Guild Wars 2

but I would like some opinions as to an ‘easier’ rotation for the engineer… I really enjoy the class, but the rotations I’ve found (in hopes of being at least somewhat competent ) are a little much for my fingers!) I’m a purely PvE player who once in a great while gets forced into a dungeon where I’m generally clueless as to what’s going on. I tend to stick solo in my normal day to day and my lvl 55 engineer has never been in an area higher than 25 (I’m doing map completions in groups of the levels…. did home cities/ 1-15 areas first, almost done with the 15-25 areas.) With this in mind – are there any suggestions to a basic rotation that will make my solo’ing PvE trips (dare I say) easier?
I checked out Nikes rotation, but wow…. FT 5 then 4 switch to EG hit 4 cancel throw back switch rifle hit 3 then 5 then tool belt skill….omg. I’m all for multitasking but I get so focused on hitting specific buttons, I’m not even looking at the screen anymore to find out if I’m even hitting anything!
Suggestions welcome, altho as the header suggests, I’m sure I’ll get some responses that’ll make me regret asking lol

No matter what Engi played well will be finger intensive, grenade kit alone will do that. Toss in some rotations and yeah.

If EG is giving you trouble though try swapping in elixers as needed, or maybe even Bomb kit for the extra fire field/blast for mighting up, you can rotate every 10s I think it is and drop a firebomb then swap to FT and blast it.

Just realize every time you don’t swap you’re losing damage, grenade kit is the equivalent of auto attack for other professions. Swap out and do jump shot and blunderbuss is going to increase your damage, swapping to ft and blasting is going to increase your damage, same with EG.

Personally I do swap out my FT a lot for elixers as needed, in a more well formed group I don’t need to, but in your typical PUG I rather carry it than assume they’ll fill their role completely.

The best advice I can give is doing your best to get it down so well that you don’t have to pay attention, it just becomes natural, it takes a while but it’ll happen. If you’re having trouble back out to just grenades and focus on your dodging.

bomb kit + rocket boots + Tools VI Speedy Kits
no rotation, just spam 1, perma swiftnes + 2 leaps for 700 and 600 range (for jp)

i normally default to bombs / throw mine / nades in dungeons

you dont have the blasting capability of ft, but you can control defiant stacks well, the might blasting is good, boon strip is an interesting and sometimes needed/helpful niche, and the rotations dont include self movement and the actions/minute needed is lower. and smoke bomb is a better trash mitigator than ft 5.

just have to be careful about big bomb and throw mine, make sure youre not destacking mobs, cuz thats annoying and you can do it really easily.

Bombs are higher personal dps than grenades. So, for soloing, you should definitely use bomb auto over grenade 1 between cooldowns.

But, if you must stick with the easiest possible setup, while still doing decent damage, then camping bombs is your best bet. I recommend starting with that, and work your way up to managing multiple kits. First, learn the timing to swap to rifle for skill 3&5 burst damage, or shield 4 for the blast (rifle is higher damage, but pistol/shield gives and extra blind and blast finisher). Then, decide on which kit you’d like to learn next. Most people would recommend grenades, but if you’re like me and hate grenades, I recommend e-gun.

As for canceling the leap, its often easier/safer to just turn your back towards the wall/corner to prevent flying far back. Also, if you’re not going to use grenades, but want something close to meta, change the meta traits to something more appropriate to your set-up – if following my recommendation, swap shrapnel to forceful explosives, grenadier to anything else, precise sights to hair trigger or infused precision if using invigorating speed.

My personal set-up is further off the meta – 55400 traited bombs, rifle, and energized armor/power shoes (I tried speedy kits over power shoes, but just found it annoying). My default kits are bomb kit and e-gun, with a third utility based on the current situation (usually utility goggles or elixir u, but sometimes toolkit).

omg, some lazy people find annoying using boons on their selfs, thus far they think that their opinion should be read.

warriors wouldnt take GS +?/Horn becouse it is annoying to leap and blow the horn

guards wouldnt take shouts and stuff becouse they find it annoying to have perma-swiftness

kitten , what that kind of people think while they post…

Dimes.6024:

omg, some lazy people find annoying using boons on their selfs, thus far they think that their opinion should be read.

warriors wouldnt take GS +?/Horn becouse it is annoying to leap and blow the horn

guards wouldnt take shouts and stuff becouse they find it annoying to have perma-swiftness

kitten , what that kind of people think while they post…

what? are you calling us lazy for looking for easier rotations that have 95% of the dps and just as much utility?

Dimes.6024:

omg, some lazy people find annoying using boons on their selfs, thus far they think that their opinion should be read.

warriors wouldnt take GS +?/Horn becouse it is annoying to leap and blow the horn

guards wouldnt take shouts and stuff becouse they find it annoying to have perma-swiftness

kitten , what that kind of people think while they post…

First, I stated my opinion of the trait setup. Second, speed kits/power shoes only affects the engineer using it; the traits you listed affect the whole group. Third, I find speedy kits annoying because when running, I constantly have to be watching my boon bar rather than paying full attention to where I’m going; Power shoes provides a 100% uptime of a 25% speed boost. There is an insignificant difference between 25 and 33% speed boost – when I’m trying to move fast, I’m usually ahead of everyone else (except some warriors and thieves of course). Also, I stay out of speed run groups, so the speed difference is even more insignificant. Finally, you seem to think I’m a complete noob. While I don’t do speed clears, I’m quite capable of soloing dungeons (and do so without exploits): youtube.com/Link500X

RobSalazar.8649:

I checked out Nikes rotation, but wow…. FT 5 then 4 switch to EG hit 4 cancel throw back switch rifle hit 3 then 5 then tool belt skill….omg. I’m all for multitasking but I get so focused on hitting specific buttons, I’m not even looking at the screen anymore to find out if I’m even hitting anything!
Suggestions welcome, altho as the header suggests, I’m sure I’ll get some responses that’ll make me regret asking lol

Rotation of Nikes build is unneccessary complicated and practicly works only on training golems where arent any other distractions to perfect rotation. You dont need swap back and forth multiple times just because there is skill just on cd. You will lose minimal dps if you simply use one kit to kit rotation and then spam autoattack few times.
Basicly something like Blunderbuss, Jumpshot → Shrapnel Grenade, Freeze Gremade → Acid Bomb → Spam Bomb 1 few times and repeat. Simple and very effective its just bit of memorizing. Toolbelt skills can be mostly casted while you casting something else so you dont need think about them as part of rotation simply use them on cd (later you can learn mid fight might stack ect but today fights arent usualy that long).

Rozbuska.5263:

RobSalazar.8649:

I checked out Nikes rotation, but wow…. FT 5 then 4 switch to EG hit 4 cancel throw back switch rifle hit 3 then 5 then tool belt skill….omg. I’m all for multitasking but I get so focused on hitting specific buttons, I’m not even looking at the screen anymore to find out if I’m even hitting anything!
Suggestions welcome, altho as the header suggests, I’m sure I’ll get some responses that’ll make me regret asking lol

Rotation of Nikes build is unneccessary complicated and practicly works only on training golems where arent any other distractions to perfect rotation. You dont need swap back and forth multiple times just because there is skill just on cd. You will lose minimal dps if you simply use one kit to kit rotation and then spam autoattack few times.
Basicly something like Blunderbuss, Jumpshot -> Shrapnel Grenade, Freeze Gremade -> Acid Bomb -> Spam Bomb 1 few times and repeat. Simple and very effective its just bit of memorizing. Toolbelt skills can be mostly casted while you casting something else so you dont need think about them as part of rotation simply use them on cd (later you can learn mid fight might stack ect but today fights arent usualy that long).

Now I don’t hit the max DPS rotation but I do think swapping back and forth between kits is crucial to maximizing your play.

I generally do:
Barrage/incendiary ammo→FT→Napalm→Flame Blast/Detonate → Healing Turret/Detonate → EG → Acid Bomb/Cancel→Drop kit → Jump Shot → Blunderbuss → Grenade Kit → Shrapnel → Freeze Grenade → FT → Flame Blast/Detonate → Grenade kit auto till shrapnel back up → FT → Flame Blast/Detonate → EG → Acid Bomb → Grenade kit rotation till Barrage is back up and start again.

Doing this I can get 4 blasts in my Napalm while getting my big hitters nearly on cooldown, it could be further optimized but this is good enough for me.

And a few talked about using Bomb auto… Absolutely if you’re just soloing around the open world, but when you get into group play the 2 extra stacks of vuln per attack with grenades is quite nice and not worth passing up IMO.

Jerus.4350:

Now I don’t hit the max DPS rotation but I do think swapping back and forth between kits is crucial to maximizing your play.

I generally do:
Barrage/incendiary ammo->FT->Napalm->Flame Blast/Detonate -> Healing Turret/Detonate -> EG -> Acid Bomb/Cancel->Drop kit -> Jump Shot -> Blunderbuss -> Grenade Kit -> Shrapnel -> Freeze Grenade -> FT -> Flame Blast/Detonate -> Grenade kit auto till shrapnel back up -> FT -> Flame Blast/Detonate -> EG -> Acid Bomb -> Grenade kit rotation till Barrage is back up and start again.

Doing this I can get 4 blasts in my Napalm while getting my big hitters nearly on cooldown, it could be further optimized but this is good enough for me.

And a few talked about using Bomb auto… Absolutely if you’re just soloing around the open world, but when you get into group play the 2 extra stacks of vuln per attack with grenades is quite nice and not worth passing up IMO.

I made quick test with dps metter and differnce between that crazy Nade/FT/EG rotation and this simple Bomb/Nade/EG rotation was around 400 dps (overall dps was a bit over 13k). Time what you spend on swaping is time when you loosing dps.

Simplier rotations are often more effective (even when they are bit weaker on paper) because its faster to memorize, easier to handle and much more mistakeproofed.

FT isn’t the huge dps boost though, it’s the EG, which you swap for acid bomb, then swap out of. The main reason I’m going back and forth with FT is to get more might, the blast damage is nice too though.

I do agree that in a practical sense attempting max dps rotations can often yield lesser results as people will likely screw up, but doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be hopping around kits to get your big hitters.

RobSalazar.8649:

but I would like some opinions as to an ‘easier’ rotation for the engineer… I really enjoy the class, but the rotations I’ve found (in hopes of being at least somewhat competent ) are a little much for my fingers!) I’m a purely PvE player who once in a great while gets forced into a dungeon where I’m generally clueless as to what’s going on. I tend to stick solo in my normal day to day and my lvl 55 engineer has never been in an area higher than 25 (I’m doing map completions in groups of the levels…. did home cities/ 1-15 areas first, almost done with the 15-25 areas.) With this in mind – are there any suggestions to a basic rotation that will make my solo’ing PvE trips (dare I say) easier?
I checked out Nikes rotation, but wow…. FT 5 then 4 switch to EG hit 4 cancel throw back switch rifle hit 3 then 5 then tool belt skill….omg. I’m all for multitasking but I get so focused on hitting specific buttons, I’m not even looking at the screen anymore to find out if I’m even hitting anything!
Suggestions welcome, altho as the header suggests, I’m sure I’ll get some responses that’ll make me regret asking lol

Hiya, it does look like a lot of things, although all these can be broken up into smaller parts.

To make life easier on yourself, pair two skills together ( maybe in different kits ) and work through them at your pace.

For example: if you normaly stay in nades all day, you could choose to add one of these pairs
net shot ~ nade barage
frost or poison nade ~ jumpshot
Shaprel nade ~ rifle 3

Try to forget the whole picture for now and work on pairs. Once you have two pairs " under your belt " ( trying to make a bad pun here <3 ) , remember them as pairs and try add them into your natural rotation.

It will all come together in time =) dont worry, your got this!!

Sarah

Rainmaker.7594:

Bombs are higher personal dps than grenades. So, for soloing, you should definitely use bomb auto over grenade 1 between cooldowns.

This is incorrect. Bombs have higher direct dps. They have lower personal dps(direct+condition) than grenades in both groups and solo.
When soloing you should rotate between bomb and grenade but grenade auto is superior because it procs on crit stuff like bleeds more effectively.

robertul.3679:

This is incorrect. Bombs have higher direct dps. They have lower personal dps(direct+condition) than grenades in both groups and solo.
When soloing you should rotate between bomb and grenade but grenade auto is superior because it procs on crit stuff like bleeds more effectively.

Its dont work that way. With zerk gear and 25 might are condis about 10-15% of your dps with nades and direct dps of nades AA is about 30% lower than bomb AA. They stack vulnerability better yes but if you have other vulnerability from party members are bombs far better.

Not mention party condis overide and have cap so overall condi damage of full buffed zerk party is about 8% of their dps. Direct damage is always better in party:-)

Rozbuska.5263:

robertul.3679:

This is incorrect. Bombs have higher direct dps. They have lower personal dps(direct+condition) than grenades in both groups and solo.
When soloing you should rotate between bomb and grenade but grenade auto is superior because it procs on crit stuff like bleeds more effectively.

Its dont work that way. With zerk gear and 25 might are condis about 10-15% of your dps with nades and direct dps of nades AA is about 30% lower than bomb AA. They stack vulnerability better yes but if you have other vulnerability from party members are bombs far better.

Not mention party condis overide and have cap so overall condi damage of full buffed zerk party is about 8% of their dps. Direct damage is always better in party:-)

We’re not just looking at the skill1 though are we? aren’t the other skills coming into play? Or is the discussion simply about the auto attacks, because then yes bombs have a higher coefficient. But, personally I don’t use the 1 skill on nades all that often, spend much of the time jumping between kits hitting the bigger damage skills.

Jerus.4350:

Rozbuska.5263:

robertul.3679:

This is incorrect. Bombs have higher direct dps. They have lower personal dps(direct+condition) than grenades in both groups and solo.
When soloing you should rotate between bomb and grenade but grenade auto is superior because it procs on crit stuff like bleeds more effectively.

Its dont work that way. With zerk gear and 25 might are condis about 10-15% of your dps with nades and direct dps of nades AA is about 30% lower than bomb AA. They stack vulnerability better yes but if you have other vulnerability from party members are bombs far better.

Not mention party condis overide and have cap so overall condi damage of full buffed zerk party is about 8% of their dps. Direct damage is always better in party:-)

We’re not just looking at the skill1 though are we? aren’t the other skills coming into play? Or is the discussion simply about the auto attacks, because then yes bombs have a higher coefficient. But, personally I don’t use the 1 skill on nades all that often, spend much of the time jumping between kits hitting the bigger damage skills.

thats right depends on rotation an there is always even more kits.

Jerus.4350:

No matter what Engi played well will be finger intensive, grenade kit alone will do that. Toss in some rotations and yeah.

…….

The best advice I can give is doing your best to get it down so well that you don’t have to pay attention, it just becomes natural, it takes a while but it’ll happen. If you’re having trouble back out to just grenades and focus on your dodging.

this.
and since you are 30 levels above the zone you are in you can afford to go through the complicated rotations a little slower. focus on getting the right order of buttons done and then slowly try to increase your timing from there.