Guild Wars 2

I’m new to engie (And to a lesser extent, the game in general), and always play Engie with my lovely wife, and she’s on her warrior. For the first… well, noticeable while, I used dual pistols, but always felt I wasn’t contributing to open world content. A level range of somewhere or other gave me no condition damage, so I switched to Rifles and Power, temporarily, to find that, holy jesus, I could actually hurt things in the time span before they died. I was perfectly okay with my conditions in AC Story, but that’s not an object-heavy dungeon, so there’s that.

So I mean, I dunno, I did like the hell out of the Elixir Gun, but the pistols themselves felt pretty meaningless. And I could just use the Elixir Gun anyway (though I’m currently considering two turrets and the tool kit). How did other folks feel about pistols in PvE?

The best part about pistols in pve is that you can use a shield with them.

Turrets are pretty subpar at the moment so definitely stay away from them for now. The next patch might make the good, but who knows.

Try a static discharge build, take the static discharge trait, then go med kit, rifle turret, battering ram, rocket turret and supply drop. The idea is you just spam toolkit skills for static shots. Works best with a rifle and Berserker gear.

I actually JUST posted a pistol/shield build: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/engineer/Pistol-Shield-HGH-zerker/first#post3004415

It focuses on building some might with HGH and doing as much damage with the pistol as possible. A lot of peeps don’t like pistol in PvE, but I don’t base what I play on the opinions of others unless it is a class i’m totally unfamiliar with.

Well, level 40 isn’t high, but it’s not nothing. Putting aside that I’m permanently with someone else (which means overworld map mobs tend to melt), the number 2 seems to have a weird habit of popping bolts off into the middle of nowhere, and confusion kinda sucks in PvE. I have tried it myself, and I’ve hated it; I’m wondering what I’ve overlooked that could make it great.

Looking at your build, it seems to understandably lean on the 2, and given that it just seems to go off into lala land sometimes when I use it, I don’t think I like it, although I’m sure it’s been working out excellently for you. My guild leader was highlighting HGH for me earlier, so it’s interesting to see that’s liked.

I think Pistol/Shield is amazing in PvE, but only as a support weapon set, not as a main weapon set.
It gives a AoE blind, a blast finisher, reflection and a block, 20% longer condition duration (Giver weapons) and two sigils. In my book that’s better what the Rifle offers, at least if you don’t intend to use your actual weapon as your main weapon set.

Rutee.1058:

Well, level 40 isn’t high, but it’s not nothing. Putting aside that I’m permanently with someone else (which means overworld map mobs tend to melt), the number 2 seems to have a weird habit of popping bolts off into the middle of nowhere, and confusion kinda sucks in PvE. I have tried it myself, and I’ve hated it; I’m wondering what I’ve overlooked that could make it great.

Looking at your build, it seems to understandably lean on the 2, and given that it just seems to go off into lala land sometimes when I use it, I don’t think I like it, although I’m sure it’s been working out excellently for you. My guild leader was highlighting HGH for me earlier, so it’s interesting to see that’s liked.

Try using pistol 2 as close as you can to the target. It won’ miss a shot.

Pro tip on using Poison-Dart volley: If you’re at max range when you use this ability, strafe-dancing left and right in between each shot greatly increases the chance of your shots hitting the target. After a bit of practice, I’ve gotten every shot to hit, every time.

Pistol and Shield are not bad at all in open world combat and leveling. You said your wife plays a warrior so bottom line you may now out dps her (yet) but the support you provide with EG & Healing Turret are boss. Let me give you some tips, cat post a build as I’m on my phone.

For your utilities go with

1. Healing Turret: you would be surprised how great regeneration is for your warrior and with 2 water combo fields you can get so e nice healing with blast finishers (this will also create a more dynamic playstyle for the 2 of you, com boing off each other’s fields)

1. Tool Kit: This will be one of the best damage kits for you, with power and crit your wrench hits hard. Also the block from #4 is great so is the pull (interrupt) from #5

1. Bomb Kit or Elixer Gun: EG for more support and Bombs for nice dps & more blast finishers.

1. Rocket Boots or Thumper Turret: bolth for the same reason BLAST FINISHERS the boots will give you 1 finisher and there fun as hell (mobility yum) plus a burn. The Turret gives you 3x blast finishers (tool belt, overcharge, & detonate) but little el e for pve.

Here’s the idea, you lay down fire fields (bomb kit) and blast the hell out of me for AoE might. Or lay down water fields (healing turret) and do the sale for AoE heals. Keep in mind that as a warrior if they take a hammer they have blast finishers as well, also longbow has a fire field!

It’s a P/S build based on power & crit. Evacuee your damage will come from wrench and bombs. You have a ton of utility (combo fields regeneration ect) and blocks up the wazoo. And the most important reason is it’s fun to time combos if your playing in a group!

I use duel pistols all the time unless theres a ton of enemies then i switch to bomb kit. I use a hybrid AOE elixir 409 build. Got conditions galore, 3 elixirs for condition removal, elixirs H S B for extended retaliation if there’s a particularly large group to deal with, protection when stunned, bigger bomb radius and 100% burn, piercing bullets, faster CD of pistol skills and 2% extra damage per condition I apply, not to mention the big ol bomb which is always fun!

I’ve not used a shield in a while It would prolly work well for the combo fields

So the consensus would mostly be to “use the shield blast and mostly a different kit”? Well, alright then, I’ll try that out. I can definitely see the utility, at least!

I don’t think I would recommend shield for low-level PvE. P/P is fine, but there are a couple of low-level “cripple” traits that you can select that will allow you to stay out of harms way. I remember liking those when I was leveling up. Now I never use them. But slowing down your opponent will allow you to heal-up, switch kits, work through cool-downs, etc.

Slowing the game down is the key to leaning the Engi profession, since it requires almost constant switching from kits, to weapons, etc.

Don’t use pistol #1 ever and all will be fine.

just remember to never use the autoattack okay

Khezekiah Bellamy.5016:

just remember to never use the autoattack okay

God I love SARCASM!

I love the shield, so I use P/S almost exclusively.

Adamantium.3682:

I love the shield, so I use P/S almost exclusively.

Agreed. Everyone loves the shield (just don"t use perplexity for it or adam will take up the soap box on ya) :p