IW suggestions

My interrupt/healer me/mo has recently undergone a transition to Me/W for an IW build. Got some questions as to efficacy, though. Yes, I've looked at Spooky's build and some others in the forums, but I'm not crazy about any of them. One big problem is I don't like taking both flurry and defensive stances, since you can only use one at a time.

Illusion 16
Domination 12
fast casting 5
15 more attribute points to come shortly
Chaos axe with 19% longer enchants, and rockmolder (new version )

Ill. of Weakness
conjure phantasm
phantom pain
flurry
Illusionary Weaponry {E}
backfire
empathy
(#8)

First off, I'm loving IW. Prob. the most fun character I've had yet. Now then... the 8th skill slot up there is currently power spike, but I'm about to change it to ether feast, methinks. I'd then spread the new 15 attributes from hero's challenge to some inspiration and some more fast cast.

I'm designing this character mainly for PvE, but would like it if I could pull it off in random arenas or GvG, too. As it stands, the offense is amazing. Last night, as a way of testing it out, I paired with a friend (monk), and we went through Sanctum Cay mission, then cruised to hero's and dunes, and did the dunes mission, with no one in the party but the 2 of us.

So I like my offense, but am interested in making my character a bit more self sufficient (not necessarily solo capability, but just so in a PuG or PvP, or with henchies I'm not taking all the heat and relying on healers I can't necessarily trust.

The big question is: Is flurry really worth it? It reduces my attack time from every 1.33 sec. to .9 sec., which really only gives me about 1 more attack in the 5 sec. it's on. Would I be better served with a defensive stance? Distortion or any of a number from the warrior line? The warrior ones would of course spread attribute points, but I would prob. have to drop ether feast anyway, which could free some up.

Otherwise, is Me/Mo a possibility? Some twist of Prot. bond/spirit? Or (GASP) even mending and vigorous spirit (although this becomes less of an advantage without flurry)? The nice thing here is that these would be "covers" for Ill. Weap.

I think you guys can see where I'm at.... looking to keep backfire, empathy, IW, IoW, conjure, and phantom pain..... what's the best for the other 2? Offense (i.e. flurry and then ether feast as my self heal), or defense (stance, or monk heal/prot.)? Thanks for the ideas.... this build is gonna be the S*&t!!

edit: I've now come to accept the fact that backfire and empathy might have to go, too.... despite how much I like them

sorry for the double post here, but I'm still looking for help. Are there no Illusionary Weaponry mesmers out there? No one has suggestions? I'll take anything, even from people with no mesmer experience. Secondary monks can help tell me if what I want is doable from the monk side-- i.e. if 2 or 3 skills from either heal or protection are enough to accomplish what I want. Anyone? Please??

edit: any warriors got opinions on the use of flurry... with or without tying it to vigorous spirit?

you need some form of snare. you do a lot of damage with IW at 16 illusion and you need to make sure you dont spend half your time running and not doing damage. at least bring sprint.

personally i love being in a casters face, swinging away with flurry and IW, and using an interrupt when the try to cast. its very frustrating as a caster. i take powerleak or powerdrain. distortion is nice but will steal your energy. but it will save you at times and low energy is better than getting beat down by a wammo.

i use illusion and inspiration, rest into fastcast

IW
flurry
imagined burden(put on target before you get there)
arcane conundrum
distortion(75% chance to be missed is nice)
power drain
ether feast/illusion of weakness/leech sig/drain enchantment/on and on
res

you can do a lot of different things around IW. Id use distortion before putting 9 points into tactics just to have a shield and some stances. just goof wid it. keep energy coming in, keep the target in front of you for IW.

cause if someone wants to kill you you're done. gone. distortion would save you for a while but when you're out of energy your toast. thats the breaks. you are a mesmer after all.

but if someone lets you run around and doesn't take you seriously you can do some fun damage and really toment other players.

You have no slow.
You have no speed boost.
You have no cover enchantment.

Imaginary Burden.
Sympathetic Visage.

You must have a self heal if you are using this in random arena (no guaranteed monk). So either Ether Feast is a definite and not an option or you have to eek points into Tactics and take Healing Signet (bad IMO). As long as you can slow your opponent flurry is worth it. If you do not take a slow, don't bother with flurry, you will be chasing them far to often for it to be worth anything outside of an anti-Wastrel's Worry.

Also of note you are split pretty hard on Dom and Illusion. I don't recommend that. If I had 1 dom skill to pick to take along that could be fruitful even with very low dom it would be Blackout.

Holden --Ok, so you think the mes. line is sufficient, without needing the /mo. I've already been playing with leech sig a bit. And as I said, for the main part, I was aiming PvE with this, but had planned on subbing res. sig and immagined burden in for PvP. Thanks for the reply, and I guess that's one count for staying me/w and flurrying away.

if you fos mes/ranger, tigers fury is nice and is 33% faster attack
Also, id definitely recomend distortion. Its basicaly impossible to heal yourself well, so might as well avoid getting hit. Its great vs. ranger spike too

Wrath.... thing there is then I can't use flurry. Do you bring both, and just use in the appropriate situation. I.e. if you're taking heat, use distortion. If not, flurry and swing away?

This might be more effective as R/Me or Me/R. You get a lot of defensive stances and one of the best IAS stances. Plus, you could squeeze in a little extra damage with a pet.

If its for CA you wont need a cover enchantment. You may need one for everywhere else though, even PvE.

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I was speaking from personal experience. I've run IW builds in CA before and have never had it stripped. Maybe its just luck.

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well i start off with that +1 illusion chakram thing and hopefully get a big health taken away from me in IoW then i run choose a target cast IW and channeling on myself and run to the opponent. i press flurry and then right after blackout. do some dmg and he usually dies. if warriors are on me or a friend i cast sympathetic. if they put on some enchant that minimizes dmg or is another IW i drain the enchant. i dont use distortion mostly since if i 1v1 a warrior i usually kill them b4 they kill me.