Janthir Wilds Spear Beta Event Feedback: Mesmer [Merged]

[StraightPath.3972]

I only got to try it a little, because i was away during weekend, and while I had forum access I did not have game access.
Still it felt really nice on Mirage. The Ambush skill feels great as does empowered 5.

I can imagine other Mesmer Specs will be less happy because that ambush is really that great.
Still out of the spears I tried (Warr, Necro) this one feels like the one that needs the least kinks worked out.

Edited Monday at 05:22 PM by StraightPath.3972

[Curunen.8729]

Gutted I did not have time to play the beta this time. 😞

So I can't comment on much aside from visuals (not even audio as really need headphones for that).

The one thing that stuck out for me as being a problem is the flash effect on auto hits. It's quite strong, like constant fireworks - not sure if turning down some effects would make it more pleasant as it may be mild headache inducing after a while. Even the ambush flash seemed a bit painful from videos.

 

And maybe one more thing - I stupidly thought on the preview that skill 5 would be ground targeted, and then see that it's not. As much as I hate (really hate) excessive ground targeting, I think having skill 5 be ground targeted 600 range port+aoe damage would really help with some positional play and play well with mirage, jaunt/blink and other ground targeted ports. Spear already has an enemy engage on the phantasm.

[Xaylin.1860]

I tested all Spears in a rather casual PvE setting. So this is more of a first impression than a thorough assessment.

Overall, I probably enjoyed Thief and Mesmer the most. Mesmer Spear has maybe the prettiest new effects without being too overbearing as, for example, the etchings on Elementalist. I also think that the Spear is quite interesting for most power builds, leaving aside the constant disappointment of the half-baked Blade-affix for Virtuosos. The weapon felt great and has a good mixture of tools.

Still, there is room for improvement. Some things, that I thought of:

• Add Weakness on additional skill aside from AA, maybe base #5
• Consider having a ranged AA switch over for Mesmer as well, at least for 600. This would be very helpful in 1 vs. 1 scenarios where you'd like to keep you opponent at range until you land #2. An alternative could be a more conal AA for Spear.
• If there is no range compontent added to the AA, some sort of partial #2 reset (e.g. -1s CD) or even Clarity at the end of the Chain could make the weapon less shoe-horned when facing few enemies at a time.

Not directly related to Spear, but... at this point MH Sword feels so dead. I wouldn't know if I picked it unless I desperately needed a specific OH weapon in a power build and there it might still be Dagger despite it being a damage stick. It feels that this becomes even worse for power Mirage. I appretiate the unique damage modifier, but I'm not sure it is a good idea to attach it to Spear. Attaching Alacrity to Staff should have been lesson enough.

Edited Monday at 06:37 PM by Xaylin.1860

[Noro.2879]

14 hours ago, ZephidelGRS.9520 said:

We give detailed feedback only because we know there’s no way in hell they’ll ever delete Clarity. But deleting Clarity and make everything baseline is exactly what Mesmer Spear needs.

I don’t fcking understand why every time they introduce a new weapon, they have to bend themselves backward trying to cramp in a random gimmick. What’s even wrong with a good old-fashioned simple bonk stick? Press button, it does damage, that’s it. Simplicity is a kind of beauty too.

Maybe Spellbreaker is more your style

[Malande.8502]

First experience and useless weapon in competitive play. Gets totally steamrolled by builds with sustain/damage combined as usual. But I'm not giving up hope that someone more gifted than me will show me the way, even if I don't really believe it.

[Josif.2015]

Psycut, Psystrike, Mind Pierce: no changes needed.
Mind the Gap: make it so you gain Clarity regardless if you hit enemies with the outer edge.
Imaginary Inversion: reduce or remove the healing after you evade an attack. This skill is the same Blurred Frenzy (sword 2), but better. You have a shorter cast time, but still a 1 second evasion, you can hit 5 enemies instead of 3, you heal if you evade an attack and you remove 2 conditions if you have Clarity.
Phantasmal Lancer: no changes needed.
Mental Collapse: reduce the stun duration if you have Clarity from 3 to 2 seconds.

[Lincolnbeard.1735]

1 hour ago, Josif.2015 said:

Psycut, Psystrike, Mind Pierce: no changes needed.
Mind the Gap: make it so you gain Clarity regardless if you hit enemies with the outer edge.
Imaginary Inversion: reduce or remove the healing after you evade an attack. This skill is the same Blurred Frenzy (sword 2), but better. You have a shorter cast time, but still a 1 second evasion, you can hit 5 enemies instead of 3, you heal if you evade an attack and you remove 2 conditions if you have Clarity.
Phantasmal Lancer: no changes needed.
Mental Collapse: reduce the stun duration if you have Clarity from 3 to 2 seconds.

Blurred frenzy is better than spear 3, cd is lot shorter. No one cares about the healing nor anyone uses clarity with it when the alternative is a stun or more damage.

[Bloodwine.6450]

Spear on Mesmer feels fantastic, the only negative feedback I can provide concerns Mind the Gap.

The gameplay of forcing the Mesmer to be at a certain distance to capitalise on the Clarity effect it provides felt very janky and lacks cohesion with the other skills.

 As a WvW/PvPer mostly, I can't see myself landing too many Clarities on my opponent when you consider the fast paced positioning of players on the battlefield, ball groups being the exception.

An alternative I would like to see would be the following.

Mind the Gap provides Clarity if it deals damage regardless of the range, and attacking an opponent with the edge of the attack instead inflicts a 0.5 second Daze effect on any enemies hit.

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Bloodwine.6450