While an interesting and useful exercise, I think this build demonstrates the poor synergy and frequent lack of choices the new skills tree gives PVE phantasm users.
You took Chrono I (Time Catches Up) for perfectly adequate reasons – the other two options in the Adept line are even more underwhelming – but Super Speed for illusions seems rather pointless to me. Phantasms usually spawn already in attack range, and unless you’re fighting that super fast moa in Dry Top, run speed for them has never been a noticeable issue. So this tier seems to be largely a waste. The fact that it only works on shattering also locks you into Chronophantasma, which I have reservations about too.
You then pick Illusionary Reversion for the Master tier. This seems actively counterproductive as you risk overwriting a phantasm with a clone. But, as you say, the choices here are all rather poor for phantasm users. Then for the Grandmaster trait, Chronophantasma. As Krispera says, the fact that phantasms respawn in melee range means this might not be very effective for a phantasm user. But of course it’s a little early to say how this will work out. The two alternatives in the GM are either shatter based or aimed at PVP, so not especially useful.
I’m rather a fan of the Illusions line, so it’s nice to see you pick that next. However, again it shows the weakness of the traits tree for phantasm users. Your choice of Illusions II, Persistence of Memory, takes 6% off the recharge time of all phantasms in the best-case scenario. With Illusionist’s Celerity locked in already, your longest recharge time on a typical phantasm (iBerserker, Swordsman or Duellist) is 16 seconds. A 6% reduction of that is 0.96 seconds. Taking less than a second off your recharge times in the best case only once (because Chronophantasma only works on the first shatter) doesn’t really seem worth it. I would probably pick Illusions I, Compounding Power, instead.
Next you pick Phantasmal Haste, which is so obviously the correct decision I won’t bother to say anyting more about it. After that is Illusions VIII, Master of Fragmentation. Of the three GM traits here, two are shatter based and one is a buff to blinds, so all three are marginal for phantasm users at best. A disappointing end to a trait line that looked promising.
Finally, you pick the Inspiration line, whch as you note, might not fit in and might not be a good choice. The minor traits have some uses, and Inspiration VIII might be handy in group situations, but we’re really making the best of a poor situation here. Inspiration doesn’t have a lot to offer.
Duelling does seem to be a better line, with Duelling I, Phantasmal Fury being an obvious choice as you point out, though as a pistol user I’m going to miss Duelling III, Duellist’s Discipline, for the pistol buffs. The second minor trait, Sharper Images, is also an important part of phantasm damage. But again the Master and Grandmaster traits offer very little to phantasm users. Duelling IV, Blinding Dissipation, works off shatters again and seems more aimed at PVP in any case. Evasive Mirror is too new to say much about, and Blade Training, which would be my personal choice, is nice for the iSwordsman recharge but not especially worth taking for the +50 power, which is only a touch above 2% extra crit. As for the GM traits, Harmonious Mantras might end up the default choice for phantasm users. Mistrust doesn’t seem compelling for phantasms, and Deceptive Evasion, while undeniably useful, does overwrite phantasms and is much more useful for shatter builds.
The other trait lines show similar lack of synergy. Domination starts well, with Domination II, Empowered Illusions. However, the Master traits either buff shatters, signets or interruption, none of which are particularly exciting. The GM traits have Greatsword Training – perhaps suboptimal given the superior performance of iSwordsman/iDuellists, but far from useless – but the other two traits buff shatters and interrupts again. And Chaos doesn’t seem to have a lot to offer unless in a support role.
Given a remit of ‘make a phantasm build using the new trait line’, you’ve made the best of a bad situation. But when half your choices as a phantasm player are “I’m picking this because it’s the least useless” then there’s a problem. Of course, it is early yet and we can hope for more reorganisation of traits to create more viable phantasm builds. I am also far from the most knowledgeable mesmer player, so no doubt there are inaccuracies in the above. But right now it does seem that the new trait lines are poorly laid out for phantasm builds.
