Guild Wars 2

I’ve been running S/D in all game modes for a long time. I’m used to having to outplay others and still basically sucking. The recent patch would seem to be nothing but good for us, with Acro traits and Sword main both getting slight buffs. Not to mention PvP tank amulets getting removed. But man I still feel underpowered in most fights. Slightly better results, but not significant.

Anyone having any luck with S/D post-update? Is HoT making a real difference for S/D teef? I still run vanilla so no DD traits.

I am now mainly able to “gank” with s/d now rather then actual fights (d/p does this far better I know). I tried high dps runes like scholar but they didn’t help much because it’s hard to even stand up 2 a scrapper hammer chain being so squishy. Went back to scrapper runes again and will change my gear a bit.

I can hit 4-6k crippling strikes but that still feels weak for some reason.

Scrapper is completely OP.
I found yesterday that I’ve been running around with essentially 1,5 traitlines (one was of absolutely no use for me as it needed critical chance to trigger (rifle line)) and i’m mostly valk. The other is scrapper which I only had half.
So, I solo capped camps without the need to heal, I ran around on Deso small scale and ganked people, with that build. Oh and I don’t even have sigils on my hammer. So whenever you lose to a scrapper… it’s ok. Whenever you win against one; jump his body. But to the thief who killed me: Yes ,I really should L2P – Running around for hours in wvw before realizing that one is using only 1,5 traitlines is the best proof.

you need that DD traitline

yes u are and u always will be “underpowered” if ur missing dd. the recent patch was trying to specifically console the ones like u with the acro buff but as u already noticed thats not enough

I still play S/D from time to time jsut because I love the style so much.
Yes, the situation has become a little bit better, but with both Dagger and Staff also buffed, the gap between S/x and D/P (or staff) has become even bigger then it used to be.

DA/TR/DD and Acro/TR/DD have both got some potential to just have some laughs with in WvW or in some duelling servers, but yeah. S/D is just not up there anymore, sadly.

Sword still serves no benefit towards any situation in PvE so it continues to basically be an under-performing PvP only weapon set since the Dagger and Staff buffs outshine the Sword buffs. It makes me sad because it’s my favorite weapon.

S/D is a weapon set which is only as good as the players ability.
D/P is kinda 50/50.
Staff is ez mode, very little skill involved. (Personal Opinion)

S/D is amazingly strong if your Thief gamesense, general gamesense/knowledge are on point along side good ping/ms and reaction speeds.

I’ve played it as my main weapon set for almost a year and I’ve gotten it pretty much on point…

Just can’t really beat Scrappers or DH’s but those classes/builds don’t take too much to play effectively.

meepeY.2867:

S/D is a weapon set which is only as good as the players ability.
D/P is kinda 50/50.
Staff is ez mode, very little skill involved. (Personal Opinion)

S/D is amazingly strong if your Thief gamesense, general gamesense/knowledge are on point along side good ping/ms and reaction speeds.

I’ve played it as my main weapon set for almost a year and I’ve gotten it pretty much on point…

Just can’t really beat Scrappers or DH’s but those classes/builds don’t take too much to play effectively.

staff is easier then s/d yes, but not ezmode, well it is if you trait for a single weakening charge spike.

bbennett.7463:

you need that DD traitline

Yeah, I just can’t bring myself to pay for HoT right now. Maybe when it goes on sale.

meh uts only 50 euors man, thats sod all. lol

Fat Disgrace.4275:

meh uts only 50 euors man, thats sod all. lol

60 bucks just to gain access to a build that is still excluded from the meta? No thanks, I’ll wait. Anet hasn’t earned it.

HOT PVE is amazing.

Shiyo.3578:

HOT PVE is amazing.

It bores me to death, tbh. I think I can safely say that I hate vertical maps. The glider is cool though and I like revenant.

I was watching Sindrener’s stream and I think he explained best why S/D isn’t what it used to be. It’s not so much due to the nerfs to the weapon or traits themselves. Instead it’s more of a result of the meta not being as slow as it used to be. S/D worked really well by going to far points and winning the 1 v 1s, but that’s a strategy that doesn’t work as well as it used to.

edit Also, I’d agree that staff does the team fight aspect of what S/D used to do better. It can evade into a team fight and lay down heavy burst cleave.

It’s actually the best weapon set because you can dodge, strip boon, and attack all with the same move. You also get stealth and the ability to daze a target if you keep on them, with decent damage too. As if that wasn’t enough you get an extra shadowstep preparing an escape or gap close.

It can evade into a team fight and lay down heavy burst cleave.

Staff is a fine weapon and seems to have decent sync with dagger/pistol (stealth comba plus weapon swap to staff stealth 1) and good weakness application, but lacks some of the tools that makes sword/dagger so great.

Agemnon.4608:

It’s actually the best weapon set because you can dodge, strip boon, and attack all with the same move. You also get stealth and the ability to daze a target if you keep on them, with decent damage too. As if that wasn’t enough you get an extra shadowstep preparing an escape or gap close.

It can evade into a team fight and lay down heavy burst cleave.

Staff is a fine weapon and seems to have decent sync with dagger/pistol (stealth comba plus weapon swap to staff stealth 1) and good weakness application, but lacks some of the tools that makes sword/dagger so great.

Its far from being the best one. Best one is D/P, followed by staff.
“dodge, strip boon, and attack all with the same move” – no, you need at least 2 moves for that and the frist one has to hit the enemy to grant access for the other one. Flanking strike isn´t as reliable it once was and damage is low. Larcenious not that much damage when you think about how telegraphed the skill actually is. The one boonsteal is mediocre. C&D has still the problem of being problematic to land against any capable player, dancing dagger is ok but not great either. AA got aftercasts decreased and precasts increased (by a smaller amount though), so not that much damage increase compared to how much staff and daggers do. Sword still lack heavily of damage.
Btw the daze on sneak attack is shorter in PvP xD

Coronit.9432:

Agemnon.4608:

It’s actually the best weapon set because you can dodge, strip boon, and attack all with the same move. You also get stealth and the ability to daze a target if you keep on them, with decent damage too. As if that wasn’t enough you get an extra shadowstep preparing an escape or gap close.

It can evade into a team fight and lay down heavy burst cleave.

Staff is a fine weapon and seems to have decent sync with dagger/pistol (stealth comba plus weapon swap to staff stealth 1) and good weakness application, but lacks some of the tools that makes sword/dagger so great.

Its far from being the best one. Best one is D/P, followed by staff.
“dodge, strip boon, and attack all with the same move” – no, you need at least 2 moves for that and the frist one has to hit the enemy to grant access for the other one. Flanking strike isn´t as reliable it once was and damage is low. Larcenious not that much damage when you think about how telegraphed the skill actually is. The one boonsteal is mediocre. C&D has still the problem of being problematic to land against any capable player, dancing dagger is ok but not great either. AA got aftercasts decreased and precasts increased (by a smaller amount though), so not that much damage increase compared to how much staff and daggers do. Sword still lack heavily of damage.
Btw the daze on sneak attack is shorter in PvP xD

I’m counting both stages of sword 3 as the same move since they typically chain together unless you need to dodge something that instant so you don’t get the boonstrip part. And dazes in PvP should be shorter. Those 21-25k HP people we’re fighting have much less HP than elite and veteran mobs.

s/d is fine. just dont fight druids and scrappers or DHs. s/p can fight DH but that’s another story.

Agemnon.4608:

It’s actually the best weapon set because you can dodge, strip boon, and attack all with the same move. You also get stealth and the ability to daze a target if you keep on them, with decent damage too. As if that wasn’t enough you get an extra shadowstep preparing an escape or gap close.

Nope. Just nope.
n o p e
n0p3

nooOoOooooOoOooOope

d/p best. No doubt. Proven. Well known fact since the big nerf to sword #2.

I switched to D/P when the vigor changes forced S/D to take acrobatics, and the specialisation changes made it so you couldn’t go 10/30/0/0/30 and have more damage than 30/0/10/0/30 D/P. D/P and S/D both had to go DA+Trick, and where S/D was forced into acro for self survival, D/P went SA for self survival and some party support in downed-ally situations. This remains true. The only way S/D has a chance at competing with D/P - even old DA/SA/Trick D/P - is with Daredevil.

Now, if you get Daredevil, you get what you’ve always lacked: damage while evading. This makes S/D very strong, in theory. Except, a thief needs to be able to deal with other thieves, and while building for evades with S/D was alright vs. D/P’s stealth before, it isn’t now, because D/P also takes Daredevil and therefore has the same number of dodges that you do. This means S/D will have a harder time vs. D/P than before, but it is still possible to out play them. D/P still has the advantage of stealth plays for his team, while S/D has more mobility, but classes that pose a threat to thieves - DH and Rev - have targeted teleports. So S/D’s mobility won’t always get them away, while D/P can prevent the player porting to them by entering stealth.

I’ll clarify as well, that I think S/D can only try and compete if it takes Bound.