Sigh

Why?Thief........Double Tap: The initiative cost of this skill has been increased from 4 to 6 in PvP and WvW. <----forcing every de to take trickeryThree Round Burst: The initiative cost of this skill has been increased from 4 to 6 in PvP and WvW. <----once againThrill of the Crime: The might applied by this trait has been increased from 1 stack for 10 seconds to 3 stacks for 10 seconds. <----trying to add sugar to the bad tasteSundering Shade: This trait now grants the thief 6 seconds of fury upon successful stealth-attack hits.<---does anybody even use this?Invigorating Precision: The healing based on critical damage has been reduced from 15% to 10%. The healing percentage of this trait is now increased by an additional 10% when the thief is under the effects of fury. <----once again, does anyone even use this?

I don't understand why the "balance" team feels a need to always nerf the thief then re-nerf it after ppl adapt to the last nerf. The thief I started with 6 yrs ago is hugely different from today's. I pine for those days :-(

As a power DD thief; I am happy with the changes. Not every thief is a deadeye rifle so sorry for you guys but I think its fair. Too many deadeyes perma invis in WVWs thus this can be the reason why you guys got a very SMALL nerf. If you got a 15-19% reduced damage then your sighs will be more taken seriously.

I'm a little bit disappointed with this patch, now I have to change my key bindings whenever I go in and out of WvW, it's incredibly annoying.

I was hoping for them to turn Ankle Shots into something more generally useful (like how it is for most weapon based traits). I hope they take another look at Signets of Power and change the effects to something that actually fits the theme of the specialisation (e.g. on kill effects to on crit effects).

@Bern.9613 said:Sundering Shade: This trait now grants the thief 6 seconds of fury upon successful stealth-attack hits.<---does anybody even use this?No because every crit based build has 100% crit anyways. They should just get rid of this skill and replace it with something else (same for Hidden Killer).

Invigorating Precision: The healing based on critical damage has been reduced from 15% to 10%. The healing percentage of this trait is now increased by an additional 10% when the thief is under the effects of fury. <----once again, does anyone even use this?I guess it makes casuals less of a burden but everyone else is better of using No Quarter, it's not optimal but at least it has its place (unlike Hidden Killer).

good changes. double tap and three round burst spamming in pvp was way too effective.

@Tails.9372 said:No because every crit based build has 100% crit anyways. They should just get rid of this skill and replace it with something else (same for Hidden Killer)....I guess it makes casuals less of a burden but everyone else is better of using No Quarter, it's not optimal but at least it has its place (unlike Hidden Killer).

Valkyrie gear exists.

@Xenji.4907 said:As a power DD thief; I am happy with the changes. Not every thief is a deadeye rifle so sorry for you guys but I think its fair. Too many deadeyes perma invis in WVWs thus this can be the reason why you guys got a very SMALL nerf. If you got a 15-19% reduced damage then your sighs will be more taken seriously.

It's not about a nerf, I use spotters shot most of the time, rarely use either rifle 3 unless it's obviously opportune. It's about build choice and what he's saying is that change to initiative might pigeon hole DE's into trickery. I can see that happening maybe but I think mostly it gave CS,DE better trait choice.

@Bern.9613 said:Why?Thief........Sundering Shade: This trait now grants the thief 6 seconds of fury upon successful stealth-attack hits.<---does anybody even use this?Invigorating Precision: The healing based on critical damage has been reduced from 15% to 10%. The healing percentage of this trait is now increased by an additional 10% when the thief is under the effects of fury. <----once again, does anyone even use this?

Part of the intent behind balance patches is to get people to use new skills and traits. So if nobody is using it, it makes sense to buff it.

Less Rifle Deadeyes = A Happy WvW Player

The IP nerf is related to the new raid wing.... kitten

@kash.9213 said:

@Xenji.4907 said:As a power DD thief; I am happy with the changes. Not every thief is a deadeye rifle so sorry for you guys but I think its fair. Too many deadeyes perma invis in WVWs thus this can be the reason why you guys got a very SMALL nerf. If you got a 15-19% reduced damage then your sighs will be more taken seriously.

Oh I see. I don't use DE so I am not the best person for it but I get it. Thanks for the clarification and insight! :smiley:

@DanAlcedo.3281 said:Less Rifle Deadeyes = A Happy WvW Player

These nerfs won't change your interaction with Rifle DE's in WvW.

@Turk.5460 said:

@DanAlcedo.3281 said:Less Rifle Deadeyes = A Happy WvW Player

That makes me sad.

Crazy nefr to rifle deadeyes. 50% dps nerf is INSANE! wonder what triggered such nerf.

@Hesacon.8735 said:Part of the intent behind balance patches is to get people to use new skills and traits. So if nobody is using it, it makes sense to buff it.There is no point in buffing it if they don't even understand why no one is using it.

@Turk.5460 said:

@Tails.9372 said:No because every crit based build has 100% crit anyways. They should just get rid of this skill and replace it with something else (same for Hidden Killer)....I guess it makes casuals less of a burden but everyone else is better of using No Quarter, it's not optimal but at least it has its place (unlike Hidden Killer).

Yeah. Exactly.@Tails.9372 Don't be dumping on Hidden killer just because you don't know how to use it.

The initiative cost is excessive if you don't take trickery especially when its a worse unload, but Im more concerned the buffs to sundering shadows and invigorating precision.

Its incredibly easy for thief to get access to fury already. Especially when you run critical strikes. In PvP its unlikely you are going to run scholar, but rune of rage will certainly be an attractive and oppressive choice with thr buff to invigorating precision.

The additional 5% healing is a tad much. Id rather they leave the trait how it was and look into our weapon traits like the forum post said.

The thing that angers me off is that this wont only affect DE it will also affect my DD as if it already wasnt nerfed to the very floor. I hate these patches it makes me want to vomit and cry.

@Urejt.5648 said:Crazy nefr to rifle deadeyes. 50% dps nerf is INSANE! wonder what triggered such nerf.

@Urejt.5648 said:Crazy nefr to rifle deadeyes. 50% dps nerf is INSANE! wonder what triggered such nerf.

Anet taking a stance in promoting a Positive and Healthy Competitive Environment for Guild War 2

(not forgetting a complete removal of perma stealth which continues to remain toxic for the health of the game)

@Bern.9613 said:Invigorating Precision: The healing based on critical damage has been reduced from 15% to 10%. The healing percentage of this trait is now increased by an additional 10% when the thief is under the effects of fury. <----once again, does anyone even use this?

I actually use IP along with Twin Fangs on my DD. Assassins Fury and No Quarter is a DPS increase, but IP allows me to recoup from a missed dodge, and is just generally less stressful. Given I'm not taking her into a raid or any place where min/max is required, I'm satisfied not having to worry about keeping my health above 90%.

The real question though is why the change to require fury? Unrelenting Strikes is pretty much guaranteed fury for 4s every 10, so outside of anyone else giving you Fury, you get 20% healing for 4s and 10% healing for 6s.

I just don't understand what this is supposed to accomplish. Was the healing too strong? Too weak? Both? ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Take sundering strikes if you use d/d in solo PvE and you have very high fury uptime along with vulnerability. For solo PvE I think the changes have improved IP performance. You can get the 20% value most of the time as you can proc fury somewhere: sundering strikes, thrill of the crime or unrelenting strikes. In group content you usually have fury provided too and can take the more dps'y option and get more healing.

Anyway the sad thing about this patch was I was half expecting changes to DD elite to make it less staff centric (given the preview statement that the patch will generalise weapon traits to make it more useful) allowing players the option to use d/d or sword with DD. Then again I only half expected this and half expected a nerf regardless.

@eldrjth.7384 said:Take sundering strikes if you use d/d in solo PvE and you have very high fury uptime along with vulnerability. For solo PvE I think the changes have improved IP performance. You can get the 20% value most of the time as you can proc fury somewhere: sundering strikes, thrill of the crime or unrelenting strikes. In group content you usually have fury provided too and can take the more dps'y option and get more healing.

Anyway the sad thing about this patch was I was half expecting changes to DD elite to make it less staff centric (given the preview statement that the patch will generalise weapon traits to make it more useful) allowing players the option to use d/d or sword with DD. Then again I only half expected this and half expected a nerf regardless.

There is only one Staff trait in Daredevil, were you hoping for it to become unbound to staff and instead simply increase all damage by 10% when endurance is not full? Because I assure you D/P does not need that buff.

@Bern.9613 said:Invigorating Precision: The healing based on critical damage has been reduced from 15% to 10%. The healing percentage of this trait is now increased by an additional 10% when the thief is under the effects of fury. <----once again, does anyone even use this?

You have 20% Lifesteal. Why WOULDN'T you use this now?

@Bern.9613 said:

Invigorating Precision: The healing based on critical damage has been reduced from 15% to 10%. The healing percentage of this trait is now increased by an additional 10% when the thief is under the effects of fury. <----once again, does anyone even use this?

Every Daredevil Power Staff that play PvE with pugs.. 15% was perfect, no sense this change.

@XenoSpyro.1780 said:

@Bern.9613 said:Invigorating Precision: The healing based on critical damage has been reduced from 15% to 10%. The healing percentage of this trait is now increased by an additional 10% when the thief is under the effects of fury. <----once again, does anyone even use this?

@SehferViega.8725 said:

@Bern.9613 said:

Invigorating Precision: The healing based on critical damage has been reduced from 15% to 10%. The healing percentage of this trait is now increased by an additional 10% when the thief is under the effects of fury. <----once again, does anyone even use this?

It's a hidden nerf, some people are soloing Qadim with this trait, signet of malice and P/P.

This change is actually quite annoying.