New - looking for "Scout" build help

New - looking for "Scout" build help

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Posted by: Alex.6097

Alex.6097

Hey guys -

Total PVP noob but have been enjoying the little bit of WvW I have tried. Back in ShadowBane I played a Scout and was pretty good at it – I could not kill anything but I scouted well Simply, it was the best way I could help out the team since I suck at PvP.

Looking for scout builds it seemed a toss up between Mesmer and Thief but finally decided on thief since it looked like the profession that was best at avoiding actual fights.

Need help; looking for a build that will fill my Scouting play style.

So I guess speed and ability to disengage at will is the priority – followed up with enough DPS to take a camp solo? I see/read about stealth, evade and condition builds – is one of of those preferable over the others for my role?

Thx for all the help!

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Posted by: BlaqueFyre.5678

BlaqueFyre.5678

The best scouting builds for you would be the quintessential Power D/P and SB DA/Tr/DrD or for more of your playstyle will be SA/Tr/DrD for higher Stealth and Movement speed in stealth. Run Channeled Vigor, Shadowstep, Blinding Powder, and Signet of Agility. Use Full Marauder or Marauder/Zerker mix so you don’t lose damage but have survivability, Use Scholar or Scrapper Runes, Runes of the Pack are nice but highly unnecessary.

With D/P you can group all camp mobs and lay BP fields blinding them and AA them dodge and heal as needed.

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Posted by: Alex.6097

Alex.6097

Thanks BlaqueFyer!

Still catching up on the acronyms – SA/Tr/DrD?

I understand most of the rest – Thx!

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Posted by: saerni.2584

saerni.2584

Those refer to specialization lines.

Most thieves can scout due to mobility so taking a few extra mobility abilities will make you an above average scout.

Northern Shiverpeaks (NSP)
Thief (Daredevil)
Commandant of Pistol-Dagger and Apex Predator

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Posted by: BlaqueFyre.5678

BlaqueFyre.5678

Thanks BlaqueFyer!

Still catching up on the acronyms – SA/Tr/DrD?

I understand most of the rest – Thx!

Here is the list of the Traitline Acronyms.

Deadly Arts=DA

Shadow Arts = SA

Critical Strikes =CS

Trickery= Tr

Acrobatics= Acro

Daredevil = DrD

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Posted by: Alex.6097

Alex.6097

Roger that guys!

Looks like I got enough to Start with – Appreciated

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Posted by: CreedOfGod.9764

CreedOfGod.9764

Here is a relatively standard build:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZEQNAoaVn8lClOhFOBGmC8PhFYCzLNcGaDzhwSYLULBEA2NA-T1SBAB4pPAgTAwDPAAsU6ZmSQKVL4KlBEt/wCHCANOCAWqqDZAy3CA-w

The armor sets and runes are pretty much personal preference. A mix of valkyrie and zerker give you a higher health pool while still maintaining damage. When using valkyrie gear, pack runes are nice for extra precision and utility. If you have access to marauder that would be preferred, and you could swap to scholar runes for more damage output. Trinkets are the same way. valk+zerk stats will give you a little more health while maintaining good DPS.

As for the build, you have really good endurance refill on your heal and signet of agility for allllll dayyyy evades. Shortbow 5 and shadowstep will help with creating distance, and bandit’s defense will be your oh-crap button if you get jumped on. Combine stealth with your shadowstep skills and you will be pretty much uncatchable.

Hope this helps!

~Ghost Ren~
Stay Low. Move Fast. Kill First. Die Last.

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Posted by: Kocoff.7582

Kocoff.7582

Welcome to the Thief Community. I am glad you chose us Thieves instead of those butterfly people.

If you want pure scouting, I suggest S/D. (#3) is amazing for evades, you get unhindered combatant, it has a sexy style to it and even more dodge and movement speed. Idk how new you are, but when you are in trouble you can pop Shadow Refuge. (hide in one corner for extra safety).

S/D #5 is Cloak and Dagger (CD) it will help you clear camps, and hide when enemies approach, it might be the most important ability you’ll use, so master it well.

With obviously the standard issue Shortbow. Self- explanatory.
Now I know S/D is less safer than D/P, but you’ ll have a more fun with S/D, and evading endless attacks and making it out alive is great feeling.

I hope you enjoy it.

quick tips: Don’t hesitate using the healing skill, before the Signet, it help replenish your endurance, so you get more dodge, more speed,etc.

Have fun.
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZAQNAsYVn8lClOhFOBePBkmiFqiqLBCgGwLE+gSYO77+yH

Blackgate Server [RLR]
Thief – Raiden Hayabusa
Thief – Gouki Kurokawa

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Posted by: BlaqueFyre.5678

BlaqueFyre.5678

Welcome to the Thief Community. I am glad you chose us Thieves instead of those butterfly people.

If you want pure scouting, I suggest S/D. (#3) is amazing for evades, you get unhindered combatant, it has a sexy style to it and even more dodge and movement speed. Idk how new you are, but when you are in trouble you can pop Shadow Refuge. (hide in one corner for extra safety).

S/D #5 is Cloak and Dagger (CD) it will help you clear camps, and hide when enemies approach, it might be the most important ability you’ll use, so master it well.

With obviously the standard issue Shortbow. Self- explanatory.
Now I know S/D is less safer than D/P, but you’ ll have a more fun with S/D, and evading endless attacks and making it out alive is great feeling.

I hope you enjoy it.

quick tips: Don’t hesitate using the healing skill, before the Signet, it help replenish your endurance, so you get more dodge, more speed,etc.

Have fun.
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZAQNAsYVn8lClOhFOBePBkmiFqiqLBCgGwLE+gSYO77+yH

S/D is nice for scouting but on demand stealth is a must. And with the tried Ninja Nerf to IS jump casting it became even worse limiting The mobility. Don’t get me wrong I run S/D in WvW but it is by no means better than D/P when scouting and being able to remain undetected.

Also the build you linked is missing the WvW selection for weapons/armor stats and food and so on which are the staples to Thief builds in WvW.

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Posted by: Kocoff.7582

Kocoff.7582

Welcome to the Thief Community. I am glad you chose us Thieves instead of those butterfly people.

If you want pure scouting, I suggest S/D. (#3) is amazing for evades, you get unhindered combatant, it has a sexy style to it and even more dodge and movement speed. Idk how new you are, but when you are in trouble you can pop Shadow Refuge. (hide in one corner for extra safety).

S/D #5 is Cloak and Dagger (CD) it will help you clear camps, and hide when enemies approach, it might be the most important ability you’ll use, so master it well.

With obviously the standard issue Shortbow. Self- explanatory.
Now I know S/D is less safer than D/P, but you’ ll have a more fun with S/D, and evading endless attacks and making it out alive is great feeling.

I hope you enjoy it.

quick tips: Don’t hesitate using the healing skill, before the Signet, it help replenish your endurance, so you get more dodge, more speed,etc.

Have fun.
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZAQNAsYVn8lClOhFOBePBkmiFqiqLBCgGwLE+gSYO77+yH

S/D is nice for scouting but on demand stealth is a must. And with the tried Ninja Nerf to IS jump casting it became even worse limiting The mobility. Don’t get me wrong I run S/D in WvW but it is by no means better than D/P when scouting and being able to remain undetected.

Also the build you linked is missing the WvW selection for weapons/armor stats and food and so on which are the staples to Thief builds in WvW.

I never said it was better. I think it fits the “Scout” gameplay OP mentioned, with some added risk/fun.

Blackgate Server [RLR]
Thief – Raiden Hayabusa
Thief – Gouki Kurokawa

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Posted by: Alex.6097

Alex.6097

New? Brand new to GW2 – OLD MMO Vet Still average “at best” in PVP but above average in Team/Objective play. Know your role and play to your strengths!

Been watching a ton of videos …….. And liking the Scout/Camp taker role.

Moving forward with all the above mentioned suggestions…… Going to swap around and play abit with Acro while building up the hero points for DD.

Cheers,

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Posted by: BlaqueFyre.5678

BlaqueFyre.5678

Acro is an ok replacement for DD but as a standalone once you have both DD wins out.

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Posted by: kash.9213

kash.9213

I never said it was better. I think it fits the “Scout” gameplay OP mentioned, with some added risk/fun.

Between Shadowstep and Infiltrators Strike you can definitely scout as a floater or intercept a runner or for a friend once you get the internal clock for their uptimes. There are times I’m going to shoot ahead to some corner point while my group or squad sets up siege so I’ll drop IS near our stacking area, scope out a vantage point, IS return then shoot in another direction for the same steps. You can link up and stagger IS and Shadowstep phases to nearly cover a return trip from a tower to a camp and back in a half the time. IS is a great low cooldown tether.

Edit for OP: if you’re building for scouting primarily, just take the usual D/P, Shortbow, Dash. S/D you need a pistol off hand on weapon switch for Stealth.

Kash
NSP

(edited by kash.9213)

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Posted by: Alex.6097

Alex.6097

Kash – Roger that and thx for the SS/IS trick

Little confused on the -
just take the usual D/P, Shortbow, Dash. S/D you need a pistol off hand on weapon switch for Stealth.

Plan on the D/P Shortbow….. S/D is the part that confuses me

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Posted by: kash.9213

kash.9213

Kash – Roger that and thx for the SS/IS trick

That’s pure laziness, I don’t know if it’s all that useful

Little confused on the -
just take the usual D/P, Shortbow, Dash. S/D you need a pistol off hand on weapon switch for Stealth.

Plan on the D/P Shortbow….. S/D is the part that confuses me

I meant either s/d + ?/p or the usual d/p+SB+dash template. You want stealth on demand from some source, the d/p set is truncated utility so it frees up your weapon switch and utility bar a little. S/D doesn’t have stealth on demand for pieing corners or gaps or to break line of site so you’d have to give up something somewhere.

Kash
NSP

(edited by kash.9213)