Build:Deadeye - Power DPS D/D

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:

TBD

This build was last updated on March 22, 2023 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

A power DPS build for Deadeye in raids.

Deadeye's weakness is that it is lacks cleave damage or any utility other than Basilisk Venom. It is also heavily 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 DPS rotation only involves Dagger/Dagger so your 2nd weapon set can be based on personal preference - 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.gw2s

Skill Variants

Utility

The empty utility slot can be changed depending on preference:

• Signet of Agility allows you to run full Berserker stats and Mighty Infusions.
• 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.
• Infiltrator's Signet makes initiative recovery easier, and should be used if running Be Quick or Be Killed.
• Mercy could be used as a reset button in case you completely bungle the rotation and end up without initiative. It could also be used on fights where you need to mark targets more frequently than you normally could.

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.
• Be Quick or Be Killed is a fairly big DPS loss, but makes the rotation much more reliable and so may be better in actual encounters.

Equipment

Head
Berserker

Shoulders
Berserker

Chest
Berserker

Hands
Berserker

Legs
Assassin

Feet
Berserker

Backpiece
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Amulet
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Dagger
Berserker

Dagger
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x14

Infusion
x4

• If you do not have stat infusions, switch the headpiece to Assassin stats.

Consumables

Food

• or ascended versions

Utility

• /

Usage

Rotation

Opener

1. Deadeye's Mark
2. Dancing Dagger x2
3. Shadow Flare
4. Cloak and Dagger
5. Assassin's Signet
6. Malicious Backstab
7. Dancing Dagger x3
8. Double Strike ⇒ Wild Strike ⇒ Lotus Strike
9. Stolen skill
10. Malicious Backstab

Loop

After the opener, the basic loop is:

1. Dancing Dagger x2
2. Double Strike ⇒ Wild Strike ⇒ Lotus Strike
3. Deadeye's Mark or Shadow Flare (if available), otherwise use Double Strike
4. Cloak and Dagger
5. Assassin's Signet (if available)
6. Malicious Backstab

Assassin's Signet burst

After using Assassin's Signet, your next loop is slightly different (as seen in the opener):

1. Dancing Dagger x3
2. Double Strike ⇒ Wild Strike ⇒ Lotus Strike
3. Stolen skill
4. Malicious Backstab

This deals more damage than your regular loop, but requires a stolen skill. Thus you only do this burst while under the effects of Assassin's Signet.

Below 50% Rotation

On targets below 50% health Heartseeker is a better DPS skill than Dancing Dagger, so it replaces it in the loop and as the animation is slightly longer, the extra Double Strike is dropped. If you struggle with the Dancing Dagger part of the rotation you could use this rotation the whole way through.

Loop

1. Heartseeker x2
2. Deadeye's Mark (if available)
3. Double Strike ⇒ Wild Strike ⇒ Lotus Strike
4. Shadow Flare (if available)
5. Cloak and Dagger
6. Assassin's Signet (if available)
7. Malicious Backstab

Assassin's Signet burst

After using Assassin's Signet, your next loop is slightly different:

1. Heartseeker x3
2. Double Strike ⇒ Wild Strike ⇒ Lotus Strike
3. Stolen skill
4. Malicious Backstab

Video example(s)

Be Quick or Be Killed Rotation

Maleficent Seven needs you to consistently crit in order to trigger. This can be thwarted by Blind, Weakness, not flanking (via Twin Fangs), or falling below 90% health (via Keen Observer). As these may not be entirely within your control, Be Quick or Be Killed offers a much safer rotation:

Opener

1. Deadeye's Mark
2. Shadow Flare
3. Cloak and Dagger
4. Assassin's Signet
5. Malicious Backstab
6. Double Strike ⇒ Wild Strike ⇒ Lotus Strike
7. Stolen Skill
8. Double Strike ⇒ Wild Strike ⇒ Lotus Strike
9. Cloak and Dagger
10. Malicious Backstab

Loop

The basic loop is to do three auto chains in between each Cloak and Dagger ⇒ Malicious Backstab. When Deadeye's Mark is available, you can replace an auto chain with it.

1. Double Strike ⇒ Wild Strike ⇒ Lotus Strike
2. Deadeye's Mark (if available), otherwise Double Strike ⇒ Wild Strike ⇒ Lotus Strike
3. Double Strike ⇒ Wild Strike ⇒ Lotus Strike
4. Cloak and Dagger
5. Malicious Backstab

Assassin's Signet burst

When Assassin's Signet comes off cooldown, do the following loop instead (similar to the opener):

1. Double Strike ⇒ Wild Strike ⇒ Lotus Strike x2
2. Shadow Flare
3. Cloak and Dagger
4. Assassin's Signet
5. Malicious Backstab
6. Double Strike ⇒ Wild Strike ⇒ Lotus Strike
7. Stolen Skill
8. Double Strike ⇒ Wild Strike ⇒ Lotus Strike
9. Cloak and Dagger
10. Malicious Backstab

Video example

General Tips

• It doesn't matter if you use Dancing Dagger/Heartseeker before or after the auto chain in each loop, so go with whatever feels most comfortable.
• Deadeye's Mark, Shadow Flare and Assassin's Signet all have different cooldowns, so each loop may be slightly different depending on which are available.
• Deadeye's Mark has a slightly longer cooldown than Assassin's Signet so eventually you will have no stolen skill available for the burst. In this case, just do the normal loop.
• 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.
• This rotation is highly susceptible to lag, as you need to be fitting Cloak and Dagger and Malicious Backstab in between the pulses of Shadow Flare. If this is likely to be a problem, bring Shadow Meld as your elite, and quickly use it to re-enter stealth in the event that Shadow Flare reveals you before you can use Malicious Backstab.
• Make sure you're always flanking (attacking from behind or the sides) the boss to maximize the damage dealt with backstab. If you cannot consistently flank the boss consider swapping to another DPS build.
• Activating Assassin's Signet is a minor DPS increase, so if you are struggling with the burst you can leave it passive.

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.

Qadim

• Given the difficulty in backstabbing Qadim, the rifle build is likely to fare better.

For more information, see our Qadim Guide.

The Key of Ahdashim

Cardinal Sabir

• Given the difficulty in backstabbing Sabir, the rifle build is likely to fare better.

For more information, see our Sabir Guide.

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.