Gear for SD/Rifle build?
Hi there
I’m new to engineer and wanted to go for rifle + SD, traiting deep into Tools; I picked up this build because of the potential burst it has got by enhancing the rifle.
I’ll be quick: I like big numbers. It doesn’t matter if in the long run my steady dps is inferior to a grenade build, I want to deliver high spikes of damage and kite, while using gadgets and other utilities to get away from enemies.
Yesterday I spent some time on the calculator and came up with this build
But I have some doubts on the traits and the gear.
*Traits: I noticed how noone picks up the 20% reduced CD on rifle; why is that so? Is it not worth it? Are rifle skills on a low CD anyways to want such trait? Does this trait give you 100% chance to trigger combo finishers with combo fields (like iDuellist)?
*Gear: I guess I should gear for high crit dmg but I don’t think it’s a good idea to run a GC build, since I don’t have the survivability of my mesmer; in that link I mixed up berserker gear with some cavalier and knight, but I would like to know the optimal stat spread; how much crit chance should I aim for? Is 35% crit chance too little (I’ll be using utility goggles with its belt counterpart to time burst)? What is the minimum vitality and toughness I should aim for? Is 16k hp enough? Is 2.5k armor too much? Should I consider condition damage at all (since I also put bleeds/burning on targets) or it’s not even worth it? I would be pleased if you could provide concrete numbers.
Thanks for your attention and let me know if I should move some points from some trait to another or if I should drop some utility for another.
Not sure how the build works for PvE, but for PvE and (generally speaking) WvW:
1) 35% crit is a little low but can work if you bring goggles and Medikit (Drop Stimulant)… I usually aim for around 44%.
2) Armor and toughness mean very little, the build needs avoidance to survive… if you’re concerned with staying alive that long. This is where Toolkit comes in (Gear Shield) and either taking the grandmaster trait Adrenal Implant for more endurance regen, or taking 10 points into Vitality to get Invigorating Speed. In this respect, the 20% CD reduction on rifle isn’t bad to take, because essentially Overcharged Shot buys you a few extra seconds towards your heal versus a single target and hits like a truck. It also sets up a Jump Shot which is very strong in this build.
3) Full Zerker in sPvP, not sure if there’s a better option but you’re essentially stacking power/crit/crit damage. Anything else starts to water down the build, and I’m of the opinion that SD builds watered down are lesser options over other more tanky power rifle builds.
The build you posted is a strong and pretty standard SD build, especially if you can net your target and get a jump shot in before unleashing the burst… the vulnerability stack from sitting duck, jump shot, and analyze is considerable. In sPvP you typically use either Runes of Divinity or Runes of the Scholar, so take that for what it’s worth. The extra vit/toughness won’t do you much good IMO.
Hope this helps.
Jumzi (Ranger), Tarnished Coast