What build are you guys running for general PvE?

[Fluffball]

I posted earlier that s/p is better if applicable. p/p offers a ranged autoattack, s/p offers a melee aoe. Two entirely different weapons that can't be compared anymore than you can compare scepter to greatsword on a guardian. Obviously greatsword is the better weapon if applicable.

[Alaris]

In general PvE, I find the ability to do damage to multiple foes greatly outweights the ability to do damage to single foes.

If my weapon choices allow for both, great, otherwise I'll always go for AoE. When I take up a veteran and his adds for example, I can focus fire on the veteran with my mesmer, and do enough AoE damage to take out the adds before the fight is over. With single-target damage, taking out each add first would draw out the fight unnecessarily and expose me to extra damage.

[Xunlai Agent]

I posted earlier that s/p is better if applicable. p/p offers a ranged autoattack, s/p offers a melee aoe. Two entirely different weapons that can't be compared anymore than you can compare scepter to greatsword on a guardian. Obviously greatsword is the better weapon if applicable.

The idea being that you are running a Shortbow in your other set. So the comparison would be something like SB & S/P vs P/P and whatever you are running in your second set. What are you running in your second set if I may ask?

[Fluffball]

I use SB and d/d primarily for PvE. However I keep a sword and two pistols in my inventory. Fractals are varied enough, and in fact each encounter in fractals are varied enough that I swap between basically every available weapon on the way to the next fight. I do the same to a lesser extent in regular dungeons, and for champs in general PvE. In WvW I will always have an offhand pistol on swap for the interrupt. If I'm on my own it is usually a s/p, if I'm with others I'll use p/p. I don't use p/d, but it's obviously a really popular (most popular?) WvW build.

[Tyris Requiem]

I use a crit damage d/d + sb in pve with valkyrie/knight/berzerkers equipment mix for PvE. This is because in PvE (especially dungeons) when groups of mobs ball up nothing can really outdamage cluster bomb/ death blossom spams. I tend to switch out my slot skills especially in fractals where certain skills are invaluable, for example smoke screen in the unspecified fractal, needle trap when fighting the legendary dredge battle suit/legendary elemental and shadowstep in the swamp fractal. Other than that I tend to keep shadow refuge and signet of shadows on my bar most of the time.

In WvW single target damage is more important so I actually use the p/d condi build with a sb for my second set. Imo the key to success in this build is not only to spec for condi damage but also for duration, for example my equipment set and traits gives me a +75% duration on my 4s pistol bleeds.

[Xunlai Agent]

I like the stealth options that thieves have but I dislike the mechanic for general PvE because it breaks aggro and often causes mobs to heal up.

[Alaris]

That build looks nice, Xunlai.

[Xunlai Agent]

The perma blind sword pbaoe is hugely powerful, recently I have been experimenting with hitting from stealth pretty much every other hit which means you can forget precision (wear full Valkyrie's) because you are guaranteed to critical every time you strike from the shadows:
http://www.guildhead.com/skill-calc#...amaxx9MocaboaV