Guild Wars 2

I’m a level 33 with a rifle and a level 28 warrior with a sword seemed to be doing a lot more damage on enemies.

Trying using your turrets/elixirs/kits/etc.

Engineers do not rely purely upon their own damage like other professions do. Their “knick knacks” contribute to a hefty percent of their damage. If you feel you are doing less damage, start using your other abilities.

It’s the same thing with Mesmers as well. You can’t just rely on your own personal damage to match up to others. Your illusions/clones/phantasms contribute to that damage as well and should be used appropriately.

underpowered?? :O not at all! Though tbh, engineers really aren’t the kings of damage. They have ALOT of good utility skills/spells, they’re also very versatile. Don’t expect to do 100blades’ worth of damage though. One thing I like about engineers are their kits, bomb and grenade (and some people swear by flamethrower but I personally find it a bit clunky). AoE with lots of different conditions over and over and over again. Few classes can have consistent aoe damage (eles immediately come to mind).

Ye, as above. Engineers are as a class very versatile. Where the warrior focusses mostly on damage, the engineer can be very good at party wide healing (elixer-gun, healing turret, med-kit, supply crate), Scattering of foes (turrets), disabling of foes (knockbacks, net, etc), and still deal a very good punch (flamethrower, grenadekit).

Specially against melee I can use my riffle to keep melee out of melee range, while I keep putting my bullets in them (where as a warrior can punch harder, but gets the beating back as well). If the melee gets into range, I got a surprise for them, in an instant I get my flamethrower out and they are surrounded by fire and burning effects.

The only real trouble I have with my engineer is dealing with heavy condition area’s, but the elixergun is pretty good at getting the conditions off (I just don’t fancy it, so if I can prevent using it I stay away from that gun).

No real issues with my engineer!

Engineers may not have the best hit to damage ‘ratio’ but they are ranged thus they can hit (a lot) and if absolutely necessary run!* Engineers are fairly fast hitting too – especially when using turrets to help.

Remember to spend your points (yeah not got game on and memory lapsing) in the Hero menu as you get them and choose your skills to best suit your play style.

Also, equipment upgrade slots are (rather surprisingly for some) there for a reason! If you manage the upgrade slots well then your engineer will be much better. That said, it is almost 100% better to put any viable item into an upgrade slot rather than no upgrade item.

Another thing! Rings and such – get them as soon as you can and upgrade (slot) them too as this helps.

And, do not forget you can often make equipment over playing time cheaper and more suitable for your character through crafting. I found Huntsman (Weapons) and Leather Working (Armour) great for my engineer but I have ‘alts’ with other crafting that really help out (Jeweler comes to mind).

Though some of these things are seemingly obvious, they can be easy to miss.

As for the rifle … ! In my experience, I get much better results dual wielding pistols. I have also just started (at level 50+) trying out shields but not got any advice about them.

Under water, I hit the elixir for speed (or random effect – I really must get back in game to check that) and switch to grenades – almost exclusively!

I suppose it is all about balancing the multitude of fighting options for your engineer with your personal play style.

Of course, I only learned my preference and the other stuff from playing and nearly ditched my engineer at around level 20 or so until I sat and had a think about the way it works!

*Hit and run is a valid tactic, just do not ‘train’ mobs to another player or group as this is seen by many as a bad show and likely to cause issues!

I run either a rifle + gadget + elixir build or a p/s gadget elixir build on my Engi, and I will concur somewhat with the OP. Engi’s don’t do top notch damage. But an engineer can definitely put out a pretty decent burst, especially if you are loaded up on gadgets. Personal Battering Ram, Rocket Boots, etc. numbers can add up in a jiffy.

I think what outweighs other classes, outside of their versatility, is their ability to survive. Between all the CC’s and conditions on the rifle and pistol, the ways to keep an opponent on their backside, and the amount of heals and and such an engi has access too, that no other class I have played compares to its ability to survive and damage at the same time. Thats why I keep coming back to my Engi. When I pull 4 or 5 mobs, no biggy. With other classes, I feel like if I pull 2 mobs I am in trouble.

Never compare another profession with a Warrior in terms of damage. It’s pointless. You play an Engineer because you like the gimmicky gameplay, not because it’s the most efficient killing machine. Same as for Mesmers.

However, one place they do excel in damage output is in AoEs. The grenade kit does excellent AoE damage and if you are able to set up somewhere so you don’t have to constantly be running for your life, grenades kick some serious backside. The only real drawback is that you can’t auto-fire with Skill 1, which makes moving and maintaining decent damage tricky. But that’s part of the gimmicky profession mechanics. Love it or leave it.

Comparing a warrior with playing an Engineer or Mesmer is a different reality. We all know that they are not that “straight forward” in Leveling like the Warrior. He’s just like “charge in, AoE, finish”.

Take a look at the elementalist and Mesmer for example. They are really tricky to play, also when it comes down to Leveling. They are propaply not that fast as an Warrior, but it’s worth all the effort you put in, when it comes down to PvP. While the Warrior doesn’t have any tricks or gimmicks at all, other classes have their very own strength.

Brutus Tarsi.1283:

… no other class I have played compares to its ability to survive and damage at the same time.

YES! You took the words right out of my mouth. For the longest time I was rather jealous/annoyed at warriors and guardians with their unmitigating ability to be really really tanky. Often I would get higher toughness than them yet still die a bit faster. Then I realized that as an engineer, or a bombaneer, i can deal good amount of damage (I’d reckon much more than a mace guardian), or even if not good damage, decent AOE damage consistently and survive consistently (albeit alot of dodging and retreating), which led me to appreciate the class even more

Engineers are the Spec Ops of the game.

What makes them powerful is not that gun they carry all the time but the gear and gadgets they have.

EdwinLi.1284:

Engineers are the Spec Ops of the game.

What makes them powerful is not that gun they carry all the time but the gear and gadgets they have.

From which they can use only 3 at a time like everyone else. And their elites suck.

Engineers are just different. It takes a certain mindset, I think, to play AND enjoy playing an engineer. Never gonna be tops in dps…but certainly right up there in just plain fun. In my opinion anyway

I have a little over 210 hours on my engineer and I love it. I find it hard to play anything else. The thing that sets engineer apart in my mind is how you can switch up your playstyle at the drop of a hat. Without changing traits point spread, just the slotted traits I can go rifle/gadgets for some single target high speed fun.. or pistol/pistol/nades for AOE fun.

It just takes pratice to get good with the class. If you want some build advice feel free to PM me.

I haven’t played as one yet,but they are almost always my most feared monster class to come up against.