Good basic builds for Chrono and Mirage (open world, some dungeons, low-lvl fractals, WvW)?

[Kichwas.7152]

_I just used one of the 80-boosts they gave us to make a second Mesmer..._

 

_It's been a few years since I was really active in this game (I last played right before raids came out, and I came back about 1 hour before PoF launched)._

 

_So... I'm a tad lost... and I noticed the new mesmer got a full set of... yeah... soldier's gear. Pow, Vit, Tough... because reasons I guess._

 

**So I need BOTH advice on builds and gear.**

 

_I'm reading condition damage is THE THING now (back when I last played, if you weren't wearing 20 pieces of Berserker gear across all 19 slots... you'd get kicked out of everything... so I mostly solo'd because I never liked that meta... :) )... but that this is mostly the thing in fractals and raids._

 

**For Chrono and Mirage what's the "ok enough to be decent even if it's not meta" for doing open world, some dungeons, and some low end fractals?**

 

 

[Ojimaru.8970]

For Chronomancer, there's only one build, i.e. Boon Share and Alacrity support. [Example Build](http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQRAsd8encfC9filfCGoBMrhFVj6MIGiprOZn2qlMAGhiD-jhSBQB4RrwEfCAA4kAQJ1VuiSvDqSxFVGwv9HunuAzoEkUAeNGA-e)

 

For Mirage, I use [this Phantasmal Duelist build](http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQRAna3fnsICNohVoB2LDMMjlVDDdLcGqCldgjTAw/A2AngA-jxhHQBA4kAoRlg0T9HCq8rc7PQO9D16JAQKgFVWB-e). The rotation is easy and low maintenance, so you're more likely to have a stable DPS.

 

If you want to go Power DPS, you can opt for core Mesmer build [something along these lines](http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQRAsc8dnsIClohVoBeoBMrhFVDiMAjo4odJNXpsDlYAA-jxRBQB4R/AM3f4BnEAA8EAMjSQKp+zVU+RGA9xA-e)

[Esplen.3940]

> @Kichwas.7152 said:

> **For Chrono and Mirage what's the "ok enough to be decent even if it's not meta" for doing open world, some dungeons, and some low end fractals?**

 

Yes, although it'd be good to have some boon duration for dungeons and low end fractals. It's painfully obvious when a Chrono doesn't have high boon duration and makes things take longer, although for low end fractals and dungeons things can die really quickly if your group is experienced, so it counteracts itself (and the required uptime is fairly low for speedruns).

[Makai.3429]

From a similar post, here is what I run in open world PvE as a Power Chrono. It combines on demand damage effects to reduce the need for phantasms, along with interrupts to help prevent damage and maintain Scholar's uptime. Utilities are at your discretion, depending on the circumstances.

 

> @Makai.3429 said:

> [This is something I've been messing around with](http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhEQRAsd8ensIClohtfC+fCEgiFVjiMAGhdqOZn2qtsDKhBA-jxRBQBXZ/R53CPIAA4JAQJ1fwj+HzoE8BnAAA-ev "This is something I've been messing around with") in open world since Ember Bay or so, and increases to our damage throughout the last year have made it a lot better. The idea is to reduce the amount of time on summoning, and frontload your damage through Tides of Time (plus Sigil of Draining), Power Block, and Superiority Complex. I often swap the utilities/traits when needed (Furious Interruption in place of Blurred Inscriptions; Mantra of Distraction when facing multiple groups), but this is a general foundation. The new Sigil of Severance (bonus precision and ferocity on interrupt) looks to be a promising alternative to Draining, though I have yet to find one in PoF.

>

> Pull enemies into a nice cluster with Temporal Curtain, stun them with Tides of Time (triggering Superiority Complex), unleash a Mantra of Pain while enemies are stunned for added vulnerability (plus extra damage from Domination), immobilize them with iLeap/Swap, then Blurred Frenzy plus Mind Wrack. If your foes are still alive (they'll certainly be under 50 percent health to enable Superiority Complex again), you can mop them up with utilities like Mantra of Pain, wells, etc. If you have PoF, you can also use the springer's cannonball to knockdown enemies that are already tightly grouped.

 

[Agent Noun.7350]

> @Kichwas.7152 said:

> **For Chrono and Mirage what's the "ok enough to be decent even if it's not meta" for doing open world, some dungeons, and some low end fractals?**

 

For open world on Chronomancer, I use a Power build (I run full Berserker, though full Marauder would be more survivable for open world) with sword/shield or sword/sword and greatsword. Greatsword isn't an amazing DPS weapon, but for open world, it's great to have a ranged option, and that's our best one on a Power build. Take Improved Alacrity and Chronophantasma and shatter like crazy to burst enemies down. It's a lot of fun, easy to survive with, and does respectable damage for an open world setup.

 

For low-tier fractals and dungeons, try to get at least some boon duration and try to provide quickness for your group. In low-tier fractals it's something your group isn't going to demand as much as they would in high-tier fractals, but they'll still be appreciative. Chronomancer is the strongest support spec in the game so people will love having you around giving them boons and alacrity.

 

For Mirage, condition damage is likely going to be your strongest option in both open world and fractals. I'd suggest Viper's gear. For open world, axe/torch and scepter/pistol are good weapon sets. Focus mostly on your axe set and shatter a lot for confusion and torment--scepter is just there if you need to get some range. For fractals, drop the scepter and stay mostly on axe/pistol. Summon pistol phantasms and let them stack bleeding and you'll do pretty respectable DPS.

[Kichwas.7152]

With my limited budget, and that I have no access to Commander, Sinister, or any other recipes that require completing HoT... I've put this together as a starter build:

 

Chronomancer: (boosted toon, thus one piece of soldier's gear in there) http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhUQRAse8dncfClfi9fCGoBUrhFcj6cGehbruVv1ctMASgfB-jhDBABusBQK6HUwMQSK9OSZQAPtABXfQClgAcCF2RdlHMBxjKFqohhBTPAA-e

- My aim here is decent damage and some built in mitigation because I can't "dodge the entire universe" like some folks seem to think they can. So far I've only tested this build in 'Tangled Depths', "Auric Basin", "Edge of the Mists", and 3 dungeons (Ascalaon P1, and CoF p1/2).

 

Mirage: I'm still working on this one even though it's my original Mesmer. I've only unlocked the first 3 things. All her gear is berserker with mesmer rune armor (but knights chest and legs), the axe you get for free, and rampager accessories. This is a character I made on early access day in 2013, played for a while here and there, but never focused on...

 

 

[Esplen.3940]

You don't need access to Commander or other HoT recipes. As long as you have HoT, you can stat select it off of ascended boxes/gear pieces.

 

Also there's a budget chrono build (prices and items may vary due to time and changes): [that you can run](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOeRhzoSKsk).

[Kichwas.7152]

> @Esplen.3940 said:

> You don't need access to Commander or other HoT recipes. As long as you have HoT, you can stat select it off of ascended boxes/gear pieces.

>

> Also there's a budget chrono build (prices and items may vary due to time and changes): [that you can run](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOeRhzoSKsk).

 

Waiting on drops seems like I might manage to get the gear just in time for the next expansion though. Outside of crafting getting lucky to actually see exotic gear drop could be a matter of years.

 

I've never seen an ascended box. Will have to look into where those come from.

 

I'm looking at maybe grinding WvW to get the ability to craft commander.

 

Checking your build out as well.

 

[Esplen.3940]

It's a lot more expensive to craft Commander than it is to buy it. You can buy it with Raid tokens, Fractal tokens, WvW tokens, and PvP tokens. It costs roughly the same as a standard Ascended piece but you don't have to buy the expensive bits (or recipes).

[Kichwas.7152]

Here's what I ended up with for the Mirage Mesmer:

 

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhMQRAnf7dnELDFMjVLDmLDMMjlZDDdJETOO+1v+3AsMAUbSGA-jREBQBpQXwFOQBMw0nTWfIAPBAAcSAmmKKmzMQSU6xCtO3cDAcoKgFVG4D1AqgSQDqSwPUhAA-e

 

No Ascended gear. My Fractal rank is 9 I think, and I have only 117 laurels. So that kind of gear is years off for me unless there is some fast way to get it.

 

Slightly limited budget - it took half of my total gold to put this gear together... and that was with me already having some of the pieces and using dungeon tokens for parts...