Guild Wars 2

Hi, I recently started playing the game again after a long break, but I have created an engineer. Now, I have heard about raiding being more like traditional MMOs, focusing on tank/dps/healer roles rather than the everybody does what they want style of things (Bearing in mind, that’s what I think GW2 was like).
So anyway, here are my questions.

1. Are raids role based? Should I focus on a specific skill set, or should I just do what I want?

2. Is the scrapper spec focused on tanking? Is it essential for end game play? Do you need to use a hammer with it?

3. I want to craft the Legendary Rifle The Predator sooner or later, but would it be worth it?

That’s all, thanks.

1. Yes. You will need a specific skill set.

2. No, it is a “bruiser”, and no it is not essential.

3. If you like it, sure, but at this time legendary effects do not show with kits and you will likely be in a kit longer than with your regular weapon.

Thanks for the info!
Just a question about the skill set, would it be more like taking a specific build made online? Or is it simply just a role like buidling myself as a Healer/DPS?

Sadly you will be expected to be DPS or condition for the most part and while you don’t need to use an online build if you are raiding people will likely demand you follow some form of popular regimen unless you can prove yours superior.

It’s just how “hardcore” players tend to be.

Wahoo!!

Careful, Wall’O’Text alert! But it’ll be worth it! Greez!

Aeolus Winds.2149:

Hi, I recently started playing the game again after a long break, but I have created an engineer. Now, I have heard about raiding being more like traditional MMOs, focusing on tank/dps/healer roles rather than the everybody does what they want style of things (Bearing in mind, that’s what I think GW2 was like).

Welcome back to the game! You made an excellent choice with the Engi and whenever you need help, don’t hesitate to pm me here or ingame! I’ve been and still am mentoring countless Engis ^.^ but only for pve! =.=

And yea the game has some sort of dps/tank/heal, but in a different way. The tank is rather an aggro holder wich is most of the time based on toughness in the first raid wing. On the second wing the tank is chosen by the boss and marked for your understanding, so a completly different mechanic!

Healer means you focus on keeping your allies alive with as little heal as possible while still dealing as much damage and support as possible. So if you see your party is awesome, the normal druid healer tends to use condition builds or a longbow for damage. They adapt to you, but in pugs they’ll most likely be full heal druids, wich makes sense.

Aeolus Winds.2149:

So anyway, here are my questions.

1. Are raids role based? Should I focus on a specific skill set, or should I just do what I want?

As an Engineer you should focus on damage and utility. Utility comes from your skills so your gear will be focused on max damage wich means Viper stats for condi and Berserker stats for power builds. A good engineer should have both, wich makes the profession a bit expensive to play. Power is cheaper tough and also better in most situations. However condi is required for the first raid boss of the first wing.

Aeolus Winds.2149:

2. Is the scrapper spec focused on tanking? Is it essential for end game play? Do you need to use a hammer with it?

Not at all. The tank should be a profession that loses only little or no damage while tanking. This means it’s most of the time the Druid or the Mesmer who’s tanking. Or when they have a special ability for situations, like the revenant for Vale Guardian (1st raid boss, 1st wing).

The Engi focuses on damage, cc and utility, but mainly damage :P About that hammer …

Aeolus Winds.2149:

3. I want to craft the Legendary Rifle The Predator sooner or later, but would it be worth it?

That’s all, thanks.

… hammer > rifle in pve. You shouldn’t be using a rifle for max efficiency, since the hammer offers just more damage and utility for you and against the pve evoirment. The rifle has been the best old power weapon, but it lacks damage and all the little things the hammer has. It still has it’s purpose in pvp / wvw tough.

So … I don’t suggest to build the legendary rifle :/ But if you want just the skin, do it. Depends mostly on your wallet.

Aeolus Winds.2149:

Thanks for the info!
Just a question about the skill set, would it be more like taking a specific build made online? Or is it simply just a role like buidling myself as a Healer/DPS?

There are so called “meta builds” who will deal “most damage” in a meatbag situation. This means – when you just attack and worry about survivability just with movement that will not cripple your damage.

I suggest you take a look at my post here:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/engineer/All-Skills-Damage-for-Power-and-Condi-3/first#post6006236

You can see all skills and their damage aswell as a power and a condi build I currently suggest to use. Of course it’s always better to adapt to the situation. But for starters just go with the flow and once your an expert think on your own! I’m also very happy to help you here if you got questions or want some opinions

Wahooooo I hope I could help you, if you got questions, go ahead! I’ll stick to this thread now xP

Greez!
- Ziggy

Thanks for the answer Ziggy! Really helpful!

Just a question, I’ve looked at some engineer builds, and I notice they use a lot of different kits. Do they only use the kits for the toolkit skills, or do they switch between each kit depending on the situation they are in?

Wahoo!!

Aeolus Winds.2149:

they switch between each kit depending on the situation they are in

:)

If you see builds and differnt skills and kits, they most likely are for most comfort or according to the situation. In the end, just take any guide as a basic good idea of what you can play. Then adapt to the situation.

For example lets say you play Power Scrapper in Fractals: You take Grenades, Bomb and either FT or EG. Now let’s say you are at the harpy fractal:

First you have to get up the platforms with harpyies, so reflection would be great! I’d say go for nades for some burst, flame thrower for reflection (low cd, against the knockback attacks) and bulwark gyro for it’s toolbelt against the barrage attacks. Also use hammer #2 for more reflection!

At the first bosses I also recommend to swap a bit around. Nades and bombs for pure damage (or FT instead of bombs if you want to reflect some attacks, depends on mesmer) and then go for the mine! You got some nice CC for breakbar and each time and you can insta strib the boons from the ettin where the mesmer would need a few auto attack chains to strip protection. Mine Field is also a huge burst skill.

And so on and so on…

You see, you just have to know what each skill is capable of doing and then swap them according to the situation. It’s important to know wich skill deals how much damage, how much quickness and wich buffs you got in general, what you encounter and how much damage you want to trade off for utility to help others deal more damage more easily! aka → expirience

Greez!
- Ziggs Ironeye