Torment Build

So I made a Mesmer to give the profession a try. I noticed that the profession has a lot of torment generating abilities and I've always wanted to run a torment inducing build ever since Revenant failed to deliver. That and the entire idea of causing damage via torment kinda fits the theme I have going for him as being Lovecraftian style mad. Does anyone have any builds I can try out?

And how ppl supposed to know in which area you want to run said build ? If in short -> Infinite horizon + clone on dodge + axe => pretty much cancur , torment build is pretty much ready

Axe Mirage uses torment as its most damaging skill by a large margin, so that's probably the way to go. You will also apply bleeding and confusion with axe and, depending upon your off-hand weapon choice, other conditions as well (usually burning, if you take torch!).

You didn't mention which game mode, but I assume since you're just trying it out you're looking for open world at this point? You might want to check out my thread on open world builds here:

https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/30394/open-world-domination-mirage#latest

The thread has videos and build links as well as discussion. Note that the thread started back in February, so much has changed and the earlier builds have evolved since then.

This is the current open world build I've been experimenting with, but I should have a few fairly recent alternatives that will work including some designed for newer players or players who want to keep things inexpensive:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNAnfWnELDNohFMDWoBMMjlZjysC2tWyf+7//vMAutkB-jByHQBBU5X8U/BI7DEO9B06JAAgTBAFVC2sFGIFQVi2A-e

The build is capable of rapidly stacking torment and sustaining massive torment stacks. Here is a video I recorded of it in action this morning. You can see that at 4 seconds into the engagement I've already applied 21 stacks of torment along with 6 confusion, 3 burning, and 2 bleeding, vulnerability, cripple, and slow and breaking the boss's defiance bar in the bargain! I peak at 36 stacks of torment here, but against a boss you can safely stay at melee range against you can stack much more than that.

I was particular about the mode. If there are WvW or PvP builds that's fine but Open World builds work too. I kinda just want to experiment with it and see how it works.

This is what I use for WvW roaming. http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?vhQQRArc7fnsnBNohtpBmpBMMjlXDzcFMcqJoBgcyRwv/FATgA-jFyCQBU4MAgn9HQpSwKq8DAPAAJcQAKo6P1T/ApAqSnG-w

The scepter block is actually below 5 second cooldown, and it puts on 5 stacks of torment for a long duration. Mostly, this build is meant to be survivable when outnumbered.

I looked at the builds and thus have some questions

@AliamRationem.5172 What's the logic behind the weapon and rune choices? I would think that the scepter would be the better weapon. Also why not Rune of Torment or Krait? I would think those would be better. What about Trailblazing?

@eldenbri.1059 Similar questions. Why is the weapon swap the same for main hand? Wouldn't it be better to have one of those scepters be an ax or staff? Also similar question about the logic behind the runes you have chosen. I noticed that the trinkets focused on Toughness and Expertise. Since it's a WvW build wouldn't it be better to focus on Power and Condition damage since there is a lot of condition cleanse and a lot of people carry some due to Scourge? Why Trailblazer armor as opposed to something like Sinister, Rabid, Grieving, or Plaguedoctor?

@Dace.8173 said:I looked at the builds and thus have some questions

@AliamRationem.5172 What's the logic behind the weapon and rune choices? I would think that the scepter would be the better weapon. Also why not Rune of Torment or Krait? I would think those would be better. What about Trailblazing?

It's hard to say anything good about scepter in its current state. It's a very slow weapon that deals mostly single-target damage and brings only a single block (albeit on a short cooldown) to the table on defense. It's a ranged mainhand, unlike axe, so it doesn't pair very well with your strongest offhand (torch). Compare to staff which is faster, deals more damage, has longer range, better mobility, and applies tons of boons as well. Neither compares to axe/torch for dealing damage. Axe is also better for stacking torment, as the scepter ambush will apply half its stacks (on average) as confusion instead.

As for runes, the goal here is to achieve maximum increased condi duration (+100% duration is the max). The build I linked does this. Using torment runes wouldn't benefit you at all with this setup as the additional 20% condi duration is wasted. Meanwhile, you would lose 25% condi duration to all of your other conditions.

Trailblazer stats are a great open world option (albeit quite expensive to craft!) because they basically give you the best of both worlds. You lose surprisingly little damage compared to Viper stats (even though you have power and precision with Viper, you still deal 80%+ of your damage from condi). In exchange, you gain a ton of health and armor. This isn't generally necessary in groups, but in solo play it allows you to not only survive better but play more aggressively.

To provide an example, I was actually able to defeat the Mushroom Queen 28% faster using Trailblazer than Viper because I was forced onto the defensive much more often without the extra health and armor!

@"eldenbri.1059" said:This is what I use for WvW roaming. http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?vhQQRArc7fnsnBNohtpBmpBMMjlXDzcFMcqJoBgcyRwv/FATgA-jFyCQBU4MAgn9HQpSwKq8DAPAAJcQAKo6P1T/ApAqSnG-w

The scepter block is actually below 5 second cooldown, and it puts on 5 stacks of torment for a long duration. Mostly, this build is meant to be survivable when outnumbered.

Roaming...with mirage... with scepter mainhand only and sword offhand without power at all.... you are masochist in all possible ways , only question is how you didnt quit wvw with it :D

@"Dace.8173" said:I was particular about the mode. If there are WvW or PvP builds that's fine but Open World builds work too. I kinda just want to experiment with it and see how it works.

https://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Mirage_-_Condition_Damage_DuelistWorking fine in pvp/wvwOn wvw since I have legendary armor but no trinkets ,but only viper, used viper weapons/trinkets and dire armor, cant say its bad or great , doesnt feel like power is too much relevant but some hp from dire armor really useful . If you are good enough you can kill 1vs2-4 depends how bad your opponents. Ppl with 'cancerous' builds and stat combos wont share their build if its carry them too much xD If you want I can give you some 'fun' pvp build , if you are sadist and dont afraid to be spammed in whispers 'kys blablabla'

@Odik.4587 said:

@"eldenbri.1059" said:This is what I use for WvW roaming.

http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?vhQQRArc7fnsnBNohtpBmpBMMjlXDzcFMcqJoBgcyRwv/FATgA-jFyCQBU4MAgn9HQpSwKq8DAPAAJcQAKo6P1T/ApAqSnG-w

The scepter block is actually below 5 second cooldown, and it puts on 5 stacks of torment for a long duration. Mostly, this build is meant to be survivable when outnumbered.

@"Dace.8173" said:I was particular about the mode. If there are WvW or PvP builds that's fine but Open World builds work too. I kinda just want to experiment with it and see how it works.

Sure I love fun PvP builds and I don't care what people whisper to me soooo.

Can core Mesmer or Chrono also do Torment? I've tried Mirage a few times in PvP and just cannot seem to get the hang of that Elite.

@Dace.8173 said:Can core Mesmer or Chrono also do Torment? I've tried Mirage a few times in PvP and just cannot seem to get the hang of that Elite.

Dodge 1, dodge 1 ,improvise , play reactively ,simple :)check your inbox for build :D

@"Odik.4587" I know it seems like a potentially painful build, but I find it really effective in WvW. I used a somewhat similar build (with shield instead of offhand sword and inspiration instead of chaos line) with the chronomancer elite line for a long time.

The thing with this build is that it lets me fight, and fairly frequently win, outnumbered fights. Since I find two or more opponents most times when I'm roaming, I need a build that can do that.

Specifically with regard to offhand sword, the idea is really that you're adding to the defense while also providing more clone generation. The typical starting sequence involves scepter block and sword block to get two clones early. But the interrupt on sword four can be quite handy as well. The sword phantasm isn't awesome, but it's not bad to put on a downed body or to cleave some guards if you've grouped them together in a camp. If there was another offhand that was clearly better for a condi build, I would probably use it.

This is a slightly different version of the build and my skills are not fantastic, but you can see how it can stay viable in an outnumbered fight.

@eldenbri.1059 said:Honestly they are seems to be worse than NPC in the mists.... >.>And as offhand weapon u have...sword offhand did nothing at all when that could be...staff?.. makes to little sense doesnt matter from any point of veiw . Like you have SWORD OFFHAND (power weapon) as second weapon set, power weapon with power phantasm that does nothing to help you ,just an aegis role ? Second weapon just for THAT?Even pistol alone would give lots of bleeds and CC and make way more sense and impact

@"AliamRationem.5172" said:

Hai. Sorry for sidetrack you but I have a question, What video editing program do you use? Asking as I used to do alot of videos in the past, recently came back to the game and have hard find a good replacement to my beloved windos video maker.

Beside that I agree with your build even if I personaly not favouring staff. This can be cause I mainly play WvWvW and find it a bit to survival focused for the agressive way I play the game atm. Might be wrong and still experiment alot, only been bakc to the game a few weeks after a longer brake :)

Meow

/Osicat

@Osicat.4139 said:

@"AliamRationem.5172" said:

Take it for what it's worth, because I am clearly not a pro video editor! I just downloaded the first free software I was able to get working (OBS studio). It may be the software or my low-end hardware, but I can barely get usable recordings even on lowest settings. So there is probably something better out there.

On staff, to each their own. I value having a ranged option for when melee isn't feasible, even in PvP/WvW. Scepter is pretty awful, while staff is quite good. So that's my option. I find the 1200 range and high mobility useful. It doesn't apply a lot of pressure on its own, but you can keep some pressure on enemies without exposing yourself to much risk. It's also fantastic paired with Illusionary Ambush as you can potentially travel up to 2400 distance (including around corners, on top of obstacles, etc.) while breaking target and teleporting your clones.

@Osicat.4139 said:

@"AliamRationem.5172" said:

I just recently started recording stuff and have been using the "Game DVR" functionality in Windows 10. It's worked pretty well except for messed up audio on a couple videos. I'm running windowed fullscreen instead of actual full screen, so it could be related to that. Anyway, it's similar to Nvidia's Shadowplay in that you can capture a clip from the past X minutes instead of just recording everything. (Or you can also just record everything.)

As far as editing, I've been using Davinci Resolve and it's a beast (maybe too much for just simple editing). Hitman Express is another option and imo, a bit easier to use, though I prefer Davinci. My friend uses Cyberlink PowerDirector, but it doesn't have a free version afaik.

@"Odik.4587" Yup - I'm not making any claims about either my skill or the opponents in that particular video - just pointing out that the build can survive multiple foes.

I do have a few thousand hours of roaming, so I'm just saying that the build has been effective for me and might be interesting to the OP.

In terms of the question about staff, my experience is that I do better with keeping scepter as mainhand always. Part of this comes down to scepter block being below 5-second cooldown. Part of it comes from the "passive" generation of clones from the scepter auto-attack. And with the Malicious Torment trait, the confusing images cast time is fine.

In terms of using pistol as an offhand, there are no bleeds without the dueling traitline. This build uses Chaos traitline.

In other news, it's awesome to have @Osicat.4139 back. I loved watching your videos years ago, and I always appreciated your gameplay tips. There are definitely builds that can work for an aggressive play style, so I hope you find one you like. After thousands of hours of dealing with fights with two or three opponents, I have definitely come to the conclusion that I need something with real defense.

@Osicat.4139 said:

@"AliamRationem.5172" said:

Whaaaa!?! :open_mouth:

OMG... welcome back!

@Osicat.4139 said:

@"AliamRationem.5172" said:

Welcome back old timer :smile:

@AliamRationem.5172 said:

Take it for what it's worth, because I am clearly not a pro video editor! I just downloaded the first free software I was able to get working (OBS studio). It may be the software or my low-end hardware, but I can barely get usable recordings even on lowest settings. So there is probably something better out there.

On staff, to each their own. I value having a ranged option for when melee isn't feasible, even in PvP/WvW. Scepter is pretty awful, while staff is quite good. So that's my option. I find the 1200 range and high mobility useful. It doesn't apply a lot of pressure on its own, but you can keep some pressure on enemies without exposing yourself to much risk. It's also fantastic paired with Illusionary Ambush as you can potentially travel up to 2400 distance (including around corners, on top of obstacles, etc.) while breaking target and teleporting your clones.

Cheers Il have a look at the editor.

Abour staff, I used to be a big fan of staff, septer aswell but with new mirage setup (taht I just learning to play) I dropped septer as a option exept for class specific duels. About staff I will have another a second and even a third test and se how I find it, agree it have some amazing ynergy with new abilitys. Im kinda a nerdy Cat when it come to testing builds etc and not been back to the game long enought to have fully validated opinions :)

@Curunen.8729 said:

OMG... welcome back!

@Arlette.9684 said:

Welcome back old timer :smile:

Hai and hello. Thought I smurfed and I dint think anyone remebered the Old Cat/Shatter Cat. Still learning the new elite specs etc and atm wery layback gaming. Have not had connection with any devs/admins etc in ages (sens the expansions). Might do a few videos in the fuiture if I feel they woth show thu, amazingly still have wievs on my old vids from vanilla :)

Meow

/Osicat

@Odik.4587 said:

@Dace.8173 said:Can core Mesmer or Chrono also do Torment? I've tried Mirage a few times in PvP and just cannot seem to get the hang of that Elite.

I think it's how the dodge works. Still being there throws me off. Maybe with practice I'll get good at it. I can only hope. Right now, though, I do better with core Mesmer and Chronmancer. I'll give your build a try though before I give up on Mirage. :D

@Dace.8173 said:

@Odik.4587 said:

@Dace.8173 said:Can core Mesmer or Chrono also do Torment? I've tried Mirage a few times in PvP and just cannot seem to get the hang of that Elite.

Thats simple as hell... You need to realize how broken to dodge while being CC'ed and being able to INSTANTLY dodge while casting your stuff . Once you get used to it , you will have an edge over any class ,except another mirage xDI asked someone to let me do my stuff :D

@eldenbri.1059 said:@Odik.4587 Yup - I'm not making any claims about either my skill or the opponents in that particular video - just pointing out that the build can survive multiple foes.

Then what was point of that ? If you give 'normal' build and your to 2 equally skilled players, ,result would be pretty obvious .

@Odik.4587 said:

@Dace.8173 said:

@Odik.4587 said:

@Dace.8173 said:Can core Mesmer or Chrono also do Torment? I've tried Mirage a few times in PvP and just cannot seem to get the hang of that Elite.

@eldenbri.1059 said:@Odik.4587 Yup - I'm not making any claims about either my skill or the opponents in that particular video - just pointing out that the build can survive multiple foes.

Then what was point of that ? If you give 'normal' build and your to 2 equally skilled players, ,result would be pretty obvious .

I'll keep practicing then. Out of curiosity, how exactly do the Ambush skills work? Is it the first attack or is it like the last attack in a chain of attacks once you enter Mirage Cloak?

@Dace.8173 said:Once you get mirage cloak , your auto attack replaced by ambush skill, they have 1 second cooldown between uses , just use it after dodge or touching mirror (i dont remember exact time window u can use ambush)

@Dace.8173 said:

@Odik.4587 said:

@Dace.8173 said:Can core Mesmer or Chrono also do Torment? I've tried Mirage a few times in PvP and just cannot seem to get the hang of that Elite.

You should definitely give it another look. Mirage Cloak is superior to the standard dodge in every way. It grants 1s super speed, so it's still effective as a mobility option. The evade covers you for 1/4s longer than the standard dodge as well. And, of course, it allows ambush and may be used pretty much any time. The only exception I've found is if you are launched into the air, but this is so rare as to be a non-issue.