Guild Wars 2

GS is a really well designed weapon. It’s just not meant to be a weapon you rely on all the time, it’s a weapon you use when you’re closing in on the opponent to engage them in melee, or are retreating from them. It has a few skills that work well at any range (GS 1, 3 and 4,) and two skills that do more work the closer you are to the target (2 and 5). The bounce from 2 is also a convenient way to stack up some might, which can really be exploited in addition to Imagined Burden. I like to think of it as the weapon I use to spawn a bunch of quick clones which feed me Might, before I jump into melee for a big Mind Wrack and a face full of sword.

I use Strength Runes personally, as I used to run with Greatsword a lot and being able to stack might quickly and pass it off a few times a fight with Illusionary Inspiration and Signet of Inspiration seemed like a nice way to support my team. In HoT content though, I’ve found it much better to run with Focus and Shield, so the effectiveness of this is slightly reduced, but it still gives a very reliable 5% extra damage, and with Strength sigils you still maintain a healthy amount of Might.

Before this, I used Runes of the Centaur, as this was back when Mesmers didn’t have Time Marches On or the SoI buff.

If you want something reliable, Rune of the Ranger adds some nice crit damage and 7% extra damage if you have at least one clone out. Rune of the Scholar seems to be the optimal pick in perfect conditions.

New mimic is absolutely incredible. I always found with PvE content, Mesmers would usually want Blink for defense, Feedback for offense, and then they’d have an incredibly situational utility slot left over. No longer; Mimic can go on literally any build when you can’t really think of what else you’d need, and allows for double feedback (which can even be traited for an extra 4 seconds coverage!), double portal (you need to use Mimic before the exit, not the entrance; incredible help for the new jumping puzzle) or whatever they so desire. I believe it also allows for a theoretical triple shatter (Mimic Signet of Illusions), though you’d need some good clone generation to actually make use of it. Best utility, it just plain makes us better at our jobs.

Specialization: Hexweaver. (Given the increased threat of draconic minions carrying out complex schemes and tactical maneuvers, the Mesmer Collective has begun to dig up and adapt ancient hexes to better allow Mesmers to control and disrupt the flow of battle.)

Shatter Option: Shatter Storm. Upon activation, illusions shatter in place and creates a vortex of swirling shards around your target’s current location. Enemy projectiles attempting to go through this will be reflected. Foes who try to leave the vortex are damaged, crippled and bled in rapid pulses. Uptime increases per shattered clone. (1-4 seconds.)

Weapon: Rifle. Concept: High, slow, single target DPS with a lot of defensive options. Crowd control options depend heavily on positioning.

WS1: Chain skill. (probably takes about 3 seconds to complete.)
i. Hexer’s Thread. Fires a bright purple projectile which leaves a faint trail between the mesmer and their target. Applies vulnerability and two ticks of low damage at the start and the end of the animation.
ii. Overload. Fires two high powered bullets within milliseconds of each other. Each bullet will ricochet to another nearby target.
WS2: Trick Shot. Applies blind to a target and creates a clone at your location. Shot ricochets twice.
WS3: Complicate. You switch places with one of your clones. If no clones, then a phantasm.
WS4: Phantasmal Sniper. Summons a rifle-wielding phantasm that deals high single shot damage to a target on a long cooldown. Shot ricochets once.
WS5: Spirit Shackles. Fires chains which wrap themselves around the target, immobilizing them. Will ricochet twice.

Utility Skills: Traps. (These skills are all based off the mechanics in the Thief’s Shadow Trap: Marking an enemy, then activating the skill a second time to invoke the payoff. Flavor-wise, they’re more like Necromancer marks, and visually, they’ll look like phantasmal threads connecting characters that grow more visible as the skill progresses. Knowing when to activate these effects will be critical to success. Significant combo potential with Mantras.)

Heal: Web of Respite. Heals slightly upon placement. First enemy that walks over the trap becomes marked. Upon activation, you heal, and 1 of your conditions and its remaining duration is transferred to the target and those around them in an AoE.
Utility 1: Web of Phantom Pain. The first enemy that walks over this becomes marked. Upon activation, deals 8 seconds of low, pulsing damage in an AoE around the marked target.
Utility 2: Web of Disruption. The first enemy that walks over this becomes marked. Upon activation, does 4 pulses of Daze over 8 seconds from the marked target in an AoE.
Utility 3: Web of Phantasms. The first enemy that walks over this becomes marked. Upon activation, foes within an AoE around the target are blinded. Two Phantasmal Conjurers appear and fire pink butterflies from their hands at the target, dealing low ticking damage to the target and anyone who walks through the streams.
Utility 4: Web of Larceny. The first enemy to walk over this trap becomes marked. When activated, steals one boon every 2 seconds for 8 seconds in an AoE around the target.
Elite Skill: Web of Panic. The first enemy to walk over this skill becomes marked. When activated, pulse Fear, Chill and 2 stacks of Torment every second for 5 seconds, in an AoE around the target. The target themselves are stunned for 5 seconds.

-Hexweaver Traits-

Minor Traits:

1. Shatter Delusions. You learn the Shatter Storm profession skill.
2. Price of Pride. Deals 20% more damage to foes above 75% Health.
3. Farsight. You deal 10% more damage if you’re beyond 600 range of your target.

Adept Traits:
1. Calculated Risk. Applying Blind also applies Taunt.
2. Spider Sense. +20% crit chance if beyond 600 range from your target.
3. Vision of Demise. Deal 25% more damage to marked targets.

Master Traits:

1. Aneurysm. Overload fires one extra bullet.
2. Wide Webs. AoE of webs are doubled.
3. Best Laid Plans. Activating a mark cripples foes in an AoE around the target.

Grandmaster Traits:

1. Migraine. Overload applies Torment with each hit.
2. Persistence of Being. When a hit takes you below 75%, 50% and 25% damage, you will Phase Retreat. (each Health amount will operate on a separate cooldown of 15 seconds.)
3. Eye of the Storm. Shatter Storm lasts for 1 second longer per image shattered (ie. 2-8 seconds), and at its creation will pull caught enemies to the centre.