So you want to unleash chaos with aggressive force and explosions in Guild Wars 2, but you're unsure of how to get started with the Engineer profession? Don't worry; we've got you covered. In this guide, we will walk you through the basics of playing an Engineer, focusing mainly on the core specialization. We'll also briefly describe the Scrapper, Holosmith, and Mechanist elite specializations to give you a broader understanding of the class.

 

• The Tool Belt
• Trait Lines
• Weapon Options
• Utility Skills
• Playstyle Tips
• Gear Choices
• Elite Specializations
• Gameplay

 

 

↖ The Tool Belt

The Engineer in Guild Wars 2 possesses a unique mechanic called the Tool Belt. This mechanic is as versatile as the Engineer themselves. The Tool Belt offers a miniature skill based on the utility skills you choose. When you swap out your utility skills, the Tool Belt skill changes accordingly. This concept also applies to healing and elite skills, making Engineer one of the most customizable professions.

 

The Engineer's customization capabilities stem from this tool belt mechanic. With a wide array of skills and choices at your disposal, you can create unique and effective active builds tailored to your preferred playstyle.

 

↖ Trait Lines

The Engineer's trait lines enhance various aspects of combat, showcasing their mechanical genius. Here are the core trait lines:

• Explosives: This trait line improves your strike damage, ferocity, and applies vulnerability to your foes, making them take more damage.
• Firearms: Focusing on enhancing your weapons and offering ways to improve condition damage, Firearms is crucial for Engineers.
• Inventions: This trait line improves your healing and survivability, enhancing Shield skills and providing automatic defenses when you are disabled or afflicted with conditions.
• Alchemy: Alchemy enhances cleansing, healing, and self-defense effects. It offers automatic defenses when you're in dire situations or under certain conditions.
• Tools: The Tools trait line improves the tool belt skills you choose and offers unique interactions, such as extra strike damage and fury generation.

 

These trait lines allow you to tailor your Engineer to various roles within the game, whether it's damage dealing, support, or control.

 

↖ Weapon Options

The Engineer has several weapon options, including:

• Rifle (Two-handed): This weapon offers mobility and significant strike damage, with the added bonus of throwing grenades as your main attack.
• Pistol (Main hand and Offhand): The main hand pistol inflicts conditions like bleeding, poison, and confusion. The offhand pistol adds burning to the mix and provides an area immobilize.
• Shield: The shield offers ways to block and reflect ranged attacks, providing excellent crowd control capabilities.

 

↖ Utility Skills

Engineers have a wide range of utility skills to choose from, including:

• Elixirs: These are potions that provide boons, cleanse conditions, and can even shrink your character. The elite Elixir skill can transform you into a tornado or a berserker.
• Engineering Kits: These kits offer new sets of skills with their own cooldowns, like the grenade kit, flamethrower kit, bomb kit, med kit, and even the elite skill, mortar kit.
• Turrets: Deploy automated turrets that attack nearby enemies with various effects, including explosions, flamethrowers, bullets, and more. The elite skill, turret supply drop, spawns multiple turrets while stunning enemies.
• Gadgets: These skills provide crowd control and mobility options, often involving explosive devices.

 

With the Engineer's limited weapon options, these utility skills are essential for diversifying your combat capabilities.

 

↖ Playstyle Tips

The Engineer's playstyle depends on your preferred role and specialization. However, here are some general tips to get you started:

• Turrets for Tanking: Turrets can divert enemy attention, allowing you to attack from a distance.
• Engineering Kits Versatility: The engineering kits have no cooldown on swapping in or out, and their cooldowns are relatively short. Use them strategically for maximum effect.
• Tool Belt Skills: Remember that tool belt skills have specific and unique uses, including damage, defense, and crowd control. Use them wisely.

 

↖ Gear Choices

Your gear choices may vary depending on your intended role and endgame content. Engineers have decent toughness and vitality, so consider the following:

• Berserker's gear: Prioritize power and precision for rifle-based builds.
• Viper's gear: Ideal for condition damage builds, focusing on precision and expertise.
• Healer/Support: Concentration and healing power gear for supporting roles.

 

↖ Elite Specializations

Guild Wars 2 offers three elite specializations for Engineers:

• Scrapper (Heart of Thorns): Replaces the elite tool belt skill with the function gyro, which can finish downed enemies or res fallen allies automatically. Wields a massive hammer for strong damage, blocks, and long-range stuns. Introduces well skills for area effects and combo opportunities.
• Holosmith (Path of Fire): Replaces the fifth tool belt skill with Photon Forge, which offers a new set of weapon skills. Uses a sword main hand that gains unique effects based on heat level. Introduces exceed skills for control and defense. Includes the photon blasting module that turns overheating into a miniature nuke.
• Mechanist (End of Dragons): Replaces the tool belt mechanic with a customizable mech. Wields a mace main hand to apply confusion. Features Signet skills with strong passives and powerful actives. The elite skill, overclock Signet, can summon a beam of burning destruction. Each elite specialization brings unique playstyles and abilities to the Engineer class, allowing you to further customize your character.

 

↖ Gameplay

• Open World/Core Content: In open world content, Engineers should focus on controlling enemies from a distance using skills like Net Shot or Overcharged Shot to keep foes at bay. Rifle turrets can help whittle down enemies. When foes get closer, utilize the Grenade Kit for powerful damage.
• Instance PvE Content: Maximize your AoE damage potential in instance PvE content using the Grenade Kit or Mortar Kit against clustered enemies. Engineers are strongest at mid to far ranges, using their tools to deal massive damage.
• PvP Conquest: In PvP Conquest, use abilities like Mortar Kits and Rifle shots to hit multiple enemies while defending or capturing nodes. Escape tools like Rocket Boots or Elixir S can help you evade focused attacks. Consider opening team fights with Supply Drop or Elixir X to disrupt the enemy team's control.

 

Remember that Engineers are durable, but not invincible. Use your defenses wisely and maintain distance to maximize your turret and range damage.

 

Related: Mesmer Profession Beginner Guide!

 

Conclusion:

The Engineer in Guild Wars 2 is a versatile and explosive class that offers unique gameplay and customization options. With the right weapon choices, utility skills, and trait lines, you can shape your Engineer to excel in various roles, whether it's dealing damage, supporting allies, or controlling the battlefield. Experiment with different builds and elite specializations to find the playstyle that suits you best, and prepare to bring the boom to Tyria!