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:

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 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
   2. Stolen Skill
   3. Shadow Flare ⇒ Shadow Swap
   4. Shadow Meld ⇒ Malicious Backstab - note that this applies 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
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

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 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, 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

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

• 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

• 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

• 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

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

For more information, see our Keep Construct Guide.

Twisted Castle

• 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

• This fight has no breakbar, bring Thieves Guild.

For more information, see our Cairn Guide.

Mursaat Overseer

• This fight has no breakbar, bring Thieves Guild.

For more information, see our Mursaat Overseer Guide.

Samarog

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

For more information, see our Samarog Guide.

Deimos

• 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

• This fight has no breakbar, bring Thieves Guild.
• If bringing Signet of Agility, you can use it to clear 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 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

• 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

• 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

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

For more information, see our Adina Guide.

Qadim the Peerless

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

For more information, see our Qadim the Peerless Guide.