Guild Wars 2

Hi,

I’m rolling a D/D backstab build atm, getting somewhat bored with it. What do you guys think of the P/D cond build? Only thing that bugs me is that it seems to only consist of CnD and auto-attack, doesn’t that get really really boring after awhile? Also, what utility skills are used with it? Venoms?

This looks effective but utterly boring:

It looks utterly boring because it is utterly boring. p/d condition build’s dps output is so low that if a class really wants to run from you, he potentially can without a problem. You can chase him or put status effects on him, but that’s only if you didn’t use your utility skills during the fight and if he has no condition clearing skills up. Not only that, p/d specializes solely on single target fights (1 v 1’s). I will say it’s probably the easiest build to use because of cloak and dagger, but I hate the effectiveness of the build overall.

btw, the guy’s opponents seriously suck.

Holy crap, I use the same build! While Lan is correct (nice name, btw) in that your fights are fairly boring, there’s a sort of satisfaction to be had while lithely dodging and rolling around the battlefield bringing opponents down one at a time. A defiant “i just killed 3 of you, 1 at a time, so thar!”, if you will.

I disagree that it’s purely for 1v1, though. If you go far enough to get Venomous Aura (30 points in Shadow Arts), it does great because the team now applies effects to whoever they’re fighting, slowing them down, reducing endurance regen, dealing damage, etc. I haven’t tested to see if Basilisk venom gets shared or not, but if it does that can potentially be friggin’ awesome!

The points for sharing are:
Deadly Arts (25): IV and VIII
Shadow Arts (30): VI, IX, and XII
Acrobatics (15): III, Feline Grace (2nd minor trait).

Lots of mobility, shared conditions across the team. I stack Afflicted up to 5 runes with the last being either +vitality or +condition damage, Carrion jewel in my Amulet, and Corruption/Life sigils on my weapons. ~300 or so +condition damage, and rocking it up in the sPvP last night. I’ll see if it holds up tonight with more pvp.

Gonna try the build in sPVP before aquireing a new set of exotics for my WvWvW char :P

A friend plays it and says he’s having fun with it. Btw, what does pistol mainhand do in stealth?

edamber.1549:

Gonna try the build in sPVP before aquireing a new set of exotics for my WvWvW char :P

A friend plays it and says he’s having fun with it. Btw, what does pistol mainhand do in stealth?

I run it.. I love it.. the odds of it getting nerfed are low too!

I don’t find it boring and find it very tactical of a build (which I love). Much more about positioning and when to use a skill as opposed to lightning fast reflex reactions. Don’t listen to people saying that this build can’t put out damage because I put out plenty stacking condition damage and condition duration/food.

I run Wild Bill’s build most of the time. You probably are already pretty good at CnD coming from a D/D build so that is one of the keys to this build. Movement, positioning, and venom usage is the other. I don’t personally run the venom share build most of the time (when I do I just take the 10 out of DA and put it into SA), but I do switch over to it if I know I’m running with a 5 man strike team or something in WvW. Mostly I’m roaming/scouting so I need the 1vX skills more. People watch his videos and are like oh he is just pressing 1 or 2 buttons.. that is faceroll. The build is so much more about positioning, timing skills at the right moment and controlling the flow of the battle. I regularly go back to watch his videos to pick up some small new detail I missed the first time as I get more time in the build.

I personally like a bunch of little 108s flowing over a persons head than seeing some big crit numbers. The survivability and mobility of the build is unbelievable. I choose where and when the fight will happen most of the time. The hard counter to this build is a condition necro.

2 X Lyssa
4 X Afflicted
Full Carrion Gear
Carrion Pistol/Dagger
Sigil of Agony on Pistol
Sigil of Restoration on Dagger (messing around with this yet and might go Corruption here soon as the OP said)

Sigil of Energy on Shortbow

Spider Venom
Devourer Venom
Signet of Shadows
Daggerstorm (Thieves Guild if running Venom Share)

Pistol out of stealth does a Rapid Fire 5 shots that stack bleeds on the target. Usually does around 2k direct dmg for me if I remember right.

My version of the build – http://www.gw2db.com/skill-builds/1647-wvw-wild-bill-venom

I used to run P/D, something different to Samuraiken’s build

30 shadow arts (4,6,11) (Blind on stealth, remove conditions in stealth, regen health in stealth)
20 acrobatics (2,9) (Might on dodge, 2 init every 10s)
20 trickery (3,8 (dodge caltrops and vigor/boon rip on steal)

Key is maximizing bleed duration – you want 50% longer bleeds. for armor, 2 krait, 2 afflicted, 2 centuar, and agony on the weapon. Signet of malice, caltrops, shadow refuge, stun breaker of choice (I happen to really like Inf sig) and elite of choice. Carrion ammy with a shaman’s jewel makes for decent power, condi damage, toughness, and vit.

It does get boring though. You’ll never use body shot, its extremely rare that shadow strike is a superior option to CnD (though those few times you do use it, its awesome), and Dancing dagger is very situational. its mostly autoattack, close for CnD then wait for your oppponents dodge roll, Sneak attack (pistol stealth opener is basically a quick 5 shot autoattack), rinse, repeat. Support/Survival Ele’s will be a nightmare (since they are one of the few classes that can drop your bleeds faster than you can stack them, and their constant small heals negate your poor direct damage with pistols), even a decent necro generally takes for-kittening-ever to drop, and high HP hammer warriors last long enough to attrition you down if you make any mistakes.

It is fun surviving 4 on 1’s long enough for your team to arrive and find most of your opposition at half life in a hot join , but the spec is too slow and stealth dependent to be reliably used in capture point tPvP.