[E. Spec Concept] Duelist

[E. Spec Concept] Duelist

in Thief

Posted by: TheSwede.9512

TheSwede.9512

Thief – Duelist
Weapon: Off-hand Sword
Utility Skills: Stances
Mechanic: Gains new Combination Attacks and Weapon Finishers that can pull off powerful combos if executed within specific timeframes.

Mechanic – Combination Attack
The Duelist is an expert combatant that thrives on momentum. Once an opening presents itself, these ruthless opportunists will move in for the kill, throwing everything they’ve got at their unfortunate target.

During specific conditions, the Duelist gets the prompt to press F (or whichever key interact is bound to) in order to start up a Combination Attack. The window for this is extremely small, which is why F is used for ease-of-access. However, F3-F5 (Default) can also be used for this purpose.

  • Lift Combination – Can be triggered when a targeted enemy is Dazed, Stunned, Feared, Taunted, Knocked, Launched, Sunk or Floated. Shadowstep to the targeted enemy and leave them Vulnerable them with a precise strike, before Launching them upwards into the Air.
  • Pin Combination – Can be triggered when a targeted enemy misses an attack as a result of Blindness. Pin them to the ground with a precise dagger toss, Immobilizing them, before Shadowstepping to their position and Weakening them with a Body Blow.
  • Setup Combination – Can be triggered when the Duelist gains Stealth. Dash through your target, dealing no Damage but Blinding and Crippling them.

Each Combination has its own unique Cooldown of 20s. Activating a Combination Attack is always instant, cancelling any other action or aftercast of the previous skill. However, it’s not much of a Combo Attack without a Finisher! Whenever a Combination attack has successfully hit its target, the Duelist can finish it off with a new Weapon Finisher skill that occupies their 1st skill slot for a second after being triggered, but can also be activated by pressing F again. This Finisher move cannot be activated if the Combination Attack is blocked, dodged or otherwise evaded. The Weapon Finisher varies depending on which weapon is currently used in the Main-Hand slot:

  • Dagger: Helm Splitter – Leap into the Air and Descend with a powerful strike that leaves the target enemy Vulnerable. Evades while leaping. Acts as a Leap Finisher.
  • Sword/Spear: Thin Air – Sweep your blade in an arc, sending out a powerful Shockwave that Cripples enemies struck and destroys Projectiles.
  • Pistol: Twisting Shot – Fire a twisting bullet that spirals around the target, striking and Bleeding them several times over a short duration.
  • Shortbow/Harpoon Gun: Parting Gift – Leap away from your target, firing down an Immobilizing Arrow. After a short delay the Arrow Explodes, Bleeding and Blinding enemies around them. Acts as a Projectile Finisher. Acts as a Blast Finisher.

Any Combination Attack can be followed up with either Weapon Finisher. Each Finisher has a Cooldown of their own at 5s. However, by swapping Weapons through the Combo, the Duelist can pull off some real wacky Combos if they’ve got the flair and build for it.

Weapon – Off-Hand Sword
Because Revenants aren’t the only ones who want to be Shiro knock-offs!
Jokes aside, the Duelist has a very peculiar approach to using a secondary sword on their person. They don’t draw it in tandem with their other weapon, but leave it in the scabbard for when they feel they need it.
The Off-hand sword offers them a venue to AoE Cripple and an Initiative-based Block-skill, however like their Combination Attacks it’s all about timing. If they time it wrong, the Duelist is punished by heavy and long aftercast frames.

  • Sweeping Strike – Draw your off-hand sword and spin around, Damaging and Crippling up to 5 enemies around you. Initiative Cost: 4. Acts as a Whirl Finisher.
  • Flash of the Blade – Draw your off-hand sword for a split second, Blocking attacks and Dazing (1/4s) nearby enemies, while Reflecting Projectiles. Initiative Cost: 6.
    Note: Flash of the Blade only blocks attacks for about 1/4s, but its activation time is nigh instant.

The Dual Wield attacks gained from the Sword are widely varied depending on the main-hand weapon, designed to bridge the gap between the Main-hand and Off-hand in terms of gameplay.

  • Sword: Sword Dancer – Twirl both blades around, becoming Immobile while Damaging all nearby enemies in a flurry of steel. Evade attacks while channeling. Initiative Cost: 5.
  • Dagger: Shadow Tag -> Shadow Pursuit – Hurl your Blade at the target Area, Damaging and Crippling enemies within for a short time. Activate again to Shadowstep to the Target Area and Gain Stealth. Initiative cost (Tag): 3. Initiative Cost (Pursuit): 3.
  • Pistol: Dirty Fighting – Draw your blade and wreak up a Blinding cloud of Smoke in front of you, acting as a Smoke Field. Proceed to then Unload your gun through the cloud, Bleeding enemies struck with each Bullet. Initiative Cost: 5.
Warrior – Wardancer | Guardian – Lorekeeper | Revenant – Vindicator |
Thief – Duelist | Ranger – Strider | Engineer – Technician |
Elementalist – Spellweaver | Necromancer – Warlock | Mesmer – Trickster |

[E. Spec Concept] Duelist

in Thief

Posted by: TheSwede.9512

TheSwede.9512

Utility Skills – Stances
Duelist Stances are all focused on lethality and opportunism, however they command a variety of effects that aim to help the Duelist adapt to any situation in which they might find themselves. Like Warrior Stances, most are instant effects. They have relatively short durations in return for lower cooldowns than Warrior Stances, requiring timing to be used for maximum impact.

  • Vampiric Assault – Healing Skill. Heal yourself and Siphon Health from your target with all Attacks for 3s.
  • Viper’s Defense – Channel for 3s, destroying Incoming projectiles. At the end of the Channel, you hurl a Poisoned Dagger at the target for each Projectile destroyed, up to a certain threshold. Threshold: 6.
  • Way of Perfection – For 3s, you have greatly Increased Initiative and Endurance Regeneration as long as you keep Moving.
  • Way of the Lotus – Break Stun and become Immobile for 3s, Evading all incoming Attacks and gaining Might whenever you’re attacked. If attacked in Melee, Knock Back the enemy that strikes you.
  • Way of the Fox – For 3s, all Attacks are Unblockable and Inflict Vulnerability.
  • Dark Escape – Elite Skill. For 3s, you gain pulsing Stealth and Superspeed. You cannot be Revealed for the duration of this skill.

Specialization Line
The Duelist Traitline focuses primarily on gaining and regaining the upper hand in combat. Their Minor traits add an Initial Effect similar to Ranger’s Opening Strike, which can be further enhanced with a Grandmaster Trait. Otherwise, it focuses on making the Duelist more adapt at surviving prolonged fights or battles against multiple targets, as well as opening venues to enhance the Weapon Finishers.

Minor Traits

  • Duelist Training – Gain access to Combination Attacks, Weapon Finishers and Stances.
  • Lethality – Your first attack when entering Combat deals 20% more Damage.
  • First Blood – You gain +150 Ferocity while you have Lethality.

Adept Traits

  • Dual Barrage – Deal 10% more Damage while Dual-wielding two of the same weapon.
  • Composure – Stances grants you Regeneration (3s) when activated and removes Movement-Impairing Conditions. ICD: 10s.
  • Rush of Battle – You regain 2 Initiative when you successfully execute a Weapons Finisher.

Master Traits

  • Falling Shadow – Helm Splitter now deals 10% more damage to Disabled targets and Blinds (4s) them on hit.
  • Vacuum – Thin Air is now Unblockable and Dazes (1/2s) all targets Struck.
  • Shot in the Dark – Twisting Shot and Parting Gift fly 100% faster and grants you Stealth when their effects end.

Grandmaster Traits

  • Assassin’s Promise – You regain Lethality whenever you gain Stealth. ICD: 5s.
  • Their own worst enemy – Whenever you Block or Destroy a projectile, Reflect it instead. Reflected Projectiles are made Unblockable.
  • Crowning Momentum – Cooldown on Combination Attack and Weapon Finisher are reset whenever you Kill or Finish an enemy.
Warrior – Wardancer | Guardian – Lorekeeper | Revenant – Vindicator |
Thief – Duelist | Ranger – Strider | Engineer – Technician |
Elementalist – Spellweaver | Necromancer – Warlock | Mesmer – Trickster |

[E. Spec Concept] Duelist

in Thief

Posted by: Thighum.7295

Thighum.7295

Thief – Duelist
Weapon: Off-hand Sword
Utility Skills: Stances
Mechanic: Gains new Combination Attacks and Weapon Finishers that can pull off powerful combos if executed within specific timeframes.

I like this idea. I’ve always thought that S/S would be a cool looking weapon set on thief. Though I do wonder if a long ranged rifle or longbow might be more desired for a 1200 range weapon.

  • Vampiric Assault
  • Viper’s Defense
  • Way of Perfection
  • Way of the Lotus
  • Way of the Fox
  • Dark Escape

Adept Traits

  • Dual Barrage – Deal 10% more Damage while Dual-wielding two of the same weapon.

Grandmaster Traits

  • Assassin’s Promise – You regain Lethality whenever you gain Stealth. ICD: 5s.

I like all of the names from old guild wars 1 skills. More importantly though, that Dual Barrage trait is much needed. Maybe it would give D/D more of a place when compared to D/P.

[E. Spec Concept] Duelist

in Thief

Posted by: Orpheal.8263

Orpheal.8263

Offhand Sword is something I think should simply become retroactively baseline for the Core Thief.
Its an already existing Weapon – Elite Specializations should be there to give the Core Class access to new weapon categories. That makes more sense and would improve the potential for all Classes more to become more interesting, than to add just MH/OH versions of already useable weapons , when these weapons just could be added also without E-Specs baseline retroactively.

Thatway would be offhand Sword also useable for all kinds of other E-Specs to come in the future and wouldn’t be an exlusive thign to use for just only 1 single E-Spec.

That way would be a possible Rogue, Saboteur, Infiltrator and what not all else is possible-E Spec also able to use Swords offhand for their builds…
With the OP’s proposal we Thieves would be only able to use OH swords, if we run around as Duelists and that basically would totally suck!

OH Sword is no weapon option to me that is worth it to make a Specialization around it.

A complete new weapon category that we have currently not in the game, or an already existing weapon category, which thieves currently can’t use on the other side are worth it to make Specializations for them. Thats how I do see that.

Personally I like the idea behind sub classes ~ quoted from Chris Whiteside