User:Jasminethetender/builds/mesmer/pveonly

Mesmer

=Shadow Runner=

This running build uses Illusion of Haste as the speed boost, while using Shadow Form to run past difficult areas with ease, with Arcane Echo to lengthen its duration to allow a longer distance to be run while under its effects. Particularly suitable for running in the Southern Shiverpeaks. Both A/Me or Me/A profession combinations can be used.

Armor

 * Suggested armor pieces:
 * 1) Enchanter's Armor - For better armor (+10), basically you will be under the effects of an enchantment 100% of the time.
 * 2) Charlatan's Armor - For extra energy, number of pieces from this set depending on your preference.

Runes

 * A Major Rune of Illusion Magic would be a good choice giving you 10 + 2 (12), more points in Illusion Magic will only provide a 1~1.2 seconds increase in Illusion of Haste.
 * Alternatively, you may also choose to use a Major Rune instead with Illusion Magic 11 + 1 + 2 (14) with Fast Casting at 6 + 1 (7), trading off a little bit of fast casting for +40 maximum HP while maintaining the same duration for Illusion of Haste.
 * You may use a Minor Rune of Illusion Magic giving 10 + 1 + 1 (12) Illusion Magic, trading off 1~1.2 seconds off duration of Illusion of Haste for +75 maximum HP.

Weapons

 * Any one-handed weapon that increases enchantment duration, preferably with increase to energy too:
 * 1) Rajazan's Fervor
 * 2) Totem Axe
 * 3) Fiery Flame Spitter
 * Any +12 energy focus items with attribute on Illusion Magic or Fast Casting. Examples include:
 * 1) The Rockmolder - Relatively easy to find, and gives 10% chance of half skill recharge for all spells.
 * 2) The Time Eater (focus) - Suitable if you decide to use a Superior Rune of Illusion Magic. Only 9 Fast Casting or more gives you the +12 Energy of this focus.
 * 3) Forgotten Fan - Alternatively, you can also choose to sacrifice 5 maximum energy for +30 maximum HP and +5 armor.

Usage

 * Keep Illusion of Weakness on at all times, especially while Shadow Form is active.
 * Use Illusion of Haste as your main running skill.
 * Whenever possible, use Deadly Paradox before assassin skills to half their recharge times.
 * Feigned Neutrality is your self heal. However don't attempt to make any attacks while you are running.
 * Even though the speed increasing effects of Dark Escape don't stack with Illusion of Haste, it is still useful for cutting your received damage into half while Shadow Form isn't up. This includes armor-ignoring damage such as Azure Shadows' Signet of Judgment.
 * Death's Charge can provide a quick heal and/or an escape from a melee trap.
 * Cast Deadly Paradox -> Arcane Echo -> Shadow Form to run past difficult areas. With the Enchantments last 20% longer upgrade you can use Shadow Form up to 3 times consecutively for a total of 60 seconds.
 * Try to get into a safe zone when Shadow Form expires, if possible.
 * Cast your arcane echoed Shadow Form just before the enchantment or copied skill expires (whichever comes first depending on your weapon mod).
 * Health loss from Shadow Form does not trigger Illusion of Weakness. It will trigger when you receive a non-lethal hit of less than 40 damage. When your final copy of Shadow Form is just about to expire, use Dark Escape to half your received damage then cast Feigned Neutrality to begin healing, this would maximize your survivability and allow Illusion of Weakness to be triggered. (the order is important here because Feigned Neutrality ends if you use a skill)

Possible Routes

 * Southern Shiverpeaks:
 * Camp Rankor -> Deldrimor War Camp -> The Granite Citadel -> Copperhammer Mines -> Iron Mines of Moladune -> Marhan's Grotto -> Thunderhead Keep

Counters
While using Shadow Form, you must beware that...
 * The following monsters can knock you down while you're under the effects of Shadow Form:
 * Wurms, such as Frost Wurm
 * Monsters with Giant Stomp, such as Tundra Giants
 * Azure Shadows with Signet of Judgment
 * Warrior Wardens with "None Shall Pass!"


 * The following monsters uses certain skills that can remove your Shadow Form and put you in grave danger:
 * Monsters with Chilblains, such as Grawl Crone
 * Creeping Carp with Expunge Enchantments

Variants
Inspired Hex can be replaced with: This build could also possibly be run by Assassin primaries too with the same skillset.
 * Dark Prison for an extra teleportation skill
 * Revealed Hex is the same as Inspired Hex
 * Dash for extra speed, and lose any foe fast
 * Arcane Mimicry for a Dual Me/A or A/Me run.

Equipment

 * Enchanter's Armor is recommended for the extra energy.
 * Savant's Armor is also effective due to Distortion.
 * A 20/20 Staff of your attribute choice.

Usage

 * See map for directions to Incetol.
 * Once at Incetol, there are usually 2 separate patrol groups, along with Incetol's envoy. It is suggested that at least 1 of these patrols be defeated, otherwise Incetol may be difficult to separate from the mobs.
 * There is a spawn of Onis just SW of the resurrection shrine, against the wall, which are hostile to the Outcasts.
 * There are 2 methods of isolating Incetol: pulling the patrol and his escort to the Onis, or pulling/re-pulling Incetol until he separates from his escort.
 * You can also isolate and solo individual Outcasts, since you'll find only Assassins, Warriors, and Deathhands (Sword-wielding Necros) in the groups.
 * Once Incetol is alone, begin this casting chain:
 * Distortion, Reckless Haste, Spirit of Failure, Parasitic Bond, Spirit Shackles, Price of Failure, Spiteful Spirit


 * Try to time the durations and recast as necessary. Be sure to keep Distortion up as much as possible, especially while setting up.
 * It is necessary to keep Incetol's energy as low as possible, which Spirit Shackles+Reckless combine nicely.
 * Despite having multiple hexes and you having Distortion on, Incetol may wand you for as much as 100 damage each hit. Parasitic Bond will heal you every 20 seconds, and use Ether Feast when needed.
 * Incetol will eventually wand himself to death, and possibly drop the desired focus.

Pure Mesmer

 * This variation uses only mesmer skills, where the main source of damage is from Empathy, Wastrel's Worry, and Spirit Shackles+Mind Wrack.
 * Note the blind caused by Ineptitude will only last half its cooldown duration, so remember to activate Distortion after the blind wears off.
 * Since this variation lacks Reckless Haste, it may take longer for Spirit Shackles to drain all of Incetol's energy.
 * Once Incetol has about 0 energy, cast Mind Wrack and Wastrel's Worry freely.

Necro Primary

 * For those players who do not have a mesmer primary.
 * The 2 major differences are the increased damage from Spiteful & Price of Failure, and the longer casting times.

Armor

 * Charlatan's Armor (+10 Armor (while enchanted))
 * Rogue's Armor (+10 Armor vs Physical)

Runes

 * Superior or Major Rune of Vigor

Weapons

 * Any one-handed weapon that increases enchantment duration, and energy:
 * 1) Rajazan's Fervor
 * 2) Totem Axe
 * 3) Alternatively: Sword of Enchanting [+5 Energy, +20% Longer Enchantments Mod]
 * A shield with maximum armor (+16) with attribute requirement in Tactics:
 * 1) Grognar's Defender - The Runner's Best Stance Shield Choice.
 * 2) Malinon's Shield - Preferrably the first choice because you stay in Illusion of Weakness most of the time.

Usage
Attention: This build needs a relatively high knowledge of the spawns at Lornar's Pass, and average to high skills at aggroing and evaluating the NPCs' aggro behavior (e.g. Allowing Avicara Guile to cast his last Death Swarm to lower his aggro moral; Worm aggroing). It is not possible to run every Lornar's Pass spawn with; though it is not too difficult to run with a death penalty of 15-30% Dreadnought's Drift and Snake Dance.

General
The Mesmer is an enchantment runner: making him a perfect target for enchantment-stripping foes like Avicara Guiles or Grawls. Try to avoid these groups, and rather run through groups of Ice Golems or Pinesouls. Echoing the skills of your choice is a powerful weapon if used to your advantage. The Mesmer Runner is one of the characters with the worst healing abilities - always stay in Illusion of Weakness. Two or an echoed extra hex-remover round off the build for a reliable Droknar run.

Running Sequence

 * Use Illusion of Haste as your primary running skill.

Echoing

 * Use Echo and duplicate the skill of your choice.
 * Duplicate Balanced Stance for running through the Worm Tunnel or along the Worm Pass. With Echo it is possible to use BS three times.
 * Duplicate "Shields Up!" for extra armor - possible to use three times without a gap then.
 * Duplicate Inspired Hex for an extra hex-remover.

Healing

 * Stay in Illusion of Weakness at all times.
 * Use Healing Signet in safe spots to heal yourself.
 * Use Illusion of Haste for countering crippled.

Countering Hexes

 * Use Inspired Hex or Revealed Hex to remove a hex.
 * Echo one of the hex-remover for an additional one.

Lornar's Pass
Note: In case of your Echo gets interrupted escape from the dangerous situation, and begin a new pass-through after Echo has recharged. Note: Avicara Guiles will quickly strip your Illusion of Haste. Recast it as soon as possible for you will be crippled and motionless without it. Practice and experience will be of good advantage here.
 * You can remove up to two (plus 1) hexes quickly, so never aggro more than three Ice Imps at once.
 * At the mouth of the first cave, wait until you have a clear path before aggroing the Avicara.
 * Echo Balanced Stance and try to cross the cave in a single Illusion of Haste. With Echo you can use BS three times (3 x 18 secs of BS) without a gap in-between.
 * Generally run in a straight line away from Frost Wurms. The 33% increase in movement speed ensures that you can outrun any given wurm.
 * Run straight through all Avicara and Grawl spawns, then heal with Healing Signet. You can easily regain up to 215 health automatically when your health drops below 25%. This should give you enough of a buffer to make it to safety before recasting Illusion of Weakness.

Dreadnought's Drift

 * When engaging Tundra Giants, activate Balanced Stance and use "Shields Up!" - feel free to echo BS for a straightforward run-through without stops.
 * Take time to heal. It can get tricky towards the end if you don't have enough health to run straight through all the Giants and Blessed Griffons.

Snake Dance

 * You rarely have to worry about hexes here.
 * Concentrate on staying in Balanced Stance through the large groups of Tundra Giants and Azure Shadows.
 * At the Mountain Troll cave, you might consider Inspired Hex to avoid being slowed down in a tricky point. Try to lure the trolls out of the cave first.
 * A good way to lose a train of trolls is to run them to a spawn of Stone Summit Herders.
 * Use "Shields Up!" when running through the Troll Tunnel.

Camp Rankor

 * Replace Inspired Hex with a low energy cost cover enchantment such as Channeling to try to protect your Illusion of Haste from being stripped too quickly.

Talus Chute
The only difficult area is near the beginning where you have to run through two groups of Azure Shadow spawns and a large Avicara group immediately after.
 * Begin with Echo, Balanced Stance and chain cast Illusion of Haste to run through the groups of shadows. Just before running through the Avicaras, recast Illusion of Haste and immediately cast your cover enchantment, then run through the group of Avicaras.

Variants

 * Expel Hexes can replace Echo and provide the best hex-remover with a fabulous recharge time. Use Hex Breaker, Inspired Hex, and Expel Hexes. Be aware of the loss of an echoed Balanced Stance.