Guild Wars 2

Okay, here is the thing: I’ve recently tried WvW. I start to like it, but there comes build… I don’t feel comfortable with condition build – and I have perplexity one. It’s not my style.

So! I’ve created Knight armor; zerker weapon/trinkets sd build.

In small groups I do not bad from middle and long range, when they come closer I bomb them (yet still, stabbing thief cowards tear me apart)

What about single roaming? Well, once leaving valley in EB I met 2 rangers. I killed them both.

I am not sure, what yet I should present, but I want advices. Would it work eventually or it was all just luck?

A SD build is basically a thief without stealth or blinds

Tarreth.8914:

I am not sure, what yet I should present, but I want advices. Would it work eventually or it was all just luck?

It can work, but you have to understand what limitations your defensive options have and act accordingly. You can’t disengage at will and fully heal in 5 seconds like warriors, you can endlessly stealth and blink around like thieves, and you don’t have more healing abilities than you know what to do with like eles, &c.

You also need to be very deliberate with your movement since you won’t have the mobility options that other professions will have. You could always take something like rocket boots or elixir gun to help alleviate this somewhat, but just realize that it’s a lot harder for you to back out if you find you’ve over committed to an encounter.

You’ll have a particular advantage if you can take them by surprise and put them on the back foot early, so try to choose your engagements appropriately.

I still do some solo roaming on my full glass SD burst build, but it will run into situations where it simply can’t deal with the other person’s build or it’s not equipped to handle the 1vX situation. That being said, it’s pretty fun to play, and I am able to win 1v1s fairly consistently, as well as some 1vXs… not nearly as much against very skilled players or organized groups though.

i dont like sd, but you might be able to do like 40442 and do ok

basically the utilities and traits you need to take for sd severely limit your survivability

Carpboy.7145:

A SD build is basically a thief without stealth or blinds

Or combat movement.

It’s even less effective since the Ferocity nerf, and is less survivable than a killshot warrior.

Source: I’ve tried both since the patch.

So, SD would be more fittable for zerg?

Tarreth.8914:

So, SD would be more fittable for zerg?

It can work in a zerg scenario, but you generally end up playing it in an assassin-type role, trying to pick off squishier enemy backline. You could also use it as a general ranged combatant, although whether or not that is valuable for the zerg is dependent on the zerg comp. The advantage to using it in this scenario is that you can rely on your zerg to help you survive while being able to do high burst damage. Most SD builds will run tool kit as well, which is great for sucking enemies out of position and having them get trampled by your zerg or just prevent them from being supported by their allies.

That’s what I do. When there is some enemy at sideline and it’s elementalist/necro/mesmer/anything, what isn’t guardian I try to break it. And yes, I pull my enemies.

Tarreth.8914:

So, SD would be more fittable for zerg?

When I run power in zergs, I usually include tool kit and rocket boots, since they both have decent utility belt SD procs, and you get gear shield and a movement-condition clearing escape, but this leaves no real good choices for a stun break, so if you get focused, you are out of luck. That is unless you run goggles, which are OK, but not optimal.

SD is awesome. Probably the fastest paced engineer build. Very active playstyle with huge potential imo, just don’t limit yourself to that opening strike.

@OP:
You can check my signature for SD play.

Carpboy.7145:

A SD build is basically a thief without stealth or blinds

Some thoughts on how they differ:
Basically they just fight unlike each other. One could say Thieves mainly setup bursts with mobility/stealth and defend themselves with additional dodges/stealth/port (correct me if I’m wrong, not an expert thief) while Engis setup burst with CC while defending themselves with CC, kiting, block and healcombos. Also, SD burst is partly AoE and ramps up further if it can bounce multiple times.
Thief has less CC and minor (if any) AoE in spikes (I know cluster can rock but you can rarely spike with that reliable) while Engi has less mobility and minor stealth compared to Thief.

It’s a matter of play style / preference. You have to decide for yourself what is more fitting for you.