Curse

jesh · Nov 23, 2005, 09:39 PM // 21:39

I've recently started a new mesmer for pve fun, but I've found that the domination line seems almost overkill. All I need is Backfire/Power Spike for casters in most cases. This leaves me basically 5 slots, with res in one. I feel like when there are lots of melee mobs, (when are there not??), that I'm not doing enough for my team. Empathy has too long of a recharge. For this reason, I'm thinking of switching to a build that uses some domination, but illusion magic as well. I chose a monk secondary so I can carry a res with me. Here's some ideas I have.

10+3 Domination
10+1+1 Illusion
10+1 Inspiration
5+1 Fast cast

Or maybe 12 inspiration and 3+1 fast cast.. don't know..

Ineptitude {E}
Clumsiness
Epidemic
Phantom Pain
Illusion of Weakness/Ether Feast
Res/Power Spike/Diversion
Backfire
Spirit of Failure

AoE deep wound and blind for 10+seconds doesn't seem that bad, right? Spirit of Failure would be my energy engine.
Here's another idea I've had, after noticing that Shatter Hex is like the best damn spell in the game. Plus, the average joe has no clue what a mesmer's job is anyway. Maybe I could get away with a build like this.

Shatter Hex
Inspired Hex
Echo
Smite Hex
Res
Shatter Enchantment
Drain Enchantment
Archane Echo

Wee! I'd use domination, smiting, and inspiration. Dang that would be fun. Maybe I could throw JI in there somewhere to be a team player, or use Power Drain if my energy is too low running this build.

Suggestions please! Or if anyone could suggest another method to take care of those pesky melee mobs, I'd be glad to hear it.

tigernz · Nov 23, 2005, 09:58 PM // 21:58

How far through the game are you?

I preferred Domination for PvE, backed up by energy management via inspiration.
Arcane Thievery & Diversion work great later on when you start fighting the tougher enemies (especially monk bosses) Blackout is pretty nice to have too - makes that mission with the monk boss & healing priest very easy.

I used empathy throughout the PvE campaign. 30-something dmg each time something attacks adds up very quickly. Cast it on a couple of enemies who aren't primary targets, then once the primary targets are down switch to them and finish em off.
Another nice little spell (esp vs bosses) is Wastrels Worry.
Hex duration is halved on bosses, so 68 unresisted dmg (@16 dom) every 1.5 seconds is awesome

You already mentioned pwr spike, backfire & shatter hex so no need to talk about those.
A combo which works pretty well vs melee mobs is Sig of Midnight & Plague sending for aoe blind. Since you're monk secondary PS isn't an option, but you could go with Epidemic.
Another option is to take one of the signet stances so your SoM recharges quicker.

Drain Enchant & Pwr Drain were staples of my build for energy management, and I'd suggest fitting at least one of them on your bar.

jesh · Nov 23, 2005, 10:05 PM // 22:05

Currently in the souther shiverpeaks, on the ice gate mission, I think. Right now I'm using a fairly vanilla build.. of course at level 13, you can only do so much with your attributes.

3+1 Fast Cast
8+3+1 Domination
7+1 Inspiration
1 Healing for Restore Life

Empathy
Ether Feast
Backfire
Power Spike
Energy Burn
Mantra of Recall {E}
Restore Life
Shatter Hex

The point of using Ineptitude is not only the anti-melee spike, but also the blind. That and the deep wound can be spread with epidemic, and the monsters can then be hexed with spirit of failure. Energy problems would be minimal, I think. As for Signet of Midnight, it'll be a while until I can swim to the Ring of Fire, and sure, the blind is constant, but I think I can do almost as good with Ineptitude. And I can get that elite right now.

SilenceWeaver · Nov 23, 2005, 10:20 PM // 22:20

if your looking for an anti-war spike i would use clumsiness (although it is illusion)
migraine+interrupts owns the casters in the later part of pve (unfortunately migraine is gotten in perdition rock)
phantasm is a great skill for pve. usually a combo i would pull often is pile empathy/backfire and phantasm on one opponent that team wasnt focused on, maybe do it again on another, put migraine/arcane conundrum on a caster, leech sig power drain for energy, then just recast hexes as needed and, for an extra damage spike, bring shatter delusions (great for near-dea opponents or opponents with phantasm on em. wastrels could work too and the above posted trick for bosses is quite useful. you could also take a different,easier way out and be a fast-cast nuke (although that got killed some with the update).

jesh · Nov 23, 2005, 10:52 PM // 22:52

Uh.. Clumsiness is the second skill on my list. As for migraine, I don't have problems interrupting. It's not hard. I can't say I've ever interrupted a RoF, but I have gotten a flame burst before. Conjure phantasm.. eh. 60 damage over time isn't that hot enough to really warrant a spot, is it? I don't have room for it either.

SilenceWeaver · Nov 23, 2005, 10:55 PM // 22:55

......er.........LOOK THE BAT SIGNAL *DASHES AWAY*

SilenceWeaver · Nov 23, 2005, 10:57 PM // 22:57

also for phantasm it would actually be 120 damage as each of those little pips is -2 health dps.

jesh · Nov 23, 2005, 10:57 PM // 22:57

Huh? Where?

Oh haha, I knew that. Like I said, I'm tired.

Hell Marauder · Nov 24, 2005, 03:20 AM // 03:20

In pve you don't need illusion of weakness or ether feast, because you can rely on your team's monks for healing. I would replace it with shatter delusion. Phantom pain + shatter delusion combo at cost of only 15 energy gives a big spike damage and deep wound right away so you don't need to wait for 10 sec. Also replace Spirit of Failure with Energy tap. With these changes you only need 3 or 4 points in Inspiration so you can add a few levels to Illusion and Domination to boost overall damage.

jesh · Nov 24, 2005, 07:22 AM // 07:22

Rely on my team's monk.. no thanks. I often go monkless completely, and I'd rather not place my character in the hands of the average monk. As for spirit of failure, it's already on there. The last skill. I use it with ineptitude and epidemic for energy. Thank you for the reply, though.

Color It Red · Dec 03, 2005, 03:15 PM // 15:15

Sometimes I don't even think of changing /arranging skills anywhere. Unless I find a good match.

I don't know if we can talk about our mesmer builds here.

Yukito Kunisaki · Dec 03, 2005, 07:29 PM // 19:29

I've seen this complaint in another mesmer build. Saying "I dont' feel like I'm doing much for my team".

GO fig... PURE MESMER DOESN'T WORK IN PVE...

Use Necro curses. They're AoE and can pretty much nullify any and all mobs that surround a single teammate [aka a smart warrior...]

There isn't a single set of mesmer magic skills in any of their lines that can take out several slammer non-caster enemies at once. Soothing Images doesn't cut it if the enemy hits for 200+ to begin with [Aataxe anyone?]

Shadow of Fear + Enfeebling Blood = a mob that a monk could tank...

Bringing in Insidious Parasite with Empathy and maybe Spiteful Spirit can help bring the mob to its knees...

Color It Red · Dec 04, 2005, 05:16 AM // 05:16

"GO fig... PURE MESMER DOESN'T WORK IN PVE..."

It works for me. Aside from Healing Signet.

Color It Red · Dec 04, 2005, 05:20 AM // 05:20

Jesh, with your skills. Just asking which skill do you use to heal yourself? I don't know some of those yet.

jesh · Dec 06, 2005, 06:21 PM // 18:21

Ether Feast and Illusion of Weakness are both somewhat self-healish spells.
Yukito, I've had a curse necro before, I know how nice it is. Just trying to have some fun.

johnactor · Feb 12, 2006, 12:28 PM // 12:28

anyone else here playing a pure mesmer? i was wondering whether it might be useful later on in pve rather than earlier, and of course could be transported to pvp fairly easily then. I was just up for trying something slightly unusual in going for a pure mesmer and i would appreciate some input. it looks like strongly mesmer builds can do some good stuff pve from reading this thread.

Avarre · Feb 12, 2006, 12:57 PM // 12:57

I only play pure mesmer in PvE, not counting a hard res or the occasional support skills (I quite like gale and watch yourself...) A pure mesmer is far from being useless in PvE.

I don't bring any selfheal, usually distortion is enough to keep you out of the worst situations so long as you don't run too far ahead.

SV = multiple melee enemies weakened.
Ineptitude = Single ubermelee disabled

(And yes, I've managed to kill a single aatxe with distort + empathy + ineptitude only, I was lucky with evades

So clearly it works.)

A combination of domination and illusion gives you the widest range of capabilities... I never really liked using insp.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yukito Kunisaki

GO fig... PURE MESMER DOESN'T WORK IN PVE...

ZOMG WRONG!

tuperwho · Feb 12, 2006, 03:23 PM // 15:23

I also do PvE as a pure mesmer. Like Avarre, I usually don't use much inspiration, either (only if I know I will be short on energy and need it). I've never been a huge fan of ether feast, though I did use it at lower levels. And the only time I use Illusion of Weakness is when I'm using an IW build, so that I know I will be in melee range -- just a little courtesy to my monks.

My favorite skill mixup for high damage (set for both melee and casters) is:
backfire
empathy
ineptitude {E}
clumsiness
phantom pain
conjure phantasm
leech sig
inspired hex/Energy burn, depending on if I'm in an area where I know there will be a lot of hexes

This does a lot of damage, fast, to both casters and melee. I find it especially useful for the melee monsters that break aggro and go after monks/casters. I can take 1 down before they get 2 attacks in, usually, and always before the blind wears off.

Now, I know it's not pure mesmer, but lately I've been using this setup, as a sorta "stop hitting yourself" build:
backfire
empathy
soul barbs
Spiteful Spirit {E}
wastrel's worry
energy tap
energy burn
channeling, hex breaker, leech sig, or you name it

Just get the melee bunched up, start spreading SS, empathy, and WW around, and watch all the yellow numbers pop up.

Then, of course, there's my IW build, which is almost pure mesmer, except for flurry:
Illusionary Weaponry {E}
flurry
conjure phantasm
phantom pain
backfire
empathy/clumsiness
Illusion of Weakness
leech sig.

So yeah, plenty of diverse options, and you definitely can go pure mesmer. There are plenty of good options out there for using a secondary, though. Good luck, and enjoy

calamitykell · Feb 12, 2006, 05:40 PM // 17:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avarre

SV = multiple melee enemies weakened.
Ineptitude = Single ubermelee disabled

True.

Sympathetic Visage pretty much makes warriors nothing but "click to attack, and wait." They'll lose 3 energy and all adrenaline when target ally (ie, yourself, your monks, eles, whoever) are hit with a melee attack.

Ineptitude + Epidemic can also help, though I might not stack SV, Ineptitude, and Epidemic all for one melee mob at the same time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avarre

A combination of domination and illusion gives you the widest range of capabilities... I never really liked using insp.

I sort of agree here. The only skills I ever really use from the Insp line is Power Drain (when I run interrupt), Physical Resistance (when I solo), and Ether Feast (when I solo.) I do have a question though, Avarre. The "lose 1 energy for every evade" makes me hestitant to really rely on Distortion, so I usually go for the PhysResist+Feast combo for def+heal. Does Distortion every really make a significant drain in your energy?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avarre

ZOMG WRONG!

I couldn't agree more.

Rayne Nightfyre · Feb 13, 2006, 04:20 AM // 04:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yukito Kunisaki

GO fig... PURE MESMER DOESN'T WORK IN PVE...

Wrong...look around at the other threads Yukito, Pure Mesmers are amazing in PvE. 98% of the time my builds are pure Mesmer. I won't waste my breath any further.