Viability of Bard Mesmerise Ability

[Hrothgaar]

To all you Bard-Veterans out there:

How viable are the Bard Mesmerise songs at higher level?
I understand that the first mez song is AoE but only works on mobs up to level 25.

All the following ones are single target so you are pretty much limited to mez just 3 enemies at a time because of song-duration, right? How viable is the mez ability with this limitation?

Also, the highest level mez songs only works on enemies up to level 54 (according to the wiki), this means that in Kunark / Velious end-game groups mez is pretty much useless? (I think I read that level 60 will be max player level then).

[Videri]

The single-target mez is great. Being able to mez up to 3 or possibly 4 mobs is amazing. You'll save lives.

It won't be very reliable on yellows+, and it will get you killed because it's big aggro.

I recommend not chain-mezzing a mob unless you want aggro. If someone else is supposed to tank, you should mez a mob as little as possible. While playing my warrior, I had this bard just roll mez on one yellow add even though I told him not to re-mez it over and over. I couldn't take it off him despite multiple procs (and Taunt doesn't work on mobs equal to or greater than your level) and he died. My point is, sometimes it's ok not to mez and to just let the tank tank. Meanwhile, you keep rolling that mana song and everything else, and the group does just fine. Enchanters do that too, mezzing too much. Why mez Mob 2 when Mob 1 is at 30% hp? Now the enchanter needs a heal...and a re-Rune...and so on.

If you're fighting by a zone line, you can zone over and back to completely lose aggro on mobs you've mezzed a lot and allow a tank to pick up aggro.

[Hrothgaar]

Thx for these explanations although these have not hit the core of my questions, english is not my first language but I try to shorten an rephrase them:

1.) How viable is the bard solo mez ability, given that the bard needs to invest 100% song capability if he tries to mez 3 or 4 enemies? I.e. is it more viable to root-park non-casters so the bard can sing his group support songs instead in reality?

2.) How useful is the mez in lvl 60 Velious / Kunark groups when the song effect only effect mobs up to lvl 54?

[branamil]

Keeping 2-3 mezd is not great long term unless they are casters, Because you can't twist in mana songs or melee songs. It's useful to have up in XP groupds for emergencies though.

Mezzing can be used on solo mobs that summon if you can't kite them. You can DPS it, twist mez+healing until you're full, then DPS it again. Also, you can channel it while sitting, so you can keep something mezd while you camp.

People don't really XP on 55+ mobs. And at that point they're usually raid targets or mini bosses.

[Videri]

1.) How viable is the bard solo mez ability, given that the bard needs to invest 100% song capability if he tries to mez 3 or 4 enemies? I.e. is it more viable to root-park non-casters so the bard can sing his group support songs instead in reality?

Well, if you have 3-4 enemies that are kicking your group's butts, it's better to mez them than to play mana/haste songs! Once one or two of the mobs are dead, you can start twisting other helpful songs. Or am I not understanding your question?

2.) How useful is the mez in lvl 60 Velious / Kunark groups when the song effect only effect mobs up to lvl 54?

If you only have to mez one mob, you can try it multiple times until it sticks. It will generate a lot of hate, however.

But no, your group should not depend on a bard mezzing three level 54 mobs. At that point, it becomes a job for an enchanter. :)

If you're deciding between playing a bard or an enchanter, enchanters are definitely better CC at high levels.

[DMN]

Apparently bard mez has no mem wipe on it, so multiple uses is going to build mega aggro.

That plate armor isn't just for show.

[kaev]

Being able to CC 3-4 tough mobs for those precious seconds your group's druid or wiz is casting evac after somebody looted his quest piece with the cleric & tank both at 10% health deep in the Hole is huge.

[ChooChoo Train]

not impossible to keep 5 mobs locked down. Also as others have said, super aggro so having the tank taunt before breaking or getting the mob rooted is great, if mob is under level 38 just charm it to memblur, once we get our better charm this is a great option for memblurring multiple adds, you will just want to do it well before the mob group is fighting dies so they aren’t waiting to kill.

[wide]

The single-target mez is great. Being able to mez up to 3 or possibly 4 mobs is amazing. You'll save lives.

It won't be very reliable on yellows+, and it will get you killed because it's big aggro.

I recommend not chain-mezzing a mob unless you want aggro. If someone else is supposed to tank, you should mez a mob as little as possible. While playing my warrior, I had this bard just roll mez on one yellow add even though I told him not to re-mez it over and over. I couldn't take it off him despite multiple procs (and Taunt doesn't work on mobs equal to or greater than your level) and he died. My point is, sometimes it's ok not to mez and to just let the tank tank. Meanwhile, you keep rolling that mana song and everything else, and the group does just fine. Enchanters do that too, mezzing too much. Why mez Mob 2 when Mob 1 is at 30% hp? Now the enchanter needs a heal...and a re-Rune...and so on.

If you're fighting by a zone line, you can zone over and back to completely lose aggro on mobs you've mezzed a lot and allow a tank to pick up aggro.

This is fantastic advice that I hadn't ever really considered. Thanks!