Guild Wars 2

After a lot of testing I feel that my build is ready for criticism. All feedback is welcome, but please keep in mind that this thread is for constructive criticism. I’m happy to hear suggestions on changes and ways to optimise this build for sPvP.

Build link

Play Style

• Use of Cloak and Dagger followed by Tactical Strike keeps the opponent interrupted and under control when attempting to heal/use important skills.

• The hard-hitting nature of the sword makes up for the lack of power and the cripple on the third hit in the auto-attack chain combined with Dancing Dagger helps keep opponents in melee range.

• Infiltrator’s Strike can be used as a cheap gap closer, stun, stun breaker, and condition removal all in one. Heavy use of this ability means that very few targets will be able to escape you and your allies.

• The use of Flanking Strike when properly positioned is excellent for ripping boons such as might and swiftness from opponents, particularly profession builds that rely heavily on boons to increase their damage output and/or survivability.

Heal, Utilities, & Elite

See third post.

Trait Explanation

Standard: 0/20/30/20/0

Critical Strikes

• VI Practised Tolerance: Choosing this trait is a great way to decrease the amount of HP lost by choosing the Berserker’s amulet.

• X Critical Haste: This trait triggers often enough to warrant taking it over another.
  
  Shadow Arts

• I Master of Deception: Self-explanatory.

• V Infusion of Shadow: Self-explanatory for the most part; it’s used to reduce the initiative cost of CnD to 4 from 6 as a form of Initiative management.

• XI Shadow’s Rejuvenation: When combined with Shadow Refuge, 300 healing power, and frequent stealthing, this trait helps add up to a lot of health regeneration during a fight. It also helps to counter bleeding/etc.
  +*Acrobatics*

• II Power of Inertia: Another great way to artificially increase the amount of power in the build via constant might stacking. When used in combination with Feline Grace and Hidden Assassin it’s very easy to have consistent 5-8 stacks of might during a fight.

• VI Fleet Shadow: Also rather self-explanatory, but it makes repositioning for a Tactical much easier.

Armour Runes

• Superior Runes of the Mesmer: These have turned out to be the most effective for this build, specifically for the sixth rune which increases the Daze duration by 33%. The addition of 165 Power and 50 Precision is an excellent bonus that helps with the lack of power in the trait selection.

Weapon Sigils

• The Sigil of Superior Force (+5% damage) on the Sword is quite self-explanatory, but I chose this over other things in order to help compensate for the lack of power.

• The Sigil of Superior Fire on the Dagger triggers ridiculously often thanks to the 43% crit chance and is great for adding 1-1.2k damage in an AoE while attacking or defending a point. This could be swapped for the Sigil of Superior Air for the additional ~500 damage, but the fact that it’s single target reduces its effectiveness drastically.

• The Sigil of Superior Hobbling (+10% cripple duration) is also quite self-explanatory, but this helps to increase the duration of the Shortbow’s cripple on Disabling Shot which, thanks to the recent buff, is great for escaping sticky situations. I’m more than open to suggestions on a better sigil for this, but the shortbow is almost always used as an escape tool anyway.

Jewellery

• Berserker’s Amulet: I took this over the Knight’s amulet to make up for the lack of power. The only drawback to this is the loss of 5,000 HP, but I feel that this is made up for by the +300 toughness and healing power from the 30 points in the Shadow Arts trait line. I also swapped out the jewel for a Soldier’s jewel in order to add some additional Power, Vitality and Toughness to the build.

Thanks for reading!

In theory this build is great for controlling the enemy, however in practice, you often can not apply Tactical Strike from behind against attentive opponents, which in return will result in merely blinding your opponent for 6 initiative and some damage.

That’s the reason why people usually love it at first and abandon it, once they realize it’s very easy to counter.

Med.6150:

In theory this build is great for controlling the enemy, however in practice, you often can not apply Tactical Strike from behind against attentive opponents, which in return will result in merely blinding your opponent for 6 initiative and some damage.

That’s the reason why people usually love it at first and abandon it, once they realize it’s very easy to counter.

I liked it at first, and then I kept on liking it. It has loads of mobility, a spammable stun-break, great gap-closers, and a 2s daze that I can almost always get off. It’s really not that hard to get a daze hit. You don’t even have to get behind them; hitting them from the side counts as “flanking” in this game and will daze.

If you’re having issues connecting with TS, give Fleet Shadow a try. I use that trait now, and I get the daze from TS 80-90% of the time.

I’ve been running S/D for just over a week now and I’ve found that I’m consistently able to land TS from behind as long as I’ve traited Fleet Shadow for the 33% speed increase. In fact, I very rarely see a blind icon pop up, even when I’ve hit them from the side. The amount of room you get for a back attack is huge.

Heal, Utilities, & Elite

• Hide in Shadows: A great heal which also cures burning, poison, and bleeding; it can also be used for repositioning or escape depending on the situation.

• Blinding Powder: An AoE blind/stealth which acts as a panic button, tactical repositioner and escape tool all rolled into one.

• Shadow Refuge: This is basically the same as BP with the exception of the blind (untraited in this build) and 3x the stealth duration. It can also be used as a minor secondary heal thanks to +300 healing power and Shadow’s Rejuvenation.

• Shadowstep: Long distance gap closer/escape tool, stun breaker, and condition remover. Can be used to great effect when chasing down fleeing enemies and you lack the initiative to use Infiltrator’s Strike, or they’re out of range.

• Dagger Storm: Projectile reflection, AoE cripple/bleeds, and 9.5 seconds of stability on a 90-second cool-down make this Elite perfect for almost any build. Thieves’ guild may offer better damage, but its cool-down is just too long.

Dropping 10 points in Acro and putting them in CS would allow you to gain 100 more precision, 10% more crit damage, and the godly trait that is Executioner.
Sigil of Paralyzation actually acts as a 33% daze increase, not 15% that is stated on the sigil. It, unfortunately, does not stack with Runes of the Mesmer.
Also, Shadow’s Embrace is most likely the best condition removal a Thief has. It removes 1 condition on entering stealth and 1 condition every three seconds after that. Combined with Meld with Shadows, and you have an amazing condi removal tool.
These were just my tips/advice, as I too have come to love S/D.

Great build, tagging this thread…

Also, Zunhar… RE Shadow’s Embrace, wouldn’t that only remove 1 condition (or 2?) given that we’re only in stealth for 3s, or are you chaining stealths together for maximum impact?

Zunhar.4079:

Dropping 10 points in Acro and putting them in CS would allow you to gain 100 more precision, 10% more crit damage, and the godly trait that is Executioner.
Sigil of Paralyzation actually acts as a 33% daze increase, not 15% that is stated on the sigil. It, unfortunately, does not stack with Runes of the Mesmer.
Also, Shadow’s Embrace is most likely the best condition removal a Thief has. It removes 1 condition on entering stealth and 1 condition every three seconds after that. Combined with Meld with Shadows, and you have an amazing condi removal tool.
These were just my tips/advice, as I too have come to love S/D.

Thanks for the feedback, it’s much appreciated!

I’ll play around with Executioner for a bit, but I was going for a more balanced build and the points in Acrobatics help to keep the HP higher and the Might stacks to last longer. I’ll also play around with your condition removal suggestions.

Thanks!

Zunhar.4079:

stinkypants.8419:

Great build, tagging this thread…

Also, Zunhar… RE Shadow’s Embrace, wouldn’t that only remove 1 condition (or 2?) given that we’re only in stealth for 3s, or are you chaining stealths together for maximum impact?

It actually removes 2. One condition is removed upon entering stealth, and another condition is removed 2-3 seconds later. Meld with Shadows allows the second condition removal to happen. Considering how many times you plan on going into stealth, condi classes aren’t very effective against you.
I will sometimes chain stealth, whether for the healing from SR or while trying to disengage/runaway.

@OP
No problem man. Glad I could help out.