Guild Wars 2

I’d cast my vote for Ricochet.

Just buy the expansion. It’s 50% off right now until tomorrow, so it’s only $25.00.

http://buy.guildwars2.com/store/gw2/en_US/html/pbPage.heartofthorns

Yeah, kinda sucks looking like I’m holding a huge hammer. :P New stance would be sweet!

I feel that there is something going on this season with matchmaking that makes matches more one sided. That’s been my experience so far. When my team wins its by a significant margin, and when we lose it is also by a significant amount. Grinding pips seams to be more of a coin toss. Toss the coin enough times and you’ll land heads a few times in a row. Luckily on a 50% win ratio you can still climb, just a lot slower. Also we cannot lose two pips for a loss but we can gain 2 from winning, so that helps.

Staff thief does hit like a truck, and when used with bounding dodger trait the dodge does additional 3kish damage. The condi cleanse they have on evade is easily countered by condi bomb /ignore as they can only cleanse on evading an attack. Also, these thieves can easily die to any one of the random AOE/Cleave that is being spammed by all the other classes. Keep and eye on the thief and time your attack to hit them when they land. Hit them in between dodges and its gg.

Tested S/D extensively yesterday as it is by far my favorite build to run. I found that running Trickery, Acrobatics, Daredevil provided a lot of survivability, but many of the traits seam redundant. Taking Acrobatics and Daredevil is a waste of a trait line, and because Daredevil is the new improved Acro trait line there is no reason to take Acro.

Another point to make is that running with rune of the Pack is redundant and not really needed as you’ll already have 100% swiftness uptime without it. I tested both Rune of the Daredevil and Strength and found that the Strength rune seamed to offer the best trade off.

Keep in mind that the focus of a S/D build isnt the same as D/P. It isn’t your job to shadowtep in spike damage and leave, it’s more of a boon stealing, decap/roamer. Rely on your Infiltrator’s strike / Return for CC and survivability, Larcenous strike + Bountiful theft to steal boons off enemies.

I think that it’ll be tough for Anet to balance / buff warriors and thieves. One little nudge in the right direction just a little too far and they’ll be over powered monsters killing everything in sight. Buff warrior survivability and you’ll never kill them. Buff thief damage and they’ll kill everything before being seen. Still… wouldn’t it be glorious!

There needs to be a better way to find the “individual’s” skill level and contribution to a team. If MMR is based on win/loss then 4 other people are effecting the outcome of how the system views an individual’s skill level. How can a system find an individual’s skill “MMR” in a team based pvp game? This is the “MMR Hell” that so many are speaking of, when you are teamed up with people who are making what you can see are obvious bad choices in a match, you know for certain that their skill cap is significantly lower than yours.

These bad choices by bad players cause a loss thus lowering your MMR regardless how well you performed in the match. This creates a vicious cycle of lowering your MMR, teaming you with worse and worse players until you finally strike a win and can crawl your way out of the pits of MMR Hell.

Had this happen last night as well. Couldn’t get the stomp because the downstate person was running away in downstate lol.

Cynz.9437:

No matter how amazing you are on thief, you could absolutely better and have more impact on match by playing rev. Simple as it is. Anet excused all the nerfs to thief for 3 years straight with +1/mobility. Then they simply throw their own logic out of the window and create rev that can fill thief role way better, live longer than most classes, does more dmg, has multiple hardcounters to thief specifically, etc. Revs are walking middle finger for thief players from balancing team.

<3 This. Couldn’t agree more.

Aside from the myriad of balance suggestions I’d like to give my 2 cents on new map design.

Conquest is fun, but it does get a bit old after a while. I understand the difficulties in creating new map types due to pvp being based around conquest and it’s current form. I’m assuming this is one of the reasons why stronghold isn’t included in pro leagues.

Something I think that would be really “new” and potentially fun would be a 8v8 or 10v10 large map. Maybe a stronghold that is twice the size it is now, or a conquest map that is larger than the current ones. There could be interesting portal mechanics included that could take you from one point to a distant point if you own the connecting nodes, or something similar to that effect. With the PvE raids I know we have the technology to incorporate larger groups into our pvp maps!

lighter.2708:

it would not be OP, but it would have a really long CD, like 60-80 CD that you would still take old basilisk, so you can effectively shut down your target

Jade Winds is only 50 sec cool down, that’s only 10 sec longer than Basi Venom.

Basically this is a copy paste from Revenant’s Jade Winds elite ability. And remember… they have 2 elite abilities that they can use, along with their two heals.

Basilisk Venom – Release a venomous aura turning enemies to stone. Damage 888, Stone Duration 3 Seconds (unable to use skills or move), Number of targets 5, Radius 800.

MMMmmm salt. Just means that you are thiefing better than the other thief. Keep on stealing their salt Cynz.

Yes. This kitten is funny. Thank you sir.

Cynz.9437:

Luto.1938:

Would a fix be to simply place you in a higher league tier based on a previous seasons performance? This would reward the veterans of previous seasons and place them within a higher bracket than new or less skilled players.

Example: If you reached Legend in Season 1 then in Season 2 you start in Ruby, or if you made it to Diamond in Season 1 then in Season 2 you start in Sapphire.

you do realize a lot of bad players got to legend/diamond last season thanks to exploits, low mmr, sh farm etc.

what do you think would happen to them in ruby

Ah yeah… I didn’t think about that. This would just generate more Ruby QQ then.

Would a fix be to simply place you in a higher league tier based on a previous seasons performance? This would reward the veterans of previous seasons and place them within a higher bracket than new or less skilled players.

Example: If you reached Legend in Season 1 then in Season 2 you start in Ruby, or if you made it to Diamond in Season 1 then in Season 2 you start in Sapphire.

Where’s my popcorn? This thread is the best entertainment I’ve had on these forums in a while.

everyman.4375:

Maybe in hot join, or maybe your MMR is quite low.

Isn’t Hot join all we have been left with since patch? Only way to really judge where thief stands in the current meta is to have ranked que back and see where the dust settles in a couple weeks.

everyman.4375:

It’s not the same job obviously but i think thief is as easy to play as dragonhunter, so everyone can play it, and this is why we see so many thieves.

Everyone “thinks” they can play it. This is why we see so many dead thieves lol.

everyman.4375:

First of all, thief is not hard to play, ok ? The burst is quite easy and you basicly can’t die, exept if you’re a realy bad player.
Thief is too easy too play and too strong, like a dragonhunter a bit harder but still the same.
Well actually thief is not realy OP in this meta, even if they’re 100 times stronger than a mesmer.

Thief is like a dragonhunter? Wut…?

Thief is in a really good spot right now. It’s not too strong and not too weak.

The buff to Basalisk Venom was a much needed buff and opens a lot of avenues for thief to counter some of the blocks that we keep running into. The buff to Black Powder was also a really good buff. Reducing the after cast gave it synergy with Bounding Dodger for some really quick easy stealth combos.

The biggest buff to thief was the nerf that the bunker classes have taken. The removal of Celestial amulet, and Durability runes allows the thief to deal the damage that it used to do. In the last meta, having so many bunkers in matches created a need for more sustained type of damage, and that is not a thief’s strong point. Thief being more of a bursty damage type excels now that there are no true bunkers. Now if we can just manage those pesky Scrappers!

that baby stealing dingo.7216:

We’re also removing the following amulets:
Soldier’s
Settler’s
Celestial
Sentinel

Balancing PvP by removing amulets feels like a quick and dirty fix. Maybe it’s not the amulets that are the problem? Although if Cele has more total stat points than the others, it should be brought down to match the others.

Anet “them Amulet stealing Dingos”.

Asudementio.8526:

583819kitteno.1938:

Withdraw still needs 10%

This

also hey Luto.

Hello friend! o/

Withdraw still needs 10%

Impact strike is fine, and you can actually use blinding powder before the uppercut/ finishing blow.

Narcarsis.5739:

SpeedKills.8923:

did you quit pro league?

I stepped off my team after disagreements about team composition and the best comp to run in our match this previous Monday. I wasn’t on the same page as the rest of my team and I felt like I didn’t belong. They had a sub prior to my leaving and I wish them luck in the upcoming matches.

It aint easy being a thief. No one wants us, and no one understands us. Keep on playing thief, and don’t give up on it. There are so few good ones left. In the mean time, good luck in leagues.

Also… thanks for the pole dancing build.

This has already been fixed. They fixed it in last nights patch.

This just shows that they are indeed listening! Thank you Anet for this reversion! Had me scared for a bit there!

Azure The Heartless.3261:

BFMV.3198:

hold down a button to rotate.

one less thing to worry about.

I just want to note that this requires very little, if any brainpower to manage.

+1

BFMV.3198:

I use action camera and it is kitten amazing. You are actually more responsive because you do not have to hold down a button to rotate, meaning it is one less thing to worry about.

Also the targeting is so good and it makes auto attacks even easier.

So my question to you is… did you have any issues with the way steal was working before?

I’m on a staff daredevil kick right now. Staff Vault (#5) does massive damage. Vault does as much (I think more) damage than backstab. It works really well with Bounding dodger. Also with blinding powder and staff skill 1 you get a knock down that is really valuable when you need to throw out an interrupt. The only draw back on staff is that I dont really use #2 and #4 that often.
Vault
-5 initiative
-No stealth required
-No position requirement
-Small Aoe (not single target)
-Evade frames
-Ranged 600

It was pointed out in another thread that Steal was likely modified due to action cam issues and thief. Who the heck uses action cam anyways? It does not work well for this type of game and the way the abilities are triggered. Please do not “fix” our already working abilities to work with your new action camera that you want us to use. Steal has no issues and has been working fine for 3 years. No one has complained about the way steal works or goes on cooldown. If steal is accidentally used without a target then its a L2play issue, and if your target goes stealth then you still get the benefit of Thrill of the Crime.

Thief has very little access to self buffs, and party buffs. Using Thrill of the Crime on demand provided at least a way to provide small temporary buffs (we wont compare ourselves to swiftness Revenants give to the party). I know there are numerous threads about this already, but it cannot be stressed enough and we need to keep this stuff on the front page so it gets noticed.

“Steal has some extra issues on top of this, regardless of action camera. It can be fired without a target, but goes on full cooldown if you do so.”
-Joel Helmich – Gameplay Programmer

Taken from – Action Cam + Thief = Issues

Narcarsis.5739:

assassin.7895:

I want to get this question answered:
What does thief do better than other classes? Why should anyone pick a thief in his comp?

-Impact Strike has no comparison – it’s by far one of the best clutch abilities in the game.
-Thief mobility still is better than any other class. If you pair that with stealth nothing will chase you (Rev/DH can’t chase without a target).
-Thief cleave on staff is probably the highest out of viable builds available to classes
-Thief gives team mates evades (nothing else will refill endurance instantly).

Yes, other classes are good and while Thief is no longer necessary to be competitive that doesn’t mean that it’s weak. People are too used to being able to do everything they wanted without much thought or skill. The class is in a good spot, it requires good decision making and strong mechanics. Sure, other classes are easier to play but that doesn’t mean that they’re able to do more. It’s another skill floor vs skill ceiling debate.

This is true. Loving your build Caed. I did change one trait out though. Switched out Staff master for Escapist’s Absolution. It does a little less damage, but I like the extra condi cleanse. Guess I just feel safer with it.

Sir Vincent III.1286:

arenta.2953:

keeping in mind theif has gotten just as many buffs as its gotten nerfs.

its not OP. its balanced, but they rebalance it (aka buff part, nerf another part) to fit with the meta.

for example, they recently buffed p/p 3 skill
they fixed 3 bugs for Dagger main skills where backstab was missing when moving. and pathing issues for heartseeker so it lunges like it should.

Anet aren’t nerfing theives. they rebalancing.

Tell me then, what buff did the Thief receive in exchange for adding Revealed which nerfed the whole Shadow Arts trait line?

We got a 3rd dodge! Oh wait… that’s why they nerfed feline’s grace.

I’ve actually have been really liking S/D with Dash. The mobility is crazy and allows you to +1 and decap empty points easily. I’m not sure how it would work in higher MMR and more competent players though. I had pretty much written staff off at this point but I’ll give your build a shot! Looks like it could be fun and do insane damage.

I tried to recreate your build in the build editor. This look correct?

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZAQJAWVn0MBlOhFOBmPBkmiFYCzLMEHaDzdwR4KULBEA2NA-TZBFABC8EAEvMQ87PswhAAgLAAA

Even though thief might be in a bad spot right now, I still find it hard to play anything else. While I feel that our base stats need a slight buff, the mobility on thief is excellent. When I play anything else I feel like running on rails chained down to the ground unable to go where I want to go. True other classes have better damage, higher health pool, and toughness, but they lack that oh so sweet shadowstep.

Has anyone noticed this glitch? When using a shadowstep immediately followed by Dash you become stuck in place until the full Dash animation has completed. I notice it most when trying to escape and use Infiltrator’s arrow followed by Dash. It sometimes results in my death when this happens, as I am unable to escape like I intended. Took a highlight of my stream to show this issue in action.

Not sure if this is the correct place to post this bug/glitch. This is concerning the Daredevil Dash dodge ability. When using a shadowstep immediately followed by Dash you become stuck in place until the full Dash animation has completed. Took a highlight of my stream to show this issue in action.

Volrath.1473:

Smokin Dice.9103:

“Bounding Dodger” should softlock on your target and try to jump right on top of it, instead of jumping over it when standing right in front of the target

sooo… what about when you NEED to dodge AWAY from you target?!

I think the issue here is when trying to damage the enemy with your dodge. Bounding dodger damages the enemy when you land, and if you are dodging away then the damage is not hitting anything.

Maybe we need to make the damage when you leave the ground at the beginning of the dodge instead of at the end of the dodge.

I would really like to see the damage place at the start of the ability as this would definitely make it more useful.

SA is just fine how it is. It’s the best defense trait line we currently have, and Resilience of Shadows is great (25% reduced damage while stealth). Now if we can just get some more defense outside of stealth through other trait lines.

I would really like a way to vote to kick an inactive team member in spvp. A true 4v5 is crappy but still better than having 1 afk/rage quit while the rest attempt to win.

Heh… that’s awesome. Also to all the people telling him to move, you can see that he was immobilized the whole time (purple glow around his torso). That was a ton of condi damage really fast. Only thing I would suggest is to save your condi cleanse till you have more condi on you so that it is more effective.

Nocta.5274:

Resistance on reveal is honestly not a bad nor over the top idea, especially if tied to a trait like Revealed Training, which concur with Panic Strike, so it’s not a free trait to take.

So much this! This would give us the condi defense that we are lacking so much and it would offer more build diversity by competing with Panic Strike. Also… my s/d thief doesn’t really need Panic Strike because of Infiltrator’s strike, so it’s a win win.

corwen.5798:

Dude, it is a leap finisher, the text’s only wrong.

Ah you are correct. I just read the text, didnt run x/p that much as I was primarily focused on staff and s/d. I did notice however that you need to land in the field to get the effect, which makes it hard to get the stealth from black powder.

Just a couple things to wish for with Daredevil:

- Please revert bound dodge back to leap finisher! It is much more useful as a leap finisher for those of us using x/p or even staff. It’s a great way to apply stealth and without it x/p is back to only being able to stealth when swapping to short bow.

- Escapist’s Absolution. This is a good concept for removing conditions that isn’t Shadow’s embrace, but it can be difficult to rely on. For example, if you need to get out of the fight due to low hp, you will die to the condi that you cannot remove. I found myself leaving the fight with 3-4k hp and dying to 3 stacks of burn. Also… DD is easy to counter if you are running a condi build. Simply apply condi, and then /ignore and they have no attacks to evade. If a DD has no attacks to evade they simply die to the condi that they cannot evade cleanse. Relying on the enemy to attack you so you can survive feels a bit odd, and easy to counter. DD needs a way to cleanse condi without relying on an enemies attacks.

Overall I find the DD really fun to play and it’s really nice to be able to play s/d again! Also the staff is fun and does really nice damage now, but I see it being more of a PvE weapon than a PvP one. If the condition cleansing gets some work I see DD being a great alternative to the current d/p meta.

I agree 100% with these updates to thief, but let’s not forget bringing back the original Feline’s Grace. I miss my endurance gain on dodge! (Even if it had to be a selected trait)

Akumetsu.8591:

daredevil class mechanic is = 1 energy sigil proc to really put it into perspective. and as for our grand master traits warrior gets the damage one on a minor trait.

This right here. It’s crazy how our new specialization that is supposed to be equally as cool and innovative as the others is exactly what you mentioned above. So run with energy sigil on a warrior and you are already better than a DD.

Kinda wish Daredevil got the perma swiftness trait instead of druids… thieves have no role in pvp anymore… druids will have better mobility and better rezing capability (because when they are around no one goes down).