Power Mirage vs Chrono

[Xstein.2187]

This has been driving me nuts.

Which would you consider the better burst shatter build? Dom/Duel/....Mirage or Chrono?

Superiority Complex over DE just to simplify things even more.

I can't make the decision and haven't played mirage as much as chrono.

Mirage obviously has more/better survivability, mobility, and stun break.

However, it brings nothing to burst shatter in terms of damage.

Chrono can burst more often, harder, and has more cc options.

 

To me its a toss up based on what you want, kinda like after PU got nerfed some were still using Dom/Duel/Chaos for more defense while others were taking Dom/Duel/Illusions for more damage. However, its totally possible my assessment is off from the majority.

 

 

[Refia Montes.3205]

I've been running Power Mirage with much more success than Chrono honestly. The mobility with Jaunt, Mirage Thrust and Illusionary Ambush is really good and traiting for Self Deception gives you a lot of Clone generation with Sword Ambush. Combine Infinite Horizon, Mirage Thrust and Power Block, you pretty much become a D/P Daredevil but with less sustained melee damage at the cost of being able to use Portal. Additionally, Split Surge with 3 clones in a team fight hits hard honestly. I'm pretty surprised that I can consistently deal 250k damage on each match, falling to 200k when I cap a lot and 380k when I teamfight pretty frequently. Mirage has tools to increase Mesmer damage, even more so with Mirage Thrust and Infinite Horizon.

[Abelisk.4527]

Power mirage is *way* better

[rank eleven monk.9502]

Power mirage, easily. Just fits the concept so much better. And the sword ambush is just amazing with the synergies.

[Guizao.4167]

I see many people here saying the power mirage is better, but I'll have to disagree. Chronomancer has just better burst capabilities but the spec mechanic is pretty simple compared to the Mirage's. _Chronophantasm_ is nuts when you equip _Phantasmal Fury_ and _Time Catches Up_, but Mirage allows you to "protect" your illusions through dodging besides giving you and your clones an extra attack. I still prefer chrono and vanilla mes for DPS.

[takatsu.9416]

Tbh it's not often a power Chrono wins against a power mirage imo, I've had so many fights with Chrono and it's rarely come out on top, at best, often getting a stalemate. Chrono can burst more often and has some tricks but power mirage can go fully aggressive and burst harder without taking any damage, evading, stunning, illusion generating the whole way. Sometimes it's that what counts practically. That single moment of opportunity most of the time when an opponent attacks, is when they can take the most damage and that's when the mirage gets in the down. Frequency of bursts can still be blocked, evaded, etc. A power chrono also has less defensive or mobility skills to stay alive for those burst moments. Practically, mirage is better. On paper it looks like Chrono has some nice traits.

[harkem.2051]

How do the two compare in PvE? Which does better damage overall?

[NICENIKESHOE.7128]

Shatter is generally not used in PvE as you're stuck on 10s CD and lack of sustain damage after you shatter. But I find running chronophantasma does help with damage after shatter if mobs are not dead yet

[leftharted.7102]

I shatter pretty often in general open world PVE; buts its all situational.. I would say they are Always situational; but keeping f1/f2 on cooldown between target swap's is part of our class mechanic.. you have to think a few steps ahead to take full advantage of your shatters.

 

basically you need to pay attention to what targets your clones/phants are currently engaging (to add: some mirage skills can force your existing clones to re-target) and shatter accordingly. with most trait combo's/builds you can have some secondary effects on your shatters, more Conditions, Boons on shatter, etc..

 

you should Always try to f1/f2 shatter when the target is About to die and you'll be switching targets, in hopes that you spread some Area Effect damage (which Mesmer sometimes lacks) or if you have Bountiful Disillusionment trait (boons on shatter) to take advantage of the boon spread.

 

IMO, if you aren't shattering on target swap (especially PVE where you change targets a lot) and just letting them despawn naturally; then you're doing it wrong. Yes, some (most?) builds rely on NOT shattering for consistent damage; but even these builds should be shattering when the situation promotes it; which is often enough.

 

just my 2c.

[Xstein.2187]

In PvE, in general, the weaker the enemy, the more 'useful' shatter is. For groups of weaker enemies you can group them together with a gravity well and quickly kill all of them with one shatter combo. However, on say a boss, it becomes more important not to shatter your phantasms since you're only going to do a small bit of damage compared to its health, have no phantasms to continue damage, and have a shatter skill on cool down.

 

Back to harkem, in terms of dps, shattering not required, Condi Mirage is going to hands down do more damage than anything chrono related. However, In PvE chrono is still very useful since it is used as a support spec instead of a dps spec. In terms of PvE power dps, its not meta by any means, but base vanilla mesmer would be better than chrono or mirage.

 

Back to me, Ya, I can see why mirage is considered by many to be better, especially in this meta. Its amazing that jaunt doesn't cancel any of your other casts. Plus, you don't have gravity well, but its still not like the burst is thaat much of a downgrade if you use jaunt with it. Additionally, the amount of dodging with energy runes is amazing.

[tartarus.1082]

I'm assuming this is in the context of pvp, and overall I find mirage to be the more effective elite.

 

Sword ambush is a huge mobility buff and lets you fill the "thief role" power Mesmer is associated with more so than chrono.

 

Also , the spec itself bandaids sustain issues typically caused by running a dom, duel, X build set up. Although this is mainly from elusive mind and the disengage potential of mirage.

 

It isn't completely true that mirage doesn't add to burst potential. Gs ambush is a decent way to get a spike of might, traited jaunt offers mid-combo clone gen for a stronger shatter along with an additional hit from the skill itself.

 

Plus jaunt itself offers some pretty stylish precasts with gs 3 :p

[Sketchy McBeardo.2874]

> @"Refia Montes.3205" said:

> I've been running Power Mirage with much more success than Chrono honestly. The mobility with Jaunt, Mirage Thrust, and Illusionary Ambush is really good and traiting for Self Deception gives you a lot of Clone generation with Sword Ambush. Combine Infinite Horizon, Mirage Thrust and Power Block, you pretty much become a D/P Daredevil but with less sustained melee damage at the cost of being able to use Portal. Additionally, Split Surge with 3 clones in a team fight hits hard honestly. I'm pretty surprised that I can consistently deal 250k damage on each match, falling to 200k when I cap a lot and 380k when I teamfight pretty frequently. Mirage has tools to increase Mesmer damage, even more so with Mirage Thrust and Infinite Horizon.

 

I'm newly returned to WvW and a little lost with Mirage. This build sounds pretty killer. What runes and armor do you run? (Better yet, do you have a link to your build?)

[Refia Montes.3205]

> @"Sketchy McBeardo.2874" said:

> I'm newly returned to WvW and a little lost with Mirage. This build sounds pretty killer. What runes and armor do you run? (Better yet, do you have a link to your build?)

 

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNAR8fnELD1qhlpBGMDMMjlTDrcE8cSAkBgFQQxfBGBvgA-jJxHABXXGAgnAQ/7Po8FBAA

This is my pvp build. To change it to a more WvW one, I would suggest additional stunbreak or condi cleanse in place of portal. To be specific Mantra of Resolve or Concentration or Sand Through Glass if you want more clone generation.

[Sketchy McBeardo.2874]

> @"Refia Montes.3205" said:

> > @"Sketchy McBeardo.2874" said:

> > I'm newly returned to WvW and a little lost with Mirage. This build sounds pretty killer. What runes and armor do you run? (Better yet, do you have a link to your build?)

>

> http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNAR8fnELD1qhlpBGMDMMjlTDrcE8cSAkBgFQQxfBGBvgA-jJxHABXXGAgnAQ/7Po8FBAA

> This is my pvp build. To change it to a more WvW one, I would suggest additional stunbreak or condi cleanse in place of portal. To be specific Mantra of Resolve or Concentration or Sand Through Glass if you want more clone generation.

 

Very cool -thank you! And yeah, I don't go anywhere without Mantra of Resolve. I tend to play a few classes at once so for simplicity's sake 7/8/9 Skills are always Condi Cleanse/Stun Break/variable skill depending on the situation. Even if I forget specifically what a Skill does as I hop between characters I at least know which buttons to mash for the cleanse/stun break, hehe.

[Tseison.4659]

Love how you all are trying to figure out which one of the two would come out at top - when in the end it’s based on the player you’re fighting....

 

I’m not over here asking for there to be a thread title change for Power Core Vs Power Mirage Vs Power Chrono. I run into a variety of mesmers in WvW and I can honestly say since I’m running either Core or Chrono, I have yet to be downed by a Power Mirage or the servers Maguuma is going against, I don’t see many wandering out there.

 

But anyways, for the OP, I’m just saying it’s based on the player but it’s looking that Mirage would have an upper hand with the utilities they get so...

[Belishine.7493]

> @"Tseison.4659" said:

> Love how you all are trying to figure out which one of the two would come out at top - when in the end it’s based on the player you’re fighting....

>

> I’m not over here asking for there to be a thread title change for Power Core Vs Power Mirage Vs Power Chrono. I run into a variety of mesmers in WvW and I can honestly say since I’m running either Core or Chrono, I have yet to be downed by a Power Mirage or the servers Maguuma is going against, I don’t see many wandering out there.

>

> But anyways, for the OP, I’m just saying it’s based on the player but it’s looking that Mirage would have an upper hand with the utilities they get so...

 

i have to agree with you on its about who you are fighting. i will have to say chrono is do double shatter to kill everyone or mirage were your dodge is you phaseing so you cant get hit it work when you are reviveing and wont interrupt it. i think its unfair to call one better then the other becouse they are both realy good and is up to you what you want to do.