Power DD or Power SB ?

[BigB.7382]

Hi there ! I’ve juste came back from a long break. I have two 80 characters : a Power daredevil and a Power soulbeast. I want to focus on one of them but i can’t decide :/ can you help me pls ?

Ps: it’s for PVE (open world, dungeons, fractals,...

[oOAvengerOo.6714]

Even if I mainly play Thief since release I also want to swap to Ranger SB.We can't really decide for you because maybe you prefer DD gameplay to SB gameplay.

But the interesting things that made me want to change for SB is if you are ready to invest time in the game SB is probably a better choice if you like them both equally. Because Ranger in general can carry more weapon than Thief so if you plan on crafting legendary your Ranger can play with most of them.If you get bored of farming meta event you can explore to collect pets.If you want to change playstyle you can go Power or Condi DPS or support.Ranger offer much more possibility and gameplay diversity than thief.The only point where I think thief is a better choice is PvP but I'm not even sure and you say you are focus on PvE so it's irrelevant.

[Shivvies.3921]

Both are viable.

Power Soulbeast with Greatsword and Sword/Axe is a tad easier to use, can bring a lot of groupwide support utility in a pinch, can go Druid and can actually be very helpful even in power gear. I'd say better for fractals all round especially if you're using LFG to do them.

Thief can be good dps and can provide stealth which is nothing to write home about in fractals. Power Deadeye with D/D has great fractal and raiding potential as DPS. I'd say slightly better for raiding purposes only but both are about the same in that regard. However, thief with a shortbow and a good power build is by far one of the most effective "farmers" in Istan. You tag everything and have amazing mobility.

In brief, both have their uses. If more interested in doing instances (Fractals / Raids) I'd focus more on SB for now and bring dagger dagger deadeye if needed for raiding. If interested in farming gold in Istan or SW, shortbow and thief are your best friends (you can actually make exotic gear for your thief, get a shortbow and be done with it).

Cheers!

[Turkeyspit.3965]

I have both and doing open world on Staff Daredevil is night and day easier than RangerYou are literally a machine as your dodges serve as mobility, defense AND DPS at the same time. As you use your staff your endurance replenishes, meaning you can just keep dodging your way to heart completion, using Steal for extra bursts across the field

I don't take my Daredevil into Fractals solely because I find it's more selfish a DPS spec than my Guardian, but that's a personal preference.

Some thoughts:Staff #1 - the 3rd attack on the chain reflects missiles. Yay!Staff #2 - hits hard and puts weakness on enemy, which reduces the damage of their attacks by 50% (if they hit)Staff #3 - removes those ANNOYING roots/immobilize abilities. Also pushes you back just far enough so you can dodge forward and land right on your target. Also looks pimp.Staff #4 - Puts vulnerability and blindness on target. Very handy for champion or elite mobs.Staff #5 - not very efficient with initiative, but looks BADA$$, and hits 5 targets like a truck.

Remember it's not enough to just clear the camp area of mobs, you have to look awesome doing it to anyone wandering nearby.

Highly recommend running Invigorating Precision (https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Invigorating_Precision) for open world, as you can just shrug off the few hits that land and fill your health bar.

Shortbow is also sickening awesome on a Thief, both to tag mobs in a group event, or as a mobility tool.

The only negative with Daredevil is you have to be careful to not dodge off of stuff, like ledges, bridges, cliffs, etc.

Here is a build that will work great in open world, and pretty much everywhere else.http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vZAQJAWVn8lCFPhNOBGOB0PhlxiabDLrbb+279i3bACgDA-e

For utilities if you're doing any kind of group content (meta event, fractals, etc) I'd swap the elite to Basilisk Venom.Hide in Shadows is a nice healing ability if you're getting bombarded with conditions (HoT/PoF content)

Gear you can run full Zerk if you're good with your dodges, or use Marauder for extra breathing room. If you find you're taking little to no damage, swap to Assassin's Fury + No Quarter in the Critical Strikes tree, and you'll be self providing 25 stacks of might for a big DPS bump.

Seriously fun spec to play. Hope you enjoy it!

[BigB.7382]

Thanks a lot guys, i think i’ll go thief. I love both of them but for now i will stay with my daredevil.

[Zenith.7301]

Soulbeast is highly dependent on landing key skills during sic em utility window (~1/3 uptime), after which you hit like a wet noodle.

Daredevil always hits hard, which makes its damage a lot less conditional.