- Pistol (MH/OH)
- Sword (MH only)
- Shortbow (both)
- Harpoon gun (underwater)
- Spear (underwater)
If my calculations are correct that gives the thief 7 different weapon set possibilities not counting underwater and "light" or an empty offhand. Obviously that is a small set of options compared to the Warrior. On the other hand it is more than what is available to the Engineer or Elementalist, though they have other mechanics that actually give them even MORE variety in their 1-5 slots than the thief. But I digress, this post isn't about the other professions. A few things the thief does have that no other class can claim is the "dual skill" or "combo skill" that is unique to the MH/OH pairing. Additionally the thief does not have cool-downs on their 1-5 skills like other classes, but rather an initiative (similar to energy) system that determines how often they can use their abilities.
So let's break it down one weapon set at a time starting with a stereotypical thief/rogue/assassin combination...
Dagger/Dagger
1) Double Strike -> Wild Strike -> Lotus Strike (0i)
This is your standard spammable 1-slot that will apply a vulnerability on every "Lotus Strike" vulnerability or weakness. Vulnerability is obviously a great condition for the thief as it will allow for greater damage the greater the stack. Weakness on the other hand would be very effective at keeping your target in range and reducing its damage output.
2) Heartseeker (3i)
A very nice skill that appears to have a little over double the standard melee range and acts as a sort of execute by dealing greater damage the lower your target's health. I would probably try to spam this on anything below 33% hp.
3) Leaping Death Blossom (4i)
Pretty significant damage when you consider the 3 stacks of bleed it applies, but fairly costly for its range.
4) Dancing Dagger (3i)
One of my favorites in the set, it cripples up to three targets within 900... something... and deals a bit of damage all for 3 initiative. Obviously great for both kiting and anti-kiting.
5) Cloak and Dagger (5i)
And finally the most controversial of the set so far, on-demand stealth, great damage and a stack of vulnerability. This is obviously a must-have for any thief wanting to focus on a stealth build. The high initiative cost can be overcome by a few traits that in my opinion need to be adjusted or removed (I'm looking at you Infusion of Shadow). This skill is simply too strong in its current state.
s) Backstab (0i)
Very nice free damage if you can get behind your target while stealthed. The current description says it includes a leap, but is only melee range... So I'm not really sure how that works yet.
In summary: The dagger/dagger set is a decent melee ranged set that doesn't offer a lot in the way of conditions other than vulnerability, bleed, cripple and rarely weakness (1/15 if spammed). Also, it's lacking in mobility when compared to the other sets. I'm not really impressed with the 1-3 slot skills. I actually love everything the OH dagger brings and really look forward to the other two sets it pairs with.
Ranking: Obviously there are a lot of factors that could change its overall place in the line-up, especially when you start considering how specific traits and trait lines can improve the set. With all of that said here are some rankings.
In my next post I'll discuss the pistol/pistol set and how I think it compares to the others available to the thief. Let me know what you think and subscribe if you like what you've read so far.
