Guild Wars 2

I’ve looked at a bunch of post-patch engineer builds, and most of them are rifle/power. Even the condi builds are use rifle for utility. Is there a decent build that uses pistols for damage? I like the animations and I just want to actually use the other weapon. The trouble I’m having is that even with condition damage, it seems like I can do more with the elixir gun or grenades. I’m thinking a pistol build would be firearms/invention/alchemy with turrets and/or elixirs. Still, elixirs go well with elixir gun and turrets go well with longer range. Maybe gadgets would be the way to go, but then you’re kinda scrounging for traits.

Well in the past, when the game first came out, if my knowledge is correct, a pistol/pistol HGH elixir condi build was really popular.

Although now if you did that it would probably be more efficient to take elixir gun (since it has 3 skills that proc condi-removal and HGH). And in the current meta you really need either tool kit or elixir S to survive for more than 2 seconds (although both is preferred) since the damage is so high, meaning you wouldn’t have as much room to take fun elixirs like elixir B or C. You can take the elixir heal too, but even with the CD reduction, heal turret still outdoes it in healing over time and condi removal, it just won’t give you might.

So yeah pistols are decently useful on condi builds, however they aren’t that great in the current meta because burn spiking doesn’t work well against real teams, and things like necromancers will utterly end you easily. In the current meta, engineer as a whole is slightly underpowered.

Right now the “best” pvp builds use rifle for the CC, and run either a tanky soldiers setup to be a sort of bruiser with kinda bad damage, or a marauder build with high damage and active rather than passive survivability, that focuses on spamming cleave and CC in teamfights but isn’t as capabable of holding a point in smaller fights. Either way though prepatch cele engi was overall just so much better.

I’m running P/P HGH with Elixir gun, Balthazar runes and Celestial amulet. It is pretty amazing in unranked. I’ve no doubt organized condition transfer/removal could mess me up but usually people run out of condi removal before I run out of healing turrets.

always want to try avoid autoattacking on Engineer anyway I feel.

Spec into Elixirs and use FT or EG for times when you need to Auto.

Pistol is great for laying down poison, but more importantly, for the bouncing blind.
Offhand does decent damage too, but Blowtorch can be janky at close range.
Shield offers reflect, which is extremely handy vs Lich, Ranger and P/P thief on the rare occasions you see one. The Shield block is also brilliant vs any Melee.

I prefer pistol builds in PvP for the utility/defense over Rifle, which is more of a berzerker pew pew weapon for burst specs in my opinion.

doing fine with rabid p/p in spvp

i dont use shield so i depend of LOS in spvp but in WvW chances of getting shot is very low unless yar map awareness is low

p/p is better in WvW since glue shot really saved my kitten many time cast it infront of you so when you run over it and usually attackers are blind they just chase and step on it or either discouragement them to chase you anymore

and blowtorch are great against melee and since im condi build people get BURNT

nearlight.3064:

Although now if you did that it would probably be more efficient to take elixir gun (since it has 3 skills that proc condi-removal and HGH).

Just a quick correction. None of the skills attached to elixir gun will give you the condi cleanse attached to Alchemical Tinctures. This is not a bug since it requires throwing or consuming an elixir.