Guild Wars 2

This topic is just for fun, I’m NOT expecting Anet to implement any of this.
Imagined New Engineer Elite Spec: Branded Technician
Technician, or Tech/Tec for short.

Introduction
Rata Sum’s head researchers from the college of Dynamics contacted priory scholars from the Black Citadel who specialized in Branded research. Utilizing Asuran Dynamics theory and extensive branded knowledge of priory scholars of the Black Citadel, Engineers, with the greatest affinity for electronic technology and magnetism can now harness the power of the Branded amplified by electrified basalt commonly found in the sands of Elona without succumbing to the manipulation of Kralkatorrik.

By equipping the Branded Technician Elite Specialization, you gain access to Main Hand Mace, Magnetic Fields, and Glamour utilities.

Themes: Magnetism and Electric Charges

Lore inspired by:
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/lore/The-Branded-and-Magnetism
and of course, Kralkatorrik. I really wanted to make an elite spec that was relevant to GW2 lore.

Shout out to /r/Tulki and his previous post about the Aetherblade elite spec which inspired this elite spec.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/5gqzei/an_engineer_elite_spec_aetherblade/

I. Objectives:
- To specialize in/enhance combo fields & finishers
- Encourage other classes to utilize combo field and finishers.
- To enhance core engineer gadgets.
- To avoid adding another profession skill (because core engineer already has 5 profession skills which I think no profession should ever exceed)
- To reduce the amount of stability currently being shared in game. (I noticed that there is a surplus of Stability being given by several classes so I introduced skills that prioritize stripping stability.)
- To provide another reliable source of quickness

I. Limitations
While I do consider possible balance implications and counter plays to some of the abilities I add with this elite spec, I will not frequently give specific Cooldowns, ICD, durations, or any specific numerals for damage output. But I hope to hear your input on this.
Secondly, I do not care if Anet will include this into their future expansions or not. I thought of this elite spec simply because it was fun. Although, if Anet decides to include even just ONE idea from this post, I would be extremely happy. They can freely take any ideas from this post.

II. Combo System Rework
- I considered removing light fields from Guardian symbols but then I remembered that they have traits involving keeping uptime of retaliation. Even though traits such as Radiant Retaliation from guardian are relatively unused, I would still like to avoid nerfing core classes for the sake of creating new elite specializations.

- This change has been mentioned several times before and I completely agree with it. A player’s combo finishers should prioritize his or her own combo fields regardless of whomever’s field was laid first. This way you can always blast your water fields even when several fields overlap in boss fights. This makes Engie healing builds more viable.

- Make Whirl finishers reliable. How it works now is that whirl finishers shoot bolts randomly. For the rework, whirl and projectiles should not be too strong but at least reliable, thus I suggest whirl finishers to fire in waves, 5 projectiles in 5 directions (similar to how Cantrip Tornado 4 skill for elementalist works.) with an ICD of 1 or 2 seconds. This is useful for bosses with large hit-boxes; large bosses will be hit by all 5 projectiles if you whirl in their hitbox. In addition, whirl projectiles should be homing up to a 45/60 degree angle from the direction they are fired from. Thus it’s possible to hit an enemy with 3 bolts if they’re close enough.

- The second dilemma is how to reliably cast finishers on other player’s fields that you intend to during a 10 man or 5 man scenario during battle. In other words, if players cast light, fire, then dark field in that order, how would you be able to finish in the fire field since it’s sandwiched in between two finishers? For this, I introduce the Field Conversion utility. See Utilities section.

III. PROFESSION MECHANIC
Magnetic Fields: The Magnetic field is a combo field exclusively produced by the Branded Technician. It slows enemies standing in the field; the technician’s fields produce unique effects when players finish in its area.
Blast – AOE Quickness(2 secs); Whirl/projectile – Quickness (1s); Leap – Knockdown (2 sec)
(Blast skills “excite” electric charges in the magnetic field, thus speeding up allies’ movements. Projectiles are hastened because they pass through magnetic fields which increase their velocity, Yes it’s weird that the character benefits from this but this is also how regeneration works. Leaping propels you through magnetic propulsion then allows you to pummel someone with the heavy gravity of your weapon unto them)

IV. WEAPON
Mace Main-hand (I know Bolt would have been thematic with this elite spec but I think Mace is the better choice for my ideas)
Mace 1. Auto attack:
- Anode Amputator – Bash an enemy with a crack of electricity.
- Branded Bonk – Hinder your enemy’s movement by absorbing electricity in their body. Slows the enemy for 1 second.
- Circuit Crescendo – After gathering electricity from your enemy, whirl your mace to create a magnetic surge. Whirl Finisher.

Mace 2. Kinetic Jolt – Jump towards your enemy, immobilizing enemies from where you leapt from and immobilizing your target. (Leap Finisher)

Mace 3. Magnetize Chains – Pull all Immobilized targets towards you then create a magnetic field.

V. TRAITS
NOTE I was greatly inspired by the daredevil and chrono’s traits when I made these. What’s amazing about the DD traits is that the grandmaster major trait greatly influence the playstyle of the class depending on which you equip. While for Chrono, the three trait lines represent a different type of focus: I.e the 1st focuses on utilizing slow, the 2nd enhances shatter potential, and the 3rd is related to alacrity and quickness.
For the Branded Technician, I decided that the pattern would be 1) Enhancing Magnetic Fields, 2) Improving core Engineer traits, 3) Improving finishers.

1. ADEPT
a. Minor – Access to the main hand Mace, Glamours, and Magnetic Fields
b. Major
i. Increased Gravity– Slowing enemies also cripples them. Deal 10% more damaged to slowed enemies.
ii. Polarity Wall: Shield skills now create a Magnetic Field upon hitting a target. (In the case of shield 4 it will simply cast 1 AOE on the player even when it hits 5 targets. Shield 5 will only produce a magnetic field when it is thrown and makes contact with the first enemy it hits. )
iii. Propulsion Fields – Allied player’s projectiles are propelled by the power of magnetism when they pass through magnetic fields, thus granting a 10% damage bonus for projectiles that pass through Magnetic fields.

2. MASTER
Minor: Synchronized Fields – apply an effect to yourself and allies that increases the duration of their combo fields by 2 seconds.
a. Major
i. Electrified Pulses – Enemies standing in Magnetic fields take damage over time.

ii. Electrode Instability – Glamours strip stability off enemies. Enemies whose stability
has been stripped are knocked down and weakened. Against monsters, monsters are knockdown and weakened with or without stability.
(The idea here is that characters with stability are “heavier” thus they have stronger magnetic potential. This also works in favour of classes like thief who have little to no access to stability; they can just walk through these AOEs with little trouble)

iii. Gadget Technician – Gadget utilities have added effects and toolbelt skills now become either a blast, leap, or whirl finisher.
1. Rocket Boots knockback foes from initial impact then land with an explosion at the end of a leap. Tool belt skill is now a whirl and burns in a radius.
2. Slick Shoes now inflict weakness upon initial knockdown and pulse it within its AOEs. Tool belt skill is now a leap.
3. Throw Mine: The gadget now releases 5 mines in the target area. Inflicts random conditions in an aoe per mine in addition to each boon stripping. Tool belt skill, detonating mines is now a blast finisher for each mine exploding.

4. Utility Goggles: For its duration, enemies within the radius will be revealed, revealed enemies gain 5 stacks of Vulnerability and 3 seconds of slow. (Can be traited to cripple) Toolbelt Skill is now a projectile finisher

5. Personal Battering Ram. Range is now cone shaped; Ram is also unblockable and ignores stability. Toolbelt skill is already a projectile finisher but now sends several Rams around the user. (5)

6. A.E.D. This skill is now a Stun Break. Still removes Burning, Bleeding, Poison, Torment. Toolbelt skill is now a Projectile Finisher.

3. GRANDMASTER
Minor: Multidisciplinary – Executing either: a leap, whirl, or blast finisher gives an added effect depending on which grandmaster trait you equip: reduce 10% damage received, 15% condi duration, or 10% more direct damage respectively for a duration.

Major:
i. Highspeed Volt – Gain superspeed on leap finisher. Leap finishers regenerate health and cleanse all movement impairing conditions (Chilled, Immobilized, Cripple) Synchronized Fields enhances the effectiveness of allies’ leap finishers. (this trait is essentially the leap version of Unhindered Combatant)

ii. Bipolar Bomber – Blast Finishers execute twice. Synchronized Fields enhance the effectiveness of allies’ blast finishers.

iii. Charged Rotations – Whirl and Projectile finishers bounce among targets up to 3 times each. Synchronized Fields enhance the effectiveness of allies’ whirl and projectile finishers.

NOTE when I say enhance, I mean that leap/projectile/whirl/blast does more numerical output, conditions/boons have increased durations etc.

VI. Utilities – Glamour – (Durations already factor in Synchronized Fields +2 sec duration)
i. Heal: Magnetized Momentum: This AOE pulses slight healing and grants immunity from and cleanses movement impairing conditions (and slow) while standing in the glamour. Large heal at final pulse.

ii. Area Inversion: Leave a glamour that converts an enemy area of effect skill or if this skill is casted onto an enemy’s Area of Effect skill, the foe’s skill is re-casted on the same location and registers as the player’s area of effect. Duration is reset according to the original skill’s duration plus 2 seconds from Synchronized Fields. New area of affect is still affected by glamour traits. If this glamour is not used on another area of effect, then it acts as an ordinary Magnetic Field.
Skills without combo fields such as Meteor shower are not affected by this skill.

iii. Polarity Dome – 6 seconds. Lay a glamour that absorbs enemy projectiles. Projectiles absorbed explode inside the dome doing damage to enemies inside. If an enemy shoots a projectile from within the glamour, the projectiles reflected become AOE damage on hit. Combo Field: Magnetic
NOTE: Thematically, projectiles in the dome are suppose to just bounce everywhere at tremendous speeds because of the constant push and pull mechanism, but that is likely to reduce framerate so I think an AOE attack is good enough to represent this.)

iv. Ionic Currents: Supercharge your allies’ weapons to shock enemies while they are in the AOE of this Glamour (the same buff that tempests get when they finish casting their overload air) Combo field: Magnetic

v. Field Conversion, glamour – gain a Conversion Buff. While this buff is active, the next field you lay down, all subsequent fields that overlap the next field you place down convert into its current element. Combo fields produced by this skill are still affected by glamour traits.
(E.g. I have the buff, I put down a fire field with bomb 2, now for the duration of the field, guardian light fields turn into fire, Mesmer wells turn to fire, etc. when they overlap my fire field)
(The only combo field Engineer does not have access to is Dark field, which is blind and lifesteal)

vi. Elite: Repulsion Field – 10 seconds, Time Warp size. Create a Glamour that nullifies the effects enemies’ currently placed and subsequent area of effects placed in its area. If another Repulsion Field is placed upon this field, the two fields will cancel each other out.
Note* This skill is heavily inspired by the Professor/Scholar’s skill from Ragnarok Online called Land Protector/Magnetic Earth.
http://ragnarok.wikia.com/wiki/Magnetic_Earth
In RO, Magnetic Earth also prevented friendly aoes from working in the area. I removed this to prevent trolling, then made it an elite so matches don’t turn into pirate ship metas wherein in both wvw and pvp wherein everyone moves along the magnetic earth.

VII. SYNERGY W/ PROFESSIONS AND OTHER NOTES
1. Synchronized Fields will improve the DPS of field dependent classes such as Elementalist, Guardians, Condition warrior, Well Necros, condi Revenants and subsequently increase the support capabilities of Chronomancers, Engineers, Druids. This would make engies more desirable in raids because it offers a buff unique to its class. (also this brings back the old OP Lava Fonts, but only if you have engies!)
2. Also its traited glamours which increase ranged damage output via Propulsion Fields, AOE damage over time through Electric Pulses, and Ionic Distribution supercharge buff will provide decent dpspossibly secure it a spot in fractals, and perhaps even raids as either DPS or a Utility.
3. Thieves: I don’t see that much synergy with this class. Perhaps longer blind fields or dark fields (SR). But beyond that? None. Again, these synergies are just a consequence of the ideas I came up with for this spec, so I’m sorry I didn’t consider thieves. Thieves may be able to benefit from constantly leaping through magnetic fields to gain quickness.
4. I initially wanted to create an engineer elite spec that discouraged the use of kits, empowered gadgets AND turrets but I think it was too much to handle for just one elite spec; It would have been counter-intuitive to discourage kits because of their access to fields and finishers. I foresee that anyone who would want to equip this elite spec in PVE would spec 2 kits, 1 glamour, and mortar elite while in WVW possibly 2 glamour utilities, elite glamour and grenade kit for ranged condi pressure.
5. PVP: This class would likely still take a bunker role since most of the glamour, magnetic field traits are dependent on enemies staying in their fields. taking mace/shield but would take the elite glamour which will make or break teamfights. Unless they have a Technician as well, in which case, their elites will cancel each other. This class may see a Burst build in pvp with its access to stability stripping.

POTENTIAL ISSUES WITH THIS SPEC
1. Unsure if Area Inversion should work on Boss AOES. This could potentially be game breaking. At the very least, this skill will not work on skills that have a opaque orange (such kittenterer shard storm) or green aoes (Such as Vale guardian’s wipe skill) but may work on red circles.
2. I intended the mace elite to be compatible with the engineer shield, not off-hand pistol, thus the lack of synergy between mace and pistol. It could be possible to see mace/pistol combination (which is highly unorthodox and I’d love to see it) but it’s beyond me to think of any at the moment.
3. I’m still debating on whether Multidisciplinary or Gadget Technician should be a major and the former a minor. But if Gadget Technician became a minor, then Technicians would be forced into a trait even when they don’t use gadgets. Similarly, this has become an issue with minor trait Impact Savant for Scrapper since Gyros lost their ability to Daze.
4. Upon review, the gadgets do seem tacked on. Still, I do like that they provide more finishers which this spec is also supposed to specialize in.

Sounds complicated but that is definitely not a bad thing! It would be great if an ESpec would introduce something with a high skill cap but great potential. This certainly has potential.

eliroth.3869:

5. Personal Battering Ram. Range is now cone shaped; Ram is also unblockable and ignores stability. Toolbelt skill is already a projectile finisher but now sends several Rams around the user. (5)

This is the only thing I had an issue with. Ignoring Stability is a big no no. Stripping Stability would be much better because counterplay. What’s the point of having Stability if it can be ignored? It alrdy kittenes me off that some PvE monsters can apparently CC me through my Stab.. -.-