An extremely mobile mirage build for roaming/sieging in WvW, no second dodge needed.

[Daniel Handler.4816]

A bit of a disclaimer, this build is not for zerging. You could use it for that, but it would be better for you to run minstrel chrono when you are getting into GvGs.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PiwAw+ZlRwSYKsLmJWMXvvKA-zRJYkRHfZEZKkZFI/BIceLVpGB-e

[&DQcBJhgvOxXuFQAAgwEAAIIBAABlAQAARhcAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA=]

For people who are worried about not having a second dodge, here is an extremely mobile mirage build that can easily win duels and provide alacrity for sieging situations.

• The gear stats are a recommendation for starting out. You can/should swap in more and more viper as you get better at evading and interrupting enemies. 
• You will need to use desert distortion (sometimes twice with signet of illusions) for additional ambushes to maintain alacrity with a single staff.
• When you are new it can be hard to face condi builds and you might be tempted to switch Infinite Horizon to Elusive Mind. Only do this as a last resort. Instead swap one or both doom sigils for a cleansing sigil.

The most important part is knowing how to reset.

• In WvW the combat threshold is 1500. Blink by itself is 1200. Sword ambush (mirage thrust) is 600, staff 2 (phase retreat) is like 300, jaunt is 450. You should be able to stealth and teleport away then mount up when you get outnumbered.
• In the event you do not have blink up. Or just want to zoom around. You can chain together skills. Like phase retreat>dodge>weapon swap>mirage thrust>dodge>mirage thrust>distortion>mirage thrust>signet of illusions>distortion>mirage thrust>dodge>mirage thrust. Using some additional dry shatters to keep up vigor.

Other than that. Burst people with tons of confusion with f2. Interrupt their skills with mirage thrust, f3. Normal condi mesmer stuff. Learn by doing.

edit:

You can run this build in PvP. Axe builds are probably better. But at least you learn reflexes you can apply to WvW.

Edited November 23, 2021 by Daniel Handler.4816

[LKEY.9567]

Beside F2, it doesn't look to deal any damage at all. Sure, it can disengage, but where is it's damage? Or you camp staff? If so, why not Chaos?

Edited November 24, 2021 by LKEY.9567

[Daniel Handler.4816]

14 hours ago, LKEY.9567 said:

Beside F2, it doesn't look to deal any damage at all. Sure, it can disengage, but where is it's damage? Or you camp staff? If so, why not Chaos?

Chaos lacks Master of Fragmentation (reflects and cripple as a cover condition) and Maim the Disillusioned so you would do even less damage.

Besides bursting people with f2, you have your other shatters for torment/interrupts/reflects. And Infinite Horizon. 

With full trailblazer you can kill most players in a duel, or get them to leave the area. Once you start running into quality holosmiths you might have to leave and gear swap to more viper. It will definitely be difficult. But if you are good with interrupts/reflects you will be fine.

 

[Salt Mode.3780]

On 11/24/2021 at 3:02 PM, Daniel Handler.4816 said:

Chaos lacks Master of Fragmentation (reflects and cripple as a cover condition) and Maim the Disillusioned so you would do even less damage.

Besides bursting people with f2, you have your other shatters for torment/interrupts/reflects. And Infinite Horizon. 

With full trailblazer you can kill most players in a duel, or get them to leave the area. Once you start running into quality holosmiths you might have to leave and gear swap to more viper. It will definitely be difficult. But if you are good with interrupts/reflects you will be fine.

 

You can kill most people in a duel not because of the build but because of how strong trailblazer is as a stat line. Like things with extremely high amount of condi cleanse you wont be doing much to them, or even things that can throw condi's back at you.

[Yoci.2481]

I really think trailblazer stats should be removed from the game. Or at least from WvW, no idea what happens in PvE. They enable some very unhealthy kittenous builds, builds that have resulted in a lot of Mesmer nerfs in particular.

[Daniel Handler.4816]

13 hours ago, Salt Mode.3780 said:

You can kill most people in a duel not because of the build but because of how strong trailblazer is as a stat line. Like things with extremely high amount of condi cleanse you wont be doing much to them, or even things that can throw condi's back at you.

If you need to play full  trailblazers then sure. If you can run with vipers and know how to interrupt then no. Most cleanses  proc confusion. You have doom sigils. Etc. It is not always going to be easy, but you have to tools to deal with most things, or live.

This isn't to say this build can kill bunker elementalists in open field. But that isn't the goal. It's for zooming around the map and fighting over camps/towers without dying to outnumbered fights.

Edited November 26, 2021 by Daniel Handler.4816

[Daniel Handler.4816]

5 hours ago, Yoci.2481 said:

I really think trailblazer stats should be removed from the game. Or at least from WvW, no idea what happens in PvE. They enable some very unhealthy kittenous builds, builds that have resulted in a lot of Mesmer nerfs in particular.

Well no. Because then people just play bunker celestial nonsense, even though it does less damage, because mesmer is a light armored class relying on conditions like confusion/torment.

I think people should at least try to run more glassy since offense is defense or w/e. But we have to accept there are a large number of builds in wvw that can very comfortably run mostly zerker, or extremely high condi pressure.

Edit:
In fact the "highest rated" build on metabattle right now, which most holosmiths could simply walk away from, is completely unaffected by removing trailblazer.

https://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Mirage_-_Celestial_Signet_Roamer

Edited November 26, 2021 by Daniel Handler.4816

[Gryxis.6950]

always found axe pistol to be better than staff in this kind of build

Edited November 26, 2021 by Gryxis.6950

[Daniel Handler.4816]

19 hours ago, Gryxis.6950 said:

always found axe pistol to be better than staff in this kind of build

I think axe pistol is better for dueling. But once you start getting outnumbered it doesn't have the disengage potential of staff. 

Also this build is intended for all of small scale. Including alacrity sharing to siege without needing to build swap since most of our alacrity builds are terrible for fighting. 

[Salt Mode.3780]

Terms of disengage I dont understand why staff is the one thing being mentioned the most, its combo with sword ambush that makes it "mobile" not just staff alone.

[Daniel Handler.4816]

On 11/27/2021 at 2:43 PM, Salt Mode.3780 said:

Terms of disengage I dont understand why staff is the one thing being mentioned the most, its combo with sword ambush that makes it "mobile" not just staff alone.

Yeah sword is the fastest part of the spec. But they are specifically asking why not axe/pistol + sword/torch instead of staff + sword/torch. Axe can break target, but lingering thoughts isn't fast enough, so you can get "stuck" on axe/x when you need to escape from an outnumbered gank.

Edited December 1, 2021 by Daniel Handler.4816