I’d like to open this post by expressing my bewilderment with all the negative comments along the lines of “Acrobatics was nerfed to make Daredevil viable!”. Acrobatics was generally a terrible trait line pre-patch, though you could make it work with some builds. The trait consolidation greatly improved the trait line in my own opinion, and I run it with my current build. (Deadly Arts, Trickery, Acrobatics) I’ve been laughed at by people for taking ‘such a horrible trait line’, but I find some of the traits to be legitimately fantastic and they add a lot to a highly mobile, difficult to hit playstyle. The only ‘nerf’ was to Feline Grace, but I’ve dealt with not being able to permadodge just fine. I think people, by and large, hear someone say “Acrobatics is trash” and immediately jump on the bandwagon without figuring out how to actually play it.
That being said, I’ve been considering since the Daredevil traits were revealed about how one could take both Acrobatics and Daredevil to make a super mobile front-line fighter that’s almost impossible to stop and lock down. I’d like to propose a couple of builds here centering around that concept, so I’d love some thoughts and feedback that isn’t just “ur a bad durr hurr”. Try to keep an open mind, people. Change is difficult, but the metas of today won’t be the metas of tomorrow.
Substitute in Staff for 2nd weapon and Daredevil for third trait line. All of these trait lines will have high vigor uptime, which with the 50% boost from the new Feline Grace is…significant for Daredevil. I’ve done these with a pvp build variant for simplicity’s sake.
http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=-gF3;2VwF_06;9;9-LI;1156147;9;4IBl3IBl3a0o
This is a build that’s a front line fighter. Good sustained damage with good potential for spikes, and a heaping helping of survivability and sustain to keep you going through everything that comes at you. Dagger 5 for on demand stealth, and various means to both stay on your target and get out when it gets too heated. The final skill would be Bandit’s Defense with the Elite being Impact Strike.
For the Daredevil trait line, Weakening Strikes for Adept, Staff Mastery for Master, and Unhindered Combat for GM. Overall this build should prove to be a devastating front line combatant that’s exceedingly difficult to stop. The weakness of this build would be heavy condition pressure.
http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=-g3R;2VwF_06;1Fd0;9;4LI;1156148;9;4F-03F-035L
A similar build to the first, but more offensively focused. This is somewhat close to the build I use currently. Trade Sword/Dagger for Dagger/Pistol and gear with somewhat squishier but more burst-capable gear. This requires you to really be on your toes with timing your dodges and making the most of burst windows. Staff stealth opener can be exceedingly strong with this build, with a quick withdraw and 5-2 combo to reset if your opponent uses an invul CD. The trick with this build is to get on your target and never let up pressure unless you need to withdraw and reset.
For the Daredevil trait line: Adept – Evasive Empowerment, Master – Impacting Disruption, GM – Bounding Dodger. Utility Skill: Fist Flurry. Elite: Either Impact Strike your Basalisk Venom, depending on your preference.
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And now for a build that doesn’t actually include Acrobatics, but I found to be fairly interesting while I was playing around with the calculator.
http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=-gR3V;1RwFb06;1Fd0;9;4KM;1237037;9;4fgm9fgm91h
This is a condition build using the Daredevil trait line. Heavy reliance on bleed damage with caltrop spamming, made possible by the gratuitous amount of dodging Daredevil can accomplish. Play this right, and enemies will simply melt. A variant of an acrobatics condition build I was using for a while in which winning 3v1 was not only viable but fairly easy, though this was pre-patch with Ricochet. Weaknesses inherent in the build are the same with most condition builds. If your target tries to run, good luck catching them.
Daredevil Line: Adept – Weakening Strikes (Better if you use Rabid gear, but I digress), Master – Escapist’s Absolution (Between this and constant stealth, you’ll have to be afk to die from conditions), GM – Lotus Training. Utility Skill: Impairing Daggers.
Edit: At the request of Chaos Archangel in another thread, I’ll post a ‘Martial Artist’ build. I built it using Sword/Pistol and Staff, but it would be possible to change the former out for a Shortbow for added mobility but reduced burst potential.
http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=-g3R;9;9;9JL;1246258;9;4m7YBm7YB5M
Daredevil Traits: Adept – Brawler’s Tenacity (Since you’ll be heavily relying on Physical utility skills.), Master – Staff Mastery or Impacting Disruption (The former is more focused on general fighting and increased endurance regen, but the latter offers fantastic burst on interrupts, and with Sword/Pistol these come quickly and often.) GM – Bounding Dodger (As requested).
Utility Skills: Bandit’s Defense, Palm Strike, Distracting Daggers. Elite: Impact Strike. Heal: Channeled Vigor
These builds are far from polished, and theoretical only. I hope I’ve given people something to think about besides ‘my current build won’t work anymore’ and ’it’s just a replacement for Acrobatics’. Let me know what you think.
(edited by Starlightmagus.8654)