Favorite Weapons! (Any gamemode!)

[Vinny.7260]

Since EoD is slowly creeping around the corner, let's talk about our favorite weapons as the pink narcissistic fashionista class!

[Curunen.8729]

If iWarden wasn't so kitten, I would have picked focus because it has the most interesting and fun application, even if it's trait sits in the most awkward position competing with RI.

 

But though iMage for some unknown reason has remained on a 30s base cooldown, torch is still the most fun - not only due to the obvious (stealth), but the audio/visual effects are well made and satisfying. Even if iMage misses half the time now with its long windup, at least it looks and sounds good.

Nevermind 4 having a unique feature of being able to blast finish (ie, aoe chaos armour via staff 5).

 

Offhand Sword is definitely the most confusing. Would like the old low cooldowns tbh and phantasm.

Edited January 13, 2022 by Curunen.8729

[Mik.3401]

GS because it is very satisfying to play and original. 
Torch because I feel it has cool design and skills. The phantasmal Mage obviously could be better but still the burst of flames is cool

Edited January 14, 2022 by Mik.3401

[Justine.6351]

Traited focus god tier in wvw.

[ZeftheWicked.3076]

Staff and scepter/torch

Staff is really well designed with a lot of synergies in it. Hat's off to designer, as this is core weapon that sports elite spec level weapon functionality with plenty of synergies both between skills themselves and rest of mesmer's kit. However despite all that it's the clones it generates that are the biggest highlight. Bouncing autos that not only condition enemies but also boon allies are creme de la crop among mesmer clones.

Torch is awesome as well. Phantasmal mage may suck on it's own, but as i play condi chrono in spvp he gets some super powers. Like hauling kitten to the target thanks to super speed trait, and having another one spawn after. That big flame wave is always juicy!
Prestige on the other hand is our best stealth option. Does not take utility slot, no huge cooldown and no drastic need to save it for another use (like sigil of midnight for the stunbreak or massive condi cleanse if traited).

Scepter is kinda...core-y. It's defo not staff level of weapon design. But it's great clone generation, on demand block and really good dedicated trait (malicious sorcery) cannot be overlooked.

[SkinnyT.5382]

I've always liked the staff. It has a good balance of skills. I like playing hybrid so the condi and boon aspects, as well as the good mobility always captured my attention. The GS is a second contender due to  the Mesmer's unique way of using it.
For offhand I like shield. Again as a hybrid player I feel it gives me a good defensive and offensive balance. Focus is the contender, though I'm not gonna lie I haven't touched it in a long time. It just doesn't seem to fit in anymore unless you build your traits around it.
At the end of the day it's all about the skills (and their representation).

[Avion Blade.4869]

The axe as a main hand opens for versatility in so many ways. You can go for power also with axe if you really look at the damage it can put out with boons applied, and have the condi be a supplemental follow up to the strike.

Example, you can evade a bow shot from ranger by axe 3'ing the pet to evade. 

 

Like-wise to rush toward the ranger, run past the pet but right click on the pet, then swap to staff and use staff 2 to phase retreat toward the ranger when the pet you targeted is behind you; 

 

then you can daze* the ranger with chaos storm and jaunt and then staff four to blind the ranger so they miss anti-melee skills, and take damage doing so because you put confusion on them.

 

With off-hand sword you can sustain close melee engagements and then summon a clone to set up distortion for mirage diamond mirrors to lengthen the melee fight, then after 9 seconds swap back to staff or axe/sword for a different rotation.

 

Playing a visi-mirage build (no-cloak; visible hence visimirage), is a high challenge and helps to improve timing and movement, for me. Cloak is good for sneak attacks, but it is more of a thief thing.

 

Off-hand sword is underrated! The line daze when people are chasing you buys you time to do whatever!

 

 

Edited February 14, 2022 by Avion Blade.4869

[Za Shaloc.3908]

I voted Scepter for mainhand simply because that's the weapon I first fell in love with when I first started GW2 back in 2014. I love the simplicity of it but also its purpose of being build around clone generation. The fact that the AA generates close was a big appeal to me as well. Otherwise I would say GS. It is a very satisfying weapon and has such a unique interpretation. Sword and axe are both cool, and dagger in its current iteration is absolute garbage design. I am a bit indifferent about staff. I find it very boring to use and try to stay away from it.

 

For offhand, torch has always been my favorite from a thematic perspective, but I voted pistol simply because of the impact of Magic Bullet. Having a stun is such a valuable tool. The phantasm is one of the better ones as well IMO. Focus is neat but I just find the warden very unsatisfying and generally unimpactful in WvW. I would love sword phantasm a lot more if the cast time was faster and it maybe had an immob on leap. Shield is a really interesting weapon but I am not the biggest fan of Chrono. 

[Tseison.4659]

I love using the Greatsword and dual swords + torch 🙂 

Edited February 17, 2022 by Tseison.4659

[Waffles.5632]

Pistol/Sword/Staff/Greatsword!

I play Mirage exclusively and I love all of the ambushes on those weapons, besides pistol ofc haha, but for pistol I love magic bullet the best, it sounds and feels so satisfying to use.

[Skyroar.2974]

Greatsword - 10/10: One of the most well-designed skillsets in the entire game. Unique, stylish and fluid. Also useful (high range, AoE), with decent depth (cripple, boon rip, knockback). Perfection.

Axe - 9/10: Plenty of depth. A 2-ammo skill, a target-resetting for clones with evasion, and I enjoy how one skill is best spammed when you have few clones, and the other shouldn't be spammed unless your clone number is already full. It's not a classic "spam your DPS skills once they are available" rotation.

Staff - 8/10: Also an overall well-designed and unique skillset, but there's a few things that bother me. I dislike how phantasms are reliant on power damage when everything else is condition-based; and the playstyle feels a bit too simplistic and spammy, honestly. I bores me after a while.

Sword - 6/10 (9/10 on Mirage; 7-8/10 on Virtuoso): Only fun with Mirage's ambush. Otherwise, this weapon is mostly balanced around 2 skills (AA + BF), as the 3rd is kind of filler in PvE. Virtuoso's change on #3 makes the weapon more interesting: I hope that change is made baseline. The leap (+ teleport back) adds depth to the otherwise bland playstyle, while Mirage's player + 3 clone army leaping and chain-dazing your opponent is pure joy. If Virtuosos's #3 gets made baseline, then Mirage's sword may end up being a 10/10 for me.

Scepter - 4/10: It doesn't knows what it wants to me. Thematically, why does it have a block? The duelist block-and-counter theme is already fulfilled with Sw/Sw. The AA generates clones, but clones can't generate more clones, which would be the best thing about the concept (it's what spirit lancer does in Dota2). #3 is pretty cool, and it clearly wants to be the GW2-version of GW1 mesmer's skills, but that idea is not supported by the remaining skills. I feel scepter lacks identity and needs a rework.

 

Dagger (so far) - 6/10: The AA is boring, the skill #2 is uninspired and generic. But #3 is plenty of fun, and it carries the whole weapon. Hoping for further improvements before the expansion comes out.

 

Pistol - 9/10: Fluid playstyle. Good range, fast, decent damage and cc. Simple and fun.

Torch - 8/10: Unique, stealthy/trickster theme. I like the "surprise!" element of it. Have my issues with the phantasm's functionality.

Focus - 6/10: The phantasm was once one of my favourite skills for Mesmer, but the reworks have made it annoying and unsatisfying. The speed boost field no longer has a place in 2022, and although the pull is wonderful, I find it annoying how I have to cast the speed boost field first before I have access to it. If #5 was nothing but the area pull, and #4 had its AoE damage brought back, this would be a 10/10 offhand weapon.

Sword - 5/10: It may be strong, and the phantasm is pretty cool, but is otherwise a very bland weapon with bland animations. The counter-attack animation, for example, is so boring and straightforward that it fails to communicate clearly why such a skill can inflict such high numbers. The player's skill on phantasm-use is also kind of boring/filler-looking. Phantasm leaping and using blurred frenzy is the only cool and stylish thing about oh-sw, but that's, like, 1/4 of its effects (the other 3 being the block, the counter and the player's attack when the phantasm is cast).

 

I haven't played with shield much yet, but I remember it being nicely designed. Would probably give it 8+, not sure.

Edited February 18, 2022 by Skyroar.2974

[Justine.6351]

13 hours ago, Skyroar.2974 said:

Greatsword - 10/10: One of the most well-designed skillsets in the entire game. Unique, stylish and fluid. Also useful (high range, AoE), with decent depth (cripple, boon rip, knockback). Perfection.

Axe - 9/10: Plenty of depth. A 2-ammo skill, a target-resetting for clones with evasion, and I enjoy how one skill is best spammed when you have few clones, and the other shouldn't be spammed unless your clone number is already full. It's not a classic "spam your DPS skills once they are available" rotation.

Staff - 8/10: Also an overall well-designed and unique skillset, but there's a few things that bother me. I dislike how phantasms are reliant on power damage when everything else is condition-based; and the playstyle feels a bit too simplistic and spammy, honestly. I bores me after a while.

Sword - 6/10 (9/10 on Mirage; 7-8/10 on Virtuoso): Only fun with Mirage's ambush. Otherwise, this weapon is mostly balanced around 2 skills (AA + BF), as the 3rd is kind of filler in PvE. Virtuoso's change on #3 makes the weapon more interesting: I hope that change is made baseline. The leap (+ teleport back) adds depth to the otherwise bland playstyle, while Mirage's player + 3 clone army leaping and chain-dazing your opponent is pure joy. If Virtuosos's #3 gets made baseline, then Mirage's sword may end up being a 10/10 for me.

Scepter - 4/10: It doesn't knows what it wants to me. Thematically, why does it have a block? The duelist block-and-counter theme is already fulfilled with Sw/Sw. The AA generates clones, but clones can't generate more clones, which would be the best thing about the concept (it's what spirit lancer does in Dota2). #3 is pretty cool, and it clearly wants to be the GW2-version of GW1 mesmer's skills, but that idea is not supported by the remaining skills. I feel scepter lacks identity and needs a rework.

 

Dagger (so far) - 6/10: The AA is boring, the skill #2 is uninspired and generic. But #3 is plenty of fun, and it carries the whole weapon. Hoping for further improvements before the expansion comes out.

 

Pistol - 9/10: Fluid playstyle. Good range, fast, decent damage and cc. Simple and fun.

Torch - 8/10: Unique, stealthy/trickster theme. I like the "surprise!" element of it. Have my issues with the phantasm's functionality.

Focus - 6/10: The phantasm was once one of my favourite skills for Mesmer, but the reworks have made it annoying and unsatisfying. The speed boost field no longer has a place in 2022, and although the pull is wonderful, I find it annoying how I have to cast the speed boost field first before I have access to it. If #5 was nothing but the area pull, and #4 had its AoE damage brought back, this would be a 10/10 offhand weapon.

Sword - 5/10: It may be strong, and the phantasm is pretty cool, but is otherwise a very bland weapon with bland animations. The counter-attack animation, for example, is so boring and straightforward that it fails to communicate clearly why such a skill can inflict such high numbers. The player's skill on phantasm-use is also kind of boring/filler-looking. Phantasm leaping and using blurred frenzy is the only cool and stylish thing about oh-sw, but that's, like, 1/4 of its effects (the other 3 being the block, the counter and the player's attack when the phantasm is cast).

 

I haven't played with shield much yet, but I remember it being nicely designed. Would probably give it 8+, not sure.

I hate virtuoso sword 3. It's not a teleport and it doesn't have immobilize.

Focus has a place in wvw small scale if traited. 2 reflect skills on 20 second recharges rofl and swiftness for us core mesmers. I happen to run runes of the air so I get like 18 seconds on a 20 second recharge. Setup for interrupting, into the Void is an amazing instant cast aoe interrupt. I am pretty sure you can even use it while cced.