Guild Wars 2

I miss stunlocking and backstabing in PvP! can I do anything similar and just as fun with thieves?

Backstabbing (more like ambushing there is no backstab like wow) yes, stunlocking no.

Backstab = Ambush but stealth is much more readily available in combat.

Before the October update I was basically able to Daze lock people, but then they reduced the time the daze lasts. Sword/Dagger can still perform a close Daze lock, able to keep enemies dazed for 2 out of about 3.5 seconds, possibly more if the sigil that helps ‘Stun duration’ actually does help Daze duration. As for backstabbing, there is a lot of builds out there.

You could do both at the same time by running D/D + SD like me.

Still dazelocking even to the max is nothing like stunlocking was.

You can still daze lock in WvW. Or atleast somewhat. The 2s daze still applies to WvW as WvW is considered PvE. Though I dare say in WvW if you plan on 1v1ing people there are more efficient builds.

But are they as survivable? I build my S/D build to survive and skirmish about 3 people.

thief gameplay is not like wow rogue gameplay, you cannot compare the combat mechanics ( well you can compare them, but the whole game is different ).

You cannot do some cs → bs-bs → kidney → bs kitten .
And you don’t need to, because there are no unkillable healers in this game.

There are some bunkers, but they will not be able to heal / keep other people alive like it’s in wow…

You could specc P/D and have some fun, or D/D and try to “one-shot” people , or go D/P and do the same with more survivability and the possibility to back off more often.

But remember GW2 is not wow2.0 .. so no stealthing around and killing people who are low on HP, which was lame anyway.

You can for sure HotJoin and try the same there, it will work sometimes, but i wont work the other times, and you will get one-shottet yourself.

I would however recommend to play tPvP , its much much more fun than the zerg play that happens in hot-joins all day long.

You can play s/d there, but you will ne someone who dishes out the dmg while you daze-lock the nmy.

Or just play D/D and burst them, but this will allow them to move / use skills, unless you only engage when you have basilisk venom up.

If that’s what you define “fun”.

You however will only have this combo every 45seconds.

Basilisk venom → cloak’n’dagger → steal ( whil still channeling c’n’d ) → backstab [ hs spam ].

This is like a WoW shadowstep → CS → ambush/bs spam. Followed by very hart hitting eviscerates.

Actually, you can stunlock somebody in this game, but it’s hard to pull off. Your favourite ability for it should be tripwire trap, as it knockdowns people for 3 sec and can do it AoE. Also, if you actually use it as a TRAP, you can hit your opponent 2 times in a row, resulting in 6 sec knockdown. Add to it mesmor runes and you have 8 second stun. Follow with guardian’s mace daze (steal) for 5 second daze, or necro’s skull fear for 3 second fear. Throw here and there tactical strikes for daze and flanking strike for stability removal, or pistol whip for extra damage damage plus 1 sec of easy accessible stun.

PS: both guardian’s mace daze and necro’s skull fear can be used 2 times in a row, so you have 10 second daze or 6 second fear. Just make sure not to hit them at the same time, because the effect doesn’t stack, just refreshes (same with tripwire trap).

Except…. Runes of the Mesmer affects Daze, not stun.

We’re better than Rogues: Thieves can stealth out of situations far more than a Rogue who can run around perma invisible. I’ll take my stealth over a Rogues invisibility any day!

Binary Rain.4869:

Except…. Runes of the Mesmer affects Daze, not stun.

Then grab stun sigil +10% stun duration.

Dagins.5163:

Actually, you can stunlock somebody in this game, but it’s hard to pull off. Your favourite ability for it should be tripwire trap, as it knockdowns people for 3 sec and can do it AoE. Also, if you actually use it as a TRAP, you can hit your opponent 2 times in a row, resulting in 6 sec knockdown. Add to it mesmor runes and you have 8 second stun. Follow with guardian’s mace daze (steal) for 5 second daze, or necro’s skull fear for 3 second fear. Throw here and there tactical strikes for daze and flanking strike for stability removal, or pistol whip for extra damage damage plus 1 sec of easy accessible stun.

PS: both guardian’s mace daze and necro’s skull fear can be used 2 times in a row, so you have 10 second daze or 6 second fear. Just make sure not to hit them at the same time, because the effect doesn’t stack, just refreshes (same with tripwire trap).

This is all extremely situational and unpractical though so saying we can stunlock is a bit misleading. You are requiring specific classes and 45second wait times so that a trap or steal ability is up while having the trap/steal off cooldown. I also don’t consider daze a stun. It’s effect is more like a weak counterspell from WoW. People can run around and still use some abilities.

Thief requires infinitely more skill than Rogue.
Thief is not a simplistic rotation-based classs, you need to think quickly and use skills exactly when they are needed.
Against anyone with a brain you will need to use skills according to both the general situation, the enemy class and the enemy setup.

For instance, against a poor Staff Ele you could try the CnDSteal trick but not against a DD Ele as he will kill you if he’s any decent.
Some Warrior builds can be spiked, others need to be evasion-stalled, .others need to be kited.
Guardians depending on the build could outlast everything you have or spike you in 2s with 9k whirl+6k mighty blow.
Necros could be condition-based (easy) or Power Necros (hard).

Depending on the enemy you need to act very differently, use very different tactics and setups.
If you’re looking for an easy class like WoW rogue you should try the Warrior, it’s pretty straight-forward and somewhat simple.

Stiv.1820:

This is all extremely situational and unpractical though so saying we can stunlock is a bit misleading. You are requiring specific classes and 45second wait times so that a trap or steal ability is up while having the trap/steal off cooldown. I also don’t consider daze a stun. It’s effect is more like a weak counterspell from WoW. People can run around and still use some abilities.

Yes, but the point of stunlock is to kill somebody while not giving them any chances to fight back or heal. Anyway, I am glad there are no long CC abilities, because sitting in stun/fear/daze/blind for 40 seconds wasn’t fun.

And in WoW, you needed cooldowns to stunlock properly aswell, and they were 2-3 minute long. I agree, it was easier in WoW, but in WoW everything about PvP was easier in general.

I wish the thief class would be a more of an assasin class, and less dependant on stealth and more survivability outside stealth with more stuns & combos etc. The rogue class in WoW was really fun to play imo and i hope Anet changes the thief to a more assasin class.

(Yes I am resurrecting a thread, don’t cry about it. I haven’t seen this many posts about this subject.)

Having read other threads that are contradictory to the claims that stun locking “isn’t” possible I am rezzing this thread to find out what you guys think. I am not nearly as experienced as you are, that’s why I am asking. Thank you for the help. (ps- I realize this isnt a WoW rogue, I am just curious to what degree you could build a Rogue knockoff)

This is the thread in question http://www.guildwars2guru.com/topic/63583-stunlockbuild-i-encountered-today/

and here are some of the more relevant posts

I’m guessing they are using “panic strike” (immobilise for 4 secs when hiting target under 50%) plus infiltrators strike coupled with the 30% condition duration from Deadly Arts+condition durations from runes. Immobilise stacks in duration so off top of my head you could be immobilised for up to 6.5 secs??) Are they opening with a hefty backstab to get you around the 50% health mark? I’m assuming they are using basilisk and devourer venom too.

I’m not sure what they are using to burst you down with after that – are they switching to S/P pistol whip (plus haste) or D/D heartseeker afterwards (assassins signet plus sigil of intelligence)? Check your death log (print screen) and combat log to find out what is causing the damage – might be able to work backwards to figure things out.

pen with infiltrators strike (1 1/4s immobilize) Then pop quickness and devourers venom. There’s another s immobilize. Use pistolwhip repeatedly cause little 1/2/s immobilizes on each attack. And finally Panic Strike in grandmaster Deadly Arts for the 4 second immobilize to foes under 50% HP. There’s 7+ seconds of immobilize. You’re dead if you cant break it period lol. Because of the deadly arts traits you are also poisioned weakened and taking +10% damage if they throw a steal at your first. You could also have needle trap handy so if they break your initial immobilize you just pop a needle trap and they are locked again

**I’m using a superior sigil of ice to chill on crit. It’s very handy when using pistol whip because enemies can’t escape that easily. My build is not centered around ganking once in a while so i’m not using a stunlock build or something similar. I haven’t encountered a stunlock build yet but it can defy be made with the tools that a thief has. Scary stuff!