Guild Wars 2

I’ve leveled my Thief to level 80. Until this point in the game, I’ve been using solely a double dagger, and double pistol combination while utilizing traps – this has been working wonders for PvE – which I enjoy doing most in GW2.

Today, I thought I would attempt other weapon combinations. Naturally, I decided to use an alternate weapon configuration with my preexisting weapons. Thus, I decided to go with a pistol in the main hand, and a dagger in the off hand.

The first thing I noticed using this particular configuration is that this weapon combination isn’t logically consistent from a design/functionality standpoint. It does work to a point where the game is playable, but not fluidly enough to compliment the mechanics of the thief profession.

For instance, mobility is the primary attribute of this particular profession. However, the mechanics of the skills associated with this specific equipment configuration limit mobility greatly.

Based off a utilization of skill-slots 1 through 5 only, and the use of Steal as a means to compliment mobility, I found the thief hits a brick wall hard and fast! The reason for this is due to the range of the thief being nullified by cool-downs, along with the amount of initiative spent in disproportion to the amount of initiative gained.

Here’s a example scenario I’ve tested out;

1) Select a target;

2) Steal (f1);

3) Cloak & Dagger (5);

4) Sneak attack (1) then Shadow Strike (3);

5) Vital Shot (1) then Body Shot (2).

Steal will still be on a cool-down, and at this point is useless. You have other options for closing the distance, but not enough initiative for anything effective.

I would like to suggest to the Areanet developers that they do some testing and perhaps consider either Vital Shot gaining one initiative per shot (or two), or an attribute that grants the ability for the thief to gain one initiative per Vital Shot (or two).

I’m sure if they stop to consider HOW the thief functions, they will agree the mechanics they have employed for this profession do fall quite short. It’s a fun but frustrating profession to play as most of the skills don’t “flow” or cascade in a logically consistent manner.

If you want to do max damage with P/D, try this:

1) Select target

2) Steal

3) Cloak and Dagger

4) Sneak Attack

5) Vital Shot x4

6) Cloak and Dagger

7) Sneak Attack

8) Vital Shot x4

As it is Body Shot tends to be a waste of initiative (Unless in a group where the damage that other people gains vastly outweighs the DPS loss from using Body Shot) and Shadow Strike should be used as a situational ability (Gain distance as a pseudo evade/kite a melee player/prelude into escape)

Similar to how a D/D Thief will use Heartseeker/Death Blossom/Dancing Dagger as situational abilities or a X/P Thief will use Headshot and Black Powder as situational abilities.

When it comes down to it, a P/D thief isn’t as much a ranged weapon set as it is a melee weapon set that just isn’t completely redundant at range (Though with the lack of a gap closer to help get CnD off, it comes close)

I’ll give this a shot (pun intended).

Body Shot comes in if your party is at or near the 25 bleed stack limit, it may be better for you to start mixing in Body Shot to get the slight party-wide damage boost instead. Maybe some use at max initiative just to cook some off. Also, it is a Projectile Finisher 100% for only 3 init.

Then again, if the bleed stack cap is an issue, you might be better off going to your other weapon set. Shortbow, blast finisher powah!

I played Rampager P/D in both tPvP and PvE/WvW for a very long time. It’s a very solid build, capable of being tanky and still dealing intense single-target damage. However, with the Revealed nerf, it’s much less viable from a competitive standpoint.

Traits: Lots of stuff that gives back initiative on critical and stealth, stealth condition removal, stealth healing, Mug, possibly Caltrops Roll.

Gear: Rampager’s.

Utilities: Caltrops, some sort of stunbreaker, Shadow Refuge/Scorpion Wire, Basilisk Venom.

Combo: Venom > Stealcast Caltrops > Cloak and Dagger > Evade > Sneak Attack. Your target is now the proud owner of approximately 12 stacks of Bleed, with more every second.

I’m using a heavily modified guild-secret version of the build with both D/D and P/D, more focused on evasive survivability and maximum mobility in and out of combat. But it works perfectly in both PvP and PvE, so I have no complaints.

ive been playing a full rabid set with P/D in WvW. Its a bit of fun and you feel very elusive. Essentialy you want to have your shadow arts full and you will feel extremely tanky due to the healing you get from always being in stealth. Grab a sigil of earth for you pistol to help stack bleeds faster and run uncatchable and caltrops to get those bleed stacks fast. Your not going to kill quickly, but you will kill most people who are dumb enough to sit around and try to fight you.

Its a fair bit of fun becuase when you get good at it, you can kill people inside a zerg and they just wont be able to keep up with your hideing.

also when fighting rangers, their pets give you easy access to stealth makeing them one of the most fun to fight. and melle just get kited all day with all the caltops.

The only people i have trouble with are Mesmers and people with exessive condition removal. But the good thing is when you find someone you cant kill, just drop shadow’s refuge and sneak out of the fight, if you play your cards right, you can disengade from any fight with ease

aladore.3945:

I’ve leveled my Thief to level 80. Until this point in the game, I’ve been using solely a double dagger, and double pistol combination while utilizing traps – this has been working wonders for PvE – which I enjoy doing most in GW2.

Today, I thought I would attempt other weapon combinations. Naturally, I decided to use an alternate weapon configuration with my preexisting weapons. Thus, I decided to go with a pistol in the main hand, and a dagger in the off hand.

lol, exactly what I did with my thief

Here’s a example scenario I’ve tested out;

1) Select a target;

2) Steal (f1);

3) Cloak & Dagger (5);

4) Sneak attack (1) then Shadow Strike (3);

5) Vital Shot (1) then Body Shot (2).

As a rule, I never initiate with Steal.

Here’s what I used to do;
1) Spec for Infusion of Shadow and Hidden Thief (SA – Adept V, Master VIII)

2) Start with CnD (5)

3) Sneak attack (1) then Shadow Strike (3) – wait for Revealed debuff – Vital Shot (1).

4) Steal (F1) (you will be in stealth)

5) Sneak Attack (1) then Shadow Strike (3) – wait for Revealed debuff – Vital Shot (1).

6) Repeat

I don’t use Body Shot (2) nor Head shot (4) unless I’m in a group.