Guild Wars 2

Hi there!

I’ve recently come back to GW2 (I’ve played quite a bit on and off since lauch). I got 3 level 80 characters now, but none that I really like and feel that I can settle down with. The three I got are Engineer, Thief and Elementalist. I mostly do open world content and exploring/jumping puzzles (I rarely do PvP) and I don’t have a lot of time to play. I’ll try to lay out what I like and don’t like about the classes I play and see if some of you pros can come with some tips on different way to play the classes I’ve chosen or tips on other classes I should try out! Thanks!

Engineer
What I don’t like: Quite fun but too much to handle for me. I never feel like I get a hang of the class and I also got a kind of a problem with the Charr:y feel of the class (I’m a big Asura fan). Right now I’m running a SD build without any kits (using my rifle and various gadgets) but I’m really lacking DPS and the CC that I bring is mostly knockbacks which is not very useful when playing with other players (which I mostly do indirectly – events and dungeons etc.).

What I like: I feel like I can use my utilites and swap out my skills in a more meaningful way to suit the encounter with the engi than I can with the other classes I play. I like jumping around and having access to a lot of CC – however I think it’s lacking a bit of AoE (I know I could go with the flamethrower or grenades, but I don’t like it so much) and general DPS.

Thief
What I don’t like: I like the concept of the Theif but I feel that it can quite spammy. I usually run D/D or Shortbow. The shortbow is quite fun, though I mostly rely on 2 and 4 and with D/D it’s mostly 5 and 2. I can imagine this class being a lot more fun in PvP – but I’m not really in to PvP. I also find it’s utility skills to be quite boring. I’ve found running with two or three sigils to be the most effective when I play (again, I mostly do events and open world content) and occasionally picking up like Shadows Refuge or Smoke Blast (the blast finisher with stealth).

What I like: Out of my three classes I play I feel like I can be more aware of the encounter with this class not having to focus at all times at 19 different CD:s and keeping up my rotations to maximize DPS. However I’d like the class to be a little spammy and allow for a little more variety.

Elementalist
What I don’t like: I quite enjoy running a staff build with the Fresh Air trait, though again I feel like it’s a little repetitive – but every time I try out something any other weapon I quickly find myself overwhelmed with all the combos and the small margin for error. I’m not a hardcore player and I will never be, and I just don’t feel I got the time to really learn how to play D/D ele properly.

What I like: I like being able to stay back for a bit though and still feel effective, and I also like being having access to a lot of fields and finishers. I’ve not really learnt to use all the utilities and I mostly run with either Arcane blast and wave/Ice Bow + sigil of fire (extra crit for Fresh Air). I also like the attunement swapping.

Hi there!

I can’t decide which profession I should choose for my thief. I got LW maxed out but I need one more profession and I have a hard time choosing. Could anyone give me some pros/cons for each of the professions?

Thanks! I’ll check it out!

Hi there!

I’ve been playing Elementalist for some time now, got to level 80, stopped playing for a while, started again. What I would need is some tips on playing PvE Elementalist. I’ve got around the attunment-swapping quite good, but I’m still not very good at using my utilities. I’m usually going with Arcane Wave + Blast and Fire Signet.

Usually when I’m roaming around in the open world I’m on a Fresh Air staff build, which I enjoy. I find it a lot easier to stay alive with a little range when I play dungeons and fractals too, though I’ve understood that I might bring some more damage or at least some more support (might, fury, projectile denial etc) on a D/F or a D/D build. Though I have a hard time staying alive in melee, at least in dungeons.

TL;DR What utilities is good to learn to use, and in what situations should I use them? What can I do to increase my survivability in dungeons on a D/F or D/D setup? I should mention that I got full zerker gear.

Thanks!

Is this a good build? How would the damage I could put out with this build compare with a BK/GK build or an elementalist D/D or Staff build? I’m still quite new to this game (well, I took a break for a year) and I have a hard time comparing my efforts to other players when I’m playing in a group.

Hi there. I’ve been messing around with a few builds and came up with this. A build focused on boons and most importantly stacking might.

What do you think of it? I mainly play PvE, but I guess it might work for PvP as well.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fcAQJAqelspSXX3SrF17ICIF11dJ6xj1YT2HFs1DC-TgAicU54yxkjMHbODRmCA

Napalm+Acid Bomb+Magnetic Shild blast=6 Stacks of might. Elexir B gives another 3 and the healing skill another 3. With Juggernaught you’ll have ~5 stacks of might at any time, just by wielding the FT and the throwable elexirs also has a chance of giving you might. You could look at up to 20 stacks of might if you go full out nuke, if there is no limit to might stacking that I do not know of. I should say also that I have yet to try this build out.

This is a great guide, helped me build a engineer build that I really like. DreamyAbbadon also talked to me perosnally on Skype giving me advice which was really helpful! Thanks for putting together this guide and for taking time helping less experienced players!

Seras.5702:

Ranger pets are no brainer easy in open world. In dungeons though, they need to be micromanaged to ensure they don’t die.

Warrior vs Guardian party buffing: Warriors will buff offensively with might and fury and the like. Guardians will buff defensively with aegis and regen and reflects and the like.

Both are pretty boring to play imo; nothing like Engineer. Although, while gameplay is pretty boring with warrior, having access to so many weapons makes build variety fairly large.

OP said “Also, it seems kind of strange to me that half of the classes in the game are considered bad when it comes to dungeons. For a game that is so focused on character and world investment that seems like kind of a big flaw.”

It’s not that there are bad professions in dungeons, they’re all quite viable. It’s just that there are a couple that are preferred for speed runs since they bring optimal damage with the best party buffing. A guardian/warrior/Mesmer group brings offensive boons, defensive boons, and utility respectively. But every profession can do these things, just not as optimally in zerk dungeons speed run situations.

Ele can might stack like a mofo, group heal wonderfully, and unleash some hard hitting aoe. Engi can too. But mob mentality, ignorance, and greed often dictate what’s acceptable in any given situation. Play what’s most fun.

You’re absolutly right. I’ve been thinking a bit and I will probably continue on my Engineer, even though it might not be the most optimized class for dungeons. I like the Engineer, and after all that what it all comes down to. Thanks for all the advice you’ve given! Hope to see you all in the game and to have some fun killing stuff and exploring!

Cheers!

How about Rangers and Thiefs, how do those classes fare in the PvE content?

NornBearPig.9814:

Do you prefer big damage vs steady damage?

Squishy with escapes vs tanky and reliable?

Your opinion on pets/minions?

Offense vs defense?

More skills but they are very specific vs less skills but they are more versatile?

I don’t really care for big damage or steady damage. I’d rather have a more tanky and reliable character, if that is useful for me and the group. If I can achive the same survivability with higher skill I’d rather try to learn to play better than to go with a more forgiving build. Pets minions can be fun, but in my experience they are usually a no-brainer and does not require much skill – which I do not really like. There often just there. That said, counting mesmer illusions as pets I do realize that there is a lot of skill involved in managing them, though I do not feel like it’s very enjoyable and I don’t seem to get a hang of it.

Offensive vs Defensive I think I’d rather go with Offensive, though support is really were my strength is. Buffing others damage, providing utilities, boosting defenses etc while also dealing damage, but not comparable to classes entirely focused on dealing damage. Though I’m under the impression that those defined roles does not really exist in GW2, and everything is kind of squashed together (which is a good thing in my opinion). But there you have it anyway. I usually go around exploring the world quite a bit also, so being able to hold my own is also important, but I do not consider myself a solo-player.

As for skills, I think adaptation is good. Less skills with more versatility is in my opinion more enjoyable.

But the central part for me is activity. That was what I liked so much about my engineer, you were always on your toes. Rocketjumping in, shotgun, blast out with overcharged shot, net, fire away a ramhead and a static discharge, run up, blunderbus, ramhead knockback etc. I felt engaged fighting and I had to change tactics all the time. That was very enjoyable. It was not that hard to learn either, but once you really got the hang of it you were able to really control the fight. Is there any class that has those kind of properties?

Thanks for all the response people! The thing is that I do have a level 80 engineer, but from what I gather, the only way to get in to a dungeon-group as an engi is to spec a bomb/nade build, and I don’t like the playstyle of the Bomb/Nade. I did really enjoy playing as a Toolbelt focused engi with static discharge and I also like using combos to stack buffs. Though, I also like to explore the world a great deal. I don’t know. I have a really hard time choosing what to do.

Also, it seems kind of strange to me that half of the classes in the game are considered bad when it comes to dungeons. For a game that is so focused on character and world investment that seems like kind of a big flaw.

Thanks for all the response! If we don’t focus on pure damage builds, but rather some kind of semi-damage support build. Any viable options then?

Well… Like the title says. All dungeon builds I’ve seen seems to be based around the grenades and the bomb kit. Is there a viable build without those two kits?

Cheers!

Yeah, that seems about right. I’ve been thinking about either of those two. Though i get the feeling that they are pretty advanced. I got a Mesmer in level 22, but it’s hard keeping up with all the Phantasams and the mirror images and I’ve not gotten a hang of it yet. I like the more direct approach. But the Ele seems like more of a pure DPS class. Or am I wrong?

Hi there!

I’m back to GW2 after a yearlong break, and I have a hard time choosing which class to pick. I don’t think I will be going hardcore, but I do like challenging content and speedruns. I’m mainly focused on PvE content. I have no particular affection for melee or ranged, but maybe a slight bias towards ranged when I come to think of it. Being the most damaging player in the group is not very important to me, I rather like being the support type character – that being said I would like to be able to handle myself when I do not have a group to back me up.

I should mention that I do have a level 80 engineer, but after looking around a bit on the forums and talking with some people in-game, the engineer does not seem to be a very good class for PvE content, and the only viable build in Dungeons seems to be the grenade build – which I do not like. Right now I have a toolbelt focused build with the Rifle as main weapon, but that does not seem to be very good for Dungeons.

Anyone that could give me some tips on a class that might would fit me? Also some tips on how to play that class and what role I can expect to fill while in a group.

Cheers!

Hi there!

I bought GW2 pretty soon after it’s launch and I played it quite exctencivly post-launch but eventually got ran out of things to do and put it aside until now. I picked it up a few times, logged on for 30min to an hour but mostly ran around not knowing what to do. So before that happens again I’m asking what is new and what I should do to experience some new content. I got a max level Asura Engineer and two characters in the 20:s (Warrior and Mesmer). I really liked the war-like events that went on in Orr, I had some really good experiences there that was some of the best gaming experiences I had. Anything more like that going on? Or something entirely different?

Cheers!

Hi there!

I’m thinking of going with a support build for dungeons and events. Does anyone have any tips on how to create such a build? Tactics, utilities, what my focus would be etc.

Cheers!

Hello!

Can you explain a little what tactic you use when you fight? I’ve played engineer to level 80, I started out my first levels going dual-pistols but later switched to grenades. When you use pistols you want to go heavy in condition damage. Have you updated your gear? What utilities are you using? Elexir B is usually a nice pick since it gives you swiftness, fury and might, increasing you damage and allows for more easy kiting.

And maybe pistols is not for you. Try the grenades or the flamethrower, maybe it fits you better? Hope this helped!

Hello there!

I’m basically wondering, how viable are rifle warriors in PvE – events, dungeons, leveling, in general? Is it possible to level up efficiently with a rifle build? Do you need the piercing bullets trait to use it efficiently in PvE?

Anyone that could give me some answers?

Cheers!

Hi there!

I’ve recently hit 80 and I am now looking for a build to use in PvE – mostly dungeons. Now I know that probably the best build for damage dealing in dungeons is the Grenades, and I’ve used a grenade build leveling to 80 but it’s not really my cup of tea. Flamethrower seems like a viable replacement, sacrificing some of the extra damage from grenades for extra control and survivability but with lesser range. Now I might try that. Elexir-gun for support, sure… Bombs for…well… You can also use bombs.

For a while I used a P/P build with coated bullets and much condition damage but it just didn’t feel as viable as the grenades.

Now I’m looking for a build that revolves entirely around the Rifle. I have the basic idea of the all the other weapon options for engineers, but not for the rifle. Is there a viable build for Rifles? How would I spec? What would be my role in a group?

Anyone that can enlighten me?

Cheers!