Underused mesmer skills and suggested changes. - Guild Wars Guru archive powered by Guild Wars Legacy

lightblade

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

The Etereal Guard

Me/Mo

11 May 2007 at 16:11 - 1

Note: I do not claim these changes to be the best (so don't flame me if you think the change would make them overpowered ), but I do think they need to be changed one way or another.

Domination:
Enchanter's Conundrum: change to AoE to effect nearby foes
Psychic Instability: extend knockdown time to 3 seconds.
Overload: increase conditional damage to 5..80
Ignorance: reduce cost to 10 energy

Illusion:
Air of Disenchantment: AoE one ring bigger; to nearby foes
Arcane Conundrum: to 1 second cast
Fevered Dreams: change machanics to spread condition when condition is renewed.
Shared Burden: reduce recharge to 15 seconds. It is an elite after all.

Inspiration:
Extend Conditions: reduce recharge to 2 seconds; or...more helpful, make this effect "nearby" foes.
Keystone Signet: reduce recharge to 0 and change machanics to: All signets are recharged and Keystone Signet is disabled for 17...9 seconds.
Lyssa's Aura: increase duration to 5..17 seconds
Tease: Change to skill, not hex; so the only way to remove it is for the target to hit you.

No Attributes:
Arcane Mimicry: reduce recharge to 30 seconds
Epidemic: extend AoE to nearby
Hypochondria: reduce cast time to 1/4
Signet of Disenchantment: none. This skill just under used for no reason.

Pericles

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: May 2007

[GoD]

R/

11 May 2007 at 18:19 - 2

I agree with everything u say except your change at psychic instability, 3 sec knockdown is a lot and the conditions are not to hard to meet.
Other than this, i'd say an excelent thread!

MSecorsky

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jun 2005

So Cal

The Sinister Vanguard

Me/

11 May 2007 at 19:02 - 3

Chaos Storm - increase AoE.

lightblade

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

The Etereal Guard

Me/Mo

11 May 2007 at 19:13 - 4

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSecorsky

Chaos Storm - increase AoE.

Chaos Storm is actually fine. It's powerful enough even if it hit one target.

LONGA

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Sep 2006

Thailand

Agot

N/

11 May 2007 at 19:25 - 5

Signet of disenchantment cost too much for sure.Unless you are running a full signet build which is not really effective.

Overload is fine if condition is met if not it should do a little more damge.A wanding damge still do better. and increase its casting time to ensure that no other class except mesmer can use this effetively.

Mylon

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jul 2006

11 May 2007 at 20:40 - 6

To be honest, mesmers suck. This is just scraping the tip of the iceberg. I've given up on even including full mesmers in my PvE team (except in Echovald where the mesmer hero is actually better than the other pathetic choices like Charge!) or playing them in RA/TA. I use them as a secondary to get a couple of interrupts and diversion, but as a full class they don't do enough damage and they don't do enough shutdown.

Let's see... I can attempt to interrupt my opponent casting Signet of Devotion... Oh wait, mesmers have a hard time interrupting non-spell skills. When they do interrupt something, they often do some kind of trivial effect and have a long recharge time on it. Edenial does nothing when the enemy switches to a +30e/-2eregen set just to cast a spell and then switches back.

Rangers make better interrupters since they can just spam it and do decent damage at the same time, plus one of their best spammable interrupts also disables the skill, which mesmers only have Power Block to compete with. Rangers can even do edenial with debilitating shot and quickening zephyr (plus maybe an attack recharge like oath shot). Necros make better hex spammers and can do edenial as well in the form of negative regen, plus spam some nice hexes to kill opponents like Insidious Parasite.

Yeah... All of the other classes have gotten a nice inflation of power since Prophecies, or maybe people have just found more optimal builds. Mesmers haven't really gotten any better.

lightblade

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

The Etereal Guard

Me/Mo

11 May 2007 at 21:17 - 7

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mylon

To be honest, mesmers suck. This is just scraping the tip of the iceberg. I've given up on even including full mesmers in my PvE team (except in Echovald where the mesmer hero is actually better than the other pathetic choices like Charge!) or playing them in RA/TA. I use them as a secondary to get a couple of interrupts and diversion, but as a full class they don't do enough damage and they don't do enough shutdown.

Let's see... I can attempt to interrupt my opponent casting Signet of Devotion... Oh wait, mesmers have a hard time interrupting non-spell skills. When they do interrupt something, they often do some kind of trivial effect and have a long recharge time on it. Edenial does nothing when the enemy switches to a +30e/-2eregen set just to cast a spell and then switches back.

Rangers make better interrupters since they can just spam it and do decent damage at the same time, plus one of their best spammable interrupts also disables the skill, which mesmers only have Power Block to compete with. Rangers can even do edenial with debilitating shot and quickening zephyr (plus maybe an attack recharge like oath shot). Necros make better hex spammers and can do edenial as well in the form of negative regen, plus spam some nice hexes to kill opponents like Insidious Parasite.

Yeah... All of the other classes have gotten a nice inflation of power since Prophecies, or maybe people have just found more optimal builds. Mesmers haven't really gotten any better.

As a veteran mesmer player, I can tell you mesmers do not suck.

As for your Signet of Devotion, I give you [skill=text]Complicate[/skill] and [skill=text]Psychic Distraction[/skill].
Can your ranger interrupt 3/4 cast Word of Healing on reflex? I don't think so.

Rangers don't make better interrupter because they can spam it. Blindly spamming interrupts are totally useless. This is why nobody uses [skill=text]Incendiary Arrows[/skill].

Skye Marin

Jungle Guide

Join Date: May 2006

The Seraphim Knights [TSK]

E/A

11 May 2007 at 21:26 - 8

Air of Disenchantment and Enchanter's Conundrum have an odd effect. They double the cast time of enchantments, which doesn't make much sense because most useful enchantments cast in 1/4 to 3/4 of a second. The skill would be much more useful if they added a flat 0..3 seconds or even 0..2 seconds to the cast time of any enchantment. It would be like Migrane to any other spell, except with enchantments.

Extend Conditions wouldn't be much more useful if the AoE was simply increased. Conditions are too easily removed. To make the skill worthwhile, a unique ability should be present, like:

Whenever target foe would lose a condition prematurely, that foe has a 45..75% chance that that condition is renewed for 5..10 seconds.

I'm afraid your buff to Keystone Signet would be too powerful for use with Ether Signet. Otherwise, good other buffs.

lightblade

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

The Etereal Guard

Me/Mo

11 May 2007 at 21:44 - 9

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skye Marin

Air of Disenchantment and Enchanter's Conundrum have an odd effect. They double the cast time of enchantments, which doesn't make much sense because most useful enchantments cast in 1/4 to 3/4 of a second. The skill would be much more useful if they added a flat 0..3 seconds or even 0..2 seconds to the cast time of any enchantment. It would be like Migrane to any other spell, except with enchantments.

Extend Conditions wouldn't be much more useful if the AoE was simply increased. Conditions are too easily removed. To make the skill worthwhile, a unique ability should be present, like:

Whenever target foe would lose a condition prematurely, that foe has a 45..75% chance that that condition is renewed for 5..10 seconds.

I'm afraid your buff to Keystone Signet would be too powerful for use with Ether Signet. Otherwise, good other buffs.

Air of Disenchantment: I actually didn't test this out, but if you read the discription carefully, you'll see Air of Disenchantment will remove enchantment when the hex is removed (on duration expiration or otherwise). If this is the case, then the 100% more casting time wouldn't matter that much.

Enchanter's Conundrum: Um...the 100% extra cast time does help a lot. But the after effect of damage is very hard to trigger, because if the target uses enchantment, there will always some enchantment remain on the target.

Extend Conditions: I actually came up with that idea before, but put it down. Mainly because if it refreshes again, it will trigger Frigility twice.

Keystone Signet: That would cause you to use 2 skill slots for energy and one of them is an elite! Again, if you're even using Keystone Signet chances are your bar is filled with signets and won't be needing Ether Signet anyway.

Skye Marin

Jungle Guide

Join Date: May 2006

The Seraphim Knights [TSK]

E/A

11 May 2007 at 22:32 - 10

No matter how you slice it, your Keystone Signet + Current Ether Signet would give more energy more reliably than Offering of Blood minus the 5 energy and 20% health cost of Offering of Blood. Having all your signets recharge is just an added bonus.

B Ephekt

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Feb 2006

Team Crystalline [TC]

Mo/

11 May 2007 at 22:45 - 11

Quote:

Rangers make better interrupters since they can just spam it and do decent damage at the same time

Rangers are easier to shutdown with blind, miss hexes and blocks. Interrupts suck when spammed mindlessly, and mesmer have fast casting allowing them to hit 3/4s cast more easily. If you want skill disabling there is PD and Diversion, the latter of which disables for more than double the duration of distracting shot.

Unless you're relying on a ranger for degen, mesmers are generally a better choice for interrupts.

Furthermore, mesmers don't suck. They are in fact quite powerful in pvp, if played by a competent player. Mesmers suck in pve because their niche does not fit in well with slaughtering mindless AI as fast as possible.

Quote:

Can your ranger interrupt 3/4 cast Word of Healing on reflex? I don't think so.

Good rangers can. Interrupting as a ranger is about more than reflexes though.

Nevin

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jul 2005

11 May 2007 at 22:54 - 12

Yes my ranger can... In a matter of fact my ranger has interrupted 1/2 second cast time spells as well. If you have good reflexes a ranger is much better for interrupting.

ACreator

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Sep 2006

Mo/

11 May 2007 at 23:02 - 13

1st - actualy mesmers own anything if they know what they are up to.
2nd - mesmers are in best interrupters though if seen a ranger interrupt my infuse while I had healer's boon on...

Dinkytowner

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Apr 2006

Mo/

11 May 2007 at 23:12 - 14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nevin

Yes my ranger can... In a matter of fact my ranger has interrupted 1/2 second cast time spells as well. If you have good reflexes a ranger is much better for interrupting.

You've interupted 1/2 second casts for one reason and one reason only. Because rangers will just spam savage/dist randomly because of low energy cost and quick recharge. If you have good reflexes, interupting on a mesmer is much more effective. You don't have to bother with that flight time crap. Interupting with a ranger is about anticipating when they will cast.

pingu666

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jul 2006

guildhall

[DETH]

11 May 2007 at 23:17 - 15

ranger has broad head arrow too, dazed owns most casters

i much prefer my ranger for interupting

savage/bha/distracting shot then optional conncusion shot

in pve who uses blocking stances? warriors, rangers, assassins and dervishes (slightly)

so mesmer isnt so hot vs them anyways

B Ephekt

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Feb 2006

Team Crystalline [TC]

Mo/

11 May 2007 at 23:20 - 16

Good rangers can hit 1s and 3/4s casts on reflex alone. 3/4s requires you to be close and have a recurve though.

A lot of ranger interrupting comes from predicting when a cast will come based on a player's cast patterns or a skill recharge time. For example, it's very easy to dshot RC (which is a 3/4s cast) in a condition build since the enemy monk will most likely be spamming it every 2.75 seconds.

Shadow Kurd

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2006

Netherlands

Scouts of Tyria

P/

11 May 2007 at 23:24 - 17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nevin

Yes my ranger can... In a matter of fact my ranger has interrupted 1/2 second cast time spells as well. If you have good reflexes a ranger is much better for interrupting.

[skill]Shame[/skill][skill]Guilt[/skill][skill]Mistrust[/skill]
What u need reflex for

But still i think there both VERY close:

Shutdown
Mesmer:
[skill]Diversion[/skill][skill]Signet of Humility[/skill][skill]Power block[/skill][skill]Blackout[/skill]

Ranger
[skill]Choking gas[/skill][skill]Flurry[/skill][skill]Practiced Stance[/skill](combined so leaves less space for something else)

FAST interrupt
[skill]Power return[/skill]
[skill]Magebane Shot[/skill]

And the mother of all interrupts:
[skill]Cry of Frustration[/skill]

Mylon

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jul 2006

11 May 2007 at 23:34 - 18

Diversion is, in my opinion, the best mesmer skill, period. Being able to shut down a skill for a minute (or a little over half a minute if using it as a secondary) is very powerful indeed.

As for interrupting... Interrupts by themselves are not very powerful. They can sink a kill, but so can extra damage, deep wound, etc. Rangers get the bonus of being able to deal damage as they interrupt, interrupt any skill (including those annoying rituals), with one of their better interrupts even disabling the interrupted skill for a good period of time, all while doing damage. Mesmers are limited by expensive skills, slow recharges, and lackluster side effects on top of the interrupts.

XvArchonvX

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

R/

11 May 2007 at 23:37 - 19

Quote:

Originally Posted by lightblade

Can your ranger interrupt 3/4 cast Word of Healing on reflex? I don't think so.

Rangers don't make better interrupter because they can spam it. Blindly spamming interrupts are totally useless. This is why nobody uses [skill=text]Incendiary Arrows[/skill].

Reflex is only part of interrupting successfully. Predicting when a skill will be used can often allow interrupts on skills with very low cast times. If casting times are too long, then Broadhead Arrow can be used to inflict dazed and allow a more steady stream of interuption.

Also, Incendiary Arrows isn't used because it doesn't last the full length of its recharge. Choking Gas + Practiced Stance + Needling Shot, however, is used and can provide better interruption along with an AoE effect.

Mesmer interrupts are simply different than ranger interrupts, but neither is clearly superior.

lightblade

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

The Etereal Guard

Me/Mo

11 May 2007 at 23:44 - 20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nevin

Yes my ranger can... In a matter of fact my ranger has interrupted 1/2 second cast time spells as well. If you have good reflexes a ranger is much better for interrupting.

Human Reflex = .25 second
Bow interrupt cast = .5 second

Add that you get 3/4 second and it's impossible.

Find me in game and lets see you can interrupt my 3/4 cast tease
(yes, even in melee range you can't interrupt 3/4 cast)

madman24749

Academy Page

Join Date: Jul 2006

Ceasers X I Legion

W/Mo

12 May 2007 at 00:23 - 21

Phycic Instability shouldnt be 3 seconds but 2 seconds would do the trick, 1 second does very little to shutdown a target but 2 would do heaps
Even 1.5 seconds would make the hex a lot more useful
Oh and mesmers are the best interrupters period
Wanna try interrupting me when I have 16 in FC?
A ranger couldn't do it but another mesmer COULD
You cant prove me wrong on that one lol

XvArchonvX

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

R/

12 May 2007 at 01:22 - 22

Quote:

Originally Posted by lightblade

Human Reflex = .25 second
Bow interrupt cast = .5 second

Add that you get 3/4 second and it's impossible.

Find me in game and lets see you can interrupt my 3/4 cast tease
(yes, even in melee range you can't interrupt 3/4 cast)

It's possible, but not from reflexes. Watching a battle can give you many clues as to what actions your enemies are going to take. Counting recharge times of skills that are spammed as well as waiting for kiters to stop moving are a few of many actions that can tell you when to use an interrupt.

Saying that you can interupt a 3/4th second spell is realistic, but saying you can do so from pure reflex alone is not.

Mylon

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jul 2006

12 May 2007 at 02:21 - 23

Quote:

Originally Posted by madman24749

Phycic Instability shouldnt be 3 seconds but 2 seconds would do the trick, 1 second does very little to shutdown a target but 2 would do heaps
Even 1.5 seconds would make the hex a lot more useful
Oh and mesmers are the best interrupters period
Wanna try interrupting me when I have 16 in FC?
A ranger couldn't do it but another mesmer COULD
You cant prove me wrong on that one lol

Why would I want to interrupt a mesmer? Their annoying hexes just make good fodder for Dwayna's Kiss (which is powerful because of the number of necros out there, of which I've been playing one.

), and their more powerful hexes would be removed, sometimes even with a pre-cast holy veil. All of their interrupts (which are 1/4th second) are pretty much impossible to interrupt, given 0.2 seconds of lag before you see they're casting and 0.2 seconds of lag before your interrupt goes through means such a feat is isn't possible, at least by reflex as mentioned.

I just don't perceive mesmers as a threat anymore. Sure, there's Migrane, Ineptitude, and even Power Block, but as I said, other classes can do roughly the same but better. The only thing I generally worry about is backfire and diversion, and I don't even see backfire all too often anymore.

B Ephekt

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Feb 2006

Team Crystalline [TC]

Mo/

12 May 2007 at 02:52 - 24

Quote:

Originally Posted by lightblade

Human Reflex = .25 second
Bow interrupt cast = .5 second

Add that you get 3/4 second and it's impossible.

Find me in game and lets see you can interrupt my 3/4 cast tease
(yes, even in melee range you can't interrupt 3/4 cast)

Most interrupter/infuser players' reflexes are more along the lines of .1-.2s. Furthermore, you can tell a spell is being cast even before the activation bar starts, so yes, it's very possible to hit 3/4s casts consistently as a ranger. Saying that 3/4s casts can't be interrupted even at melee range is patently false.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mylon

As for interrupting... Interrupts by themselves are not very powerful. They can sink a kill, but so can extra damage, deep wound, etc. Rangers get the bonus of being able to deal damage as they interrupt, interrupt any skill (including those annoying rituals), with one of their better interrupts even disabling the interrupted skill for a good period of time, all while doing damage. Mesmers are limited by expensive skills, slow recharges, and lackluster side effects on top of the interrupts.

In pve you may be correct, but in pvp mesmer are still quite powerful. That's one of the main reason they will never see the buffs most pvers want.

Quote:

Originally Posted by madman24749

Phycic Instability shouldnt be 3 seconds but 2 seconds would do the trick, 1 second does very little to shutdown a target but 2 would do heaps
Even 1.5 seconds would make the hex a lot more useful
Oh and mesmers are the best interrupters period
Wanna try interrupting me when I have 16 in FC?
A ranger couldn't do it but another mesmer COULD
You cant prove me wrong on that one lol

Why the hell would anyone run 16 fast casting? There is absolutely no reason to ever run more than 9-10, even in mantra of recovery builds. Running such high FC only gimps your other abilities.

lightblade

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

The Etereal Guard

Me/Mo

12 May 2007 at 06:32 - 25

http://www.reflexgame.com/

proof your reflex is .1 to .2

remember it'll take less than .2 for ranger to interrupt.

lightblade

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

The Etereal Guard

Me/Mo

12 May 2007 at 06:35 - 26

I scored one .19 out of 20 tries

B Ephekt

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Feb 2006

Team Crystalline [TC]

Mo/

12 May 2007 at 07:34 - 27

I don't have to "proof" anything. I know what I can do, I know what any decent ranger can do.

I've taken similar tests when they were posted over on the iQ and QQ forums. I don't do well in them (I average around ~.22) because I'm slow at mouse clicks. I can interrupt faster because I use my keyboard to activate skills like any decent player.

Furthermore, the ranger only has to be under .2 if he interrupts based on the skill activation bar. I've already covered how you can tell a skill is being cast before the bar even shows up. This is pretty basic game mechanics here.

bhavv

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Sep 2006

12 May 2007 at 08:13 - 28

You havnt played a mesmer untill you have tried this:

[skill]power return[/skill][skill]power drain[/skill][skill]leech signet[/skill][skill]mantra of persistence[/skill][skill]illusion of pain[/skill][skill]Migraine[/skill][skill]frustration[/skill][skill]resurrection signet[/skill]

Garanteed shutdown for any caster, if theres no casters, just spam illusion of pain

lightblade

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

The Etereal Guard

Me/Mo

12 May 2007 at 09:26 - 29

Quote:

Originally Posted by B Ephekt

I don't have to "proof" anything. I know what I can do, I know what any decent ranger can do.

I've taken similar tests when they were posted over on the iQ and QQ forums. I don't do well in them (I average around ~.22) because I'm slow at mouse clicks. I can interrupt faster because I use my keyboard to activate skills like any decent player.

Furthermore, the ranger only has to be under .2 if he interrupts based on the skill activation bar. I've already covered how you can tell a skill is being cast before the bar even shows up. This is pretty basic game mechanics here.

Don't tell me that, I've never seen any ranger that doesn't spam interrupts. As in...Distracting Show immediately follow with Savage Shot.

This is getting out of hand and off-topic. If you cannot prove yourself or find any that can prove that. Then you lost the arguement and Mesmer > Ranger.

Mylon

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jul 2006

12 May 2007 at 09:33 - 30

Quote:

Originally Posted by B Ephekt

I don't have to "proof" anything. I know what I can do, I know what any decent ranger can do.

I've taken similar tests when they were posted over on the iQ and QQ forums. I don't do well in them (I average around ~.22) because I'm slow at mouse clicks. I can interrupt faster because I use my keyboard to activate skills like any decent player.

Furthermore, the ranger only has to be under .2 if he interrupts based on the skill activation bar. I've already covered how you can tell a skill is being cast before the bar even shows up. This is pretty basic game mechanics here.

So what do mesmers do while they're waiting for their opponent to cast a spell? Umm... Wanding? Meanwhile that ranger's bow is still putting pressure.

lightblade

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

The Etereal Guard

Me/Mo

12 May 2007 at 10:03 - 31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mylon

So what do mesmers do while they're waiting for their opponent to cast a spell? Umm... Wanding? Meanwhile that ranger's bow is still putting pressure.

Nope, I keep my eyes on 4 targets the same time. Diversion for monk, Blinding Surge for warrior and lastly Power Leak for Aegis and misc eles. And always the "T" for spiking.

4 Targets are enough to keep me busy with spells.

lightblade

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

The Etereal Guard

Me/Mo

12 May 2007 at 10:08 - 32

I don't know why I'm arguing Mesmer is strong now. It's not like it'll do me any good. On the contrary, I should stop arguing and make Anet keep buffing Mesmer's interrupts. It already got buffed once didn't it?

B Ephekt

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Feb 2006

Team Crystalline [TC]

Mo/

12 May 2007 at 13:52 - 33

Quote:

Originally Posted by lightblade

Don't tell me that, I've never seen any ranger that doesn't spam interrupts. As in...Distracting Show immediately follow with Savage Shot.

Go watch a top 50 match on obs mode. Any ranger you'd actually want playing for your guild can hit 3/4s based by being close and watching the caster twitch before they cast.

Quote:

This is getting out of hand and off-topic. If you cannot prove yourself or find any that can prove that. Then you lost the arguement and Mesmer > Ranger.

You need to try reading before replying. I'm actually argueing for mesmers being superior interrupters. I'm just tackling your false statements about ranger abilities.

I'm sure there are plenty of peole who could prove you wrong, but I doubt they care enough to do so. I just don't care enough to waste time scrimming some random person just to prove a point either. If you want go post on the QQ forums and ask for a scrim, I'm sure someone will be bored enough.

Furthermore, you're asking for evidence while you have neglected to provide any yourself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mylon

So what do mesmers do while they're waiting for their opponent to cast a spell? Umm... Wanding? Meanwhile that ranger's bow is still putting pressure.

OK, you've pretty much proved that you don't pvp at any decent level. Rangers don't do dps. Period. Rangers deal pressure through degen. So, like I said previously, unless you're relying on the ranger for degen, a mesmer is a better choice for disruption.

What you seem to not realize is that mesmer provide pressure of their own through disruption and shutdown; the create holes in the enemy's defense that allow you to get damage through. You can't just throw random damage at your enemies in organized pvp and win like you can in pve.

The Hand Of Death

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Oct 2005

Cavalon

The Last Pirates (SaVY)

N/

12 May 2007 at 14:36 - 34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mylon

To be honest, mesmers suck. This is just scraping the tip of the iceberg. I've given up on even including full mesmers in my PvE team (except in Echovald where the mesmer hero is actually better than the other pathetic choices like Charge!) or playing them in RA/TA. I use them as a secondary to get a couple of interrupts and diversion, but as a full class they don't do enough damage and they don't do enough shutdown.

Let's see... I can attempt to interrupt my opponent casting Signet of Devotion... Oh wait, mesmers have a hard time interrupting non-spell skills. When they do interrupt something, they often do some kind of trivial effect and have a long recharge time on it. Edenial does nothing when the enemy switches to a +30e/-2eregen set just to cast a spell and then switches back.

Rangers make better interrupters since they can just spam it and do decent damage at the same time, plus one of their best spammable interrupts also disables the skill, which mesmers only have Power Block to compete with. Rangers can even do edenial with debilitating shot and quickening zephyr (plus maybe an attack recharge like oath shot). Necros make better hex spammers and can do edenial as well in the form of negative regen, plus spam some nice hexes to kill opponents like Insidious Parasite.

Yeah... All of the other classes have gotten a nice inflation of power since Prophecies, or maybe people have just found more optimal builds. Mesmers haven't really gotten any better.

Mesmer are great at shutdown and do not suck. Skills that people think suck in PvP do fairly great in PvE. An enemy under backfire will cast through it until the effect would kill them, such as yesterday I ran into one of those spell spamming bosses, backfire did around 1,000 damage and the boss was dead in about 6 seconds. Wastrel's worry is a great boss killer in prophecies, and wiki also says nightfall, because bosses have hex resistance so the hex ends quicker making the effect come up quicker.

The mesmer doesn't suck it is obvious that you aren't playing it right.

To the poster, I think those skill do need a change, especially ignorance because its effect is good, but it is never worth it to bring into battle because of the high energy cost. I really like the idea of tease, especially since I want to see how that may be able to be used in PvP.

One skill I think may be used more if made a little better is signet of illusions, making the cast 1 second instead of 2. Don't get me wrong, I made a skill stealing build centered around the elite, but it would be more useful in my opinion.

Kratos Angel

Academy Page

Join Date: Dec 2005

France

Me/

12 May 2007 at 16:16 - 35

I would like to say that interrupt 3/4 cast time spell with a bow is possible. Personally, I'm abslutly unable to do that, but when me and my previous guild faced EW, I as playing a flagger (monk) and a ranger was attacking me, he interrupted almost all my 3/4 sec cast by reflex, even If I was doing cast/interrupt my self etc .... He could see that and missed only 1 interrupt on 7

Div

I like yumy food!

Join Date: Jan 2006

Where I can eat yumy food

Dead Alley [dR]

Mo/R

12 May 2007 at 16:50 - 36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nevin

Yes my ranger can... In a matter of fact my ranger has interrupted 1/2 second cast time spells as well. If you have good reflexes a ranger is much better for interrupting.

I sense bs. There aren't any 1/2 second spells in the game. And if you're referring to a fast cast mesmer, how do you know they're casting at 1/2 second :P

The fact that mesmer can cast interrupt at around 0.15 seconds instead of 0.25 already makes their interrupts faster and more reliable, plus no arrow travel time, blocking, blinding, etc.

XvArchonvX

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

R/

12 May 2007 at 17:09 - 37

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhavv

You havnt played a mesmer untill you have tried this:

[skill]power return[/skill][skill]power drain[/skill][skill]leech signet[/skill][skill]mantra of persistence[/skill][skill]illusion of pain[/skill][skill]Migraine[/skill][skill]frustration[/skill][skill]resurrection signet[/skill]

Garanteed shutdown for any caster, if theres no casters, just spam illusion of pain

You should really look at the [skill]Web of Disruption[/skill] + [skill]Drain Delusions[/skill] combo. Power Return is great for PvE, but you won't want to be supplying your target with energy if you can help it in PvP. This combo also allows you to interupt non-spells a lot more often than once every 45 seconds with leech sig. You also get an energy gain even if you interupt a non-spell.

Numa Pompilius

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: May 2005

At an Insit.. Intis... a house.

Live Forever Or Die Trying [GLHF]

W/Me

12 May 2007 at 17:31 - 38

I like mesmers, but the energy cost and recharge times of the spells mean that if I need an interrupter, I take a ranger. "Interrupting almost any spell AND signet every five seconds, having decent tankability, and no energy management issues", beats "interrupting any spell OR signet every 20-30 seconds, no tankability, and egregious, constant, energy management issues".

And, like someone pointed out, the ultimate in PvE interrupt is dazed. Rangers have several skills which easily daze, mesmers not a single one.

As a secondary profession mesmer is great, inspired hex & powerdrain look good on almost any bar, but frankly I see very little reason to be a primary mesmer.

bhavv

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Sep 2006

12 May 2007 at 21:41 - 39

Quote:

Originally Posted by XvArchonvX

You should really look at the [skill]Web of Disruption[/skill] + [skill]Drain Delusions[/skill] combo. Power Return is great for PvE, but you won't want to be supplying your target with energy if you can help it in PvP. This combo also allows you to interupt non-spells a lot more often than once every 45 seconds with leech sig. You also get an energy gain even if you interupt a non-spell.

ooh, i never saw that one lol. I'll give it try but I think the energy might run dry.

The energy return isnt a problem in RA though, as it provides complete shutdown in most cases anyway.

lightblade

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

The Etereal Guard

Me/Mo

12 May 2007 at 22:28 - 40

Quote:

Originally Posted by XvArchonvX

You should really look at the [skill]Web of Disruption[/skill] + [skill]Drain Delusions[/skill] combo. Power Return is great for PvE, but you won't want to be supplying your target with energy if you can help it in PvP. This combo also allows you to interupt non-spells a lot more often than once every 45 seconds with leech sig. You also get an energy gain even if you interupt a non-spell.

That's actually not bad, I used it before. But due to the dependency of one another, I stopped using it. Because as I said in one of my previous post, I need to keep multiple targets interrupted.