Guild Wars 2

I think it makes no sense at all that if I get blinded while casting a phantasm then the skill fails and the whole CD has to go through.. especially because it usually happens against backstab thiefs while casting Illusionary Dueler and by the time the CD goes off I’m downed.

And beside of the fact that it has a major impact on the outcome of an encounter with a thief, it is a summoning skill! It’s not that if I’m blind I can’t summon stuff! I wonder if Necros have the same problem but I would say they haven’t.

A couple of fixes could be:

- summon the phantasm and make him blind like I was when summoning.
- make the skill go on low CD, like when you get interrupted!

Full CD is a joke and just another broken mechanic that this class suffer.

Nope. Phantasm builds are already ridiculously powerful, I’d rather not have one of the more skillful counterplays removed.

Back in GW1, Mesmer’s were the Kings of Hex’s. No other profession had so many different hex spells. As a player, you had to learn all these different spell icons to know what was what. For GW2, ANet didn’t want the player to keep looking at the UI, so they made our hex spells into physical manifestations.

We players need to stop thinking that illusions are pets/minions. Like a hex, Mesmer’s require line of sight/target to land a illusion cast.

When the target dies, so does the hex/illusion. If we are blinded at cast, we miss. If the target dodges, blocks,etc., then our hex/illusion casts fail. Nothing more.

I don’t mean to rant, but these forums are constantly comparing the Mesmer’s Illusions to minions and ranger pets. “Why do ranger pets do this, when illusions do that? Why do illusions do this when minions do that?” They are not the same. Illusions = Hex spell.

SlimChance.6593:

Back in GW1, Mesmer’s were the Kings of Hex’s. No other profession had so many different hex spells. As a player, you had to learn all these different spell icons to know what was what. For GW2, ANet didn’t want the player to keep looking at the UI, so they made our hex spells into physical manifestations.

We players need to stop thinking that illusions are pets/minions. Like a hex, Mesmer’s require line of sight/target to land a illusion cast.

When the target dies, so does the hex/illusion. If we are blinded at cast, we miss. If the target dodges, blocks,etc., then our hex/illusion casts fail. Nothing more.

I don’t mean to rant, but these forums are constantly comparing the Mesmer’s Illusions to minions and ranger pets. “Why do ranger pets do this, when illusions do that? Why do illusions do this when minions do that?” They are not the same. Illusions = Hex spell.

Now if they could just fix the pets err I mean “hexes” AI…

Scizzor.8137:

SlimChance.6593:

Back in GW1, Mesmer’s were the Kings of Hex’s. No other profession had so many different hex spells. As a player, you had to learn all these different spell icons to know what was what. For GW2, ANet didn’t want the player to keep looking at the UI, so they made our hex spells into physical manifestations.

We players need to stop thinking that illusions are pets/minions. Like a hex, Mesmer’s require line of sight/target to land a illusion cast.

When the target dies, so does the hex/illusion. If we are blinded at cast, we miss. If the target dodges, blocks,etc., then our hex/illusion casts fail. Nothing more.

I don’t mean to rant, but these forums are constantly comparing the Mesmer’s Illusions to minions and ranger pets. “Why do ranger pets do this, when illusions do that? Why do illusions do this when minions do that?” They are not the same. Illusions = Hex spell.

Now if they could just fix the pets err I mean “hexes” AI…

Illusion ai is top notch. No complaints about it at all, with the exception of the broken iWarden, but that’s a little different.

Due to how illusions function, they don’t have AI issues where all other pets do, that’s the thing.

Renny.6571:

Nope. Phantasm builds are already ridiculously powerful, I’d rather not have one of the more skillful counterplays removed.

it is a skillful counter on some class’s in which they have to time their blind perfectly with very few possible attempts.

thiefs on the other hand…..hmmmmm its most certainly debatable if they have too many blinds in which they can spam one after another in specific specks. dagger pistol comes to mind

SlimChance.6593:

Back in GW1, Mesmer’s were the Kings of Hex’s. No other profession had so many different hex spells. As a player, you had to learn all these different spell icons to know what was what. For GW2, ANet didn’t want the player to keep looking at the UI, so they made our hex spells into physical manifestations.

We players need to stop thinking that illusions are pets/minions. Like a hex, Mesmer’s require line of sight/target to land a illusion cast.

When the target dies, so does the hex/illusion. If we are blinded at cast, we miss. If the target dodges, blocks,etc., then our hex/illusion casts fail. Nothing more.

I don’t mean to rant, but these forums are constantly comparing the Mesmer’s Illusions to minions and ranger pets. “Why do ranger pets do this, when illusions do that? Why do illusions do this when minions do that?” They are not the same. Illusions = Hex spell.

What are you talking about? Target dodges, blocks, etc then our hex/illusion casts fail? When was the last time you played?

Blinds are only a real problem with D/P or P/P thieves. And the D/P are fading out of the meta I think. Besides, just step away from the blind field and you’re golden. Can’t really think of any other blind spammers, it’s not really an overused condition.

Renny.6571:

Nope. Phantasm builds are already ridiculously powerful, I’d rather not have one of the more skillful counterplays removed.

Thief on demand blind spam is skillful counterplay? Makes me wonder what your definition of “skillful counterplay” is.

Blinds are absolutely a counter to phantasm summons. The only problem is that vs some class (ok, it’s thief, it’s always thief that everyone has to build and balance around) it can become a little ridiculous. OP has a point, but it’s not so much that phantasm casts go on CD after a blind. Rather that blind spam makes the balance of the entire thing a joke.

Thieves, besides being virtually 100-0 by a phantasm-spec mesmer, only really have Black Powder as a ranged blind. It costs 6 initiative, so it’s hardly ‘spammable’. It just sounds like the people complaining need to get better.

Tip: Bind stow weapon to something easily accessible if you need to cancel your phantasm because of blind or learn how to clear it before you faceroll your other skills.

Is it worth noting that if you’re blinded and you try casting a phantasm skill not only you fail the cast but you’re still blinded after that!
Tell me that it’s still perfectly ok now please. every skill that was supposed to hit your target, if you’re blinded will remove blind from you. These skills I’m talking about just don’t!

Someone mentioned Hexes. I didn’t play GW1, it’s a new word for me and your contribution in this thread = nil. I can’t justify my skills being broken because of what happended in another game!

fedecane.6259:

Is it worth noting that if you’re blinded and you try casting a phantasm skill not only you fail the cast but you’re still blinded after that!
Tell me that it’s still perfectly ok now please. every skill that was supposed to hit your target, if you’re blinded will remove blind from you. These skills I’m talking about just don’t!

Nope. When you miss the summon it removes the blind.

The problem is our illusions sit in this weird limbo between abilities and pets. They can’t be treated fully like one or the other. If we are truly to accept this nerf then they should revert the “block” one. Let the summon come out and knock themselves silly against a shield.

Remember thieves not only have blind to prevent you from casting a phantasm. They also have stealth. That’s why thieves like mesmers so much.

Crossplay.2067:

The problem is our illusions sit in this weird limbo between abilities and pets. They can’t be treated fully like one or the other. If we are truly to accept this nerf then they should revert the “block” one. Let the summon come out and knock themselves silly against a shield.

Block has no effect on phantasm casts.

fedecane.6259:

I think it makes no sense at all that if I get blinded while casting a phantasm then the skill fails and the whole CD

Hahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahaha. Ty for the good laugh. Working as intended.

calavel.6249:

Blinds are only a real problem with D/P or P/P thieves. And the D/P are fading out of the meta I think. Besides, just step away from the blind field and you’re golden. Can’t really think of any other blind spammers, it’s not really an overused condition.

lol… d/p is not getting any less popular. and on top of the blind field thieves have Shadow shot (blind is unblockable), and blind on stealth. It’s a crazy amount of blinding.

Azgarn.2145:

calavel.6249:

Blinds are only a real problem with D/P or P/P thieves. And the D/P are fading out of the meta I think. Besides, just step away from the blind field and you’re golden. Can’t really think of any other blind spammers, it’s not really an overused condition.

lol… d/p is not getting any less popular. and on top of the blind field thieves have Shadow shot (blind is unblockable), and blind on stealth. It’s a crazy amount of blinding.

Okay, so thieves can trait for lots of blind. But it’s not like it comes free with every thief build and it’s not really that powerful a condition. Black powder field is tiny, you can stand outside it and auto-attack with most weapons and they still get hit (and you don’t get blinded). Signet of Shadows active is about as useful as Signet of Midnight and stealth on blind competes with a lot of other good traits.
The next time a thief blind-stealths you, just target an ambient mob or another nearby enemy and hit it once. Problem solved. You lost target anyway, so you might as well negate his blind by hitting something else. If warriors can deal with thief blind, we sure as hell can too.

Pyroatheist.9031:

Crossplay.2067:

The problem is our illusions sit in this weird limbo between abilities and pets. They can’t be treated fully like one or the other. If we are truly to accept this nerf then they should revert the “block” one. Let the summon come out and knock themselves silly against a shield.

Block has no effect on phantasm casts.

Are you sure? Granted I’ve been out of the loop for months but last time I used the zerker on a blocking npc, the “blocked” prompt appeared and my skill went on full cooldown. Since then I have been reading every patch update and have yet to see this change reverted.

Crossplay.2067:

Pyroatheist.9031:

Crossplay.2067:

The problem is our illusions sit in this weird limbo between abilities and pets. They can’t be treated fully like one or the other. If we are truly to accept this nerf then they should revert the “block” one. Let the summon come out and knock themselves silly against a shield.

Block has no effect on phantasm casts.

Are you sure? Granted I’ve been out of the loop for months but last time I used the zerker on a blocking npc, the “blocked” prompt appeared and my skill went on full cooldown. Since then I have been reading every patch update and have yet to see this change reverted.

I’m sure. It never has, and it doesn’t now.

@ all:
I think I understand what the OP’s problem is, but like pyro I think it’s working as intended.
It’s not easy to fight thieves that are invisible 1/2 of the time and when they’re not they are kiting and blinding you to avoid dmg while revealed.
Not a game issue but a skill issue. Maybe the thieves are just skilled enough to play like this.
There are enough ways to counter this playstyle. With reflection they’ll blind themselfs. I play 10 20 10 30 0 power phantasmspec with traited focus to troll players like d/p or p/p thieves.

@ SlimChance.6593:
You’re wrong. Atm our phantasms are more like pets that need to be summoned more often than a necromancer’s or a guardian’s. Most of our phantasms are dump damage sources and do not affect anything than the hp of our enemy.
If they’d reduce the dmg of the phantasms and give them the chance to have like 1/2 uptime of negative effects it’d be more “hex” like.

@ Crossplay.2067:
Pyro is right.

Pyroatheist.9031:

I’m sure. It never has, and it doesn’t now.

I can’t say anything about “never has” as that nerf is a very vivid memory. I know for sure as I went to the exact same Ascalon Fighter that I used it on before. I am relieved to see that all the phantasms I tested came out against opponents that were blocking. I’m glad to be wrong about this issue.

Crossplay.2067:

Pyroatheist.9031:

I’m sure. It never has, and it doesn’t now.

I can’t say anything about “never has” as that nerf is a very vivid memory. I know for sure as I went to the exact same Ascalon Fighter that I used it on before. I am relieved to see that all the phantasms I tested came out against opponents that were blocking. I’m glad to be wrong about this issue.

Is it invulnerable targets? Like in those seconds between loosing all hp’s and falling into downstate?

Invul targets don’t summon phantasms… they just put it on full cd – which does suck against warriors particularly since you cant see their take no pain come on as any sort of animation or cue. I think that should be adjusted – though it hasnt caused me any real pain… just have to resort to other ways of dealing dmg

Alchemist.3692:

Invul targets don’t summon phantasms… they just put it on full cd – which does suck against warriors particularly since you cant see their take no pain come on as any sort of animation or cue. I think that should be adjusted – though it hasnt caused me any real pain… just have to resort to other ways of dealing dmg

Endure pain is not invuln. Warriors have precisely 0 access to invuln.

Renny.6571:

Pyroatheist.9031:

Endure pain is not invuln. Warriors have precisely 0 access to invuln.

Defiant Stance determined that this is a lie.. soft of.

Not at all. Defiant stance is not invuln. Invuln is a very specific status effect with very specific implications, and defiant stance is not invuln.

Renny.6571:

Pyroatheist.9031:

Not at all. Defiant stance is not invuln. Invuln is a very specific status effect with very specific implications, and defiant stance is not invuln.

I’d be so bold as to say it’s even better than an invuln. All the damage you take would’ve taken instead heals you, including preexisting conditions, for 3-4 seconds. The only thing it doesn’t do is let you walk through a ring of warding.

That’s neither here nor there, it’s not invuln.

Renny.6571:

Yes, you said that. And I said it’s better than an invuln.

And completely irrelevant to the topic at hand. So saying its “better” is pointless here…

Just an update and not so relevant.

Out of curiosity I’m trying a condition build that I made and well, I’m a bit kittened.
I think I’m an average player, and until now, all of the 1000h that I have on my mesmer were spent playing power build and anyway mostly and lately pure phantasm / PU-phantasm.
I usually deal pretty well on 1v1 against every profession except from high stealth – backstab – blindspam thieves and that was one of the reasons that made me make this topic, to try and understand if it’s normal behaviour of my skills or something was actually wrong.
And well, the first 2 encounters I had with thiefs with my new condition build ended unexpectedly in my favour, with thieves self-melting on my conditions while I was panicking and not really knowing what I was doing… so I’m a bit kittened because playing a power spec that I like and know how to play gets me dead but facerolling on the keyboard on a condition build gets them dead..