Guild Wars 2

I’m having a really hard time staying above 6 ini while using d/d on bosses. Even with Signet use giving me some iniative I can only do 3 rotations before I start having to do 2 Autoattack rotations in between CnD/BS.

It really depends on what your build is and how you play the Thief.

But you have to ask yourself — is the 5% boost from Flanking Strike worth missing a full rotation of CnD->BS?

I know my answer to that. What is yours?

Sir Vincent III.1286:

It really depends on what your build is and how you play the Thief.

But you have to ask yourself — is the 5% boost from Flanking Strike worth missing a full rotation of CnD->BS?

I know my answer to that. What is yours?

just did some spreadsheet work, the dps loss from doing 2 auto attacks is minimal.
Single AA chain with flanking gets: 11590 dps
Double AA chain with flanking gets: 10534 dps
Single AA chain with infusion of shadow gets: 11296

AA CND BS signet AA CND BS signet AA CND BS steal AA CND BS AA AA CND BS
So you can assume you can get 4 rotations off before you have to double AA with flanking.
http://puu.sh/g9MEu/be079fcd0e.png putting those numbers side by side, infusion of shadow starts to out DPS flanking strikes 6 rotations in or roughly about 20 seconds.

Scootabuser.4915:

Sir Vincent III.1286:

It really depends on what your build is and how you play the Thief.

But you have to ask yourself — is the 5% boost from Flanking Strike worth missing a full rotation of CnD->BS?

I know my answer to that. What is yours?

just did some spreadsheet work, the dps loss from doing 2 auto attacks is minimal.
Single AA chain with flanking gets: 11590 dps
Double AA chain with flanking gets: 10534 dps
Single AA chain with infusion of shadow gets: 11296

AA CND BS signet AA CND BS signet AA CND BS steal AA CND BS AA AA CND BS
So you can assume you can get 4 rotations off before you have to double AA with flanking.
http://puu.sh/g9MEu/be079fcd0e.png putting those numbers side by side, infusion of shadow starts to out DPS flanking strikes 6 rotations in or roughly about 20 seconds.

The way I see it is this. With Infusion, I net approximately 6 initiatives for 3 CnD which allows me for another CnD to complete my rotation. Then things just gets better as time goes on.

Now, depending on the build, fight, and playstyle — will that extra CnD->BS better than the loss of 5% from Flanking Strikes?

The reason why I take build, fight, and playstyle into account is that there are fights that requires you to be mobile thus messing up your rotation — and where the %5 boost is more appropriate. And if your build uses Withdraw and HiS, these interrupts your rotation also. Dodging interrupts rotation, etc.

Taking those things into considerations, you’ll find which trait is best for you.

The difference between a full auto chain between CnD/backstabs and a full auto chain plus the first two attacks (Double Strike and Wild Strike, no Lotus) is about 5% DPS, and you can keep that up pretty much indefinitely.

It’s generally better to use that pattern with the bonus damage, as when you get an initiative boost (from firing off a steal or popping a signet or just getting your critstrikes procs) you an always use the shorter rotation to burn that extra initiative for more damage.

Don’t use two full auto chains between CnD/Backstabs, Lotus Strike is mostly valuable for the poison which doesn’t matter when DPSing a champion, and otherwise has a low damage ratio for its animation length.