Guild Wars 2

Hello all,

I recently starting playing an engineer to level 30 and I am currently in a state where I am both highly intrigued and intimidated with the class. I’d like to get some advice on some practical steps to improving as an engineer. A little context into who I am and what I’m hoping to accomplish:

-My only level 80 at the moment is Mesmer.
-I consider myself casual.
-My primary playing time with be in small group or duo WvW
-I’d like to be able to fill a support role when needed

When I first started leveling my engineer it was rather simple and fun like any other ranged class. However, as I began gaining more levels and unlocking more utilities and kits, the sheer amount of “things” that my engineer can do was almost overwhelming. And looking at the stickied guide on this forum looked even more intimidating. I ask myself, how am I going to learn all these situational skills and not turn into a button mashing mess during wvw fights? For instance, my perception of engineer is that one of the strengths is in the combos. So if I want to support my group with heals and boons, it could potentially be a 4-step process of: 1. Activate field skill 2. Target Ground 3. Switch Kits 4. Activate finisher skill. All while trying to keep myself alive and applying my own damage pressure on the opponent. Compare that to some other class that can accomplish the same with… 1-button process? Maybe 2?

With that said, I feel the engineer, like mesmer, is a class that is versatile to be viable in any situation and has so much build diversity that even a casual player like myself can play in different ways with the limited playing time I have. So my question is, what are some ways I can learn the class during the process of leveling and when I turn level 80? What would you say are some “essential” concepts to understand and master in order to go from average engineer to above average engineer?

And lastly, I’m wondering if it will be helpful to think of memorizing button combinations to accomplish different outcomes and put it into my muscle memory, as opposed to thinking of “this skill, then this skill, then this skill”?

Thanks!

lucky.8246:

-I consider myself casual.
-My primary playing time with be in small group or duo WvW
-I’d like to be able to fill a support role when needed

It just so happens that you have stumbled upon a class that excels at fulfilling any role required when you need. In most cases it is fairly simple to go from DPS to support at the drop of a hat, while sacrificing neither.

lucky.8246:

For instance, my perception of engineer is that one of the strengths is in the combos. So if I want to support my group with heals and boons, it could potentially be a 4-step process of: 1. Activate field skill 2. Target Ground 3. Switch Kits 4. Activate finisher skill. All while trying to keep myself alive and applying my own damage pressure on the opponent. Compare that to some other class that can accomplish the same with… 1-button process? Maybe 2?

While this is true at the core, it is a bit more convoluted than you made it out to be. Each of the skills that you suggest for such combos are usually ones that provide stand-alone effects beneficial to yourself or others anyhow, while remaining more synergetic than many other skills in the game. What you will discover as you unlock even more skills is that the sheer number of combo blasts you can apply far outweighs any other class. Having these blasts play some of the biggest roles in your ability to adapt to a situation; bomb kit for example will let you either apply 12s of stealth or 12might in combo fields with 2 skills (Thumper/Big Ol Bomb). However, like you stated this is a bit of a process that involves prepping the combo field in correlation with the skill chain; accomplish timing those correctly and your party will love you.

lucky.8246:

So my question is, what are some ways I can learn the class during the process of leveling and when I turn level 80? What would you say are some “essential” concepts to understand and master in order to go from average engineer to above average engineer?

And lastly, I’m wondering if it will be helpful to think of memorizing button combinations to accomplish different outcomes and put it into my muscle memory, as opposed to thinking of “this skill, then this skill, then this skill”?

It would be best to address these together as they go hand-in-hand. Something I like to say to new Engineers is to avoid treating most kits as a weapon, these are utilities and in most circumstances should be treated as a means to quickly transition to that one skill from them that can change the flow of battle in your or your party’s favor. Become familiar with each of the skills that are inside every kit, every effect from overcharging turrets, and the tool belt skills that results from your utility composition. This class has more readily available combo fields and combo blasts than any other profession, and you will find that some of the most adept Engineers play into them strongly. You will be told this multiple times, but Engineer has one of the highest skill cap requirements of any class. If you can meet or exceed this cap, then you will become one of the most formidable characters in the game.

Having only extensive practice with PvP, my advice is limited to competitive play and like minded situations.. That being said, trying to play Engineer off Muscle Memory is not very wise. Wasting a Pry Bar to a failed Magnet pull or prematurely Letting out a Blowtorch at the least optimal distance can cost you a fight in the tick of a condition.

In short, my advice would be split your attention down the middle keep one eye on your opponent and another on their UI and watch what boons they are getting what conditions they are cleansing. Although this could be applied to every Profession Engineers however have a tool for every situation, it’s usually a matter of a single second that can decide a come back or a fall.

A great place to start is with the healing turret.
The basic combo is with its self – place, over chager, pop it ( detonate turret )
After you get use to this combo ( both in combat and on the move ) you can start looking into what else you can do with your water field. (Botht the combo and the tool belt skill the turret gives you)

For expample:
- you can get a blast off your supple create in that basic combo.

- if you use rifle, your jump shot combos with the water field, while your sheild (skill 4 I think ) also combos in

- if you have your toolkit, you can throw your rench through the water field.

Just keep looking around and find what you like doing with your and your allies combo fields

You can also look for two skills that work well together. Two examples would be: rumble ( thumper turret toolbelt) into the powershot of the rifle;
And glue bomb / glue shot into big o bomb ( BoB )

Hope that helps,
Sarah

Edit: my poor spelling :’(

Awesome, thanks for the helpful feedback! It definitely looks like it will take some time for me to get the hang of the nuances the class brings, but at the same time it feels like it will be highly rewarding!

lucky.8246:

So if I want to support my group with heals and boons, it could potentially be a 4-step process of: 1. Activate field skill 2. Target Ground 3. Switch Kits 4. Activate finisher skill. All while trying to keep myself alive and applying my own damage pressure on the opponent. Compare that to some other class that can accomplish the same with… 1-button process? Maybe 2?

You are correct. But it works, and it is crazy fun.

A couple of tips about support via healing turret:
—picking the turret up is often better than detonating it, since it will reduce the cooldown.
—if you do detonate it, never mash the detonate button, since you’ll want to save the second water field (on the toolbelt) to use with another blast finisher later
—elixir gun is also great support, but be careful with its light field (super elixir) since it will “overwrite” the water field easily. The oldest field always takes precedence, so if you use your HT over a super elixir, you won’t benefit from the water field.
—engineers are tough to use for downed state control, but you can get some from stealth. Bomb kit is great to have for that, since it’s a good kit and it will give you more support at the same time (as opposed to just taking elixir R or something like that). The smoke bomb doesn’t create its field for about 1 second after dropping it, so you’ll have to time it correctly.

I feel my engineer is very strong at the moment. As in my build might be countered by some things but I feel like i’m on the same playing field and can do well if i play well.

Start slow.
I would recommend rifle as it is the most straight forward weapon.
Then maybe a gadget, a turret and an elixir.
Understand that and then replace one with a kit. Use it as a second weapon until you get the feel. Then progress from there. Maybe replace the kit with a different one to get the feel of that one.
Once you understand the skills, then it will flow better. Soon you’ll be playing Mozart in your mind.