Deadeye - Power DPS Rifle

Part of the current metagame

Our curator decided this build is in the current metagame regardless of rating. The community gave this build a rating, making it top-tier: Great

Focused on: Direct damage

Designed for: Raids

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

Normal

This build was last updated on May 11, 2024 and is up to date for the April 15, 2025 patch.

Overview

A power DPS Deadeye raid build. This build deals massive damage against single targets with Death's Judgment but is very immobile. This restricts the encounters where it can realistically be used. However, it is the optimal build for pylon duty on Qadim the Peerless.

Like its cousin Deadeye - Power DPS D/D, this build relies heavily on allies to provide boons and conditions for Premeditation and Exposed Weakness.

For similar builds using other weapons see Deadeye - Power DPS D/D and Deadeye - Power DPS P/P.

Skill Bar

Rifle

Dagger/Dagger

Utility

Skill Variants

Pylon Kiter Variant

• Shadowstep
• Assassin's Signet
• Shadow Flare or Mercy - Shadow Flare is slightly higher damage
  • Alternatively, you could bring some extra utility such as CC

Template Code

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Specializations

Trait Variants

• One in the Chamber allows you to stay on rifle for much longer without running out of stealth skills. It is still a DPS increase to swap to daggers below 50% health though.
• Silent Scope is worth it instead of Premeditation in some encounters where high amounts of boons cannot be maintained and you need the extra precision, such as pylon kiting on Qadim The Peerless.
  • Also run Invigorating Precision while kiting Qadim the Peerless.

Equipment

Head
Berserker

Shoulders
Assassin

Chest
Berserker

Hands
Berserker

Legs
Berserker

Feet
Berserker

Backpiece
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Amulet
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Rifle
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Dagger
Berserker

Dagger
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x11

Infusion
x7

Relic

• If you do not have stat infusions, switch one accessory to Assassin stats.
• If you regularly swap between using Signet of Agility or not, a much simpler gear setup involves using full Berserker stats gear (and full Mighty infusions) and an Assassin stats Amulet. Swap it to Berserker stats if taking Signet of Agility.
  • Otherwise, you want to aim for ~2008 precision if not using Signet of Agility.

Consumables

Food

• or ascended versions

Utility

• /

Usage

Rotation

The goal of the rotation is to maximize your Death's Judgment casts at max malice to maximize DPS. In order to do this you need to carefully line up your skills that grant access to stealth to ensure their cooldowns aren't wasted. Ideally you will always be in Kneel mode during the fight, not being in Kneel is a significant DPS loss.

Opener

1. Deadeye's Mark
2. Three Round Burst x3
3. Shadow Meld
4. Death's Judgment + Assassin's Signet
5. Three Round Burst x3
6. Stolen Skill (F2)
7. Death's Judgment
8. Three Round Burst x2
9. Mercy
10. Three Round Burst
11. Deadeye's Mark
12. Three Round Burst x2
13. Hide in Shadows
14. Death's Judgment

Loop

The general idea of the rotation is that you use Three Round Burst 3 times and fill downtime with auto-attacks until you are at 7 Malice before stealthing and casting Death's Judgment.

1. Three Round Burst x3
2. Stealth Skill
3. Death's Judgment

Use whichever stealth skills are available at Step 2, with the following priority

• Hide in Shadows
• Shadow Gust
• Shadow Meld
• Stolen Skill (F2)

Mark & Mercy Burst

When you are out of stealth options, or Mercy is about to reach two charges:

1. Three Round Burst x3
2. Mercy
3. Deadeye's Mark
4. Three Round Burst x3
5. Stolen Skill (F2)
6. Death's Judgment

You will eventually run out of stealth skills. While you wait for Deadeye's Mark to recharge, fill the time with auto-attacks and use Three Round Burst whenever you're nearly at full initiative.

Video example

Video example (silent scope)

Dagger Section

If your loop goes on long enough you will eventually run out of stealth skills, and once the target is below 50% health, the extra damage on Heartseeker makes it higher DPS than rifle. In either case, you can switch to Daggers.

The logic on daggers is very similar to rifle:

1. Heartseeker x4
2. Stealth Skill (don't use Hide in Shadows while on dagger)
3. Malicious Backstab

• When Mercy is about to reach two charges, use it and immediately follow up with Deadeye's Mark. Use Heartseeker as many times as needed to get back to full malice.

When no stealth skills are available, instead do:

1. Heartseeker x2 (above 50% health, replace these with Dancing Dagger instead)
2. Double Strike ⇒ Wild Strike ⇒ Lotus Strike
3. Cloak and Dagger
4. Malicious Backstab

Video example using a Dagger loop

General tips

• When Assassin's Signet is off cooldown, use it in combination with your next Death's Judgment, provided that you will have another stealth skill available for the next loop as well (as this allows you to hit Death's Judgment twice while the buff is active).
• Delay casting Assassin's Signet until just before Death's Judgment hits, to give yourself the maximum time to get the second Death's Judgment in.
• Take great care not to break stealth with anything other than Death's Judgment or your DPS will be significantly reduced.
• If the boss is about to die or phase, you can maximise your damage by activating Assassin's Signet and burning all your initiative on Three Round Burst or Heartseeker. You should still try to get in one last stealth attack if you can.
• If you are not confident in your rotation, you can retain a charge of Mercy to allow for a reset if needed.
• Make sure to have already used your current Stolen Skill before using Mercy.