Mesmer Zerg WVW

[Snorkar.9048]

Hi, everyone,

 

I wanted some help for knowing how mesmer can be nice in a zerg, I tried the meta build but I don’t like how it works, maybe another alternative exists that can be pretty nice and also fun to play in a zerg. What do you think? 

[godfat.2604]

To begin with, Mesmer is not great in zerg, but if you like it you can still have fun. 1~3 in a 30+ squad can be enough. Several options:

* Boon strip Chronomancer: This might be the meta build you're referring to? The goal is to strip boons as much as possible. This build works mainly based on Sigil of Absorption + Vicious Expression + a lot of CC skills, on top of other boon strips. Generally, a Scourge can corrupt more boons than a Chronomancer, but Chronomancer does have more CC which can be useful at times, adding utilities as well. So it's not bad to have a bit of them, but not too many. If you're interested, my build is Boon strip Chronomancer (If you have good enough Stability support, you can swap Mantra of Concentration for Mantra of Distraction. It's not great but whatever interruption can help)

* Utilities bot Chronomancer: It's not really different from the boon strip one, but more focus on providing utilities than stripping boons. Examples are Portal Entre for portal bomb, chaining Veil on top of Sneaky Gyro from Scrapper (note that the duration for Veil is extremely short comparing to Sneaky Gyro, so Veil is not really useful now, but there's no target limit on Veil so it can still have uses and can try to be creative), Illusion of Life to mass temporarily revive 3 allies, Focus 4 Temporal Curtain pull. If this is coordinated, it could be strong. You can use the same build with boon strip, except that you might want to pick Chaos for Prismatic Understanding so that when you use Veil you get 3 seconds stealth up from 2 seconds. It'll be useful for Portal bomb as well because longer stealth will help with that. I don't really play this so I don't have a build dedicated for it.

* Power damage Virtuoso: Again this is generally not great due to various reasons, but it can have massive burst damage and take opponents down for whom are not protected well or not careful enough. The most powerful burst come from Mind Stab and Bladesong Harmony. This is not very easy to play, because it's very brittle (almost no defense), and heavily relying on supports. If your Firebrand can give you a lot of Aegis, that would be wonderful. Make sure you fire your Bladesong Harmony only when Psychic Riposte is on, and have 5 blades, at the right timing! Everyone is constantly moving, it can happen that you have to hold the fire for a long time to find the best time to fire all the blades, and follow up with Mind Stab. Note that Psychic Riposte has bugs and it's not always unblockable, and without Psychic Riposte it'll not hit anything due to all the projectile hate. Of course, hitting into Protection protected opponents can't kill them either. If you like this play style, I'll recommend Herald instead. It might be worth to also mention that, if you're pushing, using Bladeturn Requiem can strip quite a few boons, even though the damage is pathetic. If you're interested, my build is Damage Virtuoso

* Commander Chronomancer: It's a popular commander choice. I am not a commander so I can't tell the secrets, but I imagine you can take the advantage of precise Veil and precise Portal bomb, and precise Gravity Well and other CC bomb. Beside that, Echo of Memory and Blurred Frenzy are good skills to survive. If you pick Blurred Inscriptions, more Distortion to use to survive even longer.

So that's all I can think of, and nothing else. Hope this helps.

[Zaret.1450]

in your  build, godfat, could be good to go with marauder and assasin? youll get less dmg but better sustain, also i think mesmers are good to have because focus pull, and also even if it has little boon strip it has some, mantras could be decent too.

Id say its like herald was in pve some time ago, nothing too good but lots of little things that help.

[godfat.2604]

6 hours ago, zaswer.5246 said:

in your  build, godfat, could be good to go with marauder and assasin? youll get less dmg but better sustain

As you said, less damage but better sustain, yeah. It comes down to your squad composition if you need better sustain. My experience with Herald using Marauder was that I lost a great deal of damage so I wouldn't suggest that for Herald. However given Quiet Intensity, which converts 10% Vitality into Ferocity, maybe it won't be so bad on Virtuoso.

[Tseison.4659]

This is the anti boon build I run in WvW as it's ten times better than running it on Chrono. Not only does it remove a boon per blade from the shattered concentration trait (total of 5 boons), you can also bring the Vicious Expression trait for an additional boon removal but I usually prefer the extra shatter damage. You also have the sigils of Nullifcation and Absorption. Then lastly you can take either Null Field, Arcane Thievery or Feedback, depending on your playstyle but it's also purely situational as I swap my utilities often.

I run a Mesmer team and we usually provide assistance to team zergs with Feedbacks, infiltration via Portals and chipping away the enemy backline and downs. 👍

Edited September 7, 2022 by Tseison.4659

[Opus.4726]

2 hours ago, Tseison.4659 said:

This is the anti boon build I run in WvW as it's ten times better than running it on Chrono. Not only does it remove a boon per blade from the shattered concentration trait (total of 5 boons), you can also bring the Vicious Expression trait for an additional boon removal but I usually prefer the extra shatter damage. You also have the sigils of Nullifcation and Absorption. Then lastly you can take either Null Field, Arcane Thievery or Feedback, depending on your playstyle but it's also purely situational as I swap my utilities often.

I run a Mesmer team and we usually provide assistance to team zergs with Feedbacks, infiltration via Portals and chipping away the enemy backline and downs. 👍

 

2 hours ago, Tseison.4659 said:

This is the anti boon build I run in WvW as it's ten times better than running it on Chrono. Not only does it remove a boon per blade from the shattered concentration trait (total of 5 boons), you can also bring the Vicious Expression trait for an additional boon removal but I usually prefer the extra shatter damage. You also have the sigils of Nullifcation and Absorption. Then lastly you can take either Null Field, Arcane Thievery or Feedback, depending on your playstyle but it's also purely situational as I swap my utilities often.

I run a Mesmer team and we usually provide assistance to team zergs with Feedbacks, infiltration via Portals and chipping away the enemy backline and downs. 👍

 

[Opus.4726]

sorry to spam the Quote just hit the button by accident.

 

with that are you sure that each blade takes a boon? the wiki says it dosen't. not sure havent tested it yet 

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Shattered_Concentration

[Tseison.4659]

15 minutes ago, Opus.4726 said:

sorry to spam the Quote just hit the button by accident.

 

with that are you sure that each blade takes a boon? the wiki says it dosen't. not sure havent tested it yet 

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Shattered_Concentration

Correct as I JUST used it in game against a Harbinger and during that encounter I had different sigils and not my anti boon ones. On the wiki it specifies that only Bladesong DISSONANCE doesn’t remove 5 when combined. But if you use F1, it does remove 1 per blade.

[Opus.4726]

ohh yes thats right. this does seem to be a F1 strip

 

[Opus.4726]

Have you seen what Bladeturn Requiem does? it sayd boon removed on it, so everytime it hits somebody?

 

[godfat.2604]

19 minutes ago, Opus.4726 said:

Have you seen what Bladeturn Requiem does? it sayd boon removed on it, so everytime it hits somebody?

Yes, so as I mentioned in my above post, it can strip quite a few boons. Or maybe I should just say a lot of boons if you can melee against zerg.

I wouldn’t say more than Chronomancer though.

Edited September 7, 2022 by godfat.2604

[Tseison.4659]

5 minutes ago, godfat.2604 said:

Yes, so as I mentioned in my above post, it can strip quite a few boons. Or maybe I should just say a lot of boons if you can melee against zerg.

I wouldn’t say more than Chronomancer though.

Keep in mind that yes as good Chrono can be via support, minstrel gear etc… Virtuoso is far better with boon stripping as clones can easily be destroyed before reaching targets which then equals no boons removed. While yes, the only thing virtuoso would have to worry about is loss of distance from the enemy, collision and reflection but those are obviously inevitable.

[godfat.2604]

2 minutes ago, Tseison.4659 said:

Virtuoso is far better with boon stripping as clones can easily be destroyed before reaching targets which then equals no boons removed.

Boon strips from Chronomancer mostly come from CC spam, like double Gravity Well, Tide of Times, along with Sigil of Absorption + Vicious Expression which is important to go along with other damage bombs from your squad (Well of Corruption, Well of Suffering, Elemental Blast, Phase Smash, Coalescence of Ruin, Hunter’s Ward, etc, none of them are projectile). Melee shatter (no one is expecting clones) from Chrono can also strip quite a few but that’s less important than the CC spam.

Bladesongs are great to strip boons, but only if they can hit, which is very difficult unless you’re just picking off your target. I am more concerned about coordinated bombs. Maybe we play much differently, but we can also agree to disagree.

[Zaret.1450]

in my opinion a chrononbuild should move more around cc and wells, what i mean is, gravity is obviously huge cc and other wells are just as good if you go as a suport in a group that melees and goes slowly, while on groups that go more ranged or if you want more dmg i think a virtuoso is better, reflections and blocks hurt but out of that virtu should be able to do more dmg than a chrono, boon strip is more a secondary help, like focus pull, things that make you good even if all your dmg comes from projectiles.

[Flow.2947]

Vituoso is not superior or worse in boonstrip  it is differen't. Chrono is about cc and there the strips come from but is stripping 4, 1,1....
Virtuosso strips very effectively singe targets of 5 boons. More often it is less strips because it will get reflected or blocked  (3s internal cd). Don't expect to be top strip or top dps. 

 

But what works realy good is:

Focus 4 don't pull yet

strip with f2 (because it hits all 5 at once and the after cast feels shorter)

Sword of decimation onto your focus 4 skill

focus 4 pull before sod hits the ground.

... then relay on others because you burned a lot.

 

Did you know that lava font (ele skill) does more dmg then Rain of swords and its on a 6s cd 🙃 I didn't 🤯

[Alpha.1308]

On 9/6/2022 at 3:17 PM, Snorkar.9048 said:

maybe another alternative exists that can be pretty nice and also fun to play in a zerg.

HavInG plaYED mEsMeR SiNCE PRe LAunCH

because i have, too 

i mained mesmer back in GW1 and into pre launch GW2

and apparently i guess that gives me some sort of important status, according to a comment which apparently says my build isn't worth it because 1 dodge is apparently not enough 

i hate the meta chronotank, it makes no sense to me

wasted stats (minstrels on something with no healing), wasted potential due to poor functionality on wells (wells do nothing until 3 seconds??? who stands in those in pvp, grav well/continuum split being the only useful tools you even get from chrono) and it does nothing but top strip chart, which, i mean, just bring a scourge??? not to mention, i couldn't care less if my target doesn't have vigor/regen/protection if they still walking around, regardless, they can get hit by 50 people each dealing 1k on an auto attack and they'll be dying regardless of their protection and regen 

 

i just run around with power mirage GS with signets

top dps chart instead of strip chart, but still bring null field so you can contribute to zoning a group when it needs to get hot to focus on ripping stabs for a bomb location, provides decent localized spike damage along with unstoppable beam funneling for sustained damage

 

it's the only way i've found to play mesmer and not hate my life while doing it in wvw if i ever even decide to turn the game on anymore at this point, because at this point it's just absolutely beyond depressing watching Virtuoso being created and still existing in its current form 

 

Edited September 13, 2022 by Alpha.1308

[Infusion.7149]

Having played mesmer since pre-launch, chrono is a lot better than core mesmer. It has a movement speed buff as well as better boon access, but you lose distortion. Gravity well still turns the tide sometimes. Shield offhand along with tides of time gives you added CC ; improved alacrity improves your utilities' usage (veil/portal/null field/etc).

However, I would not run the one dodge mirage meme or the virtuoso which is all projectile (dagger mainhand and the bladesongs).

[Yoci.2481]

Power Chrono with distortion would be kind of okay for wvw roaming. Still need to adjust some of the overtuned professions though.

[Ronald McDonald.8165]

Having also played Mesmer since pre-gw2 release, shield is kitten and focus is so much better for WvW. #prereleasemesmer

[Mungo Zen.9364]

Wait, I played GW1 Closed Alpha as a Mesmer........

Can I use that to invalidate other players claims about Mesmer?  I kid of course, but GW1 Closed Alpha builds were far superior to what the launched...just saying....or just joking.....you decide

Edited September 14, 2022 by Mungo Zen.9364

[Avion Blade.4869]

If you want something different, Go Mirage for Zerg in WvW. There is a way to play while you are in the Zerg. I know it seems absurd at the moment to Zerg with 1 Evade, but there is something to note. Split Surge, the evade attack with GreatSword + Domination Mid, High, High, while running Chaos: Low-High-Low, and Mirage: Mid-High-Mid wearing Celestial Armor, but DPS trinkets, and DPS Weapons leaning in Power/Prec/Ferocity really helps. The rest of the Zerg will help with boon strips, and you will have endurance regeneration from your F2 Shatter with bountiful disillusionment. You are basically DPS capitalizing on other friendlies softening up the target. When you hit while the enemy has no boons, you will hit hard, especially if you shatter with clones near the enemy (which they ignore sometimes while AOE's land near or on allied zerg).

 

Utilities: Mirror Heal, Null Field, FeedBack, Blink, Mass Invisibility.

 

You blink to catch up with zerg/break stun only. Stay in the Zerg though. 

 

Your other weapon set is going to be Sword/Sword, which is absolutely going to blow the minds of other mesmers but hear me out. This is purely for surviving, Evade on sword 2, and block on sword 4 helps. Whats the point of using torch 4 if you get hit while invisible? And using off-hand Pistol is not effective with boonballs, as well as focus, because the line for swiftness is just extra swiftness (which other classes can grant already), and the pulls can be anticipated; so emphasizing on the GS, and using the two swords for defense is the best pick for this style.

Your might boons will come from yourself sometimes but a lot from the Zerg. So you will pew pew 3 beams a lot, watch those numbers pop! Escpecially with fury. Get severance on your greatsword, as will as removing boon on hit to increase effect of your weapon.

 

Now, for helping the Zerg, but not being part of the Zerg (that is what I do), that is another playstyle. Hehe.

Edit: Corrected Chaos: low low low to Low High Low

Edited September 15, 2022 by Avion Blade.4869

[Yoci.2481]

You probably meant to type Chaos Low-High-Low I assume.

[Avion Blade.4869]

43 minutes ago, Yoci.2481 said:

You probably meant to type Chaos Low-High-Low I assume.

 

Correct, I meant Low high Low. The all-low is engrained in my staff build lol. Ill edit it thanks.

[Ronald McDonald.8165]

12 hours ago, Avion Blade.4869 said:

If you want something different, Go Mirage for Zerg in WvW. There is a way to play while you are in the Zerg. I know it seems absurd at the moment to Zerg with 1 Evade, but there is something to note. Split Surge, the evade attack with GreatSword + Domination Mid, High, High, while running Chaos: Low-High-Low, and Mirage: Mid-High-Mid wearing Celestial Armor, but DPS trinkets, and DPS Weapons leaning in Power/Prec/Ferocity really helps. The rest of the Zerg will help with boon strips, and you will have endurance regeneration from your F2 Shatter with bountiful disillusionment. You are basically DPS capitalizing on other friendlies softening up the target. When you hit while the enemy has no boons, you will hit hard, especially if you shatter with clones near the enemy (which they ignore sometimes while AOE's land near or on allied zerg).

 

Utilities: Mirror Heal, Null Field, FeedBack, Blink, Mass Invisibility.

 

You blink to catch up with zerg/break stun only. Stay in the Zerg though. 

 

Your other weapon set is going to be Sword/Sword, which is absolutely going to blow the minds of other mesmers but hear me out. This is purely for surviving, Evade on sword 2, and block on sword 4 helps. Whats the point of using torch 4 if you get hit while invisible? And using off-hand Pistol is not effective with boonballs, as well as focus, because the line for swiftness is just extra swiftness (which other classes can grant already), and the pulls can be anticipated; so emphasizing on the GS, and using the two swords for defense is the best pick for this style.

Your might boons will come from yourself sometimes but a lot from the Zerg. So you will pew pew 3 beams a lot, watch those numbers pop! Escpecially with fury. Get severance on your greatsword, as will as removing boon on hit to increase effect of your weapon.

 

Now, for helping the Zerg, but not being part of the Zerg (that is what I do), that is another playstyle. Hehe.

Edit: Corrected Chaos: low low low to Low High Low

Do you mean Dom: high high high?

 

Idk why you’d want Dom mid. 
 

The reason torch is nice is because you also get a blind on your stealth. So you can avoid attacks with it. 

 

Focus is amazing, the pull is s-tier utility. I use it almost exclusively in WvW. I have had tons of focus pull into grav well, continuum split burst, 7 people dead wombo combos with it.

Edited September 15, 2022 by Ronald McDonald.8165

[Avion Blade.4869]

On 9/15/2022 at 10:13 AM, Ronald McDonald.8165 said:

Do you mean Dom: high high high?

 

Idk why you’d want Dom mid. 
 

The reason torch is nice is because you also get a blind on your stealth. So you can avoid attacks with it. 

 

Focus is amazing, the pull is s-tier utility. I use it almost exclusively in WvW. I have had tons of focus pull into grav well, continuum split burst, 7 people dead wombo combos with it.

I do mean Dom Mid-High-High; the clone spawns after gs 2 or gs4 from the phantasms, and then shattering helps with dps as a follow up. There aremoments when their boons are down and thats when you pop them.