Guild Wars 2

I’d be interested to see what other thieves are playing when they aren’t rolling a meta thief. I’d especially be interested to see what kind of builds you’ve cooked up on your own, regardless of what kind of build it is or how you like to play.

The purpose of this thread is not to seek feedback or critique other player’s builds, it is simply to share what you enjoy playing.

Please post a link to your build at the top, and then summarize your build right below so that we can all get an idea of your build without having to link out of the forum. Example:

Link to build site
Name (if any)
Concept (if any)
Game Mode (PvP, WvW, PvE, or all)
Weapons (set 1 and 2)

Gear (Marauder, Valkyrie, Carrion, etc)
Runes
Sigils
Trait lines/Specializations

Utility skill summary (healing, 7-9, elite)

Consumables (for WvW, PvE)

Note: I realize that thief is sort of in-between metas right now, and according to many players does not even have a meta build. But for purposes of this thread “Meta thief” means the old (pre-HoT) dagger/pistol/Deception skills thief, and includes the new HoT staff Daredevil or whatever people with HoT are running for the most part.

I’ll get us started.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZAQNAsYVl8MhCnYlTwzJw/EH+ElvIWioYHAv2Z2TrWYGA-TpBGABLcCA49QAAwDAA6yAIv/wBHBAA

Name: Dualist
Concept: Minimal Stealth, lots of initiative and quickness
Game Mode: All
Weapons: S/D, Short bow
Gear: Assassin
Runes: Resistance
Sigils: Rage, Blood on main set. Renewal and Energy on Short bow
Traits/Specializations: Critical Strikes, Acrobatics, Trickery (Vanilla game)
Utility skill summary: All signets, Basilisk Venom
Consumables: Peach tart and cheap oils

i have two i’ve been testing my builds are the most tanky i can get thief right now =/ and i can’t decide which one is better

first one
this build is trying to max what signet of malice can heal for by using poison by using the DA tree

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZAQNAoaWn8MBFPhFmCGOB0PhlWCrbx0o2CznwV4LULAcAWAA-TJRDABhXGAjnAAy7PAwpAAA

the second one
this build has more crit focus then the previous this build is the same except CS tree over DA tree
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZAQJAoan8MBFPhFmCGOB0PhFcCbLOFAaQd1l7URYOCWB7gA

mrjediconsular.4396:

i have two i’ve been testing my builds are the most tanky i can get thief right now =/ and i can’t decide which one is better

first one

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZAQNAoaWn8MBFPhFmCGOB0PhlWCrbx0o2CznwV4LULAcAWAA-TJRDABhXGAjnAAy7PAwpAAA

the second one

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZAQJAoan8MBFPhFmCGOB0PhFcCbLOFAaQd1l7URYOCWB7gA

Can you add a summary for each one? I’d like it if people could get an overview of the build here, and then go to the actual build page for more detail if they want.

Either way, I’ll take a look at your builds.

Dingo

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZAQNAsaVn8lCFmiVmCemCkmiFYCzLNcGaDzdwT4KULBEAyAA-TJBFABCcKAue/hqKDAwTAAA

Name: First Contact
Concept: Go in hard. Don’t need defense if you kill em too fast.
Game Mode: PvP/WvW (I’d have to alternate site it, but the traits/weapons/utils are same)
Weapons: Sword/Pistol+Shortbow

Gear: Berserker
Runes: Evasion
Sigils: Air/fire
Traitlines: DA/TR/DD

Utility Skill: Channeled Vigor, Bandit’s Defense, Fist Flurry, Impairing Daggers, Impact Strike.

Consumables: Idk.

Not sure if this falls under the whole meta thingy but I’ve been enjoying and s/d spec with shadowstep and signets.
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZAQNAsYVl0MhSnYhTwyJw/EHwElPNij2oXYJRiqTgAIDA-TpRBQBR4IAEvyAGc/BNcIAewJAAAPAAA

Just enjoying the good ole’ s/d acro playstyle mostly because it makes mer remember sd’s glory days… those were good times.

I’m really enjoying daredevil with a staff.
Concept: Loads of mobility and dodges > move in, kill and move out again. Increased survivability by dodging, still have a high damage output.
Game mode: WvW and PvP
Weapons: Staff and Shortbow
Mixed gear (sort of marauder)

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZAQJAWVn0MBFOhlOBePBkmiFYCzLNcGaDzdwRYLULBEA2NA-TVDFQBiTHQ82fQhKDQlSQA8AAEwRAAJKxQh6JJRpRG0EQgLAwCOEAqQFDyAUNGA-w

When playing in PvP I use the marauder amulet. In WvW I sometimes swap out Impact strike for Basilisk venom. Don’t do this in PvP though since Impact strike is a must there.
In PvP I always use Bounding Doger instead of Unhindered Combatants. The only reason I use Unhindered Combatants in WvW is because I like the mobility to run from camp to camp.

When I feel like I run into too many condi players I swap out Staff Master for Escapist’s Absolution, but this is mainly cause I get too frustrated by the condition builds xD

I’ve been messing about with that Valkyrie Jumper build over at Metabattle that never really left the drawing board stage. Where you spam staff #5, using your dodges to bide time until initiative builds up. Makes my Daredevil seem like a Dragoon from Final Fantasy. Extremely hard to use anywhere other than PvE though but I like the concept of it.

http://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Daredevil_-_Valkyrie_Jumper

Name: Valkyrie Jumper
Game Mode: PvE
Weapons: Staff/Short Bow
Gear: Valkyrie
Trait lines: Acrobatics, Trickery, Daredevil

Credit to CGSN.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZQQRAqa8al8MhGnYnTw3JQ/EHwElPMijlYHoRQHqTgAIDA-TBTDQB9QpnjUBZTqBcgTAAjUhQI7P8ElBJ4JAKBBhmA4oHAAm+CoqDBAQA2YNGAn8kn8krcltxAA-e

“Die Teragriffs! Diiieeeee!!! Blamblamblamblamblam!”

General Purpose, rounded build; but with the ability to get a lot of up-front damage output when needed.

Solo PvE.

P/P and (rarely) S/P.

Armour: Mostly Marauder’s but with one piece each of Cel, Valk and Zerk to round the stats. Was Zerk with Valk and a Cel piece (mostly for the bit of Toughness while still having some Fer, unlike Soldier’s), but I switched out Sig of Agility for Sig of Shadows (I simply needed that movement speed buff, and the speed buff Runes tanked my stats too much); so I needed to get my Prec back up a tad without tanking my Pow and Fer too much – so Marauder’s it was.

Zerk weapons and trinkets. The Exotics will become Ascended one day… waaaiiiting….

Wurm Runes.

Fire/Air Sigils.

CS: 3,1,3.
Trck: 2,2,1.
DA: 2,2,3.

[I try to not use the Sig actives, so they’re there for their passive buffs.]
SoM: Didn’t find that IP alone kept my health nicely topped up. Would otherwise prefer Withdraw, but RFI helps to fill that space.
A Sig: Pow buff is necessary.
Sig of Sh: Speed is life baby!
RFI: Keep hosing til it’s dead! Condition removal with traits. Spare evade and stun break.
Dagger Storm: Fantastic “Oh kitten!” button, especially with SoM’s passive and IP.

Reduced CDs on the last two aren’t too bad with the Trck line trait.

I found that Sundering Strikes outperformed the other options, since it seems to immediately trigger Exposed Weakness; so most of my opening Unload gets the damage buff. That way I’m not wasting my opening flanking shot on a feeble attack to prime the target with a condition. Also gives my Unload a bit more utility in group fights.

I made up the lost Ferocity (from losing Practiced Tolerance) with Wurm Runes. Plus I found that the +10% dam from Scholar didn’t seem to work with this particular build… maybe some code clash with the Exposed Weakness + Sundering Strikes combo? Dunno.

And another serendipitous little oddity is that I have a higher damage output with the Cel helm than if I switch that to Mara or Zerk. I’ll theorycraft with the best of ‘em, but this is why you can’t beat actual testing – so many lines of code are bound to produce strange and unpredictable effects when they’re all thrown together.