_Disclaimer: This is an idea for a future elite specialization which gives us access to other roles and gameplay.Let me introduce to you … the Crystallizer, a magical archer.

Introduction

As a weapon, the Crystalizers make use of the longbow and their magic to manifest and shoot crystal fragements. Those fragments shatter at the targeted position / enemy to hitmultiple targets. Further the fragments aren't shot in a straight line, instead the Mesmer opens mini portals one at the own position and one near the destination so thst the fragment travels through those portals. Due to this the attacks aren't counted as projectiles and have no projectile finisher.

Further they gain access to marks, which come in two types. Some are triggered by allies and some that trigger on enemies.

And last but not least they introduce a new set of shatter skills. When you use a new shatter skill now you and your illusions cast a skill together. They won’t destroy your illusions anymore.

Mechanic of the Specialization - New Shatter Skills

Skill F1 – Crystal ArrowYou and each illusion shoot a crystal at the targeted area that shatters there causing aoe damage and vulnerability

• Range 1200
• ¼ sec cast time
• 15 sec CD

Skill F2 – Ethereal ExplosionsCausing ethereal explosions at the targeted location each removing one boon from foes(One explosion per clone)

• Range 1200
• ¼ sec cast time
• 25 sec CD

Skill F3 – Crystal MeteorCalling a large crystal from the sky shattering at the ground, which knocks down enemies – knockdown duration depends on the amount of illusions (1 second base + 0.5 seconds per illusion) Also deals medium damage

• Range 1200
• ¾ sec cast time
• 40 Sec CD

Skill F4 – Crystal ShieldGain a shield around you and your illusions blocking all incoming attacks – 1 second base + 1 additional second per illusion.

• Range 1200
• 50 Sec CD

Skill F5 – Crystal VeilYou and your illusion become invisible, illusions port to nearby random positions – 1 second base + 1 additional second per illusion.

• 60 Sec CD

Weapon

Skill 1 – Fragment ShotShoots at you foe with shattering fragements that deal medium damage and apply vunerability around it.

• Range 1200

Skill 2 – Liquid Crystal ShotShooting a large fragment to the targeted location which explodes there and deals high damage and leaving behind a ether field crippling foes

• Range 1200
• Combofield: Ether
• Duration 3 Seconds
• 240 AoE
• 8 sec CD

Skill 3 – Fragment ShockwaveDealing medium damageReleasing a fragment shockwave from you knocking all foes away from you

• 15 sec CD

Skill 4 – Ricochet PhantasmApply Magnetic Aura to allies around you. You summon a phantasm that shoots a barrage of ricochet fragments on your foe which bounce to nearby enemies - deals medium damage

• Range 1200
• 18 sec CD
• Ricochet fragement range 600
• Targets 5

Skill 5 – Fragment ChaosShooting many fragments from many different directions and portals to the location. They explode when they hit the targeted locationDealing Medium Damage, dazes and immoblizes enemies

• 1200 Range
• 360 AoE
• Damage Radius 180
• 25 sec CD

Skillset - Marks

Skill 6 (Healing Mark)Triggered by alliesHeals you for 4000 and every ally within by ~2000 HP, gives regeneration (5 seconds), effects you as well when you are in the mark.

• Trigger radius 250
• Effect radius 400
• 30 sec CD
• ½sec cast time
• 900 Range

Skill 7 - Refuge MarkTriggered by allies.Removes all movement impairing conditions from allies, also makes them invisible (3 seconds)

• 2 charges
• Breaks Stun
• Trigger radius 250
• Effect radius 400
• 40 sec recharge
• ½sec cast time
• 900 Range

Skill 8 - Survival MarkTriggered by allies.Removes 3 damaging condition from allies within and gives resistance (3 seconds)

• 2 charges
• Trigger radius 250
• Effect radius 400
• 35 sec recharge
• ½sec cast time
• 900 Range

Skill 9 Overwhelming MarkTriggered by enemiesDeals medium-high damage, immobilizes and slows enemies (2sec)

• 2 charges
• Trigger radius 250
• Effect radius 400
• 25 sec recharge
• ½sec cast time
• 900 Range

Skill 10 - Pain MarkTriggered by enemiesApplies 3 confusion and 3 torment, while converting 2 boons to conditions. Also deals low-medium damage.

• 2 charges
• Trigger radius 250
• Effect radius 400
• 30 sec recharge
• ½sec cast time
• 900 Range

Skill 11 (Elite Mark) - Banishing CircleTriggered by enemiesDeals High Damage and reveales enemies. Then it creates an illusion cage with lasts for 8 seconds, when ever an enemy tries to leave he will be teleported back at a random position of the trigger radius.

• Trigger radius 250
• Effect radius 400
• 60 sec CD
• ½sec cast time
• 900 Range

Traits

Prepared:Reduces CD/ Recharge of Marks by 33%, they also have an effect when placedSkill 6: Gives you and nearby allies protection (3 seconds)Skill 7: Gives you and nearby allies swiftness (20 seconds)Skill 8: Removes a condition from you and alliesSkill 9: Gives you and nearby allies Fury (5sec)Skill 10: Gives 3 stacks might to you and nearby allies (10sec)Skill 11: Gives Quickness to you and nearby allies (2sec)

The more the merrier:Using a shatter skills will summon an additional clone that assisting you on the cast

Helping HandSummoning a clone gives you might

Corrupted CrystalsLongbow skills corrupt boonsSkill 2 on each pulseSkill 4+5 on each impact

Distant portalsImproves the mini portals so that the longbow skills can be bused at 1500 range

What offers this to the other elite or base specs?

• You don’t have dps loss anymore when we use a shatter skill, specially in PvE
• A lot of offensive AoE Skills for WvW Zerg Fights which don't suffer from all those projectile hate

You can either use the Marks to plan a head like Place the healing mark, Damage condition removing mark and the portal over each other so you can regroup there with your group when you are getting low or teleport to the mark that removes movement imparing conditions and makes you invisible for nice repositioning. Or use them when the criteria are already met so they will trigger immediately.

Feedback and creative additions welcome ;)

Hmmm, just offering new shatters is pretty boring tbh. Not to mention the theme built around it too is pretty boring too.

Well yes the shatter skills weren't that creative :sweat_smile: if you have any suggestion that would fit into a magical archer theme just bring them up ;)

This clearly lacking the traitline. Without the traitline that's just concept for different shatter, LB and traps. I agree that you can't get aways from the new shatter but neither the LB nor the trap are forced on you.

Looks nice. I'd like if the Traps could have some powerful abilities in exchange for more specialized conditions, such as "When an enemy uses a skill (within the trap), Daze them for 1/4 second. Create an area for 3 seconds in which enemies are Dazed whenever they use a skill." Or perhaps a large Trap which teleports the enemy to the other end whenever they attempt to leave, so you can confine an enemy to a fight or keep them from entering from a direction.

Nonetheless, I like this concept, seems fun. Its theme is a bit loose, and the Shatters are... well, more or less our current shatters without the illusions dying. Maybe a little less powerful, but still.

I think it is already yet already problamatic to lure enemies into the traps, at least if I play against trapper ranger or guards, I always try to send my illusions into them so they will trigger.So i think it is even harder to get an enemy into it and then use a skill.

Uhh i like that idea of trap, reminds me a little bit of the dragon hunters one, but then larger and without knockback. Could be even a random location with in the centre of the trap. Maybe it fits for the elite trap as well.

@Refia Montes.3205 said:Hmmm, just offering new shatters is pretty boring tbh. Not to mention the theme built around it too is pretty boring too.

OP's concept for shatter skills should absolutely have been mirage's! I like the idea.

At a high level it looks like a DH clone. Longbow with traps, and some skills are pretty similar too.

The new shatters look fun, but looking at it again its just our original shatters, reskinned, except distortion was weakened and F1-3 no longer destroy our illusions.

The traps are not fun. I don't want another support spec in the first place, but on top of that, having traps that activate on a conditional basis instead of just someone walking into it? That's just going to be a nightmare or excessive checks on the server's part. Plus, all but 1 utility trap is defensive and wouldn't help at all in dealing damage.

I like the crystal theme and the idea of shatters not destroying illusions, but that's all. All these ground-targetted skills would be nightmare to use imo. Traps are meh in general. Bow is not my kind of weapon. I mean, it could be okayish on mesmer if we used it in some extraordinary way (maybe as some kind of harp?), otherwise it would be very boring to me.

Anyway, it's just me. There are surely people around that would love this spec. Keep up your work. It's good that we get creative and post our ideas and suggestions. :wink:

@OriOri.8724 said:At a high level it looks like a DH clone. Longbow with traps, and some skills are pretty similar too.That's what I thought.

I mean, E-specs can be "what if this profession got a bit more of that other profession", but DH is already "what if a magic-user got that rangery-feel with bow and traps", so we probably won't need another like it.

That's not saying you can't make this more unique. Maybe a different type of utility skills and maybe traits that make this stand out?

The idea of shatters beeing arrows which we can shoot together with our Illusions feels cool to me.

It's something like the Ambush skills right now. I hope u are including Phantasms for this too, since Ambushes aren't (-.-)

Maybe a new type of illusion which i am thinking about since months.

Name for ur spec would be "Crystal - Shadows", or "Crystalillusion".Same Stats as Mesmer, swap weapons with the Mesmer, mimic "clone"-abilities for 10% damage, mimic Phantasm Abilitys for 100% damage.Phantasm abilitys are now casted by the mesmer itself - > example Pistol 4 spawns a "Crystal-Shadow". The Mesmer and all living Crystal-Shadows will then shoot 8 Times.->Phantasm abilitys are bound to CD instead of the Phantasm attack timer. No Clone/phantasm - Shatter problem anymore (when we forget ur new shatter mechanic).

Every Illusion is strong when used with Phantasm attacks->when phantasm attacks are on cooldown, we use our shatters and then reproduce those Illusions pretty fast for the next Phantasm attack.

@Bod.8261 said:

@OriOri.8724 said:At a high level it looks like a DH clone. Longbow with traps, and some skills are pretty similar too.That's what I thought.

Yea, but when you change the skill type that an elite spec is bringing, you are more or less starting over. The only thing that would be kept, so far (bearing in mind that no traits were shown), is the weapon choice and shatters that are more or less the same as what we have now in functionality. While I'm not saying we can't have an elite spec with this theme, to make it significantly different from DH would require a very large overhaul from how it was originally presented.

@OriOri.8724 said:At a high level it looks like a DH clone. Longbow with traps, and some skills are pretty similar too.

The new shatters look fun, but looking at it again its just our original shatters, reskinned, except distortion was weakened and F1-3 no longer destroy our illusions.

The traps are not fun. I don't want another support spec in the first place, but on top of that, having traps that activate on a conditional basis instead of just someone walking into it? That's just going to be a nightmare or excessive checks on the server's part. Plus, all but 1 utility trap is defensive and wouldn't help at all in dealing damage.

I think that's something that can hardly be avoided, that they are a little similiar. It's a typicall hunter theme, but altered to better fit the mesmer :tongue: Also most traps are designed defensive and supportive because traps are usually used offensive so it would be something new.

The problem is that if someone walks into the trap and a supportive trap is always triggered then they would trigger even when not needed so it would be a complete waste. I don't think that it's that much more expensive to check.Most of the time the check like all the other traps, waiting for an person to enter the trap. only while a person is in the trap it needs to be checked, but I dont think that it is that more expensive than another pulsing field. But that would be a devs problem :lol:I also dont see that in this spec one would run with more than 1-2 utility traps. In pvp/wvw we usually run blink/decoy/portal so 1-2 utility are already reserved for that.

Also a lot of the difference in game play makes the base mechanic of a class in opinion. The DH also got a little ranger feeling :wink:

I'm also working on a more medium range dps oriented theme, won't spoiler that much yet :tongue:I usually alter some things i would like to see on the mes. In this case this was more aoe damage capabilities, shatters not destroying you illusions, a longbow with a little ranger feeling. All united in crystal theme, that could fit into a Kralkatorrik related addon ;P

So here's my problems with it so far, constructive criticism:

Yes, if you want LB and traps you will always be at least a little similar to DH, and that's not necessarily bad, but with so many options available (all of the weapons we don't have, on top of all of the skill types already in game, not to mention new ones could easily be added), I also don't see why you want to go so similar to a spec that already exists.

Also traps are not a good support skill type, for a variety of reasons. If you want a defensive spec with AoE skills for support, marks would be better suited, or even spirits (I think they cold mesh pretty well with mesmer if Anet took the time to design the skills properly. It could be like FB mantras where they wouldnt' be all that similar to ranger spirits except in name and very high level concept). The name "trap" just conveys an offensive feel, and having the majority of them be defensive/supporty is odd to me.

@OriOri.8724 said:Yes, if you want LB and traps you will always be at least a little similar to DH, and that's not necessarily bad, but with so many options available (all of the weapons we don't have, on top of all of the skill types already in game, not to mention new ones could easily be added), I also don't see why you want to go so similar to a spec that already exists.

Well i just like the idea of a mesmer/hunter theme, if you have any ideas for changes, to make it more different from Ranger/ DH just hit me up.

@OriOri.8724 said:Also traps are not a good support skill type, for a variety of reasons. If you want a defensive spec with AoE skills for support, marks would be better suited, or even spirits (I think they cold mesh pretty well with mesmer if Anet took the time to design the skills properly. It could be like FB mantras where they wouldnt' be all that similar to ranger spirits except in name and very high level concept). The name "trap" just conveys an offensive feel, and having the majority of them be defensive/supporty is odd to me.

Well I think you are right marks would suit better to that what they currently do, even without changing function guess I should change that :lol:

Does not sound bad, but its not really inovative and DH ripp-off for mesmers.

Specifically towards DH, you gave us traps and a LB, and then gave us a skill to pull enemies into a trap. That's a pretty big DH ripoff honestly.

At a higher level, you claim you want you want a support spec, but that it also needs to be a hunter spec? They are kind of exclusive. I mean think about what a hunter does. Are you hunting down your allies that need your support? That doesn't sound like a fun spec to play, that sounds like playing against the UI really.

I think you need to re-evaluate what you want your spec to do, to be good at. Because right now it looks like you have several conflicting themes that you can't agree on, so you threw them all together. Do you want a support spec? Do you want a spec that plays like a hunter? Do you want a spec that uses crystals to control the battlefield (you have elements of this creeping in to some of the skills)?

Nah Support isn't really necessary, aoe focused damage was more important to me so that the arrows aren't single target like usually. I just thought what is typically for a hunter and what could be changed to make it different to others. So I came to supportive traps.

Well pulling in general isn't specially a DHs thing to me. Engineer and Necro could also already always use a pull. Also with focus on Mesmer we have a short range pull. And one of the most greatest things in wvw was pulling people off the wall with it, but since the change back then isn't possible anymore. And as a Mesmer you don't always want to pull foes to you, so i think a location based pull is way more interesting. Specially in a hunter theme one would probably like to keep them away from you.But yeah nowadays I pulling people into traps is usually a DH thing. But dont forget vanilla Necro could place marks and/or spectral wall before and pull people into it.

So yeah to me it doesn't have always have to be all new mechanics or ideas. A little bit new stuff has to be of course.