Thief sPvP | Tournament Sword/Pistol, Shortbow | Farpoint assaulter Rand X Al Thor's Sword/Pistol Build
Table of Contents
Summary
Hey guys, Rand X Al Thor here, this is currently one of my favorite builds for spvp and tpvp and it does very well in the current condi meta. Many of the condi necromancer or engineer builds do not carry a stunbreaker, or only have one. This thief build will allow you to easily interrupt such classes from getting their dps out or using their heal skills. The build is relatively mobile with its shortbow offhand and has pretty high evade time through pistolwhip.
I. Weapons and Skills
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- Slash½Slash your foe again.Damage: 269Range: 130
- Crippling Strike½Cripple your foe with a final strike.Damage: 437Crippled: 2 sWeakness: 2 sRange: 130
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- Shadow Return2Return to your original location. Cure one condition.Range: 1,200
- 0Fury: 10 sMight: 10 sSwiftness: 10 sVigor: 15 sDaze: 1 s
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- 0Fury: 10 sMight: 10 sSwiftness: 10 sVigor: 15 sDaze: 1 s
- 0Fury: 10 sMight: 10 sSwiftness: 10 sVigor: 15 sDaze: 1 s
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- 0Fury: 10 sMight: 10 sSwiftness: 10 sVigor: 15 sDaze: 1 s
- 0Fury: 10 sMight: 10 sSwiftness: 10 sVigor: 15 sDaze: 1 s
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- 0Fury: 10 sMight: 10 sSwiftness: 10 sVigor: 15 sDaze: 1 s
- 0Fury: 10 sMight: 10 sSwiftness: 10 sVigor: 15 sDaze: 1 s
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- 0Fury: 10 sMight: 10 sSwiftness: 10 sVigor: 15 sDaze: 1 s
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- 0Fury: 10 sMight: 10 sSwiftness: 10 sVigor: 15 sDaze: 1 s
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- 0Fury: 10 sMight: 10 sSwiftness: 10 sVigor: 15 sDaze: 1 s
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- Shadow ReturnReturn to your starting location and cure three conditions.Break stunRange: 1,200
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- 0Fury: 10 sMight: 10 sSwiftness: 10 sVigor: 15 sDaze: 1 s
Weapon and Skill Details
Sword/Pistol is an underrated weapon-set that can bring a lot to a team fight and does very well in a 1v1 situation.
*Withdraw is my preferred heal for nonstealth oriented builds.
*Shadow refuge is almost a must for tpvp matches for the stealth resing.
*Shadow step is always on my skillbar for the double stunbreak it provides along with the 3 condi clear it gives; however, roll for initiative also works well with this build and should be considered over shadowstep.
*The last utility slot really depends on your team comp. I find myself running signet of agility the most. It gives aoe condi removal and endurance regen and can be a life saver in team fights. Ambush trap is another option to consider as it will help you with some dps in a fight (this option is probably the best if you are in a dueling server, but i rarely find myself using it in a tpvp or spvp match). The last option is shadow trap. This ability can be really useful when you need to get from mid to sidepoint or from sidepoint to mid (and the stunbreak is pretty nice!).
*Basilisk Venom synergises very well with the build. It provides another stun and, more importantly, it gives you easy access to the 6th bonus from your runes of Lyssa (removes all conditions and gives all boons).
II. Traits
Deadly Arts
Critical Strikes
Shadow Arts
Acrobatics
Trickery
Trait Details
The traits really focus on +damage traits and traits that relate to stealing.
The critical strikes tree is one of my favorite traitlines for power thieves. I decided to take side strikes, combo critical chance, and executioner. Side strikes and combo critical chance add up to give you +12% crit chance if you are using your pistolwhip from behind your enemy (which happens a lot when people try to disengage from you). Executioner is, in my opinion, one of the best traits in the game and gives you a 20% extra damage when your enemy is below 50% health (and the damage scales with your crit damge!).
From the Trickery line we take Thrill of the Crime, Bountiful thief, and sleight of hand. Which means you can steal on a 21.5 second cooldown and everytime you do you get fury, might, swiftness, vigor, apply a 1 second daze, and you strip 2 boons and give them to your allies.
I decided to spend the last 10 points in the deadly arts tree for mug and some extra power. Along with the stealing benefits from the trickery trait line you will be healing yourself and hitting for 2kish with mug.
III. Stat Specifics & Effects
Primary Stats
- Health 11645 (+0)
- Vitality 916 (+0)
- Armor 1980 (+0)
- Toughness 916 (+0)
- Attack 3231 (+1300)
- Power 2216 (+1300)
- Critical Hit 74% (+74%)
- Precision 2471 (+1555)
Secondary Stats
- Condition Damage 300 (+300)
- Condition Duration 15% (+15%)
- Critical Damage 80% (+80%)
- Damage 1015 (+0%)
- Defense 1064 (+0)
- Ferocity 1200 (+1200)
- Steal Recharge Rate 30% (+30%)
- Stun Duration 30% (+30%)
Boons
Conditions
Control
Fields & Finishers
Stat and Effect Details
This build is very offensive, so you will have very high power, precision and crit damage, but low vitality, toughness, and healing. The trickery line gives us a 30% reduction on steal and our sigil of paralization gives us an extra 15% stun duration (which synergises very well with pistolwhip).
IV. Runes, Sigils, Accessories & Jewels
Armor & Runes
- Precision: 25
- Condition Duration: 5%
- Precision: 50
- When you use a heal skill, you gain a random boon for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 10 seconds)
- Precision: 100
- When you use an elite skill, convert up to 5 conditions into boons. (Cooldown: 45 seconds)
- Precision: 25
- Condition Duration: 5%
- Precision: 50
- When you use a heal skill, you gain a random boon for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 10 seconds)
- Precision: 100
- When you use an elite skill, convert up to 5 conditions into boons. (Cooldown: 45 seconds)
- Precision: 25
- Condition Duration: 5%
- Precision: 50
- When you use a heal skill, you gain a random boon for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 10 seconds)
- Precision: 100
- When you use an elite skill, convert up to 5 conditions into boons. (Cooldown: 45 seconds)
- Precision: 25
- Condition Duration: 5%
- Precision: 50
- When you use a heal skill, you gain a random boon for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 10 seconds)
- Precision: 100
- When you use an elite skill, convert up to 5 conditions into boons. (Cooldown: 45 seconds)
- Precision: 25
- Condition Duration: 5%
- Precision: 50
- When you use a heal skill, you gain a random boon for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 10 seconds)
- Precision: 100
- When you use an elite skill, convert up to 5 conditions into boons. (Cooldown: 45 seconds)
- Precision: 25
- Condition Duration: 5%
- Precision: 50
- When you use a heal skill, you gain a random boon for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 10 seconds)
- Precision: 100
- When you use an elite skill, convert up to 5 conditions into boons. (Cooldown: 45 seconds)
Rune Stat Totals
- Precision 175
- Condition Duration 5%
Rune Bonuses
PvP Rune of Lyssa- Precision: 25
- Condition Duration: 5%
- Precision: 50
- When you use a heal skill, you gain a random boon for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 10 seconds)
- Precision: 100
- When you use an elite skill, convert up to 5 conditions into boons. (Cooldown: 45 seconds)
Accessories & Jewels
- Power: 0
- Precision: 0
- Ferocity: 0
- Vitality: 0
Accessory Totals
- Power:1200
- Precision:900
- Ferocity:900
- Vitality:0
Weapon Set Sigils
- Weapon Strength: 905-1000
- Weapon Strength: 876-1029
Weapon Set I
Sigil of Superior Air50% chance to cause a lightning strike on a critical hit. (This effect cannot trigger more than once every 3 seconds)
Sigil of Superior Paralyzation+30% stun duration.
- Weapon Strength: 905-1000
- Weapon Strength: -
Weapon Set II
Sigil of Superior EnergyYou gain 50% of your endurance when you swap to this weapon while in combat. (This effect cannot trigger more than once every 9s)
Water Weapon I
Sigil of Superior Air50% chance to cause a lightning strike on a critical hit. (This effect cannot trigger more than once every 3 seconds)
Water Weapon II
Sigil of Superior Air50% chance to cause a lightning strike on a critical hit. (This effect cannot trigger more than once every 3 seconds)
Upgrade Item Details
Amulet: I run the berserker amulet with this build for the extra damage because it is very easy to peel with a thief and i believe the thief brings most to the table with high damage.
Runes: Lyssa runes have a lot to offer this build. The extra precision is very nice for helping your pistolwhip to crit as much as possible. Withdraw is the lowest cooldown heal skill and works amazingly with the random boon lyssa runes give you on heal. Basilisks venom works very well with the stun/daze emphasis this build is running and will give you every boon in the game when you use it. This build also struggles a bit with condi removal and the lyssa runes can work wonders when you are focused by a necro or engi.
V. Basic Gameplay
This build does very well as a backpoint assaulter and is a great asset in a team fight. The 2 main perks of this build are 1) DPS 2)interrupts. You have amazing access to immobilize, stuns, and dazes.
Some things you should know:
*pistol whip is broken up into 2 parts. Part 1 is a stun. You CAN move while casting the stun portion of this attack and you should be doing your best to follow the enemy player until you land the attack. Part 2 is the flurry. The flurry on pistol whip hits players in s/tpvp for 4-6k. You are almost guaranteed to proc your sigil of air every single time you use hit someone with this attack. One of the best parts of pistolwhip is the evade. The flurry part of the skill provides you with an evade the entire time you are in it.
*Pistol whip is not only an offensive tool. The evade in pistolwhip is absolutely amazing. For example: you are taking a lot of focus from a mesmer and you have to use your shadow refuge. The mesmer pulls out his greatsword so you pistolwhip while stealthed. The mesmer attempts to knock you out of the shadow refuge's radius with a push on the greatsword #5 skill, but you evade it with your pistol whip. If you miss your stun on someone and they start to attack you, just let the flurry animation finish while you evade all of their attack.
*pistol whip is amazing for stomping ressing. It will 1) interrupt the res with your stun and 2) it will cleave both the enemy ressing, and the enemy being ressed.
*Steal as often as possible. Your steal gives boons to you, and strips them from the enemy for your team to have. It also lands a long daze so you can get off part of your autoattack chain, or another pistolwhip.
*Steal and headshot are amazing for interrupting someones heal. The enemy starts his heal animation? Daze him then infiltrator's strike in with a pistolwhip to finish them off.
Main Skill Rotation
This is your money maker. You will be able to land most of your pistolwhip with this rotation while evading all damage. If your target's stunbreak doesn't include condi removal the 1 second immobilize will allow you to get off some of your pistolwhip.
This is a major part of s/x thieves. You will almost always have skills being used in between these two, but the condition removal and the ability to disengage is vital to sword thieves. Even though the stunbreak has been removed from shadow return, you can still use the teleport. Getting chain stunned by a warrior and already used your stun break? Shadow return out. You wont be able to use any skills or move, but you will probably be out of danger.
If you are stunned without a stunbreak and your shadow return doesnt take you far away from the source stunning you use your steal. Its an instant cast and will apply a 1 second daze to the enemy which will probably outlast the stun on you.
This rotation looks kind of complicated, but its actually very easy to pull off. You use your infiltrators strike at the same time you steal which will immobilize and daze your opponent (effectively stunning them for 1 second). Go ahead and hit them with the first 1 or 2 attacks of your auto attack chain for some DPS and then hit them with your pistolwhip to apply another stun and more damage with your pistol whip.
If you had to use your shadow refuge to stealth res or take some heat off of you you can use this rotation. The 2 second daze on tactical strike along with the immobilize on infiltrator's strike will give you plenty of time to hit your pistowhip. After your pistolwhip you can steal + pistolwhip for more daze + stun uptime with some good dps.
This is a very common combo for shortbow thief and will apply aoe weakness and will decrease healing on anyone in the poisons radius.
Isnt much of a rotation, but you can use choking gas while you are stealthed without revealing yourself.
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@ 12:28 AM, Fri May 01 2015
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