Guild Wars 2

Well, Anet just labels it under PvP as well as this is the s PvP forum and seeing as how I had 5 slots there is no room for questioning. I did change it though as I repeatedly forget how kitten people are at times.

Thief/Guard/Ele/X/X

the game has become extremely stale when it is the same combo of professions and the same strats each time.

The simple fact that a lot of people play (and win tounrys with) a thief runs counter to your arguments that thiefs are underpowered, easily countered by a dodge or 20 other skills you list, have low HP, dont bring anything to a team fight etc etc. If that were the case all you thief players wouldnt be playing a thief.

It is not just back stab alone that is the problem, although it does hit for the most. It is as other have said; steal with or without traits (mug/venoms etc) into a cloak and dagger into a back stab followed by a heartseeker. That combo will kill anyone and is very very hard to avoid and happens within seconds, specifically the steal—>cloak and dagger—>back stab part.

Even if that chain is broken the thief has several options, they can stealth and hit you with another back stab into heartseeker, they can dance around you with shortbow skills or dancing dagger both of which put out absurd damage for the utility they bring, or the thief can just run.

Also, we must remember that thieves not only have the potential best burst damage in game and the best stealth options but the best mobility in the game. This makes them extremely deadly as roamers and this is where and how tourny teams employ them. They can roam all over a map jump in kill and stomp someone within seconds of arriving on a point. After they do that they can then sit in the back and blast people with cluster bomb or dancing dagger and wait for the next opportunity to take out an enemy. This is extremely effective when the points are wide open as the defender can not over commit or risk the point.

All that combined with how tournaments are scored, make the thief the most deadliest profession in the game.

Too be fair, it is not just thief bust/stealth/mobility that needs a balance, bunker guard/eles and the burst of certain mesmers and haste in general needs to be worked out as well