Logo Albion iconAlbion Online Deadlock iconDeadlock GW2 iconGuild Wars 2 TL iconThrone & Liberty

Deadeye - Pistol Pistol Payback Deadeye

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

Focused on: Strike damage and Low intensity

Designed for: Open World and Open World General

Expansions required: Path of Fire Builds

Difficulty:
TBD
This build was last updated on March 23, 2023 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

A power deadeye build that dual wields pistols. This build is tailored for general open world content, map completion, and story content, performing absolutely fantastic at chain killing trash mobs while buffing itself with many boons. When killing trash mobs, this build can sustain permanent Quickness Quickness and Fury Fury with 0 boon duration and considrable Might Might.

The main goal is to chain kill enemies non-stop with a never ending supply of boons and initiative to pew pew with Unload, resetting your cooldowns with Payback to spam Thieves Guild or any other skill.

Permanently fighting from range with Unload, this build has low AoE damage, and is vulnerable to enemies that block or reflect projectiles.

Template Code

[&DQUjHywbOioKAQwBIBcgFxkBGQGsFjQBKAA9FgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA=]
Copy Template Code

Skill Bar

Pistol/X
X/Pistol
Utility


Weapon Variants

None. To function, this build requires that you equip a pistol and nothing on your first weapon set, and nothing and pistol on your second set. This combination of pistol/empty - empty/pistol lets you fight permanently with 2 pistols, turning Weapon Swap Weapon Swap into a source of initiative through Quick Pockets.

Skill Variants

Heal Skill

Signet of Malice is suggested as it works great with the multihitting Unload attack.

  • Hide in Shadows - defensive option
  • Withdraw - low cooldown, good heal, evades, and disengages.

Utility skill

Shadow Flare is your only real AoE damage, it is advised not so swap it.

  • Binding Shadow amazing CC and boon removal.
  • Infiltrator's Signet - good when chain killing trash mobs to teleport to your next target.
  • Shadowstep - amazing mobility plus stunbreak and condi cleanse.
  • Shadow Refuge - long duration of stealth for channeling Hero Challenges.
  • Signet of Agility - if conditions are a problem.

Specializations

Variants
  • Deadly Aim - overall a dps loss, but works great when fighting groups of tightly packed enemies.
  • Invigorating Precision - little bit of sustain at the cost of damage, not that great after the hard nerf with End of Dragons.
  • Trickster - works great when using both Withdraw and Roll for Initiative.

Bosses and other durable enemies

When fighting bosses and other durable enemies where you cannot keep refreshing your Deadeye Mark by killing enemies, use the following traits and skill:

  • Hide in Shadows
  • Shadow Gust
  • Roll for Initiative
  • Shadow Meld

You will need to combine Maleficent Seven with all your other sources of initiative to keep using Unload. When you run out of initiative, enter stealth and use Malicious Sneak Attack.


Equipment

Ascended gear and stat infusions are not required; you can use exotic gear with the same stats.
This set uses gear similar to Daredevil - Power DPS, making it excellent for general PVE.

Head
Berserker
Shoulders
Berserker
Chest
Berserker
Hands
Berserker
Legs
Berserker
Feet
Berserker
Backpiece
Berserker
Accessory
Berserker
Accessory
Berserker
Amulet
Berserker
Ring
Berserker
Ring
Berserker
Pistol
Berserker
Sigil
Pistol
Berserker
Sigil
Rune
x6


Variant Equipment

Gear

  • Marauder Marauder trades some damage for higher health and crit chance.

Sigils

  • Sigil of Superior Sigil of Accuracy - good alternative to Impact sigil

Consumables

Food
  • Any ascended food is superior to any other food you could use. Steak for power, flatbread for conditions. Budget versions of these foods exist and are acceptable.
  • - farming
  • , - DPS
  • - defense
Utility
  • (and variants) - farming
  • , - dps

Usage

Deadeye's Mark and Malice

The most important part of the build is correct usage of Deadeye's Mark. Make sure to mark your target before you start firing. Deadeye's Mark increases your damage against that target by 15% and reduces the damage you take from that target by 15% due to Iron Sight; and gives you +200 power, +200 precision, and Quickness Quickness with Be Quick or Be Killed.

By killing your marked target, you will proc Payback, which greatly reduces the recharge of your skills, most notably Thieves Guild and Shadow Flare. You also reset Deadeye's Mark, letting your mark your next target.

This provides never ending initiative when combined with Kleptomaniac and Quick Pockets by weapon swaping, permanent Quickness Quickness, and permanent Thieves Guild.

Rotation

The rotation couldn't be more simple.

  1. Deadeye's Mark
  2. Unload spam this
  3. Shadow Flare if AoE is needed.
  4. Weapon swap Weapon swap to regain initative to continue using Unload.

Bosses and other durable enemies

When fighting bosses and other durable enemies where you cannot keep refreshing your Deadeye Mark by killing enemies, use the traits and skills suggested above. Your playstly is largely the same, spaming Unload, but now you will eventually run out of initiative. When that happens, you will have to enter stealth to use the very low damage stealth attack just so you spend your initiative and can again trigger Maleficent Seven.

Notes

  • Try to stay above 90% health to benefit from Rune of Superior Rune of the Scholar, Keen Observer, and Twin Fangs.
  • When fighting bosses in a group, try to attack from behind to benefit from Twin Fangs.
  • Each bullet from Unload has a 20% chance to be a projectile finisher so, when fighting with nearby players, try to make your bullets fly through a combo field for some additional bonuses.
  • Try not to cancel Unload. Landing all 8 shots will replenish 2 initiative.
  • Weapon swap Weapon swap is used to replenish 3 initiative. Don't interrupt yourself, only weapon swap when not casting skills.

Defense

The best defense is to kill your enemy before it can kill you. This build is very aggressive and has little defense.

  • You are a fully ranged build, always keep your distance.
  • Dodge incoming attacks.
  • Disengage with stealth.
  • Against trash mobs, you can always use Black Powder to blind them.

Crowd Control

  • Head Shot - 2 second daze.
  • If you need crowd control, slot Binding Shadow.


Ratings

This build has a rating of 5 stars based on 4 votes.
Log in or register to rate this build.
5 stars
Ravecia gave this build 5 stars • October 2023
An amazingly fun build and super fast to burn through hearts in map completion. Tip: for underwater content like hearts, use spear gun 2 for the same unload instakill effect at 1200 range!
5 stars
Houligan gave this build 5 stars • March 2023
Very easy, very fun build for open world. Getting to use Thieves Guild constantly is nice. I run full marauder's exotics and it works fine.
5 stars
Anonynja gave this build 5 stars • November 2022
Super fun and effective build for open world PvE. The cooldown reduction is really enjoyable to play with. It feels overpowered at times, but is balanced by being a bit of a glass cannon and losing effectiveness on bosses that don't spawn adds. Offers better cleave damage than other Deadeye options.
5 stars
Warming Hearth gave this build 5 stars • June 2022
This build is absolutely fantastic at what it does. World completion has never been easier. Breeze through story content and pew pew to your heart's content. But when you must fight a boss, consider using another build.

Comments

Get MetaBattle Premium
Enjoy an ad-free experience & support the website, for less than $1 per month! Upgrade to Premium
MetaBattle is recruiting!
We are seeking an experienced Build Admin for Throne and Liberty with a deep understanding of the meta across most weapons and game modes. Get in touch with Galaxian on Discord if you're a good fit for the role or know someone else who is. This is a paid position.
Split Metabattle Logo