Guild Wars 2

I’ve noticed that if you leave shadow refuge before the full duration you are instantly revealed. I’d have thought you’d have just left the circle with as many pulses of stealth as you’d acquired. Is this correct and if so why?

No idea as to why, but this is exactly how it works. It does open nice counter possibilities in PvP though.

If you don’t want to be revealed when you leave it , then the CD should be increased by 100%. Plain and Simple

Explain the plain and simple please. It’s not plain. I’m PvE. I don’t like idiot warriors running out early and getting a lot of AOE down on my group. (Perhaps they’re not idiots if the skills isn’t working to its description).

The skills is working as intended man , and about the bad players that another case thats all too common.

Be glad it allows you to leave the circle after the field disappears. At launch. You had to stay in the circle for the full duration of the stealth.

No idea why it works that way but i like it. Prevents abuses in wvw, makes thief a bit more predictable…if you could just leave right away, you could just throw it down then shadowstep away and never be found again (ok, there are other ways to do this but still).

I think it’s works pretty well in general. I know you are PvE, so this probably doesn’t even relate to you, but speaking in a WvW sense, Shadow Refuge is perfect. It’s enough so that the thief can use it to escape, however if the enemy knows what he is doing, could completely end it for the thief through the use of pulls/pushes/aoes.

high risk, high reward, exactly how it should be. Although lately I’ve noticed more and more people knowing how to counter it. Recently I’ve been using shadow refuge as a distraction, while I am secretly behind them. Mwahahaha

Stooperdale.3560:

I’ve noticed that if you leave shadow refuge before the full duration you are instantly revealed. I’d have thought you’d have just left the circle with as many pulses of stealth as you’d acquired. Is this correct and if so why?

Actually you can leave shadow refuge without getting revealed if you use hide in shadows or use any other stealth skill before you do that.

I think the skill works as intended. If it wouldn’t give revealed for early leaving it would be simply way too overpowered for WvWvW. Allowing, not just you, but your allies also heal and rest under stealth and then leave the stealth if you start to get AoE bombed.

Shadow refuge is one of the best utility skills in the game. I find it highly useful in pve. With it a thief and his allies can very easily commune difficult skill points and loot chests without defeating the champion or veteran boss + mobs. It is a true life safer and belongs to pretty much every thief’s skill bar.

Doomdesire.9365:

high risk, high reward, exactly how it should be. Although lately I’ve noticed more and more people knowing how to counter it. Recently I’ve been using shadow refuge as a distraction, while I am secretly behind them. Mwahahaha

This is actually great idea :-D More and more people is learning how to avoid backstab but if they start AOE on one place, they cant avoid……:-)))

I think the reason for this is pretty clear. The reason why I don’t really see ANet rushing to ‘nerf’ Shadow Refuge because it is -so overpowered- is because to get the full effect of it, you have to stand in it till it disappears. Fortunately, for your enemies there is a giant red circle and a few visual cues to let them know exactly where you are.

Any idiot with AE can continue to deal damage to you, and if you don’t have AE you can just run around in the circle spamming your auto attack until it goes away.

Shadow Refuge feels like a great ‘OH CRAP’ button, but the truth is if you are using it for a stealth + escape method, your best bet is to drop it AWAY from you, continue to dodge attacks, then jump into it at the last minute to get the stealth tick that keeps you hidden.

You just have to be in it for its last pulse to stay hidden.

Deniara Devious.3948:

Actually you can leave shadow refuge without getting revealed if you use hide in shadows or use any other stealth skill before you do that.

Nope, it still reveals you. There are no ways to leave the SR without revealing yourself unless the tripwire disappears (after 4s).

PS: If you ever want to make a fellow thief die. Just throw SR on him when he’s moving around in a zerg… Make sure you’re rage-resistant.

I’ve dropped Shadow refuge on people in an attempt to allow them to escape, but they don’t stop long enough for it to stick. I tell people stay in the stealth ring until the house disappears, but no one pays attention :/

Maybe you should casts it away from them and by the time they arrived the circle it will only last one or two more seconds to go and this will make the circle disappeared before they left it.

Doomdesire.9365:

I think it’s works pretty well in general. I know you are PvE, so this probably doesn’t even relate to you, but speaking in a WvW sense, Shadow Refuge is perfect. It’s enough so that the thief can use it to escape, however if the enemy knows what he is doing, could completely end it for the thief through the use of pulls/pushes/aoes.

high risk, high reward, exactly how it should be. Although lately I’ve noticed more and more people knowing how to counter it. Recently I’ve been using shadow refuge as a distraction, while I am secretly behind them. Mwahahaha

It’s not perfect. It’s too strong for 60cl skill.
-Area stealth
-Area heal
-Almost instant cast time.
-Dark field.
-Targetable.

Should have very least 90second cl to be onpair with other utilities.

high risk, high reward, exactly how it should be.

I hope you are kittening kidding me. Using shadow refuge in a fight is sort of like yelling “Time-out, time-out!!”. If there ever was a panic button in this game, then it’s SR.

shimmerless.4560:

I disagree personally, if anything I think SR is one of ANet’s best-designed skills. It’s powerful but very much counterable by a variety of options for all the different classes, including other Thieves.

Now the cooldown might seem somewhat unfair compared to 90+ skills for classes like Necro and Warrior but I think the solution is to improve the situation for the latter rather than punish the former.

Even if it has counters, it is still too powerful for something with only 60seconds cool down AND split second cast time. There is simply too much utility in that skill, the most ridiculous of those being the way you can use it to stealth res (even yourself xD).

ps. One way to test if you are actually a good thief, is to roll without SR. Because I’ve noticed it carries soooo many thieves out there.

Master of Timespace.2548:

shimmerless.4560:

I disagree personally, if anything I think SR is one of ANet’s best-designed skills. It’s powerful but very much counterable by a variety of options for all the different classes, including other Thieves.

Now the cooldown might seem somewhat unfair compared to 90+ skills for classes like Necro and Warrior but I think the solution is to improve the situation for the latter rather than punish the former.

Even if it has counters, it is still too powerful for something with only 60seconds cool down AND split second cast time. There is simply too much utility in that skill, the most ridiculous of those being the way you can use it to stealth res (even yourself xD).

ps. One way to test if you are actually a good thief, is to roll without SR. Because I’ve noticed it carries soooo many thieves out there.

I learned that using shadow refuge is a death trap. It’s very easy to just kick someone out of a shadow refuge and making him revealed. Warrior’s fear me (hard to dodge it), necro’s fear, ele’s launch effects, mesmers pull/push, thieves stolen fear (easier to dodge), guardian’s push (with those bubbles). Theoretically engi’s bombs .. but not sure if that’ll actually work AFTER sr has been placed.

I haven’t run with it anymore since I survive better without it then with it. Only problem is when dueling (aka, getting ambushed) by a thief. Without acces to skull fear it means he controls the flow after using SR. Same problem would definitely be for rangers and engies. Most ele’s, necro, guardian have acces to what I said earlier. Warrior depends on what utitlies they run I guess… My warrior runs fear me at least because it’s a nice skill :P (too bad for cd)

as a thief, it makes for interesting play in wvw. when I pop a SR, opponents try to knock me out or aoe me. I try to dodge or move to the sliver of sr unaffected by aoe. It really is more fun this way for both sides.

bobross.5034:

as a thief, it makes for interesting play in wvw. when I pop a SR, opponents try to knock me out or aoe me. I try to dodge or move to the sliver of sr unaffected by aoe. It really is more fun this way for both sides.

Yeah I’ve always liked the little minigame that comes with it, I’m a roleplayer I have to feel like I’m really being hunted through the streets lol.

I don’t know what they intended but it is supposed to give 2s of stealth with each “pulse” according to the description and currently it doesn’t do that, it gives you nothing until the last pulse then it gives all the previous pulses at once.

shimmerless.4560:

-
Warrior has a few I think, Fear Me is the biggie but IIRC there’s some Hammer skills and other physicals that work most of the time too.

Ye, can’t remember all the counters I’ve seen already :P hammer #4 should do the job as well if placed correctly (though it’s easy to dodge)
And yeah, well that relies on actually having a shortbow in secondary. Most thieves run it .. but i’m one of the few players who run dual melee in wvw.

ZudetGambeous.9573:

I don’t know what they intended but it is supposed to give 2s of stealth with each “pulse” according to the description and currently it doesn’t do that, it gives you nothing until the last pulse then it gives all the previous pulses at once.

Not true, go into a shadow refuge a bit after it has been cast so youre in it for like 2 seconds, watch how fast the stealth wares away versus being in there the whole 5 seconds