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D/p or S/d


zDeathRow.4369

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Iv been in a loop trying to figure out which setup is better, I do all game modes, getting more involved in wvw now but I just can't seem to decide what's more optimal in most cases, it seems like after the back stab nerf people kinda left d/p to s/d, is one really better than the other or does it all come down to personal preference?

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I personally like s/p myself. Each of the three have advantages and I think most personal preference. I find s/d compared to d/p has more "fail safes" if you would and is easier to get out of trouble when needed. It a little more flexible in its ability to steal boons and port in and out.

D/P can still finish an enemy off faster.

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I like the feel of d/p and each skills function but in wvw you can find your self having to go the long way where s/d gives you some options with obstacles and topography. S/d also feels better for dismantling and softening up while still being passably strong enough at the onset of your damage cycle of your kit is tuned up for your matchup.

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@Taobella.6597 said:d/p always good just because it has lots of stealth honestly back stab at this point in game should be redesign. it just a too outdated skill for the game.

Eh, thats legitimately the least important part of D/P, because you basically dont ever stealth in-combat, and backstab is not used at all unless youre playing Deadeye (mainly because its bad if youre not playing Deadeye).

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I think d/p is more fun and 'faster' dps. Problem is the damage has been nerfed such that sw/d is probably more sustainable.

D/p with Daredevil bound, smoke screen, and infiltrators signet is loads of fun. However, at least in my experience, because of the damage nerfs you have to be glass or so technically good and patient to be successful.

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D/P is more bursty, but requires glass generally to be effective.S/D is safer, has a lower skill floor/ceiling (easier to use and only effective to a certain skill level)S/P is safe, but limited as its predictable. (Lower skill floor than the others, but higher skill ceiling)

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@Yasai.3549 said:I play Deadeye, I use S/P.

Binding Shadows > Mark > Sw2 > Pistol Whip is pretty cancerous and unavoidable combo especially for people who tend to panic when they hear the DJ lockon sound and blow all their dodges.

PW with quickness running is devastating and especially useful when taking out an enemy trying to rez a downed player. A high uptime on quickness also allows more Pistol whips to succeed after the IMMOB from infiltrators.

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@babazhook.6805 said:

PW with quickness running is devastating and especially useful when taking out an enemy trying to rez a downed player. A high uptime on quickness also allows more Pistol whips to succeed after the IMMOB from infiltrators.

Yea DE Mark has a trait which gives Quickness and gives bonus 200 Power and Precision while under Quickness.

Binding Shadow is a near undetectable Immob which also knocks down a Marked target.

Everything fits perfectly with each other, that's why S/P is a good weapon set to have on DE for 1v1 duels instead camping Rifle.

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@"zDeathRow.4369" said:Let's say I'm roaming open world, is the damage output about the same? Let's say theirs a boss event (I normally run DE rifle but like having a melee setup) is s/d still more optimal?

If you're roaming open world, then you should have all weapon set possible. In a boss event, you would want a single target set. However, there are events where you would want a lot of AoE, so using D/D or ShortBow might be the best set.

As far as D/P is concern, if you're already running DE, it's the best weapon set that compliments that Elite Spec.Use S/D only if you're running Core.

IMO, your damage output really depends on your playstyle. Even if you're using on "optimal" build, it doesn't necessarily means that you'll have similar "optimal" result. In combat, your damage output depends on how you make your decisions and how many mistakes you make. Making a mistake could mean ZERO dps, aka you're downed or dead.

In the end, use whatever weapon set you're comfortable using since that will be your highest DPS set compare to other sets. For instance, my DPS using a Rifle pales in comparison in my DPS using P/P, while others have better DPS with Rifle than P/P. That is because I'm comfortable using P/P than Rifle and when stealth fails, I cannot use DJ.

I can use D/P but it will not be "optimal" compare to other players using the same set. What I can use as comparison instead is by comparing my own results using D/P vs using S/D. If the damage output about the same for you, then you can use either one. However, in my case I deal more damage using DE D/P than S/D Core. The only down side is DE D/P is more riskier than S/D Core. The new SA has minimized the D/P risk, but it is still riskier in comparison to S/D Core -- meaning, you might be downed a lot using DE D/P. It is only because stealth can fail while evasion is reliable.

I was using S/D Core before the SA update. Now, I'm using DE D/P and loving it with no regards to which set deals more damage.

Just something to think about when selecting a weapon set.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Don't go d/p unless you really, really want to and are willing to make build sacrifices. It...doesn't even really have damage anymore - the AA was nerfed to heck and backstab is horrendously outdated.

I've only ever found d/p to be usable if I go DrD, as the blind is still pretty powerful against some classes, orrrrr

DE if you're willing to go Shadow Arts and Maleficent Seven, and really work on landing your Shadow Shot so you can get the boons, dip in 'n out of stealth for protection, and for the extra stealth access as a whole to land (relatively lackluster, but readily available) backstabs. It can be pretty....interesting to start off on rifle, land a few spotter shots to build boons/malice, then gape close with Shadow Shot, stealth and backstab when you have 20+ stacks of might.

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@Yasai.3549 said:

PW with quickness running is devastating and especially useful when taking out an enemy trying to rez a downed player. A high uptime on quickness also allows more Pistol whips to succeed after the IMMOB from infiltrators.

Yea DE Mark has a trait which gives Quickness and gives bonus 200 Power and Precision while under Quickness.

Binding Shadow is a near undetectable Immob which also knocks down a Marked target.

Everything fits perfectly with each other, that's why S/P is a good weapon set to have on DE for 1v1 duels instead camping Rifle

I found that s/p daredevil works really well since, when traited for bound, it has lots of access to stealth and tactical strike, on top of that you have pi on interrupts.

When i face a s/p dead eye i know exactly what his game plan is: land binding shadow and spam as many whips as possible in that time, easy enough to avoid once you encounter the build once or twice.But a s/p daredevil might try to chain whips, or he could rotate black powder ->dodge -> tactical strike ->full aa chain until you die, or simply poke you with auto attacks while interrupting everything with head shot & procking pi. All this to say that due to traits a daredevil can do damage with skills other than pistol whip, and so becomes much less predictable and far more dangerous.

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@foste.3098 said:

PW with quickness running is devastating and especially useful when taking out an enemy trying to rez a downed player. A high uptime on quickness also allows more Pistol whips to succeed after the IMMOB from infiltrators.

Yea DE Mark has a trait which gives Quickness and gives bonus 200 Power and Precision while under Quickness.

Binding Shadow is a near undetectable Immob which also knocks down a Marked target.

Everything fits perfectly with each other, that's why S/P is a good weapon set to have on DE for 1v1 duels instead camping Rifle

I found that s/p daredevil works really well since, when traited for bound, it has lots of access to stealth and tactical strike, on top of that you have pi on interrupts.

When i face a s/p dead eye i know exactly what his game plan is: land binding shadow and spam as many whips as possible in that time, easy enough to avoid once you encounter the build once or twice.But a s/p daredevil might try to chain whips, or he could rotate black powder ->dodge -> tactical strike ->full aa chain until you die, or simply poke you with auto attacks while interrupting everything with head shot & procking pi. All this to say that due to traits a daredevil can do damage with skills other than pistol whip, and so becomes much less predictable and far more dangerous.

This reliance on one skill wherein the actions of the individual predictable is not limited to s/p. Any weapon set and any choice of trait lines can allow for this type of game play. The s/p player in DE as example can just as easily use black powder>dodge>tactical strike and full aa chain. The s/p player in DE should be willing to use the stealth attack from the weapon set so as to load up those vulnerability stacks and recover endurance. They can not use PI but that DE stealth attack can be as effective in laying out damage as is a DD PI. S/p properly run should be much more willing to use stealth over dodges which garners its own advantages.

When I see a |Staff build thief , most of them are predictable in that they are going to spam vault. This not because they took the daredevil trait line. It because like those binding shadows pistol whip guys , they are just not taking full advantage of the set.

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