Guild Wars 2

I am new to engineer. This will be my 6th character, and I am by no means a stranger to PvP. However, I am having some difficulty coming up with a decent build, and am essentially still learning the mechanics of the class.

I want to avoid the metabattle builds, at least until I get more familiar with the class.
Does anyone have any ideas for me?
I tried running turrets, and nades, but they seemed really weak to me. I am not sure if I was using the right traits or not. I was going for a more condi type build with the nades, but wasn’t sure if that was ideal or not.

Any advice you have would be great. Thanks!

Stronghold or Conquest or both?

Dahkeus.8243:

Stronghold or Conquest or both?

Both.

Also any PvE builds/weapon sets would be appreciated. I am thinking of going more power based for PvE rather then condi, but not sure which would be better. I generally do the DS meta and world bosses.

As much as i dislike the idea of everyone running the meta builds…using it as a place to start might not be a bad idea. Once you understand your role as an engineer and how to generally play, you can tweak the meta build to suit your personal play style. I think jumping into one of the most complex classes in the game with a build that is personalized for someone else that they have taken the time to master might be difficult. If you really dont want to metabattle, look at youtube videos and just filter it to be within the recent month and you’ll see plenty of builds, and game play. You should be able to find one that looks good to you and wont be meta. gl to you.

For Conquest, I’d agree to stick with the meta tanky celestial scrapper build (on MetaBattle.com).

For Stronghold, you have a bit more flexibility to run something glassier since you can play a more guerilla type playstyle by dropping damage, then running without having to worry about losing a capture point. High damage AoE is great for this. Something like the old marauder rifle build (http://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Engineer_-_Marauder_Rifle) or even a condi flamethrower build, like this can work well (http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vdAQJAqanUUB1ahtbBWXBEqiF2iiO4P+kH8DLxAQsjminA-TJhAABkVGAgHAwg7Pw9JAAA)

For open world PvE, I found this to be pretty solid (http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vdAQFASlUUhatY7Ww6KQ7FL3FF9qH7zO4CGhBw4W0EJBA-TxRBABXp8jm9HwTHwCXAAAeAAUq+jZKBBA-e). Since you don’t have external might sources, Juggernaut + Mass Momentum and HGH can make this a high dps build with lots of cleave for tagging mobs, even though you’d never want to camp flamethrower in any group PvE situation. Throw Elixir B for stability before swapping off of flamethrower to something like EG to keep from losing might stacks.

Treeoflife.4031:

As much as i dislike the idea of everyone running the meta builds…using it as a place to start might not be a bad idea. Once you understand your role as an engineer and how to generally play, you can tweak the meta build to suit your personal play style. I think jumping into one of the most complex classes in the game with a build that is personalized for someone else that they have taken the time to master might be difficult. If you really dont want to metabattle, look at youtube videos and just filter it to be within the recent month and you’ll see plenty of builds, and game play. You should be able to find one that looks good to you and wont be meta. gl to you.

That actually makes sense. I might just go with that.

As far as meta builds are concerned. I personally feel that meta builds are designed for high-level team play. As a “filthy casual” (aka running with a small group of friends, and maybe some pugs.) I don’t see them as something that is more viable than anything other build. Which is why I don’t much care for meta builds in general.

I would say if you are trying to learn a class it would be better to stick to the metabattle builds, and then start to branch out and figure some stuff out on your own. The meta builds are designed to be the most effective builds possible so you may as well start there.

Nades are a hybrid kit and do well in condi, power, or celestial builds. That said they are a bit tricky to land, especially with someone new to the class. With any build that uses nades you almost always want to run explosives, especially on a condi build to pick up shrapnel. As you wait for queue times practice throwing nades at the target golems first while standing still, then while moving, and then while moving against the moving golem. You should start improving your accuracy.

Turrets are really bad in anywhere but open world pve right now since they changed them to be affected by crits and conditions. Even before that patch they were a bad build and didnt teach you anything about the class.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vdAQJAqanUUBtbhVXB2XBEqiF2iiO4H+kH8DLxAQsjminA-TJRHABfXGIgHAAAnAA02fAA

This is probably one of the simplest builds available to an engineer. Most of the easier and still effective builds will use HGH and elixirs. You stack might with Elixir B, Elixir S, Throw Elixir B, Throw Elixir S, Acid bomb (#4 on Elixir Gun), and Super Elixir (#5 on Elixir Gun). As you stack might people will melt before your eyes. Your key skill is blowtorch, always try and land that, especially after the opponent has used a cleanse. A lot of your survivability comes from the stealth gyro, so be smart about how you position yourself in a fight. Generally open up with pistol #2 to apply poison and also get IP and if youre lucky a few bleed procs from traits. You can then use static shot and follow up with some EG autos. Watch for a cleanse and then try to land a Blowtorch to the face. Spam elixir B on cooldown and the rest use as needed. EG auto is >>> pistol auto, there is literally no reason ever to use the pistol auto attack as the auto on elixir gun both has a longer duration bleed, applies weakness, and has a longer range.

Give this a try: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vdAQJAqancTBtbhdeBWXBEqiF2iiO4H+kH8DLxAQsjminA

Nice condi build that doesn’t quit. Only thing lacking is perma swiftness, and you have it up 70% of the time just spamming elixirs. Dd is a non issue. This works well with rabid too, but I can no longer count the times that duration has been a gimme in team fights/won me downed spam 1 wars.

basz.6129:

Give this a try: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vdAQJAqancTBtbhdeBWXBEqiF2iiO4H+kH8DLxAQsjminA

Nice condi build that doesn’t quit. Only thing lacking is perma swiftness, and you have it up 70% of the time just spamming elixirs. Dd is a non issue. This works well with rabid too, but I can no longer count the times that duration has been a gimme in team fights/won me downed spam 1 wars.

You build is good but in my opinion if you trade slick shoes for elixir S and snake Giro for mortar it is better becouse you have also aoe which is really strong for engi , one more water field and 1 more blast . ( personal preference)

i woud recomend to start with engi basics

try wolfy’s engi handbook http://www.wolfineer.com/

Or… *squints furtively left then right… you could go with a kitless build.

*Flashes maniacal smile
*Tosses Elixir S at feet
*Disappears in a cloud of broken glass.

PierPiero.9142:

basz.6129:

Give this a try: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vdAQJAqancTBtbhdeBWXBEqiF2iiO4H+kH8DLxAQsjminA

Nice condi build that doesn’t quit. Only thing lacking is perma swiftness, and you have it up 70% of the time just spamming elixirs. Dd is a non issue. This works well with rabid too, but I can no longer count the times that duration has been a gimme in team fights/won me downed spam 1 wars.

You build is good but in my opinion if you trade slick shoes for elixir S and snake Giro for mortar it is better becouse you have also aoe which is really strong for engi , one more water field and 1 more blast . ( personal preference)

The sneak gyro does elixir s’ job. With a daze if you use it to escape. I do trade 6 potential stacks of might, a cleanse, and a water field as you mentioned, and fields. But, the sneak gyro does offer utility beyond my toon, i find the instant cast more reliable than throw elixir s, that cooldown tho. The cooldown alone sells it for me. It has won me countless team fights, and definitely has been make or break in dozens of 2v1. Ground targeting has also gotten funny recently, so again reliability of cast makes me choose it over mortar. The toolbelt skill, same cooldown, is also insanely useful against burty thieves and good mesmers. I wasn’t a fan of slick shoes until I used it a few games; stun break with haste+2350 heal+a stupidly effective cc. Only other cc in the build is glue shot which is meh.

I do, now and then depending on my team, switch undead for krait rune, and either elixir u or flamethrower for slick shoes. Krait + sneak gyro + wanderer’s = dirty. Might stack to 17, pop blowtorch, insta-cast invisibility(which applies 3 condi aoe), EG 3, 5, 4, 2 as well if not necro, pistol 2, 3, auto attack. Cc and stun break as needed, keep stacks high and cleanses going with elixirs, use sneak gyro to gain advantage or rotate or apply cover condi to burn or run away dazing your pursuer, rotate back to EG for poison, geomancy proc, might and retaliation (which can be kept up lazily 20s of every 32, higher if you time it with elixir b). You can deal an incredible amount of sustained dmg and have constant condi application. You do suffer a small amount of “burst” loss from synergy with undead, plus undead with adaptive armor makes direct damage negligible, so I generally stick with it. Undead for solo q, the other build is pretty soft if you don’t have support.