Guild Wars 2

So d/d isn’t particularly viable in pvp, yet it’s really fun to play. Part of its problem is damage mitigation. CnD is a skill that could use some love, its had its damage nerfed multiple times to the point where d/p does nearly the same damage as d/d without the drawbacks. In order to bring d/d back up to par I recommend giving CnD a 1/2 second evade as it’s being cast.

This change give’s d/d thieves a few things. First, it gives a reliable, instant, and effective evade allowing d/d to make better use of DD and have higher sustain. Second it helps d/d get into stealth. CnD could still be blinded or dodged, but the thief wont be totally vulnerable since the evade would stop interrupts.

I don’t feel this would be overpowered seeing as how it takes 6 ini and doesn’t do too much damage as is.

Other changes that would put d/d back into viability is making CiS adept tier, and fixing the evade frames/time on DB.

Please make my favorite weapon set viable anet!

It doesn’t need the evade, it just needs CiS made baseline on it.

I think what would help would be a 1/4 second cast time rather than 1/2

I’d rather see CnD includes shadowstep where you teleport to the target and stab them. It justifies the cost and the casting time.

Skyline Crash.6254:

I think what would help would be a 1/4 second cast time rather than 1/2

I think this is the best thing Anet could do to really bring D/D up to snuff in competitive environments. It’s also very low effort compared to other options.

Well something needs to be done. As is d/d is inferior to d/p in every conceivable way. d/d used to have much greater burst potential but several nerfs to its damage has neutered that.

An evade doesn’t solve the underlying problem. If you miss, if they randomly dodge… You used 6 initiative and gained nothing. It would be better to have the damage and stealth components separate, where if you land the CnD you do damage, if you don’t you still gain stealth.

Course you will still lack headshot as an interrupt making D/P better still, but at least you won’t be worthless thanks to one random dodge from your opponent.

I think they should reduce initiative to 5 and add the CiS blind to it.

All it needs is either CiS back at master tier or baseline blind. It’s beem said and ignored since trait patch because they are actively listening to us.

It depends to where they want to bring this whole game.
If they want to keep the invulnerabilities of other classes, I’d like CnD to be unblockable. If they want to keep SA like it is, I’d also like a blind on it. If they want to keep the overall damage of all classes, I’d like the latest damage nerf reverted.
And all of this would help D/D but not make it on par with D/P or other classes out there.

It’s not used anymore cuz it’s become too easy to counter and wastes ini, and the 4s reveal in Spvp hurts it a lot. The nerf to Shadow’s Embrace was pretty much the final nail in coffin for it. I always still used it till then and eventually couldn’t stand it anymore and went to D/P.

Sagat.3285:

All it needs is either CiS back at master tier or baseline blind. It’s beem said and ignored since trait patch because they are actively listening to us.

i think it would be cool, actually. like it blinds the target instantly (or 130 range AoE, which is almost the same), and then hits them. for stealth.

CiS is strong, but it needs something more than just the AoE blind and fall damage. the problem with making it a master trait is that nothing on master can be buffed to GM level. maybe merge hidden thief and CiS, and make a new master trait that has the fall damage thing + some decent second effect.

BrunoBRS.5178:

Sagat.3285:

All it needs is either CiS back at master tier or baseline blind. It’s beem said and ignored since trait patch because they are actively listening to us.

i think it would be cool, actually. like it blinds the target instantly (or 130 range AoE, which is almost the same), and then hits them. for stealth.

CiS is strong, but it needs something more than just the AoE blind and fall damage. the problem with making it a master trait is that nothing on master can be buffed to GM level. maybe merge hidden thief and CiS, and make a new master trait that has the fall damage thing + some decent second effect.

Put the fall damage trait by itself at adept level, bring CiS to master, merge Shadow Protector with Concealed Defeat at GM level making the regen proc on deception use. If CnD gets baseline blind a new trait will have to come because CiS will have to go only OH dagger use it putting it next to SRej was one of the most stupid and unexplained nerfs I have seen on thief nerfing inferior sets just brilliant, I just don’t trust “he who knows his name” so CiS back at master is simple and safe.

I do wonder what will they do for thief in those more frequent balance changes since he’s struggling right now anyway.

Why not split cloak and dagger so you can cloak to gain stealth and blind without a target and dagger is a non damaging (doesn’t break stealth) high vuln strike. It just can’t compete with on demand stealth from D/P as is.

Sagat.3285:

BrunoBRS.5178:

Sagat.3285:

All it needs is either CiS back at master tier or baseline blind. It’s beem said and ignored since trait patch because they are actively listening to us.

i think it would be cool, actually. like it blinds the target instantly (or 130 range AoE, which is almost the same), and then hits them. for stealth.

CiS is strong, but it needs something more than just the AoE blind and fall damage. the problem with making it a master trait is that nothing on master can be buffed to GM level. maybe merge hidden thief and CiS, and make a new master trait that has the fall damage thing + some decent second effect.

Put the fall damage trait by itself at adept level, bring CiS to master, merge Shadow Protector with Concealed Defeat at GM level making the regen proc on deception use. If CnD gets baseline blind a new trait will have to come because CiS will have to go only OH dagger use it putting it next to SRej was one of the most stupid and unexplained nerfs I have seen on thief nerfing inferior sets just brilliant, I just don’t trust “he who knows his name” so CiS back at master is simple and safe.

I do wonder what will they do for thief in those more frequent balance changes since he’s struggling right now anyway.

slapping two bad traits together won’t suddenly make it a better trait. shoving it on GM level just to put it somewhere " ‘cause i’ll run shadow rejuvenation anyway" is a bad idea as well.

we should be vouching for good traits on all tiers, not “just put the bad ones in a slot no one will care about and let us get all the good traits without worrying about making bad choices”.

BrunoBRS.5178:

Sagat.3285:

BrunoBRS.5178:

Sagat.3285:

All it needs is either CiS back at master tier or baseline blind. It’s beem said and ignored since trait patch because they are actively listening to us.

i think it would be cool, actually. like it blinds the target instantly (or 130 range AoE, which is almost the same), and then hits them. for stealth.

CiS is strong, but it needs something more than just the AoE blind and fall damage. the problem with making it a master trait is that nothing on master can be buffed to GM level. maybe merge hidden thief and CiS, and make a new master trait that has the fall damage thing + some decent second effect.

Put the fall damage trait by itself at adept level, bring CiS to master, merge Shadow Protector with Concealed Defeat at GM level making the regen proc on deception use. If CnD gets baseline blind a new trait will have to come because CiS will have to go only OH dagger use it putting it next to SRej was one of the most stupid and unexplained nerfs I have seen on thief nerfing inferior sets just brilliant, I just don’t trust “he who knows his name” so CiS back at master is simple and safe.

I do wonder what will they do for thief in those more frequent balance changes since he’s struggling right now anyway.

slapping two bad traits together won’t suddenly make it a better trait. shoving it on GM level just to put it somewhere " ‘cause i’ll run shadow rejuvenation anyway" is a bad idea as well.

we should be vouching for good traits on all tiers, not “just put the bad ones in a slot no one will care about and let us get all the good traits without worrying about making bad choices”.

SE is not a minor anything you put next to it will never get picked (remember PvE is flawed) so Concealed Defeat is a dead trait the new one would activate the regen on deception use probably should get an increase in duration as well but it could compete with SReJ again nothing can compete with SE so I see nothing wrong with Last Refuge and Fall trait being next to it. A GM level fall trait is not good looking and deception CD reduction part is not a bad.

Or do you believe something can compete with SE?

Edit: CiS next to SRej is also killing OH dagger if we count SE nerf as “passsable”,current SProtector is too weak what is your plan to resolve that?

BrunoBRS.5178:

slapping two bad traits together won’t suddenly make it a better trait. shoving it on GM level just to put it somewhere " ‘cause i’ll run shadow rejuvenation anyway" is a bad idea as well.

we should be vouching for good traits on all tiers, not “just put the bad ones in a slot no one will care about and let us get all the good traits without worrying about making bad choices”.

Do we really need shadow protector anyway? It heals for just a tiny amount, so I guess my allies don’t care about whether I use it or not. And it’s 2 regen in that traitline (I’m using it right now for myself as I can’t go without CiS) – why? I don’t really know how to modify SA to make it better, I just know that it hurts my D/D thief a lot not to be able to take CiS and SRej. I got used to the 25% less damage while stealthed – it is pretty nice when standing at siege in wvw and even the falling damage trait has got it perks, but still I don’t feel a SA thief is competetive against a non SA thief let alone other classes.