Guild Wars 2

I mostly have problems with Mesmers and Thieves. Thieves seem to stealth way too much, and I can’t track a Mesmer’s movements with those clones. I’m a D/D ele, and using Dragon breath and Frost breath seems to hit them occasionally. Otherwise these classes are impossible to beat down.

I hate mesmers with a vengeance, but thieves usually go down fast to the combo of Air 3 → Air 1×2 → Updraft → Fire 3 → Fire 5 and if they still live after that, Earth 4 and another attack.

How to beat a Thief:

-Dodge the Cloak and Dagger
-Build tanky
-Keep your health topped up at all times
-Always be ready to hit a stun break
-Keep them at range (Ele range > Thief range)

The reason I say to build tanky, is because it’s hard to win a glass-cannon fight. Thieves just burst better in every way, from the speed+ease that the combo can be executed, to being able to survive better while maintaining the same damage. Don’t try to beat them at their own game, but instead force them to play a different one – sustained engagements.

Unfortunately, 30 points in Shadow Arts gives a lot of healing, and if they are any good, it isn’t hard to avoid a large portion of your attacks. But at least you won’t instantly lose.

(I’m not saying you can’t win as a burst Ele, but it’s just a lot harder when their combo can instantly kill you)

Unless by ‘beat’ you mean ‘win’. Then no, there is no way to ‘beat’ a competent Thief, especially in WvW (in sPvP you win by capping the point).

Sunflowers.1729:

Unless by ‘beat’ you mean ‘win’. Then no, there is no way to ‘beat’ a competent Thief, especially in WvW (in sPvP you win by capping the point).

QFT.

You win vs. Thieves by not wasting time fighting them. Tag them a few times to see if they’re bad players. If they’re not bad players try to bait them into blowing a bunch of Initiative on Mist Forms or Arcane Shields, then CC them and run away.

You have low hp and low armor. They have lots of burst, can’t be kited, and excel at avoiding targeted attacks. They’re the hard counter to 2 of your 3 main hand weapons and a huge number of your utilities. Unless they’re baddies. Then you win because they’re bad.

Psy.7386:

I mostly have problems with Mesmers and Thieves. Thieves seem to stealth way too much, and I can’t track a Mesmer’s movements with those clones. I’m a D/D ele, and using Dragon breath and Frost breath seems to hit them occasionally. Otherwise these classes are impossible to beat down.

Mesmers usually have buffs running that their clones won’t have. Clones don’t change targets, only auto-attack, and have very predictable movements. Clones are basically just there to mess up Tab Targeting. Wait for all the clones to run at you at once, dodge them, then counter-burst the Mesmer while he doesn’t have enough clones to use Distortion.

It’s not fool-proof, but it’s the only way I’ve found to reliably combat them. I don’t usually run D/D though. I play Staff almost all the time, and have been experimenting with S/F lately. S/F is way better against Thieves and Mesmers and way worse against Warriors and Guardians.

It seem counter intuitive but basically blow the area up with your AOE’s. Thats for thieves though mesmers are a different animal if you aren’t quick to identify them or where they are going then you are kind of toast. If its phantasm spec lightning whip can be your friend kill the phantasms(they spawn near the mesmer) as you make your way toward the real mesmer. Mesmer fights would take alot more explaining it is in their favor tbh but it is winnable if you can spot them fast enough. Mesmers hate to be pressured thats why thieves can cause them trouble so you have to stay on top of them.

A few other points for mesmer – If its a Greatsword mesmer I pop my armor of earth as soon as I get to about 600 range they will try to illusionary wave you back to hit you with more burst.

If its pistol armor of earth at the opener is good to ignore magic bullet stun. 9/10 almost every mesmer will dodge roll backwards after they channel blurred frenzy or pop decoy with a dodge roll away.

The mesmer is usually try to stay away from you not be next to you unless they have blurred frenzy up. Shocking aura will now hit mesmers using blurred frenzy as of this patch before that wasnt the case. If its sword/sword or off hand sword mesmer watch out for the block because it can crit for like 4k pretty easily.

Thieves just blow the area up. They are there most thieves are greedy and won disengage until after they have used up Hide in Shadows heal + Shadow Refuge + Shadow Step or they mess up and get revealed then they attempt to reset thats how it is with the majority of thieves.

Remember if you get basilisk and don’t have a stun breaker up you can switch to earth for protection -33% damage and you can pop your auras while stunned also. If you see thieves guild come up pop armor of earth asap to reduce damage and ignore the scorpion wire pull. Most thieves pop thieves guild will come go all out on you while its up just keep focusing the thieve your aoe will kill the thieves guild elite.