arredondo
17-03-2006, 01:40
Edit by Tsume: Below is the Mesmer Beginner's Guide by forum member Arredondo. Any conversation, suggestions, or questions should be directed to its sister thread in the discussion forum, found here (http://guildwars.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=390028).
**** New version post 6/1 update ****
I wanted to wait until the final new changes were in before I updated this. I fixed some typos and added a few skills in areas where I left them out before.
The big improvement is that I'm now including all the new stuff since Factions came out, and I added two new categories. Finally, one thing I thought would be helpful was to underline the elites (Tsume, everything below this line is the main post):
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome new Mesmers!
This class may be the toughest character in Guild Wars to come to grips with. A lot of what you want to do and realistically can do are sometimes difficult to reconcile. With that said, Mesmers do indeed have the power to sway the tide of battle to their team's side if they are allowed to work their magic unchecked. If you don't mind the initial challenge of understanding how the Mesmer's abilites work together (and with the skills of others), you should enjoy playing your new profession.
Most of the things a Mesmer can do are not easily seen by players other than you and your target(s). Get used to to sometimes not being recognized by your average teammates for the hard work you put in. Experienced players know what's up, but your average pick-up group may not always know what's going on.
For that reason, in PvE you'll sometimes find it difficult to get into a random group. And once you do join one, you may need awhile to understand how to best fit into a team's role. Check out all the different threads at this forum for build ideas so your Mesmer can be effective in battling the monsters out there, then start coming up with your own ideas.
For PvP, you have a lot of options to try out, but don't expect anything as obvious as the Warriors delivering damage or the Monks repairing their teammates. The effect of performing your skills on the battlefield will sometimes be a lot more subtle in the way you contribute to success than those classes, but played correctly you can complement your team with added mystical force, or by neutralizing the enemy team's tactics against yours.
Here are some of the major roles in which a Mesmer can be very effective, if not downright nasty (Elites are underlined) :
========================================
Energy Drainer - A good Mesmer has little problem in removing the fuel that one or two enemies need to function properly. You'll know you're doing this well when the enemy decides to target you for elimination before anyone else.
Key skills: Signet of Weariness, Energy Drain, Energy Tap, Ether Feast, Power Leak, Spirit Shackles, Feedback, Lyssa's Aura.
Energy Attacker - A slight variant of the above, you are trying to remove energy and inflict damage as often as possible.
Key skills: Energy Burn, Energy Surge, Chaos Storm, Mind Wrack.
Energy Denier - Yet another variation of focusing on enemy mana, this approach tries to gimp multiple enemies by putting the clamp down on their energy regeneration ability.
Key skills: Panic, Ether Lord.
Caster Gimp Artist - If you want to diminish a caster's ability to efficiently spell cast (or lay Spirits), the Mesmer has a few tools available.
Key skills: Arcane Conundrum, Migraine, Ignorance, Shatter/Drain/Inspired/Revealed Enchantment, Unnatural Signet, Stolen Speed, Arcane Languor, Feedback, Lyssa's Balance, Shatter Storm, Psychic Instability, Signet of Disenchantment, Power Leech, Power Block, and any other interrupts.
Melee Gimp Artist - Minimize the ability of non-spellcasters to play their game properly. Warriors and Rangers can be brought under control with the right spells.
Key skills: Soothing Images, Sympathetic/Ancestor's Visage, Spirit Shackles, Spirit of Failure, Signet of Midnight, Crippling Anguish, Imagined, Ethereal/Kitah's and Shared Burden.
Spell/Skill Robber - No matter how much energy a player has, it makes no difference if they have few if any skills to use it on.
Key skills: Power Block, Diversion, Arcane Thievery/Larceny, Signet of Humility, Blackout, Ignorance, Complicate.
Dilemma Imposer (vs. caster) - If you love damned if you do, damned if you don't setups (on the enemy, not on yourself), then you have a number of ways to make it happen.
Key skills: Guilt, Shame, Backfire, Wastrel's Worry, Arcane Languor, Diversion.
Dilemma Imposer (vs. melee) - Same concept as above, except for the bad guys with hammers and arrows. Either they fight through the dilemma, fix it in some way, or sit there and do nothing for their team.
Key skills: Empathy, Clumsiness, Ineptitude, Wastrel's Worry, Diversion.
Dr. Interruption, M.D. - Stop the enemy madness before it starts! What this profession lacks in spammability and versatility compared of the Rangers, they make up for in after effects that greatly benefit you or hurt the target.
Key skills: Cry of Frustration, Leech Signet, Power Block/Leech/Spike/Drain/Leak/Return, Shame, Guilt, Psychic Distraction, Signet of Disruption.
The Degenerate - Doing DoT damage via hexes is a specialty of the profession, often with other bonuses built into the skills. Spam these wherever, whenever you can (-10 pips max).
Key skills: Conjure Phantom, Phantom Pain, Migraine, Crippling Anguish, Accumulated Pain, Conjure Nightmare, Illusion of Pain, Images of Remorse, Recurring Insecurity.
Condition Spreader - For the many different conditions in the game, the Mesmer excels at spreading the misery in the enemy camp.
Key skills: Epidemic, Fevered Dreams, Phantom Pain, Signet of Midnight.
The Damage Dealer - Sometimes you want to lay out some pain like everyone else. Often times the best results are conditional or come from the enemy's mistake, but high damage is indeed possible if your stats are super high in their attribute.
Key skills: Conjure Phantom, Phantom Pain, Shatter Delusions, Shatter Enchantment, Shatter Hex, Wastrel's Worry, Fragility, Illusionary Weapon, Chaos Storm, Energy Burn, Energy Surge, Accumulated Pain, Overload, Unnatural Signet.
Extra options for melee: Ineptitude, Clumsiness, Images of Remorse.
Extra options for casters: Backfire, Power Spike, Signet of Disruption.
Mana Recoverer - Lack of energy over the long run is what limits many well conceived builds. Keep these options in mind to help fuel your inspirations.
Key skills: Power Drain, Energy Tap, Energy Drain, Ether Lord, Spirit of Failure, Mantra of Recall, Leech Signet, Drain/Inspired/Revealed Enchantment, Channeling, Kitah's/Ethereal Burden, Shame, Guilt, Inspired/Revealed Hex, Leech Signet, Mantra of Earth/Frost/Lightning/Flame, Auspicious Incantation, Ether Signet, Hex Eater Signet.
Survivor of the Fittest - The weird thing about Guild Wars is that there's not much to do when you're dead. No matter how much you gimp the enemy, they won't stop trying to pound on you. In order to stay alive to fight on to the finish, you'll need to help yourself when you can't count on a Monk.
Key skills: Distortion (!!!!), all the Mantra of Earth/Frost/Lightning/Flame, Elemental or Physical Resistance, Ether Feast, Hex Breaker, Inspired/Revealed Hex, Hex Eater Signet, Shatter Hex, Expel Hexes, any interrupt, Illusion of Weakness, Illusion of Haste, Sympathetic/Ancestor's Visage, Mantra of Resolve or Concentration.
Efficency Expert - Now that you have your build in mind, you want your tactics to make as much as an impact on the battlefield as possible. There are several ways to extend, enhance, or multiply the frequency in which you use your abilities.
Key Skills: Mantra of Persistence, Echo, Arcane Echo, Mantra of Recovery, Keystone Signet, Mantra of Inscriptions, Mantra of Signets, Arcane Mimicry, Stolen Speed.
Thoughtful Teammate - Mesmers have a rep of pretty much doing their own thing without much of a thought towards their teammates... prove them wrong with these skills that aid your battle buddies:
Inspired/Revealed Hex, Sympathetic/Ancestor's Visage, Hex Eater Signet, Expel Hexes
Generous Foe - If you're not careful with these skills and learn how to use them properly, you'll end up helping the enemy to defeat you more than helping your team win.
Power Return, Illusion of Pain, Elemental Resistance, Physical Resistance, Psychic Distraction, Blackout
========================================
Quite a list of options, eh? The best thing is you are not forced to make a build that focus on only one of these at a time. You can squeeze two even three roles together if you plan carefully. All of these skills have some use depending on the build, but the fun continues when you factor in the skills that your alternate profession can provide. Have fun coming up with your own creations, and be sure to share them here at the forums.
Oh, the last comment before I forget one of the most important roles... Ressurector! In the Arenas, always bring a Rez!
**** New version post 6/1 update ****
I wanted to wait until the final new changes were in before I updated this. I fixed some typos and added a few skills in areas where I left them out before.
The big improvement is that I'm now including all the new stuff since Factions came out, and I added two new categories. Finally, one thing I thought would be helpful was to underline the elites (Tsume, everything below this line is the main post):
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome new Mesmers!
This class may be the toughest character in Guild Wars to come to grips with. A lot of what you want to do and realistically can do are sometimes difficult to reconcile. With that said, Mesmers do indeed have the power to sway the tide of battle to their team's side if they are allowed to work their magic unchecked. If you don't mind the initial challenge of understanding how the Mesmer's abilites work together (and with the skills of others), you should enjoy playing your new profession.
Most of the things a Mesmer can do are not easily seen by players other than you and your target(s). Get used to to sometimes not being recognized by your average teammates for the hard work you put in. Experienced players know what's up, but your average pick-up group may not always know what's going on.
For that reason, in PvE you'll sometimes find it difficult to get into a random group. And once you do join one, you may need awhile to understand how to best fit into a team's role. Check out all the different threads at this forum for build ideas so your Mesmer can be effective in battling the monsters out there, then start coming up with your own ideas.
For PvP, you have a lot of options to try out, but don't expect anything as obvious as the Warriors delivering damage or the Monks repairing their teammates. The effect of performing your skills on the battlefield will sometimes be a lot more subtle in the way you contribute to success than those classes, but played correctly you can complement your team with added mystical force, or by neutralizing the enemy team's tactics against yours.
Here are some of the major roles in which a Mesmer can be very effective, if not downright nasty (Elites are underlined) :
========================================
Energy Drainer - A good Mesmer has little problem in removing the fuel that one or two enemies need to function properly. You'll know you're doing this well when the enemy decides to target you for elimination before anyone else.
Key skills: Signet of Weariness, Energy Drain, Energy Tap, Ether Feast, Power Leak, Spirit Shackles, Feedback, Lyssa's Aura.
Energy Attacker - A slight variant of the above, you are trying to remove energy and inflict damage as often as possible.
Key skills: Energy Burn, Energy Surge, Chaos Storm, Mind Wrack.
Energy Denier - Yet another variation of focusing on enemy mana, this approach tries to gimp multiple enemies by putting the clamp down on their energy regeneration ability.
Key skills: Panic, Ether Lord.
Caster Gimp Artist - If you want to diminish a caster's ability to efficiently spell cast (or lay Spirits), the Mesmer has a few tools available.
Key skills: Arcane Conundrum, Migraine, Ignorance, Shatter/Drain/Inspired/Revealed Enchantment, Unnatural Signet, Stolen Speed, Arcane Languor, Feedback, Lyssa's Balance, Shatter Storm, Psychic Instability, Signet of Disenchantment, Power Leech, Power Block, and any other interrupts.
Melee Gimp Artist - Minimize the ability of non-spellcasters to play their game properly. Warriors and Rangers can be brought under control with the right spells.
Key skills: Soothing Images, Sympathetic/Ancestor's Visage, Spirit Shackles, Spirit of Failure, Signet of Midnight, Crippling Anguish, Imagined, Ethereal/Kitah's and Shared Burden.
Spell/Skill Robber - No matter how much energy a player has, it makes no difference if they have few if any skills to use it on.
Key skills: Power Block, Diversion, Arcane Thievery/Larceny, Signet of Humility, Blackout, Ignorance, Complicate.
Dilemma Imposer (vs. caster) - If you love damned if you do, damned if you don't setups (on the enemy, not on yourself), then you have a number of ways to make it happen.
Key skills: Guilt, Shame, Backfire, Wastrel's Worry, Arcane Languor, Diversion.
Dilemma Imposer (vs. melee) - Same concept as above, except for the bad guys with hammers and arrows. Either they fight through the dilemma, fix it in some way, or sit there and do nothing for their team.
Key skills: Empathy, Clumsiness, Ineptitude, Wastrel's Worry, Diversion.
Dr. Interruption, M.D. - Stop the enemy madness before it starts! What this profession lacks in spammability and versatility compared of the Rangers, they make up for in after effects that greatly benefit you or hurt the target.
Key skills: Cry of Frustration, Leech Signet, Power Block/Leech/Spike/Drain/Leak/Return, Shame, Guilt, Psychic Distraction, Signet of Disruption.
The Degenerate - Doing DoT damage via hexes is a specialty of the profession, often with other bonuses built into the skills. Spam these wherever, whenever you can (-10 pips max).
Key skills: Conjure Phantom, Phantom Pain, Migraine, Crippling Anguish, Accumulated Pain, Conjure Nightmare, Illusion of Pain, Images of Remorse, Recurring Insecurity.
Condition Spreader - For the many different conditions in the game, the Mesmer excels at spreading the misery in the enemy camp.
Key skills: Epidemic, Fevered Dreams, Phantom Pain, Signet of Midnight.
The Damage Dealer - Sometimes you want to lay out some pain like everyone else. Often times the best results are conditional or come from the enemy's mistake, but high damage is indeed possible if your stats are super high in their attribute.
Key skills: Conjure Phantom, Phantom Pain, Shatter Delusions, Shatter Enchantment, Shatter Hex, Wastrel's Worry, Fragility, Illusionary Weapon, Chaos Storm, Energy Burn, Energy Surge, Accumulated Pain, Overload, Unnatural Signet.
Extra options for melee: Ineptitude, Clumsiness, Images of Remorse.
Extra options for casters: Backfire, Power Spike, Signet of Disruption.
Mana Recoverer - Lack of energy over the long run is what limits many well conceived builds. Keep these options in mind to help fuel your inspirations.
Key skills: Power Drain, Energy Tap, Energy Drain, Ether Lord, Spirit of Failure, Mantra of Recall, Leech Signet, Drain/Inspired/Revealed Enchantment, Channeling, Kitah's/Ethereal Burden, Shame, Guilt, Inspired/Revealed Hex, Leech Signet, Mantra of Earth/Frost/Lightning/Flame, Auspicious Incantation, Ether Signet, Hex Eater Signet.
Survivor of the Fittest - The weird thing about Guild Wars is that there's not much to do when you're dead. No matter how much you gimp the enemy, they won't stop trying to pound on you. In order to stay alive to fight on to the finish, you'll need to help yourself when you can't count on a Monk.
Key skills: Distortion (!!!!), all the Mantra of Earth/Frost/Lightning/Flame, Elemental or Physical Resistance, Ether Feast, Hex Breaker, Inspired/Revealed Hex, Hex Eater Signet, Shatter Hex, Expel Hexes, any interrupt, Illusion of Weakness, Illusion of Haste, Sympathetic/Ancestor's Visage, Mantra of Resolve or Concentration.
Efficency Expert - Now that you have your build in mind, you want your tactics to make as much as an impact on the battlefield as possible. There are several ways to extend, enhance, or multiply the frequency in which you use your abilities.
Key Skills: Mantra of Persistence, Echo, Arcane Echo, Mantra of Recovery, Keystone Signet, Mantra of Inscriptions, Mantra of Signets, Arcane Mimicry, Stolen Speed.
Thoughtful Teammate - Mesmers have a rep of pretty much doing their own thing without much of a thought towards their teammates... prove them wrong with these skills that aid your battle buddies:
Inspired/Revealed Hex, Sympathetic/Ancestor's Visage, Hex Eater Signet, Expel Hexes
Generous Foe - If you're not careful with these skills and learn how to use them properly, you'll end up helping the enemy to defeat you more than helping your team win.
Power Return, Illusion of Pain, Elemental Resistance, Physical Resistance, Psychic Distraction, Blackout
========================================
Quite a list of options, eh? The best thing is you are not forced to make a build that focus on only one of these at a time. You can squeeze two even three roles together if you plan carefully. All of these skills have some use depending on the build, but the fun continues when you factor in the skills that your alternate profession can provide. Have fun coming up with your own creations, and be sure to share them here at the forums.
Oh, the last comment before I forget one of the most important roles... Ressurector! In the Arenas, always bring a Rez!