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Overview
This build combines high damage with CC for some of the best down control gameplay available. Useful in stopping revives and general open field damage with moderate results.
Skill Bar
Short bowHealingUtilityElite
Weapon Variants
3
¾
Heartseeker
4
½
Death Blossom
3
¼
Dancing Dagger
6
½
Cloak and Dagger
Dagger Dagger is useful in GvG and lowman combat, with extra conditions and evades, but can be hard to pull off against a large group where the range of the short bow is preferable.
3
¾
Heartseeker
4
Shadow Shot
4
Headshot
6
½
Black Powder
For smoke field access to both the group on engage and for yourself to add a layer of personal survivability.
Skill Variants
Utility
- For a strong shareable
immobilize
- Especially useful in low mans or GvG for stomps
Elite
- For GvG or low man combat
Specializations
Variants
- Can't find such trait "Escapist's Absolution"! Please refer to our trait index survivability for a moderate dps loss.
Equipment
First Weapon Set
- Shortbow
- Stats: Trailblazer's
Superior Sigil of Draining Superior Sigil of Draining Steal life when interrupting an enemy.
Superior Sigil of Absorption Superior Sigil of Absorption Steal a boon when interrupting an enemy.
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Second Weapon Set
- Shortbow
- Stats: Trailblazer's
Superior Sigil of Draining Superior Sigil of Draining Steal life when interrupting an enemy.
Superior Sigil of Absorption Superior Sigil of Absorption Steal a boon when interrupting an enemy.
-
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Armor
- Stats: Trailblazer's
Superior Rune of Tormenting Superior Rune of Tormenting (1): +25 Condition Damage (2): +10% Torment Duration (3): +50 Condition Damage (4): +15% Torment Duration (5): +100 Condition Damage (6): +20% Torment Duration; When you use a heal skill, apply two stacks of torment to nearby foes. (Cooldown: 20s)
- Stats: Trailblazer's
Superior Rune of Tormenting Superior Rune of Tormenting (1): +25 Condition Damage (2): +10% Torment Duration (3): +50 Condition Damage (4): +15% Torment Duration (5): +100 Condition Damage (6): +20% Torment Duration; When you use a heal skill, apply two stacks of torment to nearby foes. (Cooldown: 20s)
- Stats: Trailblazer's
Superior Rune of Tormenting Superior Rune of Tormenting (1): +25 Condition Damage (2): +10% Torment Duration (3): +50 Condition Damage (4): +15% Torment Duration (5): +100 Condition Damage (6): +20% Torment Duration; When you use a heal skill, apply two stacks of torment to nearby foes. (Cooldown: 20s)
- Stats: Trailblazer's
Superior Rune of Tormenting Superior Rune of Tormenting (1): +25 Condition Damage (2): +10% Torment Duration (3): +50 Condition Damage (4): +15% Torment Duration (5): +100 Condition Damage (6): +20% Torment Duration; When you use a heal skill, apply two stacks of torment to nearby foes. (Cooldown: 20s)
- Stats: Trailblazer's
Superior Rune of the Trapper Superior Rune of the Trapper (1): +25 Condition Damage (2): +10% Condition Duration (3): +50 Condition Damage (4): When you use a trap skill, gain 3 seconds of super speed. (5): +100 Condition Damage (6): Gain 3 seconds of stealth when using a trap skill.
- Stats: Trailblazer's
Superior Rune of the Trapper Superior Rune of the Trapper (1): +25 Condition Damage (2): +10% Condition Duration (3): +50 Condition Damage (4): When you use a trap skill, gain 3 seconds of super speed. (5): +100 Condition Damage (6): Gain 3 seconds of stealth when using a trap skill.
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Accessories
- Stats: Trailblazer's
- Stats: Trailblazer's
- Stats: Trailblazer's
- Stats: Trailblazer's
- Stats: Trailblazer's
- Stats: Trailblazer's
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Infusions
Malign WvW Infusion
Malign WvW Infusion +5 Condition Damage +1% Damage to Guards, Lords, and Supervisors
Variants
Stats
- When changing gear, keep in mind the loss in condition duration. 100% Poison duration should be maintained in Shortbow.
- Use Viper's in place of Trailblazer's to add damage.
- Dire in general and Giver's for weapons are a decent budget option.
- Use Sinister in place of Dire to add damage.
Sigils
Superior Sigil of Energy 9
Superior Sigil of Energy Gain 50% of your endurance when you swap to this weapon while in combat. (Cooldown: 9s)
Superior Sigil of Venom
Superior Sigil of Venom Increase Inflicted Poison Duration: 20%
If not able to go full Trailblazer's
Runes
Superior Rune of Thorns
Superior Rune of Thorns (1): +25 Condition Damage (2): +10% Poison Duration (3): +50 Condition Damage (4): +15% Poison Duration (5): +100 Condition Damage (6): +20% Poison Duration; gain 50 condition damage for 60 seconds when you're hit by a poisoned foe. (Cooldown: 10s)
If using variants and in need of poison duration.
Consumables
Food
Fancy Truffle Burger
Fancy Truffle Burger Nourishment (30 m):
+15% poison duration+70 precision+10 Experience from kills Consumable
Utility
Magnanimous Tuning Crystal
Magnanimous Tuning Crystal Nourishment (30 m):
Gain Condition Damage equal to 3% of your VitalityGain Condition Damage equal to 3% of your Toughness+10% Experience from Kills Consumable
Usage
This build relies on bursts of damage layered with others in your group, designed to add fatal CC and boon rip on top of existing bombs. Alongside Necromancer and Revenant boonrips you will see a great deal of burst damage from both your poison and torment as well as significant boonrip of attempts to re apply resistance thanks to your Absorption sigil. Defensive cooldowns are minimal, and the most important part of being effective is to maintain good positioning and avoid incoming damage rather than attempt to recover from hits, playing a role close to but not always inside of the melee train open field.
- Use your venom skills timed with other player's burst to maximize quick stacking of the conditions by you and your team mates, preferably whilst you are also at full initiative.
- Pool initiative for . Cast it multiple times on the same spot to proc the
Daze on your own. Added to this, you can weapon swap to proc for the extra initiative to layer another field on top for a fairly significant damage boost.
- Dodge to maintain the lotus training buff. Attempt to use this dodge within range for the projectiles to hit enemies, but do not go so aggressive as to put yourself out of position, as CC is a huge weakness to the build.
- Try to dodge where your proc will hit people when safe. Dropping this in front of enemy pushes or while moving through with the commander is highly effective.
Counters
- Heavy CC
- Heavy conditions
- Heavy cleanse
Resistance will mitigate your damage, though you can still
Daze through it and
Superior Sigil of Absorption
Superior Sigil of Absorption Steal a boon when interrupting an enemy.
has priority on resistance.
Inferior than the Frontline Staff DD, but not a horrible companion to the team. Nice DPS increase through condi spread for pressure. Poison on downs is always a good thing, too. Really finds its strength in 10-15 man combat, but struggles to scale up to larger groups. Shortbow blast is super powerful with groups that use fields often.