Mesmer PvE | Dungeon Sword/Sword, Sword/Focus | Control GFC CC Phantasm Spec

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Summary

This build is all about controlling the flow of a fight through crowd control skills. This build provides fantastic access to AoE dazes and vulnerability application against trash mobs, while good single target damage potential.

 

Couple this with projectile reflects, party-wide heals, condition clears, and distortions and you have a strong CC support build for a fractal party.

 

This build lacks party-wide aegis, protection, and regeneration, and thus may be too specialized for fractal runs with randoms.


I. Weapons and Skills

Soros's Blade
  • Weapon Strength: 950-1050
  • Precision: 125
  • Power: 90
  • Ferocity: 90
Soros's Blade
  • Weapon Strength: 950-1050
  • Precision: 125
  • Power: 90
  • Ferocity: 90
Soros's Blade
  • Weapon Strength: 950-1050
  • Precision: 125
  • Power: 90
  • Ferocity: 90
Soros's Artifact
  • Weapon Strength: 873-927
  • Precision: 125
  • Power: 90
  • Ferocity: 90
Zojja's Impaler
  • Weapon Strength: 950-1050
  • Power: 125
  • Precision: 90
  • Ferocity: 90
Zojja's Trident
  • Weapon Strength: 950-1050
  • Power: 125
  • Precision: 90
  • Ferocity: 90
  • Mind Wrack12
    Shatter. Destroy all your clones and phantasms, damaging nearby foes.
    Damage: 280Damage (2x): 378Damage (3x): 492Range: 1,200
  • Cry of Frustration25
    Shatter. Destroy all your clones and phantasms, confusing nearby foes.
    Confusion: 3 s (65 damage on skill use)Damage: 80Range: 1,200
  • Diversion38
    Shatter. Destroy all your clones and phantasms, dazing their targets.
    Daze: 1 sRange: 1,200
  • Distortion50
    Shatter. Destroy all your clones and phantasms, gaining distortion for each one shattered.
    Distortion: 1 sRange: 1,200
  • Mind Slash
    Slash your foe to make them vulnerable.
    Damage: 202Vulnerability: 5 sRange: 130
    • Mind Gash½
      Gash your foe to make them vulnerable.
      Damage: 202Vulnerability: 5 sRange: 130
    • Mind Spike½
      Stab your foe and rip a boon off of them. This skill does an additional 50% damage to targets with no boons.
      Damage: 280Range: 130
  • Blurred Frenzy½
    Strike your foe with a flurry of strikes, distorting the space around you, making you evade attacks.
    Damage (8x): 808Distortion: 2 sRange: 130
    • 0
    • 0
  • Illusionary Leap¾
    Clone. Summon an illusion that leaps at your target, crippling them.
    Damage: 1Crippled: 1 sCombo Finisher: LeapRange: 600
    • Swap
      Swap locations with your clone. Immobilize nearby foes.
      Immobilized: 2 sCombo Finisher: LeapRange: 600
    • 0
  • Illusionary Riposte12
    Clone. Block your foe and create an illusion when attacked.
    Block duration: 2Damage: 672
    • Counter Blade¾
      Shoot out a bolt that dazes foes in a line.
      Daze: 1 sDamage: 34Range: 900
    • 0
  • Phantasmal Swordsman1 14½
    Phantasm. Create an illusion that attacks your foe.
    Damage: 672Combo Finisher: LeapRange: 1,200
    • 0
    • 0
  • Mantra of Recovery10
    Mantra. Meditate, charging a spell that will instantly heal you when activated.
    Number of casts: 2
    • Power Return
      Instantly heal yourself.
      Healing: 3.260
  • Signet of Midnight24
    Signet Passive: Grants 20% condition duration.
    Signet Active: Blind nearby foes.
    Condition Duration Increase: 20%Blind: 5 sRadius: 360Breaks stunRange: 360
    • 0
  • Mantra of Distraction20
    Mantra. Meditate, charging a spell that will daze your target.
    Number of casts: 2
    • Power Lock5
      Daze your foe.
      Daze: 1 sRange: 1,200
    • 0
  • Time Warp ¼ 210
    Glamour. Create an area that warps time, granting you and your allies quickness while slowing foes.
    Quickness: 1 sDuration: 10Combo Field: EtherealRange: 1,200
    • 0

Weapon and Skill Details

Mantra of Distraction, Illusionary Riposte, and Into the Void are your primary interrupt skills. Diversion with baseline Illusionary Persona is great for stripping Defiance. Feedback and Signet of Midnight are there to protect your party from burst damage and projectiles. Most of your personal survivability comes from well-timed Blurred Frenzies.


Traits

Domination

  • Illusion of Vulnerability
    Interrupting a foe inflicts 3 stacks of vulnerability for 5 seconds.
    • Confounding Suggestions
      Increases daze and stun duration on foes by 25%. When you would daze a foe, you stun them instead (5s ICD).
    • Empowered Illusions
      Your illusions deal 15% more damage.
    • Rendering Shatter
      Shatter skills inflict 1 stack of vulnerability for 8 seconds on foes they hit.
  • Dazzling
    Dazing a foe inflicts 5 stacks of vulnerability for 8 seconds.
    • Shattered Concentration
      Shatter skills remove 1 boon from foes they hit.
    • Blurred Inscriptions
      Reduces recharge of signet skill by 20%. Gain distortion and remove 1 condition when you use a signet.
    • Furious Interruption
      Gain quickness for 3 seconds whenever you interrupt a foe (5s ICD).
  • Fragility
    Deal 0.5% more damage to foes for each stack of vulnerability on them.
    • Imagined Burden
      Reduces recharge of Greatsword skills by 20%. Gain 2 stacks of might for 5 seconds whenever you or an illusion uses Spacial Surge. All of your other greatsword skills inflict cripple for 2s when they hit.
    • Mental Anguish
      Shatter skills deal 15% more damage. This bonus damage is doubled on foes that are not activating skills.
    • Power Block
      Interrupting a foe inflicts damage and causes weakness for 5s. Additionally if the interrupted skill has a recharge time greater than 0 it is put on a 15 second recharge.

Dueling

  • Critical Infusion
    Gain vigor for 5s when you critical hit.
    • Phantasmal Fury
      Your phantasms gain 10 seconds of fury every 10 seconds.
    • Desperate Decoy
      Cast Decoy when you are struck while below 50% health. This trait benefits from the recharge bonus provided by Master of Manipulation.
    • Duelist Discipline
      Pistol skills recharge 25% of their full recharge when you interrupt a foe. Pistol attacks from you and your illusions have a 33% chance to inflict 1 stacks of bleeding for 5 seconds.
  • Sharper Images
    Your illusions inflict 1 stack of bleeding for 5s when they critical hit.
    • Blinding Dissipation
      Whenever you use a shatter skill you blind foes around you for 3 seconds.
    • Evasive Mirror
      Whenever you successfully evade an attack, gain a projectile reflecting barrier for 1.5 seconds (1.5s ICD).
    • Fencer’s Finesse
      Reduces recharge of sword skills by 20%. Whenever you or an illusion hits with a sword attack you gain a stack of Fencer’s Finesse that gives 15 ferocity for 6 seconds (maximum 10 stacks).
  • Confusing Combatants
    You and your illusions inflict 1 stack of confusion for 3 seconds on critical hit (33% chance).
    • Harmonious Mantras
      Mantra skills can be activated 3 times before needing to be channeled again. Whenever you use a mantra skill gain a stack of Harmonious Mantras for 10 seconds which increases your damage by 4% per stack (maximum 5 stacks).
    • Mistrust
      Whenever you interrupt a foe inflict 2 stacks of confusion for 6 seconds to foes in a radius around your target.
    • Deceptive Evasion
      Whenever you use a dodge roll you create a clone.

Inspiration

  • Mender’s Purity
    Whenever you use a healing skill you cast Power Cleanse. This trait benefits from Harmonious Mantras.
    • Medic’s Feedback
      Revive allies 10% faster. When you start reviving an ally cast Feedback. This trait benefits from the recharge bonus provided by Temporal Enchanter.
    • Restorative Mantras
      When you finish preparing a mantra you heal allies around you.
    • Persisting Images
      Phantasms you summon spawn with retaliation for 6 seconds and have 20% more health.
  • Inspiring Distortion
    Whenever you grant distortion to yourself, you also grant it to nearby allies for 1 second (5s ICD)
    • Warden’s Feedback
      Focus weapon skills reflect projectiles and have their recharge reduced by 20%.
    • Restorative Illusions
      Using a shatter skill removes 1 condition from you and heals you based on the number of illusions shattered.
    • Protected Phantasms
      Newly summoned phantasms gain distortion for 1 second. When you use a shatter skill, all illusions gain protection for 2 seconds.
  • Healing Prism
    Each illusion you control grants you 200 healing power. Whenever you heal yourself, you heal nearby allies by a small amount. 10 second internal cooldown.
    • Mental Defense
      Whenever you successfully block or evade an attack cast Phantasmal Defender on your attacker. This trait benefits from the recharge bonus provided by Illusionist’s Celerity and Persistence of Memory.
    • Illusionary Inspiration
      Phantasms grant 3 seconds regeneration to allies near them every 3 seconds. If you have any boons when you summon a phantasm you cast Signet of Inspiration. This trait benefits from the recharge bonus provided by Blurred Inscriptions.
    • Temporal Enchanter
      Glamour skills last an additional 2 seconds. When you first create any glamour nearby allies within the glamour radius gain 2 seconds of superspeed and 3 seconds of resistance.

Trait Details

Domination: Pick Empowered Illusions over CS and Rending Shatter. Confounding Suggestions is too single-target focused, and the 5s ICD on it limits its effectiveness against trash mobs. Rending Shatter is buffs your shatter skills marginally, but you shouldn't be shattering unless the target is going to die anyways. Pick Blurred Inscriptions for your Master trait. Boon strips are nice against the mages in the Ascalon fractal but interrupts are better. The ICD on Furious Interruption and the existence of the Defiance mechanic knocks that trait out of consideration. The Distortion on Blurred Inscriptions will synergize well with the Inspiring Distortion minor trait in Inspiration to protect your party. Power Block is the best grandmaster for PvE group content due to its raw spike damage from the old Halting Strike trait. Imagined Burden only generates might for yourself and Mental Anguish runs into the same dilemma with shatters mentioned before.

 

Dueling: As we are using S/S and S/F, Phantasmal Fury is the go-to choice. Fencer's Finesse is an all-around strong trait that gives us a defensive boost via CD reduction on Blurred Frenzy. It also allows us to interrupt more often with Illusionary Riposte and cast swordsmen faster. You shouldn't need Blinding Dissipation if your Elementalist/Thief is doing their job properly.
Choose Harmonious Mantras for the GM because of its synergy with MoR and MoD. This trait will let you stack up some impressive damage modifiers if you need to use conjures, and also improves your personal survivability and group condition cleanse- a must have for this build.

 

Inspiration: If you can't clear an encounter within 20s, Restorative Mantras provides some of the sustain your party needs to keep their scholar bonuses up. The health increase on Persisting Images isn't very useful since most bosses and mobs will one-shot them regardless. Medic's Feedback can be useful for the Grawl or Dredge fractals, but players shouldn't be going down in the first place. Warden's Feedback is the no-brainer for our master trait. Restorative Illusions is too selfish and Protected Phantasms will be more useful in WvW. For our GM, I picked Temporal Enchanted for its glamour duration and resistance. Illusionary Inspiration is a strong contender but the ICD on the boon share (24s w/ Blurred Inscriptions) and the lack of notifications for when it's available make it too unreliable for me to use it.


III. Stat Specifics & Effects

Primary Stats

  • Health 16622 (+700)
  • Vitality 1070 (+70)
  • Armor 1967 (+0)
  • Toughness 1000 (+0)
  • Attack 3665 (+1615)
  • Power 2562 (+1562)
  • Critical Hit 66% (+66%)
  • Precision 2155 (+1155)

Secondary Stats

  • Boon Duration 10% (+10%)
  • Critical Damage 70% (+70%)
  • Damage 1103 (+5%)
  • Defense 967 (+0)
  • Experience from Kills 20% (+20%)
  • Ferocity 1061 (+1061)

Boons

  • Aegis
    Block the next attack.
  • Distortion
    Allows mesmers to evade attacks for some time.
  • Frenzy
    Increases damage taken by 25%. It typically seen as a mechanic to offset a beneficial effect such as quickness.
  • Frosty Armor
    Chills foes that hit you.
  • Fury
    20% critical chance increase. Stacks in duration.
  • Haste
    Regenerate endurance at 50% effectiveness when under the effects of this skill. It's typically seen as a mechanic to offset a beneficial effect such as quickness.
  • Invulnerability
    Prevents the target from taking damage or receiving conditions. It is also placed on rallied players for one second.
  • Might
    X damage per attack increase. Stacks intensity.
  • Protection
    33% damage reduction. Stacks in duration.
  • Quickening Zephyr
    Prevents healing. It typically seen as a mechanic to offset a beneficial effect such as quickness.
  • Quickness
    Makes all skills and actions 50% faster.
  • Regeneration
    Regenerates X health per second. Stacks in duration.
  • Rejuvenation
    Regenerates health. This effect is exclusive to the guardian profession through the Virtue of Resolve.
  • Resistance
    Resistance temporarily negates the affected target of all effects caused by conditions.
  • Retaliation
    Does X damage to an opponent each time they hit you. Stacks in duration.
  • Smiting
    Causes every fifth attack to apply burning. This effect is exclusive to the guardian profession.
  • Stability
    Cannot be knocked down, pushed back, launched, stunned, dazed, floated, sunk, or feared.
  • Stealth
    Allows the user to be invisible to enemy players and avoid being spotted by enemy NPCs.
  • Swiftness
    33% movement speed increase. Stacks in duration.
  • Vigor
    Faster endurance regeneration. Stacks in duration.

Conditions

  • Agony
    Agony is an effect unique to Fractals of the Mists that removes a percentage of the player's health every second and reduces received healing by ~50%.
  • Bleeding
    Bleeding is a stackable condition that deals damage over time.
  • Blind
    Causes the target's next hit to miss instead.
  • Burning
    Inflicts X damage per second. Stacks in duration.
  • Chilled
    Reduces movement speed and skill recharge by 66%. Stacks in duration.
  • Confusion
    Inflicts X damage each time a foe uses skill. Stacks in intensity.
  • Crippled
    Crippled is a condition which decreases movement speed by 50%. Stacks in duration.
  • Fear
    Causes the target to run directly away from the caster.
  • Immobilized
    Immobilized is a condition which prevents movement and dodging. Victims also can't turn. Stacks in duration.
  • Poison
    Inflicts X damage per second. Reduces outgoing heals by 33%. Stacks in duration.
  • Slow
    Slow is a condition that reduces the activation time of skills and abilities.
  • Taunt
    Taunt is a control effect that forces the affected target to run towards the source of taunt with all skills except stun breakers disabled while using their auto-attack skill.
  • Torment
    Deals damage every second; deals additional damage if moving; stacks intensity.
  • Vulnerability
    Increases damage the target takes by 1%. Stacks in intensity.
  • Weakness
    Causes 50% of attacks to be glancing and reduces endurance regeneration by 50%. Stacks in duration.

Control

  • Break Stun
    Stun break is an effect which can break control effects on a character.
  • Daze
    Interrupts and prevents the target from using skills for a period of time.
  • Float
    Forces the affected target(s) to move towards the surface.
  • Knockdown
    Interrupts and causes the foe to be unable to move or use skills for a short duration. Knocked down foes fall to the ground.
  • Launch
    Interrupts and tosses a character into the air.
  • Pull
    Shortens the distance between the user and the foe by drawing one of them to another. If a foe is pulled, this can result in an interrupt.
  • Push
    Physically pushes foes away from the player and interrupts them.
  • Sink
    Forces the affected target(s) to move away from the surface.
  • Stun
    Interrupts, immobilizes, and incapacitates foes for a short duration.
  • Teleport
    Teleport to target location.
  • Teleport
    Teleport (alternatively, flash) is a mechanic that causes the user or target(s) to instantly move from one location to another.

Fields & Finishers

  • Dark Field
    Dark Combo Effects

    Blast Finisher: Area Blindness
    Leap Finisher: Blindness
    Projectile Finisher: Life stealing
    Whirl Finsher: Leeching Bolts
  • Ethereal Field
    Ethereal Combo Effects

    Blast Finisher: Area Chaos Armor
    Leap Finisher: Chaos Armor
    Projectile Finisher: Confusion
    Whirl Finsher: Confounding Bolts
  • Fire Field
    Fire Combo Effects

    Blast Finisher: Area Might
    Leap Finisher: Fire Shield
    Projectile Finisher: Burning
    Whirl Finsher: Burning Bolts
  • Ice Field
    Ice Combo Effects

    Blast Finisher: Area Frost Aura
    Leap Finisher: Frost Aura
    Projectile Finisher: Chilled
    Whirl Finsher: Chilling Bolts
  • Light Field
    Light Combo Effects

    Blast Finisher: Area Retaliation
    Leap Finisher: Retaliation
    Projectile Finisher: Remove Condition
    Whirl Finsher: Cleansing Bolts
  • Lightning Field
    Lightning Combo Effects

    Blast Finisher: Area Swiftness
    Leap Finisher: Dazing Strike
    Projectile Finisher: Vulnerability
    Whirl Finsher: Brutal Bolts
  • Poison Field
    Poison Combo Effects

    Blast Finisher: Area Weakness
    Leap Finisher: Weakness
    Projectile Finisher: Poison
    Whirl Finsher: Poison Bolts
  • Revealed
    Revealed is an effect applied when stealth is broken, for example by entering combat or exiting a Shadow Refuge circle prematurely.
  • Smoke Field
    Smoke Combo Effects

    Blast Finisher: Area Stealth
    Leap Finisher: Stealth
    Projectile Finisher: Blindness
    Whirl Finsher: Blinding Bolts
  • Super Speed
    Activate your slick shoes, enabling you to move at superior speeds.
  • Water Field
    Water Combo Effects

    Blast Finisher: Area Healing
    Leap Finisher: Healing
    Projectile Finisher: Regeneration
    Whirl Finsher: Healing Bolts
Combo
  • Blast Finisher
    Blast Combo Effects

    Dark: Area Blindness
    Ethereal: Area Chaos Armor
    Fire: Area Might
    Ice: Area Frost Aura
    Light: Area Retaliation
    Lightning: Area Swiftness
    Poison: Area Weakness
    Smoke: Area Stealth
    Water: Area Healing
  • Leap Finisher
    Leap Combo Effects

    Dark: Blindness
    Ethereal: Chaos Armor
    Fire: Fire Shield
    Ice: Frost Aura
    Light: Retaliation
    Lightning: Dazing Strike
    Poison: Weakness
    Smoke: Stealth
    Water: Healing
  • Projectile Finisher
    Projectile Combo Effects

    Dark: Life stealing
    Ethereal: Confusion
    Fire: Burning
    Ice: Chilled
    Light: Remove Condition
    Lightning: Vulnerability
    Poison: Poison
    Smoke: Blindness
    Water: Regeneration
  • Whirl Finisher
    Whirl Combo Effects

    Dark: Leeching Bolts
    Ethereal: Confounding Bolts
    Fire: Burning Bolts
    Ice: Chilling Bolts
    Light: Cleansing Bolts
    Lightning: Brutal Bolts
    Poison: Poison Bolts
    Smoke: Blinding Bolts
    Water: Healing Bolts

Stat and Effect Details

In an organized group with Fury and 25 stacks of might, you'll want to grab as much precision as possible without compromising your overall stats. There is a marginal decrease in direct damage by speccing for Precision, but your damage from reflecting enemy projectiles is significantly greater.


IV. Food, Armor, Trinkets & Upgrade Items

Food Nourishment

Plate of Orrian Steak Frittes
Duration: 30min
Power: 100
Vitality: 70
Experience from Kills: 10%
  • (30min)
  • Power: 100
  • Vitality: 70
  • Experience from Kills: 10%

Utility Nourishment

Superior Sharpening Stone
Duration: 30min
Gain power equal to 6% of your toughness
Gain power equal to 4% of your vitality
Experience from Kills: 10%
  • (30min)
  • Gain power equal to 6% of your toughness
  • Gain power equal to 4% of your vitality
  • Experience from Kills: 10%

Armor & Runes

Saphir's Masque
  • Defense: 77
  • Precision: 63
  • Power: 45
  • Ferocity: 45
Superior Rune of the Scholar
  1. Power: 25
  2. Ferocity: 35
  3. Power: 50
  4. Ferocity: 65
  5. Power: 100
  6. +10% damage while health is above 90%.
Saphir's Epaulets
  • Defense: 77
  • Precision: 47
  • Power: 34
  • Ferocity: 34
Superior Rune of the Scholar
  1. Power: 25
  2. Ferocity: 35
  3. Power: 50
  4. Ferocity: 65
  5. Power: 100
  6. +10% damage while health is above 90%.
Saphir's Doublet
  • Defense: 330
  • Precision: 141
  • Power: 101
  • Ferocity: 101
Superior Rune of the Scholar
  1. Power: 25
  2. Ferocity: 35
  3. Power: 50
  4. Ferocity: 65
  5. Power: 100
  6. +10% damage while health is above 90%.
Saphir's Wristguards
  • Defense: 140
  • Precision: 47
  • Power: 34
  • Ferocity: 34
Superior Rune of the Scholar
  1. Power: 25
  2. Ferocity: 35
  3. Power: 50
  4. Ferocity: 65
  5. Power: 100
  6. +10% damage while health is above 90%.
Saphir's Breeches
  • Defense: 203
  • Precision: 94
  • Power: 67
  • Ferocity: 67
Superior Rune of the Scholar
  1. Power: 25
  2. Ferocity: 35
  3. Power: 50
  4. Ferocity: 65
  5. Power: 100
  6. +10% damage while health is above 90%.
Saphir's Footwear
  • Defense: 140
  • Precision: 47
  • Power: 34
  • Ferocity: 34
Superior Rune of the Scholar
  1. Power: 25
  2. Ferocity: 35
  3. Power: 50
  4. Ferocity: 65
  5. Power: 100
  6. +10% damage while health is above 90%.

Armor Stat Totals

  • Defense 967
  • Power 490
  • Ferocity 415
  • Precision 439

Rune Bonuses

Superior Rune of the Scholar
  1. Power: 25
  2. Ferocity: 35
  3. Power: 50
  4. Ferocity: 65
  5. Power: 100
  6. +10% damage while health is above 90%.

Accessories & Jewels

Mark of the Tethyos HousesOffensive Slot
  • Power: 157
  • Precision: 108
  • Ferocity: 108
Berserker's BackOffensive Slot
  • Power: 63
  • Precision: 40
  • Ferocity: 40
(Infused)
Crystalline BandDefensive Slot
  • Power: 126
  • Precision: 85
  • Ferocity: 85
(Infused)
Ring of Red DeathOffensive Slot
  • Power: 126
  • Precision: 85
  • Ferocity: 85
(Infused)
Althea's AshesOffensive Slot
  • Power: 110
  • Precision: 74
  • Ferocity: 74
Magister's Field JournalDefensive Slot
  • Power: 110
  • Precision: 74
  • Ferocity: 74

Accessory Totals

  • Power:692
  • Precision:466
  • Ferocity:466

Weapon Set Sigils

Soros's Blade
  • Weapon Strength: 950-1050
  • Precision: 125
  • Power: 90
  • Ferocity: 90
Soros's Blade
  • Weapon Strength: 950-1050
  • Precision: 125
  • Power: 90
  • Ferocity: 90
Sigil of Superior Force
+5% damage.
Sigil of Superior Accuracy
+7% crit chance.

Weapon Set I

Sigil of Superior Force

+5% damage.

Sigil of Superior Accuracy

+7% crit chance.

Soros's Blade
  • Weapon Strength: 950-1050
  • Precision: 125
  • Power: 90
  • Ferocity: 90
Soros's Artifact
  • Weapon Strength: 873-927
  • Precision: 125
  • Power: 90
  • Ferocity: 90
Sigil of Superior Force
+5% damage.
Sigil of Superior Accuracy
+7% crit chance.

Weapon Set II

Sigil of Superior Force

+5% damage.

Sigil of Superior Accuracy

+7% crit chance.

Zojja's Impaler
  • Weapon Strength: 950-1050
  • Power: 125
  • Precision: 90
  • Ferocity: 90
Zojja's Trident
  • Weapon Strength: 950-1050
  • Power: 125
  • Precision: 90
  • Ferocity: 90
Superior Sigil of the Night
Outgoing damage is increased by 10% at night.
Sigil of Superior Bloodlust
You gain +10 power each time you kill a foe. (max 25 stacks and ends on down or weapon change)

Water Weapon I

Superior Sigil of the Night

Outgoing damage is increased by 10% at night.

Water Weapon II

Sigil of Superior Bloodlust

You gain +10 power each time you kill a foe. (max 25 stacks and ends on down or weapon change)

Upgrade Item Details

Assassin's armor with Scholar runes, Assassin's weapons with Force/Accuracy/Slaying, and Berserker's trinkets give us strong damage output, even when factoring in Condition builds with Rampager's/Sinister gear. You'll want to use a Force or Energy sigil combined with a Slaying, Accuracy, or Night sigil. Superior Sigil of the Night on the spear is handy for killing Mossman.


V. Basic Gameplay

Compared to other classes with set rotations, Fractal Mesmer is a very active play style that relies a lot on properly timed reflects, feedbacks, and invulns. You'll want to spawn as many phantasms as possible in single-target encounters whereas trash mob clearing will require good focus usage followed by interrupts. Use defensive cooldowns like Feedback or Signet of Midnight as necessary.


Main Skill Rotation

Time Warp ¼ 210
Glamour. Create an area that warps time, granting you and your allies quickness while slowing foes.
Quickness: 1 sDuration: 10Combo Field: EtherealRange: 1,200
Phantasmal Warden1 25
Phantasm. Create a phantasm that attacks your target and creates a defensive bubble, protecting itself and allies from projectiles.
Damage: 30Range: 1,200
Phantasmal Swordsman1 14½
Phantasm. Create an illusion that attacks your foe.
Damage: 672Combo Finisher: LeapRange: 1,200
Blurred Frenzy½
Strike your foe with a flurry of strikes, distorting the space around you, making you evade attacks.
Damage (8x): 808Distortion: 2 sRange: 130
Mind Slash
Slash your foe to make them vulnerable.
Damage: 202Vulnerability: 5 sRange: 130

Although not shown visually, you'll want to start with pistol offhand and spawn a duelist before you get into combat. After your phantasm appears, quickly swap your offhand back to focus before continuing with the rest of the setup.


Clearing Trash Mobs

Mantra of Recovery10
Mantra. Meditate, charging a spell that will instantly heal you when activated.
Number of casts: 2
Mantra of Distraction20
Mantra. Meditate, charging a spell that will daze your target.
Number of casts: 2
Temporal Curtain¼ 25
Create a wall of energy that grants swiftness to allies who cross it while crippling foes who touch it.
Crippled: 5 sSwiftness: 12 sCombo Field: LightRange: 900
Phantasmal Warden1 25
Phantasm. Create a phantasm that attacks your target and creates a defensive bubble, protecting itself and allies from projectiles.
Damage: 30Range: 1,200
Into the Void
Destroy your Temporal Curtain, pulling your target into it.
Blurred Frenzy½
Strike your foe with a flurry of strikes, distorting the space around you, making you evade attacks.
Damage (8x): 808Distortion: 2 sRange: 130
Power Lock5
Daze your foe.
Daze: 1 sRange: 1,200
Illusionary Riposte12
Clone. Block your foe and create an illusion when attacked.
Block duration: 2Damage: 672
Counter Blade¾
Shoot out a bolt that dazes foes in a line.
Daze: 1 sDamage: 34Range: 900
Mind Slash
Slash your foe to make them vulnerable.
Damage: 202Vulnerability: 5 sRange: 130

Pull mobs together with Focus 4, timing it so that your warden appear on top of them immediately after the pull. Sword 2 to generate Fencer's Finesse and evade their burst while simultaneously dazing them with MoD. Use Sword 4 to daze once more before using Sword 5 and your shatters on any survivors.


Reflections

Phantasmal Warden1 25
Phantasm. Create a phantasm that attacks your target and creates a defensive bubble, protecting itself and allies from projectiles.
Damage: 30Range: 1,200
Signet of Midnight24
Signet Passive: Grants 20% condition duration.
Signet Active: Blind nearby foes.
Condition Duration Increase: 20%Blind: 5 sRadius: 360Breaks stunRange: 360
Phantasmal Warden1 25
Phantasm. Create a phantasm that attacks your target and creates a defensive bubble, protecting itself and allies from projectiles.
Damage: 30Range: 1,200
Phantasmal Warden1 25
Phantasm. Create a phantasm that attacks your target and creates a defensive bubble, protecting itself and allies from projectiles.
Damage: 30Range: 1,200
Temporal Curtain¼ 25
Create a wall of energy that grants swiftness to allies who cross it while crippling foes who touch it.
Crippled: 5 sSwiftness: 12 sCombo Field: LightRange: 900
Phantasmal Warden1 25
Phantasm. Create a phantasm that attacks your target and creates a defensive bubble, protecting itself and allies from projectiles.
Damage: 30Range: 1,200
Phantasmal Warden1 25
Phantasm. Create a phantasm that attacks your target and creates a defensive bubble, protecting itself and allies from projectiles.
Damage: 30Range: 1,200
Phantasmal Warden1 25
Phantasm. Create a phantasm that attacks your target and creates a defensive bubble, protecting itself and allies from projectiles.
Damage: 30Range: 1,200

For permanent reflect uptime without Illusionist's Celerity and Phantasmal Haste:

 

0s - Spawn Warden
5s - Feedback
13s - Signet of Midnight
14.2s - Warden 1 attacks
19.2s - Projectile block/reflect from party member
23.7s - Spawn Warden
28.4s - Warden 1 attacks
33s - Temporal Curtain
37.9s - Warden 2 attacks
42.6s - Warden 1 attacks
47.3s - Spawn Warden
52.1s - Warden 2 attacks
56.8s - Warden 1 attacks
61.5s - Warden 3 attacks


Mossman

Illusionary Mariner½ 20
Phantasm. Create an illusion that evades while attacking your foe in a flurry.
Damage per strike: 168Final strike damage: 504Range: 1,200
Feigned Surge8
Clone. Surge forward, attacking enemies in front of you, then teleport back to your starting location, creating a clone.
Damage: 267Combo Finisher: LeapRange: 900
Feign
Teleport back to your starting point, leaving behind a clone.
Range: 1,200
Stab½
Stab your foe.
Damage: 269Range: 150

Against Mossman, stay with spear and spawn Mariners until you have three of them. Once you have three illusions, just cast Feigned Surge whenever it is off cool down, making sure not to Feign


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