Leveling Build (Pre-Elite Spec) Without Shortbow

Hi folks. I'm looking for some advice here on my weapon choices and build. I came back after a long (four year) break and whatever I was using before was useless, so I went looking for recommendations, but everything right now is Deadeye this and Daredevil that, or about Fractals or raiding. I just want to play through the story, see the world, explore all the things, and not die too much if it can be helped. I solo almost exclusively. (I don't mind grouping. I just have constant interruptions and that's not fair to other folks.) I've tried most weapon combinations but I can't find a good flow, and my survivability against more than two bad guys at a time is precarious. Some of that is just that I need to get good (and it's gotten better as I'm readjusting to the systems here), but I feel like if I could figure out the right weapon and skill synergy, it would work out. The few mostly updated leveling builds I've found seem to include shortbow, and I've tried it out and really didn't like the feel of it. It felt like I was doing nil damage (though the numbers were similar to my other button 1 skills on tooltip) and had less mobility. I'm probably doing it wrong, but it's soured me on it. So, advice, recommendations, pointing and laughing? Other than shortbow, I'm open to trying just about anything.

Before I reached lv80, I was using P/P and Sw/P to do the story and open world. I never cared for shortbow at all, and I still don't. Using it for just #5 seems stilly imo. I was running Critical Strikes/Acrobatics/ and Trickery I think.

you just need one main damage set, usually dagger/dagger. thief operates with initiative, not recharge, so weapon swapping will not help do more damage.

i tend to focus traits on stealth and stealing. so many good traits with synergy compared with other classes.

second weapon set is for utility. shortbow is the best choice.

shortbow serves several purposes. 1, 2, 4 will tag multiple mobs when doing group events, when damage amount is not as important. also good for fighting and kiting multiple mobs. 3 and 5 to get to safety in emergencies. 5 for faster travel. overall, thief is perhaps the best bow user of all classes.

@Zin Dau.1749 said:you just need one main damage set, usually dagger/dagger. thief operates with initiative, not recharge, so weapon swapping will not help do more damage.

i tend to focus traits on stealth and stealing. so many good traits with synergy compared with other classes.

second weapon set is for utility. shortbow is the best choice.

shortbow serves several purposes. 1, 2, 4 will tag multiple mobs when doing group events, when damage amount is not as important. also good for fighting and kiting multiple mobs. 3 and 5 to get to safety in emergencies. 5 for faster travel. overall, thief is perhaps the best bow user of all classes.

Just budding in 'cause I've been leveling my thief as well.Do you just go full power? Isn't D/D condi? Or does it not matter? And if that's the case, you don't really do much else than use the AA chain, do you? :|

power dagger + stealth=backstab :-)

Having said that, my favorite core build is condi p/d + shortbow. The shortbow helps because it's an AoE circle to soften up groups.

Thanks everyone. Good advice here. I'll go with d/d and p/p for now. I'm getting better about getting myself into stealth consistently. (i.e. I remember better what I should be doing without having to double-check what skills do.) I do like a well-executed backstab.

@Tairgire.4836 said:Thanks everyone. Good advice here. I'll go with d/d and p/p for now. I'm getting better about getting myself into stealth consistently. (i.e. I remember better what I should be doing without having to double-check what skills do.) I do like a well-executed backstab.

That's what nobody suggested but I would recommend that ^^

Easy survivability and good burst damage with pistols Unload. Critical Strikes, Trickery and Deadly Arts would be my choice while levelling.

Hah. Well, it's half of what some folks said and half of what others said.

 > @Doctor Hide.6345 said: > Before I reached lv80, I was using P/P and Sw/P to do the story and open world > @Zin Dau.1749 said: > you just need one main damage set, usually dagger/dagger. thief operates with initiative, not recharge, so weapon swapping will not help do more damage. > @jaif.3518 said: > power dagger + stealth=backstab :-)

So power d/d with p/p available on swap, but not as heavily used. I tried it out last night, along with some changes on specializations, and a couple of purchased upgrades for some more focus on power. Currently using Critical Strikes, Acrobatics, and Shadow Arts. I really like some of the utility with Shadow Arts but I'm not set on keeping it yet. I had Trickery for a while and felt about the same about it... it has some nice tools but I could live without it. I have to say, I died a whole lot less last night than I have been and it felt fun. Combat felt like it flowed, mostly, and it felt like I knew when to use which skill. That Invigorating Precision helps a lot more than I thought it would, or the evasion from the dagger #3 helps a lot more than I thought it would (or both). Or maybe I just got lucky. But I wasn't as frustrated, and I wasn't as squishy, so I'm calling it a win.

Have you tried d/p p/d? It's a great set to learn how to use blinds to stay alive if you want an alternative to stealth.

@nopoet.2960 said:Have you tried d/p p/d? It's a great set to learn how to use blinds to stay alive if you want an alternative to stealth.

You know, that's actually what I had when I came back after the years-long break, but I could find absolutely no one recommending it and I was still trying to remember how to play. I figured it was just me being weird in my weapon choice back in the day, and started looking for alternatives.

@Tairgire.4836 said:

@nopoet.2960 said:Have you tried d/p p/d? It's a great set to learn how to use blinds to stay alive if you want an alternative to stealth.

It boils down to being very aggressive on d/p using 3 and 5 for defense. Swap to p/d when you get in over your head to escape/reassess then back to d/p when you see an opening. I played as condition because I didn't really use stealth and only really swapped away from d/p when I over extended. You can try something like the the build below. /shrug it's been a while though.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZAQRAoa6Yl0MhmnYRTwrJQ/EHtElOAOgFYfolQi2XsnoKA-jhCEABoqE87HAgR7PAg5PnPIA9o87F1fM4EAQwRAoD9DAA-e

what's amazing with the thief is that a leveling build can be summed up by one thing, it's weapon set.Use dagger pistol. Set up a blinding zone with pistol 5 and hit your foes with dagger auto attack. This trivialize most of the fight in PvE.