Guild Wars 2

I just got my thief to 80 and decided to gear tanky at first and slowly replace it with more glassy stuff as I get more comfortable with this class. I bought all PVT “Soldier” armor and accessories and stuck ruby orbs in everything and am running with a shortbow for ranged fighting. For melee combat I’m not sure what works best for a power build, probably d/d, d/p or s/p I assume? Anyone have a good build and which utilities to run as a starting point so I can get an idea on how to build? Thanks!

Really, all of our melee weapon sets are very good with Power, it kind of comes down to your own preference of playstyle.

First, what weapon sets do you like using? If you can’t make up your mind, jump in the mists and test some out, preferably in real matches. It’s not WvW, but it will give you an idea of what the skills are capable of.

Heal and utils are also a matter of preference, though I would shy away from traps as they are a bit buggy at the moment. Utils I have ran / run on a regular basis: Shadow Refuge, Blinding Powder, Shadowstep, Infil. Signet, Signet of Shadows, Assassin’s Signet. I tend to swap these around a lot, especially depending on whether im in a dungeon, PvE, or PvP.

Elites are all pretty good. For dungeons / PvE, Dagger Storm is king. It’s also quite good in WvW, but better for multiple enemies. Basilisk Venom and Thieves Guild are more PvP skills, again your preference. The venom is better for a burst build, while Thieves Guild is probably better for sustained damage, something like S/D for instance.

When it comes to traits, choose them based on what you really like / think you need. Don’t just go down a line for the stats. That said, I’m not a fan of the Deadly Arts tree, nor the Trickery tree. I tend to swap between either 0/30/30/10/0, or 0/10/30/30/0.

If you are going into Critical Strikes I like to go for Hidden Killer if I’m using a mainhand dagger, or just Side Strike if I pump the other 20 in Acro. DON’T ignore Shadow Arts and Acrobatics. Some of our most powerful / important traits are here.

In Shadow Arts, I like these traits: Infusion of Shadow (a must IMO), Shadow’s Embrace, Cloaked in Shadow, Shadow Protector, and Shadow’s Rejuv. The middle trait is probably the one you will struggle with the most, as Cloaked in Shadow and Shadow’s Embrace are tough contenders. Swap them out as necessary. In general, for dungeons with heavy conditions, SE is more important.

For Acro, I usually go for at least Fleet Shadow. It’s not as important in PvE, but in WvW or PvP, it makes landing Backstabs / Tac strikes so much easier. Also handy for quick getaways. If you go 30 Acro, Assassin’s Reward and Quick Recovery are great choices, and a must IMO for Dagger/Pistol.

Now for gear… I like to run berserkers everything or berserkers almost-everything. Valkyire or Knights are solid choices if you want to run a mix. I’ll have for example, Valk Armor, Zerker weapons and trinkets. PVT isn’t too bad either depending on your food choices, but if you are any sort of direct damage build, Power is the most important stat.

Good luck!

Here’s a d/d build I’ve been enjoying for a bit now. Bow as a weapon swap

30 Critical Strikes (III, VI, XII)—30 Shadow Arts (I,VI,XI)—10 Trickery (IV)

Hide in Shadows – Signet of Shadows – Shadow Refuge – Shadow Step – Dagger Storm

I think Signet of Shadows is great for Blind and has a shorter CD than Blinding Powder (which can sometimes backfire on your with the toughness passive that uses blinding powder at 25% hp)

Hide in Shadows is a must for this build, it’ll heal your more than Signet of Malice AND stealth you. Signet of Malice is really only good once in a blue moon if you’re using Dagger Storm on a big zerg

Shadowstep has a longer range than Shadow Arrow with the bow and if you use it to port to an enemy and things get out of hand really fast you can port back. Also a great tool for running away.

I find Dagger Storm to be invaluable just for it’s range and crippling effect if somebody tries to run away. Not to mention using it on people like mesmers and others who stealth to keep them at bay. Not to mention if things get realllly ugly Shadow Refuge + Dagger Storm = a decent healing combo field.