Difference between Root and Mezz?

[Slaaght]

I've been playing a while, but have just started playing a Sorc who has both root and mezz ability.

Can someone lay down in simple terms precisely what the difference between root and mezz is, as to be honest they both look like they freeze the enemy to me!

Also if relevant, maybe you could tell me which one is suitable for which occasions?

Cheers!

 

[Teh Fonz!!1]

Well, Mezz renders your target incapable of movement or action meaning they can't run towards or away from you and they can't attack you either if you're stood right next to them.

It's like a stun only once they are attacked, the mezz wears off and they are free to do what they like.

A Root just stops movement. Once hit the root wears off just like the mezz. The only difference is that the target is still capable of hitting you if you're close enough to them.

I don't really know which one is best in which situation but I'd say root for mobs (and players) that are far away, and mez for mobs(and players) that are very close to you and your friends.

 

[Fafnir]

Well i think root mobs first while away from group, since if they hit a char with damage shield they can just run to the healer next heal. Then mezz as mobs get closer. Stun while hitting the mob.

 

[Hippocrate]

Little corrections:

The mezze: A mezzed target is incapable of perfoming any action (in later patches even incapable of turning) until any hostile action is performed against it. E.G. a root will break a mezze (that is if the root fails/gets resisted)

The root: a rooted target cant move but can perform actions (cast or attack). A root will break once the target takes damage.

Usuall roots last longer then mezzes.


What to use when? Several things should be considered:
- which of the spells is your highest/lasts longest?
- could the target cast/use a bow/engage you in melee?

Based on this I would say:
- Use the spell that last longest and has the highest Level (it is less likely to fail)
- Try to mezze to totally render a target useless
- Try to root first if you want to use debuffs before taking any actions (debuffs dont break root)
- You can cast mezze on root. This way you can lengethen the time a target is taken out of combat way better then recasting the first spell (a recast CC spell halves the duration of any follow-up spell)

I think this should give a brief idea of difference between root/mezze (btw stun and snare are a bit different)

 

[old.Trine Aquavit]

Other things to be aware of:

Chance to resist root/mez/stun is entirely dependent on relative level of the caster to the target. Level of spell effects duration only. Spec level doesn't effect resists - ask any Healer with useless +Pac equipment

Successive casts of the same type of crowd control (CC) spell on the same target will have their duration reduced by half, each time. So, a 60s mez would last 60s on first cast, 30s on second and 15s on third. These spells overwrite each other, so 3 simultaneous casts of a 60s mez could last only slightly over 15s.

You cannot always mez a mob which has suffered a significant amount of damage (20%+). The mob becomes enraged and resistant to mez.

In PvP if a player has a CC spell cast on them they will be immune to any further spells of the same type for 1 minute starting from when the spell expires/is broken.

Certain realm abilities effect CC spells. Purge and Group Purge remove the effects. Determination (a tank RA) reduces the duration of the CC effect.

The duration of AE CC spells is reduced the further away from the centre of the area of effect.

Summary of CC spells:

Stun: Target cannot move, attack or cast. Effect can't be broken. Short duration (max 11secs)

Mez: Target cannot move, attack or cast. Effect can be broken by any direct action on the target except another mez. Long duration (max +1min)

Root: Target cannot move, but can attack or cast. Effect can be broken by damage only. Long duration (max +1min)

 

[Slaaght]

Thanks guys, that's exactly what I was after!

Mezz ya in game

 

[SilverHood]

btw, never EVER root a Thane

it's just asking for a big blue hammer in your face.

Trust me.

 

[Slaaght]

LOL yeah I guess Mezzes are pretty much de-rigeur for use against any magic using RVR class.

A root would do against a tank though, as long as you are not within arms length.

One other thing I noticed is that (at low levels at least) the root spell is quicker to cast than mezz.

 

[Danya]

One other thing, you can stealth while rooted, but not while mezzed or stunned.

And the duration drop off on AE CC is on players only, not mobs afaik.

 

[lairiodd]

Chance to resist root/mez/stun is entirely dependent on relative level of the caster to the target. Level of spell effects duration only

This is not correct, either in the current patch or maybe one of the later ones, the level of the spell matters combined with the level of the caster. Tests by a mentalist using the first mezz (10 secs and level 4 approx I think vs a higher level one) showed that resists were different for the 2. +spec didnt seem to matter.
Check out this link

Apparently both level and spell level are used in the calculation. 15% resist rate probably isnt so bad.

 

[old.Trine Aquavit]

Hmmm, thanks for that info Lairiodd. Healer single target mez & stun is on the baseline, so I'd not noticed any change. I guess that must effect resists on my AE though - I'd always put high resists in PvP (where I use the AE) down to equipment and my relatively low level.

+Pac items are still useless, though

Looks like another reason to respec myself for high Pac.

 

[lairiodd]

Yeah it is a big complaint, it basically means full spec (or at least 40+) or that line is seriously compromised. Though as someone pointed out even at 30 spec, the resist rate isnt excessive. I think it was spotted by mentalists as most have mentalism as only a secondary spec. 30 in mentalism is really high.

 

[Danya]

First mentalist mez is at level 1 for 16 secs btw.

 

[parisienscot]

Just wanted to add:

Don't worry about rooting mobs with ranged attacks they almost never use them once rooted - they just stand there doing nothing.

This is NOT the case for enemy players though!!!!

 

[Elvewen]

The best use of AOE Root in PVE is to gather all of the mobs into a nice group to kill.

Someone pulls.

Root the first mob in (making sure the tanks know what the hell you are doing)

Keep casting the root till all the mobs are rooted.

Throw in a debuff as this wont break the root as they dont take damage.

The lay over an AOE Mez.

There you have it.. all the mobs mezzed for full duration in a nice group.

You can then put in 2 more Mezzes as is required before another root is required. When this root goes back in it is at full duration again as it is on a different timer.

Repeat till all mobs (or you if it goes wrong) are dead.

The MAIN problem with this is that by the time that last root is requied the dumb tanks are in the mobs as so get well beaten by all the rooted mobs.

The targeted single root is good for pulling mobs as they tend to come out with no adds. Also you can do all the debuffs without breaking the root as it would a mez.

Finaly the Root has the massive advantage that it is a second quicker than the mez and therfore is great when you are in deep poo and need a quick CC.


I'll get my cloak now.