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  1. #261
    Can someone explain to me how stealth currently works...? It has seemingly changed in function slightly, or so I have been lead to believe.

  2. #262
    Quote Originally Posted by Searsha View Post
    Can someone explain to me how stealth currently works...? It has seemingly changed in function slightly, or so I have been lead to believe.
    It just renders you invisible for a short time.

  3. #263
    Blademaster Chaith's Avatar
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    RE: Stealth

    Quote Originally Posted by Larynx View Post
    It just renders you invisible for a short time.
    After seeing a 1v1 pvp footage gameplay vid featuring a Mesmer dying horribly to a thief, I realized that the thief was constantly taking advantage of stealth.

    So I made this here build so you can stealth while you stealth. Joking. But the invisible stalker idea in PVP is quite appealing to me. Play with the calculator - I cant post links yet (new to forum).

    30 Critical Strikes (Signet Use, Fast Signets, Hidden Killer)
    25 Shadow Arts (Infusion of Shadow, Patience)
    10 Deadly Arts (Dagger Training)
    5 Acrobatics


    Primary weapon setup is dual daggers - and the shortbow for mobility / poison healing debuff. *Utilities are debatable: *I picked up Signet of Malice (Heal), *Signet of Agility, Infiltrator's Signet, and Scorpion Wire. *Elite is Basilisk venom

    This build's main goal is to harass an enemy 1v1 while primarily being in stealth / evading - all of the traits are focused on granting the ability to often activate the 5 initiative "cloak and dagger" stealth, and have high frequency of evade rolling when initiative is low.

    The outcome: Cloak and dagger (5 ini) instantly refunds 2 initiative, making the effective cost 3. The thief enters stealth, traited to remain cloaked for an extra second, to a total of 4. While cloaked, the thief gains stacking might, gains a 50% critical chance, gains increased initiative regen as well as initiative regen chance on every critical! This makes cloak and dagger earn its initiative cost back (and then some) by the time stealth fades.

    This build combos with a lot of signet use - with 3 signet equipped. Signets are traited to have -20% to cooldown, and recharge more initiative when used. Stealing also recharges some initiative.

    Damage would be fairly gimped by sustaining Cloak and Dagger every few seconds, but it's always an option. With signet use recharging initiative, you will have resources out of your ass to remain cloaked forever you are pressured. It could be an option to equip "roll for initiative" to execute some serious burst via Heartseeker. There are just so many ways to get resources.

    If that was not enough, you can supplement your 'being invisible' with dodge rolling whenever you're not. Signet of agility grants 100% increase to dodging resource regen on a 24s CD, as well as recharging some initiative on use.

    Other utility offered: Passive regen on hit, 16s CD heal (recharges initiative), Shadowstep on a 24s cd (recharges initiative), Scorpion wire YANK on a 30scd, and a controlled stun on a 45s CD.

    Spammable invisibility/invulnerability. Awwwlll riiight.
    Last edited by Chaith; 2012-03-06 at 05:45 PM.

  4. #264

  5. #265
    Blademaster Chaith's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HarlekinFilx View Post

    Make your build in there Chaith
    Can't post links. *Haha .... I fail.*
    Last edited by Chaith; 2012-03-07 at 12:02 AM.

  6. #266
    Scarab Lord Loaf Lord's Avatar
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    I hope they release some lore on each profession. I want to know if thieves are magical or their stealth and shadow steps are just there for mechanic purposes.

  7. #267
    The Insane DrakeWurrum's Avatar
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    I still want to be able to dual-wield swords as a Thief. :<


    Damned Memsers taking all the glory.
    I hope you haven't forgotten my role in this little story. I'm the leading man. You know what they say about the leading man? He never dies.

    If you give in to your impulses in this world, the price is that it changes your personality in the real world. The player and character are one and the same.

  8. #268
    Blademaster Chaith's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DrakeWurrum View Post
    I still want to be able to dual-wield swords as a Thief. :<


    Damned Memsers taking all the glory.
    Lack of SWORD / SWORD combo struck me as weird, also. *Only 7 different weapon combos for the thief. *Ranger has like, 11, Warrior has 18? *It adds flavour to the game for niches to exist, like how the warrior is diverse in its weapon choices. *On the other hand, it's boring for obvious options like sword / sword to go unexplored.

  9. #269
    http://gw2.luna-atra.fr/skills_tool/...8c8n8o8u929e9i

    This will be my Thief

    It will be a 1v1 Crit Burst style spec. I will be coming out of stealth a lot with crazy Backstab Crits because of extra flanking and dagger dmg. I also have 2 shadow steps as well as multiple vanishes. When I steal, I go stealth which gives me nearly 100% chance to crit with BS since Ill be flanking from stealth. I have great initiative regen as well as Scorp Wire for if I need to pull someone to me to single them out. Also Basilisk Venom will be a great Elite skill that I havent seen many people using. I will use it when they are around 35% and then burst them down once they get below 25% with my Executioner trait.

    I really see this spec as being crazy good with a skilled player and would not be surprised if it gets nerfed right away
    Last edited by Valek; 2012-03-07 at 01:30 AM.

  10. #270
    Blademaster Chaith's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Valek View Post

    This will be my Thief

    It will be a 1v1 Crit Burst style spec. I will be coming out of stealth a lot with crazy Backstab Crits because of extra flanking and dagger dmg. I also have 2 shadow steps as well as multiple vanishes. When I steal, I go stealth which gives me nearly 100% chance to crit with BS since Ill be flanking from stealth. I have great initiative regen as well as Scorp Wire for if I need to pull someone to me to single them out. Also Basilisk Venom will be a great Elite skill that I havent seen many people using. I will use it when they are around 35% and then burst them down once they get below 25% with my Executioner trait.

    I really see this spec as being crazy good with a skilled player and would not be surprised if it gets nerfed right away
    This type of trait distribution is what I immediately gravitated towards as well. *A pretty easy conclusion, seeing as there are no minor traits from Trickery or any traits from Acrobatics in the calculator.

  11. #271
    The Lightbringer Glytch's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Roggles View Post
    I hope they release some lore on each profession. I want to know if thieves are magical or their stealth and shadow steps are just there for mechanic purposes.
    Shadow stepping in the guild wars lore is present when vizu attacks and disables shiro tegachi they even specifically say that her assassin skills allow her to do this so we can assume this is a trait shared by all assassins, at least of canthan descent. In addition the attribute line that covers the large majority of shadow stepping skills was shadow arts so we can come to the conclusion that shadow stepping is mystical in nature, specifically it appears to be more of a supernatural effect rather than a purely arcane one though there's a very thin line between the two in guild wars. We can say its not a prayer, such as the dervish and monk abilities but shadow steps are not "cast"

    Thief stealth is a case of "out of sight out of mind" that is they can't detect you so they choose to focus on the other parts of the battle you are NOT invisible

    Shadow refuge looks like the only skill that breaks this rule but it's likely that it's just so dark in the refuge (to enemies looking in) think splint cell darkness stealth

    Mmos merely use invisibility stealth to simplify mechanics and it's more or less gets the desired effect across

    EDIT: excerpt from the plaque in Tahnnakai Temple regarding Vizu and shadowstepping

    Two hundred years ago, a young but talented Assassin known as Vizu gave her life protecting the emperor. While attending to the Harvest Festival, Vizu chanced to lock eyes with the emperor's main bodyguard, and what she saw there chilled her to the bone. Acting on a premonition, she began to make her way through the tightly packed crowds and closer to the temple. Before she could reach it, however, an alarm was sounded and she heard the sounds of a fight from the tower where emperor Angsiyan was to have made his blessing to Dwayna. Using the tools of her profession, she shadow stepped to the tower, where she saw Shiro standing over the emperor's body, feeding off of his life force. She called to him and then, using the last reserves of her energy, shadow stepped behind him, digging her daggers into his shoulders. Vizu's brave move provided the Kurzick and Luxon champions the time they needed to get to the tower, and they finished off the Betrayer using his own blades, which he had dropped when Vizu attacked. Unfortunately, Vizu was killed when Shiro's death wail washed over the lands in what has since become known as the Jade Wind.
    Last edited by Glytch; 2012-03-07 at 07:02 PM.
    The Original Ganksta

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  12. #272
    Quote Originally Posted by Valek View Post
    http://gw2.luna-atra.fr/skills_tool/...8c8n8o8u929e9i

    This will be my Thief

    It will be a 1v1 Crit Burst style spec. I will be coming out of stealth a lot with crazy Backstab Crits because of extra flanking and dagger dmg. I also have 2 shadow steps as well as multiple vanishes. When I steal, I go stealth which gives me nearly 100% chance to crit with BS since Ill be flanking from stealth. I have great initiative regen as well as Scorp Wire for if I need to pull someone to me to single them out. Also Basilisk Venom will be a great Elite skill that I havent seen many people using. I will use it when they are around 35% and then burst them down once they get below 25% with my Executioner trait.

    I really see this spec as being crazy good with a skilled player and would not be surprised if it gets nerfed right away
    That's almost my build exactly, but I focus more on crazy awesome dual skills.

  13. #273
    http://gw2.luna-atra.fr/skills_tool/...8u929e9i9k9m9n

    I also think this could be a fun spec. It would be based around burst dmg from Unload and being really tough to get to with trick utility skills. This might be my WvWvW spec.
    Last edited by Valek; 2012-03-08 at 01:44 AM.

  14. #274
    Scarab Lord Loaf Lord's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Glytch View Post
    Shadow stepping in the guild wars lore is present when vizu attacks and disables shiro tegachi they even specifically say that her assassin skills allow her to do this so we can assume this is a trait shared by all assassins, at least of canthan descent. In addition the attribute line that covers the large majority of shadow stepping skills was shadow arts so we can come to the conclusion that shadow stepping is mystical in nature, specifically it appears to be more of a supernatural effect rather than a purely arcane one though there's a very thin line between the two in guild wars. We can say its not a prayer, such as the dervish and monk abilities but shadow steps are not "cast"

    Thief stealth is a case of "out of sight out of mind" that is they can't detect you so they choose to focus on the other parts of the battle you are NOT invisible

    Shadow refuge looks like the only skill that breaks this rule but it's likely that it's just so dark in the refuge (to enemies looking in) think splint cell darkness stealth

    Mmos merely use invisibility stealth to simplify mechanics and it's more or less gets the desired effect across

    EDIT: excerpt from the plaque in Tahnnakai Temple regarding Vizu and shadowstepping
    I don't get it. The ability to step through shadows is possible yet temporary invisibility isn't? When I look at the ability cloak and dagger, it makes me think, maybe they have some magic cloak that grants them temporary invisibility?

  15. #275
    Blademaster Chaith's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Roggles View Post
    I don't get it. The ability to step through shadows is possible yet temporary invisibility isn't? When I look at the ability cloak and dagger, it makes me think, maybe they have some magic cloak that grants them temporary invisibility?
    Don't take it too literally. This is not the first appearance of the phrase "cloak & dagger".

    Here's what it means .. "conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods"; "clandestine intelligence operations"; "cloak-and-dagger activities behind enemy lines"; "hole-and-corner intrigue"; "secret missions"; "a secret agent"; "secret sales of arms"; "surreptitious mobilization of troops"; "an undercover investigation"; "underground resistance".

    You get the idea. Ain't no harry potter invisibility cloak here.
    Last edited by Chaith; 2012-03-08 at 02:24 AM.

  16. #276
    The Lightbringer Blufossa's Avatar
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    My build for my Charr Thief-



    Focusing mostly on Shortbow and then Dagger/Dagger as I go. I also love the sound of using venom on my enemies, so that is another main focus for me.

    EDIT: Damn site hates me.
    Last edited by Blufossa; 2012-03-08 at 02:55 AM. Reason: That tool site hates me.

  17. #277
    Scarab Lord Loaf Lord's Avatar
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    I feel like the lack of aoe for melee sets will be cumbersome.

  18. #278
    The Lightbringer Blufossa's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Roggles View Post
    I feel like the lack of aoe for melee sets will be cumbersome.
    Less theorycrafting!

    Wait for the Beta, if you get in, and then judge it.

  19. #279
    Quote Originally Posted by Larynx View Post
    It just renders you invisible for a short time.
    that's the best thing I've seen Anet do for classes so far. It was the one thing I hated about WoW... like really hated.

  20. #280
    The Lightbringer Glytch's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Roggles View Post
    I don't get it. The ability to step through shadows is possible yet temporary invisibility isn't? When I look at the ability cloak and dagger, it makes me think, maybe they have some magic cloak that grants them temporary invisibility?
    its not that it's not possible, its just that's not what happens, at least with thieves
    overall thieves seem relatively mundane, shadow stepping seems to be the only thing that carried over from canthan assassins into the other cultures. the disciplines of deadly arts seems relatively lacking, the debilitating hexes are absent (for mechanics and game design reasons this is obvious but im talking about lore)

    mesmers do "true" invisibility

    i guess one way to put it is that mesmers manipulate light (like a cloaking device) while thieves manipulate darkness (Shadow refuge and shadow stepping) other than that most things are fairly mundane, scorp wire, venoms, the maneuvers. remember that the majority of "thieves", that is assassins, mercenaries, bandits, pirates, thieves, thugs, and other scoundrels probably dont have much magical training, considering shadow stepping as a supernatural, perhaps spiritual, ability means that more "untrained" people can utilize it
    The Original Ganksta

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    Quote Originally Posted by Durzlla View Post
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