Guild Wars 2

My views are only on dueling 1v1. TPvP is not my type of fun.

About the recent poison leech buff from anet…

I think it’s impossible to even work properly fighting anything with minions in PvP using a venom build. I wish I can say something nice about the venoms 1v1 without mobs helping them, but it doesn’t work on bunker guardians, elementalists too. I find that mesmer is grossly OP 1v1 and is the worst of the lot.

On mesmers

From my perspective, I have a full PVT, 19000 hp, 2800 armor, and each of the mesmer hits hits nearly 3500 dmg with certain illusions, and others hit with bleed and confusion, along with clones having high HP with signet of illusions (in total, hitting 6000-7000 damage with bleed). All that beats a Necromancer’s minion summon build DPS, along with some hideous blink and invisible usage (giving the illusion of amazing mobility) while letting the clones do the work of DPSing anyone.

I’m evading half of the attacks all the time, but I can’t even get close to surviving that damage. It’s utterly impossible, and in 1 burst brings me down to 50% with the main mesmer hitting with some invulnerable sword whipping.

If people think that mesmer is OP, it is.

IMO, it will make sense if you fight mesmer 2v2 and claim that it’s not OP (since you kill off the illusions easier), but the current state of the game is really not balanced when you fight that profession on a 1v1.

The only thing that beats mesmer outright is running the same, bursty type of damage. That’s the D/P build that gives the same kind of burst damage, and quite frankly I’m tired of burst damage smacking everything down.

(Will edit later on after waking up.)

On Warriors

Sadly thieves S/D stole boons like there’s no tomorrow. I don’t think I saw a warrior ever winning, on anything. Sure, 100b is powerful and all, but that’s only in PvE… Feels like zerk is the only way to go for warrior…

On elementalists

I think it’s the closest you can get as a superman build. It has everything. Damage, boons, high survivability… Killing him is impossible at the very least.

On guardians

S/D is quite powerful against guardians, I think, but I haven’t seen a bunker guardian on 1v1s.

On Rangers

One ranger angrily whispered me stuff after taking him down from an all bunker equipment (so he says).

(Continue later)

You’re having some problems with mesmers I see, hah.
The build your describing is strictly best at 1v1, but it’s bad at team fights, but sure, go on with the OP stuff and how the game should be balanced on 1v1.

the only thing that can kill mesmers is a burst damage? I run a p/d thief and I waste mesmers.

Mesmers get you when you make mistakes or get lazy.
Only thief set that can’t kill a standard mesmer is probably P/P and you don’t have to burst. Be aware and mes is just another threat.

Ele’s are pretty weak against the flanking strike spamming thief.

On mesmers

No comment, I’m not rly good against them. But most of the time it’s a 50/50 win-lose when I fight them. Sometimes I dodge well and they miss out on the key dodges, and sometimes it’s the other way around. This is about 1v1, in bigger groups there are more variables (still 50/50 but other reasons)

On Warriors

No comment again

On elementalists

Impossible? No. I’ve faced a lot of eles already and again, it’s mostly a 50/50 outcome. Important is to dodge the key-elements (like #4 dagger earth, no one likes lying on the ground). As a thief you also (if using pistol offhand) have access to a “spammable” interrupt skill (headshot). After a few bouts (or with luck) you’ll know when the ele is going to try and heal himself. Healing denial is a very strong tool.

On guardians

I still dislike fighting guardians … Their burning annoys me a lot. I’d avoid 1v1 with them.

On Rangers

Using bow only: Gank him
Using sword: Approach with care
(though I’ve seen some good bow-users. Still I’m less scared of them than sword-rangers.)

This is all based on the experience I have with my current build which is rather weak against conditions.

Game is built around active mitigation. You don’t spec to take enemy abilities head on as a thief. You spec to survive long enough to react.