Deadeye
“"One shot, one kill."
Take aim with your rifle and mark your enemies for assassination. The deadeye specializes in long-range combat and picking off enemies before they can get close. By marking your target, you gain increased damage against them as you wear them down before taking the final shot.
— In-game description
Deadeye is an elite specialization for the thief unlocked with the Path of Fire expansion. Deadeyes are guns for hire, using Deadeye's Mark to mark their target for assassination. They strike their target to generate Malice, and then consume it to empower their Stealth Attack.
Deadeyes learn cantrip skills, which provide defence and control, and stealth. They can wield rifles, picking off targets to snipe them one by one with deadly precision. Deadeyes specialize in damage dealing, and can also provide nearby allies with important boons.
List of deadeye skills[edit]
- See also: List of thief skills
Profession mechanic[edit]
“All I need is one breath and one bullet.
— Deadeye
Deadeyes replace Steal with Deadeye's Mark. This skill marks an enemy for assassination, stealing some of its soul to create a Stolen skill.
Weapon attacks against Marked targets generate Malice, with each attack generating one Malice, or two if the attack is a critical strike. This malice is then consumed to empower Stealth Attacks into Malicious Stealth Attacks that deal more damage or are generally more powerful.
# | Skill | Description | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
F1 | Deadeye's Mark | ½ | 25 | Mark a target, causing your initiative attacks to generate malice when they hit or critically hit your mark. Lose all malice when the mark ends or when this skill is recast on a new target. Malice is only gained once per skill use. |
Weapon skills[edit]
# | Skill | Description | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rifle[edit] | |||||
1 | Brutal Aim | ¾ | Fire a shot that inflicts vulnerability on your target. Applies additional vulnerability when used against your marked target. | ||
1 | Deadly Aim | ¾ | Kneel. Fire a shot that inflicts vulnerability on your target. Applies additional vulnerability against your marked target. | ||
1 | Malicious Death's Judgment | ½ | 1 | Stealth Attack. Reveal yourself and fire a powerful shot at your target that pierces but deals less damage to unmarked foes. If this attack hits your mark, it consumes all malice and deals increased damage for each malice consumed. | |
2 | Skirmisher's Shot | ½ | 3 | Fire a bullet that inflicts conditions on your target and grants you a boon. | |
2 | Spotter's Shot | ¾ | 3 | Kneel. Fire a bullet that grants you boons and inflicts conditions on your target. | |
3 | Double Tap | ¾ | 4 | Fire two bullets that grant might if they hit your target. | |
3 | Three Round Burst | 1 | 4 | Kneel. Fire three bullets that grant might if they hit your target. | |
4 | Death's Retreat | ¼ | 4 | Shadowstep away from your target and lose conditions. Poisons foes at your starting location. | |
4 | Sniper's Cover | ¼ | 4 | Kneel. Create a barrier of shadows that blocks incoming missiles. Kneeling while within the barrier allows you to use Death's Advance. | |
4 | Death's Advance | ¼ | 2 | Kneel. Shadowstep forward while granting yourself stealth. | |
5 | Kneel | ½ | 1 | ½ | Your base and maximum movement speed is reduced. Gain access to kneel skills, which have increased projectile velocity. You can still dodge roll while kneeling. Kneeling is canceled if you swap weapons or use Free Action. |
5 | Free Action | Kneel. Stop kneeling and move freely. If you used at least one kneel skill, gain swiftness. |
Stealth Attack[edit]
Weapon | Stealth attack | Description |
---|---|---|
Axe 1 | Malicious Cunning Salvo | Stealth Attack. Throw an axe that explodes when it hits a target, crippling nearby enemies. Gain initiative if you strike an enemy. Consumes all malice when striking your mark to inflict poison with a duration equal to the consumed malice. |
Dagger | Malicious Backstab | Stealth Attack. Attack your foe from the shadows and strike for double the damage if you hit from behind or they are defiant. Consumes all malice when striking your mark to deal bonus damage. |
Pistol | Malicious Sneak Attack | Stealth Attack. Sneak attack with a rapid fire from your pistol that makes your foe bleed. Consumes all malice when striking your mark to inflict torment with a duration equal to twice the consumed malice. |
Rifle | Malicious Death's Judgment | Stealth Attack. Reveal yourself and fire a powerful shot at your target. |
Scepter 2 | Malicious Shadowsquall | Stealth Attack. From the shadows, unleash a barrage towards your target. If this attack hits your mark, it consumes all malice and increases the duration of poison it applies |
Short bow | Malicious Surprise Shot | Stealth Attack. Shoot an arrow that bleeds and immobilizes your foe. If the arrow hits your marked target, it consumes all malice and splinters, firing new arrows at nearby foes for each malice consumed. |
Staff 2 | Malicious Hook Strike | Stealth Attack. Attack your foes from stealth, knocking enemies down. If this attack hits your mark, it consumes all malice and grants you quickness. |
Sword | Malicious Tactical Strike | Stealth Attack. Daze your foe by bashing them with your sword hilt. Daze them for a longer duration if you attack from behind or they are defiant. Applies vulnerability. Consumes all malice when striking your mark to restore endurance based on the malice used. |
Harpoon gun | Malicious Ripper | Stealth Attack. Fire a shot while in stealth to bleed your target. Consumes all malice when striking your mark to add additional bleeding stacks. |
Spear | Malicious Deadly Strike | Stealth Attack. Attack while in stealth, bleeding and weakening your target. Consumes all malice to deal bonus damage if it strikes your mark. |
1 Requires Expanded Weapon Proficiency. 2 Requires Weaponmaster Training.
Slot skills[edit]
Healing[edit]
Skill | Description | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Malicious Restoration | ¾ | 25 | Cantrip. Transfer your conditions to your marked target and then heal yourself. |
Utility[edit]
Skill | Description | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Binding Shadow | ¾ | 20 | Cantrip. Reveal yourself if you are stealthed and remove boons from your target after a short delay. If the foe is your marked target, they are also immobilized. | |
Mercy | 1 | Cantrip. Lose all malice, instantly refresh Deadeye's Mark, and gain initiative. Gain additional initiative for each stack of malice you had prior to using this skill. | ||
Shadow Flare | ¾ | 20 | Cantrip. Throw an orb of shadow magic that damages nearby foes at your targeted location. You may reactivate this skill to swap places with the orb. Deals increased damage to your marked target. | |
Shadow Swap | Swap places with your shadow flare, causing it to detonate and deal damage to enemies at your original location. Deals increased damage to your marked target. | |||
Shadow Gust | ½ | 30 | Cantrip. Knock away nearby foes with a burst of shadow magic, then stealth yourself. If this skill hits your marked target, they'll be launched instead. |
Elite[edit]
Skill | Description | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Shadow Meld | ½ | 5 | Cantrip. Vanish into stealth. |
List of deadeye traits[edit]
- See also: List of thief traits
Tier | Trait | Description | |
---|---|---|---|
Minor Proficiency | Rifle Proficiency | You can wield rifles. | |
Minor Adept | Deadeye's Gaze | Steal is replaced with Deadeye's Mark, which unlocks new Stolen skills and malice generation. Stealth attacks consume malice for bonus effects. Gain access to rifles and cantrips. | |
Major Adept | Malicious Intent | Marking a target or striking your mark with a stealth attack will immediately grant malice. | |
Major Adept | Collateral Damage | Trigger Burst of Shadows at your target's location if it dies while marked. | |
Major Adept | One in the Chamber | When you cast a cantrip, gain a random new stolen skill. Stolen skills deal more damage. (Requires a marked target. Overwrites existing stolen skills.) | |
Minor Master | Renewing Gaze | Deadeye's Mark recharges if your mark is defeated. Gain regeneration when this recharge occurs. | |
Major Master | Silent Scope | Gain precision. Gain additional precision while wielding a rifle. Enter stealth when you dodge roll with a rifle equipped. | |
Major Master | Payback | When Renewing Gaze triggers, this trait restores a portion of the recharge time needed by your healing, utility, and elite skills. Excludes racial skills. | |
Major Master | Premeditation | Deal increased strike damage for each unique boon you have; concentration is increased. | |
Minor Grandmaster | Iron Sight | Strike damage dealt to your marked target is increased, and strike damage taken from your marked target is reduced. | |
Major Grandmaster | Maleficent Seven | Increase the maximum malice-stack count. Restore initiative and gain boons upon reaching the maximum number of malice stacks. | |
Major Grandmaster | Be Quick or Be Killed | Gain quickness when marking a foe. Your power and precision are increased while under this effect. | |
Major Grandmaster | Fire for Effect | ½ | Using a stolen skill grants additional boons to allies around you. Stolen skills will always be Steal Time, regardless of the target's profession. |
Lore[edit]
“Mercenaries for hire, deadeyes stalk and mark their targets and generate malice toward them, increasing damage and harassing them with harmful effects. They use rifles for precise kills.
— Official site
Associated items[edit]
- Superior Rune of the Deadeye
- Deadeye's Brace
- Deadeye's Rifle
- Cursed Flintlock
- Mini Deadeye Nakato Ibori
Related achievements[edit]
- Specializations: Adept Deadeye — Begin training the thief's deadeye elite specialization. (5)
- Specializations: Master Deadeye — Completely train the thief's deadeye elite specialization. (10)
- Specialization Collections: Cursed Flintlock — Collect these 14 items and skins to receive the deadeye's rifle, Cursed Flintlock. (3)
Gallery[edit]
- Promotional material
- Icons
Notes[edit]
- Deadeyes sacrifice the Shadowstep profession mechanic of core thief and daredevil specializations for strong, single-target damage against their Marked target.
- Weapon attacks against this Marked target generate Malice. When the deadeye enters Stealth, they can spend that Malice to power up a deadly Stealth Attack against their Mark.
- The trait Be Quick or Be Killed is best suited for killing weak enemies in quick succession, while Maleficent Seven shines against more durable enemies.
- Most Cantrips gain bonus effects when used against the deadeye's Marked target.
- Almost all rifle attacks are projectiles, making deadeyes vulnerable to enemies who can reflect or block them, or hide behind terrain. It is also a predominantly single-target weapon, requiring additional care when dealing with groups of enemies.
- Players wishing to learn more about the Deadeye can visit Nakato Ibori in The Bonestrand.
Trivia[edit]
- Deadeye was created to address the thief's lack of strong long-ranged options.
- Deadeye underwent a significant rework with the game update of 5 May, 2018, as unveiled by the blog post "An Eye on the Deadeye". Prior to this rework, Malice was generated passively at a rate of 1 every 4 seconds when a target was Marked, reduced to every 2 seconds when attacking the Mark, and each stack increased the deadeye's damage against their Mark by 3%. Some Cantrips dealt increased damage per Malice stack. Cursed Bullet was the stealth attack, and these attacks did not interact with Malice. Sniper's Cover replaced Kneel with the trait Sniper's Cover to provide stealth upon kneeling and, while kneeling, Death's Judgment was the rifle's fourth skill.
- With the rework, Malice has to be gained by attacking, no longer increases damage, and instead is consumed to empower Stealth Attacks. Cursed Bullet was removed and replaced by Death's Judgment. Sniper's Cover was detached from Silent Scope and moved to the fourth slot while kneeling and became a projectile blocking skill.