Guild Wars 2

This is something annoying that I’ve been noticing a lot more lately using grenades on my engineer. When you angle your camera downward to be able to ground target a skill, sometimes your target’s nameplate gets in the way of your mouse pointer (where you want to target the skill). Instead of targeting the area where you are pointing, it resets to beneath your character. Obviously, this causes important skills to miss for no good reason. It also causes an “out of range” error if you move your cursor on and off the nameplate while targeting a skill.

I doubt this is intended, as the nameplate does take up a significant portion of the vertical space between your character and skill bar. Especially, when your target is far away and therefore farther up on your screen. Furthermore, the nameplate is bigger than it visually suggests, causing the problem about 1 cm above and below the actual graphic.

Made a video for better understanding: http://youtu.be/bhESCMrPnnI

Thanks,
Woodstock

While I’m not playing on a team right now and entering into tourneys, I would like to point out that slick shoes being used in the upper levels of pvp isn’t really new…

*cough * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDfsuV5RXqY *cough *

I’m even using it in the context of a power rifle control build that I’ve been using since June xD

I’m guessing this is the right place to post this…I hope it’s still being checked. This bug has prevented me from finishing up tribulation mode in World 2 Zone 2. As if tribulation mode wasn’t frustrating enough (I don’t even have the infinite continue coin), every time I reach the checkpoint after the first octopus I fall through the floor into an inescapable pit. I can’t even kill myself to reset.

Here’s a video: http://youtu.be/LX9rna55vJU

The first time this happened, I thought it was just an unfortunate bug. The second time, I knew I was never trying this content again. Anet person who’s reading this, I know it’s not your fault, but I feel cheated. I wanted to get my storm wizard skin and I put the time in to do so. Now I’m just left wondering why I even tried.

That’s odd. Is the video not working for anyone else?

While the build is very hybrid-y, I’ve found that power contributes the most to your damage. Might stacking with Juggernaut, Fire Shield, and Flame Wall can give you over 1000 condition damage, which is more than enough to make your burning do significant damage.

However, you can certainly adjust the build into some sort of might-stacking, pistol condi-build. I’m not sure how well it would work though haha. The play style would definitely be different and Slick Shoes loses much of it’s utility if you are no longer using it to break self-CC from Overcharged shot or keep someone in place for a high-damage Acid Bomb (which scales very well with power).

Haha, thank you. Glad you enjoyed it. I’m a WvW newbie, but I did try this out there and it only worked for me when I was roaming. It’s really an “in-your-face” kind of build and starts to lose effectiveness in larger groups where it’s just an aoe spam fest…

Also, for those who have watched the video: I’m always open to ways to improve the build or my play style, so any suggestions/tips/tricks are appreciated! Or if you have questions, just ask here or contact me in game.

Hello everyone!

I dove back into Solo Queue’s again this weekend and remembered to record some footage for an updated video on my power FT/EG build. I’ve included some helpful and some not-so-helpful anecdotes for those interested in learning the build or engineer in general. Enjoy!

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDfsuV5RXqY

Apart from the last clip, all the footage comes from two Top 100 Solo Queue matches.

Here’s the Build: http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?fcAQFAUlIqya38yuF1LJxoCdG0j8W37KSR+b8nCsF-TkAA2CvI0RFkLIjOycs5MEB

Here’s some other things I’d recommend looking at if you’re intrigued:

• Phineas Poe’s FT/EG Guide – http://www.guildwars2guru.com/topic/72009-a-comprehensive-look-at-the-flamethrower-and-elixir-gun/

• Flamethrower Discussion – https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/engineer/Flamethrower-is-still-not-worth-the-slot/page/6

• Elixir F Bug – https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/engineer/BUG-Elixir-F-Out-of-Range/first#post2416705

• My Previous Post on the Build w/Video – https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/engineer/Woodstock-s-FT-EG-PvP-Build-Video/first#post2313608

~ Woodstock

I don’t know how much it’s worth, but I use and do fairly well with power rifle FT/EG in “competitive” PVP. The game has become so spam and condi-centric that engi’s are quick to dismiss any kit that doesn’t play like grenades or bombs.

From my personal experience watching and playing PVP, I hardly EVER see engineers really taking full advantage of the flamethrower (and elixir gun, to a degree).

• I never see anyone using Napalm for projectile finishers, might stacking, stacking burns on immobilized/downed enemies or fire shields with a leap finisher (rifle 5). Often, it’s just laid down in the center of a fight and forgotten about.
• If you’re complaining about a lack of stun breaks vs. things like hammer/mace warriors, we can swap kits while stunned. Swap to the flamethrower and throw out an instant-blind when you see the next one in the chain coming. Granted, it’s not the same as a stun-break but it helps. Plus, with Juggernaut, you gain the extra 200 toughness.
• The tool-tip of Air Blast is ambiguous. Remember that it extends the duration of burns by 2 seconds. Don’t just use it for a random knockback, make sure there is a burn on the target and get that extra damage. Better yet, actually try saving it to interrupt a heal.
• Flame Blast can do great damage to squisher targets. I’ve done 6k with a soldier’s amulet vs glass cannons. Furthermore, the control you have over the detonation offers the opportunity for thoughtful use of such a slow-moving, obvious projectile. What would your reaction be to seeing it coming at you? Dodge? That’s what most people do. Wait for them to waste their dodge/invulnerability and detonate it after.
• The auto-attack is awful, yes. However, it’s the fastest attack we have and it damages in a cone aoe without a target-requirement. Use it to clear blinds on yourself. Use it to get that last bit of damage on a thief that stealthed away at the last second. If the toolbelt burn is down, use it to get that quick burn on the target and extend it with Air Blast.

Go in without any prior expectations and experiment with it. Don’t just slap on a Berserker’s amulet, expect to auto-attack enemies down, fail, and then complain about it on the forums. Some things should be improved, yes, but voicing these grievances in a non-constructive way isn’t going to help that at all.

~Woodstock

Overcharged shot is a very good skill. Like Ostrich said, the self knockback is to tone it down for 1v1s. Without it, it would without a doubt be overpowered. That’s part of the reason why using a stunbreak on the knockback can be worthwhile. You should get about two free seconds on your target. However, this isn’t the case every time.

I made a post awhile back about Elixir F being bugged following a stun-broken Overcharged Shot. The best time to use such slow moving, CC’ing abilities should be when they’re immobilized or knocked down. Instead, you almost always miss and I often end up eating the self-knockback (even though I have two stunbreaks) because I know it won’t hit.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENPFS7VseDE

Also, if it’s a knockback on ourselves, why doesn’t Protection Injection trigger? This would give us the option of traiting for a way to reduce screwing ourselves over in team fights by using it.

Overall, a great skill with some minor bugs that would improve usability if fixed.

I was thinking along the same line, but it appears that’s not entirely it.

http://youtu.be/78HqBAH3EF0

In each clip, I’m firing Elixir F right after Overcharged Shot and each one lands. I do believe that the knockback from Overcharged Shot contributes to the improper prediction of the target’s location, but it only causes Elixir F to miss if the target (continuing the knockback’s speed/direction) would go beyond 900 range. That is, if you fire Overcharged Shot at a decent range from your target (maybe 300-400), you’ll likely miss the Elixir F.

This is also not limited to an Overcharged Shot -> Elixir F combo. Any sort of knockback, leap or temporary movement altering ability probably causes Elixir F to miss despite being in range. So, even if you’re firing it normally and your teammate launches your target, you will miss.

Many slow moving skills can be “dodged” by strafing back and forth. While that might be the case for Elixir F too (would have to check), I think this issue is different. A set animation, whether it be for a knockback etc., should not cause another skill to miss because it can’t accurately predict where the target will land. A player’s movement, such as strafing, is random. Elixir F missing after an Overcharged Shot is like it missing if an enemy jumps while running away from you in a straight line. I can maybe understand a non-knockback movement skill like Jump Shot causing skills to miss if used skillfully to jump out of range etc. Here, however, I’m purposefully stunning a target and missing when they’re at their most vulnerable, essentially wasting my stun.

I’ve noticed since the last patch that Elixir F (among other slow moving projectiles) fail more often than before, for no apparent reason. I haven’t figured out how to replicate the bug every time, but it does occur after overcharged shots frequently—even more so if you or the target is moving. I’ve learned to deal with the awful targeting of cone attacks, jump shot teleporting and myriad of other bugs with this class, but when a long cast-time, weak and slow as kitten projectile fails this often when the enemy is laying motionless on the ground it becomes absolutely worthless. Here’s a video displaying the problem, which will hopefully draw more attention to this bug.

http://youtu.be/ENPFS7VseDE

In the video, I make note that at MAX range for overcharged shot (400), Elixir F WILL be barely out of range if you don’t move forward at all due to the target knockback (450) and self knockback (300). The max range for Elixir F is 900, so a max range overcharged shot puts you apart by: 400 + 450 + 300 = 1150. However, it’s clear that I’m within range for Elixir F each time it says “out of range” with no obstructions in between.

~ Woodstock

I’ve noticed since the last patch that Elixir F (among other slow moving projectiles) fail more often than before, for no apparent reason. I haven’t figured out how to replicate the bug every time, but it does occur after overcharged shots frequently—even more so if you or the target is moving. I’ve learned to deal with the awful targeting of cone attacks, jump shot teleporting and myriad of other bugs with this class, but when a long cast-time, weak and slow as kitten projectile fails this often when the enemy is laying motionless on the ground it becomes absolutely worthless. Here’s a video displaying the problem, which will hopefully draw more attention to this bug.

http://youtu.be/ENPFS7VseDE

In the video, I make note that at MAX range for overcharged shot (400), Elixir F WILL be barely out of range if you don’t move forward at all due to the target knockback (450) and self knockback (300). The max range for Elixir F is 900, so a max range overcharged shot puts you apart by: 400 + 450 + 300 = 1150. However, it’s clear that I’m within range for Elixir F each time it says “out of range” with no obstructions in between.

~ Woodstock

Thanks! I was considering automated response too, now that juggernaut was moved down a tier. It would definitely make the build more tanky and be superior to what I linked vs heavy condi/control teams.

And I know what you mean about rocket boots, the combined mobility of those three is just ridiculous

Hi everyone,

It seems like the recent patch has driven most engi’s to explore new builds, but left some demoralized from the loss of Elixir R. Lately I’ve been playing around and having success with a power version of FT/EG that hasn’t changed much post-patch, so I thought I’d share. I’ve had some interest from people watching me in spectator mode too, so I made a video from some recent sPvP matches that should help demonstrate how I play the build.

A little bit about me:

My in-game name is Woodstock and I’ve been playing almost exclusively engineer since launch. I have 2,257 games on my engineer and have been ranked as high as 91st on the leaderboards without a dedicated team. I originally started playing condi FT/EG with kit refinement and loved it, but with the kit refinement nerf I reluctantly abandoned that build in favor of grenades. With recent buffs to the FT and EG I decided to take a look at it again, but using power.

The build: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fcAQFAUlIqya38yuF1LJxoCdG0j8W37KSR+b8nCsF-TkAA2CvI0RFkLIjOycs5MEB

Video: http://youtu.be/uZe1o10O8Nk

A little bit about the build:

Flamethrower- With the buffs to flame blast and the ability to might stack using FT #4, runes and sigils, the flamethrower can now put out decent burst damage. Flame blast (both damage passing through and the activated explosion) usually hits between 3k to 5k total. The other skills offer great utility. Importantly, FT#5 gives you a way to secure stomps on a short cooldown. I avoid using Flame Jet because of the abundance of retaliation, mediocre damage and long cast duration.

Slick Shoes- With the added stun breaker, slick shoes have become a viable choice for pvp in my opinion. They combo extremely well with EG#4 to keep people in the heavy AoE DoT or to prevent burst when you’re stunned. The additional stun break (gives the build 2) on super speed also lets you use it for offensive purposes, like after an overcharged shot.

Elixir Gun- Probably my favorite kit. The auto attack does decent damage and weakness has been buffed greatly. I’d still use the rifle auto over this though, unless you’re fighting glass cannons. EG #2 and #4 both do good power damage, especially in groups. #4 can be used for blast finishers to stack might and great mobility. It can also be canceled early by switching kits to reduce the long cast if used offensively. #3 is difficult to use well, but it is a good source of poison and great for stacking conditions with the FT toolbelt, fast attack rate and on crit effects.

I don’t have any sort of defined rotation for this build, but some decent combos do exist that you can see in the video. Honestly, I’m still learning it myself and am a little rusty after my vacation. Overall, the build is a great hybrid. I hope you enjoy the build and video, let me know if you have any questions.

~ Woodstock

I would agree with you; my pvp build certainly isn’t meant for pve.

In addition, I stated there are 20 points (currently allocated in Inventions + Alchemy) in my build that could be placed elsewhere depending on personal preference. It is my opinion that they are best suited where I’ve put them, as there are no grandmaster traits that suit this build especially.

Works for me : /

Alternate link:

http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=-VRR;2sPFw0s5V1Fx0;9;4J999J27-5;05;05;037;7cV19cV191FK

(still need to copy and paste)

Forgot to mention that, sorry. In order to view the build, you’ll have to copy and paste the link into your address bar.

Drawbacks:

This build lacks swiftness, which it only gets through medkit #5. With the abundance of cripples, however, I haven’t found this to be a problem.

Mediocre condition removal. Medkit 4 and Toss Elixir R provide the only means of removing conditions, but this can be sufficient sometimes.

Interrupts. Only BoB, magnet, and your elite can interrupt a cast, which can be annoying. You can severely deter casting, however, but stacking confusion via a static shot, pull, prybar, concussion bomb combo (10 stacks of confusion).

Some of these problems can be addressed by moving the points in Inventions and Alchemy around. The only core talents are those in Explosives, Firearms and Tools.

In conclusion, I’ve found this build to be a suitable alternative to many of the standard builds currently out there. It utilizes the toolkit, and offers lots of room for improvisation. I hope this has been helpful for some, and I welcome any thoughts/questions.

~Oppen

I read the forums now and then, and lately I’ve seen lots of complaining and cries for help in PvP. It’s true the engineer isn’t in the best place right now, but that just means it’s time to get creative. I’m no professional, but I enjoy making new builds and they usually work well for me.

Here is the build:
http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?fcAQJAqal0picnwynF1bJxIFfW0hKgfQFyroC6/jC5mWA;TgAgyCuo0yolQLrWOtkaB

Overview:

At first glance, there are 3 major distinctions of this build:

1. Pistol/Pistol
2. Toolkit
3. No Crit Chance

A closer look shows I’m using carrion amulet as opposed to the standard rabid for condition damage builds. Also, I did not take ANY grandmaster traits. I’ll get into the reasons for all of this later.

Rational:

I keep seeing relatively standard builds (bunker, standard discharge, “teldo”) and often humourous attempts at using the toolkit (I’m looking at you, TANKCAT). After the buff to magnet, I think we’ve all wanted to use the toolkit; pulling someone from 1200 range, even with a long cast time, is pretty satisfying. Having given it a try, I feel safe saying toolkit is ONLY useful for its 3-5 abilities, and those are all very situational. Its autoattack is clunky and #2’s cast time is far too long.

For these reasons, the toolkit absolutely fails as a main-weapon replacement kit (an example would be grenade kit). With the buff to magnet, it’s best suited as a set-up for damage (pulling into your team, BoB or other bombs). The problem is the pull and knockdown do not last long enough for you to switch to the bomb kit etc. and guarantee a hit. It has to be used in conjunction with a snare/cripple.

I’d argue that the bomb kit is our most useful PvP kit despite the nerf to smoke bomb. However, its melee range requirement usually necessitates use of a shield stun/immobilize to land hits. This build uses pull and cripple instead of these to bring opponents into melee range and keep them there. Kit refinement, throw wrench, glue bomb, and glue shot, all of which have reduced cooldowns in this build, all grant aoe cripples. Kit refinement lays down a fairly long lasting cripple field just by switching to the toolkit, which combos nicely with an immediate pull.

An example combo/chain would be:

Switch to toolkit>Pull>Prybar>Concussion Bomb>Fire Bomb

As I previously noted, this build doesn’t have almost any crit chance. Many condition builds make use of the several talents that grant automatic conditions on crit (burning, vulnerability, bleeding). That’s fine and all, but I’ve always had two major problems with this setup. The first is that conditions don’t benefit from crit. You’re stacking a stat that doesn’t improve your major source of damage apart from increased frequency of short duration conditions. That brings me to my second problem: how often we attack. Given the ability to constantly switch kits and use skills suited for the right situation, good engineers will be attacking less, but more effectively. This conflicts with the chance for conditions on crit. traits in a pistol/shield/bomb build (pvp standard). The flamethrower (hard to aim), grenades (hard to aim) and pistol 2 are possible exceptions to this issue, however.

Doing away with crit chance gives us power, which significantly improves prybar, bomb and pistol damage. Without the burn on crit talent though, we lack a reliable source of burning (highest damage condition) in a typical pistol/shield build. Luckily, offhand pistol gives a short cd, high damage aoe burn.

Elixir R is arguably our best stun breaker. It provides us with two dodges (invaluable) and a self/AOE rez (invaluable in the current meta). The nerf to its toolbelt ability hurt, but since this build make use of the toolkit and two of the major traits in the Tools line, it’s not a big deal. Tools’ 15 point minor trait recharges all your toolbelt abilities at 25%, allowing you to use Toss Elixir R twice in a single fight.

With a 3 second toolkit block, numerous cripples, short cd blinds, two self rezzes, large health pool and ability to put ~20 points into Alchemy/Inventions, this build has decent survival while maintaining high damage.