DPS Daredevil WvW Zerg Build

GW2. WvW Build. DPS Daredevil WvW Zerg Build. Thief WvW. Large Scale WvW Build.

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The DPS Daredevil WvW build is a frontline Thief that deals massive burst damage in small areas with the Staff 5 Vault skill. Vault is a somewhat predictable and singular attack that can be countered easily by Aegis or Blind which is very common, so most of the time you will want to remove it by dodging which deals a bit of damage, swapping weapons for Hydromancy, or casting Signet of Agility before your Staff 5 attack lands to cleanse any weakness/blinds. This build is also great for focusing on one target because Steal with the Bountiful Theft trait will always prioritize removing Aegis > Stability > Protection.

While the build is a bit risky due to being full melee, it can still survive due to having many evades, but you need to understand the animations and chaining evades. Vault’s evade frame is the first half of the animation, so you are vulnerable before the damage hits and then there is a decent after-cast. Minimize this after-cast by swapping weapons right after the damage lands, since you will be using two staves anyway. Swapping weapons also gives initiative and an extra dodge due to Quick Pockets and Energy Sigil, so you want to swap often, but the timing of the swap is important so you can get value from triggering the Hydromancy Sigil or canceling an animation.

Mostly you will alternate between Dodging to gain the Bounding Dodger damage modifier and Staff 5 to chain evades while landing huge burst damage on enemies. Both of these movements count as a leap finisher, allowing you to gain many different effects just by leaping through all of the combo fields in large fights, especially water fields which will heal you. Staff 2 can also be great damage against moving targets that are hard to land your Staff 5 on. Using Steal on a target will always remove stability, and Basilisk Venom can be shared with your party members to stun enemies on the next hit, allowing you to lock down your target for long enough to burst them.

Basic Burst Combo: Basilisk Venom > Dodge + Steal > Staff 5 > Weapon Swap > Staff 2

Remember that the damage of Staff 5 does not happen if you teleport mid-animation, like Steal or Shadowstep, so if you want to combine a damage skill with your steal, you can Dodge or Staff 2 there instead.

While the build is mechanically simple, it is fully melee with no defenses besides dodging and Shadowstep, so timing and positioning are very important to know when you go in. Always have Shadowstep up if you decide to go deep. Shadowstep can be used to enter into the backline, do your damage, and then exit quickly. It can also be used to port out if you enter with Steal, and then you can re-enter with the Shadow Return once you’ve regained your endurance and initiative.

Staff 3 and 4 are often not used, but have their specific situational uses. Staff 4 is your only somewhat ranged quick attack, so it can sometimes be useful. Staff 3 will remove Immobilize on you which helps you to easily escape one of the most dangerous conditions.

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Alternatives

• Sigils: replace a Hydromancy Sigil for Bloodlust if you want more sustained damage
• Relic: when using Acrobatics or Vigor uptime is provided by others
• Relic: for more burst damage but less sustain
• Food: for more dodges

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Staff	Heal / Utility / Elite
	Stealth Attacks

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Alternatives

• Utility: replace Assassin’s Signet for the extra stun break when your party lacks stability
• Elite: when you prefer to split from your team often

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Alternatives

• Daredevil: if you need more cleansing

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Variants

• Acrobatics instead of Critical Strikes when your team lacks support

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Chat Code: (copy/paste into in-game chat)

[&DQUjGywXBzWUEgwBWACJAFcBVwEzAVgBDgEOAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA=]

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Gameplay:

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