Guild Wars 2

The issue is, there are traits that will not be used simply because they do not provide any benefit over another that is tied to the same role in the same specialization. So here are my 2 cents. Sorry no TLDR.

CRITICAL STRIKES
Flawless Strike, as it stands, this should be combined with the MINOR trait in the same line: Keen Observer. So it should read "Critical-hit chance and damage is increased while your health is above the threshold. Health Threshold: 90%, Critical Chance increase: 5%, Critical Damage increase: 7% (consider lowering to 5% when attached to MINOR).
This makes room, Ankle Shots to be moved to the ADEPT line.
Sundering strikes, 50% chance on critical to apply 6 sec of vulnerability is very weak. This is a “chance on chance” to trigger.
Point of fact: unload is our fastest attack rate on any 1 skill., it hits 8 times in 1.5 sec. With a 100% critical chance, and every critical triggering the sundering strike, you are still only applying 8 stacks of vulnerability that last 6 seconds. Buffing this attack to 100% may be a bit extreme, however, this trait has no place as a MASTER. Should be considered to move to ADEPT.

TRICKERY
Quick Pockets, (this has been mentioned as a WEAK grandmaster on more than one occasion).
This should be replaced all together with a trait that changes the dynamic of the TRICK utilities, since this is the TRICKERY specialization after all. Something like:
Using TRICK skills applies a condition to your foe and/or grants you a boon.
-Scorpion Wire: applies 3 seconds of SLOW to your target
-Roll for Initiative: reflects projectiles 3 seconds following the roll. or gain 50% endurance.
-Haste: gain superspeed for 3 seconds
-Caltrops: applies 1 stack of torment every other (2) second to foes effected by CALTROPS.
Now you would have a GRAND MASTER trait worthy to compete with Sleight of Hand and Bewildering Ambush.

ACROBATICS
The issue with this “survivability” line, is it does not provide any notable defense vs (damaging) condi and provides no boost to vitality. If we want condi clear, we have to go Shadow Arts, or Trickery and loose Bountiful Theft for Trickster.
Expeditious Dodger (MINOR). Either buff Swiftness from 2 seconds to 3. Or change it to 2 seconds of superspeed.
Fleet Shadow (ADEPT). This trait is CLEARLY misplaced. During the design of Acrobatics, it was stated that the line was for thieves who did not want to be built around STEALTH. So this trait is out of place if following that concept. This belongs in the MASTER line for Shadow Arts and should be tied into on of the existing MASTERs there.
IF you have to keep this here, change it to “When you gain swiftness, lose a movement impairing condition” But sill recommend: Replace Fleet Shadow (ADEPT) with a new trait that increases vitality and/or healing power. “gain 7% precision as vitality and 7% power as healing power” This would assist in the over all WEAK effects of Assassin’s Reward.
Feline Grace (MINOR). The problem with this trait is that, you do NOT always proc “EVADE” when you successfully evade an attack, because you evaded too early and moved outside of the range of the attack. Another person mentioned the effects of this trait, and the issues with Sword/Dagger 3 Flanking Strike and its delays. Allowing Flanking Strike to IMMEDIATELY interrupt the Auto Attack chain could potentially resolve the issue with this trait.
The way it stands, Thief is pretty much being forced into using weapons with Evade skills (this means P/P with Acrobatics does not get much benefits).
Keep the VIGOR on evade, and include a benefit to when you dodge (specifically) so it can read:
Gain vigor upon successfully evading an attack (Vigor(2s)) and “Gain 10 endurance” on DODGE (NOT evade). -continued concept with next trait
Also consider: Endless Stamina, the 50% buff to vigor effectiveness, we have to actively fight to get vigor as it is (other classes can obtain VIGOR by just critically hitting), and generally Thieves cant maintain 100% vigor unlike other classes.
Additionally, other classes still have gain x endurance on y effect through traits (and some utilities), Thief lost our 15 endurance on dodge (but still maintains Signet of Agility). We should NOT have to run this trait AND the Acrobatic line to simply “keep up” with the endurance regen of other classes.
Bottom line: There needs to be an offset included with this trait.
Change Endless Stamina to read: Regenerate endurance 25% faster. The effects of VIGOR on you are enhanced. Effectiveness increased: 50%.

Guarded initiation – Simply not effective given the high 90% health required to trigger, while the reward is very weak. The original Resistance boon was deemed to imbalanced i take it? This should be reworked for a more aggressive condi clear that doesn’t require you to be near full health.
It was mentioned by another player, Dodge removes 1 condition. Internal cool down 5 seconds?
Assassins reward, Pretty much given up on asking for better scaling with Healing Power or a buff to the base value. Instead add the effect: on heal return 3 initiative effect.

I hate to keep mentioning it, but a lot of the current Grand Master traits for thief, don’t look worthy of ADEPT or MINOR level traits of other classes. Its not like we want “Quickness every 15 seconds” or “Apply Skale Venom on Dodge”