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Deadeye - Power DPS D/D

The community gave this build a rating, making it second-tier: Good

Focused on: Direct damage

Designed for: Raids

Expansions required: Path of Fire Builds

Difficulty:
Normal
This build was last updated on August 23, 2025 and is up to date for the June 24, 2025 patch.

Overview

A power DPS build for Deadeye in raids.

Deadeye's weakness is that it lacks cleave damage and struggles to bring utility without losing a lot of damage. It is also reliant on allies providing boons and conditions for Premeditation and Exposed Weakness respectively. This means it works best when surrounded by other DPS classes that can cover its shortcomings.

For variants using other weapons see Deadeye - Power DPS Rifle and Deadeye - Power DPS P/P.


Skill Bar

Dagger/Dagger
Utility


Weapon Variants

  • Your basic DPS rotation only involves Dagger/Dagger so your 2nd weapon set can be based on personal preference - Staff offers more damage, Shortbow for mobility from Infiltrator's Arrow or an offhand Pistol for additional emergency CC from Headshot are both common options. Rifle is also a useful option to maintain damage should you be unable to melee the boss.


Skill Variants

Utility

Assassin's Signet can be swapped out if necessary

  • Prepare Pitfall, Binding Shadow and Shadow Gust can all be taken as a strong CC option
    • Prepare Pitfall does good damage if you are able to "precast" it during downtime in fights, but takes a short time for the trap to arm.
    • Binding Shadow has 1200 range and also removes 2 boons, but only affects your marked target.
    • Shadow Gust is lower CC and has short range, but will also stealth you if used at the right point in your rotation.


Elite

  • Thieves Guild if you don't need CC from Basilisk Venom.
  • Shadow Meld is recommended if you have doubts about yourself, your lag, or your Quickness Quickness provider.


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Specializations


Trait Variants

  • Invigorating Precision if you're having trouble surviving. This is a ~10% DPS loss.


Equipment

Head
Berserker
Shoulders
Berserker
Chest
Berserker
Hands
Berserker
Legs
Berserker
Feet
Berserker
Backpiece
Berserker
Accessory
Berserker
Accessory
Berserker
Amulet
Berserker
Ring
Berserker
Ring
Berserker
Dagger
Berserker
Dagger
Berserker
Sigil
Sigil
Staff
Berserker
Sigil
Sigil
Rune
x6
Infusion
x18
Relic


Consumables

Food

  • or ascended versions


Utility

  • /


Usage

Rotation

Opener

  1. Deadeye's Mark
  2. Cloak and Dagger
  3. Malicious Backstab
  4. Stolen Skill
  5. Shadow Flare Shadow Swap
  6. Stolen Skill
  7. Dancing Dagger and Mercy during the cast - you want to cast Mercy after the initiative has been spent to refill it, but before the attack hits so you end up with Malice stacks
  8. Stolen Skill
  9. Deadeye's Mark
  10. Dancing Dagger x2
  11. Stolen Skill - assuming you're at 5 stacks of Malice, this will stealth you
  12. Malicious Backstab
  13. Dancing Dagger and Mercy during the cast
  14. Stolen Skill
  15. Deadeye's Mark
  16. Dancing Dagger x2


Loop

The basic loop is to do an auto chain followed by either a stolen skill, cantrip, or a stealth skill into a Malicious Backstab.

  1. Double Strike Wild Strike Lotus Strike
  2. Filler skill with following priority
    1. Cloak and Dagger Malicious Backstab - you can only do this every other loop thanks to Revealed Revealed
    2. Stolen Skill
    3. Shadow Flare Shadow Swap
    4. Shadow Meld Malicious Backstab - note that this applies Revealed Revealed so you can't follow it up with Cloak and Dagger next loop

In practise, if the opener is performed correctly these cooldowns don't conflict very often.


Mark & Mercy burst

Cast Deadeye's Mark when it comes off cooldown, but make sure to use any active stolen skill first. Then, do the following burst:

  1. Double Strike Wild Strike Lotus Strike - only do this chain if you're currently Revealed Revealed
  2. Cloak and Dagger
  3. Malicious Backstab
  4. Stolen Skill
  5. Mercy
  6. Double Strike Wild Strike Lotus Strike
  7. Stolen Skill
  8. Deadeye's Mark
  9. Return to Loop


Below 25% health

Heartseeker gains significant bonus damage below 25% health, which means you modify the rotation in the following ways:

  • Replace Cloak and Dagger Malicious Backstab with three Heartseekers
    • The Heartseekers do not need to be used together if initiative doesn't allow it.
  • When at full malice, Stolen Skills will stealth you, so follow-up with Malicious Backstab.
  • Before your target dies, try to spam Heartseeker as much as you can.


Video example


Staff Rotation

Opener

During the opener, repeatedly use Weakening Whirl twice followed by a stolen skill

  1. Deadeye's Mark
  2. Weakening Whirl
  3. Stolen Skill
  4. Shadow Flare Shadow Swap
  5. Weakening Whirl x2
  6. Stolen Skill
  7. Weakening Whirl x2
  8. Mercy during the cast of Weakening Whirl
  9. Stolen Skill
  10. Deadeye's Mark
  11. Weakening Whirl x2
  12. Assassin's Signet during the cast of the second Weakening Whirl
  13. Stolen Skill
  14. Weakening Whirl x2
  15. Mercy during the cast of Weakening Whirl
  16. Stolen Skill
  17. Deadeye's Mark
  18. Weakening Whirl x2
  19. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap


Dagger Loop

  1. Stolen Skill
  2. Malicious Backstab

After this, follow the basic dagger rotation as outlined above. Upon the second time you use Shadow Meld Malicious Backstab, Weapon Swap Weapon Swap to Staff.


Staff Loop

  1. Weakening Whirl
  2. Stolen Skill
  3. Weakening Whirl

The rest of the time on staff is spent as follows:

  • Use Deadeye's Mark, Shadow Flare Shadow Swap and Stolen Skills off cooldown
  • Use Weakening Whirl to prevent yourself being at maximum initiative
  • You don't want to use the stealth attack (the damage is poor but you can use it for CC if necessary), so use Weakening Whirl after every Stolen Skill to break stealth.
  • Use Mercy to maintain the Relic of the Deadeye buff.

When you have ~4 seconds left on Weapon Swap Weapon Swap, you want to use Assassin's Signet, followed by three Weakening Whirls. You can also use a Stolen Skill if you have one, but the aim is to exit staff with a stolen skill available, so you can use it to stealth and get a Malicious Backstab in before the buff from Assassin's Signet expires.


Video example


General Tips

  • Shadow Flare has a long cast time and it will be interrupted by Cloak and Dagger if you use it too early, so make sure to finish the cast.
  • Below 50%, if the boss is about to phase, you can use up any excess initiative by spamming Heartseeker - Just make sure to leave yourself enough initiative for Cloak and Dagger if you will also have time for another Malicious Backstab! Above 50%, Heartseeker is lower DPS than the auto chain.


Break bars

  • Basilisk Venom should be cast while you are standing in melee range of 5 allied units (mesmer illusions, ranger pets and necromancer minions all count towards this).


Encounter Specific Tips

Spirit Vale

Ghost events Toggle

The ghost events are mostly movement based.

  • Consider equipping a Short bow, and/or using Shadowstep.

For more information, see our Spirit Woods Guide.

Gorseval the Multifarious Toggle
  • During the split phases, you can use Dancing Dagger to cripple spirits from 900 range.

For more information, see our Gorseval Guide.


Salvation Pass

Slothasor Toggle
  • You have no way of blocking Slothasor's fear so either rely on others to break/cleanse it for you or equip Mercy. This can also be used to recover from disruption caused by the Slublings.
  • Bringing one of the CC options will be very helpful.
  • A Rifle can be useful for moments where you cannot melee the boss.

For more information, see our Slothasor Guide.

Matthias Gabrel Toggle
  • Use Heartseeker for mobility around the room.
  • Bringing one of the CC options will be very helpful.
  • A Rifle can be useful for moments where you cannot melee the boss.
  • Basilisk Venom is somewhat unreliable as your allies may still be targeting Matthias instead of the sacrifice, so it can be replaced with Shadow Meld.

For more information, see our Matthias Guide.


Stronghold of the Faithful

Keep Construct Toggle
  • Unless you really need the CC, you can greed for damage with Thieves Guild.

For more information, see our Keep Construct Guide.

Twisted Castle Toggle
  • Consider equipping a Short bow, and/or using Shadowstep.
  • Consider equipping a Mercy as a stunbreak.

For more information, see our Twisted Castle Guide.


Bastion of the Penitent

Cairn the Indomitable Toggle
  • This fight has no breakbar, bring Thieves Guild.

For more information, see our Cairn Guide.

Mursaat Overseer Toggle
  • This fight has no breakbar, bring Thieves Guild.

For more information, see our Mursaat Overseer Guide.

Samarog Toggle
  • Bringing one of the CC options will be very helpful.

For more information, see our Samarog Guide.

Deimos Toggle
  • The breakbar in this fight is too fast and too small for Basilisk Venom, so you can bring Thieves Guild instead.
  • Bringing one of the CC options will be very helpful (not Prepare Pitfall).
  • A Rifle can be useful for moments where you cannot melee the boss.

For more information, see our Deimos Guide.


Hall of Chains

Dhuum Toggle
  • This fight has no breakbar, bring Thieves Guild.
  • If bringing Signet of Agility, you can use it to clear Torment Torment from yourself after the Greater Death Mark if the supports aren't doing it for you. It can also save you in case you are Fear Feared.
  • A Rifle can be useful for moments where you cannot melee the boss.

For more information, see our Dhuum Guide.


Mythwright Gambit

Conjured Amalgamate Toggle
  • Basilisk Venom is overkill for breaking shields, so you can bring Thieves Guild.
  • Given the speed at which the arms slam down, Mercy can be used to ensure you can mark them.

For more information, see our Conjured Amalgamate Guide.

Twin Largos Toggle
  • Bringing one of the CC options will be very helpful (not Prepare Pitfall).
  • A Rifle can be useful for moments where you cannot melee the boss.

For more information, see our Largos Assassins Guide.


The Key of Ahdashim

Cardinal Adina Toggle
  • A Rifle can be useful if you're being made to do pillars.

For more information, see our Adina Guide.

Qadim the Peerless Toggle
  • As a deadeye, you're an ideal candidate to kite on the rifle build.

For more information, see our Qadim the Peerless Guide.


Ratings

This build has a rating of 2 stars based on 1 votes.
Log in or register to rate this build.
2 stars
OfficerAndyGentleman gave this build 2 stars • August 2025
Mediocre DPS, full melee requirement and a spammy rotation. Viable, but only recommended to fans of daggers.

Comments

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