Axis wrote on Sep 14, 2012, 17:11:

sauron wrote on Sep 14, 2012, 15:33:

Axis wrote on Sep 14, 2012, 14:08:
Yes as I mentioned you throw down the Choking Gas followed by the Cluster bomb and everything in the AOE gets weakness (50% less damage 50% of the time) and lasts about 20 seconds per application on all mobs up to bosses.

It's extremely fast, and does huge dps to boot. Its hands down the most effective mitigation in the game, and one of if not the most useful tool in our belts.

Oh score! I didn't know that one either. I'm definitely bringing a shortbow as alt weapon on my Thief as well!

Glad to help Sauron!

I mentioned earlier about pre-detonation of cluster bomb, I'll explain it in detail now since it's so OP compared to other thief options in the DPS realm and few know how to make it so it is OP.

When you throw down a cluster bomb, it does 1 hit to every mob in the area and applies 1 condition to each mob and you get 1 health tick per mob hit (malice heal skill).

When you explode early in the middle of a fight it splits into 3 shards. Each shard hits every mob in the area, applies 1 condition to each mob and you get 1 health tick per mob hit.

What this means is you get the same amount of total shard damage, but 3x the amount of conditions, heals, and crit counts for every mob in the area. When you throw on a fire sigil it's wipeout time and only well-timed warriors can beat you for loot drops in PvE.

There's no need to aim, just go in the middle of the mobs and repeatedly hit #2 and you wipe stuff out faster than any other class.

I have a double dagger setup, one with precision and one with power stacks depending on what I'm fighting I'll build 25 stacks of one of them, throw on the shortbow and faceroll everything.

PvE loot work like this: in event mob spawns there's a high percentage of only one drop, it goes to whoever has the highest damage on the mob. With world spawned mobs and dungeons, there's a better percentage for everyone who damages the mob to get a drop. This is so important because it's really the only way to make decent cash, and warriors easily outdo every class most of the time.

So in areas like pertinent and trolls in frost, I found the only way to efficiently play is with shortbow. Just so happens it's also my go-to for pvp - I've found no one else doing what I'm doing, and if I don't get shut down right away I can usually destroy small groups of any mobs or players quickly and efficiently. I usually never go dagger 1v1. So expect a nerf eventually, I've staved it off as long as I can but I'm not playing much anymore so have at it!

Creston, the 5 seconds is on bosses only, and easily maintainable and suggested the entire fight with init ticks.. all other mobs its 20 seconds. Try what I just mentioned, see how much more you enjoy your thief.