Guild Wars 2

Hey guys,

I recently created a d/d thief solely for roaming.

I use a build that I have gotten off Nightblade and have also watched a few videos etc.

Kitted out my character, logged into WvW and prepared to kick some kitten .

And then I came to the realisation that I’m crap.

Have played WvW on this char for about a week, I know I can’t expect to be amazing but I thought I’d get a little better. If anything, I’m getting worse.

So any tips/tricks/help from fellow thieves would be awesome!

- build for reference
http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?fZAQRAoY6YlsMp0pdPxyJ8PNBNBtdFGeI4uGrYGaFAA-TVDBwA5UpYlWAJnAAs7PKXSrE0rSCcqBA4BAkVJkKNBp0Jw4oAoTVFSBIwWA-w

Thank you!

Build is OK-ish for newbies (although the Sigil choice is quite strange).
I’d suggest taking either a Shortbow or a Dagger/Pistol set instead than Pistol/Dagger.

In any case, don’t expect to 1vX people if you’re a noob: most players have learnt how to fight thieves and you won’t be having an easy time facing multiple opponents if you don’t know what you’re doing and rely only on your initial burst.

What server are you on? A good way to get better is fighting more experienced thieves, and, if they are nice, they can provide you with some tips on how and what to improve.

As hihey said, people nowadays know, or are more experienced, in fighting thieves. And that’s a good thing IMO!

I’m gonna have to plead ignorance regarding the build. I just did a little research, heard of someone called Nightblade and looked up a few vids of him on youtube. He kindly placed his build on there and I thought to myself that if it works, I can learn it too.

How come the Sigil choice is strange?

I’m going to keep at it. I would rather have a challenge and learn than easy kills.

And I’m on Aurora Glade.

Build looks good, except for the sigil and maybe rune choice.

Since you have hidden killer on I don’t think you need sigil of accuracy. You are already hitting so fast with your auto attacks that there is a good chance for activating your fire sigil in the process. I would probably go with sigil of air instead for another on crit proc, or you could choose sigil of force for extra damage.

As for runes; how often do you find yourself above 90% health? There are far better alternatives that I would choose instead. We are so squishy that we are above 90% health for maybe the first backstab, then it is usually jumping up and down around 50%. Rune of the Ogre will suit you better and improve your damage overall.

I too would have chosen d/p or shortbow as second weapon slot. P/D may have a small burst from sneak attack – and it may be useful at times, but I find shortbow to be far better.

Edit: This is more like what I’m running.

Edit 2: I would also like to note that Dagger / Dagger is a difficult set to play if you are new to the thief. D/P are easier, but you will become far better learning D/D instead. The trick is to learn how to land Cloak and Dagger, really. Use teleport wisely too.

Not too sure if your information is out of date, or mine, but I’m pretty sure Nigjtblade uses sigils of Air/Force on his daggers and Runes of the Pack, not scholar. and often uses a S/D as his second weapon set. And your equines is a little odd to me, but it would totally work.

Nightblade did put up a Cloak and Dagget tips & tricks video on YouTube, be sure to check that out.

I can understand scholar runes being useful if you get the drop on someone with thief, but if that player doesnt melt under your burst and touches you once you’re going to be debuffed.

It looks nice on paper. squishy but powerful.

looks fine imo. You could use fire/air for extra burst which will help with jumping people with scholar. Or you could switch to pack and use fire/air, that way you keep precision and get the fury might swiftness buff.

If you’re new to thief tho you might want to use pack. It’s harder to get the buff from scholar if you’re new to thief. Pack works really well if you’re beginning.

D/D is best used when faced with outnumbered fights. Your main source of stealth comes off from CnD, and it’s trickier to land if there’s only 1-2 targets. In larger group fights, the chaos and confusion helps get closer to targets more safely.

Scholar runes are not that great for a thief, in my humble opinion. How often will your health stick by the 90% range?

This is my own personal preference, but it’s what I used when I had D/D focused build: Withdraw, shadow refuge, shadowstep, and blinding powder. 06620 traits hidden killer, critical haste, side strike, shadow’s embrace, cloaked in shadow, and shadow’s rejuv.

Then again, my style was very agressive, so what works for me, may not work for others. If you really want to use d/d, start off with roaming in small groups. This will give you more chance to run into other groups where D/D’s potential can be used.

your stat spread is all over the place, meaning just about everything is subpar stat wise. you’re not dealing as much damage as you could be, but at the same time you’re not getting enough defense to see any benefits.

i’d suggest either embracing the fact that you’re a glass cannon and go full zerker, or mix zerker and valkyrie gear.

also replace that P/D for a shortbow, replace hidden killer for executioner, and signets of power with furious retaliation.

oh and double stacking the same sigil doesn’t work since april, and you’ll rarely, if ever, be on your secondary weapon when you kill a player.

these are the “mechanical” changes i’d make. the rest is a matter of learning to play your spec. ambush people, land your burst before they can react (have a charged basi venom and try to avoid forward charges), and finish them off as soon as possible. if they’re still alive by the time revealed is over, then it becomes too situational for me to suggest what to do next. maybe chaining multiple CnDs to recover health, maybe attempting another burst, i don’t know.

Ever since the ferocity nerf, going full zerk in WvW is risky, since you can’t down opponents as effectively as before. And if they’re a new thief, they won’t be able to survive for long before going splat.

A mix of zerk with valk/soldier probably would be best. But glancing over their gear statwise, I think it’s fine.