I have been playing p/p in PvP for as long as I can remember. It is a VERY strong setup, but it requires a lot of timing to survive.
I am posting this after reading the upcoming changes and to tell why these won’t make p/p more viable than it already is.
The weapon setup is p/p and s/d.
My traits vary a lot depending on the map and the opponents, but what never changes is my utility skills.
Utility skills
6: Withdraw
This allows me to stay mobile and it’s an additional evade.
7: Roll for inititive
This allows me to stay mobile and it’s an additional evade. Also a stunbreaker.
8: Shadow Refuge
A very deadly skill because of the projectile finishers that deal damage and this skill heals for around 3, depending on the amount of finishers you can get off.
9: Shadow Step.
This allows me to stay mobile. Also a stunbreaker.
0: Basilisk Venom.
For stuns and nukes!
My weapon set
As you can see my utility skills are there to make sure I have the right angle on opponents, to make sure I don’t get hit and to evade incoming damage.
If they catch you, you are dead while in the p/p weapon set. That is what we have s/d for.
S/D is for:
- countering blocking opponents to finish them when they are blocking while on low hp.
- surviving when being caught.
- surviving when you are out of initiative. (because of the nature of skill 3 you can go ‘in debt’. You can start it, and finish it when you have the other 2 initiative.)
- Surviving when you are on CDs. (shadow stepping to an opponent, running away, returning and shadow stepping into the other direction to create space between you and your opponent before returning to p/p when your CDs are gone.)
p/p is for:
-Damage
-immobilizing before throwing gunk.
-blinding to ensure finishing
-blinding for defense while on CD for your weapon swap. Dagger 5 is much more effective at escaping than blind.
-interrupting (stomps)
Traits
As for my traits, they are all about damage. If you play p/p, you play to kill before it can catch up to you and kill you. Ricochet is useless. It makes you weaker as you have to sacrifice 10% damage from minor 3 in power (10% extra damage while the opponent has a condition) alone. Aside from that you give away 100 power and 10% condition duration. Condition duration is amazing for cc conditions. Do NOT use ricochet, it’s a waste.
These are my traits:
Power:
- Mug, because it’s awesome
- sundering strikes, it keeps up the 10% damage bonus from minor 3. Also it can easily go up to 8 on an opponent. 8% extra damage for all allies on this target? yes please!
This one also has another cool aspect. For generic condition removal, the most recently applied condition or conditions will be removed first. This one will almost always be the most recently applied condition, so this also wastes their condition removal.
-Panic Strike, this is amazing for locking them down while you unleash your burst on them. It gives you time to wait for your CDs and to start over again. Most of the time it is best to auto attack now as they start blocking and you can dps them right when they use damaging skills.
Critical strikes:
Pistol Mastery for 10% extra pistol damage.
Combo critical chance. For 5% extra crit chance on unload and flanking strike.
Exicutor for 20% extra damage while they are below 50% HP
The other 10 points depend on the rest of what you want. Do you want to snipe Forest creatures? Get 600 extra range on steal. Do you want more DPS? Get fury on steal. Do you want more condition removal? Get condition removal on stealth. Do you want more evades? Get vigor on healing.
(edited by Niels.5396)