This build is up to date for the September 23, 2025 patch.
Overview
The Spear and Dagger PvP Small Scale PvP build focuses on delivering high single-target burst damage to take out enemies quickly while in small group fights or Arena scenarios. It can do very well in PVP Dominion events or even during night PVP. The build also offers great mobility with multiple dashes and teleports, making the build very mobile.
Attributes
PRIMARY
Perception
+
Dexterity
SECONDARY
Strength
+
Wisdom
With the unique stats and attributes system in Throne and Liberty, it can be difficult to determine exactly where to invest your attribute points at each stage of the game. This is because gear pieces provide attributes just like leveling up does, meaning everyone will have a different number of attribute points depending on what gear they are wearing at the time.
Given this variation, it's best to reset your attributes regularly to adjust to the new gear you acquire. Aim to reach the achievement effects, which provide extra benefits at milestones like 30, 50, and 70 points.
To maximize damage output with this build, focus primarily on Dexterity and Perception, as these attributes greatly enhance your DPS and ensure consistent damage throughout fights. Adding points to Wisdom can also be beneficial for improved mana regeneration, helping you sustain your abilities during extended battles. However, the main priority should remain on increasing damage through Dexterity and Perception.
Don't overlook allocating 50 points into Strength, as it provides a valuable health boost, improving your survivability without compromising your offensive capabilities while also adding extra heavy attack chance which is a very important stat in all PvP content.
Skills
The Spear & Dagger build is a great choice for newer players looking for spear assassin-style gameplay with access to stealth thanks to 
Vicious Fury.
Your main damage skills are Vicious Fury, 
Culling Arc, 
Cyclonic Fury, and 
Rising Slash. Focus on upgrading these first to boost your early damage output.
Keep enhancing your damage with 
Abyssal Cleave and dagger abilities like 
Cleaving Moonlight and 
Brutal Incision. As 
Inject Venom is a core part of your build and all your rotations begin by applying poison, this is another no-brainer to upgrade so it stacks to 20, the effect becomes significantly stronger.
Brutal Incision synergizes with poisoned targets, dealing extra damage and serving as an excellent finishing move.
For passives, you should focus on upgrading 
Malice Surge for extra heavy attack chances. 
Imposing Form pairs well with the spear’s multiple attacks, providing strong buffs. 
Retaliatory Strike is another critical passive, increasing your crit rate and playing a key role in this build.
As for dagger passives, 
Assassin's Instincts adds extra crit rate while 
Shadow Walker is a core defensive passive that activates every time you dodge or use a mobility skill, heavily increasing your evasion rate. Meanwhile, 
Wrathful Edge boosts critical damage, complementing the build's focus on crit rate. This makes the Spear & Dagger build a powerful PvP option with a heavy emphasis on critical hits.
Equipment
Tier 3 (Work in progress)
Darkslayer Daggers
Heavy Attack Chance
Critical Hit Chance
Hit Chance
Resonance Effect: Hit Chance
Primary
Heroic Polearm of the Resistance
Heavy Attack Chance
Critical Hit Chance
Hit Chance
Resonance Effect: Hit Chance
Shadow Harvester Mask
Magic Evasion
Ranged Evasion
Cooldown Speed
Resonance Effect: Melee Evasion
Ancient Tapestry Mantle
Max Health
Debuff Duration
Skill Damage Resistance
Resonance Effect: Melee Evasion
Swirling Essence Robe
Buff Duration
Magic Evasion
Magic Endurance
Resonance Effect: Melee Evasion
Gauntlets of the Field General
Ranged Evasion
Melee Evasion
Added Attack Speed
Resonance Effect: Melee Evasion
Shadow Harvester Trousers
Magic Evasion
Ranged Evasion
Magic Endurance
Resonance Effect: Melee Evasion
Sabatons of the Field General
Movement Speed
Melee Evasion
Ranged Evasion
Resonance Effect: Melee Evasion
Earrings of Forlorn Elegance
Front Heavy Attack Chance
Side Heavy Attack Chance
Front Hit Chance
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Clasp of the Conqueror
Skill Damage Boost
Max Health
Buff Duration
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Bracers of the Primal King
Max Health
Skill Damage Resistance
Debuff Duration
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Amber Dimensional Band
Skill Damage Boost
Max Health
Buff Duration
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Band of Universal Power
Skill Damage Boost
Buff Duration
Mana Regen
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Belt of Bloodlust
Max Health
Debuff Duration
Skill Damage Resistance
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Info
Equipment is being updated, if tier 3 items are in the tier 3 tab, it means the equipment on this build was updated.
Crimson Hellskewer
Heavy Attack Chance
Critical Hit Chance
Hit Chance
Resonance Effect: Hit Chance
Primary
Bercant's Whispering Daggers
Heavy Attack Chance
Critical Hit Chance
Hit Chance
Resonance Effect: Hit Chance
Oblivion's Wrath Barbute
Max Health
Melee Evasion
Ranged Evasion
Resonance Effect: Melee Evasion
Howling Wind Shroud
Max Health
Debuff Duration
Skill Damage Resistance
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Imperial Seeker's Tunic
Max Health
Magic Evasion
Ranged Evasion
Resonance Effect: Melee Evasion
Royal Praetor's Gauntlets
Melee Evasion
Ranged Evasion
Added Attack Speed
Resonance Effect: Melee Evasion
Oblivion's Wrath Leggings
Melee Evasion
Ranged Evasion
Max Health
Resonance Effect: Melee Evasion
Imperial Seeker's Boots
Magic Evasion
Ranged Evasion
Movement Speed
Resonance Effect: Melee Evasion
Earrings of Forlorn Elegance
Front Heavy Attack Chance
Side Heavy Attack Chance
Front Hit Chance
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Noble Birthright Brooch
Skill Damage Boost
Max Health
Buff Duration
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Infernal Demonpact Cuffs
Max Health
Skill Damage Resistance
Debuff Duration
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Solitare of Purity
Skill Damage Boost
Max Health
Buff Duration
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Runed Band of the Black Anvil
Skill Damage Boost
Buff Duration
Max Health
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Elusive Nymph Coil
Max Health
Debuff Duration
Skill Damage Resistance
Resonance Effect: Max Health
Weapon Masteries
Spear
Dagger
You should be aiming to reach and unlock masteries (the corner nodes) as soon as possible as they usually make the largest impact in the build. While minor nodes shouldn't be forgotten, make sure to unlock masteries as fast as possible before spreading out and spending into less important nodes.
Artifacts
Abyssal Beast Talistone I
Damage: 10
Heavy Attack Chance
Critical Hit Chance
Bonus Damage
Abyssal Beast Solarstone
Weaken Chance
Bind Chance
Weaken Chance
CC Chance
Chaos Harbinger Talistone III
Max Health: 1750
Max Stamina
Stamina Regen
Amitoi Healing
Chaos Harbinger Talistone II
Defense: 200
Ranged Evasion
Magic Evasion
Heavy Attack Evasion
Chaos Harbinger Lunarstone
Weaken Resistance
Bind Resistance
Weaken Resistance
CC Resistances
Chaos Harbinger Talistone IV
Max Health: 1750
Heavy Attack Evasion
Heavy Attack Chance
Ranged Evasion
Rotations
- Prepare yourself and your team with
Unyielding Sentinel before using Inject Venom so all your follow-up attacks will also apply poison. Start the rotation with 
Shadow Strike to bind the target then use 
Gale Rush to dash to the target and increase your attack speed while also dealing damage and stunning them.
- Use Abyssal Cleave to Prone the enemy (jump while using the skill to apply Prone instead of Stun) before continuing with Cyclonic Fury to stack debuffs further and increase Culling Arc damage before using Vicious Fury and then Rising Slash along with Brutal Incision.
- This much shorter rotation is intended for finishing off low HP targets. This rotation can be done out of Stealth (
Camouflage Cloak) so enemies don't expect it.
- Start with Inject Venom so your following attacks also apply poison before you use Shadow Strike to bind the target. Use Gale Rush to damage and momentarily stun the target so you can followup with a longer Prone using Abyssal Cleave (Jump at the same time you use the skill so it applies Prone).
- Use Cyclonic Fury followed by Culling Arc before blowing up the target with Rising Slash.
- If the target is still alive, use Cleaving Moonlight & Brutal Incision to finish them off.
Other Shadowdancer Builds
PvPEasyMeleeDPS
PvEModerateMeleeDPS
