Specter - Condition Scepter

The community gave this build a rating, making it top-tier: Great

Focused on: MobilityCondition damage and Utility

Designed for: PvP Conquest

Difficulty:
Normal
This build was last updated on March 29, 2024 and is up to date for the March 19, 2024 patch.

Overview

A Carrion Scepter Specter condition build for PvP that's viable anywhere from duels to teamfights. The build's greatest strength is its versatility, being able to switch from pressuring targets to supporting allies at will.

Condi Specter's part of the Automated Tournament metagame, it's much less popular in ranked.


Skill Bar

Scepter/Pistol
Sword/Dagger
Utility


Skill Variants

Heal

  • Well of Gloom - bit more mobility, trait synergy and group utility in general.


Utility

Viable choices for the optional slot:

  • Signet of Shadows - passive mobility boost and lots of cover conditions on active that could instantly be used during burst combos or defensively for the Blind Blind and Weakness Weakness.
  • Thousand Needles - great AoE condition burst (and a chance to contribute to fights you're not even present in, due to its range).
  • Seal Area - great area denial tool for securing kills and isolating enemy team members.


Template Code

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Specializations

Variants

  • Taking Second Opinion, Larcenous Torment and Strength of Shadows results in a more roaming/+1 focused build with higher damage, but it's going to make you worse at 1v1ing and supporting allies. The build also becomes harder to play in general due to the loss of several defensive traits.


Equipment

Scepter
Pistol
Sigil
Sigil
Sword
Dagger
Sigil
Sigil
Rune
Amulet
Relic


Equipment Variants

Relics

  • Relic of Akeem - trades healing reduction for better burst and more condition variety.
  • Relic of the Sunless - adds AoE burst damage to your elite.
  • Relic of the Chronomancer - worth considering when playing with a lot of Well skills, the Quickness Quickness could speed up your burst combos.


Runes

  • Rune of Lynx - better mobility when not running Signet of Shadows.
  • Rune of Orr - good stats and could help you survive against other condi specs.
  • Rune of Revenant - makes the build more tanky.


Sigils

  • Sigil of Energy over Sigil of Escape - if you can afford to give up some cleansing more endurance.


Usage

Elite specialization basics

  • Specters gain access to their own version of Death Shroud called Enter Shadow Shroud. Mechanically they are the same, replacing your skill bar while active. Damage taken while in Shroud drains Shadow Force instead of HP.
  • Using Siphon (Specter's version of Steal) and spending Initiative builds Shadow Force.


General

  • Most of your Specters skills double as support skills. While your role is to kill targets, a good Specter also keeps an eye on allies and helps them in critical moments by granting them Barrier. Versatility is one of the build's key strengths - you're equally good at camping enemy supports in teamfights and stabilizing low HP allies with support skills.
  • Because of Shroud you can be a bit more reckless with spending Initiative as Shroud skills are free and by the time you've rotated through Shroud CDs your Initiative should be back to full.
  • Siphon removes boons when used on enemies and Daze Dazes them right after, allowing it to interrupt targets even through Stability Stability.
  • Most of the weapon damage comes from spamming skill #3 on Scepter: Measured Shot + Endless Night.
    • Scepter is the main weapon set of the build, the other one fills more of a utility/situational purpose. Sword/Dagger has good defensive skills, chase potential and damage.
  • Shadowfall's range can be extended by using Shadowstep in the middle of the cast, the Well will spawn on Shadowstep's target location.
  • The main sources of condition cleansing are Shadowstep, Hungering Darkness, your on-swap Sword sigils and Infiltrator's Return (Sword #2's chain skill).
  • Offhand pistol's main purpose is to combo stealth with Black Powder and to provide a quick interrupt via Head Shot.
  • Stealth stacking rotation:
  1. Black Powder
  2. Enter Shadow Shroud
  3. Grasping Shadows (Shroud 2)
  4. Dawn's Repose (Shroud 3)


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Ratings

This build has a rating of 4 stars based on 6 votes.
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2 stars
Karmawin gave this build 2 stars • March 2024
I'm not an excellent pvp player and I certainly haven't exploited its full potential at all. But this spec seems really bad to me btw...
3 stars
Ethan gave this build 3 stars • March 2023
Saw play in the MAT, its not bad but not as good as it once was. Still viable for ranked but if the enemy has a dp daredevil, you are screwed.
4 stars
Vex gave this build 4 stars • March 2023
My first love of the expansion but good things never last. Shroud nerf slapped it hard and we never got anything to compensate. I still play it sometimes and it CAN be useful, it's not unviable but there are so many more OP things to play rn. I absolutely hate shortbow on thief and I loved that we could finally play without it. The support angle was very refreshing and a welcome addition to thief, the damage is kinda of good but the whole thing feels sluggish without quickness. Maybe instead of alacrity wells should give quickness? Or buff chrono rune.
5 stars
Hanz gave this build 5 stars • August 2022
Seems to be the #1 thief build after the last balance patch. Great damage, mobility and group utility.
5 stars
Necro master gave this build 5 stars • July 2022
this is the real "necro" with high speed good support help team . only specter can win blade 1v1
5 stars
Barnacle Ed gave this build 5 stars • May 2022
My favorite build atm - highly mobile, good damage, and strong utility. Really starts to shine once you get the hang of which shadowstep to use in a given situation and when to target allies with 3. I currently prefer Panic Strike since a surprise immobilize is nice for securing kills, and there might be an argument for pistol offhand with scepter (though the 3 is somewhat harder to use).

Comments

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