Guild Wars 2

Hiyas!

Right to the point… quite simply, in WvW, I cannot seem to figure out how to effectively fight underwater. I love the spear skills; however, because of the z-axis, it seems like you often have to resort to harpoon (which, skills-wise, does not seem anywhere near as effective as spear, if you can figure out how to make melee combat work). Does anyone have any tips on how to fight underwater? In what situations do you use what weapon? What utilities do you use?

Thanks!

If you are struggling to stay with your target you should take u-skills such as Scorpion Wire and/or Devourer Venom. You also have your skill 4 on the spear which pulls you to them and cripples. And then there is steal.

As to the other spear skills it all depands on what you are doing. If you are chasing then I wouldn’t use skill 5, but skill 5 is very good when they are attacking you in melee range, as is skill 3. But while attacking them, especially if they are fleeing, Skills 1, 2 and 4 are your friends here.

As a condition build thief I tend to use harpoon more than spear, but have switched to it on occasion, if my foe is also melee, as the evades from skill 5 are very useful. But if I wish to escape I will switch to harpoon and use skill 4 then skill 3, to cripple and dart away from them.

I have to admit that melee combat underwater is more difficult to hit your target than melee combat on land, but then for me at least that is more down to practice than anything else. The skills we have on the spear seem pretty good imo.

One thing that helped me a little was to attack the underwater dummies in the mists, while swimming around them in circles in all different directions. Also, practice finding the range of skills by swimming towards and away from them while attacking. It won’t prepare you for fighting players but it can help to orient you for gauging distances and such while underwater. At the end of the day, the more practice you have, the better you will get.

In all honesty, I’d treat water in WvsW like acid.

Almost all of your defensive options cease to work… You lose your mobility… Your skill variety is restricted to venoms and signets… You are unable to deal efficient area damage… Unable to stealth but once every 30 seconds (and only if you have the skill equipped ofc) … Forced to use Basilisk Venom as your only elite choice….

Other than a strong deathwish, I have yet to find a single reason to really consider fighting with thieves underwater.

Kyrion.2749:

In all honesty, I’d treat water in WvsW like acid.

Almost all of your defensive options cease to work… You lose your mobility… Your skill variety is restricted to venoms and signets… You are unable to deal efficient area damage… Unable to stealth but once every 30 seconds (and only if you have the skill equipped ofc) … Forced to use Basilisk Venom as your only elite choice….

Other than a strong deathwish, I have yet to find a single reason to really consider fighting with thieves underwater.

Though our mobility is less while underwater, you have to remember that all other professions suffer from the same problem. That said, my Thief is traited for a lot of evasion, and this is not reduce while underwater. I can still dodge and evade a heck of a lot while underwater, so do not feel I am lacking in this regard.

The little experience I have had with underwater combat has, for the most part, been successful. Yes I have lost the odd fight here and there, but I have won a few too. I put my losses down to my own skill and experience while underwater, rather than the thief’s ability as a profession. It seems pretty capable to me. That said, like you I would like to see more underwater skills available to us and to all other professions as well.

Imo avoid UW in pvp.
Pretty much all our good skills are disabled there, we’re left with the worst ones and some “ok” weapon skills, other professions have it much easier.

Water is a Thief best friend.

Seriously, you’re nearly invulnerable there. If I’m doing bad and there is water close, I jump there to be safer (unless if I’m at zero initiative). A thief can single handely tank the PvP Raid on the Capricorn underwater point.

If you have problems staying on target, use the 4th skill or Steal. The rest consist on spamming either 5 (very safe evading everything, including areas, and it takes time for your initiative to reach zero, specially with traits to recover initiative or if you steal an egg) or if it’s an 1 vs 1 fight and you want to stay conservative on initiative use, use your third skill. You will receive some hit as you won’t block all of them, but you will hit hard and your initiative will NEVER reach zero (plus you can move while blocking).

Getting at least 5 on trickery for 3 initiative on Steal (which doesn’t interrupt your 5th skill and helps getting closer to the target) is very useful, and as many of your skills aren’t usable underwater, consider replacing one of them with Signet of Shadows if you weren’t using it on land, as the speed helps and the blind is very useful to eat the stolen egg without getting damage in the process.

Steal, the 4th skill, and some utility should be enough to stay on target. It gets practice to maneuver underwater correctly but once you get it the Thief is great.

The only lacking part is we’re limited on elite uses (Izzy told me a lot of time ago that Thieves Guild was going to be usable underwater and I’m still waiting U.U), and that we don’t have Shadow Refuge underwater, but Spear makes you virtually invulnerable. Anything trying to hit you will face the shadow crusher.

Avoid the water.

Fighting in the water is stupid. It’s about the only thing in this game I don’t like is fighting in water. PVE or PVP/WVW.

I find the spear to be a highly effective weapon when fighting a few simple opponents. The evade skills and the block are effective. The damage is quite good.

As soon as you get into a larger fight the blocks and evades seem insufficient and you sadly need to stay at range with the harpoon. The harpoon is quite dull but has a useful backwards evade to keep you at range.

I hate fighting in the water and so do it as little as possible. Which led me to an interesting discovery just now:

When did they take Steal away from water combat?! I have a giant locked skill icon instead of the ability to Steal when in the water now… At least in WvW.

Fizzlepip.5218:

I hate fighting in the water and so do it as little as possible. Which led me to an interesting discovery just now:

When did they take Steal away from water combat?! I have a giant locked skill icon instead of the ability to Steal when in the water now… At least in WvW.

It’s a bug, at least i hope so because if it’s intentional it’s pretty bad game design.

Basically some steal skills can’t be used underwater, if you happen to have one when going underwater you’ll be greeted with that lock. You then have to go out of water, waste your stolen skill and go back.

If you are fighting under water you are pretty durable between spear 2, 3 and 5. Both 2 and 5 dodge and 3 blocks and builds inti. For getting away, you can spam un-targeted spear 2. It will move you quick and dodge.

I use the harpoon gun.

Skill 5 is another shadowstep.

Also, load out with signets.
Signet of Agility gives precision, whic helps with the Harpoon, and cures conditions, and restores stamina (making you fast)