Shatter

Shattering is the primary profession mechanic of the mesmer profession. It consists of shatter skills occupying the F1-F4 slots of the mechanic bar which are used to destroy any clones the mesmer has cast prior to shattering to cause a variety of effects like confusion or daze. Shatter skills are more powerful the more clones the mesmer had active; for instance, Distortion will last longer for each shattered clone.

There are four shatter skills, all of which are instant-cast, have different cooldowns, and do not interrupt any action that the mesmer is performing. Activating any of them will cause all clones to run to their respective assigned targets and shatter, causing effects around each clone corresponding to the shatter skill used. The shatter effect also happens at the location of the mesmer/chronomancer/mirage. Both Distortion and Continuum Split cause all clones to shatter immediately, without running towards their targets, and deal no damage.

Note that clones will move towards their own targets e.g. the foe the mesmer targeted when casting the illusion, and not the enemy who is currently being targeted by the mesmer while activating the shatter skill. The clones can still be killed while they are moving towards their targets to prevent their shattering.

List of shattering skills

#	Skill			Description
Mesmer
F1	Mind Wrack		12	Shatter. Destroy all your clones, damaging nearby foes. The shatter effect also occurs at your location.
F2	Cry of Frustration		25	Shatter. Destroy all your clones, confusing nearby foes. The shatter effect also occurs at your location.
F3	Diversion		38	Shatter. Destroy all your clones, dazing their targets. The shatter effect also occurs at your location.
F4	Distortion		50	Shatter. Gain distortion and destroy all your clones, gaining additional distortion for each one shattered.
Chronomancer
F1	Split Second		12	Shatter. Destroy all your clones, damaging nearby foes. Strikes again after a delay. Shatter traits only affect the first strike of this skill.
F2	Rewinder		30	Shatter. Destroy all your clones, confusing nearby foes and recharging this skill for each clone shattered.
F3	Time Sink		38	Shatter. Destroy all your clones, dazing and slowing their targets.
F5	Continuum Split		105	Destroy all your clones and create a rift in the space-time continuum. When it expires, you will revert back to your original point with your previous health, endurance, and skill recharges. Duration increases with each illusion shattered. This skill's recharge cannot be reset by other mesmer skills.
F5	Continuum Shift			Revert back to the previous timeline. Your health, endurance and cooldowns are reverted to their previous states. You are transported back prematurely if the rift is destroyed.
Virtuoso
F1	Bladesong Harmony	0.75¾	12	Bladesong. Fire all stocked blades at your target.
F2	Bladesong Sorrow	0.5½	20	Bladesong. Fire all stocked blades, inflicting your target with conditions.
F3	Bladesong Dissonance	0.5½	30	Bladesong. Combine all your blades into one large blade that dazes targets based on the number of blades consumed.
F4	Bladesong Distortion		50	Bladesong. Gain distortion and consume all stocked blades, gaining additional distortion for each consumed blade.
F5	Bladeturn Requiem		30	Bladesong. Send your blades spinning around you to hit nearby foes. Spinning blade duration scales with number of blades consumed.

Related traits

• Rending Shatter (Domination) — Shatter skills inflict vulnerability on hit.
• Shattered Concentration (Domination) — Shatter skills also remove a boon on hit.
• Mental Anguish (Domination) — Shatter skills deal more damage. This bonus damage is doubled against foes that are not activating skills.
• Blinding Dissipation (Dueling) — Shatter skill 2 inflicts blindness.
• Illusionary Defense (Chaos) — Grant protection to nearby allies when you use a Shatter skill.
• Illusionary Membrane (Chaos) — Gain chaos aura when you use Shatter skill 2. While you have chaos aura, condition damage you deal is increased.
• Bountiful Disillusionment (Chaos) — Gain stability when you use a Shatter skill. Grant an additional boon to nearby allies based on which Shatter is used.
• Mental Defense (Inspiration) — Shatter skill 4 grants boons and breaks allies out of stuns.
• Restorative Illusions (Inspiration) — Heal and cleanse conditions from yourself and nearby allies when you use a Shatter skill.
• Cry of Pain (Illusions) — Shatter skill 2 inflicts more stacks of confusion for an increased duration.
• Shatter Storm (Illusions) — Shatter skill 1 becomes an ammo skill.
• Maim the Disillusioned (Illusions) — Shatter skills inflict torment on hit.
• Master of Misdirection (Illusions) — Shatter skills gain recharge reduction.
• Master of Fragmentation (Illusions) — Your Shatter skills are improved.
• Time Catches Up (Chronomancer) — Activating a Shatter gives your illusions superspeed. Shatters deal increased damage to movement-impaired foes.
• Flow of Time (Chronomancer) — Gain alacrity for each clone you shatter.
• Illusionary Reversion (Chronomancer) — Shatter skills generate a clone if you have enough clones present.
• Seize the Moment (Chronomancer) — You and nearby allies gain quickness for each clone you shatter. Grant quickness to nearby allies when you summon a phantasm.
• Riddle of Sand (Mirage) — When entering combat, your first Ambush attack applies confusion. This ability refreshes when you use a Shatter skill.
• Nomad's Endurance (Mirage) — Shatter skills give vigor, and vigor grants condition damage.
• Dune Cloak (Mirage) — Shatter skills grant Mirage Cloak when enough clones are present.

Notes

• Signet of Illusions recharges all shatters when activated.
• Clones do not carry out the command to shatter if the target dies before they are able to shatter, even in melee range.
• Clones will play the shatter animation if their target dies, even if they weren't shattered.
• The shatter skills are unlocked at the following levels:
  •   Mind Wrack: level 5
  •   Cry of Frustration: level 11
  •   Diversion: level 15
  •   Distortion: level 19

Trivia

• Originally, phantasms behaved much like clones, attacking until they or their target died. Mesmers could only summon a maximum of three illusions at any time. Shatter skills would shatter all illusions, meaning all clones and phantasms.
  • The game update of 6th of February 2018 changed Shatter skills to only shatter clones. Phantasms were reworked into ephemeral summons that turned into clones after attacking once. The maximum of three illusions summoned was changed to only count clones.
• In earlier iterations of the game, mesmers didn't count themselves for Shattering skills, the functionality came from a trait called Illusionary Persona. This effect was eventually added by default, and the trait was removed.
  • The game update of 16th of July 2019 reworked chronomancer Shatters to give them additional effects, but removed the "illusionary persona" effect from them, and chronomancers became unable to use Shatter skills without having any active clone(s).
  • The game update of 7th of July 2020 restored the "illusionary persona" effect for chronomancer Shatters.
• The game update of 16th of July 2019 removed chronomancers' access to Distortion, moving Continuum Split to F4, and making it apply the distortion effect on cast.
  • The game update of 7th of July 2020 removed the distortion effect from Continuum Split.
  • The game update of 4th of October 2022 restored the original design, moving Continuum Split back to F5 and returning Distortion to F4.

See also

• Virtuoso — Bladesong

References

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Skill types and profession mechanics