Guild Wars 2

So, I just hit Straits of Devestation and I’ve been swimming around underwater unlocking everything. I’ve felt pretty weak underwater for the entire game (it easily takes me 2-3 times longer to kill anything UW), but this is just ridiculous. Normal mobs 3 shot me and the Veteran ones 1-2 shot me. I can’t kite them around because there are so many of them that I just end up pulling more. I can’t melee them because they’ll kill me too quickly. About the only thing I can do is spam my #5 evade while attacking skill till I run out of initiative. Nine tailed strike is nice, but after the block ends when I get attacked I counterattack and most of the time I’m dead before the counterattack ends. The spear’s #2 ability moves you around so much that half the time the mob dodges it trying to follow you and the other half the time you pull more mobs. The #4 ability pulls YOU to the mob, rather than the mob to you. That just puts you inside a giant pack of mobs. There are tons of enemies underwater, and a thief seems to have little/no real AoE UW. In the end it just feels like every part of this was designed to be utterly broken. My gear is as high as I can get it for the most part, upper 60’s to low 70’s, and I’m currently 74 in a 72 area. What am I doing wrong? Is everyone else having these kinds of troubles?

You’re using the spear?

Have you tried using the harpoon gun? It’s my tool of choice for underwater combat. More damage, easier maneuverability.. allows you to keep your distance.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Harpoon_gun

Spear does more damage IF you can land the hits. Which you can’t do so well in most cases. So yes use the Harpoon Gun and learn it’s tricks. Very powerful skill set.

The counter attack for the spear is killer though. Its like nine attacks at once.

Shadow.6018:

The counter attack for the spear is killer though. Its like nine attacks at once.

I do love that attack.

I only use spear as a thief. If you know what you are doing, you are invincible. I have soloed group event underwater champions with that counter attack and the evade attack.

Use both Spear and Harpoon. Know how to use them.

With Spear:
You are basically invincible in 1v1. You have a skill that blocks for 3 intiative and counterattacks on hit or restores initiative if not. You have a skill that makes you invulnerable for a prolonged time, while you deal medicore damage to the enemy that you can use three times before running out of initiative. Those two combined make you unbeatable by any mob in 1v1. Find an easier mob and train. Use your block, learn how it works. Basically you can use block only and win. Mob just cannot deal damage to you because you can block its every attack. But using 5 as well speeds up the process.
I didnt try to fight with spear vs multiple enemies, but it might work as well. Would be just harder, since you’d need to interrupt your counterattack if you see another blow incoming, you would probably have to use dodge and that means you cant comfortably sit in one place, etc etc. More hassle.

Harpoon gun:
Basically it WILL deal more damage than spear. Because spear has no way to buff your damage with initiative, really. Speargun has it, and its the 2 ability. Basically with speargun you just circle-strafe your enemies (however big are their numbers) and keep hitting 2. You’ll fire 2 when you got initiative and 1 when you havent. Circle strafing means you’re holding your right strafe and constantly turn left, so that you are doing circles and mob follows you in a circle. This allows you to win vs any number of melee enemies (like drakes, turtles) or even ranged ones. If this simple tactic doesnt work, you may need to either use 4 to slow enemies, or dodge their attacks (like sharks that when they get close charge and stun you). When against multiple ranged opponents, you should really use your dodge timed with the projectile approaching you, and use heal on cooldown, and you can usually beat 3 of them at once. Use stealth to drop aggro and pick them one by one if going against all at the same time doesnt work. I didnt find real use for 3, and 5 is more about travelling than combat (however if you need to blind a power attack – use it).

Also, 1v1 ranged enemy with harpoon gun when you cannot melee it for any reason is very easy. Most underwater projectiles are not very fast. This means, you dont even need dodge to avoid them. Be on the move constantly (strafing). Learn the moment when the projectile is actually launched, and just turn the other way as soon as it does. Projectile will fly on an intercept course to your previous heading, its usually wide enough hitbox to hit you if you’d come to a dead stop the moment it launched, but it isnt if you’re going the other way! Harder to do with multiple ranged but still possible (use dodge when you see multiple projectiles incoming).