Guild Wars 2

I saw a thread recently about builds for shortbow and how there’s really none out there ( if there is I haven’t seen any also) and feeling the same way as the OP I thought I try to make one and came up with this pretty fun build that can still do a lot of damage. Not sure if this is a build people know of already or similar to anything but like I said, I haven’t seen any before and any tips or suggestions are welcome

http://www.gw2db.com/skills/calc/thief#19|0|2632|2786|8743|134|4989|0|0|0|0|15|1195|0|0|10|2198|0|0|30|2353|1700|1163|15|782|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|

I have 2 shortbows with sigil of energy and armor and trinkets are all berserker with 2 runes of air, pact, and speed for the swiftness

I might mix in some some knights and valk but I’ve been able to be survive surprisingly well with all berserker

So pretty much, go find some people to shoot and use disabling shot to cripple themwhile you dodge back to gain swiftness and removing any cripple or weakness they might throw at u and swap bows for initiative and endurance, if they start caching up to you use infiltrator arrow and go another way and just kite till they drop

For healing and condition removal I picked up shadows embrace to use with shadow refuge and shadow step to remove conditions and it also doubles for kiting
And eatting omnom berryghost works really well for healing especially when there’s more than 1 target for the auto attack to bounce off of for the healing procs

Its a pretty fun build intentionally having groups chase you lol and I hope anyone that was looking for a shortbow build likes this

I can’t get your link to work (even copy/pasting) but I get the jist of your build. I like the idea of getting ini back through weapon swap in combination with weapon swap runes. I wouldn’t invest in Shadow Arts though, despite the fact that shortbow damage inexplicably features, as I don’t think it adds much to a build with SR as the only means to enter stealth.

I would go something like this:
http://www.guildhead.com/skill-calc#mckc9VmlvComrvFoax0x0czoqcRb

Basically it’s 10/30/0/30/0

Damage: 30 in Critical Strikes with the fury (I) and Excecutioners (IX)

Survivability: 5% precision as vitality (VI) plus 30 in Acrobatics. Plenty of dodge through Feline Grace plus the combination of Vigorous Recovery (III) and using Withdraw as heal will provide loads of endurance regeneration.

Iniative regen: Quick Pockets on weapon swap. I’d use hydromancer (I think) sigils for 3 seconds of AoE freeze. I was also thinking 25 in Trickery but I don’t like the wasted points on cond. damage.

Vs Conditions: Pain Reponse (VIII) and Shadowstep
Vs ranged: Smoke Screen and Daggerstorm
Vs Melee: kite and dodge
In the zerg: Autoattack+clusterbomb. Smokescreen. Shadowstep+Daggerstorm
To burst: Mug (III) to close the gap + cluster-spam at their feet
To escape: Plenty of swiftness and Inf. Arrow, but also Smokescreen + cluster spam will give you excellent stealth duration on a 30 sec CD

There’s a lot to improve on but there’s also a lot of synergy there. I’d love an extra 5 points in Deadly Arts for AoE Weakenss but you can’t have everything after covering your most important bases I guess.

As someone who primarily runs SB in WvWvW, I’d say 15 in DA is almost mandatory.

Choking Gas with weakness is good.

sorry bout the link the build is

15 critical strikes to pick up opportunist
10 shadow arts for shadows embrace
30 acrobatics, vigorous recovery fleet of foot, quick pockets
15 trickery for the extra and caltrops on dodge

ive considered what both of you mentioned about the 10 in shadow arts and 15 in deadly arts before, so i might lost the 10 and 5 in critical strikes and pick up the 15 that way, i dont want to give up anything in acrobatics because of the playstyle ive adapted and i like the extra ini.

and i for the cluster spam with smokescreen, ive kind of known about it but never utilized it, does it give you reveal if someone walks into your clusterbomb?

and thanks for the suggestions