Shadowstep: How to make the most of it?
I pretty much just use it as a last-ditch effort if I cannot stealth. It’s great for when you get dazed or immobilized by a large group of people.
The only thing i can tell you is to just use it! lol
The thing about thieves is we can have the best initiation and if it fails we bail, and shadowstep does both. If you ended up burning your heal first, then shadowstep away and reset.
It can be used for escaping, used as a break stun, or even Shadowreturn as a condition removal. It’s a very versatile ability, and it’s definitely our best break stun. It gives us some much needed condition removal.
One of the best zerg jukes available. Shadowstep away, runnnnnnn stealth, shadow return and run the other way.
Other than that, it breaks stun or moves you out of dmg during a root or KD. Condition removal, play monkey in the middle with a melee, catch a runner, moves on top of objects that would normally have to be run around to get on top of.
Such a good ability!
Aim your Shadowstep behind enemies for an extra few seconds of confusion.
It also allows you to easily pass some of the mini-games/puzzles ANet put into some of the Dungeons.
Remember the lazer barriers in the Crucible of Eternity? A quick Infiltrator’s Arrow + Shadowstep will allow you to bypass it in a matter of seconds.
I mean you can instantly teleport almost anywhere within 1200 Range. How is that not useful?
Aim your Shadowstep behind enemies for an extra few seconds of confusion.
It also allows you to easily pass some of the mini-games/puzzles ANet put into some of the Dungeons.
Remember the lazer barriers in the Crucible of Eternity? A quick Infiltrator’s Arrow + Shadowstep will allow you to bypass it in a matter of seconds.
I mean you can instantly teleport almost anywhere within 1200 Range. How is that not useful?
I meant more combat oriented uses. I’ve never had an issue getting past any of the puzzles. I’m asking why shoulkittenep it on my bars for PvE or WvW, not puzzles; if I needed it for whatever reason, I could swap it for a second.
I’m not saying it’s not useful, I’m saying I don’t think I know how to use it properly and was hoping for some tips…I’m just trying to improve my own play. Just leveled my thief and I’m having a blast, and I want to do well with it.
It is a good skill in it’s own right, but 50 seconds is too long a cool down for me, and the condition removal requires you to blow both stages of the skill since the second stage is on a timer.
Kash
NSP
NSP
It is a good skill in it’s own right, but 50 seconds is too long a cool down for me, and the condition removal requires you to blow both stages of the skill since the second stage is on a timer.
The first stage’s timer ticks down behind the shadow return icon so you don’t loose anything by waiting for the best time to return in those 20 seconds. Then you just have 30 sec till it’s up again.
Maybe I’m misunderstanding your issue with it.
it’s a good skill to use as a gap creator to get out of a jam. along with stealth, it helps you avoid a lot of fights that would ordinarily get you smashed.
another good use of it is to combine it with dagger storm when your group is fighting an enemy group toe to toe. shadowstep into the middle of their group (their focus will most likely be on your group’s front line, giving you a bit of extra time as they need to react), use dagger storm, then pop back to the middle of your own group when your HP starts getting low.
It is a good skill in it’s own right, but 50 seconds is too long a cool down for me, and the condition removal requires you to blow both stages of the skill since the second stage is on a timer.
The first stage’s timer ticks down behind the shadow return icon so you don’t loose anything by waiting for the best time to return in those 20 seconds. Then you just have 30 sec till it’s up again.
Maybe I’m misunderstanding your issue with it.
If the condition removal activated on the first press that would be great, but having to use it within the countdown before second press normally means in W3 that I won’t use the condition removal part of it, or if I do, there were no conditions to remove. I’m not saying it’s a bad skill, it’s quite good, just not good for me.
Kash
NSP
NSP
You can use shadowstep with CnD the same way you would use steal+CnD, not sure if that’s worth using it up though, and its also harder. I usually find myself using it as an escape if I don’t think I’ll win. For escaping, there are 3 different ways I use it. I nearly always combine it with the bow warp when running away.
1.Use it normally. point and activate to warp away.
2. Use it as above, but then after some travel time while the enemy is chasing, I’ll stealth and use return.
3This only works for bursting.Use it before I actually start fighting. Then use return if I feel it won’t turn out well.The advantage to this is the 3 condition removal.
Sometimes as a gap closer or to begin my fight to pull of a CnD, then use the steal CnD 3 sec later.
There might also be potential using it with ranged weapons to warp back and forth, but I haven’t actually tried that.
Shadow Refuge + ShadowStep+ Infiltrator’s Arrow=Uncatchable by anything.
Others have already mentioned things to do with it (land burst, stun break, condi removal,etc). Shadowstep is the one skill I don’t leave home without.
Thanks for all the tips, guys! I’ll try a few of these in WvW. I use blink all the time on my mesmer, and it’s just a better form of blink, so I’m not sure why I had so much trouble.
This and Shadow Refuge should never leave your utility bar if you are playing WvW. It’s that good.
—- Kaineng : Nuke → Saarc ---
This and Shadow Refuge should never leave your utility bar if you are playing WvW. It’s that good.
Yeah, right now I’m running Shadow Step, Shadow Refuge, and Signet of Shadows (I think, whichever gives 25% movespeed with blind on activate).
This and Shadow Refuge should never leave your utility bar if you are playing WvW. It’s that good.
Yeah, right now I’m running Shadow Step, Shadow Refuge, and Signet of Shadows (I think, whichever gives 25% movespeed with blind on activate).
Only way I’d change this is if you have deep acro with vigor boosts to offset losing signet of shadows (I personally use signet of agility instead).
—- Kaineng : Nuke → Saarc ---
This and Shadow Refuge should never leave your utility bar if you are playing WvW. It’s that good.
I prefer the much less popular Blinding Powder to SR. It makes a much better oh kitten button, and with the blind and instant cast, helps counter the frequent 100 blades and fellow thieves’ bursts.
The possibility of physical and mental collapse is now very real.
No sympathy for the Devil, keep that in mind.
Buy the ticket, take the ride.
No sympathy for the Devil, keep that in mind.
Buy the ticket, take the ride.
This and Shadow Refuge should never leave your utility bar if you are playing WvW. It’s that good.
I prefer the much less popular Blinding Powder to SR. It makes a much better oh kitten button, and with the blind and instant cast, helps counter the frequent 100 blades and fellow thieves’ bursts.
Since my build has 20 points in Shadow Arts, I pick up trait VI (Blind when you stealth) for most situations. Between the heal and C&D, I blind a LOT.
This and Shadow Refuge should never leave your utility bar if you are playing WvW. It’s that good.
I prefer the much less popular Blinding Powder to SR. It makes a much better oh kitten button, and with the blind and instant cast, helps counter the frequent 100 blades and fellow thieves’ bursts.
I have a friend who runs it as well for the instant oh-kitten-button.
SR just brings a bit more to the table.
Longest stealth duration capability (I’ve been able to spike 3 people while still stealthed).
Useful for resurrecting pals.
Can invis your entire party.
Combo field for AOE blind spamming with shortbow #2.
Can pretty much be used as an oh-kitten button as well.
—- Kaineng : Nuke → Saarc ---
is there a way to shdowstep to your target (like Steal) without using the ground target?
is there a way to shdowstep to your target (like Steal) without using the ground target?
You can turn on fast cast ground casting. I use it on my engie for grenades but for thief and guardian i much prefer to know where i am going to place my skills. Like Line of warding or Shadow refuge. Nothing worse then not placing shadow refuge on team mate.
yeah, thanks. I was hoping you could make it like steal. I find it’s hard to get it where i want it when im moving around so fast