Guild Wars 2

I am slowly crafting viper’s gear for my engi, but not sure what two sigil I should use on my pistols. For the Rune, I was gonna use Rune of the Berserker. Plz help for the sigils. I’ve heard Sigil of Earth is good, but for the other one should I go for Corruption, Bursting, or Geomancy? Or something else?

there have been a lot of discussion about this.

Although you can get different opinions, seems to me that the best is:
– Bursting if you are dealing a lot with large group of foes (trash)
– Geomancy is you are going into more single opponent fights (bosses)

The difference is minimal in any case.
I like bursting more as it is good on ranged fights. Just wish the dmg multiplier was applied like the berserker runes…

Geomancy is the highest potential but you need to be in melee range. Earth is next on a single target. Bursting is only good if you’re trying to kill multiple targets, and then still geomancy is better but you know secondary. Malice is worth mentioning as it allows you to not spend that crazy amount on toxic focusing crystals. I keep an Earth, Geomancy, and Malice pistol, rotate them as needed (green circles on VG I might drop Geomancy and just not use toxic crystals, Fractals I don’t waste my money so I use Geomancy/Malice, raids I’m serious about I use Geomancy/Earth).

OK, Thank You for your help.

Depends on the enemy.

Fire and Air are actually good options to capitalize on the fact that 90% of the game is weak to physical damage, Fire is aoe and Air single target.

Torment and Earth are next. Torment is AoE and permanent on crit and Earth is single target. Geomancy is TERRIBLE. It’s one stack every 9s and it has a proximity limit, Torment will last 10s, have no range issue, doesn’t require anything but a hit, and of you’re facing a single target does better damage if kiting.

Bursting requires a massive pool and 4 stat stuff can’t provide enough condition damage. Engineer’s conversion is too weak fit the precision piece to make it capitalize well.

DGraves.3720:

Depends on the enemy.

Fire and Air are actually good options to capitalize on the fact that 90% of the game is weak to physical damage, Fire is aoe and Air single target.

Torment and Earth are next. Torment is AoE and permanent on crit and Earth is single target. Geomancy is TERRIBLE. It’s one stack every 9s and it has a proximity limit, Torment will last 10s, have no range issue, doesn’t require anything but a hit, and of you’re facing a single target does better damage if kiting.

Bursting requires a massive pool and 4 stat stuff can’t provide enough condition damage. Engineer’s conversion is too weak fit the precision piece to make it capitalize well.

Geomancy is 3 stacks every 9s that last for 20s each. So you end up with over 6 stacks on Engi considering we can take advantage of that 9s vs 10s where other professions can’t. When all decked out right it’s something like 1300dps, earth like 800dps.

Jerus.4350:

DGraves.3720:

Depends on the enemy.

Fire and Air are actually good options to capitalize on the fact that 90% of the game is weak to physical damage, Fire is aoe and Air single target.

Torment and Earth are next. Torment is AoE and permanent on crit and Earth is single target. Geomancy is TERRIBLE. It’s one stack every 9s and it has a proximity limit, Torment will last 10s, have no range issue, doesn’t require anything but a hit, and of you’re facing a single target does better damage if kiting.

Bursting requires a massive pool and 4 stat stuff can’t provide enough condition damage. Engineer’s conversion is too weak fit the precision piece to make it capitalize well.

Geomancy is 3 stacks every 9s that last for 20s each. So you end up with over 6 stacks on Engi considering we can take advantage of that 9s vs 10s where other professions can’t. When all decked out right it’s something like 1300dps, earth like 800dps.

I got that totally backwards. Good catch!

In actuality it’s still not very good because of the range restriction and the fact that you can’t control targets in mass minion battles. You’re the center where with torment your primary target is.

As for the dps numbers that depends on stuff that isn’t really transparent. I’ll have to take your word on it since it probably includes an entire build with buffs etc.

I could do it at base though.

60 / 2 = 30

60 / 9 = 6.7

30 × 5 × 1= 150s

6.7 × 9 × 3 = 180.9s

22 × 150 = 3300

180.9 × 22 = 3979.8

So those are the damage values with no alterations and no condition damage.

3979.8 / 3300 = 20.6% more damage overall.

And that’s that!

Torment while kiting will be 31.8 but the coefficient becomes 9% versus 6% let’s just add 1000 condition damage. So at base duration you’ll get targeted 90 + 31.8 versus 66 + 180. That’s 121.8 / 246 which is 49.51% more!

So there we have it!

I made a mistake. Geomancy is superior to Torment.

Thanks for catching my error!

What about duration extending Sigil? IN the case that it gets you an extra burn tick or something?

shion.2084:

What about duration extending Sigil? IN the case that it gets you an extra burn tick or something?

They’re certainly an option but ideally you have 33% base bleed/burn from traits, 30% from food/crystal, and then 37% from Expertise stat on viper’s gear.

Ok so i was able to craft my full viper’s ascended on the 3rd day of HoT expansion before prices for crafting have exploded. And to this day i have not changed any rune or sigil for that build.

I use Full Viper’s Ascended everything that i can get viper stats, that means full armor, offhand and mainhand weapons, backpiece, and amulet…..that leaves my 2 earrings and 2 rings as Sinister stats.

I personally have used Malice(10% condi duration) on 1 pistol, and Bursting on the 2nd, Yes i’ve read multiple posts saying geomancy is better, and bursting is worthless, but personally as kittenome people put bursting to be, it works well for me as i don’t need to be 100% sticking melee range to make the sigil work. I can melee when i want, stay in range if needed without thinking about my sigil proc, which means i can focus more on the game while at the same time having a sigil that still does a dps increase.

If you use your vipers gear in open world pve, or wvw you would see why i use bursting sigil over geomancy(i use torment on my shield – mostly for wvw), but if all you do is fractals and raids where you maximize dps at melee range then geomancy is for you(way way cheaper). Overall i am happy with my bursting sigil, it was costly but i would never change it for geomancy, but thats just me.

With that many viper’s gear my bleeding and burning duration is 71.19%
With Koi Cake(20% condi dur.) + Toxic Focusing Crystal(10% condi dur.) = 100% burning and bleeding duration

So there,i hope it helps you decide what sigil you want.

J envy.5270:

Ok so i was able to craft my full viper’s ascended on the 3rd day of HoT expansion before prices for crafting have exploded. And to this day i have not changed any rune or sigil for that build.

I use Full Viper’s Ascended everything that i can get viper stats, that means full armor, offhand and mainhand weapons, backpiece, and amulet…..that leaves my 2 earrings and 2 rings as Sinister stats.

I personally have used Malice(10% condi duration) on 1 pistol, and Bursting on the 2nd, Yes i’ve read multiple posts saying geomancy is better, and bursting is worthless, but personally as kittenome people put bursting to be, it works well for me as i don’t need to be 100% sticking melee range to make the sigil work. I can melee when i want, stay in range if needed without thinking about my sigil proc, which means i can focus more on the game while at the same time having a sigil that still does a dps increase.

If you use your vipers gear in open world pve, or wvw you would see why i use bursting sigil over geomancy(i use torment on my shield – mostly for wvw), but if all you do is fractals and raids where you maximize dps at melee range then geomancy is for you(way way cheaper). Overall i am happy with my bursting sigil, it was costly but i would never change it for geomancy, but thats just me.

With that many viper’s gear my bleeding and burning duration is 71.19%
With Koi Cake(20% condi dur.) + Toxic Focusing Crystal(10% condi dur.) = 100% burning and bleeding duration

So there,i hope it helps you decide what sigil you want.

It does, thank you very much.

shion.2084:

What about duration extending Sigil? IN the case that it gets you an extra burn tick or something?

It’s Very rare that An extended duration will outpace a new application.

Take FTs burn.

2s base + 33% base from firearms grandmaster trait, + 37% duration from vipers.

3.6443s so, 3.75 iirc.

Adding 20% to that only adds .5319s or in damage at base 69.94485.

Even at base sigil of Earth does 110.

With 2000 condition damage:

.5319s of burning is worth 234.8339

The 5s bleed is worth 710.

DGraves.3720:

shion.2084:

What about duration extending Sigil? IN the case that it gets you an extra burn tick or something?

It’s Very rare that An extended duration will outpace a new application.

Take FTs burn.

2s base + 33% base from firearms grandmaster trait, + 37% duration from vipers.

3.6443s so, 3.75 iirc.

Adding 20% to that only adds .5319s or in damage at base 69.94485.

Even at base sigil of Earth does 110.

With 2000 condition damage:

.5319s of burning is worth 234.8339

The 5s bleed is worth 710.

Oh I like earth too… so in my burn baby burn build I run earth and smoldering.

I suppose it might sorta depend on the build. Let me see my condi build for burn looks something like this….

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vdAQFASlcThatY7WwqKQ7FLsFFYIWiBgYHVFPBdzP8JPA-TJhAwAkLDM5CAAb/BAPAAA

I do PvP and can survive with this one because of hammer active defence.

So if I compare with earth….

With Smoldering I get… Each tick worth 374, can be applied to an area, and rotating through little cooldown.

I get an extra 2 ticks on IA,
I get an extra 2 ticks on IP,
an extra tick on throw napalm to area, an extra tick on the pulse.
an extra tick on flame thrower,
An extra tick on napalm
An extra tick on flame jet.

I can generate excellent might on myself through fire field and blasts, plus alchemy. So not sure how adding all my might in changes things but even against earth migth it hold its value ? Obviously PvP your not maxed out for condition duration.

Incidentally with the above build I, for serious play, would usually take Elix B for the extra stabi and the instant might/fury + condi cleanse. But when I do take FT with throw napalm, it is really quite amusing.

Short:

Geo if you can proc it at least 50% of the time, best sigil.
Earth if you won’t cleave adds frequently.
Bursting if you will cleave adds or fight trash.
Corruption always if you can!

I’m not Obsessive Compulsive when it comes to Runes or Sigils. On my P/P Dire Engi, I use Agony and Smoldering. They are both cheap. And for armor, I use Runes of the Undead.. I can easily get 75% Condi duration for both Bleeding and Burning (EG, Rocket Boots, Tool Kit) used in WvW.

2000 Condi and 2000 Toughness can both take-it and dish-it-out. It’s a good balance, imho.

Soon.5240:

I’m not Obsessive Compulsive when it comes to Runes or Sigils. On my P/P Dire Engi, I use Agony and Smoldering. They are both cheap. And for armor, I use Runes of the Undead.. I can easily get 75% Condi duration for both Bleeding and Burning (EG, Rocket Boots, Tool Kit) used in WvW.

2000 Condi and 2000 Toughness can both take-it and dish-it-out. It’s a good balance, imho.

What armor stat set do you use?

I’m curious.

shion

Oh I like earth too… so in my burn baby burn build I run earth and smoldering.

I suppose it might sorta depend on the build. Let me see my condi build for burn looks something like this….

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vdAQFASlcThatY7WwqKQ7FLsFFYIWiBgYHVFPBdzP8JPA-TJhAwAkLDM5CAAb/BAPAAA

I do PvP and can survive with this one because of hammer active defence.

So if I compare with earth….

With Smoldering I get… Each tick worth 374, can be applied to an area, and rotating through little cooldown.

I get an extra 2 ticks on IA,
I get an extra 2 ticks on IP,
an extra tick on throw napalm to area, an extra tick on the pulse.
an extra tick on flame thrower,
An extra tick on napalm
An extra tick on flame jet.

I can generate excellent might on myself through fire field and blasts, plus alchemy. So not sure how adding all my might in changes things but even against earth migth it hold its value ? Obviously PvP your not maxed out for condition duration.

So conventional wisdom states that the longer a duration the better. It’s half true. Extending a duration is almost never going to outperform a new application, which means that even at max duration you’re rarely if ever going to simply outdo a new stack of anything.

In PvP I think you’re doing it right capitalizing on the highest output which is great against players due to their smaller and more limited pools of health plus the concurrence of effects.

In pvp you will never achieve 100% condi duration on anything, no point in trying and spike damage rules even when it’s condi.

On wvw condi duration has its place, and since wvw armor is usable in PVE, condi duration is more important.

All condis can be cleared, whether pvp or wvw,it’s a battle of attrition on who loses their cooldowns first. But overall I feel condi duration is very important whether you use damaging conditions or crowd control conditions, they all get affected.