Guild Wars 2

Hi everyone! I’ve been playing a lot of WvW lately using a P/D condi build but I just can’t seem to enjoy it. It doesn’t really fit my play style even though most of the time I see thieves using this build. I was considering changing to D/P or D/D for roaming in WvW but I would like to know more opinions about which type is stronger at the moment. Also, who would have the upper hand if both these types were to 1v1?
Cheers!

D/P is generally accepted as being superior to D/D in every way except for burst damage. D/D offers a bit more burst via Cloak and Dagger. a small price to pay for the utility pistol offhand provides imo. Cloak and Dagger is also a cheaper method of stealth, but you have to hit something, which isn’t always that easy.

consider the trade-offs. D/P offers a blind field, an interrupt, and a gap closer that also blinds. D/D offers a 1/4 sec (I think?) evade that stacks bleeds, a ranged cripple that bounces targets, and of course Cloak and Dagger. D/P has a use for almost every skill, but I’m struggling to find a use for Death Blossom in a power build. unless you land your CnDs with D/D you’re basically a sitting duck. the playstyle can be fun though, and two daggers look pretty kitten. if you love living on the edge and just wanna drop people fast, go ham.

D/P is actually a hard counter to D/D builds as the blinds can shut down D/D users. assuming equal skill, I would guess the matchup would be 8/10 in the D/P user’s favor.

I’ve had this same dilemma recently. I’m only a recent lvl 80 thief but I notice myself getting better everyday. I first started out using d/p but after I tried d/d I haven’t went back. In my opinion d/d is SO much more fun to play, albeit a bit harder. CnD is just too awesome a skill and you can stay in stealth longer. D/p 5+2 skills are too init expensive compared to CnD. Plus Zerg diving is absolutely amazing with d/d. D/d also slightly does more damage thanks to the invulnerability on CnD. I recently dueled d/p thief twice who was probably the same skill level as me. One of the fights was pretty close but I believe that this matchup more depends on skill.

I see, thanks for the responses guys! I will try out both types then to decide which one suits me best.

You can be very successful with both builds, just don’t stand in d/p’s blind field and they’re not as strong.

Assuming of course ( and I guess since we are talking about WvW it is justified) that the player you are trying to CnD is really bad, considering how ridiculously telegraphed it is.

IMO, d/p is superiour to d/d in almost every regard, but I find d/d much more fluid and fun to play. The old d/d builds still kinda work, but require a lot more skill to pull off. I’ve gotten a bit sick of it and started running in small groups with d/d 6/6/0/0/2 or 5/6/0/0/3 or 6/6/2/0/0 with full zerk scholar. You die, a lot, but the burst is incredible and I can kill most d/p thieves with 1 cnd backstab, which is pretty fun.

In general, d/d is stronger in havoc teams, where d/p is stronger in soloing. For d/d, you have more targets to CnD when facing off havocs, and (my) playstyle with d/d is focusing the biggest threat off my havoc team, distracting them, pressuring or bursting them down one at a time, before slipping away again.

With d/p, it gives more survival. You can draw out fights if you’re in a bad matchup. But if you really want to have the skill for d/p, and not take the ‘cheesy’ method, don’t rely too much on stealth. D/P is easy to pick up, but a WvW vet can counter any rookie. A decent d/p thief still needs to assert aggression and use the other tactics available.

METAShift.2913:

I can kill most d/p thieves with 1 cnd backstab, which is pretty fun.

Mind telling me what gear/runes/traits/sigils you’re using? Or are you a glassy haha

METAShift, what runes do you run when d/d and full zerk scholar?

Korpse Harvester.1547:

METAShift, what runes do you run when d/d and full zerk scholar?

He told you. Full zerk and scholar runes

my bad, traits skills

Korpse Harvester.1547:

my bad, traits skills

He also told you that. All signets with signet grant might trait

This is what I run, it’s not the highest burst spec but I like it:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fZAQNAoYVlsMpypNOx0J8PNRLBtd0HxL86Ma/gAcAA-T1BFwAFOEACODAI3fU+hS9n06DA8AAuqEkUADMGA-w

I sometimes change the last trait in DA to revealed training and the 2 points in trickery can be used in acrobatics or SA if you want might on dodge or condi removal or whatever. The power signet is sometimes changed to SR.

It’s mostly good for small fights, with the purpose of quickly shutting down enemy thieves and other glass cannons. Panic strike is really good at preventing escapes and finishing people off, tho the new trait seems good too.

When I still played D/X in WvW it was DD that I used. I just find X/D sets to be a lot more fluid even though Dancing Dagger is a really poor skill at the moment, so to speak.
I feel that /P sets don’t have ‘rythm’ of their own.

I would really encourage you to go DD/DP in WvW if you cannot make up your mind.

Yeah, why not use both You can travel as fast with heartseeker spamming as with # 5 on SB (ran with a fellow thief and tested it). SB #5 can shadowstep you to some nice locations tho.

Anyway,

METAshift: do you know the internal cooldown on panic strike? Both wiki and build editor don’t say.

Edit: it’s 30 sec, saw it now. But my question on your GM trait still stands.

Just a thought: pre-casting cloak and dagger with steal will procc revealed training (DA XIII) that’s a 200 extra power for dat backstaph. I haven’t tried this my self (gonna do tonight), but that’s gotta change the numbers some.

200 extra power over immobilize, thoughts?

mompen.7952:

200 extra power over immobilize, thoughts?

Panic Strike >>>>>>> 200 extra power

I use it in my build, the name is appropriate, most panic the first time it procs on them, even later when they know what to expect, by the time they hit 50% HP, their utilities are on cooldown and they have no way of getting out of immob.