Guild Wars 2

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fgAQRAsc8fl4zKqHWzhGb9IBqHY37fnkCV/6SKmNvB;TgAAzCnosyYlwKrPOrkWB

I’m trying to work on a build that utilizes stealth with hard-hitting phantasms and a crap load of bleeds and other conditions (Without relying on a pistol or a greatsword).

To be honest I’ve only barely began to come up with ideas and would love some advice on how to stack damage in a build that focuses on stealth as a defense. I figured condition damage would be key to have them bleeding/burning out while phantasms pummeled them but any suggestions or ideas would be great.

I’d really like to stick with Sword/Sword as I like the look of the style (Big Drizzt/Spartacus fan) but the secondary is up for anything. I was messing around with Scepter for confusion, got some decent results. I love the Staff but didn’t see it as too viable for such a build. GS(Ugh, so common)& Pistol(Again.. frustratingly common) I’ll rely on if theres nothing better.

Any advice?

Wait no staff are you kidding me? That is the best weapon for mesmer in my opinion, in sPvP of course.

This is my stealth build:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fgAQNAW7flwzCrXUTkGb9IipHBHyBcoUcdZXJFz2FC;T0AAzCpoay0koJbTumkNtqYUxpidIvKA

It is a condition build, so the Staff is the primary weapon. IMO a condition build synergises well with stealth because you rely on easily spammed Staff Clones for about 33% of your damage, and you can roll out extra Clones without breaking stealth. Plus any conditions you inflict on your target will continue ticking while you’re stealthed.

That said, any build can do well with a stealth build.

I’ve come up with a stealth build after the buff to PU.
It’s based on the idea of a build that’s been posted in this forum before, using the fact that if you have 3 clones active and spawn another one the first one dies and activates the “on death” traits.
I haven’t tried it yet but it looks kinda fun so I thought I’d post it in here in case someone has experience with the same or similar builds.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fgAQRAsa8flwzKqnUToGbNJipH9WwBcoFQqQpVmBvdhA;TgAg1CqoIyQkQILROikEB

Your two most recyclable sources of stealth are decoy and torch. I’m not sure you will be a ‘stealth’ build without them both. This in turn makes it awfully difficult to rely on phantasms as the torch’s is not rocking anyone’s world right now.

I was thinking about employing the staff. With torch that’d make a nice AOE Chaos Armor. And yeah djtool, that phantasm’ll end up mostly shatter fodder, but theres gotta be at least SOME other use for it. With enough condition dmg the staff may be enough to compensate.

you can run with stealth in a normal shatter cat build you know thats what i do in spvp decoy mirror images and i run signet of domination for the stun but you can change that out for viel and use mass invisibility for elite. works fairly well and most players if u get a good 1v1 going or even a 2v1 you can take them both out just by using mindwrack its pretty funny. Alot of classes now adays are getting verry glassy in spvp even guardians at this point i hit a dang 6.2k on a guardian earlier i was wondering why lol bunker is all good but normally if your a bunker guardian going up against 3 players 9 times out of 10 your going to die so why not try and kill those players before they kill you :p

Embolism.8106:

This is my stealth build:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fgAQNAW7flwzCrXUTkGb9IipHBHyBcoUcdZXJFz2FC;T0AAzCpoay0koJbTumkNtqYUxpidIvKA

It is a condition build, so the Staff is the primary weapon. IMO a condition build synergises well with stealth because you rely on easily spammed Staff Clones for about 33% of your damage, and you can roll out extra Clones without breaking stealth. Plus any conditions you inflict on your target will continue ticking while you’re stealthed.

That said, any build can do well with a stealth build.

I really like the set up here, and your build really showed me how useful clones could be without shatters/phantasms. I made a few changes to the traits (10 dom. 15 duel. 25 chaos) and I was wondering how much of a difference it’d make if I took the runes to add 45% bleed duration (with the 10% bleed sigil). Do you think it’s worth the loss of 300+ Condition Dmg?

+Duration only affects yourself, not your Illusions; and Bleed only procs 33% of the time. I wouldn’t go for it.

In theory the torch phantasm is maximized with 15 in inspiration. You would cause confusion, grab the retaliation, and the protection buff to maximize your retaliation damage (at least your punishment for dealing it).

Not sure how effective that is. Maybe I’ll try it and let you know. I’m constantly trying new things so why not.

iMage is just bad. 3x Confusion for 3s that cannot be extended by any form of +CondDuration? No thanks. Yeah, it applies Retaliation, but if you’re a condition Mesmer Retaliation does do that much damage; plus as a Mesmer your main defense is evasion, not tanking.

I’ve been using http://tinyurl.com/a8be9rc
For sPvP. Works well against all classes, and makes you amazingly…. slippery.
Kinda a hybrid phant build with major stealth built into it.
You can always switch the pistol out with torch… which i may do… because if your stealthing it’s to avoid danger (and remove stuns). If you used torch, and just kept it secondary and always used greatsword, and switched if getting dumped on… i.e. 8 v 1, it would be a nice tool to get away with.
Fun fact : all your phantasms also stealth with the aoe.

The only issue here, is how stealth implements for Mesmers. I’ve done 0/0/30/10/30 condi-stealth before, with Prismatic Understanding. It can be exceedingly fun, however, our stealth has some rather annoying issues in regards to duration stacking.
For example – I also run a Thief (currently 78 and climbing). Her stealth can -in general- be layered one-atop-another. A Mesmer, though, needs to be quite aware of when one stealth ends, and the other begins. Else, they’ll cancel each other out.
I do not know whether this is deliberate – to differentiate Mes/Thief stealth mechanics – or accidental. But it’s something you should keep in mind.

I’ve never quite understood why more players don’t attempt to be condition and power mesmers at the same time via Carrion gear.

It’s not like retaliation scales with crit.

Too much Sharper Image humping imo.

I rather agree, which is why I’ve ditched my rabid set and am making a carrion to try it. Everyone said rabid was the greatest but I was rather disappointed in it.

The only tricky part is that the Toughness is useful. If a condition damage / tough/vit or condition damage / tough / power set were available, I’d be all over those in a heartbeat.

Kind of silly how ANet tries to serve up a dozen gear options, and then simply does not allow another few permutations of options.

Harder to use retaliation effectively with low toughness.

Well, Easymode: I think some of the Laurel Ascended stuff’s Cond/Tough/Vit. I want to say it’s under the ring section. As for permutations: I’m still surprised Legendaries only come as P/V/T.