Any of you use Acrobatics?

[TwiceDead.1963]

Just a question for the PvP/WvW'ers out there. Curiosity mainly. How do you run it?

Edit: I question this forums metric for HOT topics.

Edited October 14, 2021 by TwiceDead.1963
Hot Topic

[ixon.2496]

Usually run in for d/d condi builds

[TwiceDead.1963]

d/d condi?? In WvW and PvP? Don't see many of those.
Getting mileage out of the vigor uptime or?

Edited October 14, 2021 by TwiceDead.1963

[Jumpel.3972]

It's nice with some S/X build otherwise ....mehhhhhhhhh

 

 

[Chips.7968]

1 hour ago, TwiceDead.1963 said:

 How do you run it?

Go to your trait line (specialisations) and select acrobatics...

 

Or do you mean what choices do you make and why, coupled with your build? 🙂 I use it on Core Sword Dagger, as there's the synergy with sword damage coupled with a shorter cooldown on steal (temporarily), and given you're less reliant upon stealth and more reliant upon evades - vigor/swiftness access is useful. Finally the ability to gain init / regen on evading attacks or making conditions that immob you short in duration, or shed when gaining swiftness (refer back to earlier mention of swiftness on dodge), mean you may be lacking a daredevils extra dodge, but given you aren't reliant upon stealth you can keep moving... It just works well with my playstyle (note playstyle, not ability). 

 

However, if I were trying sword dagger daredevil then what's the point. Extra damage reduction? Not really, you can get that from melee range or missing endurance (from a sketchy memory) on daredevil; similar with shedding conditions/movement conditions. So... choices. 

 

If that's not what you were after, any chance you could be clearer in your question?:D

Edited October 14, 2021 by Chips.7968

[kash.9213]

D A-Trick-Acro, power with sword/? or dagger/dagger with shortbow. I might drop D A for CS sometimes. I feel like keeping my Health somewhere around 17k to 20k let's me wander around enough.

I steal life with food and sigil, Draining sigil feels like a good top off to a Tactical Strike with Executioner and I keep Scorpion Wire on tap for a few interrupts in row plus Pitfall. I have to compound and pressure from a few different angles because while I like the way acro feels under the hood and I feel more in a balance and tempo with it, it's pigeon holed into kits and traits.

I toggle between default and action camera a lot, both are worse and better in their own ways so I go with what I need at the moment depending on the weapon kit and how I'm staggering swiftness, vigor, and all of that under Don't Stop in most places. Either mode will have different use of space, orientation, and interaction with obstacles and you're probably at some kind of pace and focus you've set for your Acro build.

I like to combo stuff like sending a dodge through Infiltrators Arrow for a long range evade (or Bound Leap if you have that onto someone) and for swiftness and creating distance quickly to keep up with different parts of a moving fight and to get to people I need to help. I also combo jump+dodge to get air time on Flanking Strike sometimes to avoid weird terrain or objects as long as I'm pacing out dodges anyway when my resources pools are all healthy.

Edited October 14, 2021 by kash.9213

[TwiceDead.1963]

2 hours ago, Chips.7968 said:

Spoiler

Go to your trait line (specialisations) and select acrobatics...

 

Or do you mean what choices do you make and why, coupled with your build? 🙂 I use it on Core Sword Dagger, as there's the synergy with sword damage coupled with a shorter cooldown on steal (temporarily), and given you're less reliant upon stealth and more reliant upon evades - vigor/swiftness access is useful. Finally the ability to gain init / regen on evading attacks or making conditions that immob you short in duration, or shed when gaining swiftness (refer back to earlier mention of swiftness on dodge), mean you may be lacking a daredevils extra dodge, but given you aren't reliant upon stealth you can keep moving... It just works well with my playstyle (note playstyle, not ability). 

 

However, if I were trying sword dagger daredevil then what's the point. Extra damage reduction? Not really, you can get that from melee range or missing endurance (from a sketchy memory) on daredevil; similar with shedding conditions/movement conditions. So... choices. 

 

If that's not what you were after, any chance you could be clearer in your question?:D

 

Really just looking for reasons people run it. I used to in the past, not really tempted to nowadays. It's interesting to see other peoples take on it though. Thanks for the write-up.

[NorthernRedStar.3054]

It's a shame Acrobatics is so harshly overshadowed by the other trait lines. It has some of my favorite effects, both thematically and gameplay -wise. It needs a soft revamp, though.

Like, who uses Pain Response in its current form - anywhere? It's way too similar to Instant Reflexes (which, coincidentally, has also been turned useless). This could be the ultimate boon strip / share specialization with some work. Currently, it's the "defensive" trait line of thieves that's outdone by Shadow Arts in every way imaginable. It also doesn't grant enough offense and utility to merit taking over Deadly Arts and Trickery.

Fix? Make it serve a niche, but a powerful niche at that. At least it'd see some competitive use.

Edited October 14, 2021 by NorthernRedStar.3054

[Zacchary.6183]

Run&Gun for map travel and keeping up with zergs

[Doggie.3184]

Nope. Haven't touched it in many years.

Edited October 14, 2021 by Doggie.3184

[hatozeni.5721]

Acrobatics

Shadow Arts

DeadEye

GG in PVP

[Jumpel.3972]

10 hours ago, hatozeni.5721 said:

Acrobatics

Shadow Arts

DeadEye

GG in PVP

 which weapon ?

 

Without Trickery, deadeye struggle to do good damage/brust + easily switch target

[ShadowInTheVoid.9183]

Acrobatics is a great survivability line.
It is overshadowed to some degree by Daredevil now as their is alot of cross over but Acrobatics does have it's advantages.

 

The ability to gain swiftness on dodging is a HUGE aid to mobility.

The boosts to vigor can be nice but does balance against the extra evade bar of Daredevil

If you take Vigorous Recovery and a low recharge heal you can get some major vigor uptime

Plenty of other survivability traits too.

I think it just doesn't get the love it deserves because there is no good DPS boosters but it works well for Condi builds, especially with Deadly Arts and Trickery.

Try it with a bow for even more mobility with AOE poison and bleeding and being able to evade without going out of attack range.

Throw in Sword/Dagger as your other set with Swindlers Equilibrium for spamable boons and poison on steel.

[Jugglemonkey.8741]

I run it on core S/D and on minstrel DE, the sword build has nice synergy with acrobatics and deadly arts and while the 300s cooldown on defensive traits is a pain in the butt, the combination of durability runes, minstrel gear, instant reflexes and hard to catch makes you nigh impossible to spike down quickly, which is great if I'm scouting or avoiding gank parties. I'd be the first to admit that I take it on that build because the other lines would be useless though, rather than acro actually being good.

[NorthernRedStar.3054]

8 hours ago, ShadowInTheVoid.9183 said:

I think it just doesn't get the love it deserves because there is no good DPS boosters but it works well for Condi builds, especially with Deadly Arts and Trickery.

You're better off with deadeye or daredevil, combined with Deadly Arts and Trickery. 

The issue is how heavily Acrobatics overlaps with Shadow Arts AND Trickery. You get vigor from Bountiful Theft with a (ha har) bountiful duration. Why'd you waste entire major traits for essentially the same effect, but worse (no boon strip). Aside from that, much that Trickery offers doubles as an offensive/defensive tool - plus Lead Attacks is way better than Swindler's Equilibrium, and a minor.

I assume I don't even have to discuss SA, because boosted stealth > any of the defensive tools on 300-second cooldown + regen, lol.

Edited October 15, 2021 by NorthernRedStar.3054

[hatozeni.5721]

10 hours ago, Jumpel.3972 said:

 which weapon ?

 

Without Trickery, deadeye struggle to do good damage/brust + easily switch target

Rifle.

This is the best Build I know for PVP and WvW. Basically I have perma-stealth and hardly get stuck in some stun. The thief is incredibly fast and invisible for 90% of combat. And with all the humility of this world... in 1v1 (sometimes 1v2)... I kill any class.

Go 5:21 minutes to see the build or 11:40 to see how this works.

Edited October 15, 2021 by hatozeni.5721

[LITERALLYABIRD.3528]

3 hours ago, NorthernRedStar.3054 said:

You're better off with deadeye or daredevil, combined with Deadly Arts and Trickery. 

The issue is how heavily Acrobatics overlaps with Shadow Arts AND Trickery. You get vigor from Bountiful Theft with a (ha har) bountiful duration. Why'd you waste entire major traits for essentially the same effect, but worse (no boon strip). Aside from that, much that Trickery offers doubles as an offensive/defensive tool - plus Lead Attacks is way better than Swindler's Equilibrium, and a minor.

I assume I don't even have to discuss SA, because boosted stealth > any of the defensive tools on 300-second cooldown + regen, lol.

The swiftness on dodge Shadow mentioned is also already covered by Dash, if we are talking PvP/WvW. 

[NorthernRedStar.3054]

2 minutes ago, BIRDPUNCHER.8263 said:

The swiftness on dodge Shadow mentioned is also already covered by Dash, if we are talking PvP/WvW. 

And if you take Rune of the Traveler.

[LITERALLYABIRD.3528]

Also, what is this condition build synergy that is mentioned? There are literally no condi application trait choices in Acrobatics. 

Edited October 16, 2021 by BIRDPUNCHER.8263

[Jugglemonkey.8741]

10 hours ago, BIRDPUNCHER.8263 said:

Also, what is this condition build synergy that is mentioned? There are literally no condi application trait choices in Acrobatics. 

They might be talking about a condi dodge build. An acro trickery daredevil D/D build would have good synergy through acro covering the weaknesses caused by taking Lotus Training over Dash.

[Grand Marshal.4098]

Not a thief main, but I like Acro/Crit Strikes/Trickey with Sword/Pistol

[LITERALLYABIRD.3528]

7 hours ago, Jugglemonkey.8741 said:

They might be talking about a condi dodge build. An acro trickery daredevil D/D build would have good synergy through acro covering the weaknesses caused by taking Lotus Training over Dash.

I thought that at first, but the post was 

 

21 hours ago, NorthernRedStar.3054 said:

[Acrobatics] works well for Condi builds, especially with Deadly Arts and Trickery.

implying they're omitting Daredevil altogether. Moreover they were specifically discussing S/D and Shortbow as their weapon sets; beyond that between the third dodge, the minor grandmaster, and the strike damage bonuses (let's not forget strike damage is still significant for a condition thief) Daredevil would surely outstrip the mere extra vigor from Acrobatics. 

Edited October 16, 2021 by BIRDPUNCHER.8263
Second quote is from ShadowInTheVoid, not NorthernRedStar. Error in the auto-quote function.

[itspomf.9523]

I feel like the obligate oddball for running Critical Strikes, Acrobatics, and Daredevil together for maximum bouncing.  Who needs paltry damage boosts or to constantly waste initiative when I can throw piles of damage at something already and stay alive to keep doing so?

[hatozeni.5721]

It is simply amazing the survival of a DeadEye that also uses Acrobatics and Shadow Arts. You become a Thief that can kill at long range, with perma-stealth (while not attacking), super fast and anti-stun.
For PVP and WvW it's just great. I strongly advise.

[itspomf.9523]

On 10/17/2021 at 12:44 PM, hatozeni.5721 said:

It is simply amazing the survival of a DeadEye that also uses Acrobatics and Shadow Arts. You become a Thief that can kill at long range, with perma-stealth (while not attacking), super fast and anti-stun.
For PVP and WvW it's just great. I strongly advise.

 

Got a sample build?  I'd be interested in trying this out, though mostly for PvE.