Build:Chronomancer - Boon Support Power DPS

Part of the current metagame

Our curator decided this build is in the current metagame regardless of rating. The community gave this build a rating, making it top-tier: Great

Focused on: Direct damage, Support and Utility

Designed for: Raids

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

Normal

This build was last updated on November 12, 2023 and is up to date for the March 19, 2024 patch.

Overview

Power Quickness chronomancer provides either permanent Quickness from Seize the Moment or permanent Alacrity from Stretched Time to its subgroup while dealing good DPS. Both variants play the same way, with the major boon you provide changing with the grandmaster trait you select.

This build can also easily tank. If the aggro is toughness based, simply equip some toughness. The amount needed will depend on the encounter and you and your squad's performance and skill. Nevertheless, it is often better for a healer to tank.

As with all mesmer builds, it has access to plentiful utility should it be required, such as Feedback, Blink, or Portal Entre.

Skill Bar

Dagger/Sword

Greatsword

Utility

Weapon Variants

• Sword is the best mainhand weapon for players that don't own Secrets of the Obscure.
• Greatsword is mandatory but offhand Sword can be replaced by a Shield for tanking and extra boons, or Focus if you need Temporal Curtain to pull adds into the boss.

Skill Variants

Utility

You can easily replace Mantra of Pain. If needed, you can also replaced Well of Action and lastly Well of Calamity, but this comes at a dps loss.

• Well of Senility does decent CC. Also removes boons if that is needed, though the sword auto attack Mind Spike can often cover that.
• Feedback provides a long-duration reflect.
• Well of Precognition provides aegis to your subgroup, useful for fights like Deimos CM.
• Mantra of Concentration provides Stability to your group.
• Mantra of Distraction for encounters that require heavy CC.
• Signet of Domination offers more CC than Mantra of Distraction but on a longer cooldown, which may be more suitable for some encounters.
• Portal Entre if you need a portal.
• Mimic allows you to get a second use out of a key skill if you'll need it more often than the cooldown. Often used together with Portal Entre.

Elite

• Gravity Well should be used for maximum DPS, and provides a hefty amount of CC.
• Signet of Humility bigger and faster CC than Gravity Well but no damage.

Template Code

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Note that the Grandmaster trait has not been selected

Specializations

Quickness variant

Use Seize the Moment.

Alacrity variant

Use Stretched Time.

Trait Variants

• Delayed Reactions - provides some extra soft CC on shatter at an extremely minor DPS loss.

Specialization Variants

Sometimes, utility is more important than damage. The Inspiration traitline massively lowers your damage but is very rarely taken for the Aegis of Inspiring Distortion if Well of Precognition would not be enough, or if the cooldown of Distortion is too long to deal with some mechanic so you complement it with Blurred Inscriptions, for example if tanking Vale Guardian. Replaces Dueling.

• If the feedback from Medic's Feedback might cause problems (such as in Cairn), then you can swap it out for Restorative Mantras or Sympathetic Visage depending on whether healing or condition cleansing is more useful.
• If using a focus, then Warden's Feedback is very nice, assuming the reflects won't be an issue.
• For Blurred Inscriptions you can consider Signet of Inspiration to help your subgroup with boon uptime, or Signet of Midnight for its instant cast.

Equipment

Head
Assassin

Shoulders
Assassin

Chest
Assassin

Hands
Assassin

Legs
Assassin

Feet
Assassin

Backpiece
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Amulet
Assassin

Ring
Berserker

Ring
Assassin

Dagger
Berserker

Sword
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Greatsword
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x18

Relic

• Relic of Fireworks is slightly higher damage, but means you have to use Illusionary Wave to maintain the Fireworks buff.
• You don't need any boon duration to maintain large amounts of Quickness or Alacrity. On the rare case you struggle with uptime, replace Sigil of Superior Sigil of Impact with Sigil of Superior Sigil of Concentration
• This setup has 2400 precision before food, requiring food to reach 100% critical chance.

Consumables

Food

• or ascended alternatives

Utility

• • for a cheaper alternative

Usage

Dagger Rotation

Opening Continuum Split

Start on Dagger

1. Unstable Bladestorm
2. Phantasmal Swordsman
3. Bladecall
4. Weapon Swap
5. Mirror Blade
6. Phantasmal Berserker, and Continuum Split during the cast
7. Well of Calamity
8. Well of Action
9. Signet of the Ether
10. Phantasmal Berserker
11. Mind Stab and Split Second
12. Mirror Blade and Rewinder
13. Gravity Well and Continuum Split ends
14. Phantasmal Berserker
15. Well of Calamity
16. Well of Action
17. Signet of the Ether
18. Phantasmal Berserker
19. Mirror Blade
20. Mind Stab
21. Weapon Swap

Dagger Loop

1. Phantasmal Swordsman + Shatter
2. Bladecall
3. Unstable Bladestorm
4. Autoattack and use Bladecall when it comes off cooldown, Shatter when you reach 3 clones
5. Autoattack until Bladecall is available again
6. Bladecall
7. Phantasmal Swordsman
8. Unstable Bladestorm
9. Weapon Swap

Greatsword Loop

1. Phantasmal Berserker and Shatter (can delay the shatter until after Mirror Blade if you're not at 3 clones)
2. Mirror Blade
3. Mind Stab
4. Autoattack, use Mirror Blade when it comes off cooldown, and Shatter when you reach 3 clones
5. Illusionary Wave just before Mind Stab comes off cooldown, to trigger the Fireworks relic (if using)
6. Mind Stab
7. Phantasmal Berserker
8. Signet of the Ether
9. Phantasmal Berserker
10. Mirror Blade
11. Weapon Swap
12. Return to start of loop

• Fill the gaps with auto attacks.
• Use Mantra of Pain, Well of Calamity, and Well of Action off cooldown.
• With Mantra of Pain, use the last charge just before the end of a phase and recharge it near the start of the next one to provide some Might to your subgroup.
• Use a shatter whenever you reach three clones
  • Try to use Split Second off cooldown, so save clones for it if necessary
  • Save Time Sink or Distortion for cc or defense.
• Every third dagger autoattack triggers a Cutter Burst, so try to do this before swapping to greatsword

Second Continuum Split

When Continuum Split is almost off cooldown, skip the Signet of the Ether at the end of the greatsword section and when you swap to dagger, do:

1. Bladecall
2. Phantasmal Swordsman, and Continuum Split during the cast
3. Unstable Bladestorm
4. Signet of the Ether
5. Phantasmal Swordsman
6. Well of Calamity
7. Well of Action
8. Split Second and Rewinder for free Quickness
9. Continuum Shift
10. Phantasmal Swordsman
11. Well of Calamity
12. Well of Action
13. Signet of the Ether
14. Phantasmal Swordsman
15. Unstable Bladestorm
16. Bladecall
17. Weapon Swap

• From this point, you now use Signet of the Ether at the end of the Dagger Loop rather than the greatsword loop.
  • Everything else about the loop remains the same.

Video example

Sword Rotation

Opening Continuum Split

Start on Greatsword

1. Phantasmal Berserker
2. Mind Stab
3. Mirror Blade
4. Weapon Swap
5. Illusionary Leap - optional, if you're feeling less confident about your speed and want more time in Continuum Split
6. Phantasmal Swordsman, and Continuum Split during the cast
7. Well of Calamity
8. Well of Action
9. Gravity Well and Split Second plus Rewinder
10. Blurred Frenzy and Continuum Split ends
11. Phantasmal Swordsman
12. Well of Calamity
13. Well of Action
14. Autoattack until Blurred Frenzy is off cooldown
15. Blurred Frenzy
16. Weapon Swap

Greatsword Loop

The loop is very simple. In the greatsword set, you will use Phantasmal Berserker 3 times thanks to Signet of the Ether. You use Phantasmal Swordsman at the start and end of the sword loop.

If you need a full breakdown, this is the full loop:

1. Phantasmal Berserker
2. Signet of the Ether
3. Phantasmal Berserker
4. Mirror Blade
5. Mind Stab
6. Split Second when you have 3 clones
7. Autoattack, use Mirror Blade when it comes off cooldown, and use Rewinder when you reach 3 clones
8. Mind Stab
9. Phantasmal Berserker
10. Mirror Blade
11. Weapon Swap

Sword Loop

1. Phantasmal Swordsman
2. Blurred Frenzy
3. Autoattack (making sure to finish your auto chains), and use Split Second when you have 3 clones
4. Blurred Frenzy
5. Phantasmal Swordsman
6. Weapon Swap
7. Return to start of loop

• Fill the gaps with auto attacks.
• Use Mantra of Pain, Well of Calamity, and Well of Action off cooldown.
• With Mantra of Pain, use the last charge just before the end of a phase and recharge it near the start of the next one to provide some Might to your subgroup.
• Use a shatter whenever you reach three clones
  • Try to use Split Second off cooldown, so save clones for it if necessary
  • Save Time Sink or Distortion for cc or defense.

Second Continuum Split

When Continuum Split is almost off cooldown, prepare 3 clones to use it on greatsword. You want to use Phantasmal Berserker twice thanks to Signet of the Ether and all your wells:

1. Weapon Swap to greatsword
2. Mirror Blade if not at 3 clones
3. Phantasmal Berserker, and Continuum Split during the cast
4. Well of Calamity and Well of Action
5. Signet of the Ether
6. Phantasmal Berserker
7. Mind Stab
8. Mirror Blade
9. Split Second and Rewinder for free Quickness
10. Continuum Shift
11. Phantasmal Berserker
12. Signet of the Ether
13. Phantasmal Berserker
14. Use all remaining weapon and utility skills then Weapon Swap

• From this point, you now use Signet of the Ether at the end of the Greatsword Loop rather than the beginning.
  • Everything else about the loop remains the same.

Video example

Notes

• Sword is the default weapon because it deals the most damage. But focus is still very good with Temporal Curtain ⇒ Into the Void to pull adds onto the boss.
• Blurred Frenzy and Illusionary Riposte can be used to avoid incoming damage with less of a DPS loss than dodging.

Clone Sources

The following skills summons clones

• Illusionary Leap summons a clone on your target.
• Illusionary Riposte summons a clone on your target if you successfully block.
• Mirror Blade summons a clone on your target when the projectile hits.

The following skills summon phantasms than later become clones

• Phantasmal Berserker summons 2 phantasms that later become 2 clones.
• Phantasmal Swordsman summons a phantasm that later becomes a clone.

Shatter Usage

• Split Second is your primary shatter and does by far the most damage. As you practice this build, you will always have 3 clones ready for it, so you're going to be using if off cooldown.
• Rewinder should only be cast in the greatsword set shortly after Split Second, because the greatsword loop rotation generates enough clones to have 3 ready for the next Split Second.
• Time Sink should be saved for emergencies to provide CC.
• Neither of your shatters line up perfectly in your loop, so they will drift, but you should be using Split Second at least once on each weapon set.

Crowd Control

• Time Sink - daze.
• Tides of Time - stun (shield only)
• Temporal Curtain ⇒ Into the Void - pull (focus only)
• Illusionary Riposte ⇒ Counterblade - daze.
• Illusionary Wave - Knockback.

If you need more CC remember you can take Signet of Humility, or Mantra of Distraction, or Signet of Domination.

Encounter Specific Tips

Spirit Vale

Vale Guardian

• If tanking, consider taking extra toughness as the boss's autoattacks hit fairly hard.
• Bring Gravity Well for the breakbars.
• Maintain a sword clone in the split phase to help with boon removal.
• If using Focus, Temporal Curtain can help with seeker control.
• Save Blurred Frenzy to evade through blue AOEs while keeping up DPS.
• Save Distortion to negate the damage of a Green in high preasure situations.
  • You can bring Signet of Illusions to immediately refresh your Distortion after a green, allowing you to use it twice per phase.

For more information, see our Vale Guardian Guide.

Ghost events

• With Mimic, Blink and Portal Entre you can quickly move your group through these events.
• Drop Portal Entre at your group's location. When you see a rift appear, Mimic ⇒ Blink and open Portal Exeunt at the rift location. Then Blink to the closest Adrenal Mushroom, and return to your group to repeat for the next rift.
• During the Spirit Run event, you can drop a Portal Entre at the rift immediately after the glide section and Mimic ⇒ Blink ⇒ Blink to the spirit wall. If your group has enough DPS, you can destroy the wall and finish the event before the final two rifts explode.

For more information, see our Spirit Woods Guide.

Gorseval the Multifarious

• Bring Gravity Well for the breakbars.
• You can use Mantra of Concentration, to provide Stability for the slams.
• You can use Illusionary Leap and Swap to immobilize Charged Souls.
• If using Focus, use Temporal Curtain to pull the adds. The pull works best if you place the curtain just behind his hitbox.

For more information, see our Gorseval Guide.

Sabetha the Saboteur

• Bring Time Warp as there is only one breakbar which your teammates can easily cover.
• Use Focus and Temporal Curtain to pull the bandit adds for easier cleaving. You can do this when Sabetha starts her flamewall.
• Be careful of teleporting into flamewalls with Continuum Shift. You might have to abort CS early or delay it to avoid this.
• You might need to abort Continuum Split if you have to throw a bomb.

For more information, see our Sabetha Guide.

Salvation Pass

Slothasor

• Bring Gravity Well for the breakbars.
• Use Temporal Curtain to pull some slublings but always make sure you don't pull your friendly slubling.
• You can use Temporal Curtain without the pull (or delay the pull) to provide more projectile defense.
• If you are using Feedback keep in mind where your group will stand in the next few seconds. When you're about to move don't place it on your current position.
• Distortion can be used to destroy the projectiles from the unblockable shake attack by jumping inside the boss when it shakes like a wet dog.

For more information, see our Slothasor Guide.

Bandit Trio

• Bring Gravity Well for add control.
• Use Focus to pull mobs together.

For more information, see our Bandit Trio Guide.

Matthias Gabrel

• Bring Gravity Well as failing to CC will result in a squad member's death.
• Be careful with your reflects! You should only use Feedback to break Bloodstone Shield. If you reflect his slam attack Matthias will get a damage buff for each projectile you reflected.
  • Also be careful with Tides of Time as this skill will eat the shards needed to break Bloodstone Shield.

For more information, see our Matthias Guide.

Stronghold of the Faithful

Siege the Stronghold (Escort)

• Bring Gravity Well for add control.
• The most popular strat for this encounter is "all up" or "insta cap", where one chronomancer solos the cave, tanks the tower mobs, and uses Portal Entre to taxi the group up to every tower. This lets you effectively have 9 people on both the main path and the towers. If you are filling this role consider running extra toughness to make it easier to survive the tower mobs on your own. See the Heal Chrono page for details.
  • If your group is fast you might need to Mimic your Portal Entre, or ask another mesmer to bring Portal Entre and help you port the 4th tower.
  • If your team is okay with you not giving quickness in order to make sure you can reliably solo the skip part, you can bring Blink and Mass Invisibility.
• Use Focus to pull mobs together.

For more information, see our Siege the Stronghold Guide.

Keep Construct

• Bring Gravity Well for the breakbars.
• Make sure to have Quickness ready for the burn phase.
• You can use Mantra of Concentration to provide Stability for the Tower Drop.
• Use Temporal Curtain to help pull the core through the rifts. Coordinate with other players on who is going to pull and when.

For more information, see our Keep Construct Guide.

Xera

• If tanking, consider running extra toughness as there is a lot of random damage on this fight and your healer will have their hands full.
• Bring Gravity Well for the breakbars.
• Well of Eternity can be useful for condition cleanse and Rune of Superior Rune of the Scholar uptime.
• Use your Temporal Curtain to pull adds into the boss.
• You can use Temporal Curtain to pull orbs. Make sure to pull the last orb to make sure you're not pulling more than one orb.
• If you're tanking, make sure to keep Xera facing away from your group as her Blurred Frenzy will deal massive damage to your DPS. You can use Blurred Frenzy, Echo of Memory or Distortion to protect yourself from the attack while staying in place.

For more information, see our Xera Guide.

Bastion of the Penitent

Cairn the Indomitable

• Bring Time Warp as there are no breakbars here.
• You can use Blurred Frenzy to evade through red AOEs while keeping up DPS.
• If doing greens, you should delay your Quickness until everyone is back in the center.

For more information, see our Cairn the Indomitable Guide.

Mursaat Overseer

• Bring Time Warp as there are no breakbars here.
• You should take either Claim or Dispel to get Improved Alacrity on the special action key.

For more information, see our Mursaat Overseer Guide.

Samarog

• Bring Gravity Well as Samarog has a huge breakbar and failing to CC will result in a squad member's death.
• Coordinate your CC with your teammates; try not to burn too many big CCs on the same breakbar.
• Use Into the Void to pull Rigom under Samarog during the split phases.

For more information, see our Samarog Guide.

Deimos

• Bring Time Warp as the breakbars are small and easily broken by your teammates.
• You can block the pizza attacks and Mind Crush with Inspiration and Inspiring Distortion.
  • Note that a player standing in two pizza slices at the same time will still get hit.
• If tanking, save Blurred Frenzy to dodge the pizza attack while staying in place.
• You can use any of your blocks or Well of Precognition to block Mind Crush.

For more information, see our Deimos Guide.

Hall of Chains

Soulless Horror

• If tanking, consider taking extra toughness as the boss's autoattacks hit fairly hard.
• Bring Signet of Humility as failing to CC will wipe the group and Gravity Well is risky with the Tormented Dead around.
• Take care when using Tides of Time as it will freeze Tormented Dead in place and interrupt knockbacks.
• If you're tanking, coordinate the aggro swap with the other tank. Aim to swap aggro as soon as your current stacks expire.
• If you're tanking, move the boss near the wurms at the start so your DPS can cleave them down (with Epidemic or otherwise).
• Make sure to stand behind Soulless Horror if possible. If you're the tank, keep her facing in the same direction as her attacks deal massive damage to anyone who isn't the tank.

For more information, see our Soulless Horror Guide.

Dhuum

• Use Phantasmal Berserker and Phantasmal Disenchanter to quickly strip boons from Dhuum.
• Blink can allow you to minimise your time away from the group if doing greens.
• Blink can also be useful if you bait the shackle mechanic by standing as close to Dhuum as you can, then immediately blinking away to break them (this assumes you are not tanking).

For more information, see our Dhuum Guide.

Mythwright Gambit

Conjured Amalgamate

• Focus is very helpful for pulling in Swords.
• Focus and Tides of Time can be used to ensure the players collecting orbs have Swiftness.
• Gravity Well can CC multiple Shields if placed carefully.
• You can use Mantra of Concentration to provide Stability for the slams.

For more information, see our Conjured Amalgamate Guide.

Largos Assassins

• If going to Kenut's side, Mantra of Concentration might save people from the shockwave attack.
  • It can also be used as a stunbreak if you get CC'd.
• Use Phantasmal Berserker and Phantasmal Disenchanter to quickly strip boons in case Kenut steals them.

For more information, see our Largos Assassins Guide.

Qadim

• Portal is incredibly useful here for quickly moving your group around the arena and even skipping the entire jumping puzzle at the end! See our guide for more details.
• Focus is also very useful as it can pull the Magma Elementals into the group for easier cleaving.
• Mantra of Concentration may be useful to protect agains the Magma Elemental's knock attacks.
• Bring Gravity Well to ensure you can break the legendary creatures before they finish their attacks.

For more information, see our Qadim Guide.

The Key of Ahdashim

Cardinal Sabir

• Bring Gravity Well to break Sabir's breakbars as quickly as possible.
• Portal Entre can be used to save some distance in the split phases
• Timed correctly, Distortion can be used to ignore the shockwave.
  • So can Illusionary Leap ⇒ Swap, but it's less reliable and can get you killed in the last phase if your clone ends up in the wrong place.

For more information, see our Cardinal Sabir Guide.

Cardinal Adina

• Many groups will stick together in the split phases. By dropping a Portal Entre near the north-west hand as you run around to avoid the sand beam, you can portal your group after killing the south hands and avoid the dangerous run.
• If tanking, make sure to keep a block or Distortion for the cone attack.

For more information, see our Cardinal Adina Guide.

Qadim the Peerless

• You can either use Mantra of Concentration to provide Stability for the knockbacks.
• You can destroy the Caustic Chaos shockwaves by standing in front of them with Distortion.
• You can help break Distortions with long-range CC such as Mantra of Distraction or Signet of Domination.

For more information, see our Qadim the Peerless Guide.