Guild Wars 2 Thief Build: Open World Deadeye

My preferred way to play thief in open world for GW2. If you've been looking for a fun-focused power build for thief, this is the build for you.
This build struggles with cleaving down groups of enemies and has minimal access to cc, so beware.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:55 Golem Pulls
05:41 Gear
08:48 Traits
16:10 Deadeye Crash Course
22:33 Hero Point Demos and Further Discussion
36:05 Outro

[@CAMattelaer]

Oooh interesting. At first i was like 'oh no another d/d build that will yeet me off ledges' but you didnt touch d3 😂

[@robin9763]

I recommend a mix of marauder and dragon gear, 4 stat equipment is more efficient and vitality is better for survivability imo, especially with all the condi pressure in open world nowadays

[@mandala3042]

I don't agree. Sure, you could run the build with almost full dragon's and still be crit capped and essentially be max dmg with bonus hp, but the 600 toughness is far more valuable defensively than an extra flat 5-6k hp because of all the healing we have. The build also has access to plenty of additional condi cleanse if you find yourself in dire need of it. You can take any of the cleanse heals or you can drop a signet or 2 for extra cleanses or escape tools if you find condition pressure is overwhelming you. But the entire point of this setup is the weaponize our access to toughness and multiple healing sources to outpace any incoming dmg while we fight.

[@grid6546]

I like the build and its simplistic rotation, really does have that "smooth" feeling to it for open world but do you feel at all that it might be a little limited in its single target nature? Any ideas if that might be an issue for someone?

[@mandala3042]

For sure an issue with this build and one of the reasons I mention it isn't of the same caliber as most of my other builds for open world. You still have the tools to win fights against groups with properly leveraged piercing and cleave dmg on each weapon set, but unfortunately these weapons aren't going to do you many favors against hordes of enemies.
You could choose between either the dagger/dagger or rifle setup for your primary weapon set and then run shortbow or axe/pistol as a secondary set to help remedy the lack of cleave and cc if being an all-purpose build is more your goal.

[@grid6546]

@@mandala3042 Thanks for the reply, I think I'll try that out. Love your builds Mandala, really focus on the right things imo

[@CarnaghSidhe]

@@grid6546 just to provide an alternative, not to be awkward... open world build, the best thief might be a ranger... it kind of depends on whether the class fantasy change breaks it for you... which I can quite understand... if not, maybe look at the untamed... you can go dagger-dagger/axe-torch, with a celestial loadout, and be pretty roguish. You just happen to like trees and rabbits alongside :)
Again, I'm not trying to persuade you, I'm really just flagging an alternative angle for open world. If it's not interesting to you, it really doesn't require a justification.
On untamed for open world I have a power build that's basically unkillable, but my hybrid build as outlined above, really is a woodland rogue, just with better numbers than an actual thief in every way.
Either way, happy hunting mate :)

[@grid6546]

@@CarnaghSidhe no worries and thanks a bunch for the info, I actually adore untamed and it’s what I’ve played most, thief is / was my attempt at spicing things up.

[@CarnaghSidhe]

@@grid6546 ahhh... I fully understand :)

[@krievsLV]

MEOW MEOW MEOW

[@Earthz1412]

i am a main thief and the only thing that fun about thief for me is only shortbow

[@daydev2599]

From my own experience trying out thief open world builds from different sources, thief definitely has this "look what I need to mimic a fraction of their power" feeling compared to other classes. Where many, many other specs thrive, thief only just about works. A sad situation.

[@Jay-el9iz]

That's ele though, thief is the best profession for exploration and map completion due to mobility and stealth. It is also good for general PvE as it has good sustain and cleave, and can provide utility with steal. Have to find the right build and play right.

[@daydev2599]

@@Jay-el9iz Nah, I was able to find a couple of ele builds that slap, for example Masel's "fire wizard" in its open world configuration, it's pretty simple, powerful, and surprisingly durable, even in Viper's. Celestial sword weaver is cool too. I tried a bunch of thief builds, from power to celestial, including the one from the man himself, Lord Hizen, and at best I found them mostly ok.

[@Jay-el9iz]

@@daydev2599 Yeah you just don't know how to play thief.

[@missk1697]

​@@Jay-el9izOr maybe you don't know to not overdose copium. Thief is objectively the worst class, lacks cleave, has poor utility for solo play and meh weapon sets. For power reaper is better, for condi herald rules, and don't even get me started on heal specter lmao. Thief can absolutely get the job done, it's just other classes can do so much better and easier.

[@Jay-el9iz]

@@missk1697 I completed the GW2 stories and map exploration for the first time as thief back when we didn't have all these quality of life changes so I know what I'm talking about. Thief has a particular playstyle like any profession, the fact that not as many people enjoy it or make the most out of it compared to other professions doesn't mean it's unfit for open world. As I said and I will repeat, thief is the best profession for map exploration. For general PvE, the only profession I know that can withstand most (virtually all) difficulties SOLO, and EASILY, is mirage.
Edit: I'll admit thief isn't as easy as it seems though, and ArenaNet puts it at 2/3 on the difficulty scale.