Help for a new Mesmer

[intent]

First of all please forgive me for not searching for answers for some reason I keep getting a page won't load when I try to search...several other pages are not coming up so my Sudden Link Cable is probably throwing a fit again.

I started a new Mesmer today and so far I am liking it a lot. I had a mesmer when I started guild wars over a year ago but, it just didn't hold my interest then (think because I was so new to GW)

So since then I have been playing my Elementalists and having a lot of fun but, it is time for a change.

After a lot of thought I decided to make a mesmer. I have had a mesmer secondary for my Ele (the first one) but, honestly I never used it after I reached level 5 (there is too many Ele skills to choose from *S*)

My question is...does anyone have any suggestions on basic skills for a Mesmer. I am starting in Cantha (I like the looks better then Prophecies Mesmer) so I won't be doing a lot of quests to get skills. I have several skills available to purchase because of my Ele. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I figured I would ask because from knowlege of GW I know that skills can look one way on paper and another when you actually use it.

From looking at builds and such I have noticed several spells that are common but, not sure how useful they would be without Elites and such. I figure I will start by buying the basics then just add over time.
Thanks in advance for any help that you experts can give!

My Secondary is a Necro btw.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

[Simath]

For PvE most Memsers I've seen use Illusion Magic. I myself am a big fan of Ineptitude. It deals a good amount of damange and causes Blind which is always nice. I have seen a few Mesmers run Crippling Anguish. You will usually see Conjure Phantasm and Images of Remorse on their skill bar. I would suggest to bring one or two interrupts and some energy management.

[Avarre]

In the early game, illusion has a generally better effect. It tends to be outpaced by domination, which I would employ for the majority of the game.

Basic illusion skills :

Conjure Phantasm
Images of Remorse
Clumsiness
Sympathetic Visage (not good with PuGs)

Basic Domination skills:

Empathy
Backfire
Shatter Hex
Cry of Frustration

Pick a side, add inspiration and tweak as needed.

[intent]

Thank you both very much...

You have both helped a lot.

[TeeGee]

Oh my, oh my - another one :P. I know that search could be disabled but you know - there are only 3 pages of mesmer forum. There was plenty of topics like this and most got some good feedback.

Generally all is as Avarre sais. These skills are base and rest is energy, managment, some way of making spellcasting more frequent (MoR or glyph), and utility for mission you are currently in.

Still the best way is to test yourself and find what suits you. Having in ming that spreading thin is worthless and fe conjure phantasm on domination build is trash in most cases.

Have fun with mesmer.

[intent]

My net connection was giving me MAJOR problems or I would have searched the other pages.

As it was the main page was the only page that would come up and new thread page.

I am sorry if I have offended you by not searching.

[Lady Lozza]

Actually since the search has been changed, I've been unable to find what I was after, so I've no issues with others not using the search function.

I agree with Avarre though, pick illusion or dom for your damage, the etherfeast + energy tap + res. Points into illusion or dom, inspiration and fast-cast.

While Factions plays faster, for mesmers I believe the best elites are found in Tyria, so be prepared to go back for your skill caps.

[LightningHell]

Actually, Lady Lozza, there IS Expel Hexes...

[Lady Lozza]

lol, I've used expel hexes on my monk more than my mesmer. It isn't a bad skill, but in GENERAL I think the Prophecies elites are better.

[intent]

Actually since the search has been changed, I've been unable to find what I was after, so I've no issues with others not using the search function.

I agree with Avarre though, pick illusion or dom for your damage, the etherfeast + energy tap + res. Points into illusion or dom, inspiration and fast-cast.

While Factions plays faster, for mesmers I believe the best elites are found in Tyria, so be prepared to go back for your skill caps.

I noticed that Mesmer Elites at least sounded better in Prophecies. Seems like a lot of the Elites are like that. On my second Ele I am currently capping Elites in Prophecies after she finished Factions. My side quest other then my new Mesmer (which I am enjoying a lot) is getting my Factions Ele to finish Prophecies (she just got to Drokners after completing the Desert Missions) so will have to do the same with my Mesmer.

[Dragannia]

lol, I've used expel hexes on my monk more than my mesmer. It isn't a bad skill, but in GENERAL I think the Prophecies elites are better.
Not necessarily. Prophecies has IW, Ineptitude, Migraine and Mantra of Recall worth using, and in high level PvP only Migraine and Recall are good (Migraine NOT for interrupts but as pressure, and Recall as mostly a Monk skill), while Factions has Psychic Distraction and Expel Hexes, both of which are far more useful in high level PvP. There's still Power Block and Panic, but both are pretty insignificant compared to Expel Hexes and PD, and even Migraine and Recall.

PvE wise, IW and Ineptitude own Faction's pathetic elites like candy. Expel is still awesome, but much less so compared with Ineptitude and IW.

EDIT: Migraine isn't actually too bad for interrupting. On a Mesmer, it would make a normally uninterruptable skill (a one seconder reduced to a half second, for example) into something which is well in the interrupting range.

[LightningHell]

You forgot Energy Drain, too, even though that's also only used on Monks. :p

[Dragannia]

You forgot Energy Drain, too, even though that's also only used on Monks. :p
According to Guildwiki it's a Core skill :p

[LightningHell]

Oh, idioitic me.