Here’s a fun pistol/pistol build have been using. Decided to create this topic as I put this build together based on a collection of disparate posts by P/P users in this forum and then going in game to try it all out, so thought it would be nice to collate something together instead of having to patch posts together while wading through sPvP whining.
This build is meant for solo pve and open group pve. It is not meant for sPvP or dungeon PvE. Some people say double pistols is “broken” but it’s very good at what it does – high sustained single target + AoE ranged damage + combo field activation.
Traits
The basic trait setup is 0/30/0/0/30. Critical strikes line gives a lot of extra damage and initiative regen. Trickery gives many of the traits that make pistols good.
The last 10 points can be put in either of the remaining lines depending on what you want to do.
Critical strikes traits
1. Pistol Mastery: Can’t overlook 10% more damage.
2. Signet Use: Combine this with Signet of Malice and Hastened Replenishment to keep Unload reloaded. It also allows you to use your signets for their active effects and be somewhat compensated for losing the passive buffs, as well as get them back quickly.
3. Executioner: Helps maximise the damage of ricocheting bullets to low health targets.
Trickery Traits
1. Thrill of the Crime: This has three good uses. First, extra opening burst on steal. Second, fury gives extra initiative recovery with your critical strikes initiative regen on crit. Third, random speed boost in open world running to another point out of combat (it gets activated on steal activation, not on actual stealing).
2. Ricochet: Very important trait that turns Unload into an AoE attack. This lets you keep good damage on targets you want to kill, while still hurting everything else.
3. Hastened Replenishment: Combined with Signet Use, every time you use Signet of Malice on a 12 second cooldown you’ll get back 6 initiative. This is important as you’ll go through initiative like crazy.
Optional traits
The last major trait is optional from either of the remaining lines.
Acrobatics: Assassin’s Retreat gives perma swiftness as long as you’re constantly doing AoE damage with Richochet. Vigorous Recovery gives almost constant endurance regeneration with using Signet of Malice.
Deadly Arts: Sundering Strikes works well with Unload spam to apply vulnerability.
Shadow Arts: Has a good collection of traits for deception skills, like 20% reduced cooldown, team regeneration on stealth, or initiative gain on stealth.
Slot skills
1. Assassin’s Signet A large power boost that adds a lot of damage. Best to leave this constantly on its passive buff.
2. Signet of Agility: Extra crit chance. Most of the time this is good to leave on its passive, but with Signet Use using it for the active effects doesn’t hurt if you need it. You’ll get 2 initiative, full AoE endurance refill, and remove a condition from yourself and allies on a 24 second cooldown.
3. Optional slot. This slot is generally open. You have your damage, movement, and initiative regen already covered, so you can bring utility here. Infiltrator’s Signet works well due to Signet Use, but it’s not mandatory if you want something else.
Gear
You generally want to focus on not getting hit, so full berserker’s gear for the extra damage and critical power.
I like runes of the scholar on armour. This gives power, critical damage, and +10% damage when you’re at full life.
The primary pistol I like a sigil of purity. This ensures your condition removal with all the unload spam.
The secondary pistol I use a damage sigil, either a sigil of force, or a +10% damage to target type.
The second weapon set I usually just keep a third pistol in the second slot, leaving the primary slot open. On this pistol I put a Sigil of Perception, and use this weapon set until the stacks are at 25, then I swap back to the first weapon set. This weapon is transmuted to a different look to allow easy identification.
I like this approach as you’re invested in pistol traits and so most other weapons will be lacking. However, the pistol/dagger set can work well for single target damage. You don’t really need to do that though, since Unload in this build does almost everything.
(edited by Claretta.1742)
