This is a beginner guide and covers up to level 50.
This is updated as per latest Burglar class rework introduced in Update 45.
¶ Basics
- Race recommendation: River Hobbits (+5% dagger damage bonus)
- Virtue Traits: If you’re feeling squishy, start investing in Fidelity, Fortitude or Honour. Make sure to pick up Determination as it’s your primary trait.
- Class Trait: The Quiet Knife (Red) - arguably the best trait line for leveling, high bursty DPS, able to sneak around enemy camp, pick-pocket mobs and all around fun to play
- Stat Priority:
- Primary stats: Agility, Vitality (for health), Might
- Secondary stats: Crit, Physical Mastery, Tactical Mitigation, Physical Mitigation
- Crafting Professions recommendation:
- 3 craft option: Tailor, Forester and Scholar
- 4 craft option: Tailor, Forester, Prospector, Jeweler
¶ Trait Points (TP)
-
Character Level 1-6, 1st 5 TPs - Deft Strikes
+5% Melee Crit chance - no brainer, note this is a flat +5% crit increase!
This unlocks Perforate, a critical chain attack which delivers 3 high damage attacks -
Character Level 7-11, 2nd 5 TPs - Hidden Dagger
Improves attacks from stealth. Note: using Coup de Grace (CdG) or Feint Attack (FA) also give you the same effect as attacking from Stealth. So make a habit of using these skills followed by Surprise Strike (SSk) if it’s off-cool down -
Character Level 12-16, 3rd 5 TPs- 1 point in Aim, 4 points in Dance of Blades (DoB)
Now while Sneaking, use Aim so your SSk is 100% guaranteed to crit!
Dance of Blades will buff Critical Response skills which are skills with the label “Skill Type: Critical Hit Chain”. These skills are only available when the burglar lands a critical hit.
This will now enable Bloodletter which activates when Perforate lands a crit. Bloodletter stacks 3 times. Using Flashing Blade and Exposed Throat while BL is active will consume all the stacks and deal bonus damage.
- Character Level 17-21, 4th 5 TPs- 1 point in Dance of Blades (making it 5), 4 points in Strike from Shadows
Now you unlock Relish Battle, which will help with survivality - Character Level 22-31, 5th 5 TPs- 1 point in Flashing Blades, 2 points in Location is Everything, 2 points in Strike from Shadows (making it 6 unlocking additional crit damage bonus)
Return Strike unlocks. RS will give you T3 Bloodletter which can be cashed out by Exposed Throat (ET) or Flashing Blades (FB)
Flashing Blade now makes Provoke AoE skill!
- Character Level 32-41, 6th 5 TPs - 3 points in Well-placed Strike, 2 points in Improved Hide in Plain Sights (IF you use HIPS) otherwise 2 points in Back Stab (or) 2 in Agile Hands. I chose Agile Hands as it affects all skills.
Practice Bluff is available now which improve your attacks from Stealth and Feint Attack becomes Improved Feint Attack - Character Level 42-50, 7th 5 TPs- 1 point in Knives Out, 1 point in Sneak Attack, 1 point in Location is Everything, and 2 points in Roll the Dice from Blue line.
Alternatively if you need more health, 2 points in Heartening Prank from Yellow line. I’d choose more DPS route, i.e. Blue line
Knives Out is capstone skill, an AoE skill with 10 targets. Weave this skill in AoE situations
Sneak Attack is a passive that further improves your stealth attacks, so no brainer here
¶ Basic Rotation
- Always attempt to open the fight from Stealth, and trigger a Critical Response by landing as many crit as possible or using Coup de Grace.
- While in combat, using Coup de Grace (CdG) and Feint Attack/Improve Feint Attack also triggers the same effect as attacking from Stealth.
- Weave in AoE skills as and when required and use bleed skills early in the fight if possible, especially fighting with bosses.
- Landing critical hits will trigger Relish Battle HoT effect, healing you!
- If you want to optimise your damage output, using add-on such as Buffbar to track the proc effects and use the cash-out abilities after that will further increase your damage.
- If you need to disengage from combat and enter Stealth (to avoid defeat), use Hide in Plain Sight (HiPS) to enter Stealth from combat, run away (in stealth) and heal up.
- While in Stealth, apply Aim to ensure the next attack, usually Surprise Strike, guarantees a crit, which will then activate Crit Chain skills.
- As you gained levels, additional skills will unlock, making the combat engaging and dynamic.
¶ Single Target (ST) Rotation
Sneak (which will buff Surprise Strike), Surprise Strike, Cunning Attack (bleed), Coup De Grace (or Subtle Stab (SS) as a filler), Perforate, Feint Attack (similar to Sneak, this will buff SSk), SSk
¶ AoE Rotation
Sneak, SSk, Double-Edge Strike (AoE) (if proc), Flashing-Blades (AoE) or Exposed Throat (ST), CdG, Perforate, FA etc
Note: FB & ET won’t be available until a bit later. Included here in the rotation for future use as well.
¶ Trait Interactions
Perforate / Return Strike >>> Bloodletter >>> Flashing Blades / Exposed Throat
Crit Chain skills (Double-edged Strike/Flashing Blades/Exposed Thorat/Perforate) >>> Well-placed Strike >>> Coup de Grace
¶ Skills Summary
-
Bleed (DoT) Skills
Cunning Attack
Well-placed Strike -
Critical Hit Chains
Double-edge Strike
Perforate
Flashing Blades
Exposed Throat -
AoE Skills
Double-edge Strike
Flashing Blades
Provoke
Knives Out
¶ Example Skillbar Layout
¶ Traceries Suggestion
Below are for red burglar, adjust as per your level and number of slots available.
¶ Heraldric Tracery
- Serpent
- Sparrow
¶ Word of Power
- Single Target Attack Damage
- Single Target Attack Criticals
- Area Effect Attack Damage
- Area Effect Attack Criticals
- Damage Over Time
¶ Word of Mastery
- Crit Chain Skill Cooldowns
- Crit Chain Skill Damage
- Crit Chain Skill Crit Chance
- Surprise Strike Damage
- Cunning Attack Bleed Damage
- Subtle Stab Damage
- Damage from Stealth
- Combat Stealth Duration
- Bloodletter Bonus Damage
- Coup de Grace Damage
- Feint Attack Damage
- Return Strike Chance
- Stealth Movement Speed
¶ Words of Craft
- Heroic Precision
- Grand Willpower
- Word of Craft: Tactics
- Word of Craft: Fury