My mesmer character is a little weak...

[Seobee]

Hello everyone!

My main character is a warrior, but I've decided to create and play another character because I was really curious how the other professions handle. I created a mesmer character a week ago, and it's currently level 11.
I'm having an extremely difficult time staying alive during most pve battles. Even against a level ~10 moa, I defeat it with barely any HP left.
I feel like I'm underpowered, but when I upgraded my equipment, nothing really changed. Maybe I'm just playing the character not that way it's supposed to be played? I think my "warrior" mentality is taking over when playing the other characters.

However, I do enjoy playing my mesmer character. I just wish it wasn't so weak.

[Vayne]

Mesmers require a lot of movement, and a lot of trickery. In fact, trickery is really what the whole profession is about. Remember that phantasms do more damage than clones, and remember to use your shatters. Also, try to take utility skills that add to your survivability.

Are you upgraded gear as you go from karma vendors?

Edit: Moved to mesmer forums.

[Seobee]

Thanks for your reply.

I actually didn't know that there are both phantasms and clones.
All I know is that clones don't do any damage. It's just there to trick the enemy, but even then, the enemy just attacks me...
My gear is all currently either drops or bought from TP. I usually don't buy much from TP, but I got desperate because I was weak and dying too easily.

I've been looking around karma vendors in Queensdale but couldn't find much mesmer equipment.

[Shayura]

My main is a Mesmer, the trick is to find what weapon set suits your playstyle. NPC's aren't as fooled as players by clones so if you really want to dish out damage use your phantasms, sometimes you get lucky and the enemy fights them instead! Like Vayne said, shatter skills do come handy when used correctly. Use your trait line for survivability, one of them makes you go invisible at 25% health and immediately spawn a clone, this has saved me a lot and boosts your Ether heal if you dodge back and quickly use it. Try a staff once, chaos storm is amazing, and if you mix it with the signet that gives and sends boons, you can greatly benefit a party.

Basically, trick fight, dodge, trick fight. Mesmer is an awesome class but hard to get down and even harder to master.

[Zorac]

Hi Seobee my mesmer is 80 now and until around lvl 30 or so I had to dodge ALOT. I myself use sword/pistol and greatsword and most of my trait points are in power and vit (forget what lines those are atm lol) but now in PvE the only time I have to dodge is against champions, even a veterain and 2 other mobs I don't need to dodge cause my clones and phantasms keep them busy. But champions heck yea I have to dodge lol. My gear was all just drop gear as well, now that I am 80 I got some exotic and I have 22452 hp and I forget what my other stats are. But I have the healing on my illusions so they heal me while out and also I have vampire runes in my gear so I leach life everyonce in awhile the 2 little heals work well to keep me at pretty much full hp all the time.

One thing I think will help you with you being attacked instead of your clones or phantasms is that mobs aggro the person that attacked them first the most. So I try to always through out a clone or a phantasm let it hit then leap in and finish them off and I pretty much never even get hit.

In WvW I'm pretty tough to take down and I have good kiting utility skills so if several come after me I can run for help or just outlast them. Sometimes I'll jump off a cliff and survive while the people that jump after me die I do enjoy dancing on their bodies when that happens

Play with different weapon sets and find out what you like and don't be afraid to shatter your illusions cause if they just die they don't do much for you (unless you traited for that) When I first was playing my mesmer I was kind of afraid of shattering my illusions, now I throw 1 group out let them use up their attacks quick and blow them up and bring out a second group and do the same.

[Orikx]

Gear shouldn't be the issue. I leveled my Mesmer to 30 before ever purchasing a piece of gear I just used what I got from drops. That being said, I don't recommend this method because gear is so damn cheap right now you can easily afford to outfit yourself every few levels with blues or even greens off the TP. I just didn't realize that until i was lvl 30.

IMO for starting Mesmers the Staff is the best mainhand weapon to use but you have to take the time to look at the skills to see what they do. Learn how to place a chaos storm(#5 attack) on the ground then leap out of it using the #2 attack.

This does some very important things that make your life easier.
1. It spawns a clone that can take the heat off you and cast Winds of Chaos to stack conditions
2. The clone is inside the Storm giving it a chance to block attacks so it survives longer rather then get one shot.
3. It gives you Chaos Armor which helps you survive.
4. It puts an AoE on the ground that does dmg to enemies.

If you learn to to do this it makes you much more durable while leveling.

Later on once you have some trait points to spend in making yourself more durable you can switch to GS or some more offensive weapons. I just felt like I was very squishy when using GS at early levels but that could be because GS really isn't my play style either.

[Zorac]

Good advice Orikx, my main weps are actually sword/pistol. I was orginally sword/sword, but CD on the offhand sword skills was a bit long. I like throwing out the pistol illusion duelist (what ever he is called) cause mobs will agro him but before they can get to him I immbolize the mob with 3rd sword skill which also brings out a clone I hack and slash and if mob is still alive 5th skill (2nd pistol skill) stuns or dazes I forget which lol and then I hack slash some more or destroy my illusions killing the mob usually.

Greatsword I pretty much just use in PvP for people on castles or attack from up high or when I am chasing someone at a distance. For PvE I just use it on bosses that have strong Meele aoes (which is most of them it seems like lol) and it keeps me quite safe and I can toss up a few ranged pistol duelists over time (by switching back and forth) and I really do a lot of damage.

But anyways thats just me, I'm a swords guy and the skills fit my playstyle well. But starting off I'm glad I learned to dodge well in beta cause it was rough at some points.

[Seobee]

I'm currently using a greatsword right now. I like the sceptor/pistol and scepter/sword combination. The illusion pistal duelist has been good to me.
I actually didn't like the staff. Maybe it was my equipment, but it was extremely weak and somewhat slow. I died almost every time I used it.
Again, maybe it's my warrior mentality again, but I just like using the sword.
Mesmer is definitely fun to play, but like some of you had mentioned, it's relatively difficult to use properly.

[Orikx]

I'm currently using a greatsword right now. I like the sceptor/pistol and scepter/sword combination. The illusion pistal duelist has been good to me.
I actually didn't like the staff. Maybe it was my equipment, but it was extremely weak and somewhat slow. I died almost every time I used it.
Again, maybe it's my warrior mentality again, but I just like using the sword.
Mesmer is definitely fun to play, but like some of you had mentioned, it's relatively difficult to use properly.

It definitely was not your equipment since you are only lvl 11. It's probably the warrior mentality like you said. Staff is all about movement and doesn't really start to shine until you figure out how to use the combo fields to your advantage.

There are a lot of great ways the Mesmer can be played. Find the one that fits your play style and stick with it. There is definitely a steeper learning curve then the warrior so be prepared.

[Celtic Lady]

I admit that after playing my warriors and my thief, going over to my mesmer requires a bit of adjustment. Playing her well demands a more subtle approach to enemies than my harder-hitting girls, but I'm continually amazed at what my mesmer can survive. I use a staff and greatsword, switching back and forth, and lots of phantasms. The conditions and buffs help a lot and I can take on multiple enemies and survive well. I've soloed tough enemies with her that some of my other girls would have found very challenging to survive.