Curse

Schorny · Jul 01, 2005, 11:37 AM // 11:37

Hi Guys.

In Tombs we frequently run into good Mesmers and have a real tough time. Or at least I as a healer have a tough time...

For example this one team had outstanding mesmers: I got blackout just after the blackout ended I got the next one - not even an orison was possible between these two blackouts! And after the blackout faded out I got a Diversion. Which effectively killed me for 20 seconds. (Just as a remark: we won that match, but it was quite a very tough one)

Is there anything I as a monk can do to avoid or lessen the trouble I get into? I know, my team tries there best to kill the mesmers, but we don't do spike damage, so it is hard for us to get an instant kill. Our strategy is more on a long fight with quite good DPS, so their monks run out of energy. The longer the battle lasts the better are our chances to win.

So anything to do against good mesmers? I know I can't avoid them, but maybe a few ideas on how to lessen the devastating effect on me?

Jasso · Jul 01, 2005, 11:43 AM // 11:43

Only one i could think of is

Spell Breaker {Elite} - Enchantment Spell
For 5-15 seconds, enemy spells targeted against target ally fail.

funbun · Jul 01, 2005, 11:53 AM // 11:53

Smite Hex and Remove Hex and Spell Breaker. Other than that DIE! Mesmers setup for anti-caster will kill a monk in just a few seconds. In fact, I had a female mesmer named Monk Killa. The problem was that in PvP players would look at my name and in their minds say "Monk Kill Her." They always atacked me first! So I had to start a new Mesmer now I rarely get targeted first.

Jasso · Jul 01, 2005, 11:59 AM // 11:59

Smite and Remove Hex is useless against Blackout. Against Diversion you can use hex removals only once and then its recharging for the next minute.

So, only one i could think of is Spell Breaker

Myodato · Jul 01, 2005, 12:00 PM // 12:00

1) Redundancy is good. Make sure you're not the only one carrying remove Hex, then let your team know what's on you.

2) A Mesmer using Blackout is prime for a fast take down. Even if your team can't get Blackout off you, they can divert their attention to the offending Me.

Garrett · Jul 01, 2005, 12:02 PM // 12:02

One thing to do against blackout (if you are not able to take the mez down quickly) is to snare him so he cannot get in range for blackout. Also make sure you have Hex Breaker.

Jijimuge · Jul 01, 2005, 12:06 PM // 12:06

FWIW Spell Breaker won't help against blackout as blackout is a skill, not a spell, so no luck there.

However, blackout is touch range, so have a teammates slow the mesmer's move speed down and get out of their way...that's one way. You know, the usuals....pin down, water spells, burden etc.

Hex Breaker would be good versus the diversion. This won't help vs blackout though, as blackout is not a hex

If interrupts become a problem, Mantra of Concentration.

Use Ventrillo or Teamspeak to let a ranger or the like know that you're blacked out and have them pin down the mes so that you can run away, making them lose their echoed blackout.

Another thing is, if they black you out and they're a primary mesmer, they can't use their skills for 5 secs either, so CTRL-target them and have people focus on them whilst they're idling.

Edit : You beat me to it, Garrett!

Eonwe · Jul 01, 2005, 12:15 PM // 12:15

Yea, spellbreaker isn't going to work against blackout. Just try to run away from their mesmers, blackout's range is basically touch.

Schorny · Jul 01, 2005, 01:29 PM // 13:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by funbun

In fact, I had a female mesmer named Monk Killa. The problem was that in PvP players would look at my name and in their minds say "Monk Kill Her." They always atacked me first! So I had to start a new Mesmer now I rarely get targeted first.

lol, great story

How about "Wont Harm Monks"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myodato

1) Redundancy is good. Make sure you're not the only one carrying remove Hex, then let your team know what's on you.

2) A Mesmer using Blackout is prime for a fast take down. Even if your team can't get Blackout off you, they can divert their attention to the offending Me.

1)Diversion lasts for 6 seconds. Remove Hex has a cast time of 2 seconds. At least 1 second to react, so is this really helpful?

Normally all monks carry "Convert Hexes", because when there are mesmers we monks got spammed with hexes... Even though I find it funny to be hexed with Diversion and Backfire

2) So one guy should watch the Mesmers and get them if they are trying to blackout me. More things to do for our caller

@Garrett and Jijimuge:
Hex Breaker sounds quite good. It is a reason to switch back to Me as secondary... (I'm a N secondary for PvE purposes, in PvP I'm a pure monk)

One korean team we fought headed straight to our mesmer ignoring the monks. Do you think that is a viable strategy? Of course, one could try to nuke a mesmer to death, but if the mesmer won't go down fast - would you keep targeting him?

This korean team gave us a tough fight and our mesmer went down 2 times but they spend a lot of time nuking at him while all our monks kept healing him... So they wasted a hell lot of time...

rii · Jul 01, 2005, 01:36 PM // 13:36

Best thing to do is get your own mesmer

There are a lot of random tactics thrown around but theyre all 'super crazy', and just getting a shutdown mesmer is somewhat easier.

ComMan · Jul 01, 2005, 04:41 PM // 16:41

Flee and ask your team for help.

I have seen teams take out Mesmers before Monks, but it's rare. Since you're a caster you're just going to have to deal with the anti-caster being a huge pain. But your not alone! Your team can help you out!

Thom · Jul 01, 2005, 05:21 PM // 17:21

When you are getting owned, yell for help. You aren't doing anything better, so type or talk. If your team is managing without you, just be happy being shut down and run flags or something.

Red Locust · Jul 01, 2005, 06:14 PM // 18:14

Generally, blackout works better when coming from a W/Me. The mesmer is too dependent on his skills, so I'd rather have him casting stuff while the W/Me blacks the monk out then hammers on him.

Darkest Dawn · Jul 01, 2005, 06:49 PM // 18:49

Yeah, call for help. One of the best weapons against a mesmer is a warrior in the face with a hammer! Though if they have empathy equipped and a lot of points in domination...... still a hammer build warrior will pretty much stop the attacks against the monk since he or she needs to defend themself against the onslaught.

Jijimuge · Jul 01, 2005, 11:22 PM // 23:22

To Red Locust: I agree about the threat from blackout - if a mesmer primary starts advancing to melee range then they're either very specced up to deal with melee (and probably an IW build in that case) or they're going to be a *reasonably* soft target.

Wa/Me is a far more likely source for blackouts - they're already geared up for melee, so being in touch range is no biggie. And warriors without skills are happy to just beat on their opponent for a while whilst a mesmer without skills......ouch!

To Schorny - it's not so much that someone *else* should watch the mesmer....although good mesmers ARE worth watching. Normally, someone like a ranger will call targets. However, whenever a competent healing or protection monk starts calling targets, I interpret that as "Guys! I'm in trouble here! Get this guy off me - NOW!" If your team is prepared, then the break in the order of target calling will alert them to a problem.

The monk is valuable enough that, if they're in trouble, it's usually worth dropping what one's doing to save one's healer/protector.

I personally believe that the job of an anti-caster mesmer is one of the hardest as it takes in several roles which may include any of energy denial, skill denial, dilemma creation, interrupting etc. whereas a healing monk is focussed on one goal which is to heal their teammates. Sure they both have lots of skills and means to achieve their goals, but the mes may have more different goals that they can accomplish. The upshot is that I think that well-played mesmers are rarer than well-played monks, so going for the monk will usually be a good approach.I Thus, i can be a good strategy to go for mesmers before monks, but only if one believes that the player of the enemy mesmer knows their job and is on the ball - otherwise go for the healer.

Jia Xu · Jul 01, 2005, 11:39 PM // 23:39

IW mesmers with blackout and arcane echo - pains in the arse. Best way to deal with them is once they have used it, get your team to pound them. They are very good at what tehy do, but they tend to be a tad fragile when a warrior spaffs them with a huge axe

kuramaroze · Jul 02, 2005, 03:31 AM // 03:31

Distract them. Bring rangers with interrupts or mesmers with you. Either that or bring an earth W/E or air ele to spike them I guess. They're hard to deal with.

Schorny · Jul 02, 2005, 01:21 PM // 13:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jijimuge

Wa/Me is a far more likely source for blackouts

It could also have been a warrior, I was too focused on my team to see it coming. I know, I need to work on that

Quote:

To Schorny - it's not so much that someone *else* should watch the mesmer....although good mesmers ARE worth watching. Normally, someone like a ranger will call targets. However, whenever a competent healing or protection monk starts calling targets, I interpret that as "Guys! I'm in trouble here! Get this guy off me - NOW!" If your team is prepared, then the break in the order of target calling will alert them to a problem.

Of course, in our team our ranger is the primary caller but if someone sees an easy target or an important one, they will tell the team in TS and call.

Quote:

I personally believe that the job of an anti-caster mesmer is one of the hardest as it takes in several roles

I started an own mesmer to understand my opponents better

I'll see how tough it is... Timinig seems to be really hard.

Quote:

Thus, i can be a good strategy to go for mesmers before monks, but only if one believes that the player of the enemy mesmer knows their job and is on the ball - otherwise go for the healer.

Good idea. Thanks

DarX · Jul 02, 2005, 06:06 PM // 18:06

erm, try harder....

xenoaroe · Jul 02, 2005, 06:36 PM // 18:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schorny

So anything to do against good mesmers? I know I can't avoid them, but maybe a few ideas on how to lessen the devastating effect on me?

Bend over?