Guild Wars 2

Well I can’t speak for the WvW crowd or PvE, but now that sigils work for us, it’s a significant buff to Engineers. Thanks to the weapon swap mechanics of Engineers being far superior to any other class (since they themselves are on no CD, just the CD of the move initiated upon swap) we are able to build heavy dodge builds, add in that extra AoE condition, etc, an extra 3 stacks of might, etc.

We were already one of the best overall PvP professions and this new addition can change a lot! I’ve already started to incoroporate this into other builds. This might even force me to finally give up my rifle… but not yet.

Time to start testing builds again… good times.

yes good times. i haven’t tried using the weapon swap sigils yet, i should

ahmajo.3159:

yes good times. i haven’t tried using the weapon swap sigils yet, i should

Some combos that work VERY nice…

1) Rune of Centaur build (with 15% more bleed) plus rifle turret, rifle, toolkit (all of which apply bleeds) and Sigil of Superior Earth… you can stack 10 stacks of bleed in a matter of seconds, and one of them is an AoE bleed that you can re-apply every 7 seconds on kit swap. You can do a similar thing with poison in another build, have not tried that one yet.

2) If you already use the trait that gives you Vigor on Swiftness ( I forget the name), and Elixer R (refills your endurance bar) then take Sigil of Superior Energy, watch how many times you can dodge roll during a fight. You can basically get 5 dodges in a row.

3) With the new buff to the trait giving might upon Elixer use, you’re already doubling the might of any elixer build… just add the sigil that gives 3 stacks of might on weapon swap and add to the top end of that.

Basically, any good build we’ve been able to make so far just got an apple-sized cherry on top.

I’m in the process of testing and they don’t seem to proc when I switch from kit to weapon. What am I doing wrong?

MrSilver.5269:

I’m in the process of testing and they don’t seem to proc when I switch from kit to weapon. What am I doing wrong?

They are dependant on the CD of the sigil itself. For instance, if you use Sigil of Superior Earth, switch to your Kit and it procs. After I think 9 seconds it can proc again, whenever you make any weapon switch, so long as you’re in combat.

I’m really curious to try Sigil of Doom… 5 second CD on poison application, and so essentially we can apply it twice as fast as any other profession.

Thank you for your kind response!!!!

So are you referring to a superior energy / invigorating speed / speedy kits (or 6/6 rune of cent) build?

aydenunited.5729:

ahmajo.3159:

yes good times. i haven’t tried using the weapon swap sigils yet, i should

Some combos that work VERY nice…

1) Rune of Centaur build (with 15% more bleed) plus rifle turret, rifle, toolkit (all of which apply bleeds) and Sigil of Superior Earth… you can stack 10 stacks of bleed in a matter of seconds, and one of them is an AoE bleed that you can re-apply every 7 seconds on kit swap. You can do a similar thing with poison in another build, have not tried that one yet.

2) If you already use the trait that gives you Vigor on Swiftness ( I forget the name), and Elixer R (refills your endurance bar) then take Sigil of Superior Energy, watch how many times you can dodge roll during a fight. You can basically get 5 dodges in a row.

3) With the new buff to the trait giving might upon Elixer use, you’re already doubling the might of any elixer build… just add the sigil that gives 3 stacks of might on weapon swap and add to the top end of that.

Basically, any good build we’ve been able to make so far just got an apple-sized cherry on top.

Sounds nice. I have two sets of armor. One using you mentioned superior runes of centaur, nice aoe swiftness and superior rune of infiltration (I do with 15% extra damage with the runes of infiltration and sigil of force)

I use the 50% faster endurance from traits. I’ll think about using sigil of superior earth

MrSilver.5269:

So are you referring to a superior energy / invigorating speed / speedy kits (or 6/6 rune of cent) build?

i believe so, based on what he wrote.

I’m using runes of the centaur instead of speedy kits. I also use the trait adrenal implant instead of invigorating speed.

I tried using invigorating speed and adrenal implant, but I only noticed it was endurance bar was 2 ticks faster.

MrSilver.5269:

So are you referring to a superior energy / invigorating speed / speedy kits (or 6/6 rune of cent) build?

The rune of the centaur is for a build I made up… it’s a Power/Bleed build with perma switfness. It’s up on the “Post Your Build” page and is thusfar, the best overall build I’ve made for tournament play pugging, because you can fill any role… good damage, good defense, permanent swiftness and group switfness, and your main condition damage is bleeds for extra damage. I’ve actually recently adjusted the build as well to give it just a smidge more power in place of survivability by taking 10 points from Inventions and putting them into Explosives.

The dodge build I’m referring to is taking Speedy Kits OR getting a high crit build and taking Infused Precision, Invigorating speed, Elixer R, and Sigil of Superior Energy. There is a build on twitch.tv (search for Teldo) that uses this condition based, high damage avoidance build, and I’ll be willing to bet he’s trying out this sigil in his build.

Incidentally, I just tried a poison build, and I’m able to stack roughly 40 seconds of poison in less than 5 seconds.

And yes, to clarify, if you use a build with bleeds, Rune of Centaur fixes any swiftness problems when you take Medikit, because each swap of the kit counts as using a “heal”, then you get switfness with 20% boon duration increase. If you already have a few points in vitality (which most good builds for engis do) then you can make this last permantently, for all intents and purposes.

Can you link the build aydeunited?

" “Bionic Commando” build. After playing for around 700 matches as an Engineer, I was struggling to find a build that could do it all… if I was defensive, I struggled with damage, if I was bursty, I was easy to take down in a few shots. If I had a great condition build, it lacked mobility for roaming, etc. or offered no support to the team.

This build for my synergizes well and is really only weak to condition damage, and even then, that’s only to 25% health. This entire build is designed to do a little of everything, and requires use of the Runes of Centaur to get the swiftness support for you and your team to keep near 100% uptime without having to take Speedy Kits.

http://www.guildhead.com/skill-calc#mcMM9cz0mTMCMmvMCM9MGxGzomobMR8khA7070m7kIN70V7owY8ofy

I could go into great detail of how well this build synergizes with it’s traits, but it’s easier just to answer any questions if something isn’t jiving like you want. PM me if you want to know how to make this build work, I’m confident enough in it to say it’s the best overall build I’ve run so far combining defense and offense and utility without sacrificing much at all."

If you want want less defense and more “umph”, replace 10 points in Inventions with 10 points in Explosives and take the traits 5% more damage when endurance isn’t full, and 5% of toughness is converted into power. This is a power build that has the potential for great burst damage at close range, by chaining “Throw Wrench, Suprise Shot, and Rocket Kick” back to back for chain lightnening damage, burn damage, cripple, plus blast finisher if one is down. You should wait to unleash these when enemy is around 25% health. Also remember that at 25% health yourself, you basically get a fight restart if you’re smart with Medikit.

Also I was wrong on the poison build… I am getting 40 seconds of poison but my Sigil isn’t proccing consistently. Going to test it more and see if it’s bugged.

I think Sigil of Superior Doom is bugged, it’s not proccing. Perhaps the 5 second CD is too much, if we’re already to stack 40 seconds of poison in just a few seconds maybe they are hasty for giving us another stack every 5 just for swapping weapons.

offensive burst with defensive traits except static discharge. a nice build

ahmajo.3159:

offensive burst with defensive traits except static discharge. a nice build

Thanks. I’m still tweaking it, it’s pretty weak to conditions, but thankfully the high health pool + immunity to conditions after 25% life helps mediate that a little. I run it in pug tournaments because I never know what role I’ll need to fill, and this one can do any of them. A favorite trick of mine (on the non-obstructed nodes) is to lay down Caltrops, Magnet pull them in, weapon swap (now adds a 7 second bleed with Sigil of Superior Earth!), dodge in front of them, 180 turn, blunderbuss, overcharged shot, swap back to Toolkit and lay down caltrops again, take the point, start using net shot or wrench throw for a cripple and take the point while they hobble forward. Any version of this usually at least lets me contest the point even if they use a stunbreaker somewhere in the mix.

Trying the build out… I swapped personal battering ram for riffle turret though. But so far enjoying the build.

The battering ram is much better for taking out bunkers since it can interrupt their big heal. I mostly went with rifle turret for the 8 second CD on Suprise Shot (traited though I don’t think it shows it in the tool tip) and that since it’s a bleed stack spec, the turret’s overcharge is a bleed… 1v1, this seals the fate of most classes if you lay the turret down at the start of the fight.

I’m playing around with the build some more. It is interesting.

Shhh… You’re actually making the grenade-nerf whinin- I mean criticisms actually seem illegitimate.

Grenadiers- I mean “we” don’t like that.

DreamOfACure.4382:

Shhh… You’re actually making the grenade-nerf whinin- I mean criticisms actually seem illegitimate.

Grenadiers- I mean “we” don’t like that.

Well, PvE-wise, it might be a legit complaint, I’ve no experience to say otherwise. But for PvP? We are above middle tier, easily, and you’ll find an Engineer in most pro teams for a reason. Stability is our only bane.

With the new patch I’m going to recant that statement… we didn’t get nerfed so bad in PvP, but other professions definately received buffs to put them past us, so I would definately agree we are mid-tier at best in tPvP.

That said, I’ve been running as an adjustment to my original build. It’s been doing quite well.

http://www.guildhead.com/skill-calc#mcMM9VmrMCMmrMCMVf0xGoombMR08khT7070m7kIN70V7ow28ofy

Essentially, I think you have to play sort of “tanky” as an Engineer to succeed… any build we make that stacks a stat for attack leaves us defenseless. This one can be adjusted with 10 points in Inventions if you want more sturdiness, but essentially, the damage from this build comes from playing rope-a-dope… rifle shots, a few knockbacks, wait until they are below 50% health, then unload your toolbelt attacks, swap to toolkit and crowbar + a few thwacks if you can, swap back to rifle and use your hard hitters again, remembering at 25% life you get a recharge on your toolbelt moves.

It’s adjustable, but honestly, it’s the only build I’ve been able to run recently with the ability to survive and crunch out some damage in a pinch. Feel free to adapt it to your style, remembering the key elements of the build are:

1) All runes of centaur + medkit for perma swiftness
2) Bleed moves
3) Static Discharge for burst
4) Automated response and Self-Regulated Defenses are a must for this build
5) Toolbelt move recharge at 25%
6) Utilizing the utility of Toolkit for defense, burst with Crowbar, and pulling enemies off of nodes with Magnet
7) Timing your use of “Analyze” before your finishing burst, and using Utility Goggles and Drop Stimulant to give yourself extra crit when you need it.
Anyway, I continue to develop this build, and I’m still confident in it’s viability. Hope some of you will take this to heart and give it a try… if you find it too squishy (it shouldn’t be) try it first without the points in power or accuracy trait lines, and put them instead in toughness. once you get the hang of the build, you’ll probably want the extra bit of crit and power, however, to take down tankier specs.

You can also change out the 5% crit Sigil with one of the weapon swap sigils, minding that a few of them are bugged and not working for us. Geomancy and Hydromancy are also two good choices for PvP, however, and they are currently functional.

aydenunited.5729:

Well I can’t speak for the WvW crowd or PvE, but now that sigils work for us, it’s a significant buff to Engineers. Thanks to the weapon swap mechanics of Engineers being far superior to any other class (since they themselves are on no CD, just the CD of the move initiated upon swap) we are able to build heavy dodge builds, add in that extra AoE condition, etc, an extra 3 stacks of might, etc.

We were already one of the best overall PvP professions and this new addition can change a lot! I’ve already started to incoroporate this into other builds. This might even force me to finally give up my rifle… but not yet.

Time to start testing builds again… good times.

guarantee this is going to last till next patch

DreamOfACure.4382:

Shhh… You’re actually making the grenade-nerf whinin- I mean criticisms actually seem illegitimate.

Grenadiers- I mean “we” don’t like that.

This thread is about s/tPvP. Grenades were terrible in those game modes even before the nerf and noone in their right mind used them. This is the one part of the game the gimmick builds work though and a buff to Engineers wasn’t necessary.

Gotta wonder what ANet were thinking here.

blurps.2340:

This is the one part of the game the gimmick builds work though and a buff to Engineers wasn’t necessary.

Gotta wonder what ANet were thinking here.

Don´t worry, just a matter of time as they stated bunker builds are the next to get some “love”.

Never play the small PVP but must test Toolkit and se if you can use it in World vs World, then with some twiks it should be usable for me

And one question can you make Superior Rune of the Centaur? if so armoursmith?

aydenunited.5729:

Well, PvE-wise, it might be a legit complaint, I’ve no experience to say otherwise. But for PvP? We are above middle tier, easily, and you’ll find an Engineer in most pro teams for a reason. Stability is our only bane.

Really? I see most high-end teams having bunker guard, port/timewarp mez + 3 others. The nerfs to smokebomb has taken it’s toll :/

Try Sigil of Intelligence with your build.

hydeaut.1758:

Don´t worry, just a matter of time as they stated bunker builds are the next to get some “love”.

Where did they state that? Do you mean bunker builds in general or engie bunker builds?

Even my tanky heal support bomb build has been able to benefit from this. Now I freeze enemies while switching kits, which makes me even better at migitating enemy damage while keeping the team alive.

Penguin.5197:

Where did they state that? Do you mean bunker builds in general or engie bunker builds?

Last part ot the recent patch-notes:

Going forward

•Tank vs spike vs physical DPS vs condie DPS. We want to keep making balance changes that allow all classes to have various builds they can use. We don’t want tanks dominating the game, and we don’t want spike builds dominating. It’s healthy to have multiple types of builds in the meta, so we’ll be improving the balance to facilitate a healthy meta.

Yea after playing for a while in spvp and doing a new build nades were definitely buffed. They buffed condition damage and outright added damage to 2 skills, but the might stacking we can do now is what really did it (maintaining full stacks if you want)

Silentsins.3726:

aydenunited.5729:

Well, PvE-wise, it might be a legit complaint, I’ve no experience to say otherwise. But for PvP? We are above middle tier, easily, and you’ll find an Engineer in most pro teams for a reason. Stability is our only bane.

Really? I see most high-end teams having bunker guard, port/timewarp mez + 3 others. The nerfs to smokebomb has taken it’s toll :/

Try Sigil of Intelligence with your build.

Sigil of Intelligence is one of 3 or so sigils that are currently non-functional for us, one of a handful of reasons I recanted the statement that you quoted in another post just a bit down from there.