Dagger + Staff Small Scale PvP Build
- High Burst Damage
- High Single Target DPS
- Great Mobility
- High Skill Floor & Skill Ceiling
Overview
Staff and Dagger build for small-scale PvP with an almost assassin-like approach, emphasizing dagger skills for primary damage output while leveraging the staff's potent burst damage to complement the dagger's abilities. Additionally, the staff provides excellent mobility, particularly through 
Frost Smokescreen.
Attributes
In this build, focus on investing points into Dexterity and Perception, aiming to reach a level of 30 in each stat to maximize your damage potential, which is the primary strength of this build. Allocate the remaining points into Wisdom for additional mana and mana regeneration, although mana sustain isn't a significant concern for this build.
Skills
Skill Priority
The Staff & Dagger is an excellent choice for solo players who prefer not to rely on guilds or for those who enjoy engaging in small group pvp against larger groups or groups of similar size.
In terms of leveling priority, focus on upgrading 
Serial Fire Bombs, 
Chain Lightning, and 
Shadow Strike to rare quality. Shadow Strike is particularly crucial for binding targets for 
Brutal Incision. Additionally, prioritize upgrading 
Inject Venom to at least rare quality to double the poison stacks you can apply. Frost Smokescreen should be the last ability you upgrade to rare, as it offers valuable mobility with the ability to use it twice when upgraded.
For epic upgrades, continue prioritizing the same abilities, but consider upgrading Frost Smokescreen later. Upgrading Inject Venom to epic extends the duration of poison application, allowing you to spread out your combo and still apply poison effectively. Prioritize upgrading Brutal Incision and 
Inferno Wave as soon as possible due to their significant damage increase. Inferno Wave benefits greatly from the epic level Serial Fire Bombs, which apply 2 stacks of burning with each hit.
Passives Priority
Upgrading passives isn't too costly, allowing you to prioritize active skills instead. However, it's essential not to neglect them. Focus on upgrading 
Assassin's Instincts and 
Flame Condensation for additional damage. 
Manaball Eruption provides a significant boost to your ranged attacks when using the staff and kiting. Meanwhile, the other passives primarily focus on boosting your defenses, with 
Mana Amp offering a flat increase to your maximum HP.
Equipment
Weapon Masteries
| Mana | Melee Defense |
 |
Mana Regen |
|
Spell Flexibility |
|
Magic Hit |
|
All Evasion |
|
Mana Blessing |
|
Mana Regen |
|
Melee Defense |
|
Reverberation Shield |
| Destroy | Base Damage |
|
Magic Hit |
|
Fatal Incantation |
|
Base Damage |
|
Mana Regen |
|
Mana Intensification |
|
Cooldown Speed |
|
Damage Bonus |
|
Strange Spacetime |
| Attribute | Mana Regen |
|
Enfeeble Chance |
|
Flame Wound |
|
Max Mana |
|
Magic Hit |
|
Ignition Booster |
|
Enfeeble Chance |
|
Wisdom |
|
Vast Destruction |
| Disguise | Ranged Defense |
|
Health Regen |
|
Debuff Immunity |
|
Mana Cost Efficiency |
|
Cooldown Speed |
|
Master of Evasion |
|
Buff Duration |
|
Ranged Defense |
|
Strong Will |
| Poison | Melee Hit |
|
Off-Hand Weapon Attack Chance |
|
Enfeebling Terror |
|
Mana Regen |
|
Buff Duration |
|
Sorrowful Silence |
|
Mana Cost Efficiency |
|
Melee Hit |
|
Shrewd Judgment |
| Assassination | Melee Critical Hit |
|
Base Damage |
|
Ambidexterity |
|
Melee Critical Hit |
|
Cooldown Speed |
|
Deep Grudge |
|
Base Damage |
|
Skill Damage Boost |
|
Maddening Excitement |
Staff:
To maximize your damage output, allocate 9 points into Destroy to significantly increase skill damage through Weapon Masteries. Then, invest 3 points into Attribute for an additional boost, granting a 10% increase in Burning Damage.
Dagger: Allocate 3 points into Assassination for an increased Off-hand Weapon activation chance, which can be beneficial. However, prioritize investing 9 points into Disguise for valuable defensive passives, crucial for survivability during fights, enabling you to withstand more damage when engaging other players.
Rotations
- This rotation is focused on delivering the highest possible damage to a single target, especially one that isn't aware of your presence or is isolated from their allies. Initiate with
High Locus to decrease skill cooldowns, while Inject Venom applies poison with each skill cast on the target. Utilize Shadow Strike to approach and immobilize the target, followed by Brutal Incision from behind, then quickly transition into 
Frenzied Sword Dance for substantial damage and additional poison application with Inject Venom. Upon completing Frenzied Sword Dance, immediately cast Frost Smokescreen once or twice to create distance and apply a slow to the target. From a safe distance, and if the target survives, unleash all three casts of Serial Fire Bombs to inflict burning after reapplying Inject Venom on yourself. Conclude with Inferno Wave, Chain Lightning, and 
Judgment Lightning to finish off even the toughest enemies.
- This rotation emphasizes lower cooldown abilities suitable for engaging enemy assassins or adversaries with lower levels or significantly less gear. It relies on instant-cast abilities to swiftly close in with dagger skills, dealing high burst damage before creating distance using Frost Smokescreen to avoid vulnerability. The rotation concludes by finishing off the target with Inferno Wave, Chain Lightning, and Judgment Lightning.
High Locus: You should use this ability regularly to reduce the cooldowns of your other abilities consistently before initiating a rotation.
Camouflage Cloak: This ability remains one of your most valuable tools for turning the tide of a fight in your favor or making a swift escape. The stealth provided by Camouflage Cloak offers versatility for both initiating and evading engagements, allowing for creative tactical movement.
Icebound Tomb: This ability is fantastic for resetting engagements or immobilizing a target to help with your escape. Its extended duration freeze, coupled with the absence of any item currently in the game that can remove this debuff, makes it incredibly potent in 1v1 encounters and small group PvP. It's particularly effective for locking down enemy healers, giving you plenty of time to focus on other targets.
Useful Information
- Select Lady Knight Kamarshea as your guardian; it provides essential protection with its shield, capable of absorbing damage equal to 50% of your mana. This not only aids in mitigating damage but also increases your cooldown speed in order to let you heal more often.
Comments
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