Curse

rii · Dec 30, 2005, 12:09 PM // 12:09

Profession: E/Me (Elementalist/Mesmer)

Name: Mesmer in Disguise

Type: Pvp (Any format)

Category: Support

Attributes: Energy Storage: 10+3 (superior rune) +1 (hat)
Illusion: 10
Inspiration: 11

Weapons: Staff of +20% enchanting, then whatever you want after that.

Skill Set:

Ether Prodigy {elite}
Soothing Images (Illusion)
Spirit Shackles (Inspiration)
Conjure Phantasm (Illusion)
Sympathetic Visage (Illusion)
Signet of Humility (Inspiration)
Mantra of Persistence (Inspiration)
Resurrection Signet (Unlinked)

Summary:

You may note that there is only one Elementalist skill here, so I wasn't sure whether to put it in this section or the Mesmer section. However, without said Elementalist skill the build would not be able to perform its function.

I’ve always considered shutting down the enemy offense to be fundamental. Most people nowadays focus entirely on offense, defense, and that’s it. However, shutdown is the offensive defense many disregard. With it, you can stop the enemy offense dead in its tracks. I believe shutdown fell out of favour when the common tactic became to simply kill the enemy offense, so this is more in support of the ‘kill the monks’ style of play, which I much prefer (especially in 2-monk backlines that are common these days). Soothing Images got an increase in cost some time ago, and the wandering nature of warriors means that to take out more than one per cast is a gamble. One top of that, spirit shackles is also a heavy cost. However, with this set up, Ether Prodigy allows more or less chaining of said skills, which is the only set up outside of a spirit of failure build that can do so. Whatsmore, Conjure Phantasm works as an effective cover hex, providing degeneration which can be used well in dps builds, or simply to stop straight-forward removal of the important hexes. There is a slight irony in the inclusion of Mantra of Persistence. It’s too expensive to run in a low-energy income build, but in this build, where energy is not a problem, increased duration isn’t really very important. Signet of Humility can be used to disable any elite required. As a defensive caster, almost a third/fourth monk, I tend to go for Eviscerate warriors, whose primary function is their elite. Also, Hammer warriors, to disable Devastating Hammer or some equally useful skill. Soothing Images then stops any remaining skill from being used, such as Executioners Strike, Penetrating Blow, Hammer Bash, Mighty Blow, and so on. It also stops ‘fear me!’ bots in their tracks. Spirit shackles can single-handedly wipe out bow rangers, and also denies energy to warriors, thus denying IAS such as frenzy (making spiking hard), sprint (making it hard for them to stop kiters), or energy attack skills such as irresistible blow (part of most knock-down chains at the moment). Sympathetic Visage combines soothing images and spirit shackles in a nicely overpowered combination. Any grouping of warriors, even if the other team has large amounts of hex removal, can still be troubled, even if visage is activated only once.

Tactics on running the build: Using Ether Prodigy constantly is the focus. If you need a cover enchantment then use sympathetic visage- or get a vigorous spirit off a monk. Using EP every 30s means the exhaustion isn’t much of a problem, but if EP is removed then recasting isn’t much of a problem. With 14 E. Storage your max energy is large, and you only need a 15 energy pool to cast any of your skills, so stacking some exhaustion is worth it in battle, especially gvg (where there are often breaks in combat) or tombs (where matches are short anyway). As for usage of skills, then basically:
Soothing Images/Spirit Shackles (optional)/Conjure Phantasm – Warriors
Spirit Shackles/Conjure Phantasm – Rangers
Conjure Phantasm – Casters
Focus mainly on Warriors and rangers, branching out to casters if you have the time (i.e. the enemy has little hex removal)
If they do have hex removal, then you can out spam them, and if they don’t, you have an easy ride. The lack of fast casting is a slight problem, but generally it can be afforded. Against, interrupters, fast casting doesn’t make enough of a difference anyway.
Maintain Mantra and use signet of humility on axe warriors primarily.

Notes and Concerns:
- Although in general exhaustion isn’t a problem, watch out for heavy enchantment removal, if left unchecked you can work up a large backlog.
- Shatter Enchantment gets a special mention for a massive amount of damage. Make sure you’re at low energy continuously and you always have a cover enchantment.
- Natures Renewal > you. But you always kill the spirits right?
- Interrupters > you. But then again, if you had fast casting they should still hit your spells.

Credit: Me, and Everous, who helped with general shutdown ideas, etc. Many random ideas probably stolen from many people, but it’s so long ago and there were so many people…

Daemegil · Apr 02, 2007, 10:22 AM // 10:22

Hum seems to be a really nice build... I'll test it and perhaps change it a bit in my way (I don't like to just copy builds

).

Thank you very much for your ideas

Mouse at Large · Apr 02, 2007, 12:06 PM // 12:06

Used to run this sort of thing ages ago. Still fondly remember someone remarking "WTF!!!! our ele is a mesmer" after successfully doing a Forgemaster run in FoW

It's fun and it works - just don't tell folks.......

ZenRgy · Apr 02, 2007, 01:30 PM // 13:30

I'd rather run a PD or Migraine mesmer with Power Drain over this... monstrosity.

I don't know what kind of "PvP" you do but I don't see this build getting anywhere.

Stormlord Alex · Apr 02, 2007, 02:14 PM // 14:14

Does anybody read dates? This build's... like... 2 years old. Of course there's better builds available with new skills.

Thread necros are FTW.

moko · Apr 02, 2007, 02:25 PM // 14:25

thread necromancyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy <33333