Guild Wars 2

Introductions
Hello fellow thief comrades!

My name is Mugentora and I am currently residing in SoR.

After contemplating it for many a day, I finally decided to put up a video showcasing some good fights. In all honesty though, I wish I had recorded duels from much before but unfortunately I hadn’t done so. I am far from an amazing thief, as I speak from experience from duels with several of you who are vocal in this forum and there is still room for a lot of improvement.

Video and Analysis

Notes about video

• I do apologize beforehand for the possible “seizure” inducing panning in the video, it’s just that I am used to panning at that speed from other games.
• The intro for the video is not that amazing so do forgive me for that, I plan on making it less lame looking.
• The footage for this video was recorded before the Feature Patch.

Personal analysis

From re-watching that footage, I know I made a bunch of errors and screwups.
I plan on improving on those accounts, like missing CnD’s (the one against the warrior in the beginning though was a misclick, I initially intended for a Dancing Dagger but I pressed the wrong button) and repositioning myself better. I am always open to constructive criticism, as I believe the only way to improve oneself is to know one’s flaws and work on reducing them.

Build

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fZAQRAsY6Yl0Mp3pFOx0J8PNBNB5dY+SZ0KAdHl+WEA-T1CBwAnVCiVZWw9Hk8QAwpSDgTAQWlGp0OkXHgO1FCcEAIFwTTAA-w

EDIT: forgot to give a name to this build, not that it matter I suppose lol, anyhow I think I would call this the Devious Feline

It’s a build that I had come up with after much experimentation. It mainly focuses on being evasive and for that the majority of stealth is removed from the utilities. The only time I have used stealth in that build is when I am running with group, during which I just swap out RFI for SR.

Just a note though, in the video I don’t use Quick Recovery but rather Assassins Reward. Granted it’s an abysmal heal, it synergizes pretty decently with life steal food and regen from Pain Response; I have however, removed it since then for a better initiative regn trait (might go back to it, down the line).

Pros

• Very evasive
• Good amount of extra health for survivability
• Extra stun breaks
• Good damage, when coupled with the minor trait in Acro, Fluid strikes, it becomes even more effective.

Cons

• Susceptible to heavy direct damage, since there is nothing in SA or added toughness
• Condi is a relative inconvenience (With purity sigil it’s not as bad)

Post Patch Changes
The major post patch changes that I made to this build was the sigils.

• I swapped out the fire sigil from the sword for a purity sigil which provides extra condi mitigation.
• The offhand dagger for the S/D is now running a Blood Sigil (giving it a runabout really to see how much of a benefit it gives now)
• If I had monies I was going to swap out the force on pistol for generosity sigil.

I have also been tinkering with a travelers set to see how it plays with this build.

Ending Remarks

I hope you guys enjoyed it.

I would also like to thank the many of you who have put aside their time to watch/read this, I really appreciate it.

I do apologize for the long post, as it’s my first time putting up a video and the likes.

—Regards,
Mugentora

I guess I shall be the first to comment.

I loved how you send me a skype message telling me about this video man haha :p, Very well done. Really showcases your skill, and your very calm and precise thought process. With that necro and thief that was the greatest bit of footage i’d have to say in Thief history. Average players would panic at the sight of a D/P heavy damage and a NECRO at the same time. But you calmly structured a plan, and swiftly switched targets to the higher damage dealing and lethal one which was the Thief. Very well played. You know what it takes “To be a Thief” (one of my threads)
~On a side note, I liked the last clip with you and Ho Nutha Levul, i’m sure he was raged at that fight. You and your no shadow refuge and all.

EDIT: One of the flaws I observed in your Thief v. Mesmer fight. You kind of got a bit excited and lost focus a bit, you wasted a bit of initiative just when the mesmer was stealthed which by then I had already predicted (correctly) when you would use RFI utility.

Acro trickery S/D will be always good in 1v1, always. But for my taste you’re way too squishy. One landed burst and you’re dead which isn’t that much of a big deal during 1vX or even during small scale combat.

scabrous.7835:

Acro trickery S/D will be always good in 1v1, always. But for my taste you’re way too squishy. One landed burst and you’re dead which isn’t that much of a big deal during 1vX or even during small scale combat.

That is indeed true, though I do use cavaliers trinkets time to time. It’s not a great boost in damage mitigation, however, it does provide some buffer.

I find the initiative trait to be more abysmal than the heal GM trait.

Personally I find the Superior Rune of the Pack to be the go-to roaming set now. It grants perma-swiftness, and a really good fury upkeep.

I also tend to like shortbow better. With the GM heal trait + perma-swiftness, disengaging is effective. Although I’m still practicing from 1vX disengagements.

@OP What do you think about running 6 in crit over 6 acro, but keeping the 6 in trickery?

Not enough survivability. Glass cannon builds is reserved to D/D and to a lesser extent, D/P. Sword users lack a burst move like backstab so with sustained damage, what you want is survivability over damage.

righteousness.6028:

@OP What do you think about running 6 in crit over 6 acro, but keeping the 6 in trickery?

Essentially what Tachii said, it’s got damage potential but you are at risk of having a lot less survivability. You could perhaps counter that with more vit/toughness based gear, though it would be at the compromise of several useful boons and passive utilities such as swiftness on dodge, vigor from heal, an extra dodge, and the relatively useful regen from pain response.

It is not a bad setup though, as it’s widely used in spvp… it’s just not my cup of tea and there are other weapon sets that can utilize it more effectively.

Nice vid, good fights.

Also, good choice of music

Love it. Great music as well. Loved the 2 v 1, way to maintain control. Awesome vid.