I’ve played with a ton of builds. Several different gear load outs. I think it’s pretty amazing how differently the profession plays depending on choices you make.
Recently put together my first set of magic find gear, and set out to find a build that works well with it. Compared to my other armor sets, I find the stat distribution to be very lacking, and the builds that work with better stats just don’t fly.
For now I’m using this build with mostly Explorer’s gear, Runes of the Pirate (to save gold, would rather slot scavenger), and opals. I’m using that with GS and Sword/x – usually sword lately, but I switch around. Pistol is quite good too.
The build is a damage focused mantra build.
Couple of notes – last time I used mantras, I hated them. This time around they don’t bother me at all. The thing I cast most is probably mantra of pain, its handier than I thought. The feat build out does change around, sometimes I will trait more for shatters with Precise Wrack and Mental Torment, or swap Crippling Dissipation to Empowered Illusions. Protective Mantras and Mantra Mastery seem weak.
So that’s working out fine for me. Compared to my usual set ups it seems limited – I can kill mobs quickly, but I end up healing a lot more, and can’t handle groups as big as I’m used to. My question is, what are other people using for PvE farming- what else works?
It is optional with Deceptive Evasion, if your intent is clone creation. Taking both is overkill on that front. I dropped it for one build I was trying and didn’t miss it at all.
On the other hand, it lets you pump out those clone skills more often, so the additional effect can be worth it. Mirror Blade in particular makes it very worth the 5 points.
Its so good, I think it should have been a grandmaster trait. Shhhhhhhh.
(edited by Voodoo Tina.4180)
Ok, what you’re trying to do doesn’t work. Confusion won’t rock pve. Confusion is useful because it annoys your opponent and they are more likely to mess up. AI doesn’t get annoyed so confusion isn’t the best way to operate
First change your gear. Vit is less useful, you already have as much health as a warrior. If you lack survival try toughness. But honestly even as a glass cannon you can tank several mobs at once, and remember dead mobs can’t hurt you. Power > presicion > crit damage works. Or condition damage > presicion > toughness. Or what you like. I liked condition and toughness with staff, you almost can’t die, I liked power with GS.
For simple PVE, get 20 points in illusions and 20 in dueling. Take illusionary elasticity and deceptive evasion. Engage mob with staff auto attack. Dodge to him twice, making two clones. Drop chaos storm on you and him, wait a few sec and phase retreat out. Mind wrack. He’s dead, or will be in a sec. For groups, use GS as a wrecking ball. It’s quick, straightforward, and very simple.
That’s not the only way to go, and probably not the best. It is very, very easy though.
Yes, we have useless traits.
No, interrupts are not useless. We have tons of them, if you want to take them.
Masquerade armor. Dye it purple yellow and green. Now you’re a trick or treated dressed as a mardi gras parade.
Oh yeah! And I actual prefer him, how could I forget?! If mind stab were a blast that would be a blast, but GS with three finishers on it might be over doing it.
One of our light fields is bugged and instead acts like ethereal. (I think veil.)
We do have a whirl finisher, the great sword phantasm. If you drop an ethereal field on him he will spread confusion around when he attacks. Or in a light field, he removes conditions.
I shatter a lot. As in I’m usually waiting for cool down. For me, sigil of stamina helps the most for damage – 2 clones on demand every time you drop a target gives more damage than the direct damage procs that I played with.
If you’re not enjoying Mesmer for pve, I imagine you’ll dislike it for dungeons and pvp too. Solo pve is the easiest part of the game, aside from crafting. Mesmers are the natto of GW2, you love it or you hate it, and its a hard taste to acquire.
No it was a warlock nerf. Not limited to pvp or pve.
Lol Physics!
It’s a ranged weapon that rewards you for staying at range and gives you tools to help you do that. The weapon doesn’t stop firing if your opponent gets close, it just deals less damage. If you’re too close swap to sword and eat their faces off.
Edit: Physics probably also has a problem with the idea you can be killed by mental illusions exploding into pink butterflies. Don’t forget to complain about that too!
(edited by Voodoo Tina.4180)
It would be a buff but it would be broken from the get go. Look at illusions as a warriors adrenaline. Do you think it would be fair for them to start a fight charged and ready to burst, because they can’t build it against a thief who is hiding? That’s what having illusions out means to a Mesmer.
It’s a skill, taking up room on your bar, and it has a cool down. That’s not the same as making it automatic and permanent.
And still, the idea goes contrary to what illusions are. If you don’t like the class mechanic, you just don’t like the class.
Just to add to the confusion <snicker> it depends on if you are talking about additive color or subtractive.
In additive color you are mixing different colors (wavelengths) of light. Mixing the three primaries (red, blue, green) yields white. Mixing two primaries give the secondaries cyan, yellow, and magenta. I guess that’s what they mean by pink not existing – blue and red light are opposite ends of the spectrum and magenta (pink) is in the (imaginary) space between.
In subtractive color you’re mixing pigments that reflect (and absorb) light. Mixing all three primaries (red, yellow, blue) creates black. Mixing two primaries gives you the secondaries green, violet, and orange. Pink in this case is actually red or violet, just diluted.
There’s room for a lot of craziness in how we see color. Is green primary or secondary? It depends. Also, we can not distinguish between pure wavelengths of light and mixtures that look the same to us. Yellow light isn’t actually red and green, but we can’t see the difference.
[Update] : Lack of Confusion items / sigils / runes in the game.
in Mesmer
Posted by: Voodoo Tina.4180
Oops. That would be a great addition.
I’d like to order a set of runes that gives condition damage, +confusion duration, and AoE confusion when you leave stealth … Delicious!
I have soft targeting turned off, and clones can a certainly have the wrong target. Deceptive Evasion will do it all day long. Easy enough to test. Attack a ranged mob, and stand close to something that’s not aggressive. Summon a phantasm on your target, swap weapons, summon another, then dodge to create a clone. It’s important that the non aggro mob be closest to you. Shatter, you will see two phantasms shatter on your target and the clone will run to the non aggro mob you never targeted and shatter on it, making it attack you.
I can’t say it works this way 100% of the time, I have not checked. But it’s VERY easy to duplicate, it happens all the time by accident, if you try to make it happen its easy to see what we are talking about.
I have auto targeting turned off, unless I tab or click a target there is no way the system thinks I targeted something else. Dodge clones will shatter on whatever was closest, even though they attack your target.
Feedback - Please Adjust the Staff This way instead of what's been done
in Mesmer
Posted by: Voodoo Tina.4180
Nothing should be changed to suit the needs of DE’s in Orr. Staff is lovely as is everywhere else. Fix the events, clearly they are the problem.
-Chaos Storm is not primarily for damage, adding more damage to staff would make it too good unless you reduce it’s function – applying conditions and boons.
- What is wrong with Winds of Chaos? It’s already good at taking down singles quickly, and groups safely. You want it changed, but for what purpose?
Like you I loved mesmers in gw but never felt like I played them that well. Usually I’d make the build and let a hero use it, since they were better than me.
Take your time to learn the class. I used one weapon at a time for five levels or so each before I started weapon swapping to see what works well together. Once you’ve gotten comfortable with your weapons, start cycling through utilities and make yourself use everything so you can see what’s comfortable. I think a build needs at least one way to deal with conditions, and preferably at least 2 combo fields, along with a variety of finishers. After that its all about your preference of what feels fun.
I use it but it took a lot of getting used to. I look at it as that extra bit of damage in my rotation – if I miss its not a big deal, but more often than not I hit. A bigger area wouldn’t hurt, but it refreshes so often it could easily become too much. Still I never said no to a buff ….
Personally I don’t get what you’re after. The trait lines don’t need a major redesign, they need bugs fixed.
Also your take on what trait lines are about has more to do with your preference than, well, what they are about.
Illusion line isn’t all about confusion, a lot of it is shatters. Which trait line reduced shatter recharge? Shattered might is fine where it is.
Domination is not all about might. A lot of those traits deal with daze and stun. Wastrel’s punishment is a natural fit. And what has it got to do with dueling. One weapon skill on an offhand you can trait with dueling – why not propose moving pistol to domination? (Not that it really makes sense either.)
I’m not going to argue each change you suggested, I think I made my point. It would be a bad idea to move every trait that deals with x into line y. That creates more of a need for everyone to build the same, not less. If you want to tank you MUST use this line. It would also mean we are stuck having only three selectable traits for that theme. Having some traits in the “wrong” tree gives you more flexibility in builds.
As an example look what you can do with a 20/0/0/20/30 build. Confusion lasts longer, glamour skills last longer, recharge faster, cause blindness on cast, which causes confusion, and more confusion when enemies enter or leave the field. If all confusion skills belong in Illusion, that build isn’t possible. By having confusion traits different places, more builds are possible. (Compare to 30 dueling 30 illusions – that works too.)
You’re entitled to your opinion, mine is that I prefer Anet’s trait design to yours.
You’re safe to build like a glass cannon in the early levels. Depending on your weapon stack power, precision, cond damage, and crit damage. Later on I decided some toughness was required, right about the time I went to a dungeon and we all got our kitten handed to us.
Your Mesmer is doing dungeons and your guardian is running amuck killing things in world pve. Do the same with your Mesmer and see the difference. When I need loot I’ve taken to camping spawn points in Frostgorge Sound. You can fill your bags pretty quickly, and not have to worry about tagging loot.
It doesn’t change the fact that other classes can Zerg to get karma and loot, but it does let you make money until that issue gets addressed.
We disagree then. Attributes granted by traits are a big part of my builds – they shore up weaknesses in my gear load out or further enhance traits I’m stacking. If you don’t see the significance, compare your GS damage with a 30/30/x/x/x build vs 0/0/30/30/10. It matters.
Staff isn’t good for melee? Really that’s where it’s best.
Chaos armor only works if you are taking hit. It’s wasted if you are kiting or not taking hits.
Chaos storm is largely wasted if either you or your targets aren’t in it. You can’t do that at range.
Phase retreat is pointless if you’re already at range, it’s main purpose is to get you some distance.
Winds of chaos is usually best if you stand closer to your target than anyone else, so you soak up the boons. The only exceptions being when you have 3 enemies balled up and want to just spread conditions, or if you have a tank you would rather buff instead of yourself.
Warlock is the only staff skill that does its job as well at range as in melee. It is in that sense the reverse of the GS – staff works at range, better close in, and is defensive, while GS works in melee but better at range, and is offensive.
They work beautifully together.
Gear gives more points than trait lines but that hardly makes traits “fluff.” For example, 3000 HP can make a huge difference, not to mention the traits that come along with it.
It is powerful. I tried it out for a few days – 0/20/20/30/0 – and you’re near impossible to take down. I switched back to my normal pve build because its already very sturdy and kills much faster. Once all the phantasm traits are fixed to work together I would think about going back to try it again.
I’m adapting but will miss the old skill for a long time. It was more useful. Now it’s a get out skill, nothing more. It had more utility before. Oh well. I they would fix the fact it sometimes turns you around and makes you stop attacking I would feel better about it. As it is in many situations I would rather not use it.
If you’re dying a lot try getting toughness gear. Vitality helps, but you already have a lot as a mesmer, toughness is what’s lacking most. You can learn to not get hit, but for times it can’t be avoided, you should be able to take more than a few hits.
GS is better than staff on trash. It’s why I use both. Staff is great for when I have to survive big pulls or really tough mobs, otherwise GS kills faster. I have a balanced build between power precision and cond damage. If you specialize in one weapon or the other your results will differ.
It would be a buff but it would be broken from the get go. Look at illusions as a warriors adrenaline. Do you think it would be fair for them to start a fight charged and ready to burst, because they can’t build it against a thief who is hiding? That’s what having illusions out means to a Mesmer.
I have not spotted him, but is t the point to kill him? Unless he has swiftness that doesn’t sound hard. We have numerous ways to kill at range, cripple, knockdown, daze or stun him. Do we need swiftness to get it done? Maybe, not sure yet.
Yeah you got it. That tactic lets you solo really tough mobs even without the best gear. Just watch for any that can stun lock you or chain cc together and you’re pretty much set!
If you didn’t know how to use it before, the change will seem like a plus. Really limits the skill a lot. I’m not complaining, it is a bug fix and I’m already adapting to the difference in how it works. The most annoying aspects of it are it dropping me out of chaos storm more often than not, vs the old way that never did, it being perfectly predictable about where it puts you, and the fact that it still put me in walls twice last night.
I dislike it, but it isn’t going to make me rage quit either.
I have a few. Most recent one was a DE I did with maybe 4 other people. After the first one completed uneventfully a champion came along. One guy saw it and ran. It proceeded to kill the other three in rapid succession. I killed it on my own, and had time to rez two of the other guys in the process, but they promptly died again. When it was over I got a message from the warrior “What ARE you?”
So you did. I just read your thread and glanced at the build, completely missed what came below. Let us know how the build works out!
You can swap your major traits without retraining.
So when you are using phantasms swap mental torment to empowered illusions, and use more of your traits that give you benefits for each active illusion and buff phantasms. (Do check on which ones work together, the answer right now being mostly none of them.)
When you are shattering switch to your traits that benefit shatter and clone death. They aren’t the same thing, but I prefer to gain some benefit from killed clones rather than it being a lost opportunity to shatter.
Up to you if you prefer illusionary elasticity to deceptive evasion. Each has its benefit.
I’ve been playin with clones to see what I can do to maximize their use. A few things I noticed:
-Mobs will aggro on whatever it sees first.
-Given the choice of hittin something close and chasing after you, it will normally go after what is closest.
-A mob can aggro your clone and not aggro you – it seems unaware there is a connection. If a mob kills your clone and you are not on mobs hate list, it won’t come after you.
-Dodge clones can sometimes target the closest mob instead of your target. I don’t know how many adds I’ve killed because of that.
Often it’s best of you lead with a clone skill, and make sure it’s closer than you are. Some weapons guarantee that, sword clone leaps forward, great sword clones spawn in melee, staff spawns at your location and teleports you back. Other skills you have to be more aware of position – mirror image and dodge clones will spawn at your location, so move away when you make them.
You still can’t expect clones to take every hit, but if you think of clones as mobile aegis, they are awesome for soaking up damage for you. Not to mention all their other uses.
Four bug fixes, a tooltip correction, a buff, and a nerf.
I logged in to play a little. The warlock change will reduce our damage on specific boss fights, but won’t change anything in those fights other than to make them last a little longer. It makes no noticeable difference in general pve – mobs are dead before you miss a warlock attack. The damage happens maybe a second later, but it still happens. And then you shatter it anyways.
The patch notes said that Phase Retreat will no longer be putting us into geography, but did not mention the skill is working differently now. It is now doing what the tooltip says, not what it did in the past.
It has always teleported you backwards from the direction you are facing. For instance, I’ll drop Chaos Storm, run to the edge, and Phase Retreat to get the clone, the Chaos Armor, and still end up in the Chaos Storm for the buffs.
Now it is actually teleporting you away from your target, as advertised. So trying the trick above will put you outside the field. I can still manage to make it work, it just takes different tactics. Like dropping the storm where the edge is on the enemy, running up facing him, and then Phase Retreat.
Its a bit disorienting because I always used Phase Retreat as a sort of Blink – facing a different direction would result in you moving back a different direction. Now you always move away from your target, so sometimes switching targets first will put you in a more advantageous position.
They will both work. My experience is that power will take down single targets or groups of 2-3 fastest, cond works best on groups of 3 or more. The advantage I saw to condition builds is that they continue to apply damage if you are temporarily unable to hit – knocked down, kiting, dazed or whatever. It could well be that the power build would have killed that target before it CC’d me though, it’s hard to say.
Right, Rune, Sigil, what’s the difference . . .
For Runes, decide if you want to keep stacking what your traits and armor give, or fill in for something that’s lacking.
Or scepter auto attack (and clones) that cause confusion again . . .
Depends entirely on how you play. I like Superior Rune of Stamina, because I love the trait Deceptive Evasion. Every time an enemy dies, I get full stamina, so I have three clones out seconds after I change targets.
Your build might not include that triat, or you might not be using clones, so give us some more information to better know what works for you.
Anastasia has it. The real advantage is range. That can be a significant advantage. But in pve, I prefer other ranged options more often.
I imagine it has usefulness for an “on clone death”build, but I have not tried that. Between scepter 1 and deceptive evasion you can probably pump comes out really fast. But you can already do that with mirror blade, so no real advantage there.
Clone issue might be positioning. If not I don’t know. This morning I soloed a champion 80% before someone came along. I took maybe 2-3 hits, clones were soaking up the damage.
Yes, it’s that flexible. If you want to support you can be very good at it. If you want to be a glass cannon you can be good at that. And if you want to be very very hard to kill, you can be good at that too.
I was near the top of a wicked hard jumping puzzle. I dropped portal and fell. No problem, I ported back up and finished. The guy behind me clicks on portal to see what it does just in time for it to expire. Poor sap had to start over and he wasn’t happy. I offered to portal him back up and he said he isn’t into hacks am cheats. He was into massive QQ in /map though. <cry>
It doesn’t give you regeneration. Rune of Dwayna does.
You can still play an interrupt Mesmer. Look in domination for skills that enhance daze, and elsewhere there are traits that benefit you for interrupting. Great sword for knock back, focus for pull, staff or sword for daze, mantra of distraction … I ran into someone doing something like that, and while I don’t think it’s going to be a top rated build, it might be what you’re looking for. It felt as if every time I tried to do something he had a way to stop me.
Copy paste still gives me bad link. From what you explained it though, it’s a phantasm build. I tried something close to that and didn’t “get” it. With a condition staff build or burst damage shatter build, normal mobs are dead before phantasms recharge, so getting three phantasms out is next to impossible. The only time I manage is if its champion mobs, DE bosses, or dungeons. I thought it worked well there, but for everything else I felt like other builds worked better. Any advice on how to make this build shine?