Guild Wars 2

I’m looking for a class to commit my time and energy to. I’d like something with group support, offensive power and high APM (Actions Per Minute). Research leads me to understand that the two classes which most fit this role are elementalist and engineer.

What research has -not- led me to understand is what differentiates each one from the other. They both get billed as a jack of all trades. So, I’m wondering if there are any more experienced players who can help me learn what makes them both unique.

What can each class do that the other can’t? What are their strengths and weaknesses in comparison to one another? Where do they differ in methodology?

Example: an elementalist seems to be better at stacking Might and Fury for the group, while an engineer seems to be better at stacking Vulnerability. An elementalist seems to favor melee with conjured weapons for highest DPS, while an engineer relies on Bomb Kit or Grenade Kit.

Ultimately, I’m looking for a fast-paced caster (consider engineers casters for the purposes of this discussion)that hits hard and helps the rest of the group harder. Some utilities to help keep others alive, even if it’s through the act of supplying and/or blasting water fields, would also be welcome.

Eles have a better spike/burst damage than eng.
Engs have a better team support imo for pvp and wvw.
Eles are better in dungeon runs for the team might stacking.
Engs have a better self survivability, in most builds, than ele.

Those are my opinions, ele and eng are not my most played classes, I most use my eng for WvW and currently my ele for PvP.

Belzebu.3912:

Eles have a better spike/burst damage than eng.
Engs have a better team support imo for pvp and wvw.
Eles are better in dungeon runs for the team might stacking.
Engs have a better self survivability, in most builds, than ele.

Those are my opinions, ele and eng are not my most played classes, I most use my eng for WvW and currently my ele for PvP.

Engi have gernerally have less survivability due to lack of stab, stun breaks and condi removal in most meta builds(really depends on builds). Op both are good classes, choose which ever you enjoy playing the most.

PvE wise: Elementalist > Engineer, due to spike/might stacking/support (Ice Bow, AoE Heals)
PvP wise: Elementalist = Engineer, they are very similiar but engineer is more useful due to its ability to decap points/CC the enemies. On the other hand, elementalists have more team support.
WvW wise: Elementalist > Engineer, because of combo fields (water/fire) and CC.
Roaming wise: Engineer > Elementalist, because of conditions and ability to “fight off-points”

In conclusion, Engineer > Elementalist because of reasons (including the fact I enjoy playing on my engineer more than on my elementalist).

Engineer has a lot more to offer in PvE I think. Slight less good in Might stacking, however it’s spikes are pretty sure higher. Do not forget about Acid bomb ticking while doing other attacks, 20k+ Jump shots and 10k+ Blunderbuss.

I think the only adventage in PvE for eles is mainly they drop 2 ice bows, and have more blast finishers in their meta builds.

I would go with an engi over an ele if you’re aiming at PVE group fights. They deal more damage without having to sacrifice as much to get it, can stack might and vulnerability easily, and almost everything they do has a big AOE. Eles don’t offer anything special to a group fight besides an ice bow and the ability to stack might and fury, which other classes can do without being as squishy a lot of times.

I main Engi but have a moderate amount of experience with Ele too. I mostly play WvW.

If you’re looking for team support (offensive or defensive) in WvW, Ele’s are always welcomed for their water fields, might stacking, and heavy AoE pressure (staff). Either one can roam effectively in WvW. I don’t play enough PvE to make recommendations there.

In my impression, the biggest difference is how Ele and Engi’s toolboxes are set up. Both professions have a large number of skills/versatility. Ele’s come in very large packages (20 weapon skills on a weapon set) that are relatively rigidly-defined (e.g. all D/D Ele’s will, of course, have exactly the same 20 weapon skills). Engi’s toolboxes are often smaller (unless it’s a 3+ kit Engi), but is more flexible. You can mix and match any weapon sets (kits/utilities) you like to fit your intended role/playstyle. However, in my impression, each individual Engi skill seems to have a little less impact than single Ele skills, perhaps because you can combine them in almost any way you like.

Finally, in terms of capabilities, Engi is pretty much the top profession IMO in terms of hard CCs, with lots of access to knockbacks and launches. They are also very strong for condition builds. Weakness are lack of stability and poor condition removal. Ele’s can put out a lot of healing and boons for teammates without giving up on personal offense or defense. Someone with more experience may be able to explain their weaknesses better than me, but I think it is mostly tied to their low health pool and armor, which may necessitate more defensive gear, traits, or utilities, to boost survivability.