Buildcast The Guild Wars 2 EP11: Mesmer "Legion" Build

Written by: Gary Gannon (Twitter @garygannon - Google+) | October 4, 2012 5:56 pm

Buildcast The Guild Wars 2 EP11: Mesmer "Legion" Build

31 Comments

This week Gary Gannon, Matt Sorg, and Ed Park take a look at Mr. Park’s Mesmer “Legion” build. If you would like the team to disect your Guild Wars 2 PvP build and playstyle submit your YouTube and Guildhead build to submit@gamebreaker.tv Buildcast airs live every Wed @8PDT.

1:23:44

World of Warcraft

Legendary Ep127:
Patch 5.3: The Gamebreaker

Patch 5.3 Landed This Week, with a host of new features... and they all broke! The Legendary crew break it down for you.Read more »

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1:02:56

Star Wars The Old Republic

The Republic Ep138:
Herding Cats

This week on the Republic, SWTOR patch 2.1 has landed and that means... CAT PEOPLE!Read more »

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53:04

MMO News

This Week in MMO Ep 145:
Elder Scrolls Online, Guild Wars 2, Neverwinter

This week on TWIMMO, we take a look at Elder Scrolls Online Gathering and Exploration.Read more »

10 comments

http://twitter.com/Iantgal Ian Galbraith

Good show, I like Ed’s build can we get one of Matt’s builds next.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ryan-Hamilton/1150725720 Ryan Hamilton

You should get Crescense to upload his thief build
- http://twitter.com/taugrim Ed Park ⚔
  
  His build is here:
  http://taugrim.com/2012/09/27/guild-wars-2-pvp-video-legion-mesmer-build-now-with-greatsword/#comment-16879
  
  Hopefully we’ll see a video from him!
http://www.facebook.com/jamie.elvin Jamie Elvin

I’m a long time viewer of both Guild Cast and Build Cast, whilst I love sPvP, I also enjoy the PvE elements of the game. Have you considered extending the scope of Build Cast to include theory crafting related to PvE. Guild Cast probably isn’t the best place to go into the specifics of dungeon builds and stat allocations etc, but bringing it up in Build Cast would interest me, and I’m sure many other players.

Matt and Ed’s knowledge could definitely be useful when analyzing PvE builds, especially with the help of a 4th host who has a good knowledge of PvE. I’m thinking someone like Josh (aka “Lore”) Allen; knowledgeable in the current dungeon meta, group composition and preoccupations of the hardcore PvEer
- http://www.facebook.com/wes.whitacre.3 Wes Whitacre
  
  ^
  
  This.
  
  Once I finish polishing off my exotics, I think I might submit a full explore-able dungeon path vid or something. Not sure it would ever be used for a Buildcast *but it would be cool if it was… ^-^*, but at the very least they need some more footage of dungeons because all we ever see is the same 2 min clip of Mike S in AC story.
  - http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
    
    I would watch that show. Interested in seeing the explorable mode, but don’t have time time to find a group for them.
http://twitter.com/thedenofsin The Den of Sin

One thing they forgot to mention with the off-hand sword is that the Block deals a ridiculous amount of damage. The other day in sPvP I block-crit a warrior for 3k.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Robert-Caliolo/100003765889295 Robert Caliolo

What program is best to do a video of my build?
- http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
  
  I use FRAPS to record the video. Then you can try a free trial of any of video editing programs.
http://www.facebook.com/dark.blue.750 Dark Blue

The Phantasmal swordsman does damage every 4.7 seconds, which is quicker than the duelist (7.6 secs) even when using the trait ‘Phantasmal Haste’ (6.6 secs). The swordsman isn’t affected by haste. The swordsman’s one off hit also does more damage than the duelist’s 8 hits.

However, if your build has your phantasms stacking bleeds and have a high crit chance, the duelist will be a much better option.

The Phantasmal Disenchanter casts every 4.5 seconds and generally prefers getting rid of ally conditions to enemy boons. This guy is good with the 16 second CD over the others 45 second CD. The only trouble is making sure he’s alive when you have conditions and whether having him instead of a clone or damage dealing phantasm is best.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Robert-Caliolo/100003765889295 Robert Caliolo

As much as I like the build I prefer the staff Clone spam build with Sword/Focus second/main set. Pistol I think is weak over the mobility/yank of the Focus #4, or the Sword off hand offense. SPvP is all offense for a Mesmer not defense.
Granted the Warden has terrible survival, but if they do survive to make a 2nd attack you have delt a massive amount of damage. That and clone spamming will create total confusion. The Greatsword seems just a little weaker , to me because of the diminishing returns when your distance shortens. The GS is best at max range and when you need that knockback. The Staff #2 Summon clone, backstep, is almost if not better. But as with all Mesmers there are all kinds of builds, none are perfect, but all are a pain to play against.
- http://www.facebook.com/dark.blue.750 Dark Blue
  
  The warden does actually dish out more damage than the duelist and isn’t restricted to just one enemy either (each hit is harder and it has 12 where as the duelist only 8). You put a warden on a point and use a timely Chaos Storm, the enemy will get a hard time.
  
  However, the CD of the warden is 8-10 seconds longer and he only casts every 14 secs (12.4 with phantasmal haste). In PvP situations I find these times way too long and is made even worse when the target moves away when the warden casts. He doesn’t move very well and is too easy to be dodged. Duelist is a lot harder to dodge or run away from, plus he casts a lot more often and much easier to get 2 of them up. The duelist also has an effect with Chaos storm and when using staff, you have Chaos armor to help with projectiles (or use Mimic).
  
  You have good points about the Gsword with the distance but I’ve found when using bleed in your build, the GS clones really help get large stacks of the condition. I would alway use scepter/pistol because of the build I use (see above) and the duelist would help get a lot of bleed and the Bullet is great for an extra stun. The constant clones from the scepter suit my build really and the Gsword makes clone popping a little slower, but the direct damage and vulnerability help just as much.
  
  I tried using the Gsword again last night for some experimenting and was really surprised with the amount of bleed the clones alone were doing. The Berserker hits not only hits many targets and cripples, but also hits quite a few times on each target. Plus skill 1, even at the shortest distance, it still does more direct damage than the scepter and staff. I really liked swapping from Gsword to staff as the GS would put vulnerability on many and then the staff would add even more with some burning. The Gsword does need a little work (Mind Stab especially) but it does work really well with the staff and for solo and group fights.
http://www.facebook.com/dark.blue.750 Dark Blue

I really wish my computer could handle me streaming on it as I’d love to show my build on here. This build is actually what I used to use till I found one better for my play style. This one as mentioned, if you’re up against a heavy burst build, they can kill you before you can pop your phantasms to help with the hits. So I did a lot of experimenting and really happy with the results.

I basically took off the points in Domination and put them in chaos so I get ‘Chaotic Transference’. As I have undead runes, I get 10% of a large toughness amount as condition damage. I also use ‘Dibilitating Dissipation’ and ‘Mirror of Anguish’ so I’m hard to stun and whenever my clones get kill or replaced by another, enemies get a random condition.

I take 5 points from Illusions and put it into Dueling for the ‘Confusing Combatants’. This means that not only do my constant spawning and dying illusions give a random conditions, they now also give confusion too!

I use Scepter/pistol and staff. The confusion and constant illusions every 3 seconds with the scepter and the duelist stacking bleeds means my enemy always has a big stack of condition on them. I use Sigil of Earth to help make the bleeds stack with Sigil of Accuracy to increase the chance to get a bleed. Sigil of Geomancy on the staff (which I use for holding a point against multiple enemies) for some AoE bleeding. The runes of undead and Rabid jewel in Rampager’s amulet make me really hard to kill and every condition a problem for the opposition. I have tried using a pure Rabid amulet which give amazing toughness and condition, but the 10% extra crit and 3k hp with the Rampager/rabid has a better feel and easier for 1v1 fights.

This build works really well with the greatsword also, but because of the 3rd skill being so pointless, it feels like I’m only using 4 skills when I could use 5. Plus the constant hammering from the Duelist is really useful and if you have 2 out, you can have 20 stacks of bleed up.
bsqminus4ac

I was really hoping to see some epic ownage by Ed but I didn’t see it.

On the flip side his clip did illustrate the concept for the build which I suppose was more to the point but …. still …. some major ownage by Ed would have been sweet.
- http://twitter.com/taugrim Ed Park ⚔
  
  I post videos with illustrative footage to showcase game mechanics and how to handle situations, not to show me facerolling noobs per se.
  
  Aside from that, you didn’t like watching some of the outnumbered situations?
  - bsqminus4ac
    
    “Aside from that, you didn’t like watching some of the outnumbered situations?”
    
    LOL, well there certainly were a few of those situations. You’ll excuse me if I don’t emulate your technique of blinking into a crowd of enemies.
    
    Seriously though. Great show as always Ed. I consider myself a hardcore PVPer but I’ve learned just how much I didn’t know about PVPing by watching your show and I’m a better PVPer for having done so. Truth be told I never really got heavily into thinking about the synergies of certain aspects of the gw2 builds until after having watched Buildcast a few times.
Spammerbam

Ed, do you have a build that you would recommend for PvE? I’m rolling a new mesmer at lvl 30, and having some trouble with big group events. Though mesmers are great with 1v1, they don’t have many strong AoE builds.

What would you recommend?
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ZFDWTWGZMMX5P2DU72YPBLCQJM Justin Ryan
  
  sword/offhand –> blurred skill whatever its called and phantasmal warden (whirling axe) for aoe.
  wand/pistol –> channel beam skill and maigc bullet/phantasmal duelist for single targets
  
  you are going to feel like a glass cannon no matter what you do as mesmer. Keep yourself away from foes as much as possible and try to keep clones between you and them.
  - http://www.facebook.com/adzaell Adam Elliott
    
    It is entirely possible to play a very durable mesmer using the Chaos and Inspiration trees, and using the staff for buffs and protection and then whatver other set for some damage. the mesmer is also able to stack a whole lot of buffs, then share them with Signet of inspiration. I am playing a build with regen stacking that provides protection everytime regen is applied, and i am “tankier” than many warriors.
- RolyVento
  
  For AoE go Greatsword, the no.2 and the no.4 are both great AoE as well as the no. 3 skill.
  
  When you press no.2 on the greatsword you throw a sword that bounces 5 times on each enemy and hits them all for good damage as well as buff allies near them with Might stacks. The no.3 is a area targetable AoE that hits up to 5 foes and the no.4 summons a Phantasm that does AoE to foes near the main foe for splash damage and crippling.
http://twitter.com/CosmicGamer Tarabelle

I’d prefer seeing builds from viewers … if I want to see one of Ed’s builds, it is easily found on the internet as it is.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ZFDWTWGZMMX5P2DU72YPBLCQJM Justin Ryan

if anyone was curious, the -20% recharge on illusions minor trait stacks additively with the specific -20% by weapon major traits. It doesnt reflect on the tooltip but phantoms like duelist can be reduced to 9sec, beserker 12sec, warden 15sec (btw, anet nerfed its whirling axe recharge rate, apparently it was bugged) not to mention any of the clones.
Ravi Pillalamarri

Do weapon sigils only affect attacks with that weapon, or all attacks while you have the weapon out? That is, if you put 5% crit in pistol offhand, does it go to your phantasm and magic bullet only? I don’t think I’ve seen this addressed anywhere
http://twitter.com/Oopey20 alex brown

I actually wouldnt mind an episode or half an episode dedicated to team strategy. Maybe focus on one map an episode and show the good strats etc. Especially with the most recent article from Anet about Spvp highlighting paid tournaments and custom tournaments
IrishBrewed

Really enjoyed this, I had no idea how powerful phantasms could be.
- bsqminus4ac
  
  Correct me if I’m wrong but Ed’s build just got nerfed somewhat.
  - IrishBrewed
    
    Yeah I think you’re right. I posted a thread in the forums about these phantasms, and he said they’ve adjusted them some. Can’t remember off the top of my head what it was.
    - Brian Silva
      
      Duelist CD is 20secs instead of 15. That’s it really
N Carrott

This is my first time looking at a Mesmer and its traits and I’m blown away at how much better their first tier of traits are compared to the Ranger! :O
http://profile.yahoo.com/OTTV6CSLSNXTH5DOMH37UR2ML4 Steven

I have a much better “legion” build with much more synergy and consequences for people who decide to attack my phantasms. This one is just missing a little direction. It tries to do too much and isn’t as efficient as it could be in my opinion.
DoctorOverlord

I liked this episode. Always some helpful tips, I did not know the mesmer’s phantasms track characters when they come out of stealth, really nice to know!

Perhaps people are hesitant to send in their builds because they don’t want to share them with the public? lol I wouldn’t mind but I’m leveling 4 alts so I won’t be high enough to really send in a build for a while.

Maybe instead Buildcast could feature a particular style of profession and how the guests would build for it. Like a Rifle/ranged warrior or a dagger Elementalist (I’d like to see that )

Keep it up!

Buildcast The Guild Wars 2 EP11: Mesmer "Legion" Build

Legendary Ep127:
Patch 5.3: The Gamebreaker

The Republic Ep138:
Herding Cats

This Week in MMO Ep 145:
Elder Scrolls Online, Guild Wars 2, Neverwinter

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