Guild Wars 2

rennlc.7346:

For sPvP, you’ll be fighting builds that either don’t have enough sustained condi removal to be fighting you for a node or builds that require you to have the most optimized balance of offense and defense in your build because of how much sustain they have. Against players without sustained condi removal, it doesn’t really matter whether your build uses DA, Acro, dodge-centric utility skills, or burstier condi utilities because they all can work.

However, Against scrappers, d/d eles, reapers, cele druids, and other bruisers, it’s really important to both sustain your dodges as well as maintain a certain quantity and quality of condis being applied on the target. To accomplish this, you would need to take DA over Acro for the posion proc on daggers hits, weakness on posion, and improv. You would also need to take agility signet and RFI over the condi utilities like caltrops, needle trap, and impairing daggers. Improv even allows Thieve’s Guild to reset well before the 3 minute cool-down is up.

Yeah, I get what you mean. I mostly play condi builds in PvP, and Ive already learned that relying on a single, even if powerful, condition usually fails because of the stack mechanic and the way removal works.

One thing Ive also learned in my MMR range – interrupting an enemy twice with either pistol or distracting daggers and making torment and Pulmonary Impact proc usually baits a condi removal… and then its condibomb time

Dang, I indeed forgot to narrow the game mode – yeah, I’m thinking of sPvP.

Both builds are both really interesting and really different from my ideas, thanks guys! The Mad King + signet synergy I didn’t even think about, kudos

However, both of those builds arent using Venoms at all. Are Venoms really as bad as I heard? I know that somewhere in the past venomshare thieves were nerfed, does that make Venoms subpar, and if so, why?

Secondly, I see both Caltrops and Traps being used. What makes them viable? Havent used either really (regrettably), mostly because Ive never had people run into any of my traps in an active fight on my Ranger, so I kind of shunned Thief traps too, and from what I can see Caltrops acts kind of like a trap.

Hey guys,

Im trying to figure out a build for a thief that would be based on condi pressure, but would also incorporate Lotus Training and Impairing Daggers that DD has to offer. Problem is, which traitline would it be prudent to drop in favor of DD?

Build:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZAQNAoaVnMJCFNhdmCePB8PhFYCzDzhwTYKU7PFAKAA-TpQTQAg9HwlBAA

If i drop Trickery, not only do I lose max ini, but also interrupt on Steal and Torment on interrupt.

If i drop Shadow Arts, I lose reduced CD and lifesteal on venoms.

If i drop Deadly Arts, i lose lots and lots of Poison effectiveness, whoch seems crucial.

Should I just drop DD?

(other ideas are of course welcome)

Such a helpful community

Thank you guys for the detailed explanation. Seems like it has a bit more of a learning curve, that build. Like we dont have enough micromanagement already

Ive read on metabattle that the current meta build for Engie is the Soldier Rifle one. It utilizes Sigil of Intelligence as a source of burst.

Problem is, you are supposed to time the burst by proccing the sigil before the combo if i get it right, and tbh I have NO idea how to control the sigil to proc when i want it to.

From what I gathered, it seems to proc alot more than its 9-second recharge would make you believe, still it sometimes procs when i enter a kit, sometimes when i come back to rifle… I dont get it. Are all equipped kits and rifle main weapon considered SEPARATE for the purpose of the sigil? So both coming back to the rifle, entering Tool Kit and entering Nade Kit proc the sigil separately and each has 9 sec recharge?

If not, can someone please explain how it works?