Guild Wars 2

http://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Engineer_-_HGH_Hybrid

Here’s my problem. I want to use this build on all three modes (PvE, WvW and PvP) but it seems that I need Celestial gear to maximize it’s potential. Since I am still in the process of gathering the materials I need for creating celestial gear, I wonder if there is an alternative gear set that I can use. Suggestions would be welcome.

Where were you planning to use this in PvE? That is just honestly not a good build for dungeons.

Celestial Pistol/Shield is frankly, garbage in all game-modes, compared to other options.

My recommendation would be for you to of course pick up a gear set of assorted Berserker/Assassin stats for PvE, and Knight stat armor with Celestial Jewlery for WvW.

And use Rifle.

You can still use HgH traits if that’s how you like to play your Engineer, just realize you will have a lot of redundant Might/fury in a competent PvE group.

HgH is great for WvW and non-optimized PvE content. It has extremely high damage in those circumstances.

Phineas Poe.3018:

Where were you planning to use this in PvE? That is just honestly not a good build for dungeons.

Nah, I don’t plan on bringing this on dungeons all the time (unless I feel like challenging myself and giving my party a hard time). Just the usual open PvE along with WvW and PvP.

Chaith.8256:

Celestial Pistol/Shield is frankly, garbage in all game-modes, compared to other options.

My recommendation would be for you to of course pick up a gear set of assorted Berserker/Assassin stats for PvE, and Knight stat armor with Celestial Jewlery for WvW.

And use Rifle.

You can still use HgH traits if that’s how you like to play your Engineer, just realize you will have a lot of redundant Might/fury in a competent PvE group.

HgH is great for WvW and non-optimized PvE content. It has extremely high damage in those circumstances.

Awww…..

But I really wanna use pistol shield.

Malkavian.4516:

Chaith.8256:

Celestial Pistol/Shield is frankly, garbage in all game-modes, compared to other options.

My recommendation would be for you to of course pick up a gear set of assorted Berserker/Assassin stats for PvE, and Knight stat armor with Celestial Jewlery for WvW.

And use Rifle.

You can still use HgH traits if that’s how you like to play your Engineer, just realize you will have a lot of redundant Might/fury in a competent PvE group.

HgH is great for WvW and non-optimized PvE content. It has extremely high damage in those circumstances.

Awww…..

But I really wanna use pistol shield.

run rabid, or another condi set then. regardless, p/s is a condi weapon set and will be awful for pve (unless it’s open world, but spirit weapons work there so….).

I used HGH and P/S in WvW for awhile but my build was condition focused. I think the question we all have is that you take better advantage of the weapon set when you focus on the primary damage mode of the weapon (rifle = power, pistol = condition). You gain most of your condition off of celestial which is “ok” but you focus your sigils and runes for might stacking. However the point of conditions is to spread/stack them which your runes/sigils don’t do. Condition runes/sigils increase the duration or stack amounts. With the current condition clearing, you need to reapply them quickly.

I’m sure it will do well, but for P/S you should be increasing condi damage and application. Focusing on HGH will increase condi damage but it will get cleared quickly. As people have said, you might do better by switching to rifle and using bleeds/burns as secondary spike damage.

I’ve used a similar build frequently with a carrion/rabid combo. The particular variation I use is: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fdEQJAqalcTp6qlYx+KseNCbBBqNI6jEln85HGgkC-TFyCABA8ABsU9HsUidxJCIP9EJqEMLlH6t/ApAgYaE-w

This is my go-to build for fractals (particularly since my infusions are in that shiz and I’m not redoing all my gear for the sake of minor optimizations). I also use it in general PvE, though it can be slow to kill enemies in some situations depending on what you’re doing.

In WvW, I usually use a different version with the tool kit instead of grenades, but the gear stats, runes, sigils, and weapon selection are the same. Only the traits different slightly in that build (i.e. swap out grenadier for coated bullets, protection injection, cloaking device, or speedy kits). It’s one of my favourite WvW builds, even though it has it’s downsides (i.e. lower mobility and extended sustain).

However, I’ve not used this build extensively in PvP. Though in that situation you just pick your amulet and such, so no need for materials gathering. I feel that celestial would work better in this format anyways because the carrion PvP amulet does not allow you to round out some of your stats (i.e. low precision and toughness, too much vitality). The other common choice for this sort of build would be the rabid amulet. I’m pretty sure the aristocracy runes aren’t in PvP either, but I’d have to double check (though there’s other runes that would also work fine).

So if you want an alternative stat line to use while you’re crafting your celestial gear, my personal recommendation is a carrion/rabid mix. I would make your weapons and armour the carrion stat line since they can be easily crafted (insignias/incscriptions are craftable), though you can get them from the WvW vendor too. I’d reserve the rabid (or dire/rabid if you prefer) for the trinkets because there isn’t a carrion stat line available there for ascended trinkets (not including the dungeon reward one). This lets you hybridize your damage with a strong condition focus, while also build up your vitality, toughness, and precision to workable levels. You can always do things like swap in runes of the water or use the hoelbrak runes to round things out or make it more power focused.