Build:Me/A Neutral IW

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This build has been archived as of 18:55, 7 February 2008 (EST), for the following reasons: IW builds fell out of favor. Various updates and buffs to other skills. Metagame shifts. This build had been designed for the following use: PvP AB PvP CM PvP RA PvP TA This build was in the category good before being archived.

The Neutral IW uses Illusionary Weaponry to deal armor-ignoring damage and chance of double strike, while staying alive by keeping Dark Escape and Feigned Neutrality up constantly. This gives the Mesmer 150 armor (60 + 10 + 80) and +7 health regeneration while dealing substantial damage. Designed for PvP but can be used effectively in PvE.

[edit] Attributes and Skills

Mesmer / Assassin 12 + 1 + 3 Illusion Magic 12 Shadow Arts 3 Deadly Arts Illusionary Weaponry Prophecies Mesmer. Illusion Magic 16 Illusionary Weaponry Elite Enchantment Spell For 30 seconds, you deal no damage in melee, but whenever you attack in melee, target foe takes 42 damage. 25 1 15 Deadly Paradox Nightfall Assassin. Deadly Arts 3 Deadly Paradox Stance All of your attack Skills are disabled for 10 seconds. For 7 seconds, your Assassin Skills activate and recharge 33% faster. 10 15 Death's Charge Factions Assassin. Shadow Arts 12 Death's Charge Spell Shadow Step to target foe. If that foe has more Health than you, you are healed for 173. 30 ¼ 5 Feigned Neutrality Nightfall Assassin. Shadow Arts 12 Feigned Neutrality Enchantment Spell For 9 seconds, you have +7 Health regeneration and +80 armor. This Enchantment ends if you successfully hit with an attack or use a Skill. 25 ¼ 5 Dark Escape Factions Assassin. Shadow Arts 12 Dark Escape Stance For 13 seconds, you move 25% faster and take half damage. Dark Escape ends if you successfully hit with an attack. 30 5 Return Factions Assassin. Shadow Arts 12 Return Spell All adjacent foes are Crippled for 7 seconds. Teleport to target other ally's location. 15 ¼ 5 Illusion of Weakness Prophecies Mesmer. Illusion Magic 16 Illusion of Weakness Enchantment Spell You lose 253 Health. Illusion of Weakness ends if damage drops your Health below 25% of your maximum. When Illusion of Weakness ends, you gain 253 Health. 30 2 10 Resurrection Signet Core No Profession. Unlinked Resurrection Signet Signet Resurrect target party member. That party member is returned to life with 100% Health and 25% Energy. This Signet only recharges when you gain a morale boost. 3 Template code

[edit] Equipment

• Max armor with +10 when enchanted.
• Superior Rune of Illusion Magic.
• Superior Rune of Vigor.
• Rune of Purity.
• 2 Runes of Vitae.
• Crippling (for Return) Daggers with of Enchanting suffix and "I have the power" +5 Energy inscription (because none of the +damage% mods will affect the damage from IW).
• Any sword, axe or scythe of Enchanting. Any shield off hand, even at zero attribute, will still give 8 armor and additional inscription benifits.
• A PvP Jeweled Chakram of Aptitude with a "Master of My Domain" can be used when casting Illusion of Weakness and Illusionary Weaponry for a 20% chance of casting the spell with 17 Illusion Magic. Switch back to your primary set after casting.

[edit] Usage

• Start by casting Illusion of Weakness and followed by Feigned Neutrality to heal if no monk.
• Choose your target, Armor level does not matter.
• Against Normal Opponents: Cast and Maintain Illusionary Weaponry, Deadly Paradox and Feigned Neutrality (in order) then attack. Cast Death's Charge after Deadly Paradox if you need to close the gap. But keep in mind that Feigned Neutrality also ends when you use a skill.
• Against Armor Ignoring Opponents: Cast and Maintain Illusionary Weaponry, Deadly Paradox, Dark Escape and Feigned Neutrality. Always remain in Dark Escape stance. Since Deadly Paradox will no longer affect Feigned Neutrality it will be used half as often.
• When reapplying enchantments, casting Death's Charge can be a good healing boost before Feigned Neutrality.
• You should be almost indestructible, but if for whatever reason Illusion of Weakness triggers then fall back using Return and heal.

[edit] Counters

• Enchantment removal.
• Energy denial.
• Kiting.
• Interrupting or removing Illusionary Weaponry will make this build useless.
• Heavy health degeneration such as Burning, Poison or Conjure Nightmare.
• Life Stealing and other armor ignoring damage.
• Stoneflesh Aura, Shield of Absorption and Shielding Hands.

[edit] Variants

• For Alliance Battles Resurrection Signet isn't important, so Illusion of Haste give you ways of kiting.
• Assassin primary; lower damage but stronger.
• Exchange Return for Distortion. This will sap energy but can be more effective at protecting yourself.
• Replace Return for Shadow Refuge to help further counter degeneration.
• Add Caltrops to snare kiting foes.
• For PvE, consider bringing a scythe (with the same preferred mods as the daggers) in a second weapon slot. The scythe will do a steady 24 DPS instead of the average 36 DPS of the daggers (32 if you don't count double strikes). However, if two or three foes are adjacent you do a nice 48 or 72 DPS respectively. Change between the daggers and scythe as the situation warrants.
• Death's Retreat can also be used instead of Return, or with Return to retreat further back.
• For PvE, the Kurzick/Luxon skill, Shadow Sanctuary can be used as well along with Dark Escape and Feigned Neutrality to keep up defences indefinately.

[edit] Notes

• Monks such as the Build:Mo/A Blessed Escaper using Return can be chased using Death's Charge.
• The points in Dagger Mastery are there to increase the chance of double striking. Having 9 Dagger Mastery will allow you to use a decent pair of daggers and deal decent damage even when IW is removed.
• Deadly Paradox does not need to be kept up constantly - as of this note, any skills activated while Deadly Paradox is active activate and recharge 33% faster, they do not slow down when Deadly Paradox ends. Use this when activating any Assassin skills, such as Death's Charge or Dark Escape (or Shadow Refuge if equipped).

[edit] See Also

• Build:Me/W Illusion Slasher
• Build:Me/D Mystic IW