Guild Wars 2

Guanglai Kangyi.4318:

Phineas Poe.3018:

Guanglai Kangyi.4318:

Ronin.5038:

Shaogin.2679:

Thanks for all the useful info. And yes, my main concern was dealing with random pugs holding me back. Quick question though, I’ve been under the impression that the Bomb Kit out damages the Grenade Kit. And Vuln stacking should be about the same between the two since Bomb 2, 4, and 5 tick Vuln on pulse as well. Is this not right?

Bomb kit does out damage the grenade kit.
Grenade kit is much superior to bomb kit for vulnerability stacking. 3 vulnerability per throw > 1 vulnerability per bomb even when pulsing.

Also, the downside of thumper turret is that it has a long cooldown (50 seconds) which doesn’t match even 100% might duration (40 seconds) while elixir gun can provide the same amount of blast finishers (3) in the time it takes for thumper turret to come off cooldown + you get extra useful skills to go with it. Just got to weigh up your options. Do you want burst stacking might or continuous sustained might? Which one would be better for a pug scenario?

Grenades do more than bombs. The “bombs outDPS grenades” thing was a mistake by people who basically slotted bombs, went “hey my numbers feel bigger than with grenades” without actually testing or analyzing any of it, and starting repeating it on various forums.

Bombs do beat out grenades in DIRECT damage, but the total damage from grenades is higher once you factor in bleed damage. Moreover, if you are not otherwise already capping vuln, the extra vuln you get from the grenades will make up the direct damage difference as well. In practice you will do much more damage with grenades, but it won’t be as obvious because some of it will be condition damage.

The only time you will generally be favoring bombs over grenades is when 1) you’re already capped on vuln AND 2) your team has enough DPS that mobs drop before you can build up any appreciable bleed. If those two conditions aren’t met, favor grenades unless fighting a mob who is immune to conditions..

Even with the bleed stacks, bombs do more damage. This is based off their higher attack speed AND higher power coefficient. And then there is burning and confusion in the mix.

Grenades are to be used if, and only if, your group cannot maintain 25 vulnerability. It also helps if you’re doing something like Frawley Shaman in FOTM and need the range.

At the end of the day, both options are fine. Use what you like.

Edit: On my autocorrecting tablet at work. Frawley = Grawl. Leaving it there because it amuses me.

Grenades do more, including bleed stacks, precisely because of said bleed stacks, as the bleed is pretty significant. That’s also completely disregarding the extra 10 or so stacks of vuln you’re getting from the grenades pushing their direct DPS up even higher.

Right now the warrior meta is to give up your offhand entirely just so you can take Rending Strikes for an extra 3 stacks of vuln, lots of classes would kill for a weapon that stacks 20 vuln by itself without any DPS loss. Running bombs basically ruins the main sell of the engineer.

Care to show me ur maths??

ellesee.8297:

30 into firearms give you +5% damage to bleeding targets, and +2% for every condition, which usually ends up being 10-14% dmg increase. and you get some bleed damage increase with the +300 condi dmg.

if you decide to run a grenade/static discharge setup, 30/0/0/10/30 will be better.

So how can u have 5-7 condition on mob permanently? At least for my team(war+guard+mes+eng), we usually have 4 cond up the whole time which comes up around 8% increases.

No stun break?Seriously?
I believe u should always have at least one stun breaker in PVE~Unless they make entering DS as a new stun break method~

I suspect this has something to do with Reckless Dodge trait…. Sometimes the dodge ends immediately. It has no animation nor normal evade effect, but the small aoe from Reckless Dodge still apply(with aoe animation). This always happened while very close to a foe, especially for those that has large size of collision body. For example, the Searing Effigy of Ferrah path in Citadel of Flame.

We were fighting the Giant Spider BOSS in AC… As soon as the BOSS died, I received a poison condition that has no outer(around the icon) nor number indicator of time remaining… I have never seen anything like that before. I guess someone was stepped into the poison field the spider left behind. All conditions I had in the fight was sent to BOSS by Putrid Mark before it died, so I know for sure that the poison was grabbed from others.

That permanent poison have all usual effects. I managed to sent it to those Gravelings, but there were other party members applied poison to them and I lost track. Seems if a new condition apply, it will break the permanent effect and start the time remaining count down.

Drarnor Kunoram.5180:

I’ve never seen a Guardian be very successful with spamming whirl finshers. Come to think of it, I’ve only rarely seen them running around with greatswords.

They are surely have scepter and focus on their hands with staff at the back~

That just glass, not cannon~

Ursan.7846:

Kain Francois.4328:

The workaround does work but cages are still broken. He teleports me into a cage I cannot break out of.

Have you tried to aoe the cages? I first thought I couldn’t hit the cages, but realized my AOEs hit them.

Not everyone has direct AOE ability~I cant get the cage open with my P/S engineer…

Go for Berserker’s Power~If you dont have at least 50% critical chance, you are not qualified for critical build~

Yukishiro.8792:

Yeah, that sounds about right. Several of the other passive regens tick for that amount too. Warrior is the only one I know of that goes higher, and that’s only if you have 2 or 3 adrenaline.

Backpack regenerator heal same amount as average heal from 3 stacks adrenaline healing.
But worrier’s healing signet was way better than that~

DreamyAbaddon.3265:

There are no DPS class bro…
This combat system is focused on Strategies based on Damage/Control/Support.

You need to deal “damage” just like every other class.
You need to stay in “Control” just like every other class.
You need to “Support” yourself/others just like every other class.

It boils down to playstyle prefferences.
If only thing you focus on is DPS… Yeah, You’ll be in trouble.

Then most of the warrior are in trouble~~

Lewis Burnell.2493:

Why do people use any other skill calculators besides http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/ the rest are just garbage, or the links don’t work!

Interesting~~
I found that gw2skill.net was the only skill calculator that always shows bad link on this forum. And not as handy as the others.

PmLinkman.7580:

Thanks, I think I’ll take ten out of tools then. Would removing static discharge be a horrible idea? I’ve heard some high praises of it.

This depends on your skill set…For me, it wont do any good as my toolbelt skill were Mending(healing kit), Regen(Elixir Gun), Stability/Cloak(Elixir S) and Revive(Elixir R). None of them were frequently used: healing only activate when needed to, the last two has very long CD. Hence it would be a waste for me to get this trait with this skill set. If you like this trait, I suggest you bring something like Elixir H(20sec) or Rifle Turret(10sec).

30 firearm(+range, -CD, pistol shot pierce) and 10 tools(speedy kit) is a must….
Others are up to you~~

Cempa.3645:

amiable.4823:

Why did you put all those points in Invention? that really doesn’t have much synergy with the rest of the build. Move 20 points to firearms and 10 to explosives. I think you would be far better off.

http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=-V70;2Z;0h0k5cQkw0;9;49T-T-4;0568;119A;14;5CoF2CoF26gK

Is this a better build AND is it a solid one?

20% burning doesnt do anything at all…Suggest increase firing range~

Casia.4281:

Grenades are used by 9/10 engies for a reason.
And gain a good 80% damage increase with 25 and 30 points in explosive. In fact, increase everyones damage on target by 24% pretty much.
If you want to use grenades, its really hard to justify not going 30 explosives. Steel-packed and grenadier are simply. way too good.
They out damage everything else by a very significant amount.

Where to put the rest?
I honestly feel the Alch line is also, much much better then the rest.
formula 409 is god mode. conditions become a thing of the past when you have it.
H.G.H is also quite good. It can be good, or really really good. 30% boon duration just by going 30 in alch. 10-20% boon duration on food. 20% boon duration on rune, or 20% might duration. (probably can 2piece for even more.)
Then elixir up. Elixir H by itself isnt very good. As you say, medkit or turret. but with 409 cleansing, its now 2 cleanes. and with hgh. its 2 mights.
The throw is prot, regen, or vigor. 2 out of 3 are useful under fire.
Elixir B is pretty fantastic. 2 stacks of might on use. fury, swift, and ret. 13,15,or 17s durations depending on +boon amount. The use elixir B at 75% gains from hgh, and 409 as well. it will give you 2 stacks of might, and cleanse you. the throw B is completely unreliable as it only gives 1 of those buffs. But with 409 and hgh, its now reliable might and cleanse.
Elixir R. Break stun. (fear, kb, kd, stun) refills end, for 2 more dodge rolls. And throw is res. you can res yourself. Also pulses cond removal.
Elixir U. Utility. While B is supreme buffs. Giving you raw power. U gives you some nice options. The self use gives quickness. Note also gains 409 and hgh. but lets you burst a TON of damage. spamming g1. Toss Elixir U is very underrated. The randomness scared many away. It will drop 1 of 3 walls. A mesmer Viel. A thief smokescreen, or a guardian wall of reflection. 2 of the 3 have similar functions. Smokescreen blocks projectiles, while wall of reflect reflects them. so that is what its used for, pretty reliably. Veil, stealths those that enter it. A totally different need, unfortunately, and one you can’t control. smoke is a smoke field, for blinding/stealth on combos as well, while veil and reflect are light field.
Alch’s base is +30% boon duration, and +3000 life.

Most gadgets are terrible. Ram gives a KB if you really need it. though, you could just kit FT, for a KB and other skills.

For the moment, the bugged elixir gun still the best option for healing and cure~For long term based 409 + elixir H were good conditional removal method. But for the moment, you dont need cure at all…Just spawn super elixir and stay in the condition field freely. Even without the bug, the fear removal ability still better than what 409 can offer. This is PVE we are talking about, you dont really need that much of condition removal. Plus elixir gun+ kit refinement also able to grant you condition cure every 10 seconds. Please note that the 1st super elixir you get from kit refinement can be activated regardless your situation: control, knocked down or in the air(recently fixed)

I dont think there will be an viable build for this set…
Grenade need 30 Explosive, Pistol need 30 Firearm. You wont be using both as 10 more point needed for speedy kit in Tools with other traits remain untouched. This will get you into a vulnerable position.

I dont see why you need both Grenade and Pistol anyway, they are both doing the same job. You get to choose which one you want to enhance.

This is the build I am using right now.
http://www.guildhead.com/skill-calc#mcMzM9Mz0mlGvomlGvo0x0GGombzsom8kiT7kin7070z7khT707kuW70V7owX70m

Orion the Cursed.1206:

You dont need to do it tho, because flame throwers by default apply burn,

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Flamethrower

It works better if when you use Incendiary Ammo with standard weapons or other kits (with aoe)

Best with grenade, good with pistol~Not so useful with all other sets~

Pistol doesnt math in this way~~It need pierce trait from 30 firearm to work~~
For each mob you pierce in area you get 100% increase of DPS~
And as such, pistol not very useful while again single target~

Tsori.8245:

Kits don’t use stats as they still use the “pickup weapon” system that enviromental weapons use. Same goes for thiefs stolen weaps. Reason this hasn’t been changed is that the engine currently factors in slotted weapons with stats yet our kits do not use a equipment slot so as far as the engines concerned you have no such weapon.

What people here want is for them to combine the two independent systems within combat to allow the stats of one to effect the other but doing that would directly change environmental weapons to also use weapon stats, if not for all classes at least for the engi.

They won’t do that.

The other option is to redesign kits to not be droppable weapons using the pickup system and instead as animations as part of skills. However again..skills don’t get separate skill bars, that’s part of the pickup system. So that would have to be changed too. Then, as a result the kits would use your overall stats, not just the weapon ones. Still better than nothing? Maybe, but then kits would need rebalancing due to various buffs and boons from skills, utilities, other players would all effect the kits damage.

As it stands now, we cry for stats on kits however the consequence would be that kits would be nerfed heavily and wouldn’t give us the damage they do now until you are in exotics with max gear and buffed up. As has been said, kits are tuned to be, like all pickup weapons, average damage expected at your level. At 80 that is exotic level. Granted it may need buffing, but stats won’t happen no matter how’s much you ask.

Besides, there’s 2 devs responsible for the classes.. This won’t happen.

Read what they changed for ele elemental weapon on this patch and perhaps you will have a better insight of what they can do about it. They managed to show love on skill that generally just for fun and totally ignored those were frequently used. No wonder ppl QQ about engineer got no love at all…

Mazra.1625:

Krisstina.7238:

ElixirGun has no DPS at all~

That’s a fairly inaccurate statement, considering four out of five of the Elixir Gun’s abilities deal damage.

OP, I use the Elixir Gun to great effect on single target fights where I need more survivability than the rifle alone can give me. That being said, the strength of a Kit Engineer lies in constantly swapping kits to get access to the abilities you need. For instance, the Elixir Gun’s Acid Bomb is fairly powerful, but it works best if you can keep the target in the area of effect, which can be done by using the rifle’s Net Shot.

To answer your question: You should also use the rifle/pistol because it grants you access to abilities that synergize with the Elixir Gun’s abilities.

Those “Better than nothing” ability doesnt make ElixirGun a viable main weapon. If that was what OP trying to do.

ElixirGun has no DPS at all~

Ploppy.2917:

Two things:

- Engineers are supposed to use kits to compensate for their perceived shortcomings. You’re not using any kits.

- Warriors are supposed to be a high-DPS, high survivability class. Engineers are supposed to be a high flexibility class with more than two or three strengths.

Engineer do missing long ranged single targeting DPS ability~Grenade was good for stationary target only~All the sudden, a heavy armor class can easily do tons of damage while a medium armor class need to go into the hot zone in order to get a match? I’m not buying it~

ElixirGun + Kit Refinement for infinite small amount healing and condition removal. ElisirGun toolbelt skill regeneration wasnt useful, but better than nothing. Since I only have one utility slot available for kit and it has been occupied by ElixirGun, I bring medkit to get swiftness…..
Super Elixir+ Backpack Regenerator+Dolyah Rune was unmatchable. I dont even need to worry about incoming condition…..

Vekthor.8914:

Yeah, I know there are better options for healing. I was using a condition damage build with P/P and the elixir gun, but I felt it was lacking in damage, so I switched to a Power/Precision bomb build. I was more interested in knowing if the healing bombs were worth the heavy speccing in Inventions or not, so that I can get some health back while also dealing decent damage.

As for Backpack Regenerator, I tried that, but it didn’t seem to work. I just didn’t get regeneration at all when I used it with any kits. Maybe it’s a bug.

@Emapudapus: Thank you very much for the help. This is more or less what I was trying to discover, how much the healing was. Since I don’t have the intention of speccing in Healing gear, I suppose it’d be a really small amount of healing, right? So I suppose it’s not worth the investiment, since I’d lose all that precision.

You dont need to keep using ElixirGun, just switch to it when needed for like 1 second. I was thinking about healing bomb like you do…But the disadvantage were much greater: you need to get close to target for DPS, that will draw you into melee ranged..I dont see how a bomb kit build would grant you enough survivability to get that close to the hot zone.

If you wanna do some support healing, better to use ElixirGun with Kit Refinement~Even without any healing it still does a constance 150HP per second at level 80 with large AOE….The trick is: switch to elixirgun give you 1st Super Elixir. After it depleted, switch to elixirgun again and use Super Elixit directly…Both effect has a 10 second duration and 20 second CD. If you just want some healing for yourself, get Backpack Regenerator from 20 Alchemy.

Moonrabbit.1543:

Thanks for the replies. Is there a gear database that can be used to compare stats among items for a given profession level?

http://www.gw2db.com/recipes
On drop down menu, choose Leatherworker…

Orion the Cursed.1206:

YES, engineers do not get weapon bonus when they equip kits. However most kits still do more damage than rifle so i dont see a problem. The ones that dont give really good utility skills. You can also swap kits with virtually no cooldown.

The only down side is i’m not motivated to upgrade my weapons to lvl 80 exotics.

You dont happened to notice even a healing ele can easily do the same amount of DPS as a precision engineer, did you??

Orion the Cursed.1206:

pistols = condition
rifle = critical+perception
grenade= power+boon
bomb = power + healing
flamethrower = condition
elixir = healing+condition+boon
turret+shield = toughness+heal

Decide what build you want to stick with by lvl 60. Then choose your armor based on that stat and just buy it from trade. Personally i dont use dual pistols because if i want to play with aoe and conditions, flamethrowers are better. Rifles are versatile because you can immobilize and knock down in PvP and Blunderbuss and jump shot in pve. Shields are also good if you want to stall for turrets or allies as well as running away.

I dont think condition is a viable option for enigneer..The duration wasnt long enough to gain benefit. In my opinion, only two option suit engineer in PVE: You either choose 30 explosive for brainless Grenade spawn, or 30 firearm for rifle/pistol…….No matter which path you choose, you need to spend 10 point on Tools for Speedy Kit, and better to have 10 Alchemy for Vigor…Because engineer was more like a medium ranged class, I would be better to choose anything that gave Toughness. Personally I suggest Knight set..
Also, with 30 firearm, pistol AOE were far more effective than flamethrower~Dual pistol have immobilize ability, shield grant you stun/interruption. Both set were very handy..I suggest u bring all of them and use the right set base on the situation you are going to face. For example, I prefer shield in AC as shield 5 can stop Graveling from knocking down ppl to death. While in COF, pistol 5 was a better option.

One last thing, dont expect that turret would do any good. They were too stupid to find the right target.

One true good thing that mortar does was it grant you control effect immunity~

You dont need anything until level 65……Because any gears below 65 only have 2 stat~

The Dolyak rune isnt for lv80~~It mean nothing in lv80 area, but significance in lower level~
It used to have a 30/s constant regen on any level~Now they changed a bit, but still does 23/s in AC~

MikeT.9428:

Broken Angel.4956:

Its also easier to jsut put on auto attack on flamethrower and turn in circles with mouse, instead of using mouse to target grenades >_<

What he said. I find it the best overall. Grenades are ok for certain DE’s but I don’t like them as the best over all. I use speedy kits with the flamethrower and grenades to move between spawn points. I do use the grenade toolbelt skill fairly often and do use grenades for the champion (end of plinx chain) and some veterans but for general trash mobs it’s hard to beat swiftness and the flamethower IMO.

You dont need two kit to get infinite speedy…….switch to kit then press weapon switch and you will back to main weapon in no time.

AlietteFaye.7316:

I assure you that Grenades is the way to go for tagging mobs. When you’re farming in Orr, you’ll quickly learn the patterns that mobs spawn in for DEs. You’ll know beforehand where to be, and where to aim. Grenades have a larger AoE, and they don’t miss. You can lay down poison fields and get tags on mobs that spawn in the fields while throwing grenades in a completely different spot. Grenades are tops for AoE, and for CS DE farming.

That depends…Generally Grenades out DPS other method,yes..But if the pack was large enough, pistol1 out DPS everything….For each mob it pierced, you get 100% extra damage~Hence I dont usually equip flamethrower anymore, because pistol beat it in any way, I just keeping it as a mean to attack through walls..Another problem of Grenades is it doesnt do auto attack on land…You have to keep pressing keyboard all the time.