Guild Wars 2

I use a condition build right now because many of the enemies on the new maps seem to have high armour.
Sadly there is no possibility to use staff with a condition build.
My wish would be that staff 2 does bleeding damage and staff 4 torment.

We don’t need another weaponset with an identity crisis. -1

Amen the staff does need some sort of overhaul. Right now the only thing worth a cent on it is the 5 skill…. and it’s not worth a nickel at that.

while I am kinda sad I had to drop my condi build to use staff – not every weapon’s gonna be a condi weapon. and like yolo said above, the last thing we need is another weapon that’s not quite power but not quite condi either. Dagger, Pistol and Shortbow already all do that.

Staff it a direct damage weapon. and that’s a good thing – we need more clear separation of conditions and direct damage on thief.

It needs something, that’s for sure. Even as a direct damage weapon, it has serious usability issues and almost no utility.

Amante.8109:

Even as a direct damage weapon, it has serious usability issues

No.

Just, no.

yolo swaggins.2570:

We don’t need another weaponset with an identity crisis. -1

Being usable with both physical and condition builds is not “an identity crisis”, it’s flexibility. It’s good D/D has this, because otherwise Thieves would have no melee condition-based options whatsoever.

One thing that’s important not to forget though is that Thieves have a good helping of non-weapon based condition application. Things like Needle Trap, Caltrops, and the Venoms can mean that your condi damage isn’t totally wasted even when using a power weapon.

Granted, it’s not “optimal”, per se, but the point is that all Thieves have some access to conditions regardless of what weapon they’re using.

Einlanzer.1627:

yolo swaggins.2570:

We don’t need another weaponset with an identity crisis. -1

Being usable with both physical and condition builds is not “an identity crisis”, it’s flexibility. It’s good D/D has this, because otherwise Thieves would have no melee condition-based options whatsoever.

One thing that’s important not to forget though is that Thieves have a good helping of non-weapon based condition application. Things like Needle Trap, Caltrops, and the Venoms can mean that your condi damage isn’t totally wasted even when using a power weapon.

Granted, it’s not “optimal”, per se, but the point is that all Thieves have some access to conditions regardless of what weapon they’re using.

d/d is the only weaponset with powerful condition and damage which is why it offers flexibility in terms of builds. But the other weaponsets do not. For example p/d…. There are 2 attacks on there that hit hard even with condition gear but are impractical for a damage build because both are meant for damage avoidance. The direct damage from those skills are just auxiliary.

That’s why you never see more dire p/d than power p/d.

Einlanzer.1627:

yolo swaggins.2570:

We don’t need another weaponset with an identity crisis. -1

Being usable with both physical and condition builds is not “an identity crisis”, it’s flexibility. It’s good D/D has this, because otherwise Thieves would have no melee condition-based options whatsoever.

One thing that’s important not to forget though is that Thieves have a good helping of non-weapon based condition application. Things like Needle Trap, Caltrops, and the Venoms can mean that your condi damage isn’t totally wasted even when using a power weapon.

Granted, it’s not “optimal”, per se, but the point is that all Thieves have some access to conditions regardless of what weapon they’re using.

the problem with this “flexibility” is that is leaves us with weapon sets that are jack of all trades, master of none. meanwhile, other classes can build specifically into one damage type and be very, very good at it, while thief can’t. and lets be honest, thief doesn’t need any more stuff making it sub-par.

I understand that some people will want to play condition builds on non-condition weapons. it happens. but that’s not how a class works well. if I want to build condition warrior, Greatsword/Rifle’s just not the way to go. on the other hand, Sword/Torch and Longbow are quite good at what they do.

and this works. sure, thieves have a higher bottom line on available conditions. but if the price is a lower top line, then it’s really not a good trade off.

Gray.9041:

Einlanzer.1627:

yolo swaggins.2570:

We don’t need another weaponset with an identity crisis. -1

Being usable with both physical and condition builds is not “an identity crisis”, it’s flexibility. It’s good D/D has this, because otherwise Thieves would have no melee condition-based options whatsoever.

One thing that’s important not to forget though is that Thieves have a good helping of non-weapon based condition application. Things like Needle Trap, Caltrops, and the Venoms can mean that your condi damage isn’t totally wasted even when using a power weapon.

Granted, it’s not “optimal”, per se, but the point is that all Thieves have some access to conditions regardless of what weapon they’re using.

the problem with this “flexibility” is that is leaves us with weapon sets that are jack of all trades, master of none. meanwhile, other classes can build specifically into one damage type and be very, very good at it, while thief can’t. and lets be honest, thief doesn’t need any more stuff making it sub-par.

I don’t really disagree, but that’s more a problem with the thief than it is with D/D. All classes have hybridized weapons. It’s just most also have more condi-thorough weapons.

I like hybrid weapons because I like hybrid builds. They have the potential to be more effective than people realize.

Einlanzer.1627:

I don’t really disagree, but that’s more a problem with the thief than it is with D/D. All classes have hybridized weapons. It’s just most also have more condi-thorough weapons.

I like hybrid weapons because I like hybrid builds. They have the potential to be more effective than people realize.

true, the odd hybrid’s not bad as long as you have clearly defined Direct Damage* and Condition Damage weapons. but thief doesn’t. and the more hybrid weapons we get, the worse this issue gets. as is, we’ve got two Direct Damage weapons, and all the rest are hybrids, which is one of the reasons condition thief is one of the worst condition classes in game.

*I want to shorten Direct Damage to DD, but then it’ll get confused with Dagger Dagger or Daredevil. seriously, why does thief have so many DD abbreviations?

No. It’s about time we have another choice of a true power-orientated weapon that doesn’t even attempt to hybridise with any kind of stat budget delegated to condition damage.

If you want to play conditions, you have plenty of choice already.