Guild Wars 2

I found d/d really easy leveling up xp wise. But in Wpvp I have to bow my head and admit that I might not be that great as a d/d build.

My other 80’s with serious wpvp time is a shortbow ranger and ’nade spec engineer.

So I am not sure if I am giving d/d enough of a shake or if my brain is just wired better for ranged pvp performance. I am leaning towards that later.

So I don’t want staff outside of some tower take/defense. Scepter/dagger in pve was solid, though slower then d/d.

Thinking in wpvp I get the range i need, but the mobility and the nice stuff out of off hand dagger.

Anyone else running s/d in wpvp and care to share builds and /or experiences.

Thanks

S/D lacks aoe. So for serious wvw it’s not an option. And D/D is tanky anyway, much useful as a pushing force in the front than a medium range tickle dps.

You have to run -20% firecooldowns if you want to have any aoe kitten as thats the only attunument for it.

Sabull.5670:

S/D lacks aoe. So for serious wvw it’s not an option. And D/D is tanky anyway, much useful as a pushing force in the front than a medium range tickle dps.

You have to run -20% firecooldowns if you want to have any aoe kitten as thats the only attunument for it.

For d/d you need the 20% cooldowns in fire?

Sounds like I need to get my d/d skills up eh?

0,o I’ve yet to come across a d/d build that requires any trait point in fire at all.

He means for the S/D build, since fire is the only AoE in the scepter line worth mentioning.

I’ve used S/D for WvW with excellent success. Having range all the time makes for a bit more versatility.

Don’t listen to the D/D guys, S/D has every bit the aoe D/D does, and better burst when played right. Don’t forget it still has all the offhand dagger aoe.

I run S/D almost always in WvW at the moment. It really depends on what you are doing in WvW though. I usually roam gank with my guardian friend. I have used d/d and it is a good roaming build but I have fell in love with my s/d. I run 2 builds depending on what I am feeling for the night. Either 0/20/0/30/20 or 0/10/20/30/10. My first build I run power/precision/toughness and my second I run power/precision/cd.

Usually I will have 3 cantrips but I occasionally will go Arcane Blast for some extra burst.

I find D/D is superior for roaming simply because it is more effective for dueling (when you inevitably run into other roamers). S/D unfortunately loses a lot in that field due to Tooth being slow and difficult to land. Phoenix is ok when used close range, but at longer ranges it just either misses due to being slow or is easily dodged. D/D also has more CC options, great for chasing people down.

In zerg fights, D/D is also a bit better due to all the instant AoE attacks, although S/D offers a bit more survivability since you can stay at range (even though I rarely stay in the zerg long enough to get hit much).

The big selling point of D/D is that all of its attacks are instant. Scepter just doesn’t offer that. I love it in PvE, it is my weapon of choice for that, but not so much in WvW.

I use S/D almost exclusively, but I’m not very effective with it. I just don’t find openings to get my spells off alone and if I use my own knockdowns to try and set-up a combo, they get up and can evade very easily to avoid the tooth/phoenix/ring/grip combo. Only time I ever get this combo to work is if I’m with my ranger friend who dazes for me or uses his roots.

I also find 90% of the time when using scepter I’m at melee range anyway which makes me question why I’m not just using D/D as using daggers is infinitely easier than playing S/D.

Frost is also quite depressing as it has great healing, but the damage is just so bad compared to water options with other weapons.

And as said above, compared to the other options, its AE is much lower and MUCH more difficult to actually pull off and in exchange for this, the single target damage is pathetic and while the potential is there for insane burst damage, you’ll manage to pull it off once in a blue moon :/

Shame as the play style for scepter is the most fun for me.

This guy seems to FSU with S/D.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DyahdHO0WHk

Hiya~ Let me see if I can’t give you some advice, though what people have already posted is already very accurate.

On my ele I love love love S/D. One of my friends uses D/D, and of course I tried that out. Wasn’t for me. Not to say anything bad about my D/D friends but it made me feel like I was on a thief and just rolling my face on the keys because my skills didn’t really need that extra flair to pull off. (personal opinion guy, don’t hurt me ><)

With S/D, your AoE is a little bit limited, but not as drastically as you may think. All you need to is control your opponent a little more with how you move and how you chain your skills. I have fantastic duels all the time while roaming with my Ele, and I mean fights where I know it came down to skill and I walk away from the fight (win or lose) feeling awesome.

I could go in depth with how I play the set up, and I will if you do so ask of me (message or post or whateve’s) but it might not be for you. You should always play a set-up that you have fun playing, and that you feel effective with, not just a set up other people say is good. ~ Good luck!

Well I gave both a try (OP here).. AFter a few days, finding D/D to be better. I can do it and be solid at it.

Just don’t love it like my s/d. But it IS more effective.

Here is hoping when the aoe nerfs hit us, they balance out the scepter.

my ele is S/D. The trick of SD is the placement of your slow hitting AEs rather than CC people to land them. Place your ae in a way that your enemy will walk into them rather than getting away from them. Most players watch the person they are fighting, you and the area right around themselves . So if they see a red circle at their feet they will dodge out. But very few players watch where they are moving towards. So if you get good you place your phoenix or pop your water 2 in the path of where they are moving towards you will land a good % of them. A lot of the time I will place ae all around the person I’m fighting, drop water 2 , then cast dragon tooth then cast phoenix beside water 2 and dodge into the space beside the phoenix while switch to earth. Chances are you will land at least 2 of those because there simply isn’t place for him to go.