Guild Wars 2

Demonts.4593:

thiefs really only have 1 way of surviving which is stealth. if we didn’t have that we would be dead moments after we are targeted. Also, it is very hard to play thief in a condi beta because we have such a low HP pool. thiefs arent even in the meta right now. so they probably need a buff.

That’s not true. If you have the acrobatic thief, evades are a unbelievable way of surviving, and that’s the meta right now. And if you’re not speaking about S/D, then you still have more than stealth surviving, for example the “Shadowstep” to disengage and re-engage, or to disengage when you use it as an offensive opener. And you will always have your trusty “Infiltrators Arrow”.

Other than that, it can be indeed very hard to play a thief that does not use a S/D build in this condition meta. The S/D thief was really strong before the necromancer patch arrived, and I would say the D/P thief were as well. But since we got stuck in a AoE ranged condition meta, they indirectly lowered D/P builds since the preference of the S/D builds because of the benefits and advantages that fit very well against/with what we are now calling the meta.

Thiefs do not need a buff, not at all, a nerf if something. Other professions is however, as you would have known if you read the thread, in need to be brought down.

Demonts.4593:

and i dont think s/d is OP at all. u can easily punish s/d thieves because once they port out u can just chase them down and its over. plus their damage isn’t anything to brag about. However, like anything, played well it can be good

Regardless of what you think, that’s how it is. The only real argument you’re giving (that’s not just a opinion, based on what facts?) is that you’re easily able to chase down someone 1200 range within a possible 360 degree radius, to not speak about obstructions and line of sight. It can be played well to some extent, but the skillcap is very, very low.

Great post Xeph, +1 to you!

Before this last major patch (June 25th), personally, I did actually enjoy the game a lot. The only thing pre-patch that I felt like was over the top were the Sword/Dagger thief and is also what I would like to post about, since I am playing as one. The ”balance” last patch did not really change anything.
The “Shadow Return” is simply still just as strong, as you’re able to teleport 1200 distance away from a situation regardless of the fact that you’re stunned. It can be “obstructed” or you can have a ton of conditions applied to you, since it “only cleanses one.” What you have here is a disengage in combination with very high survivability on a profession with high damage. What?
I think that either reducing the range of “Shadow Return” to 600-900 or making it impossible to use it while under the effects of either “Stun”, “Launch” or “Knockdown” would be reasonable fixes.

Flanking strike feels like specificly a addition to the DPS evasive thief. The dodges are just such a strong way to counter the fragile build. A tanky glass-cannon? Well I’ll be kitten ed.
Simply put the initiative up for this spell with one, and we should notice a big change.

The “Larcenous Strike” does have a 0.5 second evade first-activation that hits for ~1.3k and as you cast it, you will have a unblockable 3.3k boon-ripping strike. I get 4.6k damage, 0.5 seconds of evade and two boons for five initiative? I’d take that deal any day. Except for this one, the “Larcenous Strike”, the unblockable spell with lowest cooldown in the game would be the mesmers “Mirror Blade” on greatsword (I do not include the marks of necromancers since they depend on a trait. Yes, everyone is running it. It does not make it less of a trait though). This “Mirror Blade” is a visible pink projectile that can be fairly easily dodged, and it got a 8-second cooldown. Under theese 8 seconds, a thief have the resources to throw out six “Larcenous Strikes” for 3.3k each, every indivudial one ripping two boons, and I am including the initial 1.3k-0.5s evade cast “Flanking Strike”.

Just to give you a comparison, kind of, what horrors for example guardians have to experience in combination with, let’s say a necromancer. A problem with S/D thief is that, to be honest, easy as kitten to learn, and the low-risk-high-reward in TEAMFIGHTS with damage all over the place is just kittenedly imbalanced.

The “Larcenous Strike” has way too high damage for a unblockable boon-ripping strike, in combination with the DPS build. it should be lowered and/or have its initiative cost increased by one. Since removing the other good and interesting boon-ripping and unblockable functions, lowering the damage would still let the S/D thief apply somewhat pressure through blocks, while stealing valueable boons.
You need to lower either the overall damage or survivability of S/D, and since the damage is there in other builds I would like too see the survivability staying.

Teldo.1473:

In regards of stealth counterplay the best thing I could come up with would be allowing people to reveal enemies by just hitting them while they are in stealth, but this only works if someone is stealthed for longer than 3 seconds.

The smoke fields and spells like “Shadow Refuge” are in addition to necromancers and the AoE condition ranged meta, dumbing down the game. If people would be worried that this would destroy thiefs, as one, I can say no, it would not. The thief have enough mobility and blinks, resources if you would like, and having to actually use them intelligently more than a “IDGAF” factor would improve gameplay a lot in my opinion. Maybe like Razac said, reveal invisibility when under the effect of either “Stun”, “Launched” or “Knockdown”?

S/D thief is not OP. if you can’t deal with S/D than you are just bad. S/D thief already got a nerf last patch they shouldn’t change it.

Yeah… This game is supposed to be 5v5. And unless engineers, S/D does not really shine in 1v1’s (even though they kind of do), it’s the fact that they can pressure a single target by themselfs in a teamfight with a low-to-no chance of dying. The enemy team has two options;
1. Let the thief pressure, and do nothing about it.
2. Try to spike it. Blow cooldowns that will probably be evaded. Wait for the 1200 ranged shadow return when under the effects of crowd control.

And then I really wonder, why the hell are you guys not “hot-fixing” or revoking things?
Necromancer, really?
Poison?
Weakness?
The 1650 range on the mesmers greatsword?
Thief’s 1200 projectile on the trick shot and disabling shot?
The heal on down-stated allies of Shadow Refuge? Is that even supposed to be there?
Are you really adding new skills before you have kittening balanced the old ones?

If you do listen to the community, please, please, this is the time to prove it…

I joined this guild about two weeks ago, and this far, I’m really enjoying the time spent with theese people, both in-game and on teamspeak.

When I got this game, it was fun. But with a Guild, especially as social as The Conclave, i found my the time in front of the computer flying away. A good mixture between seriousness and hilarity!