observations of a new Mesmer

[Gedrand]

Hi everyone!

For various reasons, I decided to leave my main character, an Elementalist, behind. In trying to figure out what profession I'd like to play, I did a lot of thinking and finally created a Mesmer. I wanted to share some of the things I've noticed from playing my Mesmer (who is my new favorite character!) and hear some feedback from some of you more experienced Mezzers out there :)

So far, the change has been a pleasant surprise. There are a lot of things about the Mesmer that I really enjoy. Please note that I'm not trying to say that one profession is better than another; I'm simply describing my thoughts and experiences with my new character, who I very much enjoy playing!

Though I've been playing Guild Wars for over a year, I don't think that I would have been able to understand how to play a Mesmer until now. I think that it requires a greater amount of knowledge and skill than some other professions do in order to be highly effective; Mesmers aren't as 'obvious' as some other professions. I find myself noticing what the enemies are using skill-wise in order to counter them rather than just looking for the large clusters of red dots and firing my big damage spells. The faster skill and response time (and excitement) is also new to me. At least, that's how it feels after being used to spells with two or three second casting times and trying to learn to stick an interrupt in a fraction of a second.

There are things about the mechanics of the profession that I am very happy with as well. I like Fast Casting as a primary attribute more than I like Energy Storage. I remember looking at Fast Casting long ago and thinking that it didn't look very useful. Now, I'm putting every free attribute point I can spare in it. It's very satisfying to be able to just cast a spell in a fraction of the time and use that other second for positioning yourself more effectively or casting another key spell.

I also am finding myself less vulnerable to interrupts, I can handle being hexed, have some decent self-heals, and can handle a lot of situations which were previously very difficult. I had a Mesmer secondary, but I felt that my effectiveness was reduced if I had to take along some conditional self-defense skills. It wasn't as big a problem playing with guildmates, but when I was in a pug it was upsetting to call out important hexes like Life Transfer or Backfire and get no assistance.

Armor doesn't affect the damage that Mesmer skills deal. That's very, very nice. As my Elementalist I often lamented that the degen from the burning was the only significant damage being done. Higher monster health and armor made the rest of the spells' effects negligible.

Something else appealing about Mesmers is that it seems like I don't see them as much. I was considering using a non-core profession as my new primary character since they have a certain appeal of not being as common, in my mind, but in Factions (heck, sometimes in Tyria) it seems like I see more Ritualists or Assassins than Mesmers.

I also find myself very excited and eager to acquire new skills as I go through the game. They all have so much synergy with each other and affect the other team in such interesting and devious ways.

I'm only up to Piken Square, but I've been scraping the edges. I'm planning on concentrating on some titles. Anyways, I've noticed that it seems most effective to spread hexes around in order to make enemy monks work harder and give my loyal henchpersons a better chance to finishing off each target. It seems like by the time that Stefan gets to a monster, it's already down to half its health from Backfire/Empathy/Conjure Phantasm, and then I can just hit whatever's left with Shatter Delusions to finish it off. Power Leak was very nice, but I found that it seemed like I was spreading myself a bit thin adding the interrupt. I'm looking forward to getting further in Tyria, though, where I can get more skills and I'm sure that Conjure Phantasm won't feel like an Elite anymore so that I can try some different setups.

Anyways, those are my thoughts about Mesmering. Let me know what you think. When I've searched the forum here, I see people posting builds more than I find the ideas and concepts behind the Mesmer, so that's what I'd like to hear more of, if anyone wouldn't mind sharing. If you got this far, thanks for reading! ;)

[lightblade]

Welcome to our world of true wizardry! Yes...even during the WPE there's an enemy called "Corsair Wizard", and no...it's not an elementist..it's a mesmer!! And you know what elementists are called? "Corsair Cook"..lol..they're the cook and we're the wizards... ^_^

[RYCHER969]

to the wonderful world of the mez. I hav been playin for about 16 months and its the only toon i hav. So here is my 10 cents for pve:

1).Dont go nuts with fast casting. I rarely go above 8. (sometimes as high as 10 if no other area needs it).If a skill takes 2 secs to cast u will be fine. Interupts are generally 1/4 cast time anyway so fast cast does you little good.

2). Conjure is STILL in my skill bar.Yes it is that good.

3). You seem to have grasped a very important aspect of mesmers..weaken the enemies and allow your crew to finish them. Understand that interupting a big spell keeps your team alive and fighting.

4). Find your self a Gorrels cane & Rockmolder for 1k each. That will giv ya 20% HSR;HCT 10% with Illusion +1 20%(conjur.phant.)

5).Tab, tab, tab

good luck..happy hexin

ign=cpt spalding

[LightningHell]

Expanding on the above poster, which seems to be somewhat biased upon hexing opponents, there are generally two kinds of Mesmers on the PvE scene (last time I heard, in Prophecies anyway).

Domination - Shutdown. Utilizing skills like Backfire, Empathy, and the like, you attempt to punish them for doing something harmful to your group, like casting a Fire Storm. It also gives the additional benefit of the AI not casting if the hex will kill them.

(It's not really "shutdown", but that's what I call it. :p)

Domination - "Nuke". Using Energy Surge, Energy Burn, and other similar skills. This role tends to focus on damage skills, and is used sometimes by players switching from a "nuker" to a Mesmer.

Illusion - Degeneration. Using hexes such as Conjure Phantasm, Images of Remorse, and the like, that inflict health degeneration on enemies, they can cause some damage, in addition to having some other utility skills such as Sympathetic Visage and Imagined Burden.

Domination - Interrupter. Using interrupts to interrupt important spells, heck, even one, can turn the tide. Usually interrupters play as a hybrid of two; for example, I play Domination/Interrupting when I go PvE with Mesmer.

Also, it's quite usual for the Mesmer to go off target.

Feel free to post more, anybody. I got to go to practice.

Ah, and Fast Casting's optimal level, IMO, is 9.

[hazmat]

Just to expand a bit with regards to your fast casting level. It very much depends what the casting time of the spells you have to have much FC is preferrable.
Diversion which is one of the mesmers strongest skills casts inches along at 8 or 9 FC. Spirit of failure, same thing. Granted I often leave my FC at around 8-11 but I would consider first what skills you want to put on your bar. Some of my shutdown builds have FC at 13++. What the rycher and lightninghell said was a good rule of thumb for FC levels, just felt I should elaborate a bit on it.
I always consider FC rates and skill recharges when planning a build so I can be as busy as possible.

HTH

[LightningHell]

Also, Fast Casting has diminishing returns.

[Gedrand]

Thanks for the replies :D

Yeah, I've done some research about Fast Casting (and a bunch of other things) on the Wiki. Right now mine is at something like 4 or 5, and I promise not to go too crazy with it.

I am looking forward to acquiring more skills so that I can play some different roles and try some interrupting and some other forms of shutdown.

Right now I'm most excited about Domination. It's very neat to give the enemy that lose/lose option; either they don't cast stuff/attack, or they do and it hurts them a good deal. There's something very nice about being able to just drop Backfire on a Chaar Shaman and then hex the crap out of everything else without having them constantly healed, and it's equally fun to Backfire a Chaar Flame Keeper and have them dead from Aura of Restoration + Flare. Those guys are so eager :)

That's pretty funny about the Corsairs, lightblade. I hadn't realized that.:cool:

Also, rather than pick up the greens I grabbed collector staves in Cantha for Illusion and Domination. Gorrel's stuff has very nice stats, though, so I may end up grabbing those. Feel free to PM me if you need anything from a collector, by the way; I have like 40 Putrid Cysts and also for some reason saved Warden Horns, Celestial Essences, and Black Pearls.

Thanks again :p

[Martian]

My mesmer is by far my favourite char, he's the only character i have that when i play him, i feel like a pro :D (of course im not, but whatever)
Just wondering, does it seem rediculous to have 12 fast casting? (inc. runes)
All of you seem to use a lot less, but i find it essential to using my skills effectively.

And Gedrand, i know that at your level it can seem like Domination is way better than illusion (Except for phantasm) and ill admit, my fave build is domination, but later on you can do absolutely horrible things to wars, assassins, and touchers with Imagined burden and crippling anquish :)
To be a good Mesmer, the first thing to remember is to keep an open mind, many Mes skills seem totally useless at first, or at least they did to me, but they all have a dark, nasty purpose behind them :D

[Gedrand]

Thanks for the tip, Martian. Like I mentioned, at first long ago the mezzer skills all seemed somewhat unimpressive at first glance. It's true, though; you really have to read between the lines and think of all the great things that result from you preventing the other team from accomplishing their goal. So sneaky and sinister... I enjoy it :)

I always used to say that Crippling Anguish had the coolest skill name. I can't help but wince when someone calls out "I have Cripping Anguish on me!". *laugh*

[lightblade]

My experience with Fast Casting:
0-4 doesn't have significant difference, they feel the same
5-6 now you'll feel you're casting faster
7-9 much faster than 5-6, but not much differences from 7-9
9-11 no significant difference for mesmer, but spells with long cast time like resurrection will feel a big difference.

It's best to keep your fast casting between 7-9. If you have a monk secondary for rez, it's good to push it to 11 just so you can rez people during battle

[hazmat]

hmm FC level is really a case by case basis depending on what spells you are bringing.
MoR + diversion spam? HIGH
Surge/Burn? MED
Interrupt build? LOW

[hazmat]

--- double post ---

[bele]

Wellcome to mesmering :D . You'll enjoy it

[Hella Good]

I always used to say that Crippling Anguish had the coolest skill name. I can't help but wince when someone calls out "I have Cripping Anguish on me!". *laugh*
And I think Fevered Dreams is actually a wonderful name. Too bad the skill doesn't really match up.

But anyways, welcome aboard! Spread some Me love around! :evil:

[Darcy]

Oh, the nostalgia of playing a new mesmer. I envy you discovering the joys of this profession for the first time.

A good mesmer is self-confident to the point of well-deserved arrogance. You won't find anyone asking you to present a particular build to join their party. More experienced players are grateful that you will join at all.

A mesmer is versatile. You will discover as you grow that your build will constantly change to suit the situation. While some mesmer skills are not as generally useful as others, practice with them all. Everyone has a different play style; what doesn't work for one player, will be great for another. Use posted builds as guidelines, not something set in stone.

A mesmer is vain about their clothes. FoW is not the best available; looks are more important than cost. He/she ususally has more than one set of armor. (Sometimes it's so hard to decide.)

Keep your sense of humor alive. Remember when you see someone bashing mesmers in the local chat, it is usually because they just got stepped on by one.

[Xiaxhou of Trinity]

I'm also just making a mes, I've never gone in depth into it, just touched the IW build for PvP. Just having trouble leveling it (I hate canthan quests and canthan geography) My favorite class is ele, but mes looks like it'll be right up there too =] If anyone feels bored and wants to help me, pm me. IGN Balthazar of Source.

[Gedrand]

Thanks for your comments, Darcy. I'm going to keep them in mind, and I am greatly enjoying discovering the profession :)

I'm trying to work in every new skill I unlock. Doing so gives me a lot of insight into some of the skills, and even if I don't want to use that particular skill, I gain a little more experience and strategic ideas which help me as a Mesmer.

I'm working on getting some Fissure armor; I'm well on the way. I'm looking forward to being very stylish. There are a lot of nice options.

Mesmers are so cool! That is, unless I'm playing a non-Mesmer and going against one. *grin*

[PrismOfRedLight]

I've also started a mesmer in PvE although I did play one a little in AB and Fort Aspenwood, mainly Ineptitude based since I love watching warriors just keep bashing there weapon against the enemy when they keep taking damage from it.
Anyways my friend hates mesmers saying they suck ass and for the longest time I went along with it but after having fun in PvP with them my friend kinda snobbingly thinking I wouldn't do it said "Why don't you make a PvE mesmer" and so I did and there pretty cool so far (hope I didnt ramble on too much) and after looking at some of the threads then GWiki I like the 1.5k Kurzick armor the best, too bad it's in Cantha

[Redfeather1975]

I like mesmers too. :D
I feel the same way as the OP when mentioned how much mesmer skills seem to work well together in some creative and whacky ways.
I made a video of a recent crazy combo that was more entertaining than practical, but it's what makes the class so much fun to play. :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij6chx4xYXw

[System_Crush]

I'm also starting a new mesmer on chantha. Although I pretty much want more illusion magic skils to get the -8 degen those last 2 more;

I was plesantly suprised by my effectivity against the afflicted.
My -8 should be 16 dmg/sec and it does look like that.
But someone poisons the mob causing an additional -5 degen maxing at -10 20dmg/sec
But!
By appearance the health of the infected seem to go down much faster than an additional 4dmg/sec more like 8dmg/sec.
I don't know if its a bug but it only happens on poison not on bleeding or burn and does not seem to affect anything else than the afflicted.

I though this might be a good place to post this because atleast some of the mesmers here must have passed trough Sheitung Monistary.

[Dean Harper]

Mesmers aren't as 'obvious' as some other professions. I find myself noticing what the enemies are using skill-wise in order to counter them rather than just looking for the large clusters of red dots and firing my big damage spells. "Quoted from Gedrand"

Lol, which is why mesmers are liked more in pvp, they have ways to get around ppl, instead of just causing damage, thats my favorite part of being a Mesmer. Unlike you, i started with a mesmer when i got the game, so i was ridiculed ALL OF THE TIME since i wanted to tank and didnt know teh lingo and strategy to a mes. But once i got the hang of backfire, i was in love with the mesmer. I had also tried a ele, but it just didnt satisfy. I love killing things, but i love doing it in a descreet, sly kind of way, and so the mesmer was my favorite of all the profs. The only other prof that kind of does that is the necro, but still, it doesnt fully satisfy. I also have to say, i dont really like illusion magic, its too straightforward most of the time, especially degen. I really like interrupt, its sooo fun to see how ppl react when they cant cast or do anything (Psychic Distraction FTW!!!!) anyways, im done rambling, so, great choice in a prof man!!!

[Redfeather1975]

I originally picked a mesmer for two reasons.
When I found my friend played Guild Wars and getting tired of WoW and EQ2 I decided to visit the Guild Wars site.
There was an article about how mesmers were the least played and most underrated class in the game. My favourite character in EQ2 was a class called an Inquisitor. An Inquisitor is a platemail wearing healer who uses mental magics. Idecided to try to play a class that wasn't hugely popular, yet also similar to what I was used to in my previous game experience.
Despite the inability to play with platemail I chose an Me/Mo to try and mimic the inquisitor's playstyle as best I could. It actually, very quickly, played just like him!

[HalPlantagenet]

I strongly urge the OP to reconsider his decision. Mesmers have an incredibly deleterious effect on the game. Consider some evidence:

1. If it weren't for mesmers, there is a much greater chance that the perfect team (6 warrior/monks and 2 monks) would be successful in most if not all situations.
2. A mesmer/warrior with IW and a mediocre sword can put to shame the damage dealing of almost all the more expensively equipped warriors with optimal, rare equipment. Is that fair?
3. With creative and proper attention to dying they are consitently the best dressed characters in the game. Even when they're just standing around in towns and outposts the effect is one of severe, sartorial oppression.
4. The characters are elitist and therefore undemocratic. They require finesse and strategic thinking, sometimes with very little time, to be played well. They are not for everyone.

I could go on.

A little less facetiously, I'm consistently surprised at how weak the enemy mesmers are in PVE. It's almost as if Arenanet realizes just how devastating they can be and doesn't want to reveal it.

[Hella Good]

I'm a bit tired of Me PvE. I feel I'm underusing my character by packing the PvE staples and killing brainless monsters (who manage to be nevertheless annoying by sheer numbers). I'd much rather torture brainless Wammos in RA. Least I know some poor fella on the recieving end is cursing out loud. Monks are easy like that as well... In fact, the only time I feel I have a true challenge ahead is another Me or a Necro. That right there tells you something about the profession. There is a reason why Me are priority targets in PvP. PvE... I don't know, I just like the armors... really... I made a Me just to proove you can PvE just fine with a Me, thank you very much, and to get him the (then) rarest FoW in the game- Me male. But again PvP-ing with a Me is far more entertaining.

*proud to be playing the most despised profession of all* :p

[Dean Harper]

I'm a bit tired of Me PvE. I feel I'm underusing my character by packing the PvE staples and killing brainless monsters (who manage to be nevertheless annoying by sheer numbers). I'd much rather torture brainless Wammos in RA. Least I know some poor fella on the recieving end is cursing out loud. Monks are easy like that as well... In fact, the only time I feel I have a true challenge ahead is another Me or a Necro. That right there tells you something about the profession. There is a reason why Me are priority targets in PvP. PvE... I don't know, I just like the armors... really... I made a Me just to proove you can PvE just fine with a Me, thank you very much, and to get him the (then) rarest FoW in the game- Me male. But again PvP-ing with a Me is far more entertaining.

*proud to be playing the most despised profession of all* :p



lol, great statements, i feel exactly the same way, memser is basically the best prof in the game, at least to me...:D

[Dean Harper]

Mesmers have an incredibly deleterious effect on the game. I strongly disagree, they are just very good at wat they do


2. A mesmer/warrior with IW and a mediocre sword can put to shame the damage dealing of almost all the more expensively equipped warriors with optimal, rare equipment. Is that fair? Totally Fair



4. The characters are elitist and therefore undemocratic. They require finesse and strategic thinking, sometimes with very little time, to be played well. They are not for everyone. So wat if they arent for everyone? Theyr fun for ppl who can play them well, and they should be accepted just as much as any other prof that does their job well. (e.x. monk)


I could go on.

A little less facetiously, I'm consistently surprised at how weak the enemy mesmers are in PVE. It's almost as if Arenanet realizes just how devastating they can be and doesn't want to reveal it.The reason they do that is because they dont want u to not be able to beat missions, lol :p


Most of wat u just said is pretty un-thoughtout, lol, based on my personal experience, mesmers dominate most of the time, so i dont know wat ur complaining about....

[Avarre]

I strongly urge the OP to reconsider his decision. Mesmers have an incredibly deleterious effect on the game. Consider some evidence:

1. If it weren't for mesmers, there is a much greater chance that the perfect team (6 warrior/monks and 2 monks) would be successful in most if not all situations.

Most successful in what? There are top guilds (QQ last season) that didn't run mesmers at all and performed excellently. Thinking a mesmer is necessary regardless of setup is a generalization.

As for PvE, most areas are soloable, and the ones that aren't can be threemaned.

2. A mesmer/warrior with IW and a mediocre sword can put to shame the damage dealing of almost all the more expensively equipped warriors with optimal, rare equipment. Is that fair?

It would be fair (casters are typically better damage dealers than warriors in fantasy settings) if it wasn't for the fact that... you're wrong. Warriors are by far capable of the highest dps, and IW mesmers are a joke outside of certain niche pve situations. Not to mention the simple factor of enchant hate and the unhappy reality of a 60AL frontliner.

3. With creative and proper attention to dying they are consitently the best dressed characters in the game. Even when they're just standing around in towns and outposts the effect is one of severe, sartorial oppression.

This is because we are awesome.

4. The characters are elitist and therefore undemocratic. They require finesse and strategic thinking, sometimes with very little time, to be played well. They are not for everyone.


A decent player of any class has to make rapid strategic decisions, especially monks (managing energy against heavy pressure situations), and to a lesser extent the others. Macro strategy is irrelevant to class, microstrategy to an extent is more prevalent in monks and mesmers. However most players portray mesmers as a more difficult class than they are.

A little less facetiously, I'm consistently surprised at how weak the enemy mesmers are in PVE. It's almost as if Arenanet realizes just how devastating they can be and doesn't want to reveal it.

It's difficult to program the AI to effectively utilize a mesmer... and all NPCs have essentially pathetic skillbars, so this isn't limited to mesmers.

[rhuber]

Most of wat u just said is pretty un-thoughtout, lol, based on my personal experience, mesmers dominate most of the time, so i dont know wat ur complaining about....

Umm... I think you've missed the poster's comment:"A little less facetiously..."

"facetious":meant to be humorous or funny : not serious <a facetious remark>

a.k.a. sarcasm...

[LightningHell]

I strongly urge the OP to reconsider his decision. Mesmers have an incredibly deleterious effect on the game. Consider some evidence:

1. If it weren't for mesmers, there is a much greater chance that the perfect team (6 warrior/monks and 2 monks) would be successful in most if not all situations.
2. A mesmer/warrior with IW and a mediocre sword can put to shame the damage dealing of almost all the more expensively equipped warriors with optimal, rare equipment. Is that fair?
3. With creative and proper attention to dying they are consitently the best dressed characters in the game. Even when they're just standing around in towns and outposts the effect is one of severe, sartorial oppression.
4. The characters are elitist and therefore undemocratic. They require finesse and strategic thinking, sometimes with very little time, to be played well. They are not for everyone.

I could go on.

A little less facetiously, I'm consistently surprised at how weak the enemy mesmers are in PVE. It's almost as if Arenanet realizes just how devastating they can be and doesn't want to reveal it.

I'm fully expecting this to be a joke post.

[Avarre]

I hope so, but then again I lost faith in the board awhile ago.

[LightningHell]

Actually, I have a few arguments against being a Mesmer in PvE.

1) If it weren't for Mesmers, missions would be more challenging. Getting beaten up by enemy bosses who fire off spells that hit for 480~ish is good for your character's health, you know. Furthermore, why do you need a freaking MESMER when you can get that lvl 19 1337-screaming wammo in full Warrior's Armor and a non-max Fiery Dragon Sword because it looks cooler than that max, 15>50 collector Longsword.

2) A Mesmer with a sword/axe and IW that would be perfect for Warriors get beaten consistently by enemy Warriors. What's the point in playing IW if you get beaten so badly? AND, in PvE, IW absolutely owns due to the existance of a "55" monk, even though other professions probably can do it a lot better.

3) With a tiny bit of fashion sense, your Mesmer will make you ejaculate while playing. Since you don't really want to wash/change your clothes, why play a character that's so hot you'll wet yourself?

4) The players of the Mesmer class need to be so good, you actually need to know what skills to press to have effect on the game, not buttonmashing. It's not for everyone - i.e. it's for people who have two brain cells or above.

I could go on.























EDIT: If someone can't see that I'm supporting the playing of Mesmers, then that person needs to see a psychiatrist.

[SnipiousMax]

...In fact, the only time I feel I have a true challenge ahead is another Me or a Necro....

You've been playing RA too much. All the classes have a niche and properly supported are dangerous. It's too much of a blanket statement to say that they are all inferior to a Mezzie. I've yet to see an all Mesmer team go anywhere in PvP. In fact, it's interesting to note, that in high end PvP Mesmers are hardly neccesary or even much sought after. I dont' find challenge in RA, just frustration. TA and beyond however, I find a a much more satisfiying challenge in well thought out teams. It's much more interesting to try and disrupt what a team is united in doing, than fileting hapless Warriors in RA or shuting down a monk that knows no better than to spam Healing Breeze while his team runs to the four corners of the arena.

If you're talking about one on one, then well... That's more of a game of 'High Card' anyway. Mesmer's just have the advantage of having very few low cards in their deck, and as such are pretty much going to win in all but a few cases (granted that they knew what they were facing beforehand).

Personally, I love mesmers. I think they are wickedly devestating in skilled hands. I love the skill and concentration it requires to play them well. I love even more how well they synergize with a team. But it's wrong to fuel a superiority complex by basing arguement on weak and stupid players.

[lightblade]

... I've yet to see an all Mesmer team go anywhere in PvP. ....

Anyone wanna try an all IW team? In TA?

pm me if interested.

[Ferrous Capuchin]

Long time Mesmer...

IMO, it is the only class where elite skills really shine. You can make entire builds and strategies around a particular elite, to great benefit, instead of an elite being just an added supplement to your skill bar.

I usually play as a Domination death-dealer, or as a Domination-interrupter-caster-shutter-downerer. Recently, I started doing Illusionary Weaponry as a Warrior secondary, and now that I have the tweaks worked out, am loving it! It feels exactly like the assassin that the assassin class should have been, great fun! Sneak around, deal quick death, sneak out again.

[Hella Good]

It would be fair (casters are typically better damage dealers than warriors in fantasy settings) if it wasn't for the fact that... you're wrong. Warriors are by far capable of the highest dps, and IW mesmers are a joke outside of certain niche pve situations. Not to mention the simple factor of enchant hate and the unhappy reality of a 60AL frontliner.

Oh, come on now, you use Ench with IW, too? It's the one build that Ench has absolutely no place in. :p Charlatan's or Savant's are standard here. You are always under the effect of an enchantment and/or a stance. IW is fine in certain niche PvP situations as well. :eek:

Speaking of which:

You've been playing RA too much.

That's right! Put me up on the cross and lets get the nails going! The truth of the matter is that I made an RA comment. You cant really find brainless Wammos anywhere else than RA, so it only made sense. Least when I talk about PvP, I don't mean GvG, or HA, or TA, or RA, or AB only. I mean all. Have plenty of xp in all these formats, altho I must admit I never rly liked HA.

Personally, I love mesmers.

Good! We're on the same page, after all. ;)

[Avarre]

Oh, come on now, you use Ench with IW, too? It's the one build that Ench has absolutely no place in. :p Charlatan's or Savant's are standard here. You are always under the effect of an enchantment and/or a stance. IW is fine in certain niche PvP situations as well. :eek:


You will not have enchantments up if you're using IW. IW mesmers become a prime target for the full weight of enchantment removal, and when you get spiked, it will hurt.

The only thing that has absolutely no place is IW (in actual PvP, RA doesn't even have a frontline, its just a random brawl).

[Hella Good]

You guys are being way too harsh on RA. It's the only place that anything goes. Just how many types of Me do you play in GvG? I barely ever play anything different than Surge ED, GoR/MoR Diversion/Shutdown, and on rare occasions something like Expeller or Shadow Shround (back when those were still popular). Are those the only viable PvP builds just because they are the most efficient in GvG? The elitistic view of RA is unfounded. Yes, it is a random brawl, and, yes, it's filled (cranked up more like it) with noobs, and, yes, it often times causes frustration (not the skill). BUT it's the one PvP format that you can do ANYTHING and be successful. Surely you shouldn't base your judgement on RA only, but surely you shouldn't base it on GvG only as well. PvP=/=GvG.

[Dragannia]

Hey, Expellers are still popular. One of the most popular Mesmer GvG builds, I'd say.

[Avarre]

BUT it's the one PvP format that you can do ANYTHING and be successful.

Which is why you cannot base anything on it, there are no constants in place to make a fair examination.

[Hella Good]

Hey, Expellers are still popular. One of the most popular Mesmer GvG builds, I'd say.
I meant Shadow Shroud Me. Didn't phrase my statement right. "Back when those were still popular" means "back when Shadow Shroud Me were still popular."

Which is why you cannot base anything on it, there are no constants in place to make a fair examination.
What am I basing on RA? I simply said IW works there, which it does, and it works better than a lot of things do. I didn't say IW was a fantastic all-around PvP skill, did I? ;)

[Oven]

I started a mesmer about 2 months ago and now I also started a monk. Personally I would say that monking is a lot harder than mesmering both in PvE and PvP. However, playing a mesmer is alot more fun than monking. Especially since you dont get wammos and tanking assassin's flaming you for not healing them. Since most wammos and tanking assassins dont actually know what a mesmer does, they can't actually say anything about you :P

[Valkyries]

Heh... so true Oven.

I play all the chars (except Ranger because I simply don't like it but I have tried it) and by FAR Mesmers are the most fun to play IMO.

I love my Mesmer and its easily the one I enjoy the most especially in PVP. Then its just endless hours or torment for other people. hehehe...

Monks are quite difficult, not because its a hard class... but because people are brain dead and no matter how much you say LURE, DONT DO THAT, STOP THE AGGRO, they still think they can't be beat. Then when its done they flex and say "ya, look at that DPS I did". :rolleyes: Drives me crazy. Luckily with my Monk I can hench 99.9% of the missions... so I usually don't even deal with PUgs. HENCH>PUGS anyday

[HalPlantagenet]

Apologies for the belated clarification: I was being ironic.

I am currently playing my mesmer (who has completed all the Tyrian and Canthan missions and quests mostly with one other guildie and henchies) much of the time and find it difficult to decide which I prefer, the mesmer or the ranger. Both archetypes offer great diversity, challenge and opportunities for subtle play which was part of my sometimes misunderstood previous post. To be blunt, mesmers rock; I hope that is sufficiently clear.

With regard to my comment about warriors, I have also played one through both games and experimented and have found few builds which compare with the dps of a mesmer equiped with IW and Flurry, that isn't to say that there aren't any. But is important to note the difference between peak damage and sustained damage and the effect of the accelerator for the mesmer. I'd love to see some objective data if someone would like to post or offer a pointer. It might be pertinent for another thread, however. Cheers.

[Dean Harper]

I have to say again, mesmers jsut happen to be one of the greatest profs in the game, since, like some other ppl said, elites for mesmers are the most effective of all profs, since u use ur other skills around them. Also, i have to say, the way i fix that ejaculation problem is by playing a male mes, that way, i dont get horny online, and interrupt my gameplay with wetting myself.... ;)

[Dean Harper]

Apologies for the belated clarification: I was being ironic.

I am currently playing my mesmer (who has completed all the Tyrian and Canthan missions and quests mostly with one other guildie and henchies) much of the time and find it difficult to decide which I prefer, the mesmer or the ranger. Both archetypes offer great diversity, challenge and opportunities for subtle play which was part of my sometimes misunderstood previous post. To be blunt, mesmers rock; I hope that is sufficiently clear.

With regard to my comment about warriors, I have also played one through both games and experimented and have found few builds which compare with the dps of a mesmer equiped with IW and Flurry, that isn't to say that there aren't any. But is important to note the difference between peak damage and sustained damage and the effect of the accelerator for the mesmer. I'd love to see some objective data if someone would like to post or offer a pointer. It might be pertinent for another thread, however. Cheers.



i agree very much that rangers are appealing, though mesmers satisfy me more, rangers just have a kind of technique to play them, and can be hard, since you need to be strategic in placing traps, etc. o, and srry about my harsh post man, thought u were being serious, lol:D

[Effigy]

From my experience, monking is probably harder simply because there is a very high standard for success. If a mesmer misses any interrupt, they generally won't be shamed for it by their team. Not so if a monk misses a heal/prot.

Strictly speaking though, a mesmer's job really isn't any easier. Effective shutdown requires a lot of battlefield awareness and microing. Monks and mesmers are similar in many ways, they just occupy different ends of the spectrum--mesmers are generally offensive support, while monks are usually defensive support.

[HalPlantagenet]

Monks and mesmers are similar in many ways, they just occupy different ends of the spectrum--mesmers are generally offensive support, while monks are usually defensive support.

Excellent, apt comparison. I hadn't thought about the two in that context but you are absolutely right.

[Priest Of Sin]

Best part about the mesmer: interrupting Reversal Of Fortune.... it doesn't get ANY better than that...

[Avarre]

Best part about the mesmer: interrupting Reversal Of Fortune.... it doesn't get ANY better than that...

Wrong, best part is interrupting an enemy interrupt that was aiming at a rof on your team ;)

Imo, both mesmering and monking are fairly easy to do, but very hard to do especially well.

[Oven]

Wrong, best part is interrupting an enemy interrupt that was aiming at a rof on your team ;)

You know, I never thought that interrupting an interrupt was at all possible... until I met a mesmer that interrupted savage shot. That was either a fluke or she was one hell of a skillful mesmer.

[Mesmer in Need]

well guys, if you havent noticed yet, i do play a mesmer (shocking isnt it) and i love them. i played on my friends account as a warrior for a couple months, and finnaly decided to get my own account. i always saw one or two mesmers running around towns, so my first character that i made is a mesmer. and i saw the light. i beath the gamer with her, and am currently going through factions and throwing in some pvp. it think mesmers are the greatest, most versital profession ever.

[Arcanis the Omnipotent]

You know, I never thought that interrupting an interrupt was at all possible... until I met a mesmer that interrupted savage shot. That was either a fluke or she was one hell of a skillful mesmer.

Alot of times, interupting is about having been in enough battles to know what to expect out of a player or profession. More or less being able to predict what they'll do and when. And alot of times, casting the interupt before you even see them do their skill on the Skill Monitor. So you're interupting an interupter, you just need to expect they'll be doing something and interupt them even if they're doing nothing.


Its hard to explain...

[Avarre]

My best interrupt was on a savage shot aimed at our ghostly hero at 8 seconds remaining. We capped and won halls.

As for interrupting in general... you need to get a feel of the enemy casting patterns. For example, if you notice someone casting alot in chains, or, more generically, a monk when the team is heavily under pressure.

In the situation (HA in this example) when the other team is under heavy pressure in such, I tend to watch their monks with a leech sig (while monking, or other skills on different characters). Make sure you know what skills they're using, and make sure the ones being used are recharged. When you get to learn their pattern, you can often fire off an interrupt and hit a RoF cleanly. It's not something that can be taught so much as practiced and felt.

In my case, I see when the enemy monk (in this case) is not casting (casts are usually after a period of inaction, after all), and then at the point when I feel I would use RoF, RC, or whatever skill, I use an interrupt. It's quite possible to hit, but yes, luck does factor heavily (on the 1/4 casts, at least).

[Lithrim]

Being a fairly new mesmer myself I felt I wanted to share my experience here. Started my mesmer in tyria (for the better looks :P) a few months ago and he became my primary character immediatly. I love interrupting! And I love punishing warriors and rangers.
My best punish was a Shadow Ranger using barrage, I had empaty, SS and insidious parasite on him. He died after one shot with barrage. Sadly I was out of energy by then and had to wait a little before next ranger died. :P

I have finished both prophecies and factions but am still finding new ways to play and new experiences. Only sad part is that most pugs dont realise a mesmers potetial, so it can be hard finding a farm team now when Im saving for kurzicks 15 k armor, which are going to be dyed silver. I farm a little on my own with a IW 55hp build, but I like more the big fight with a party where I can interrupt and punish, and laugh at a Power Blocked monk not doing anything!

Cant wait until tomorrow though. NIGHTFALL!!! More things to do with my favorite!

[Priest Of Sin]

Interrupting Savage shot aimed at interrupting power leak aimed at interrupting punishing shot aimed at interrupting power spike aimed at interrupting power return aimed at interrupting power block aimed at interrupting reversal of fortune.

Check and Mate, Avarre

[Avarre]

interrupting power leak aimed at interrupting punishing shot

Power leak can't interrupt skills.