new player build and gear question
some people like the buffer. there is more to gw2 than dodging dungeon mechanics!
The problem with there being no comprehensive guide is that there are too many Engineer builds to make said guide, there is no best build for one gear set, and the effectiveness of a certain build and gear set is completely in the hands of the player.
The gear is going to depend on a lot of variables. What type of damage will you be dealing (primarily), which area of the game will you be playing (PvE, WvW, PvP), your skill level, what type of build (bunker/damage/support), etc.
Now it’s time to ask you a question or two (or more).
1) Surely you tried different builds and gear setups while leveling. Which did you feel most comfortable with? There’s no point in playing a build you don’t enjoy.
2) What type of game will you be playing at endgame? PvE (dungeons), PvP (hotjoin or organized), WvW (zerg, roaming, or small group)?
3) If you do have a preferred build that you’ve used before where do you feel your skill level is at? Will you need more defensive stats on your gear to compensate for poorly timed dodges, conditions, etc.?
I really like using grenades and have been using a 30/10/0/20/10, though this was just arbitrarily picking a forum post and copying it. I wasn’t sure which slot skills to use so i just took bomb kit and throw mine to stack might at the beginning of every fight, and also glue bomb for when my chill grenade is on CD to kite. At first, I think I’ll probably do a couple dungeons, but I honestly can’t do a dungeon that many times before getting bored. I’ll probably end up in WvW or PVP a lot (but you use different gear for sPVP anyways right), but just waiting on my copy of Windows (currently on a Mac and it lags during big events). I just wanna know which exotic gear to spend money on haha. I’m guessing if I wanna still use grenades I should put more into firearms for condition damage? I wouldn’t say my skill level was anywhere near good but I’d prefer to learn from dying a lot than playing it safe lol
Well for Grenades, HGH is currently big. Which is 30/10/0/30/0 with H/B/S/Grenade Kit.
You won’t have perma-swiftness from Speedy Kits, but you’ll pick up HGH which is a huge DPS boost. As for gear I play the Toolkit variant of HGH more often, but I use a mix of Carrion and Rabid gear with Coral (Rampager) jewels to get my crit chance up.
Would look something like this for an HGH Grenade build.
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fcAQJAqalspSXHxSfF17ICoC5loHPGlNZfewWpFEC-jkyA4sASLApMApQl1cogYVMI13pxqZwUpER1OkioVLEgj5A-w
Oh actually do people even use grenades in WvW? I can imagine it being quite difficult to aim your grenades, and can see it more as a dungeons thing.
Personally I’m in the same boat as you. I find WvW to be too chaotic to make effective use of Grenades, so I use the Toolkit variant of HGH. That and Toolkit offers a lot of utility combined with the defensive traits that would have otherwise gone into buffing Grenade Kit. Grenades do some serious damage in zerg and siege environments though.
Grenades are good in WvW from a long distance. I personally tried it, and didn’t like it much because of the aiming, more specifically aiming at people who were jumping all over the place and within 400 feet of me.
Try it and turn on your free camera, you can go back to standard camera by hitting both mouse buttons.
I ended up with a FT/Gadget build because I am so used to using the FT. I switch out what gadgets I use and sometimes use the EG if I want to have more support. The issue is distance, where farther than ~600 feet away you need more options. I just switch out and use my pistol at large distances, or maybe a good idea would be tool kits pull #5 to keep enemies close. Tool kit has become a very useful kit with the confusion, vulnerability, shield, and pull.
okay so gearwise which stats are you guys going for in your mentioned builds?
This is just a copypaste from another similar thread:
With engies, the general rule of thumb is that if you can justify your choices logically and run the build acceptably, it’s a viable build. There aren’t any engie skills considered worthless, and its very easy to put together a build suiting any particular skillset.
In general, I advocate focusing yourself on one area: choose between bunker, support, cc, crit damage, or condi damage. Pick a weapon that is applicable to your role (shield is amazing for bunker, pistols pack a punch with condis, rifle is godly for cc or crits) and in general, you’ll also want at least one kit that fills a similar or synergistic function. Toolkit is the canonical bunker kit, bombs function well with bunker and support if you take Elixir-Infused Bombs in the invention line, elixir gun works well with support, flamethrower works well with bunker or crits, and grenades work ok with crit or amazing with condis.
Once you’ve got that, you’re half done. Pick your utilities to complement your function: gadgets give cc and mobility, elixirs give damage buffs and support, turrets give CC and meh damage, and an all-kit build has crazy versatility but might not use a kit as well as a more specialized user.
Your elite skill, 90% of the time, will be supply drop. It’s too good of a skill to pass up, and is a really wonderful elite. Elixir X is unreliable, and the mortar, while a lovely idea, is extremely bugged (don’t use it).
Got this far? Now you’re in the home stretch! Choose traits to complement the big parts of your build. Focus on damage with grenades? Take explosive traits. Focus on damage with anything else? You’ll want firearms. Use elixirs? That’s what alchemy’s for. If you do WvW, I’ll strongly strongly recommend that you put 10 points into tools and take Speedy Kits, since it allows you to keep 100% swiftness on yourself.
As far as gear goes, see the same guidelines as the traits. Take what most enhances your primary focus. White damage will enjoy Berserker’s or Rampager’s (Typically Berserker > Rampager), condition damage will prefer Rabid or Carrion (Engineers typically benefit more from Rabid), bunker characters will want to look at Shaman’s, Soldier’s, Cleric’s, Apothecary’s, Settler’s, Sentinel’s, and/or Magi’s depending on the contents of their build.
Talia Gallowglass [Few] ~ Sylvari Engineer Main
Ferguson’s Crossing
Ferguson’s Crossing
This is just a copypaste from another similar thread:
With engies, the general rule of thumb is that if you can justify your choices logically and run the build acceptably, it’s a viable build. There aren’t any engie skills considered worthless, and its very easy to put together a build suiting any particular skillset.
In general, I advocate focusing yourself on one area: choose between bunker, support, cc, crit damage, or condi damage. Pick a weapon that is applicable to your role (shield is amazing for bunker, pistols pack a punch with condis, rifle is godly for cc or crits) and in general, you’ll also want at least one kit that fills a similar or synergistic function. Toolkit is the canonical bunker kit, bombs function well with bunker and support if you take Elixir-Infused Bombs in the invention line, elixir gun works well with support, flamethrower works well with bunker or crits, and grenades work ok with crit or amazing with condis.
Once you’ve got that, you’re half done. Pick your utilities to complement your function: gadgets give cc and mobility, elixirs give damage buffs and support, turrets give CC and meh damage, and an all-kit build has crazy versatility but might not use a kit as well as a more specialized user.
Your elite skill, 90% of the time, will be supply drop. It’s too good of a skill to pass up, and is a really wonderful elite. Elixir X is unreliable, and the mortar, while a lovely idea, is extremely bugged (don’t use it).
Got this far? Now you’re in the home stretch! Choose traits to complement the big parts of your build. Focus on damage with grenades? Take explosive traits. Focus on damage with anything else? You’ll want firearms. Use elixirs? That’s what alchemy’s for. If you do WvW, I’ll strongly strongly recommend that you put 10 points into tools and take Speedy Kits, since it allows you to keep 100% swiftness on yourself.
As far as gear goes, see the same guidelines as the traits. Take what most enhances your primary focus. White damage will enjoy Berserker’s or Rampager’s (Typically Berserker > Rampager), condition damage will prefer Rabid or Carrion (Engineers typically benefit more from Rabid), bunker characters will want to look at Shaman’s, Soldier’s, Cleric’s, Apothecary’s, Settler’s, Sentinel’s, and/or Magi’s depending on the contents of their build.
wow this is exactly what i was looking for thanks!