Same old cookie cutter power or condi build. Sigh...

Forget balance for a sec. But what really get's me is Patch after patch, season after season. Chrono or Mirage or core mesmer, either you play the same old tired condi or power build. You have the illusion of choice but you don't. For years i been trying to have a phantasmal build that works. & time to time they do patch for it before they nerf it to death. I wish we had a few more options instead the same old cookie cutter builds. But that's just me.

How is a phantasm build supposed to work?

Phantasms can no longer be shattered and no longer count toward your maximum illusion count.Phantasms are destroyed and then replaced by clones after completing their unique attack or if their attack is interrupted.

• https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Phantasm

They are 1 time use, fire and forget attacks. You work off of your clones only now ever since the mesmer rework. In fact, most dps builds before the rework were phantasm builds and mostly just required to have all the phantasms out without ever shattering them. Which turned the builds either insanely overpowered and simplistic, or the other time they were under performing since there was no skill in keeping 3 phantasms up without recasting them.

I doubt we will ever see any type of phantasm build as of old again. The design is just to difficult to balance around and not very engaging to play. Better make a proper pet class in that case (or give mesmer a pet class elite specialization). Doubtful that will come too though.

I enjoyed the time directly after the rework, but given the last 1.5 years of constant nerfs, the current phantasm and illusion system is just taxing. It also leads to most builds feeling similar no matter if power or condi, chrono or mirage or core.

@Vieux P.1238 said:You have the illusion of choice but you don't.Isn't that the point of Mesmer? Kappa

@XenoSpyro.1780 said:

@Vieux P.1238 said:You have the illusion of choice but you don't.Isn't that the point of Mesmer? Kappa

Not really the point.

@Vieux P.1238 said:You play the same old tired condi or power build. I wish we had a few more options instead the same old cookie cutter builds.

Just out of curiosity, what are the 2 builds you are referencing? I've been playing condi Mesmer since beta and have enjoyed a variety of cookie flavors.

@Crow.2851 said:

@Vieux P.1238 said:You play the same old tired condi or power build. I wish we had a few more options instead the same old cookie cutter builds.

All of them. No matter how you tweak power or condi on mirage or Chrono is pretty much the same basic builds. Phantasm build was a third option when it was patched for it. Example: Power build either on mirage, chrono or mesmer is the same GS F1-F2 combo attack on either of them. Same goes for condi with staff. No matter witch one you use your still playing the same thing on either of them.

Because other builds like clone death, phantasm and bunker chrono 1.0 were cancer.

@Quadox.7834 said:Because other builds like clone death, phantasm and bunker chrono 1.0 were cancer.

like everything else atm...come on..

@Vieux P.1238 said:

@Quadox.7834 said:Because other builds like clone death, phantasm and bunker chrono 1.0 were cancer.

No, even more.

Phantasm builds are non-interactive and incredibly boring, I'm glad they're never a thing and Anet agrees.

Play turret engineer.

TBH I don't mind clone death provided it is killed by enemy and not by replacement, especially for some more minor ones like cripple. But I think it was removed partially due to implementing issues.

@Shiyo.3578 said:Phantasm builds are non-interactive and incredibly boring, I'm glad they're never a thing and Anet agrees.

Play turret engineer.

I don't agree.. I actually had some really fun builds in the old days with phantasm builds. Espacially when some of them wer viable.

@Vieux P.1238 said:

@Shiyo.3578 said:Phantasm builds are non-interactive and incredibly boring, I'm glad they're never a thing and Anet agrees.

Play turret engineer.

Fun for you =|= fun to play against ;)

@Vieux P.1238 said:All of them. No matter how you tweak power or condi on mirage or Chrono is pretty much the same basic builds. Phantasm build was a third option when it was patched for it. Example: Power build either on mirage, chrono or mesmer is the same GS F1-F2 combo attack on either of them. Same goes for condi with staff. No matter witch one you use your still playing the same thing on either of them.

You seem more interested in stating opinion than in discussing alternatives, so I might not linger here for long. For my PvP power Mirage I've never known the F1-F2 combo because I'm new to power builds, and though I use Great Sword and Sword/Torch the build's focus is on boon removal and Desert Distortion sustain. Condi staff will always be a staple because well... it gives a lot of different condis and self sustain. I've seen interesting Torch/Pistol condi builds in these forums before, and scepter has been seeing the light of day more often since it's changes (though we'll see how that lasts considering recent nerfs). To me these builds are each unique, which is why asked for specific examples.