Guild Wars 2

A quick overview why I am disappointed from a thief perspective. (All the other features implemented are awesome, probs to arena net for that)

First of all: Skill balacing.
Pistolwhip (Spvp)=nerf (although i sorta agree with this one)
Shortbow 3= nerf
Shortbow 4= nerf
(seems like they made the final nerf to our sword and are now targeting shortbow)

no buffs (as opposed to many other classes, uhum, free traits for necro, uhum)

Skill fixes?
we only got skill fact updates (huray . ) while the real broken traits haven’t even been looked at (still suicide through last refuge, hard to catch is still trash, and all the last patched hard nerfed initiative traits still remain in the trait dumbster)
The only thing i am happy about is the steal fix bcs that was really annoying.

Second: Ferocity.
This hits thief meta hard! Yes there are those that do not enjoy pewpewing cheesy bleeds on a target and waiting for 10 min for a kill. What makes thief fun for me is the quick kills, high risk, high reward. After this amount of damage nerf only high risk remains (especially versus the already overpowered condition meta).

new traits!

#1Deadly Arts: Revealed Training: Gain up to 200 extra power when striking an enemy from stealth, based on your level.
WHAT!!? we were gonna get a power buff upon reveal! What happened to the great devs idea of engaging thiefs to step out of stealth!! Instead we get a power buff that only applies to 1 hit (aka restoring our pre ferocity backstab damage by trading in the last defensive traits we had, Go GLASS OR GO HOME). That seems a little weak for a GM trait doesn’kitten

#2Critical strikes. Invigorating precision: You are healed for 5% of outgoing critical strike damage
Only 5%? so actually 4.5% since crit damage was nerfed by 10%? SAD TRAIT! I’ll pick executioner anyday!

#3Shadow Arts: Resilience of Shadows: Stealth effects that you apply reduce incoming attack damage by 50%.
Finally a new useful trait (those are rare in thief). I am however confused about anet’s previous statements that they want the thief to more actively engage in combat. This trait encourages to do the exact opposite, but still, I am kinda excited to try this one.

Acrobatics: Assassins Equilibrium: Gain 1 seconds of stability when striking an enemy from stealth.
I won’t even get into this. useless 1 sec is useless. Oh and please update your “game update page” or you will fool people into thinking it is 1.25 sec base (rather than only 1 sec with the 30% boon duration form acrobatics included).

Trickery: Bewildering Ambush: Stealing also applies 5 stacks of confusion for 5.25 seconds.
Ok this is viable for condition specs! But worthy of replacing sleight of hand, don’t think so. and also, update the page because here the condition duration is included as well (base is 5sec).

I haven’t been playing around with the new runes and sigils so i hope that makes up for something but in my humble opinion the thief has gone through yet another nerf patch.

Happy Stabbing!

Prince.7198:

A quick overview why I am disappointed from a thief perspective. (All the other features implemented are awesome, probs to arena net for that)

First of all: Skill balacing.
Pistolwhip (Spvp)=nerf (although i sorta agree with this one)
Shortbow 3= nerf
Shortbow 4= nerf
(seems like they made the final nerf to our sword and are now targeting shortbow)

no buffs (as opposed to many other classes, uhum, free traits for necro, uhum)

Skill fixes?
we only got skill fact updates (huray . ) while the real broken traits haven’t even been looked at (still suicide through last refuge, hard to catch is still trash, and all the last patched hard nerfed initiative traits still remain in the trait dumbster)
The only thing i am happy about is the steal fix bcs that was really annoying.

Second: Ferocity.
This hits thief meta hard! Yes there are those that do not enjoy pewpewing cheesy bleeds on a target and waiting for 10 min for a kill. What makes thief fun for me is the quick kills, high risk, high reward. After this amount of damage nerf only high risk remains (especially versus the already overpowered condition meta).

new traits!

#1Deadly Arts: Revealed Training: Gain up to 200 extra power when striking an enemy from stealth, based on your level.
WHAT!!? we were gonna get a power buff upon reveal! What happened to the great devs idea of engaging thiefs to step out of stealth!! Instead we get a power buff that only applies to 1 hit (aka restoring our pre ferocity backstab damage by trading in the last defensive traits we had, Go GLASS OR GO HOME). That seems a little weak for a GM trait doesn’kitten

#2Critical strikes. Invigorating precision: You are healed for 5% of outgoing critical strike damage
Only 5%? so actually 4.5% since crit damage was nerfed by 10%? SAD TRAIT! I’ll pick executioner anyday!

#3Shadow Arts: Resilience of Shadows: Stealth effects that you apply reduce incoming attack damage by 50%.
Finally a new useful trait (those are rare in thief). I am however confused about anet’s previous statements that they want the thief to more actively engage in combat. This trait encourages to do the exact opposite, but still, I am kinda excited to try this one.

Acrobatics: Assassins Equilibrium: Gain 1 seconds of stability when striking an enemy from stealth.
I won’t even get into this. useless 1 sec is useless. Oh and please update your “game update page” or you will fool people into thinking it is 1.25 sec base (rather than only 1 sec with the 30% boon duration form acrobatics included).

Trickery: Bewildering Ambush: Stealing also applies 5 stacks of confusion for 5.25 seconds.
Ok this is viable for condition specs! But worthy of replacing sleight of hand, don’t think so. and also, update the page because here the condition duration is included as well (base is 5sec).

I haven’t been playing around with the new runes and sigils so i hope that makes up for something but in my humble opinion the thief has gone through yet another nerf patch.

Happy Stabbing!

all thieves understand you, i am not sure if that DA 200 power will take upon BS or after BS?

Sadly enough I have to agree with all above. Even the -50% damage on applied stealth isn’t any good because you’d replace Shadow’s Rejunevation, try to do anything useful without that. Unless you focus around group play (which this trait is awesome for, -50% damage is a big deal if you can have healing from other sources than yourself).

For me personally, as D/D, the Ferocity nerf didn’t hit -as- hard because I now run with Sigil of Air & Fire on both my daggers, they proc way more thus you do more damage too.. but this ain’t a buff, every class has access to these sigils.

And yeah.. the annoying aspects of thieves remain, thus the qq will remain.. and the bugs remain, so our qq will remain too.. I wouldve been so happy if suicide triat would finally be gone (or atleast an option to blank it out, so it doesn’t even do anything lol)

I created same topic Anet hates thieves

But seriously its very sad!!!
We’ve got a lot of nerfs in comparison with other classes!
In common arena net gives ugly skills for thief
Rune of lyssa important rune for thieves ( 45 sec elit skill ) NOW lyssa nerf!

One of the best reason for playing thief that was STEALTH and HIGH BURST DPS!

Now the time of conditions!

Thief now needless in sPvP

Prince.7198:

#1Deadly Arts: Revealed Training: Gain up to 200 extra power when striking an enemy from stealth, based on your level.
WHAT!!? we were gonna get a power buff upon reveal! What happened to the great devs idea of engaging thiefs to step out of stealth!! Instead we get a power buff that only applies to 1 hit (aka restoring our pre ferocity backstab damage by trading in the last defensive traits we had, Go GLASS OR GO HOME). That seems a little weak for a GM trait doesn’kitten

This is not true, you have +200 power while revealed. I run different builds in pvp with this trait atm. 30/30/10/0/0 S/D looks nice with this.

Prince.7198:

#2Critical strikes. Invigorating precision: You are healed for 5% of outgoing critical strike damage
Only 5%? so actually 4.5% since crit damage was nerfed by 10%? SAD TRAIT! I’ll pick executioner anyday!

Nope, crit dmg got nerved harder than 10%. ANET said our overall dmg is now reduced by 10%.

And srsly, I am happy about ferocity. Maybe it allows us to run a build without putting 30/6 points into CS. Because the stat advantage is now reduced.

apocom.3172:

This is not true, you have +200 power while revealed. I run different builds in pvp with this trait atm. 30/30/10/0/0 S/D looks nice with this.

This is good news! So they went with the original plan and the game update page is wrong? I haven’t been able to test this but can you confirm?

Prince.7198:

apocom.3172:

This is not true, you have +200 power while revealed. I run different builds in pvp with this trait atm. 30/30/10/0/0 S/D looks nice with this.

This is good news! So they went with the original plan and the game update page is wrong? I haven’t been able to test this but can you confirm?

Yes, if the hero panel displays my power correct, i have +200 power for 4sec in pvp. No matter how often I attack. The ingame description of the skill match with this.

apocom.3172:

Prince.7198:

apocom.3172:

This is not true, you have +200 power while revealed. I run different builds in pvp with this trait atm. 30/30/10/0/0 S/D looks nice with this.

This is good news! So they went with the original plan and the game update page is wrong? I haven’t been able to test this but can you confirm?

Yes, if the hero panel displays my power correct, i have +200 power for 4sec in pvp. No matter how often I attack. The ingame description of the skill match with this.

That just made my day. Especially for pvp this is nice! Since crit damage isn’t hit too hard here.

Any great builds founded? Some interesting things?

Only had a little time to fool around but this is fun so far.

30/0/10/0/30 Pd?dd condi thief. Put on Balthazar. Take bewildering ambush. Rare veggie and toxic/stones or toxic/crystals for the hybrid .

Sigil of hydro each hand. Whatever you like in other.

The steal loads on poison/weakness/confusion on the enemy and gives you four boons. Stealth and sneak attack for bleeds then step away with shadowstrike.

Bleeds torment added in seconds. You can then let him close weapon swap (chill) cnd and heartseeker him. Anytime you in trouble heal and fire him up for 6 seconds.

Purity is also nice now as a single AOE deathblossom removes one condition every 10 seconds.

The new skills are underated. I have not done much with the one on the CS lines yet or from Acro but the other three I can see used in many builds especially since you can change out so quickly now.

Eh, the changes were understandable. This nerfs thieves for sure, but it’ll take a lot more to keep them from being awesome roamers in sPvP and WvW.

I just wish we got some decent GM traits that would make new builds viable (and no, switching out a trait for PvE D/D builds that is just a passive damage boost doesn’t count). It’s kinda depressing to log in after a huge patch with new traits and balance changes only to realize that there’s not much reason to run anything different than before (unless you were S/P in sPvP).

They hit sb #3 a little hard I have to say. All those “Nerf sb #3, TEEF OP!” threads worked as usual.

The nerf to choking gas and pw weren’t bad, although they could of gone a different route with pw instead of a flat initiative increase.

RT- I don’t know anyone who goes 30 into DA for a power build. You get much more kick from CS and executioner but maybe some will play around with this.

IP- crap. 5% is simply not enough especially for large loss in dps from swapping executioner. 10k crit would only heal for 500, as if that is possible to pull off in any close amount. I understand this isn’t meant to replace healing skills but you have to keep in mind the loss in dps for a microscopic heal is rather disappointing. If they were worried about AoE skills healing for ridiculous amounts they could of had a % for single target skills and a % for AoE skills. Atm this GM trait would be healing for about the same as regeneration boon.

RoS- Could be good. Combine shadow protector and the regen could be some significant effect especially for allies. You could throw SR on someone using a ram in wvw and make them near immune.

Ae- crap. Just plain crap. A stealth related trait in the trait line for non-stealth defense.

BA- nice trait, especially since its in the condi trait line. I’d say its a real competitor with sleight of hand which is good for build diversity.

Overall I’m happy with the feature pack but I’m still disheartened that your weapon selection stays the same when you exit/enter heart of the mists and that you have to use trans charges to re apply your pvp skins. I hope they fix the pvp appearance to separate of pve/wvw and cost 0 charges.

I really like Bewildering Ambush. Just substitute it in the normal S/D P/D build and you get this monster – > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqA2xnUJPaM&feature=share&list=UUXlH2J5oC5CIr2Ewi_PRzWA

Korimor.2406:

I really like Bewildering Ambush. Just substitute it in the normal S/D P/D build and you get this monster – > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqA2xnUJPaM&feature=share&list=UUXlH2J5oC5CIr2Ewi_PRzWA

Sleight of Hand is still better.