Guild Wars 2

theres only 1 change to be made:
switch Driven Fortitude with Escapists Absolution.
As there is no way to get a useful condition cleanse in a useful staff build.
While other thief builds (D/P & S/D) will stay “balanced” (despite other classes) the staff thief will become an option in PVP and may have more chances with/against the current meta.

Just a well conceived thought from a 2,9k hrs S/D thief almost pvp only.
Please tell me what u think and if u need a better explanation about the how and why.
Sorry for my english.

So you can take staff mastery, pff. I feel staff with da and trickery is enough dmg in pvp and that’s running havoc as the only dmg modifier in the traits line as I am using dash

Staff is fine. Perhaps it could use some minor tweaks (mostly in Weakening Charge), but it’s a solid set and definitely among the more PvP viable sets thief has.

Furthermore, EA and DF have nothing to do with staff. You take trickster in trickery if you want condition cleansing, mostly because it’s your only choice, and because it’s better than EA. Neither EA or DF are worthy of being a major trait, they should be merged into the 15 point minor and a new major trait designed in its place.

Talking about PVE it is fine as it is and trickster is an option.
But trickster instead of bountiful theft is nonsense as it will remove steal’s best fuction.
(because the stun will get too weak as theres no stab remove so theres no point in trickery trait line)
Using Staff Master is neccesary because in addition to brawlers tenacity and physical skills it allows u to stay in fight. either u choose deadly arts or critical strikes, there is no condition remove. escapers absolution is important in a staff build, driven fortitude is not.

I don’t believe at all staff mastery is ‘needed’ da/trickery/dd has at least a 32% dmg modifier already, thats with out staff mastery and bound. what is the point in going “yolo glass” in such a heavy bunker meta, half of the things you fight are condi anyway. I am doing 10x better then i did before now that i switched scrapper runes, EA and dash, critting 6-7k vaults is more then enough for me yeah, thats on other maruder/zerker builds)

thats the point. the endurance from physical (i.e. bandits defense!) and staff skills allows u to handle team- and solofights quite a time. even as a ““yolo glass in such a heavy bunker meta”, it is so much fun as ur survival depends on your attacks, no offensive no defence. im not critisizing the damage at all.
yes u can play on staff with EA but this will need u to do havoc mastery instead of brawlers tenacity but u end up the same as d/p or s/d thieves:
+1 fights, instastomps and decaps. dont get me wrong, its fun and its useful.
but ur still forced to that role. not by players, but by this meta.
and thats sad as the skills from daredevil would allow to break this scheme

Edit: now with gw2skills up again, heres the base build to simplify the conception: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZAQJAWVn8lCVOhFOBGmCkmiFfCbLA8aOTzFwDYE0rJsEiCA-TZBFABAcFAEvMABPAga2fYhDBAA