Will Engineer ever be meta in PvE?

[hmmz.4186]

Hello. This is a question mainly about the viability of Engeneer in the upcoming patch.

 

While I've been playing GW2 on and off over the years I mainly played SPvP. I always felt like trying PvE, but every time I tried to get into fractals (the lowest ones, I think 1-25) random PUGs would never invite me. I always thought because I either missed the time engeneer was meta or it was never really the case. I know I probably could join a guild which doesn't really care about the meta, but first I'd like to learn the mechanics of various encounters before joining.

 

I've been reading alot of discussions about engineer lately so the question is about your prediction in the next patch. Will quickness scrapper be a thing and find its place in fractals? I'm not talking about raids as of yet because I think I will need to learn the game a lot more till then.

 

Any advice, insight or just a discussion I would greatly appreciate. Thanks in advance! 🙂

Edited May 10, 2021 by hmmz.4186
typo

[cat.8975]

Power holosmith is currently a great pick for dps in all fractals, with the exception of 100 CM (where you'd play condi instead). Quickness scrapper may have some use in speedclear comps, but it wont be usable in general pug groups until they buff the base quickness duration on it. Even then, pugs will probably continue to run hfb as the utility it provides is typically more useful (aoe pulls, fury, aegis, reflects), but you may be able to convince people to let you run scrapper instead.

[ThrakathNar.4537]

The short answer to your question about quickness scrapper is: probably not.

 

PvE meta in this game is defined largely by 2 things - access to class-specific buffs, and access to area boons. The more you have of those, the bigger chance you have of being meta.

Engineer has competetive DPS, but what it lacks are buffs. A soulbeast can bring Frost Spirit, Spotter, and shared One Wolf Pack, which are all unique benefits that no other class can provide. For this reason, soulbeast has a strong role in the fractal meta. Engineer only has one unique buff (Pinpoint Distribution), but taking that is useless for power groups, and actually worse group condition damage than running Thermal Vision,  in 5 man content.

On the topic of boons - quickness is not enough. Ignoring the fact that the duration is too short (you'd need to run 80-100% boon duration to upkeep it permanently, compared to firebrand which only needs to run 30%), there are just so many other boons that firebrand can provide that scrapper cannot. Aegis and Stability are the really big ones, because with those you can straight up ignore a lot of fractal mechanics. It doesn't help that aegis is pretty much unique to the guardian class. There are other boons though that scrapper is lacking, particularly might and fury, both of which firebrand can provide. The only potential opportunity here is that staff mirage will be able to provide both of these boons with the patch tomorrow, so... maybe.

[Noah Salazar.5430]

@hmmz.4186

 

It's ok to be scrapper dps in fractals/drms i run it even now in t4 fractals witchout any infusions having close dmg to other clases on one target, and on aoe tartgets i'm top dps

 

now it will bit buff to dmg, also holo will lose some dmg so diference between them will be 2-3k 

 

build i'm using is from Lucy Nubs (but i'm using Medic Gyro insted AED)

 

 

After next day dps Scrapper will also get +3% dmg to glass cannon, and +50 power to adaptive force, and on top of that you will give stab to 5ppl if you will have 10 might on you even as dps

 

That change will make Scrapper good pick for fractals (for pugs not min-max CM speedrun 80-120k dps runs),

 

but also as tanky dps itself that will do now 31k->33-34k dmg (holo will do 38k->36k)

 

About Quickness Healer

 

Thay need buff Quickness in pve from 2s->3s or replace https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Expert_Examination for https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Recovery_Matrix and insted barrier put 3s quickness on heal

 

or

 

Add 2s aoe fury on hgh https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/HGH so you will can keep up fury with 4 elixir skills insted of Rifle turret traited with Experimental Turrets, that will alow you save your elixir gun

 

also culd be nice to replace spots of Experimental Turrets with Pinpoint Distribution

https://imgur.com/3QgLJTx.png

 

So Quicknes Healer Scrapper culd boon his uniqe offensive buff to a team as alternative to druid spirits and HFB signets

 

if thay make that 3 changes, scrapper healer will be good pick

 

if not you need sacriface too much right to upkeep Quickness+Fury in pve losing also your elixir gun on place for turret as Blast gyro will be perm locked to upkeep Quickness, and Bulwark gyro is needed for stab

Edited May 10, 2021 by Noah Salazar.5430

[Infusion.7149]

It's actually a meta pick when you want high cleave (photon forge cleaves 5) along with decent CC and when you want to invuln to ignore mechanics (AED).

If you look at LN they have 3 holos on Sabir: https://lucky-noobs.com/teamcompositions

Snowcrows has 2 holos on Slothasor and 3 on Sabir: https://snowcrows.com/benchmarks/

In fractals, with potions you don't need to rely on fury as much so it really is strong in any fractal with many enemies. The 5 target AoE isn't heavily limited by cooldowns and in worst case scenarios when you need to range something you can use grenade kit.

[HnRkLnXqZ.1870]

Scrapper once was meta in PvE. But that time period lasted a few months. It was not as powerful as any of the true meta-classes, but did acceptable damage and offered nice group-support for a short time. For the first time in history of GW2, we were warmly welcomed in every game-mode. You could play what ever you wanted, the moment you said you were a Scrapper, you've got an invite. It was a dream.

 

To make this absolutely clear, PvE was not the problem. Back in those days, ANet applied drastic changes to all game-modes equally. So Scrapper became a Super-Bunker in WvW. They hate bunkers in general, but we were so powerful that even medium scale groups had serious trouble taking us down. It was imbalanced and we have been definitely overpowered in competitive at that time.

 

But ANet did, what they believed was the best and butchered the class in all game-modes again. After barely a few months of being considered a 'normal' class, we were back at trash-level. It took us (remaining Engineers & balance team) more than an entire year to get the barrier-system working properly. Right after the nerf, we were so weak, I died in PvE against bosses I used to solo even before the short time-period. For example, I used to solo the Chack HP in the south-east of AB. In order to satisfy the blood-thirst in competitive, they did not just strip us of our new powers, the stomped us right through the floor. 

 

In competitive, they applauded to ANet and humiliated us at every possible situation. There was so much hate on the board, and it was tolerated, because it was only against Engineers. A lot of Engineer mains quit or switched to other classes. It was a horrible disaster. 

 

I would like to see Engineer and Scrapper back in a normal spot. But considering how our last adventure ended, I rather stay at my level.

 

Holosmith is meta. But Holosmith is Engineer for people who do not like to play an Engineer. 

[WindBlade.8749]

holosmith is already meta in raids and we could say close to meta in fractals so ...

[cat.8975]

18 minutes ago, HnRkLnXqZ.1870 said:

Scrapper once was meta in PvE. But that time period lasted a few months. It was not as powerful as any of the true meta-classes, but did acceptable damage and offered nice group-support for a short time. For the first time in history of GW2, we were warmly welcomed in every game-mode. You could play what ever you wanted, the moment you said you were a Scrapper, you've got an invite. It was a dream.

When? Scrapper was never better than base engi pre-PoF, and holo has always been better than scrapper after PoF.

[Nephalem.8921]

Holo is fine in fractals and raids. Even speedrun meta on a few encounters.

I dont remember scrapper being welcomed in pve. Release scrapper was a complete meme in pve. Until holo you played core condi or gtfo. Well didnt even matter that much because core condi works with 2 traitlines so you could play "scrapper" for the memes. Not using a single scrapper trait or skill in the process.

I really want to know which version of scrapper did "acceptable damage" and "offered nice group support". Scrapper gaining quickness is probably the first thing making it decent in instanced pve and giving it a role next to holo instead of competeing, and losing, to it.

Tanky bruiser theme just doesnt go with anything but open world in pve.

Edited May 11, 2021 by Nephalem.8921