Guild Wars 2

So I decided to level my Engineer through fractals. Does anyone have tips or advice?

My armor is Precision+Toughness+Condition Dmg combined with Rampager’s Jewels. What weapons should I use? Rifle or Pistol? Do I ever use shield?

What traits do I consider?

Utilities? Weapon kits? When should I be using them? I also keep hearing about this “TANKCAT” build… Can someone please explain to me how it works, and if it is useful to use in fractals?

Finally, what overall build should I use in Fractals to be the best Engineer I can for my team?

Thanks!

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/engineer/The-TANKCAT-build-Prybar-some-faces/first

I think that while TANKCAT could work with some tweaks in fractals as a support/rezzer/tank-type character, a different spec would probably be more beneficial for your group.

Since you’re crit/condition damage geared, you would probably want to use dual pistol. This build by Odd View Sarvong seems like it would be very efficient for fractals if you want to do a support/condition build! : https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/engineer/Post-Your-Build-Thread/page/2#post843579

Other than the Jade guys, I’d avoid melee (read bomb kit/tool kit). I’ve been running it but given your setup I’d do P/S or P/P and condition stacks.

Is there something I’m just plain not understanding about P/P? I just wasted 14g to buy dual Rampager’s guns only to find out even with super high Condition damage spec I am STILL doing less damage than my Warrior!

My warrior can deal around 112 damage per bleed tic due to might stacking of FGJ+Signet of Fury, while being able to stack as many as 13-16 stacks with Rifle and around 20 with Sword. Even his Longbow can create about 7 stacks of Bleed+HUGE AoE burn!

In contrast, we have my Engineer who deals only 300 damage per 1 skill (in contrast to the 600-900 of my Warrior’s rifle), who can barely stack more than 5 stacks of bleeding, with an inaccurate version of Volley… And Static Shock (Which isn’t a bad skill but just hasn’t been handy.)

Also, is Blowtorch bugged? In PvP it deals 3 packets of damage at 200 range but only 1 in PvE… So is it bugged?

Anyways, I’m really confused by all the recommendations people are telling me to use Pistol. Does the Engineer just suck and this is just the best I can do for my team besides Grenades? Or is there something about the build I’m not understanding here? They really do suck in my opinion, and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong here.

You will need to copy and paste the link. Clicking it will say “Bad Link.”

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fcAQFAUlspiYnvShF1LJyoCdGoC5lIFPGl95Bb1WQIA;TkAg0CnoQygkAJLSOkkINsA

Grenades with Elixirs. It’s boring, but it’s probably the most effective thing you can possibly do. Grenade spam will hurt your fingers but it’s the highest damage you can do while also keeping yourself alive (1500 range).

You’ll be able to heal often and you’ll have lots of condition removal for yourself and your allies.

I go with full Berserker gear because it works just fine with a Grenade build. I haven’t used this build past level 20 fractals but I never die in my groups and can pump out a ton of damage.

You may want different runes, I went with Ogre because I bought them a couple months ago and haven’t bothered to change them. The point is that you can go full glass cannon with some defensive utilities and be the most effective Engineer that you can possibly hope to be.

I guess people forget that our rifle & pistol shots all pierce and can hit multiple targets. Im 90% sure this is reason why our weapon damage looks crap on screen on 1 target as single target damage is down scaled due this.

Same reason why FT damage “sucks” as it’s meant to use against multiple targets where it starts to shine (outside obvious miss problems).

Grenades & bombs are our best single target option while they happen to be also aoe attacks.. anet should really reconsider things a bit regarding engi.

Crows.2764:

I guess people forget that our rifle & pistol shots all pierce and can hit multiple targets. Im 90% sure this is reason why our weapon damage looks crap on screen on 1 target as single target damage is down scaled due this.

Same reason why FT damage “sucks” as it’s meant to use against multiple targets where it starts to shine (outside obvious miss problems).

Grenades & bombs are our best single target option while they happen to be also aoe attacks.. anet should really reconsider things a bit regarding engi.

Well, I don’t know if you were around for BWE2/3, but Explosive shot used to be I thinkittenerally TWICE as powerful as it is now.

Then someone make a great elixir/condition build, and it got completely wrecked at the start of BWE3.

Bleed isn’t the main condition for Engi’s, it’s burn. Unfortunately because of how burn stacks if anyone else in your group is using it (Like an elem or a longbow warr) your DPS is going to take a giant hit.

If nobody else is applying burn or poison, then P/P is way more damage than rifle, and more utility.

I’ll usually run in and drop smoke bomb > toss flame and concussion bombs > static shock [another blind] > drop a couple normal bombs [AoE hit for 800 each] and then be a complete waste of space in the group :-/

Ahlen.7591:

If nobody else is applying burn or poison, then P/P is way more damage than rifle, and more utility.

I would argue that p/p doesn’t have more utility. But the main reason I quoted you is that in practice, p/p is rarely more damage than pistol when you’re playing with 4 other players.

Many classes apply burning and bleeding as incidental damage and just one person doing that can really destroy our condition damage output. It’s much, much safer to play with a Rifle and stack power because of this.

gkaare.8576:

Ahlen.7591:

If nobody else is applying burn or poison, then P/P is way more damage than rifle, and more utility.

I would argue that p/p doesn’t have more utility. But the main reason I quoted you is that in practice, p/p is rarely more damage than pistol when you’re playing with 4 other players.

Many classes apply burning and bleeding as incidental damage and just one person doing that can really destroy our condition damage output. It’s much, much safer to play with a Rifle and stack power because of this.

In my personal experience, I rarely run into another player applying burns on a long term duration, and almost never run into anyone using poison.

I use both P/S and P/P fairly regularly depending on the fight, and both are good. I don’t know how you could consider rifle having more utility than pistol though, it (rifle) has more damage against a single target (unless you’re abusing coated bullets, then pistol DESTROYS rifle in DPS).

For debuffs, the pistol wins pretty much hands down. It also allows use of a shield for even more control/defense, and a nice blast finish for combos on fire and water fields.

Ah yes, and last but not least – I vastly prefer condition damage, especially longish duration ones, because it allows me to apply my damage, and then switch to kits to use their skills while my conditions continue to damage things. Which rifle doesn’t really provide (Yes the bleeds on 3, but that’s not very much in comparison to Pistol 2/4)

At the end of the day DPS isn’t the most important thing, but the overall package that you bring to the group. (dat refined kits + elixir gun, mmmmmm good)

Ahlen.7591:

I use both P/S and P/P fairly regularly depending on the fight, and both are good. I don’t know how you could consider rifle having more utility than pistol though, it (rifle) has more damage against a single target (unless you’re abusing coated bullets, then pistol DESTROYS rifle in DPS).

Educate me. I don’t know what you mean by Coated Bullets Pistol beating Rifle for single target DPS.

And against multiple targets, I thought Coated Bullets only explodes ONCE on your target and then continues going in a line? That doesn’t seem like a big damage difference to me.

I’m really not understanding, even with your post. How can I get usefulness out of Pistol than Rifle or Kits? The only thing I see is an additional Blast Finisher from shield…

(And furthermore, on the subject of the thread, are Tankcat and Nades our only options for Fractals that are efficient?)

Kain Francois.4328:

Ahlen.7591:

I use both P/S and P/P fairly regularly depending on the fight, and both are good. I don’t know how you could consider rifle having more utility than pistol though, it (rifle) has more damage against a single target (unless you’re abusing coated bullets, then pistol DESTROYS rifle in DPS).

Educate me. I don’t know what you mean by Coated Bullets Pistol beating Rifle for single target DPS.

And against multiple targets, I thought Coated Bullets only explodes ONCE on your target and then continues going in a line? That doesn’t seem like a big damage difference to me.

I’m really not understanding, even with your post. How can I get usefulness out of Pistol than Rifle or Kits? The only thing I see is an additional Blast Finisher from shield…

(And furthermore, on the subject of the thread, are Tankcat and Nades our only options for Fractals that are efficient?)

On-topic:

I run pistol might stack, with Elixir gun and refined kits, Double super elixir is incredibly utility for fractals (800+ hp/sec for everyone is INCREDIBLE)

Off-topic:

If an enemy is against a solid object, like say a wall, the coated bullet will pierce the enemy, damaging and applying any on-hit or debuff, and then hit the wall and explode, doing it’s damage again and applying the debuffs again.

I’m not 110% on this, I have seen it in action many times and used it myself, but I can’t say “I am definitely right on this”. It may just be graphical and not actually doing the secondary hit. When I get off work I’ll do a more thorough test.

I’ve also noticed it when striking large destructable objects, like the eggs during the escort quest in Cursed Shores.

I run P/P with Elixir U and B. I throw grenades or bombs on slot 9 as needed. Hounds (human) on 10. For Jade, I switch 9 to Flamethrower.

Basic style is burn everything down with pistol quickness and stack up the pain. Switch to grenades for crowd control at a distance or bombs for short range and to keep mobs away from defense points. Glue shot on mobs you want to stay in place.

My armor is full up knight’s stats, power precision toughness. my accessories are valkryie for additional vit. I’m pretty indestructible in reasonable situations. Switch out rings for agony resist as you get the loot. That’s about it, it’s really straightforward.