Chronomancer line is a must of course, but if you need more options to survive try mixing one of these 3 defensive lines into your build:

Now that you're armored up, you'll want to take a look at your traits. Not only does this give you alot of toughness, it also gives you 37,3% extended boon duration for the low cost of about 20% added overall damage from ferocity, this can be offset by rune choice, might-stacking, sigils or traits so no need to worry, as power is still your main stat and you will do good damage. The easiest method to aquire this is to craft an exotic set (requires 400 tailoring and 400 jewelcraft) with Commander's stats: As the name 'Chronotank' implies you need some toughness to survive those big hits. Even the best player will get downed if not extremely lucky on that, so first thibgs first let's get you some proper gear. To start, berserker gear on a light armor profession with a medium health pool in HoT content will get you oneshot - alot. Lastly there is absolutely no shame in equipping a greatsword or scepter (staff for condition damage) in your offensive weapon set for additional dps, as your shatters will be contributing towards additional dps. The only viable reason I see for having 2 melee sets is for the cc capabilities of the focus. Keep in mind sword/x is supposed to be your defensive set, as the damage it deals is fairly mediocre, but it offers great utility. I'm not sure of the exact build you are after, but here's a few ways to become more survivable. I just don't get how they're doing it - it's a mystery to me. I've seen the videos of Chronos standing right in the face of big bad enemies. Ditto on the Axe guys in Dragon's Stand - how do you even stay close to that kind of firepower without melting? Are the Chrono block abilities precision instruments that are supposed to be triggered when you see the enemy telegraph an attack? If so, I feel a bit hopeless, because I've never been all that great at studying every tough enemy in the game for telegraphs. I don't know how the players who are in close combat with that thing are even managing to do it without dying all the time. Chak Gerent seems impossible - blue spit puddles that burn through your health, the blue donut insta-kill cloud, knock downs. Maybe I'm not supposed to use the shield abilities freely, but save them for when I know the enemies are using the big attack? But it really seems like a DPS loss to not use Blurred Frenzy on cooldown. I guess I just don't really 'get' Chrono-tanking even though I've read a bit about it. So I go back to Greatsword again where I can survive well (and it is pretty survivable). But when I go toe-to-toe, I get in there, drop some wells, use my abilities on cooldown, and I'm getting stunned, knocked down, melted by poison. Greatsword sniping from afar is not how the concept is supposed to work. So it seems good, and I'm enjoying playing that way.īut I know this is not how Chrono-tanking is supposed to work. I could deal pretty good damage to things from a safe distance with my illusions distracting enemies and drop wells on groups of allies for big AOE damage and boon sharing. I swapped the off-hand sword out to a Greatsword as my main weapon, only using sword-shield as a panic-option when I get swarmed. defend the camps events in Verdant Brink.

the big axe bosses on the Blighting Towers in Dragon's Stand.

but anyway, I'm still getting pretty hammered in close combat on Heart of Thorns content. I had to use Berserker gear because I can't afford gear with specialized stats, but I didn't think it would make a massive difference. I'm using a Chrono open-world boon-share build I took from a YouTuber (Nike) that seems to follow the theory behind the raid builds I've seen closely enough: But I wouldn't call it tankier than my Guardian or Revenant, and definitely not as tanky as my Necromancer. Then I've got Gravity Well and Well of Calamity for some great CC on breakbars (it works really well I've found) and Well of Eternity and Well of Action as well for group buffing (which they are doing well).Īnd it definitely is tankier than my Elementalist main (no surprise there - everything kills that character if I don't nuke it fast). I guess with the illusions running distraction, this is supposed to make the mesmer tanky. I assume those are the defensive spells you are supposed to use to prevent damage. I know Chrono has Blurred Frenzy on sword main hand, and Illusionary Riposte for sword off-hand, then Echo of Memory on the shield. I've seen the builds on Snow Crows and Metabattle and tried them out. So, I understand some of the theory behind chrono-tanking, but I'm getting beat up anyway.

Nike amored chrono plus super