The Daredevil is the Thief's first elite specialization, giving it access to a reliable cleave melee weapon, the Staff, to bring powerful sweeping attacks to the profession. It is a strong specialization that strengthens Thief's already solid reputation as a single-target DPS and allows it to compete with other multi-hit professions. This elusive class will make quick work of its opponents thanks to new dodge mechanics and a third Endurance bar. These are some of the most powerful Daredevil builds available right now.
5. Low-Intensity Daredevil - Open World PvE
Low-Intensity builds are a type of build that is primarily aimed at players who have impairments that prevent them from playing properly or for long periods of time. These are usually designed with features in mind to help them play a class properly without having to stress themselves with specific hand and/or finger movements, as well as tons of durability to keep them in the fight longer. The LI Daredevil is a fantastic build that promises to keep the game interesting while still being a powerhouse.
Why Low-Intensity Daredevil is great
- Although it lacks a bit of firepower, it makes up for it by having a lot more defense to protect itself. It doesn’t mean, however, that it is a pushover.
- Want more power? Dodge then spam Unload skill on dual pistols. Want to remove movement-impairing debuffs? Dodge again. Want to clear house and wipe the floor with your enemies? Dodge once more and bash them with your staff.
- The beauty of Low Intensity builds is their simplicity. Sometimes all you need to do is spam your staff's auto attack, dodge every now and then, and rinse and repeat.
Choose this build if...
- You have certain disabilities that currently hinder you from playing, or want a more relaxed build that lets you just keep things super simple.
- You don’t mind not being the best DPS unit as long as you get to participate and have fun.
- You are simply happy that you get to find a build that lets you enjoy playing the game as your favorite profession.
Full build details
Traits and Major Perks
- Acrobatics - Pain Response, Hard to Catch, Assassin’s Reward
- Critical Strikes - Signets of Power, Practiced Tolerance, Invigorating Precision
- Daredevil - Marauder’s Resilience, Staff Master, Bounding Dodger IF you are focusing on Staff / Unhindered Combatant IF you are focusing on dual pistols
Equipment
- Armor with Soldier stats (power + toughness + vitality)
- Superior Runes of the Pack (increases power, boon duration, precision, and grants Might, Fury, and Swiftness boons to you and your allies while in combat)
- Main-hand Soldier stat two-handed staff with Superior Sigils of Force (increases outgoing damage) and Accuracy (increases critical hit chance).
- Swap to dual pistols with Superior Sigils of Force and Accuracy.
- Trinkets and backpiece with Soldier stats.
Consumables
- Food - Scoop of Mintberry Swirl Ice Cream (increases precision, experience and Karma gained while killing foes, and grants a chance to steal life whenever you land a critical hit)
- Utility - Superior Sharpening Stone (increases power based on your precision and ferocity, and increases experience gained while killing foes)
Utility Skills
- Heal Slot - Channeled Vigor - A Daredevil Physical heal skill that pulses healing and endurance. If your endurance is full, you gain increased healing.
- Skill 1 - Signet of Agility - A core Thief Signet skill that passively increases your precision. When activated, it refills your endurance and cleanses conditions off of you and your allies.
- Skill 2 - Assassin’s Signet - A core Thief Signet skill that passively increases your power. When activated, it temporarily increases your outgoing damage.
- Skill 3 - Bandit’s Defense - A Daredevil Physical skill that blocks incoming damage and acts as a stun break. When a block is successful, it unlocks a retaliation attack.
- Follow-up Attack - Reflexive Strike - Unlocked after successful use of Bandit’s Defense. Kick your enemy and knock them down which lowers their Defiance Bar.
- Elite Skill - Dagger Storm - A core Thief Trick elite skill that makes you spin while reflecting projectiles and granting yourself Stability buffs. You also launch daggers at your enemies, causing Bleeding and Crippled debuffs, and acts as a Whirl Combo Finisher.
For more details, check this link: Metabattle.com
4. Power Staff Daredevil - Instanced PvE
The Power Staff Daredevil is a fantastic build that can provide a ton of DPS for your next Raid or Strike Mission while also providing a ton of CC through its skills. They can strike quickly and escape just as quickly. With a properly maintained endurance bar and initiative, you can make quick work of encounters.
Why Power Staff Daredevil is great
- The Power Staff Daredevil can quickly burst down enemies with its staff and increase its power continually with its Bounding dodges.
- The Basilisk Venom can be shared with its allies to deal tons of CC when it is called for and is a must-have skill for any encounter.
- Dodge-to-win is the name of the game, and the Power Staff Daredevil is the reigning champion.
Choose this build if...
- You want to be one of the most powerful DPS units while being very dodgy. Pun was very much intended.
- You are able to position yourself quickly and move across the field with ease.
- You're used to Daredevil's high-risk, high-reward gameplay and experimenting with your endurance.
Full build details
Traits and Major Perks
- Deadly Arts - Dagger Training, Revealed Training, Executioner
- Critical Strikes - Twin Fangs, Practiced Tolerance, No Quarter
- Daredevil - Marauder’s Resilience, Havoc Specialist, Bounding Dodger
Equipment
- Armor with Berserker stats (power + precision + ferocity)
- Superior Runes of the Scholar (increases power, ferocity, and outgoing damage while your health is above 90%)
- Main-hand Berserker stat two-handed staff with Superior Sigils of Force (increases outgoing damage) and Impact (increases outgoing strike damage, and further increases it against foes that are under effects of crowd-control).
- Swap to a two-handed short bow with Superior Sigils of Cleansing (after swapping from staff, cleanse 1 condition from yourself) and Energy (after swapping from staff, gain Endurance).
- 18 pieces of Mighty +9 Agony Resistance (increases power, agony resistance for Fractals of the Mists)
Consumables
- Food - Bowl of Sweet and Spicy Butternut Squash Soup (increases power, ferocity, and experience gained from killing foes)
- Utility - Superior Sharpening Stone (increases power based on your precision and ferocity, and increases experience gained while killing foes)
Utility Skills
- Heal Slot - Hide in Shadows - A core Thief Deception heal skill that stealths you and cleanses some conditions. It grants healing and Regeneration buffs afterward.
- Skill 1 - Signet of Agility - A core Thief Signet skill that passively increases your precision. When activated, it refills your endurance and cleanses conditions off of you and your allies.
- Skil 2 - Assassin’s Signet - A core Thief Signet skill that passively increases your power. When activated, it temporarily increases your outgoing damage.
- Skill 3 - Fist Flurry - A Daredevil Physical skill that strikes a single target continuously. If all hits land, unlock the follow-up strike, Palm Strike.
- Follow-up Attack - Palm Strike - Unlocked after using Fist Flurry successfully. You land a powerful blow that stuns foes and causes damage to their Defiance Bar. A few seconds later, it causes the Pulmonary Impact effect and deals additional damage.
- Elite Skill - Basilisk Venom - A core Thief Venom elite skill that can be shared with your allies around you. It makes your next attack unblockable and temporarily turns your opponent to stone as a form of crowd control.
For more details, check this link: GuildJen.com
3. Dagger Pistol (DP) Daredevil - Structured PvP
Core Thief is already a pain to deal with in structured PvP due to its high mobility and ability to apply constant pressure at nodes. With its additional dodges, the Dagger Pistol Daredevil makes things even more difficult for its opponents, making the already elusive profession an even more difficult opponent to face. Competent Daredevil-mains understand how to use their dodges and initiative to effectively engage opponents and aid their team.
Why Dagger Pistol Daredevil is great
- The Dagger Pistol Daredevil has great mobility and can hunt down and eliminate weak opponents all over the map.
- They can cleanse themselves of movement-impairing debuffs simply by dodging, making it pointless to try to stop them that way.
- They can quickly burst down opponents and inflict debilitating debuffs to push enemies away from nodes.
Choose this build if...
- You want to be one of the most annoying opponents in PvP who needs to be chased by something that can keep up with it (which is rare unless they get greedy).
- The team needs a unit that can constantly pressure the enemy team and possibly cause distractions.
- Your team needs someone knowledgeable with the maps and can easily flank them and deal with other unprepared roamers.
Full build details
Traits and Major Perks
- Shadow Arts - Shadow’s Embrace, Leeching Venoms, Shadow’s Rejuvenation
- Trickery - Thrill of the Crime, Bountiful Theft, Sleight of Hand
- Daredevil - Marauder’s Resilience, Havoc Specialist, Unhindered Combatant
Equipment
- PvP Amulet with Berserker stats (power + precision + ferocity)
- Superior Runes of Divinity (increases all stats and maximum health)
- Main-hand dagger and off-hand pistol with Superior Sigils of Exploitation (inflict additional outgoing damage to enemies below 50% health) and Compounding (inflict additional outgoing damage to enemies by 1% for each condition on them).
- Swap to a two-handed short bow with Superior Sigils of Cleansing (after swapping from staff, cleanse 1 condition from yourself) and Energy (after swapping from staff, gain Endurance).
Consumables
- Not applicable in PvP.
Utility Skills
- Heal Slot - Hide in Shadows - A core Thief Deception heal skill that stealths you and cleanses some conditions. It grants healing and Regeneration buffs afterward.
- Skill 1 - Blinding Powder - A core Thief Deception skill that inflicts Blind debuffs on surrounding foes and grants you Stealth. It also functions as a Blast Combo Finisher and a stun break.
- Skil 2 - Shadowstep - A core Thief Deception skill that teleports you to a valid targeted area to cleanse conditions and break from stuns. If you activate it again, you can teleport back to your starting location.
- Skill 3 - Signet of Agility - A core Thief Signet skill that passively increases your precision. When activated, it refills your endurance and cleanses conditions off of you and your allies.
- Elite Skill - Dagger Storm - A core Thief Trick elite skill that makes you spin while reflecting projectiles and granting yourself Stability buffs. You also launch daggers at your enemies, causing Bleeding and Crippled debuffs, and acts as a Whirl Combo Finisher.
For more details, check this link: Metabattle.com
2. Condition Daredevil - Instanced PvE
The Condition Daredevil can deal massive amounts of condition damage to enemies while also providing additional DPS for your team. They substitute the Impaling Lotus dodge for their ability to increase strike damage through bounding dodges. The class can now throw daggers at enemies while dodging, increasing the amount of condition damage you deal and thus your abilities.
Why Condition Daredevil is great
- The Condition Daredevil goes back to basics and focuses on one of the core Thief’s strengths: pouring heavy condition damage.
- They can share their venoms with the team and further increase the overall DPS of the team.
- The build can strip boons from enemies, adding to its utility. You must be wary, however, of enemies that can temporarily become invulnerable to damage.
Choose this build if...
- You want to be a DPS but focus more on condition damage.
- You aren’t worried too much about being the top DPS and just want to melt enemies.
- You can maintain Lotus Training as much as possible and know its strengths and weaknesses.
Full build details
Traits and Major Perks
- Deadly Arts - Dead;y Ambition, Panic Strike, Potent Poison
- Trickery - Uncatchable, Bountiful Theft, Deadly Ambush
- Daredevil - Marauder’s Resilience, Havoc Specialist, Lotus Training
Equipment
- Armor with Viper stats (power + condition damage + precision + expertise)
- Superior Runes of the Afflicted (increases condition damage, outgoing Poison, Bleeding, and other condition durations, and creates a death nova on the location of where the enemy dies )
- Main-hand Viper stat dagger with Superior Sigil of Earth (whenever you land a critical hit, inflict Bleeding)
- Offhand Viper stat dagger with Superior Sigil of Doom (after switching weapons, your next attack will inflict Poison debuff).
- 18 pieces of Malign WvW Infusions (increases condition damage and damage dealt on WvW Guards, Lords, and Supervisors)
Consumables
- Food - Plate of Kimchi Pancakes (increases outgoing Bleeding debuff duration, condition damage, and experience gained from killing foes)
- Utility - Toxic Focusing Crystal (increases condition damage based on your power and precision, and experience gained from killing foes)
Utility Skills
- Heal Slot - Channeled Vigor - A Daredevil Physical heal skill that pulses healing and endurance. If your endurance is full, you gain increased healing.
- Skill 1 - Spider Venom - A core Thief Venom skill that applies Poison on your next attacks. The skill can be shared with allies when used nearby.
- Skil 2 - Devourer Venom - A core Thief Venom skill that immobilizes enemies on your next attacks. The skill can be shared with allies when used nearby.
- Skill 3 - Prepare Thousand Needles - A core Thief Mark skill that prepares a trap beneath your feet. After a set amount of time, you can trigger the mark to inflict debilitating debuffs that can immobilize and poison enemies.
- Elite Skill - Thieves Guild - A core Thief Deception elite skill that summons 3 thieves to help you fight enemies.
For more details, check this link: Hardstuck.gg
1. Staff Daredevil - Open World PvE
The Staff Daredevil makes extensive use of its expertise in open-world content to dispatch mobs quickly. Their quick attacks and capacity to flee danger can make farming less of a chore and more of a breeze. They can fly across the battlefield, punishing enemies who get in their way.
Why Staff Daredevil is great
- The Staff Daredevil is very simple to use but is quite effective at dispatching enemies.
- Proper positioning is vital to the success of the build and requires players to keep moving.
- Thanks to the Bountiful Theft major perk, it can easily steal buffs from enemies that try to get an upper hand on you. Use your Steal ability and gift the buffs to you and your nearby allies to punish them.
Choose this build if...
- You want to be able to clear content more quickly in open-world PvE. The staff's ability to cleave greatly aids in the clearing of mobs.
- You want a powerful open-world juggernaut that can increase its power simply by dodging.
- You are an experienced Thief-main who has mastered the upkeep of initiative to properly use your build.
Full build details
Traits and Major Perks
- Trickery - Thrill of the Crime, Bountiful Theft, Sleight of Hand
- Critical Strikes - Assassin’s Fury, Practiced Tolerance, Invigorating Precision
- Daredevil - Marauder’s Resilience, Staff Master, Bounding Dodger
Equipment
- Armor and trinkets with Berserker stats (power + precision + ferocity)
- Superior Runes of the Pack (increases power, boon duration, precision, and grants Might, Fury, and Swiftness boons to you and your allies while in combat)
- Main-hand Berserker stat two-handed staff with Superior Sigils of Force (increases outgoing damage) and Celerity (after inflicting a disabling debuff, gain Quickness buffs for a few seconds).
- Swap to a two-handed short bow with Superior Sigils of Cleansing (after swapping from staff, cleanse 1 condition from yourself) and Energy (after swapping from staff, gain Endurance).
- 18 pieces of Mighty +9 Agony Resistance (increases power, agony resistance for Fractals of the Mists)
Consumables
- Food - Bowl of Sweet and Spicy Butternut Squash Soup (increases power, ferocity, and experience gained from killing foes)
- Utility - Superior Sharpening Stone (increases power based on your precision and ferocity, and increases experience gained while killing foes)
Utility Skills
- Heal Slot - Channeled Vigor - A Daredevil Physical heal skill that pulses healing and endurance. If your endurance is full, you gain increased healing.
- Skill 1 - Signet of Agility - A core Thief Signet skill that passively increases your precision. When activated, it refills your endurance and cleanses conditions off of you and your allies.
- Skil 2 - Shadowstep - A core Thief Deception skill that teleports you to a valid targeted area to cleanse conditions and break from stuns. If you activate it again, you can teleport back to your starting location.
- Skill 3 - Haste - A core Thief Trick skill that functions as a stun break and grants you Swiftness, Quickness, and Fury buffs.
- Elite Skill - Dagger Storm - A core Thief Trick elite skill that makes you spin while reflecting projectiles and granting yourself Stability buffs. You also launch daggers at your enemies, causing Bleeding and Crippled debuffs, and acts as a Whirl Combo Finisher.
For more details, check this link: GuildJen.com
Closing Thoughts
The Daredevil has clearly demonstrated that it is a versatile unit, capable of quickly moving across the field and applying constant pressure to its enemies. It is a dependable DPS unit that enhances and amplifies the abilities of the core Thief. It compensates for its lack of support by being a highly mobile scout in competitive game modes. If you know of any other cool, fun, and powerful builds that Daredevils can use, please let us know so that we can write a follow-up article about it.
