Anywho:
Me/W
5+1 fast casting
12+2+1 illusion (you could use a superior rune, but thats your choic)
9 domination
8 tactics
One Superior rune of vigor (i unlocked this awhile back, so i had this available
)Yes, it's a bit spread out, but i'll explain to you why:
First, illusion magic is the key (obviously), so you want these skills from it:
Illusionary Weaponry
Sympathetic Visage
Clumsiness
Distortion
Illusion of Weakness
From tactics:
Healing Signet
From Domination:
Backfire
From Warrior:
Flurry
For equip, I have rogues shirt and pants, and enchanters gloves and boots and the illusion mask. Weapons: Caster staff with 20% enchant and X energy (i had 4, if you have more, even better). Attacking Weapon Switch: 20/20 chakram and sword (ideally it would be the old +5 energy denravi with 20% enchant mod, but im too poor for that).
Explanation:
This is a bit more caster heavy, and definitely does not work if you are W/Me. Fast cast is a bit optional, but you can play around with it a bit.
Healing signet is there to provide you with initial healing after casting illusion of weakness (8 tactics provides 100 hp), and it has saved me several times. I know this is usually a bad plan (to try and do everything yourself), but I was in random arena. If you're in 8v8, maybe you could swap it out....
Domination's backfire is so incredibly useful vs. monks, necros, and mesmers. In fact, I ran across a monk-Ele/monk healing couple that simply sat and spammed heals (IW would take them to half and then they would simply WoH each other). So I backfired one monk and started thwacking at the other: they both died in short order. This is your caster control.
At the beginning of the battle, cast IoW and 2 heal sigs = you now should have 240 extra hp (if you use major illusion rune an sup vigor).
First of all, scan the opposing party, see who they are. If theres monks, target them first, if theres warriors, keep your staff up front (this lures them in thinking that you're a stupid charging Mesmer who ought to be in the back casting). Ignore rangers (though watch for traps).
B4 running in, cast IW and sympathetic visage. Visage acts as a cover enchantment AND as energy/adrenaline denial to any warriors that you've lured in (I love seeing purple -3 numbers constantly floating in the air as the warriors fail to realize they have no energy left). Cast distortion b4 the first arrow/warrior gets to you (this will stop any crippling shots/hamstrings/stray attacks). Once at your target, swap weapons, cast distortion again, click flurry, and thwack away. If your target is a warrior, all the better. Spike him with clumsiness for a good 92 damage. If its a monk (or any caster), right after distortion, cast backfire, and then distortion again (since their timing just about overlaps). Usually enemies start running away after suffering massive damage. If they get away, that's unfortunate - go find another target after healing yourself (your team usually finishes that person off anyways). This build can tank many warriors (optimally 1-2), and with sympathetic visage, axe warriors are completely gimped (no evis, cleave, exec strike, no fear me).
Problems: There are some problems (as with any build) - you can't chase (so if the ranger has storm chaser, go find yourself someone new). You could swap in Conjure Phantasm for backfire, but keep clumsiness since it affects wand attacks too. Best final kill I've done was a ranger running away, i plucked on clumsiness and gave chase. The ranger didnt notice, turned around, tried a crippling shot to stop me, and fell down dead
Other problems: trapping balls will make mincemeat of you. Leave them to nukers and AOE/long range attackers (you can clumsy/phantasm them, but dont go near traps). Rnd enchantments (though this spell is now very painful for the caster), would also hurt this build quite a bit, though distortion and your other spells would keep you alive and useful.
Further ideas: In 8v8, a group of 5 IW mes', a curse necro, and 2 healers could practically destroy any number of other groups. The IW mes' would swap out heal sig for an assortment of other domination/illusion, or even inspiration magic (blackout comes to mind, since IW, once casted, is not affected by blackout, so you can keep thwacking away).
vs. IWAY: this FotM would be murdered by this group (IW mes'), since sympathetic visage = edenial/adrenal denial. Imagine an iway warrior with not enough mana to cast iway? I think that would be the most hilarious thing ever.
vs. Trapper ball: try cry of frustration and chaos storm (interrupt and edenial with aoe dmg on both), and bring along some echo nukers (in place of necro and an IW mes). 4 cries of frustration and 4 chaos storms should put them out of order and you can hunt them down should they leave their trapping circle after the meteors start falling.
Lets see how many IW Mes/Wars start popping up :P
