Hey guys i’ve been playing a bit of wvw on my thief. I keep getting owned by every other thief I fight, the problem seems to be I backstab them and they survive and stealth and then instanty kill me. I’m wearing full exotic zerkers with lyssa runes and zerker trinkets so I’m wondering whats going on here
D/p thief help in wvw
What utilities do you run? Running a full zerker gear means you’re an one trick pony. Either you run utilities that boost your power (signets with the might on use trait) so you can get the kill, or you hunt for ppl who are wounded, or you run defensive utilities and immediately escape after the burst.
Problem is probably you are facing a non-zerker thief. I for example run pvt gear. 1 backstab won’t kill me. You on the other hand are a glasscannon, and my backstab is still going to hurt a lot when used against you.
Ring of Fire
GL – “The Afternoon’s Watch” [OATH]
GL – “The Afternoon’s Watch” [OATH]
Would it be advisable to switch to all pvt gear instead if i’m looking to just solo roam?
^ Agreed. While I despise using PVT gear on thieves, a “more tanky” thief will usually beat a zerker Thief.
However, there are a couple tweaks you can do in case your target does not go down after the first backstab:
1) Use basilisk venom. You will stun the thief for 1 second after your BS. Use that time to autoattack him a bit. DON’T use Heartseeker unless the foe is below 25% HP.
2)After a couple hits, use Black Powder. This will not only blind your target (preventing being hit from a CnD in case of a x/D thief), but if you time it right, you can use a Heartseeker to go stealth again, deal damage and then deal another backstab.
3) Remember that most thieves will go Stealth automatically when they reach 25% HP. They will probably use that time to get some space from you (if you land the first backstab they probably were not aware of your presence) and buy them some time. They will most likely heal themselves too. Stay on the offensive.
4) If they use Shadow refuge, take out your shortbow (you have a shortbow, right?) and use clusterbomb inside the Shadow Refuge. 9 times out of 10 the thief will drop dead after 10 seconds in the middle of Shadow Refuge.
The combo above works wonder on thieves. Oh, and if you fear a backstab, stand inside those blind fields. They will prevent ANY form of backstabs. If you’re out of Initiative because you spammed HS too much then it’s your fault.
Tip: use Sigil of Hydromancy on your Shortbow when you enter their shadowrefuge. That free chill&damage is amazing.
Hope it helps.
Thanks for the suggestions! I do run basilisk (for the lyssa runes) and sb but so far zerker hasn’t been working out for me too well. Maybe I need more practice or its just not for me
What traits have you been running? I seriously suggest that you DON’T buy all PVT gear, instead go for a mix of Zerker and Valkyrie (or Soldier) and have traits that are more survivable than what I assume you’re currently running.
Here’s an example of an ideal setup for a Thief using D/D (though the exact same gear, traits, and trinkets can be used for D/P):
By going full PVT you’re severely dropping the amount of damage you can do in comparison to the survivability that you gain. A mix is always better.
thiefhitfor2kbetternerf
all is vain
all is vain
Alright I already blew my badges of honor on pvt shoulders and gloves >.< but going a mix of zerker and pvt makes sense
Take a look at this post for a good starting point on D/P gear and things…
Instead of Runes of Scholar, I use Beryl orbs sacrificing some Crit % for more Vitality.