Guild Wars 2

Thanks to everyone for their replies. Here are the main tips I gleaned, which I had not considered before your input.

*Stand outside the ring of bp, sword has longer range
*Don’t try to force a C&D, adapt to the situation
*Use flanking strike when anticipating a backstab
*Use an interrupt utility skill when they pop BP

After everyone’s input, I’ve decided to go back to my old steal/fury/quickness build, and I will situationally replace Shadow Refuge with Scorpion Wire (I run SR a lot because I run in a small group and SR is great). I’ll never quit Shadowstep/Shadow Return, and will always use RFI or Infil Signet for the stun breaks.

In this new build, I will greatly miss “blind on stealth” from the Shadow Arts line, but I feel like I was relying too much on that anyhow, which made me lean even heavier on C&D.
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Synopsis of original question:
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Seeking tips for 1v1 dueling a d/p thief. I am an S/D-SB thief. This is my current build. My main issue is that I’m blind locked and can’t get off C&D in order to daze.

When I swap to Shortbow, they generally swap to a pistol ranged and outdamage me, further shifting things in their favor. I’m thinking of swapping my shortbow for a pistol offset, but would greatly miss the mobility of SB.

Most D/P I see run either S/D, SB, or D/D I never seen one use P/P offset or P/D. If your running S/D and they switch to either other those sets you should be able to kill them pretty easily.

When they are in D/P just stand right outside the ring of BP and slice there your reach is long enough you can hit them. You also want to use infil strike to immobilize them and dancing dagger occasionally to cripple the range of bp.

Also anticipate the backstab its usually 2-3 secs after invis I will do a bind flanking strike when I assume they are close also if your running sb offset then cluster the bp area they are stealthing in. D/P controls the pace of the fight honestly and they can disengage when ever they like and you can also.

If it is a duel and no one is leaving the area then some of the things I suggested will help. P/P can work really good also if it is a “duel” if your just out and about roaming though then yea you can win but since there is no ring outs then it depends on if the D/P sticks it out and stays to fight you honestly. If not then its a stalemate.

Space yourself.
You’re going to be disadvantaged by the culling of WvW causing unnatural tactics to work further in their favor than it does yours.
However.
Basic rules apply.
Distance must be closed.
By Shadow returning, you ideally create distance (move away from your return point).
This creates flaws in their offense.

Interrupting HS prevents their stealth completely and puts hs on a cooldown. Most do not operate well without it. Black powder is about spacing, position yourself and it will not affect you.

I wouldn’t rely on tactical strike as a crutch you can be significantly threatening without it. Don’t blow ini unnecessarily thinking you need it.
However again, the culling of WvW works greatly in their favor to cover up rather significant holes numerically that would otherwise be readily usable.

If they try to bstab you.
Just shadow return away.
If they HS spam. Shadow return/Shadow step away or swap to bow and Distracting shot.

Not a fan of your build tbh, to me it lacks specialization, and is a mish mash of ini regen and fortitude without real benefit. Primarily for 1v1’s in the middle of nowhere.

Range attacks shouldn’t be cheesing you when you can hit dagger storm and repel them back while putting back pressure.
If he dagger storms you FS it and get the opportunity to daze him and apply your damage.
Using S/D + S/P with your utils and traits.
You have no immediate interrupt, so you’re naturally forced to play a spacing game, and can’t utilize other tactics that can function with BP, Haste, Scorpion wire, Signet of Agility or even Tripwire or needle trap. You dodge once and remove the conditions he does not apply, and gain 6 ini when you have a trait that gives you 2 when you stealth already and if that was your purpose you’d get significant ini back from Black Powder.

Personally
I would just burst him after he misses naturally.
Thief vs thief has almost always been “who get’s it off successfully”. If it’s not a Signet burst, you wont be one shot regardless.
If it’s not haste boosted, you’ll react.
Don’t sweat the small stuff for real.
Generally, he BP’s I dodge the shot or I eat it. At that point I dodge HS or interrupt it.
If that fails, I hit HiS or Shadow return and create space. He comes out? He’s blown up.
With WvW culling, the time he’s visibly vulnerable is decreased giving him greater time to regenerate initiative and stealth again, it’s pretty terrible. Don’t know how people manage to continue in WvW.
Went in, outmanned, Thieves getting off 2 unloads before visible, so I have to dodge twice, and then drop them while dodging a Mesmer for the stomp. 4 badges was not even worth the effort.

very simple, use sbow. When they pop out you’ll be able to hit them and they shouldn’t be able to catch you (unless you let them). Swap back to your melee weapon after the fight goes on for a bit. You should be able to jump them and have the advantage.

I generally swap in P/P as offset when dueling vs D/P. It has good synergy with most builds that revolve around S/D and is probably the most effective set vs D/P since you can counter blind then use unload to burst while they are visible. Since stealthing won’t stop a channeled ability like unload it also gives you a bit of tracking as to where they run after stealth.

I switched my S/D offset from D/D to D/P for this reason and the buff to D/P#3 is pretty erserm.

D/P is just a hard counter to any spec that relies on C&D to gain stealth, assuming both parties know how to avoid C&D.

If both players are smart then there is no real counter. thief vs thief one on one usally one leaves when trouble strikes.

As far as countering D/P what been repeated above is all too true. Distance is your friend. That being said I switched from S/D to D/P for a good reason. Not just the stealth but the gap closer http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Shadow_Shot. If used correctly with enough initiative. If done right with enough initiative regen you could just 3 5 4 2 and and then no one can stop you from going stealth, because there is no good interrupt for that. There will be a gap if rapid succession between 4 and 2 but the http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Headshot you just let off also blinds so no one stopping that HS.

Now if you play it like that DP won’t be bursting you down but at the same time you are not going to be landing all that much.

ensoriki.5789:

Not a fan of your build tbh, to me it lacks specialization, and is a mish mash of ini regen and fortitude without real benefit. Primarily for 1v1’s in the middle of nowhere.

Thank you for your input Enso, I got some good tips from your post. Concerning your opinion of my build, what suggestions do you have?

I would really like to keep 30 crit strikes as is. I am also a dodge fiend, and run with orrian truffle soup for the might on dodge, so I’d like to keep at least 15 in acrobatics (plus, I love the HP!). I usually take 20 in acro for either the ini regen, or the pain response. I play a bit reckless in crowds so the pain response can be helpful.

I dipped back into SA line for the blind on stealth, but also love the +1 sec stealth and 2 ini on stealth, but I think this is the main area where I take the build off focus.

oZii.2864:

Most D/P I see run either S/D, SB, or D/D I never seen one use P/P offset or P/D. If your running S/D and they switch to either other those sets you should be able to kill them pretty easily.

in wvw i run that, p/p swap. It’s just easier to get kills zerging.
in spvp no. accidentally swapped to p/p = gg