Guild Wars 2

I just rolled an alt engineer and all of the kits seem to be a bit daunting, having so many skill bar options (plus toolbelt) depending on the kits I choose.

Any advice for leveling an engineer? Which kits work best, which synergize well? Are pistols/shield/rifle worth using? I know ’nades are supposed to be great but does that get boring fast?

I’ll be all PvE.

I felt the same when I started! So I went with Rifle most of the time, with a Grenade kit, and Elixir H, Elixir B and another Exlir depending on my mood! I went in the explosive tree, Alchemy Tree and a bit in Firearms, and that was a simple and easy, but yet strong setup, to level with!
First I would build for 10/10/0/10/0. Next Book I would go 20/10/0/20/0, and then finish up with 30/10/0/30/0 (Get grenadier trait as soon as you can!!!) Another neat trik, I learnt afterwards, is to take 10 in tools for Swiftness when you swap to a kit, which helps you move around! hope this can be to help for you!

Direct damage is probably a simpler way of leveling up. I did actually level up with Bombs, Nades, and dual Pistols with a condi-dmg/crit/power attribute spread though. Traited straight to 30/10/0/30/0 for HGH and Grenadier. You can solo a lot of things with constant Blind applications, and the kill speed is plenty fine. The only real problem I have with it is doing Dungeons when someone else is using Condis.

So basically load up on elixirs and things that go boom. Got it.

Both of you recommended 30/10/0/30/0, so that’s encouraging.

Is our Tools trait line any good? I tend to enjoy putting some focus on profession-specific mechanics (since that’s what defines them often times). Course, Eng is unique enough as it is.

No, condition damage is hands down the best way to go while leveling with anyone. The reason is that condition damage ignores level differences, so you can kill enemies far higher level than yourself and burn through content much more quickly. In condition builds I can easily do events and missions 5 or more levels above me.
The damage will also continue to burn enemies up after you’ve been downed, allowing you to easily rally and avoid dying.

So…can you give some examples of how an Eng runs an efficient condition style of play whilst leveling? Weapons? Kits? Traits? Elixirs?

Seras you can do that with the builds I gave you to Just use Pistol/Pistol instead (Grenade kit is a condtion damage/Power build)

Grimwolf.7163:

The reason is that condition damage ignores level differences, so you can kill enemies far higher level than yourself and burn through content much more quickly.

Yeah it wasn’t uncommon for me to find myself in areas ten levels above myself before I realized it.

Back to the topic… Shooting for HGH probably isn’t the best way to level, I’m sure there is a more specific way to get to it with a respec at 80. I just didn’t bother, since the content is actually extremely easy as a Condi-Engi and I had tons of supplemental levels from crafting, wvw, and dungeons.

As soon as you get Bombs and Nades for kits with two Pistols that’s all you need. Just focus on Condi Damage and then Precision/Power after that. Go Firearms, and then play around with whatever traitline looks nice after that. The only big change in power is when you get Grenadier, but you are preferably fine before that.

For me I’d just gather things up with Pistols, then drop a Smoke Bomb, and cycle through Incendiary Bomb, Concussive Bomb, Shrapnel Grenades, Poison Grenades. Use Flash Grenades and a second Static Shot to stay immune to damage. Good Trait choices on the way up are Shrapnel and 409. The rest isn’t really needed and is aloft with personal preference, heck you don’t even need the boosted Bomb radius trait when you are using it for PvE. Incendiary Powder is great when you have the crit chance, and Fast Acting Elixirs is great if you use elixirs early. Speedy Kits is a nice trait to pickup early though, so you have that. I think we are really flexible here.

I spec’d for speedy kits as soon as i could and used bombs for aoeing on land and nades for water. Smoke bomb lets you kill several mobs easily and underwater nades are pretty strong. I used healing turret so i could get an extra stealth/might/healing combo off and slick shoes with the bomb kit, normally had either b, c or u slotted as well depending on what i was fighting.

I used magic find gear most of the time but i’m a cash kitten, i also had a fire sigil and a luck sigil but you could use corruption for condi damage. Burning and confusion from the bomb kit hit pretty hard without the condi damage and underwater when i got grenadier mobs died fast anyway. There have been some changes since i levelled though.

Wow. Knowing that leveling is easy and offers some variety makes me excited to set my Ranger down from time to time to focus on what seems like a fun class. If I can love Ranger (1 of the classes everyone agrees is weaker) then I can certainly love Eng too.

Speedy Kits is important for levelling to get you around faster.

Don’t overlook the large DPS boost of simply taking Tools 2 (Static Discharge) and combining it with Rifle Turret’s tool belt skill, Surprise Shot. Lots of easy-to-target damage every 8 seconds.

I must be doing it wrong, LOL. I started w/ Firearms to get VI (faster recharge) and grabbed the Elixir Gun and Flamethrower. Going into Explosives next to increase condition duration. Mobs just melt from from all the condition damage. Poison/burn/acid jump then stand back and watch ‘em die. Only lvl 22 on this toon so far and it’s been pretty painless. Going with all Power/Precision gear that I find as I level to burn Mobs down faster. PVE only.

FWIW, I tried ’nade kits, but I totally suck at running/ground targeting/firing…..I need 3 hands! :-)

Grenades is the best way to level, but that’s only when you can put 30 points in Explosives and get the trait that adds an additional grenade to grenade kit skills. For weapons, I think this thread has proven that pistols are better while leveling because they do offer more utility, aoe, and the up-side of condition-based damage. I find the best way to level up until you can put 30 points in grenades is to go dual-pistols/flamethrower, elixir S, rifle turret, and rocket turret. Plot down turrets in a nice spot to farm quest kills and open with the flamethrowers #2 skill. As they turn to you, turrets are pegging them down, and start stacking bleeds and poison with pistols until they get close enough where you pop your #4 off-hand pistol skill. Usually their dead at this point, but having a knock back and a blind on the flamethrower, and another blind and aoe root on the pistols makes handling multiple enemies a breeze.