You are asking for a duel between a dev (that can be the worst mesmer player in the world) and a necro that in your opinion is both skilled and op. What does it prove?
Yes, page 3. I must missed this one.
Maybe a lot of us did not saw that replies or just think its fine the way it is? Even if its not an hour it hurts to read that they wanted to fix it.
i sure do lol and if it wasn’t everyone on this forum asking for a fix for MONTHS i don’t think lazynet would’ve done anything. this bug is completely ignored by the community, i don’t think i saw a single thread about it in 4+ months. I bet most are like the first guy who posted on this thread, think its there for balance issues lol
Well, the thread you linked is in the pvp section. I guess a lot of people dont read it.
Im not sure if its the only reply from devs but they usually dont like to post here, and this is another poor decision.
I can tell you that i never saw that thread before but im glad you linked it. Many mesmers will do the same until we know whats going on.
My favourite skins are t3 (abyss, gold) with sunrise. Since t3 is berserker and sunrise would be the only ptv item with that set i use them in pve.
In wvw i have rabid (roaming) and soldier (zerging) sets, it happened that they look nice on my char.
For pvp i use arah/orrian set, i know it would bother me after some hours so i keep it for the game mode i play less.
Im glad you also like retaliatory shield with PU and block skills.
I run that build (trait wise its the same, but i use master of manipulation instead of mirror of anguish) especially in wvw but its also funny in spvp/tpvp.
Master of manipulation works for blink, instead of SoM, and arcane thievery/mimic based on the fight.
You have so many ways to disengage that you have to play really bad to die.
For pvp, obviously stealth is annoying and you need to kill things as soon as possible, with all the damage sources is not hard and the enemy needs to have very massive condition removals.
Im wondering if that guy was solo roaming.
If so, pistol and torch are way better. If not, focus has its space.
Theres also another option that is he used focus for swiftness and you started to attack.
- Staff and (possibly) Sword/Focus
- A LOT of Illusions
- Decoy seemed to have a really low CD. Same with Phase Retreat.
- He seemed to heal for a lot as well (though i don’t know what the source is).
- Deceptive Evasion
- Also seemed to have a very high amount of Endurance
That “possibly” is a bit weird. A lot of illusions can just mean he runs DE, as you pointed out, and critical infusion (explains endurance part).
The heal part is without doubts ether feast with 3 illusions up, plus regeneration if he uses PU. And if he uses PU he probably has a traited staff (but i would not invest 25 in illusion for IC->decoy).
This is a stupid question but im wondering if your opponent was running torch, it could explain what you wrote about decoy and that “possibly”.
I also prefer scepter but many people use sword with condition builds, mostly because of clones and on death traits, boon strip and blurred frenzy. Its more about utility/defensive tools.
Focus is not the best choice.
Id love something like a second skill (maybe its too similar to mantras) while you are cloaked. Be it a clone near the target, up to three times, or whatever.
Weakest ? Ofc it is ! Check a combat log of a mesmer with 3500 attack and compare to any class ! Edit : in fact dont check it or compare it , you might delete your mesmer !
I dont know if you are sarcastic but… combat log? did you mention that crap? I dont like to read that word.
Brrr, blurred inscriptions :S
I checked my reflection for fun build and theres no place for it.
About feedback, remember that people can step out of it but you can always go INTO the dome. Its very similar to iWarden and those skills require smart use to gain full effect from them.
I usually run feedback, mimic, traited focus, mirror, medic’s feedback and other tools. Its VERY funny.
You can also check varconi’s build that has 20 in inspiration and use apothecary gear (and does not use DE iirc).
With a fixed iElasticity id probably run 20 in illusion instead of domination, i would not take the current blinding befuddlement and even IC seems unappealing to me.
PU fits way too well with condition based builds.
I run 20/20/30.
DE is absolutely worth it as well as the 20 points in dueling. More precision also mean more sharper images.
You can use DE to proc on death traits, both shines together.
20 in domination are also worth it, cond duration is amazing and you can take good traits like crippling dissipation and cleansing conflagration.
I think the block should block all attacks for the full duration. This would make scepter block much better vs 1vX. Also, add Torment to all Mesmer blocks lol. OP? Probably.
Absolutely OP.
I also agree that block skills need some changes. The second part of the chain should also be automatic if no Attacks are blocked (and maybe not a linear effect).
With all those seconds of stealth Ill be able to take a cup of coffee while I play a phantasm build.
If they reduce the casting time id be happy, any other change is needless.
So you prefer to have ONE choice based on your build?
I find great that we can use every elite regardless of the build. The problem is that moa and even mass are weak compared to time warp in pve.
The fact that it does not seem an elite is one of the many reasons people use it.
Its CD is short, and this is nice. If you run lyssa runes its really a good tool.
We cant compare our stealth to thief abilties and it does not seem bugged to me, I often use it to ress allies and it works well.
About the cast time, its a bit bad because the animation is also easy to see.
I cant say for sure because i use it to tank the attacks while clones do their work but i THINK you can use instant skills like shatters while blocking.
Edit: you can.
OP, with your opinion about mesmer’s movement blurred frenzy also sound useless.
Im not good with tests and I cant say that it works as other conditions. But i think if you keep hearing people talk about it maybe you can really cover bleed.
Do you mind to link the thread? Even if its true, its still useful for other conditions.
@NukaCola: Aoe skills can melt every clone you have out, WoC spam is not infinite.
Illusionary counter, iMage, decoy when you use scepter all mean less WoC spam and if the opponent kills those illusion you gain conditions as well as if you replace them.
You can also replace staff clones for more staff clones, the effect will work too.
Again 20 stacks of vulnerability can be useless for the mesmer but its perfect for allies damage.
It does not have the radius of time warp but its still effective.
Vulnerability covers bleed stacks, burning, torment and confusion. With staff clones (again with the vuln!) and normal gameplay you can stack 20 vulnerability and even if its not that great for your damage, it is for your allies.
Remember that the effect is aoe.
Its also the best way we have to apply weakness and the stacks of bleed adds to WoC and sharper images stacks. This trait shines with DE and for condition builds, its golden.
Its not about the lore or particle effect, its about people that pay for the skins they like.
Id rather prefer buy two of them from the tp, others will prefer to gamble or convert gems and if they do it for legendaries they wont have problems to do it for a less expensive skin.
I mentioned WoC because i dont use GS in my condition builds and I use mimic mostly with that spec.
That said, this is interesting. I knew that mirror blade work with mimic but i never tried echo it. I run to try it.
Edit: im sad. Can it be a friendly projectil problem?
did you really want to spend 60$ on a skin?
bless anet that they didn t put one of the most popular skins with such awful system.
At least i do.
Something that is clearly so much wanted should be put in game with reasonable ways to obtain it.
You can say the same about legendaries, but people still craft/buy it.
People dont care about awful system if they are wealthy, If anet does not have a better idea to gain money from the rapier it lost a good chance.
Sometimes I slot it on my condition build. Mimic, PU and weapon skills like chaos storm and illusionary counter provide huge retaliatation stack with retaliatory shield.
What i dont really like is echo.
Its also easier to proc the block since you use WoC a lot.
Yes even if i have a bad time when i need to listen english speaking videos i understood your idea to burst someone and disengage.
Ill give then a try and see if the damage increase is worth it.
Forgive me if i did not watch the video but im wondering how useful scholar runes are in your build, it seems that a single bleed stack is enough to go below 90%.
I fail to see any reason to put 5 points in dueling instead of inspiration. The stats are probably better than the trait itself and there are so many useful traits in inspiration.
In pve you can run with no points in chaos without a problem. A lot of builds put points in inspiration for phantasm damage and support utilities (glamours, reflection with focus and so on).
Id trade DE for phantasmal fury and i dont like two weapon training traits at the same time but since you dont have IC it can be a good choice.
Id remove 15 points from chaos and put them in inspiration.
Ruby orbs are fine. Divinity runes are fine. It depends on your wealth.
For WvW, if you zerg you need to stay alive and in order to do this your knight gear is useful.
You run GS without power (20 points in domination are not enough) so gear IS the problem. You are missing a ton of damage using rabid instead of rampager or whatever.
Using zerker gear you lose bleed ticks (stacking still work well) and you gain huge direct damage. Using rampager you lose toughness and you gain both better bleed ticks (compared to zerker) and direct damage. Rabid simply kills the GS power for better bleed ticks that will be cleansed by any players with a brain.
PU and 30 in chaos give you enough survivability to use an offensive set.
I could also go ahead and explain why range is not what you should aim for but if you can understand why rabid is not that great with GS it would already be enough.
You dont WANT to see the point.
First of all you are comparing a long cripple (berserk) with almost perma burning (staff clones) and this is stupid, you should already have crippling dissipation.
All the things you listed, might and vul from mirror blade, cripple from berserk you can have them with berserker/rampager gear and do MASSIVE damage.
And btw, Id call 9k mirror blade a burst so GS is not only sustained damage.
Again, you are comparing a mirror blade at half of its potential with phase retreat, and this is pointless again.
If you complain about wind of chaos you clearly miss the damage and utility of staff clones.
You seem too blind to understand that you are playing a good weapon with the wrong gear and after 40+ posts i say: good for you.
Phantasmal Warlock is very much a power phantasm, despite it getting bonus damage from conditions. Under normal grouping conditions, there will be enough conditions stacked on any reasonably tough enemy for a power-based Warlock to hit like a truck. His bonuses come from the number of types of conditions, not how high those conditions are stacked, and so a solo condition mesmer isn’t going to really exploit that potential.
That leaves Phantasmal Mage as the only, theoretically speaking, condition phantasm. We don’t like to talk about him in polite conversation.
In general, mesmers don’t have a “condition weapon”, and I feel this caries over to the phantasms as well. Some will claim that the scepter or the staff are, but any necromancer or thief will laugh at that. Mesmer conditions mostly come from traits and shatters, making anything that properly supports them a condition weapon or phantasm.
I believe Duelist and Berserker are probably the favorites in this regard, just for how often they hit, but I leave that discussion to more experienced fingers.
Actually, condition traits like sharper images and debilitating dissipation are on the same level of weapon skills like illusionary counter, confusing images, the prestige, wind of chaos, chaos storm. Cry of frustration is not that good since you lose staff clones damage and on death effect.
If necros and thieves laugh at staff and scepter im sorry for them.
For the OP, there are clones for condition build. They attack faster and this is good for sharper images, and they also work with on death traits.
A strong iMage could change some things tho.
I meant power gear, 20/20/30 can be a good power build.
Mirror blade stacks might/vuln to boost your direct damage, not your conditions. If you try a traited mirror blade at close range against a squishy you would understand what im saying. Its GREAT burst and better bleed ticks are not comparable.
If i were in you i would try rampager, in this way you can have good direct damage and your bleed ticks hurt as well. 30 points in chaos and the traits there help you with survivability especially if you run something like sword/torch.
You can take the reflection trait and stack on allies. Also you need IP for that if you dont have illusions out.
20/20/30 and 0/20/20/0/30 are different playstyles. I think 200 power and mental torment do more damage than iPersona but im not even sure.
Im wondering why you want 20 points in chaos if damage is your problem, you can go for 10/30/0/0/30 or 20/20/0/0/30
Hey man, if it works for ya do it. It’s just been in my experience I haven’t had that great of luck with GS bleed builds. Maybe it’s just my playstyle though. Who knows. Maybe I should try it again next time I experiment with specs.
Maybe its not the staff. Maybe its my gameplay style I see all these build that use the Staff so well and while it is great while defending a tower in WvW i just cant seem to be able to get it to work in my sort of Playstyle. Even if the sort of build it would/could work well i think its my playstyle that is holding it back
Yeah i love the Greatsword BleedBuild i have going in WvW it rocks, both in groups, zergs and solo.
So you know you would do better with a power build, right?
Same bleed stacks, less bleed tick damage, way more direct damage.
You dont have to wait the channel for torment, you need to wait an attack.
Confusion is fine since you can stack it from iMage, scepter 3 and CoF. I usually shatter f2 when i have too scepter clones (illusionary counter). Good damage against skill spammers, good control against skilled players, it covers bleeding and torment stacks.
The problem is that confusing images animation is bad and suffer from retaliatation (5 times).
Edit: you can have those stacks of bleeding with staff (maybe two less?). and burning. and vulnerability.
For the last time, you are trading 9-10k mirror blade crits and in general the GS burst for better bleed ticks.
You dont want range, you wan to combo the prestige burning and torment with other conditions and you cant do it at 1200. Staff can let you cover conditions you applied with WoC diversity. A lot of classes can stack bleed fine but other classes can stack more conditions, the last one are better.
You ONLY stack bleeding with GS clones, making easier for the opponent to cleanse.
Ill repeat it, with your build you are trading GS burst with somewhat stronger bleed ticks.
Staff is way better for condition builds.
The amount of toughness – condition damage from that trait is not so relevant. its more about a shorter phase retreat/chaos storm and a shorter blink/arcane thievery.
I find the last one superior when you are facing condition builds or bunkers.
Again i would not trade all those retaliatation seconds for 300 more range on blink (would be better if you also run arcane thievery but id still prefer master of manipulation instead of far reaching).
Two suggestions, I did not read the whole thread so forgive me if someone already pointed them out.
Id swap portal/veil for arcane thievery and take master of manipulation instead of traited staff. If you ask me, a faster blink and arcane thievery is better than a faster phase retreat and chaos armor/storm.
Id also take retaliatory shield instead of far reaching manipulation. You have a lot of ways to proc it (aegis stealth, chaos storm, illusionary counter) and it lasts really long during a fight. Fully traited blink and arcane thievery are strong but if you proc torment and some bleeding stacks/burning you dont have to worry about runners, and you can steal swiftness anyway.
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