Curse

Minus Sign · Mar 22, 2006, 09:52 AM // 09:52

There are a lot of really good builds for mesmers out there, but most focus on Elite skills found in fire island after THK or are PvP inspired, making some PvEers shy away. For the newbs among us, that translates into great end game builds for a character that has to spend much of its time soloing missions just to get there. That’s asking a lot of the young mesmer.

With the Skill Vendor change, I decided that now would be a good time for an “everyman” build, designed to make a mesmer useful in all situations without the need for a lot of end game skill capping first.

This build works well against castors and mobs, with skills you can get early in the game (and a little Faction farming if you don’t have them yet). I’ll also include a rundown of how to use it, but it’s actually very simple.

Empathy
Backfire
Blackout
Arcane Echo
Power Drain/Leech sig
Energy Tap
Ether Feast
Res sig

The folloing numbers assume level 20. Try to keep younger mesmers around the same ratio; throw more into Dom, but don’t sacrifice too much from FC or inspiration. Remember, mobs grow around the same pace you do.

Attributes:

11 Fast casting (+1 from minor rune)
16 Domination magic (+1 from mask +3 from Sup Dom Rune)
9 Inspiration Magic (+1 from minor rune)

Usage: first you need to know which mobs there are more of as you go into the fight. That doesn’t translate into build modifications here, just which skills you will be using with Arcane Echo. That’s the trick: you want to use Arcane Echo to create a spam of the skill that hurts the most monsters in the group. If its castor heavy, use dual Backfires on two separate mobs to bring down their HP, focusing one hex on the teams Spike mob. If it’s a lot of fighter types—warriors and Rangers—then you want to drop a pair of Empathies on two mobs to spread your damage.

In situations where an alpha mob is present (a boss type or just a tough bugger that’ll hurt your team/strip your hexes) use blackout to provide a quick shutdown while the rest of the group spikes.

In all, your DPS is still going to be quite high, but kicking up Arcane Echo before each fight takes a toll on mana fast.

Power Drain is your Energy Manager as well as interrupt against Castor mobs. Leech Signet is a close second with Energy Tap for your backup. Even if you won’t get energy from it, use Leech sig against non-castor mobs when you feel appropriate so you can shutdown bad skills like heal sig or giant’s stomp.

An example casting chain would run something like this:

Arcane Echo before you reach agro range.
Empathy on Warrior mob
Power drain on Monk mob hex removal to protect Empathy and regain some energy.
Backfire on Monk mob
AE Empathy on Ranger mob
Blackout on Monk mob (if still alive)
Empathy on Warrior mob #4 or reapply to mob #1

Possible substitutions as you grow:

Echo {E}for Arcane Echo
Diversion for Blackout or Backfire
Energy Drain {E} for Energy Tap as well as Energy Burn or Energy Surge {E}
Shame/Guilt for heavy cast groups, specifically Shame for monks and Guilt for other castors.
Arcane Thievery for Blackout.
Distortion for Power Drain, or bring a self heal like Ether Feast. Distortion will require Illusion magic, so be prepared to change Attribute setup.
Mantra of Recall {E} for Arcane Echo
Mantra of Recovery {E} for Energy Tap
Arcane Conundrum or Migraine {E} for Blackout or Backfire

Spiteful Spirit {Necro Elite} and curse damage/shutdown skills for Blackout, Empath and Backfire adds supurb damage. This will require resetting attribute points to curses instead of Domination, so Dom skills will need to substitued with necro skills. Going necro will also drastically reduce your shutdown capability, so be prepared for a much faster pace in damage recieved to you and your party.

In all, this is a decent damage-yield build for all situations that can grow with you. I hope young mesmers find it a useful core to build on while mastering interrupts over hex spamming…though some of us never really do

Play Fair and Good Gaming

“-“ Minus Sign

Edit: The Canthan Mesmer

Seeing as Blackout has been rotated out of newb mesmers for Cantha, I decided Cookie Cutter needed an update. The core AEcho/Empathy/Backfire combo is as strong as ever, but three new skills pass muster in terms of ease of use and adaptability. These skills can be swapped for Blackout with little detriment, even adding improved shutdown as your young mesmer grows.

1st: Power Return. First for a reason, Power Return saw the most play of any skill while I was re-building my Canthan skinned mesmer. 7 second recharging interrupt in an attribute set you want to have around 10 all the time anyway. It offers consistent shutdown of those baddy skills but on the cheap. What’s not to love?

2nd: Overload. The base of this build is all about damage, and Overload is one of the better pure dom weapons out there. Pop this on top of a backfired caster for a quick and easy kill. There were a few folks advocating Wastrol’s Worry for increased damage and pressure in the original build. This skill doesn’t require a 3 second wait to activate so receives my endorsement. Ease of use is a huge factor in learning to deal damage, and the added bonus for hitting a castor while he’s casting will help you train your eye toward those certain situations that mesmers excel at shutting down. Translation: learn Overload today, become a fantastic interrupter tomorrow.

If you’re looking for even more damage with a Canthan mesmer, give Overload a whirl.

3rd: Complicate. Cry of Frustration and Leech sig must have been getting lonely. Far from being the red headed step child of mesmer all-skill interrupts, Complicate is proving to be as effective as its elders, more so in the new signet heavy Kurzick/Luxon after-game. Cry+Complicate proves the more effective combo when you face skill spammers, making many of the older “spell only” interrupts less appealing imho.

The Canthan Cookie Cutter should look like this:

Empathy
Backfire
Power Return
Arcane Echo
Ether Feast
Energy Tap
Complicate
Res sig

After you're off the island you can get your hands on Stolen Speed fairly quick. Its already a good Elite to look for, but getting it so early makes it first choice for the Canthan mesmer.

EDIT2: this si so important that I've decided to place it in the OP:

NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE E-MANAGER, A MONK'S MANA IS NOT INFINITE!. Pvp or PvE, it is important to bring a self heal or protective spell. Doing so, you can more rely on your skill than be completely reliant on another person for your support.

So if you don't have room for a self-heal and rez on your bar, you need to seriously consider re-thinking your build.

LightningHell · Mar 22, 2006, 01:23 PM // 13:23

Great, for beginner Mezzes. Good thing you posted on the Submission thread.

*Yawn*

I'm off.

Memeep · Mar 27, 2006, 02:30 PM // 14:30

Thankyou for this.

glountz · Mar 27, 2006, 02:44 PM // 14:44

Your build lacks one core PVE skill: Wastrel's Worry.
Just correct on warr mobs, but extremely devastating on bosses.

Banebow · Mar 27, 2006, 04:44 PM // 16:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by glountz

Your build lacks one core PVE skill: Wastrel's Worry.

That skill is a core PvE skill about as much as physical resistance is. Good in certain situations (think: boss fights), and near-useless in others.

Minus Sign · Mar 28, 2006, 11:39 PM // 23:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by glountz

Your build lacks one core PVE skill: Wastrel's Worry.
Just correct on warr mobs, but extremely devastating on bosses.

I suppose it could be replaced for Power Drain in areas where there are not too many castors. Wastrel's doesn't see too much play on my skill bar; I just find too many other skills useful than a DPS hit that Empathy/Backfire already does mroe efficiently. But if you can't get SS for your spike, Wastrel's is certainly a way to go.

PS: ty for your input; it's nice to see folks drop into my threads and stay a while

Currently 243 view to 4 replies...*sniffs armpit* Is it me???

zeno · Mar 29, 2006, 12:25 AM // 00:25

It seems like a very friendly build. My only qualm is that it's a complete denial build on mobs, which means there's nothing to do if they're not attacking/casting. Would it be viable to work some DD into this build? EG: drop blackout and leech sig in favor of Phantom Pain + Shatter Delusions

Minus Sign · Apr 02, 2006, 05:38 AM // 05:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeno

It seems like a very friendly build. My only qualm is that it's a complete denial build on mobs, which means there's nothing to do if they're not attacking/casting. Would it be viable to work some DD into this build? EG: drop blackout and leech sig in favor of Phantom Pain + Shatter Delusions

You know, I've actually replied to this six times. But each time I'm ready to hit send, it falls short. http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...d.php?t=138620

Thats the best job I ever did of describing the differences between mesmers and other spell castors. Hope it helps.

Avarre · Apr 02, 2006, 05:52 AM // 05:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by glountz

Your build lacks one core PVE skill: Wastrel's Worry.
Just correct on warr mobs, but extremely devastating on bosses.

Argh! Stop saying Wastrel's is good in PvE, its NOT.

All bosses are a certain class. You already have skills in your setup to deal with that class. There's no need for a specific skill to bring down bosses, since you kill them last your whole team can bring them down.

The only exception to this are the Mursaat Monk bosses (and to a lesser extent, Josso Esher in thirsty river). The monk bosses have only 1 healing skill, orison. Josso has 2 (orison, woh). Sice they have such a small bar anyways, let me name a skill that's not only better at neutralizing these few bosses, but also can be used on other enemies.

Diversion

Minus Sign · Apr 02, 2006, 06:40 AM // 06:40

Now now, be nice Avarre. This is all about breaking the old stereotype: "HP go down cause of this skill=good skill! HP not go down because of skill=n00b!!"

Denial Dom kicks butt kids. Try this build for a little while if you don't think so. Play with it some, tweak it a lil. You might be surprised how many times groups start commenting (about the hardest missions) "Dang! This was easy! I don't knwo why everyone says its so hard!"

You'll know though

That "useless" denial mesmer no other group wanted keeps softening up the entire enemy group for your team to blast 1 after another; shutting down two healers and still taking the time to kill off a couple warrior types.

Kai Nui · Apr 02, 2006, 05:29 PM // 17:29

I would definitely use Echo or Energy Drain for an elite instead of keeping what's there to be honest, but for not having elites, I guess it's O.K.

Minus Sign · May 23, 2006, 06:18 AM // 06:18

Added the Canthan Cookie Cutter build for those people running through Factions. Keep in mind that Elites vastly improve build preformance later in the game (big fat freakin Duh! Just because this works well without elites never means you should ignore the best skills in the game), so take your Cap sigs and research Elite locations once you're off the island. The best Canthan only Elite I could recomend would be Stollen Speed atm. Spammable and easily reapplied, expect to see a series of nerfs to this skill before Anet is done with it.

Eaimirth Etaivella · May 23, 2006, 06:36 PM // 18:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avarre

Diversion

Or arcane theivory since diversion has 1/2 duration on bosses and is difficult to time with said 3 second duration...
-edit-
Now this will of course not be the case for expert mezzys in pve (can mentally keep track of recharge of skills) but keeping in mind this is for new mesmers I would say go with stealing it.

Minus Sign · Jun 06, 2006, 10:05 AM // 10:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eaimirth Etaivella

Or arcane theivory since diversion has 1/2 duration on bosses and is difficult to time with said 3 second duration...

So edited in the OP. While Arcane Thievery is not a personal choice, its a good stepping stone to Dviersion spammers as they grow. Thanks for your input.

holden · Jun 06, 2006, 05:08 PM // 17:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minus Sign

I suppose it could be replaced for Power Drain

that makes my stomach hurt.

power drain is like your american express card.

you dont need to give the boss the choice of dmg by backfire or dmg by wastrels. if he fires off the spell and gets nailed, great. if he sits there and does nothing because he's hexed with backfire, great.

backfire, empathy and power drain are fantastic pve skills. wastrel's is not.

Pick Me · Jun 06, 2006, 05:38 PM // 17:38

Just my two cents,

WW is great vs bosses (only). Bosses reduce all hex spells' duration by 50%. So instead of 3 seconds before it hits, it takes 1.5 seconds. Against normal monsters, yes it pretty much is useless, as they will activate a skill before the 3 seconds is up.

With the new AI attitude (from what I've heard), if backfire will kill it, it won't cast, if empathy will kill it, it won't attack, if SS will kill it, it will not cast nor attack. Casy WW then Cry of Frustration. Double whamy on anyone. Use a skill, interupted and damaged, 3 seconds is up, damage. Perhaps you never get hit by WW when the computer does it to you, but it can get really nasty.

In Ember Light Camp and Abadon's Mouth those mesmer creatures cast Empathy, Backfire and WW on me. Unless you use a stance, you are hit by WW. Only those centaurs in the desert ever cast Diversion on me, and I just use a weak spell that I don't use that often to get rid of it.

Diversion is good, but I wouldn't say WW is aweful in PvE. Just good in certain situations.

Eaimirth Etaivella · Jun 06, 2006, 07:00 PM // 19:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by holden

that makes my stomach hurt.
you dont need to give the boss the choice of dmg by backfire or dmg by wastrels. if he fires off the spell and gets nailed, great. if he sits there and does nothing because he's hexed with backfire, great.

backfire, empathy and power drain are fantastic pve skills. wastrel's is not.

It is the only "true" spammable domination skill without excessive quick recharge gear. With enough interrupts, or one particular interrupt, it will trigger every time. Several of the PvE enemies I face lack excessive skill usage in the first place *cites random UW/FoW stuff*
Emapthy spam will beat it every time though.

Back on topic...about this

Quote:

Originally Posted by holden

power drain is like your american express card.

I assume you ment something along the lines of "I always have it with me, but I use it too often and always regret it later" or at least thats what I hope you ment.

holden · Jun 06, 2006, 10:20 PM // 22:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eaimirth Etaivella

I assume you ment something along the lines of "I always have it with me, but I use it too often and always regret it later" or at least thats what I hope you ment.

power drain. in pve i never play without it. it's just too easy to find a target to interrupt and gain yourself 18 or so free energy. with the 25 second cooldown i dont know how you could use it too often.

i rarely bring it in pvp. but then i rarely bring backfire or empathy....

Crazyvietguy · Jun 06, 2006, 11:00 PM // 23:00

Thanks, im a beginner full mez myself, thanks for the help.

LightningHell · Jun 07, 2006, 05:02 AM // 05:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by holden

i rarely bring it in pvp. but then i rarely bring backfire or empathy....

This is a bit contradictory. Backfire and Empathy are skills you don't use in organized PvP...