Guild Wars 2

Hi, I just got back into using my engie and being a bit fed up of full ‘zerk’ on other chars want to try something different. I am just wondering how viable it is for openworld PvE and dungeons (mostly with my guild)? Also any advice on builds that make the best use of the high crit chance, runes and sigils would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

I run rampager on my engineer with berserker trinkets, I have two rifles that I switch between that one has bloodlust and the other has corruption (corruption for 3headedwurm condi team). Both rifles have sigil of strength.

I love it personally, the extra condition damage isn’t unhelpful especially when you’re running with other classes that don’t do a lot of condition stacking. You still want your pistols/shield/rifle to be zerker stats though, same with trinkets. It’s not optimal, but it is fun as hell. Your damage does not suffer much either.

Don’t know much about crit chance runes and sigils. I use bloodlust and corruption on two different rifles, and both have a strength sigil for might stacking. Honestly, the 6/6/0/0/2 build is fantastic.

It all depends on your definition of “viable”.

Is it possible to explore all of open world / dungeons in rampager gear? Yes
Is it optimal? No
Will you use the possible synergies in your group to the maximum? No

Sadly in PvE no other stat combination comes even close to the effectiveness of Berserker.

As for the high crit rate, the engineer has 8 possible uses for it:

1. critical direct damage
2. Incendiary Powder (single target, does not need high crit rate)
3. Sharpshooter (very short duration, Shrapnel and Shrapnel Grenade are much better)
4. Precise Sights (together with Steel-Packed Powder this makes engi the best vulnerability stacker in the game, especially vs. multiple targets)
5. Infused Precision (only useful with Invigorating Speed, good if you need more dodges)
6. Bunker Down (good damage when kiting with bombs, useless vs. stationary targets which is most of PvE)
7. Go for the Eyes (single target, needs rifle)
8. Sigils / food (some strong choices for PvP, only Fire and Strength are really of use in PvE)

Of all these, only 3 have a synergy with condition damage:
IP is only single target with a longish cooldown and is made completely redundant by Fire Bomb, Sharpshooter has a very small impact compared to the other bleeds and there are better ways to stack might in PvE than with a Sigil of Might.

1 and 4 however have a very strong synergy with Berserker armor.

There are far too many damage multipliers (as in % increase) for direct damage available in PvE (Vulnerability, crit damage, Target the Maimed, Modified Ammo, Explosive Powder, Rifle Mod, Sigil of Slaying/Night/Force, Potion of Slaying, Frost Spirit, Quickness etc.) vs. only one for condition damage (Sigil of Bursting).

As long as this does not change, condition builds will never be competitive in PvE.