Support Mechanist vs. Support Scrapper

[Jimbru.6014]

My Engineer character currently has two builds:

- Power Mechanist DPS, like almost everyone else these days.
- Heal Scrapper in full Minstrel gear that I sometimes take to WvW zergs and big PVE events like metas for crowd support. It's almost impossible for me to die unless I just let it happen, but I do practically no damage so it's only useful in large groups.

So I'm wondering, what are the pros and cons between Mechanist and Scrapper support builds? Because I like playing support, but I want to be more broadly useful than I currently feel as a heal Scrapper. Help appreciated.

 

[Alcatraznc.3869]

Long story short, Scrapper provide Quikness to the group and Mechanist provide Alacrity to the group.

 

If you are mainly a PvE player then support mech is good. It offers a might, a bit of fury and alacrity. You have to be wary of your mech positioning because this is where most of your boons will come from. Because you are in PvE, you will often just stack with the group so it is just a matter of checking if your mech is in the crowd.  Support scrapper works as well.

 

If you are mainly a WvW player then stick to scrapper. The mech pathing and AI is way too unreliable in a zerg. The only time where you can kind of makes it work is during siege attack where people are stacked but you will be limited to crisis zone and the pulsating barrier from the F3. Scrapper can provide superspeed, a buble that blocks projectile with stability on the run, mechanist will only be limited to the medkit. 

[Voltekka.2375]

Scrapper also has the elite stealth gyro, which is hugely valuable in wvw. Good Superspeed, too. Mech in wvw is unreliable in blobs.

[Stalima.5490]

scrapper is more or less an obsolete specialization at this point thanks to mechanist, it's only real use is in extreme niche like if you REALLY need that quickness...

If they are honestly commited to making scrapper support a viable thing then they should probably rework scrapper, swapping bulwark gyro and function gyro around and then giving it an energy bar for it's new bulwark gyro at the very least this would be a way more healthy way for the scrapper barrier to function than the current version but considering it seems like it's supposed to be a really tanky specialisation this would also make alot of sense either way in my opinion.

[Fwog.9387]

On 7/3/2022 at 3:56 PM, Alcatraznc.3869 said:

If you are mainly a PvE player then support mech is good. It offers a might, a bit of fury and alacrity. You have to be wary of your mech positioning because this is where most of your boons will come from.

I highly recommend everyone having a binding to attack with the golem and to call it back. Be ready in any structured encounter to have the golem on passive and manually send the golem in. If it gets out of position, reel that boi back in. 

[Noah Salazar.5430]

On 7/3/2022 at 6:09 PM, Jimbru.6014 said:

My Engineer character currently has two builds:

- Power Mechanist DPS, like almost everyone else these days.
- Heal Scrapper in full Minstrel gear that I sometimes take to WvW zergs and big PVE events like metas for crowd support. It's almost impossible for me to die unless I just let it happen, but I do practically no damage so it's only useful in large groups.

So I'm wondering, what are the pros and cons between Mechanist and Scrapper support builds? Because I like playing support, but I want to be more broadly useful than I currently feel as a heal Scrapper. Help appreciated.

 

I Not use Minstriel but Magi+runes of pack for fury : 

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PegAo6lNwcYNMPWKeyTftSA-zRZYQhNGNgawlR1FQ6JgazS7bWA-e

In my opinion as 5k h engi main is :

hqs cons:

-> more stability (x3) defense field, low cd

-> aoe stun break (my f3) Bypas Coating

-> Superspeed allows you to move from red circles or spread mechanics

-> Can Boon while in montion (good for speedruns)

-> aoe ress evry 25-35s (f4)

ham cons:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PegAk6lNwaZuMPWKeyTfRVA-zxIYwoh/MqWBkuEwuzS7bWA-e

-> insane 2031 healing stats

-> barrier on top of healing skills

-> only 52% boon duration reqired to perm most boons

-> 4-6k dps

-> if you spam mace 1 you do perm 4-5k barrier migrating most dmg

 

- only 1 stab so you need have quick duo that brings stab insted of you

- stationary

- no ress for team

 

Quote

If they are honestly commited to making scrapper support a viable thing

Thay are viable

You can  easly take it as qtank for raids with only 216  toughnes w1-w4, kaiter/pusher on w5, and w7 or be as qhealer

I personaly feel that i can carry harder on scrapper

 

 

Quote

seems like it's supposed to be a really tanky specialisation

 

thay swaped tank traits for support ones, also made aoe fury on pinpoint dystibution

it's no longer tanky specialisation with nerfed 5% barrier generation for -180 vit -_-

the only tank trait that left is damage dampener 

Edited July 12, 2022 by Noah Salazar.5430

[tetmikem.5608]

Personally I'm really disappointed that Anet's recent moves which have basically made Scrapper sub par in every game mode except large scale WvW.  

 

I'm a Scrapper main. I love Scrapper. I think it brings a lot to the table, ,but often utility is undervalued by others,, especially if they don't play Scrapper themselves.  So finding groups where you are wanted post EoD is much harder.

 

Pre-EoD I liked being able to play qDPS or Quick Heal in PvE but now every group is like, 'Mech please!' for Engi Heal support.  The qDPS variant isn't that desirable either as other quickness providers can significantly outdps us.  

 

It's a really sucky feeling atm.  I mean, I guess Holo mains might feel similar too?  I don't know as I never play Holo.  I can play Mechanist but personally I just don't love doing so.  

 

Lately I've been logging in, looking at LFG and just logging back off cause I know I'll have to play Mech if I want to find a group. 

[Stalima.5490]

On 7/12/2022 at 7:17 AM, Noah Salazar.5430 said:

I Not use Minstriel but Magi+runes of pack for fury : 

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PegAo6lNwcYNMPWKeyTftSA-zRZYQhNGNgawlR1FQ6JgazS7bWA-e

In my opinion as 5k h engi main is :

hqs cons:

-> more stability (x3) defense field, low cd

-> aoe stun break (my f3) Bypas Coating

-> Superspeed allows you to move from red circles or spread mechanics

-> Can Boon while in montion (good for speedruns)

-> aoe ress evry 25-35s (f4)

ham cons:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PegAk6lNwaZuMPWKeyTfRVA-zxIYwoh/MqWBkuEwuzS7bWA-e

-> insane 2031 healing stats

-> barrier on top of healing skills

-> only 52% boon duration reqired to perm most boons

-> 4-6k dps

-> if you spam mace 1 you do perm 4-5k barrier migrating most dmg

 

- only 1 stab so you need have quick duo that brings stab insted of you

- stationary

- no ress for team

 

Thay are viable

You can  easly take it as qtank for raids with only 216  toughnes w1-w4, kaiter/pusher on w5, and w7 or be as qhealer

I personaly feel that i can carry harder on scrapper

 

 

 

thay swaped tank traits for support ones, also made aoe fury on pinpoint dystibution

it's no longer tanky specialisation with nerfed 5% barrier generation for -180 vit -_-

the only tank trait that left is damage dampener 

Relax I said it was obsolete, not useless, like how a steam train could still get you to where you're going, but theres really just better trains out there.

[Kodama.6453]

On 7/12/2022 at 8:17 AM, Noah Salazar.5430 said:

the only tank trait that left is damage dampener 

System shocker and adaptive armor still exist. Also hammer is still one of the best defensive weapons in the game (has an evade, a reflec and a block in the kit).

Scrapper still works as a tanky spec, even if not as well as it used to.