Guild Wars 2

My engineer has an elixir build, using only elixirs and the elixir gun. I really love using the elixir gun in pvp, it feels really well rounded. I can help support the team, while providing some condition damage. I typically run with Elixir H, B, and R. Though sometimes I like to use U, to machine gun spam Elixir Dart for burst DPS.

Anyone else like to use the elixir gun or any other kit as their primary weapon? From what I’ve read it seems like most people are using either pistols or a rifle instead.

I’m about 50/50 between the elixir gun and duel pistols.
I start off most fights building up around 20 seconds of weakness with elixir gun, and then swapping to pistols to burn, poison, confuse and blind.
Swap over to elixir gun when weakness is wearing off or to cure conditions on yourself or allies.
Elixir gun can also be used to dish out some serious healing per second for you and allies. Kit refinement super elixir, super elixir, healing mist and backpack regenerator will heal close to 600hp/second for 10 seconds + super elixir impact heal will heal 600 more.

I am using elixir gun with duel pistols like Ronin too. Elixir is a bit weak in damage output though but it provides very good supporting functions.

I play only PvE for the moment and found that I actually change my skill set a lot. Like now, I am running duel pistols, with elixir gun plus bombs, supported by a net turret.

No. Actually i hate them all. Besides the granade kit, which is more of a fun, then real usefull. Barely hit anything in pvp, from long range, where it is supposed to be applyed.

I like the class itself excluding the kits. Flamethrower is just not for me, in a fantasy game.

The fun of the engineer profession is that is is open to so many interpretations.

Some people use a gun, some elixirs and nothing else. And that’s very effective and probabbly lots of fun for them.
Personally I use a pistol and shield, an elixir gun, a tool kit, a bomb kit and a med kit…
Sometimes I take another build and use a flame thrower… but the bottom line is: I always use kits. As many as I can get away with.

I don’t really like the rifle, but im trying to love it.

Currently using pistols primarily because i want more yummy utility slots, but i like grenades/elixir/flamer, i want to like tool kit but i just can’t do it.

Elixir gun with kit refinement is awesome for removing conditions in a bunker build.

Yea, Super Elixir x 2 with Kit Refinement is extremely nice for Bunker. What makes it particularly nice is Light Field + Projectile or Blast/Leap. Lots of condition removal and/or retaliation. I find my survability against necros is much higher with Elixir Gun and Kit Refinement.

Only thing I hate about engi is the fact you can’t equip 2 sets of weapons (rifle/pistol). I know we have like 100 kits to use, but if i don’t feel like using a kit i have 1 weapon to choose from.. If I could swap between rifle and pistols it would make life so much easier. So for that reason I’m spec’d for flamethrower.

Zapato, kits are the reason we don’t have weapon swapping. Same with Elementalist and their attunements.

Would it be cool if we had weapon swap + kits? Sure. Would it be overpowered? Very. I would be an unkillable bunker Engineer w/shields + rifle + kits.

I am a pistol shield eng right now and the only kit I will use is the med kit. However, if the need calls for it I will load up any and all kits that I feel will help.

I do love this class

Elixir gun has to be tops for condition engineer in dungeons, right? Perma-weakness, lots of support, and our best reliable bleed. I don’t think my group is aware enough to have a clue how much support I bring to the table. Case-in-point, one of them was happy to have an engineer because of my Healing Turret :P

Eh, depends on the range. Elixir gun is good for bleeding and poison, but if they kit close I use pry bar and concussion bomb. In my opinion, confusion is the best condition, especially when you have 1500 condition damage. Then drop the fire bomb so they are burning while they confusingly beat themselves to death.

If they get in melee range I like to try to move to keep behind a mob and bomb them often. Point being, I often use the bomb kit as my main weapon.

Bomb kit + flame turret overcharge = break for melee. Didn’t mention it because it was off topic.

I run 3 kits with kit refinement and shield pistol, so I use whatever is most handy for a fight. For the most part I’m lazy so I just use pistol at max range for the double shot.

I don’t understand why people dislike kits, I hear complaints that they “Don’t do enough damage because they don’t scale with weapons” or “they make engines close range”. However I’m the complete opposite, I don’t use torrents because they seem slow, clunky and just drab in appearance, even when buffed by their overload abilities. Kits offer a way to change your ability type with no cool down in the blink of an eye. I also can’t comprehend not using kits in the explosives trait. I usually go with both grenade and bomb kits, while either having Elixir Gun or flamethrower on hand. I’m going to assume I’m somehow playing wrong, given everyone resentment toward kits and I’ll prob be bombarded with questions about not using elixirs or Gadgets either (Most gadgets just seem to be long cooldowned emergency debuffs and a waste of a slot and elixers are just buff randomizers)

I run Tool Kit (seriously, throw wrench is GOOD, and Gear Shield is great in a pinch), and the Grenade Kit, while toting a rifle. I use my kits for about 80% of my fights. While my build IS worked around kit swapping and Static Discharge, kits are just the way I play. I couldn’t get on board with the P/P or P/S combo, I feel like the pistol is a clunky weapon (this may just be personal preference as I can really get on board with some of the rifles abilities).

Every engi is different (thats the beauty of the class) but I feel like an Engi without a kit is like Chuck Norris without his beard. :p

Nekroseth-dude, you’re playing the wrong class. Thats like saying I like playing rangers but dont ever use ranged weapons cause I dont like them or the pets cause they’re boring.

Please do not start the conversation in a direction that implies folks need to play a certain way. And please do not tell me you think rangers are supposed to be ranged because that is not what their name means. They have swords, broadsword, melee pets, and knives for a reason .

I understand where Nekroseth is coming from. I like elixirs in general but I hate using them. Doesn’t mean you need to try to tak the discussion down the evil path your appearing to go.

I lose 180 Power 128 Vit 128 Toughness 5% crit and a 60% Bleeding Proc 50 def when i swap to a kit, so i only use Medkit and no other cause of the stat lost

Even if we may lose a great deal of stats, stacking all those boons, conditions and extra dmg are much more valuable than waiting for all the four skills unavailable in their down time. For those who have quick fingers, they probably can stack more conditions by switching to one kit after another and back to their weapons.

Nabarue.3290:

I run Tool Kit (seriously, throw wrench is GOOD, and Gear Shield is great in a pinch), and the Grenade Kit, while toting a rifle. I use my kits for about 80% of my fights.

Would you care to elaborate a little bit more how Tool Kit works? I tried a little bit in PvP mode and decided I would never touch it… I have like 130 or 140 unspent skill points…

joykafka.4308:

Nabarue.3290:

I run Tool Kit (seriously, throw wrench is GOOD, and Gear Shield is great in a pinch), and the Grenade Kit, while toting a rifle. I use my kits for about 80% of my fights.

Would you care to elaborate a little bit more how Tool Kit works? I tried a little bit in PvP mode and decided I would never touch it… I have like 130 or 140 unspent skill points…

20 second boomerang, gear shield to block attacks if you expect something stupid incoming, box of nails to cripple enemies, otherwise its a melee kit, which doesn’t benefit from Juggernaut.

I love using the Elixir Gun and will use that along with my turrets whenever possible. Mind you, I do miss the stat bonuses given by my pistol and shield and I’ll be happy when/if they are ever active while using the kit. For the time being I build up a full 25 stacks of +Condition damage and then it’s on with the backpack and out with the hose!

I’m shocked that no one else is really saying the flamethrower. Sometimes I have to switch back to rifle mid-fight because I’m spraying around too much damage and drawing surrounding aggro.

If things are in control though, I can’t think of a better way to put down groups of NPC’s than torching them.

@CTifer my friends band me from using the flamethrower because I scarred them with it… They said there’s no way a crit build flamethrower asura is in any universe not horrifying…

joykafka.4308:

Nabarue.3290:

I run Tool Kit (seriously, throw wrench is GOOD, and Gear Shield is great in a pinch), and the Grenade Kit, while toting a rifle. I use my kits for about 80% of my fights.

Would you care to elaborate a little bit more how Tool Kit works? I tried a little bit in PvP mode and decided I would never touch it… I have like 130 or 140 unspent skill points…

As someone elaborated above, the 20 second boomerang is fantastic. Its powerful and when coupled with Static Discharge, is pretty dang good. I RARELY use the kit itself, but when I’m running for a tower or trying to escape to heal, Gear Shield is a lifesaver. And the cripple skill is great for when I’m running for my little Asuran life.

Why the Tookit is a GREAT PvP kit:

1. Autoattack hits hard…but you really shouldn’t be using it.
2. Caltrops are situational, but AoE snare is always nice. Add that to grenade #4 and you’ve got two AoE snares.
3. Prybar hits HARD (about the same as Jumpshot on rifle) and lands 3 stacks of Confuse. Having enemies take damage when they spam skills is a very nice thing.
4. Block is great for negating the all-too-predictable burst from most classes, or if you need to run a gauntlet.
5. Magnetic is great for ruining the day of anyone who carelessly overextends when you are part of a group, or as a quick interrupt for anything.

Primarily Toolkit is great to use when 1) you know burst is incoming 2) your rifle CC/escapes are down, or 3) a melee is all over you and you need to buy a few seconds for cooldowns.

@Mysticforce I know i went with a 3 turret and a wrench set up and the wrench would completely wreck people! God that thing hits HARD i’d say it’s just a good kit all around!

However, i think you covered most of the advantages to it lol.

Thank you all, Mysticforce, Nabarue, and Thenoob…

I tried and found out that I am not good at shield/blocking, slick shoes/spray oil, pistol/glue shot in PvE. I just couldn’t make them work effectively or I must have expected too much… However, dual pistol #4 the 2000 burning condition dmg of the blowtorch is just too sweet to give up… It ended up most of the time I am switching between Dual Pistol, Elixir Gun and Bomb (or Grenade or Net Turret).

I play PvE but I should perhaps really give it a try. Thank you for enlightening me.

I would love the Elixir Gun if it was properly affected by Elixir traits.

This is why I love the engineer class so much. Here are a bunch of folks who play with kits, kits, and more kits. You guys enjoy that, but for me, I play with kits occasionally, but for the most part, I run a gadget oriented build as the burst that they provide is absurd when paired with a rifle.

I just tried the Toolkit out… Wow, it is so much fun and violent… wahaha. I like that !!

I love the elixir gun. I like all the kits too. They can be effective you understand their purpose. However, it can be a bit strange to balance your gear and stats according to the best way to utilize said kits. I have found that to get the most out of optimization, you might need several builds tested and available for respec if you need them. I have found ways to be good at one or two with a few swaps. I suspect to be flexible yet effective with all the kits will require more time and effort than the past month and a half have given me.

I actually use both flamethrower ( who says no too a flamthrower?!) and elixurgun combined with dual pistol. Weaponkits are really nice because they make what the engineer is: variety.

CHunterX.4083:

I would love the Elixir Gun if it was properly affected by Elixir traits.

It is not improperly not effected by elixir traits, it is improperly marked as an elixir.

Tool kit. Nothing beats smashing people over the head with a wrench… Just ask Ratchet.

coglin.1496:

CHunterX.4083:

I would love the Elixir Gun if it was properly affected by Elixir traits.

It is not improperly not effected by elixir traits, it is improperly marked as an elixir.

You’re right, its silly to expect a gun named ELIXIR Gun to shoot Elixirs.

I stick to rifle/grenades for WvW/PvE. SPvP i switch it up a bit.

I like the Elixir gun but I usually swap out of it after using up the longer cooldowns….the auto attack seems weak.

Grenadier reporting!

Flamethrower here. It’s not fancy and it’s arguably not that good but to Torment with it. When I’m not burning them, I’m bombing them.