And I realized- we have a lot more tricks than we give ourselves credit for. I’d say listing them might help… if you guys can add any good tips, please do.
1)Steal (F1) can be used at ANY point. Advised to use during a cast to basically get a guaranteed hit if target is not evading and/or blocking. Same on Infiltrator’s Signet active.
2)Withdraw and Roll For Initiative can cancel many skills in use (excluding ones that literally root you into an animation like Ranger Sword auto or Thief Pistol Whip)
3)Each trait line has a purpose, however big or small. DA is damage control (root targets, weaken targets, poison targets). CS is for initiation damage and has very little usage other than applying early pressure to targets. SA is for maximizing stealth usage, focused solely on survival. Acro is for players who pay tons of attention in a fight and do not waste dodges or evades for the sake of it, this line also has stun breaks and some condi clearance. Trickery is your mandatory line because it increases your initative pool and maximizes your steals potential (outside of this line is lifesteal in DA and stealth in SA and cdr in Acro).
4)Thief has a naturally high damage output, and one of the lowest survival ratios in comparison. Do not make builds that blow all utilities and/or initiative to engage fights or you will find yourself dead more often than not. The highs will usually not beat the lows. Cheese builds are fun (for example 25 might signet rush) but highly incompatible in a fight against any player with a good amount of awareness or natural tankiness.
5) Thief’s greatest asset is its ability to reset and time fights. You have stealth or evasion or BOTH. You also have teleports plenty and many utilities to displace yourself a good distance. If something is popped that inhibits your capability to kill a target, simply use one of these concepts to gain a safe viewpoint for observation of a good time to engage. An example is when you run something like Sword/Dagger against a Warrior with Endure Pain- you see this guy pop it, swap out your shortbow and get OUT; the second that sucker’s EP drops, go in hard and fast…of course, not too hard or too fast because you might die for being careless.
6) Initiative is not a license to just spam a button. Initiative is the equivalent of your GLOBAL cooldown. You pay for a lack of cooldowns by having many available options in a fight- need to blind someone or daze them quickly, offhand pistol will do the trick. But repeatedly mashing those keys will be both ineffective and futile as your prey will become a predator. Many skills have costs that are quite high, and if you run through every skill on your skillbar for a weapon you are liable to run out after a single rotation- possibly sooner. Save your initiative for when it is needed, and save your cooldown utilities for when there is no other option or no better time.
You guys have anything? Planning to direct my buddy to this thread. Also, any tips to what I said so far would be really nice. Places to shorten or to clarify, perhaps rephrase or delete. =) I really want to help the new guys out. Editing accordingly.
Worst Thief in the world, yes I am.