Guild Wars 2

This is the third topic in our series on Engineer Trait Lines. Again we are attempting to look for changes that would benefit the over all class with regards to synergy with weapons and utilities, not necessarily by purely increasing DPS.

Grenade Kit
The changes to grenade kit, mainly the untraited ‘under hand throw’ velocity, makes Grenades extremely uncomfortable and unwieldy to use. The traited velocity should be set as base-line.

Why this change
Besides usability benefits it would reduce the cases where opponents with swiftness can simply walk away from untraited grenades.

Traits
Grenadier
Make 100% grenade velocity baseline to grenade kit. Keep radius increase. Merge this trait with Explosive Descent.

Why this change
Explosive Descent like all other skills of it’s kind on other classes are now merged with other beneficial traits. This brings some consistency across classes as well as more usability to persons who still find it challenging to hit targets with grenades.

New Minor Trait
Timed Tag
On hitting a target apply a Timed Charge that detonates after three seconds (5 targets). This skill is on a 20s cool-down.

Why this?
Fills the gap created and provides options for P/S and other condition/power builds. Also adds a unique flavor to Engineer where you could now isolate an individual away from a group or they could blow up their team-mates.

Thermobaric Detonation
Same statistics. Reduce cool-down of Evasive Powder Keg by 50%.

Why this change?
Evasive Powder Keg isn’t available often enough to gain the damage advantages from it. This change aims to make this skill a more aggressive option that completes our explosive trio (Timed Tag, Aim Assisted Rocket and Evasive Powder Keg).

Personally i would make the grenadiers radius increase baseline and let the trait keep the velocity increase. It would make the nade kit more usable when not using the explosives traitline (bigger area for 3 nades to still hit).

I would also include the old proposed change that makes pistol AA an explosion.
Maybe include it on shaped charge.

santenal.1054:

Personally i would make the grenadiers radius increase baseline and let the trait keep the velocity increase. It would make the nade kit more usable when not using the explosives traitline (bigger area for 3 nades to still hit).

The reason why I am proposing the velocity be made baseline is because there is a significant change in timing that players need to adjust to with and without. This makes the weapon very difficult to adjust to for players. It is easier, in my opinion, to throw more accurately over time with some practice than to have to constantly adjust to aiming with different speeds of grenades.

In order to boost the performance of pistols here is my proposed rework for Shaped Charge:
Deal 7% (power / condi) more damage to targets with vulnerability.
If a target has three or more conditions when struck by a pistol skill, apply 5 stacks of Vulnerability for 4 seconds (12 seconds cool-down).

Edit:
Why this change?
Gives condition engineers another low duration condition to mask other more desirable conditions with.

Thermobaric Detonation
Same statistics. Reduce cool-down of Evasive Powder Keg by 50%.
Blast Finishers apply swiftness (self) for 5 seconds.

Why this change?
Some of the difficulties involved in taking the explosives line is the lack of access to mobility skills. This change aims to give mobility options to P/S builds, Rocket Boots, and builds that otherwise focus on the Explosives Line with the hopes that this will allow players to be able to get from point to point in a competitive manner.