Guild Wars 2

Hey there. I hit 80 on my Elementalist and I love the class. I feel very powerful in sPvp, WvWvW and PvE. I suppose that makes me a above average player because everyone complains how horrible Elementalist is. Anyway, my little research has shown me Engineer is similar to Elementalist and I’d like to give it a try. I’m curious on what you experienced Engineers recommend for leveling. What would you put points in first? What kind of builds would you run? What kind of stats would you go for?

I like the idea of pistols a lot more than rifles but from my experience as a elementalist using conditions to kill things is just plain slower than power. I don’t have extensive knowledge on the kits but I’ve done a little research. From my experience as a elementalist building pure tank and AoE grinding things for tasks was much faster than single target killing. Is the same true for engineer? What kits do you recommend for leveling and why?

I’d appreciate any advice from stats to builds to talent points to utility skills and just plain old tips. I just ask that you please provide reasoning behind your advice as well. Saying Xx is better doesn’t really help me out much at all. Thanks!

Are you focusing on spvp, WvW, or PVE? Builds tend to differ between these goals. I currently am running a pretty balanced build in Spvp and a more power/toughness build in PVE. WvW is mostly based off nades from walls as defense for kills and effectiveness.

I would learn the class a bit and level up to about 10-15 then browse the “Post Your Build” thread stickied at the head of this forum for what you think best fits your play style. Many people will tell you they disagree with one opinion or another but few offer any advice on their “magical answer to success” so at the moment self trial and error is the only true path to enlightenment.

While in a small way we are similar to the elementalist in that we must switch kits (aka your attunements I believe) to access other skills that is about where the similarities end. We have next to no cool down on our switching between kits and must use that to our advantage to be successful. It is not uncommon to fire all cool-downs on a main weapon (cc or condition) then swap to the flamethrower for cc and then pop into grenades for damage and condition /cc again. There are many builds and options though and you may end up with something more effective and more suited to your play/composition.

Just my opinion.

I’m currently just looking for advice on leveling. Once I reach a respectable level I should be able to determine on my own what’s needed for spvp, wvwvw and pve. Reading the builds on the “Post your Build” section is not very helpful when it comes to leveling because once you hit 80 things change and they are mostly all 80 only builds.
When I was leveling elementalist I found it best to stack only toughness and condition damage with all my points into earth and arcane. After 60 I found that to no longer be as effective because things no longer got one shotted by Churning Earth. When I hit 70 I completly changed my weapons and build and I couldn’t be happier but I’m certain my current build would be horrid pre-60-70.
What stats work well with leveling? Is it better to go glass cannon and single target or go tanky and aoe grind?
What early point location and traits make a big difference?
I remember grabbing Signet of Illusions and the bouncing trait in illusions for my Mesmer made the difference in leveling from night and day. It went from tedious to mindlessly easy. Is there a similar thing for Engineers?

Ohh you are in luck.

Engineers are great at AoE grind leveling or whatever the term is.

Your best best is essentially: an explosive, rifle elixir build. Quite a mouthful but its a very common and powerful build, which I myself used to level.

Essentially: Take a grenade and bomb kit, elixir H as your heal and another elixir. Maybe a stun breaker, maybe a conditions elixir, maybe an offensive one.

Your main idea is to use the rifle, for kiting, the net shot is amazing at that. Overcharged shot creates a lot of distance as well.

And for damage, bomb kit is best at earlier levels, using it for the smoke bomb is a must, since it is a constant smoke field, it means you can go into melee range without worrying about getting hit, a nice luxury. But your general idea is: pull a few guys, drop smoke bomb, concussion bomb, fire bomb, glue bomb (if needed to) and normal bombs.

With the grenade kit, it is more ranged, and it is mainly used, at lower levels, for simply grenade barrage, the toolbelt skill. It is essentially, the higher damage engineer ability, and it is nicely, AoE. Just like bombs and grenade. Aside from that, grenades at lower level are used mainly for the chill, the poison and the blind. Their damage is not too high yet, so stick to bombs and your rifle.

The biggest point in your PvE life though, should be at level 60, when you get grenadier. A tier 3 trait in the first tree, explosives. It catapults the power of grenades massively, to over that of bombs. You can even lose the bombs at this stage, since the grenades are so powerful on their own. Your main source of damage will be the grenade ‘auto attack’, which I say not too seriously, since it is ground targeted.

Your main stats that are sought after are: power, and crit is highly recommended. Grenades hit 3 times with grenadier, and that causes a lot of procs.

You’ll find that in dungeons for example, you are, with that build, the go to guy for huge AoE damage and for destroying structures such as burrows and other vital things.

Aside from that I should add:
Your kits are not well implemented, always remember that. It will not take into account the stats of your mainhand weapon, so if you have HP on it, you lose HP when equipping a kit.

Furthermore, because of this, it is a good idea to use toolbelt skills without a kit equipped. This isn’t a huge problem, since kits have a 1s cooldown, but it is something to get used to.

I’ve found that with the right kits, an engineer feels like a better elementalist. Higher survivability, higher damage and lower cooldowns.

I see, thanks for the detailed reply. So it is better to spec into a glass cannon than a tank for AoE grinding? How do you fare against the ranged monster that always magically appears when you pull a large group of monsters? Are you capable of soloing champions? How about a stray veteran in a group of monsters AoE?

I don’t think anyone can solo a champion… unless its a melee one, then I can see it possible to kite them.

But veterans? Oh they are easy. I love doing solo veteran events. Feels lonely, but rewarding.

For your elite: You NEED supply crate. It saves you so many times.

As for ranged people, they do give you more trouble, but you have the jump shot to close the gap, and the grenade kit, which has a blind to help you.

And its not necessarily glass cannon. Its mixed. If you go for an elixir build, you need to go 20-30 points into alchemy, which gives you 2000-3000 HP.

For me, I use toughness, power and precision gear, “Knights”, and have 30 points in explosives, 20 in firearms, and 20 in alchemy.

Leaving me with 17k HP, and high toughness. Hardly glass cannon I would think.

Well both my mesmer and elementalist can solo champions. My mesmer has clones and feedback for ranged champions while my elementalist just has enough healing to take the hits from ranged champions. Of course there are a few champions who are just too ridiculous to solo, namely giant stone things.

Flamethrower kit isn’t bad either – something to look into.

I tend to go power/precision build.

In groups I plop the healing turret while in solo I have the elixir. I will agree with the others about having two kits you feel works for you and an elixir or gadget of some sort.

My personal favorite -

Rifle, Elixir H, Elixir of choice, Flamethrower, Grenade Kit.

As much as Lyuben is trying to help, ignore anything that starts with "you need’ , “must have”. and comments of that nature. Other then that, he offers sound advice.

The strengths of this class are the ability to think and play outside the box. For example, he comments how ranged enemies are a weakness, when we have abilities that very literally reflect the damage of ranged back at them, add out crit chance to it, as well as sigils. Obviously various play styles and builds will have various strengths and weaknesses.

I have a sigil that gives me a chance to AoE a flame on my shield. A champion fires an 8 shot burst at me. I reflected all 8 and 6 of them crited for 1800-2000 and 5 of them proced the flame burst for AoE damage on top. 15,000 damage ona shield ability that negated all the damage coming at me to 0 while doing 15,000 to the enemy is a significant strength. Yet he referred to it as a weakness. So it is really a relative concept, dependent on your ability to think beyond a small limit, and to try and test almost every aspect of the class.

As easy as gear is to acquire, and with the options in the mist allowing everything so easily tested, there really is no reason not to test any and all aspects of every class, to get a feel for what plays well for you.