2 replies to this topic

[mochipixel]

(Posted this on the official forums, but I wanted advice from you girls and guys too!)

I <3 the Mesmer. It makes me work but I enjoy the “chess” type appeal to the profession.
I’ve recently settled on a Staff and Sword/Focus combination and I’ve paid for too many trait resets already I’m hoping I can reach out to some of you builders who’ve poured over and tested trait sets for some advice and guidance.

I’d like to create a trait set that can be both useful in WvW and in my PvE roaming (if possible). I love the focus for Temporal Curtain and the whirling Warden, and sword lets me get a good couple seconds of immobilize so I can trap mobs and players next to my Warden.

Staff has the delicious Chaos Storm which I miss dearly every time I try out a Great Sword just for kicks. GS is fun, but I miss my defensive abilities on the staff.
This is a rough set of traits based on being able to access glamour buffs, illusion buffs and staff buffs – with some illusion-on-death buffs.

http://gw2skills.net...nUE9ljSB2zOpClG

I realize I’m heading down the jack-of-all-trades/master-of-none route, but something like this might give me the flexibility to switch between PvE and WvW and maybe even dungeons by giving me access to those interchangeable traits. The utilities skills shown would be more for PvE, but I’d swap in Feedback and Time Warp for more group situations.

Apologies on the longish read and thank you in advance for any and all help and advice on either what I’ve started or something completely different

Cheers!

Edited by mochipixel, 16 September 2012 - 07:46 AM.

[Peppe]

I don't think inspiration is a strong line to have.  Glamour skills are all nice, but usually situational, so you don't always need them right off cooldown.

This is my take on mesmer.  PvE I am not to 80, but have spent some time in sPvP and getting zerged over in world pvp.

Strong PvE build:
http://gw2skills.net...pA7yOSFUtSKwtLE

Concept is to do damage with you staff bounces (power/crit), clones, shatter, and phantasm.  Target one you might kill just you and staff clones + mind wrack.  Target 2 should take some collatoral damage or just be a new target that you can create a staff clone and warlock on.  Chaos armor/storm as needed.  

Swap to sword for blurred frenzy using hit and run aoe damage after any phantasm volley consider mind wrack or cry of frustration.  Really have to get in the habbit of suiciding those clones/phantasm on non boss mobs.  Bosses with other people helping you can dance around and get your 3 phantasm up.  Just you solo they usually die quickly anyway, so explode them

PvP,keep the play style similar, but pick up some things on traits that are more annoying for players:
http://gw2skills.net...UK6e2JVo0lUg7ZD

So PvE is more about using F1 and F2 to kill faster.  PvP you can still use them, but your clones are mostly there to cause trouble and if you run into a smart player not targeting your clones use f3 and f4 to do more annoying CC

PvP you have to change utilities skills around for what you are doing as zerg vs zerg is a lot different than small fights.  Usually need at least one source condition removal and I personally think decoy for stealth is a life saver (also like the cloak trait on 25% as well).

Dungeons usually looking at Feedback,  Illusion of Life, and a clone/phantasm skill.

Outdoor PvE Really anything works.  I usually take the 2 clone skills and experment with the last slot (can't go wrong with most glamour skills though - at worst you get another ehtereal field to combo off for chaos armor).  I tend to just chain pull through mobs, so use decoy + weapon clone + phantasm on one and weapon clone + mirror images on another.

Elite is the same general boat all situationally useful.  Timewarp if grouping and moa if solo usually works.  

Weapon sets are another major way to tweak your play.  Build is not tied to condition damage, so you can boost crit chance and use on crit sigils.  PvE I use on swap +power and +precision sigil that stack to 25 and apply to all weapons you use.  On staff I am liking sigil of ice for all play environments.  PvP off hand you can use ice or other on crit sigils too or they would be good for on-swap buffs since you don't usually stay in sword/offhand long.

If you are super min/max in PvE you can get the on kill x25 buffs and replace your weapons with your WvWvW weapons/on crit weapons as the buff stays till you zone or are downed.  Only makes sense in PvE and only if you are going to be a zone for a long time.

[Ikelos]

mochipixel, on 16 September 2012 - 02:21 AM, said:

http://gw2skills.net...nUE9ljSB2zOpClG

I realize I’m heading down the jack-of-all-trades/master-of-none route, but something like this might give me the flexibility to switch between PvE and WvW and maybe even dungeons by giving me access to those interchangeable traits. The utilities skills shown would be more for PvE, but I’d swap in Feedback and Time Warp for more group situations.

What stats are you building on your gear?

I've found that PvE builds work just fine in WvW for the most part. Caveat: your PvE build can't be a glass build. Glass builds just don't work in WvW because of all the random stuff flying around (and are generally kind of a bad idea anyway).

The most important things to have in WvW: Focus, Feedback, Null Field (or alternate condition removal). You have all these already so you're more or less good. I would take Mass Invisibilty as my elite in WvW personally, the possibilities for mass invisible ganks and the fact that it massively helps with escaping make it really nice. I would also opt for a Scepter in place of a Sword; the Sword would be better for chasing down runners though, so I guess it depends what you like to do.