Mirage - Power Shatter

The community gave this build a rating, making it second-tier: Good

Focused on: Strike damage, Mobility and Control

Designed for: PvP Conquest

Difficulty:

Hard

This build was last updated on May 31, 2024 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

An interrupt/shutdown focused PvP Power Mirage shatter build with exceptional burst and mobility, made to +1 fights and gank targets.

Skill Bar

Greatsword

Sword/Torch

Utility

Skill Variants

Utility

Mantra of Distraction can be replaced if you feel like you need more sustain:

• Signet of Midnight - stealth access and stun break.

• Illusionary Ambush - evasion and repositioning. Could also help you chase and burst targets, it's not purely a defensive pick.

• Sand Through Glass - low CD stun break + evasion, also gives you an opportunity to immediately counterpressure targets by granting you Mirage Cloak.

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Equipment

Greatsword

Sigil

Sigil

Sword

Torch

Sigil

Sigil

Rune

Amulet

Relic

Usage

Elite specialization basics

• Dodge rolling is replaced by Mirage Cloak, which is more or less the same thing but allows you to cast skills and grants access to ambush attacks for its duration: Mirage Thrust for Sword and Split Surge for Greatsword. Ambush skills replace the autoattack of the weapons for 1.5 seconds and can only be used once per Mirage Cloak activation.

• You can dodge while casting skill and performing actions like rezing or stomping, but not while CC'd.

General

• Interrupts are the most dangerous part of this build, they deal damage and send inerrupted skills in a 15s CD. A good Power Mirage won't let enemies use their healing skills even if they survive a burst.

• Shattered Concentration can be used to strip important boons such as Stability or Protection off targets before or during bursts. Cry of Frustration will primarily be used for this, but also works as a substitute for Mind Wrack in your burst rotation when that's on cooldown. CoF deals much less damage than MW does, but it's better than nothing especially for finishing low HP enemies.

• Power Lock is the best interrupt in the build because it's an instant ranged CC - if another CC can get the job done, use that and don't waste mantra charges.
  • Recharging Mantra of Distraction reduces the recharge of Diversion, encouraging you to use Diversion before you'd run out of mantra charges and had to recharge it.

• There are several tools for stomping downed enemies including mirage cloak, stealth, and distortion.

• Ambush attacks on the two weapons fill different roles:
  • Mirage Thrust provides excellent mobility both in and out of combat, but what truly makes it powerful are the trait synergies. The daze works with a bunch of traits on Domination, most notably Power Block which increases its damage significantly. Aside from doing damage or denying them healing for 15 seconds upon a successful interrupt of a healing skill, Mirage Thrust can also be used defensively for the Weakness. An example: if you're being focused and have to dodge, not only will you avoid incoming damage, but also summon a clone via Deceptive Evasion, make that clone do its ambush attack through Infinite Horizon, and now this clone can interrupt your enemy whilst triggering Power Block for the Weakness potentially ruining their entire burst.
  • Split Surge is more of a filler. Good for ranged poking and setting up burst through Vulnerability and Might stacking.

Sword/Torch

• A defensive set that can be used for mobility both in and out of combat.

• Use the Sword ambush skill, Mirage Thrust for mobility. Wait out the movement speed increase before executing the ambush skill in order to maximize distance traveled. You can also use this skill for a minor burst combo: Mirage Thrust ⇒ Jaunt ⇒ shatter.

• Blurred Frenzy is mainly used as a defensive skill with a Distortion-like effect, but also offers decent cleave damage if the target has enough Vulnerability stacks.

• The Prestige is a relatively powerful defensive skills because of the stealth and condition cleanse.

Optimal burst combo

Keep in mind that this is pretty much the perfect scenario, you'll often have to resort to shorter versions of this combo based on which parts are not on CD and whether the target has Stability or not.

Try to execute it as fast as you can, ideally all the damage should land within a ~1 second window. May take some practice to get it right.

1. The Prestige can be used for the Stealth and a bit of added damage - if you do this, then wait until the Stealth almost runs out before proceeding with the rest of the burst.
2. Optional - dodge while doing your burst combo to avoid getting interrupted.
3. Pre-cast Mirror Blade, preferably in melee range in order to reduce the travel distance of the projectile and make the bounces go off faster and with better accuracy. Also to gain some extra Might stacks. This skill spawns a clone on the first hit.
4. Daze your target with Power Lock (Mantra skill) if possible, shortly before Mirror Blade hits the target.
5. Optional - Jaunt at your target for a bit of extra damage and a clone from Self-Deception, or to get rid of Aegis if the target has it.
6. Mind Wrack to shatter the clones. More damage in melee range because the caster too counts as a clone for shatter skills.
7. Mind Stab for some extra damage.
8. Optional - Phantasmal Berserker can be used right before or after the burst.
9. Optional - Use a CC after the burst such as Illusionary Wave if the target isn't dead and tries to heal up.

Without any of the optional steps, just for clarity:

1. Mirror Blade
2. Power Lock (technically "before" Mirror Blade, as you need to use it right before the projectile hits)
3. Mind Wrack
4. Mind Stab

Related Builds

• Mirage - Shatter Mirage - WvW roaming version of the build.