Guild Wars 2

Ross Biddle.2367:

Alex Shatter.7956:

can my mesmer do raids? the enemies in raids tend to kite a lot because Anet promised no more stacking, so torment could be viable since engin/war can’t stack that.

If they kite, wouldnt it make more sense to gather them (focus pull), CC them (CS, CI, iLeap imob etc), then drop hell on them (AOE power shatter, wells, Gravity Well)?

CC the mobs with breakbars? Those mobs? Yeah, that sure is simple :P

Some of the focus seems scattered.
You take Illusionary Reversion and Shattered Strength like you’re going to shatter a lot, but you take Compounding Power, Signet of Ether and Empowered Illusions like you’re going to try keeping your phantasms out.

The end result is that each approach is handicapped more than it needs to be, because you’re cutting the internal synergy of your build elements.

ToaLux.6478:

I still find the new clone fundamentally important to a couple skills, such as iLeap.

There are a handful of reasons to want to want that fresh clone (especially in PvP/WvW roaming) because of the positioning of the clone as well as preventing broken skills as previously mentioned. Additionally, one of the phantasms (typically the oldest one) will occasionally be close to breaking anyway, and replacing it with a clone will give you a fresh illusion in the position of your choosing, to set up a shatter burst mayhaps!

It’s definitely not a perfect solution, but it is the more complicated and less sensible, but sometimes effective, solution (in a few cases).

Fixed all that for you.

Phloww.1048:

Thanks Alpha for sharing.

I may have to look more into getting some Sinister trinkets as well as trying Dueling.

The nice thing about Sinister Trinkets is you can get a set of ascended ones for free through the Living Story.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhQQNAsaWncfClfi9fCufCUrhFcjqMAWtfpuVv1cFN3aidA-TxRFAB9r+DAPBAiV+5++D+eKAaXfTWKBDAcAMchL8wBWf91Xf91b4hHe4hHuUALqrC-e

There’s an example I just threw together. Staff allows you to swap to clone dps if a boss really just wants your clones to die, but you could replace that with Focus and be just fine. The build as it is might actually benefit from DD, but with Viper gear I’d be inclined to just stick with PF. You could also theoretically replace iWarden with iDuelist, but that takes some confidence and skill with your timing, or your iWardens won’t get their full bleed stacks.

There’s a number of other options that would be options for swapping. Maim the Disillusioned might outperform PH if you shatter a lot, Compounding Power might outperform Persistence of Memory if you don’t shatter much, there’s a case to be made for Malicious Sorcery shaving time off your rotations, Signet of Midnight could replace Well of Calamity if you find you don’t need all the alacrity you provide, etc. etc.

The relevant point is that your primary sustained dps focus is getting a full set of phantasms up, especially iDuelists, for heavy Bleed stacking and physical dps at the same time.

Edit: replaced the power infusions with precision and the Toxic crystal with Toxic maintenance oil, to get the build up to abt 50% natural crit chance.

Doug Whisper.2465:

After you created your PC in core game, you have to play the first story mission. The same is applied to HoT. But once you finished the first mission, you can go to any new maps without continuing the story. There are NPC vendors in WvW to convert points to randomly unlock hero points in HoT.

I’ve been able to go straight to Verdant Brink on any of my characters without doing the first story mission.

Noah.9654:

AlphatheWhite.9351:

Verificus.4320:

So this is PvE right? One of the main reasons why you don’t see Mesmer going condi in PvE is because the type of conditions Mesmer is best at are more suited for PvP (Torment and Confusion). They are also decent at bleeds, but so is everyone else. You will simply never approach the amount of Condi DPS a Engi/Ranger can do. You probably won’t even be able to keep up with Necro/Warrior. The output is just too low. You will do more damage as a Power mesmer. And honestly, as a mesmer, DPS is kind of a side thing. I’d suggest putting that Viper on a Necro, would suit it well there.

Hybrid mesmer can put out very good dps in PvE.
Power isn’t generally better because condi can’t dps, power is better because it always works, and has better reflects to boot.

But hybrid dps is very strong.

That said, shatters are the wrong focus for hybrid pve dps.
The real meat is Sharper Images + Phantasmal Fury + iDuelist and iWarden.

iDuelist in particular does strong physical damage and strong condi damage with dueling and Viper gear. Once they fix Berserker Runes, they’ll be a top tier rune (just middling right now because the t6 condi damage boost is broken).

But shatters do terrible physical dps, even in a full power build, so going hybrid shatter is worse than full power OR full condi.

So has it been tested/confirmed that Phantasmal Fury is better than Duelist’s Discipline for a PvE condi hybrid build? I’m in a similar boat as the OP in that I want to try mixing Viper gear into my Sinister stats, but don’t know if the drop in condi damage and precision is worth it.

DD will probably still do more dps on the iDuelist, but marginally so. That said, PF will boost any other phantasm you use. So if that’s iWarden (and you should really consider it), then PF absolutely outperforms.

@Phloww: while it’s true that dps is secondary, it’s dps that is in question here. And as long as you’re going hybrid anyway, iDuelist/iWarden will absolutely outperform shatters, with iAvenger coming in when your wells aren’t enough to sustain alacrity, or when you really want to be packing the breakbar-killing of Tides of Time.

Verificus.4320:

So this is PvE right? One of the main reasons why you don’t see Mesmer going condi in PvE is because the type of conditions Mesmer is best at are more suited for PvP (Torment and Confusion). They are also decent at bleeds, but so is everyone else. You will simply never approach the amount of Condi DPS a Engi/Ranger can do. You probably won’t even be able to keep up with Necro/Warrior. The output is just too low. You will do more damage as a Power mesmer. And honestly, as a mesmer, DPS is kind of a side thing. I’d suggest putting that Viper on a Necro, would suit it well there.

Hybrid mesmer can put out very good dps in PvE.
Power isn’t generally better because condi can’t dps, power is better because it always works, and has better reflects to boot.

But hybrid dps is very strong.

That said, shatters are the wrong focus for hybrid pve dps.
The real meat is Sharper Images + Phantasmal Fury + iDuelist and iWarden.

iDuelist in particular does strong physical damage and strong condi damage with dueling and Viper gear. Once they fix Berserker Runes, they’ll be a top tier rune (just middling right now because the t6 condi damage boost is broken).

But shatters do terrible physical dps, even in a full power build, so going hybrid shatter is worse than full power OR full condi.

PvP doesn’t require any pve playthrough. If you have HoT, you can equip chrono straight away.
The only thing you need to “unlock” are some of the new sigils/amulets/runes, which just costs gold as it always has.

You seem to be exaggerating your problem. Maybe you could try clarifying what your problem actually IS, so we can take you seriously?

Condi is the number 1 build for soloing, tho.

Just thought I’d point that out.

Myrias.8732:

I’m at work, and I imagine a lot of forum goers are atm. Work frowns upon me installing GW2 on their computers.

I was just gonna say “no”, myself, but that works.

Silverkey.2078:

My main problem with mesmer heal is not that our healing output is low, but that we cannot “burst heal” someone when needed. The mantra takes 2.75s before it heals, the well 3s etc… But as a sustained healer, mesmer definitely has nice options.

With that in mind, are there any classes that have good “burst heal”, but not sustained heal?
This whole exercise is obviously moot when druids enter the picture, because they can do both, but…if your party can do without the druid, it seems like that could have meta value at some point, right?

So if the chrono can cover the sustained heal, and the…guardian? ele? Engi? Could cover the emergency burst healing without sacrificing the kind of dps a druid does, that could be good!

It’s definitely not an icon I recognize…

Cloudus.8042:

Morning guys,

Having played around with illusions I can certainly see the syngery between the two trait lines now (Illusions & Chronomancer Chronophantasma)

I’ve always considered dueling to be a better trait line than domination for the phantasm fury, ferocity stack, sword cooldown and and the ability to use a mantra 3 times and gain a damage stacking bonus.

Is there something I am missing from the domination trait line that makes it a better pick over dueling?

Kind regards,

Cloud

Vulnerability. Lots and lots of vulnerability.
Add in a mix of extra damage per vulnerability stack, and you get…Mega Vulnerability.

If I have Rending Shatter selected, a single full-illusion f3 immediately drops a full 25 stacks on my target, even if they’ve got a breakbar up. If it breaks the breakbar, I don’t even need Rending Shatter.

Additionally, it seems that MoF + Inspiration + Distortion = ally reflect, which seems like it could be pretty useful even without Blurred Inscriptions.

Additionally, it seems that MoF + Inspiration + Distortion = ally reflect, which is pretty cool.

For the record, allies get the reflect, too, if you have Inspiration slotted.

I’d like to take a moment to note that Rune of Resistance gives aegis when you use a Signet (30s cooldown).
Just sayin’.

Clipping is already unavoidable. Have any of you chosen a particular hairstyle for a female character because the longer hair would clip through her weapons?

I sure have :P

In pve I ignore conditions.
This has almost always been the right call.

Edit: that said, Well of Eternity is an easily-available option for cleanses.

frifox.5283:

Arshay Duskbrow.1306:

Drop Dueling and go with Illusions instead.
…

Dueling has nothing going for it anymore.

Dueling:
- about 50% vigor uptime
- 20% sword reduction = more dps = more active evades (even with aclarity)
- phantasm bleeds on crit
- Fencers Finesse
- perma fury at 75% or below

Illusions:
- 3% multiplier for each illusion
- 20% phantasm reduction
- Phantasmal Haste (bugged for avenger)

IMO you’ll gain more by going Dueling than Illusions.

Not that Blurred Frenzy really does much more dps than AAs…
Also, you left the synergy between Persistence of Memory and Chronophantasma off your Illusions list. For shame!

Valiant.8016:

I have to say, having gotten up to from lvl 35 to lvl 43 today, I enjoyed the mesmer profession quite a bit. I noticed Necros are more tanky and Warriors dish out better damage.

But I went to Ebonhawke due to the personal story and did a couple of those [Group Event] bosses by myself. The ability to kite indefinitely is simply delicious. I would argue that Illusions spec would be more desirable for 2nd IMO. You get faster illusions, faster shatters, and your phantasms attack more often.

I’ve done both. I find that smart use of domination outpowers, because there’s more raw boost to your stuff, but the vulnerability application is the real meat.

Illusion suffers from too much spacing out of the useful traits, and from multiple traits centered around conditions, which don’t come into their own until you’ve got at least 2 full traitlines available (lvl 45), and generally 3 (lvl 71).

Though learning to use Mantra of Distraction, I think, makes Domination even better.

The bug is interesting, but it’s the choice of music that really makes this video.

Nefarius.9702:

Is it just me?

I recently created a mesmer because I like the concept a lot..
but.. I feel like he’s lacking a lot of damage in open world / solo play? :|

Im at ~ 20 now, but when I compare my guardian he killed the mobs much faster than my mesmer does (yeah I use illusions and shatter skills constantly).

I hope when I access all the traits that will become better. and I hope the wells (at least the one that is mainly taken for damage) works as good as the nec’s wells.

Another question: Do I play chronomancer still with assassin’s stats to be most efficient?

If you look around at the other threads of people asking about levelling mesmer (there are multiple even on the first page, man!), you’ll see that it’s partly because of how the mesmer is, partly because people don’t know how to leverage the damage that is there.

Yes, it will get better when you get traits. Where other classes are supplemented by their traits, mesmers are enabled by them. Start with Dueling, then go to Domination, then go to either Illusions for damage, or Inspiration for sustain.
Then create a specific build when you hit 80, and start working toward chrono.

Yes, assassins is best at 80. Anywhere below 80, however, just stick with power primary. Assassin is the gear of choice because of reflects, but reflects aren’t very important when levelling.

Stun > daze on breakbars.

Myrias.8732:

AlphatheWhite.9351:

All ‘interrupt’ traits are now effectively garbage tier in pvp because of the prevalence of breakbars (beyond some niche use as savacli says).

Just to prevent someone from being dumb, Alpha means PvE. Power Block is very competitive in PvP vs Mental Anguish

Yes, thank you. Edited.

Chronomancer adds some amazing new toys to mesmer, fixes some of our deepest problems, and makes mesmer a must-have dps boost for dungeon/raid parties.

However.
Mesmer has lower dps, and is a bit harder to level than other classes.

Follow Kai’s guide to levelling, for mesmer.
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/mesmer/Guide-The-Leveling-Open-World-Compendium-1/first#post5342268

All ‘interrupt’ traits are now effectively garbage tier in pve because of the prevalence of breakbars (beyond some niche use as savacli says). There are 7 of them, btw.

That said, there is a distinct possibility that the devs are working on a solution, as it has been mentioned before. If the solution is (as many of us want it to be) to allow them to simply proc when they should, even if the skill was not actually interrupted, then such skills will immediately become valuable. Power Block used wisely, for example, would essentially add damage to Mantra of Distraction, so long as you use it during a monster’s channel. That’s not bad.

Esplen.3940:

He’s not level 80 so he won’t have the HP to unlock Chrono unless he’s spamming WvW/EotM.

Can’t unlock Chrono until you unlock everything else anyway :P

I tested Viper in the HotM this week, and found that the Expertise was working.

I cannot verify this in PvE, however.

Deax.1572:

AlphatheWhite.9351:

CruleD.7380:

AlphatheWhite.9351:

You realize most of the people you’re talking to probably play those “scumbag p2w” specs, right?

I don’t see how it matters as I don’t care whom is playing what.
I’m mad at specs, not at people.

Because they’ve already given in on the purchase, it means most of them will probably regard your post as needless whining, roll their eyes, and ignore you.

You’re right, it is what it is, but softer rhetoric probably would have improved your odds at getting the attention you need.
Heck, this is the kind of question that would normally get a lot of interest really fast.

What are you on about? There’s no p2w in gw2……you don’t get any stronger stuff with your wallet like in other mmos.

CruleD is talking about the elite specializations that came with Heart of Thorns, which is a purchase.

I’m telling him that talking about it pejoratively, and using “p2w” here, is going to turn off people who would otherwise have answered his question.

If you don’t care about WF, why would you be concerned that he’s moving Inspiring Distortion to compete with it? You’ll still get Inspiring Distortion.
Are you worried that you would have to pick between Persisting Images and ID? Do you ever take PI anyway?

Gremix.2514:

Ok, condition damage is only viable when the bar is broken, oops. So I suppose I’ll do away with Sig. of Domination since I don’t run a condition build and I never use it for the active effect.

Condition damage always applies to every mob that doesn’t have the Resistance boon.
Breakbars are explicitly preventing CC, not damage.

I took Mantra of Distraction into the Verdant Brink yesterday, and I found it surprisingly helpful. With Domination slotted, the dazes are applying useful vulnerability, and my ability to break bars is fantastic even without chrono slotted (Diversion, gs5, MoD, sword4), and all but one of my interrupts applies vulnerability.

I even toyed with Rending Shatter to some success, as a 3-illusion Diversion instantly jumps my target to max vulnerability and applies 4 dazes to the breakbar which is often but not always enough to break the bar. When it doesn’t, a quick MoD usually finishes it.

Eponet.4829:

where you aren’t going to see many people running anything that doesn’t include it unless it gets nerfed.

At which point, you won’t see Mesmers running much of anything at all XD

You can call it overpowered if you like, but it’s not actually over-powered unless it legitimately should not be that powerful…and AWtEW isn’t mandatory because it’s sooper-powerful, but because there aren’t good reasons to bring mesmers without it.

Valiant.8016:

Well, given that the 3rd spec isn’t unlocked til 71, I’m not sure it makes a huge difference if you pick the wrong one anyway.

I’d say the longest 9 levels are pretty important. Anything you can do to make them shorter will help.

Valiant.8016:

Isn’t that what everyone does up until about lvl 30 anyway? o.O

Well, these days I just use my lvl 30 scrolls XD
In seriousness, time to level decreases as you go up, so lvl 20-30 is faster/easier than 30-40, and considerably easier than the levels after that. That’s not because xp balances change (it’s a %-of-bar formula that adjusts for relative level), but because the mob scaling increases as you level (presumably done to account for adding secondary armor stats, getting traits and abilities, increase in player wealth, etc.).

Valiant.8016:

I’m liking the GS S/F setup anyway. Greatsword is pretty much absolutely necessary when dealing with mobs at range, especially in events where there are a ton of trash mobs. The damage also isn’t half bad at maximum range(group boss).

Well, since the purpose of this thread is to help you level in a way you are happy with, it sounds like mission accomplished! Remember always that what you enjoy comes first, and recommendations from other players are only important insofar as they can fill in where you’re not happy.
It is a fact that you will kill things faster with 3 damage traitlines than with 2+inspiration. It is a fact that players in general do not need the utility/defense from Inspiration while mapping outside HoT or the Maguuma Wastes.
Dodges, clone baffles, Blurred Frenzy and the occasional distortion are sufficient defense for any solo content outside the new stuff.

But if you like the increased durability from Inspiration over doing more damage, that’s fine, you’ll just kill things slower. Your enjoyment > what’s optimal (though people often don’t realize that they might enjoy what’s optimal more).

The new legendary backpiece hovers at a distance, and is higher up than normal, possibly reducing/removing the clipping problem. It would be a shame if we couldn’t see it and our shield by the time we manage to get one.

CruleD.7380:

AlphatheWhite.9351:

You realize most of the people you’re talking to probably play those “scumbag p2w” specs, right?

I don’t see how it matters as I don’t care whom is playing what.
I’m mad at specs, not at people.

Because they’ve already given in on the purchase, it means most of them will probably regard your post as needless whining, roll their eyes, and ignore you.

You’re right, it is what it is, but softer rhetoric probably would have improved your odds at getting the attention you need.
Heck, this is the kind of question that would normally get a lot of interest really fast.

You don’t need utility for a leveling build, you need to kill things fast. Inspiration is a waste of hero points until you get to 80

D/D ele is as strong as it ever was :P

You realize most of the people you’re talking to probably play those “scumbag p2w” specs, right?

To translate with clarity:
Ineptitude is suppose to do 2 things:
1. Apply confusion on blind (no icd)
2. Apply blind when you evade or block (10s icd per target).

Blinds from other abilities and traits apply confusion as they should
The blind Ineptitude is applying does not proc the confusion from Ineptitude, but it should. This is clearly a bug that needs fixing.

Mastamaker.2957:

Blocking doesn’t inflict blind enemies, it just prevents them from damaging you. Ineptitude won’t work for blocks then since you don’t blind enemies.

Ineptitude blinds enemies when you block or evade :P

GS1 sucks. Most peoples’ experience with GS at first is feeling like it’s weak, and they are right…because they are trying to autoattack with it.
Only use GS for burst, then swap to your other weaponset for sustained damage.
Try to unload as much damage upfront as you can.
For example, I often start in sw/sw, summon a phantasmal swordsman, swap to GS, summon a phantasmal berserker, throw Mirror Blade, Mind Stab. If they are still alive (often they are not), I will shatter (Mind Wrack) after my next iSwordsman attack, or even instantly. Single regular mobs almost never survive that, but swapping to sword and getting an autoattack cycle or two should do the job after.

That’s an example of how I try to kill individual mobs really fast, but the principle is the same: you’re trying to line up as much of your damage to land about the same time as possible.
Focusing on shatters, as Esplen recommends above, is a mistake because shatter dps is terrible.
Focusing on phantasms, as seems natural, is a mistake because phantasms take time to get to full dps, and that resets when your primary target is dead.
Focusing on abilities is a mistake because mesmer abilities do less damage than other classes.

You have to combine all three damage sources, and get used to how each does its damage, in order to have reasonably fast kill times.

Engineers already got the right fix. They had the same problem with their healing trait, and it got changed to a %heal trait. Just do the same here, they’ve already proven they’re ok with it.

Viper gear is broken, expertise is not applying any effects.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhQQNAW7ensICVoh9fCeuBMrhFcjqMAWtfpOWr1cFN3OpdA-TxSAABYoE8jDIgCHJAhU/hiHQg0HEgZ09AwFQAazfMt/QUK/IEgi1A-e

bochup.1476:

if theres 2 phantasm and 1 clone,ur sceptor AA clone will jus replace the clone, or the 1st phantasm that u summon? and also what skill do you all use on ur skillslots?

Clones will always replace clones, unless all three illusions are phantasms.

I use Signet of the Ether, Signet of Midnight, Well of Recall, Radiation Field and Signet of Humility.

For group stuff I swap Signet of Humility to Time Warp, and Radiation Field and Well of Recall could be anything really. Signet of Domination is good, Feedback when you need reflects, and any of the wells are great.

bochup.1476:

is this how u play,get 3 phantasm out and shattering them after they done attacking once? or jus shatter when 3 illu including AA clone, i found that its quite long waiting for phantasm to be cast again

Phantasms attack immediately when summoned.
After the first shatter (with Chronophantasma), they are dazed for 1.5s before they can attack again.

Get used to a rhythm. May people wait until the phantasm attacks a second time before they shatter again, so that Persistence of Memory will drop the cooldown on the phantasm summon low enough to replace the phantasm.
You can keep up at least 2 phantasms constantly this way, and with some well-timed swapping you may be able to keep up 3 (I have not been able to do so reliably).

That said, it’s all about what you’re comfortable with.
I think it’s definitely worth waiting for your phantasm to attack right after you summon them before you shatter them the first time, after that it’s definitely up to you.

TheFrighteningFrenchFry.3275:

AlphatheWhite.9351:

TheFrighteningFrenchFry.3275:

You could run mistrust for like the 1 damage it does if it procs on a rare occasion. I just personally don’t care too much to have to swap to harmonious mantras whenever I want to take a mantra.

1 damage. Right. :rolleyes:

TheFrighteningFrenchFry.3275:

but you get more alacrity out of mimicing well of recall. You get 14 seconds of AoE alacrity every 90 seconds with mimicing well of recall while you get 12 seconds of alacrity every 100 seconds with well of calamity. But going with well of calamity spreads out the alacrity, while going with mimic front loads it all. Both are good.

You’re the one who spent several pages arguing vociferously that you’d never need more than 18s of alacrity. Are you suggesting you were wrong?

Let’s not start this whole thing again. I even said you can take mistrust if you want, I even said you can swap traits/utilities when needed, I just personally took Harmonious Mantras because the value in mistrust is very very very low so I didn’t think I would really lose much at all by taking Harmonious Mantras so I don’t have to swap it around when I do take a mantra. Yes, 1 damage is exaggeration, but exaggeration was used to show my point, mistrust hardly does anything. Is it actually one damage? No duh it’s not.

“You’re the one who spent several pages arguing vociferously that you’d never need more than 18s of alacrity. Are you suggesting you were wrong?”

Never? I never said you would never need more than 18 seconds of alacrity in all parts of PvE. If your seriously wanting to go believe i said that a exact quote would be nice with a link to it. What I was arguing was that staff, chaos, and scepter would not be taken most of the time in a dungeon build. The thread was discussing DUNGEON builds, and since dungeon fights are normally shorter, MOST of the time you won’t need more than 18 seconds. I even said in the thread tho, if you don’t need more reflects you can swap out feedback for some other alacrity thing. Nice straw man.

:rolleyes:

TheFrighteningFrenchFry.3275:

You could run mistrust for like the 1 damage it does if it procs on a rare occasion. I just personally don’t care too much to have to swap to harmonious mantras whenever I want to take a mantra.

1 damage. Right. :rolleyes:

TheFrighteningFrenchFry.3275:

but you get more alacrity out of mimicing well of recall. You get 14 seconds of AoE alacrity every 90 seconds with mimicing well of recall while you get 12 seconds of alacrity every 100 seconds with well of calamity. But going with well of calamity spreads out the alacrity, while going with mimic front loads it all. Both are good.

You’re the one who spent several pages arguing vociferously that you’d never need more than 18s of alacrity. Are you suggesting you were wrong?