Looking for top pve build
My way to play thief is to Gear offensively and trait defensively.
Zerkers is probably your best bet for gear. I’m using rampage now and am working on switching over because I’m not really impressed with my condition damage (best gear for condition damage is probably carrion to improve survivability). Stat stacking sigils (can’t use 2 of them though) are cool as are on crit abilities (fire, lightning, condition cure).
I mainly trait for stealth and initiative regen. I’m currently playing with 0/0/30(V, X, XI)/25(VI,IX)/15(II). I like the stats for the first 2 but I’m overall not impressed with the traits they give(except power’s 25 minor trait, too far to be worthwhile though D=).
Weapons I use are Shortbow and D/P or P/D. I switch off and main depending on what I’m running(means you only need 2 weapons too).
Heal: usually Hide in Shadows, sometimes signet of malice
Utilities: Infiltrators signet(or shadowstep), Shadow Refuge (always), personal preference (usually signet of shadows, but I also like: smokescreen, blinding powder, and very situationally scorpion wire).
Elite: Thieves guild usually, daggerstorm occasionally (can be really strong with signet of malice in big crowds you heal so much otherwise it’s a lil risky for how much damage it does)
Your role is mainly dps but you give a lot to the party in the form of blinds and stealths (shadow refuge is an easy revive in most situations).
I like when thieves use wvw builds in pve makes me laugh. Pistol pistol is what I use its really easy
I’m not sure there is a strongest or most common build. Zak’s build looks as good a place to start as any. You can use any weapon combination with that build and a main hand sword is worth considering for the aoe and shadowsteps.
To earn your spot as a thief is very hard imo. We must go melee all glass to do good damage and yet to do so we have the survival skills of a wet noddle. You are going to have to get good at the dungeons themselves, Learn every tell and que as when to dodge/avoid damage. No damage except Maws agony is unavoidable, Some classes can face eat low damage attacks, we can not.
Any thief who is using Pistol Main-hand isn’t earning a spot in my group. The damage is terrible, so bad that it would be better to just stay in Shortbow when forced into single target ranged. I wish the auto attack and reload didn’t suck, but they do, stop lying to yourself and others. Only Bad thieves don’t melee. The difference is akin to stabbing someone with a knife or throwing a pillow across the room at them.
a pistol thieves damage will most likely come from conditions, and condition builds can do just as well in PvE as others.
If direct damage is your only criteria for allowing a thief into your group why would you take one at all over say another 100b warrior or a mesmer?
a pistol thieves damage will most likely come from conditions, and condition builds can do just as well in PvE as others.
If direct damage is your only criteria for allowing a thief into your group why would you take one at all over say another 100b warrior or a mesmer?
Conditions are weak in pve and really limited to 1 condition build per group. Epidemic necro, and maybe Ranger or Engi do it well enough to justify that 1 spot i think. P/P thief doesn’t; maybe a well played pistol/dagger before caltrops nerf did, idk.
Zerk war in pve is amazing atm, able to maintain max dps while giving good utility and maintaining high survivability. If you want a dps it hard to choose another class over them. My personal favorite 5man atm is gard/mesmer/war/war/necro, but we also run non-optimal alt groups to farm zones. Most of us have a thief. Zerk thief is good dps, Cleaving with sword and back stabbing single target. They are just squishy and offer less useful utility then the big 3.
http://gw2buildcraft.com/calculator/thief/?7.0|5.1g.h4|8.1g.h1.8.1g.h15|1c.a7.1c.a7.1c.a7.1c.a7.1c.a7.1c.a7|3s.0.3v.0.2v.0.1n.67.1n.67.8i.67|0.u6ab.u24b.0.a5|1k.8|58.5a.5b.5g.0|e
utility: signet of malice / shadow refuge / blinding powder /signet of agility
Defense :
14500 hp // 2850 armor
offense :
3000 power / 50 critical chance /86% critical damage
sustain :
120 /target – signet of malice – cluster bombs heal you 600 /hit – autoattack shortbow 360/hit
regeneration when you use CnD /blidning powder / shadow refuge
mango pie – 70 hp /sec
325 hp /sec stealthed
10 sec of M/F/S on steal
stealth /signet clean conditions
This build will allow you to stay in combat forever , and output decent DPS
wvw builds in pve makes me laugh.
into
Pistol pistol is what I use its really easy
? LOL epic troll
What ballads said is correct, you want to avoid pistol main-hand. Both the normal damage and condition damage is pathetic. Pistol/pistol is trash, pistol/dagger is a really poor kiting spec, only useful for soloing elites. Don’t bother listening to anyone that says a condition damage spec is useful in group PvE. The only usable condition damage spec is d/d because it’s aoe, but it’s still behind shortbow AOE.
Since thieves do such poor damage you’re better off using pistol offhand for AOE blinds or shortbow for aoe weakness; you’ll be a much more useful to your group. Sword/either works as well, but is a spec I personally rarely use(d).
http://gw2buildcraft.com/calculator/thief/?7.0|5.1g.h4|8.1g.h1.8.1g.h15|1c.a7.1c.a7.1c.a7.1c.a7.1c.a7.1c.a7|3s.0.3v.0.2v.0.1n.67.1n.67.8i.67|0.u6ab.u24b.0.a5|1k.8|58.5a.5b.5g.0|e
utility: signet of malice / shadow refuge / blinding powder /signet of agility
Defense :
14500 hp // 2850 armor
offense :
3000 power / 50 critical chance /86% critical damage
sustain :
120 /target – signet of malice – cluster bombs heal you 600 /hit – autoattack shortbow 360/hit
regeneration when you use CnD /blidning powder / shadow refuge
mango pie – 70 hp /sec
325 hp /sec stealthed
10 sec of M/F/S on steal
stealth /signet clean conditions
This build will allow you to stay in combat forever , and output decent DPS
Uh, i guess this would be a good build to learn with. It offers medium-high dps and is as about as tanky as a thief should ever go. Solid PuG build or maybe for fotm if you swap in smoke screen. If you run in a more organized group you should give up the pvt armor for zerk and/or get some points into Deadly Arts. For food buffs I use omnomberry bars usually. This game is a farm. If i’m catching aggro a lot or just running out of endurance i use dodge recharge food instead.
(edited by Ballads.2509)
My way to play thief is to Gear offensively and trait defensively.
Zerkers is probably your best bet for gear. I’m using rampage now and am working on switching over because I’m not really impressed with my condition damage (best gear for condition damage is probably carrion to improve survivability). Stat stacking sigils (can’t use 2 of them though) are cool as are on crit abilities (fire, lightning, condition cure).
I mainly trait for stealth and initiative regen. I’m currently playing with 0/0/30(V, X, XI)/25(VI,IX)/15(II). I like the stats for the first 2 but I’m overall not impressed with the traits they give(except power’s 25 minor trait, too far to be worthwhile though D=).
Weapons I use are Shortbow and D/P or P/D. I switch off and main depending on what I’m running(means you only need 2 weapons too).
Heal: usually Hide in Shadows, sometimes signet of malice
Utilities: Infiltrators signet(or shadowstep), Shadow Refuge (always), personal preference (usually signet of shadows, but I also like: smokescreen, blinding powder, and very situationally scorpion wire).
Elite: Thieves guild usually, daggerstorm occasionally (can be really strong with signet of malice in big crowds you heal so much otherwise it’s a lil risky for how much damage it does)Your role is mainly dps but you give a lot to the party in the form of blinds and stealths (shadow refuge is an easy revive in most situations).
I do this. Gear offensively and trait defensively. The Grandmaster traits in both Power and Precision do not really give you that much extra damage, only about around 35~50 damage at lvl 80. The traits in ‘defensive arts’ are more useful and beneficial to any thief.
On of the best safe, all-around dungeon builds is 0/30/30/10/0. Good damage, initiative sustain, survivability, movement and team utility (as far as thieves go…).
Heals and utilities = hide in shadows, smoke screen (always!), shadow refuge, blinding powder, signet of agility, thieves guild, daggerstorm (situational).
Critical strikes traits = your choice… +5% vit, +5% crit, fury @ 50% health, +20% damage, auto-crit from stealth.
Shadow arts traits = 20% deception cooldown, remove condition on stealth, +2 initiative on stealth.
Acrobatics = might on dodge. You’ll build nice stacks since you also get might on stealth. The swiftness on dodge minor trait is super useful.
The point is to work yourself towards full berzerker gear, or close. This build allows you to do so if played well.