Guild Wars 2

I’m mostly speaking in terms of PvP, but welcome thoughts on WvW or PvE as well.

I’ve been playing engineer from launch and have always loved using shield. But over time (in the past few months especially) shield has been overshadowed by other weapons. I enjoy p/p and hammer but in the end of the day I miss playing with shield. Since HoT I’ve been playing around and theory crafting but haven’t quite found a solid build or play style. It always seems to be just shy of being useful.

It seems from recent changes they are pushing it more towards support type builds, which I’ve also had little success working with. Engineer historically been the best at boon sharing/support (or maybe someone can shine some light on this for me).

Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions on current pistol/shield builds?

Thanks ahead of time for any suggestions.

I like a bursty amulet with defensive traits and shield.

FT, Elixir C, EG, Mortar.

Firearms, Alchemy, Inventions.

Something like a Vipers amulet.

Pistol Shield.

You should be able to get a lot of blast finishers on water, as well as decent stun/daze combos going to burst down enemies.

Even though you don’t have any particularly bursty weapons, you can do insane timings with incendiary ammo condi bursts, covered by CC.

I honestly think shield is in a really good place, it will probably always be a high tier weapon given the quality of it’s skills + the worthwhile trait in inventions.

I have a power build with P/S and a healing/support build with P/S. Power Build is basically using FT/EG though but the shield comes in handy for utility and also good vs some niche things (shield 5 block can stun thieves through their pistol whip and mesmers through their Blurred Frenzy) And if played right you can strip 3 stab with shield 5 too.

For my healing/support build its good for the extra blast or the interrupt when an enemy at distance is finishing an ally or something. Plus the blast is good for blasting waters or other fields using Soothing Detonation, and providing general protection from ranged and melee.

Only thing shield needs is a CD reduction just like guards and wars had. I’d say 20 seconds for Shield 4 and 25 for shield 5.

In my opinion there is no room now for shield becouse there are 2 much better option. The first is to take whatever weapon you like (pistol pistol…. rifle) and take toolkit, tools and power wrench , now you have something that is far better than shield …. the second is obviously to take hammer …. the cd on shield is too huge and shield 5 in my opinion is not that great, the cd compared to the effect make it worse than many other solutions

Arimas.3492:

I have a power build with P/S and a healing/support build with P/S. Power Build is basically using FT/EG though but the shield comes in handy for utility and also good vs some niche things (shield 5 block can stun thieves through their pistol whip and mesmers through their Blurred Frenzy) And if played right you can strip 3 stab with shield 5 too.

For my healing/support build its good for the extra blast or the interrupt when an enemy at distance is finishing an ally or something. Plus the blast is good for blasting waters or other fields using Soothing Detonation, and providing general protection from ranged and melee.

Only thing shield needs is a CD reduction just like guards and wars had. I’d say 20 seconds for Shield 4 and 25 for shield 5.

Are you sure that 20 and 25 secs for shield are good as hammer or are comparable with 13 secs of gear shield with toolkit and power wrench ? in my opinion if you put them to 20 and 25 secs you have to give something better otherwise gear shield and hammer remain much better options

Imo, shield is a party weapon, the blast finisher is lovely for any combo, you get a trait to share dmg resistance with buddies and sometimes you can save a situation with the knockback or a reflection.

It sucks if you try to play only for outgoing damage, but rocks if you’re playing party support.

Gief dual shield

Tiilimon.6094:

Imo, shield is a party weapon, the blast finisher is lovely for any combo, you get a trait to share dmg resistance with buddies and sometimes you can save a situation with the knockback or a reflection.

It sucks if you try to play only for outgoing damage, but rocks if you’re playing party support.
Gief dual shield

Great support with a so long cd …. and in this game support is not that important … there is no “healer” role by desing and classes tend to cure herselves
You can give much more support with eg or mortar… if you like that kind of play … eg has a bast finisher every 12 seconds with hgh if i remember right …

Yeah, eg 4 is a blast finisher, it’s pretty great to combo with the finisher of your shield, to you know, get a bigger combo

I often combo together big ol bomb, orbital strikex2, magnetic shield and acid bomb when stacking might or stealth.

Tiilimon.6094:

Yeah, eg 4 is a blast finisher, it’s pretty great to combo with the finisher of your shield, to you know, get a bigger combo

I often combo together big ol bomb, orbital strikex2, magnetic shield and acid bomb when stacking might or stealth.

Problem is that shield is too weak . Pistol off hand is much better imho , for the cd . I tried to use it in pvp or wvw but with pp and toolkit i kill much more easily. Shield has 2 good defensive skill with really long cd and very bad damage , so after you use them it is quite easy to kill you . shield is good only against stupid ( but really stupid ) pew pew rangers or similar… otherwise i find it not usefull. A Blast more every 25 secs … for me… is not that strong …. toolkit with prybar every 10 secs, gear shield every 13 secs and pool also is much much stronger imho. You can like it but it is suboptimal to other options now

For you it might not sound that good, because you’re not playing a full party support character but you’re only thinking about what’s good for YOU.

For me, it wins simply because of the blast finisher and Over Shield trait as a party support tool.

You might not think of 1 instant blast finisher as much, but for someone who uses it with smoke bomb to save downed allies and such, it’s priceless.

support for what ? i don’t see any support role in this game…. at least in spvp and in pve …. in wvw …. anything can works …. in wvw the only thing that has a value ( in a zerg) is the number of players …. the rest is not really important

Design all class capable to heal,buff, and damage wich was is nowadays is not enough to say ‘’ there is no roles in a game’‘. I dont need even open a second tab for a each of a classes(professions) what a game has to offer i see. High exceptations only ’’certain’’ builds wich are way over compared to others. This is bad design in a game wich are advertising otherwise. Either is is PVE/PVP aspect of a game. Also a playerbase themselves has this mentality of ’’expectations’’ while they category a certain options as ’’worthless’’ peace of builds compared certain others wich are way too overpowered in a same professions. Unless ANET really does do something that doesnt give is it defenseive role guardian, elementalist, engineer or even a warrior(all classes). You should be are in a same baseline either is it in a PVE/PVP aspects there are to offer in a game. Expectations and specific roles are in a differend aspects per classes/professions in this game.. like in a any other mmorpg.
Druid(healbot), thief do i need to say more, and same goes in a pvp aspect has they only few avaitable onces.