Curse

ak347 · Jun 01, 2006, 02:14 PM // 14:14

Two very good Me/E builds for cantha:

Wards/Interrupter - Everyone loves wards, even nubs, and for once they're actually right. Dump 12 into earth, bring WaM, WaE (tyrian only, so you need to port to sergio in LA to get it, but its worth it, especially against those insane ele and rit bosses), Armor of Earth, glyph of lesser energy, and some domination interrupts like complicate and the power spike (? not sure of name). Arcane larceny and diversion are fun too. You're useful and you have obvious benefits to the party (for the blind wamos). Later on you can bring ward of stability or switch to water and use Ward against harm (which kicks ASS vs all ele bosses and especially argo and his ilk).

Earth disruptor - basically a damage build for those who don't like to sit on the sidelines and protect/defend. Unsteady ground does in fact kick ass. Skills (used in this order): Auspicious incantation, arcane echo, unsteady ground, glyph of lesser energy, dragon stomp, unsteady ground. If you're packing ele offhands and wand, you ahve a good chance taht you can recast both unsteady grounds again, making for a VERY nice stream of knockdowns. Dragon stomp also has a short recast, though exhaustion is a pain. Maybe pack a quick kd like tenai's wind, though this would force you to enter melee range.
Alternate build - using tenai's wind, aftershock, crystal wave, and shockwave. You can dish out MASSIVE damage, though your energy will plummet. Make sure you have earth attunement. Echoing shockwave or ashock and using tenais wind + whirlwind can multiply your dmg output, but put your energy out of commission sooner.

Cymmina · Jun 01, 2006, 02:16 PM // 14:16

Well, I can certainly tell you the last 2 bosses in the 2nd Shing Jea mission are henchable because I took my lvl 14 earth ele on a run of the mission without dying. The henchies did pretty good, too.

I don't know what skills are actually available that early because I have so many of them unlocked, but when I did a masters run with my Tyrian mes, I was 1 hit killing the warriors with lvl 15 Ineptitude (ch1 elite + frenzy = 270 dmg, Clumsiness is its little brother). I doubt anyone noticed or cared. Mantra of Lightning allowed me to tank the rit boss at the end (max armor helped too, of course).

Illusion/degen with at least one interrupt is going to be your best bet that early in the game.

ChaoticCoyote · Jun 01, 2006, 06:23 PM // 18:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by prodigy ming

It terms or people disliking a certain class, assassin probably has it worst. Most groups will take a mesmer over sin anyday simply because there are too many sin and they die qutie fast if not use properly. Mesmer at least are caster and can stay in the back line, so the monk wouldn't be complaining.

Assassins die *so* easily. In almost every group, the assassin is the first to die -- unless a necro beats him to the dirt nap.

I've pushed my Me/Rt to level 16 in 11 hours -- Cantha is a great place to ramp characters -- and she's having little trouble finding groups. However, at places the Hell's Precipice in Tyria, I don;t see any Mesmers around. Lots of W/MOs, N/? and R/? -- plus the usual popular Mo/? -- but few Mesmers, even fewer than assassins.

I'm enjoying the Mesmer -- she kicks some serious mage butt. My only grumble is the lack of a decent spammable spell for when I need to do fast targeted damage.

holden · Jun 01, 2006, 06:48 PM // 18:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChaoticCoyote

Assassins die *so* easily. In almost every group, the assassin is the first to die -- unless a necro beats him to the dirt nap

i've seen soooo many SS necros draw aggro and not know what to do. i just dont get it. cast the spell and run away.

Eaimirth Etaivella · Jun 01, 2006, 06:57 PM // 18:57

Wastrel's Worry~ (Awaits for Avarre to appear from the heavens with denravi+prenerf molder cast IW and begin an epic battle which would involve alot of running away from IW...)

WW+Powerspike+Powerblock+cry of frustration
^^

Raptox · Jun 01, 2006, 08:14 PM // 20:14

As a former Wammo, I can at least admit that I was pretty ignorant when I started the game.

After playing an E/Me for a while and using all mesmer skills, I won't even go back to using Ele skills, much less W/Mo. :P

Don't give up, now.

Oh, something else: Want to know why all you see are W/Mo's in Hell's? Because all the (experienced AND competent) players are done with it. That only leaves new competent people, of which there are few, and total idiots, of which there are many. This is a terrible combination because it gives new players, who otherwise would breeze through and feel great, a terrible attitude towards the engame content In Prophecies.

You can extend this to Sorrow's and ToPK too. All that's left are farmers and idiots, so anyone trying to actually complete it for the first time is SOL.

sega_rt · Jun 01, 2006, 10:06 PM // 22:06

i really dont have a problem at all tryin to find a group...when i do have trouble finding one...theres usually 5 people spamin "bla bla LFG" over and over again.....for some reason peope are really lazy to get a group started...so i just start addin people to my group. im the type of person that dont care about findin that PERFECT GROUP and dont spam LFG MONK for 30 mins...if i got 7 peeps already and if theres no monk in the group..no biggie..get the henchie....imo...they do just fine...because all they do is heal...anyways...if u have hard time find a group...just start ur own...

frickaline · Jun 02, 2006, 12:48 AM // 00:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChaoticCoyote

I'm enjoying the Mesmer -- she kicks some serious mage butt. My only grumble is the lack of a decent spammable spell for when I need to do fast targeted damage.

Images of remorse <3

Avarre · Jun 02, 2006, 01:36 AM // 01:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by holden

i've seen soooo many SS necros draw aggro and not know what to do. i just dont get it. cast the spell and run away.

Thats how they draw aggro. They need to wait for all mobs to have selected the target (the tank, who should be 1 aggro zone in front of group), then they can safely move up and spite everything. Lots of necs (and eles) run up and cast their spells first, triggering aggro and getting everyone hit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Theos

Actually I have run around with Unsteady Ground a few times, its alot better than MS, sadly... its elite and restricts energy management severly. It also seems to cause little scattering... well actually the mods do scatter somewhat but find themselves replanted on the ground quickly.

MS causes no scatter (damage and kd every 3s doesn't trigger aoeflee), but unsteady is damage and kd if enemy is attacking every second. So causes fleeing, best target is a pack of mobs hitting someone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by frickaline

While I am only luke warm on dom myself (mostly due to the slow cast times and relatively few options for taking on melee and rangers), I personally would take an illusion mes over a nuker any day.

EMPATHY

Quote:

Images of remorse <3

Excellent skill, in all parts of the game.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eaimirth Etaivella

Wastrel's Worry~ (Awaits for Avarre to appear from the heavens with denravi+prenerf molder cast IW and begin an epic battle which would involve alot of running away from IW...)

WW+Powerspike+Powerblock+cry of frustration
^^

*WW splashes on hex breaker, powerspike tries to stop recast, power block tries and fails to instictively stop signet of humility, and cry of frustration hits a mob behind EE*

Wastrel's ain't cool, unless you're a) fighting a mesmer in scrimmage, b) fighting an enemy with no skills (Kanaxai aspect, wurms). Either way, bringing 1 specific skill to kill them is a waste generally. Only in dunes of dispair and the deep you might be forgiven :O

In standard areas though, 'tis inferior, especially at lower att pnt levels.

Eaimirth Etaivella · Jun 02, 2006, 02:25 AM // 02:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avarre

*WW splashes on hex breaker, powerspike tries to stop recast, power block tries and fails to instictively stop signet of humility, and cry of frustration hits a mob behind EE*

Crap! *runs indefinatly to restore lost hp* Though I would never miss with my Pblock ^^;and I would save it at all costs ^_^ (Fear the powerblock of doom! ^_^)

Yea if you are doing illusion magic go with images (the best spell in illusion magic hands down imo)
Or if domination I will stick with WW if you already empathy spammed the daylights out of everything (40% recharge gear rules)

Thats the problem with mesmer duels; should always end in a stalemate. With hex breaker and no real way to do damage that isn't interruptable...theoretically stalemate is the only option. However all sorts of silly things happen like purposly canceling spells mid cast; or purposly casting through guilt like it wasn't there in order to cast another spell more quickly; or plowing said hex breaker wastrels worry. In a mesmer duel all skills function completely differently...and everything over a 1 sec cast time is...bad. 3 main skills in a mesmer duel; echo, hex breaker, wastrels worry...perhaps shatter hex and inspired hex; as said all sorts of crazy things in mesmer only pvp...in fact screw those main skills...everything is completely different now.

Theos · Jun 02, 2006, 03:04 AM // 03:04

MS causes scatter like mad for me, I cast it KD once... and poof they run everywhere. Unsteady is used in those situations when the battle has already started, its a defensive, semi offensive skill, AoE is also larger than that of MS... or I am just going mad.

Northrog · Jun 02, 2006, 08:17 AM // 08:17

I finished the game with my mesmer without problem in finding groups... Probably because people want to make groups faster ? And there is almost noone in the last outposts...

Avarre · Jun 02, 2006, 08:56 AM // 08:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Theos

MS causes scatter like mad for me, I cast it KD once... and poof they run everywhere. Unsteady is used in those situations when the battle has already started, its a defensive, semi offensive skill, AoE is also larger than that of MS... or I am just going mad.

Flee is only triggered by AoEd/s. If you aoe a target 2 times within 3 seconds, there is a chance some will flee. Some don't (try with zealots fire). Meteor shower does damage every 3s, so it doesn't trigger. If you hit them with another aoe while meteor shower is hitting them, THEN it triggers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eaimirth Etaivella

Crap! *runs indefinatly to restore lost hp* Though I would never miss with my Pblock ^^;and I would save it at all costs ^_^ (Fear the powerblock of doom! ^_^)

*feigns ether feast, causing powerblock to hit empty air*

Sorry, what was that?

Quote:

Thats the problem with mesmer duels; should always end in a stalemate. With hex breaker and no real way to do damage that isn't interruptable...theoretically stalemate is the only option. However all sorts of silly things happen like purposly canceling spells mid cast; or purposly casting through guilt like it wasn't there in order to cast another spell more quickly; or plowing said hex breaker wastrels worry. In a mesmer duel all skills function completely differently...and everything over a 1 sec cast time is...bad. 3 main skills in a mesmer duel; echo, hex breaker, wastrels worry...perhaps shatter hex and inspired hex; as said all sorts of crazy things in mesmer only pvp...in fact screw those main skills...everything is completely different now.

Most damage in a mesmer duel comes from wands. Introduce dueling without wands! Also, the dance of HexBreaker + Wastrel's is fun. Cancelling midcast is devastating if you know the enemy is watching, I've seen people fire 2, even 3 interrupts to constantly recasting feast and cancelling it. It's a gimmick to an extent but it really helps versus instinctive interrupters.

Shatter hex is nasty in duel as well

But the real winner is someone with low lag who can interrupt constantly... I lose to that alot, and I lag more so I can't stop stuff sometimes

Eaimirth Etaivella · Jun 02, 2006, 04:16 PM // 16:16

Hehe of course that only works if you can cancel before I interrupt =p
If you could somehow get an empathy to land...that would be huge. However then you have to face shatter hex, inspired hex, "insert other hex removal spell that would severly hurt you here" while they reapply hex breaker. I suppose you could use a mantra of concentration to get it through after plowing hex breaker with WW...but even then shatter will hurt. So much for that idea; I would suggest IW but that spell will not work without a movement buff, and a cover enchantment...or a slow hex. Hexes are out of the question, so you have to rely on the mesmer not interrupting IW, your cover (likely illusion of haste) and even then kiting will be annoying. You still severly underestimate my powerblock ^_^;

I agree; on the mesmer hate list though
1. Lag
2. Boon prots
3. Wammos

frickaline · Jun 02, 2006, 08:57 PM // 20:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avarre

EMPATHY

Quote:

Originally Posted by frickaline

mostly due to the slow cast times and relatively few options for taking on melee and rangers

However, even still, empathy isnt really that devastating of a skill to most rangers/warriors. They tend to fight through it and just heal it off without much of an issue. So unless you add more anti-melee/ranger into the mix, its not going to help you one-on-one vs melee or ranger. But, illusion will. ^^ Maybe if you added complicate and shatter enchant in there ....

Seban Anu · Jun 02, 2006, 09:36 PM // 21:36

Hm, melee destruction...

I love my mesmer probably above all my other characters, and iroicially I probably play her the worst. Certainly not near up to par with those posting on this forum (how do you interrupt things faster than rebirth again? :|), but thats part of whats fun, I suppose. A challenge and such. Oh, and Avarre's my gw hero.

Anyways, even despite that I can make a decent caster killer, err, disabler. Ive tried running wammo death builds in things like RA before, and it usually only ends up sort of funny if not only slightly productive. (Had a war call me a nub for using sig of midnight or something to that affect. Eh, maybe it is a nub skill, I dont know, but it was awful fun.) Ineptitude and clumsiness are fun skills, as someone mentioned. Capped in prophecies, though.

In my humble opinion, however, with a few exceptions, anti melee mesmer skills seem to be more 'disable the lugs and watch them run around helpless while the rest of my team kills it, or, while I wand it to death' than 'make wammo go boom.' But then again im the nub who used sig of midnight in pvp.

Goodluck with your mes. ;D

Avarre · Jun 03, 2006, 05:37 AM // 05:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eaimirth Etaivella

If you could somehow get an empathy to land...that would be huge. However then you have to face shatter hex, inspired hex, "insert other hex removal spell that would severly hurt you here" while they reapply hex breaker. I suppose you could use a mantra of concentration to get it through after plowing hex breaker with WW...but even then shatter will hurt. So much for that idea; I would suggest IW but that spell will not work without a movement buff, and a cover enchantment...or a slow hex. Hexes are out of the question, so you have to rely on the mesmer not interrupting IW, your cover (likely illusion of haste) and even then kiting will be annoying. You still severly underestimate my powerblock ^_^;

You just thought I would use empathy in PvP. You hereby lose all further arguments.

This thread = PvE. Your chatter = PvP.

Eaimirth Etaivella · Jun 03, 2006, 05:41 AM // 05:41

Well of course when I said you I ment the mesmer class as a whole; which is why I said "they" and not myself etc etc. However your point remains valid of course; yet I doubt I would lose all further arguements so easily.

Yet back to the topic of spammable spells;
domination:
Wastrels Worry, empathy if you have frc gear
illusion:
Images of Remorse, clumb if you have frc gear

Themis · Jun 03, 2006, 06:14 AM // 06:14

... and Conjure Phantasm, an all-situations' classic spam

Btw, WW isn't a prophecies spell ?

Another high spammable spell is Overload. As a direct damage spell, it's much better than WW (I hope this thread won't turn ww vs overload, now...

).

Eaimirth Etaivella · Jun 03, 2006, 06:48 AM // 06:48

It won't (or it shouldn't; I won't start it in the least anyway); however it will likely become a bash conjure phantasm in pve thread -.-(which I don't mind personally(the bashing of conjure phantasm in pve, not the changing of thread part) been preaching that for eons. Conjure Phantasm gives a bad name to pve mesmers imo)