Shadowdancer PvE Build Guide
Last Updated:May 28, 2025|Changelog
Welcome to the Shadowdancer PvE Build Guide! Shadowdancer is a high mobilty DPS class that specializes in fast-hitting combos and hard hitting bursts. Although not as complex as Scorpion, Shadowdancer still has quite a bit of complexity to its rotation and rewards mastery of the class.
Thanks to skills like Gale Rush, Fatal Precision and Death Knell, Shadowdancer quickly becomes one of the fastest attacking classes in the game. Combine this with Crit rate from Dagger and the Heavy Attack buffs from Spear for a potent combo comparable to the best PvE builds available.
Alongside its great damage potential, Shadowdancer also brings great party utility featuring Heavy Attack buffs fromSentinel's Bastion as well as plenty of crowd control from Tempest Strike and Abyssal Cleave. This ensures Shadowdancer is a welcome addition to any party in Throne and Liberty!
End Game Shadowdancer PvE Build
If you're interested in PvP, check out our Shadowdancer PvP Guide here!
PvE Gear Progression
If you plan on PvPing in the future, just use the PvP gear shown in our Shadowdancer PvP Guide for PvE. For higher tiers of Challenge Dungeons, you want a full PvE set.
Chaos Harbinger Set
- The 6-Pc Murderous Chaos set is chosen for the extra Critical Hit Chance at 2-Pc and Critical Hit Damage increase at 4-Pc.
- Alternatively, you can settle for 4-Pc Chaos Harbinger and go for the 2-Pc set below:
- 2-Pc Ancient King's Armor with the Ancient King's Armor: Solar Stone for the Active Skill.
2-Abyss 2-Pc Seeker
No Field Boss
DPS Shadowdancer PvE Build
Stats and Gearing Logic
- The main focus for this gearset is to push Dexterity as high as possible with every item. More Dex is more Damage and Attack Speed making it the ideal stat for PvE.
- You also get a damage boost from both set bonuses.
- 2-Pc Abyss Slayer Set combined with your very high Crit Hit Chance makes for a great damage boost.
- 2-Pc Imperial Tracker Set goes even further by boosting your Critical Damage, taking full advantage of the high Critical Hit Chance.
Gear Alternatives
- Stone Cold Heart Cloak is also slotted if you ever are lucky enough or rich enough to acquire it.
- Stormy Wind Spear can be comfortably swapped into the build with only a minor Stat adjustment.
Gear Sources
- Coming soon. Mouse over the items to see the item drop location.
DPS Shadowdancer PvE Build
Stats and Gearing Logic
- Without access to powerful Field Boss drops, the build takes a hit to its overall power. The best option to hold you over until you get access to 2-Set Imperial Seeker Set is to make use of 4-Set Abyss Slayer Set for the extra Crit and added sustain.
- This set is also great for open world farming, as end-game open world dungeon mobs hit very hard.
Story Transition Shadowdancer PvE Build
Starter T1 Shadowdancer PvE Build
- You must try to get to T2 gear as quickly as possible by PvEing.
- Join the Maxroll Discord and request a code in the TL chat for a full T2 Rare gear set.
Skill Builds and Rotation
- Click the 200/200 icon for Masteries
- Go to the Mastery Prioritization for the bare minimum 130/200 builds.
General
Mobbing
Dungeon Bossing
Gate of Infinity / Solo Dungeon
- This is a general bossing build and can be used in most situations that require Single Target DPS.
- Something to keep in mind is both skill-sets can be pretty Mana hungry. If you find yourself struggling, make sure to use Quality Mushroom Stir Fry, Mana Regen Potion and Nature's Blessing from Longbow players.
Damage Priority
- Gale Rush -> Fatal Stigma Culling Arc x2 -> Abyssal Cleave -> Phoenix Barrage -> Rising Slash
- Use this opener to get out as much burst as possible.
- Culling Arc x2 -> Brutal Fury x3 or Culling Arc x2 -> Rising Slash
- Your bread and butter sustain DPS combos. Rising Slash is stronger when combined with the Ignite stacks from Phoenix Barrage so combine them when possible.
- Cleaving Moonlight and Brutal Incision are filler skills that should be used off cooldown.
Buffs
Below are a list of skills used mainly for buffing your damage or debuffing the enemies defenses. Best used at the start of your rotation unless otherwise specified.
- Sentinel's Bastion
- Inject Venom
- Umbral Spirit
- Use these three skills before any of your big burst combos to maximize damage.
- Abyssal Cleave
- Phoenix Barrage
- Abyssal Cleave gives the next skill cast increased Critical Damage and applies Shock. Phoenix Barrage gives increased Critical Damage for 3 seconds and gains damage against Shocked Targets thanks to Conditional Damage.
- This is your general-purpose AoE PvE clearing for the Spear Dagger PvE build. Spear has one of the best AOE clearing abilities in the game: Javelin Inferno. With proper grouping and the right buffs, you single-handedly delete entire groups of mobs.
Best AOE Combo
This is your bread-and-butter AoE clearing rotation.
- Lightning Infusion
- Thunder Spirit
- Sentinel's Bastion
- Explosive Fury x5
- Javelin Inferno x5
If anything is left alive after this combo, finish up with Flaming Arc x2 into Rising Slash. Make use of Bloodleech Aura to top yourself off while clearing.
Mastery Prioritization
Spear (Minimum)
Dagger (Minimum)
Guardians
Guardians are special transformations that add offensive or defensive buffs or attacks to your character for 30 seconds. These are the recommended Guardians for this class.
- Wild Enchanter Dreadal is THE DPS Guardian in PvE.
Summary
- Shadowdancer is a high skill DPS weapon combination with great mobility and AOE potential.
- Use skills such as Javelin Inferno, Brutal Fury and Phoenix Barrage to output massive damage for both single target and AOE.
- Both Heavy Attack and Bonus Damage have great synergy with Shadowdancer thanks to its hard hitting burst and rapid strikes.
Credits
Written by Nymphellas
Reviewed by Tweekz