Skill UpdatesMay 21, 2010
Developer Notes
This update is primarily targeted at improving the role of the Mesmer in PvE. Mesmers excel at control and disruption. These tactics are a natural fit for PvP, where enemy deaths are not inevitable and disrupting the right skill at the right moment can lead to the collapse of an entire team.
PvP Issues
Seeping Wound Assassins have seen a lot more play since this skill was buffed in a previous update. However, these types of characters are being used for pressure and harassment builds that we feel are a little too powerful. We've toned down the power of the skill in order to make it less suitable for 8v8 encounters but still usable on split. Although this is a significant reduction in power, testing has indicated that Seeping Wound is still an effective skill for split and spike when used properly.
Seeping Wound: increased Energy cost to 15; increased recharge to 12 seconds; reduced movement-speed decrease to 33%.Blinding Surge is very strong in 4v4 formats. We've increased the recharge to provide greater windows for physical attackers to attack while not blinded. Blinding Flash had its recharge adjusted to match Blinding Surge.
Blinding Flash: increased recharge to 6 seconds.
Blinding Surge: increased recharge to 6 seconds; increased blind duration to 3...7...8.Spoil Victor is an incredibly powerful hex that could previously be maintained continually on two foes at once. We've shortened duration to reduce the overall pressure it causes to an opposing team.
Spoil Victor: reduced duration to 3...13...15.The duration for Mirror of Ice had been tied to Energy Storage to make the skill exclusive to primary Elementalists so that Water Magic would not strongly favor use by primary Mesmers. With Fast Casting no longer affecting Water Magic hexes with a casting time of one second or less, this is no longer necessary. While examining the effects of the changes to Fast Casting on PvP, Ward Against Melee came up as one that was split for reasons which are no longer relevant.
Mirror of Ice: changed duration to 36...55...60 seconds; duration is no longer affected by Energy Storage.
Ward Against Melee: increased duration to 5...17...20 seconds.We'd also looked at Cultist's Fervor but determined that this extremely powerful skill needed additional attribute pressure for Necromancers as well. The essentially dual-attribute nature of the skill is appropriate to its power level.
Seeping Wound: increased Energy cost to 15; increased recharge to 12 seconds; reduced movement-speed decrease to 33%. Blinding Flash: increased recharge to 6 seconds. Blinding Surge: increased recharge to 6 seconds; increased blind duration to 3...7...8. Mirror of Ice: changed duration to 36...55...60 seconds; duration is no longer affected by Energy Storage. Ward Against Melee: increased duration to 5...17...20 seconds.
Accumulated Pain: reduced energy cost to 5; reduced recharge to 15 seconds.
Aneurysm: added the following functionality: "for each point of Energy gained by the target foe, all adjacent foes lose 1 Energy (maximum 1...24...30)".
Arcane Conundrum: added the following functionality: "When this hex ends, you gain 1...6...7 Energy.".
Calculated Risk: increased duration to 3...10...12 seconds; increased recharge to 12 seconds, changed functionality to: "(3...10...12 seconds.) Target foe deals +10 damage. Whenever target foe hits with an attack, there is a 50% chance the damage will be redirected to that foe (maximum 10...50...60)".
Chaos Storm: increased casting time to 2 seconds; changed functionality to: "Create a Chaos Storm at target foe's location that lasts for 10 seconds. Each second, foes adjacent to this location take 5...21...25 damage and lose 0...2...2 Energy".
Clumsiness: reduced recharge to 8 seconds.
Complicate: changed functionality to: "If target foe is using a skill, that skill is interrupted and disabled for target foe and all foes in the area for an additional 5...11...12 seconds".
Crippling Anguish: increased health degeneration to 1...7...8; changed duration to 5...17...20; added the following functionality: target foe attacks 50% slower.
Cry of Frustration: increased damage to 15...63...75.
Enchanter's Conundrum: increased casting penalty for enchantments to 100...180...200%; changed functionality to: "For 10 seconds, target foe casts enchantments 100...180...200% slower. If target foe is not under the effects of an enchantment when this hex is applied, that foe and all adjacent foes take 10...82...100 damage".
Energy Drain: increased recharge to 30 seconds; now gain 3 Energy for each point of Energy lost.
Energy Surge: reduced Energy cost to 5; reduced recharge to 15 seconds.
Energy Tap: increased recharge to 30 seconds; decreased casting time to 2 seconds.
Fevered Dreams: increased recharge to 10 seconds; the Dazed condition is now applied both at the time this hex is cast -if the target has 2 or more conditions- and whenever the target receives 2 or more conditions.
Hypochondria: reduced recharge to 7 seconds; updated description to reflect its actual behavior.
Ineptitude: reduced recharge to 15 seconds; now also hexes adjacent foes.
Keystone Signet: changed attribute to Fast Casting; reduced recharge to 15 seconds; changed functionality to: "All of your signets except Keystone Signet are recharged. For 20 seconds, the next 0...5...6 times you use a signet that targets a foe, all other foes adjacent to your target are interrupted and take 15...51...60 damage".
Leech Signet: reduced recharge to 20 seconds.
Mantra of Inscriptions: reduced duration to 5...21...25 seconds; increased recharge improvement to 10...34...40%.
Mantra of Persistence: reduced duration to 5...21...25 seconds; reduced Energy cost to 5; reduced hex duration increase to 10...34...40%.
Mantra of Recall: increased recharge to 30 seconds.
Mantra of Recovery: reduced recharge to 15 seconds.
Mantra of Signets: reduced cost to 5 energy; reduced recharge to 20 seconds; changed functionality to: "Stance. For 10...34...40 seconds, whenever you use a signet, you gain 5...49...60 Health".
Migraine: reduced recharge to 12; increased health degeneration to 1...7...8; reduced duration to 3...10...12 seconds; changed functionality to: "For 3...10...12 seconds, target foe suffers -1...7...8 Health degeneration and takes 100% longer to activate skills".
Mind Wrack: changed duration to 5...33...40 seconds; increased damage to target at 0 energy to 15...83...100; added the following functionality: "Whenever that foe is the target of one of your Mesmer skills, that foe loses 1 Energy and takes 5...21...25 damage per point of Energy lost".
Mistrust: increased damage to 10...90...110.
Overload: increased recharge to 4 seconds; changed functionality to: "Target foe takes 5...33...40 damage. If that foe is using a skill, you deal +5...41...50 damage to that foe and all adjacent foes".
Panic: reduced Energy cost to 10; increased recharge to 15 seconds; changed functionality to "For 1...8...10 seconds, target foe and all nearby foes are hexed with Panic. When a foe hexed with Panic successfully uses a skill, all other nearby foes are interrupted".
Phantom Pain: reduced Energy cost to 5; increased Health degeneration to 1...3...4.
Power Lock: reduced Energy cost to 5.
Power Return: increased recharge to 7 seconds.
Psychic Instability: increased recharge to 12 seconds; changed functionality to: "Interrupts the target foe's action. If that action is a skill, that foe and all adjacent foes are knocked down for 2...3...3 seconds. (50% failure chance with Fast Casting 4 or less.)".
Shatter Delusions: now deals damage to adjacent foes.
Shatter Enchantment: reduced recharge to 20 seconds.
Signet of Clumsiness: reduced recharge to 12 seconds; changed functionality to: "Signet. If target foe is attacking, that foe and all adjacent foes are interrupted and take 15...51...60 damage. Any foes using attack skills are knocked down".
Signet of Disruption: reduced recharge to 15 seconds.
Signet of Distraction: reduced recharge to 15 seconds.
Signet of Weariness: changed functionality to: "Target foe and all nearby foes lose 3...7...8 Energy and suffer from Weakness for 1...10...12 seconds".
Soothing Images: increased recharge to 8 seconds.
Spirit Shackles: increased recharge to 8 seconds.
Spiritual Pain: reduced Energy cost to 5; reduced recharge to 20 seconds; changed functionality to: "Target foe takes 15...63...75 damage. All hostile summoned creatures in the area of that foe take 25...105...125 damage".
Stolen Speed: increased recharge to 12 seconds; changed functionality to: "For 1...8...10 seconds, spells cast by the target foe and all adjacent foes take 100% longer to cast. Spells you cast that target these foes take 50% less time to cast".
Sum of All Fears: reduced duration to 1...8...10; increased speed reduction to 33%.
Symbolic Celerity: increased duration to 36...55...60; increased Energy cost to 15; increased recharge to 30; changed functionality to: "Enchantment Spell. For 36...55...60 seconds, all of your signets use your Fast Casting attribute instead of their normal attributes".
Tease: changed functionality to: "If target foe is using a skill, that foe and other foes in the area are interrupted and you steal 0...4...5 Energy from all foes in the area.".
Unnatural Signet: reduced recharge to 20 seconds; changed functionality to: "Target foe takes 15...63...75 damage. If that foe is under the effects of a hex or enchantment, foes adjacent to your target take 5...41...50 damage".
Wandering Eye: increased recharge to 12 seconds.
Wastrel's Worry: now also deals its damage to all adjacent foes.
Web of Disruption: reduced Energy cost to 5. Spoil Victor: reduced duration to 3...13...15.