Guild Wars 2

I find it very unusual for a Mesmer to use both Staff and Greatsword at the same time, as their styles are so different. When I run GS, I want to go high power, DPS focused build. When I use a staff, I want to run more condition based, defensively oriented build.
Not being opposed to hybrid builds, I’m sure there is a happy median here – the first thing that comes to mind is a phantasm build with gear that tips more toward power and precision – but for those of you who do run GS/Staff, if there is a build you are in love with pls share!

As I understand it, both phantasms and clones count as illusions, so any combination of 3 should = 9%.
As for it increasing dmg output of phantasms, I would speculate it would increase their damage too, but it seems very difficult to test or know for sure. If anyone has some hard evidence if it is just 9% to you, or 9% to you and your phantasms, I’d love to know!

OK maybe I was just too far away… will try again later, thx for the quick reply

I tried this build with our group, and I was asking my groupmates how much I was healing them for – I was healing myself np, and DPS np, but my teammates were not seeing the 2k+ heals everytime… or even any time. What am I missing here?? Thanks!
ps – I’m wearing berserker’s gear, ascended/crafted jewelry that is either berserker-y or pwr/toughness/vit, with stats similar to your own.

As I play this build more and more, I find myself trying to up my Condition stats while letting some power slide. Stay tuned…
/EDIT : scratch that… tried a “rabid” gear set, wasn’t feeling it in this setting!

Just curious, how do you find confusion working on boss fights?? IE, how many stacks can you put on a mob at once, and what kind of hits are you seeing?
Thx!

Hey man, I’ve also been bored of GS and shatter/phantasm and even “shantasm” builds, so I’ve been experimenting alot with the Staff, and developed this build recently, which has helped our static grp work our way through mid-20’s Fractals much more smoothly…

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/mesmer/The-Da-Vinci-Build

As I am honing my gear for this build, I am gradually acquiring more Condition gear, and decreasing my Power. I am in love with the survivability of playing with a Staff, my group is praising me for boosting their level of play… and while I feel like I’m doing a little less damage, it’s not as much as I expected, given how much more durable I feel.

So, I see the “Da Vinci” build going more “condition-y” over time, but I hear what you’re saying… Cheers!

Deci

Love it, great combo of Dps and a few elements of survival!

Coming from variations of shattercat and phantasm builds where my goal was purely to maximize DPS (historically running GS, Sword, and pistol or focus), the Da Vinci build offers support via staff autoattack bounces, strategic placement and timing of staff 5 and null field as well as the benefits from Phantasms mentioned above by Bart. Also, if you slot a Signet, AoE stun, blind, or boon copying can benefit nearby groupmates. These are inherent to your staff and utilities and skill moreso than any trait.
Debilitating Dissipation could most definitely be substituted for Illusionary Defense. You are, however, durable enough to do without it, so I simply saw this as a means of applying another condition. TBH, I am not thrilled with any of the options for the first major in that line, so feel free to be creative there.
Illusionary Retribution is a minor, and as mentioned previously, Illusionary Elasticity is a staple for me… but like any build, you can (and should) adjust to your playstyle and group makeup. We have a melee warrior in our group, who frequently thanks me for the random boons, choas fields, and null fields which I place on him as the situation allows, letting him be more successful in melee range.
Again, philosophically, I think it is necessary to check your ego at the door when playing the Da Vinci Mesmer. I don’t get the big bursts here that I used to see with more aggressive builds. To embrace this build, you take on the mindset of facilitator, and hopefully you will have an option that is not on cooldown that can assist you and your group through sticky situations. As a static mate of mine says, you can’t DPS when you’re dead!
As Bart mentioned, yes keeping Phantasms up is a good thing. If the fight allows me to keep 3 iDuelists up, I’m loving it! But as we know, those situations are infrequent; phantasms get killed, mobs die, etc. But don’t think that you cannot or should not shatter with this or any build. A few examples… Distortion (F4) with 3 illusions up will buy you 3 seconds of invincibility to quickly rez a downed groupmate, or to weather some Agony in a fractal. Also, if all skills are off cooldown, I will often use Cry of Frustration (F2) to throw in some confusion to the mix, and quickly get 2 or 3 phantasms back up again, and if the mob is almost dead, Mind Wrack (F1) is an obvious finishing move. I have seen confusion hit for up to 4k in this situation, although a groupmate may have added some confusion to the mob simultaneously.
My fractal groupmates and I initially struggled in the early 20’s, and changing to this build and fine tuning some strats have helped get us over the hump (currently pursuing 26)! Good luck out there and thanks for the feedback!

@ Kelthien – Thanks; you will enjoy the versatility of this build with PUG’s etc, but it may not be the best option when rolling with a large Zerg in WvW, as your conditions will be redundant and you don’t have alot of options for tagging multiple mobs. You should enjoy the survivability when in a small group though, or if you are into solo roaming.

@BartBacardi – Elusionary Elasticity doesn’t bounce off of illusions, correct, and apologies if that’s what you thought I meant by “teammate”. However, this trait allows 1 single auto-attack to go from you, to the mob, to you (or another grp member who is closer to the mob), back to the mob for a second hit of damage and add a condition. In practice, I would agree that your DPS doesn’t “double”, but a single auto attack does in fact affect the mob twice instead of once. Thanks for pointing that out.
The illusion tree is a mainstay in this build. I like the 20% CDR on phants because they do die, you do switch targets alot, and it helps with phantasm uptime. I like the 9% dmg because you do tend to have alot of illusions up, and I prefer this over other options at first major. Bart, I have tried that very build to be honest, and it was very good but didn’t suit me. I was wiping too many phantasms by dodging, and I really missed Elusionary Elasticity. It would certainly be an effective build though. And yes, Da Vinci is intended to be a hybrid build; I feel trading off some DPS for group and self- survivability are trait points well spent. Thanks guys

My goal with this build is to capitalize on synergies available to a Staff-centric PVE Mesmer, both defensive and offensive, as a durable source of condition and phantasm based DPS, while offering support and utility unique to the Mesmer. The end result is a highly survivable, highly supportive, and moderately high dps build that I love playing. Enjoy…

This build was born from Fractals and Dungeons, later I will discuss minor tweaks to apply this build to Pvp/WvW. Like any build, feel free to personalize to suit your playstyle and group makeup.

Trait distribution: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fgAQNAW8alwzSqHVTmGaNJhJFBH5nPEdUKwe2LfA3A;TMALCGLsDA
(apologies having trouble with link, will list below)

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15 – Phantasmal Fury (II)
20 – Debilitating Dissipation (V) and Chaotic Dampening (X)
15 – Persisting Images (V)
20 – Compounding Power (III) and Illusionary Elasticity (VII)

Utilities: Ether Feast heal. Phantasmal Defender (highly underrated utility phantasm, mitigates 50% of received damage OF THE GROUP to itself, despite the incorrect tooltip description). Null field for AOE removal of ALL conditions of those who enter. The third slot I swap out blink, signets, portal, or feedback situationally. Last but not least, Timewarp.

Theorycraft: Firstly, you will benefit from maximizing phantasm uptime. Both weapon-based phantasms (Warlock and Duelist) are ranged. Combined with their additional 20% health and retaliation from the Inspiration trait line, they are as survivable as can be. Those who stand near to phantasms will benefit from regeneration, on a 3 sec refresh. Furthermore, you will benefit from protection every time you gain regen, which is potentially a lot. You will also see a 10 second regen upon dipping to 75% health.

Speaking of Phantasms, I LOVE (and so do my group-mates) the phantasmal defender, as it mitigates half the damage the group takes. Not just you, but the group. I’m waiting for that to be “fixed”, but in the meantime it’s too good to pass up.

They do also have an offensive side, as we’ve traited for Phantasmal Fury, and all of those iDuelist crits will inflict bleeding while granting vigor. Fun stuff.

Moving on to staff play in a group – assuming you’ve summoned a few Phantasms, or are waiting for cooldowns, keep in mind that Staff clones from Phase Retreat (staff 2) are the best kind, because they can actually contribute to dps by casting Winds of Chaos (the staff auto attack) whereas our other clones tend to be shatter fodder. When possible, run into an ethereal field (staff 5 or null field come to mind) before popping Phase Retreat (staff 2) to benefit from a free bubble of Chaos Armor. I do this a ton. Also, stick to using Chaos Storm defensively – the Aegis buff it provides blocks the next attack for over 3 seconds is pretty amazing. Then of course phase retreat out of it!

A quick note on the Illusionary Elasticity trait: you will need to be at a range of ~800 (not 1200) to benefit from the bounceback, which will essentially double the DPS and conditions you will apply with your staff auto attack. Alternatively, have a teammate in melee range so that the bounceback can bounce off of them instead. This trait also gets you a 4th bounce out of Magic Bullet (pistol 5), a nice synergy.

Gear: Stacking in this order: Condition Dmg, Toughness/Power (tie); Precision and Vitality occurred naturally in several of my pieces as there is no “Cond/Tough/Power” set. I am currently using Runes of the Undead, and logical Sigils. My chest and legs are Rampager, the other 4 pieces are Carrion. My current stats are: 1470 power, 1480 precision, 1660 toughness, 1250 vit, and 1400 condition dmg. Health sits around 19k, and I prefer Lotus Fries for condition dmg and magic find is a bonus. We’re cruising through fractals (25 currently), so ascended rings and amulet are a must. My bleed tics are usually around 120, and burns are about 4x that IIRC.

Finally, if you are flying solo or want to trade in some phantasm health and group retaliation for a bit more DPS I’d suggest this PvP/WvW alternative:
Drop the Inspiration traitline completely and go…
10 – Empowered Illusions (III) *Illusions do 15% more DPS
15 – Phantasmal Fury (II)
25 – Debilitating Dissipation (V) and Chaotic Dampening (X) *adding 5 to get another 5% of toughness added to condition damage
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20 – Compounding Power (III) and Illusionary Elasticity (VII)

Hope this build helps benefit some Mesmers looking for a fun, supportive, tough-as-nails alternative to traditional shatter builds. Like Da Vinci, be a renaissance man who is versatile and skilled in many areas Feel free to post questions/comments.

Thanks for reading and look for Decimma on Yak’s Bend.

I agree, it seems very “glamour-y”, even though it is a weapon skill. Ya want that 20% cooldown trait to work for Chaos Storm don’t ya Yeah, I tried that too and was a little disappointed when it didn’t affect Chaos Storm.

“*On a side note, I got my highest glory ever with a booster from a mesmer last night (427) with countless spec.

I usually average 200+ a game, and am lvl 23 at the moment, and consider myself a good player."

So, are you sticking with the Countless Spec?? That sounds like an amazing round. I’m currently using my take on the Taugrim Build, which emphasizes survivability and phantasm damage, staff/sword-pistol. I too consider myself a good player, although I typically average only 125+-/round, rank 10, I seem to die very little considering I’m just playing PUG matches of sPVP. My strategy is to keep at least 2 phantasms up at any given time, while I focus on survival and using Staff 1 and Sword 1/2 to contribute to damage as the situation allows, other skills are used defensively/situationally. I also tend to use Null field, blink, and decoy to avoid sticky situations, alternatively Phantasmal Defender as a dmg sponge for myself and my grp.

I do find that the regen given by my phantasms is greatly appreciated by groupmates, and their survival is key to my survival and controlling points.

The real question is: Was it the Countless Spec that helped you score so well that round, or was that an anomoly and you would have scored very well even with other specs? I’m looking forward to trying that soon, also I’d like to try a regen/confusion soon as I haven’t in a while.

Keep us posted as to which build you end up keeping

There is a rumor circulating amongst some of our guildmates; those that play for several hours per day (and have for some time) are seeing loot/rewards drop at a minimal rate, specifically in dungeons and fractals. Please note these people are playing the game to have fun, and the intention is not farming in any way, but simply playing as intended.

One guildie started a new character, and via crafting and WvW leveled to 80 in roughly a week. She reports that she is seeing SIGNIFICANTLY MORE LOOT ON HER 1 WEEK OLD CHARACTER, vs. her other 3 level 80 characters that have been played a great deal since launch. The rest of us, a static group of 5-6 people that play for roughly 3-4 hours per day, are anecdotally noticing roughly 1-5 yellows per day on our same-old level 80 characters. Perhaps this is normal, but we’re just looking for answers as we feel it is not.

Is it possible that some sort of “farm detection” is enabled after killing x number of mobs, and isn’t resetting properly the following day??

I don’t mean to start a rumor here, but I found this concept very interesting, as we do know there are “things” in place to prevent us as players from farming. Any insight from Arenanet would be especially appreciated.

Thanks For Your Attention, we love GW2!
Decimus/Decimma, Yak’s Bend

Also, I only tend to buy things I can actually use… just in case I really get stuck with something.

Not sure why I’m sharing my little secret here, but i’ve had fairly good luck flipping exotic weapons. I started with 2-4g range, and worked my way up to a destroyer weapon (50g sell, 38g buy), and even 1 or 2 “cheaper” precursors.

Along the way I did learn 1 hard lesson, I went all in on a fancy skin weapon (stygian blade) I thought would be a huge profit; until it SAT on the trading company for at least a week, getting undercut more than twice. At that time, costing me almost 4g each time to relist it killed me. So, no matter what you are “investing” in, diversify your portfolio rather that putting all eggs in one basket.

PS- I find the 15% (10% to the house, plus 5% listing fee) to be BRUTAL, as many margins are now prohibitively slim.

I just read the title of this thread. Mesmers are a squishy, underpowered, utility class. If we’re that great, go roll one and enjoy.

The poor drop rate of yellow (rare) or above armor and weapons is very frustrating as a player. Also, the drop rate of crafting mats such as bones, bloods, scales, claws, etc., is frustratingly low. Especially as players hope to collect 50-250 globs + [above listed crafting mats] as they progress toward ascended and/or legendary item goals, I find entire nights of playing fractals and dynamic events and I get 0 YELLOWS!?!?

C’mon man! We don’t want everything given to us, but we do want to be able to work toward in game goals in a reasonable time. I play 4 nights a week, 3 hours each night, and at this rate I may finish my ascended back piece by fall of 2013.

C’mon man!!!

Same issue at FotM lvl 13 – our static grp is coordinated and skilled, and we are getting overwhelmed by the undue number of mobs/adds in this final boss fight. Not to mention the boss’s flash of light (and agony) is VERY hard hitting and there is no “wind-up” to give a hint when to dodge. We were upset enough to log early last night

The end of today’s event created an MMO buzz unlike anything I’ve been a part of, mainly for one reason: EPIC LOOT IN A GIANT CHEST! Nice call, shake up the economy, and give us what we want. Made the 3 hour event that much better and “worth it”. Our guild of 400+ across 2 OTG guilds was buzzing, big time.

And you can believe, it is gonna make every one want to be there for the next one.

Thanks for the replies. I am feeling quite squishy in WvW, and I would like to be a bit more durable. I am traited 20/25/5/0/20 or something similar (not much in vit or toughness). My HP pool is 16k. To those of you who have gone the route of obtaining vit/toughness gear, how does it “feel”? Do you feel more survivable? Do you feel that your DPS suffered alot, or just a little? I am spec’d to pop 1-2 phantasms at a time, let them do 1 or 2 attack cycles, then mindwrack or (f2) them, rinse/repeat doing direct GS/Sword attacks all the while. Thanks!

Hey Guys, kinda new to wv3; I have a 80 Mesmer, up to now have been focusing on a direct damage/shatter build (pwr, precision, crit). My question is do you guys think that having a full set of this vitality & toughness gear is worth the loss of dps, or will it be for naught because it’s still light Armor?
Thanks!

If someone put a sticky note or a fingerprint on my monitor I WOULD KILL THEM! Creative idea though :-)

Completed in about 35 minutes, Mesmer, no speed boost.

This seasonal event was very well done overall! Thank you and we look forward to similar events in the future. Keep up the great work – my community of gamer friends is loot hungry and looking forward to more challenges that are unique and limited, like the clocktower, and the Mad King busting out into Lion’s Arch today

Fixed! Thank You!!

Same… unable to pop “suspicious location” or ghost anywhere near the bridge. Please help!!

Here’s Decimma… beautiful & deadly