Some Scrapper Sugestions

[Ravenwulfe.5360]

I don't think it's a stretch to say most that play scrapper agree that the class dodged the nerf bullet back in October, mostly, when the planned gyro change got reversed last minute, except for Defense Field (which I wish would get reversed). However, they also made it clear that they still plan to revisit changing the scrapper gyro's at some point. Whether this means making them wells still or some other nerf entirely, that's anyone's guess. I know I wouldn't mind something similar to Aetherblade Assault meta where the gyros have more of a mesmer-like quality. Something similar to where we start with one but get more as the fight goes on which would not go amiss since currently scrapper is the lowest damage dealing class of the engineer elite specs.

 

But past that there are a few other changes to scrapper I would like to see. First up would be giving us the ability to finally utilize and maximize condition damage. It's no secret that due to how the setup of scrapper is, if you want to maximize your utility and your own defensive ability you have to essentially go hard on power. We only get barrier from strike damage, which does not play nicely with condition setups for the most part. A change I would make is that Impact Savant would get changed to also include condition damage so scrappers are not just pigeon holed into being berserker gear setups for DPS.

 

Another change I would like to see is giving scrappers an option to apply alacrity instead of just being nothing but quickness dispensers. I would probably change the tier 3 Adaptive Armor to providing this and get rid of the boosted shielding since that is pretty moot these days. It would also give the scrapper an option to going more into the support role as well, which currently majority of setup suggestions I see is usually just 1, 3, 2.

 

Finally, I wouldn't mind something that would better emphasize the tanking aspect of scrapper. Again the current meta just going all in on berserker gear works just as well, if not better, than trying to diversify into other gear. Most of the engie trait lines just go ignored and unloved because of the lack of need to explore anything else for a scrapper. And with the basic idea that scrapper gyros are going to be changed I would like to see the roles broaden beyond being a quickness dispenser for group content. A buff to damage, potentially being able to provide alacrity, and even becoming a better boon tank would be quite nice of options.

 

On a few other things, I think the defiance break on Thunderclap needs a bit of a buff as well for scrappers. Seems silly to me there are stronger breaks out there in AoE format that provide more and even a rifle or shield combo provides two methods of defiance break for a lot easier and defensiveness to boot. Or, providing defiance break on another power and not just one Thunderclap. Maybe add it to Shock Shield as well giving that a bit stronger utility as well as more usefulness. Maybe 50 or 60 per hit of Shock Shield for a total of 250 to 300 Defiance Break when fully maintained on a target(s). And barring that give Shock Shield a secondary attack option like other engineering shields, call it Shock Pulse or something where if you hit the action while it's being maintained it performs a hit like a knockback or something that gives a burst of defiance break (says 150) as well giving the function more utility.

 

And, to emphasize this a bit more, I think the scrapper needs some damage buffing. Nothing huge, but not to the point that it has to be married to their grenades in order to have competitive damage either.

 

Addition - Increase Function Gyro to target up to five allies like other similar powers. It seems silly that other powers can res up to 5 targets but the function gyro can only target three, never mind the function gyro can also be interrupted and destroyed to in its attempt to res a fallen ally.

Edited January 4, 2023 by Ravenwulfe.5360
Added another point for function gyro

[The Boz.2038]

I don't think all specs need to have all possible avenues open to them to a "viable" level.
Scrapper is power DPS, boon pDPS, and boon healer, + tank if needed. Sure, the power DPS variant isn't that good, but it is there, it works. It doesn't also need a condi/condiboon build. Or the other boon, just for reasons.

[Ravenwulfe.5360]

9 minutes ago, The Boz.2038 said:

I don't think all specs need to have all possible avenues open to them to a "viable" level.
Scrapper is power DPS, boon pDPS, and boon healer, + tank if needed. Sure, the power DPS variant isn't that good, but it is there, it works. It doesn't also need a condi/condiboon build. Or the other boon, just for reasons.

It's to provide alternative options. I mean, power DPS is our only option which negates a huge chunk of our kit since a lot of engineer kits are condition based, even for a scrapper since purge gyro toolbelt skill drops a condition field that we can combo much like lightning and healing and fire effects. Not to mention a condi build fields would benefit way more than simple power builds when using our combo effects. Kind of funny we can't even maximize our combo effects.

 

And why not spread alacrity? Why is alacrity limited to only a few key elite specs? To make them special? I don't think mechanist needs to be anymore special than it already is considering it already outperforms scrapper casually versus the effort that a scrapper has to put in. Even with the so-called nerf (because evidently it's hard to push f7 then follow it up with f6 for some people) a mechanist is almost always desired in team just because of one buff, meanwhile a scrapper can be replaced by a multitude of classes out there that also outperform in DPS too. So I am curious why quickness should be propagated so much but not alacrity?

 

The thing about GW2 was build options and freedom but this isn't how you do that by saying only spec X gets to do something.

[The Boz.2038]

18 minutes ago, Ravenwulfe.5360 said:

And why not spread alacrity?

It's not about spreading alac, but giving the same spec alac and quick, even if mutually exclusive. Especially since holo, you know, exists.

Alac DPS classes being meh is an entirely separate thing.

[Kodama.6453]

14 minutes ago, The Boz.2038 said:

It's not about spreading alac, but giving the same spec alac and quick, even if mutually exclusive.

To be fair, that is already a thing. While mutually exclusive, chronomancers can still chose to either provide alacrity or quickness.

But I think giving alacrity to scrapper is not needed. It has it's niche among our elite specs as the quickness provider. I am quite satisfied with our elite specs when it comes to role distributions (scrapper being quickness provider, mechanist is alacrity provider and holosmith is our top option if going for pure dps).

[The Boz.2038]

1 minute ago, Kodama.6453 said:

To be fair, that is already a thing. While mutually exclusive, chronomancers can still chose to either provide alacrity or quickness.

I know, it's a trick with one spec, and I don't like it, and I don't want it to spread to more specs.