Virtuoso - Power GS Signet Virtuoso

This is a test build. You may comment and rate it.

Focused on: Direct damage and Control

Designed for: PvP Conquest

Overview

A PvP Virtuoso power shatter build which combines Virtuoso's inherent sustain with Inspiration and its signets into a GS build that's more durable than its other Mesmer counterparts. Primarily created to roam the map and +1 fights.

Skill Bar

Greatsword

Sword/Pistol

Utility

Skill Variants

Utility

• over - makes the build more forgiving to play but costs us some synergy, which in turn makes the inactivity bonus harder to utilize.

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Equipment

Greatsword

Sigil

Sigil

Sword

Pistol

Sigil

Sigil

Rune

Amulet

Sigils

• over

Usage

Elite specialization basics

• Shatters are replaced by Bladesongs (we're still going to refer to these as shatters).

• Instead of generating clones in combat you now stack Blades and Blades persist even after combat. The maximum count is 5 instead of 3.

• Bladesongs are a bit more clunky than regular shatters. They require you to face the target to activate and have a cast time, therefore cannot be used defensively while stunned.

General

• is a very simple yet versatile skill allowing you to chase enemies, retreat to the safety of the highghround, break stuns, or get around the map faster.

• is perhaps the most versatile skill in the build. While the passive is nice, its best part is the active - refreshing shatters is useful in just about any situation whether you need burst damage, CC or even the sustain of F4-5. Activating the signet itself also grants 1 second of via .

• adds a significant amount of group utility to the build by creating an anti-projectile bubble whenever you start reviving an ally while also improving your rez speed a little.

Sustain

• For Virtuoso the best defense is a good offense. Bladesongs/Shatters are crucial for sustain.

• Shatter skills grant Aegis from while blocking an attack procs and , applying boons and generating 3 Blades. This is the important part.

• Stocking a Blade heals you from the passive of , while using a shatter skills heals you from and even removes a condition.

• Try not to use the active of unless you're in serious trouble (or need to squeeze out more burst damage from Phantasms to get a kill) as the passive is way too valuable.

• Every Signet skill grants . is your panic button: break stuns, applies Stealth + and cleanses 5 conditions thanks to . SoM is the only mass condition cleanse in the build, keep that in mind when facing condition specs. Correcting mistakes or recovering from bursts becomes harder while this is on CD.

• is a short CD block, feel free to use it whenever you're pressured before resorting to bigger CDs.
  • This skill does damage not only while channeling but even a few seconds after the skill has finished. Bladeturn Requiem could bring you out of Stealth when used in melee range of an enemy, which is a major downside for a defensive skill.

• If taken is your time out, protecting you from both direct damage and condition burst while also stocking Blades (and that has further synergy with the Signet heal).

• The build has plenty of ways to deal with conditions:
  • Weapon swapping removes a condition via .
  • is your mass cleanse, removing a total of 5 conditions with .
  • removes another one when you use your healing skill.
  • cleanses whenever you shatter.

• Sword's can be used to avoid damage, it's essentially a weaker version of that roots you in place but has a lower CD. With proper timing this could save you even from unblockable burst chains without having to blow bigger CDs.

Damage

• is your primary burst skill, try to use it with as many Blades stocked as possible.

• and are the traits that fuel your burst combos. You stock 3 blades and gain powerful boons for a short period of time after dodging or blocking an attack - you should use this window to counterpressure targets with shatters and hard hitting skills.

• The easiest way to hit 5 Blades is to wait for the 2 s summoned by GS skill #4 to expire and then follow up with a shatter.

• is more of a filler shatter but can still do respectable damage while also ripping boons from the target via .

• is best used in melee range where the bounces give you Might and their travel time is minimal (and if no allies are in melee the blade might not bounce at all).

• is the best setup skill in the build, the stun lasts long enough to pull off a shatter + GS combo.

• The main burst skills on Sword/Pistol are and .

• Sometimes you might want to consider using offensively: this could instantly cleanse Weakness and Blind from you while providing a small window of invulnerability which allows you to facetank enemy burst and counterpressure them freely. The brief Stealth could even make it harder for enemies to avoid your attacks.
  • It's a risky move unless you can secure a kill or have a backup or ready in case you get focused.