Guild Wars 2

This question is in regards to PvE only; specifically dungeon/group content… I do not care about SPvP or WvW.

Just quickly, I recently started an engineer and have fallen in love with the dual pistols (running them with an elixer build). I just really enjoy the gameplay and it’s very fun to me. I know it’s not the meta and I know it’s obviously not the best DPS. I have no issues soloing any content in the open world and zerg roaming is obviously not a huge problem for any class. I am not looking to change to a grenade build. I am just looking for information in regards to dual pistol engineers.

My question is in regards to running such a build in 5 man dungeons. My question is, what does a dual pistol engineer bring to the table in a 5 man group? I do not yet know enough about the class nor it’s mechanics to know if dual pistols (any dual P/P build, not just elixer heavy stuff) are a viable option. I just know it’s a lot of fun to me. Unfortunately, I also understand that “most fun” is not always the most welcomed excuse in a group scenario. So, does a dual pistol setup offer any real advantages in a dungeon? Would someone that knows more than me see me join a group and go, “Yissss! A dual pistol engineer”.

I’m sure the DPS isn’t great. I imagine that others can probably push out more conditions then us? I also assume that others can push out more boons? I really don’t know, I just know it’s mega fun. I just hope that me having fun is not gimping a group in any dungeons.

So, do dual pistol engineers excel at anything? Is there a dual pistol build out there that I should probably look at? Can dual pistol engineers offer their group anything and not feel like they are taking up a space that could go to another zerk warrior?

I am not looking to start a flame war or anything, I just honestly don’t know the answers to these questions and hope that someone with more experience than I can offer me some information.

Thanks for any and all help!

The unfortunate response to the question “[W]hat does a dual pistol [E]ngineer bring to the table in 5 man groups?” is a cautious “Not as much as a pistol-shield Engineer.”, at least in terms of the current PvE mindset, where the definition of PvE-that-matters is basically dungeon “speed” runs and 40+ FOTM.

In those types of content, the types of utility that matter (without even addressing DPS, widely regarded as the most important pseudo-utility anyone can bring into that content) are, for the most part, Might-stacking, Fury, Vulnerability-stacking, active defense (such as blocks and near permanent Vigor, Protection, Aegis, and, to a lesser extent, Blind), and projectile reflection/blocking. I’m sure there are some important things I’m overlooking in that quick run-down, but it’s pretty close.

By electing to run an off-hand pistol over a shield, you’re trading a projectile reflect with an attached blast finisher (for Might stacks or healing to your group) and an active block with a wonderfully short cooldown and a built-in potential for a piercing line of dazing interrupts to get an utterly underwhelming burn with less-than-stellar up-front damage and an AoE root+snare, neither of which are of too terribly much use on “fights that matter”.

It’s a weapon set that I can honestly say I’d like to be able to love, but the utility of the shield skills is just too amazing to pass up on, unless ANet decides to give the pistol’s off-hand a blast finisher and a Blind-pulsing smoke field (cough Thieves’ pistol 5, that I’d utterly jump for joy to have access to without having to slot the Flamethrower just to get a toned-down version of).

Just my .02, but it’s not a weapon set that anyone’s going to be excited to see. That said, run with it if you like, especially if you’re not all about “hardcore” PvE. Nothing in the PvE universe is so difficult that being a tad inefficient in any area is going to absolutely bar completing anything, just realize that you’re going probably going to hear some griping from the elitist crowd. After all, how are you going to complete anything if you dislike playing the way you’re “supposed” to so much that you decide not to play at all? XD

Wow, thanks for the great response, Zach. In regards to your answer, I guess I should have entittled the thread as just a pistol build. I actually really enjoy playing with Pistol/Shield as well! In the end, I just really love the main hand pistol and if putting a shield in the off hand means I wouuld be more accepted in that role, I will gladly do so.

With that said, does a pistol/shield combo bring enough to the table that a group (maybe not a min/max group, but just a usual group I guess that isn’t overly concerned with speed runs) would be happy to have me?

And I guess the important question is, how does a pistol/shield combo compare to a kit build, specifically the meta nade builds?

Does the pistol/shield offer other benefits that the nade build doesn’t that a group would welcome?

Absolutely! Pistol-shield is pretty much the go-to “meta” loadout for the PvE Engineer ever since last winter, when we finally got access to sigils with our weapon kits!

Two sigils and access to a total of 20% additional condition duration with two Givers’ weapons makes us shine as the Might-stacking, Vulnerability-spamming monsters that we have the potential to be in PvE (given a dungeon-oriented Bomb Kit or Grenade Kit build, that I’m unsure whether you’re interested in using).

That’s awesome. Thanks a ton, Zach! After leveling a few classes to 80, I finally found a class that I just absolutely love to play.

Are there any builds anyone can suggest for the pistol/shield combo?

Today was a good day. =P

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/engineer/PvE-Dungeon-Speedrun-Zerk-Build/first

This is a great dungeon build that I’m frankly amazed isn’t permanently stuck to the first page of our forums (I take that as a testament to our versatility, though, because we have, by far, the most build-flexibility in selecting “viable” options).

Personally, though, I use the world’s most bland, boring, and stereotypical 30/0/0/30/10 HGH Grenad-‘neer build, mostly because it’s familiar, simple, effective, and flexible. I keep two sets of Rampager’s armors in my pack (one with the typical 2xSuperior Runes of Altruism, 2xSuperior Runes of Fire, and 2xSuperior Runes of Strength; affectionately, the Might Stacking loadout; and one with 6xSuperior Runes of the Scholar). I also have two sets of Berserker’s armors, with the same rune loadouts on them. I use Rampager’s Might-stacking kit for open world PvE and event farming, Berserker’s Might-stacking for world bosses that don’t appreciate conditions, Berserker’s + Scholar’s for organized dungeons in groups wherein I’m guaranteed 25 Might stacks without the additional duration because of my team, and Rampager’s + Scholars for solo farming (that you can frankly do naked, really). Trinkets are the industry standard Ascended-quality Berserker stat setup.

Weapons are almost always (Exotic) Givers’ pistol+shield (that condition duration and all of the extra Vulnerability stacks it nets you in a long fight is far too valuable to lose out on by moving into an Ascended weapon, where the Giver’s stats aren’t available, given that our kits’ damage is independent of our weapons’ attack strength). I keep one shield with a Superior Sigil of Bloodlust for power stacks, and one shield with a Superior Sigil of Force (or Night, or whatever-slaying you want to run for the dungeon you’re focusing on farming, if you are), and a Superior Sigil of Strength (or Battle) in the pistol.

Rare Veggie Pizza is the food of choice for stacking up all that delicious Vulnerability with a build like this, though if you’re in an organized group that has Vulnerability and Might stacking covered without the additional condition duration, the various Butternut Squash soups are your friends. Slayer potions over sharpening stones/oils (as the build(s) I use don’t really focus too heavily on crit procs).

Edit: Just realized I linked a rifle build like a big ol’ kitten . That build can be tweaked for pistol+shield easily enough, though; you’d just lose out on the juicy Blunderbuss+melee-range Jump Shot burst.

(What the heck, ANet? D*rp is considered profanity? Seriously?)

If you want to use Pistol and be useful to your group this builds should be at least not horrible:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fcAQJAqalspSXHwSfF17IyoCdGoH5FfNiieAAU2kB
With thrown elixirs you can remove conditions from your allies and give them Might.
Adept Alchemy trait is either -20% recharge or Vigor.

http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?fcAQJAqelIq6dH5STF17IyoHdGpNhgeAA81IKqQ+B
This is actually a Rifle build but should also somewhat work with Pistol/Shield if you use Rampager; the goal is to support your team with blast finisher while dealing damage with Static Discharge.
Adept Firearms trait is either -20% recharge or more range.

You could use the above Bomb Kit build simply with Pistol/Shield instead of Rifle but then you would be a Bomb Engineer, not a Pistol one.