Guild Wars 2

On the Engineer
A Fun PvP Build
By Cup

Authors Note: This Guide is not meant to be deeply comprehensive, exhaustive, or to a degree rather detailed – I’m simply attempting to offer some information and an overview of a particular build I enjoy playing to some of my fellow companions as we enjoy our time with this marvelous game. For a lot of you, this information will seem absolutely redundant, as if I am simple just rewriting what the tool tips say in the game – and, I am. But, everyone’s mind works differently, and for some, looking at all those different traits and abilities isn’t helpful; where as taking a small portion of it and transcribing it here will provide them the means to assess the information and make connections. This is, essentially, like a college undergraduate class. If one happens to like what I have to say, and wants more details, they will have to journey forth into Tyria and proceed with their own experimentation of the Engineer. I had a fun time writing this and I hope you will genuinely enjoy it.

Also, I should like to add: I don’t suspect that this Build will be better than any others, but, it does appeal to a very particular play style, and for those of you who enjoy it, well, here it is.

Preface to the First Edition
Hello Everyone! First off, I’d like to state that this is not only my first Guide I have ever posted, but it is also my first Post on these forums! (Achievement Unlocked) I’m fairly certain none of you know me: I play on Crystal Desert and have spent most my time as a quirky little Asura Mesmer named Water Cup; maybe you’ve seen me in WvW . . . Or maybe you’ve seen four of me? Anyhow! – as posting in this forum should indicate, this Guide is not about Mesmers, but rather Engineers. I should gladly like to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed playing the Engineer for the last six months. It was my second main after devoutly playing the Guardian. Though I’ve often heard that people are unhappy with the Engineer, I myself have never felt such feelings. To me, the Engineer has always been one of the most fun classes to play; and, my favorite sPvP class to play. There is not much in this game that is as rewarding for me as playing an Engineer. Some might think the Engineer clunky and cumbersome, but, played “properly” it is quite a graceful profession – as are all profession when played with style!

This being my first post, I should also mention than I have spent little to no time reading these forums. I admit I was simply unaware of them until very recently. Thus, I know not whether the Build and/or similar Guides of which I am about to post have been shared here before. If so, please feel free to flame me, ridicule me, and quickly delete my post! Shortly below, and before I go into too much detail, I will post the build for those minds who are eager to get to playing and have little need for my meager attempt at a guide. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter One: Why the Engineer
I can remember my father getting down on one knee, gently looking into my eyes, and asking: “Son . . . What is it that you want out of this life?” The years passed like the frosty winter fog before I finally saw the answer to that question: Mobility, Damage Mitigation, Regeneration, and Steady Damage Output. Not only have I found what I am looking for . . . But in the process, I have also discovered who I am: I am an Engineer!

Before I go any further, I have to express my appreciation to the Elementalists. For it was they who taught me what I needed to know. For so long, I had limited myself to a single kit, or a single weapon. Foolish was I, and weary was my mind. Where was the excitement I needed! The answer lie in watching those magnificent wizards constantly shuffle with elegance between attunements. Thus I thought, if they can do that, and the Engineer is the only other profession capable of playing such a way too, then why shan’t I! There and Then, I was liberated! In the Elementalists I found everything I was looking for: excitement, variety, constant boon application, style, and the ability to hold ones own weight under the great pressures of the world. They, however, lacked one thing . . . They were not Engineers.

When people ask why the Engineer . . . there’s really only one answer a true Engineer can give: why the Fitzgerald not, baby! Where else can I find such a harmonious combination of Power, Toughness, Vitality, Boon Application, Mobility, Damage Mitigation, Regeneration, Condition Application and Removal, Team Support Opportunity, all the while wielding a God Forsaken, egg and bacon shakin’ Wrench, shuffling through twenty-six different moves… I think the answer is quite simple: No where else other than the Engineer.

Chapter Two: Overview of The Build
Because I know not whether this Build has a name, I have decided to leave it nameless, and refer to it simply as the Engineer. Most likely, beyond my grand ignorance, this Build is widely known and has some name in reference to using kits and Regeneration. Regardless, I shall move onward with but the simple hope that, regardless of my shameful ignorance, I may contribute at least one moment of insight into this unique profession’s mechanics. Below I will post the layout for the Engineer’s Build, knowing many eager minds would rather get on with playing than listening to me Jibber-jab for another moment! I’d like to say once again, if this build has been posted . . . I sincerely apologize for wasting your time!

Items:
Armor: All Soldier’s gear: Power, Vitality, Toughness.
Runes: Two Runes of the Water; Two Runes of the Monk; Two runes of Dwayna
Weapons: One Soldier’s Pistol and One Soldier’s Shield.
Sigil: One Sigil of the Leeching in the Pistol. Undecided in the shield.

Slot Skills:
Heal: Elixir H.
Utilities: Tool Kit; Flame Thrower; Elixir Gun.
Elite: Supply crate.

Traits:
Inventions: Twenty point in Inventions: Select the I (Protective Shield) and VII (Reinforced Shield) Major Traits.
Alchemy: Thirty points in Alchemy: Select the I (Invigorating Speed) VI (Protection Injection) and IX (Backpack Regenerator) Major Traits.
Tools: Twenty Points in Tools: Select the IV (Kit Refinement) and VI (Speedy Kits) Major Traits.

Highlights of this Build:
1. Condition Removal
2. Gap Opener
3. Gap Closer
4. AoE Blinds, one off of Global Cooldown
5. AoE Knock Backs
6. Stun
7. Mobile Shield Blocking with Three Seconds of Total Immunity
8. Confusion Application, one of them AoE
9. Cripples
10. Four Different Sources of Healing – Four Different Green Ticks!
11. Constant Applications of: Bleed, Weakness, Burning, and Vulnerability with no cooldowns.
12. Perm Vigor, Swiftness, and Regen (Usually Perm Regen)
13. Regular Application of Protection
14. Projectile Reflection for Three Seconds
15. Melee and Range Attacks
16. Condition Conversion into Boons!
17. Four Different Minor Traits That Proc Benefits as Health Decreases
18. Daze
19. Absolutely Endless Swiftness and Vigor – Wanna Get Away . . . Just Run Baby and Let Your Healing Tick Away!
20. Group Healing and Group Condition Removal
21. Twenty Six Different Moves!
22. Steady Supply of Decent Damage Output
23. Double the Dodge Rolling!
24. Multiple AoE moves, from Damage, to Cripples, to Knockbacks, to Healing and Condition Removal!
25. Backpacks!
26. A Wrench!
27. YOU’RE AN ENGINEER!!!

This Build truly is a Jack-Of-All-Trades. The Engineer has twenty-six different moves, and all of them should be utilized, with a constant swapping of kits, to achieve the full affect.

Play Style:
I would like to emphasize that the Engineer was inspired by the Dagger/Dagger Elementalists, and it was inspired precisely by their play style – that is, a constant swapping between attunements, using all twenty moves! Elementalist, however, have attunement swapping cooldowns; whereas the Engineer has no cooldowns between kit swapping. Thus, the Engineer is free from the shackles of Rotations and has supreme freedom to swap to and fro using each and every move as and when wished! I put this build together with the intentions of not using a single kit for more than a couple seconds: Constant Kit Swapping, utilizing each and all of the Engineers potential as much as possible. And, really, when it comes down to it, just patiently beating your opponent down, crushing their cute little Asura skull with a wrench; throwing Goo in that Charr’s thick hair; lighting a young Sylvari on fire; or killing a big and great Norn with a tiny little poison dart.

The Engineer receives Boons from swapping; Swapping to Elixir Gun applies Super Elixir (AoE Heal) because of the Kit Refinement Trait; every few swaps, because of Sigil of Leeching, the next hit cause a heal for around 975. Because of Kit Refinement, the Engineer also regularly applies Conditions from Kit Swapping – Bleeding, Cripple, and Burning. While using the Kits, one receives Healing because of the Backpack Regenerator Trait; and the Engineer is virtually always using a kit, except for those few seconds when using Pistol and Shield. Each Kit offers a variety of Defensive moves along with a Decent Output of Damage; and, The use of Super Elixir, aside from kit refinement, as the fifth attack for Elixir Gun. Also, Pistol, Flame Thrower, and Elixir Gun, and constant Swiftness and Vigor, coupled with knockbacks and cripples, provide the range and opportunity to do short range kiting very well! And, Don’t be afraid to burn through all those moves, for the Engineer seldom has a cooldown as long as Twenty-Five seconds.

Chapter three: The Details
I choose to use Soldier’s gear because I feel it enhances the Build perfectly. I knew how I wanted to play, and for that, I had, obviously, looked into the traits. The traits already supply a high degree of Toughness and Vitality, and it is with the Soldier’s supply of Power that these traits are not only enhanced, but perfectly Complimented.

The Traits: Inventions, Alchemy, and Tools

Inventions: Provides an Increase to Toughness and Healing. If there’s any variation that I would feel comfortable with in the Build, it would be in this Trait Line, though, I do enjoy the traits as such.

Minor 5: Low Health Response System: Gain Regeneration for 10 seconds when attacked while under 25% health. More Healing? Yes please!

Minor 15: Automated Medical Response: All Heal skills recharge when Health reaches 25%. Another Buff at 25% life? Yay! Welcome back to almost 50% health again!

Major 1: Protective Shield: Protection for 3 seconds (4 seconds because of Boon Duration) on a receiving a Critical Hit. 20 Second Cooldown. This Trait, for me, is just filling in the gaps and helping to supply as much Protection as possible.

Major 7: Reinforced Shield: 90 Toughness while using a Shield, 20% shorter cooldowns with Shield. What’s that? More Projectile Reflection, More Knockback, More Stun, More Daze? Yup!

Alchemy: Provides an Increase to Vitality and Boon Duration.

Minor 5: Hidden Flask: Drink a Elixir B (Fury, Might, Swiftness and Retaliation, all for 15 seconds or more) at 75% health. It should be noted that this isn’t just at 75% health; there is an internal cooldown and once the cooldown has ended, it proc if you are attacked while below 75% health. Been fighting at 25% health for a while? Expect Hidden Flask to proc again!

Minor 15: Transmute: 8% chance to convert incoming conditions to boons. What? Yes Please!

Minor 25: Energy Conversion Matrix: 1% more damage for each boon on you. Not bad.

Major 1: Invigorating Speed: When you gain Swiftness, you gain Vigor for 5 seconds, with a 5 second cooldown of procing this again. As is most likely public knowledge, when you mix this with the Trait Speedy Kits and throw in constant kit swapping, you now have perm Vigor, not to mention perm swiftness.

Major 6: Protection Injection: Gain protection for 3 seconds (4 with Boon Duration) whenever you are Disabled (Stun, Dazed, Knocked down, Knocked back, or Feared). This proc is okittensecond cooldown. In some situations this is a lot of Protection.

Major 9: Backpack Regenerator: Regenerate Health while Using a kit. This supplies an extra tick of health generation while receiving the tick of health regeneration from the perm Regeneration Boon; Then, add the 975 heal every few seconds from Sigil of Leeching, with the Super Elixir from the Kit Refinement trait and the Super Elixir from the Elixir Gun Kit; and also throw in another tick of 70 health a second from eating a Peach Pie – and, well, baby … That’s a whole lot of health! Did I mention you have twice as much dodge rolling, Perm Swiftness, and a whole lot of Protection? And that’s all defensive measure without even mention the use of the 20 main weapon abilities!

Tools: Provides an Increase to Tool Belt Recharge Rate, and a little bit of Extra Crit Damage which isn’t too bad with the 20% Crit Chance boost from Hidden Flask proccing Elixir B multiple times through out a fight.

Minor 5: Adrenaline Pump: Using Toolbelt Skills restores 10% of Endurance – as if the Engineer didn’t already have enough Dodge Rolling!

Minor 15: Inertial Converter: When your health reaches 25% Toolbelt skills recharge. More Buffs at 25% health, more healing!

Major 4: Kit Refinement: Equipping a kit creates an attack or spell. Getting a feel for when this Procs helps one swap to Elixir Gun and proc the Super Elixir, supplying more healing. Or, just sit back and watch the effects of it every few seconds as your swap from set to set, maybe Throw a Box of Nails, or explode with a rush of flames! Also, Kit Refinement works in Funny way: You can swap to Tool Kit and proc Box of Nails with the Kit Refinement trait, Crippling and Bleeding your foe, and then immediately swap to either Flame Thrower or Elixir Gun and Proc the effect off one of those.

Major 6: Speedy Kits: Gain 5 seconds of Swiftness when equipping a kit. 5 second cooldown. Well, there’s perm Swiftness, thus, perm Vigor because the Invigorating Speed trait. Wanna get away when a Fight gets too crazy? Just Run! their Swiftness will end before yours, or their gap close will be on cooldown, while your Swiftness never is. Just Cripple em, or Knock em back with one of your 2 AoE Knockbacks and Cripples; or use Acid Bomb to leap Away and then Run off into the sunset.

Weapons: Pistol (With Sigil of Leeching) and Shield: Long Range attacks with some Great Counter Defensive abilities.
1. Explosive Shot: Long Range attack with application of AoE Bleeding on impact.
2. Poison Dart Volley: Decent single target damage that applies 8 seconds of Poison, which is 8 seconds -33% healing. Throw it at those pesky Guardians and Elementalists (who I love!)
3. Static Shot: Long Range multiple target Blind and Confusion! Nuff said.
4. Magnetic Shield: Reflect projectiles for 3 seconds and/or push foes back. C’mon!!
5. Static Shield: Stun attacker for 2 seconds, or throw shield to daze them! Who Else is throwing Shields in this game!!

The Kits: For the sake of brevity, I will try to supply brief overviews of each kit. The Kits will be found as the Engineer’s utility skills.

Tool Kit: Melee – Decent Damage and Defensive Opportunities with Gap Closer. Swapping to this kit bleeds and cripples foes, if it procs.
1. Smack-Whack-Thwack: Decent melee damage with a constant application of Vulnerability.
2. Box of Nails: Close range AoE Bleed and Cripple.
3. Pry Bar: 5 stack of confusion and decent melee Damage.
4. Gear Shield: 3 seconds of mobile immunity: Great for Charging in, or getting away with all that Swiftness.
5. Magnet: Long Range Gap Close. Pull that son of a gun right to you!

Flame Thrower: Decent mid-range Damage good for short range Kiting, with off the Global Cooldown AoE blind, and AoE knockback. Swapping to this kit Burns foes if it procs.
1. Flame Jet: Decent AoE damage, applies burning.
2. Flame Blast: Decent single target or AoE damage.
3. Air Blast: A very useful AoE knockback which also applies burning, and can also reflect projectiles.
4. Napalm: A ten second fire Combo Field. It has its time and place.
5. Smoke Vent: A really great AoE Blind, which is off the Global Cooldown. So ya got knocked down? Pop Smoke vent and avoid that big hit you’re anticipating.

Elixir Gun: Long Range low, but useful, damage, with Cripples, Condition Removal, Healing, which can all be applied AoE. Swapping to this Kit creates a Super Elixir if Kit Refinement Procs.
1. Tranquilizing Dart: Long Range attack that applies bleeding and weakness; also a Combo Field Finisher to remove Conditions when coupled with Super Elixir’s AoE.
2. Elixir F: Long Ranger AoE Cripple that gives Allies Swiftness.
3. Fumigate: AoE application of poison and vulnerability; and, AoE Condition Removal of Allies if you spray them.
4. Acid Bomb: Medium Gap Opener, Unblockable, that as a Combo Finisher gives AoE retaliation.
5. Super Elixir: Awesome ground targeting (toss it on a friend!) AoE heal, that also is a Light Combo Field which helps to Remove Conditions.

The Tool Belt: Keep in mind, the Tool Belt Recharges at 25% health.
1. Toss Elixir H: Chance to get 7 seconds of protection, or 15 seconds of Regeneration; also, a chance to get Swiftness, which, from this, is redundant for this build.
2. Throw Wrench: Long Range Attack that Remove a Conditions when used in a Light Combo Field.
3. Incendiary Ammo: Adds decent burning to your next three attacks.
4. Healing Mist: Grants 15 seconds of Regeneration.

Healing Slot Skill: Also remember, Heals recharge at 25% health.
Elixir H: Heal yourself with a chance of receiving 7 seconds of Protection or 15 seconds of Regeneration; or the redundant swiftness.

Elite: Supply Crate . . . It’s just cool baby! Any time I get to see more stuff on the screen, I’m happy! And mo’ healin’ and turrets!

Chapter 4: The End . . . But Just the Beginning!
Looking over all this information, one may come to recognize how much the Engineer is actually Capable of. I remember my mum used to ask me . . . “Cup, but where’s the stun breaker?” I looked to her, and I said, “Mum! Maybe I just don’t need one baby!” I threw off my diaper, put on my blue suede shoes and hit the road, Wrench in Hand, Pack on my Back, and the Urge to Kill Rising!

As stated above, I feel this is best played constantly shuffling through kits, allowing all those minor attacks to come together into some steady damage; utilizing all the defensive capabilities, knowing when to use them; knowing when and how to assist a friend with a long ranged Blind, or Heal, or Cripple. This is quite a Build, and it’s pretty fun. Now, I should admit: I’m quite the fool, and not too good at any game; and it may be possible that for many of you it will be discovered that this Build is trash, and I only think it decent, like the fool I am.

I wish I could finish this with a last chapter on techniques and tactics . . . But, that’s where all you come in. If ya like this Build, get out there and discover what its capable of, and when its many nuances are called for.

And, I should say again . . . This is my first post to these forums, and my first Guide ever. I don’t expect the disjointed nature of this Guide to be received too well, nor do I know if everything I has just written is Utterly useless, and 278 other Guides exactly like mine exist, and whether or not there’s some catchy known name for this Build. If so, please delete this post immediately and forget that I have ever existed!

And To that I say: In the shadows of Tyria, danger is always lurking . . . But dawn is just a heart beat away.

Why are you using elixer H with no traits to make it better? you could just use healing turret its on 5 second shorter cd, has a 100% ae condition wipe, offers a combo water field upon casting that you can use for an instant combo finisher for destroying. And its toolbelt skill gives you an AE heal you dont have to aim that is ALSO a water combo field.

With the kit traits…even medkit would make more sense with this build. Just saying, untraited elixer H is not worth the slot.

I was using the Healing Turret, which is great, but then I started to like the chances of getting Protection from Elixir H; and, though I like traiting for Elixirs, I just felt there was no room to trait for it this Build. What you say is very wise though, and does persuade me to rethink over Healing Turret again. Thanks for the feedback!

Edit: Zin, I was completely unaware of the water combo fields from the Healing turret; and I had actually forgotten about its condition removal. Thanks for enlightening me to that information.

Np, other than that seems like a solid build. Pretty long read but the way you lay it out is nice and easy to follow.