Build:Mirage - Axe Mirage

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Focused on: Condition damage

Designed for: Open World, Open World General and [[|]]

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

TBD

Overview

A condition based Mirage open world build that focuses on Confusion and Torment. This build has relatively high base DPS that can be amplified further if fighting enemies that attack quickly. It is simple to pick up but very hard to master.

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Skill Bar

Axe/Torch

X/Pistol

Utility

Weapon Variants

• Staff - Long range kiting
• Focus - Utility offhand; allows you to group mobs.

Skill Variants

Healing Skills

• False Oasis - additional mirage cloaks

Utility Skills

• Illusionary Ambush - This skill is critical when chain-farming mobs, such as at the Kourna Battlefield or Bitterfrost Frontier. Use it to prevent your clones from constantly resetting.
• Sand Through Glass - Strong damage option
• Crystal Sands - more DPS and mirage cloaks.
• Mantra of Resolve - if conditions are a problem.
• Feedback - to reflect projectiles.
• Portal Entre - can be useful, especially when zerging.

Equipment

This set uses the same gear as Build:Mirage - Condi DPS, making it a good option for general PVE.

Head
Viper

Shoulders
Viper

Chest
Viper

Hands
Viper

Legs
Viper

Feet
Viper

Backpiece
Viper

Accessory
Viper

Accessory
Viper

Amulet
Viper

Ring
Viper

Ring
Viper

Axe
Viper

Torch
Viper

Sigil

Sigil

Pistol
Viper

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x13

Infusion
x5

• With 13 expertise infusions and condition damage food, this build reches 99,87% condition duration.
  • Infusions are not required for open world. Simply use expertise food like to reach 97,53% condition duration
  • Note that you also need Regeneration for Chaotic Persistence, but this build has permanent regeneration thanks to Renewing Oasis.

Variant Equipment

It is never recommended to replace either of your sigils.

Weapons

• Staff/Staff - You can run two staves, both with Sigil of Superior Sigil of Energy and Sigil of Superior Sigil of Bursting for better kiting potential. For more information on this, see Build:Mirage_-_Condi_Staff

Gear

• Trailblazer - trades some damage for a massive amount of defense
• Celestial - trades damage for defense, retains some strike-base burst compared to Trailblazer

Runes

• Rune of Superior Rune of the Trapper - use 5 of these + 1 Black Diamond as a budget replacement for Nightmare
• Rune of Superior Rune of the Elementalist - higher strike damage, lower peak DPS
• Rune of Superior Rune of the Adventurer - fun hybrid option

Consumables

Food

• Any ascended food is superior to any other food you could use. Steak for power, flatbread for conditions. Budget versions of these foods exist and are acceptable.
• - farming
• or - DPS
• - budget DPS
• - defense

Utility

• (and variants) - farming
• , - dps
• - dps if using gear with high toughness

Usage

Damage

This build deals damage mainly through Torment, with some Confusion and Bleeding as well. A significant percentage of its damage comes from having clones alive not only because their auto attacks apply conditions just like the mirage's, but also because thanks to Infinite Horizon they will use ambush skills whenever the mirage does. Strive to having 3 clones up during fights. Deceptive Evasion is the main source of clones, but Lingering Thoughts and phantasms (which become clones after attacking) also help. Use your phantasms off cooldown.

After creating 3 clones, start weaving the ambush attack Imaginary Axes in between the other skills. It will not interrupt the auto attack chain unless used inside the enemy's hitbox, as this ancient bug yet remains to be fixed. Ideally, you will use Imaginary Axes after every full auto attack chain. Ambush attacks can only be cast inside Mirage Cloak, which is gained when dodging or walking into a Mirage Mirror. Weaponswap whenever your endurance is below 50% to trigger Sigil of Superior Sigil of Energy.

Use your shatter Cry of Frustration to inflict large amounts of damage through Confusion, but quickly rebuild your 3 clones afterwards. Mind Wrack can also be used for damage, particularly if the enemy is about to die. As for Diversion and Distortion, save them for whenever you need their effects. Alternatively, if you don't need their utility, you can greed damage by using them after your F2 or F1 to trigger Nomad's Endurance and some boons through Bountiful Disillusionment.

Notes and tips

• Be careful with Axes of Symmetry. If you dodge while the strike is happening, you will interrupt your clones who will be forced to cast the ambush skill, and they will not inflict confusion from Axes of Symmetry.
• Lingering Thoughts is a whirl finisher. It can be used inside etheral fields (such as from Method of Madness should you use that trait) to inflict a little bit more of confusion.
• You can dodge and enter Mirage Cloak whenever you want. Even while doing an attack, or while gathering, or reviving an enemy. The same applies to Distortion.
• The final strike of your autoa ttack chain, Mirror Strikes, does a lot more damage than the previous 2 attacks. Try to not interrupt your auto attack chain.
• Signet of Midnight and Signet of Domination are taken for their passive effects. You should only use their active effects on emergencies.

Defense

• Use Jaunt to cleanse conditions.
• Abuse your Sigil of Superior Sigil of Energy or Sigil of Superior Sigil of Stamina for frequent dodges.
• Sand Through Glass - can provide a strong stunbreak.
• You dodge often so use that to your advantage. Your dodges are: Axes of Symmetry, Sand Through Glass, Distortion, going through your Mirage Mirror, and of course your default evade skill.
• A good alternative to evade attacks is to teleport out of it by using Jaunt or Axes of Symmetry.

Crowd Control

• Interrupts: Chaos Storm, Magic Bullet
• Diversion
• Magic Bullet
• Phantasmal Mage
• Signet of Domination (as a last resort)