear.

Why is Rabid better than Carrion when using a condition/shatter build? I have always used Carrion but am returning to the game the past few months after a year or so off. I know I will eventually get to Sinister but I feel like Rabid Or Carrion will be better for my playstyle as I prefer some HP or Def. That said, I may not ever make it to Sinister because I just never like berserker or assassin gear… too squishy for me

Drederik.5679:

Why is Rabid better than Carrion when using a condition/shatter build? I have always used Carrion but am returning to the game the past few months after a year or so off. I know I will eventually get to Sinister but I feel like Rabid Or Carrion will be better for my playstyle as I prefer some HP or Def. That said, I may not ever make it to Sinister because I just never like berserker or assassin gear… too squishy for me

• total damage mitigation is greater for toughness than for vitality except against conditions, but condition builds are usually mitigated best by cleanses and team play anyway. As a high-hp class, Mesmer isn’t in the position Ele and Thief are, needing to pad their hp counts to survive bursts.
• Chaotic Transference converts 10% of toughness to condition damage (only relevant in builds that use Chaos, which is harder to do with chrono).
• They are running a staff build, which means using Sharper Images to turn clones into killers.
• Even without considering clones, Sharper Images enables using iDuelists for strong bleed dps.
• Rabid gives better reflects.

so for traits its chaos/illu/chrono? and if i will be shattering whenever theres 3 illu, and using chronophantasma,i need to summon phantasm rather than clones?

AlphatheWhite.9351:

Incidentally, I finally found a champ I can’t solo: that one in the Temple of Balthazar in Auric Basin. He ate me so fast I crossed paths with myself heading to go fight the champ in the Temple of Balthazar :P

You need to purely range him from the ledges.

bochup.1476:

so for traits its chaos/illu/chrono? and if i will be shattering whenever theres 3 illu, and using chronophantasma,i need to summon phantasm rather than clones?

Dueling(1,1,3)/Illusions(2,3,1)/Chrono(2,2,3).
And no, you’re not automatically shattering whenever there’s 3, that’s just how you get a burst going. You balance illusion attack time and cooldowns with shatters, using shatter chains to unload quick damage and bleeds from phantasms/clones to apply straight dps.
In particular, make sure to let your phantasms get off at least one attack before you shatter them.

I’m curious as to how much Condition Damage can you attain as a decent-geared Mesmer. At the same Gear-Level, my Necro has over 2000 CDamage while my Mesmer has just over 1600. Is it traits and such that just seem to benefit the Necro’s CDamage more?

Faction.4013:

I’m curious as to how much Condition Damage can you attain as a decent-geared Mesmer. At the same Gear-Level, my Necro has over 2000 CDamage while my Mesmer has just over 1600. Is it traits and such that just seem to benefit the Necro’s CDamage more?

you cant really directly compare necros to mesmers. they have totally different skills/traits available to them. they both have access to different kinds of conditions (some easier to apply than others)

AlphatheWhite.9351:

Drederik.5679:

Why is Rabid better than Carrion when using a condition/shatter build? I have always used Carrion but am returning to the game the past few months after a year or so off. I know I will eventually get to Sinister but I feel like Rabid Or Carrion will be better for my playstyle as I prefer some HP or Def. That said, I may not ever make it to Sinister because I just never like berserker or assassin gear… too squishy for me

• total damage mitigation is greater for toughness than for vitality except against conditions, but condition builds are usually mitigated best by cleanses and team play anyway. As a high-hp class, Mesmer isn’t in the position Ele and Thief are, needing to pad their hp counts to survive bursts.
• Chaotic Transference converts 10% of toughness to condition damage (only relevant in builds that use Chaos, which is harder to do with chrono).
• They are running a staff build, which means using Sharper Images to turn clones into killers.
• Even without considering clones, Sharper Images enables using iDuelists for strong bleed dps.
• Rabid gives better reflects.

Thanks for the info. This is similar to the build i would like to run but I dont see Chaotic Transference being better than Chaotic Dampening. Because I tend to stay on staff more than my sword/focus I like to have the cooldowns on staff.

I am still trying to figure out my build but it sounds like if you are going to condi/shatter chrono in PvE and dont care for that meta build with s/s and s/f, then Rabid is still going to be the way to go

Drederik.5679:

AlphatheWhite.9351:

Drederik.5679:

Why is Rabid better than Carrion when using a condition/shatter build? I have always used Carrion but am returning to the game the past few months after a year or so off. I know I will eventually get to Sinister but I feel like Rabid Or Carrion will be better for my playstyle as I prefer some HP or Def. That said, I may not ever make it to Sinister because I just never like berserker or assassin gear… too squishy for me

• total damage mitigation is greater for toughness than for vitality except against conditions, but condition builds are usually mitigated best by cleanses and team play anyway. As a high-hp class, Mesmer isn’t in the position Ele and Thief are, needing to pad their hp counts to survive bursts.
• Chaotic Transference converts 10% of toughness to condition damage (only relevant in builds that use Chaos, which is harder to do with chrono).
• They are running a staff build, which means using Sharper Images to turn clones into killers.
• Even without considering clones, Sharper Images enables using iDuelists for strong bleed dps.
• Rabid gives better reflects.

Thanks for the info. This is similar to the build i would like to run but I dont see Chaotic Transference being better than Chaotic Dampening. Because I tend to stay on staff more than my sword/focus I like to have the cooldowns on staff.

I am still trying to figure out my build but it sounds like if you are going to condi/shatter chrono in PvE and dont care for that meta build with s/s and s/f, then Rabid is still going to be the way to go

Chaotic Transference is an offensive choice, while Chaotic Dampening is a defensive one. iWarlock does little damage in a Carrion or Rabid build, so Chaos Storm is your only offensive skill that benefits from the cdr. Even then, it’s on a long enough cooldown to not be all that much of a benefit dps-wise. I’ve been toying with both, and I can’t decide which I like better. For a Sinister or Carrion build, that’s obv a no-brainer, but for Rabid…yeah.

As far as stats, as I said before, I’ve found that mixing in some Sinister has been nice. It cuts the value of my Undead runes (don’t have a nightmare or berserker set yet) and Chaotic Transference, but meh. In fact, dropping Chaos for Chrono has made that an easier choice. But in exchange, I’ve been able to hit harder when I need to with Confusing Images and iDuelist, which is very nice.

will sceptor AA clone replace phantasm? will tat affect much?

bochup.1476:

will sceptor AA clone replace phantasm? will tat affect much?

Yes, it does. And it will only have an effect if you’re getting 3 phantasms up often. Which just depends on you, really.

AlphatheWhite.9351:

Drederik.5679:

AlphatheWhite.9351:

Drederik.5679:

Why is Rabid better than Carrion when using a condition/shatter build? I have always used Carrion but am returning to the game the past few months after a year or so off. I know I will eventually get to Sinister but I feel like Rabid Or Carrion will be better for my playstyle as I prefer some HP or Def. That said, I may not ever make it to Sinister because I just never like berserker or assassin gear… too squishy for me

• total damage mitigation is greater for toughness than for vitality except against conditions, but condition builds are usually mitigated best by cleanses and team play anyway. As a high-hp class, Mesmer isn’t in the position Ele and Thief are, needing to pad their hp counts to survive bursts.
• Chaotic Transference converts 10% of toughness to condition damage (only relevant in builds that use Chaos, which is harder to do with chrono).
• They are running a staff build, which means using Sharper Images to turn clones into killers.
• Even without considering clones, Sharper Images enables using iDuelists for strong bleed dps.
• Rabid gives better reflects.

Thanks for the info. This is similar to the build i would like to run but I dont see Chaotic Transference being better than Chaotic Dampening. Because I tend to stay on staff more than my sword/focus I like to have the cooldowns on staff.

I am still trying to figure out my build but it sounds like if you are going to condi/shatter chrono in PvE and dont care for that meta build with s/s and s/f, then Rabid is still going to be the way to go

Chaotic Transference is an offensive choice, while Chaotic Dampening is a defensive one. iWarlock does little damage in a Carrion or Rabid build, so Chaos Storm is your only offensive skill that benefits from the cdr. Even then, it’s on a long enough cooldown to not be all that much of a benefit dps-wise. I’ve been toying with both, and I can’t decide which I like better. For a Sinister or Carrion build, that’s obv a no-brainer, but for Rabid…yeah.

As far as stats, as I said before, I’ve found that mixing in some Sinister has been nice. It cuts the value of my Undead runes (don’t have a nightmare or berserker set yet) and Chaotic Transference, but meh. In fact, dropping Chaos for Chrono has made that an easier choice. But in exchange, I’ve been able to hit harder when I need to with Confusing Images and iDuelist, which is very nice.

I get the off/def portion but I am constantly shattering. After I see the three dots fill, I wait long enough for the last ones attack and send them in. I find that with the reduced CD time on all the staff I can keep it going longer. I guess if I were to switch, I would need to go to my OH more (which is sw/f).

Regarding OH, I actually like scepter/pistol but I find that I still really like the iWarden. If I am in a situation where I need reflect, I can drop him and throw FB on my bar without much changing on my original build

Will anyone please share their condi pve builds here? I am having a very hard time getting satisfying results with scepter/pistol and staff – so I guess condi mes isn’t my strongest side.

Thanks a lot everybody!

Drederik.5679:

I get the off/def portion but I am constantly shattering. After I see the three dots fill, I wait long enough for the last ones attack and send them in. I find that with the reduced CD time on all the staff I can keep it going longer. I guess if I were to switch, I would need to go to my OH more (which is sw/f).

Regarding OH, I actually like scepter/pistol but I find that I still really like the iWarden. If I am in a situation where I need reflect, I can drop him and throw FB on my bar without much changing on my original build

Yeah, I can see that. Though, if all you’re after is shatter chains, Deceptive Evasion will serve you better anyway, perhaps.

Ash.2059:

Will anyone please share their condi pve builds here? I am having a very hard time getting satisfying results with scepter/pistol and staff – so I guess condi mes isn’t my strongest side.

Thanks a lot everybody!

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNAW8dncfCdqhtfC+fCEgiFcjycBChRqMASgfpuVv1cF-TRQkittenmAA-e

this is where i am at right now

i would also appreciate any sort of critique from anyone

Wouldn’t Illusions be better than dueling in terms of condi dmg (confusion)

I know u run sword, but still?

Drederik.5679:

Ash.2059:

Will anyone please share their condi pve builds here? I am having a very hard time getting satisfying results with scepter/pistol and staff – so I guess condi mes isn’t my strongest side.

Thanks a lot everybody!

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNAW8dncfCdqhtfC+fCEgiFcjycBChRqMASgfpuVv1cF-TRQkittenmAA-e

this is where i am at right now

i would also appreciate any sort of critique from anyone

I’m not an expert but im playing mesmer since game’s release, I was never min-maxing my builds but here are some of my thoughts.

1. I believe that chrono will be used mainly for CC for breakbar and for alacrity.
2. If you dont use inspiration I see no point going focus since it wont reflect, focus 4 gives weak CC in terms of breaking bar and warden is too stationary
3. sword nowhere fits condi style, you might go hybrid but then pistol is more than recommended OH for its CC and phantasm benefiting from both power and condi
4. Chaotic dampening seems not really a good choice – only good damaging skill for staff is chaos storm, other than that staffs cds are short enough to live without this trait and I’d consider chaotic transferance a better choice.

As I said I’m not an expert, what I’m planning to use in raids is one of three:
condi/shatter (prob using viper’s stats, maybe some rampager’s elements to get at least 50% crit chance, perplex runes) – http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNAW7anknBNohtfC+fCUrhlcjqMAStWreVn1bF9HKpcA-e

hybrid cc oriented (sinister or viper’s stats, mix rampagers to get at least 50% crit, either perplex or chrono runes, not sure) – http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQRAse7anknB1ohlfC+fCUrhlcjqMAOgWreVn1dF9HKpcA-e

condi-support build (not sure what stats yet, some mix of condi, healing, condi/boon duration maybe) – http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNAW7enknB1filfC+fCUrhFlj6MAWgJrORn0MFtDGoLA-e

I dont use healing well sice I believe that ether feast will outheal well of eternity after the change to clones not dying to blow of the wind. I might be using it in 3rd build tho for more aoe heal

@Gibon
I run a similar build as the first one. Although I take Chaos instead of Illu. Is Maim the Disillusioned really better than Phantasmal Haste?

Your support build seems like a fun idea, but I lacks consistency imo? Why Maim the Disilli. over Shattered Strength? The build does not focus on damage, so why not take every support trait possible?

Does Illusionary Inspiriation really copy every boon you have to allies around you for every phantasm you create? (newbie question)

@Samurro TBH all 3 talents are OK. I take miam over haste cuz I shatter a lot and I’m not finding myself keeping phantasms long enough to make them attack twice anyway. And I took miam over might in support build because its just for me and (at least for now in fractals/open world) I find myself i spot where I already have at least 15stacks of might(25 most of the time). When I copy this my allies have 25 anyway and Im not sure if 3 stacks of might that might apply to me or not are better than 3 torments. And whats more im not min-maxing and that fits me better.
And yeah it just casts signet of inspiration so you basically get a free skill it has like 30s ICD tho. I guess normal signet of inspi CD.

Did someone crunch the numbers what PvE-Condi-Build yields the highest DPS*? Shatter (due to Chrono you can a lot)? Staffclones? Pistolphantasms? X?

*(PvP or WvW got sidefacts which may derail to different builds)

ty

Condi Staff trying to Chrono?
If that’s what TC wants I have a fool proof guide to killing anything in HoT with a staff

Step One – Trait to Chrono
Step Two – Fluff pillow
Step Three – Create 3 staff clones
Step Four – Take a nap cause with minion changes those three staff clones are just going to auto kill everything as well as buff allies
Step Five – When the target dies or by a miracle a clone dies return to step 3