Should confusion be put back on the scepter auto?

[Conncept.7638]

At launch the scepter was THE confusion weapon, it's entire schtick was confusion attrition, you slowly stacked confusion on an enemy as you belayed attacks with clones, blinds, and evasion until they basically killed themselves.  It was a ton of fun, but truth be told back then it was more than a little ridiculous.

 

But that was SEVEN YEARS ago now, since then we've had:

1. Specializations added to the game, including one with an axe that, as a torment weapon, feels way too similar to the "new" scepter.

2. Two expansions, and a third on horizon.

3. We have gained the ability to passively decrease incoming conditions

4.  Torments functionality has literally been reversed, with it now dealing damage to non-moving targets and the scepter having no control to speak of, torment is anti-synergistic with the scepters ideal gameplay of kiting and getting lost in a crowd of clones.

5. And perhaps most important, the ENTIRE "damage on clone death" mechanic was gutted from the Mesmers kit, the actual culprit for the Mesmers overpowered confusion builds in the first place.

 

In my opinion, it's time the devs fixed this, confusion is as signature to the Mesmer as backstab is to the thief, and it's kind of ridiculous we don't have a weapon dedicated to such a core mechanic.

[Angel de Lyssa.4716]

Hello, I find the topic interesting. I have been about to open a similar topic. Now that the condition "confusion" is like "hemorrhage", but less powerful, there are reasons to convert the scepter to its original concept.

 

I can come up with various ideas, such as changing the skills and traits related to the scepter, such as "Sorcery Malicious", which is its main trait.

 

The reasons would be:

 

Staff: Applies "Torment" and "Confusion" in his auto-attack 1, in addition to his skill 4 "Shield of Chaos", and in "Ambush Mirage's staffs". The auto-attack are also projectiles.

 

Ax: Mesmer's main condition weapon "Torment", which also applies "Confusion" and "Hemorrhage", but its main condition is "Torment", since its trait "Phantasmal Axes" applies "Torment". On the other hand, it currently follows the same vein as the scepter, only it's a melee weapon.

 

Scepter: Same as the ax, only it's mid-range, so why not make it a more focused weapon with the "confusion" condition? in addition to applying torment. The auto-attack 1s are projectiles.

 

The changes I would make:

 

The attacks instead of being ether projectiles, are now sorcery attacks of ether, that attacks to the target's mind directly (Like the necro, who casts direct curses).

 

Core weapon: Convert all auto-attack 1 of the scepter into direct damage as the necro's scepter (we have many projectile weapons, more now with the Virtuoso's dagger).

 

The changes I would make:

 

For the weapon and it related trait:

 

Etheran images. (Skill 1 Auto-attack)
Chain. Cast a direct sorcery etherean images at your target.
Damage: 183
x1 Confusion (5s)
Range: 900

 

Etherea thoughts. (Skill 2 Auto-attack)
Chain. Second cast a direct sorcery etherean thoughts at your target.
Damage: 183
x1 Torment (5s)
Range: 900

 

Etherea Nightmare. (Skill 3 Auto-attack)
Clone. Summon a clone that casts Etherean images. Inflict torment and confusion instead if you have the maximum number of illusions.

Damage: 275
x1 Confusion (5s)
x1 Torment (5s)
Range: 900

 

I would not change the other abilities (2 and 3) of the scepter.

 

But, if I would change and make some adjustments, like permanently setting the increase speed 20% (or 10%) for more speed of attack (only for the scepter), so with the change to direct damage, it would have a similar attack speed as the necro's scepter. 

 

And another important change for scepter, would be his trait "Malicious Sorcery".

 

Malicious Sorcery.
"Confusing Images": now shoot a beam at a targeted foe, and secondary beams at foes near your target. "Confusion" does more damage on enmies that are not attacking or not activate any skill while also affected with "Torment". You reduce recharge on scepter skills.

 

Damage increase: 20%
Number of Targets: 5
Radius: 240

 

This would be a general idea, of the changes it would make to the mesmer scepter. A weapon with more support for "confusion" with "Malicious Sorcery" and direct damage.