The changes to phantasms and future elite specs

[PluizeWin.2139]

I think that most of you have already heard about the mesmer getting some huge changes in the upcoming update regarding phantasms. Though I don't agree with everything that the developers have said (such as that the phantasms can still die), I do think that this change could have some potential for future elite specializations. I have been playing a lot of GW1 recently, and in Factions my main is a Mesmer. I really enjoy the mesmer in both GW1 and GW2, and that got me thinking: could something like the GW1 mesmer exist in GW2?

 

Well, now that the phantasms get destroyed and turned into a clone anyway after one hit, I thought it would be the opportunity to share my idea with the rest of the world. Because if they can make phantasms do that, they can change phantasms in a lot of different ways. My idea is that instead of summoning a physical phantasm, this elite spec of mesmer (called the hexer, a really bad name) would instead cast non-physical phantasms that have certain effects on their enemy, similar to "Conjure Phantasm" (https://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Conjure_Phantasm).

A list: (Illusionary Avenger is not included because that's a different elite spec)

 

Illusionary Berserker (10 sec) Causes cripple and 2 stacks of vulnerability (10 sec) every second

Illusionary Duelist (10 sec) Deals damage and causes 3 stacks of bleeding (7 sec) every second

Illusionary Mage (10 sec) Causes burn (6 sec) every second and grants fury (4 sec) to allies close to foe every second

Illusionary Swordsman (10 sec) Deals damage every second and grants the caster might whenever damage is dealt

Illusionary Warden (10 sec) Target foe has a 10% chance of not hitting with melee attacks and a 30% chance of missing with ranged attacks

Illusionary Warlock (10 sec) corrupts boons every second. For every boon it corrupts, the conditions get worse. (So it would start by giving cripple, later bleeding, then poison, etc.)

Illusionary Mariner (10 sec) Deals damage every second

Illusionary Whaler (10 sec) confuses foes and buffs allies close to targeted foe

Illusionary Defender (10 sec) Target foe deals less damage with his attacks and he receives this damage instead (basically empathy: https://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Empathy)

Illusionary Disenchanter (10 sec) Target foe cannot receive boons and 1 boon is removed from this character every 2 seconds

Illusionary Rogue (15 sec) Daze your target for 1 second and then apply confusion and vulnerability every second

 

The added mechanic could be that phantasms will once again count as an active illusion (something that the developers said they would change in the feb. 6 2018 patch), but the mesmer/hexer would get access to 1 or 2 extra illusions at a time. This plays in line with what the developers originally wanted. They wanted the tension of phantasms vs. use of shatters, but now it will be a balance between real illusions that can distract the enemy and can be used as defensive option vs. a more aggressive play style that leaves the mesmer more vulnerable. A fifth shatter could also be added that instead of destroying the clones it destroys the hexes, causing damage or giving the mesmer buffs/health. In the elite trait line this fifth shatter could be traited to also give condition damage, because I want this build to be enjoyable for condi mesmers and for power mesmers.

 

Obviously I'm not a part of the balance team, so the numbers might be far off and either make this a very underpowered build or overpowered. But yea, this is part of my 'grieving process' as I mourn for the death of the phantasms. I haven't given much thought to traits and the like, but a cool weapon for this spec would be offhand dagger, and its phantasm (Conjure backstabber) would interrupt the next action and cause AoE damage. As a new skill type they could get either some new phantasms, stances that influence their phantasms, or none at all seeing as all the phantasms would be changed already.

 

Concerning the phantasm changes that are actually coming: I hope that they make the phantasms invulnerable and buff the mesmer's normal attacks. Also the phantasms should be easily re-castable, using the ammunition mechanic. On a side note, I read so much about the phantasms and thought about it so much that when I dreamt about it, and when I woke up I thought it was a dream. But it wasn't :(

 

[Curunen.8729]

Nice ideas.

 

I do think it would be interesting for the next elite spec to have a greater interaction with the new phantasm system. Maybe that's part of why this rework is taking place - laying the foundation for the next elite spec?

[PluizeWin.2139]

> @"Curunen.8729" said:

> Nice ideas.

>

> I do think it would be interesting for the next elite spec to have a greater interaction with the new phantasm system. Maybe that's part of why this rework is taking place - laying the foundation for the next elite spec?

 

Yea, I am hoping that something new will be done with phantasms too, that with introducing this they want to make us get used to different kinds of phantasms. The Soulbeast was also a radical change to pets, so maybe something like it could happen to phantasms. And with weaver they have also shown that it is possible to change certain weapon skills based on elite specializations, which opens so many doors to all professions.