Guild Wars 2

So, I’m getting back into my Thief. I have never liked backstab builds in general, as I find the positional stuff more trouble than it’s worth and generally dislike the play style. I think the obvious answer to conditions for Thief is Shadow Arts. However, I’m trying to mess around with a Sword/Dagger or Sword/Pistol build for WvW roaming and sPvP in general — not super competitive, just fun and effective.

That all said: I’m struggling with finding a way to remove conditions. These are the options currently in my mind:

• Acrobatics trait line, Pain Response
• Sword 2
• Signet of Agility
• Hide in Shadows / Withdrawl
• Escapist’s Absolution

My issue with them, in the same order:

• This completely guts so much of the offensive power Deadly Arts brings. Despite this being an excellent tool for conditions, I feel like it’s not viable because of the trait line you give up.
• 5 initiative for one condition clear does not seem great.
• Again, one condition clear is just ok to me.
• Both of these are solid tools, but you give up Channeled Vigor, as well as not being able to deal with Confusion.
• This seems solid, but a bit slow for when you get condition spiked.

Where my mind is right now is that I have to use combinations of these tools and be very reactive (e.g. if I get condition spiked I need to pop my heal, and try to use another means — Maybe Shadowstep etc).

Does anyone have any really solid insight into this? I’m trying to recreate the crazy heavy-dodge build of S/D that we had back in the day. Heavy brawling/skirmishing, solid dodges. Maybe it’s a pipe dream, but would love to hear feedback.

Daredevil with EA. It’s our only good option.
As of lately, ANet is who decides how you play the thief. DA/Tr/DrD D/P or staff with Escapist’s Absolution is how you play power. S/D is nerfed to oblivion, and DrD is just better than acro.
Signet of Agility is a good idea as it offers a cleanse and refunds endurance, which offers more cleansing. As it is, EA is one of the best cleanses in the game. You’ll need Shadowstep for a situational cleanse. Take BD to prevent application and use it instead of Shadowstep since it’s easier to use, often safer, and on a way lower cooldown for stunbreaking. Conditions are considered overpowered in 1v1 and small scales generally speaking, so they’re very prevalent now.

Core thief has pretty terrible cleansing options overall. You’re not going to find much meaning in any core trait lines except trickery. Daredevil for the most part does everything core thief offers, but better. People just like DA because all of its traits synergize nicely, and provides both good offense though mug and executioner as well as solid utility through poison/weakness, heal on mug, and Panic Strike.

Acro and EA… I have to run them now due to the very high condi application in roaming. I also run Signet of Agility and Shadow Step… even then against heavy condi application I can still fall. I sometimes get irritated and take Trickster to speed up Withdrawl and get an extra condi off that way.

The other option is to switch to S/P or S/D which is what a lot of thieves are moving towards now.

For spvp my condi clear options are dash for immob and shadowstep. I used to trait for condi removal on tricks but the Daredevil heal is too great and trill of crime as well. For the rest I try not to get hit by condis in the first place.

I use s\p in conjunction with acro traited for PR and don’t stop. I take trickster out of trickery and withdraw ,RFI , haste and SW as utilities.

This gives multiple stun breaks and multiple immobilize breaks. SW is on an Uber low cooldown so even if you fire it just to cleanse it fine.

I find I do not need EA in the build.

That’s plenty of cleanse and you use your dodges and interrupts to keep the big ones off.

I also trait flanking strikes trickery line as that another cleanse.

I know a lot do not take SW but with a cleanse on use even if it misses it’s pull it useful. Add to that with PI traited , pulling a person to you for a pistol whip can generate some great damage with multiple PI’s and if you have quickness up the pistol whip is a great follow-up.

I run core Da/Tri/Sa in WvW with D/P, using Trickster to provide more cleanses and faster heal CD sometimes I have to camp stealth to cleanse enough, but I find it better than DrD in a lot of cases. Running Shadowstep Signet of agility and either Blinding Powder or Roll for Initiative.

DeceiverX.8361:

DrD is just better than acro.

They specifically nerfed Acro before adding in Daredevil. I still remember being surprised there wasn’t as much outrage as I expected when they showed Daredevil. ‘you get three dodges’ ‘you mean like old acro?’ ‘umm….’

Funny, i get all sorts of hate in ranked for running. my condi DD. i run Trickery, Acrobatics, Dare Devil, with lotus. I normally don’t fear condi’s unless i have nothing to dodge to clear them, even then i can normally clear them with withdraw and roll for initiative. As long as i can keep fighting i can pretty much clear 1 condition every second.

In everyday roaming I use, in order (since you need to clear cheap first):
1. Dash
2. Withdraw + Trickery
3. Signet (if one condi remains) / Shadowstep (if more than one remains)

If you pay enough attention to stuff you can clear cheap, that is enough unless vs multiples or if you ate an entire burst (good condi necro surprise for example).

The biggest thing there is to learn is to make sure you cleanse with the active clears only when really needed. Don’t clear low stacks, don’t clear early on.

Jerus.4350:

DeceiverX.8361:

DrD is just better than acro.

They specifically nerfed Acro before adding in Daredevil. I still remember being surprised there wasn’t as much outrage as I expected when they showed Daredevil. ‘you get three dodges’ ‘you mean like old acro?’ ‘umm….’

Well i remember that very differently, there was a crap loads of complaining about that.

Condition removal is like Plan G for thief. Plan A, B, C, D, E, and F are to avoid the application of conditions through dodges, kiting, blinds, dodges, interrupts, and more dodges.

OP I also don’t enjoy dagger or backstab. I used to play a s/d a lot, I personally find s/p a better weapon in most match ups(except engineer). From my perspective while running s/p condi is pretty easy to deal with. All I run trait wise for condi clear is escapist absolution. I do run signet of agility and shadow step for condi clear though. Here are some tips/option not listed above.

• One thing you missed is shadow step. It’s also a 3 condi removal on the return cast.
• Evading the application is your best friend. Abuse our 3 dodges to avoid major applicator skills.
• Channeled vigor and agility signet both give you extra dodges to allow you to dodge key skills and clear condi’s.
• Interrupt is also a good way to avoid condi, things like confusing images on scepter are high stacks, but are a long channeled cast that can be stopped.
• Sword 2 is 5 init, it is purely situational tho. I always try to engage or follow up with this to allow me the opportunity to nope out/clear. A combo I like to do with escapist’s absolution is to 2 in dodge behind and port back. You will get two clears out of the 5 cost and a dodge as well as confuse lower players. Be careful on repeating this move on smarter players. A smart warrior will ruin your day if you do this more than once.
• Escapist’s absolution works with pistol whip, you can get up to two condi clears from its evade frames. For dealing with things like wells and marks; you can pre cast pistol whip then steal on top of them, evading the ground targeted effects and clearing condi.
• For confusion your best bet is to black powder, bound dodge and wait out the confusion.

-Withdraw+trickery is a good thing to have (Adventure runes will make it so that you get the same effect over time as channeled vigor without the cast time)
-Unhindered combatant
-EA
-Shadowstep
-Sig of agility
-Flanking strikes trait (with trickster it’ll cleanse a condi)
-Sword 2 return
-Roll for initiative (Also helps with recovery aspect)
-Purity or generosity sigs (If you’re willing to sacrifice damage)

Extra options in wvw
-Saffron-scented poultry soup (cleanses a condi on heal) so your heal could remove like 7 condis
-Cleansing sig (Cure 1 condi when you swap to respective weapon)

When I run s/d this is my setup:
PvP- http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZAQNAsYVl0MhSnYvTwwJw/ELwE28HsE2C1EA2Nehh4QbA-TpBEABE8AAMvMwEnAADOEAAcEAUa/BA

WvW-http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZAQNAsYVl0MhSnYvTwwJw/ELwEmXYIO0Gm/glwWoWCIAsbA-TlCFABLcEAE4QAY0+D8pEEJlBPcCAA4BAco6PJp0Td9BpDOAOrZN7sA3d3d3d3dNgdnd3ZnVGgqxA-w

Note: Roll for initiative can be swapped for BD if you prefer it

I generally have little to no trouble fighting condi builds when I’m specced like this so hopefully it’ll give the same results to you. And the setup is usable between different weapon sets with maybe a few trait changes so you don’t have to worry about swapping equipment when you want to use a different build.