Skrubby Mesmer Problems

[starrifyx]

Thanks in advance to anyone who posts Mesmer builds in the future, might open my eyes to more and better builds. Shatter mes seems fun, but it feels too...cliched.

I had a Sylvari Mesmer created 2 years ago and I think she's my 3rd character. However I found Sylvari's story incredibly boring (sorry, no offense), and I found that I could not survive on my Mesmer. The latter probably was just me being a massive Skrub.

During the Borderlands Stress Test however, Chris got me to try out Mesmer so we could roam around stealthing and just explore and enjoy the new map. And I actually really enjoyed it. The past few days I've also been roaming around with Leecher John, Chris and Paul as Mesmers and all the stealthing was so much fun. For now, I decided Mesmer is a comfortable roaming class for me.

However, here's the problem. I run a full Dire build for her. I guess it's got a higher chance of survivability, but I absolutely hate how little damage I do. I'm not saying I want burst damage like a shatter build (unless that's actually MUCH better, might switch?), but even with just a PvE mob it takes me aaages to do any damage to them with my 3 clones. I'm not sure why exactly (I did hear that they've nerfed this build, but *this* little damage?), I'm probably missing something major around here somewhere, please someone point it out to my derpy mind.

This is the guide I used
metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Mesmer_-_PU_Condi_Roamer

and I have changed a few abilities here and there, especially switching to portals or veils when necessary. The other thing I've changed is the Rune, I'm using Traveler's Runes. I've been able to use this in a zerg as well, which I like. The thread did say I could switch out for Rabid gear, but I opted for full Dire.

[starrifyx]

Okay so I've been roaming around for the 2 hours and here's maybe a good example for what I'm trying to say. I came across the same AR Warrior 3 times, a few PS, and a few AR, all on different accounts. While I was fighting the Warrior, it was super easy to survive, a few dodges here and there (his charge was so easy to spot), keeping my clones up, and popping my Staff 5+2 Chaos armor when possible. But the first 2 times I couldn't kill him and he soon ran away as he realized he's losing, and he has one of those super fast runaway Warrior builds. The 3rd time I had help and we finally got him down. On the other 2 fights against 3v3 Piken (won) and 3v5 AR (lost), they both had shatter build Mesmers, and I realized even with my stealths and shit it's horribly difficult against them. ;-; (Side question: Is there anything that counters shatter mesmers at all? And I'm talking about in general.)

Basically, I couldn't do enough damage to enemies/mobs and I'd sometimes need help against enemies. I guess I do a little more of a support for zergs or groups though.

Camp capping for this build is also viable, but holy shit am I slow at taking 'em. I could pull out maybe half a camp and take them down first then the other half, but it does really take quite a while to do so. :/

[paul]

I think part of it is that you need to be shattering your clones. You can always make more, and with the right traits (I think mine are a bit different to the standard, though that has some that help too) shatters are an important part of your condition output. I pop 3 as soon as I can, let them get a shot or 2 off and then shatter, and attempt to repeat.

Also I think you might reconsider using Traveller runes. The benefit in speed can be made up by signet and PU generated swiftness if you find yourself too sluggish, and I think you lose on other more offensive stuff like increased condi damage and duration. I use Perplexity because I'm a cheesy bastard, but Nightmare and a couple of others are good choices.

Shatters can be dodged and blocked, and also the clones are relatively weak so can sometimes destroyed if you can make some distance on them.

Hope that helps a bit! I'll do a mesmer write op one of these days, only I suspect it isn't as good a build as Bikket's

[paul]

It sometimes is a little slower than direct damage, as it's nearly all based around conditions that enemy players can periodically cleanse. That's a curse and a blessing, since you're survivable enough to just hang out while it ticks down.

Some fun stratagies can be had with decoy, one of my favourite utilities. I like using it to stealth and then blink away from attacks that root you to the spot. Then you might be immobile but you're perfectly safe while the other dude wails away on a clone, and you still have your cleanses, more stealth on the torch and stuff. And you can burst the clone on his face (use F3 or F4 iirc, they don't nreak stealth ) Also fun is doing staff 2 followed immediately by decoy as an escape from a tricky spot, cos again it looks like the clone is you. Works on a surprising number of unwary players.

And remember that standing still can be an advantage in a profession that otherwise relies a lot on battlefield mobility with dodging and kiting... you can pretend to be a clone. I don't often do that which is another reason to shatter often - all the clones running about make it a bit easier to blend in

[starrifyx]

Wow Paul, thanks for that. I didn't know F3 and F4 won't break stealth. And all the other tips too, I have never thought of those. I will definitely try that next time. I also tried popping my clones as my "make more clones" abilities come off cooldown, but I'm not entirely sure whether that's affective yet.

I did think I have to pop my clones sometimes, but I don't feel like they do enough dmg, and it's really hard to pop clones on running away targets. However, I have found something that I didn't do while writing this thread in the first place, which is switching to my scepter torch for a little more damage. Not sure why lol, but after I realized that, I do a little more damage.

So far, I have been able to make a draw on most fights, and actually have pretty good fights with Skrub like when I was able to clutch bounce out from the burst damage or all the wells Necros put down, a few margin escapes with jukes on stealthing too. xD

One question tho, like explain to me like I'm a massive 5yo Skrub, what are the difference between Clones and Phantoms? To me, Phantoms deal more damage when popped, but like, that's all I know apart from their appearances.

[paul]

Phantoms do deal more damage generally, particularly the greatsword berserker guy... they are all an important part of your dps. With your (and my) build your phamtoms are mainly about stacking confusion from torch guy - with well timed shatters and sceptre 3 you can get huge confusion stacks - and staff guy does damage proportional to the condis you're pouring out (so in that condi group the other day he was hilarious). Which is why he particularly will seem to be kicking arse for us.

Clones hardly do anything, you may notice, directly, but three of them together nicely stack either torment or random condis depending on if they have staff or sceptre.

Shatters 1 and 2 do a fair amount of burst damage even though we don't have that specifically traited, and more importantly they also proc condis, as do 3 and 4. So using them judiciously is wise. Don't forget that if it says it procs x stacks if something, that's for each shattered illusion, and yourself (you shatter too! A good thing to remember if you're both low HP, just fire off everything into their stupid face solo - you'll get some stun and vlund out of it ), so firing it all off in your enemy's face is 4 times as great as it says it is.

So basically phantasms are usually the damage dealers while clones proc condis and confuse the enemy. I think they shatter the same.