[PvP] Suggestion: Revamp Deadeye Utility Skills?

Hi all,

yet another thread after the big deadeye patch. I'm currently trying to get an interesting (rifle based) build for sPvP and fail to think of something that would work in GW2s quick paced PvP. Many problems have already been outlined in other threads and I guess we can all agree, that Deadeye rifle is currently subpar in PvE and clunky in PvP. The upcoming "Stealth at the end of the dodge" will probably help somehow, but I guess we'll need more changes.

Fiddling with my build, I noticed one thing:None of the deadeye utility skills (except the Elite and maybe Binding Shadows) see much play in PvP (my experience, at least).Why not change this?

These skills are a great opportunity to balance the spec "Deadeye" without touching the core thief or the daredevil and could be used to further define the specs identity, if they are made viable. What do you think? Does any of you use Shadow Gust, Shadow Flare or Mercy in PvP?

To follow up with some suggestions:

Shadow Gust

Currently knocks all nearby enemies back and knocks back/down the marked target (if hit). Afterwards, the user stealthes.I guess this was intended to "catch a break" - if you have issues with a strong melee, knock him back and vanish to stealth.

However, my problems with the skill is that it has a casting time and is disabled on stun. So, for pure stealth, Blinding powder is the better option. The damage doesn't matter, stability is omnipresent and thus the skill is widely ignored. As a deadeye, you don't want a 1on1 scenario, where this may be useful to catch a breath.

Suggestion:

• casting time removed, maybe also break stun
• generate malice, if the marked target is hit (2x if the skill crits?)

Shadow Flare

Sends out an AoE field, pulsing with autoattack-damage (roughly) each second with the possibility to swap position with the orb.Again, I guess it was intended to build distance in the same way that Shadowstep does. Maybe some dev had in mind, that you could fire it on an approaching melee, attack him and when he reaches you, you swap to the orb to force the enemy to close up to you again (which is kinda stupid if the orb is a pulsating field).

The failure with this skill is that you can either throw it into enemies to deal damage or place it strategically to be able to swap to it. Nobdy wants to swap to an orb in the middle of the heat and nobody wants to sent a damaging skill into nowhere just to have a retreat option. The swap skill doesnt even break stun. Shadowstep is the better option in any situation, for the price of 20s more cooldown but added condition remove.

This would be a prime candidate for a massive rework. In my opinion, it would be best to either make it a tool (thus removing the damage component) or make it a damage option and remove the gimmicky party.

Suggestion 1 (tool):

• removed the damage-component of the orb
• increased duration of the orb to 15s
• increased cooldown to 45-60s (?)
• throwing the orb grants 3 (?) charges of the swap skill. A charge has at least 2s cooldown, but can be used multiple times with the same orb.** if the orb ends, the deadeye gets a damage boost of x% (or x stacks of might? I would guess he already has enough might!) for each leftover stack==> this kinda brings back the ramping component. If one ignores the deadeye for too long, it becomes scary again.Problem: one could cast this outfight and ramp up before engaging.Solution: the thief has to be within a defined range when the orb ends to get the bonus.

Suggestion 2 (damage):

• all damage is now dealt at the impact instead of pulses
• cripples hit enemies
• marked target is immobilized. Maybe add a trait that changes this to a stun
• if necessary: decrease projectile speed to allow counterplay/dodging
• generates malice on hit
• the skills changes to a stronger version, if the deadeye has maximum malice this new skills acts as an alternative for a "deadshot"-attack consumes all malice and deals huge damage to the marked target (but no one else) unblockable reveals the deadeye** steals/rips boons of the target

Mercy

This was intended as solution to re-mark another target if your target fled the scene or something else happened. It restores your initiative and resets the mark.

In my opinion, this is not a necessary option. No problem with a little commitment - it would be part of being a good deadeye to choose a suitable target to mark.Again this could be reworked for something, deadeye needs more, be it utility, mobility or even survivability. Depends on what A-net wants the deadeye to be.

Be gentle, these are suggestions. :p Imo, the core topic is, that the utility skills are rarely used and would offer a great opportunity to balance the deadeye after the patch.

First, I love all your suggestions. And I have a few of my own.

Shadow flare as an ammo skill, is a great idea. Here's how I envision it.

Cast Shadow Flare with a ground target AoE. Which pulses less damage than it does now (by 25%) with a larger AoE. If it hits your marked target it does +100% bonus damage, and the orb relocates to your mark's current position. After casting, the skill flips to a new skill, with ammo 2 called Shadow Teleport.

Casting Shadow Teleport swaps position with your orb and generates 2 malice (does not break kneel). If the orb has already tagged your mark, the orb then begins slowly seeking your marked target, range 600 max. If it has not touched your mark, it remains stationary.

The point of this skill is to engage multiple targets, then use the moving orb as an escape to be everywhere around the one you plan to assassinate, while creating a zone of area denial that only annoys folks other than your mark, and makes your mark need to not be in the zone.

This let's you force one player out of the herd. Perfect for deadeye.

Mercy, should be completely changed after this update. I'd change this skill to "death from afar"

Death from Afar- for the next 10 seconds, gain 1 malice and 1 might stack, per second. While under the effects of DfA gain 1% bonus damage and condition damage per malice gained for the duration.50sec CD. (damage bonus only applies to marked targets 600 range or more away.)

The point of Death from Afar is to allow the 'sniper' playstyle. So, once a minute or so, you can get a huge amount of malice in a way that's forgiving to your initiative. Also, this allows you to stack and dump malice multiple times inside the activation window, which will give you progressively higher damage inside that window.

This will allow you to used DfA to either engage, or finish off an enemy.

Also, this makes it dangerous to run at, or away from the guy with the rifle (or shortbow). Which.... Is how it should feel.