Thief PVE questions
1) Yes, there is a perfect min/max build for DPS, but there are some variations that you can use if you feel that you need more sustain.
2) Sword/Pistol is your default trash weapon. It cleaves, does good DPS, and gives you a spammable blind field to protect allies.
3) Your utilities will vary a bit, but you can’t really go wrong with signets.
Also, you should at least check out Brazil’s video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoD6aOhzu7M
Chase also has a really good guide that is a bit more comprehensive: http://www.guildwars2guru.com/topic/87167-a-guide-to-the-thief-meta/
A lot of people will tell you to go pure berserker, but believe me, there will be times where a boss will hit you no matter what and you’ll be dead in a few hits. Your no good to anyone if your keep dying… On top of that, thieves are one of the two professions with the lowest HP, therefore they’re pretty weak to conditions unless you have a lot of vit invested. I’d only wear pure berserker if I was roaming the low level areas, but anywhere else, I’m mostly wearing my pvt gear.
1-Personallly I would invest in PVT armor with dolyak runes to counter any condition stacks you have (along with eating mango pies). Not fully of course, I would invest in some berserker or knight to get your crit chance atleast to 30 percent….
2-To me, the best in fighting in a stack is sword/pistol. The sword chain can cleave in a wide area infront of you, as well as pistol whip will not only do massive damage in front of you but you’ll evade attacks as it’s going (not to mention is a great stunner to a single target). Combine pistol whip with the signet of malice, dolyak runes, caltrops and mango pies, you’ll regain over half your hp in a mob in one attack if you hit more than 2 enemies at time…
3-Utilities I believe would be shadow refuge, caltrops, and the third can be changed depending on the situation. Caltrops can trigger your signet of malice, stack bleeds, and cripple. So it’ll help you with hp regen and control mobs. I would never go without shadow refuge; during parties in dungeons or soloing it’s your “OH SHI—” button to keep you or your allies from dying.
But really, overall, this is what I roll after playing the thief for over a year. It really all depends on you.
(edited by AVM.5746)
If you go PvT and use dolyak runes, you’ll hit like a wet noodle. If you’re really having that much trouble surviving, you’re better off just sticking back with P/P or short bow using your berserker gear. You’ll deal more damage and will stand out of harm’s way. =P
For bosses and other single target dps, D/D is considered best.
The min/max PVE builds are below. They are probably about even, although I don’t know if any new official research has been done proving one better since the patch.
5/6/0/0/3
6/6/0/0/2 – This is after the patch, if you prefer revealed training over 3 extra initiative. I’m thinking this might be better because your rotation with D/D on single targets is just C&D, backstab, and then AA until revealed is gone, repeat, while keeping your init above 6.
5/6/0/3/0 (I’ve seen this for extra dodges and a little hp. less DPS than the ones above but more survivability. Maybe good if you want to lean towards more zerker gear but less risk of dying)
Smoke screen is a useful utility sometimes. You can spam blast it with shortbow #2 for stacking party stealth in addition to shadow refuge. It is also useful on fights with projectiles to support the party.
The Thief isn’t a very forgiving class, unlike some others. So you will be made to pay for your mistakes. That’s why average Thieves have a rather poor reputation in PvE despite dealing more than competitive DPS.
As to your gear and weapon choices, it depends on how comfortable you feel with the game in general and the class specifically. If you’re an experienced dungeon runner and the Thief is just another class you’re leveling, feel free to go balls to the wall.
I.e. Berserker with Scholar Runes and the 6/6/X/X/X build. That way you will progress the fastest and skip all the intermediate levels of learning and adapting your build.
But if you’re not quite that comfortable yet then feel free to be a little more conservative. Rather than using Soldier’s gear I’d simply recommend sticking to range combat for starters. The Shortbow is a very proficient weapon and Clusterbomb deals good DPS (even single target) while being an constant Explosive Finisher. That alone adds a great deal of group support.
When fighting trash, Sword + Pistol is your best friend. Black Powder practically makes you immune to all melee trash mobs (except champions). It makes a HUGE difference to your group, especially if they stack up on you. Just make sure to maintain Black Powder and don’t spam too much Pistol Whip (except on bosses).
TL;DR – glass-cannon + melee is the end goal for a Thief, but you might not want to go that route right away, depending on your skill and experience.
One word on utilities: They can be exchanged for a reason. Use it! A Bad Thief is someone who doesn’t use his kitten nal. That said, Smoke Field, Shadow Refuge and the Signets will see most frequent use.
(edited by Dee Jay.2460)
These replies are very interesting, this class is in a very different spot from rangers. It sounds like I should be switching weapons and utilities often throughout a run, am I getting that right? S/P for trash, D/D for bosses/big targets, SB for explosive finishers/safety? And then the utilities also switch accordingly?
These replies are very interesting, this class is in a very different spot from rangers. It sounds like I should be switching weapons and utilities often throughout a run, am I getting that right? S/P for trash, D/D for bosses/big targets, SB for explosive finishers/safety? And then the utilities also switch accordingly?
You should be doing that with any class, changing to whatever fits the situation.
If you’re aiming for perfection, yes, but if you know GW2 PvE you should know that’s rarely required.
All I’d say is that you should be aware of your tool-kit and be flexible in its use. Always carry all weapon-sets with you and be willing to switch quickly when the situation calls for it.
Be aware what weapons suit which situation and what utilities are appropriate.
For example while Dagger / Dagger is generally best against bosses, if your group is stacking or pushing the boss into a corner you won’t get much damage out of it. In that case it can be better to stick with Sword / Pistol.
Adaptability, not DPS is what makes a good player.
These replies are very interesting, this class is in a very different spot from rangers. It sounds like I should be switching weapons and utilities often throughout a run, am I getting that right? S/P for trash, D/D for bosses/big targets, SB for explosive finishers/safety? And then the utilities also switch accordingly?
You should be doing that with any class, changing to whatever fits the situation.
Maybe so, ranger didn’t feel very flexible though. Nothing comes close to Sword for DPS of any target, and nothing comes close to WH for utility. The second set was just kind of whatever you wanted.