Guild Wars 2

Heya, guys!
After a pause and play other profs, I want back in pvp as mesmer(shatter). I play mesmer around 500 matches before (soloQ & HJ, different builds, but 44006 most time) and have some exp with it. And even after this matches i have questions.
1. Mainly, I can’t decide – s/t or staff? Why staff preferable in meta now? What build more effective? In defensive options s/t look not bad – evade, invis. Sword have better chances to land good f1 and have nice power damage. Or condi from staff cover it? What weaponset gives more options?
2. If s/t – Halting Strike or Mental Torment?
3. Illusionary Elasticity always better than Illusionary Invigoration? Just 2xShatters look very impressive, but people take Elasticity even with GS + S/T, for 1 skill.

I hope you understand my text.
And thanks alot (at least for reading)!

I also like s/t myself. As you said, it offers a better burst potential.
Staff, on the other hand, can keep a more consistent pressure with a decent autoattack and phantasm. Also, phase retreat gives mesmer much better mobility and chaos storm is an awesome skill in team fight.

I am not too sure about the halting strike and mental torment choice for s/t. I personally take mental torment. Since s/t is more of a burst weaponset, I pick the one that helps the burst more.

I find illusionary elasticity just makes gs skill 2 too good. It is our best burst skill with a reasonably low cool down. Illusionary Invigor only triggers when you are receiving non condition damage below 50%. So you have to be hit for it to trigger. For sure, it gives memser a lot more options. But I just find it a bit too risky when we are already below 50%. I guess I am not good enough. I am pretty sure many other more skilled mesmer players can utilize it well enough.

Yet Helseth plays Invigoration, go figure… :o

Miku Lawrence.6329:

Yet Helseth plays Invigoration, go figure… :o

Helseth plays Elasticity on both builds.

On the topic:
1 – staff’s really good for kiting and Chaos Storm is a very powerful skills especially when used on downed players. You can also keep pressure up from a good range and Phantasmal Warlock can hit really hard. I’m running s/t atm because it helps me reset my position especially against thieves with the extra stealth or you can predict and avoid a burst by using skill 2. You can immobilize enemies with sword 3 and then oneshot them with GS which is really powerful. Play what you want, both are great, but when the enemy has 1 or 2 thieves go S/T.
2 – I’d go with Halting strike. It’s a really awesome damage boost. Like a 2nd mind wrack. Landing a burst, interrupting his heal, and dealing damage for that interrupt? Yes please.
3 – Invigoration is a bit random, Elasticity on the other hand can provide that little bonus damage you might need to burst down the target.

Well he did play Invigoration when I was watching his stream this month.

Miku Lawrence.6329:

Well he did play Invigoration when I was watching his stream this month.

I believe he traits illusionary invigoration when he runs sw/t, which he seems to be doing more on specific maps. When he runs double ranged, he takes illusionary elasticity.

Oh, thanks for response, guys.
In my view Elsticity always better with staff (especially with last up), but with s/t it seems to be debatable. Mesmer is the master of low hp miracles. Ok, it’s choose to your liking, but I’m a little surprised that Helseth play with Invigoration some time.
Another question: choose second weapon vs thiefs. I could see both points of view. Like Witcher (s/t vs thiefs) and other, “thiefs is the reason why all play with staff”. What you think?

I like staff better because you can actually try and hold a pt with it. s/t is better single target burst but I prefer the ae damage of the staff that covers a bigger area. Also sigil of Gen. works better on staff than s/t

The current meta is double ranged because the sword main-hand before September patch was too buggy(#3). In addition, staff is easier and better for kiting.
sw/t is slightly better than staff when against thieves – Helseth

The choice between Halting Strike and Mental Tourment traits is explained in Supcutie’s guide:

• 2.5 interrupts per 11 seconds for Halting Strike to break even with Mental Torment.
• Mental Torment is more consistent damage and has more downed body cleave.
• Halting Strike however means you are not “putting all your eggs in one basket”*

Illusionary Invigoration is harder to maximize to its efficiency in my opinion.