Guild Wars 2

For the dual-sill Unload, it always does more damage as I fire more shots. Why? The skill description says it does 101 Damage for each shot with 8 shots.

Also, is Pistol/Pistol or Shortbow better for single target d/ps?

Skills like Unload, Pistol Whip, and Hundred Blades show a running total of the damage dealt, not the damage per each hit. So that last big number on Unload is how much you got for the whole volley.

Oh WOW. That moment when you realize you only did 1/8 of the damage as you thought you did.

As for SB vs. P/P for single-target I’d say SB can burst higher with cluster bomb, but Unload offers more sustainability for single-target ranged DPS. That said, Unload offers less DPS than melee auto attacks, so it isn’t really saying much. SB is overall more malleable, gets way better with more targets on field, has more utility, and gives mobility.

My favorite less-conventional role for P/P is found in leveraging condition damage to create powerful auto attacks and saving initiative for the #2/#4/#5 utility skills. This differs from P/D which is close-range and funnels initiative into condition damage, and more traditional power-based P/P which foregoes the ability to use utility weapon skills in favor of dumping initiative into Unload. Unfortunately, (much like S/D) it leaves you with a largely useless dual skill.

Shortbow is best all around, but P/P is a little better on single target.

SB just has to many offensive and defensive capabilities to consider P/P. Although P/P looks and feels totally AWESOME ! !