Daredevil - Power Daredevil

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

Focused on: Strike damage

Designed for: Open World and Open World General

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

TBD

This build was last updated on April 14, 2022 and is up to date for the March 19, 2024 patch.

Overview

Power Daredevil is a consistent generalist open world build that brings high damage while maintaining the unique out of combat utility that thief provides. It is relatively easy to play and has very little reliance on allies, making it a strong class for completing content alone.

Power Daredevil is an extremely versatile build that can make use of many different traits and weapons. As such, this guide serves as a catch-all for the "Power Daredevil" playstyle which might include dual pistols, staff, double daggers, shortbow tagging, or even sword/pistol.

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Skill Bar

Staff

Shortbow

Utility

Weapon Variants

• Shortbow - mobility via Infiltrator's Arrow
• Duals Pistols - dual pistols provides a strong ranged option
• Sword/Pistol - grants access to Pistol Whip which is a strong evade (Editor's Note: The evade is not listed in the tooltip. This is a bug.)

Skill Variants

• Withdraw - a powerful escape button that can sometimes outclass other heals in high-pressure situations.
• Fist Flurry - can replace Bandit's Defense if stunbreak isn't needed
• Bandit's Defense - a good stunbreak that doubles as a defensive mechanism
• Shadowstep - alternative stun break that grants mobility and condition cleanse.
• Smoke Screen - blinds enemies and blocks projectiles.
• Scorpion Wire - if crowd control is needed.
• Shadow Refuge - to escape from enemies or stealth past them.
• Shadow Trap - For assisting allies in reaching places.
• Infiltrator's Signet - provides extra initiative generation, especially when farming trash mobs
• Basilisk Venom - grants significant defiance bar damage
• Thieves Guild - more damage on a longer cooldown; ideal for solo or duo bosses / hero points

Specializations

• Invigorating Precision - provides enormous amounts of sustain.
• Burst of Agility - 10% quickness uptime
• Escapist's Fortitude - condition cleanse
• Unhindered Combatant - ignore soft CC; take this if using Pistol/Pistol

Deadly Arts Variant

Higher DPS in situations where you are receiving buffs from nearby allies (such as Fury, Banner of Discipline, and Spotter). Replaces trickery.

Equipment

Ascended gear and stat infusions are not required; you can use exotic gear with the same stats.
This set uses gear similar to Build: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

Staff
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Shortbow
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Variant Equipment

Gear

• Knight - defensive trinkets
• Marauder - trades a small amount of damage for a very large boost to health

Runes

• Rune of Superior Rune of Infiltration, Rune of Superior Rune of Strength - budget DPS
• Rune of Superior Rune of Vampirism, Rune of Superior Rune of Durability - defense

Sigils

• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Air - budget DPS
• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Strength - higher DPS than other options in longer fights
• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Celerity - causes Swipe to provide 25% quickness uptime; this can result in the highest DPS increase from a single sigil, but requires skill management to work.

Tagging
Equip your shortbow with Sigil of Superior Sigil of Fire and Sigil of Superior Sigil of Stamina and take Unhindered Combatant to create one of the best mob-tagging options in the game.

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

Damage

Staff

• Open combat with Swipe to proc Trickery traits.
• Keep endurance at 33% or lower at all times.
• Spam Weakening Charge after dodging on single targets.
• Spam Vault after dodging on groups or to evade damage
• Fill with Auto-attacks; try never to interrupt the attack chain.

Pistols

• Keep Endurance at 33% or lower
• Spam Unload; ensure all 8 shots hit
• Fill with auto-attacks

Sword/Pistol

This weapon set should only be run for the useful evade spam of Pistol Whip or area blind of Black Powder

• Keep endurance at 33% or lower
• Auto-attack; try not to interrupt the attack chain
• If using Black Powder: Fit two auto chains between each cast of Black Powder

Defense

This build's defense is centered around evading damage rather than absorbing it.

• Vault is a semi-spammable dodge.
• Bountiful Theft provides significant Vigor uptime for more dodges
• Channeled Vigor will refill endurance
• Dust Strike is an area blind

Additionally, thief has many powerful defensive utilities. Make the most of thief's kit by changing skills to fit the current need.

Sustain

• Invigorating Precision is the primary source of healing in the build, though it should only be taken when extra healing is required.

Stealth

• Stealth is one of the most useful tools available to Thieves. Use Shadow Refuge to channel hero points or sneak through otherwise dangerous places.
• If Shadow Refuge is not enough, blast stealth. To do this, equip a shortbow, place a Smoke Screen, then spam Cluster Bomb in the smoke field.

Crowd Control

• Impact Strike and Uppercut (Daredevil)
• Basilisk Venom
• Swipe (if running Sleight of Hand)
• Choking Gas
• Bandit's Defense
• Fist Flurry
• Headshot (if running a spare pistol offhand)