I think I'm missing something [Archive]

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sunsmoon

29-10-2005, 13:01

I'm purely pve with this build, and so far it's gotten me through thunderhead with hench (with the monk boss too. :) ). I think I could be doing things a little better, but so far I really like my build. Well, both of my builds! ;\

#1 - No elites.

Energy Burn
Backfire / Wastrels Worry
Chaos Storm
Empathy
Power Spike
Shatter Enchantment
Ether Feast
Res

#2 - AOE Elite.

Energy Burn
Backfire / Wastrels Worry
Chaos Storm
Empathy
Power Spike
Energy Surge
Ether Feast
Res

16 Dom
9-10 Fast Cast
Rest Inspiration

I'm not too bad with Power Spike -- I use it primarly on Mesmer Ether Feasts and Elementalist Chain Lightnings (easy pickings off the mursaat), but I'd like to keep Shatter Enchantment on my skillbar WITH power spike, while keeping the rest of my skills and somehow incorporating Energy Surge into the no-elite one. Which makes me think I should drop WW/Backfire. I've found Backfire to not be too useful, which is why I started using WW, but that seems to not take effect too often (although it's not bad when it does). I like keeping Chaos Storm, even with the killer 15e cost and 30s recharge because of the AOE, which is another reason I like Energy Surge. But then I have thoughts about how useful Backfire or WW might be, when I'm unable to interrupt or shatter an enchant. :S ><

Energy is, suprisingly, NOT a problem unless I rush through an area with no breaks between mobs or encounter 10+ enemies in a group and have a prolonged battle.

Help. :( I'm going for nuking/spiking (DAMAGE!) without the use of _any_ elementalist skills, and I'm currently a Me/N. I've fiddled with degen as a different build, and find it way too slow or unreliable than a flat-out damage spike.

Van Tomiko

29-10-2005, 17:01

Phantom Pain + Shatter Delusion does a good spike damage. Necro? ..... bring Mark of Pain or/and Spiteful Spirit.

Wrath of God

29-10-2005, 18:57

I don't think you should be going for damage. If I wanted a damager, I wouldn't choose a Mesmer.

Try stuff that no other class can do for example:

Signet of Midnight
Epidemic

Clover

29-10-2005, 19:34

I've found Backfire to not be too useful, which is why I started using WW, but that seems to not take effect too often (although it's not bad when it does).

How many points do you have in Domination?

If you're going for damage, Backfire with maxed out domination can be very lethal. With arcane echo + backfire I can kill or severely damage two non-boss casters with it. (Cast a.e. before you get to the mob, then hit first caster with backfire for aggro so you get damage on the first spell cast.) Arcane echo + chaos storm can cause a lot of degen on a mob quickly. Shatter Hex is another AoE damager.

I only bring WW in pvp when I need it to break hex breaker. I'd ditch WW for backfire and energy burn for arcane echo. You can swap shatter enchantment for drain enchantment since arcane echo is such an energy pig.

Hope this helps!

Wrath of God

29-10-2005, 21:41

If I wanted a person to Arcane Echo an AoE spell, I would have a Necromancer or Fire Elementalist do it for PvE.

The only times I would See Arcane Echo with Chaos Storm or Energy Burn in PvE is against a monk boss which we rarely see. It doesn't work so well on a normal caster mob because they'll die to fast before it becomes effective.

Zijian

29-10-2005, 23:14

I don't really agree the part about mesmers not doing much dmg.

Mesmer are sort of situational damagers. Shatter hex is one good example. 120 of pure dmg, AOE, even an elementalist can't beat it. But it's highly situational and dependent on the enemy.

I rather liked mesmers going on the long trips where there would be tons of ice golems. Cry of frustation, chaos storm, shatter hex and energy surge. Cleared tons of ice golems this way. The plus point is that they don't move about. lol

Vexed Arcanist

30-10-2005, 00:10

Dammerung

30-10-2005, 00:46

Since you just finish Thunderhead I assume you will be heading off to Ring of Fire now.
WW is good against Mursaat bosses, or any bosses for that matter, so consider keeping it around.
Backfire is not bad against Mursaat casters, but drop it if you find the cast time too slow to your liking.
Personally I don't find Shatter Enchantment too useful, but keep if you like, it can be nice against monks and ele bosses.
Shatter Hex is a great damaging spell, but I find it to be better against non-Mursaat mobs in Ring of Fire.
Energy Burn should be drop in favor of other spells cool down is too long, plus you already have Energy Surge.

There's also the option of Arcane Echo Energy Surge or Arcane Echo Chaos Storm, but that really eat a lot of energy.

sunsmoon

30-10-2005, 02:10

How many points do you have in Domination?

If you're going for damage, Backfire with maxed out domination can be very lethal. With arcane echo + backfire I can kill or severely damage two non-boss casters with it. (Cast a.e. before you get to the mob, then hit first caster with backfire for aggro so you get damage on the first spell cast.) Arcane echo + chaos storm can cause a lot of degen on a mob quickly. Shatter Hex is another AoE damager.

I only bring WW in pvp when I need it to break hex breaker. I'd ditch WW for backfire and energy burn for arcane echo. You can swap shatter enchantment for drain enchantment since arcane echo is such an energy pig.

Hope this helps!Thank you. :) I have 16 domination, since that is what all my skills (but ether feast) are... but I found that when I cast backfire on a caster, be it a white mantle priest, mursaat elementalist, or those mesmers with migraine, power leak, and ww, that monster has a tendancy to stop casting and start wanding. Then again, when I don't cast it on them, they don't cast much either. I've only found it slightly useful if I can expect a spell to come up soon on a bos (ie: conventia spamming orison of healing), then I can throw it up, but on the bosses the duration is horrible.

I don't think you should be going for damage. If I wanted a damager, I wouldn't choose a Mesmer.

Try stuff that no other class can do for example:

Signet of Midnight
Epidemic

I find my mesmer is a very useful non-elemental nuker/spiker kind-of gal. :) Plus, I do have an elementalist, and although I do enjoy the profession, I feel quite limited with how I do my AOE [almost always stuck doing glyph of energy or elemental attunement, fire attunement, then unloading meteors, meteor storms, and fireballs], whereas with my mesmer, although I do bring the same skills almost all the time, not a single slot goes unused, I have few energy problems (none if there's a necro with BIP or WOP, but even before that my energy problems only appeared after long drawn out battles), and no exhaustion.

Regardless if I'm going with henchies or a group, I always have a res of some sort. I'm a strong advocate of "One person and their 7 skills + res are vastly more important than your one skill."

Since you just finish Thunderhead I assume you will be heading off to Ring of Fire now.
WW is good against Mursaat bosses, or any bosses for that matter, so consider keeping it around.
Backfire is not bad against Mursaat casters, but drop it if you find the cast time too slow to your liking.
Personally I don't find Shatter Enchantment too useful, but keep if you like, it can be nice against monks and ele bosses.
Shatter Hex is a great damaging spell, but I find it to be better against non-Mursaat mobs in Ring of Fire.
Energy Burn should be drop in favor of other spells cool down is too long, plus you already have Energy Surge.

There's also the option of Arcane Echo Energy Surge or Arcane Echo Chaos Storm, but that really eat a lot of energy.The casting speeds are just fine for me. Energy Burn is great if I have few other spells to use against a single monster (ie: backfire wont work because he's not a caster, empathy is already on him, energy surge is down for a recharge with 15S left, chaos storm is recharging..) so I can finish him/her/it off.

Hm.. I've also been debating switching Cry of Frustration in inplace of Power Spike. Less damage to a specific monster, more AOE damage, AOE Interrupt, Slightly slower recharge (5s), and can be used on skills, not spells. I will definately look into using PP + SD for a large spike.