Classic's Classics on PvP Weapon Selection

Classic's Classics on PvP Weapon Selection

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Posted by: Classic.4072

Classic.4072

Greetings Gw2 Community

If you’re reading this, you probably want to know whats what and how to use it effectively. The following will shed some light.

Dagger/Dagger – Highlights of this combination include Heartseeker, Death Blossm, and Cloak and Dagger. This build benefits the most from positioning. Preferring to be behind or on the side of your target for max effectiveness.
-Heartseeker – Low Initiative cost (3), High DPS, best used to close the gap into melee range does max damage when the target is below 50%. This move shines against light armor classes. Generally abused by spamming, this move is most effective with high power high crit builds.
-Death Blossm – High Initiative Cost (5) The DoT applies itself in stacks of three (assuming you hit) and is highly effective against Heavy armored targets. Even if your not a condition build. It doubles as a free evade if timed correctly you can mitigate a lot of dmg while still inflicting a good amount. This move benefits from high condition dmg.
-Cloak and Dagger – High Initiative Cost (6) This move deals damage and stealths you for 3 seconds. Extremely useful. Position yourself for a backstab to deal high damage. Use this to stealth to get off the execute unmolested on a downed enemy.

Dagger/Pistol – This setup excels at dealing with melee. Focused around debuffing and debilitating the target.
-Shadow Shot(4) First blind your target and then shadow step in with a nice good chunk of dmg. Blind makes the next attack of the enemy miss. Useful for closing the gap INSTANTLY (Unlike Heartstrike) as well as giving you some tankyness with a blind.
-Head Shot- (4) Daze 1/4sec. It’s an Interupt and it prevents all skills from being used for its duration. This is effective on preventing someone from healing.. or even from ressing an ally.. OR from executing a downed ally.
-Black Powder (5) An Aoe Blind that lays down a combo field. Follow this up with a Finisher to stealth. This move allows you to play a little support role with some Group Debuffing. And getting into stealth sets you up for the Backstab.

Sword/Dagger – This setup is a defensive one that is capable of moderate dps. The Dagger offhand gives you a 50% snare and the ever important stealth. Allowing you to catch your target with ease and make sure his friends dont get the res off.
-Infiltrators Strike(3)This lovely move allows you to, From your current position create a waypoint, then shadowstep to your target. Upon dmg you immobilize your target for one second. when you activate IS again (2) you instantly shadowstep back to your previous location and remove one condition, Extremly useful if you initiated the move from an area of terrain away from the fight. creative use of this move can be a game changer in a fight. creating confusion and giving you the opportunity to escape or reenter the fray at your discretion.
-Flanking Strike(4) This move evades attacks and strikes your target twice. Allowing you to negotiate fights with other melee classes with ease. Its even useful for negotiating AoE Ground Effects from the caster classes.

Sword/Pistol – This setup brings pistol whip to the table, and the pistol offhand gives you the AoE Blind and the Interrupt/Skill prevent. And dont forget the Combo that allows you to stealth.
-Pistol Whip(5) After a short cast bar you strike out in front of you, briefly stun your target and unleash a flurry of blows. When combined with the skill Haste this move is capable of outright killing soft and heavy targets alike. But dont get to dependent on one move or you’ll find just how easily this move is counterd. Spamming it doesnt mean you kill your target. It just means you’re out of initiative. This move is best coupled with High Power and Crit, and is best setup with an immobilize.

Pistol / Dagger – a Condition build exclusive, the offhand dagger allows you to kite and enter stealth. Good for the Ambush from stealth allows you to get 4 stacks of DoTs up in short order. This setup is all about keeping the target at arms length keeping them dotted, making them vulnerable for more dmg. Rather Lack luster in the burst department it does however do a fair amount of dmg with enough condition dmg. Against a single Melee target you should be able to survive. Be prepared to get rolled by most ranged classes.

Duel Pistol – Unload is the only reason to take this. With enough crit and power. Popping haste can make unload very deadly, all the while keeping you safe from melee range. Much more suited to the supportive roll. If speced into pistols fully you can expect consistant dps against single targets and for them to slowed to a crawl by all your crippling effects. Leaving them vulnerable to a weapon swap to finish them off.

(edited by Classic.4072)

Classic's Classics on PvP Weapon Selection

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Posted by: Classic.4072

Classic.4072

Shortbow – Unquestionably the most powerful tool in the Thief arsenal. Its auto attack strikes up to 3 targets for 400 – 1200 ea. With a fast attack speed it can easily drop a target to 75% before needing to spend initiative. Also attacking from stealth applies an immobilze, useful for setting up kill combos or escaping. The important thing to remember about the bow is your not going to burst a target down. But if you ration your Initiative you should be able to Kite forever and whittle down all but the most hardy of targets, without the need to ever switch to your melee combination.
-Cluster Bomb (3) – A rather clumsy ability that has a steep learning curve. But when mastered can be used to devistating effect. A tip for using the shortbow (In Combat Options : Enable Fast-Cast Ground Targeting) launch a mortar to your target area when it explodes you can launch another. If you chose you can detonate the mortar early to have it split into 3 explosions. I use this move in melee range aiming at my feet. Allowing me to get of 1 CB every second. Critting for around 3500+ and applying a DoT Impressive for taking out Mesmer Clones, Turrets, Pets, and just doing dmg on the fly.
-Choking Gas (4) Throw Down an AoE Poison and a Combo field, Detonating into AoE Weakness. CG followed by CB triggers the Combo. Weakness reduces energy regen and gives them fumble. The DoT isnt amazing but keep it up to maximise dps with the shortbow.
-Disabling Shot (4) – A free evade away from your target and a snare. Double Win Self explanatory. But use this ability like you would a dodge at the last possible second.
-Inflitrators Arrow (6) – The best ability in the Thief Aresenal and what makes the shortbow so powerful. (In Combat Options : Enable Fast-Cast Ground Targeting) This move allows you to negotiate the battlefield with amazing speed. Subverting normally un passable terrain with a mouse click. Baffling enemies by darting around them and avoiding AoE and Charge attacks. Creative use of this ability will make you love the thief class all over again. Explore the maps to see where and how you can best use it.

That’s it for this segment of Classic’c Classics. Until Next time.

(edited by Classic.4072)

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Posted by: DangerMonkey.3158

DangerMonkey.3158

strong guide /10

would read again

Fear me! For I am the dangerous primate!
Rank 1X SneekyTheef (T), Wizzizard (M), Gerdierhn (G)
Builds:http://www.gw2builds.org/user/dangermonkey

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Posted by: kal.4350

kal.4350

Nice, even knowing the abilities, it was an interesting read.

But “Subverting normally un passable terrain with a mouse click”: afaik, you can’t use infiltrators arrow over unpassable terrain. Even more, I’ve read it even fails on some small obstacles that could easily be passable

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Posted by: Classic.4072

Classic.4072

I’d say that Infiltrators Arrow allows you to subvert 70% of the game environment. After using it in the maps you’ll find all the tricks. But it truly is the most underrated ability we have.

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Posted by: bloodymarx.9052

bloodymarx.9052

Yep, it’s a handy and quite comprehensive guide. Well done!
It could use a bit more formatting though, so that it’s easier to read.

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Posted by: Classic.4072

Classic.4072

Yep, it’s a handy and quite comprehensive guide. Well done!
It could use a bit more formatting though, so that it’s easier to read.

Hope that helps a bit.

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Posted by: BlueprintLFE.2358

BlueprintLFE.2358

Excellent thank you, like someone said above even knowing this and it was still a good read.

USMC 1st Battalion 10th Marines
Guardian-Blueprinted, Warrior- Grizzilli
[JCM] Guild: Ehmry Bay WvW

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Posted by: Lrdrahl.6120

Lrdrahl.6120

Well put out however a few of the numbers seem off

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Posted by: Tulisin.6945

Tulisin.6945

Sword/Dagger – This setup is a defensive one that is capable of moderate dps. The Dagger offhand gives you a 50% snare and the ever important stealth. Allowing you to catch your target with ease and make sure his friends dont get the res off.

People severely underestimate this combo. Sword regular attack is fairly impressive on its own and easily becomes the strongest regular attack on multiple targets. S/D is also the only setup that allows you to easily and repeatedly utilize sword’s 2-second daze from stealth attack. AE on every attack means pushing high hit/crit volume and getting more out of anything that works “on hit” or “on crit”. Since you don’t have to rely on expensive bursty initiative abilities to do damage you can benefit heavily from trait trees that reward you for banked initiative. Dancing Dagger also earns only a little quip from you about the 50 % snare, but people forget that this ability puts out twice the damage of a max-strength Heartseeker any time it is allowed to bounce, it is well worth using even in melee on anything but a single target.

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Posted by: Classic.4072

Classic.4072

Sword/Dagger – This setup is a defensive one that is capable of moderate dps. The Dagger offhand gives you a 50% snare and the ever important stealth. Allowing you to catch your target with ease and make sure his friends dont get the res off.

People severely underestimate this combo. Sword regular attack is fairly impressive on its own and easily becomes the strongest regular attack on multiple targets. S/D is also the only setup that allows you to easily and repeatedly utilize sword’s 2-second daze from stealth attack. AE on every attack means pushing high hit/crit volume and getting more out of anything that works “on hit” or “on crit”. Since you don’t have to rely on expensive bursty initiative abilities to do damage you can benefit heavily from trait trees that reward you for banked initiative. Dancing Dagger also earns only a little quip from you about the 50 % snare, but people forget that this ability puts out twice the damage of a max-strength Heartseeker any time it is allowed to bounce, it is well worth using even in melee on anything but a single target.

I agree, and thank you for your input!

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Posted by: Elan.3167

Elan.3167

You can use Black Powder to perform an uninterrupted stomp on anyone that is not a thief or mesmer. It pulses blind, which makes their interrupt miss. It also helps with butt pats on your friends that are in down state and have melee hitting them. Black Powder is also your bread and butter for soloing Keep Lords and the Chieftain/Svanir.