Zimme's Mesmer build for WvW

You guys had seen my insane mesmer that charging in and out the battlefield causing confusion . Well, here's the build that I would wish to share with you guys.

The Strength:
- High burst damage able to pick off weaker targets.
- Critcal Chance of ~50%, Critical Damage of ~70%
- High survivability in crowd.
- Ability to dodge often, break stun, stealth.
- Ability to finish enemies easily with stealth and distortion (invulnerable).
- Ability to spawn illusions all the time.
- Ability to crowd control with 2 AoE CC skill (push and pull).
- Ability to have swiftness all the time traveling in wvw.

The Weakness:
- Squishy when soloing larger group of enemies.
- Very weak against enemy AoE as it kills all illusion easily making you vulnerable to attacks.
- Immobalize is dangerous as it stop you from dodging.

Weapon choice: Greatsword and Sword/focus (yes i go melee 40% of the time).

Traits:
10/20/15/15/10 (yup, no 30 here)
Domination 10:
III. Illusion cause 15% more damage because they are the main dmg source for mesmer.
Minor traits: cause vulnerability when interrupt foes, works with greatsword skill5 aoe push and focus skill4 aoe pull.

Dueling 20:
II. Phantasm have fury cause more critical.
X. Dodging creates a clone.
Minor traits: Vigor when you critical, almost having vigor all the time, able to keep dodging which create illusion. Illusion inflict bleeding on crit.

Chaos 15:
IV. Reduce 3% damage for each illusion active.
Minor traits: 10sec regeneration when health reaches 75%. Gain protection when you gain regeneration, both of these work well together.

Inspiration 15:
VI. Move faster for each active illusion.
Minor traits: Grants retaliation to phantasm. Phantasms grant regeneration to nearby allies, with makes you gain protection with minor trait above.

Illusions 10:
III. 3% more damage for each active illusions.
Minor trait: Illusion summoning skill recharge 20% faster (i think any mesmer build should have this trait.)

Basically you get a lot of benefits when you have all 3 illusions active, u get 9% dmg reduction, 9% more dmg, you move faster, you have vigor, regen, protection.
You create illusions easily with skills (faster recharge) and dodging.
Your phantasm have fury, crit more and 15% more dmg, good damage output.
i rarely use Shatter skills because i need more illusions active to be stronger.

Weapon skill and combat flow: why greatsword and sword/focus?
Greatsword:
skill 1 spatial surge, cool laser beam, further the distance, higher the damage. good at wall fights.
skill 2 mirrow blade, cause vulnerablity and you gain might, spawn a clone next to target to scare them.
skill 3 mind stab, remove a boon if they have boon up.
skill 4 illusionary berserker, good burst of aoe damage and cripples enemies.
skill 5 illusionary wave, AoE push stop enemy finishing downed allies, stop enemy rezz enemy, push enemy to death

Sword:
skill 1 mind slash, mind gash, mind stab, cause vulnerability and remove 1 boon when chained to 3 hits.
skill 2 blurred frenzy, evade all attacks while swinging madly on enemies.
skill 3 illusionary leap, cast a clone that leap at enemy, crippling them. THEN use Swap, change your position with this clone, AoE immobalize enemies.
Focus:
skill 4 temporal curtain, grants swiftness to allies and cripples enemies that cross the line. THEN use Into the Void, AoE pull nearby enemies to it.
skill 5 phantasmal warden, this phantasm will swing the axe creating a bubble that deflects projectile whille dealing damage.

What I do in combat is usually cast gs skill2 when heading in combat, causing vulnerability and gaining might, immediately use skill4 to deal lots of dmg and crippling enemies. skill3 to remove boon(its aoe but small).
Switch to sword/focus, cast phantasm warden, when the warden is swinging its axe, use skill4 to pull nearby enemies to warden, then skill3 and swap to the enemies there immobalizing all of them, then skill2 blurred frenzy all of them. at this time if phantasm berserker(gs skill4) still alive he will swing back the 3rd time dealing even more dmg to all of those immobalized.
Usually weaker enemies will be downed already. i will use decoy to finish them, or press F4 Distortion, killing all illusions giving me 3sec invulnerable to prevent someone interrupting me finishing them.
If theres enemy running away i will use focus skill4 to pull them back then sword skill3 to cripple/immobalize and skill 2 to blurred frenzy again.
Sometimes i will blink right next to them and switch to sword/focus, sigil of hydromancy will chilled them for 3secs.


Healing Skill: Ether Feast because you will have a lot of illusion active so you heal more.

Utility Skills: there's a few that i use depending on situation. i always have Decoy and Blink ready.
Decoy: Break stun. 3 sec invisibility, creates a illusion, use when you get targeted by enemy. useful to stealth finishes downed enemy.
Blink: Break stun. Teleport to target location. useful to get out of messy battlefield, closing gap when chasing enemy.

Arcane Thievery: Send 3 of your conditions to enemy and steal 3 of their boons. able to weaken guardian when they "save yourself" or enemies that rely on boon to survive.
Null Field: AoE condition removal and enemy boon removal. more defensive, support the tanks and weaken enemies.
Feedback: use when defending tower/keep, reflect projectile which mean not only you prevent your teammates from taking hit, you're damaging enemies at the same time.

Elite Skill:
Time Warp: 10s AoE swiftness, used when attacking camps or tower/keep lord because you want to do fast before enemy reinforcement arrive.
Mass Invisiblity: AoE stealth 5s, good when flanking enemy force, or stealth up to revive downed allies.

Armor:
CoF armor: Power Precision Critical dmg%: For awesome look that fit the fiery madmen style and awesome damage output.
Change the rune to Superior Rune of Centaur for more Power, bleeding duration, swiftness duration and most importantly, Swiftness whenever u cast a healing skill.

Weapons:
CoF Greatsword: Power Precision Critical %: Awesome look and awesome damage boost
Went with superior sigil of fire: fits with the fiery theme and aoe burst damage.

Sword + Focus: Power Precision Critical %
Went with Superior sigil of fire for more aoe damage.
Went with Superior sigil of hydromancy to freeze enemy so you can melee them easily.

Accessories:
Ancient Karka Shell + Power precision Critial %: for nice all rounded stats + damage boost from gems
Berserker Accessories + Power precision critical %: for nice damage boost

I survive using utility skills and hiding behind the illusions, all the armor stats goes to berserker for more damage output.
im a scary mesmer in the battlefield, charging in and out causing mental confusion to enemies and crowd control.
i support the team a lot by removing enemy boons, removing conditions and granting regeneration from phantasm.

Zimme Seer
WvW Warlord of Shimmering Darkness

Very nice guide Zimme. I like it