Fisherman Gathering Build

Overview

Weapon: Dagger

Focus: Melee DPS

Mode: Gathering

Strengths

• Great Mobility
• Great Survivability

Weaknesses

• Squishy

This build is up to date for the November 6, 2024 Horizons Patch #1.

Overview

This build focuses on maximizing your survivability and getting away from fights whenever you aren't fishing by rivers. The build does very well at avoiding PVP players trying to gank you while still having the ability to deal with mobs if any of them attack you. Keep in mind that you shouldn't try to take fights against players though as you lack any real sustain or damage.

Equipment

Main Hand Weapon

Elder's Bloodletter

Off Hand Weapon

Elder's Mistcaller

Head

Elder's Fisherman Cap

Cape

Elder's Undead Cape

Alternatives ⇅

Armor

Elder's Fisherman Garb

Shoes

Elder's Fisherman Workboots

Potion

Invisibility Potion

Food

Pork Pie

Keep in mind: Gear shown in this build is meant as a reference. Choosing the correct tier of gear is very tricky as there are many variables. Some of them being your budget, your spec and minimum Item Power requirements of your guild if used for ZvZ.

You should always check prices based on IP of the items. For example, a masterpiece quality 4.3 Elder's Cryptcandle could be cheaper while providing roughly the same IP as an 8.0.

Usage

Elder's Bloodletter

Deadly Swipe — This low cooldown movement ability also applies an Assassin's Spirit Charge increasing damage by 6% and stacking up to 3 times. You want to spam this on mobs in order to apply Assassin's Spirit Charge to yourself and increase your damage when fighting mobs. Use this to get away from enemies if you use it in PVP.

Dash — This is your secondary kiting ability and allows you incredible mobility, helping a lot with making quick escapes from enemies if you end up dismounted or caught off guard.

Lunging Stabs — This skill acts a lot like the Dash as you want to use it for the mobility offered but you should also use this on mobs once they are brought down to lower than 40% HP in order to execute them. If you are fighting multiple mobs, its worth bringing all of them below half HP before using this to finish them off.

Deep Cuts — This is a constant bleed you apply when auto-attacking and the damage really helps with killing the animals quickly.

Elder's Fisherman Garb

Ambush — This skill turns you invisible and offers incredible versatility as it helps a lot with your mobility and your goal of getting away from gankers before they can catch you. Keep in mind however that a circle appears when you use this skill, and you remain invisible for the duration of the skill but you have to also remain within the circle.

Fisherman Skills — Just like the other passives on the Fisherman Set, this increases your fishing yield, improving the amount of resources you gather and also increasing the gathering fame you get while you're fishing.

Elder's Fisherman Cap

Block — Use this preemtively if you get attacked while you are fishing or if you get caught and dismounted, gankers will usually try to catch you into CC or purge your run immediately after dismounting you, this will block all CC and damage and force them to waste their CDs if they aren't careful.

Fisherman Skills — Just like the other passives on the Fisherman Set as it increases your gathering yield and its an obvious choice, make sure you stack it up to 10 before leaving the safezone.

Elder's Fisherman Workboots

Rejuvenating Sprint — Sadly this is the best sprint you can use on the workboots and you should use it whenever you are trying to get away from gankers. However, its worth knowing that Splash Wave is a common choice in PVP, especially for hellgates where you can use this to knock enemies far away. However, using this versus gankers isn't usually worth it as it doesn't offer you any movement speed increase and knocking back an enemy will also put you in combat.

Fisherman Skills — This is another passive increasing your fishing yield and there aren't any other options which makes it the only choice.

Elder's Undead Cape

Vanisher — This cape automatically activates and makes you invisible if you hit 15% HP. This invisibility lasts a few seconds and is usually enough to help you get away and have a second chance at surviving a gank. Keep this in mind whenever you are quickly losing HP and wait for the cape to trigger before you decide on your next move.

You can also use the Elder's Fort Sterling Cape, especially if you are travelling as it will cleanse one CC from you even when you are mounted. Another option is also the Elder's Fisherman Backpack offering you extra weight as it lowers the weight of the fishes you fish up and carry in your backpack. However, it doesn't do anything else to help with your survivability.

Best Mounts for Gathering

Saddled Swamp Salamander

This is the top choice for gathering as the Salamander is relatively cheap while being a very difficult to catch mob. Couple its high HP with the fact that the Saddled Swamp Salamander maintains the same movement speed regardless if you get attacked, it is impossible to slow down unlike other mounts that lose gallop speed when attacked.

Journeyman's Transport Ox

This is the mount you want to use as a beginner when you are leveling your gathering skill in royal zones and non-pvp places. This will help you gather for a while without running out of weight, helping a lot as you won't have to go back to town to deposit. You can use a higher tier ox as well but a Journeyman's Transport Ox normally does the trick.

Swiftclaw

This mount doesn't have an extra weight which makes it easy for you to tell how much weight you have and know when you would be overweight if you get dismounted. It is also rather fast and cheap but is rather squishy.

Expert's Warhorse

Just like the Swiftclaw this mount doesn't add extra weight, helping you tell just how much you can carry before you grow overweight. However, this mount also has high HP and actually has its own armor, magical resistance and CC resistance values which helps a lot with its tankiness. It is often overlooked but it offers the same speed as a t5 horse with increased tankiness.

Rotations

Escape Combo ↴

• If dismounted or caught while you're fishing, use this to get away. Start by using Block to make enemies use their cooldowns before using Lunging Stabs away from them. Try to not damage them with this ability as doing that will put you into combat. Next up, use Dash to move further away from them. Follow up by a quick Deadly Swipe before using Invisibility Potion to change direction and use Rejuvenating Sprint to get further away towards safety. You can also use Ambush if your mount is still on cooldown.

Consumables

Invisibility Potion — This potion turns you invisible and is a great choice for getting away from enemies and can be used alongside Ambush.

Pork Pie — This is the only good choice for a gatherer as it increases your gathering yield which is perfect. Maximizing yield also increases the gathering fame you get from every animal you skin.