Guild Wars 2

Actually, the topic is supposed to be a joke. I have come across a whine thread against thieves again today, which made me think that if someone ever came up with a great great build, he probably wouldn’t share it. No need to increase the risks for a nerf

Anyway…

I wanted to make a pistol dagger build and share it with you guys. If you have any insights, sugestions or criticisms I would be happy to receive them.

Strategy
This build is based on evading, CaD and stacking bleeds with the primary attack and caltrops. Also keeping a high pool of initiative will increase damage output and make us flexible in various situations.

Against Melee Targets:

• Keep distance. Put in some Body Shot here and there to build up vulnerability.
• Use Cloak and Dagger when the target has closed in
• move away with an evasion. Preferably use a dodge roll, but withdraw and roll for initiative are also strong options that give back initiative at the same time.
• use sneak attack from a distance and repeat

Against Ranged Targets:

• shoot while closing the gap with dodge rolls or steal. Put in some Body Shot here and there to build up vulnerability
• use Cloak and Dagger when in range
• use sneak attack and repeat

Tips

• when facing a target with minions/pets/illusions/turrets, you can always use them to CaD
• you can always use surrounding objects or secondary close targets to CaD
• avoid getting hit with heavy attacks and avoid conditions, as this build is not so great in dealing with conditions
• if things get rough, use Shadow Strike to open a gap
• use Dancing Dagger to hinder fleeing targets, who successfully avoided your caltrops

Build
Deadly Arts 25 points
I put 25 points into Deadly Arts to increase damage. Both power and condition duration are very nice assets. Also, +10% damage on condition, which our target always will have is also nice.

• Mug: In this build steal will be quite important, and not used to open a fight. Therefore, the nerfed version of Mug fits in.

• Potent Poison: To be honest I didn’t know what else to use here. I could have gone with improvisation, but it didn’t seem to be very reliable.

Acrobatics 15 points
As we are going to dodge a lot, 15 points in Acrobatics goes without saying.

• Power of Inertia: With so many dodges, gaining might at the same time is neat. This trait can be exchanged for Assassin’s Retreat, however, if people want to dodge some more.

Trickery 30 points
Trickery gives us condition damage and reduces CD of steal. Both are very beneficial. This trait line will serve to complement skills. Also, it will be our main source of gaining initiative and boost our damage further by up to 12% (due to Lead Attacks).

• Uncatchable: Lay caltrops on dodge, cripple enemies and make hitting with Cloak and Dagger easier, add additional bleed stacks. Sounds pretty good to me.

• Ricochet: Increase damage when fighting against more than one target. Can be interchanged with Initial Strike, if there is need for more initiative. Alternatively, bountiful Theft or Thrill of crime can be added to amass functionality on steal.

• Hastened Replenishment: This is our source of gaining initiative, and since we use Withdraw very often anyway, it is a good skill to have.

Utilities

• Withdraw
• Shadow Refuge: to GTFO
• Scorpion Wire: I like this skill to troll people Also, it kind of makes sense with this build
• Roll for Initiative: Stun breaker, initiative gain and useful for our strategy
• Shadow Step: Stun breaker and the only way on this build to remove conditions
• Spider Venom: Capitalise on the trait Lotus poison in Deadly Arts skill tree and make your targets weak while poisoning them at the same time.

For Elite I use Thieves Guild to confuse people, but this one is completely optional.

Gear
All Carrion: increase power, vitality and condition damage.
Runes
Adventurer: Increase power, condition damage and endurance on dodge
Sigils
In PvP I use two times P/D and place Superior Sigil of Energy on my pistols or daggers so I can dodge more. The other sigil is optional. In PvE and dungeons, I use P/D and Shortbow with Superior Sigil of Energy on each. In WvWvW I use either my PvP settings if I do roaming or my PvE settings if I do Zerking.

I would really like to hear your feed back. Thanks!

Nice build. A few questions though.

Why all the initiative regen traits? You’re using one move most of the time and yes 5 initiative cost but I doubt you need so much unless your constantly missing it.

This is a build that is constantly in and out of stealth and I see noooooo shadow arts traits. That makes no sense. You’re missing out on condition removal. Stealth duration. Regen. Initiative regen. Movement speed. Might stacks.

You’re also missing an aspect of the building. Weakness. Lotus poison gives weakness when you poison. Right now the only poison you have is steal. Meaning your opponents will be hurting you more.

Energy sigils? I understand the benefits of consistent dodging but you’re losing significant bleed duration and damage. Anyone running lemongrass in wvw will severely cut your damage output.

I think you should rework the build and understand the main mechanics of your build. Stealth and bleeds. If you find it works more power to you.

Thank you very much for your input. I will respond to each of your feed back:

- Actually, in the build that I proposed there is only one skill that gives us initiative, and that would be Hastened Replenishment on the trickery skill tree. I suggested that there are additional options, if people want it.

- Yes, this build is about going in and out of stealth and dealing damage from a safe distance. So you say I should reinvest points into Shadow Arts. It would give me a whole bunch of good defensive options on the cost of offense. Where shall I take the skill points from in your opinion? Deadly Arts? Because I think 15 points Acrobatics is needed to ensure mobility. And I wanted to focus on trickery with this one, instead of posting another run of the mill 25/0/30/15/0 build…

- My stealth duration is short, as you say, but it doesn’t matter. I am doing a ranged attack anyway. I don’t have health regen, true. But I do have initiative regen. I have constant swiftness due to acrobatics, so my movement speed is good enough. And might stacks: I could either put vurnerability on my target or use might on dodge trait.

- What would you suggest instead of energy sigils? A good suggestion might change my view. I could change it to Superior Sigil of Inteligence. CaD, weapon swap and sneak attack would be a nice burst combo then.

- You are right, I could capitalise more on Lotus Poison. I could change one of my utility skills (Shadow Refuge or Scorpion wire) to Spider Venom. What do you think?

I’m looking forward to your response!

Wow this is really nice, I have been looking for a solid condi build and a solid p/d build for quite some time.

Thank you EoNxBoNx (funny name o_O). I will update this build when I get more and more feedback. I already put in some insights that I gained from Janairo’s comment. If you try this ingame, please feel free to come back and post about your experience.

my condition thief build-
20 in shadow arts
mug
quick venoms
30 in shadow arts
shadows embrace
blind when going stealth
shadows rejuvenation
20 in acrobatics
traits for acrobatics are optional
for more condition damge put the twenty from deadly arts into trickery

also, utility skills are spider venom caltrops and shadow signet

the +damage traits don’t affect your conditions. Imo, lose most of the deadly arts and put it into shadow arts since you will be using a lot of stealth with cnd. If you’re not then you’re nerfing yourself hard. You will be needing surprise shot.

When using Spider Venom, I fully agree that Quick Venoms becomes a good option. I might implement this insight later.

As I said before, I wanted to do something different and not go into the Shadow Arts trait line. But those who feel it is necessary can think of taking everything from the Trickery trait line and putting them into the Shadow Arts trait line.

Finally, in this build there is no need for Caltrops as a utility skill and I don’t see the need for additional movement speed with Signet of Shadows, as we will constantly have Swiftness from dodging.

Thanks for your feed back.

randomfightfan.4091:

the +damage traits don’t affect your conditions. Imo, lose most of the deadly arts and put it into shadow arts since you will be using a lot of stealth with cnd. If you’re not then you’re nerfing yourself hard. You will be needing surprise shot.

Thanks,

Benefits of Deadly Arts:

• additional damage due to power and condition duration
• additional functionality on steal
• option to weaken opponents
• +10% direct damage on opponents with conditions (are you sure conditions are not affected by this?)

Benefits of Shadow Arts:

• Removal of conditions
• Better defense
• Better healing
• More healing options
• Initiative regain after CaD

You would need to take 5 points from Trickery or Acrobatics though, which would mean less endurance or less initiative from withdraw