So recently, well, not so recently, I’ve noticed a lot of players in PvP complain about thieves and their constant stealth so I decided to just throw some tips out there. This is in the thief section because it could also appeal to a thief that’s having trouble fighting their own class.
Before I start, I’d like to point out the fact that I understand there’re different builds out there for each class and you may not have the opportunity to avoid it. This is just some basic information that new pvpers may not know. This is not a full guide on how to fight thieves, but a guide to avoid their stealth and a few pointers here and there.
So, CnD can be avoided by multiple ways such as blind, getting knocked back/down, feared, dazed, evaded, or just being at a good distance. Thieves can use CnD on objects such as the crates in Battle of Kyhlo, pets, minions, and other players. Each CnD costs 6 initiatives and thieves typically have 12 initiatives, 15 with 15 points into the trickery trait line. Look into the skills of your class along with it’s traits. Some traits will allow you to, for example, daze on certain actions, such as the trait “Sleight of Hand”. Make sure you save your dazes, fears, etc. when there is a good opportunity like when they heal up or go in for that cloak and check whether or not you are blinded when you decide to pop those skills.
DON’T STAND ON CALTROPS (the big red circle on the ground that doesn’t seem to go away), it stacks a horrendously long cripple along with a crap load of bleeds. And if you are standing on them, make sure you have condition removal skills such as the Well of Power if you’re a necromancer, Null Field if you’re a mesmer, etc.
Thieves are usually p/d, d/d, or d/p and depending on their build, they can be quite a handful to deal with. For d/p, they use more initiative than p/d or d/d and are often present in a fight a little longer. They use the combo “Black Powder” and “Heartseeker” to get their stealth. In the process of doing so, they waste about 9 initiatives which gives you a nice long window to damage them down. If the thief is p/d, make sure you know when to keep distance because they may run straight for you or a pet to get their cloak. I know necromancer minions have horrible AIs but it doesn’t mean you still can’t fear or blind with your shade.
Here is the important part however: make sure you know your class well along with it’s utilities. If you don’t, then you’re bound to lose even if it was a different class, unless your opponent is horrible, so make sure you know how to play. Play with the traits, go look at new builds, experiment a little bit, or work out some new combos. I apologize for making this seem like just a big wall of text with some spaces in between, I’m not good at making organized guides. I hope this helps anyone even if it is in the slightest bit. Yes, this picture of my thief bowing is completely necessary.
