Build:Deadeye - Quickness Support Power DPS

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

Focused on: Direct damage and Support

Designed for: Raids

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

Normal

This build was last updated on November 23, 2024 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

A fast-paced Deadeye build that provides Quickness by alternating between cantrips and the stolen skill. This provides permanent Fury and ~22 stacks of Might, but nothing else. This makes the build a rather niche pick and mostly for existing Deadeye fans.

Skill Bar

Dagger/Dagger

Spear

Utility

Weapon Variants

• Staff can replace Spear for players who own Secrets of the Obscure, but not Janthir Wilds. This weapon is also simpler in concept to use than Spear.
• If pairing Spear and Dagger, then the offhand slot on Dagger is not used in the rotation. Therefore Pistol is a good option to offer some extra CC.
• Spear and Daggers are used in combination for maximum DPS, but if preferred you could only use one of these, leaving the second set free for utility:
• Spear is the higher damage, but more complicated option.
  • 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.

Skill Variants

Elite

• Shadow Meld is recommended if you have doubts about yourself or your lag.
• Basilisk Venom if you need CC
• Thieves Guild for maximum damage.

Template Code

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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
Assassin

Feet
Berserker

Backpiece
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Amulet
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Dagger
Berserker

Dagger
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Spear
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x14

Infusion
x4

Relic

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

Consumables

Food

• or ascended versions

Utility

• /

Usage

All your cantrips give you a stolen skill, and you always gain Steal Time! The trick is to space out your cantrips and Deadeye's Mark such that you don't overwrite your stolen skill, have to leave Shadow Flare on cooldown for too long, or drop the buff from Relic of the Deadeye.

Spear Rotation

Spear is more complicated than other thief weapons as it employed a combo system where skills 2 and 3 each have three sub-skills that are classified as Lead Attacks, Follow Ups or Finishers. These flow together in order, with the active skills changing depending on where you are in the chain, and you can switch between 2 and 3 for different effects. For this build the standard combo is Mantis Sting ⇒ Vampiric Slash ⇒ Falling Spider (2 ⇒ 3 ⇒ 2).

Additional complexity is added by your stealth attack, and skills 4 and 5, all gaining bonuses if they are used after a Finisher:

• Malicious Ashen Assault regenerates 4 initiative
• Distracting Throw grants a 10-second damage buff
• Shadow Veil blocks additional attacks

If this isn't enough, Distracting Throw will also count as a Lead Attack in this case, which means the next combo will skip Mantis Sting.

The general structure will be:

• Cycle through your basic combo, replacing it with Distracting Throw ⇒ Vampiric Slash ⇒ Falling Spider every 10 seconds (every three or four combos).
• Every two or three combos, you use a stolen skill to stealth yourself and regain initiative from Malicious Ashen Assault (the damage is fairly low so don't use it more than necessary).
  • If you don't have a stolen skill available, use Shadow Meld.
• After Malicious Ashen Assault, use a cantrip if available, with the priority:
  1. Shadow Flare
  2. Mercy
  3. Malicious Restoration
• When you use Mercy, immediately follow up with Steal Time ⇒ Deadeye's Mark.

With many competing demands, there isn't a consistent loop that can be defined, so the opener below is long enough to show off a few of the points above in action. Be aware that Dagger can be used to finish a phase (if the target is below 50%), so there is a separate section for that.

Opener

1. Deadeye's Mark
2. Steal Time
3. Shadow Flare
4. Mantis Sting ⇒ Vampiric Slash ⇒ Falling Spider
5. Distracting Throw ⇒ Vampiric Slash ⇒ Falling Spider
6. Mantis Sting ⇒ Vampiric Slash ⇒ Falling Spider
7. Steal Time
8. Malicious Ashen Assault
9. Mercy ⇒ Steal Time ⇒ Deadeye's Mark

Dagger Finisher

Against targets below 50% health, Dagger can be used to finish a phase. This is very strong when your target is below 25% health, but only just worth it below 50% health. The target should be close enough to phasing/dying that you won't have to use any autoattacks, and it's a good idea to get one final use of Distracting Throw before you switch.

• Spam Heartseeker and use Steal Time to Stealth and access Malicious Backstab.
  • If you have an excess of stolen skills, just use them without worrying about stealth as they are very damaging.
• Shadow Flare is still worth using.
• You can also activate Assassin's Signet.

Video example

Staff Rotation

Click to view

Staff Opener

1. Deadeye's Mark
2. Steal Time to quickly provide Quickness
3. Shadow Flare - use Shadow Swap whenever convenient
4. Weakening Charge x3
5. Steal Time
6. Weakening Charge, and Mercy during the cast
7. Steal Time
8. Deadeye's Mark
9. Weakening Charge x3
10. Steal Time
11. Weakening Charge
12. Staff Strike ⇒ Staff Bash ⇒ Punishing Strikes
13. Weakening Charge
14. Staff Strike ⇒ Staff Bash ⇒ Punishing Strikes
15. Mercy
16. Steal Time
17. Deadeye's Mark
18. Weakening Charge x3
19. Steal Time
20. Weapon Swap

Dagger loop

On dagger, repeat the basic loop below three times:

1. Malicious Backstab
2. Double Strike ⇒ Wild Strike ⇒ Lotus Strike x2
3. Cantrip, or Double Strike ⇒ Wild Strike ⇒ Lotus Strike
4. Cloak and Dagger
5. Malicious Backstab
6. Steal Time (if available)
7. Shadow Meld ⇒ Malicious Backstab (optional)

• After the third repeat, Weapon swap

Staff loop

• As staff doesn't utilitse stealth, the basic structure is to use all initiative on Weakening Charge, using Deadeye's Mark and cantrips ⇒ Steal Time as they come off cooldown (make sure not to overwrite existing stolen skills).
• Fill the rest of the time with autoattacks - make sure to finish the auto chains.
• Make sure to have Steal Time as your last skill before swapping back to Daggers so you can immediately use Malicious Backstab.

Below 25%

Against targets below 25% health, dagger deals too much damage to swap away from.

• Play dagger similarly to the Staff loop, but spend all your initative on Heartseeker and use Steal Time to Stealth and access Malicious Backstab.

Video example

Dagger-only Rotation

Click to view

Opener

1. Deadeye's Mark
2. Steal Time to quickly provide Quickness

Basic loop

1. Cloak and Dagger - if you have Shadow Meld, use it instead of Cloak and Dagger on loops where no Cantrips are available
2. Malicious Backstab
3. Steal Time, otherwise a Cantrip
4. Double Strike ⇒ Wild Strike ⇒ Lotus Strike
5. Steal Time, otherwise a Cantrip, or Double Strike ⇒ Wild Strike ⇒ Lotus Strike if neither are available
6. Double Strike ⇒ Wild Strike ⇒ Lotus Strike

Video example

Staff-only rotation

Video example

Rifle-only rotation

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.
• This rotation is susceptible to lag. If this is likely to be a problem, Shadow Meld can be used to re-enter stealth in the event that you are revealed before before you can use Malicious Backstab.

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 use Mercy. This can also be used to recover from disruption caused by the Slublings.
• Bringing CC 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.

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.
• You can use 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 or Shadow Meld.

For more information, see our Cairn Guide.

Mursaat Overseer

• This fight has no breakbar, bring Thieves Guild or Shadow Meld.

For more information, see our Mursaat Overseer Guide.

Samarog

• Bringing CC option 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 or Shadow Meld instead.
• 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 or Shadow Meld.
• 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 CC will be very helpful.
• 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.