Guild Wars 2

Pistol/Shield is strong but so is Rifle if you want to be more offensive then defensive. Blunderbus and jumpshot for burst. Netshot and overcharged for control. Scales better with power which is what you should be focused on when using FT. Yes you’ll be spending most of your time in FT for might stacking etc. but swapping over to rifle to lay down your burst or cc your enemy is very useful.

You can’t have two on hit effect sigils working at once. Losing a sigil does suck…wish 2h weapons had room for 2.

Kalan.9705:

3d seconds of dazing yourself, is often more beneficial to your opponents than the invulnerability with shrink which warms them not to blow any cooldowns is benefit to you.

It’s a junk trait since elixir-s was made wothless except for stomping in spvp etc.

Couldn’t agree with this more. Every time I see a fellow engineer running around tiny in wvw I switch targets the them immediately because most likely they popped S because they were in trouble. As soon as there 3 seconds of running around doing nothing ends I can usually down them pretty easily and once downed…well you know how helpless we are. The only real use I get out of S now is when I need to suicide run past a bunch of people in front of a keep/tower. I’ll drop S and hope for invis on the approach then burn S and fire off rocket boots right as it wears of and hope I make it in. The skill is indeed a ghost of its former self but I’m not sure how they could fix it to make it better than now but not as good as before though.

Maskaganda.2043:

thanks
there are alot of new possibilities around, I’m considering running a totally different build with rocket boots to remove some mobility conditions and eg/healing turret to remove other stuff when needed.

Rocket boots are the funnest addition to the engineer that I’ve seen…highly recommended. I’ve dropped elixir C from my skills recently and while I miss it at times I’m finding it is as bad as I though and all I have is the med kits drop removal.

Not as boring might be tougher to accomplish. I mean you are going to be doing a lot of bomb 1 because it scales best with power (doing 1600-1900 aoe damage with a non crit AOE auto attack is nice steady damage vs groups). Honestly I’d drop the tool kit and add slick shoes and rocket boots to your arsenal. Rocket boots are just plain fun and very effective now and slick shoes are fun to knock people down with as you run amok in a group of them. Yes fire bomb and concusion bomb aren’t helpful in a P/V/T build but the other three skills are, as is big ol’ bomb. Rifle also scales alright with power so bring it with you as well to give you more options….might also consider running 30/0/30/10/0 (with power shoes, med kit, and the new rocket boots you don’t need speedy kits, and elixir filled bombs is good healing that’s made more effective by your high toughness).

FT can do well in large fights for sure but it is a power kit not a condition kit. EG has condi stuff but isn’t that good of an offensive kit either so I’m not sure why you are stacking so much condition damage. With no stun break and that low of hps/toughness I wouldn’t want to get into FT range vs any large number of people. Get soldiers gear and trinkets or get some knights stuff.

Also I’ve never ran in a large group and not had perma swiftness from nothing more than med kit and aoe swiftness from other classes so speedy kits is a waste skill points that brings nothing to the build and more than that even it has reverse synergy with juggernaut because you’ll constantly lose might because you’re trying to keep your swiftness up.

edit: just remembered EG stunbreak comments stand though too squishy for zerg fighting at FT range.

nakoda.4213:

re: empowering adrenaline;

yet, that 5% boost is only when it is full, and not recharging.

one of the issues we have as engineers are a surplus of abilities that are situation dependent, like scope, and empowering adrenaline, etc.

energy conversion matrix, like juggernaut, deadly mixture, and speedy kits, are all passively granted abilities that enhance us simply by being there.

we have enough work to do managing cooldowns and kits never mind having to also worry about having a full energy bar, especially so since dodging is actually one of our main methods of avoiding conditions with many of our available build options

Are you sure you aren’t thinking of Stabilized armor? It fits your tanky 0/30/20/20/0 spec better. I’ve considered taking both just so I wouldn’t have to worry if my endurance was empty or full but honestly the bonuses seem a bit backwards to me, I’m more likely to want the 5% less damage after a dodge and the 5% more damage when I don’t have to dodge but can just stand my ground and attack.

edit: Realized you were talking about enduring damage in the tools line, I haven’t put 30 in tools in so long I had forgot it existed

Phineas Poe.3018:

Skitza.4069:

Well I didn’t see it anywhere in his initial updated post or anywhere in the first 4 or 5 pages of posts that seemed to get more off topic and a bit trolltastic. Maybe somewhere in that thread he talks about why it is superior to put 10 more in alchemy instead of 10 more in explosives but I didn’t see the discussion. The 100 power and 10% condition duration seem just as good if not better than the 100 vit and 10% boon duration to me. You might need to slot elixir C to have enough condition removal when 409 is gone but the trade for extra stacks of might seems fair…but that isn’t talked about in any of his alternatives in that link.

Two reasons:

The first is that more Boon Duration = More Might

1 stack of Might is 35 Power, 35 Condition Damage. Let’s say you’re running 6 Runes of Altruism with 30 Alchemy. That’s 45% Boon Duration.

Juggernaut applies 1 stack of Might every 3 seconds each that last for 15 seconds. With base Boon Duration that’s 5 total stacks. With 45% Boon Duration that’s 7 sustained stacks of Might. With 35% Boon Duration that’s 6 sustained stacks of Might. You’re actually not gaining 100 Power with 10 points in Explosives. You’re actually only gaining 65.

And Condition Duration? For what? Flamethrower Engineers have access to more than plenty Burning applications to permanently sustain it with only 10 points in Explosives. Another 10% isn’t enough to get an extra stack of Bleed from Sharpshooter either, so you gain nothing there. And 10% increased duration of Vulnerability against bosses? You will hardly notice.

The second reason, which compounds on the first one, is that Energy Conversion Matrix gives you a flat 1% boost in damage for every Boon you have. You may think that isn’t a whole lot; 1% is hardly noticeable.

But the difference between 2000 Power and 2100 Power in the output of your damage, when applied to a skill co-efficient, is usually around a 1% difference in damage. And actually: many times less.

If you’re running Infused Precision and Invigorating Speed, on top of Might and Fury, that’s a flat 4% increase in your damage which will significantly outperform an extra 100 Power in your build.

The whole advantage to running 20 Explosives is actually not about the Power and Condition Duration at all: It’s Enhance Performance giving you 3 extra stacks of Might. But I don’t know about you, but when I’m feeling serious about my Might stacking I can get to 19 stacks of Might all by myself.

99% of the time, the other 6 stacks of Might are granted by someone else. We are, after all, not the only class that can stack Might.

As for condi removal, I recommend Cleaning Formula 409 to start but I haven’t used it in weeks. Not since I swapped to the Healing Turret in dungeons.

Now this is more like it. Real discussion and some good points I would say most of my disagreement comes from play styles and situations I suppose, I rarely find myself having another 6 stacks of might from another class so enhanced performance is invaluable and I really enjoy the knee shot trait (you can apply it so quickly with net shot or net turret) so getting an extra second out of its duration from that 10% is nice but other than that you are right it doesn’t extend much. I can see how in an optimized group the 10 in explosives is less helpful and more dead weight but in the situations I am usually in they aren’t.

Energy conversion matrix is nice boost that I hadn’t considered fully and I can see how keeping it at a pretty steady 4% is doable. I will ask what you think of empowering adrenaline though. I don’t currently run the invigorating speed/infused precision combination so I find myself fighting with my endurance bar recharging pretty frequently and the flat 5% damage boost is nice. I’ve used this skill a lot lately in a tanky bomb build I run and it seems to do really well but I haven’t actually tried it with my FT yet. I’ve got around 6-7k kills in wvw and the majority of them can be attributed to my trust FT so I am always looking for new takes on how to baptize my enemies with fire. Thanks for the reply

Oh and as an aside healing turret is hard to beat for group play and I like the changes they made to it. I was a little miffed about the loss of initial healing at first but it grows on you…although sometimes I wonder how my builds would be different if 409 effected gadgets instead of potions but that is a thought for another thread.

Well I didn’t see it anywhere in his initial updated post or anywhere in the first 4 or 5 pages of posts that seemed to get more off topic and a bit trolltastic. Maybe somewhere in that thread he talks about why it is superior to put 10 more in alchemy instead of 10 more in explosives but I didn’t see the discussion. The 100 power and 10% condition duration seem just as good if not better than the 100 vit and 10% boon duration to me. You might need to slot elixir C to have enough condition removal when 409 is gone but the trade for extra stacks of might seems fair…but that isn’t talked about in any of his alternatives in that link.

Chris Regian.3048:

I definitely like the sigil of strength, but I dont know if I will be switching in and out of the flamethower enough to utilize the sigil of battle. Does anyone have an opinion on whether the power boost of sigil of bloodlust or the slight crit chance increase (since the flamethrower can crit easily already and I am using berserker gear for increased crit damage) from sigil of accuracy would be better?

Honestly if you are playing to your full potential you should be switching kits/weapons often enough to keep battle up pretty much constantly. With sigil of battle, 2x runes of altruism, enhanced performance and med kit you can gain 9 stacks of might every time you switch to med kit to drop stimulant, it is very powerful. I suppose with two sets of might duration runes and 20 in alchemy you could stack might to 24ish with just one swap to med kit then swap back every 10 seconds not bad opportunity cost for the gain.

I mentioned bloodlust and force in my post because they are the best option in pretty much every case, I think that in the rare case that you have a lot of +crit damage and low crit you might actually get more damage out of a sigil of accuracy (say if you had a lot of valkyrie or cavalier armor that raised crit damage without boosting your crit chance).

Since I didn’t see anything the same I thought I would share a p/s FT build that I’ve used variations of in PvE and pvp. Now I use some celestial stuff in the build as it can take advantage of all the stats to some extent and I’m not sure what i would swap them for. Probably just berserker stuff for more damage. I came up with this when I was trying to find something I liked that didn’t revolve around might stacking with HGH. Points are 20/30/0/20/0

http://gw2buildcraft.com/calculator/engineer/?2.3|a.1g.h2.e.1g.h1h|0.0.0.0.0.0|1g.a7.1g.a7.1g.a7.1g.a7.1g.a7.1g.a7|411.0.211.0.311.0.211.0.1c.67.1c.67|k5a.u58b.0.k67.0|39.1|2d.2i.2v.2w.30|e

I’m sure the slot skills are debatable. I like med pack because it lets you maintain 12 stacks of might with ease (no HGH chugging down your utility skills, no 2x runes of holebrak, fire, strength needed). You can get another 3 stacks from shield 4 and if you decide to swap out med pack for healing turret for more group healing and con removal you can get another 3 stacks from blowing it up too. Start with a sigil of bloodlust and change it to sigil of force once you hit your 25 stacks.

Phineas Poe.3018:

Kain Francois.4328:

Except in GW1 the Elite skills were actually game-changing and had a decent cooldown.

Where in GW2 we have…. Mortar -.-

Supply Crate is definitely a game-changer.

While I agree with this I think changing my Supply Crate out for another block, pull with a good range, cripple, and another source of confusion would be a good trade. Perhaps I’m a bit biased but it seems to me that the engineer would benefit more than any other class if the elite slot could be slotted like any of the regular slots. Also our elite slot should have a tool belt skill like our other slots

Why not drop speedy kits and add kit refinement? I know its not nearly as good now as it was but that new vacuum bomb thing could substitute for binding blade.

Maskaganda.2043:

JonPeters.5630:

Ok, I have looked at this. It has always been the case and it is not trivial to fix, but I will look into it.

Jon

you are right, I just checked some older footage and it was the case before. how weird that I never noticed it.

truthfully, I only noticed it today because I wasn’t getting corruption stacks after 2 or 3 player stomps under S.

thanks for looking into it.

My guess is you never noticed it before because you were too busy doing something more useful than watching your hps bubble while under elixir S lol. This explains the random instant deaths I’ve gotten when hitting this skill, time to swap out my vitality weapons for something less dangerous.

I haven’t read the whole tread so I don’t know if it has been suggested but the one change they could make right now that would improve gadgets a lot would be allowing cleaning formula 409 to effect them or adding a similar trait to the inventions line. I know some of them cure random stuff like blind but I really think this would help get them on peoples hot bars.

I have seen a few kill shot warriors in wvw lately but I haven’t had a chance to 1v1 one yet. I did have a question though does shield 4 reflect kill shot for full damage??

You have no blocks, no invulnerability, no stun break, and a single cleanse that you can’t even use if you are rooted. I wouldn’t venture out into wvw like that with the bomb kit which requires you to be in the middle of the enemy to use. You will get focused and you will melt. Pistol/shield would add some survivability I suppose and honestly I’d consider dropping the turret I just don’t think it is going to last/be effective in medium or large group fights and adding elixir S or elixir C. I do think cripple is awesome though so I’d consider dropping speedy kits, adding power shoes and putting those points in firearms for knee shot which is awesome with net shot or glue bomb.

danbuter.2314:

That looks pretty fun!

Yeah it has been great fun. I will add though that last night I decided to swap out elixir R for the tool kit (keeping pretty much everything else the same) to see how it would work out. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to stack as much might because I’m out a potion but because you can now take advantage of the sigil of battle you can get just as much might if not more than having all potions. The added pull, awesome block, and of course pry bar are all very nice additions. I’ve never actually used the tool kit much before so I was still learning how to play it properly when I swapped too it and that definitely lead to some awkward moments but as I learned it more I’d say it was worth adding. I was tempted to change things more and go up the tools line but I wanted to see how it functioned on its own first.

I’d say I took a non kit build I was using and liking and turned it into a kit build that functions similarly but I feel is actually better overall. I’m not sure what that says about the viability of non kit builds lol

Shoyoko.7309:

Skitza.4069:

Well I’ve been thinking about trying something like this but haven’t yet. This is a little bit of theorycraft on my part but why not try to work bomb kit into the mix for gluebomb, fire field, smoke field, and confusion? Something like this (might have to cut and paste it)

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fcEQFAUlspyXnrynF17IBIF71uiUofK/5hcbbaB

Net shot, Net attack, net turret, and glue bomb make for some serious immobilization, vulnerability, and cripple with these traits. Running elixir H and S with 409 also gives you 4 ways to clear conditions and an awesome stun break as mentioned above. I’m not sure what runes I’d try and run with this but I think it is something I’m going to have to try in the near future.

It’s a good idea however to use glue bomb you need to be in melee range which kinda counteracts the use of immobilization and rifle’s range. I feel like rifle and net turret is really good for playing keep away.
I made a similiar build using nades instead of bomb kit and I had a really fun time playing it, against TA morgana’s spiders boss that thing couldn’t move while I was spazzing out nades.
It’s funny just to see the boss just stand in the middle while everyone just needed to stand at range and dish out their attacks.

I tend to look at it as holding them in place for my concussion bomb, fire bomb, bluderbus, and jump shot. Immobilization can help you stay in melee range just as easily as it can keep people out of melee range.

Well I’ve been thinking about trying something like this but haven’t yet. This is a little bit of theorycraft on my part but why not try to work bomb kit into the mix for gluebomb, fire field, smoke field, and confusion? Something like this (might have to cut and paste it)

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fcEQFAUlspyXnrynF17IBIF71uiUofK/5hcbbaB

Net shot, Net attack, net turret, and glue bomb make for some serious immobilization, vulnerability, and cripple with these traits. Running elixir H and S with 409 also gives you 4 ways to clear conditions and an awesome stun break as mentioned above. I’m not sure what runes I’d try and run with this but I think it is something I’m going to have to try in the near future.

I’ve played a good amount of wvw this week and I’ve been enjoying this set of skills and traits.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fcEQFAUlspSXnwSfF17ICIF7VeJ6xjRZT2HFz3DC

With a givers rifle and veggie pizza knee shot gives you a cripple that is pretty much constantly up (net shot can be easy to dodge so you have to work on landing it) allowing you to control the range of engagement. With 3x 20% might duration runes you can get 20+ stacks of might so I can hit pretty hard. I currently am wearing knights armor with a set of cavaliers trinkets slotted with exquisite ruby jewels although I think valks or berserkers is probably a better choice as I don’t have a ton of healing. Two stun breaks, 4 dodges, and elixir S seem to provide me with adequate escape power when they are up but i try and chug them to maintain my might (and clear conditions) so it can be a tricky balance.

I’m not sure what other people with think of this set up but I’ve had fun with it when solo roaming and when running in zergs so I thought I would share it since it doesn’t have a kit.

Ezeriel.9574:

Why do people always want to turn flamethrower into a condition weapon?

I think it is the proc on crit effect stuff. Burning, Bleeding, Vulnerability all on crit, so a fast criting weapon with lots of crit chance you SHOULD be able to get the most out of these skills (same with omnomberry pies and healing) but they decided to put internal cooldowns on everything so in the end it just doesn’t work like it should on paper. Every advantage to having a fast attacking weapon is nullified and retaliation has no cooldown, which is just a bonus (if you like to die).

Ostricheggs.3742:

yea it’s bugged. I always wondered it myself. Try it out in the mists. I just tested it today on other players as well, it still works

I’m new to spvp type stuff but can you use food to enhance your condition duration? Since I’m new I’ve been trying to read up on builds and love experimenting with stuff I come up with myself. I’ve been trying this.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fcAQJAqal0pCYnwSrF17ICoH1HgdXiUkfN2HFs1DC;ToAAzCqo+x8j4H7Pufk/MAZSA

I know everyone hates the FT as a primary kit but I stay in it and then swap out to pistol for more conditions. I’ve been trying the on swap chill (Greth and Hydromancy) runes to add around 8 seconds of chill every ten seconds since I was lacking that condition. It works well with med kit but you can’t swap as often as I’d like too to take advantage of enhanced performance. I like dodging so infused precision coupled with invigorating speed, and elixir R provide plenty of that .

You aren’t the same Ostricheggs from Volkmar are you? Rolled with the Myrmidons?

edit…cut and pasted the wrong build the first time.

Sporadicus.1028:

Phineas Poe.3018:

Sporadicus.1028:

With this trait, you are rewarded for staying in the FT kit. If you are rewarded so, shouldn’t you be able to make it a stand-alone kit?

If you go the Condition Damage route with the FT in sPvP, wear a Rabid or Carrion trinket with Sigil of Earth and Sigil of Battle. You’ll get a good stack of bleeds easily on top of good burning damage because of all the added Might.

I also make a point to swap out of it quickly for Static Shot + Poison Dart Volley, which synergizes well with Sigil of Battle.

I’ve done that before. It’s very effective except that Battle and Earth don’t synergize well. One resets the other’s CD.

I usually grab either Battle and Accuracy or Earth and Accuracy. That extra crit chance helps out. I’m usually high 30s crit chance. This puts me over the edge in the 40s with extra might or bleeding.

Yeah I really liked the idea of comboing on crit sigils with on weapons swap sigils but I don’t think they let you do that…I was trying it with a condition duration increasing build and using the on crit chill and the on weapon swap chill for what would have been around 8 or 9 seconds of chill every 10 seconds. To go with my bleed, burn, vulnerability, poison, and confusion…but alas it wasn’t meant to be.

Gideoknight.4736:

I usually rush the fray with Flame Blast, followed by some Flame Jets. Well into the battle I swap to Elixir Gun trying to immobilize as many as possible. Then Fumigate, a Super Elixir, Acid Bomb for the Retaliation, swap to Rifle, Jump Shot in again, swap to Flame Thrower in the air for a Flame Shield, back to Rifle, Blunderbuss as I land, Overcharged Shot. Repeat.

Am I missing something or are you honestly saying that it takes you a full 20 seconds to cast fumigate, super elixir, acid bomb, and jump shot? Seems like someone is really really reaching to make this change sound good.

I’ve relied on Flamethrower/Elixir gun for a long time and I do think that because of things like juggernaut that require you to stay in one kit for the majority of the time this combination are hit less hard by the changes … as long as you don’t want to use med kit and all that comes with it … or speedy kits.