Guild Wars 2

I main an acro thief with crit line and I see some problems with the consistent nerfing on the S/D.

Without dodge, I can’t mitigate damage which forces me to go shadow to have an out or burn utilities that I would otherwise use to shed conditions and keep me up during fights.

Without an instant return, I would almost need to take shadow step to break stun and avoid burst damage which is almost guaranteed against my class due to the low vitality and armor (and I already run a knight’s/berserker armor mix to keep me up). This “force” to a specific utility is counter to promoting a variety of builds.

So far I’ve watched my S/D build get hit with at least three consecutive nerfs, some of which are understandable. I have to manage my initiative, dodge and I have to know when to engage and watch the other person’s CD’s otherwise I’m a dead thief. Also, in PVE, in a pinch I will shadow return to dump conditions which has been a life saver.

If the plan is to root a S/D acro thief, then we should see synergy traits for wielding S/D otherwise we will lose our ability to dodge and deal damage (due to the fact we’ll be dead from burst and roots).