Guild Wars 2

Ok, i’ve been trying to use every skill I unlock a bit to try and figure out it’s use or when I would use it. Even Elixir X I could see using as a tank in a dungeon, but the bomb kit? Not really.

Ok, the bomb kit is powerful. I can see it being used with a lot of fire support from teammates in a dungeon or pvp setting. But the biggest gripe I have with it is that the explosions while powerful requires that the enemy is basically in melee distance. So having a glue bomb is useless since if it an enemy they are already on you, and if pvp they probably can switch to distance weapons or just keep casting those spells.

So maybe i’m missing something. Anyone else finding good consistent use out of the bomb kit? Because I can take all the perks of the bomb kit and get them elsewhere while not putting myself into melee so much.

Of coarse it is not for everyone. It does have spectacular kiting usage. The blowout from Big ol’ bomb is great fro AoE control and AoE damage wrapped in one. The #4 smoke bomb can be used in a self combo for AoE invisibility, or projectile blinds. The range can be traited to a larger area, and they can be traited for each bomb to do an AoE heal.

As far as your complaint about them requiring a closer range, well thats a personal choice of preference.

1) Switch to bomb kit.
2) Run away from foe.
3) Spam skills while running.
4) Cue Benny Hill.

It seems i only ever use the bomb kit for it’s toolbelt bomb, the Big Ol’ Bomb.

The bomb kit feels clunky and out of place, im not saying the dmg is bad or anything, but to make it useful feels out of place and go against game mechanics, not to mention 99% of the endgame has groups of casters.

The bomb kit allows engies to kite better than any other class, and gives the engineer access to two combo fields that work great in conjunction with the mine kit.

pair bomb kit with elixir-infused bombs.

it’s pretty beast. with backpack regenerator and elixir-infused bombs, i heal for around 400-500 a second, roughly. i’d be more if we could keep our weapon stats or sigils…

it takes a surprising amount of finesse to make the bomb kit work well and work right. sometimes, it is just fire and forget, but other times, it can be tricky.

Once you get into higher skilled groups youll notice… noone stands in areaspells anymore.. especially if they have time to get out of the area

I love the bomb kit, running round with my crazy little asura, exploding everything!

Should have fused Mine kit with Bomb kit imo.

bombkit has great utility, maybe they could up the damage a bit, you do need to get up close and personal, plant your bombs AND someone has to step in them. Even when you chainstun someone with supply drop, slick shoes and glue bomb it’s often not enough time to kill him.

Currently this is the only kit that I can’t justify using in any situation.

Kiting is being thrown around quite a bit in this discussion and I must say it makes no sense to me as you are using a utility slot for a skill that can be easily replaced by things that will provide more benefit in more situations and not require your target to chase you and be melee to deal damage.

The utility portion I can say maybe to but even then I would rather take any other kit for the utility they bring. Even the heal allies with bomb trait is replacable by elixir gun. Infact I did a dungeon run and found that I provide more support with Reinforced kit and elixir gun’s 5 than I did just sitting there spamming bombs .

I will also add that I typed this out so many times trying to find a polite way to say something that must be said:

(TL:DR) Bomb kit sucks and it can be easily replaced by any other kit for better results.

Bomb kit just seems to be a “fun” thing to use when the actual useful stuff gets a little boring. Sad but true. Aside from the obviously useful BoB, everything else about the kit screams kitten.

I love it.

Smoke bomb is my favourite skill in it since it creates a smoke field that reapplies blind, reapplying blind is useful, since it means that you are able to survive melee, surviving melee= free reign to spam bombs/blunderbuss/jump shot.

Plus big ole bomb is very very powerful.

I agree with Rehero, in fact it is my sentiments exactly. If they were mines the kit would be 10x more useful to keep around. maybe even merge the big ol’ bomb with the remote mine.

I understand the thoughts on kiting, but I find two flaws with that. One is that with pve that means the enemy is already in melee range and you still have to wait until the bomb goes off 2 seconds later. The other problem is with pvp not only do you have the melee bit from pve, but currently it feels 70% of players are playing ranged or will quickly switch to range.

I guess I just thought of a third, while you are focusing on using bombs you can’t really focus on using slot skills with it. If I am using other kits like elixir or flamethrower I can mix in slot skills as needed, but with bomb kits i’m so focused on bombs I can’t really get those skills in as easily.

It out damages grenade kit and is the only kit with both a confusion and blind. The aoe is decent range, and combine it with minefield and the damage output is around 3k on Dungeon mobs, not counting the damage done while they kill themselves from the confusion.

Dunno what you guys are smoking. None of bomb kits skills are ground target, they’re cast and go unlike grenade kit. And it’s really not hard to run in melee range and face tank a mob through both confusion and blind, as long as you don’t stay in there for more than 4 seconds

Should probably stop lying and playing theorywars .

I don’t think it outdamage grenade kit, well, with grenadier it certainly doesn’t. And its melee range.

I found a support focused bomb build quite useful for dungeons.

The healing bombs combined with the huge blind field give my group a considerably boost in staying power, turning many battles into face roll fests.

Also, with massive self heal from medkit and permanent swiftness + vigor, I found myself to be an almost unkillable kiting machine.

It plays a lot like Singed from League of Legends. You dare everyone to follow you, and if they do that, you just run and run and laugh your socks off, while widdling them down. And if they stop chasing, you turn around and punch them in the face. It’s hilarious AND effective!

Lyuben.2613:

I don’t think it outdamage grenade kit, well, with grenadier it certainly doesn’t. And its melee range.

Sitting duck and napalm specialist

Longer burns=/= more damage. Burn is not an intensity related.

And 5% damage during the 1s immobilize of glue bomb? STOP THE PRESSES!

You have to invest 30 points to “out damage” (barely might I add) Bomb kit when I only have to throw 10 points in one and can throw points in other traits for other abilities to “outdamage” you completely.

STOP THE PRESSES

also are you sure about longer burns =/= more damage?

4.1 * Level + 0.25 * Condition Damage per second

explain this equation to me , I didn’t make it, but clarify it

Tigger.8035:

You have to invest 30 points to “out damage” (barely might I add) Bomb kit when I only have to throw 10 points in one and can throw points in other traits for other abilities to “outdamage” you completely.

STOP THE PRESSES

also are you sure about longer burns =/= more damage?

4.1 * Level + 0.25 * Condition Damage per second

explain this equation to me , I didn’t make it, but clarify it

Umm, why is that equation even relevant? At least explain why…

That equation shows you how condition damage is calculated, if burn did 1 damage per 1 second of burn, then adding more time simply means you do 2 seconds instead of 1. It doesn’t mean that 1 second= 2 damage. Plus, its a 20% increase, now, the trait on crits is a 2s, 2s+20%= 2.4s, with fire bomb, it goes from 6s, to 7.2s

Now, is it exactly worth a major trait to got from 6s, to 7.2s? I really doubt it is. And of course, you have to take into account how often bombs tick, it may well make it increase the time it burns by 1.2s, but I’m not sure if that equates to a full tick.

And the bomb kit is, remember, melee range. What happens at melee range? You die, so the grenade kit, even if it does less damage than bombs, still has the advantage of range. Doing a bit more damage with pure bombs, than pure grenades is no good if you are dead due to being hacked to death.

And honestly, your 5% damage when immobilized trait is just misguided. You have a 1s immobilize on a 25s/20s cooldown. That uptime is appalling and its such a short window, that it might as well not exist.

I have only really used it for 2 things, One has been stated already which is the healing bombs. I wont go into detail for the pure reason they did, but its really good.
Second reason is for PVP, When fighting for a node the best tool is the quick ability you get without switching gives huge knockback. this on a node can really help you secure it. also during PVP using the kits in groups is useful because one bomb gives off AOE Confusion, anther with AOE Slow.

The mine kit is our main blast finisher.
The mine field skill is a 5x Blast finisher.
The mine field combined with smoke bomb gives 15s of AoE stealth.
The mine field skill combined with firebomb will give 9 stacks of AoE might.
The mine field skill combined with super elixer gives 15 seconds of aoe retaliation

Do not merge the mine kit with other kits, it is more useful when separate.

You don’t need an additional blast finisher on the bomb kit, because you got the BOB (its finisher is just bugged atm).

Also: I think only the primary mine serves as a blast finisher. The mine field shouldn’t do that.

Also, the second: shield. Shield has a great blast finisher. And lots of utility. I can only laugh at all the dual pistol engineers.

Lyuben.2613:

Tigger.8035:

You have to invest 30 points to “out damage” (barely might I add) Bomb kit when I only have to throw 10 points in one and can throw points in other traits for other abilities to “outdamage” you completely.

STOP THE PRESSES

also are you sure about longer burns =/= more damage?

4.1 * Level + 0.25 * Condition Damage per second

explain this equation to me , I didn’t make it, but clarify it

Umm, why is that equation even relevant? At least explain why…

That equation shows you how condition damage is calculated, if burn did 1 damage per 1 second of burn, then adding more time simply means you do 2 seconds instead of 1. It doesn’t mean that 1 second= 2 damage. Plus, its a 20% increase, now, the trait on crits is a 2s, 2s+20%= 2.4s, with fire bomb, it goes from 6s, to 7.2s

Now, is it exactly worth a major trait to got from 6s, to 7.2s? I really doubt it is. And of course, you have to take into account how often bombs tick, it may well make it increase the time it burns by 1.2s, but I’m not sure if that equates to a full tick.

And the bomb kit is, remember, melee range. What happens at melee range? You die, so the grenade kit, even if it does less damage than bombs, still has the advantage of range. Doing a bit more damage with pure bombs, than pure grenades is no good if you are dead due to being hacked to death.

And honestly, your 5% damage when immobilized trait is just misguided. You have a 1s immobilize on a 25s/20s cooldown. That uptime is appalling and its such a short window, that it might as well not exist.

the melee range misconception is so stupid. Get to end game and play it yourself.

Learn to evade, and move, that’s all you need to know to get past most gimmicks

If people actually died all day in melee range, No one would play a certain few professions and the Greatsword wouldn’t be the most popular weapon in the game

No one is telling you to sit in a mob for an hour. You go in, Apply your confusion and Blind, and other status effects and if you have kit refinement (which pretty much gives you a second grenade barrage by switching to grenade kit) You need to be in melee range for your grenades to hit anyway.

Tigger.8035:

Learn to READ.

Kit refinement

swapping to grenade kit

You have to be in melee range because the grenades fire out of the back back

and lol at you still having the misconception that just because you’re range you don’t get hit.

Have you even played in a dungeon? Like seriously you’re talking much bull right now.

this argument isn’t going anywhere because I’m speaking from personal experience since I use all 3 kits.

You’re just doing that typical theorycrafting nonsense that’s all in your head. Melee enemies will run you down, and you can’t always kite them, or a big mob, and there are ranged enemies in dungeons.

K thx.

My main build involves the bomb kit, grenade kit, elixir H and elixir R.

Honestly, you do have to run into melee range for grenade barrage from kit refinement, but that has a very long ICD, and you have no idea when it comes back, so in most cases, unless you are stupidly staying in melee range for your grenades JUST IN CASE it happens, then it gets wasted.

And of course there are melee enemies that can get to you, but kiting is very easy. With the rifle you can swap easily to net shot, with offhand pistol, glue shot, with your allies and coordination, you can kite very easily too. And chill grenade helps kite very well.

And ranged enemies… well yeah, there are. But a ranged character vs a ranged enemy faces the same opposition a melee character faces from an enemy ranged character.

But the great thing is, a ranged character does not face the same challenges of a melee character against an enemy melee character.

If you think you are equally viable walking up to any enemy in melee with a bomb kit, as you are with hitting them from range with a grenade kit, then I’m afraid it is you who is stuck in theorycraft lala-land.

Bomb kit works great in PvE (against any mobs without range). all you have to do is run in a tight circle (about the diameter of your biggest bomb) and just spam your abilities. Nothing beats the bomb kit for farming crafting mats. Just tag as many mobs as you can with a rifle/gun and then spam bombs while you run around in a circle. It’s awesome (even without any traits).

It works great in PvP (WvW) (if you spec right).

As I’m not a fan of “competitive gaming” i don’t really know how the bomb kit works in structured pvp.

Lyuben.2613:

Tigger.8035:

Learn to READ.

Kit refinement

swapping to grenade kit

You have to be in melee range because the grenades fire out of the back back

and lol at you still having the misconception that just because you’re range you don’t get hit.

Have you even played in a dungeon? Like seriously you’re talking much bull right now.

this argument isn’t going anywhere because I’m speaking from personal experience since I use all 3 kits.

You’re just doing that typical theorycrafting nonsense that’s all in your head. Melee enemies will run you down, and you can’t always kite them, or a big mob, and there are ranged enemies in dungeons.

K thx.

My main build involves the bomb kit, grenade kit, elixir H and elixir R.

Honestly, you do have to run into melee range for grenade barrage from kit refinement, but that has a very long ICD, and you have no idea when it comes back, so in most cases, unless you are stupidly staying in melee range for your grenades JUST IN CASE it happens, then it gets wasted.

And of course there are melee enemies that can get to you, but kiting is very easy. With the rifle you can swap easily to net shot, with offhand pistol, glue shot, with your allies and coordination, you can kite very easily too. And chill grenade helps kite very well.

And ranged enemies… well yeah, there are. But a ranged character vs a ranged enemy faces the same opposition a melee character faces from an enemy ranged character.

But the great thing is, a ranged character does not face the same challenges of a melee character against an enemy melee character.

If you think you are equally viable walking up to any enemy in melee with a bomb kit, as you are with hitting them from range with a grenade kit, then I’m afraid it is you who is stuck in theorycraft lala-land.

hah I’m sure.

Theorycrafting and actually playing the game are two different things.

Get to level 80. Farm dungeons, and then come back to me k thx

@Tigger

What led you to think I wasn’t?

And even if I was a level 1, and you were level 80, with full exotic and legendary weapons, it would never make your assertion that the advantage of the range of grenades is negligible or non existent.

Bomb kit is pretty fun, I will admit, but the bombs themselves could use a modest explosion radius buff.

I didn’t notice a huge difference with the larger explosion radius when traited, and it wasn’t reflected in the tooltip last i checked. Although preferably, they could use a radius buff on just the base bomb kit, and an even larger radius when traited.

Lyuben.2613:

@Tigger

What led you to think I wasn’t?

And even if I was a level 1, and you were level 80, with full exotic and legendary weapons, it would never make your assertion that the advantage of the range of grenades is negligible or non existent.

It is negligible in this argument until you’re unkillable in dungeons.

You keep spouting out nonsense that just because something is in melee range it isn’t good and gets you killed. Even if that same thing has the utility to manage, and has done just that for the person who plays it.

Your precise argument doesn’t have a point

If it was impossible to die with 1500 range no one would ever think about running melee at all

Bombs might not be the most powerful engineer spec but godkittenits certainly the most fun.

Tigger.8035:

Lyuben.2613:

@Tigger

What led you to think I wasn’t?

And even if I was a level 1, and you were level 80, with full exotic and legendary weapons, it would never make your assertion that the advantage of the range of grenades is negligible or non existent.

It is negligible in this argument until you’re unkillable in dungeons.

You keep spouting out nonsense that just because something is in melee range it isn’t good and gets you killed. Even if that same thing has the utility to manage, and has done just that for the person who plays it.

Your precise argument doesn’t have a point

If it was impossible to die with 1500 range no one would ever think about running melee at all

That’s not the point at all. Unless you haven’t noticed, boss melee attacks are stronger than ranged attacks, and when you are a ranged character, you aren’t immune to damage, but you are in a much better place than someone who stays in melee.

And guess what, melee characters do have a harder time in dungeons, its true. Most builds have a ranged weapon with them, not because of varieties sake, but because some bosses have very deadly, one shot or persistent ground effects that makes melee suicide.

Range does have a significant advantage over melee, and often the reason melee is viable is because it does higher damage, but the way bombs work is, they don’t do higher damage, their damage is very similar to grenades, and with grenadier, grenades win out every time.

Honestly I can’t see it, i’ve gone back and played with it more and I just can;t see the use since even with less damage I can do most of the same stuff with grenades at range .

If you just made them mines, or at least on proximity they would be far more useful. Even with the healing, simply giving the option to set them off like the remote mine would give some controlled healing while damaging the enemy.

From the thread what I’m reading suggests that most people only use it for the elixir bomb talent and not really using it outside of that. So basically…worthless. That or only useful in pve and that is it, cause as a thief with the blade/pistol I can swoop in and do a lot of damage before teleporting back before you get the chance to lay the first bomb, why take them when better options exist?

I use the bomb kit for utility, it gives me a reliable fire combo field which I can blast might buffs for me and my teammates with, and incredible smoke bomb which I can use to do stealth shannagians with, and the Big Ol’ Bomb is just absolutely incredible. And the rest of the abilities on the kit are great to use while your running away.

Here’s a tip: Bomb kits isn’t for everything; we’ve grenade kits, rifles, flamethrowers, elixir guns, and pistols for a reason. That melee boss/ranged mob too far to get into melee range giving you too much trouble? CHANGE WEAPONS. And for everything else…

I have soloed Champion mobs using just the bomb kit. I have soloed ten mobs at once with it too.

If that’s not useful for you, I can’t help you understand the utility of kiting. You absolutely do not need to be in melee range for a kited mob to take damage from the basic bomb, let alone any of the bombs with a radius effect.

I swap between grenades and bombs depending on the situation and to maximize timers to keep all of my conditions up. I also have swift kits so the mobs better be faster than my permanent swiftness. If anything does start to get too close, I can drop the glue bomb, ice grenades, hit elixir B, BOB, or shield knockdown and we are off to the races again.

Ranged are their only weakness, but most ranged have no armor and die fast if you take away one shot with a smoke bomb, one shot with the pistol blindness, and one shot with the smoke grenades, as well as two quick stuns from a shield toss, and reflection from elixir B and the shield knockdown. Of course, while they are down, you surround them with bombs.

Bombs are central to my repertoire and are also the most effective siege equipment mop-up besides other siege. You can’t figure out how to use them? Try harder.

—Fikbomber of Sanctum of Rall