Guild Wars 2

Hey guys. I play an engineer in spvp and am having problems dealing with the thief ability heart seeker. Mainly I get bursted to 50 percent or am already low. The thief then spam leaps at me doing crushing damage. Even if I make a gap the leap spam quickly closes it. I’d appreciate any advice.

thanks!

What is your build? I’m not too familiar with engies, but if you have access to conditions like immobilize, chill, cripple, it severly limits the distance traveled by HS.

The good thing about engineer is a high access to vigor, which means you can dodge more often. This helps to avoid the dmg. Second thing is a high access to knockbacks, stuns and immobilizes. Use them on the thief and he will have hard times. Also what you have access to is loads of aoe, which requires no target and loads of conditions. I think what you need is just a bit more time and experience with thieves. just a matter of time.

Depends on your build but eh, the shield is a great defence vs thieves, mainly static shield will stop them in their path. Placing down AoE or a perfectly timed supply crate can crush thieves in 5 seconds.
Toolkit’s gear shield or a smoke bomb can make all the difference to.

P/P skill #5, Rifle skill #2,#4, P/S skill #5, Toolbox #2,#4. Lots of options. U can use elixir S to make them waste initiative, Several utility skills create distance between u and your target. Supply crate also ruins thieves.

Here are some basic tips.

1. Go up alchemy tree. grab iv and II. Run exlir s in ur ultities thats 2 skills u can use to protect yourself, one on a reduced timer.

2. use a shield. Shield 5 will stun them when they hit you. Double tapping 4 will knock them away from you.
3. use toughness and a weapon like flamethower blind, or bomb blind and stand in the aoe from the bomb blindness.
Thats a start. Also remember after hes done spamming a few heartseekers, hes dead on his feet and you got him.

But seriously smoke bomb and stand in it, a thief will just spam and miss miss miss, its perma blind if hes a hs spamming noob.

dropping your ult on them (supply crate) will usually destory them, remember to circle around and nab those heal packs.

So, like the others asked, what is your current build?

That’s the first most important thing to consider when fighting an HS spammer.
If you have, for instance, 1 invulnerability (say elixir s), it’s better to save it when the thief is just backstab→hs spam. That way, if he happens to have basilisk venom waiting, you can react without being a corpse. Your strategy here would basically be to run away. Cripple him, chill, and pop swiftness, then keep running forward until you catch your teammates. While this isn’t an ideal way to deal with it, it’s better than feeding the other team 15 points. With multiple invulnerabilities/blocks, it’s best to just use one and let him bounce off you, then counter attack with everything you can. More than likely he’s going straight back into stealth though, so don’t hold your breath.

Immobilizes, knockbacks, and cripples are going to be your best friends fighting thieves, as they rely on being up close for most of their bursts (p/x thieves excluded, but notably easier to deal with when you have a shield). Usually just call it a victory whenever you see the thief go into stealth and never reappear again.

1. dodge
2. dodge
3. toss a bunch of grenades
4. laugh on his dead body
5. /say 22222222222

When the game first launched , i hated to fight thieves on my Engi.

I then switched from P/P to Rifle + FT. At that point i just had enough control i could play with thieves all i wanted, they couldnt get near me.

I experience a weird combination of laughing and crying every time I end up HSing a 100nades engi on my thief and instantly down myself in the process.

yea engi should eat thieves unless instagibbed/ranged thief/condition thief – get aoe slows ->> proceed to faceroll

Info on your spec would help us provide better advice. Also, for predicting thief backstab look for basilisk venom buff, not all thiefs in hotjoin run it, but 90% of thiefs in tourny do. YOu see basilisk, backstab is probably coming.

But, ya dodge,dodge, shield5, 4 double tap, grenades. If your bomb kit use a smoke bomb and stand in it. If you want to be really fancy drop smoke bomb, switch to regular weapons double tap shield 4, its a blast finisher, with the combo field you will stealth yourself.

LOTS of things you can do.

wow, a pvp player that is actually trying to improve himself searching help on forums instead of just QQing about balance and “OP” skills.
Impressive.

Kultas Sunstrider.9218:

wow, a pvp player that is actually trying to improve himself searching help on forums instead of just QQing about balance and “OP” skills.
Impressive.

Honestly, I’ve always thought that the main problem with heartseeker was the distance traveled vs initiative expended, but anet decided the problem was damage, so now nerfing the distance is pretty much out of the question.

Leuca.5732:

Kultas Sunstrider.9218:

wow, a pvp player that is actually trying to improve himself searching help on forums instead of just QQing about balance and “OP” skills.
Impressive.

Honestly, I’ve always thought that the main problem with heartseeker was the distance traveled vs initiative expended, but anet decided the problem was damage, so now nerfing the distance is pretty much out of the question.

^This.

I dont care if they hit 6k heartseekers. But if they fly into you in the process it gets a bit too strong for the low amount of initiative. There are builds that can use HS like 7 or 8 times in a row.

In my bunker build is HS thief most easiest target especialy that who use quickness. Basicly start with block from toolkit (4s is enought to deplete his initiative) and stack on him confusion from static shot, concussion bomb, pry bar and retaliation from trait and super elixir blast combo field. He pretty much kill himself instantly. Also chill totaly demolish HS – especialy his “jump” range. here is my tPvP build if you want:-)
http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=-WRw;2sP-9-l6gTFx0;9;49-JJJ2;356-58-35-a31;0N1-ecX9ecX96FV
(copy/paste link)
/Edit:
-While thief is in invis lay down bombs run back and forth and turn by 180 degree as many time as its possible because backstab must hit you into back.
- Static shield is also great he nicely stun himself, also gear shield 4s of block can nicely block his invis burst.
- When he appear, use chill (by swap od med kit) and continue runining back and fort thru him its bit hard to use HS while you are behind him.

as soon as you see quickness buff just use elixir s. your instinct should be to dodge whenever a thief is on you anyways, so you have plenty of time.

all every bad player does is roll zerk thief use quickness and spam HSS.

FxyO.8243:

as soon as you see quickness buff just use elixir s. your instinct should be to dodge whenever a thief is on you anyways, so you have plenty of time.

all every bad player does is roll zerk thief use quickness and spam HSS.

I love when Engineers and Ele’s do this.
It’s like Christmas for me, since we have a trait that gives 2s of Quickness on critical.
They see Quickness, use Elixer S or Mistform, while I have Haste sitting on my bar primed and ready, and since you blew your real defense on that lil 2s quickness.
Be prepared to be smashed in by Auto’s/Pistolwhips or in this case, Heartseekers.

What you can do is if you have toolit. Gear Shield will straight laugh at the idea of a hasted Heartseeker, Unload, Pistol whip, FS (so long as the unblockable section isn’t enough to kill you).
If you’re running 100 nades, when they’re hs spamming, perfect time to go inside and just insta kill them straight up. Pretty sure it is doable in Elixir S form as well. So don’t goof it up.

Eg if it was me I’d pop shield in response to quickened animations, elixir S only if there just wasn’t enough time to do anything but.
Between Gear shield, Elixir S, and whatever else you may be running at the time. P/Sh for instance. You should be able to eliminate threat of HS being spammed at ya.
Other skills? Smoke vent can remove the damage of one HS, dodging will remove at least another if it’s being spammed, 6 ini removed, on a quickness level you’ll probably of removed 3 from the equation, so 9. If you can muster another dodge, you’re generally safe from that.

Oh and Slick shoes will knock them down. Stopping it in it’s tracks.