Guild Wars 2

Hello everyone,

I am a very eager new player, leveling my thief 10 hours a day, and I’m starting to experience WvW and some sPvP action.

I have few questions though:

1) Everyone is saying P/D full Dire condi build is the way to go for WvW to faceroll everyone. Will this build work for open world farming?

2) Will the above build work for sPvP ? If not, what build would I have to aim for?

3) If that build won’t work for sPvP, will I have to have 2 sets of armors? Won’t it be super expensive to farm?

Thank you very much in advance, people are in this forum are so helpful, and the community is much more mature. A big help to new players like me and pretty sure what still keeps this game so fun and active <3

1. Direct dmg builds are preferred in PvE, to easily be able to tag bosses and mobs and cause best DPS. It however works for soloing dungeons and stuff, although it has quite low dps.

2. It works quite ok in sPvP/tPvP, it requires you to play a bit different though and you should limit your usage of stealth. S/D or D/P are still more optimal for tPvP though.

3. In the start it can be quite expensive but the more you play the easier it gets to gear up quickly.

Would a direct damage build be viable for WvW too so I can just gear up one awesome armor and weapon set for both spvp/tpvp and WvW? And what kind of a build it should be if yes?

yes, dont go p/d, its such a lame spec i just cant bring it in words. just go d/d or d/p or s/d all fine. and those last options are also better for pve.

Condition builds are better solo roamers in WvW.
Thief power builds are still good for solo roaming, but vs some condi bunkers… you have no other choice but to disengage and run away. Also, for wvw roaming you need 6 points in SA, unless you are very experienced. A mix of mainly berserker and some valk or soldier pieces(depends how glassy you want to be) is the general way to go. As the poster above me said – d/d, s/d and d/p with offhand set shortbow work ok. You can run with the commander quite well with a shortbow and a power build too, you shoud get full credit even just after 1 hit.

Want a spec that’s great for both? Surprised nobody has brought it up yet; Sword/Pistol zerker gear. I much prefer sword to dagger unless a condition build, and I prefer direct damage because. Sword skill #2 is VERY useful and a ton of fun to use. Sword #3, pistol whip does a ton of damage and interrupts, but can easily be evaded. A nice 100-0 combo- Elive venom skill- Steal (mug) – quickness utility skill (forget the name) – spam #3. Also sword is great for PvE due to cleave.

The meta thief build is S/D with 2/0/0/6/6. I use the same traits or sometimes switch to 2/6/0/6/0 if I’m feeling frisky, but in general the trickery tree is really strong, and so is acrobatics for tPvP

Thanks Pavel and Cam Ron for great advice.

I am thinking of following the meta: s/d with 2/0/0/6/6 – but I have no idea what type of armor I should aim for. Should I go full berserker with some valkyrie?

Is berserker better than valkyrie? What does valkyrie exactly do ?

Specific tips would be helpful. <3

MrSimpleMan.6194:

Thanks Pavel and Cam Ron for great advice.

I am thinking of following the meta: s/d with 2/0/0/6/6 – but I have no idea what type of armor I should aim for. Should I go full berserker with some valkyrie?

Is berserker better than valkyrie? What does valkyrie exactly do ?

Specific tips would be helpful. <3

The “meta” you described is a PvP meta though. It doesn’t exactly translate well to WvW roaming(because it’s more of a 1v1 dueling build). Let me show you my veeery old s/d//sb roaming build (pre the december 10th patch, now I wouldn’t recommend quick recovery, i’d rather go 0/5/6/3/0 instead) http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fZMQNAsYVlsMp7pVOx8J0PNxOBtZAqN3noDlozccDA-TlCBABCu/ghaCa4IAcmSQcU3BgTBQWK/SRPgOqEEwDAgUARsAA-w
Note – I am very squishy stat wise, so I rely heavily on stealth, evades/dodges and blinds/dazes to mitigate damage. The valk chest piece and the additional vitality is so I don’t get 1 hit by sudden unexpected bursts. Other standart build that works well in wvw is 2/6/6/0/0 ,but then you’d need a bit more armor, or more valk pieces and it’s generally a dagger mainhand build.
To roam well you need good keybindings, good map awareness and knowledge of when you can’t win. It takes time and lots of deaths, it’s a learning process. On my warrior I get so depressed when a thief jumps me, sees he can’t win, but still tries and tries, until he dies… (sob) It’s not dishonorable to admit you get hard countered build wise, even if it’s a 1v1, and retreat, as long as you pursue your objectives (yaks, camps, scouting, etc).

Thanks for the answer it really helps alot, so is there any other spike damage that I can use for WvW? I am not a fan of condi build since people call it OP and boring. I can roll d/d, d/p or whatever, I see people talking about that 20k hitting backstabbing thieves, and I think that’s more fun than that condi thief which takes 2 hours to kill someone. Any tips for that?

Thieves aren’t that useful in zergs, you can be a blast battery with cluster bomb in zergs. But your real value as a thief in WvW comes when you run in a havoc group. A 5-10 man group that runs around grabbing objectives that the enemy zergs leave behind. A pvp meta thief build will thrive in that situation.

For PvE/WvW I recommend thieves run as much zerker gear as they are comfortable with. Supplement any non-zerk pieces with something having vitality. Valkyrie is a good option

Shockwave.1230:

Thieves aren’t that useful in zergs, you can be a blast battery with cluster bomb in zergs. But your real value as a thief in WvW comes when you run in a havoc group. A 5-10 man group that runs around grabbing objectives that the enemy zergs leave behind. A pvp meta thief build will thrive in that situation.

For PvE/WvW I recommend thieves run as much zerker gear as they are comfortable with. Supplement any non-zerk pieces with something having vitality. Valkyrie is a good option

Makes sense, so you’re saying that a pvp meta which is (just an ex) s/d 20066 build with full zerker build can work in all pvp, pve and wvw(with small roaming groups) ?

Pvp builds generally aren’t good in PvE, but they aren’t bad. Really PvP builds just aren’t optimal in PvE, but PvE is so relatively easy in comparison you’ll be fine as long as you Dodge, blind, or evade 1 shot abilities.

Thief isn’t optimal in WvW really either, because WvW is largely zerg v zerg (my experience on SB I server) , but it does have a strong place in small scale fights.

For WvW and PvP you can run the same kind of build if you’re in a group, but 1v1 shadow arts thieves have an advantage in WvW.

For PvE S/P reigns supreme, invigorating precision and signet of malice let you play like a Warrior with the sustain you have, but you’ll still get 1 shot if you don’t avoid those.

2/0/0/6/6 S/D does work for WvW, I’ve used it for a little while now. It can have problems against heavy condi builds since the lyssa nerf, but as long as you know your limits it’s workable.

It depends what you want to do really. I wouldn’t use if you’re specifically trying to 1vX since SA builds are far stronger for that, but if you know the terrain and want to scout then the mobility is really useful.

Buy a full zerker armor+trinket set. Maybe add some Toughness/Vitality here and there (with some Valkyrie/Soldier/Cavalier pieces) to suit your need. Then buy a Dagger, a Sword, a Shortbow and a Pistol. Strength or Pack runes.

There, you have 3 perfectly interchangeable weaponsets (D/P, S/P, S/D, all with Shortbow as secondary) which can work pretty well in WvW roaming, and are decent training wheels for sPvP. They are also very good for PvE.

Just forget about P/D. Good/experienced players will either get away from you (because they don’t want to fight a spec such as P/D) or kill you (because they use some specs that can beat P/D and you are bad).

hihey.1075:

Buy a full zerker armor+trinket set. Maybe add some Toughness/Vitality here and there (with some Valkyrie/Soldier/Cavalier pieces) to suit your need. Then buy a Dagger, a Sword, a Shortbow and a Pistol. Strength or Pack runes.

There, you have 3 perfectly interchangeable weaponsets (D/P, S/P, S/D, all with Shortbow as secondary) which can work pretty well in WvW roaming, and are decent training wheels for sPvP. They are also very good for PvE.

Just forget about P/D. Good/experienced players will either get away from you (because they don’t want to fight a spec such as P/D) or kill you (because they use some specs that can beat P/D and you are bad).

You don’t recommend d/d as a good way to play in WvW / PvP?

MrSimpleMan.6194:

hihey.1075:

Buy a full zerker armor+trinket set. Maybe add some Toughness/Vitality here and there (with some Valkyrie/Soldier/Cavalier pieces) to suit your need. Then buy a Dagger, a Sword, a Shortbow and a Pistol. Strength or Pack runes.

There, you have 3 perfectly interchangeable weaponsets (D/P, S/P, S/D, all with Shortbow as secondary) which can work pretty well in WvW roaming, and are decent training wheels for sPvP. They are also very good for PvE.

Just forget about P/D. Good/experienced players will either get away from you (because they don’t want to fight a spec such as P/D) or kill you (because they use some specs that can beat P/D and you are bad).

You don’t recommend d/d as a good way to play in WvW / PvP?

It depends, but generally speaking, no.

D/D is totally NOT viable in sPvP due to many reasons (not enough self defense, if you miss your burst you are totally useless). However, it is “borderline” viable in WvW, meaning that if you are GOOD you can do some nice stuff with it. On the other hand, the gap between a D/D build and any other viable roaming build is really big. Sure, it’s a nice build to finish off stragglers or to kill unexperienced people with useless builds – but almost any build that “works” is good at the latter.

There are some thieves who still use D/D in WvW, and in order to be effective you have to build extremely glassy. As far as I know, there are not “good” thieves using DD in sPvP.
I’m not a fan of him because I see a lot of mistakes in these videos, but I suggest you check out this channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Vavume/videos
The things he does are quite funny to watch: those numbers are HUGE!

Still, it’s up to personal preference. I’d suggest using D/P over D/D in any way.

WvW D/D Thieves are usually the opposite of glassy in Thief terms. Most run a majority Valkyrie gear (if not completely full Valkyrie) and add in either Berserker or Cavalier gear depending on the player with Hidden Killer. It has high stealth uptime especially in group fights if you’re not bad, and you can beat anything (more than just the typical bad players with bad builds) with it if you’re smart with canceling your Cloaks in 1v1 or to a particular degree in outnumbered situations.

Shockwave.1230:

Thief isn’t optimal in WvW really either, because WvW is largely zerg v zerg (my experience on SB I server) , but it does have a strong place in small scale fights.

I really wish this stigma died off. In WvW, roamers DO have a place simply because of the opportunity cost of a zerg – they can only be in one place at a time. Is it harder to do a roamer group than a zerg group? Yeah, but it allows for more map coverage and supply denial. Unfortunately most roamers aren’t really focused on the WvW game at all – no one cares about objectives.

Shockwave.1230:

For PvE S/P reigns supreme, invigorating precision and signet of malice let you play like a Warrior with the sustain you have, but you’ll still get 1 shot if you don’t avoid those.

Actually d/d is the main damage source in PvE. 6/6/0/0/2 build does wonders in PvE where all that matters is the damage. S/P has its place against trash mobs, but to take down a boss, it’s generally recommended to just land backstab after backstab with d/d until low health then spam heartseeker. With team co-ordination, you can easily achieve 100% crit chance with strength stacks for dayz.

Play what u like, not what meta best. I hate playing pistol condition. im a ninja, i use dagger or sword (but sword has craps skills so i prefer dagger)