Guild Wars Guru

Domination Build for PVP. Need YOUR input!

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Valkyries
Valkyries
Jungle Guide
• #1
Hey everyone,

I had great comments from my last post so I hope to get the same results again.

Here is a Domination build I want to run for TA/GVG so hopefully this is viable.

Ill post the build and give a few comments at the end.

Me/E
Fast Casting: 11 - Minor (+1)
Domination Magic: 15 - Superior (+3)
Illusion Magic: 0
Inspiration Magic: 11 - Minor (+1)

SkillBar:
Cry Of Frustration
Shatter Enchantment
Shatter Hex
Drain Enchantment
Inspired Hex
Diversion
Res Signet

Now here is what I cannot decide on. The the Elite, should I run Glyph of Renewal or Ether Prodigy?? Im really not sure what is best in this sort of situation. I figure one of them would be a good choice and I see a lot of Dom mesmers running the Glyph so Im just curious what is the best call for this type of build?

This is really my first attempt at a Domination Build, so if its total trash just let me know and Ill start from scratch. Basically Im just looking to make a very good Dom build that I can have fun in PVP with. I already have a very good Ineptitude Build that I play with now but I really really love playing a Mesmer, and I have a hard time getting into the other classes the same way. So I figured I'd take another spin at one.

Let me know what I can change to make this better!

Thanks a ton for the feedback
Dragannia
Dragannia
Krytan Explorer
• #2
Well, you really need to specialise, for one. The skill set you made doesn't really suit any part; it's not a pure shutdown, interrupt, etc. You really need to specialise to be the most effective you can be. I'd drop Shatter Hex or Inspired hex, and the same with Shatter Enchantment or Drain Enchantment. Diversion is fine, however.

If you want to be a shutdown, it's best to either go Diversion spamming (with Arcane Echo, Echo or Mantra of Recovery), and skills like Backfire. Other good Domination skills which are generally good for all situations include Empathy and Energy Burn.
Valkyries
Valkyries
Jungle Guide
• #3
Quote: Originally Posted by Dragannia
Well, you really need to specialise, for one. The skill set you made doesn't really suit any part; it's not a pure shutdown, interrupt, etc. You really need to specialise to be the most effective you can be. I'd drop Shatter Hex or Inspired hex, and the same with Shatter Enchantment or Drain Enchantment. Diversion is fine, however.

If you want to be a shutdown, it's best to either go Diversion spamming (with Arcane Echo, Echo or Mantra of Recovery), and skills like Backfire. Other good Domination skills which are generally good for all situations include Empathy and Energy Burn. I agree completely... I really don't have a clue what Im doing with Dom Mesmers.

So Ill search the boards and see if I can find a good Dom mesmer, change it up a little and post that. I think I would like to focus on shutdown/skill denial. Im not sure if thats the best option, but thats whats in my head at the moment.
NatalieD
NatalieD
Desert Nomad
• #4
I agree with Dragannia, except I find nothing at all wrong with packing two enchantment removals. It's fairly unlikely that you won't be able to use them both as fast as they cycle, given the number of boon prots around these days.
JR
JR
Re:tired
• #5
Quote: Originally Posted by Valkyries Hey everyone,

I had great comments from my last post so I hope to get the same results again.

Here is a Domination build I want to run for TA/GVG so hopefully this is viable.

Ill post the build and give a few comments at the end.

Me/E
Fast Casting: 11 - Minor (+1)
Domination Magic: 15 - Superior (+3)
Illusion Magic: 0
Inspiration Magic: 11 - Minor (+1)

SkillBar:
Cry Of Frustration
Shatter Enchantment
Shatter Hex
Drain Enchantment
Inspired Hex
Diversion
Res Signet Drop fast-casting a touch, and up Dom to 16. Shatter Hex is awesome in builds with 3~ warriors where it can be a conditional nuke due to it's AoE. In builds with fewer warriors, you will probably find it far less usefull, with non-melee mid/backline characters taking more of the hexes.

I don't believe Inspired Hex interacts properly with Glyph of Renewal, not entirely sure though, I tend not to actually play mesmer. Power Drain is very strong with it though; if you are low on energy just Glyph it and hit two spells, boom, back to full.

Glyph of Renewal is a good call, I do love Glyph Mesmers.

Here's the Glyph Dom we use in GvG fairly often:

Mesmer/Elementalist
Fast Casting: 9 (8+1)
Domination Magic: 16 (12+4)
Inspiration Magic: 11 (10+1)

- Power Drain (Inspiration Magic)
- Cry of Frustration (Domination Magic)
- Glyph of Renewal [Elite] (Elementalist other)
- Diversion (Domination Magic)
- Shame (Domination Magic)
- Shatter Enchantment (Domination Magic)
- Drain Enchantment (Inspiration Magic)
- Resurrection Signet ()

(And there is no such thing as too much enchant removal. If it works well on the character, and synergises with your build, take it.)
Dragannia
Dragannia
Krytan Explorer
• #6
Yeah, two enchantment removals rock; it's over twice as effective than just one, but I wouldn't take Shatter Enchantment (I prefer Inspired since it's almost free). Besides, that skillbar looks to be energy intensive, and Shatter is 15 to cast.
JR
JR
Re:tired
• #7
Quote: Originally Posted by Dragannia
Yeah, two enchantment removals rock; it's over twice as effective than just one, but I wouldn't take Shatter Enchantment (I prefer Inspired since it's almost free). Besides, that skillbar looks to be energy intensive, and Shatter is 15 to cast. Inspired Hex is largely trash, due to the fact that 99% of the time you won't get an enchantment you can actually use. It also has a fairly poor energy return. Drain Enchantment is very powerfull energy management, and Shatter Enchant is a very powerfull spike assist skill. Both are extremely strong skills.
Valkyries
Valkyries
Jungle Guide
• #8
Wow, so many good comments so fast! Love this group!

Quote: Originally Posted by JR- Drop fast-casting a touch, and up Dom to 16. Shatter Hex is awesome in builds with 3~ warriors where it can be a conditional nuke due to it's AoE. In builds with fewer warriors, you will probably find it far less usefull, with non-melee mid/backline characters taking more of the hexes.

I don't believe Inspired Hex interacts properly with Glyph of Renewal, not entirely sure though, I tend not to actually play mesmer. Power Drain is very strong with it though; if you are low on energy just Glyph it and hit two spells, boom, back to full.

Glyph of Renewal is a good call, I do love Glyph Mesmers.

Here's the Glyph Dom we use in GvG fairly often:

Mesmer/Elementalist
Fast Casting: 9 (8+1)
Domination Magic: 16 (12+4)
Inspiration Magic: 11 (10+1)

- Power Drain (Inspiration Magic)
- Cry of Frustration (Domination Magic)
- Glyph of Renewal [Elite] (Elementalist other)
- Diversion (Domination Magic)
- Shame (Domination Magic)
- Shatter Enchantment (Domination Magic)
- Drain Enchantment (Inspiration Magic)
- Resurrection Signet ()

(And there is no such thing as too much enchant removal. If it works well on the character, and synergises with your build, take it.) JR I have a question on your build (and btw a ton better than mine)

Wouldn't Blackout be a good call for a build so heavy in Domination for skill denial? I would think that blacking out an opponent for 7 seconds (given so many att points) would be pretty good call. All the same, I have no idea what I would take out of your build.

How does this work in your GVG environment? I know I'd need to practice a lot with this which is fine. No build comes too fast (if it does it aint that great of a build IMO). I always PVP in this game, I rarely ever play the 1 player version, so this is where I get my joy. lol! Currently though my guild hasn't really done any GVG as of yet (but working towards it)... so my question is, how do you think this would do in TA?? ATM Im running an Enptitude Mesmer and it is doing quite well... but I want something that I can a) Practice with and b) Be proficient when we get to the GVG Battlegrounds. Thats my ultimate goal with my character. I just find that Mesmer's are a class I can play well and its one I really love out of all of them.

Anyways, thats my little rant, thanks for so much fast replies guys!!!
Dragannia
Dragannia
Krytan Explorer
• #9
Quote: Originally Posted by JR-
Inspired Hex is largely trash, due to the fact that 99% of the time you won't get an enchantment you can actually use. It also has a fairly poor energy return. Drain Enchantment is very powerfull energy management, and Shatter Enchant is a very powerfull spike assist skill. Both are extremely strong skills. Inspired Enchantment is trash, yes, but it's a purely enchantment removal skill, with a very low net energy loss. Essentially it's free; good for low energy builds which want two enchantment removals.
LightningHell
LightningHell
(????????????)???
• #10
I prefer using Shatter Enchantment by a...ton.
Valkyries
Valkyries
Jungle Guide
• #11
One more thing. JR, you mentioned to put a total 16 in Dom. I am leaning against this for a few reasons.

If I put that extra point there, I really take away a lot of points from the other two attributes.

For example:

Fast Casting: 11 - Minor (+1)
Domination Magic: 15 - Superior (+3)
Illusion Magic: 0
Inspiration Magic: 11 - Minor (+1)


This is just with 15 points in Domination.... is it REALLY worth the 1 extra point to sacrifice a lot in the other two? In addition if I do this I will have 5 points left over that I cannot use (or I simply have to put them some place I don't use)... wouldn't it just be better to have the 15 pts and have the others build up too?

To everyone, thanks for the help. Here is what Im thinking of running based on the comments. Let me know what you think!

Glyph of Renewal {E}
Cry Of Frustration
Blackout
Diversion
Power Drain
Shatter Enchantment
Drain Enchantment
Res Signet

I am not sure if this is really good or not, and I have a bit of a fear for energy management. The good part is I can Glyph Power Drain and drain two spells and get back 23 energy each. So this is nice... might be enough but if not Ill have to look for an additional resource to use.

So what does everyone think? Will this be viable in GVG/TA?
LightningHell
LightningHell
(????????????)???
• #12
TA, definitely. I'd say Yes in GvG, but I'm no expert on it.
Valkyries
Valkyries
Jungle Guide
• #13
Well I gave this build a try today and I have a bit of mixed results. This was just in TA so please keep that in mind.

So the interupting was awesome, energy management was normally not a problem what so ever... the Glyph was absolutely amazing so I was very happy with that part of it. HOWEVER, this is the big part... I found that because I was so squishy I had absolutely no defense against a Warrior coming after me pounding my face in. With my other build Ineptitude I never had such problems but today I just got manhandled over and over when a Warrior got close to me.

So my question is, how do you survive with no Distortion or Warrior hate? I just dont understand....? Maybe its because Im new to this build and I dont' really know what Im doing. That is definitely true... still that being said it seems as if the other build is far better for TA and this is maybe a GVG type build instead? As I said the shutdown was amazing. I was so impressed how I could take another mesmer or Monk out of the battle. Biggest problem with Monk was they have fast speeds sometimes so you had to be quick. (I was glad to have Blackout on my skill bar, it stopped them from healing for a minute).

So as you can see, very mixed results. Sometimes it was good others not. Definitely not the success I had with Ineptitude...

Anyone have any comments for me??
holden
holden
Wilds Pathfinder
• #14
Quote: Originally Posted by Valkyries
One more thing. JR, you mentioned to put a total 16 in Dom. I am leaning against this for a few reasons.

If I put that extra point there, I really take away a lot of points from the other two attributes.

For example:

Fast Casting: 11 - Minor (+1)
Domination Magic: 15 - Superior (+3)
Illusion Magic: 0
Inspiration Magic: 11 - Minor (+1)


This is just with 15 points in Domination.... is it REALLY worth the 1 extra point to sacrifice a lot in the other two? In addition if I do this I will have 5 points left over that I cannot use (or I simply have to put them some place I don't use)... wouldn't it just be better to have the 15 pts and have the others build up too?

To everyone, thanks for the help. Here is what Im thinking of running based on the comments. Let me know what you think!

Glyph of Renewal {E}
Cry Of Frustration
Blackout
Diversion
Power Drain
Shatter Enchantment
Drain Enchantment
Res Signet

I am not sure if this is really good or not, and I have a bit of a fear for energy management. The good part is I can Glyph Power Drain and drain two spells and get back 23 energy each. So this is nice... might be enough but if not Ill have to look for an additional resource to use.

So what does everyone think? Will this be viable in GVG/TA?
i'd keep this in gvg Valkyries. in arena there's no way to keep warriors and rangers off of you. if there's no monk you'll be the first guy with a facefull of warrior angst.
Valkyries
Valkyries
Jungle Guide
• #15
Quote: Originally Posted by holden
i'd keep this in gvg Valkyries. in arena there's no way to keep warriors and rangers off of you. if there's no monk you'll be the first guy with a facefull of warrior angst. Thanks Holden,

That kind of verified my suspections.

I found this really tough to compete with in a 4v4 environment.

Like I said, when a Warrior saw me being a nuisence, they proceeded to smash my face in very quickly. Theres only so much countering you can do without them noticing, then its lights out. Soon as they are done with whatever char they are on, thats it....

I just really like the skillset. So too bad I wont be playing with it until we start doing GVG but hopefully thats quite soon! Glyph is really amazing. On Paper, doesn't look that great but in Practice its just incredible.

So Ill stick to GVG with this build (which I have a feeling would work AWESOME in that environment) and play my Ineptitude Mesmer for fun TA types. This has very little problem with Warriors so I think thats the better move.

Thanks for all the helpful info. Does anyone have anything to add to my build? Any way to make it better?
holden
holden
Wilds Pathfinder
• #16
Quote: Originally Posted by Valkyries
Thanks Holden,

That kind of verified my suspections.

I found this really tough to compete with in a 4v4 environment.

Like I said, when a Warrior saw me being a nuisence, they proceeded to smash my face in very quickly. Theres only so much countering you can do without them noticing, then its lights out. Soon as they are done with whatever char they are on, thats it....

I just really like the skillset. So too bad I wont be playing with it until we start doing GVG but hopefully thats quite soon! Glyph is really amazing. On Paper, doesn't look that great but in Practice its just incredible.

So Ill stick to GVG with this build (which I have a feeling would work AWESOME in that environment) and play my Ineptitude Mesmer for fun TA types. This has very little problem with Warriors so I think thats the better move.

Thanks for all the helpful info. Does anyone have anything to add to my build? Any way to make it better?
i like sig of midnight quite a bit. i'll run mesmer/necro and take plague touch as well. sig of midnight a warrior then run straight to the ranger and plague touch blind on him. it's cheap.

i like spirit of failure quite a bit. at 10 inspiration you get back 4 energy everytime foe's attack misses. 25% chance to miss for 30 seconds at a cost of 10 energy.

mesmer skills are great in that you can just take one or two and ruin someones day. diversion is terrible if you are the opposing caster. someone spamming signet of humility at you every 20 seconds sucks. but 4v4 is a lot different than 8v8. the warriors think they're good in arena and they want to prove it to you.
frickett
frickett
Krytan Explorer
• #17
Why doesnt anyone use power block? I dont have it yet, but it looks like it would be very powerful against an air spiker, or curser necro, or a healing monk.
holden
holden
Wilds Pathfinder
• #18
Quote: Originally Posted by frickett
Why doesnt anyone use power block? I dont have it yet, but it looks like it would be very powerful against an air spiker, or curser necro, or a healing monk. the spell has a good effect but not great. 13 seconds isn't all that long and the caster can kite away or just hold out and wait. it cost 15 and recharges in 30 seconds and it's elite. there are better elites to choose from imo.
Valkyries
Valkyries
Jungle Guide
• #19
Quote: Originally Posted by holden the spell has a good effect but not great. 13 seconds isn't all that long and the caster can kite away or just hold out and wait. it cost 15 and recharges in 30 seconds and it's elite. there are better elites to choose from imo. I really agree.

I dont find power block to be all that useful to be honest.

Its good, don't get me wrong but when it comes down to Elites to use, I just think there are way better options than that.

Quote:
i like sig of midnight quite a bit. i'll run mesmer/necro and take plague touch as well. sig of midnight a warrior then run straight to the ranger and plague touch blind on him. it's cheap.

i like spirit of failure quite a bit. at 10 inspiration you get back 4 energy everytime foe's attack misses. 25% chance to miss for 30 seconds at a cost of 10 energy.

mesmer skills are great in that you can just take one or two and ruin someones day. diversion is terrible if you are the opposing caster. someone spamming signet of humility at you every 20 seconds sucks. but 4v4 is a lot different than 8v8. the warriors think they're good in arena and they want to prove it to you. In my Ineptitude build I use Spirit of Failure along with Ineptitude, Clumsiness, Phantom Pain, and some other good inspiration skills (Normally Drain Enchant/Inspired Hex/Power Drain).

What I like about Ineptitude so much is that you blind them and do a lot of damage. Plus it really messes with spikes that Warriors tend to dish out. I think you are right though. I really find Warriors are probably the better class in TA. Not to say that the other classes are not good, just they can really dish it out and there is less people to be able to absorb the hit from a Warrior. You really need a good Monk in the group to stay alive in situations like that, where as in GVG, you actually plan your build for each character before you enter. This makes things a lot more balanced and very interesting.

Can't wait to get to GVG!! Wish my guild was more PVP Active.. might have to change that.
Dragannia
Dragannia
Krytan Explorer
• #20
Quote: Originally Posted by frickett
Why doesnt anyone use power block? I dont have it yet, but it looks like it would be very powerful against an air spiker, or curser necro, or a healing monk. Personally, I prefer Power Block over Migraine. Take Mantra of Persistence and Arcane Conundrum, then hit the first Elem/Necro with Power Block. Proceed to Arcane Conundrum the Monk, then interrupt him a bit (I plan to use Power Return, just to see how it goes, when Factions comes out). But then again, I'm a weird sort of Mesmer.