Guild Wars 2

Did you just… “reserve” a second post… on your initial useless, uninformative first post?

I think it’s time you leave.

TheHappyWhale.5236:

…Is it a skill issue…

Yes. It’s entirely a skill issue. Literally no one has the capacity to reveal the secrets of how to Mesmer, and so we get bottom tier’d all the time.

…. No.

This is actually pretty similar to the standard Phantasm DPS Build.

Your staff choice can be good for defensive stuff I guess. Usually you’d take a Sword offhand for PvP/WvW because the iSwordsman hits hard, and the iStaffdude does not (in this type of build at least). Halting Strike is good, but you’d probably be better off with something like III and X, so you get the Greatsword cooldown reduction too.

Everything else is basically what I would take for a Phantasm build. Glad it worked out though!

If I was rolling full Condi without PU I’d probably run something like this:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fhAQNAW7flknpBtlpxUNcrNitxY2LKBlDdUZDYYA-TJRFwAAeCA42fIaZAEXEAA

Which I just realized is also an 0/5/5/0/4 build haha. Probably pretty similar.

Hey guys,

So I’ve been trying to ween myself away from just playing my usual Shatter mesmer (1200 hours), and have stumbled across something I think looks like a lot of fun: The BM Ranger.

I’m using Greatsword / Sword + Dagger, and honestly don’t know all that much about Rangers. I want to use a Greatsword, and want to mostly be melee like a Thief, so figured this was a good bet. I have tried a Medi Guardian and didn’t like it much, but this seems a lot more involved. My question is: What do I dooo??? Haha.

Is there a good skill rotation, or setup, or starting rotation or anything that I should know? I think the build I’m running is pretty solid, it’s one of Exotics old ones. It seems like it lacks damage a fair bit, but the survivability is pretty good, which is nice for a newer Ranger like myself.

Could anyone give some good tips on actual combat practices for a build like this?

http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQNAR8YjEq0vaFLusw1igDhq5K8B8CgnD7x6LHqQJSA-TJBBABAcRAGrMgHPBAB3fAA

Cheers,
E

The build I used to use is a pretty “fun”, clone spam death trait build that is definitely annoying as hell to play against. It doesn’t really have that high of damage, and is borderline “bunker”, but you could make it work with a few tweaks maybe?

I use GS/Staff, but you could easily swap Scepter/Pistol for GS. Staff is sort of a necessity for it though, as it’s main damage base is conditions. Give it a shot!

Link: http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?fhAQJARWlknpRtlpxANcrRitxYyLK5U1guiKbADD-TZRGwAAuAAt3fwwhAgwTAQaZAA

Is the build you posted directly transferable to PvP as well Fluffball? I too am looking for a definitive Sword/X+Greatsword build for a Ranger.

I’d like something that doesn’t get 1 shot by thieves but can still bring the hurt.

I’m curious about a GS Sword/Torch shatter build.

I’ve been playing a GS/Sw+Sw Shatter 4/4/0/0/6 standard build for a while, and while I’m having decent fun with it, it’d be nice to switch it up a bit. I imagine the Torch comes into play on timing shatters with Prestige + Mind Wrack?

Thanks for the reply!

Sorry: PvP and WvW.

Hey guys,

I’m looking for the Top 3 most viable builds/playstyles while using a Greatsword. They can be Power based, Condition based, whatever. Shatter, Phantasm, Condi (Does this exist for GS?)

Just trying to open up my knowledge of available builds for GS before I swap mains. Gotta get proper use of this Sunrise.

Thanks,
E

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fhAQNAR8flknpRtlpxANcrNitxY6LioiTVTpDoghB-TZRGwAAuAAt3fwwBBgwTAQaZAA

I’ve been running this Hybrid PU Greatsword + Sword/Torch Clone spam build (that’s a long description haha) lately, and I have to say… for my play style at least, it absolutely wrecks.

Not only am I relatively impossible to kill if there isn’t 3+ people or mass condition spam, but I laydown AOE conditions and keep good pressure up like crazy. I don’t have the burst of a Shatter build, but in a fight where I don’t die in the first 10 seconds, almost guaranteed I am going to win.

It’s more condition focused than power I’d say, but by nature is still relatively hybrid. I use Greatsword because A) Sunrise, and Staff is boring and unreliable for condition application. Greatswords clone/phantasm appear right at target, and thus when they get overwritten/die, apply conditions reliably.

Check it.

Hey guys,

I’m halfway through leveling my Guardian up and wanted to ask if there was a build (not for leveling, for when I hit 80) that has relatively passive Defense… but Active offense, instead of the opposite.

I kind of want to wear Soldier’s gear, because I like the idea of being REALLY hard to kill… but I’m wondering if there is a way to still dish out some damage while in Soldier’s gear? I was thinking of a burning/spirit weapon focused build with Soldier’s, or even using the Knight Amulet, and then Force of Will in the Vitality line to give me 17k~ HP still with 3k Armor.

Anyone know of any builds or Guardian playstyles that fit this description?

Cheers.

You organized everything else so nicely… but can you give us a link to the Build on gw2skills.net? (Editor = http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/ )

Been looking for a Spirit Weapons build that might suit my style, this seems to be along the right lines…

How do you remove conditions reliably?

Also, I feel like Fiery Wrath would be a way better bonus than Shattered Aegis for a build like this? Burning is a pretty key element, and 10% damage to burning people is pretty big.

I’ve got a few questions about this build/Guardians in general.

I play a Mesmer as my main. I have since basically beta, and I do enjoy it, but I’m looking for something different to keep me interested in the game. I play a Hybrid PU Build right now, and use a Greatsword because I just got the Legendary Sunrise. So I’m looking for something new, that uses a Greatsword as it’s main weapon. I’m trying to avoid Warrior because it looks boring/easy, and I don’t think Ranger is a very good choice to main Greatsword… (maybe I’m wrong? Anyone know?)

Anyways, this build looks like a LOT of fun, and it looks to be very durable/tanky. I’m wondering a few things:

1) Do you find the lack of Ranged attacks make you useless in WvW/PvP situations when people run? What sort of “gap closers” do you have besides GS3?

2) Where does a Guardian / this build get all the boons from in your videos? This might be a newbie question, not that familiar with Guardians, but I see you always have really good upkeep of boons, which I like.

3) Is this power based mostly, or does the build play like a hybrid as well, focusing on conditions too?

Any huge weaknesses/drawbacks to the build?

I really like the idea of it, but I find on my Guardian now (It’s only 20…) I have almost no access to swiftness, can’t catch people if they run, and feels very clunky. I presume this is just because I’m level 20 but… any insight into the class/build is appreciated.

Thanks!
Great videos.

In sPvP the gear is free for you. In WvW the gear uses your PvE/regular gear.

But the answer is probably yes, as a Power based Mesmer you can probably get Zerker gear and then if you feel too squishy, fix this with accessories/weapon stats.

I like when people bring up new ideas, but I’ll give my comments on these ones:

1) This would be way too incredibly overpowered. Especially 3-5 seconds. Even 1 second is too OP, because this would allow a Shatter Mesmer to instantly 4 clone (including yourself) F3 Shatter for 20+ stacks of invulnerability, and then instantly with re-cloning needed, Mind Wrack, for quite literally, a 1 hit kill on basically anyone. I don’t see them making this change at all. We can already sort of achieve this with Mirror images/good enough timing, but it at least takes some skill to pull off at this point.

2) I’m not sure I understand the point of this. Isn’t this exactly how shatters work right now, except instead of your ball/line going towards the target, it’s the… illusion… the goes towards the target? What would be the difference? People would just learn to dodge/block the line or ball, instead of the illusion. No difference to the current mechanic.

3) Anything with AOE stun is instantly not going to happen. Because you just end up getting high end WvW guilds bringing a ton of mesmers to aoe perma stun the other teams zerg for an instant win. If you limited it to 5 targets like most other skills I could see it maybe happening, but aoe stun is still a huge target for people to whine about, and would probably just cause it to get nerfed to worse than it is now.

Sorry, appreciate sharing your thoughts but I don’t see these changes happening/fixing anything.

Incase anyone still reads this thread through searches… Just wanted to say that I’ve been running a Hybrid Rampager’s Amulet (Prec/Condi with minor Power/Vit) in PvP with Traveler runes, and it is absolutely DESTROYING.

It feels like a Condi PU build, but I play with GS/Sword+Torch, so I still have a ton of pressure. Give it a shot if you don’t want to run straight power or condi:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fhAQNAR8flknpRtlpxINcrNiqxY6XSpFSGwClsjtB-TZRFwAAuAAx3fQxBBAxTAwaZAA

I am very hard to kill still, with a little more reliable clone spam/condition application I feel that Staff’s slow auto attack.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fhAQNAR8clknpDtlpxQNcrRSqhc2nRR3XSOIQp+A-TZBBwAVeAAAuIAI3fYzRAocZAA

Phantasm build that I used to run.

Streaming some GS/Staff Condi tonight

Yeah I found the bleed/vulnerability/poison/burning was way too overwhelming for them to clear constantly enough. Maybe not for a Warrior, but that’s about it. Not to mention pretty significant Might stacks for me by staying in melee (to keep clones close to them), and fury when in staff.

I’d like to say it’s just for fun, but I did VASTLY better, against the same opponents, using this build as opposed to my straight Berserk Phantasm one. Maybe this just suits my playstyle better?..

Hey guys,

I was playing with my usual Power Phantasm build last night and quite frankly wasn’t winning a lot of fights in sPvP. Not sure if the other players were just really good, or if Phantasms aren’t really all that effective in PvP. Anyways, I decided to try my hand at what was initially going to be a hybrid build, but ended up just being a straight crit/condi build. It uses Staff/GS.

I know most condi builds use scepter/X, but I found the GS bounce might/vuln, plus clones appearing AT the enemy, plus them having 3 attacks for bleed crit application, plus a knockback and cripple, really outweighed a block/torment and whatever offhand I took.

Build:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fhAQJARWlknpRtlpxINcrRitxY2LK5U1guhKZADD-TJRFwAAeCARLDcb/BEXCAA

Surprisingly efficient at Condi stacking/application if you are constantly swapping weapons on CD (Doom Sigils), and using Mirror blade/overwriting your clones as often as possible. Super tanky, with condi removal on heal plus mantra for it. And decoy even for emergencies.

I was mostly just messing around to see what was viable, but I was blown away by the Tankyness, and still awesome condi pressure I was putting on people. Chaos storm helps by giving you a ton of Chaos armor when you combo, on top of mirror blade applying confusion through it.

Anyone ever played anything similar?

I think I’ll give Signet, Blink and pDisenchanter a try for now. I’m not too hardcore in PvP, and I do a lot of WvW so the mass condi removal will hopefully keep me alive.

That’s another reason I use GS, is I do a lot of WvW stuff, and it’s really nice to have a main weapon that is Ranged.

Plus I have a pretty Sunrise.

Hmm… life without Blink sounds dreary and non-fantastic, but in PvP it hasn’t really helped me all that much lately in truth. I don’t know the maps well enough for Portaling, but always a time to learn I guess.

I’d probably sooner drop Decoy than Blink though. Maybe I can get away with dropping Decoy for HP Signet, and Null Field for Disenchanter. Never really used Disenchanter, but conditions have been destroying me lately so might be a good time to start.

My only worry is, if I’ve got a Swordsman and Zerker already out, and I use Disenchanter, and then throw a Mirror Blade… is there a priority system for which one it’s going to replace? I guess it doesn’t really matter, it would just be nice if Disenchanter was at the top of the list to not be overwritten. I guess it’s only got a 16s cooldown traited though..

Hey Pyro~

Hmm hadn’t seen that build, must be a non-bumped post. I guess they’re pretty similar, minus the weapon choices, which affects the traits difference as well.

I hadn’t thought of taking the 50% HP Illusions Signet… that’s a really good idea. If I replace Null Field (To keep decoy/blink) with the Signet for super strong Phantasm HP, should I stick to Ether Feast as my heal/condi clear, or swap for Mantra so I have 2 condi clears?

I really would love to take the Signet of Ether heal and just have perma good regen… but it’s so underwhelming…

Appreciate the reply, but I think the Greatsword cooldown difference would make the same difference as the… Sword Training cooldown? But for a different weapon?

The iSwordsman is typically my opener, and then I either swap to GS right away if I have the jump, or I’ll try a block, then iLeap+Frenzy before swapping to GS. GS is, by far, my main weapon over sword/sword, so the 4.75 second Mirror Blade for basically perma vulnerability/might stacking is glorious.

Also having an iZerker on a 12s cooldown in a Phantasm build is no joke.

As a GW2 newbie and starting out as a Mesmer, I’d probably not pick a Shatter Mesmer to start. Shatter requires you to know a lot of mechanics about the game itself in order to stay alive. The survivability of a shatter mesmer is very low if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Instead decide whether you want to be Condition or Power based. Condition based builds in this game are basically DoT builds. There are a number of conditions like Burning, Bleeding, Poison, Torment, Confusion… that do damage based per second/tick. Power is more direct damaged based.

My suggestion? If you want to be forgiving on yourself, level up Mesmer as a Staff based Condition spec. Your clones will do a lot of damage with conditions, and your survivability is really great with Staff. On the plus side, it’s a bit more of a “passive” playstyle than Shatter/Power based specs, so you have some time to pay attention to what’s happening around you and learn the game. It also can solo very, very easily. Focus on Condition damage, Vitality and Toughness.

The other option, if DoT based damage doesn’t fancy your interest, is to try a Phantasm based build. These are Mesmer builds that rely on most of your damage coming from your summonable clones/phantasms. A clone is just a replica of you to confuse the enemy. Does next to no damage, but can be used for shatters. A Phantasm has a big attack of it’s own, does good damage pending on spec, and can also be used for shatters. I’d try a Greatsword/Sword+Sword Phantasm spec (There’s one in my signature that I use mainly) if you think that sounds like your style.

The best thing to do is to equip a few different types of weapons, see which abilities you like best, and run with that. Some of them don’t work very well together, but most can make-do while you’re just leveling at least.

Cheers.
-E

I’ve decided to start streaming my random Gameplay / PvP / WvW stuff for people to watch if they so desire. I don’t pretend to be the best and am certainly always trying to improve, so please keep this in mind when watching.

Stream Link: http://www.twitch.tv/eucelyptes_cosa

Bio: I just recently picked the game up again after a 1 year break, and never really got into sPvP but am growing interested now. I WvW with my guild, CoSA (Core of Scarlet Alliance) on the Sorrow’s Furnace server quite often as well.

Build: http://tinyurl.com/o2fd8mu

Notes: For maximum flashy effect, I rock a Sunrise Legendary Greatsword, and use dual swords as my offhand. I run a full Phantasm/Berserk build with Speed runes in PvP, and a similar setup for WvW/PvE stuff, but with Centaur runes in WvW for Swiftness MoR spam. I don’t know the sPvP maps that well, so don’t use Portal yet.

I’ll bump this thread with the date/time in title when I start streaming every night. Usually later-night PST.

Feel free to leave comments on here, but keep in mind this isn’t meant to be a top tier 100+ rank stream. =/

I think that’s the case with any build for a Mesmer though, with your concern. Shatter faces the same problem. Just a matter of predicting their moves I think.

I’m more worried about doing enough damage when they DO hit, than if they’ll hit at all. I’m getting pretty good at the iLeap/iWave and then Phantasm combo so that they’re crippled/knocked down when it first attacks at least.

Hey guys,

Been experimenting with hot join PvP lately, as WvW isn’t always crazy busy on my server’s tier. I had originally been running a Power PU build, and the survivability was great… but I found I had a really hard time killing some tankier specs. Which I didn’t like. So out with PU, in with some damage.

Thought I’d give a straight Phantasm, Never-Shatter build a try. Something like this:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fhAQNAR8clknpRtlpxUNcrRSqhc2nRR3XSOIQp2A-TZBBwAAuIAI3fYzRAocZAIPAAA

Anyone running anything similar? Is it effective? Survivability still good enough?

Seems like your iZerker and iSwordsman would rip people apart while you just kite and spam Mirror Blade for Vulnerability/Might stacks. Shatters could be used as finishers, but I think you’d be better off just continuing to kite and letting your Phantasms destroy. Maybe if everything was off CD you could Mind Wrack + re-summon both Phantasms for instant attacks again. Or even F3 and re-summon for huge vulnerability hits from Phantasms.

Let me know what you think!

So I’ve been doing some PvP lately outside of WvW, which is… odd for me. I hadn’t even zoned into the Mists in literally a year probably. Now, that being said, I mostly WvW, so I’m very aware of how to PvP with the class. I run PU Power GS / Sword + Torch, with Strength Runes and Knight’s Ammy. Build below.

The only class that seems to be giving me trouble is Warriors. I can’t seem to damage them enough, and they have so many charge/gap closers so I rely too heavily on running away/stealthing, and not enough on damaging them, which proves difficult even if I’m free cast attacking on them…

Wondering if anyone has any suggestions vs. Warriors for a PU Power Mesmer?

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fhAQNAR8flknpRtlpxUNcrNSqxY6UW5FSmQAlcjuB-TpBBABVcBAA4gAUz+DhXGYjjAAEPAAA

Cheers.
-E

Maybe they did want us to kill bosses in 15 seconds with the right setup/knowledge. It’s not completely absurd if I mull it over. Who knows. I’m just saying, don’t be surprised when it does get nerfed.

I mostly replied due to the fact that not being able to 1 shot bosses is apparently a reason to switch classes. Sad.

That’s a really bad comparison, because in PvP the skill really IS supposed to reflect the projectile.

It’s much easier to exploit PvE because mechanics are in place that happen every time X thing happens. Is it an exploit to reflect pve damage? Maybe not. Was it intended to 1 shot Wurm/Lupicus/other massive bosses? Definitely not.

frifox.5283:

Eucalyptus.9784:

Bosses were never meant to die in 15 seconds from their own projectile mechanics. Use your brain.

We did. That’s how we came up with a clever way to punish the boss for trying to unload so many projectiles at once.

Also know as an exploit…

ungascarlo.7459:

yea i have heard about that bosses reflectable projectile is no more reflectable by our feedbacks and such. so now our utilities are for trash mobs only… A-net might as well tell everybody to reroll to warriors ..

Bosses were never meant to die in 15 seconds from their own projectile mechanics. Use your brain.

If it didn’t happen with range, people would just spam their instant cast skills over and over until it finally hits when you get in range.

*GS Auto attack

The build has changed too much from my original idea, but I figured if anyone wanted to know what I was running now:

http://tinyurl.com/k6zhr2o

I’m really happy with how this build plays. I was in a few 1v1’s and 1v2’s with guardians, necros and ele’s last night, and I won most of them, or if I didn’t, it was because we both just couldn’t kill each other and kept reseting the fight so I just left.

Not really sure what to call it… but it’s a really fun, powerful Roaming + Zerg video.

I got around to playing fully with it a bit tonight actually, and I might agree that Deceptive Evasion is sort of… missing. Especially with how fast opportunities to shatter are coming up in WvW fights. Will have a look and try to tweak a bit. I still like the idea though. Might take some adjustments.

It make take a bit to get used to, but with a 4.5 second Mirror Blade I really don’t see Deceptive Evasion being worth it to blow 20 points in. What would you drop to get it?

I guess you could try 2/4/6/0/2, but then you have ZERO cooldown on your GS, thus making your Vuln/Might stacks substantially less from Mirror Blade, and no CD on Phantasm or iWave. =/

Keep in mind you don’t really need 3 clones to F3 Shatter. only 1 has to hit for the effects to proc. You’d just lose some Vuln stack.

Hmm, interesting suggestios. I happen to agree with them for the most part.

While I’m hesitant to drop the Ice Runes due to the Chill Duration bonus, I’ve realized it only adds 3/4 of a second to my attack proc. I think I’d rather have 10 seconds of Might/Fury/Swiftness and some extra power than 3/4 of a second longer Chill… heh.

Updated build with changes:
http://tinyurl.com/py35yql

I opted to take Berserker Accessories as mentioned as well. 2400~ Toughness and 18k~ HP is still very doable, especially when using a Staff as a defensive Swap + Decoy. I’m considering even taking Signet of Inspiration over Decoy actually as well.

I’ve considered swapping out the Accessories for Berserker ones actually. The idea of the build is to have control of the fight though, and slow things down (literally with Chill). So having huge burst for the sacrifice of survival worries me.

In a fight, if I get jumped by someone Glassy, they’ll at least have a harder time killing me immediately. And if they don’t kill me right away, then suddenly they’re in a world of panic with Chill proccing all over, being immobilized, and taking huge stacks of vulnerability.

Just reserving first comment for any videos and additional information I might add later. <3

Disclaimer: This is a WvW focused variation of skcamow’s “Chillruption” build

I’m going to jump right into it. I had been looking for some form of new playstyle the past few weeks, posting builds here, testing builds there. I think I have finally found one that not only synergizes well together, but also very much suits my playstyle. It is a variation on skcamow’s “Chillruption” Build that I’ve tweaked to my own personal liking. Feel free to do the same.

Playstyle: This build focus on Interrupts, and applying the condition Chill, among other debilitating ones. It is not a Condition damage build, it is first and foremost a WvW Lockdown Build. It won’t do as much damage as a straight Shatter, but your shatters and skills are still going to hit pretty hard, and it will definitely make your opponent want to smash his face on his keyboard for not being able to do anything. What more could you ask for in a build?

The Build:
http://tinyurl.com/py35yql [updated June 3rd, 2014]

The build plays like a Lockdown build in the sense that the name of the game is Interrupts. Your 3 sources of interrupts are from your F3 Shatter, GS #5 Illusionary Wave and Staff #5 Chaos Storm. All of these skills have 24-39 second cooldowns, so you need to be smart about using them and when to best take advantage of it. Chaos Storm is likely saved for large groups/zergs coming at you, while iWave and F3 Shatter can be used at your discretion pending the situation.

The beauty of the Interrupt is that it turns you into a god, and makes your opponent crumble infront of you. On EACH successful interrupt, you are going to:

- Gain 5 stacks of Might + a random boon
- Apply 3 stacks of Vulnerability
- Apply 5 stacks of Vulnerability (except with iWave) [per clone also]
- Deal some decent damage (Halting Strike)
- Apply Immobilize + (Blind/Chill/Cripple)

That’s a lot of things to happen for just interrupting someone. This is, naturally, the base of the build’s workings. On top of all this magic, once someone is interrupted/Dazed, you’re also going to do 5% more damage to them if they aren’t using a skill.

Chill:
This is where the real fun comes in. With the Rune/Sigil setup I run while using Greatsword, I have a 30% chance on HIT (not crit), to apply Chill for 5~ seconds. With an internal cooldown of 10 seconds on this, you can basically assume your opponent is going to be Chilled 50% of the time, considering the GS auto attack hits 3 times, and is quite fast. On top of that, you also have a 25% when Struck to produce an AOE Chill (great for WvW zergs when you rush in to iWave), and also a good chance to apply Chill when you interrupt someone. You also receive 7% bonus damage to Chilled opponents. Awesome.

If you think about how annoying Chill is, on top of how fun Lockdown is, you’ve got some real potential to make your opponent unable to do a whole lot while you beat on them. If they blow their Cleanse to get rid of it, it’s pretty easy for you to reapply it with one of various ways mentioned.

Notes:
A few general notes about the build are listed in point form below, incase you don’t like reading walls of text or just want to glance at the build.

2120 Power (without Might/Bloodlust on)
2600~ Toughness
19k Health
35% Crit chance
40% Reduced GS Traits (4.5 second Mirror Blade, yes please)
Decoy/Blink/MoResolve (These are pretty interchangeable)

In Closing
Would appreciate any comments on my take on skcamow’s build or if anyone has tried anything similar. I have played it a few hours and it seems to work pretty well, and is a TON of fun. I’ve always liked condition style, but Power usually reigns supreme for Mesmers, so I decided to negotiate and try a Power/Debilitating focused build.

Comments and feedback appreciated!

Alright, so I finally got around to playing this build for a while. And I gotta say… it’s really not that great haha. It’s very clunky, and for all the work you put in to keep Retaliation up, it does very minimal.

Would not suggest. Don’t bump thread.

Nobody else seems like they’re going to… so I’ll tackle this one.

But first let me address something important here. You mention 3 times in your post that you think you’re not good enough to play a certain way. Allow me to enlighten you about something: nobody is born with an innate sense of video game skill. Someone didn’t pick the game up and suddenly understand everything about Mesmers, Guardians, Thieves, whatever. It took them time, and trial and error, and experience. Don’t ever let your doubt of being able to do something get in the way of trying it. This applies to video games, life, your career. Anything. Remember that.

Now, as for builds, based on what you describe I’ll link you the PU Condi build that I run when I’m playing that style. I haven’t played it in a few weeks so am not sure if I would have changed anything, but the basic idea is this:

http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?fhEQNAW7flknpRtlpxVNcrNitxY6LKpC0NUZDYYA-T1yCABQoEEgHAwxHEg92foJleXq+TBm+k4IAklyA90NM9FAQUQaE-w

Now, this is just my tweaking the general setup for PU, so some things are moveable and changeable based on your preference obviously. Gear included. I like being Tanky as hell when I play Condition spec, so I’ve got a TON of armor, on top of the PU boons I get. I also like lower cooldowns, and exploding clones, so I take 3 in Illusions and 5 in Dueling. Others builds’ may vary.

Shatter plays very differently in the sense that it requires a lot more of an “active” approach to killing things. With PU Condi, stuff can attack you, you can attack back, and generally if you don’t just stand there and choose good times to use invis and hide while your clones do some work, you’re going to have a good chance at winning. Shatter you need to setup the fight to your advantage, or catch people off guard. Again, takes some time to learn, but anyone can do it. If you want to play Shatter, the standard spec is 4/4/0/0/6. Traits don’t vary too much, but you take Illusionary Persona as your 6th trait in Illusions, and Deceptive Evasion in dueling. The others can be swapped around a bit, but there’s a few better than others mostly.

Hope this helps man. Play what you want, not what you think you are capable of being good at. With enough time, anyone can get good at anything. It just takes some people more time than others.

I can’t wait to iLeap someone, jump off a cliff, have them jump after me, and then swap back to where my illusion is standing on the cliff.

Pyro,

I thought about DE as well before you replied and noticed I’d be pretty starved, so decided to tweak a bit. I also think that you’re right about having higher crit, and sacrificing a few thousand HP. What about something like this as a Shatter Retal then?

It’s more or less the same, with some weapon swap differences, DE, and a bit more damage and less health. iDefender could be swapped for anything really, but I no longer think Mimic is really necessary, because Cry of Frustration grants 6s of Ret PER illusion shattered. That’s 18 seconds . That, on top of iLeap/Curtain Ret combo, on top of Sword 4 block means pretty much perma Ret. The crit is way higher but good power still so the shatters will actually hurt more too. It feels better. Maybe not best, but better.

http://tinyurl.com/mecnsa5

The sword in both MH’s on Swap is because I think a 7.5 iLeap and swords main attack are far more useful than 1 more block with scepter.

Perhaps a good solution would be to swap some of my Soldier gear for Knights. To hit 40% crit at least…

Edit: Wait a second, Fay is Pyropriest? kitten. Maybe I should take his advice more seriously then. hahah.

Fay.2357:

Could you post this other build you’re mentioning?

Been running this lately, for a fast clone shatter build.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fhAQNAR8clknpRtlpxINcrNSqxg6verNSmQAl8kuB-TlCBABCu/wRK96T3AAXEgsUG4xDAghjAQCm+mQJYmq/IKoMC-w

It’s not full glass, but that’s kind of the point. I don’t want to play full glass. I want to be able to survive to pick up my bags after a fight.

The 1440 is per clone, and that’s just the base that the skill calculator says. They usually hit 2k~ each clone when it says that on my other build. So that’s still a 6-8k non-crit shatter, more if you include me with IP.

I could swap out the Staff for a Scepter/Sword combo for double block to further the Retal stacking, but also throw a solid torment and iSwordsman in.

I’m really not seeing the lack of damage compared to any other build I’d be running. It might be like… 10% lower… but for WvW when you aren’t solo roaming, 10% doesn’t make a huge difference. Being able to stay alive while they kill themselves does, no?

Update: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fhAQRAsd7cl0npRtlpxPNcrRSrxcqjQdXnVGpCokbUNA-TVCBABCu/wRK/yR9HAeCAJY+bClgMcCA24gAon+BRBlRA-w

I understand it’s not going to be a huge bursty spec, but with the gear and traits listed below now:

http://tinyurl.com/qeldphu

In sword/focus, I’ve still got 22% crit chance without fury, which isn’t terrible (42% with). 2200 AP without Bloodlust stacks. My Mind Wrack 3x still shows up at 1440 damage. That’s literally only like 100 damage lower than my full shatter build. The survivability on this build is WAY higher. Especially with Mimic/Condition clearing on heal.

And I now have access to Retal through:
- Mimic Block
- Chaos Storm
- Confusing Cry
- Leap/Swap temporal curtain

I’d like if Curtain was a lower CD, but not sure what I could sacrifice for the extra 2 points. As well, won’t Phantasmal Defender give me double retaliation (for the first 5 seconds at least), since he will have it up, and I’ll have it too? Thus, the damage that’s redirected to him triggers it twice?

Suggestions/Discussion appreciated still. Constructive stuff to help develop the build though, not just “it’s not as good as <meta>”.