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Posted On: 03/04/2014 at 09:11 PM |
Disclaimer:
This Guide is a Work-In-Progress
About the Profession
The Engineer is a highly versatile and all-around profession. It has a large plethora of skills of which to use mainly through its kits that allow it to fulfill many different roles and used for a variety of situations. It is a jack-of-all-trades profession, where by it can reliably fulfill almost any role in groups, but generally cannot do many roles better than most other professions unless using an optimal play style and build.
Since it is an Adventurer, it uses Medium Armor, and has an intermediate amount of overall durability when compared to other professions. It currently uses Pistols, Rifles, Harpoon guns, and Shields for its weapons. However, it is unique in that it can use turrets to control relatively small areas and use a variety of gadgets for some interesting play. It has access to many different types of combo fields and can easily initiate combos. Its unique mechanic allows each #6-9 ability to have a 2nd ability on the F1-F4 keys on its "Tool Belt."
The Engineer’s best form of survival is through anticipating future combat and adapting for the situation. Versatility on the go. Although secondarily, its ability to maneuver and attack its enemies at medium to long range is another primary means of survival. However, it can reliably fight at relatively close ranges, and has multiple tools with which to use.
The profession is generally harder to use than most other professions and it takes practice to be able to start to use it effectively.
Ultimately your best play style will be the one that you like the best.
Guidelines
Turrets:
Turrets are useful for controlling relatively small areas with a general radius of about 1,000 units. There is several different turrets from which to use, and many are mid to long range. Beginning Engineers may find the Rifle and Healing Turrets to be especially helpful while learning to use the profession, as they can be reliable tanks and help deal damage. Each turret has an overcharge ability that basically makes it do a stronger attack. Picking up turrets reduces their cool-down so that they can be redeployed faster than if they were destroyed.
Elixirs:
Elixirs are highly versatile and each has a specific use and generally provide boons, remove conditions, or do something interesting. The F skills for the elixirs generally are area of effect mid-range tosses that do a special but related effect to the primary utility skill.
Gadgets:
Think of them as James Bond gadgets in a way. They have a variety of situational uses and each are unique. Need to knock foes back? Use the battering ram!
Kits:
All replace the equipped weapons and have their own stats and play style. Each kit replaces skills #1-5 and works similar to bundles and other environmental weapons.
- Flamethrower
- Grenades
- Med Kit
- Elixir Gun
- Bomb Kit
- Tool Kit
Equipment:
The general equipment stat type depends highly on the type of role that you want to fill. The engineer is extremely good at filling roles while on the fly, so a more flexible set is generally better and more cost effective.
Traits:
Each trait line has some very useful traits that the engineer can find useful. Traits and point allocation depend highly on what role is to be filled and what game mode you’re playing.
- For more Durability, put points into the Inventions and Alchemy lines.
- For more Damage, put points into Explosives and Firearms.
- For more overall usefulness, put points into Tools.
Explosives generally enhance the effectiveness of explosive weapon kits.
Firearms generally enhances the effectiveness of the primary weapons and flamethrower.
Inventions generally enhances general durability, defenses, and the effectiveness of turrets.
Alchemy generally enhances the effectiveness of all things Elixirs and changing the ways
conditions affect you.
Tools enhances the effectiveness of tool belt skills, their cool downs, and overall usefulness.
My World vs World Rules of Thumb
(Trait Point Allocation is Out-of-Date as of April 15, 2014)
- 30 points in both Inventions and Alchemy trait lines
- “Automated Response”- its a vital part of any Commander Builds or general PvP builds
- Acquired with 30 points in Alchemy
- 10 points into “Tools” to get “Speedy Kits”
- Its another vital piece of any commander build- provided you use kit(s)
- Remove in increments of 10 from the Inventions trait line if there’s gaps, something unwanted, or want more damage output.
- Put those points ^^ into the other trait lines to make things that you like using more effective.
Goal of your equipment build is to optimize your survivability:
- Soldiers is a good go to stat type if you prefer larger and more consistent damage and reliable durability
- Dire armor with a mix of Soldiers, Carrion, and Rabid trinkets are another good choice if you prefer Damage Over Time
- Sentinels is another good choice (based on calculations done on Excel but untested in actual WvW)
- Celestial is a good way for getting a well-balanced build, although with a bit less survivability than the above types. (I'm not sure if significantly less durability using statistical tests)
- As a last resort replace 1 piece of equipment at a time if you feel a glaring gap in your build after following the above rules
Optimal Calculated Numbers using Excel:
(This section is Up-to-Date as of May 14, 2014)
- About 375-550 in both Toughness and Vitality including all bonuses from equipment and traits
- Range of about 2.6k-2.9k Armor
- Range of about 21k- 24k HP
This stat set up in theory, optimizes durability. Celestial is the easiest way to get close to those values.
Please PM me if you want a more in depth explanation as to how I arrived at this conclusion.
Summary
The engineer is a highly versatile profession that can reliably fulfill many different combat roles because it has access to many different types of tools that are useful for a wide variety of situations.
Its best form of survival and for being effective is to plan ahead and for the situation. Versatility while on the fly is one of its major advantages and is probably the most versatile profession.
Its main disadvantage is that it is relatively weaker at filling specific roles and other professions can generally fill them better.
It takes time to learn the profession.
Foot Note
PvE and Spvp Guides are a future possibility.
I will update the numbers in the Attribute Point Section after I play test the new system further.
Most Recent Edit:
May 14, 2014
Its now a Work In Progress (again)
Added Clarification on March 4, 2014
» Edited on: 2014-03-04 21:57:24
» Edited on: 2014-03-04 22:00:46
» Edited on: 2014-05-14 08:23:13
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