Guild Wars 2

My name is Caed. I am a thief, always was and always will be. I am posting because I see a severe lack of high level thieves in sPvP/tPvP. I am not claiming to be the best or to know everything, but my knowledge of the class and game is extensive and my propensity to help others is gradually increasing. I have been asked to make guides and tutorials but I lack the time and equipment to accomplish that.

So my proposal to the thief community is this: I am here to help and answer any questions players may have regarding the thief class, whether it be skills, traits, gear, or play style. I enjoy the game and the class and want to share my knowledge and enjoyment to others. In exchange I want others to do the same and help the community as a whole raise their skill level.

-Caed Aeterna [TP]
Twitch: www.twitch.tv/Narcarsis

If you want help with the thief class send me a message or mail in game and I will respond as quickly and thoroughly as possible (I may be in a game or afk, please be patient).

Builds;

Caed’s Backstab [Dagger/Pistol]: http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=-c3RV-BFSwk0-5-FOFd0;9;4OT;0E28-59A;44;0LNV4-BX4Ewk2Ewk25Bb

Positioning is the most important thing and something you have to learn based on the position of the enemy team and the map, as well as your preference on aggression, defense, and team orientation. Timing is incredibly important as well and you must be patient to ensure that your burst is not negated. After you burst a target you either leave for a teammate to stomp or you switch to shortbow and continue to damage other targets. Don’t undervalue your shortbow, it is one of the strongest weapons in the game.

Venom Share [Sword/Pistol]: http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=-cFRV-BFSwk0-T53PFd0;9;4T-T-927B;138B;14;0YoV4-BX4Ewk2Ewk25By

Venom share is a team fight spec, it is still relatively squishy but you are able to get in more with the evasion on pistol whip. If you want you can sacrifice some damage and take a soldier’s amulet for some added toughness. Your main role is you give your damage dealer venom to ensure that they hit their target, second to immobilize/stun high priority targets, third to peel, and fourth is damage. You have an extremely high amount of mobility with Infiltrator’s Strike and Shadowstep, as well as condition removal on both of those and the trait in Shadow Arts. Manage your initiative carefully and keep an eye out for their high damage classes. Call out every CC you put so that your team can implement burst skills into your rotation.

Rainbow Unicorn Death Blossom: http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=-c33V-BFSwk0-S5FOkd0;9;6TJJ;437A19-26-KZV8-BX4jwmAjwmA2Fe

This is a Node Assault build. Due to stealth not being able to cap nodes it is not very effective at holding a node. However with a constant barrage of AoE Bleeds, Consistent health regeneration, and the highest evade/damage skill in the game you are incredulously hard to kill. It takes roughly the same effort to 1v3 as it does to 1v1 someone with this spec. Keep an eye out for CC and make sure you dodge it, use your Steal and Cloak and Dagger as a mini heal. Drop Caltrops and Choking Gas on a point to keep constant pressure on the defender. Switch out Rabid for Shamans if against a heavy burst team (keep the carrion gem). This spec works better on Niflhel and Khylo.

References available upon request.

I thought the below two builds were considered cookie cutter?

Are the builds you posted what you personally run?

If you have the time to discuss the disparities? <3

Unicorn build:
The lotus blossom unicorn build. Which build do you find better?
http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?fYAQRAoY4Ylcm6OXeS6E+5ECXBL07xXNWoV3jrSrqKA;TwAg2Croay0koJbTumkNt+Y8xeh5CA

This is also a D/P build:
http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?fYAQNAsaVlUmSOHcS6E95Ex2jeqTe6pgsjtTBXtKA;TsAg0CnoixEjIGbMuYkxsKYMyECA

Yes, these are builds I run.

For the bleed spec, you sacrifice a lot of survivability without any change in damage. Between rolling, death blossom, and time in stealth with Shadow’s Rejuvenation you will not run out of initiative – making the 30 point trait in acrobatics useless. While a reduction on Caltrops cooldown is good it does not outweigh the amount of utility that comes from Shadow Arts (Condition Removal on stealth, Stealth on Steal, along with turning every stealth you have into a heal). It gives up too much for things that give very little in return.

As for the Dagger/Pistol build; that build has no damage. I am confused by what it’s trying to accomplish. In a capture the node setting the role of a thief is generally to end fights as quickly as possible due to it’s lack of utility (venoms are an exception.) The D/P build you posted seems to have no purpose to it. No damage, no utility. It gets rid of your main team utility, refuge, in favor for a signet that won’t do much for you or your team. Shadow step is generally better than Roll for Initiative due to the fact that it has higher range, juke potential, instant, controllable, and clears damaging conditions on return. Thieve’s Guild is good, but very situational. They are easy to kill and have an incredibly long cooldown. With the AoE comps that are running around Basilisk is a much more viable option. It’s up very often, and is a heavy CC that puts pressure on your target. The traits lose all your damage potential and only give you Bountiful Theft and a third dodge roll in return. Furious Retaliation has a very high cooldown for a fury buff, Side Strikes or Practiced Tolerance would be more beneficial since you get fury off of steal with Thrill of the Crime. A large portion of damage comes from auto attacks, so the increased initiative gain is rather minimal. Vigor is also a very minor thing due to Disabling Shot on shortbow. Overall you give up a HUGE amount of spike and sustained damage for very minor things that don’t benefit you very much.

Hope that clears things up!

All the links seem to come up as “Bad links”.

Copy and Paste them into your browser instead of clicking on them. It’s an issue with the forum redirect not the link.

No past broadcasts on your twitch I’d like to look at some of your D/P play

I’ll bring some up for you when I get back later tonight, for the meantime http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnMs92_yWXA&t=3m35s

thanks appreciated will definitely be taking a look

Thanks caed. What do you consider classes/builds a crit thief has a hard time dealing with?

I struggle with some things and wonder if its me or a rock/pepper/scissors deal

Generally you do not want to 1v1 in a match. This is because it is very easy to be killed by another burst rotating back to their point – I should also mention that you have to outplay every opponent in a 1v1 in order to win. If you mess up they will kill you, and quickly.

If you must 1v1 there are a couple of things to remember;

1. Do not fight a battle where someone gets the jump on you, you will lose. Reset the fight and try again.
2. The best approach to a 1v1 is to burst and then bow the target to death (however this isn’t true with all classes/specs. Eles and Symbol Guards should be handled with the opposite. Bow them to ~60 and burst them hard for the kill. If they don’t die keep the pressure up or switch back to bow, or run.)
3. Don’t be predictable; when people memorize your play-style or rotation they will generally win. Best way is to learn to be reactive, don’t have a rotation that you go through at all. Juke people out of stun breaks with basilisk venom but save your steal/burst skills.

The two hardest classes to 1v1 are Eles and Warriors. The rest are the same.

A warrior will take over half your health in one whirlwind. Play safe and use your shortbow almost exclusively, only burst when you know they will die (be careful of shield block and endure pain). If you get stuck in melee vs a warrior you will most likely die.

For Eles I recommend not fighting them at all. If you have to then I give then the same thing applies as for warriors. Timing the burst is critical, if you don’t kill them with it then they will heal to full in a matter of seconds. Try to fight on a point and let your arrows bounce, keep them poisoned and make sure they don’t land their burst on you. Use clusters when they’re close and burst when you know they will die.

For any other class get the jump on them, burst, and either finish them with a Heartseeker or switch to bow and finish them with that.

I still haven’t gotten around to putting my videos up on twitch, when I do you can watch and try to pick out some 1v1s – maybe they’ll help.

Have to admit Im coming from a wvw perspective but its good to see that the 2 hardest classes are the ones I had in mind.

Hello Narcarsis,

You posted a lot of comment about how good d/p spec is and stuff, but how does it work? I mean rotations, what skill to use or such a thing. Do you have a short video or anything?

I don’t agree with two points you made:

1. Why pistol in a backstab build? Wouldn’t it be more useful to have Cloak and Dagger available?

2. I’ve been using a bleed build since I started playing this game and I don’t get why you use a precision amulet. Wouldn’t carrion provide more damage and more survivability?

Sorry to both of you, I haven’t looked at this thread in a while due to me having another in the sPvP section.

Aelendor.9457:

Hello Narcarsis,

You posted a lot of comment about how good d/p spec is and stuff, but how does it work? I mean rotations, what skill to use or such a thing. Do you have a short video or anything?

There are a couple different combinations you can use for your burst, and I would suggest checking out my stream! ^^ www.twitch.tv/narcarsis

brunohstein.9038:

I don’t agree with two points you made:

1. Why pistol in a backstab build? Wouldn’t it be more useful to have Cloak and Dagger available?

2. I’ve been using a bleed build since I started playing this game and I don’t get why you use a precision amulet. Wouldn’t carrion provide more damage and more survivability?

1. Stealth is more reliable with Pistol 5 + Heartseaker, you guarantee stealth instead of risking everything on Cloak and Dagger hitting. Pistol also is not as useless as dagger (quite the opposite)

2. Critical hit chance and Power both don’t benefit the build much, however when you go into sigils and look at the options then critical hit chance outweighs power due to the bleed on crit. The survivability also is more beneficial with toughness. Since you have a lower health pool your shadows rejuvenation and assassin’s reward will heal you for a higher percentage of your maximum health with the rabid amulet versus the carrion amulet. You benefit more on both cases from rabid than you would from carrion.

As a side note to answer some other questions here is the link to the sPvP version; https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/pvp/pvp/Caed-s-Thief-Walk-through-and-Guide-Mini/first#post1402934

Hello, I am kinda new to the theif class. I had a warrior and a guardian before my theif, and if you are giving advice for builds I would like some.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fYMQBYCh/gF6z4rQruHXlWJfA

I mainly do PvE, but would this build be viable for say WvW or PvP?

I normally use D/D and P/P (mainly for unload that’s about it)

Love the D/P build man, gave me the idea to use it as a secondary weapon set for my main P/D roamer in WvW.

Ran your D/P in some hot joins for spvp, and loved it (played a little asuran so it was even funnier since it seemed the bigger opponents couldnt keep track of me out of stealth).

Oh and that little trick: BV—>pop the signet—>Black powder—>Heartseeker than steal in midair to land the mug hit, heartseeker than BS is just too much fun. Love using that combo in WvW.

P.S. (couldnt remember if you talked about that little trick or if it was someone else) but keep up the good work

Jarettellis.7813:

Love the D/P build man, gave me the idea to use it as a secondary weapon set for my main P/D roamer in WvW.

Ran your D/P in some hot joins for spvp, and loved it (played a little asuran so it was even funnier since it seemed the bigger opponents couldnt keep track of me out of stealth).

Oh and that little trick: BV—>pop the signet—>Black powder—>Heartseeker than steal in midair to land the mug hit, heartseeker than BS is just too much fun. Love using that combo in WvW.

P.S. (couldnt remember if you talked about that little trick or if it was someone else) but keep up the good work

cant BS after mug and HS bc both remove stealth.

Travlane.5948:

Jarettellis.7813:

Love the D/P build man, gave me the idea to use it as a secondary weapon set for my main P/D roamer in WvW.

Ran your D/P in some hot joins for spvp, and loved it (played a little asuran so it was even funnier since it seemed the bigger opponents couldnt keep track of me out of stealth).

Oh and that little trick: BV—>pop the signet—>Black powder—>Heartseeker than steal in midair to land the mug hit, heartseeker than BS is just too much fun. Love using that combo in WvW.

P.S. (couldnt remember if you talked about that little trick or if it was someone else) but keep up the good work

cant BS after mug and HS bc both remove stealth.

Heartseeker doesn’t apply stealth until the end of the animation, so a Mug can be used before you land the heartseeker. You then gain stealth from the heartseeker and can proceed to backstab.