Mesmer Changes 7/10/18

[EpicTurtle.8571]

MesmerMesmers have been doing a little too well in recent updates, with increased damage across the board due to the confusion changes, as well as unparalleled support from boon share on top of multiple evasion windows. While we think these are good thematic roles for mesmers to have, their overall effectiveness is too high, so we are taking steps to rein in some of that extra power.

Blurred Frenzy: The animation time of this skill has been reduced from approximately 1.75 seconds to 1 second while retaining all previous attacks. Damage of this skill has been reduced by 17% in PvP and WvW, with PvE being reduced by 36%. The baseline recharge time has been reduced from 12 seconds to 10 seconds.The Prestige: Burning duration has been modified from 3 stacks for 3 seconds to 1 stack for 9 seconds.Phantasmal Mage: The burning duration of the initial attack has been modified from 2 stacks for 3 seconds to 1 stack for 6 seconds. The attack's burning has been modified from 3 stacks for 3 seconds to 1 stack for 9 seconds.Maim the Disillusioned: Torment duration has been split between game modes and will now deliver 4 seconds of torment in PvP and WvW while continuing to deal 6 seconds of torment in PvE.Imaginary Axes: Inflicted torment duration has been reduced from 5 seconds to 4 seconds.Axes of Symmetry: Inflicted confusion duration has been reduced from 8 seconds to 6 seconds in PvE.Jaunt: The ammunition recharge time of this skill has now been split and will use a 30-second cooldown in PvP and WvW while maintaining a 20-second cooldown in PvE.Signet of Inspiration: Reduced the duration of aegis shared by this skill from 10 seconds to 2 seconds.Illusionary Inspiration: Reduced the duration of aegis shared by this trait from 10 seconds to 2 seconds.Inspiring Distortion: Reduced the duration of aegis shared by this trait from 5 seconds to 2 seconds.Nomad's Endurance: Fixed a bug that could cause the bonus condition damage from this trait to be applied to characters other than the mesmer.Chaotic Persistence: The boon and condition duration bonus has been decreased from 3% to 2% per boon on the mesmer.

Whoosh is the sound the useful changes made as they sailed out the window. But that's my personal opinion. At least they could've given Torch some cooldown reduction.

[Solo.6873]

So I do have to give it to the people that complained about torch. They complained about burning so much the devs completely missed most of what actually needed to change.Sword nerf? LOL why?

[phokus.8934]

Blurred Frenzy damage nerf is a head scratcher.

Burn nerfs are a good start and this does nerf condi mesmer a bit. Something tells me they're not done though.

[EpicTurtle.8571]

@phokus.8934 said:Blurred Frenzy damage nerf is a head scratcher.

Burn nerfs are a good start and this does nerf condi mesmer a bit. Something tells me they're not done though.

Nah they're fine with the confusion and the inability to be locked down because they're good thematic roles.

[Curunen.8729]

The only thing that bothers me is Jaunt cd increase to 30s per charge in pvp/wvw. Jaunt didn't strike me as one of the things that was overperforming, especially with its very short range.

I think 30s per charge is too long, it was perfect at 20s.

If you're going to keep it at 30s, can we at least have that range increase to 600?

Anyway, prepare for the usual pack of wolves to pounce, given none of mirage thrust, EM etc were touched. Gonna be a lot of salt I guess. xD

[Curunen.8729]

Oh, Distortion buff?

"Invulnerability effects will now stop conditions from applying damage."

:o That's pretty cool if true, so F4 will be kind of pseudo-resistance.

Anyone able to check/test? Or have I misinterpreted.

[Blocki.4931]

@"Solori.6025" said:So I do have to give it to the people that complained about torch. They complained about burning so much the devs completely missed most of what actually needed to change.Sword nerf? LOL why?

Doesn't the "OP mirage" build use sword? It's deserved

[Dadnir.5038]

Do mesmer really needed damage nerf in PvE?

[EpicTurtle.8571]

@Blocki.4931 said:

@"Solori.6025" said:So I do have to give it to the people that complained about torch. They complained about burning so much the devs completely missed most of what actually needed to change.Sword nerf? LOL why?

Doesn't the "OP mirage" build use sword? It's deserved

It uses it for mobility, not damage, my dude.

[gateless gate.8406]

@Dadnir.5038 said:Do mesmer really needed damage nerf in PvE?

They have to nerf something and if they truly nerfed their support capabilities half the current raid teams would have a hissy fit.

[Alchimist.4738]

@Blocki.4931 said:

@"Solori.6025" said:So I do have to give it to the people that complained about torch. They complained about burning so much the devs completely missed most of what actually needed to change.Sword nerf? LOL why?

Doesn't the "OP mirage" build use sword? It's deserved

It uses sword for the mobility given by the ambush while also using blurred frenzy to soak up damage, I like the duration nerf, the damage nerf wasn't needed though.

[OriOri.8724]

The BF nerf is more than a damage nerf, its a big nerf to core mesmers ability to evade attacks. That's almost a 50% reduction in the blur duration from BF, but it was mirage that needed evade nerfs, not core mesmer. That one really confuses me. I don't see how that will bring mirage evade spam in line at all.

Also those torch changes are very interesting. Does this mean that ANet has given up on the idea that conditions need to be bursty? Because all of those changes are almost the exact opposite of what happened a few balance patches ago when Anet took a look at skills/traits that apply conditions across the board and made >90% much more bursty, with more stacks but for a smaller duration.

Then some random aegis sharing nerfs, but nothing to address the evade spam or fix EM.

[otto.5684]

Speaking from PvE, nerfing torch duration is a head scratcher. There was no need for it. I think chaotic presence nerf in PvE is unwarranted as well.

I cannot tell if the blurred frenzy change in PvE is a buff or a nerf for chrono power dps. It seems like a buff to me. It loses 36% damage, but frees 0.75 sec and has about 15% lower CD.

I think the changes in PvP are meaningless. Lower duration of torch, junt and axes 1 lower stack has nothing whatsoever with why mirage was outperforming.

Anyway, anet is continuing the random number generator changes since PoF release.

[OriOri.8724]

Also, if their goal is to reduce the effectiveness of our boon share, instead of randomly nerfing many traits/skills, just flat out remove Illusionary Inspiration. That trait alone is the reason our boon share is so ridiculously broken. SoI is a VERY strong skill if used right, and that trait allows us to double our uses of that skill. That's the problem with our boon share, not the duration of aegis that we can share.

[otto.5684]

Speaking from PvE, nerfing torch duration is a head scratcher. There was no need for it. I think chaotic presence nerf in PvE is unwarranted as well.

I cannot tell if the blurred frenzy change in PvE is a buff or a nerf for chrono power dps. It seems like a buff to me. It loses 36% damage, but frees 0.75 sec and has about 15% lower CD.

I think the changes in PvP are meaningless. Lower duration of torch, junt and axes 1 lower stack has nothing whatsoever with why mirage was outperforming.

Anyway, anet is continuing the random number generator changes since PoF release.

[Pyroatheist.9031]

@otto.5684 said:Speaking from PvE, nerfing torch duration is a head scratcher. There was no need for it. I think chaotic presence nerf in PvE is unwarranted as well.

I cannot tell if the blurred frenzy change in PvE is a buff or a nerf for chrono power dps. It seems like a buff to me. It loses 36% damage, but frees 0.75 sec and has about 15% lower CD.

It's a nerf. Blurred frenzy will do about 82% of pre-nerf damage in a perfect rotation.

[Levetty.1279]

Why the fuck are they nerfing Mesmer in PvE?

[Pyroatheist.9031]

@Levetty.1279 said:Why the kitten are they nerfing Mesmer in PvE?

Because it got hit on the Anet balance dart board.

[Levetty.1279]

I'd honestly be surprised if its even worth using Blurred frenzy for damage anymore.

[Hot Boy.7138]

I always run dual swords in pve and pvp. Sword mainhand isn't overperforming, why was that nerfed. And nerfed by so much. I don't get it at all. I have to say tho, it's upsetting to me since to me it seems axe and greatsword overperform in pvp, and those weapon skills weren't touched. Idk man, this balance update is weird. I don't get it

[marelooke.9708]

What was the point of the SoI changes? I can only think of negatives here.

[Pyroatheist.9031]

@Hot Boy.7138 said:Idk man, this balance update is weird. I don't get it

Don't worry, you'll get used to it.

[Lanhelin.3480]

I really don't understand why the torch was nerfed to the ground even in PvE. This was the only weapon that applied sort of condi "burst" good enough against low level mobs allowing the Mesmer to not run away a few seconds. Were these skills OP in PvE?

[Pyroatheist.9031]

@"Lanhelin.3480" said:I really don't understand why the torch was nerfed to the ground even in PvE. This was the only weapon that applied sort of condi "burst" good enough against low level mobs allowing the Mesmer to not run away a few seconds. Were these skills OP in PvE?

This, at least, I can happily inform you is incorrect. If you actually read the notes, you'd notice that the total burning duration applied by each skill remains the same, resulting in marginally slower ramp-up but unaffected dps.

[Lanhelin.3480]

@Pyroatheist.9031 said:

@"Lanhelin.3480" said:I really don't understand why the torch was nerfed to the ground even in PvE. This was the only weapon that applied sort of condi "burst" good enough against low level mobs allowing the Mesmer to not run away a few seconds. Were these skills OP in PvE?

This, at least, I can happily inform you is incorrect. If you actually read the notes, you'd notice that the total burning duration applied by each skill remains the same, resulting in marginally slower ramp-up but unaffected dps.

Sacrificing burst for duration means running.