Curse

Knight O Cydonia · May 16, 2007, 07:01 PM // 19:01

meh so whatever, this is my 1st post and i thought i'd share my mesmer ab build. Im sure theres nothing earth shattering here, but i find it fun and if others wanna try it then great. Just dont use it on me or i'll cry.

Me/N

Fast Casting 8 + 1
Illusion 11 + 1 + 3
Inspiration 11 + 1
Curses 3

[skill]Mantra of Persistence[/skill][skill]Migraine[/skill][skill]Conjure Phantasm[/skill][skill]Images of Remorse[/skill][skill]Rend Enchantments[/skill][skill]Power Drain[/skill][skill]Distortion[/skill][skill]Ether Feast[/skill]

Equipment

20/20 Illusion is always nice but anything goes really.

Use

Right, this build obviously is aimed at presurising opposition spellcasters and just annoying anything that moves. Whack up Mantra of Persistence before you enter combat to give your hexes a nasty length. Next pick your target carefully, you'll be wanting to hurt the other team of 4 as much as possible with your hexes.

Now the fun begins

Whack through Migraine, Conjure Phantasm and Images of Remorse to start the degen (that ele is REALLY gonna feel that 37 seconds of Migraine). Interrupt with Power Drain to get some energy back, laugh as you use Rend Enchantment to get rid of any enchant buffs, switch target and see if you can cause more Migraine mayhem.

Defense wise this build has a bit of a soft underbelly. In AB youll no doubt come across all professions at some point in the match so obviously any AB build has its limitations.

Some notes.

Assassins : As soon as you get hexed by a sin or see him coming for you hit Distortion. Even if youre low on energy youve got a good chance of blocking and breaking up his combo. If you have the energy pop some degen on him to put him off.

Warriors : Your best bet is to spam Distortion, Ether Feast, and make a run for it. Any degen you apply with just get countered by heal sig.

Ele/derv tanks : Laugh hard as they put up all their enchants while you run through your hexes and /wave when you use Rend Enhantment.

Ok any feedback is welcome. Cheers.

hhslf · May 16, 2007, 09:56 PM // 21:56

Looks good, and thumbs up on the elite for sure, Its tons of fun to use. Im gonna try this and get back to you on it.

Riotgear · May 17, 2007, 03:36 AM // 03:36

Used to run something like that, might wanna go Me/E, drop Rend for GoLE. Persistance + Phantasm spam gets expensive, possibly even more so due to Distortion. Migraine can often be swapped for Frustration in AB with no real downside, the -3 health degen isn't particularly devastating, especially when you've already got -8 from Phantasm and Images. Then you can use your elite for CA, Inept, Expel, or something else like that.

Div · May 17, 2007, 12:41 PM // 12:41

Not sure how terribly useful images is if you already have -8 degen from migraine+conjure. Would like to see another interrupt to piss them off with migraine. Also drain ench would be nice over rend, since it can double as e-management.

Riotgear · May 18, 2007, 12:09 AM // 00:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by holymasamune

Not sure how terribly useful images is if you already have -8 degen from migraine+conjure.

Images is nice for keeping up the spam alongside Phantasm while Migraine is on cooldown.

Knight O Cydonia · May 18, 2007, 10:13 AM // 10:13

Thanks for the feedback guys, I did do a few runs with frustration and MoR swapped in for Migraine and Rend Enchantments, but i couldnt quite get to grips with it. Personally, i dont like ineptitude because blind is prety easy to remove.

Recently ive been playing around with taking out mantra of persistence (energy issues) and sticking in another interrupt like [skill]Web of Disruption[/skill] to stop those heal sigs and troll unguents. Also swapping in Drain Enchantment for Rend Enchantment is an option for better energy management (although personally i enjoy Rend)

On a side note, I was enourmously lucky yesterday when I came across a 55 monk in Saltspray yesterday. Ive never had so much fun in GW. EVER. I mustve killed him at least 10 times. He got so mad he even threatened to kill my family. What a nice chap

Syntonic · May 19, 2007, 02:31 AM // 02:31

The only issue I personally have is that you are not capitalizing on migraine with only one interrupt. I suppose the slow casting rate might be very detrimental on a few builds that require strict timing but somehow I think you can do better than the current setup.

Instead of web of disruption, consider leech signet so you can spam the degen more (huge issue due to the number of people.) Mantra of inscriptions can also be considered if you have other signets but it doesn't really seem like you have too much space there. If you had a few friends that you ABed with, you could change some stuff around to give more team cohesiveness but it's not something you should bother with in a pick up group. Most of them are offended at even being asked to ping their builds or use a build that synergies with the team.

Div · May 20, 2007, 02:20 PM // 14:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riotgear

Images is nice for keeping up the spam alongside Phantasm while Migraine is on cooldown.

While having migraine+conjure+images is fairly standard for a GvG migraine mesmer, I'm not sure how energy is going to be in AB if you keep spamming conjure+images on everything you see. Plus, the fact that you only have one interrupt every 25 seconds makes migraine seem a little weak in an environment where slower spellcasting doesn't really affect a caster as much since the pace is more relaxed and there isn't serious spiking/pressure/interrupts from other people.

Riotgear · May 20, 2007, 07:09 PM // 19:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by holymasamune

While having migraine+conjure+images is fairly standard for a GvG migraine mesmer, I'm not sure how energy is going to be in AB if you keep spamming conjure+images on everything you see. Plus, the fact that you only have one interrupt every 25 seconds makes migraine seem a little weak in an environment where slower spellcasting doesn't really affect a caster as much since the pace is more relaxed and there isn't serious spiking/pressure/interrupts from other people.

I ran into enough monks in AB to justify bringing Shame on my typical dom bar, and the same is true of bringing a spellcast time hex on an illusion bar. However, as I mentioned before, I prefer bringing Frustration instead because mesmer survivability without a monk is low, and CA helps remedy that.

CA has a dubious additional benefit: A semi-important part of AB is keeping dumb teammates on track so you can at least keep even numbers when the zerg hits. When they go chasing a monk or assassin halfway across the map, they're being very unproductive, and CA helps ensure that their quarry dies and your teammates resume doing something important.

Migraine even without interrupt spam is pretty devastating, throw it on any spellcaster and it completely changes their program the same way Faintheartedness screws up a warrior. If all I wanted to do was chain-interrupt 1s spell casts, that isn't a difficult task.

Having Images alongside it is fairly helpful because Phantasm and Images are things that can be spammed on everything that moves, whereas Migraine can be used more selectively.

Perfected Shadow · May 23, 2007, 06:12 AM // 06:12

Necro is a lot better imo:

[card]Shivers of Dread[/card][card]Reaper's Mark[/card][card]Faintheartedness[/card][card]Insidious Parasite[/card][card]Plague Touch[/card]

Reaper's and Faint are much better than any mesmer degen combination, except maybe for Illusion of Pain with Mantra of Persistence. With Shivers, switch to a cold spear. Do spears have higher attack rates than wands/staves?

Syntonic · May 25, 2007, 06:37 PM // 18:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riotgear

I ran into enough monks in AB to justify bringing Shame on my typical dom bar, and the same is true of bringing a spellcast time hex on an illusion bar. However, as I mentioned before, I prefer bringing Frustration instead because mesmer survivability without a monk is low, and CA helps remedy that.

CA has a dubious additional benefit: A semi-important part of AB is keeping dumb teammates on track so you can at least keep even numbers when the zerg hits. When they go chasing a monk or assassin halfway across the map, they're being very unproductive, and CA helps ensure that their quarry dies and your teammates resume doing something important.

Migraine even without interrupt spam is pretty devastating, throw it on any spellcaster and it completely changes their program the same way Faintheartedness screws up a warrior. If all I wanted to do was chain-interrupt 1s spell casts, that isn't a difficult task.

Having Images alongside it is fairly helpful because Phantasm and Images are things that can be spammed on everything that moves, whereas Migraine can be used more selectively.

While I agree that migraine on spellcasters is devastating, it's not outright show stopping by itself for most spellcasting classes in AB. A monk would have to be relatively pressured and/or spiked before they can't accurately gauge who to cast on or there are simply too many party members needing assistance if they even have to cast through it (holy veil etc) in the first place. In the current setup you can interrupt a holy veil if you aren't dead or some other skill (but more than likely you'll want to interrupt veil to get migraine to stick on the monk unless you rend enchantments which I'm not sure is the wisest course of action.)

In comparison, a good chunk of a warriors DPS actually comes their autoattack along with their skills which makes faintheartedness far more devastating. Migraine by itself would probably screw over curses necros the most or echo MSers but I hardly see them anymore (not complaining.)

michelle mal · Jun 02, 2007, 02:07 PM // 14:07

My current AB build is:
Illusion of Pain
Images of Remorse
Accumulated Pain
Clumsiness
Leech Signet
Power Return
Imagined Burden
Signet of Midnight
Fast Casting 11
Illusion 16
Inspiration 9
AB is all about fast kills and staying alive. Massive degen + deep wound + block for damage are the killing skills. Interrupts for actions and spells (don't worry about Power Returns energy payback to foe, he will be dead soon anyway) shuts down war. and ranger healing, and elementalists. The main problem for mesmers in AB is melee attackers: shut them down with Signet of Midnight (being blind does not harm mesmer) and spam Illusion of Pain, etc. Imagined Burden for escapes if things go wrong, or slowing down kiters. I have found I can stay alive longer and do more damage with this build than any other I have tried. Don't use Signet of Midnight unless an attacker comes to you, charging into the enemy is not the mesmer way.

bungusmaximus · Jun 03, 2007, 11:49 PM // 23:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perfected Shadow

Necro is a lot better imo:

[card]Shivers of Dread[/card][card]Reaper's Mark[/card][card]Faintheartedness[/card][card]Insidious Parasite[/card][card]Plague Touch[/card]

Reaper's and Faint are much better than any mesmer degen combination, except maybe for Illusion of Pain with Mantra of Persistence. With Shivers, switch to a cold spear. Do spears have higher attack rates than wands/staves?

necro is too mch (lame) fun in AB.

[skill]corrupt enchantment[/skill]
>
-geo tanks
-mending wammos
-conjure warrs
-dervs

well you get it

Evilsod · Jun 04, 2007, 12:02 AM // 00:02

Meh, i've been using

[skill]Crippling Anguish[/skill]
[skill]Clumsiness[/skill]
[skill]Images of Remorse[/skill]
[skill]Illusion of Pain[/skill]
[skill]Accumulated Pain[/skill]
[skill]Ether Feast[/skill]
[skill]Power Drain[/skill]
[skill]Mantra of Persistence[/skill]

Been messing around with the stats slightly, but it seems 14 or 15 Illusion Magic with 15 or 14 Inspiration Magic does the trick (2 majors i know). 14 Illusion seems to work best, you hit the break point for IoP and 15 Inspiration gives you a 95% increase in duration. Means CA lasts for 36 seconds on some poor sod who was wandering past at the wrong time. IoP/Images is just for AP, Clumsiness is nice vs Assassins and the huge amount of dumb Warriors before you CA them. It can be a little energy intensive, Power Drain returns 24 energy if you hit, which can be a bit iffy sometimes with the lag in AB. If you have a good monk on your team you can always drop Ether Feast for some other E-management, like Auspicious.

It is pretty effective. Hex removal is limited in AB, you can always cover it just incase. IoP alone will degen a total of 400 health from the target, which goes to 250 when it ends, you get plenty of time to recast it and spread it around a little to seriously pressure people.

It also makes Touch Rangers cry ^^

Cassius Brutus · Jun 05, 2007, 02:52 PM // 14:52

I've seen Web of Disruption being used more and more in AB now, though I don't really understand why... The first interrupt is good, but usually the person can, if their careful, time the 2nd interruption when they are just moving or something, not using an important skill... although I suppose degen may force them to panic... Personally I think mesmers have better interrupt skills

Evilsod · Jun 05, 2007, 07:34 PM // 19:34

Drain/Shatter Delusions ftw.

Perfected Shadow · Jun 06, 2007, 08:42 AM // 08:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassius Brutus

I've seen Web of Disruption being used more and more in AB now, though I don't really understand why

It's the fastest recharging and cheapest mesmer non-elite spell that can interrupt any skill. It's also not linked to any attribute, and could work great as a cover hex. Btw what happens if you try to remove this hex? Will it interrupt the hex removal?

My Green Storage · Jun 06, 2007, 09:28 AM // 09:28

Power Spike, Power Leak, Power Block, Phantom Pain, Conjure Phantasm, Conjure Nightmare, Kitah's Burden, Gaze of Contempt

Obviously anti caster only, but I throw in Kitah's Burden to stop wars, dervs, sins and runners of course.

I've toyed around with Migraine which is nice to do once in a while.

I would love to truly try out Inepitude, I did it once or twice when I cap'd it, but I know that although it can stop, or atleast throw a wrench into them, I'm not really worried about melee guys.
I'm going to die, especially if a good sin is there.

I just run my build because it's fun just screwing with a monk, especially if Migraine is used to slow down the casts. They panic then just start spamming spells. Good Times.

Same with Eles, you can usually time the interrupts with or without Migraine (Hence why I usually run Power Block), if their first spells gets off they'll hit their second pretty soon but if the first is interrupted then they start the 2nd spell quicker and start to spam as much as possible.

Oh and yea, of course Rend or Gaze to stop those little Stoneflesh Eles and/or the "casual" Mystic Regen eles.

Evilsod · Jun 06, 2007, 05:55 PM // 17:55

I have a guildy who usually runs an anti-cast build when i'm with him. Don't remember the entire bar, but it definatly involves Frustration and Power Return, amongst others. Other skills were a couple of Inspiration based interrupts and some snares i think, mainly because it coupled with my degen well.

Cassius Brutus · Jun 07, 2007, 01:28 PM // 13:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perfected Shadow

It's the fastest recharging and cheapest mesmer non-elite spell that can interrupt any skill.

- Web of Disruption

Ok fair enough, it can interrupt any skill, but I still think there are many other skills that interrupt better than this. Mesmers have plenty of energy stealing interrupts vs casters, and some decent ones vs melee (clumsiness is nasty vs sin combos). As it has no attribute it would work well on a /Me rather than a Mes primary I think. I sometimes use it with my N/Me, but as a Mesmer, I'd still pick many of the other interrupts over WoD