S/P is back (maybe)
I could see S/P working in a world full of necros, but I’m not sold on BV and I especially wouldn’t agree with using Shadow Arts. I mean, you’re talking about burning 6 ini and 1 dodge just to clear a single condition with that trait line.
Impact Strike is just such a good elite, I can’t see taking anything, even BV, over it. This is especially true now that quickness rezzing is gone and it’s unquestionably the fastest spike in the game.
As bad as acro is at the moment, it would still probably work better than SA. DA would be another, more offensive, option as well.
You shouldn’t tank condis but u still have 3 skills that remove them dash.
Rage sigil is only good if you utilize it: example: open with infil strike – weapon swap(out of combat) – shortbow 1 or 3, when u get the quickness swap back to sword and pistol whipsteal.
6k+ PvP games
(edited by Kicker.8203)
Yea, the dodge of choice is kind of a tough spot for S/P. On one hand, bound is one of the few ways you can get stealth with this weapon set. On the other, dash helps with soft CC, which is harder to overcome when you don’t have Shadow Shot.
I would consider using SIGIL of draining in lieu of fire. With all your interrupts you will both steal life and inflct damage on each. There no cooldowns so this superior to blood as example in my opinion. If you trigger a PI , this WILL go off rather then have a percentage chance like fire on a crit.
You can also add more utility to the build with sigil of absorption. Each interrupt will now steal a boon. Now if you had BT instead of trickster this would mean three boons stolen on an interrupt when you use SOH. You can strip the boons away on boon heavy enemy quickly including that stability.
The other interrupt sigils can be considered as well albeit the durations not overly long adding 5 stacks of vulnerability to an enemy or 5 stacks might to oneself without cooldown can make that impact PI hit yet harder.
The maligned acro might be better for clearing conditions. Swindlers will lower that steal time meaning more endurance and more frequent SOH and Upper hand can add yet more ini with your wealth of evades (upper hand). I have found coupled with sword 2 you can generally keep Condis off quite well with PR, infiltrators and that shadowstep on the utility bar. From ACRO don’t stop is also a good option dependent on the GM taken in DD.
Added to this acro can add swiftness, regen and vigor all of which can benefit to an extent from that boon duration boost off surging.
The shocking Aura bonus on 6 from your runes would syngergize must better with Impact strike than with BV. It would give some measure of defense if your chain interrupted .
(edited by babazhook.6805)
Yea, the dodge of choice is kind of a tough spot for S/P. On one hand, bound is one of the few ways you can get stealth with this weapon set. On the other, dash helps with soft CC, which is harder to overcome when you don’t have Shadow Shot.
I’ve been trying out s/p too, tbh I’ve found Dash far more useful, especially to get out of bad situations, rather than have stealth access, especially when black powder and pistol whip, uses up quite a bit of Init.
Basically, you use dash and infiltrators return to keep moving, away from AOE and heavy melee attacks. I don’t usually use Black Powder, because it uses so much Init and the dark field nowadays, doesn’t pulse enough, as a defensive utility it’s a bit weak now.
Plays completely opposite professions to his main Teef.
(edited by CrimsonNeonite.1048)
Just looked at Sigil of Draining. Was that added to PvP? If so, then kitten , I’m going to have to switch to that, even on D/P. That’s some pretty good damage that would even work on your normal steal + backstab burst.
And as a side note, I can’t wait for GW2Skills.net to get updated with the changes from the patch. =P
@ Crimson: Good point. S/P is pretty ini hungry since the last nerf it received.
Which type of s/p are you aiming for? The classic smash and grab or a duelist style? Because this is definitely not a smash and grab…
@babzahook- did they fix it? My testing pre-patch showed the shocking aura to be applied at the beginning of the third hit instead of the first. And it usually did not proc (could not locate precise bug).
Which type of s/p are you aiming for? The classic smash and grab or a duelist style? Because this is definitely not a smash and grab…
@babzahook- did they fix it? My testing pre-patch showed the shocking aura to be applied at the beginning of the third hit instead of the first. And it usually did not proc (could not locate precise bug).
the aura proc at the first attack
the build is less 1v1 rather group play as in 1v1 condi will kill you (talking pvp) so you wont be able to contest the point unless you taking your time. power build its 50% win/loss as at the beginning most player will use their defense utilities so if you survive that its easier for you.
but in group play you can come from nowhere and do you thing against ele and necro and guard especially its good
Just looked at Sigil of Draining. Was that added to PvP? If so, then kitten , I’m going to have to switch to that, even on D/P. That’s some pretty good damage that would even work on your normal steal + backstab burst.
And as a side note, I can’t wait for GW2Skills.net to get updated with the changes from the patch. =P
@ Crimson: Good point. S/P is pretty ini hungry since the last nerf it received.
Just checked and yea, of course Sigil of Draining isn’t available in PvP. That would have been OP as hell…
…which, of course, if why you can use it in WvW, lol.
Which type of s/p are you aiming for? The classic smash and grab or a duelist style? Because this is definitely not a smash and grab…
@babzahook- did they fix it? My testing pre-patch showed the shocking aura to be applied at the beginning of the third hit instead of the first. And it usually did not proc (could not locate precise bug).
the aura proc at the first attack
the build is less 1v1 rather group play as in 1v1 condi will kill you (talking pvp) so you wont be able to contest the point unless you taking your time. power build its 50% win/loss as at the beginning most player will use their defense utilities so if you survive that its easier for you.
but in group play you can come from nowhere and do you thing against ele and necro and guard especially its good
Gonna be honest, the only part I processed was Shock Aura applies to first now. Sneak fix is sneaky. #yay
Just looked at Sigil of Draining. Was that added to PvP? If so, then kitten , I’m going to have to switch to that, even on D/P. That’s some pretty good damage that would even work on your normal steal + backstab burst.
And as a side note, I can’t wait for GW2Skills.net to get updated with the changes from the patch. =P
@ Crimson: Good point. S/P is pretty ini hungry since the last nerf it received.
Just checked and yea, of course Sigil of Draining isn’t available in PvP. That would have been OP as hell…
…which, of course, if why you can use it in WvW, lol.
A shame that. I know there some that prefer PvP because they have removed so many sigils and runes and have a limited number of amulet types but I dislike it for that reason. Builds are just too limited for my liking and making builds work that people say can not work is one of my joys.
As far as I am concerned nothing is OP if everyone has equal access and were they to just provide one amulet choice and one sigil choice to PvP so as to ensure no one had a “gear advantage” and it just a game of skill, would it be more fun ?
We might all be thieves but we all have our preferences.
Oh and Pilsner Urquell is good beer.
(edited by babazhook.6805)
I have tried many variations on s/p thief… Conclusion: you can get nice dmg/interrupts from s/p but u lack condi clear which will get u eventually or after one necro/reve/dd thief burst or u get some condi clear and your dmg will be pathetic.
Anything but d/p is just not working. But I refuse to play such boring meta. I will keep trying.
I have tried many variations on s/p thief… Conclusion: you can get nice dmg/interrupts from s/p but u lack condi clear which will get u eventually or after one necro/reve/dd thief burst or u get some condi clear and your dmg will be pathetic.
Take Escapists Absolution as Pistol Whip combos very nicely with this trait. Add on Infiltrators Return, Shadow Step and Unhindered Combatant, condi clearing is a pretty easy thing to do with a S/P build.
“Youre lips are movin and youre complaining about something thats wingeing.”
I use S/P when hunting other thieves.
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZAQRAsa6al0MhSnY3TwrJw/ELwE2cH8E2C1SABgMgXa4M0GA-TZRBABP8EAA4gAQWZgm2fw4TAAA
works on necs too, druids, etc. If you expect ranged nonense, can swap shadowstep for smokecreen but you lose mobility.
(edited by Crimson Shi.5047)