Curse

Starmatrix · Nov 22, 2005, 05:36 AM // 05:36

Hi

I've been playing a mesmer/monk and I was wondering: when using a pvp domination magic build, is it better to use Willcrusher or Volkur's cane + Volkur's shakram ?

Plus... do any experienced pvp mesmers have any advice to give ?

Thanks

Starmatrix

Entropius · Nov 22, 2005, 05:56 AM // 05:56

One mistake a lot of mesmers make is to use shutdown skills that are redundant.

For instance, Backfire + Power Leak.

Backfire gives an opponent a hard choice: don't cast, or get hurt.

Power Leak makes that choice for them: you can't cast because you're out of energy.

These combinations are fine as long as you leak one guy and backfire a different one, but make sure that you don't use your skills in such a way that they counteract each other.

Warskull · Nov 22, 2005, 08:15 AM // 08:15

To pvp as a domination mesmer you would want most likely a 20/20 cane. The vokur's set is for illusion and downright out of the question. The Willcrusher has the 20% recharge, but lacks the 20% fast casting. You would be best off getting a 20% recharge, 20% fast casting staff and putting a +5 armor/+5 armor mod in it. You probably should make a pvp character to pvp also. This helps ensure you are properly equiped (and with faction you can fairly rapidly buy the parts you need.)

It sounds like you are new to PvP also. I really wouldn't suggest playing a mesmer as your first character. To play much outside of an illusion degen mesmer in Random Arenas you really have to have a feel for the metagame and carefully plan every skill. Mesmers are better to play once you have seen enough of the tombs to know what will work. The problem with domination mesmers is they can be very specific. In Tombs or GvG you will need a made to order mesmer. In arenas you will often run into warrior/ranger heavy teams that limit your usefulness. In addition the mesmer role in PvP often relies on your allies to score the kills while you disable healing or shutdown enemy offense. In competitive arena's you simply cannot rely on your allies for anything.

Simple illusion build for RA:
12+1+3 Illusion
10+1 Inspiration
8+1 Fast Casting

Conjur Phantasm
Crippling Anguish
Phantom Pain
Mantra of Persistance
Energy Tap
Drain Enchantment
Power Drain
Rez sig

You can slow enemy warriors allowing you to easily evade them while heavily degening the target. Place Crippling followed by conjur on one target and then phantom pain followed by conjur on another target. Use energy tap and drain enchantment to refill energy. If you can score an interrupt with power drain it will rapidly refill your energy. You can start by targeting necros and eles, they tend to have a few long cast spells that are easy to interrupt. Later on you will have to practice interrupting shorter monk skills. This isn't the most optimized build, but it is a decent one to start out on and you can use the vokur's set with it effectively.