Is Power Mesmer still a thing?

[Salvatore.3749]

Hello,

I returned back to Guild Wars 2 a couple of months ago after a 3 year hiatus (thanks life). I stopped playing after I beat PoF and was working on my Mesmer. I'm considering trying Mesmer again since I have been playing Thief, Rev, and Ele since I got back. 

My question is whether Power Core Mesmer is still a thing and viable? I know that sounds weird, but I had an old build that relied on shatters for DPS. I swapped over to condi mesmer before I left, but I'm certain was nerfed into oblivion with the recent update. So does anyone know if Power Mesmer with Shatters is still a thing? Especially in PvP. 

I want to make it known that I primarily play PvP and WvW. Sometimes I'll do a fractal. or two 

Thank you!

[Tseison.4659]

30 minutes ago, Salvatore.3749 said:

Hello,

I returned back to Guild Wars 2 a couple of months ago after a 3 year hiatus (thanks life). I stopped playing after I beat PoF and was working on my Mesmer. I'm considering trying Mesmer again since I have been playing Thief, Rev, and Ele since I got back. 

My question is whether Power Core Mesmer is still a thing and viable? I know that sounds weird, but I had an old build that relied on shatters for DPS. I swapped over to condi mesmer before I left, but I'm certain was nerfed into oblivion with the recent update. So does anyone know if Power Mesmer with Shatters is still a thing? Especially in PvP. 

I want to make it known that I primarily play PvP and WvW. Sometimes I'll do a fractal. or two 

Thank you!

Hey there! Yes I can be the first to assure you that Pwr Core Mesmer is still a thing and is very powerful with its burst. I play a lot of WvW though and don't normally roam, but when i'm fighting in a group either it be big or small, I tend to focus on targets that are easy to pick off, unsuspecting, in the backline etc... I'll also link my build too and when it comes to utilities, Blink and Mirror Images FOR ME is usually a must and then your third option is situational. Hopefully this helps! Welcome back!

[Genesis.5169]

58 minutes ago, Salvatore.3749 said:

Hello,

I returned back to Guild Wars 2 a couple of months ago after a 3 year hiatus (thanks life). I stopped playing after I beat PoF and was working on my Mesmer. I'm considering trying Mesmer again since I have been playing Thief, Rev, and Ele since I got back. 

My question is whether Power Core Mesmer is still a thing and viable? I know that sounds weird, but I had an old build that relied on shatters for DPS. I swapped over to condi mesmer before I left, but I'm certain was nerfed into oblivion with the recent update. So does anyone know if Power Mesmer with Shatters is still a thing? Especially in PvP. 

I want to make it known that I primarily play PvP and WvW. Sometimes I'll do a fractal. or two 

Thank you!

 

If your OW PvE everything is viable.

If your WvW core mesmer is good for roaming and nothing more.

If your SPvP Core mesmer is just as good as any other mesmer spec as they are all equally bad.

 

What its not good for, is organized PvE content such as Raids and Fotm CMs.

Edited September 2, 2021 by Genesis.5169

[Salvatore.3749]

 

Thank you for your assistance and the warm welcome. 

So here is the build I came up with. I used to use GS and Sw/F for WvW Roaming and PvE Fractals. It's not high in power like yours is, so I will definitely use your build for PvE. My new idea seems to have more sustain, but won't be good for a full on burst like yours would be damagewise. 

My New Build Idea

32 minutes ago, Tseison.4659 said:

Hey there! Yes I can be the first to assure you that Pwr Core Mesmer is still a thing and is very powerful with its burst. I play a lot of WvW though and don't normally roam, but when i'm fighting in a group either it be big or small, I tend to focus on targets that are easy to pick off, unsuspecting, in the backline etc... I'll also link my build too and when it comes to utilities, Blink and Mirror Images FOR ME is usually a must and then your third option is situational. Hopefully this helps! Welcome back!

 

[Salvatore.3749]

13 minutes ago, Genesis.5169 said:

 

If your OW PvE everything is viable.

If your WvW core mesmer is good for roaming and nothing more.

If your SPvP Core mesmer is just as good as any other mesmer spec as they are all equally bad.

 

What its not good for, is organized PvE content such as Raids and Fotm CMs.

Lol. Thief is my main and thief was nerfed into the void over these past few years. I was trying to figure out what happened to ricochet, retaliation, and torment and then I saw the update notes lol. 

[Tseison.4659]

3 minutes ago, Salvatore.3749 said:

 

Thank you for your assistance and the warm welcome. 

So here is the build I came up with. I used to use GS and Sw/F for WvW Roaming and PvE Fractals. It's not high in power like yours is, so I will definitely use your build for PvE. My new idea seems to have more sustain, but won't be good for a full on burst like yours would be damagewise. 

My New Build Idea

 

No problem! So in terms of PvE I would run this build for Dungeons/Fractals/Raids etc.. It's just a typical pwr dps build plus the Continuum Split is very helpful in refreshing your Well which is great for CC bars, your heal and other utilities. That build you linked in terms of WvW is a tad risky for my taste only because I feel having a torch and mass invisibility is great for emergencies/disengages. Moa + Mantra of Concentration have a very long cooldown and then signet of inspiration I wouldn't say is needed. If you want boons like lets say Might for example, you can opt for the Sigil of Might and then get Rune of the Pack which gives 3 boons when struck. It really depends on your playstyle and what you're trying to bring out in the field when in WvW.

 

There's a variety of Mesmers that I roll with and we each have our own "functions" as to what we bring depending on if we're roaming or aiding small/big zergs.

[Lincolnbeard.1735]

Do you like to play handicapped? Do you enjoy to waste an entire skill bar to do as much damage as other professions with 2 skills? Do you have fun doing pathetic sustain damage? Than yes, it is viable. 

I play core power mes too, it's fun but over nerfed trash. 

 

Edit: if thief is your main you're better off playing it, it's so much better than power mes... 

Edited September 2, 2021 by Lincolnbeard.1735

[Salvatore.3749]

1 hour ago, Tseison.4659 said:

No problem! So in terms of PvE I would run this build for Dungeons/Fractals/Raids etc.. It's just a typical pwr dps build plus the Continuum Split is very helpful in refreshing your Well which is great for CC bars, your heal and other utilities. That build you linked in terms of WvW is a tad risky for my taste only because I feel having a torch and mass invisibility is great for emergencies/disengages. Moa + Mantra of Concentration have a very long cooldown and then signet of inspiration I wouldn't say is needed. If you want boons like lets say Might for example, you can opt for the Sigil of Might and then get Rune of the Pack which gives 3 boons when struck. It really depends on your playstyle and what you're trying to bring out in the field when in WvW.

Noted! I definitely like the build you suggested a bit better with Chrono. I'm likely going to adjust for the full berserker. I didn't realize core mesmer had so much HP. That helps with this build. 

Thank you again!

[Tseison.4659]

17 minutes ago, Salvatore.3749 said:

Noted! I definitely like the build you suggested a bit better with Chrono. I'm likely going to adjust for the full berserker. I didn't realize core mesmer had so much HP. That helps with this build. 

Thank you again!

Yeah if you’re gonna run core Mesmer and a “burst” type of build, it’s best to just run full berserker to be optimal and just practise/timing your dodges and knowing when to disengage.  At the end of the day, even if you got gear that was high in toughness/vitality, you’re sacrificing damage just to survive a little longer. There’s als professions out there with better sustain, evades, 2nd health bars, traits that would benefit better off of hybrid/sustain-like builds than what our class has. 
 

If you do like a challenge then I don’t see anything wrong with sticking with Mesmer and honing your skills in PvE/WvW. It’s not for everyone and with countless of nerfs we got, it’s definitely caused people to reroll, so it’s understandable when others migrate to something else. ☺️

[Salt Mode.3780]

4 hours ago, Salvatore.3749 said:

Lol. Thief is my main and thief was nerfed into the void over these past few years. I was trying to figure out what happened to ricochet, retaliation, and torment and then I saw the update notes lol. 

Thief was not nerfed over the years lol in fact thief remains to be one of the strongest if not the strongest contenders for roaming and 1 v 1. 

OFC this is strictly talking about D/P SA thieves but I've seen SW/D thieves with success. Thieves not being able to one shot backstab in stealth or one shot Death Judgement (which you can on certain targets) isn't just a thief nerf, they did a huge number crunch to everyone.

As far as Mesmer goes, Mirage is still the best for roaming in WvW despite the one dodge nerf (yes im talking about power). Chronomancers mostly play a zerg support role and can be played as a one shot roaming.

Only issue that both core and Chronomancers have is you have no sustained dmg outside of burst window. If you miss your burst you are pretty much dead by anyone that can outlast your burst windows or have half a brain to dodge, which is 90% of the classes at the moment. 

Any class including Mesmer could be viable on capable hands, just you have to work harder then playing other classes. So for a returning player who is still trying to get a grip of things, no I don't recommend Mesmer.

Edited September 2, 2021 by Salt Mode.3780

[Salvatore.3749]

8 minutes ago, Salt Mode.3780 said:

Thief was not nerfed over the years lol in fact thief remains to be one of the strongest if not the strongest contenders for roaming and 1 v 1. 

OFC this is strictly talking about D/P SA thieves but I've seen SW/D thieves with success. Thieves not being able to one shot backstab in stealth or one shot Death Judgement (which you can on certain targets) isn't just a thief nerf, they did a huge number crunch to everyone.

As far as Mesmer goes, Mirage is still the best for roaming in WvW despite the one dodge nerf (yes im talking about power). Chronomancers mostly play a zerg support role and can be played as a one shot roaming.

Only issue that both core and Chronomancers have is you have no sustained dmg outside of burst window. If you miss your burst you are pretty much dead by anyone that can outlast your burst windows or have half a brain to dodge, which is 90% of the classes at the moment. 

I totally get it. I was thinking about Mirage for WvW, but I saw the nerf to providing one dodge which forces you to use your mirrors and limits your mobility because a skillful opponent will know what to watch out for. Thus, it's kind of sub par compared to some other classes.

As for thief, I'm always finding fun off-meta builds like my DD with Sw/P and D/P with sigils of savagery and other fun stunning utility skills. But, typically I run Core thief or whichever specialization I feel like running on any given day  in PvP and WvW since the damage output and 1v1ing is still strong for thief despite what naysayers believe. I'm dying for a new offhand in the new specialization for more playability, but a lot of people don't want that. Plus, I like winning in PvP so I primarily focus on capping when I do play because thief is the best class to engage and disengage when it comes to fights. 

Edit: there were some nerfs, but they weren't as drastic as what people may embellish. The loss of ricochet sucked and the increased initiative costs for Shortbow also sucked, but they are manageable. The only other hard nerf was trait line pulmonary impact's damage reduction in PvP, but it's original version is still available in PvE.

Edited September 2, 2021 by Salvatore.3749

[Salt Mode.3780]

5 minutes ago, Salvatore.3749 said:

I totally get it. I was thinking about Mirage for WvW, but I saw the nerf to providing one dodge which forces you to use your mirrors and limits your mobility because a skillful opponent will know what to watch out for. Thus, it's kind of sub par compared to some other classes.

As for thief, I'm always finding fun off-meta builds like my DD with Sw/P and D/P with sigils of savagery and other fun stunning utility skills. But, typically I run Core thief or whichever specialization I feel like running on any given day  in PvP and WvW since the damage output and 1v1ing is still strong for thief despite what naysayers believe. I'm dying for a new offhand in the new specialization for more playability, but a lot of people don't want that. Plus, I like winning in PvP so I primarily focus on capping when I do play because thief is the best class to engage and disengage when it comes to fights. 

The reason why mirage is still a viable choice and I can fight anyone who says otherwise is mirage has the best sustained dmg of all 3 classes. In this day and age of competitive play, almost every class have long sustained dmg which honestly Mesmer lacks. Classes are able to keep pumping pressure which Core and Chrono cannot provide compared to Mirage due to ambush skills.

Also of the 3 Chrono has the weakest survivability due to no on demand distortion. As well as split can do more harm then good unless you are using it to engage.

Edited September 2, 2021 by Salt Mode.3780

[Zenith.7301]

Chrono needs distortion back, even if it's only usable when continuum split is not active.

[Yoci.2481]

15 hours ago, Zenith.7301 said:

Chrono needs distortion back, even if it's only usable when continuum split is not active.

CS is really hard to balance, though and will always make a good spec OP. If they ever make power Chronomancer good again they will have to do something about that. Either remove the cooldown, position or health reset it provides. This is under the assumption that Chronomancer will ever be good again.

[Stavros.8249]

I use power chronomancer in fractals and it's fine. The damage is alright, only it's a little slow. 

I like the pull from focus though and the instant cc from moa. 

[Salvatore.3749]

16 hours ago, Salt Mode.3780 said:

The reason why mirage is still a viable choice and I can fight anyone who says otherwise is mirage has the best sustained dmg of all 3 classes. In this day and age of competitive play, almost every class have long sustained dmg which honestly Mesmer lacks. Classes are able to keep pumping pressure which Core and Chrono cannot provide compared to Mirage due to ambush skills.

Also of the 3 Chrono has the weakest survivability due to no on demand distortion. As well as split can do more harm then good unless you are using it to engage.

 

I can see where Mirage can provide continuous damage. Since it only has one evade bar, it makes sense to have something that boosts endurance regen. Honestly, I'm likely going to give mirage a chance after I get used to power core Mesmer again. 

What I love about Mesmer is what a lot of people despise, and that's the complexity of the profession itself. The profession can be a monster to fight against in Pv;P and WvW when you run into someone who knows what their doing. Thief and Ele are also a little more complex as well because like Mesmer, they have unique mechanics that take time to learn. But, once you start understanding the complexities it makes the professions way more fun. 

[Bred.3582]

Personally, I would also recommend power mirage for a returning mesmer, although it doesn't have the strongest burst, its over all mechanics are fairly forgiving and offers significantly more than other mesmer specs in almost every metric. It also has the benefit of synergizing the best with every mesmer traitline so a fair number of different builds can be played with fairly decent success, though personally would recommend domination/dueling for something a bit more akin to a burst mesmer ^-^ 

Edited September 3, 2021 by Bred.3582

[Simonoly.4352]

In WvW, core power shatter Mesmer is still very viable for small group roaming, workable for solo roaming and about as effective as it's ever been in larger skirmishes. There's been some new crit chance and damage traits introduced for Mesmer over the last few years that allow you to stack some really fierce burst damage now. GS + Sw/T is arguably still the best here, but off-hand sword can be good for cheeky riposte bursts ☺️

 

I'd say power shatter Mirage is workable but not quite optimal at present: -50% endurance is really punishing in WvW and requires more babysitting in a roaming squad than a core Mes does. I've really not tried power shatter Chrono for a long time now, but I've heard it's workable again in WvW since self-shatter was returned.