10 replies to this topic

[DaSwede]

I've played just about every kind of build with the Mesmer, but this is my favorite by far! So I wanted to make a small build guide to share my build. It's a shatter-heavy condition build with focus on critical hits. I successfully use this build in both PvE and WvW.

Here's the build:
http://gw2skills.net...Gyhmh2ldlUgbXIA

Pros:
High survivability
Large stacks of bleeding, burning and confusion
Group tagging for events.
Little if any down time between mobs

Cons:
Less effective offensively in dungeons

Ideal gear (all exotic)
Armor: Precision / Condition / Toughness from Karma/Dungeon
Runes: Superior Rune of the Adventurer (Power / Condition) x5 and Any other rune with +25 Power
Weapon: Condition / Power / Vitality (Carrion)
Sigil: Sigil of Corruption (+10 Condition per kill) / Superior Sigil of Ice (30% chance on crit to chill)
Accessories: Coral Orichalcum (Precision / Condition / Power)

MATH!! Stats at Level 80
Condition Damage = 917 (Gear) + 311 (Traits) = 1228 (+250 for full stack corruption form sigil)
Power = 443 (Gear) + 916 (Base) = 1359
Precision = 560 (Gear) + 916 (Base) + 200  (Traits) = 1676
Toughness = 224 (Gear) + 916 (Base) + 250 (Traits) = 1440
Vitality = 128 (Gear) + 916 (Base) = 1044
Critical Chance = ((1676 - 916) / ((0.0024 x 80^2) + (0.06 x 80) + 1)) + 4 = 39.91 ~ 40% Crit Chance (Phantasms have an additional 10%)

Scenarios (timing is everything to maximize damage)
Burst damage
- Pull with Warlock -> Phase Retreat -> Dodge -> Shatter -> Mirror Images -> Dodge -> Shatter

Single mob
- Auto attack -> Feedback (if ranged) -> Warlock -> Dodge -> Dodge -> Shatter

Multiple mobs
- Auto attack -> Mirror Images -> Dodge -> Shatter -> Chaos Storm -> Dodge -> Phase Retreat -> Warlock -> Shatter

Tagging groups (in a zerg)
- Switch weapon - Blink (or dodge in) into middle -> Mirror Images -> Shatter -> Blurred Frenzy

Dungeon
- Keep illusions up at all times to provide buffs, shatter only when you can make 3 more quickly. On bosses, Try to get and keep 3 warlocks alive for max damage. Chaos Storm is your friend.
- Consider switching Blink to Null Field

Any feedback is appreciated!

[dragonphlu]

Out of curiosity, wouldn't having 30 in Illusion to have a little faster cd with shattering, extra condition damage, and getting Illusionary Persona be more beneficial than Chaotic Transference? Does Chaotic Transference provide a significant amount or is there a cap limit?

[DaSwede]

dragonphlu, on 25 October 2012 - 07:42 PM, said:

Out of curiosity, wouldn't having 30 in Illusion to have a little faster cd with shattering, extra condition damage, and getting Illusionary Persona be more beneficial than Chaotic Transference? Does Chaotic Transference provide a significant amount or is there a cap limit?

Either way is pretty much correct, it's a difference of 22 condtion damage, so not a huge difference more a personal preferance. I'm rarely in range for Illusionary Persona to matter so I'd rather have the slightly more toughness and higher condition damage.

[SpelignErrir]

I'd definitely drop five points in chaos for illusionary persona. If you're tagging swords with a mob, it'd help you deal much more damage and tag more mobs.

[DaSwede]

SpelignErrir, on 26 October 2012 - 12:39 AM, said:

I'd definitely drop five points in chaos for illusionary persona. If you're tagging swords with a mob, it'd help you deal much more damage and tag more mobs.

I agree, going with the original build; however, is more conducive to solo play where tagging is not necessarily an issue.

[Naglifar]

The staff is at most a defensive utility bar. Its phantasm is horrible. I basically only have it to drop AoE aegis and get Protection for myself. It seems like you use the staff close up, which I guess can be effective vs 1 mob while your solo. But as soon as there are more mobs or more friendlies, all those offensive boons you would get are now going else where on the winds of chaos bounces...turning you into a semi-decent boon distributor. Since Mesmer conditions are so bursty remember that MIGHT will help you output way more damage than condition damage will.

Also a Great sword with points in Domination instead of Chaos is going to be more effective with the play-style your traiting for.

If you wana really do some staff / sword+focus. get some points into inspiration, and forget about shatters.

dragonphlu, on 25 October 2012 - 07:42 PM, said:

Out of curiosity, wouldn't having 30 in Illusion to have a little faster cd with shattering, extra condition damage, and getting Illusionary Persona be more beneficial than Chaotic Transference? Does Chaotic Transference provide a significant amount or is there a cap limit?

Chaotic transference only give you more condition damage, based on 5% of your toughness. The artificer's cheap tuning crystals do this, aswell as convert vitality into more condition damage (making this extra 5 points much more meh)

Edited by Naglifar, 26 October 2012 - 05:49 AM.

[Sinnacle]

Naglifar, on 26 October 2012 - 05:49 AM, said:

The staff is at most a defensive utility bar. Its phantasm is horrible. I basically only have it to drop AoE aegis and get Protection for myself. It seems like you use the staff close up, which I guess can be effective vs 1 mob while your solo. But as soon as there are more mobs or more friendlies, all those offensive boons you would get are now going else where on the winds of chaos bounces...turning you into a semi-decent boon distributor. Since Mesmer conditions are so bursty remember that MIGHT will help you output way more damage than condition damage will.

Also a Great sword with points in Domination instead of Chaos is going to be more effective with the play-style your traiting for.

If you wana really do some staff / sword+focus. get some points into inspiration, and forget about shatters.



Chaotic transference only give you more condition damage, based on 5% of your toughness. The artificer's cheap tuning crystals do this, aswell as convert vitality into more condition damage (making this extra 5 points much more meh)

Yea I use those artifacer tunning crytals I keep 10 on me really good boost.  I am running runes of the undead on another set of armor to see if I miss the runes of adventurer which I have on another set of armor.  

So far with high crit chance and proc I havent missed the extra ability to dodge all that much.  I run nothing but precions, toughness, condition gear so it works out nicely.  

For your sigil recommendations I would swap the sigil of ice for sigil of fire.   I tried ice out and didnt like it because its 10 sec cd as opposed to 5 for fire or air.    With extra bounce traited and chaos storm you can get fire to proc more often with its 5 sec and it helps  staff out adding aoe damage.    I don't really like staff but adding fire sigil makes it much better.

[sorting hat]

What's the range for the fire blast from sigil of fire? I'm at the stage of choosing sigils for my weapons and it's hard to make decisions. I'd like some extra AOE, but at the same time I don't want to aggro unintended.

[Touche]

In pertanence to WvWvW this build is similar to the tpvp version of this. Obviously swap out torch for focus, or keep the torch for large pvp encounters. http://www.gw2build....96.0.20.20.0.30

And from a pure DPS perspective the GS is much better however the speed at which you can set up your clones and stay up close is much better with the staff as you can take more hits and use Illusionary Persona. If you're not planning on using Illusionary Persona than use the GS but that shatters will be a bit more on delay as your clones will have to run to your target rather than instant shatters up close.

[KodakMoment]

Naglifar, on 26 October 2012 - 05:49 AM, said:

Chaotic transference only give you more condition damage, based on 5% of your toughness. The artificer's cheap tuning crystals do this, aswell as convert vitality into more condition damage (making this extra 5 points much more meh)

Artificer's cheap tuning? Is this an item?

[sorting hat]

http://wiki.guildwar..._Tuning_Crystal
Tuning Crystal, there's a whole series of them.
But as far as I know, if they behave the same as weaponsmith's sharpening stones, their effect ends when you're downed. Unless you can be sure you won't be downed often, you'll need a whole lot of them at hand. But they are nice to use in WVW for that extra boast, I think.