GuildWars Wiki

I'd say the skill list is very arbitrary and should be removed. --Fyren 01:19, 7 Sep 2005 (EST)


Dang it Rezyk! You beat me to it :P - Lunarbunny 02:08, 26 November 2005 (UTC)

Might be worth mentioning that if you and a teammate clone each other's Elite's, for instance Ride The Lightning and Shockwave then the person with RTL must mimic first, as when you mimic a person with 2 elites, you seem to get the one that is alphabetically lowest, which on the face of it sounds like the least useful method of data structuring ever known inside a computer. (Similarly when out skill capping, travelling from one zone to another loses Elites beyond the first, and the Alphabetically lowest elite remains)

Additionally, it's worth mentioning that with the release of factions, this skill and other similar "grabbers" have been effectively downgraded unless you buy factions, as you cannot use a Factions skill captured with it. Frankly that is just Mean, and ought to be illegal seeing as vehicle manufacturers can't come round and remove the indicators from your car when they release a new model.

Ok, that's just whiny. However, you should at least be able to use spells grabbed from opponents if they are a copy of an original skill. E.g. if you Arcane Larceny Tenai's Teat you get Searing Heat instead.193.61.111.50 04:55, 12 September 2006 (CDT)
AFAIK you get the leftmost elite on the bar. The rest go poof. Kessel 10:54, 28 July 2006 (CDT)

Arcane Echo - Echo - Arcane Mimicry? 4 Elites on your bar? Also, if two party members have the same elites, and u use Arcane Mimicry, do you get copies of the same elite? --Nova 16:43, 1 February 2007 (CST)

Too bad you won't have any energy left to use those elites. Just the copying part takes 70 energy, lol. --GodofJur 04:05, 6 April 2007 (CDT)
And too bad that echo would have to be your elite skill, so you'd only have 3. --Wizardboy777 20:18, 6 May 2007 (CDT)
But imagine how awesome it would be to echo echo! VegaObscura 02:38, 13 July 2007 (CDT)

Borrow your hero's elite[]

I can see this as being useful to "borrow" an elite from a hero, expecially for a newer charactor that might not have unlocked many elites. If your current charactor has not unlocked this skill, but your account has it unlocked, you can still use it. Since a Monk is usually Me secondary, just put this in your list and go. MoP and Restore Condition, etc., etc., etc. Added bonus is, you always know what your hero's elite is. Just depends on if you want an unlocked elite available to your char and are willing to intentionally have dup skills in the party. Queen Schmuck 02:25, 24 December 2006 (CST)

The reason arcane miciry rarely (ever?) gets used is the 60 recharge. Having a secon elite is nice.. having a second elite that costs 15 energy for a sall amoutn of time and cannot be used for 40 seconds afterwards is not. (Not a fifty five 04:42, 6 March 2007 (CST))
However, for a starting out monk with a skill like Healer's Boon unlocked, throw that on your monk hero and you can copy it and maintain it even after mimicry has worn off. Still rather worthless though. Turk Nagona 15:01, 21 April 2007 (CDT)

Useful Idea[]

I just did a test with a Mo/Me with the skill. You can mimic elites that are mantained enchantments and then cast them and have them active until they are removed in some way. For example you have two monks one is carrying healers boon, the other has arcane mimicry... If you clone HB and cast it you have HB active until you either cast out the skills spells or it is stripped or you remove it... so this skill can be used to have WoH monks (or other similar healing monks) have HB AND another healign elite... this should also work with any other mantained elite enchantment I am going to do some tests in a moment --Saji-Kun 04:30, 30 May 2007 (CDT)

All the spell steal/copy skills work that way Silver Sunlight SSunlight 04:52, 30 May 2007 (CDT)
Unyielding Aura would be nice... --Delgadude 13:02, 3 July 2007 (CDT)
Shame Mending isn't elite. Well, it is, it just doesn't count as an elite. --DEATHWING 19:59, 2 August 2007 (CDT)
You could echo it too to get 3 Mendings!!! No wonder they don't allow you to do it, it's unbalanced. --Macros 20:11, 2 August 2007 (CDT)
Just bring a hero with echo. Then bring Echo, Arcane Echo, Arcane Mimicry, Mending. 4 MENDINGS FTW! --Debug0x2a 15:48, 24 September 2007 (CDT)
echo -> this on hero with echo as elite. Totally useless, i know, but lotsa fun =P--Darksyde Never Again 14:00, 31 August 2007 (CDT)

Description[]

I am very confused...this skill was out before forms were in game and the only form-like skill was mist form. so did they know they would be making dervish forms or what? The preceding unsigned comment was added by Secret pie (contribs) .

They changed the description when Nightfall came out. --Macros 01:33, 17 October 2007 (UTC)
Really? because i thought it was always like thatSecret pie 02:54, 20 October 2007 (UTC)
Look at this. --Kale Ironfist 03:55, 20 October 2007 (UTC)


Question[]

What happens if someone uses that on someone that has more than 1 elite, like in the exemple given in the notes? What Elite skill will it copy?Big Bow 06:35, 11 November 2007 (UTC)

That is a VERY good question. I would assume it takes the one farthest to the left on their bar, but I have no experience in the slightest when it comes to that :/ --Gimmethegepgun 06:37, 11 November 2007 (UTC)

Bug?[]

I copied Ursan Blessing with this, used it, and after I went back, it was stuck on Ursan Blessing. Never reverted! Not sure if I was in bear form or not when it ran out. Anyone else experience this? --Seventh 14:36, 12 January 2008 (UTC)

Exact same thing, happened to me. GG anet.
Do you know what happens if you don't use Ursan Blessing? -Meridan 09:41, 14 January 2008 (UTC)
If you don't use a blessing, everything works as normal. If you do use a blessing, then when the blessing wears off, your skillbar returns to the state it was in before you invoked the blessing, including whatever skill Arcane Mimicry was replaced by being still on the skillbar. And that skill remains on the skillbar until you zone. BTW, it doesn't matter if the blessing was the skill you copied or not. The same thing happens if you copy some other elite and use a Norn blessing that you already had on your skillbar. Although I haven't tested it, I would expect the same bug would also occur with all the echo/mimicry/thievery-type skills. --68.187.144.197 10:29, 15 January 2008 (UTC)
Just tested, it appears I was right. Echo and Arcane Echo also display this behavior, remaining stuck on whatever skill they had copied before using the blessing until you zone. --68.187.144.197 11:11, 15 January 2008 (UTC)
That's so cool... Imagine the possibilities ;) --- VipermagiSig-- (s)talkpage 11:21, 15 January 2008 (UTC)
Hehe. I wouldn't design a build around it just yet. I'm guessing this bug was introduced on Jan 10th when they did this: "Fixed a bug that removed temporary skills (such as Disarm Trap) from a player's bar when a Norn Blessing skill ended." Their fix for that bug probably introduced this one. I would expect they'll fix this as soon as they realize it. --68.187.144.197 11:28, 15 January 2008 (UTC)

My guess as to the reasoning behind this is that since Echo and Arcane echo, and this are all enchantments, they are still 'up' as you gain the skill. Since the blessings remove all enchantments, the game forgets that it had copied the skill, and keeps the skill as if you have gained it with Signet of Capture. Axelfunx 23:41, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

I think blessings just "remember" your skillbar now, so if it's there, it "remembers" that it's there and leaves it semipermanently. Not the same as SoC, because it reverts when you zone.Entrea SumataeEntrea Sumatae [Talk] 23:45, 27 January 2008 (UTC)
Kind of goes hand in hand with what I was thinking. Theres obviously something in the skills (AEcho, Echo, Mimicry, ect) that is still present in order to tell the AI to switch back to that skill. I only assume that the bug lies within the Blessings themselves, which remove this unseen effect, leaving only the skill behind. Putting it a different way, the mimic skills are 'forcing' a skill onto your bar, and then some odd seconds later forcing them back off. If theres nothing to tell it to turn off, the AI will assume it was there all along. Just a thought. Axelfunx 08:20, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Combined with Signet of Illusions[]

Target casters and use signet of illusion to give them more random firepowers. Or Steal spells from enemies and use it against them. But of course it takes a professional player to know how to use every single skill the right way.

For example; steal Spiteful Spirit from a target If Lucky and use it on a caster.

What you just said is fail through and through, especially the ending. Spiteful Spirit works best on a physical attacker, not a caster. VegaObscura 10:39, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

No one uses this anymore[]

Please Anet! Lower the recharge on this thing! Make it 30 or 40 seconds!... plus, I get my Dual Shadow Forming more easily!

I'd say the people who get the most out of this are SF eles for copying elemental attunement. Elemental attunement at 12 ES +20% enchant=60 sec duration =gg whoever is on the receiving end of SF. :) Ursancide 05:05, 4 May 2008 (UTC)

I actually use this all the time for copying Healer's Boon when I monk in DoA. This skill can be useful as well on Necro for copying another players Flesh Golem. Works very well runing Aura of the Lich with Flesh Golem :D. Another idea I have yet to test, is to use a Dervish in either Melandru, Lyssa, or Dwayna form, and copy another player's Ursan Blessing. That could be a very potent combination. This skill is not yet dead. I can agree that 60 seconds is a bit much, but anything under 45 would be overpowered. -- Isk8 User:Isk8 (T/C) 05:10, 4 May 2008 (UTC)
lIts used to copy HB in HA as well. I as asked to bring it today for a Glimmer bar. —JediRogue 05:18, 4 May 2008 (UTC)
This is the kind of skill that, with just a tiny buff to the recharge, would be insanely overpowered to the point where it would have people leaving the game because of imba pvp, or with the recharge how it is, will be nearly useless. I think it is important that it stay how it is. VegaObscura 08:15, 5 May 2008 (UTC)

2 elites on the bar[]

i couldnt find yet how is the elite chosen if you use this on someone with 2 elites, does anybody knows?

I'm fairly certain it takes the left-most skill. --Shadowcrest 23:40, 6 May 2008 (UTC)
seems to copy the latest elite acquired
Same with some tests I did some time ago, wich makes hard, it not impossible to make some weird mimicry chainsfloWenoL 10:55, 3 August 2008 (UTC)

GoR?[]

its a spell so GoR gives it insta recharge so u could have, say

5 x
Earth Attunement Glyph of Renewal Arcane Mimicry Magnetic Aura Magnetic Surge Optional Optional Resurrection Signet
1 x
Earth Attunement Glyph of Swiftness Obsidian Flesh Armor of Earth Magnetic Surge Ward Against Elements Ward Against Melee Resurrection Signet
invincible to spell team with good anti martial- Rabus 00:19, 22 November 2008 (UTC)
Firstly, you could just take Obs Flesh on everyone instead of blowing elites on GoR just so you can use that. Secondly, Mimicry is replaced by the skill it copies, and when it comes back it goes from it's 60s recharge, so that wouldn't work. --Gimmethegepgun 03:13, 22 November 2008 (UTC)
Third, what the fog is that teambuild for? --Alf's Hitman 03:26, 22 November 2008 (UTC)
Firstly, u use GoR to keep up magnetic aura too, secondly, it would work twenty secs is less than the recharge on obsidian flesh (even 22.75 secs counting cast and after cast)and Thirdly i have no idea wat its for its just E.g. - Rabus 03:29, 22 November 2008 (UTC)
O unless u mean GoR doesnt effect the 60 sec recharge because of the 20 sec changed duration, then it wouldnt work - Rabus 03:31, 22 November 2008 (UTC)
That's what I mean. Once the duration of the copied skill ends, it switches back to being Mimicry again and goes off it's full recharge --Gimmethegepgun 03:39, 22 November 2008 (UTC)
Shouldnt that be in the notes then? GoR does not affect the recharge of this skill - Rabus 14:47, 22 November 2008 (UTC)