Guild Wars 2

Chaith.8256:

My answers to the TO BE DECIDED, and other suggestions!

Explosives Adept: Rocket Belt Thingy.

• Esports Rocket: (Name pending.) Fire an Explosive Rocket after a foe when striking them below the health threshhold and greater than 600 range. Health Threshold: 50%. ((Player, Veteran or stronger.)) 20s ICD. This ability would function similarly to Rocket Turret’s overcharge ability, except dependent on the user’s stats. It’s the Esports Rocket! This trait should provide a well telegraphed stand-alone choice for a non-grenade user.

This might be better as an execution trait:

• Attacks against a target at less than 50% HP build an Esports rocket charge; up to 5 charges. ICD 1 second to prevent Grenades from being OP.
  • Triggering the F5 Elite Toolbelt skill fires 1 Esports Rocket per charge. Now you have a dodgeable execute for Power builds.

Chaith.8256:

Explosives Adept: TBD.

• Lethal After-effect: Bombs inflict one second of poison per pulse. Conditions inflicted by Bombs have their duration increased by 33%. This trait will create a way for condition Engineers to recover from the loss of Condition Duration now detached from explosives, and actually replace Grenades as a the main damage kit. Competes with Grenadier.

This isn’t a bad trait, but I think it’s clear that Anet wants to make Explosives the direct damage focus and Firearms the Condi focus. I’m not averse to the Teldo build though; and this iteration definitely gives Rabid Bombs good pressure.

One thing I would like to see is for bombs to be thrown forward as baseline to improve their offensive capability and their telegraph.

Chaith.8256:

Firearms Adept: New Pistol Trait, Condition Focus.

• Potent Coagulants: Reduced recharge on Pistol skills by 20%. Foes entering Glue attacks are inflicted with Slow (4s). Foes may only be affected once. This trait will strengthen Pistol offhand’s Glue Shot utility, as well as promote synergy between Glue Bomb, Glue Trail, and Condition builds, especially in larger fights.

I don’t know about this one. Slow being anti-Quickness is extremely powerful because it also increases cast times. I would rather Immobilise durations be increased for Glue attacks. 1 second is not great; especially now that 30% Condition duration is lost.

Chaith.8256:

Firearms Adept: Crit Chance <600.

• This trait is relatively forgettable. This would be much better served as a Flamethrower trait, which has extremely little backing so far. Fireforged Trigger: Gain might on a critical hit with Flamethrower for 2 seconds. Reduced recharge on Flamethrower skills by 20%. This would further create synergy between Flamethrower and Might stacking builds.

This implementation I have no quibble with. To make it a little more broad base though, I would extend Might on Crit to Pistol and Rifle autoattacks. You need the range to keep the Might stacked when enemies are kiting; otherwise the build lacks pressure against builds with a lot of movement skills.

Chaith.8256:

Inventions Master: TBD.

• Cloaking Device: You become invisible when immobilized. 25s ICD. Deliver a Static Shock to nearby foes when exiting stealth, stunning them and dealing damage. 180 Radius. Similar to the A.E.D Toolbelt ability. This would provide a necessary stand-alone, selfish, defensive trait, that has less build requirements to function.

I do like this one; but would rather it be Adept instead of Master. If it were kept master, then instead make the trigger On-Reveal so it can combo with Smoke Bomb and Elixir S.

Chaith.8256:

Alchemy Minor: TBD.

• Fortified Catalyst: Take 1% less damage for every boon present. Duration of boons you apply increased by 15%. Reclaim some Boon Duration that was severed from the traitline previously.

This is pretty good, actually. A defensive form of Energy Conversion Matrix.

Chaith.8256:

Alchemy Adept: Elixir Gun Trait, TBD.

• Powerful Disinfectants: Reduced recharge on Elixir Gun skills by 20%. Removing a condition with Elixir Gun will grant one second of protection and restore 15 Endurance to nearby allies. (240 Radius). Elixir Gun functions extremely well in solo encounters, but is often too vulnerable to properly use the support abilities as intended.

I’d just make the trait modify the Elixir Gun’s skills instead:

• Fumigate now removes 1 boon every second pulse (3 removed total out of 5). This gives security to FT-EG against Retaliation.
• Elixir F now also restores 10-20 endurance to allies per bounce, and removes 20 endurance on foes.

Chaith.8256:

Alchemy Master: Med Kit, TBD.

• Med Kit is in the midst of a rework, and the abilities are still undetermined. I’ll wait until the ability is revealed to suggest a trait improving the Med Kit.

One major deficiency with Med Kit as a support item is that it requires you to be point blank with allies to support them; which works great as a frontliner except there’s no gap closers to allies that need that support. Dropping an immobile pylon that gets left behind in mobile combat is less useful; as are Stimulants and Antidotes that you pick up due to running forward.

• Shadowstep to target ally when you Bandage self (F1) and heal them for 2000 HP. 500 units range.
• Drop Stimulant and Drop Antidote now affects allies in a 180 unit radius on pickup.

Chaith.8256:

Alchemy Master: Self Regulating Defenses.

• This trait is really underpowered in PvP, it wasn’t a popular Adept, and now it is a Master. Instead, Intravenous Drip: Reduce the casting time of drinking and tossing Elixirs by a 1/2 second. This will greatly increase the finesse in which Elixir builds operate.

I like this idea. Thrown elixirs always travelled quite slowly beyond 400 range or so; so increasing projectile velocity of thrown Elixirs is quite valuable.

Chaith.8256:

Alchemy Grandmaster: Automated Response.

• This trait somehow missed the pruning. It’s a trait that’s either cheese, or useless, just anti-fun for everyone. I suggest that it be totally replaced, but remain as stand-alone grandmaster for non-elixir users. Acidic Coating: When you gain vigor, gain a stack of Acidic Coating, causing the next attack against you to blind nearby foes in a 180 radius. Acidic Coating lasts for 10 seconds, and stacks up to 3 times. Can only activate once per second.

I too, dislike Automated Response. I like the idea behind Acidic Coating to replace it, but it is a little too passive and doesn’t have that counter-condi function.
Acidic Coating:

• Successfully dodging attacks grants a charge of Acidic Coating. ICD 5 seconds. A charge lasts up to 2 seconds. The next successful attack against you transfers one condition from you to the enemy. Basically a super-Transmute that’s Endurance limited. Actually it might make more sense nerfed as a replacement for Transmute. Not sure.

Chaith.8256:

Alchemy Grandmaster: TBD.

• Disintigrating Weaponry: Reduced cast time of the Flamethrower and Elixir Gun cone attacks by 50%. Retaliation damage taken is reduced by 66% while Flamethrower or Elixir Gun is equipped. This has high synergy with the Firearms Adept I proposed that grants 2 seconds of Might per crit.

I like this idea; although it kinda doubles FT1’s damage output so I’m a little leery of it. The current coefficient is 0.15 Power per hit x 10; this effectively doubles it over time.

Chaith.8256:

Tools Master: TBD.

• Gadgeteer. Reduced recharge of Gadgets by 20%. After a gadget is used, gain Utility Goggles for 3 Seconds.

So…you have triple stunbreak on your bar with infini-Fury? I can abuse this with Throw Mine/PBR for much lulz. That said, Zerker Engi looks to be supremely nerfed with the changes so I’m not averse to something ridiculous to bring it back. I would much rather have active condi cleanse for Gadgets though. Getting DOTted and kited to death is how a Burst Engi usually dies. That, or getting shrekt by a real Zerker class like Thief or Mesmer; who have more options to dictate positioning. Maybe make Slick Shoes a Shadowstep?

Chaith.8256:

Tools Grandmaster: Gadget Trait.

• Electromagnetic Matrix. A.E.D now lasts 8 seconds. Your attacks cause Static Shock to foes while you are under the effect of a Gadget if they are within 600 range. Each foe may only be affected by Electromagnetic Matrix every two seconds. Static Shock stuns for 1 second and does damage (A.E.D Toolbelt ability.) This turns A.E.D, Slick Shoes, and especially Utility Goggles into windows in which to put out serious pressure. Synergizes with the proposed Master Gadget trait, by allowing all other Gadgets to activate this trait for 3 seconds.

Offensive Shocking Aura! I would love to see this so that the counterpressure doesn’t immediately disappear once the Gadget’s CC effect is over.

• An alternative would be to make attacks against foes within 600 range cause Slow for 2 seconds. A defensive form. You could call it the Temporal Bending Device.

Chaith.8256:

Tools Grandmaster: TBD.

• Fancypants Name. Successfully landing a Toolbelt ability that targets enemies will remove one condition. Competes with Cleaning Formula 409.

I feel like it’s either going to be something like this, or the same mechanic to replace Automated Response. Call it Toolbelt Disinfectants.

MonMalthias.4763:

Chaith.8256:

Tools Master: TBD.

• Gadgeteer. Reduced recharge of Gadgets by 20%. After a gadget is used, gain Utility Goggles for 3 Seconds.

So…you have triple stunbreak on your bar with infini-Fury? I can abuse this with Throw Mine/PBR for much lulz. That said, Zerker Engi looks to be supremely nerfed with the changes so I’m not averse to something ridiculous to bring it back. I would much rather have active condi cleanse for Gadgets though. Getting DOTted and kited to death is how a Burst Engi usually dies. That, or getting shrekt by a real Zerker class like Thief or Mesmer; who have more options to dictate positioning. Maybe make Slick Shoes a Shadowstep?

About Utility Goggles on Gadget use, of course only the utility skill can stunbreak. It’s like gaining Super Speed when using Kit Refinement. Not a stunbreaker.

But yeah, I’ve reiterated on a lot of different things:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DQV1ohFOqlhOZ4cxM2nTQTU_M1zS41xA86sf5gHSofY/edit?pli=1#gid=0

The GW2 forums have been so wonky lately, only 1 in 10 of my attempts to edit my posts go through.

I am also really concerned for Berserker Engineer… I feel Engineer Zerker builds amongst other professions are already ranked 8 out of 8 in the context of usefulness outside of PvE.

So much to my disappointment, we’re seeing:

• Deletion of Rifle Mod, Enduring Damage, offsetting any bonuses gained by Rifled Barrels going baseline
• No useful Grandmaster Firearms trait for a Rifle Engineer who doesn’t want to depend on allies to activate Modified Ammunition. (lolwut).
• Static Discharge and Power Wrench competing.

I suggested moving Modified Ammunition down to Master, and moving the ‘Rifle/Speargun’ trait up into a new Grandmaster to Firearms:

• ((Rifle/Speargun Trait: Reduced Recharge on Rifle/Speargun by 20%. Net attacks now deal damage and track foes. Reduced the velocity of net attacks by 20%. 391 Damage. .42 coef))

Also, I made some other swaps to Tools that would also cater to non-Rabid/Cele builds.

For instance, putting Adrenal Implant down into Adept, and Power Wrench back to Master, so both can be taken, as well as buffing Adrenal Implant for Engineers opting to not use Static Discharge friendly utilities.

• Adrenal Implant & ((Gain Fury (3s) on wielding a Melee weapon or bundle. 10s ICD.))

MonMalthias.4763:

This isn’t a bad trait, but I think it’s clear that Anet wants to make Explosives the direct damage focus and Firearms the Condi focus. I’m not averse to the Teldo build though; and this iteration definitely gives Rabid Bombs good pressure.

One thing I would like to see is for bombs to be thrown forward as baseline to improve their offensive capability and their telegraph.

Chaith.8256:

Firearms Adept: New Pistol Trait, Condition Focus.

• Potent Coagulants: Reduced recharge on Pistol skills by 20%. Foes entering Glue attacks are inflicted with Slow (4s). Foes may only be affected once. This trait will strengthen Pistol offhand’s Glue Shot utility, as well as promote synergy between Glue Bomb, Glue Trail, and Condition builds, especially in larger fights.

I don’t know about this one. Slow being anti-Quickness is extremely powerful because it also increases cast times. I would rather Immobilise durations be increased for Glue attacks. 1 second is not great; especially now that 30% Condition duration is lost.

In unfriendly environments not conducive to spamming Bomb1 (All but instanced PvE and Frontline WvW), Bombs are entirely condition based. There will be a ton of condition users opting for Explosives, a the traits lay right now. Observe the Grandmaster Shrapnel trait and Pistol getting explosion status, if you have your doubts!

Also, my Glue suggestion was primarily for the large scale WvW applications of the game, as everybody game-wide is going to be chained to them. Engineers are pretty lacking in large scale deathmatch utility. I think the sheer amounts of blasts that are becoming available to Engineers will help that cause slightly, but it’s still a demographic that should be catered to.

Chaith.8256:

snip of own post

Firearms Adept: New Pistol Trait, Condition Focus.

• Potent Coagulants: Reduced recharge on Pistol skills by 20%. Foes entering Glue attacks are inflicted with Slow (4s). Foes may only be affected once. This trait will strengthen Pistol offhand’s Glue Shot utility, as well as promote synergy between Glue Bomb, Glue Trail, and Condition builds, especially in larger fights.

In unfriendly environments not conducive to spamming Bomb1 (All but instanced PvE and Frontline WvW), Bombs are entirely condition based. There will be a ton of condition users opting for Explosives, a the traits lay right now. Observe the Grandmaster Shrapnel trait and Pistol getting explosion status, if you have your doubts!

Also, my Glue suggestion was primarily for the large scale WvW applications of the game, as everybody game-wide is going to be chained to them. Engineers are pretty lacking in large scale deathmatch utility. I think the sheer amounts of blasts that are becoming available to Engineers will help that cause slightly, but it’s still a demographic that should be catered to.

I guess if you wanted to cater towards WvW then you definitely want to have Stability uptime then instead of something like Slow which is just going to get cleansed in a second with Staff Eles spamming Healing Rain. Now that Necros have had their Wells buffed massively with the one-stop-shop GTAoE – Siphon – CDR – Blind/Chill synergy a Well of Power would also be supremely powerful for counter-condi. This is why zerging has been dominated by largely CC and direct damage oriented builds; though a Corrupt Boon Necro mixed in has been quite potent.

What those two backliners lack is Stability output which has traditionally been the domain of Warrior and Guardian. Thus a niche exists:
Potent Coagulants

• Immobilise from Glue attacks pulse one more time (up from 1 pulse, 1 second baseline). Thus foes get immobilised twice for 2×1 seconds.
• Your Glue attacks pulse 1 stack of Stability for 1 second per second while active.
• Foes entering your Glue attacks take direct damage per pulse of coefficient 1.0 Power.

This makes Glue Trail, Glue Shot and Glue Bomb quite valuable. It also adds back some direct damage to sets that have traditionally lacked it. A foe with base toughness 916 (total armour 1846) would therefore take 2000 power x 1000 weapon strength / 1846 armour = ~1083 non crit damage x 2. Obviously in PvP and WvW this would probably drop down to ~600 or so, but even still this gives some Power Coefficient to sets that have lacked it.

One of the reasons why Engineer has been so Condi-dominated is due to so many 0 or low coefficient skills in its inventory. Rifle 2, Pistol 5, Shield 4 at 0.25 – these utility skills take away from direct damage focus and put it towards a more CC and Condi focus. I’m not saying that it isn’t what Engineer should focus on because traditionally these kinds of builds have been what has risen to the top; but it does serve to pigeonhole the class and erode Power functionality for Engineer that is already so weak and is set to become even weaker.

You need to hit that Pry Bar, and that Blunderbuss, and that double hit Jump Shot in Power builds; whereas it is just so much easier to kite around a point, spam bombs/nades and focus on defense for Celestial or Rabid builds; and reserve Blunderbuss or Blowtorch for executes.

Now that Incendiary Powder is in Firearms also, Explosives might be skipped over in favour of Firearms/Alchemy/Tools or some variation thereof because there’s little reason to get Explosives unless you’re looking into the utility side of Bomb Kit or looking to get 3-4 extra bleeds from Shrapnel. So I really think and hope that more is done to help Power Bombs or Power Nades for Explosives because otherwise it’s just more consistent to go Firearms/Incendiary Powder.

Chaith.8256:

snip of own post
But yeah, I’ve reiterated on a lot of different things:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DQV1ohFOqlhOZ4cxM2nTQTU_M1zS41xA86sf5gHSofY/edit?pli=1#gid=0

snip

I suggested moving Modified Ammunition down to Master, and moving the ‘Rifle/Speargun’ trait up into a new Grandmaster to Firearms:

• ((Rifle/Speargun Trait: Reduced Recharge on Rifle/Speargun by 20%. Net attacks now deal damage and track foes. Reduced the velocity of net attacks by 20%. 391 Damage. .42 coef))
  snip

• Adrenal Implant & ((Gain Fury (3s) on wielding a Melee weapon or bundle. 10s ICD.))

I’ve just read through your Google spreadsheet and overall I like the general direction of your changes. I really like the suggested change to AED to not going below 1 HP and Minefield being GTAoE; I think that the Minefield change in particular I have suggested a year or two ago. I’d like to see those in-game even before this huge feature pack.

A few quibbles:

I suggested moving Modified Ammunition down to Master, and moving the ‘Rifle/Speargun’ trait up into a new Grandmaster to Firearms:

• ((Rifle/Speargun Trait: Reduced Recharge on Rifle/Speargun by 20%. Net attacks now deal damage and track foes. Reduced the velocity of net attacks by 20%. 391 Damage. .42 coef))

• Modified Ammunition; especially now with the loss of Rifle Mod and Enduring Damage should just be either Grandmaster Minor or Master Minor.
  • Target The Weak though being flavourful to Firearms being Crit-hits really punishes Power Rifle builds while being an insignificant boost to Pistol Condi builds. ModAmmo would be pretty much ideal if it sat here instead of taking up GM Major or even Master Major. Damage Boost passives shouldn’t be choices.
  • Target the Maimed being boosted to 10% against Bleeding foes is actually good and helps offset the loss of Rifle Mod.

As for the Rifle/Speargun trait, the Ready Up Video across multiple professions really emphasised alternative mechanisms to getting CDR for weapon skills instead of being flat CDR. The Net attack/Net Wall buff I don’t mind.

Flat CDR just doesn’t really change the way you play, which is what the devs seemed to fixate upon for GM traits. So:
Rifle/Speargun trait proposed name: Telescoped Bore Device

• Successful Homing Torpedo or Hip Shot attacks against foes recharge your weapon skills faster. 3% Recharge reduction per hit. This mirrors the new Mesmer Greatsword Training, but 1% stronger since no Illusions boosting attack speed.
• Net Shot and Net Wall now incorporate a short forward dash (200 units) and track targets better.
• Net attacks (Net Shot, Electrified Net, Net Attack, Net Wall) deal damage at 0.5 Coefficient (2000 × 1000 × 0.5 / 1846 = 541

In this way Rifle and Speargun gain additional tools to dictate distance (Blunderbuss and Scatter Mines and Jump Shot in particular really need this).

The gap created by putting Modified Ammo into Master or Grandmaster Minor can therefore be filled with something that boosts Hybrid builds. As an example:
Modified Choke

• Cone attacks (FT1, EG3, Pistol 4, Rifle 3, Poison Dart Volley) have increased 20% Condition duration)
  • This offsets the loss of general Condition duration from Explosives. Or heck, you could just make it unconditional and so you have flat 20% Condition duration at Firearms Master Major.

I still think that Incendiary Powder needs some kind of active play trigger rather than on-crit. Perhaps on successful evade or on Toolbelt use. This would allow IP to be buffed with less complaints that it is mindless spam.
Incendiary Powder

• Gain a charge of Incendiary Powder when you use a Toolbelt skill. (No ICD)
• Your next weapon skill consumes all charges of Incendiary Powder and applies 4 seconds of 2 stacks of Burning.

Now that Burning is stacking and the coefficient has been decreased this gives the standard HT/GK/TK/Elixir S build a way to apply steady pressure by rotating toolbelts, or set up a “burn spike” by triggering all 4 toolbelts.

Rotating through Toolbelts yields an average of
(21.75+26+17.5)/3=21.75 seconds average activation x 3
at baseline proposed 15% toolbelt CDR without investment into Tools.
This means an activation of IP up to every 21.75/3=7.25 seconds.
Thus, the average damage has increased but this is offset by IP now being cooldown-locked and dodgeable; and it can be played as pressure or as condi-burst.

Remember that Firearms still needs a condition oriented trait in the Adept department, I’d have to insist there be one there. Yes, it’s quite tiresome that Conditions go from effective to laughable based on the size of engagements.

What if some experimentation was done with a very limited number of abilities applying a condition that was not able to be removed with general purpose condition removal?

It’d certainly provide a big incentive to bring that ability along, if it had the power to apply a single short duration slow to everyone entering a choke, or something. I think you know what I’m getting at.

That would involve new technology though. Generally, conditions across the entire game have fallen to the wayside, outside of extremely small roaming in WvW/PvP. Some updates to the condition application/removal mechanics via traits could be nice.

@CDR based on actions per minute, I think I have no problem with that.

@Modified Ammunition, it could definitely replace Target the Maimed, and a new power-oriented Master trait could replace it. It’s a passive damage boost and is pretty disappointing as a ‘choice’ to take.

@Net Attacks doing a 200 dash forward, I just can’t picture that animation, lol.

@Incendiary Powder, whatever, as long as it functions well, and people who maximize invuln frames and aim to dodge every auto-attack don’t become too effective at mitigating all damage.

Chaith.8256:

Remember that Firearms still needs a condition oriented trait in the Adept department, I’d have to insist there be one there. Yes, it’s quite tiresome that Conditions go from effective to laughable based on the size of engagements.

What if some experimentation was done with a very limited number of abilities applying a condition that was not able to be removed with general purpose condition removal?

It’d certainly provide a big incentive to bring that ability along, if it had the power to apply a single short duration slow to everyone entering a choke, or something. I think you know what I’m getting at.

I would much rather have a Power oriented Potent Coagulants but I can see your point. Perhaps a Power version could sit in Explosives Adept Major. It would fit better than the proposed Lethal After Effect and define Explosives as Power oriented.

Then we swap Lethal After Effect into Firearms and get:
Lethal After Effect _Proposed alternative name: Neurotoxic Loadings

• Applying Conditions with Pistol Weapon Skills reduces the cooldown on your other Pistol Weapon skills by 2%
• Poison attacks you make (Poison Dart Volley, Poison Grenade) also inflict Slow. Duration: 3 seconds. Foes may only be affected once per ability.

The Cooldown reduction can also be flat 20% as per your original iteration as well.

Chaith.8256:

@CDR based on actions per minute, I think I have no problem with that.

• I think the main thing holding Firearms centric builds back at the moment is that you really do lose a lot by using less Kits. Awful autoattacks that bring the used cooldowns back faster can help mitigate that somewhat.
• At the current 0.8 second total attack speed for both Pistol and Rifle this yields ~12.5 total casts in 10 seconds doing nothing but autoattacking.
  • For 2-3% CDR per auto and presuming other skills are used one might expect a yield of ~20-30% CDR in the end while 25-37.5% is possible at maximum. So innately you buff mainhand centric builds more than ones that use multiple kits.

Chaith.8256:

@Modified Ammunition, it could definitely replace Target the Maimed, and a new power-oriented Master trait could replace it. It’s a passive damage boost and is pretty disappointing as a ‘choice’ to take.

I’ve thought a little more on this and what I came up with was this:

Adept Minor: Sharpshooter merged

• Bleed on Crit PLUS
• 10% bonus damage to Bleeding foes that Target the Maimed gives.

Master Minor: Target the Weak reworked

• *10% Critical Chance on Foes <50% HP
• 2% Critical chance per Condition on foe

Grandmaster Minor: Modified Ammunition

• 2% Bonus damage per Condition on Foe

This now compensates the loss of Rifle Mod/Enduring damage partially and makes it more conditional. Still a nerf, but nowhere near as crippling to Power Rifle. The loss of ~20% damage therefore is offset by:

• 10% from Bleeding Foes
• 2% extra on Bleeding Foes; more if more conditions like Cripple or Vuln. Average ~4-6% for Power builds without Grenades.
• Average ~4-6% bonus Crit chance; plus 10% at execution range.
• This is less difficult to maintain than 100% endurance so it comes out as a wash in the end.

Chaith.8256:

@Net Attacks doing a 200 dash forward, I just can’t picture that animation, lol.

It’s hard to add dashes anywhere else, I’m afraid. Power Engineer requires a perfect Magnet or a Stunbroken Overcharged Shot → Jump Shot → Blunderbuss and these are far riskier than just running Celestial and pumping out Nades for pressure while occasionally doing a Pry Bar or opportunistic Jump Shot execute.
By adding a dash to the Rifle set you gain a lot of flexibility.

An alternative could be to make Rocket Boots GTAoE and deal some landing damage a la Jump Shot, or maybe add something like DOTA Clockwerk’s Hookshot to Net Shot so you can pull yourself to the Netted foe. The dash is less committed, and the self-pull a la Elementalist Magnetic Leap would serve the same purpose but be more prone to desync. If they clean up the leap desyncs I would be all for a 1000 range Magnetic Leap though.

Chaith.8256:

@Incendiary Powder, whatever, as long as it functions well, and people who maximize invuln frames and aim to dodge every auto-attack don’t become too effective at mitigating all damage.

Honestly IP can stay as it is given that it’s been nerfed now. I was just hoping to make an alternative that hits on the “skillful active play” that the devs were emphasising.

All well thought out ideas, like a sir. I think baking some of the nerfs to power Engi back into the Firearms line would be great plan.

Honestly, I pray the Engineer Elite specialization will provide the supporting utilities for a coherent power build with substance, and Firearms just plays off of that.

Don’t try too hard to define Explosives as a power traitline. It shouldn’t be, Grenades and Bombs, the explosives in question are all hybrid, and bombs leaning completely on the condition side. The corresponding specialization for these utilities should be of a similar purpose.

So here’s some theorycrafting, using a combination of Dulfy’s tool for specialisations and your Google spreadsheet .

A rough analogue of the current Rabid/Celestial Engi falls out like this

Traits
Firearms
Minors

• Sharpshooter: 33% crits cause bleeding for 2 seconds
• Target the Weak: 10% crit chance against foes <50% HP
• Target the Maimed: 5% damage bonus against bleeding foes
  Majors
• Pistol Condition Trait (Potent Coagulants): Foes affected by Glue attacks gain 4 seconds of Slow, 20% Pistol CDR. If Rifle Celestial, <600 range 10% crit bonus would be good for Jump Shot/Blunderbuss executes.
• ROBO LEGS: 33% snare reduction. 7% Bonus to Swiftness IMS.
• Incendiary Powder: Critical hits inflict 4 seconds of burning, ICD 10 seconds. 33% increased burn duration. (5.32 seconds Burning after self-synergy)

Alchemy
Minors

• Hidden Flask: Elixir B at 75% HP
• Transmute: Convert 1 condition to Boon on hit, ICD 10 seconds
• Fortified Catalyst: 1% damage reduction per Boon. 20% increased Boon duration
  Majors
• Invigorating Speed: 5 seconds Vigour when gaining Swiftness
• Backpack Regenerator: 120 HPS when holding a Kit
• HGH/FAE: 20% Elixir CDR. 2 Might for 20 seconds when using Elixirs.

Tools
Minors

• Adrenaline Pump: 10 Endurance when Toolbelt skill is used
• Inertial Converter: Recharge Toolbelt skills <25% HP
• Toolbelt 20% CDR trait: Exactly as it says on the tin
  Majors
• Power Wrench: 20% Toolkit CDR, 10% bonus damage, Cripple on Auto and Toolbelt
• Speedy Kits/Kit Refinement: 10 seconds Swiftness on swapping to Kit, 10 sec ICD. Cast spell dependant on kit swap once per 20 seconds.
• Field Antidote: Cleanse condition when landing toolbelt skill that affects enemies.

Weapon would be Pistol/Pistol Rabid, or Rifle Celestial.
Utilities would be:

• Grenade Kit: Velocity and Radius of Grenadier is hardly a big loss especially at effective pressure ranges of ~700 (Still need other skills to be in range after all). People learning GK may still want Explosives, but losing Incendiary Powder cripples the build. A hyper offensive Explosives/Firearms/Tools variant might work, but would require Traveller’s Runes (sacrifices offensive stats) or Infused Precision and lose out of combat IMS for rotations.
• Toolkit: Obvious pick due to Power Wrench now in Adept.
• Elixir S (North America) or Elixir Gun (Europe). Elixir Gun variation would drop Invig Speed to put in Elixir Gun trait and use Energy Sigil; also dropping HGH/FAE for…something.
• Supply Crate (Teamfight) or Mortar (roamer). With the nerfs to Turrets, Mortar is looking really good; but lacks the CC potential/Med Kit heals to turn fights around. Not sure on this one.

One of the things I noticed when theorycrafting is that there are many more ways to accomplish the same task (Energy Sigil/Traveller’s runes replacing Invig Speed/Speedy Kits etc.) nowadays given the choices of runes and sigils. I believe the devs were looking towards the long term with this specialisation update in mind when they put up the Rune/Sigil updates.

The specialisations changes give a lot of Quality of Life to every class, but I somehow doubt that there will be too many more builds falling into meta unless the skills, not the traits, are somehow reworked. Grenade Kit and Mortar in particular are case in point. If only they could extend that work to Gadgets and Turrets.