Guild Wars 2

This might be a controversial point so let’s dive right in, I’ll try not to wall o’ text.

As it stands, Elixer Gun seems to be a very popular choice among engineers, and not without reason. It provides healing, condi removal (self removal on Super Elixer? unless that was changed), mobility, group support, and a stunbreaker, albeit on a 40s cooldown. This lends most engineers a hefty survivability boon, most notably the condi-bunker metas of old (and perhaps even the turret-boon guys).
However, Elixer Gun happens to be a Weapon-kit. The prevailing pattern I’ve noticed among weapon kits is that their skills are mostly alternate attack forms and some “soft” utility, as would be expected on a weapon (soft utility are the sorts that won’t exactly get you out of sticky situation, but certainly help avoid it, blocks, blinds, CC).
That being said, Elixer Gun is the only weapon-set (in a way) that comes with a stun breaker; sure, other weapons may have displacement effects (mesmer staff/sword, thief sword/dagger, ele staff, etc.) but never actual stun breakers.

Now, because EG is inherently a support weapon, I believe the added stun breaker puts it just a tad over the top within its builds. Removing the stun break would force an engineer to choose between an alternate stunbreaker or the extra soft-utility that comes with EG (healing, mobility, team-condi removal), ultimately making it easier to deal with the builds that make use of it, since they usually have plenty of sustain as is.
That stun breaker could be placed back in the ol’ rocket boots, except as part of the toolbelt skill (since frankly the skill is useless otherwise, forcing us into a 1/2 second immobility as it casts). This puts it along a similar line to Thief’s “Roll for Initiative”(stun break/condi clear/lateral motion).
Another issue comes up here though, rocket boots clash with (updated) slick shoes for the slot. At this point it becomes clear that gadgets just need a general overhaul, but that’s an old complaint. In any case, 3 stun breaking gadgets would give more incentive to use the things, and the accompanying trait Gadgeteer.

TL;DR:
-EG is hyper-useful, remove stunbreak to balance.
-restore Rocket Boots’ stunbreak on Toolbelt skill, give incentive to use gadgets.
-(Bonus) examine dynamics between Rocket boots+Slick Shoes

Thanks for reading, open to thoughts!

What are you asking for is to make Kits without stunbreaker and Gadgets with 3.
That’s not going to happen.

so you practically suggest to take the only real stunbreaker we got away?

One of the nicest buffs we’ve ever had, and it’s being advocated for removal.

Gadgets already have two stunbreakers anyways, why do they need three? Part of the changes they made in the past was to distribute the stun breakers more evenly, which is why they removed one from rocket boots (also because they changed how that works) and elixir R (poor elixir R), and gave them to thumper turret and elixir gun.

Rocket kick is also not useless. It’s a nice source of low cooldown AoE burning that works perfectly after baiting out an enemy dodge. Unlike things like incendiary powder, it’s less likely to proc on a clone, minion, or random critter that gets in the way as well. Rocket boots also has a much lower cooldown than something like roll for initiative, so I don’t think the comparison is as simple as you’re making it out to be.

If they did this, all it would do is make current builds weaker, and no one would focus on using gadgets for the most part.

The stun breaker was added because we had no kits with a stun breaker. At leat that is how i understand it.

I don’t believe nerfing elixir gun will make people use gadgets more for their stun break. Gadgets already had a chance to become useful when they were given a gm trait, yet it was blown when gadgeteers effect was shown. I’m sure I’m not the only one whose first reaction was “what the heck does gadgeteering have to do with boons??” Lots of ways to get people to play gadgets and the devs decie magically getting a boon for no reason would be what gadgeteers do? My point is gadgets will continue to be a largely unoticed part of engineers until they get real traits . If I want boons ill drink elixir b and go into alchemy tyvm and I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks this way

I agree with the Rocket Boots but EG definitely needs one as well however I feel that they should make #4 a stun breaker since it removes us from the vicinity pretty quickly.