Build:Mirage - Axe Mirage

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

Focused on: Condition damage

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

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

TBD

This build was last updated on April 02, 2023 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

A condition based Mirage open world build that focuses on Confusion and Torment. Although staff-staff mirage is undoubtedly the best mirage build for open world, axe mirage can potentially do more damage when played in groups providing essential boons.

Axe mirage is very elusive, perhaps even disorienting, and complex, requiring a great deal of learning before it can start to shine.

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Skill Bar

Axe/Torch

X/Pistol

Utility

Weapon Variants

• Focus - Utility offhand; allows you to group mobs.

Skill Variants

Healing Skills

• False Oasis - additional mirage cloaks

Utility Skills

Signet of Midnight and Signet of Domination provide the highest damage through their passive effects (you almost never activate them). But they're quite boring and other options can be considered at the expense of damage. Crystal Sands is great for damage but can also be changed if desired.

• Illusionary Ambush - easier to use than Crystal Sands, but less damage overall. It also retargets your clones, although this generally isn't that useful as this build has high clone generation.
• Sand Through Glass - defensive alternative to Crystal Sands
• Mantra of Resolve - if conditions are a problem.
• Feedback - to reflect projectiles.
• Portal Entre - can be useful with coordinated groups.

Specializations

• When fighting bosses or other though enemies where you don't need to be spamming clones so often, you can change your Duelling traits to Blinding Dissipation + Ineptitude for more damage.

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.

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

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

Mirage Cloak

Mirage Cloak is the profession mechanic of the mirage. Whenever you dodge or pick up a Mirage Mirror, you enter Mirage Cloak for 0,75 seconds, dodging incoming attacks. You also gain access to Ambush skills for 1,5 seconds, which replace your first weapon skill. Mirage Cloak does not have a cast time, allowing mirages to dodge at any time, such as when casting a skill, when reviving someone, or even during the effects of crowd control.

Clone generation

• Phantasms become clones after attacking, so Phantasmal Duelist and Phantasmal Mage will each summon 1 clone.
• Lingering Thoughts summons 1 clone when used in melee range, but be mindful of the forced movement, don't charge into enemy AoEs.
• Dodging while in combat will summon 1 clone at your location that attacks the nearest target due to Deceptive Evasion, and it will immediately use its Ambush skill due to Infinite Horizon.
• Since your clones are very important in this build, you can time your dodges to make your clones dodge dangerous attacks thanks to Infinite Horizon. This trait also stunbreaks your clones when you dodge.

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 their Ambush skills whenever the mirage does, with axe that would be Imaginary Axes. 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

• Note that the additional axe from Mirrored Axes is also triggered with your final auto attack Mirror Strikes, which also inflicts a large duration of Bleeding and Torment. That's why it's so important to try to not interrupt your auto attack chain.
• Be careful with Axes of Symmetry. Due to Infinite Horizon, if you dodge while the strike of Axes of Symmetry 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 ethereal fields (such as from Method of Madness should you use that trait) to inflict a little bit more confusion.
• You can dodge and enter Mirage Cloak whenever you want. Even while attacking, or while gathering, or reviving an enemy, or while under the effects of crowd control. The same applies to Distortion.
• 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

• Magic Bullet
• Diversion
• Phantasmal Mage
• Signet of Domination (as a last resort)