Guild Wars 2

Zenith.7301:

Too late for wells. It’s not like we had particularly appealing weapons and utilities in PvE besides portal/Feedback/Time Warp, and used anything besides mainhand sword and pistol/focus/sword offhands.

So something needs to feel the void of 2 utility slots besides feedback (assuming feedback is needed), and that falls to wells because quite frankly mantras are useless/wimpy (maybe use distraction for defiance breaks, that’s about it).

And wells do precisely that. You either use glamours or wells, and MAYBE every once in a while mantra of distraction.

The utility phantasms are so niche to the point of being useless, especially since they kitten your DPS by competing for illusion slots with DPS phantasms. You’re not gonna use most mantras, or veil, or arcane thievery/most manipulations.

You’re not gonna use any signets besides inspiration either since all of them are pretty much crappy passives and even crappier actives.

I know that not every utility/weapon is usable in PvE (well, other than certain situations to use specific ones). My concern is if the wells and shield will be the only things to bring from now on (making Feedback, Portal, Time Warp not as viable).

I’m all up for making shield usable in PvE, but what I hope it WILL NOT be the only weapon for mesmers to bring, along with wells, and making other weapons/utilities not as optimal.

Fay.2357:

Ultimately, bouncing attacks are okish offensively, but really problematic with friendly effects. You can get decent use out of things like mirror blade and winds of chaos only because you can personally position yourself to take advantage of it. Phantasms are dumb, and won’t do that at all. Additionally, as was mentioned elsewhere, it’s a really odd mechanic.

Me: ‘This phantasm gives you guys good stuff’
Party: ‘So to get the good stuff, should we stand next to the phantasm?’
Me: ‘Nope, to get the good stuff you have to stand next to the mob the phantasm is attacking’

It’s really counterintuitive, and links being able to provide helpful support to having your party in a potentially really odd position, on top being limited to only hitting one or two people as opposed to a full 5 target aoe.

Anet needs to just split phantasm attacks so that the offensive portion retains the bounce, and the support portion is a pbaoe pulsed buff centered on the phantasm. That makes the support from phantasms actually usable while still limiting their offensive aoe capabilities.

I like and support the idea of making the support portions be pbaoe buff while keeping the offensive portions bouncing!

I’d love if the scepter’s AA got some improvement. I feel that the attack speed on the trait should be the normal speed and then the trait would have 15% faster onto it. Or, have its damage increase and/or projectile velocity go faster.

@Serafi

Thank you for sharing several different builds! I too took a break from GW2 (roughly 2 year-ish) and while I was able to pick my mesmer back up again, the new trait specialization and adjusted skills took some time to get use to. I’m actually inspired of your “Aid of the Ether” build and made my own variant of it using Sc/Sw and GS and Dueling instead of Chaos spec. I use to theorycraft/buildcraft often when the game first came out, but now I’m just wanting to get back into the groove and once HoT officially comes out, I’ll probably do some more buildcrafting.

Ross Biddle.2367:

Ground targeted skills usually require ground. So when you’re floating in a three dimensional environment there can be some complications with that.

Time Warp is ground targeted, yet it’s usable underwater. :S

Ross Biddle.2367:

Phloww.1048:

So, a friend of mine logged into his necromancer and it seems necro wells can be used underwater but the wells from mesmer can’t. Is this intentional or would mesmers be able to also use wells underwater upon release?

HoT content is still in development so you’ll notice various features not yet in the game. Some classes dont even have underwater skills. Thief get’s no steal skill from revenant. That sort of thing.

Ah, true. So most likely mesmer wells will be usable underwater (Null Field still isn’t usable in underwater?! WHY???).

So, a friend of mine logged into his necromancer and it seems necro wells can be used underwater but the wells from mesmer can’t. Is this intentional or would mesmers be able to also use wells underwater upon release?

Xstein.2187:

We deal with conditions though the inspiration line of traits and skills such as mantra of resolve and null field.

Ah, so I guess one utility will not be a well. Oh well.

Edit: Just realized the pun I made. Anyways, yeah, those two skills are life savers for me when dealing with lots of conditions.

After a 2-year hiatus, I am coming back and dusting my mesmer, getting him back into the groove. Even though I did switch to ele for a bit, I miss my mesmer. I was able to pick him up and adapt to the new changes. Guess I’m a mesmer at heart.

Anyways, I was trying out the wells and one thing that I came an issue was condition removals. The trait “All’s Well that Ends Well” seem to have change from condition removal to alacrity now and so I wonder how anyone of you deals with conditions inflicted to you. I’ve so far love Mantra of Resolve, but what about wells?

Indeed, even when I switch to elementalist for a bit, I miss my mesmer. After taking a 2-year hiatus, I recently came back and dusting him off and trying to get back into the groove. Guess I’m still a mesmer at heart in GW1 and GW2.

I just wanted to say big thanks for providing such wonderful guide, DEKeyz! I’ve only played elementalist as an alt since launch, but is now lately my new main. Your guide (along with others from Haviz/Zelyhn and Anierna) has helped me improve my performance as an ele.

I’ve been a main ele for less than a month (was first alt since game launch). It would be nice to see glyphs get some buff; they were ele exclusive in GW1. Plus, I’d love to see them be usable also underwater (and improved AI on the elemental summons).

I vote for bringing SAB back, even if it’s not adding anything new. Just allow it open for those of us who are still collecting the remaining skins/minis/etc. Eventually World 3 and 4 should be implemented cause we still need to save Princess Miya and beat Lord Vanquish.

I did not that about the Ogre’s pet. o.o

Guess I’ll try to get one of the 3 cheapest alternatives until I can afford Strength/Scholar/Hoelbrak runes. Thanks again!

Was experimenting with Privateer Rune earlier and I think I’ll just try to get one of those 3 (Ranger/Flame Legion/Ruby Orb). I was curious if any other runes would suffice, but I guess not. Thank you, Acotje!

Edit: I was looking through the TP and saw Ogre and Brawler runes. Do they work well?

Well, as long as this does not affect my story or my home instance terribly in the future, I suppose I’ll just deal with it. Actually, I can say that my story’s unusual instead of the normal setup and got some NPCs in my home instance that I normally can’t get.

Completing “Setting the Stage” story with another player Order storyline (and progressing it) not only forces you to continue with the other player’s Order storyline, but you’ll lose the trophy item(s), NPCs that are related to your Order, and unable to complete your Order’s achievements.

During Chapter 4 of my personal story, I ended up helping a friend of mine’s Vigil story despite that I’m a Whispers and in my story tab, I got the “Emblem of the Vigil” instead of the “Order of Whispers Emblem”. Also, in my home instance, I got the Vigil NPC instead of the Whispers NPC. I’m also forced to make another character and have them join the Whispers and complete its storyline in order to obtain the Whispers story achievement.

“Setting the Stage” seems the be the main problem of this and it seems to cause people unable to complete some of the achievements due to a click of a button and forces them to have to make another character just to complete that specific Order’s achievement.

If this whole thing “is intended”, then having a warning message pop up or even bold text to alert the player of the consequences of accepting or declining the progress.

PS – when visiting my home instance, one friend asked why there’s a Vigil NPC when I’m a Whispers. I told him that I was gathering some information while infiltrating the Vigil Keep for a bit and I took this Vigil NPC home with me as a souvenir. :P

Sorry to ask another question, but this time it’s runes. I know that Strength/Scholar are ideal choices. Sadly, they’re also expensive for me. I’m currently using Runes of the Privateer until I can get the ideal runes. Would that suffice or are there other runes that are inexpensive and/or easy to acquire that’s better?

Ah, okies. I always find Sigil of Force to be useful. Energy, Fire, Air, and Night sigils seem also useful.

Thank you everyone! And nice inventory setup, Acotje! It’s always good to have extra room for more loot.

cheese.4739:

Rainshine.5493:

You lose stacks if you swap weapons now.

… I’ll let someone much better at dungeoning than me answer the rest.

You lose stacks if you change equipped weapons, and you can only stack with one weapon at a time – D/D with dual bloodlust will still only give one bloodlust stack per kill.

They (finally) actually fixed it, so ganksquads in WvW can’t run around with 25 bloodlust, use other sigils, and camp spawns.

Ah, so this was a recent change/fix? So I guess for non-staff weapons, one of them will use bloodlust/perception and the other is % proc on crit?

After taking a break from GW2 and now coming back, I’ve made my elementalist my main instead of mesmer. I reflect how much I’ve played with my ele alt and enjoyed its role and mechanics. Coming back, I see some “old-school” builds that are still viable and then there’s some new builds. I mainly want to focus on PvE and so far, I’ve come across 2 guides – Haviz/Zelyhn’s and Anierna’s – and both have very good pointers and helped me “master the elements” (sorry, I know that’s a lame).

Anyways, I’m curious to know how many total weapons should I be carrying for PvE/Dungeons (and maybe some WvW). From what I’ve gathered, it seems I should carry at least double of each weapon (2 scepters/foci/staves and 4 daggers). One set will have sigil of bloodlust/perception while the other doesn’t (which I assumed to swap to once the 25 cap is reached). I probably need another full weapon set for WvW and/or fractals. Is that enough?

Thank you in advance. I probably will get hexed by mesmers for joining here. >.<

Celestial armor would be ideal for a hybrid build. I’ve made an alternative to it:

- 3 Rabids (boots, leggings, gloves)
- 2 Valkyries (chest, shoulders)
- 1 Celestial helm
- Celestial amulet
- Rampager rings
- Rabid accessories
- Soldier back (with jewel/crest of choice)
- Traveler’s runes

@Freedan,

Empowering Mantras, I think, would benefit to mantras that are not used often – Mantra of Resolve, Concentration, and Distraction. It is definitely the opposite of the rest of the mantra traits.

Sorry for double posting. I know I’m mainly PvE/dungeons and very, very little in WvW. There are times that I do have to enter WvW, mainly badges of honor. I wanted to at least make it okay around, whether I’m roaming around or in a zerg. I figured something like this may help me out there:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fgQQJArclwzipHSTlGbNJiJFBHyhqA2RqgqV6BudhyGA-jkEBIhBEnJZUFAEBKjJfApPJKHSjtMsIasqaA6FYKYRWHLpWdAGzwmzoG0IW0QOEYSBcx0I-w

I’m not sure if I should keep Sigil of Accuracy or try Sigil of Force. Is 45% crit chance okay to have? I didn’t have a secondary weapon selected because staff, greatsword, sword/x can all work with this.

I’m enjoying this build a lot lately and first time utilizing a couple mantras. I noticed that the WvW infusions are better than PvE (by 1 point), so I may as well go and get those instead.

Note: Depending if Empowered Mantras is gonna be changed or not (since it’s the odd-ball among the mantra traits), I may end up using Mantra Mastery or Protected Mantras instead.

Edit: Messed up the link formatting. ><;

Thanks Nearlight,

When you put it that way with Chaotic Dampening vs. iDefense, it makes sense, so I’ll take your advice on that. Though if I choose greatsword or sword/x, I’ll probably keep it iDefense.

I did debate between Signet of Midnight and Mantra of Concentration; the signet gives a little extra boon and AoE blind, yet the mantra gives AoE stability (once patch occurs), so I may end up going for the mantra in the end. I figured 1-2 mantras are fine to have instead of a full mantra build (which I didn’t want to go with). I’m not sure about Restorative Mantra would be much help since with 20 Inspiration and the gear, it’ll just give me roughly 300 healing power, but I may try your idea of 0/30/20/20/0 to see if it fares better (Maybe go with scepter/sword + sword/focus for that). I also wanted to deal damage while juggling my illusions, so Compounding Power and Empowering Mantras would help boost me. Also, I do enjoy Blink, even when not traited at all and I kinda miss having it sometimes whenever it’s not in my bar.

Reason I took Signet Mastery is mainly to use Signet of Inspiration, but I do agree that Empowering Illusions would help with my, er, phantasm dps, so I’ll take up your suggestion on that. Blade Training was also another trait I thought of, but I wasn’t sure if it’d be better than the ones selected.

With your thoughts and suggestions, I think this is what may look like:

10/30/20/0/10 (I may replace Blink with Signet of Inspiration when in party.)

Thank you for a lot of suggestions and help!^^

For some time, I’ve been playing around a different power/condition damage build. With the upcoming buffs to Mantra of Resolve and Concentration, I try to make my utilities more supportive. I’ve also been curious about Celestial stats and see if I can make an alternative (since it takes a while to make Celestial gear). I wanted to see if I can make a build that provides damage (direct and conditional) while providing some support (not just heals) to others.

10/30/20/0/10

I was inspired by Keenlam’s clone spammer and a few phantasm dps builds that I wanted to see if I can incorporate parts of each into this build. The illusions help improve my damage output while giving me more defense. I like Signet of Inspiration and “buffed” Mantra of Resolve to provide group support. The stunbreaker listed is Signet of Midnight BUT Mantra of Concentration can be an alternative (I’m still trying both out to see which is better or if they’re equal).

Scepter/Sword provides a nice mix of power/condition damage while making plenty of clones, in addition to Deceptive Evasion. I went with Staff as the second weapon to provide some defense and mobility, but I think greatsword would work as a offensive alternative. I did thought about Sword/Pistol as well, which may also work.

I figured I try posting a build idea and asking for opinion/feedback to see what you all think. It seems to be going fine in PvE, but I haven’t tried dungeons (at least, not until the AoE mantra buff takes in effect in October).

Having it strictly pure condition weapon would make opponents know what type of mesmer they’re facing right off and would forced power mesmers who need a MH range to be using just their offhand. It also doesn’t allow flexibility, like how other weapons are.

I agree with Heinel that the autoattack chain is the issue with the scepter. I like that it can do both power and condition damage. Nice idea, but I’d hate to be pigeon-holed to specific category because of a mainhand.

I currently have 4 builds that I’m using and playing with (I have a new hybrid-mix build that I’m testing now that I haven’t posted yet, and I’m also planning on condensing ‘Flustered Fragments’ and ‘Fata Morgana Conditions’ into one thread since they practically use the same gear, just different playstyles). I wanted to make it easy for people to see the builds and guides for them, besides just clicking on the links in my signature. Since they are all in different threads, would it be okay to make a new thread that gives links to each build’s thread and use the new thread to be the main announcement whenever one of the builds is revised?

I know that Osicat and Fay both have websites that are very helpful to show each of their builds. And I know there are also video postings and images of builds from various mesmer builds. Do I need to have any of those right away, even though all my builds are mainly for PvE/dungeons?

Ah, so you’re being flexible of the shattering….I like it!

I agree that all 4 off-hands can work well with your build. I think scepter/sword or pistol combo would work well in a mix power/condition version, but yeah, I’m enjoying your build and once I finish testing my hybrid version, I’ll definitely share! ^^

Very nice build! It gave me inspiration for some time now for utilizing the extra clones that I keep making with scepter/sword combo. I assume the reason for no OH sword is because it’s a power weapon?

I know this is more condition damage and shatter oriented, but I’m gonna try to make a mix power/condition build with clone spamming and phantasm dps.

Thank you for sharing and making a great build!

Here are some Mesmer ideas/changes that would be nice to see. I’m sure others may have stated some of these:

Scepter – While it’s more condition damage oriented, it seems to be pigeon-holed into condition builds and doesn’t bring much to power builds; it is sometimes used in few hybrid builds though. It’s autoattack could use a condition, like maybe weakness, vulnerability, poison, or perhaps inflict a random condition similar to the Winds of Chaos from staff. Or make the first 2 autoattacks be AoE (splash or next to target). Confusing Images could have it’s “charge up” animation go a little faster. I love the torment by the way! Basically, scepter needs to be used in any build spec (same with MH sword).

Torch – Phantasmal Mage projectile speed could be buffed a bit and maybe have a little bit more direct damage so that it can also be seen in some power builds (besides condition builds). If not these, then maybe a shorter cooldown, like 5-10 secs shorter.

MH Sword – Sometimes the iLeap is a bit buggy based on elevation/terrain so it could use some fixing/rework.

Greatsword – Mind Stab could either have a bigger radius and/or make it not ground targeted and be nearby the target.

OH Sword – Seems very power oriented (unless you go clone spammer). Maybe similar to how Illusionary Counter, half damage and inflict perhaps immobilize or cripple.

In general, mesmers also need another option of granting swiftness, whether by trait or skill. A couple traits could be combined together (i.e. – Glamour Master + Temporal Enchanter) while some specific utility traits need to be moved into one trait line (i.e. – 4 glamour traits with 1 in Domination, 1 in Illusion, and 2 in Inspiration could all move into Inspiration).

PS – I’m glad to see Mantra Resolve and Concentration getting some love.

Edit: Seems I copy and paste this without checking to erase OH Sword part since it’s fine as is. Ignore that part please.

While I am glad for the 2 mantras getting some support love, I’m still wondering when they will balance/fix the scepter and torch. Right now, many mesmers consider them as “pure condition weapons” where as the rest can be used in any spec (some are slightly more towards one aspect – power or condition damage – but they can still do both). There are some issues with some weapons, however:

Scepter – it’s autoattack could use some sort of condition – maybe weakness, poison, bleed – or make it a AoE “splash” or hit adjacent mobs to target. Confusing Images could use a slightly quicker casting animation while keeping the AoE line (maybe close to speed of how the Risen/Enchanter mobs have theirs).

Torch – Phantasmal Mage projectile speed could be buffed a bit and maybe have a little bit more direct damage so that it can also be seen in some power builds. If not these, then maybe a shorter cooldown, like 5-10 secs shorter.

MH Sword – Sometimes the iLeap is a bit buggy based on elevation/terrain so it could use some fixing/rework.

Greatsword – Mind Stab could either have a bigger radius and/or make it not ground targeted and be nearby the target.

OH Sword – Seems very power oriented (unless you go clone spammer). Maybe similar to how Illusionary Counter, half damage and inflict perhaps immobilize or cripple.

In general, mesmers also need another option of granting swiftness, whether by trait or skill. Also, would be nice to have another torment application.

Now, these are just looking at making each weapon viable in any build and it’s all opinionated.

Edit: Though I had erase the OH Sword part when writing this since it was a bad idea, but now makes me some idiot/noob. >_< Sorry about that.

I would love to have Chaos Armor (or another weapon/utility skill) that can grant swiftness upon activation.

I was gonna wait till next BotM, but with the extended date, it’s tempting me….and there’s already some very good builds submitted.

Originally named “Rings on My Fingers” and alternative named “Ringbearer” (I couldn’t think of better names during those times).

Signet builds for mesmer are very uncommon, in fact, rare and not in good standings. Sure, one signet in a build is nice, but having all utility skills as signets? Well, can’t hurt to try making it, right? The idea started about sometime late last month and only had little publicity (only 1 or 2 posts but often overlooked at). I was working on it along with my other 3 builds (Flowing Images, Flustered Fragments, and Fata Morgana Conditions). I’d given the build a try during Scarlet’s invasion events and was surprised how decent it handled in open world PvE. I’ve only taken it to 1 dungeon and it was all right (need more testing).

I should have posted this build the same time as the others, but I’ll be honest – I was hesitant. I wasn’t sure if this build could be as good as the others and I’ll admit that Kaamau’s Evasive Signets build seem more superior than mine. We’ve talked with each other ingame several times about our signet builds and how they were doing. What made me decided to post this build now is that I inspired Kaamau’s build. I did not know this until last night when I was checking the OMFG BotM Sept. thread and noticed that was mentioned in it. That surprised me since I know I’m still learning and improving. So that gave me the boost needed to go ahead and present the build, so here it is!

Ignis Fatuus Rings

The term ignis fatuus means something misleading and similar how will-o’-the-wisps can lead people to a deceptive hope/goal; it also refers to a phosphorescent light hovering over swampy grounds at night, possibly due to combustion of gases emitting from rotting organic matter (giving off light in a way how torch does). When I read up about this, I figured it was a perfect title for this build, hence why I scratch off the previous names. Here is the build setup:

GW2Skills – 20/30/20/0/0

ItM – 20/30/20/0/0

As I had mentioned in other builds’ threads, first link is up-to-date while the second one provides a guide/explanation. The last 10 points were difficult to decide where to put. I could put them in Chaos to also get PU or Cleansing Inscriptions, but Cleansing Conflagration boosts the torch skills greatly.

Note: There’s a trick with using Signet of Midnight. While it is a stunbreaker/boon buff/AoE blind, it is instant cast and provides distortion (thanks to Blurred Inscriptions). Use it before casting an important skill (i.e. – elite skills). This way, you won’t get interrupted or take damage from range; the AoE blind will also prevent melee attackers from harming you. Not only that, The Prestige also provides a nice escape.

Pros:
- High condition spec with various conditions
- Has stunbreaker and several evasive techniques (Blurred Inscriptions, Distortion shatter, The Prestige, Illusionary Counter)
- Condition removal (iMage can remove a condition from each bounce with allies)
- Bunker build with high boon duration and more defense with each illusions
- Decent support (Signet of Inspiration, Chaos Storm, iMage, and illusions to give enemies more target to pick)
- Some interrupts (Signet of Domination, Diversion, Chaos Storm)

Cons:
- Little to no shatter
- Slow killing
- No guarantee swiftness (random from Signet of Inspiration)
- Limited mobility other than Phase Retreat
- May proved challenging to professions that can remove conditions easily
___________________

I don’t expect this to be everyone’s playstyle. It is rare and not many use pure signet builds. Feel free to give it a try and the Signet of Midnight trick may take some time to pull off correctly (I know it took me a bit). Thank you all for reading and I hope I’ve been an inspiration with any of my builds! bows

While I can understand that condition meta in pvp/wvw is gonna be “shaved” a bit, I’m worried about how it would affect in pve/dungeons. Condition builds are already inferior to direct damage builds and sadly, not all of our weapons can be flexible to work with power and condition builds (i.e. – scepter and torch more toward condition damage while greatsword and OH sword are more toward power).

Agree with fixing the not-glowing-when-sheathed issues. It would also be nice to bring back the blue trail for day time and have those footfall steps on for night time (that’s if they’re not going to split them).

My main is an Asura, but I also love Charr and I agree that the felines need more attention! Can a non-Charr race support this?

I have 4 different builds – Flowing Images (hybrid power/condition), Flustered Fragments (condition shatter dps), Fata Morgana Conditions (condition non-shatter control/support), and Ignis Fatuus Rings (condition signets). They all have one thing in common and that’s making a lot of illusions, but then each of them have something that stands out different from each other. Also, each build has a variant of it (hence the two trait setups for each).

Flustered Fragments: 0/30/0/10/30 – 0/20/0/20/30

Fata Morgana Conditions: 0/30/30/10/0 – 0/20/30/20/0

Flowing Images: 10/30/0/10/20 – 10/20/10/0/30

Ignis Fatuus Rings: 20/30/20/0/0

Edit: Added 4th build. I promise that’s all I have! ^^;

First off, I want to thank many of you for bringing lots of inspiration and ideas to the community. Ever since I joined OMFG guild, I’ve been getting many helpful suggestions and tips from various members on how to improve my performance. Some of you may have known me for making the “Flowing Images” builds – which focus on hybrid power/condition damage. Now I want to present one of two full-condition spec builds (other one is in another thread) that I had been playing with and testing since mid/late August. They were, at first, additional branches within Flowing Images, but since most of the gear and setup requirements are different, it was best to just rename them and have separate into their own sections. So here we go!

Fata Morgana Conditions

The term fata morgana is a type of mirage consists of multiple images that can be distorted or confused to resemble something bigger (i.e. – 1-man becoming 4-man army). This build is the non-shatter version of the other condition build and is my first in making a somewhat bunker build; it is also inspired by various bunker mesmers (Chaos, Pyro, Jportell, and others). Without further ado, here is the build:

GW2Skills – 0/30/30/10/0

ItM – 0/30/30/10/0

The reason I posted 2 links is because the first one is up to date with the latest patch and is more accurate while the second one has a guide with some explanations (and a few alternative options). Once the latter is up to date, I’ll remove the first one.

Note: Build does not have to have exact trinkets. As mentioned in the ItM link, the trinkets can be modified as long as it’s Rabid, Dire+Rabid, or mixture of both.

So far, the build has been tested and played with in PvE open world and dungeons. I’ve had the honor of being informed and receiving feedback that the build can also work in WvW. However, since this is my first bunker-like build, I’m sure it has its flaws.

Pros:
- High condition damage
- Quick illusion summoning and various conditions applying
- Can take some hits without problems
- Decently long condition duration thanks to food
- Some damage mitigation
- Can create self-combos
- Can remove boons and conditions
- Has a stunbreaker (Blink or Decoy depending on choice)
- Clones grant conditions when killed or overwritten

Cons:
- Slow killing
- Need to take care not to overwrite phantasms
- Limited mobility and escape (Phase Retreat and 1 stunbreaker)
- Limited support (only Null Field, 1 stun, and illusions to give enemies more targets)
- Short duration of condition/boon removal with long cooldown
- May prove challenging to professions that can remove conditions easily and fast
- No swiftness (although out-of-combat, you can swap to focus, use Temporal Curtain, then swap back to pistol) – see note below

Note: It is possible to use Focus instead of Pistol and move 10 Dueling (keep Deceptive Evasion) into Inspiration to get Warden’s Feedback. However, it may require some adjustments to trinkets to get enough crit chance. Do know that if going for this, the confusion from iWarden is random, but at least it gives AoE, another reflection, and grants nearby allies regeneration. Plus, you get swiftness/cripple and AoE pull. Here is the build link for focus version if interested:

GW2Skills – 0/20/30/20/0

ItM – 0/20/30/20/0 guide

The only trinket changes are the amulet and 1 ring (both from Dire/Rabid to pure Rabid). Also, the guide offers explanations and tricks for using the focus.
______________________________

Now, this is not everyone’s playstyle, but you’re welcome to give this build a try. If so, you don’t have to have the same gear setup; you can have as low as 39% crit chance and minimum of 17k health (you need enough to handle those pesky conditions). And if you do try out the build, let me know how it goes! I’m always trying to improve. Thank you all for reading and helping me becoming more mesmerizing!

Also, if you enjoy shattering often, you can check out the other condition build – Flustered Fragments; it provides conditions, shatters, and is more dps-oriented.

Edit: Added build and guide links with tricks for focus version. Also, added a note in bold regarding about trinkets.

First off, I want to thank many of you for bringing lots of inspiration and ideas to the community. Ever since I joined OMFG guild, I’ve been getting many helpful suggestions and tips from various members on how to improve my performance. Some of you may have known me for making the “Flowing Images” builds – which focus on hybrid power/condition damage. Now I want to present one of two full-condition spec builds (other one is in another thread) that I had been playing with and testing since mid/late August. They were, at first, additional branches within Flowing Images, but since most of the gear and setup requirements are different, it was best to just rename them and have separate into their own sections. So here we go!

Flustered Fragments

The build’s theme is creating lots of illusions to “confuse” (not the condition!) your opponents, inflicting some conditions, and using your shattering skills to make some nice bursts to bedazzle your targets while still able to deal damage in PvE/dungeons. This has been inspired by Osicat and his shatter builds along with various condition mesmers (Keenlam, Kylia, Skcamow, and more) and their builds; this build was also what I mostly started with last year (but had hybrid mix during that time), but didn’t continue with and polish it until recently. Anyways, enough of me jabbering, here is the build setup:

GW2Skills – 0/30/0/10/30

ItM – 0/30/0/10/30

The reason I posted 2 links is because the first one is up to date with the latest patch and is more accurate while the second one has a guide with some explanations (and a few alternative options). Once the latter is up to date, I’ll remove the first one.

Note: Build does not have to have exact trinkets. As mentioned in the ItM link, the trinkets can be modified as long as it’s Rabid, Dire+Rabid, or mixture of both and has 40-50% crit chance, 17k or more health, and 2.2k or more armor.

So far, the build has been tested and played with in PvE open world and dungeons. I’ve had the honor of being informed and receiving feedback that the build can also work in WvW.

Pros:
- High condition damage and a few AoEs (Cry of Frustration, Chaos Storm, etc.)
- Quick illusion summoning and a few conditions applying
- Utilizes the profession’s Shattering skills frequently
- Decently long condition duration thanks to food
- Some damage mitigation
- Can create self-combos
- Can tag multiple mobs
- Can remove boons and conditions (iDisenchanter or Null Field)
- Has a stunbreaker (Decoy or Blink depending on choice)

Cons:
- Limited mobility and escape (Phase Retreat and 1 stunbreaker)
- Limited support (only iDisenchanter/Null Field, 1 stun, and illusions to give enemies more targets)
- Short duration of condition/boon removal with long cooldown (Null Field) or limited availability (iDisenchanter)
- May prove challenging to professions that can remove conditions easily and fast
- No swiftness (although out-of-combat, you can swap to focus, use Temporal Curtain, then swap back to pistol) – see note below

Note: It is possible to use Focus instead of Pistol and move 10 Dueling (keep Deceptive Evasion) into Inspiration to get Warden’s Feedback. However, it may require some adjustments to trinkets to get enough crit chance. Do know that if going for this, the confusion from iWarden is random, but at least it gives AoE, another reflection and grants nearby allies regeneration. Plus, you get swiftness/cripple and AoE pull. Here is the build link with focus version if interested:

ItM – 0/20/0/20/30 guide

GW2Skills – 0/20/0/20/30

The only trinket changes are the amulet and 1 ring (both from Dire/Rabid to pure Rabid). Also, check out the guide build link for some tricks with using Focus.
______________________________

Now, this is not everyone’s playstyle, but you’re welcome to give this build a try. If so, you don’t have to have the same gear setup; you can have as low as 39% crit chance and minimum of 17k health (you need enough to handle those pesky conditions). And if you do try out the build, let me know how it goes! I’m always trying to improve. Thank you all for reading and helping me becoming more mesmerizing!

Also, if you prefer not to shatter often, you can check out the other condition build – Fata Morgana Conditions; it is also a bit more of a semi-bunker build.

Edit: Added build links, a guide and tricks for focus version. Also, added a note in bold about trinkets.

I posted a bug report about that checkpoint, but also the cloud one after that one is also bugged. When I died, I end up back with the spikes trap-instant kill-spawn.

@Skcamow, thanks very much for the quick response! Maybe I’ll just make a new post with the condition build (and its variants) and give it a new name so that it won’t be confused with the other one. Due to RL stuff and most of my free time in GW2 is doing SAB and dailies, I don’t think I can make it in time for this BotM, but perhaps next month I can.

This is a very nice idea! It also gets involved with the community more. I wish I could post mine, even though it’s been constantly updating since 4 months ago. Then again, the original build was a hybrid and I just started full-condition spec build ideas shortly after joining OMFG and made a branch off of the original build name like “Original Title – Branch Name”.

Edit: Since my original Flowing Images build hybrid, but I’ve recently made condition builds of it (and added the build onto the original thread), does the condition builds consider “new” or because of the original name, it doesn’t qualify?

Since the legendary greatswords have it, why not the scepter? In fact, I think every legendary should have two variants so that it would be fair for all. I’ll give kudos to Anet for being creative on their ideas, but sometimes the ideas didn’t get executed right.

I agree a lot of the issues that you’ve mentioned, Hamartia. Even though I am mainly a mesmer, my favorite color is blue and given the choice, I’d rather pick the blue/sunny version. I too don’t like lightning/thunderclouds. That’s one of the reasons why I didn’t go for Bolt. While the purple is nice, I think a navy/royal blue night sky would fit nighttime more.

I was surprised about the blue trail being removed. It was there for a bit and was longer/brighter and it looked really good! I miss the trail to be honest. It got people taking a notice of me as I run/walk by.

I also didn’t like that when sheathed, the glow on either disappears. Like what others have said, the glow makes it stand out more instead of some little toy-like gadget.

The footsteps are neat and unique, but it felt like it was geared towards the night version more.

If cannot split the 2 versions, at least give the day/sunny back the trail and during nighttime/moon, have it change to give the footsteps.

Where can I sign to have these fixes done?

I wasn’t sure if it’s okay to bump your own build thread or bump the OMFG Tester’s Testing thread, but I wanna let everyone know that I’ve been getting some great feedback and suggestions, so big thank-yous to you folks! I’ve added the condition-specs of the build theme (of which I’m still testing each one) and updated the OP. As stated in OP, the build website isn’t revised yet, but once it does, I’ll update the builds with ascended weapons; I enjoy using that website because it allows me to provide an in-depth guide for each build.

Again, thank you all for offering to help test a build and providing your input! ^__^

Of the two, I’m thinking more that the Noble runes may benefit with my Flowing Images builds more than the other (although Perplexity runes are too good to pass up). I’ll have to do some testing once I complete a few runs of CM.

I almost forgot about altruism runes. Did they fix the bug for might and fury? It’s currently now have a 15 sec cooldown instead of 10 sec. Both of you made valid points and other runes (or even have combination of them) would provide more bonuses.

There has been quite amount of condition runes available for condition-spec builds. Two most recent ones – Scavenging and Noble – got me curious about their other bonuses besides condition damage.

Rune of Scavenging
Rune set grants 5% chance for next attack to steal health (15 sec cooldown), next attack causes lifesteal after using a healing skill, and 7% of vitality goes to condition damage. The 6th bonus is really nice if you have a lot of vitality. I’m not sure how much health you gain from lifesteal. From a glance, this looks good for any condition builds, but more valued by tanky specs. However, since it’s still new, it needs some testing.

Rune of Noble
Rune set grants +40% might duration and 3 stacks of might for 10 secs. Add +10 boon duration (either by 10 Chaos points, Signet of Midnight, or food) to increase the duration to 15 secs, allowing the Mirror healing skill to be useful for granting constant might. Shattered Strength, Bountiful Interruption, GS and staff can grant might. I can see this used in any build, but testing is needed.

Has anyone tried these rune sets out and how good they are?