Would you like a ninja damage/support elite spec as elite spec? Have a look at this concept and vote!

[TheThief.8475]

Here is the concept from Montinore09 reddit:

 m5yx5p18p2171.png (1946×7312) (redd.it) 

Edited July 24, 2021 by TheThief.8475

[Fueki.4753]

Unlike it's Senran Kagura, I don't like pop fiction Ninja.

 

Historically accurate Ninja preferred to avoid fights and run away with their lives (and intel, if they got some), which already is covered too much within the base Thieves' toolkit.

 

I would rather have Arenanet give us an elite specialization that replaces Stealth with a defensive mechanic.

Maybe they could call it Shadow Armour and have it be a flat 20% damage reduction.

I'd really like to play a Thief that stood a chance in fair fights.

 

Edited July 24, 2021 by Fueki.4753

[Blocki.4931]

I want a bruiser type of Thief with a Greatsword or Axe(s).

[Zacchary.6183]

We have a lot of damage focused specs that also got some pretty heavy-handed nerfs. Would like one more focused on support so there is build variety.

[Grand Marshal.4098]

Bruiser can be done with stances and OH sword. Easiest option. 

[Axl.8924]

YES YES YES pls yes.

 

 

[MrForz.1953]

Eh, that whole thing looks obnoxious, too much of everything crammed in. Also two skill types unlocked instead of one. The weebesque mambo jumbo and fantasy don't help either.

Edited July 26, 2021 by MrForz.1953

[Jugglemonkey.8741]

I can see why some might enjoy this kind of thing, but I'm more of an Errol Flynn rogue myself. 

[DeceiverX.8361]

Aside from the meme that the elite specs are already more or less completed for EoD, this is:

- Extremely Convoluted

- Ludicrously OP in both concept and numbers - You basically have 48+ initiative per fight - and 3k tooltip for 6 init + teleport evade????? (lol that's literally backstab on full zerk CS/Tr/Offense Bound DrD on D/D with 25 stacks of bloodlust, T7 food and Assassin's Signet levels of damage... in PvE.  For WvW it's literally more than 25 might + ASignet + all of the aforementioned...)

- Does the opposite of specialize in anything - it's straight powercreep and lets the thief do virtually all roles at once with no actual tradeoff whatsoever.

Edited July 29, 2021 by DeceiverX.8361

[Crab Fear.1624]

No support.

 

The people who keep asking for support thief, what do you even mean by support?

 

Hopefully nothing like a healer type, because nothing in the thief kit is even remotely built to make support viable.

 

The whole elite traitline would have to be completely support and all utilities, weapons kills and elite would need to be support....

 

And it would still be a crappy support....

 

Magic thief, is ok....

 

Support thief will be in the dumpster day one.

 

To even be asking this just shows you don't even play thief and understand how much thief would fundamentally have to be redesigned for it to be viable.

 

Some things are just not meant to be support.

 

Now, thief does have potential to be an offensive spell caster.

 

My guess it will be offhand torch.

 

I'm guessing our icon is the initiative diamond surrounded by fire

[kash.9213]

36 minutes ago, Crab Fear.1624 said:

No support.

 

The people who keep asking for support thief, what do you even mean by support?

 

Hopefully nothing like a healer type, because nothing in the thief kit is even remotely built to make support viable.

 

The whole elite traitline would have to be completely support and all utilities, weapons kills and elite would need to be support....

 

And it would still be a crappy support....

 

Magic thief, is ok....

 

Support thief will be in the dumpster day one.

 

To even be asking this just shows you don't even play thief and understand how much thief would fundamentally have to be redesigned for it to be viable.

 

Some things are just not meant to be support.

 

Now, thief does have potential to be an offensive spell caster.

 

My guess it will be offhand torch.

 

I'm guessing our icon is the initiative diamond surrounded by fire

Thief does fine as support. It would do fine with a support Elite.

Condi is basically magic, we already have those builds.

Torch would be fine, and there are some nice skins for it that don't look huge and dumb. 

[Fueki.4753]

1 hour ago, Crab Fear.1624 said:

To even be asking this just shows you don't even play thief and understand how much thief would fundamentally have to be redesigned for it to be viable.

It wouldn't require a fundamental redesign of the entire profession.

Redesigning Shadow Arts by ripping out all the stealth traits and putting supportive/defensive tools in their would already go a long way. Add a semi-supportive elite specialization to that and Thief would make a fine support.

Edited August 4, 2021 by Fueki.4753

[anjo.6143]

thief support is disgusting, is really trash

[Crab Fear.1624]

10 hours ago, Fueki.4753 said:

It wouldn't require a fundamental redesign of the entire profession.

Redesigning Shadow Arts by ripping out all the stealth traits and putting supportive/defensive tools in their would already go a long way. Add a semi-supportive elite specialization to that and Thief would make a fine support.

 

No way.

 

Just stick to guardian man.

 

When you tell people you are support herald, they call you trash....and it actually has support skills, traits, and utilities.....

 

Thief don't have anything that is fundamentally support.

 

Any supporting type things are collateral or very situational requiring a steal.

 

Thief would be a dumpster support.

 

People who want support thief im guessing, don't main Thief or really don't understand how Thief is designed.

 

 

You are saying to redesign core Thief to make this bad idea d tier viable?

 

Alienate all the million hour Thief mains for a couple *in comparison, players that think it would be neat.

 

 

If you actually play, enjoyed, and mained the class, you would see how terrible the idea is, but also realize the unique place Thief is in.

 

Perhaps you do and just want to destroy the class.

 

The real thieves want damage, and are probably open to much more magical style of Thief.

 

But the core initiative design and dual wield makes support thief.....nope.

 

If you think this elite spec won't use initiative....lol.    

 

And are they going to redesign Thief just for this, and rvery skill to convert to some non initiative form?

 

No 

 

Use only 1 weapon with 2 skill bars?

 

Possible....but not likely.

 

Weapon is in the air, support is out the window lol 

 

There are several game breaking reasons that this is extremely unlikely going to be a support thief .

 

My gold is on a burning Thief with spell based utilities.

 

 

[Crab Fear.1624]

On 8/4/2021 at 12:39 PM, kash.9213 said:

Thief does fine as support. It would do fine with a support Elite.

Condi is basically magic, we already have those builds.

Torch would be fine, and there are some nice skins for it that don't look huge and dumb. 

Thief can only do support in terms of boon share from raid boss stolen skills.

 

By itself, it has no support.

 

How about you break it down, or better yet show the builds that are so support for thief right now that don't include this raid boss stolen skill?

 

If you say shadow arts, we can run through the traits together, and see that in no way is that even remotely close to support in a way that makes even the most minute of impacts on play for allies. (no cleanse, pathetic res, the heals are omegalul)

 

Trickery is selfish, trickery can share the boons you steal, and can give fury might swiftness to those close enough when you still (1 skills, 2 traits...pathetic in terms of "support")

 

Deadly arts? selfish traits, no shares

 

Critical strikes? selfish traits, no shares

 

Acrobatics is selfish, and shares nothing

 

We can share signet of agility but look at range, and we can provide shadow refuge but really that is it in supportive traits.

 

We are not talking about deadeye, which also really has nothing to offer except for the GM trait, and since it can't be combined with another elite, it is not even allowed.

 

SEE?

 

There is nothing supportive about thief.

 

all you have is memes and dreams.

 

and a stolen boss skill and NOTHING else.

 

We don't have a pure condi class.

 

Deadeye, Daredevil, and core are dominately POWER

 

I suspect either a Torch or a Focus.

 

I wouldn't bank on a GS, but hey I won't decline it.

 

As thief has no natural fire sources, they are the only class in the game that has no way of accessing fire without stealing something or using a rune, so I wouldn't be surprised that they go that way, with a burn thief.

 

Afterall, looks like guardian is thief now lol

[Will.9785]

I posted pretty much this exact spec years ago on reddit so yes, I'd want a shadowy ninja type spec.

 

I named mine Shadow Dancer after the Shinobi sequel.

 

As for support... I don't think it makes sense for thief to be a support class but I do see room for us to be a debuffing class.  So anything that pumps out blinds, weakness, chill, slow would be fine in my book.  Or maybe an aura that makes enemies around us take 5-10% or damage or something.

[Zacchary.6183]

6 hours ago, Crab Fear.1624 said:

As thief has no natural fire sources, they are the only class in the game that has no way of accessing fire without stealing something or using a rune, so I wouldn't be surprised that they go that way, with a burn thief.

You realize it doesn't HAVE to be torch. They could put it on certain skills for any weapon with whatever lore justification they can come up with so it makes sense.

[InsaneQR.7412]

Honestly i would like an Oni themed e-spec with OH axe, more melee cleave/AoE and a class mechanic that does something with stealth.

 

I honestly want stelath to be replaced by shadow armor that gives you reduced incoming damage but does not stealth you. Shadow armor will not be removed after attacking and you are considered permanently revealed while inder the effect of shadow armor for trait purposes.

 

The buff can be augmented via traits and can be shared with allies for stability, or protection, or resitances etc.

 

This would give thief a more in your face spec taht could provide zerg and PvE group utility.