What about the Scepter?

[Angel de Lyssa.4716]

@PierPiero.9142 said:

@"Angel de Lyssa.4716" said:To that you add the useless scepter with the nerf "confusion", compared to the skills of the sword, the sword has more mobility, you can be invulnerable, you control the enemy better ... the scepter inflicts "confusion" "torment" but for nothing ... the enemy will clean it and it escapes.

I agree but sword is not range. As range weapon we have only gs, staff and scepter . I find staff great for spvp even now after confusion changes ( i use it with wizard amulet ) . GS ... probably i have not a good feeling with it but i find it a weak weapon. Burst can be good with gs but if your opponent avoid it gs has no defensive skill. With staff you can use staff 2 , 4 and 5 defensevily ... with gs there is nothing real defensive ...

The swords only for "Mirage Thrust" (Swords Ambush of Mirage) is op, for the movility. You can spaming this skill for moving .

[otto.5684]

I think scepter needs some re-work, but not an overhaul. AA increase attack speed and/or remove the after cast. Skill 2 should be redesigned to AOE damage and remove the block. Skill 3 is okay, but scepter damage overall needs re-balancing. Condi chrono with scepter should be able to pull upper 20s to lower 30s in a raid environment.

[Levetty.1279]

Don't forget the ambush which was already mediocre but is now even worse with the changes to confusion.

[Jace al Thor.6745]

@Levetty.1279 said:Don't forget the ambush which was already mediocre but is now even worse with the changes to confusion.

Hey welcome back Levetty!

And yeah, scepter needs a lot of love especially now.

[Treetoptrickster.4205]

1. Mind RendDeliver a strike to your foe's mind, inflicting Torment.-> Mind SpikeDeliver an attack to your foe's mind, inflicting Torment.-> Mental AgonyDeliver a strike directly to your foe's mind, inflicting Confusion plus additional Confusion for each illusion you control over 1.

2. Mirror CounterReflect projectiles for a brief duration, summoning two clones that cast mind rend and mind spike if allowed to complete.-> Counter SpellEnd Mirror Counter early, summoning no illusions but casting a Blinding bolt that inflicts Torment.

3. Confusing ImagesChannel a beam at your foe that scrambles their mind, inflicting Confusion and retargeting your clones to them.

[Angel de Lyssa.4716]

The scepter, needs a big rework, some skills that punish the enemy, very similar to the "Empathy" and "Backfire" of the Gw1, but adapted in Gw2.

Perhaps a new exclusive condition for the mesmer scepter, or only for the mesmer. As with the "fear" in necromancer. A new conditions that damage if enemy activating any skills special o dodge, o not use any skill on X time.

[Jace al Thor.6745]

@"Angel de Lyssa.4716" said:The scepter, needs a big rework, some skills that punish the enemy, very similar to the "Empathy" and "Backfire" of the Gw1, but adapted in Gw2.

Perhaps a new exclusive condition for the mesmer scepter, or only for the mesmer. As with the "fear" in necromancer. A new conditions that damage if enemy activating any skills special o dodge, o not use any skill on X time.

I disagree on be adding any new conditions, especially profession exclusives. Anet can’t properly balance the conditions we currently have, just look at the massive confusion nerf. So why would they need to add more to the cluster? Second, concerning profession exclusive conditions, necro has the most access to fear but it’s not exclusive to them but that’s rather besides the point. Any time Anet has made something “exclusive” it ends up being spread to other classes. Prime example is again confusion, torment also, one was more Mesmer exclusive the other necro. Now just about each class has access to one or the other. Not to mention alacrity was supposed to be Chrono exclusive but it was deemed to powerful for just one class so they threw it at Rev.

I agree 100% scepter needs buffs, but adding new conditions aren’t the route to go. Mesmer has a lack of burn(either Rng from staff or from torch) and poison(RNG from staff and that’s it) either, or both, of those would help making scepter better but it still needs something done about how clunky and slow it is.

[Angel de Lyssa.4716]

@Jace al Thor.6745 said:

@"Angel de Lyssa.4716" said:The scepter, needs a big rework, some skills that punish the enemy, very similar to the "Empathy" and "Backfire" of the Gw1, but adapted in Gw2.

Perhaps a new exclusive condition for the mesmer scepter, or only for the mesmer. As with the "fear" in necromancer. A new conditions that damage if enemy activating any skills special o dodge, o not use any skill on X time.

I disagree on be adding any new conditions, especially profession exclusives. Anet can’t properly balance the conditions we currently have, just look at the massive confusion nerf. So why would they need to add more to the cluster? Second, concerning profession exclusive conditions, necro has the most access to fear but it’s not exclusive to them but that’s rather besides the point. Any time Anet has made something “exclusive” it ends up being spread to other classes. Prime example is again confusion, torment also, one was more Mesmer exclusive the other necro. Now just about each class has access to one or the other. Not to mention alacrity was supposed to be Chrono exclusive but it was deemed to powerful for just one class so they threw it at Rev.

I agree 100% scepter needs buffs, but adding new conditions aren’t the route to go. Mesmer has a lack of burn(either Rng from staff or from torch) and poison(RNG from staff and that’s it) either, or both, of those would help making scepter better but it still needs something done about how clunky and slow it is.

I do not agree with you, the mesmer needs more mechanics with the "Confusion", not just inflict them and that's it, you need more traits to do synergy with the "confusion", if you notice, the mesmer is the only profession that does not have any trait related to the improvement of condition, or its own "confusion", does not have a trait that increases X% damage to the "Confusion", nothing of + X% duration to the "Confusion".

It gives the feeling that "confusion" is another condition of the heap, the warrior has better mechanics, but the mesmer nothing, only this and the other, to create accumulation, but does not have any trait that modifies or adds another exclusive mechanic with the " Confusion "(And I'm not say the trait" Ineptitude ", that is other accumaltion)

I refer to trait as "When you inflict X confusion "on the enemy, you also eliminate any buff, or when you eliminate any buff on the foes, inflict also "confusion". Or when you inflict 3 of "Confusion", you also inflict torment. Or your "confusion" on the foe, inflict more damage if they are not activating any skills on 2s (While you hold a scepter.)

Some help for scepter, some trait related to "Confusion" mechanic, especially with the scepter, which helps the synergy with trait with "confusion" (While you wield scepter).

[Jace al Thor.6745]

@Angel de Lyssa.4716 said:

@Jace al Thor.6745 said:

@Angel de Lyssa.4716 said:The scepter, needs a big rework, some skills that punish the enemy, very similar to the "Empathy" and "Backfire" of the Gw1, but adapted in Gw2.

Perhaps a new exclusive condition for the mesmer scepter, or only for the mesmer. As with the "fear" in necromancer. A new conditions that damage if enemy activating any skills special o dodge, o not use any skill on X time.

I disagree on be adding any new conditions, especially profession exclusives. Anet can’t properly balance the conditions we currently have, just look at the massive confusion nerf. So why would they need to add more to the cluster? Second, concerning profession exclusive conditions, necro has the most access to fear but it’s not exclusive to them but that’s rather besides the point. Any time Anet has made something “exclusive” it ends up being spread to other classes. Prime example is again confusion, torment also, one was more Mesmer exclusive the other necro. Now just about each class has access to one or the other. Not to mention alacrity was supposed to be Chrono exclusive but it was deemed to powerful for just one class so they threw it at Rev.

I agree 100% scepter needs buffs, but adding new conditions aren’t the route to go. Mesmer has a lack of burn(either Rng from staff or from torch) and poison(RNG from staff and that’s it) either, or both, of those would help making scepter better but it still needs something done about how clunky and slow it is.

I do not agree with you, the mesmer needs more mechanics with the "Confusion", not just inflict them and that's it, you need more traits to do synergy with the "confusion", if you notice, the mesmer is the only profession that does not have any trait related to the improvement of condition, or its own "confusion", does not have a trait that increases X% damage to the "Confusion", nothing of + X% duration to the "Confusion".

It gives the feeling that "confusion" is another condition of the heap, the warrior has better mechanics, but the mesmer nothing, only this and the other, to create accumulation, but does not have any trait that modifies or adds another exclusive mechanic with the " Confusion "(And I'm not say the trait" Ineptitude ", that is other accumaltion)

I refer to trait as "When you inflict X confusion "on the enemy, you also eliminate any buff, or when you eliminate any buff on the foes, inflict also "confusion". Or when you inflict 3 of "Confusion", you also inflict torment. Or your "confusion" on the foe, inflict more damage if they are not activating any skills on 2s (While you hold a scepter.)

Some help for scepter, some trait related to "Confusion" mechanic, especially with the scepter, which helps the synergy with trait with "confusion" (While you wield scepter).

Cry of Pain- adds two stacks to F2 and increases confusion duration by 33%

Compounding Power- increase damage and condition damage per illusion. Max 150 condition damage.

Chaotic Transference- 10% toughness converted to condition damage

Chaotic Persistence- increased boon and condition duration for every boon on you. Up to 26% duration.

We don’t NEED more traits to buff confusion because we already have plenty of traits that provide condition duration or damage. Those listed are just minors since we aren’t counting traits like Ineptitude for whatever reason. In reality no class needs traits to extend condition duration with the easy access to Expertise. Before the nerf confusion definitely did not need traits to increase its lethality, it was already too strong because people weren’t cleansing it. There’s also no such thing as exclusive mechanics. You can throw that idea out of the window, Anet doesn’t believe in keeping anything exclusive. What needs to happen is conditions in general need to be balanced before you can even start talking about adding(bad idea) or increasing lethality through traits. Doing either of those two before conditions are balanced is counter intuitive.

[Arlette.9684]

Both scepter and focus are below trash tier. They just provide too little compared to the rest of the table, in both utility and damage options.

[Jojo.6590]

I would not mind to see confusion replaced with the condition spectral agony. The only ability that gives Mesmer access to this condition is signet of agony, the new down state ability you can unlock via HoT. This seems like a really cool condition that could also be used as the main condition for a new elite specialization (duel pistol).

[Angel de Lyssa.4716]

@Jace al Thor.6745 said:

@Angel de Lyssa.4716 said:

@Jace al Thor.6745 said:

@Angel de Lyssa.4716 said:The scepter, needs a big rework, some skills that punish the enemy, very similar to the "Empathy" and "Backfire" of the Gw1, but adapted in Gw2.

Perhaps a new exclusive condition for the mesmer scepter, or only for the mesmer. As with the "fear" in necromancer. A new conditions that damage if enemy activating any skills special o dodge, o not use any skill on X time.

I disagree on be adding any new conditions, especially profession exclusives. Anet can’t properly balance the conditions we currently have, just look at the massive confusion nerf. So why would they need to add more to the cluster? Second, concerning profession exclusive conditions, necro has the most access to fear but it’s not exclusive to them but that’s rather besides the point. Any time Anet has made something “exclusive” it ends up being spread to other classes. Prime example is again confusion, torment also, one was more Mesmer exclusive the other necro. Now just about each class has access to one or the other. Not to mention alacrity was supposed to be Chrono exclusive but it was deemed to powerful for just one class so they threw it at Rev.

I agree 100% scepter needs buffs, but adding new conditions aren’t the route to go. Mesmer has a lack of burn(either Rng from staff or from torch) and poison(RNG from staff and that’s it) either, or both, of those would help making scepter better but it still needs something done about how clunky and slow it is.

I do not agree with you, the mesmer needs more mechanics with the "Confusion", not just inflict them and that's it, you need more traits to do synergy with the "confusion", if you notice, the mesmer is the only profession that does not have any trait related to the improvement of condition, or its own "confusion", does not have a trait that increases X% damage to the "Confusion", nothing of + X% duration to the "Confusion".

It gives the feeling that "confusion" is another condition of the heap, the warrior has better mechanics, but the mesmer nothing, only this and the other, to create accumulation, but does not have any trait that modifies or adds another exclusive mechanic with the " Confusion "(And I'm not say the trait" Ineptitude ", that is other accumaltion)

I refer to trait as "When you inflict X confusion "on the enemy, you also eliminate any buff, or when you eliminate any buff on the foes, inflict also "confusion". Or when you inflict 3 of "Confusion", you also inflict torment. Or your "confusion" on the foe, inflict more damage if they are not activating any skills on 2s (While you hold a scepter.)

Some help for scepter, some trait related to "Confusion" mechanic, especially with the scepter, which helps the synergy with trait with "confusion" (While you wield scepter).

Cry of Pain- adds two stacks to F2 and increases confusion duration by 33%

Compounding Power- increase damage and condition damage per illusion. Max 150 condition damage.

Chaotic Transference- 10% toughness converted to condition damage

Chaotic Persistence- increased boon and condition duration for every boon on you. Up to 26% duration.

We don’t NEED more traits to buff confusion because we already have plenty of traits that provide condition duration or damage. Those listed are just minors since we aren’t counting traits like Ineptitude for whatever reason. In reality no class needs traits to extend condition duration with the easy access to Expertise. Before the nerf confusion definitely did not need traits to increase its lethality, it was already too strong because people weren’t cleansing it. There’s also no such thing as exclusive mechanics. You can throw that idea out of the window, Anet doesn’t believe in keeping anything exclusive. What needs to happen is conditions in general need to be balanced before you can even start talking about adding(bad idea) or increasing lethality through traits. Doing either of those two before conditions are balanced is counter intuitive.

Actually, you are wrong, if each profession does not have exclusive mechanics, then it does not make sense to play, you choose the profession that more dps does and saves time.

These traits are not worth to me, it is simply an accumulation, and they are very simple. What I am trying to explain, is that the scepter of mesmer, needs some unique or exclusive mechanics only of the mesmer, especially with the "Confusion", since its design of the scepter, is focused on punishing the enemies, if not, the skill "Confusing Images" not makes sense, and that's where I want to go.

Of course, that these traits that you mention, increases the duration of condition, and the damage, but that does not serve to scepter, it is still just as useless.

For example, the sword, has more skill and more utility than the scepter, and is not because it inflicts more damage or remove buff, but because combined with other traits, it becomes more versatile and flexible, also with skill 1 ambush of Mirage, You can spam the skills and move freely around the map, then you can hit a lot, teleport, dodge damage, etc. All that independently, if you put traits or not, by the way, the traits of the sword, adds more damage, that which with the trait of scepter does not add, only speed ... a speed unnecessary to be able to inflict faster conditions or activate other abilities (as quickly as the enemies remove this conditions, so, it does not make sense + 20% speed), I would prefer a +250 damage condition, not + 20% speed attacks. To compare another example, the trait of great swords, is much better than trait of scepter, it simply adds more damage.

Do you understand what I want to tell you?

The Scepter needs a big redesign, or a special trait for it, that competes with the sword or other mesmer weapons. Because right now is an applicator of 2 conditions very easy to remove, and that do very little damage.

The traits you mention make the mesmer staff more useful than the scepter, with that I tell you everything ...

Scepter needs a trait for example:

Add the + 20% base speed for scepter. (Only skills of scepter, no other skills).*

Malicious Sorcery

While wielding a scepter, you gain +250 damage condition, and 20% recharge of skills scepter. The "confusions" applied can not be removed until the enemies have activated some skill.

And I could suggest more ideas

But it seems that you hate the mesmer scepter, or the mechanical "confusion", you not also contribute ideas, how you could improve the scepter?, surely it would do it as direct damage, and nothing of "Confusion" or damage of condition, normal ... it shows that you have not played the mesmer of the Gw1. And you do not know the mechanics of the spell "Empathy" and "Backfire".

[narcx.3570]

If you really want to play with RNG, you could sort of use it in the Clone build... Your ambush skill would apply 0-20 stacks of torment, at a lesser duration than axe, which isn't exactly horrrrrrrible... But with Imaginary Axes being ranged, and Staff being decentish, there's really no reason to try and force it, aside from fashionwarzing a skin or like, roleplaying a character who would use a scepter. I dunno...

[Jace al Thor.6745]

@Angel de Lyssa.4716 said:

@Jace al Thor.6745 said:

@Angel de Lyssa.4716 said:

@Jace al Thor.6745 said:

@Angel de Lyssa.4716 said:The scepter, needs a big rework, some skills that punish the enemy, very similar to the "Empathy" and "Backfire" of the Gw1, but adapted in Gw2.

Perhaps a new exclusive condition for the mesmer scepter, or only for the mesmer. As with the "fear" in necromancer. A new conditions that damage if enemy activating any skills special o dodge, o not use any skill on X time.

I disagree on be adding any new conditions, especially profession exclusives. Anet can’t properly balance the conditions we currently have, just look at the massive confusion nerf. So why would they need to add more to the cluster? Second, concerning profession exclusive conditions, necro has the most access to fear but it’s not exclusive to them but that’s rather besides the point. Any time Anet has made something “exclusive” it ends up being spread to other classes. Prime example is again confusion, torment also, one was more Mesmer exclusive the other necro. Now just about each class has access to one or the other. Not to mention alacrity was supposed to be Chrono exclusive but it was deemed to powerful for just one class so they threw it at Rev.

I agree 100% scepter needs buffs, but adding new conditions aren’t the route to go. Mesmer has a lack of burn(either Rng from staff or from torch) and poison(RNG from staff and that’s it) either, or both, of those would help making scepter better but it still needs something done about how clunky and slow it is.

I do not agree with you, the mesmer needs more mechanics with the "Confusion", not just inflict them and that's it, you need more traits to do synergy with the "confusion", if you notice, the mesmer is the only profession that does not have any trait related to the improvement of condition, or its own "confusion", does not have a trait that increases X% damage to the "Confusion", nothing of + X% duration to the "Confusion".

It gives the feeling that "confusion" is another condition of the heap, the warrior has better mechanics, but the mesmer nothing, only this and the other, to create accumulation, but does not have any trait that modifies or adds another exclusive mechanic with the " Confusion "(And I'm not say the trait" Ineptitude ", that is other accumaltion)

I refer to trait as "When you inflict X confusion "on the enemy, you also eliminate any buff, or when you eliminate any buff on the foes, inflict also "confusion". Or when you inflict 3 of "Confusion", you also inflict torment. Or your "confusion" on the foe, inflict more damage if they are not activating any skills on 2s (While you hold a scepter.)

Some help for scepter, some trait related to "Confusion" mechanic, especially with the scepter, which helps the synergy with trait with "confusion" (While you wield scepter).

Cry of Pain- adds two stacks to F2 and increases confusion duration by 33%

Compounding Power- increase damage and condition damage per illusion. Max 150 condition damage.

Chaotic Transference- 10% toughness converted to condition damage

Chaotic Persistence- increased boon and condition duration for every boon on you. Up to 26% duration.

We don’t NEED more traits to buff confusion because we already have plenty of traits that provide condition duration or damage. Those listed are just minors since we aren’t counting traits like Ineptitude for whatever reason. In reality no class needs traits to extend condition duration with the easy access to Expertise. Before the nerf confusion definitely did not need traits to increase its lethality, it was already too strong because people weren’t cleansing it. There’s also no such thing as exclusive mechanics. You can throw that idea out of the window, Anet doesn’t believe in keeping anything exclusive. What needs to happen is conditions in general need to be balanced before you can even start talking about adding(bad idea) or increasing lethality through traits. Doing either of those two before conditions are balanced is counter intuitive.

Actually, you are wrong, if each profession does not have exclusive mechanics, then it does not make sense to play, you choose the profession that more dps does and saves time.

These traits are not worth to me, it is simply an accumulation, and they are very simple. What I am trying to explain, is that the scepter of mesmer, needs some unique or exclusive mechanics only of the mesmer, especially with the "Confusion", since its design of the scepter, is focused on punishing the enemies, if not, the skill "Confusing Images" not makes sense, and that's where I want to go.

Of course, that these traits that you mention, increases the duration of condition, and the damage, but that does not serve to scepter, it is still just as useless.

For example, the sword, has more skill and more utility than the scepter, and is not because it inflicts more damage or remove buff, but because combined with other traits, it becomes more versatile and flexible, also with skill 1 ambush of Mirage, You can spam the skills and move freely around the map, then you can hit a lot, teleport, dodge damage, etc. All that independently, if you put traits or not, by the way, the traits of the sword, adds more damage, that which with the trait of scepter does not add, only speed ... a speed unnecessary to be able to inflict faster conditions or activate other abilities (as quickly as the enemies remove this conditions, so, it does not make sense + 20% speed), I would prefer a +250 damage condition, not + 20% speed attacks. To compare another example, the trait of great swords, is much better than trait of scepter, it simply adds more damage.

Do you understand what I want to tell you?

The Scepter needs a big redesign, or a special trait for it, that competes with the sword or other mesmer weapons. Because right now is an applicator of 2 conditions very easy to remove, and that do very little damage.

The traits you mention make the mesmer staff more useful than the scepter, with that I tell you everything ...

Scepter needs a trait for example:

Add the + 20% base speed for scepter. (Only skills of scepter, no other skills).*

Malicious Sorcery

While wielding a scepter, you gain +250 damage condition, and 20% recharge of skills scepter. The "confusions" applied can not be removed until the enemies have activated some skill.

And I could suggest more ideas

But it seems that you hate the mesmer scepter, or the mechanical "confusion", you not also contribute ideas, how you could improve the scepter?, surely it would do it as direct damage, and nothing of "Confusion" or damage of condition, normal ... it shows that you have not played the mesmer of the Gw1. And you do not know the mechanics of the spell "Empathy" and "Backfire".

So it’s obvious you and I aren’t going to agree on this. Each time a class exclusive has come out it quickly becomes shared among others, the only exception to this is fear and boon conversation. Both are almost exclusively necro but you can look at necro and see the pitiful state it is in outside of Scourge.

Scepter needs buff. The projectile is too slow and easily dodge unless you’re in melee range which defeats the purpose of a ranged weapon. Anet can’t seem to get it balanced because they’re afraid of its speed up then clone production would be out of control. However, scepter shines in hybrid builds because sc 3 hits as hard as blurred frenzy. Sc 2 used to hit decent on block but it’s easily avoided. Again, this needs to be fixed. If the block is triggered there should be consequences but as it is you can avoid both the damage and torment stacks.

Now, here’s were we truly differ. Anet can’t balance conditions properly, so if they started adding traits to increase conditions then they’ll be nerfed into the ground like they were in the past and be useless. This goes back to the absurd amount of expertise how easy it is to spec defensily and put out tons of condition damage. Torment, confusion, and burn should be on a short duration, but high damage while the others such as bleed and poison are high duration low damage. If that’s fixed then I’m more than willing to consider adding more traits to increase condition damage but not until and not passive add ons. The GS trait is cool in the fact it summons two zerkers plus the other stuff it does. That makes it somewhat better for a GM trait. Just slapping +250 condition damage on scepter isn’t a GM trait. It’s a cop out.

And I know the mechanics of GW1 mesmers fairly well seeing I played Gw1 for years. The two you mentioned specifically only damage upon skill use. Perfectly acceptable, outside of PvE there’s no reason confusion and torment do passive damage. But what you have to understand is outside the PvE maps, lore, and name of the game there’s very little that GW1 has in common with Gw2. The combat is vastly different, the classes are different even though some share the same name, there’s plenty of other things too. So making any kind of comparison between the two is irrelevant. Anet had a chance to bring GW1 Mesmer into Gw2 with Spellbreaker but they didn’t.

[bart.3687]

Tbh I do not need scepter to be a special snowflake with exclusive mechanics to it. I'd just like it to be more impactful, fluid, prettier, convenient to play, and less clunky. Currently, it's hardly any of these.

[Angel de Lyssa.4716]

@Jace al Thor.6745 said:

@Angel de Lyssa.4716 said:

@Jace al Thor.6745 said:

@Angel de Lyssa.4716 said:

@Jace al Thor.6745 said:

@Angel de Lyssa.4716 said:The scepter, needs a big rework, some skills that punish the enemy, very similar to the "Empathy" and "Backfire" of the Gw1, but adapted in Gw2.

Perhaps a new exclusive condition for the mesmer scepter, or only for the mesmer. As with the "fear" in necromancer. A new conditions that damage if enemy activating any skills special o dodge, o not use any skill on X time.

I disagree on be adding any new conditions, especially profession exclusives. Anet can’t properly balance the conditions we currently have, just look at the massive confusion nerf. So why would they need to add more to the cluster? Second, concerning profession exclusive conditions, necro has the most access to fear but it’s not exclusive to them but that’s rather besides the point. Any time Anet has made something “exclusive” it ends up being spread to other classes. Prime example is again confusion, torment also, one was more Mesmer exclusive the other necro. Now just about each class has access to one or the other. Not to mention alacrity was supposed to be Chrono exclusive but it was deemed to powerful for just one class so they threw it at Rev.

I agree 100% scepter needs buffs, but adding new conditions aren’t the route to go. Mesmer has a lack of burn(either Rng from staff or from torch) and poison(RNG from staff and that’s it) either, or both, of those would help making scepter better but it still needs something done about how clunky and slow it is.

I do not agree with you, the mesmer needs more mechanics with the "Confusion", not just inflict them and that's it, you need more traits to do synergy with the "confusion", if you notice, the mesmer is the only profession that does not have any trait related to the improvement of condition, or its own "confusion", does not have a trait that increases X% damage to the "Confusion", nothing of + X% duration to the "Confusion".

It gives the feeling that "confusion" is another condition of the heap, the warrior has better mechanics, but the mesmer nothing, only this and the other, to create accumulation, but does not have any trait that modifies or adds another exclusive mechanic with the " Confusion "(And I'm not say the trait" Ineptitude ", that is other accumaltion)

I refer to trait as "When you inflict X confusion "on the enemy, you also eliminate any buff, or when you eliminate any buff on the foes, inflict also "confusion". Or when you inflict 3 of "Confusion", you also inflict torment. Or your "confusion" on the foe, inflict more damage if they are not activating any skills on 2s (While you hold a scepter.)

Some help for scepter, some trait related to "Confusion" mechanic, especially with the scepter, which helps the synergy with trait with "confusion" (While you wield scepter).

Cry of Pain- adds two stacks to F2 and increases confusion duration by 33%

Compounding Power- increase damage and condition damage per illusion. Max 150 condition damage.

Chaotic Transference- 10% toughness converted to condition damage

Chaotic Persistence- increased boon and condition duration for every boon on you. Up to 26% duration.

We don’t NEED more traits to buff confusion because we already have plenty of traits that provide condition duration or damage. Those listed are just minors since we aren’t counting traits like Ineptitude for whatever reason. In reality no class needs traits to extend condition duration with the easy access to Expertise. Before the nerf confusion definitely did not need traits to increase its lethality, it was already too strong because people weren’t cleansing it. There’s also no such thing as exclusive mechanics. You can throw that idea out of the window, Anet doesn’t believe in keeping anything exclusive. What needs to happen is conditions in general need to be balanced before you can even start talking about adding(bad idea) or increasing lethality through traits. Doing either of those two before conditions are balanced is counter intuitive.

Actually, you are wrong, if each profession does not have exclusive mechanics, then it does not make sense to play, you choose the profession that more dps does and saves time.

These traits are not worth to me, it is simply an accumulation, and they are very simple. What I am trying to explain, is that the scepter of mesmer, needs some unique or exclusive mechanics only of the mesmer, especially with the "Confusion", since its design of the scepter, is focused on punishing the enemies, if not, the skill "Confusing Images" not makes sense, and that's where I want to go.

Of course, that these traits that you mention, increases the duration of condition, and the damage, but that does not serve to scepter, it is still just as useless.

For example, the sword, has more skill and more utility than the scepter, and is not because it inflicts more damage or remove buff, but because combined with other traits, it becomes more versatile and flexible, also with skill 1 ambush of Mirage, You can spam the skills and move freely around the map, then you can hit a lot, teleport, dodge damage, etc. All that independently, if you put traits or not, by the way, the traits of the sword, adds more damage, that which with the trait of scepter does not add, only speed ... a speed unnecessary to be able to inflict faster conditions or activate other abilities (as quickly as the enemies remove this conditions, so, it does not make sense + 20% speed), I would prefer a +250 damage condition, not + 20% speed attacks. To compare another example, the trait of great swords, is much better than trait of scepter, it simply adds more damage.

Do you understand what I want to tell you?

The Scepter needs a big redesign, or a special trait for it, that competes with the sword or other mesmer weapons. Because right now is an applicator of 2 conditions very easy to remove, and that do very little damage.

The traits you mention make the mesmer staff more useful than the scepter, with that I tell you everything ...

Scepter needs a trait for example:

Add the + 20% base speed for scepter. (Only skills of scepter, no other skills).*

Malicious Sorcery

While wielding a scepter, you gain +250 damage condition, and 20% recharge of skills scepter. The "confusions" applied can not be removed until the enemies have activated some skill.

And I could suggest more ideas

But it seems that you hate the mesmer scepter, or the mechanical "confusion", you not also contribute ideas, how you could improve the scepter?, surely it would do it as direct damage, and nothing of "Confusion" or damage of condition, normal ... it shows that you have not played the mesmer of the Gw1. And you do not know the mechanics of the spell "Empathy" and "Backfire".

So it’s obvious you and I aren’t going to agree on this. Each time a class exclusive has come out it quickly becomes shared among others, the only exception to this is fear and boon conversation. Both are almost exclusively necro but you can look at necro and see the pitiful state it is in outside of Scourge.

Scepter needs buff. The projectile is too slow and easily dodge unless you’re in melee range which defeats the purpose of a ranged weapon. Anet can’t seem to get it balanced because they’re afraid of its speed up then clone production would be out of control. However, scepter shines in hybrid builds because sc 3 hits as hard as blurred frenzy. Sc 2 used to hit decent on block but it’s easily avoided. Again, this needs to be fixed. If the block is triggered there should be consequences but as it is you can avoid both the damage and torment stacks.

Now, here’s were we truly differ. Anet can’t balance conditions properly, so if they started adding traits to increase conditions then they’ll be nerfed into the ground like they were in the past and be useless. This goes back to the absurd amount of expertise how easy it is to spec defensily and put out tons of condition damage. Torment, confusion, and burn should be on a short duration, but high damage while the others such as bleed and poison are high duration low damage. If that’s fixed then I’m more than willing to consider adding more traits to increase condition damage but not until and not passive add ons. The GS trait is cool in the fact it summons two zerkers plus the other stuff it does. That makes it somewhat better for a GM trait. Just slapping +250 condition damage on scepter isn’t a GM trait. It’s a cop out.

And I know the mechanics of GW1 mesmers fairly well seeing I played Gw1 for years. The two you mentioned specifically only damage upon skill use. Perfectly acceptable, outside of PvE there’s no reason confusion and torment do passive damage. But what you have to understand is outside the PvE maps, lore, and name of the game there’s very little that GW1 has in common with Gw2. The combat is vastly different, the classes are different even though some share the same name, there’s plenty of other things too. So making any kind of comparison between the two is irrelevant. Anet had a chance to bring GW1 Mesmer into Gw2 with Spellbreaker but they didn’t.

Ok, now if I understand you, and I'm 100% in agreement with you, it's Arenanet's problem, its design problem and its way of doing things. Hopefully in the future, Gw3 is a hybrid between Gw1 and Gw2, where the skill system is the closest thing to Gw1, to recover the mesmer from Gw1.

[Bod.8261]

Scepter is probably my "weapon of choice", even though I haven't used it in quite some time.

Scepter has a serious identity crisis, it is outclassed in practically any aspect.Let's take a quick look at the strenghts and benefits of the different (mh) weapons:Sword: power dps, defense, mobilityAxe: condi dps, clone retargettingGS: power burst, long rangeStaff: Utility, long rangeScepter: clone generation, damage at max illusions

The only benefits scpeter brings aren't needed in the world of todays mesmer. There are so many ways of generating clones and now even phantasms generate them.Scepter is outclassed as a condi weapon by axe for obvious reasons (melee range, focus on damage), so pushing scepter as a dps weapon is kind of pointless (unless you really want to provide a condi build for core mes).If I were to redesign scepter, I'd strenghten it's hybrid aspects and push it as an alternative or replacement for sword or staff on hybrid builds.

1. Increase Ether Blast and Ether Clone power coefficient and Ether Clone no longer summons a clone, always inflicts torment.
2. Upon successful block Illusionary Counter will evade for a full second and break targeting.
3. Confusing Images gets turned into a regular aoe with 180 radius

In addition Malicious Sorcery could be replaced by a new trait and it's benefits be baked passively into scepter. But that would have to be number tested.

[joeherbert.6431]

I've been have a lot of fun with the scepter in PVP, here's my video. I think I like using it even more since it's under used.

[Angel de Lyssa.4716]

@"joeherbert.6431" said:I've been have a lot of fun with the scepter in PVP, here's my video. I think I like using it even more since it's under used.

For a lot of video that you show of your gameplay with the scepter, that you have fun, etc. The scepter is still a useless weapon compared to the other weapons of the mesmer. You need a big buff and rework. Do not come with gameplay videos with scepter, showing that the weapon is fine and does not need buff (because really if you need buff).

As much as you have fun, the scepter in high levels in competitive pvp, is useless, has no mobility (It has no ability to grant mobility, etc.), to that you add the nerf to the duration of two conditions, the useless ambush of the scepter ... yes, it amuses you, but at low levels of competitive pvp or casuals players.

Use the scepter vs competitive pvp expert players, and you'll tell me if you have fun.

[Carighan.6758]

@Bod.8261 said:In addition Malicious Sorcery could be replaced by a new trait and it's benefits be baked passively into scepter. But that would have to be number tested.

In general, I loathe traits which are just +X% of Y on a weapon. Short CDs, more damage, faster attack speeds, c'mon devs, you're undertuning the weapon itself to force people to use the trait and hence predict their build.

Interesting trait-components are the conditional recharge on Pistol, the extra burn on Torch, faster movement on equipping a dagger on Necro IIRC, those things.