Guild Wars 2

Nice read Chaos ! Just as hyped as you are.

btw, the Mysterious Illusion GM (Master of Frags) is an all-in-one +20% crit on MW, +1 confusion on CoF, AoE Diversion and reflect on Distortion.

*The whole of PvE where we’re exclusively useful in world records. Funny enough balance is made regarding PvP, nonetheless.

MailMail.6534:

Cupcake elite is OP.

Its GW1, the elite is the golden horse face.

I’m moist af.

Me Games Ma.8426:

Miku Lawrence.6329:

[/snip]

• Master of Frags does nothing?
  [/snip]

As far as I know it just combines the traits “Precise Wrack” “Confusing Cry” “Imbued Diversion” and “Masterful Reflection”

Oh, nice.

But still we’re missing 5% of shatter recharge ! è_é

My take down on Master of Frags and Illusions line :

• “((Your shatter skills are improved))”
• We can see in video that MW is on a 12 second CD (15% baseline + 15% from Shattered Strength)
• MW is applying Confusion and Might because of Illusion minors “Illusionnary retribution” and “Shattered Strength”.
• The mesmer has 24k HP

Conclusion :

• We had a 11 & 1/2 second recharge with 6 in Illusions, the rework is a 1/2 second nerf. As of today, a 12 second MW equals to 5 in Illusions (-25% recharge). I hope this is just number stuff.
• He is using a Sentinel amulet (Vit/Pow/Tough) that got boosted to reflect the trait stat loss.
• 1185 Damage on third illusion equals to a Sentinel amulet with boosted stats (+70,8333 power in PvP, if 50 power gives +36 to tooltip, the 51 increase equals 70 power).

Tl;dr :

• Instead of -30% recharge we get -25%
• The stat compensation from traits is +70 to each stat in a sPvP Amulet (except Celestial that gets reworked, source PvP subforum)
• Master of Frags does nothing?
• Sentinel is the kitten

Well the way conditions work (no damage mod, vuln not applying, ramp up time) there is more to fix than a stack cap.

They did not, but stay tuned HoT-wise, one Elite Specialisation gets a blogpost next week! ! please be mesmer

First of all,
Nice one on Mender’s Purity (devs indeed said they rewordked skills so skills out of traits work with traits). And as you said nobody sane will spam off-cd their mantras recklessly (unless in open world) so HM is slightly weaker.

But you messed up your numbers, it’s a 5 times stacking +4% (8sec) buff per use so an unloaded MoR (3 times in 3 seconds, because ICD on skill usage) equals 3 stacks (16%) for 5 seconds, 2 stacks (8%) for 6 seconds and one stack for 8 seconds.

A workaround for Mantras in PvE would be holding a steady 8% damage boost by unloading two charges every 8 seconds (that would hold on for 72 seconds, GG), adds a curious rotation to the 11121112112 of sword ^^. Wasting condi cleanse isn’t my thing but it can work.

One win combo is popping MoR 3 times/MoC/MoRes to stack 5 units (20% boost) while Feedbacking Lupicus’ P2 barrage. Holy molly ~

Edit : I’m even worse at math, too tired >.>

…most excited for PvP meta.

@ Ansau.7326 : No, conditions won’t work in PvE (slow ramp up) but you’re right on everything else.
@ Xaylin : Fragility is sure an awesome trait but HM got hit by the PvP-bat (Kinda like a nerfbat but in GW2 and doesn’t always equal a nerf) and has some drawbacks for 4-mantra Autoattack 66002 builds.

• By the time you reach a fair % boost you’ll drop your target down OR it’ll be still alive after 8 seconds
• Active boost makes sense in PvP where you want to use your mantras but in PvE they have few to no use
• Condition cleanse is barely used (Guardian/Ele)
• MoP is a slow channel thus a DPS loss
• Daze is less requiered and can’t be spammed like MoP (higher value than raw damage)
• Stability is barely used (Guardian)
• Healing is situational and shouldn’t be wasted

It used to be a steady 12% damage mod (Heal+Stability+Cclear with Feedback being always on bar). Now it’s 10% with Fragility and extra +4’s or 8’s from time to time with HM. If we take into account the old +5% Minor (I didn’t, it was broken or unreliable iirc) it’s not a fair trade but overall the Minor on its own is already a boost, moreso for those who didn’t play Mantras but Glamours instead. I for one play Signet/Glamour and I love that +10 freebie.

@ Levetty : We didn’t get gutted in PvE, the way we stack DPS has changed.

Hey Rising,
Here’s a tl;dr of a changes requiered for mesmer in dungeons :

Dueling :

• Moved Blade training to Grandmaster
• Moved Dualist’s Discipline to Master
• Moved Master of Manipulation from Chaos Adept to Dueling Adept
• Moved Mistrust from Dueling Grandmaster to Chaos Adept

Chaos :

• Moved Mistrust from Dueling Grandmaster to Chaos Adept

Illusions :

• Persistence of Memory moved from Adept to Grandmaster + Increased recharges to 33% per shatter.
• Blinding Befuddlement moved from Grandmaster to Master
• Sum of All Fears moved from Master to Adept

Bad design :

• HM has awful longetivity in PvE, increase boon duration to 10, 12 seconds
• Protected Phantasm has an internal CD that kills its whole purpose when you summon more than one phantasm in 10 seconds (you always are).

After suggestions and comments :

Modded traits ~
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1weRTxaaGunZFEEKZg-zy4x2A50GFVqSNJ7YwMtWr-jw/edit?usp=sharing

• Moved some traits in Dueling to save PvE builds w/o hitting PvP builds (nobody in PvP cares for Blade training at its current state).
• Mistrust moved to Chaos so Lockdown can always pick it and still have MoM (because DE is in Dueling)
• MoM is in Dueling so everyone can benefit from it (PvE, Shatter, Lock)
• Merged Compounding Celerity + Vigorous Revelation and placed to Adept so people can pick the other Shatter trait too in Master.
• Moved Sum of All Fears down, is a combo with Torment damage +50%
• Xaylin: Persistence of Memory is now GM but recharges by 33% per shatter. That’s one phantasm build trait needed, makes sense with PH and Celerity and C.Power.
• Merged 2 Illusion minors
• Moved Protected Phantasms back,

The point is to make PvE mesmer more appealing WITHOUT hitting common sense PvP builds. Because you don’t play PvE doesn’t mean you have to refuse a change in that direction, same applies to me so if you think I am breaking PvP with my changes tell me so.

Because now Adept/Master/Grandmaster mean nothing, I took a few minutes to change the trait allocation to make some sense in traits :

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1weRTxaaGunZFEEKZg-zy4x2A50GFVqSNJ7YwMtWr-jw/edit?usp=sharing

If it closes up a build you use, tell me and we’ll work it around. We may still have time to change this, If we get something decent out of this.

EDITED

• Moved some traits in Dueling to save PvE builds w/o hitting PvP builds.
• Mistrust makes no sense in Dueling, its a Interupt/Condi and thus should be in Chaos so people can pick it w/o speccing in Dueling or by taking a better trait (DE) instead.
• MoM is in Dueling
• Merged Compounding Celerity + Vigorous Revelation (can be reverted back, there’s place)
• Moved Sum of All Fears down, is a combo with Torment damage +50%
• Persistence of Memory is now GM but recharges Phantasms on Phantasm death
• Merged 2 Illusion minors
• Moved Protected Phantasms back, but we need an illusion GM in Illusions, it only makes sense with PH and Celerity and C.Power.

Mesmer review

Baseline is always good

• Glamour recharge rate -20% = Great addition, more utility, more portals, more reflects
• Illusionary Persona = Great addition, more damage, utility, self support, Game-changing
• Illusionary Elasticity = Irelevant for Vanilla Dungeons; Good addition, more damage in Open World
• Protective Mantras (gain extra armor when you cast a mantra) = Nice addition, Not Game-changing
• Phantasmal damage +15% = Great addition, more damage overall
• Manipulation range 1200 = Great addition, more utility

Domination

Its a given for PvE, Empowered Illusions and Blurred Instriptions are a good pick (Signet of Ether) and Mental Torment has good synergy with Persona being baseline. Minors are all good, they give vulnerability and a steady +10% damage mod.
Changes :

Dueling

Minors are a nice thing to have, nothing game-changing. DD and Phantasmal Fury share a common slot, that sucks. DD seems very promissing (+20% damage). Blade training is a given. GM traits are bad however : Mantras got nuked (PvP balance, yay!).
Changes : I would suggest move Duelist’s Discipline to GM instead of Mistrust (which has nothing to do with a Dueling line btw). That would allow us to pick both DD and PF…

Chaos

Nobody cares about Chaos. It’s a skip-line (MoM + PU)

Inspiration

Here comes the good stuff, Inspiration is our reflect line where we used to pick Glamour CD and Warden’s feedback. Now that Glamour CD are baseline (and TW is a glamour !!) we only need this line for our focus abilities. Tl;dr – Warden’s feedback is a given. Minors are great : more HP and invuln on spawn will allow for a slightly better Phantasm uptime in combat, always welcome. The drawback of Inspiration is that we pick it for one only trait, Phantasm damage +15 being baseline…

We are left with a choice of Adept and GM traits and I feel like they all have their weight. Medics feedback is nice for casual dungeons or lowman and Mender’s purity is a nice in combat aoe condicleanse when you lack it (no guardian) (Vigor on shatter is useless). For GM traits, we can overload with glamours by picking Temporal enchanter. The other two are really situational, everyone’s wetting their pants for iInspiration but the 45 second CD makes is worth barely anything – nobody needs to copy might or fury (Ele/PS war combo) and the only Protection/Regeneration you’ll have will be applied at the second half of a fight and you won’t be able to copy it because you’ll be on a 45 sec ICD.

Changes : Shorten ICD of iInspiration, Merge Vigorous revelation with Illusionary Celerity ?

Illusions

2 Minors are shatter focused so useless, 1 is Celerity (nice touch). Illusions are our to-go line for fights without reflects, given the in-memory save for trait allocation per line, swapping Illu/Inspi will be so easy and natural it’ll be meta to use both every time.
Traits : Compounding Power and Phantasmal Haste are a given (as they used to). GM traits are useless because shatter/condi focused, might have kittene of Master of Fragmentation.

Changes : You either go Shatter or Phantasm, why mix both in ILLUSIONS line? Rework Persistent memory to 2 second instead of 2%, it is useless as of now. Re-allocate minors are Traits with Inspiration. Move Sum of all Fears down, merge shatter minors and move Protected Phantasms to GM?

Mesmer is in a wierd spot, the baseline buff is awesome and is a true QoL change. The trait allocation is however kittened up. It needs to be reworked to have 3 opposit ideas per line instead of 4 or 5… Instead of Power/Condition/Shatter and Phantasms in Illusions is should’ve been Power/Phantasms/Conditions… Dueling should have been Phantasm/CC/Power instead of Shatter/Power/Phantasm/CC/Condi…

Only minor traits are worth taking 100% of the time for Dungeons, everything else is PvP related.

(Might comeback with an ideal re-alocation)

MODIFIED TRAIT LINES https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1weRTxaaGunZFEEKZg-zy4x2A50GFVqSNJ7YwMtWr-jw/edit?usp=sharing

• Moved some traits in Dueling to save PvE builds w/o hitting PvP builds (nobody cares for Blade training at its current state).
• Mistrust makes no sense in Dueling, its a Interupt/Condi and thus should be in Chaos so people can pick it w/o speccing in Dueling or by taking a better trait (DE) instead.
• MoM is in Dueling
• Merged Compounding Celerity + Vigorous Revelation and placed to Adept so people can pick the other Shatter trait too in Master.
• Moved Sum of All Fears down, is a combo with Torment damage +50%
• Persistence of Memory is now GM but recharges Phantasms on Phantasm death. It makes sense with PH and Celerity and C.Power.
• Merged 2 Illusion minors

Quick look around,
Should have said Chaos in PvP, forgot this subforum is so dense.

• Interrupt = Domination (CS+Shattered Concentration+PB) / Dueling (Ddiscipline+Blinding Dissipation+HM or DE) / Chaos (MoM+Chaotic Dampening+CI)

• Shatter base = Domination (CS+Shattered Concentration+Mental Torment) / Dueling (DDiscipline+Blinding Dissipation+DE)
  + One of these :
• Power shatter variant = Illusions (CP+SoaF+MoF)
• Support shatter variant = Insipration (Mender’s/Restorative Illusions/Shattered Conditions)
• Shatter/Interrupt variant = Chaos (MoM/Chaotic Dampening/CI)

• Condi shatter = Dueling (Ddecoy+Blinding Dissipation+DE) / Chaos(MoM+Chaotic Dampening+CI) / Illusions (Pledge/MalliciousS/Miam)

• PvE no reflect = Domination (Empowered Illusions+Blurred Inscriptions+Mental Torment) / Dueling (Ddiscipline+Blade Training+HM) / Illusions (CP+Phantasmal Haste+MoF)

• PvE reflects = Domination (Empowered Illusions+Blurred Inscriptions+Mental Torment) / Dueling (Phantasmal Fury+Blade Training+HM) / Insipration (Mender’s/Warden’s Feedback/Illusionary Inspiration)

• PvE when the guard rerolls thief DPS = Domination (Empowered Illusions+Blurred Inscriptions+Mental Torment) / Insipration (Mender’s/Warden’s Feedback/Temporal Enchanter) / Illusions (CP+Phantasmal Haste+MoF)

RIP 2/2/2/2/2 builds.

Updated main post with Dulfy’s tl;dr.

Guess I overreacted with Harm Mantras, I’d rather play glamour (++ for PS war not blasting my ether fields) PvE may be interesting, can’t wait.

EDIT

I can’t post more frequently but :

Nevhie.6079 – The traits mentionned are baseline for the class, it’s how weaponskills work now, you don’t need to trait anything.

MSFone.3026 – It’s trait Master of fragmantation (shatters give might and confusion), that’s new UI stuff showing new modified skills.

Updated with baselines and some other items. I have 1800 seconds flood control so forgive me

It is our time soon ! Once the engis are out, its mesmer time to shine at http://www.twitch.tv/guildwars2 ! Talk, rant, theorycraft… everything is allowed here.
You’re at work? Check http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/33qrg0/specialization_ama_livestream_notes/ for (close to) up to date written recap of the Stream show.

For newcommers, regarding new trait system (aviable before HoT) :
- You can choose only 1 out of 3 default traits per tier
- You can choose only 3 trait lines per build
- You are able to put 18/18 points into a build (6 points per trait line)

Mesmer related changes so far :
- Quickness is a boon
- Every skill gets classified

After what they’ve done to Elementalists, thieves and guardians (all good stuff), let’s get our hopes high and our hype big.

Our damage be mighty and our interrupts be deadly.

UPDATED CHANGES

• Domination: http://i.imgur.com/IVzYWca.jpg
• Dueling: http://i.imgur.com/fIH0J9L.jpg
• Chaos: http://i.imgur.com/DKixfqQ.jpg
• Inspiration: http://i.imgur.com/LwCb3lm.jpg
• Illusions: http://i.imgur.com/h7a0WHQ.jpg
• Mesmer back in GW1 was a very high skill based class, we are trying to bring that back.
• Chaos Armor will be added to one of the Trident skills
• The stealth duration increase on Prismatic Understanding from Chaos line is only on Mesmer stealth skills, not on stealth applied on the Mesmer by other classes.
• Glamour all had their recharge rate reduced as a baseline
• Traits that are made baseline: Illusionary Persona, Illusionary Elasticity, Protective Mantras (gain extra armor when you cast a mantra), Phantasmal damage boost traits,Manipulation range.
• Alot of the retaliation traits in Mesmer got removed as we didn’t feel like you want people to hit you as a mesmer.

Dulfy updated Ele traits.

Powercreep is strong in thing patch (thief/guard) !

maha.7902:

maybe I’m going to need someone to help me extracting this pole since you can’t do it yourself.

Helseth rolled necro, Supcutie thief.

For the various builds part, let’s first of all agree on discussing what is “played at a good level”.
PS: (Wiki) viable : capable of working successfully; feasible.

Shatter is the only viable at end play (and is outplayed by meta), Lockdown is ok (like LB/GS ranger is ok…), rest is hotjoin mess. It makes it 1.5 viable builds.
Elementalist has D/D and Staff, Warrior has Shoutbow and Hammer and so on… PvP variations are dumbed down to 2 builds per class (One meta, one “ok”).

So can be said of PvE (Mantra/Glamour ; Staff/LH ; DPS/Phalanx) and of roaming WvW (Shatter/Condi ; Fresh Air/DD ; Hambow/Swordbow). Zerg WvW is something I do not follow, my vild guess is GS power mesmer, Support ele and CC warrior (A whooping 1 build per class).

Who are we kidding with diversity and/or viability? Don’t try to make Signet or Miam mesmer happen.

Edit :

warrior has the best trait tree and so many fun and viable builds

PvP and WvW
Trait core for viable builds : xx4x4
Weapon core for viable builds : Longbow + Melee weapon
Utilities core for viable builds : Healing signet (always) + Berserker stance/Balanced stance/Endure pain (Pick from 2 to 3)

So many fun and variable builds indeed.

MailMail.6534:

While extremely fun to watch, Messiah’s vids haven’t shown much in terms of conveying MtD’s strength. Keep giving us vids though. I appreciate them.

I like the music (might be the only one x.x ). Also, a thread comparing hotjoin with ELS is entertaining.

Fancy, i guess i can delete my destro sigils. rip 2nd mesmer.

@Oxidia – Last time we brought up fotm 50 time completion up it went kittens. But 25 for an orginized group like stated is totaly a fair estimation, not sure what you’re on adout. He said “an experienced organised group with good synergy”
@Op – Fractals are fun to run !

laokoko.7403:

Mister Stygian.2135:

PS there are plenty of times people have gotten me killed on arch diviner from range spam during reflect, sometimes it is your fault.

see i strongly disagree with this. It last 3 second. Maybe you should just back out.

The way I see it is, if you die, doesn’t matter how bad the group is, it’s always the dead person’s fault.

If you are truly pro, you should be able to melee regardless how bad your group is.

Wtf… Ever tought of partywide aegis?

But crusifications

Hello, after seeing the recent reaction regarding thie year’s plane disrespectful April’s fool, I got reminded of yet another tragedy. My hopes for a mature company are crashed into ground, shattered in pieces…
Last year’s April’s fool was a painful day to live, for me and for many others. Trying to escape my pathology, hydrocephalus, I took off by playing Guild Wars 2… only to get reminded of my desease by Arenanet on april the 1st. I was deeply offended by this game showing off and making fun of “bobble heads”.
I couldn’t forget this painfull attack, but I had hope Arenanet wouldn’t make twice the same error of hurting their playerbase under the wing of “joke”…

No to bobbleheads ! No to plane mimics !
I am truly leaving, seeking some fresh air.

If everyone wears uniform, that’s kinda what happens when in PvP.

Nokaru.7831:

They obviously planned this joke for a while since it has sound effects and post-processing, etc.

Too bad it didn’t take off as they wanted.

At least these planes aren’t killing 150 when they crash !

I think it only applies to easier content and less party interaction.

This is a dungeon? TIL.

Meanwhile, farming reddit karma with SAB content.

Let’s call it feature.

Have you guys considered rolling ele? That’s one viable mesmer build !

Wanze.8410:

Miku Lawrence.6329:

Just dropping by to say that trading legendaries doesn’t create inflation, no gold is created in the process.

But it avoids deflation of gold by circumventing the intended gold sink of the trading post, if traded by mail.

True, was just poiting out some quick assumptions.

Just dropping by to say that trading legendaries doesn’t create inflation, no gold is created in the process.

You’re posting in general sub Sam, this is laughable, just let it go as I did, we’ll be trading ectos.

Fight to survive !

I ask for a 1000 gold week-limit.

Fay.2357:

Miku Lawrence.6329:

I can’t see you on leaderboards, what is your IG?

Leaderboards are hilariously broken, I wouldn’t put any stock in them now.

True. Wanted to check gw2score as they kept the data before Anet broke leaderboards.
Op, if you’re far behind I don’t think this is a great representation of ranked PvP so we can’t make hative conclusions on build’s performances in Meta.

I can’t see you on leaderboards, what is your IG?

Mesmer rotation is 352(2)1111112(2)11111231111121111123… (spear). 6 6 0 0 2 full DPS with 3+ mantras (Nothing worth reflecting UW).

To OP – Because you never stacked and LoS’ed mobs in GW1, right?

Randomness.

I’m so jealous of you all. Give access please ;_;

WoR sploit works fine.

I just realized deSade was a reference to the Marquis.

You should first level up to 80, then check out https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/dungeons/Dungeon-Mentors-Noob/page/11#post3834101

Scaling back to normal.