Guild Wars 2

All i had time for as i said.

I concur on ankleshots completely.

Does +10% pistol damage work on shadowshot/pw/p/d’s?

I’d like to see ricochet 70-100% chance.
I’d like to see p/p given some mobility, vital shot corrected, and bodyshot reworked. Its not my place since i fail at suggestions(bananna).

Im at work on my phone on breaks and lunches so i cant elaborate as id like to you see

Id be fine wth the cripple if 1-2s icd and 35-40% proc.

I rant. Point was mistakes on thief are more or less brutal in comparison to other classes.i need more footage, and i’m slow on edit. Will post when published.

Last refuge needs looking at, at least how it interacts with revealed.

Scorpion wire – obstruction/rangefinding in mobile combat

Shadowstepping skills – generally fine. Minor terrain obstructions i think.

Downed state – camera. Always camera. Skill 3, useless in pve generally.

Rfi – prohibitive cd

Pistols mh/oh – no mobility, needs lovs.

Pistol traits – terrible. Interaction with dual skills.

Improvisation – underwhelming and no bundle benefit past impractical pve things.

Hard to catch – prohibitive cd

Slowed pulse – too niche

All i got time for at present :/

That’s a good idea. More help aimed at getting through our worst spot. – low levels.

Aaaaaand: bump.

Here ya go. 15/30/0/0/25

http://gw2buildcraft.com/calculator/thief/?7.1|8.1o.h19.8.1o.h1|5.1g.0|1p.a7.1p.a7.1h.a7.1p.a7.1h.a7.1p.a7|1p.61.1p.61.1p.61.1p.61.1p.61.1b.61|f3.u36b.0.0.p37|1b.1|59.5o.5g.1.0|e

Glassy, not terrible health pool, crit/condition mix.

Mainly whittle them down with shortbow and choking gas, trying to maintain distance as best you can (allowing them to think you are a… ranged… thief…, or baiting them into something), when they close, switch and keep consistent bleeds on them with some autoattack pressure while avoiding the big things you can.

I keep withdraw because of it’s low cooldown.

I go 15 in da for the weakness on poison, and the power is beneficial. Mug is for bursting, otherwise I would nab 33% poison, or everything else seems meh even more so than poison.

30 in CS is vital for executioner. I use the +7% crit on side, and the precision>vitality ones since it’s so glassy like, and not fully devoted to zerker gear.

25 in trickery for mainly more ini and Lead Attacks. Starting out with your shortbow and such seems meh, but you’ll be critting with trickshot 1.2-2.4ish, CB hurts, and the bleeds will not be pleasant (70ish ticks), choking gas is mainly all I am trying to keep on them though for the time. with lead attack’s and just trying to keep them poisoned you’re going to be sitting around 18-20% bonus damage consistently, more if they are below 50%.

when they close on you(or you them) can swap to daggers, and keep consistent bleeds on them, while providing decent direct pressure through autoattack and backstabs (provided you are managing initiative).

utilities are pretty much preference, whatever keeps you alive. Same with food, though I like the -%condition durations, and the end regen one. Heal is too, but the 15s cd on withdraw is near vital for as exposed as this spec normally is.

Didn’t see one like it, but again, I can be blind!

edit, I don’t have the exact gear I threw in the editor, but here’s what the stats in game are looking like for me, and I am happy with it so far, still playing with it to get a good feel on it though!

I love vital shot for what it supposedly is.

I hate vital shot because it isn’t that thing.

I hate pistols because they have no mobility together.

Traits for pistols are lacking and provide no real competition over the other options, considering how clunky they are.

You stole a potion!

[potion]
heals 30 hit points.

kitten.

Yes, I was saying it was impractical due to tying up utilities to maximize your burning uptime, and if blowing them all at once you’re left attacking and stuff with no utilities.

that’s like shadowstepping beside yourself, inside shadow refuge you just dropped, just to run into the middle of the zerg, blinding powder, then backstabbing the guardian in the middle of it.

maybe not that extreme, but you are typing up to much, even to trait it to teammates (where 10s is too much burning to be spread to 5 attackers), for it to be viable access to burning for condition builds. it would be venom builds with some condition damage.

the ICD idea on teh trait, or someones suggestion of it applying 1s of burning with the poison applications would be good imo, but I would still like a non utilitarian way to add burning to the thief toolset.

I feel thief is in a unique spot.

much more in any one direction and we will start to really feel a sting, or be a little brawny. it’s a tight rope we walk, but it’s that agility we use in combat to sustain the thrill of playing a thief.

without our fluid playstyle, which I feel we still have (though I can see people who got a chance to land a cnd every 3.25s after a backstab might have gotten a little roughed up having to throw in a little more aa chain), I doubt I would be here. The initiative system is brilliant, if not a rehash of similar mechanics in other games (for a similar class). The active evades tied onto weapons, and utilities is probably one of my favorite things.

all that being said we are just squishy as all hell. no protection access unless stolen – which instead of hating on boons, I think we should just have more ways to steal them and spread them, or keep them to ourselves, whichever – nice vigor uptime if traited for it, but vigor only goes so far when still your mistakes bear their fangs much quicker than for other classes.

the ele missed d/d fire3? like way off didnt even set his target on fire and still missed with his fire5 anyway? oh well, tactful dancing around in attunements for 20 seconds and he’s ready to try again, and probably at more health than when he tried the first time.

mesmer totally botched shatter? target wasnt even there when it went off? dodge, utility F4, kite, etc etc etc, it’s ready again soon enough.

Mistime stealburst/cnd/daggerswitch/backstab/aa/whatever, we can dance around for quite a while, but our damage output is generally not to grand on the defensive and regaining footing for the offensive again is much more difficult without a HARD reset of the fight (you drop combat and wait on all your skills), then that wasn’t really a fight now was it?

ugh. I still think we are fine, but that could be the bias. I am just not able to play other classes. the ele was the closest, but it still didn’t have the thrill.

Way to go Thieves!

Taril.8619:

Selver.1307:

Since apparently torches were never meant for thieves.

It’s not that, it’s more you have to consider how thieves skills tend to work:

Auto – 3 Init skill – Dual Skill (4/5 Init) – 4 Init skill – 6 Init skill

Then you also have to account for how these skills interact with being spammable, examples:

Heartseeker – Does very little outside of the low health range it was designed for.
Cluster Bomb – Has long travel time outside of shotgunning (Can still be used as a spammable blast finisher for 3 init)
Cloak and Dagger – Costs a lot of initiative to use repeatedly.
Dancing Dagger – Provides little damage.
Headshot – Provides little damage and short duration daze.

Very few ways a Thief can abuse the skills to become really strong (Best they can do is Black Powder > Stealth combo spamming) whilst also allowing for a careful use of initiative to come into play (Since different abilities cost different amounts, it allows combo’s and gives different abilities priority depending on Init levels and regen)

Believe me I get this, it’s also seeming to go similarly to
1-AA – which all have some bonus throughout (end+/poison,weak/cripple,bounces,vital shot… nevermind there).
2-movement/low ini additional effect (bonus damage <50%, immob/shadow return, …body… shot? nevermind… – but then shortbow – CB as a finisher, and generally decent damage, albeit slow… moving…)
3-active evade + bonus damage + either movement(LDB)/utility(PW)(unload, though I would say it being ranged and able to be moving is it’s benefit – it’s not enough to boost it to a choice between other options)
4-straight utility- DD – low damage ranged aoe snare. Headshot – headshot.
5-utilitybonus – field(and it’s possibilities), above average damage (for power) and stealth gain(cnd).

I meant it more as a team tool
they way I went about in the short time I was developing our classes permamight zergball role (there’s our zerg build! LOL), was (and as I said, with a finisher in it dropped, how now brown cow?)
1-aa with burn attached to end
2-defensive field (opposed to SB’s offensive blast – the blast was a last second thing that wasn’t well thought out, okay, but I was trying to be creative here).
3-an active defense (blind/confusion, evade+boon removal, a PW-esque ability that didn’t even lock the target for a moment but put up a blind field and had a short evade like pw, then an oddball – like unload is – the incendiary round – acts like an engineers 1 on pistol, but adds burning to primary, and small radius around that with explosion damage)
4-utility – with a drawback. we have means to remove them, necros have means to remove them from us, other classes can cleanse them, they can be converted to a boon, further enforcing group role (and one of our active cleanses, is a cleanse for teammates as well).
5-utility+bonus – interrupt ala headshot in melee range, with a bonus burn if you interrupted a skill.

edit: sorry I suck at formatting. A lot.

The way I envisioned it was to be using autoattack, and keep defenses up. active defenses that cost you resources. an attrition type build. okay, so remove the blast finisher off of that particular skill and what are you left with? choices to make on which defense to raise – it will come with a bonus, and you get an autoattack chain with burning at the end, as I said numbers would need to be tweaked and I feel the autoattack would still need something. ini costs are included in numbers. I still have the original draft, lol.

If they said “kitten, we need to implement a new weapon for thieves like… now.”
ol’ bill would say “I suggest a longbow, they could be like warriors with a longbow, but less effective.”

Jim would say “I suggest rifle, they could snipe like no other! You could give them this one powerful shot – I mean, it’d have a cast time and everything, and obvious animation so the target knows when to dodge…”
others: “That’s like warrior’s killshot.”
Jim: /wrists

and someone else would suggest something like me, as it stood, that guy would have been…

burned alive…

hahaha..
/cry.

you’re blowing a lot of utilities and stuff just to stack might. it’s pretty inconsequential. If the 50 people you are wanting to give might to can’t get might on their own they are idiots, especially for making you use your amazing new weapon to stack might on them when it could be saving their life.

Like I said: How would you make it better? I get we can trait to get more ini back when we stealth, or heal, steal, or whatever… do you think I don’t play a thief? I’ve been here a while.

I thought you were daggerstorming anyway?

so we correct each other with minor mechanics.

/nod.

[/quote]
… (opportunist),…

[/quote]

1s ICD.

hypothetical counterplay is hypothetical.

and one called target on you in front still gets you dead, daggerstorm or not, 25 might stacks or not, if the opposition knows what’s up.

Rayya.2591:

Selver.1307:

Rayya.2591:

i am sorry but is ….
3 spamable combo fields in 1 weapon set ? not even chuck noris don’t have that
torch /pistol

3 fields, 1 finisher. you are also prohibited by ini. Go look at costs, and go look at some ele’s. edit: no access to stealth, unless dagger oh. I didn’t even make a sneak attack, lol.

i don’t have to look at the costs with 15 point in trickery and RFI i drop 5 fire fields and buff an entire server with might !!!
that is 25 seconds fire field in 25 seconds i regen another 30 initiative and drop 6 more fire fields , so i can drop fire fields for ever, and even more it is an blast finisher also

now that you’ve dropped those stationary fields and you have some of your buddies stacked up with might, and you are out of ini, and burned some utilities, what is the other group doing while this is happening? Are they waiting for you to stack might? or is their thief doing it too? I would get bored watching you guys stack might.

Null field.

edit: 5 person limit.

Dasorine.1964:

problem is if you design it based on people complaining rather than based on how the profession is actually designed then you end up putting in something that just doesn’t fit, never used by actual players and quoted by the idiots that have never played thief as “how it should be done” regardless of whether its actually feasible at all.

Too late… wayyyy too late there.

I don’t see how a torch ’doesn’t fit’, but when everything is opinion it’s all subjective anyway. So what would you do with it? or are you fine with our limited weapon selection?
I’m just brainstorming for no other reason than I am bored. Everyone is shooting it down without ways to improve short of cost – if I reduce costs, it feels OP being able to use it so often.

I get that. Where do people always complain about us(not invisible, etc… the support part)? trickery +condition builds go well together. I wanted the high cost because of the support they have potential to offer, I certainly wouldn’t want to take this with me to roam, just because of the costs, but I didn’t want it to be another spammy set either (people complain anytime they see three of the same skills in a row, even if it was legit (3db’s because endurance is out, and need evades, 4 HS with NO target – escaping, 3 FS for same reason as db’s…)) – and like I said – costs/numbers would need to be tweaked. Was just trying to incorporate a lot of the issues I hear about us and try and alleviate it with one weapon.

(lack of support – plenty in this weapon)
(spammy – costs are too high to spam, but used well and it can make differences “clutch plays”)
(conditions being cleared – well here are a bunch more to throw around to cover/hurt)
(weapon variety – +1 weapon)
(fitting for the class, IMO – how many bandit’s in queensdale have burned you?)

edit: look at s/p pve for the most part.

powder > autoattack > powder with pistol whips as dodges/keeping powder up lets you.
I see it similar with torch – strategic use of blind/dodge/kiting within fields/and autoattack to get the job done.

1100 condition damage = ~603 damage a tick on burning / sec.
603×10 = 6,030
6,030×4 = 24,120

Even assuming they aren’t idiots and have a cleanse… I think it’s a bit much.

yeah burn is the most painful condition. 10s on a venomactivation would be insane. 4 venoms + condition duration + improv resetting venoms + burn duration runes.

4 minute burn. Bye bye commander siegerazer!

1. was a finisher and a combo (first one won’t blast, ones after will if spammed duration of field) – so it has to be high. Also, as I said my vision was more a defensive/condition weapon. I feel a hybrid spec could make good use of it, as I tried to make the damage/condition kinda split. I gave it all high ini because of how utilitarian it is. all the debuff’s you are throwing around added in with your slipperiness and I think it would do well. Obviously numbers/costs would have to be evaluated and such.

Rayya.2591:

i am sorry but is ….
3 spamable combo fields in 1 weapon set ? not even chuck noris don’t have that
torch /pistol

3 fields, 1 finisher. you are also prohibited by ini. Go look at costs, and go look at some ele’s. edit: no access to stealth, unless dagger oh. I didn’t even make a sneak attack, lol.

ZenonSeth.5739:

Burn The Evidence! – nice skill name, fitting for Thief

I like, though I doubt it will be given to Thieves.

But.. aren’t you missing Torch/Torch dual skill?

kitten! LOL, oops! It’s morning for me. I haven’t even gotten a drink yet. I am about to go get my morning enlightenment and such.

My vision for it was a more defensive/condition oriented weapon, I don’t get how 1/2 would be overboard.

Notice the confusions are all just 1 stack, and burns are all short duration unless it’s prohibitive on ini cost, or has some other drawback.

You can spam to get 3-5 confusion stacks, but just like HS spam, you’re out of ini.

Funsies none the less. I would love a greatsword. I would remake my old shadowblade and yell “PERFORATE ARTERY” everytime I attacked someone.

Edit:

A banana.

Since apparently torches were never meant for thieves.

Adaneshade.2409:

Selver.1307:

We’ll be necroing this thread before it’s stickied! :/

So after trying to play every class again, i still come to the conclusion i am a thief.

I think this is the first mmo i cant alt-kitten…

I’ve never been able to alt…. The very thought of it sickens me. I was fortunate to pick one of the most dynamic and enjoyable classes in the game as my main.

I always have, and that is what’s refreshing. I guess it’s because I can do so many different playstyles with each character, but hell. NONE of them feel as fluid and smooth as the thief.

Oh well… Bumpity bump!

Bumpity bump, bumpity bump!

Bumpity bump! BUMP BUMP BUMP!

We’ll be necroing this thread before it’s stickied! :/

So after trying to play every class again, i still come to the conclusion i am a thief.

I think this is the first mmo i cant alt-kitten…

Edit: i cant read. Lol, and bump!

yeah, the stat tweaking is something i miss when I go to tpvp. the drastic changes in where my numbers can and will be in there vs. wvwvw is insane.

pve/wvwvw allows more customization that’s for sure (not even counting the foods).

blind will only pulse once per second, so, if they attack faster, or they have an attack that acts like 100b/PW/(multi-hitting skill here) it’s only going to blind once per sec. Also, I can’t stress enough the terribleness that is PW’s evade, it’s only saving grace is the stun frontloaded, as terrible as IT is, it can interrupt things.

after gaining distance through shadow return or what not, switch to shortbow. can plink from a distance til you have some more melee juice.

‘weaving’ between mobs/players and such is your offensive playing. making them waste cd’s on air. only disengage when it’s tactically sound (you gain more from distance). otherwise, returning just because shadow return is about to drop (if you still want your ‘safe spot’), and IS’ing again is about it.

your mug-less build runs well, with the +crit stuff from crit strikes line, 30-40 is an acceptable crit chance, especially if you aren’t relying on backstabs.

Add in steal with SS/IS trick and it becomes even farther.

In the shadows, making opportunistic strikes. Trolling. Mind games. In people’s face with a brutal series of swings only to reappear out of reach showering death and punishment on those who would do you and yours harm.

I think it would be nice if pp had the ability to keep 15-20 steady on 3-4 clumped targets.(vuln, oops)
Would give a little benefit to niche-ing themselves so. I agree they need work, pistol mh and pp#3. But geez. I dont see them touching it for a while.

Also:

Ambush trapx5 trips, lol.

Nah i agree they need a revamp/retraiting. I do see them as more premeditated tools than on the fly honestly.

White lines only show for team. Ranger/thief trap, healing turret, etc.

I use it with 10/30/30, or 10/30/0/0/30.

Its in the autoattack. Seen individual cleaves on 3rd strike 6-8k with full ini.

Edit: crit. Also s/d 3 hits HARD. just have to land both (6-9kish)

I pointed this out in another thread. Add shadowstep for anotherr 1200.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/thief/Deception-Distraction-and-Destruction/first#post1778612

Thats my problem. A week most and im trying something new(or rehashing).

Meaning I just don’t make my way to the JP’s. Seriously, I might even have a hard time getting out of the area I haven’t been there that much.

Believe me, if I cared about completion daily of the JP, I would, but meh. Not worth me headed over there.

think they added some backpieces to orr temples? I could be mistaken there, still using a rare. hehe.

Nice display Ninja, love the shortbow jukes. I was leaning toward what looked like a 10/30/30, you just stealth a lot less than a lot of that build I see. Nice job.

some worthy mentions

Altruism(heal bonus only)might duration (can’t think of the name, but there are a couple of +20% durations for might, grab those)/might on dodge/battle sigil/might on dodge food. (edit, think it’s the 2pc for Altruism that I am speaking of)

Another decent one is Lyssa, if you run BV or DS (TG is nice, but cd makes it kinda meh for use with the runes). Helps with everything really. Maybe with water sigil for sustainability along with your AR trait.

Bunkers are a pain for builds like this, you can last right there with them, but it will stalemate quickly, or one mistake and they can capitalize generally easier than you can. Nullification is nice, for classes that keep up few boons but the same ones. More of like a bonus fighting ele’s/guardians, but probably won’t make or break the fight unless it somehow nabs protection through the others (or stability). Guardian/ele’s that keep many boons on themselves (and team) often, and you are just outclassed with how quickly you can remove them. I will note that nullification + 3 landed FS will most likely ruin an elementalist, but you have to land all 3 FS’s rather quickly. both hits… lol we see where that goes.

It was mentioned in other threads, and I personally believe it to be a bug, but supposedly the sigils of energy will stack (2 on off set = 100% energy). Again I believe this to be a bug, and unintended, but it apparently works (haven’t tested myself).

Dolyak I find underwhelming, though it might go well if you can keep spending ini with AR and are good at keepaway waiting on withdraw.

Nice breakdown. Looks like body shot is next on the chopping block.

…lol.

Vuln stacking is always overlooked and underappreciated. I may have missed it, but did you do a dps check on the vuln stacking build? Im sure people seeing this who might be interested in how much dps they can expect to bring, maintaining their stacks.

Elmuerto.9840:

Nice thread, I used Shadowstep, infiltrators strike, PW, Steal Combo for ages in WvW allowing me to attack over huge distances instantly – plus two shadow returns if required. I play exclusively sPvP atm and there’s just not really the space for this nice chain.

It’s one reason I don’t spvp as much. It holds a similar problem of maps ‘always being the same’, but wvwvw has the bigger ones. I don’t wanna turn this into one of those threads though.

Yah, I feel ya though.

Looking at sigs, seems a lot of vocal thieves are in t2(wvwvw). You guys are great fun to fight with/against. Keep up the fun guys

That’s classic. I am not for harassing people in the middle of JP’s (unless they start it!), but certainly +1 for troll prowess.

Edited because I is a dummy. I love you guys!

^ this makes for .2s immobilizes and things of that nature.
not 2. (POINT)2.

just walk out of blurred flailing.

If most people haven’t seen our secrets they’ve not been smashed by enough good thieves.

“How did you teleport so far? No way you could cover that much ground!”

“Come back and I’ll do it again.”

“Hacker.”

Shortbow -

Shortbow #5 has a blind in an aoe around where you appear after using it. A lot of people don’t even realize this because it’s their escape tool. This will also come into play saving people stomping friends, or ()ensuring a stomp (like signet of shadows). Just teleport onto who you want to stomp.
()

I’ve tried to blind the spike, several times, and finally someone said blind doesn’t stop the pole. Thank goodness the spike went through a teammate and not me. Well, not THAT thankful. The teammate sure wasn’t. Er. So my own conclusion is ya can’t blind the guy stomping.

But you can blind the guy on the ground to make a last ditch save self move whiffy miss.

-Thanks WyldKat!

Shortbow#3 is an evade, it’s one of our longer skill evades and adds a cripple to the enemy while throwing you backwards from the direction you are facing. Using this can nullify another thief trying to daggerstorm your projectiles (if you want to not switch out yet), and keep you out of his range.

Shortbow#2 Clusterbomb will ruin almost anyone in Shadow Refuge’s day. Most thieves will drop shadow refuge as a defensive measure to escape. If you are close enough to it when you see one just run in it and spam CB. You know they have to be in it for 4 seconds. They know they have to be in it for 4 seconds. Why not drop bombs on their face? If you can get a gas (#4) off beforehand, even better (you know we like to heal up in stealth with some specs).

Shortbow#4 (Choking Gas) will not break stealth.

Again all I have time for for now. Hopefully some people will chime in!

I’ll try and keep bumping, I tried to make a few threads that were helpful, but kitten get’s pushed to the bottom and we have no mod interaction to throw some stickies around! :/

10/30/0/0/30

Mainly what you are looking for are Mug (part of burst), Preparedness(3ini), Lead Attacks(%damage/initiative), Executioner(20%damage/enemy hp<50%). Most major traits are open, aside from the mug and Exe, though flanking strikes (5%damage side/back) are nice to add onto the +% damage.

I use it with dagger/dagger, or dagger/pistol, and sword/dagger. Sigil of Intelligence on mainhand dagger, force offhand pistol/dagger (You always keep a shortbow in inventory, right?).

Utilities I normally take with it are Shadowstep, Shadow Refuge(changed unless in a lot of fights with zergs/larger groups), trops (control, +300 condition damage and they tick in the 50’s, not what I’m using it for), Sig of Agi (clutch condition removal/energy), or Infiltrator’s signet(stunbreaker/ini(damage) recovery). It’s a really pretty open spec. Elite – they all have their uses. I downed a warrior trying to rifle me the other day with DS. got him to 50% with it, mugged him mid DS, and he was down.
Basalisk will help solidify your burst on weak targets, and thieves guild is generally gonna help more versus bunkers (more pressure).

I almost live with withdraw as a heal these days, but SoM isn’t totally wasted (and can pick up signet synergy with spec), and HiS is an obvious favorite from the lack of condition removal in this spec.

Really get whatever sigils / runes you’re comfortable with, I mainly just use beryl/ruby orbs (Lyssa runes are too expensive for me atm, or I’d run those with Basalisk Venom). Armor is a mix of zerker and Valkyrie. It sits 3k+ power, 40-44% crit (sheet, not with traits/sigils added in), and 98-101 crit damage. 15-17khp depending on realm bonuses. I keep some knight’s jewelry when I feel I need to beef up some more(and some cleric’s and knights armor, but hell, half my inventory is permanently gear).

You’re mainly wanting to avoid using initiative because it makes you hurt things, a lot.
Between swords control, and dagger’s burst (sigil of intelligence = 1 free crit after you switch weapons – ghetto hidden killer anyone? And int sigils are CHEAP), you can easily 1v1 as long as you don’t get dropped on not paying attention. The second someone hits 50% is generally a good time to try and setup a burst. Tac strikes and steal/poison combos help versus the heals you’ll encounter.

The worst problem with this one is coming across heavy condition stackers that you can’t shut down before they load you up.

Bumping for general usefulness and in hopes of stickifying the product. Need more community involvement + contribootin members!

Hello all! Just wanted to get a post going that can include some nifty tricks and tips for our wonderful community!

I noticed that hardly any boards have any stickies aside from the ones that were there when I started playing (right after release). Being an adamant thief player, I thought we might try and get something useful stickied here.

I am one person, and I am certainly not the best thief. I will try and put in things I can think of, and I hope that the rest of the thief community can help as well. I know a bunch of names around here that I am sure would just love to hop on in and throw some secrets and spoilers of the trade, so please do! All that said, let’s get down to what the thief can do!

General tricks!

Stomping downed players:

-Begin stomp, shadowstep away during stomp, shadow return right before completion.
if you aren’t obviously on top of a lot of people trying to stomp, they don’t know they’re being stomped.

-CnD>stomp. works well, and with trait points to increase time in stealth, you’ll pop out of stealth right after a flagpole appears in their head.

-Ever (finally) downed an ele, just to begin a stomp(stealth or not) and the bugger turns into a vaporous cloud of broken limbs and floats a few hundred yards to the left?
Begin stomp>(ele, thief, even mesmer – but you have to be quick targetting in mesmer’s case – generally lucky mouse location when they reappear – used their downed #2 skill to move out from under the stomp)>Steal when they stop moving(mesmer’s case; reacquired target) before the stomp finishes and you shadowstep/finish the stomp.
So: Begin stomp>steal once target’s #2 downed skill used up midstomp>completed stomp.

Signet of shadows. You forgot to unequip it before engaging didn’t you? Nah, it’s legit. This one is really dandy for guardians with their aoe push from their downed state. Just pop the signet before they pop their aoe. A blind push, is a missed push, some clear it with an autoattack, but that’s the effectiveness of timing.

Sword tricks!

-Infiltrator’s Strike doesn’t require a target! You can lay your cirlce down with no
target and you have ~14 seconds to utilize shadow return.

-You can use Infiltrator’s Strike with an enemy target out of range to shadowstep 600 units in their direction! This combined with steal (900 range, 1200 range traited for ‘long reach’ in trickery) can net you 1500-1800 range gap closer (and you’ll still have shadow return available, and even well past that distance, it will return you). (please note to get the full distance, infiltrator’s strike must put you in your respective steal range, otherwise steal will gain a 4s cooldown and you’ll just stand there)

-Pistol Whip (s/p#3) is a stationary attack with a small stun and evade component. Most players will move out of pistol whip range right after the stun fades (because it supposedly hurts them, go figure). Once they get right to the edge of it’s range you can steal mid-pistolwhip and land the rest of the chain on them.

-Infiltrator’s Strike seems to have a height barrier. Don’t expect to make your circle atop a keep, jump down and then shadow return when things get sticky!

Shadow return doesn’t have a height barrier. The general rule of thumb for all the teleportation skills is this: if you can get to the area (even if it’s on the z-axis) WITHOUT having to jump, you should be able to teleport on to it as well. This arises due to high the pathing is on the maps. However, there are some areas that have their pathing intentionally blocked – keeps, enemy base on foefire etc.

-Thanks Rome!

-Flanking strike has two hits for it to land. The first one will remove a boon, and is unblockable – on demand boon removal is not bad. The second strike is blockable, and affected by your odd pathing (though the evade built into the skill lines up with it’s animation nicely, as opposed to some other dual skill evades) when chilled/crippled or with swiftness. It’s a hard hit if both land.

Don’t underestimate the power of Infiltrator’s strike. If your circle is down away from you and your victim’s, erm, pursuers, drop a shadow refuge on yourself and shadow return out as soon as you see that temporal curtain, or feel they aren’t crowding where your circle was. Most will be too busy trying to pull you out of the refuge, or trying to blow it and the surrounding area up.

I love a dagger, and would go on about those for another 15 minutes, but I am about out of time for now, and want to see what other great things other people can contribute!

If you are of mind offense is king, just throw 10 in deadly arts for mug, and the remaining in crit line. The stats and traits go well with d/d.

Maybe try the +7 crit from side/back, fury @ 50%targethp, or whatever.

Pow/precision. At 50, if you arent feelibg too squishy, there is +pow/pre gear. Until you need defense, avoid it

Indeed, just wanted credit given correctly. Im no video maker, just a theorycrafter/build tester. I love our options. Its why i stayed thief.

We should all get together and compile some useful kitten to get stickied.