Guild Wars 2

I’ve seen several posts on the official thief forums erroneously stating that we only have 2 viable options…condition or berserker burst. In this post, I will lay out and explain my light tank WvW build.

http://gw2buildcraft.com/calculator/thief/?7.4|c.1c.h1e.8.1c.h8|5.1c.h1e|1c.9c.1c.9c.1c.9c.1c.9c.1c.9c.1c.9c|1c.64.1c.64.1c.64.1c.64.1c.64.1c.64|a3.u1ab.u46b.0.0|54.7|59.5b.5a.5h.0|e

Continued next post…….

~Shadowkat
“If it ain’t broke, fix it ’til it is.”

GAMEPLAY:

Ok, now that we have this tanky thief built, how do we play it? Well here are a few tips that I’ve found helpful.

Most of your damage will come from the autoattack chain, the last attack of which, can crit for upwards of 4k in this build vs glass cannons (try to allow the 3rd swing to go off before performing another action)

Use Cloak and Dagger frequently to keep regeneration buff up on yourself and to drop conditions applied to you. You should watch your buff bar for the presence of “revealed” debuff and not use Cloak and dagger so long as it persists (3 secs).

Try to use your Tactical strike from stealth behind your target and time it to interrupt a cast (usually your target will attempt to cast a heal after you stealth so it’s great to prevent that)

While roaming in WvW, it’s generally a good idea use Infiltrator’s strike without a target as it comes off CD. This will keep Shadow Return up permanently so if you get suddenly stunned, knocked down, or CCed in some other way you have an instant escape. (great vs those thieves who run basilisk venom)

Vs another thief, it’s a good idea to use Infiltrator’s Strike followed immediately by Cloak and Dagger. The Infiltrator’s Strike will immobilize the thief long enough to ensure your Cloak and Dagger lands regardless of whether they insta-stealth.

Flanking strike is very powerful, if you understand its quirks. First, it strips a boon off your target (use this vs a dagger storming thief to remove their Stability boon) Secondly, it’s UNBLOCKABLE. vs a warrior who uses shield block, you can spam this ability and land every hit.

Making Flanking Strike land regularly takes a bit of practice. You always spin to the right so if you are fighting someone who moves allot approach them from the right side and face 90% from their trajectory (towards them) this will cause you to spin along their path. Keep in mind that after the first swing, you are again in control of your character, so try to close the gap between you and your opponent a bit before the second strike goes.

Vs a target that is charging you, turning your back to them then firing the ability will cause you to spin into them making it easy to land both strikes.

Dancing dagger is no longer used as a primary damage ability, however it is still VERY useful to snare a running target and allow you to catch up to where your autoattacks will perma-snare them.

Cloak and Dagger should be used as frequently as initiative/revealed debuff allow.

Continued next post…..

~Shadowkat
“If it ain’t broke, fix it ’til it is.”

Shadow Refuge should be used carefully, most good players will expect it and try to knock you out before the stealth becomes permanent (3 secs??) Vs a class that does knockbacks, try to place it against a wall or some other solid object and put your back to it. Vs a mesmer with focus, try to wait until they swap to their other weapon set and use it then while swap is on CD. (their #4 ability will pull you right out on focus)

Blinding powder, try to use this inside melee range and only if Cloak and Dagger is not an option (no initiative) If forced to use Blinding powder, allow the stealth to dissipate all the way to regen as much initiative as possible, then Cloak and Dagger as soon as stealth breaks naturally (no revealed so long as you don’t attack from stealth)

Dagger storm is useful mostly vs ranged classes, or 3+ enemies. With many enemies your health regen is astronomical with it due to your food buff and signet of malice.

Steal is a very versatile ability. Try to pick a target to steal from that will give you an ability most suited to your current situation and then save what you steal to use at the most opportune time.
(I’m aware that the names are not all accurate)

Necro: AoE Fear -(in group play try to fear bomb the middle of their cluster and/or fear a target back into your group.
Warrior: Whirling Axe -great to use in tight clusters of players, provides allot of health regen due to your healing signet and does large amounts of melee range aoe damage.
Mesmer: Boons -this ability gives you every boon most notably, stability, great when vs a group trying to CC you
Ranger: Healing -this ability will spawn a stationary tree that stacks regeneration on allies nearby, the longer you stay in radius, the longer the regeneration duration stacks (try to fight under it)
Engineer: Slime -places an aoe field at your target’s feet that stacks random conditions, however as a combo field, it applies confusion with projectiles, making this a very strong group utility steal
Thief: Stealth -applies 3 seconds of stealth with a .5 sec cast time (use this lieu of C&D or your CD abilities if you have it (free stealth)
Elementalist: Chill Spike -provides short ranged chill effect on your target and does moderate damage on hit.
Guardian: Daze -applies 3 seconds of daze to your target (try to use this to interrupt guardian’s heal)

These are just a few of the tips I’ve learned over the course of my gameplay. As always, feel free to contact me in game with more specific questions; I will try to answer them as best I can.

~Shadowkat
“If it ain’t broke, fix it ’til it is.”

This is very similar to my build of choice, but there are some differences. The biggest difference is that I run mostly berserker’s gear, as I’ve found the build has enough survivability with good timing and practice. I routinely dive into enemy groups of 5 or more ahead of my group and have no trouble surviving until backup arrives.

So, the traits. I chose to use the 2 initiative on stealth instead of 2 initiative on signet use since I am stealthing almost every time it’s up and rarely activate signets. I would replace Signet Use with Critical Haste, and probably drop Shadow Protector to pick up Infusion of Shadow, but that’s a tougher decision.

I also run 10 in Deadly Arts to get Mug, but I have considered moving those points to Acrobatics, where you have them. I could see that doing a lot for my survivability.

My build: http://www.guildhead.com/skill-calc#mzkmzc0M0MlvFombTvmaxx9MczaqVcq8khS7kir7kiH707kiG707kNb70V7ofD70m (I’m up in the air on condi removal on stealth vs. regeneration on stealth)

But overall, you described a style of play that I too have found great success with. Any alt I start ultimately fails to be as much fun for me as this style of thief.

EDIT: Now that I’m looking at it, I think I’m gonna try dumping Mug for 10 in Acrobatics. That way I can have stealth speed, might on dodge, or falling dmg trait based on situation. I think that will be worth losing some burst.

I’ve created a similar build to this on my ranger as well (using S/D) and it’s almost as much fun as this is. The evasiveness is like something straight out of the matrix. 1v1 most players don’t have a prayer.

your build have insane survaivability, you can escape even from 5 players chasing you and constant harras them .
Since nobody can burst you down in 1 vs 1 situations ,my question is , what happens if you meet an bunker. With 30 critical damage and 2800 p atack your bonus p attack /enemy’s p defence will be arround 0.7 -0.8 vs bunkers with an 1.8 critical damage. Do you have any tactics to burst down another bunker build ( even thief ) but mostly i am reffering to guardian, elementarist, mesmer . Or this fights go endless ?

Rayya.2591:

your build have insane survaivability, you can escape even from 5 players chasing you and constant harras them .
Since nobody can burst you down in 1 vs 1 situations ,my question is , what happens if you meet an bunker. With 30 critical damage and 2800 p atack your bonus p attack /enemy’s p defence will be arround 0.7 -0.8 vs bunkers with an 1.8 critical damage. Do you have any tactics to burst down another bunker build ( even thief ) but mostly i am reffering to guardian, elementarist, mesmer . Or this fights go endless ?

Boon stripping and good timing on daze. Will kill bunkers. P/D thieves (good ones) usually wind up in a draw. But given some time to figure out their habits during a fight (time which you get by being so defensive) I learn how to anticipate defensive CDs and interrupt/strip them off.

I would just like to throw down my tanky build.
Full P/V/T Armor set
6/6 Sup. Sigil of the Wurm
P/V/T Bow (Commander So I am at the front of a zerg AOE helps a ton)
Rings are P/V/T and Solaria
Then Healing Tough Power Amulet and accessories with a Karka Shell.
Then 0 30 10 30 0 for my traits. I can take a hit or 2

Great guide. Unfortunately the link for your traits isn’t working for me. Do you mind posting what they are? Thanks!

Edit: Also I was under the impression that any sigils that stack (Bloodlust, Preception, Life, Corruption etc…) Do not stack together. Why would you use both? Or is this not the case anymore…

Cheers!

Why have you decided not to use Sigil of Paralyzation as it increases the Daze time? (Unless this is also not true as I haven’t tested it myself)

Well I only have one stacking sigil, the crit one, others not stacking. as far as my traits……

Deadly Arts: 0
Critical Strikes: 30 (VI, VIII, XI majors)
Shadow Arts: 30 (III, IV, XI majors)
Acrobatics: 10 (VI major)
Trickery: 0

Oh just noticed the paraylization / mesmer runes question. This is normally recommended if you go glass to provide more of a stunlock (works in WvW still but not in sPvP afaik).
My build is about dmg absorption and health regen. Main difference is I don’t really rely on a rotation of C&D + tactical strike to survive, freeing up some visible time to use Flanking Strike vs bunker classes to strip off their boon stacking.

I do still use tactical strike, don’t get me wrong, but as an interrupt more than a “lockdown”.

Thanks for the reply. I’ve had troubles locking down in WvW mainly because my computer is not capable of handling the large numbers very well so half the time I’m tabbing for opponents and following the red pointer as I can’t actually see anyone. Landing daze in these situations is next to impossible.

I’ll definitely try out the interrupt aspect and I love the idea about dmg absorption/health regen. I’ll let you know how it goes!

How about 5 might stacks 5 seconds when using a signet instead of 5% prec converted into vit.

would help to get some better burst damage (270 power by using 2 signets).

Allready have lower signet cooldown.

On the other hand the prec → vit trait gives you like 100 vit = 1,000 HP

I run full Valkyrie type armor, 0/30/20/20/0 build, dual dagger/shortbow for PvP. Malice/Refuge/Scorpion/Shadow/D Storm. Gives amazing survivability and quite a tough, stealthy nut to crack. Personally use superior rata sum runes, Precstack sigil + air sigil. Sits hp right around 18.5k without any major buffs, toughness around 1450 in exotics w/ exotic accessories. Backstabs on nonbunkers average 10k, bunkers 8-8.5k depending on class. P/D 0/0/20/20/30 is another great setup if you want just conditions. Realy depends on your own personal playstyles for a bunker, if you want to be right in the fray or at a safer distance from the bloodshed.