What does Engineer have over Elementalist?

What does Engineer have over Elementalist?

in Engineer

Posted by: Toolbox.9375

Toolbox.9375

Q:

I’ve been caught in a struggle between these two classes for months, now. The intention, for now, is to use a Celestial armor set with Runes of the Traveler, in order to be able to switch between builds to fill the needs of my group (always the same people, not really interested in “the meta” and powergaming), so super-finely-tuned builds are currently not relevant. We’re pretty-exclusively focused on PvE (including Dungeons and Fractals), though I get into WvW on my own from time to time, usually running around with a zerg because I don’t trust myself to handle the roaming playstyle very well. :P

Currently, to my inexperienced eye, these are the benefits I see:

-Easier/more reliable Vulnerability application via Grenade Kit and the Explosives trait line.
-Constant Stability via Flamethrower Kit and Juggernaut, versus the ridiculous-cooldown Stability moves on Elementalist.
-More reliable Stunbreak access… Most often, I end up being in a Flamethrower/Elixir Gun/Elixir U build, giving two Stunbreaks.
-Quickness, via Elixir U, with a very nice 10+ second duration that makes it super handy for any long-activation story items such as the door panel in the Underground Facility Fractal. Plus reviving, gathering, combat… I like Quickness a good bit.
-Stealth via Smoke Field and Elixir S toolbelt skill. I haven’t actually really made use of this much, but I know it exists and is available if I ever do end up needing it.
-More frequent Blind fields via Bomb Kit and Mortar #4. I use these a LOT when needing to revive my friends, or just in general to reduce the damage we all take.
-Higher uptime on survivability buffs. Invulnerability through Elixir S, stealth through Elixir S, the previously mentioned Blind fields, blocks on both the Shield and Tool Kit…
-More reliable projectile reflection. Shield’s #4, Med Kit’s Streamlined Kits ability, and the big one, Advanced Turrets.
-Rifle’s unique Jump Shot. We do a lot of jump puzzles and general climbing, and the long-jump ability of Rifle is quite useful for that.
-Light production. Fairly minor, but the flashes from grenades, bombs, mortar shots, gunshots, flamethrower… ALL of them provide light for darker areas. As far as I could tell in my testing, nothing from Elementalist does the same. I can’t goof off in dark places!
-More fitting name. I’m “Toolbox”, it’s just spot-on. XD

Areas where Elementalist seems to pull ahead:

-Better damage output. Becomes a little less potent with the Engineer’s seemingly-easier Vulnerability application, but still appears to be a good bit better even then.
-Better ally-healing. Engineer seems to have a better burst-heal with Healing Turret, but between Soothing Mist, the various weapon heals, and Evasive Arcana, Elementalist seems to me to be far more adept at a straight-up healing role when such a thing is needed.
-Better passive defense. Has a lower basic armor rating due to using Light Armor, but with Stone Flesh, Rock Barrier, and Signet of Stone adding on Toughness, plus Geomancer’s Defense and Diamond Skin/Stone Heart, it seems like Elementalist has a LOT of stuff simply allowing them to eat more attacks.
-Better movement. Dagger/Dagger has two decent movement abilities, and Fiery Greatsword gives extremely potent mobility, as well.
-Better team-applied Swiftness. Engineer’s only built-in approaches are the Med Kit Throw Accelerant ability, and the not-terribly-viable-when-moving Experimental Turrets boost from Net Turret. Elementalist gets Elemental Attunement, plus Air Staff’s #4 if the Staff is equipped. As my friends play Guardian and Mesmer, this is fairly big. XD
-Lightning Flash. Just a TON of different intersting uses, I’m not even close to knowing them all.
-Cooler appearance. Highly subjective, but I certainly feel that the light armor, available weapons, and general attack animations all look a lot more impressive than those of the Engineer. My current setup looks very tech-y, which makes up for the fact that the name “Toolbox” fits more with an Engineer. :P

Now, to be fair, I have a lot more experience with Engineer, and so I’ve determined far more of their intricacies and fun little tricks. I’m certain there’s a LOT of simple pleasures on Elementalist that I don’t know of. That’s the kind of stuff I’m hoping will be revealed to me in this thread, as well as any other stuff that helps differentiate the two so I can finally make a choice. X)

The class is always greener on the other side.

What does Engineer have over Elementalist?

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Posted by: nearlight.3064

nearlight.3064

Signet of Stone is a ranger skill. Theres signet of earth, but no one with a brain runs that.

Also in another thread I posted this comparison of fire traits to explosives, that I will pasted below.

Comparing explosives to the fire magic trait line for Elementalist is almost absurd. Fire magic gives bonus power while in fire, a passive proc condi removal, and lots of might stacking, cooldown reduction on the fire skills, 2 10% damage modifiers that are basically active whenever you’re in fire, and easy blind procs with a low ICD when you inflict burn (which you will do a lot).

Explosives makes grenades functional, gives you a kitten y rocket proc for an extra 1000 damage every 10 seconds (100 more DPS, yay), a 10% damage modifier for your grenades, a bomb on dodge that is pretty much useless, and then either the choice of making mortar functional, or shrapnel, which is honestly the most underwhelming GM trait I can think of across all classes. A 15% chance to proc 2 stacks of a condition that does very little damage with that duration and stacking, and a very short duration cripple? Thats so bad in practice it makes me angry.

There are way more issues aside but thats one reason why I feel that engi is so tough to make viable right now. And comparing explosives to fire magic, just makes me realize how terrible things are. Maybe if we didn’t need traits to make kits not completely suck, things would be a lot better for the engi in its current, deplorable state.

Necromancer Main
Taking a break from GW2 to play various
Nintendo games..

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Posted by: Phineas Poe.3018

Phineas Poe.3018

As far as PvE is concerned, elementalists are brought for might and fury while engineers are brought for vulnerability. When it comes to damage, engineers actually have the edge.

[EG] Ethereal Guardians

What does Engineer have over Elementalist?

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Posted by: Toolbox.9375

Toolbox.9375

Signet of Stone is a ranger skill. Theres signet of earth, but no one with a brain runs that.

Ah, that’s right, Signet of Earth. Is it really that bad, even in PvE when going specifically for tankiness?

The class is always greener on the other side.

What does Engineer have over Elementalist?

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Posted by: nearlight.3064

nearlight.3064

Signet of Stone is a ranger skill. Theres signet of earth, but no one with a brain runs that.

Ah, that’s right, Signet of Earth. Is it really that bad, even in PvE when going specifically for tankiness?

In this game you don’t go into tankiness in PvE. In PvP you use cantrips for “tankiness”

Necromancer Main
Taking a break from GW2 to play various
Nintendo games..

What does Engineer have over Elementalist?

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Posted by: TheGuy.3568

TheGuy.3568

Please stop making post like this. Big broad, “Let me name EVERYTHING the other class has!”, post serve no real use.

You are talking about PvE and not worried about meta. So the answer is silly level simple. PLAY WHATEVER YOU LIKE MORE!

I could tell you all the benefits of ele but if you are not running a zerker, runes of strength, ice bow, and staff build you are not optimizing so it really doesn’t matter. You may think this a bit rude but it is true. You are doing it for fun not speed so no matter how you look at it you prioritized fun over efficiency (not an issue since you play with friends).

For the record I like engineer much more. I play power nades with zerk and scholar gear in PvE. For ele zerk with runs of strength and staff. I find running ele rotations boring, Which means imho ele is missing something for me.

Kor The Cold Heart War
Wrekkes-Engineer Kore Rok Thief-Asraithe-Ele

What does Engineer have over Elementalist?

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Posted by: Toolbox.9375

Toolbox.9375

Please stop making post like this. Big broad, “Let me name EVERYTHING the other class has!”, post serve no real use.

You are talking about PvE and not worried about meta. So the answer is silly level simple. PLAY WHATEVER YOU LIKE MORE!

I could tell you all the benefits of ele but if you are not running a zerker, runes of strength, ice bow, and staff build you are not optimizing so it really doesn’t matter. You may think this a bit rude but it is true. You are doing it for fun not speed so no matter how you look at it you prioritized fun over efficiency (not an issue since you play with friends).

For the record I like engineer much more. I play power nades with zerk and scholar gear in PvE. For ele zerk with runs of strength and staff. I find running ele rotations boring, Which means imho ele is missing something for me.

I don’t know which one I like more, that’s the problem. I was listing out tricks and “tipping points” that I know of between each class, hoping either for more neat aspects to be revealed to me, or for corrections on aspects that I’m wrong about, or to be told that an advantage I listed for one class is present on another (a light source on Elementalist, for example).

The class is always greener on the other side.

What does Engineer have over Elementalist?

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Posted by: Phineas Poe.3018

Phineas Poe.3018

I don’t know which one I like more, that’s the problem. I was listing out tricks and “tipping points” that I know of between each class.

As I said already:

As far as PvE is concerned, elementalists are brought for might and fury while engineers are brought for vulnerability. When it comes to damage, engineers actually have the edge.

Yes engineers can stack might with fire fields and yes elementalists have Glyph of Storms, but those are their primarily roles. Beyond that it just comes down to aesthetic.

[EG] Ethereal Guardians

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Posted by: coglin.1867

coglin.1867

Signet of Stone is a ranger skill. Theres signet of earth, but no one with a brain runs that.

Ah, that’s right, Signet of Earth. Is it really that bad, even in PvE when going specifically for tankiness?

It is not optimal OP. I will say though, I personally tend to question any poster who chosen to directly insult anyone for using a skill they do not agree with.

Personally I look less at what a profession is capable of, and focus on how it feels to me when I am playing it. I find gut feelind, instinct, and personal enjoy ability to matter more then anything.

A video on what weak PvPer’s and WvWer’s want.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q3em9s5I4c

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Posted by: Dahkeus.8243

Dahkeus.8243

CC. Easily.

What does Engineer have over Elementalist?

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Posted by: PierPiero.9142

PierPiero.9142

i have much more fun playing eng… ele rotations are quite boring but … eng has nothing more than ele in my opinion … ( even ele can have cc for example with staff and hammer and signet of earth even if i would not use it in pvp ) .. . cc in ele is not effective but you can have it too

What does Engineer have over Elementalist?

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Posted by: Nate.8146

Nate.8146

I haven’t played elementalist much, but I remember being annoyed with how they were locked to a single weapon. Various weapons require a different play styles and I found myself going back and forth to the hero screen to swap equipment. Engineer at least is quite limited when it comes to primary weapon choices so it’s not as bad.

I see the engineer as the only class in the game that has sustained ranged AOE, which is why I love him. Previously that title went to grenades, but post-patch it goes to the mortar. We can just spam those attacks and hit large groups of people and from a relatively safe distance. We don’t have to wait long cool down times that other classes have to in order to trigger their AOE. As a bonus, we can also target the ground. This means we don’t have to deal with the targeting system and struggle to mouse select a player in a zerg fight. Just carpet bomb the whole group and let the 6 divines sort em out.

What does Engineer have over Elementalist?

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Posted by: Derenek.8931

Derenek.8931

Engineer has pure damage output potential. Science is always better than magic.

Attachments:

What does Engineer have over Elementalist?

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Posted by: Toolbox.9375

Toolbox.9375

Engineer has pure damage output potential. Science is always better than magic.

Er, wait, isn’t that screenshot just a pileup from Flame Jet…? Nothing’s on cooldown except Elixir U.

The class is always greener on the other side.

What does Engineer have over Elementalist?

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Posted by: GrandHaven.1052

GrandHaven.1052

Engineer has pure damage output potential. Science is always better than magic.

Er, wait, isn’t that screenshot just a pileup from Flame Jet…? Nothing’s on cooldown except Elixir U.

Yes it is. And I have already pointed that out in another thread to him. Not sure if he is trolling.