Curse

Myodato · May 20, 2005, 04:04 PM // 16:04

Personally I think you should choose a second caster class for Mesmer, to take full advantage of fast casting. This isn't to say you can't make good /w or /r builds, but if you're not using fast casting to its full, then you may aswell use me as your secondary. When you consider how big a difference strength or expertise can make, then the decision is usually made for you.

As to which caster, it really depends on what you want to do. Fast casting + inspiration magic can allow you to really spam out any spells you like. One skill I would highlight is the excellent Epidemic. Combine that with certain El or N spells, and it can be very effective. In the end, the key to a good Mesmer build is complementary skills, so decide what skills you want your Mesmer to use, then decide which class fits best with them.

appleseed · May 20, 2005, 05:34 PM // 17:34

Tried a bit of both /Rang and /Elem with my Mesmer, and quite honestly the bow isn't the most amazing weapon, and without expertise the energy costs aren't all that cheap either.

RE: Elem vs Mesmer primary
Mesmers with Inspiration have multiple ways of getting energy back, so it's better to go Mesmer primary so you have Fast Cast advantage.

For going Mesmer without Inspiration, they do rely on just their energy pool only (like a regular elementalist) so going Elem primary is better in most cases.

One thing to consider, might look at Smiting for damage. It's generally low cost but longer recharge, but that should be OK if you're mainly a Mesmer. As well, Mesmer is the caster type that can decrease his recharge times. If you're looking for spamming attack spells...you really want elementalist primary. They are built for that.

Captal · May 20, 2005, 06:09 PM // 18:09

Wouldn't a Mesmer be better at spamming attack spells since they have fast cast?

darkwynd · May 21, 2005, 03:17 PM // 15:17

In all honesty, I was so busy using Mesmer skills that I could have done without a sub-class altogether. I started out as a Me/E, which was nice since it provided alot of damage in the early levels but by the time I hit Yak's bend I had only 1 elementalist skill on my bar (Glyph of Lesser Energy, no attribute). Now, I'm a Me/Mo and only have 1 monk skill on my bar(Light of Dwayna, also no attribute). It really just depends on how you play it.