Static Discharge finally (semi) viable again! [Build - PvP] (Thanks to Kinetic Stab 'nerf')

Wowww, I haven't had this much fun on engi in a loooooong time!Now hear me out: This is not a meta build, it is not amazing, but it can work pretty damn well at times and is a ton of fun!

What changed? Last patch we had 2 major updates for SD:

• Static Discharge: The critical damage of this trait has been increased by 100%. Its base damage has been reduced by 50%.
• Kinetic Stabilizers: This trait grants 5 seconds of stability (3 seconds in PvP) and 3 seconds of superspeed upon disabling an enemy or activating Function Gyro. It also deals 10% bonus damage when the engineer has stability.

Now this second one seems very weird as a buff to SD. But one of the problems SD-builds 've had in the past, is that they can't stack might properly. If you want to go for HGH, you lose utility skills that are essential to any SD build. The other option was Mass Momentum, but the stability uptime is wayyyy too low for that.However, now we get stability every time we disrupt someone. With that, I came to this build:http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vdAQFAUnUICNehlcBubBsehFSjaMAauiiurv6tOM3OlfC-jJhIABAcBA8/BAMfZgL2fAA

It is not finished, there are some things to be polished (which needs playtesting and ideas from you!). For example, the invention traitline kind of blocks a bit with the AED. But from the other side, having some sustained inbetween your healing skill cooldown is nice aswell.The core idea of the build is to lock down an enemy with your CC. Your F1,F2, Rifle 4, Tookit 5 and PBR are all CC (and ult). This in terms gives you good windows to hit your burst, jumping shot, blunderbuss and tookit 3, on the enemy. But more importantly, it gives you stability. And stability, gives you might that stacks up rather quickly.

I would love some other engi's to test this out and give some feedback. Below is kind of my thought process so far:Explosives is just too weak for this build. Firearms seems attractive, but I'm put off horribly by no good power traits in the grandmaster tier. You will also lack even more defense. I might also try to change the necklace to Bersekers and keep the inventions for sustain. This however means that I'm even more killable by any burst champion.

Edit: Gonna try Elixir S instead of EG and Berserker necklace now aswell to make up for the loss in tankyness (with firearms)

Oh hey, battering/toolkit scrapper. Pretty sure I posted this somewhere recently. Coincidence? Lol.

Anyway as for my thoughts - I ran battering/tool before the patch a lot and enjoyed the massive amount of CC pressure I bring to any fight. With scrapper's new trait, I thought it was a natural fit so post patch, my scrapper build is this: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vdAQFASnUUBlchNeBmXBEqilJji+vz7+WsZKgAY8DqgzC-jJxHABAcBA8/BAox+D2XGAA

Rifle is easily interchangeable with hammer for a more bursty playstyle and abusing the new trait for easy overcharged shots. Third slot is very flexible between rocket boots, elixir u, elixir s, elixir b, or thumper turret with inv instead of alc.

That said, I actually enjoy battering/tool more on holo, which is this variation I found best on holo: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vdAQFAUnUUBlchNeB2XBcJjlJDTsZUACAjfgKwZpvDOCPhA-jJxHABiv/g9lBA4CA4/DAAA

Rifle is preferred for much more burst and aggressive CCs, pistol or sword with shield works great for mitigating damage inbetween photon forge and toolkit swaps, keeping a lot of the burst and cc off of you while you drop your own CC on them. Again, alc is easily changed with inv for overshield, thumper turret, and anti-corrosion plating, though the rune needs to be Herald with the inv/tools version.

Ah cool! Sorry if I posted your build, but I'm a veteran player that retuned a week ago so I didnt know ;)Anyway, its cool how the patch nerfed gyros a bit, but inderectly buffs SD.One thing I like to notice though, is that you use Elixir X possibly with Hammer. I often see people do it, but its a bad choice imo. It decreases many defensive skills on hammer: 2,3,4 all last shorter. Shorter Block, evade and reflect

@The V.8759 said:Ah cool! Sorry if I posted your build, but I'm a veteran player that retuned a week ago so I didnt know ;)Anyway, its cool how the patch nerfed gyros a bit, but inderectly buffs SD.One thing I like to notice though, is that you use Elixir X possibly with Hammer. I often see people do it, but its a bad choice imo. It decreases many defensive skills on hammer: 2,3,4 all last shorter. Shorter Block, evade and reflect

How does elixir x decrease the decrease the defensives on hammer? o.O

And elixir X has been viable/meta for a while. o.O It made elixir holo much better and carries scrapper just enough.

Stability on CC opened up a bunch of Gadget builds. Good job, I'd like to fiddle around with this as soon as I can.

I would change the heal and elite.

@pocky.1597 said:

@The V.8759 said:Ah cool! Sorry if I posted your build, but I'm a veteran player that retuned a week ago so I didnt know ;)Anyway, its cool how the patch nerfed gyros a bit, but inderectly buffs SD.One thing I like to notice though, is that you use Elixir X possibly with Hammer. I often see people do it, but its a bad choice imo. It decreases many defensive skills on hammer: 2,3,4 all last shorter. Shorter Block, evade and reflect

Woops I mean elixir U ofcourse! I was typing this while working :<

@"Stand The Wall.6987" said:I would change the heal and elite.

Well, for most builds I'dd say the same about AED. But I think it fits perfectly with SD. If you run SD, you are giving up defensive slots for offense. Therefore, you barely have condi cleanse for example. Healing Turret can remove 2 condi's, which is nice! But if you take EG for example, that's only 3 conditions removed.

If you get condi bursted or normal bursted by an enemy with stability, this is a perfect healing skill. Just give up for a second, "die" and reset the fight without any damage condis left on you.

Also the F1 is extremely hard to hit. But since you can lock enemies down with your other CC, this becomes much easier. It is also easier to hit SD since it is a targeted skill (otherwise it just flies straight in a direction you face).

As for ultimate, its personal preference. I like supply drop since it can be used both offensively and defensively. But mortar for AoE pressure and utility or X for more killing pressure would be good choice as well. Or Gyro for more kiting. Doesnt matter

@The V.8759 said:

@"Stand The Wall.6987" said:I would change the heal and elite.

aed is quite possible the worst heal in the game, especially traited. when its traited it gives you a shocking aura... guess what you want ppl to hit you so you reach 0 hp. supply crate is quite possible the worst elite in the game. you will get a stun and an immob and some measly damage then its gone to aoe (worse yet someone dodges it or interrupts you). if this is what you wanna play man go for it but im tellin you its some risky business.

I found this to be better: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vdAQFAUlUUhGvYNVw8KQ+FLTGl4zUABA9cX3994I0exHA-jJh9gAL7PI/AAAKDkdBAAA

@Stand The Wall.6987 said:

@The V.8759 said:

@Stand The Wall.6987 said:I would change the heal and elite.

Okay sorry but you are misinformed on many things:AED Grants the shocking aura AFTER you have been healed. Arenanet is not that retarded :PSupply crate can stun a target twice. All the turrets you drop become overcharged. Thus removing a few condis, healing you with healing Turret. But also net Turret is overcharged. Thus it stuns a target.Its F5 ability is also really good for healing and cleanse in a pinch.

Anyway, change the healing skill and elite to whatever you prefer. The build doesnt change that much.

@The V.8759 said:

@Stand The Wall.6987 said:

@The V.8759 said:

@Stand The Wall.6987 said:I would change the heal and elite.

ah I didn't know that. well then that changes things lol.

Dudes. These changes have validated my SD scrapper. I was using something similar to you with AED only using rifle turret but with the changes to scrapper...

I'm all about this....

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vdAQFAUnUICtoilcBOeBEqilOja8BCgpC83KuGietH70G-j1RBQBcR5HkUCel9HewFAAAPAgEq+Th0BAA-w

demolisher in PvP. The only thing I'm not really getting value out of is the 10% hammer dmg but I'd rather keep at arms length XD

@"Peutrifectus.4830" said:Dudes. These changes have validated my SD scrapper. I was using something similar to you with AED only using rifle turret but with the changes to scrapper...

I'm all about this....

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vdAQFAUnUICtoilcBOeBEqilOja8BCgpC83KuGietH70G-j1RBQBcR5HkUCel9HewFAAAPAgEq+Th0BAA-w

demolisher in PvP. The only thing I'm not really getting value out of is the 10% hammer dmg but I'd rather keep at arms length XD

IKR! It feels so awesome to play SD again, feels much more like an engi again!And its actually doing pretty good :)

Why do you use expert examination though?

@The V.8759 said:

@"Peutrifectus.4830" said:Dudes. These changes have validated my SD scrapper. I was using something similar to you with AED only using rifle turret but with the changes to scrapper...

I'm all about this....

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vdAQFAUnUICtoilcBOeBEqilOja8BCgpC83KuGietH70G-j1RBQBcR5HkUCel9HewFAAAPAgEq+Th0BAA-w

demolisher in PvP. The only thing I'm not really getting value out of is the 10% hammer dmg but I'd rather keep at arms length XD

Oh, because launch pbr, shocking aura and aed toolbelt will proc 6 sec if weakness and 5 stack vuln each.

At the cost of sustain yeah, but aed is aed

@Peutrifectus.4830 said:

@The V.8759 said:

@Peutrifectus.4830 said:Dudes. These changes have validated my SD scrapper. I was using something similar to you with AED only using rifle turret but with the changes to scrapper...

I'm all about this....

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vdAQFAUnUICtoilcBOeBEqilOja8BCgpC83KuGietH70G-j1RBQBcR5HkUCel9HewFAAAPAgEq+Th0BAA-w

demolisher in PvP. The only thing I'm not really getting value out of is the 10% hammer dmg but I'd rather keep at arms length XD

Well I'dd also say don't go sustain! Because... AED indeed.But go Mass Momentum! You get a lot of stability with your grandmaster trait, so you will get plenty of might. The might from HGH will only bring you up to several stacks. This easily goes to 15+ stacks

I'm using firearms over alchemy. Again, less sustain but getting might on crit from sanguine array and ~90%+ crit chance.

Rifle 3 can knock me up to 20 stacks in one go if I get enough targets and it gives me a reason to drop box of nails XD

Ah yes! Thats what I've been using lately as well, but in combination with Mass Momentum. The might on Sanguine Array is too short to be reliable tbh

Suppose it's a trade off between more consistent might or vulnerability and weakness... I'm not one for doing the math but the latter feels good