Guild Wars 2

Edit: My biggest problem is that the flamethrower has NO idea what it wants to be. (I feel it should be very damage based) It’s first ability is damage, it’s second ability is complete garbage and you’ll almost never use it to its full effect, the third ability is crowd control, the fourth ability is support and the fifth ability is damage mitigation…

I was quite disappointed when I pulled out my flamethrower and it only had 2 real DPS abilities. With the 2 ability being much harder to get the full effect and only doing a bit more damage than the full channel of the auto-attack, its pretty useless.

When I swap to my flamethrower I don’t want to be a support / utility build. I want to melt peoples faces with my flamethrower. I believe what anyone would expect from a flamethrower is high damage and lasting burns.

I don’t care how you change it as long as its more damage based and interesting than it is now. The 4 and 5 ability need to be completely thrown away and the second ability needs to be adjusted or discarded. Here are some suggestions;

Flame Jet (auto-attack): Let me first off start by saying that this isn’t automatically set to auto-attack and it needs to be. It doesn’t make sense that this ability only burns on the last hit and that it only burns for one tick of burn damage. I think that the last 3 hits should stack burn duration.

Flame burst (2nd ability): Make the existing ability explode when it hits its target rather than at a set distance.

Flame vent (new ability): Engulfs the area around the engineer in flames. Much like the elementalist’s Flame Burst ability (Staff, 3rd ability, fire attunement) except instead of being put on the targeted enemy it comes out from the engineer and damages people around him. This ability could also stack vulnerability.

Napalm spread (new ability): Spread out sticky napalm in the targeted area. This ability would place multiple flame nodes that would damage foes and slow them when they run over them. Much like landmines if you will. The flame nodes would disappear after they have been ran over. Engineers could kite people through these fields.

If I think of more abilities I’ll add them here but currently the flamethrower is sort of boring and not what you would expect

Same here. I also expected the FT to dish out high damage and lots of long lasting burning conditions and was extremely disappointed.

You lost me when you suggested removing the blind from a close/mid range kit.

The ‘2’ skill should be like other similar skills that can be detonated with a second keypress though.

agree flamethrower need some work

Scaling with weapon equipped, detonate Flamethrower #2 and some damage on #3 would be enough. #4 could be bigger for all I care – it isn’t too useful aside from being a combo field. But the knockback and blind are vial to close/mid range survival.

Flamethower has a really good kit (aside from #2 which isn’t too great aside from PvE), but the lack of scaling is why the damage really suffers.

The only thing it needs is the same weapon stats fix all our kits need, plus some bugfixes like 1’s race-based particle size and 2 shooting into the ground. It’s odd that it doesn’t actually burn much, but then again our rifle is our melee weapon. We’re an odd class. It’s amazing for on-crit procs.

Of course, I also wouldn’t complain about remote-detonated fireballs or getting the old “sticky” napalm wall back. Blasting people back and forth through it to stack the burn brought the whole package together.

A skill that uses a smaller nozzle to concentrate the flame giving it better range and increased damage at the expense of AoE.

The one thing that makes me so mad when using this kit is:

Skill #2 shooting into the ground and getting OBSTRUCTED message. It happens all the time if you are walking backwards while firing. I have resorted to dodging backwards right after using #3 in order to get the proper distance to utilize #2 fully.

My vote is for fixing #2 in some way (detonate on first object hit, or detonate with a second keypress), removing the blind and replacing it with one of those come-over-here abilities. Furthermore, give us a unique firefield in #4. Allow us to chose exactly how we want to field to line up by using some kind of vector targetting. If I want to spray a circle of flames, or a line of flames, or an S of flames, I should be able to do that. Would be nice if it applied a ~2 sec burn aswell.

The only issue I have with flamethrower is the wanky unreliable targeting that shifts with camera turn. Once they fix that I feel it would be perfect.

As for damage take my advice: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/engineer/Post-Your-Build-Thread/206665

I get big numbers even in the PvP trinity stat setup of pow/vit/toughness. Keep in mind that number isn’t some random crit, that is practically every channel of flame jet.

I should have a full set of berserker’s by the end of next weekend, and I’ll update the screen when I get it.

Aside from better scaling and bug fixes, perhaps a burn on the first and last hit from skill #1 and a smoke field on skill #5.
Remote detonation on skill #2 would make it much better.

A lot of the engineer needs work.

I’m a FT fanatic, and I actually don’t mind #4. It’s ok as a field and for fun when you have packs and you kite them through. Not bad for farming by the guards either and getting many mobs tagged quickly, but yeah, not exactly a great dps skill even comboed.

Blind on #5 is perfectly fine, although a couple more yards range would be welcome. Given how key it is to turreting I can’t see how one would call it useless.

The things that really need fixing are #1 targeting and how narrow the cone is, as it can be a pain when kiting (and we need to kite so often when solo), and yeah, #2’s bounding box getting it obstructed so darn often when rifle shots can take the same exact path just fine is infuriating.
#2 detonating for single target high damage on impact, or for high AoE on a well timed second press, would make it super sweet and a lot more fun, as is it can be very frustrating when you can’t just turret something in a dungeon.

I would also like #3 to combo with fields actually, would make #4 more useful if I could turn it into an AoE burn with #3 instead of doing the mobs the courtesy of taking them out of damage feilds myself.

All in all FT is fun IMO, and does ok single target damage, and good to very good in AoE situations. The targeting bugs can be exceedingly frustrating though.

Weirwynn.2390:

The ‘2’ skill should be like other similar skills that can be detonated with a second keypress though.

This is a great idea.

My biggest quarrel with the flamethower is that it has no idea what it wants to be. The 1st ability is pure damage based (sub par damage at that), the 2nd ability is pretty useless and a kitten to aim, the 3rd ability is control, the 4th ability is support, and the 5th ability is defensive. It has NO clue what it wants to be.

In my opinion it should be fairly damage based… Thats what anyone would want and expect from a flamethrower not this random compilation of abilities…

Flamejet’s effects seem fine, but the aim/targetting could use some more work.

Fire Blast needs a definite overhaul with the obstruction bug and travelling into terrain and walls, but all I ask for is a fix to the obstruction bug. I like the skill a person needs to judge the distance for the blast.

Air Blast is perfect. No damage or additional effect is needed there.

Flame Wall is perfect as well. It’s there to provide a combo field and to burn people who run through. Sure it’s only 1 tick, but noone’s going to stand on the field.

Smoke Vent? I think it needs a simple AOE radius extension, enough to affect at least two people out. The blindness is just fine and suits a short-to-melee range kit. It doesn’t interrupt any of your channeled skills, and you can also use it while stunned.

Regardless of how much damage I do with flamethrower…I gets me plenty of loot bags in WvW since I can hit pretty much everything in front of me very easily with the first skill.

I know I could be doing more damage using other kits/skills…but unfortunately the way they designed their reward system the most important thing for rewards is the ability to “tag” enemies with just enough dmg. The flamethrower seems to fit that use perfectly…so I get a lot of use out of it.

That being said, i would like to see it actually be more useful…I do occasionally feel “bad” that I’m not helping my team as much as I could be…but then I see the 10 loot bags around me and I don’t feel as bad anymore. Until they fix their reward system, I’m going to design my character in the best way to benefit from the system they have in place, no matter how flawed it is.

If you think that you’re only tagging folks and not doing enough damage, then your style seems more suited for a condition build. You’ll want to find armor and weapons that increases Precision and Condition damage, with upgrades that do the same thing.

Your traits should focus more on conditions. Explosives increase Condition duration, while Firearms increase Condition damage and precision. I normally choose only 10 points in Explosives for the burn on crit chance, with 30 points in Firearms to max out condition damage and precision, and 30 elsewhere (usually a defense-aligned trait).

You want your third to be defensive, either with vitality or Toughness. Vitality will help you overall and especially help you vs other condition users, while Toughness is specifically for direct damage.

Yeah, part of the problems with the kit are the bugs, but the underlying issue is that the kit offers very little unique benefit. Let’s look at the skills:

Smoke Vent: Both bombs and ’nades offer blinds that are superior in both radius and cooldown.

Napalm: This, along with the toolbelt skill offer on-demand access to the fire condition. The most popular access to fire is a very easy-to-access and effective trait (incendiary powder). On-demand fire that doesn’t rely on crit can be somewhat useful in carrion builds, but it’s still difficult to justify the slot with Fire Bomb and the pistol’s blowtorch.

Air Blast: Similar effect to overcharged shot. Also see: battering ram, mine kit, big ’ol bomb, thumper turrent, Accelerant-packed turrents…

Flame Blast and Flame Jet are just damage, and not even top-end damage EVEN AFTER spending 50 build points on it (Juggernaut + Deadly Mixture).

Now, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of redundancy because there’s no such thing as too much CC. That being said, when everything that the flamethrower provides is superseded by multiple other VIABLE features of the class that you would gladly take for other reasons, the flamethrower is hard to justify. THIS is why the nerf to Juggernaut was so bad; stability was a unique feature that none of the other slot skills could really provide (random Elixir S procs notwithstanding).

They should’ve just given us a weaker version of stability from the trait instead of removing it entirely. 5 might and some toughness out of a 30 point trait is EXTREMELY underwhelming, especially when tied to a lackluster weapon.

Silentsins.3726:

Flame Blast and Flame Jet are just damage, and not even top-end damage EVEN AFTER spending 50 build points on it (Juggernaut + Deadly Mixture).

What do you consider top end damage on flame jet? 3k non-crit every channel good enough?

I actually love the flamethrower o O, especially if you spec the top trait related to it that gives toughness and 3 stacks of might or something.

It gives great control, the 3 is a lifesaver, and 5 is nice as well. Besides, I just love the F skill related to it.

Its not meant to be the end all weapon, you have several in your kit. Def a fix in my setup though.

Sorrow.7452:

Silentsins.3726:

Flame Blast and Flame Jet are just damage, and not even top-end damage EVEN AFTER spending 50 build points on it (Juggernaut + Deadly Mixture).

What do you consider top end damage on flame jet? 3k non-crit every channel good enough?

In that same amount of time, 2 tosses of grenades can be thrown at ~ 620 damage non-crit each grenade, from range, on the move for ~3720 damage + vulnerability.

Flame jet is not top-end damage for 20 more build points.

No. All it really needs is some bugs worked out with obstructions on 1 and 2, and 2 needs to detonate on hit. Otherwise, this is an insane control, support, and aoe damage weapon. If you want to play a less subtle class, go play a warrior or even an elementalist. Because, honestly, if the engineer gets more damage, it will be seriously overpowered. Just because some people looked at the cool kits and thought that they would just be easy mode doesn’t mean that the engineer should be a class that just bluntly steamrolls everything. I’d rather see few people play the engineer as it is very well than see to s of engineers playing a watered-down engineer that has no subtlety

Searingarrow.4637:

My biggest quarrel with the flamethower is that it has no idea what it wants to be. The 1st ability is pure damage based (sub par damage at that), the 2nd ability is pretty useless and a kitten to aim, the 3rd ability is control, the 4th ability is support, and the 5th ability is defensive. It has NO clue what it wants to be.

In my opinion it should be fairly damage based… Thats what anyone would want and expect from a flamethrower not this random compilation of abilities…

How many weaponsets in the game can you name that are 100% damage on every skill?

Some elementalist fire attunements are, but that’s because they’re tied to other attunements that provide control and support. Warrior greatsword and dual axes. That’s about it. Most ‘damage’ sets actually contain at least one skill, often more, that isn’t about damage, but about maintaining the conditions that allow you to deal damage without dying in return. And that’s what those extra skills on flamethrower do.

What the flamethrower really seems to be intended to do is be combined with the appropriate traits to make full use of the on-crit condition procs in Firearms and Explosives. Against a single target there’s 10 hits per Flame Jet – at a 50% crit chance, you can expect to get 3 stacks total of bleeding and burning (~1.5 expected value of each) per jet, plus the automatic one. It can dish out the burns if you spend the trait points.

Where it needs to be improved is to gain the stat bonuses of the weapon equipped beneath it or at least something to compensate for the lack, like all kits, and making #2 controllable – double-tap to detonate, ground target, detonate on impact, it’s all better than what we have now.

I don’t see why power affects the flamethrower at all, the wep should be almost all entirely condition based – multiple stacks of burning ( its kinda silly that the flamethrower only does burning on the last hit, apparently the rest of the flames you are engulfing your opponent with are the non burning kind….) and the napalm ball should be a ground targeted aoe, similar to lava font for ele’s or aoe on hit..,

Flame thrower is an odd weapon that should be better than it is and waaaay less reliant on power. My 2cents anyway

If you play FT, then you have to decide whether you are going to be Power/Precision or Precision/Condition. The two don’t mix well, and you don’t want to sacrifice survivial since you will constantly be dangerously close to melee fights.

The Firearms Grandmaster and Master traits for the FT work well in both situations because they aren’t based solely on direct damage or conditions. Don’t choose the Alchemy one if you are going conditions, as it looks like these only focus on direct damage from everyone’s input.

I was rather baffled when I first pulled it out and discovered it really doesn’t, you know, actually burn anything.

@Ebola: Same reason nearly half of the elementalist’s fire spells don’t burn* – game mechanics and balance. One could justify it in many cases as the pressure behind the flame blowing the flame out – so in the case of Flame Jet, it’s that last pulse that doesn’t have the wind from the next behind it that has a good chance to catch.

*Or, for that matter, many fire-related guardian skills unless Justice kicks in.

Sorrow.7452:

Silentsins.3726:

Flame Blast and Flame Jet are just damage, and not even top-end damage EVEN AFTER spending 50 build points on it (Juggernaut + Deadly Mixture).

What do you consider top end damage on flame jet? 3k non-crit every channel good enough?

nice troll.
1. you only see a crit for each invidiual hit of the channel. just because you dont crit on your last hit does not mean you had no crits.
2. glass cannon build does not really work for a mid range weapon. playing against bad players does not make flamethrower good.
3. my mesmer greatsword channel hits for 2-3k on regular basis. additionally to that, it has a phantasm hitting for 5k critical AOE damage and it has 1200 range…

CptCosmic.3156:

Sorrow.7452:

Silentsins.3726:

Flame Blast and Flame Jet are just damage, and not even top-end damage EVEN AFTER spending 50 build points on it (Juggernaut + Deadly Mixture).

What do you consider top end damage on flame jet? 3k non-crit every channel good enough?

nice troll.
1. you only see a crit for each invidiual hit of the channel. just because you dont crit on your last hit does not mean you had no crits.
2. glass cannon build does not really work for a mid range weapon. playing against bad players does not make flamethrower good.
3. my mesmer greatsword channel hits for 2-3k on regular basis. additionally to that, it has a phantasm hitting for 5k critical AOE damage and it has 1200 range…

When you get a crit with flame jet the blood splatter persists even if the following hits aren’t crits. Secondly I have no crit in this build aside from firearms. Take a closer look at the gear in WvW. It is the SE pow/vit/tough set, with the chest and shoulders from the temples in Orr…no crit, or crit damage on it.

It isn’t a glass cannon build…over 21k health with a kit equipped is hardly glass cannon…

Third, my dad once knocked a bear out with one punch…

You have no proof of your claim nor could you do it with a defensive setup.

Edit: I’ve attached a screen of my current stats with my flamethrower out…my trinkets, leggings, and boots are still of masterwork quality. I am waiting on tokens for my leggings and boots, and I haven’t decided what to do with my trinket slots.

Question on the numbers you see while channeling the flame: Those are a CUMULATIVE total of damage done, not INDIVIDUAL damage of each hit, correct?

MassRelay.9327:

Question on the numbers you see while channeling the flame: Those are a CUMULATIVE total of damage done, not INDIVIDUAL damage of each hit, correct?

Yeah.

A lot of people got confused by that when the change was made. Confused me too :P

I agree that the Flamethrower has a problem, in the sense that it only has one ability for each type of build. Crit is for #1, Power for #2, Control #3, Support #4, Defense #5, and Condition is on the toolbelt. No weapon should be a one-trick pony with all abilities of one type, but this is going well beyond that stipulation. It tries to do too much, and fails because of it.

Sorrow.7452:

CptCosmic.3156:

Sorrow.7452:

Silentsins.3726:

Flame Blast and Flame Jet are just damage, and not even top-end damage EVEN AFTER spending 50 build points on it (Juggernaut + Deadly Mixture).

What do you consider top end damage on flame jet? 3k non-crit every channel good enough?

nice troll.

Third, my dad once knocked a bear out with one punch…

You have no proof of your claim nor could you do it with a defensive setup.

Attachments below. Multiply numbers around that range x6 and you have equal or better damage than the flame thrower. That’s ignoring the full stacks of vulnerability that can be created quickly (I think this was my second toss, if I remember right), and shrapnel grenade which does ~10% more base damage then the #1 skill + bleed every 5 seconds, and also the toolbelt skill, which does even more damage. That’s also forgetting that grenades have the advantage of range and the ability to fire on the move.

Flamethrower is not top-end damage.

Heck, my thief’s heartseeker can hit 3k before traiting and infiltration runes, and that thing tracks your target (surely, you don’t need a screenshot?). Grenades are better damage than the FT, but compared to other classes, ‘nades are slightly above average. Either way, I know you only wanted to talk about damage, but that wasn’t really the important part of my point. My point was:

Silentsins.3726:

Yeah, part of the problems with the kit are the bugs, but the underlying issue is that the kit offers very little unique benefit.

My build has 2 blinds that are better than the FT’s. 2 knockbacks that are better as well. Access to fire via Fire bomb, I could easily go knights ammy + Incendiary Powder and get more.

Why would I bother with Flamethrower then?

I think skill two should be something like over-pressure.

How it works is the Engineers run-speed is cut by 50%, making him walk instead of run.
He no longer fires a ball, instead we get a more powerful version of Skill 1 that has it’s range and duration increased by 100% and well as the damage being stronger the closer you are to the target.

The skill 1’s range is about 300-500 isn’t it? Then this skill would have a range of 500-900.

Would be epic just walking with your flamethrower spewing flames at long distances.

YES! FLAMETHROWERS CAN SPEW FLAMES QUITE A LONG DISTANCE!
At least a lot longer than GW2 implies.

So can most ranged weapons, with the exception of some thrown weapons like ranger axes and grenades. It’s pretty much the norm in computer RPGs, especially MMOs, for these weapons to be restricted to what would be point-blank range for their real-life counterparts.

noone use it afaik.
low range= uselees in pvp.
its pve weapon, nothing else.

Silentsins.3726:

Why would I bother with Flamethrower then?

If we are showing sPvP stats, then lets compare apples to apples … and I don’t think there are any surprises here. You have 300 more power from explosives I have 300 more toughness from 10 points in Inventions and Juggernaut, so that is a wash.

Also your kit is not equipped in the screenshot of your stats, that will drop your attack 240ish points, which puts my attack ahead of yours with our kits on, because of my 100% up time on 10 stacks of might which is an additional 350, power/condition damage.

Minimal damage for me is between 2.1k to 2.5k without utilizing HGH, and I can keep a 17 stack of might up permanently with some conservative potion usage, I can get it to 25 stacks for short bursts if I pop them like crazy.

I think DPS wise from our spammable skill, if we are going off of your screen it is a wash.

So why would you want to use flamethrower? Personal preference. The original stats I posted were to show the damage potential of flamethrower while retaining a defensive setup.

It isn’t as useless as people think, they just have the wrong setup.

Sorrow.7452:

I think DPS wise from our spammable skill, if we are going off of your screen it is a wash.

Only because I wanted to show something easily reproducible, rather than showing the full potential of the kit itself. Like I’ve been saying and saying, toss in vulnerability stacks and the more damaging grenade skills, and the ‘nade kit pulls ahead. The above are bonuses from the KIT, not my BUILD. That’s the difference. I could easily go get HGH as well, if I just wanted to buff damage.

Sorrow.7452:

So why would you want to use flamethrower? Personal preference.

Absolutely nothing wrong with personal preference at all. That’s not really enough for the competitive environment that this game is trying to be though. It’s all well and good that the kit is MECHANICALLY interesting, it should be COMPETITIVELY interesting as well.

Sorrow.7452:

It isn’t as useless as people think, they just have the wrong setup.

I never said useless… just lacking in unique competitive advantages. Really, they made large cuts to the elements that made the kit a compelling choice competitively, would it really be hard for them to give it a little bit back?

I feel that the kit is “almost there” now; good enough to not cripple you if you like it for personal preference, but bad enough that it is clearly the worse choice. IF they fixed the bugs, perhaps gave the #2 ability a detonate, and buffed juggernaut to provide the class with a unique advantage that no other kit could boast, then the kit would be in a good place.

What I mean by unique advantage:
Let Juggernaut give a stunbreak + 5 seconds of stability on an internal cooldown, or let Juggernaut give a 1/4 second 900 range aoe daze on an internal cooldown — something like that. Something that the class rarely has access to, but not gamebreaking for a Grandmaster trait.

I really think this kit can hold its own.

It really comes down to what you mean by competitive. If you mean, can it hold a spot on a tournament team, then I would agree, no, that spot would be better suited for a grenadier. I say that because flamethrower does not provide the synergy and team utility that a grenade kit can.

If you mean competitive in the sense if a grenadier and a flamethrower crossed in a 1v1 in WvW or sPvP, the grenadier would have an advantage.

I would say if the flamethrower is used and built properly, i.e. playing to the strength of Juggernaut by stacking might and toughness (near 3k worth), it would come down to the players more so than either kit giving an advantage.

Also keep in mind, I kept the damage simple as well, which is why I called it a wash. I didn’t want to get into this theoretically rock paper scissor game, because I know I can power through most of the tricks with my spec, especially in a 1v1, but apparently I am the only one who uses my spec…and the only one who doesn’t complain about flamethrower…so that in itself should say something about the spec…and for the record, I have tried the grenadier spec, and it is disgusting damage, I just find the mobility and camera control more cumbersome when throwing grenades on a target that is circling.

Sorrow.7452:

I really think this kit can hold its own.

It really comes down to what you mean by competitive. If you mean, can it hold a spot on a tournament team, then I would agree, no, that spot would be better suited for a grenadier. I say that because flamethrower does not provide the synergy and team utility that a grenade kit can.

If you mean competitive in the sense if a grenadier and a flamethrower crossed in a 1v1 in WvW or sPvP, the grenadier would have an advantage.

I would say if the flamethrower is used and built properly, i.e. playing to the strength of Juggernaut by stacking might and toughness (near 3k worth), it would come down to the players more so than either kit giving an advantage.

Also keep in mind, I kept the damage simple as well, which is why I called it a wash. I didn’t want to get into this theoretically rock paper scissor game, because I know I can power through most of the tricks with my spec, especially in a 1v1, but apparently I am the only one who uses my spec…and the only one who doesn’t complain about flamethrower…so that in itself should say something about the spec…and for the record, I have tried the grenadier spec, and it is disgusting damage, I just find the mobility and camera control more cumbersome when throwing grenades on a target that is circling.

I loled. Hard. If the great and powerful sorrow doesn’t complain about the kit, it must be fine, right?

You basically concede my points, but obviously FT is still better because no one else knows how to play with or against it, or how to build it. Super.

It’s cool to go against the majority, but only if you’re awsum. I suppose it’s only fair to fix the kit for the rest of the humble majority though…

Nice troll.

Fine, I am trolling because I am trying to make sense of why so many people are having issues with this kit…

People ask for proof, I show them it can retain its survive-ability while demonstrating its damage potential…and still they aren’t happy…there is nothing conceded it is still viable spec in WvW, and sPvP, don’t be stubborn and criticize a build without trying it first.

I am done giving advice on this kit, the majority can struggle with it because I am obviously an arrogant twat for sharing a build that works for me, and one that I feel I have proven somewhat through screenshots.

Sporadicus.1028:

If you think that you’re only tagging folks and not doing enough damage, then your style seems more suited for a condition build. You’ll want to find armor and weapons that increases Precision and Condition damage, with upgrades that do the same thing.

Your traits should focus more on conditions. Explosives increase Condition duration, while Firearms increase Condition damage and precision. I normally choose only 10 points in Explosives for the burn on crit chance, with 30 points in Firearms to max out condition damage and precision, and 30 elsewhere (usually a defense-aligned trait).

You want your third to be defensive, either with vitality or Toughness. Vitality will help you overall and especially help you vs other condition users, while Toughness is specifically for direct damage.

Ironically the flamethrower doesn’t really have condition damage. It has the 3/4 of a second burn on the last hit but really can we do anything besides laugh at that? The combo field also burns but who with a brain actually stands in those things?

To Sorrow:

Good on you for finding a way to make the Flamethrower work. I have tested the build out myself and I think it is indeed a very strong one that with practice & proper use can be very deadly.

Please do not listen to close-minded and rude individuals like Silentsins. There are people who get abusive at anyone who doesn’t agree with them & use their cookie cutter builds. He is one of these individuals.

I have myself experienced this phenomenon in the game that shall not be named. Despite posting guides and proof of a build’s viability at 2k+ rating I would constantly get forum abuse by idiots like Silentsins (many of whom had often not even come close to 2k rating even while using their cookie cutter builds). [For anyone interested I’m referring to my Prot Paladin preference in 4.2 & 4.3 seasons]

TL:DR: Thank you for posting your build to those of us who are interested in using Flamethrower. Disregard the idiotic and rude comments by the aforementioned kitten.

For the love of god don’t remove the #5 on the flamethrower. It’s my only reliable way to get stomps on guardians/engis/rangers/necros/warriors. <_<

During the stomp swap to Flamethrower, sit and wait until you see the animation of their KB, press 5 -> ????->profit.

4 needs to be a proper aoe, with stacking burn duration, not just 1 second.
3 is fine
2 is kitten and needs to be tweaked aloooot, or just reworked in total.
1 is completely kittening useless. 10 hits makes anyone with retaliation melt your face in an instant, the burn on it is useless, the base damage/power scaled part is “OK”, and still i feel like the flamethrower should be more of a condi based weapon. 1: its fire 2: the toolbelt skill is a burn on hit.
Why does it have 2 skills that mainly scale with power? :l

Make it a condi weapon, and fix #1-2 + 4.
THANKYOUUU

i like the flamer alot, it is one of the reasons i like engineer…. i feel like a friggin commando when i use it.

the #2 need some fixing for the pathing of the shot and a detonating option, otherwise in events were there is huge crowds #2 is a beast.

also #4 is nice too, if you havent tried yet, put down #4 then switch to pistol/shield and double tap #4 and you just activated “area might”. then swap back to flamer and continue cooking

. #5 seems like somtimes it doesnt blind when im point blank on an enemy, maybe the size of the enemy has to do with it or something. but i like this skill when it works.

. #3 has so many uses, just i wish it was a combo finisher or something, but oh well.

and #1 we cant seem to hit some catapults and other inanimate objects, other than that it rocks in events.

i dont have a lvl 80 engineer yet so i dont know how it works there, but im currently lvl 50’ish and i cant go anywhere without my flamer on.

Sorrow.7452:

Fine, I am trolling because I am trying to make sense of why so many people are having issues with this kit…

People ask for proof, I show them it can retain its survive-ability while demonstrating its damage potential…and still they aren’t happy…there is nothing conceded it is still viable spec in WvW, and sPvP, don’t be stubborn and criticize a build without trying it first.

I am done giving advice on this kit, the majority can struggle with it because I am obviously an arrogant twat for sharing a build that works for me, and one that I feel I have proven somewhat through screenshots.

Oho, so you were actually serious? That makes it even more funny somehow…

Yes, it’s arrogant to assume that you’re the only one who has used the flamethrower extensively. That no one else has:
Taken it into sPvP
Taken it into tPvP
Spent 40 + levels with it, including Orr and dungeons.
Sparred with it.
Sparred against it.
Bug tested it.
Bug tested it again.
Used your build, and other builds like it.

… and found it lacking anyway. Arrogant… and more than a little insulting. Sure you can ignore the problems the kit has that are all but self-evident at this point, but there’s a difference between “making it work” and being able to say “this kit is clearly desirable for this aspect of play”.

A buff to the kit doesn’t negatively affect you.