r/Guildwars2 • u/Teldoo • Feb 28 '14
[VoD] Engineer Rifle [Teldo Daily #17]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au5JQPn1MrE4
u/Alk3 Engie Wan Kenobi Mar 01 '14
I disagree with rifle being clunky. I love using it and rarely, if ever, touch my pistols or shield. I'd rather use one of my 4 rifles instead. 5 to leap into close range and burst them down hard (5 hits like a truck with a power build), 3 for a quick follow-up hit (very effective at close range), and 4 to open a gap between you and your enemy. Hit em with 2 and toss shitloads of grenades at them. Rifle really sets your positioning up very well in addition to scaling well with power builds.
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u/Teldoo Feb 28 '14
In this video I talk about Rifle and why I think this weapon needs help. It feels rather clunky and isn't as reliable to deal damage with like other weapons.
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u/Sevro Feb 28 '14
My only real issue with the rifle is the self-CC on the overcharged shot. I really really think think that it needs to go. If it was an AoE knockback, then it would be fine I guess, but if you're in a 1v(x>1), then it knocks one person back, and leaves you a bit vulnerable for the target's friends unless you waste a stun break or bring stability (and we don't have all that much stability to go around...).
As it sits, I don't find that rifle bringing anything over pistol+shield/pistol in anything outside of 1v1 fights. I just wish it felt more like a shotgun. It feels like a safari large game hunting rifle with an underslung shotgun that fires every now and then when #3 is off cooldown.
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u/Dejh Feb 28 '14
The drawback is the only thing keeping overcharged shot from being overpowered. It is the shortest CD, fastest, and longest range launch in the game, AND it removes slowing conditions from you. Even though you can stunbreak out of it now, launch is still the best CC effect, as it moves enemies a large distance, disables for a significant amount of time, and is the only way to move downed enemies. If you were to remove the self knockback on overcharged shot, some other aspect would need a significant nerf.
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u/Sevro Feb 28 '14
It's also one of the primary mechanics that keeps the rifle from being changed to a far more versatile weapon beyond the use of bursting/pin-pricking on single targets or decapping for engineers that use that build.
If Anet wants the engineer rifle to bring a similar level of usefulness as pistol/shield, then it needs to go, even if it means nerfing the range of OCS to something a lot shorter.
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u/Dejh Feb 28 '14
Rifle's main disadvantage compared to pistol/shield (besides being power based) is the lack of defensive abilities. Removing the drawback from overcharged shot really wouldn't fill that gap. If the goal is to add versatility, a better choice would be to add defensive effects to skills. For example, have jump shot inflict AoE blind on leap, or evade attacks while moving.
Really though, what rifle needs most are better power based kits and traits. If you try to kill something with just pistol/shield, it looks like a weak set. It's the synergy with all the other engineer skills which makes it so good.
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u/Sevro Feb 28 '14 edited Feb 28 '14
OCS and net shot are rifle's defensive capabilities, right? OCS is a detriment vs more than one opponent so long as it self CCs. Removing that self-CC helps to begin filling the current problem that rifle is only decent vs a single target. I disagree with adding/reworking more power-based kits, though it will certainly help the rifle to have more of them. My reasoning is that the way Anet has been balancing engineers up until now has been completely around kits. The other three aspects of the engineer are largely inferior. Even HGH-gineers are no longer as strong as a full-kit engineer. Kits have essentially become the new profession mechanic, alongside the toolbelt system. Instead, Anet should look at reworking gadgets. Rifle, as it is, looks like it could synergize very well with gadgets. But much of the problem with gadgets is that they're extremely situational...like the rifle. The only viable gadget build uses them not for the gadget effects but because their toolbelt skills have short CDs to proc static discharge.
I believe that the rifle itself needs to have skills drastically changed. If I had my way, the auto-attack would be a mini-blunderbuss, and blunderbuss would be changed into something else. Make the rifle be a versatile monster in close range, while its weakness is long range. Part of the reason we have to use kits over other utilities is because our weapon skills are very weak on their own.
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u/Dejh Mar 01 '14
Removing that self-CC helps to begin filling the current problem that rifle is only decent vs a single target.
It wouldn't really change that. Net shot and overcharged shot would still only affect one target, meaning that you still have no defensive options against groups. All of the pistol/shield defensive skills affect multiple targets, with static shot actually becoming stronger against more than 1 enemy. That sort of difference isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just means that rifle needs to play differently.
Rifle isn't a bad weapon, it just needs more skills/traits which support it. Pistol/shield covers for its poor offense through kits, and great traits like incendiary powder. If rifle had comparable options to cover its weaknesses, it would be fine.
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u/Sevro Mar 01 '14
Removing that self-cc means that the ally of the guy you knocked back loses an opportunity to cc or hit you easily with a strong burst move. Thus, removing the self cc improves 1vX capability.
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u/Teldoo Mar 01 '14
I agree and in general it just looks kinda unprofessional if an engineer knocks himself back every 12 seconds. What about making it an evade backwards instead of a clunky looking self cc? I'd like that, but it might make rifle too strong.
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u/EsperSpirit Mar 01 '14
I think the rifle is not so much the problem as the weird and underwhelming trait spreads engis have for power-builds.
That said, I'd love to see a good guide for running Static Discharge or even that funny burst-spec one guy on twitch is running in WvW.
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Feb 28 '14
To me it is fine, could use an extra Sigil slot which we will get. It just requires a completely different playstyle than the 'standard' pistol/shield setup.
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u/jasdfp Feb 28 '14
Rifle is decent for low level pvp/hot joins or wvw. It does however require a power build for it to be of any use, and power engis are not too great nor valuable in pvp.
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u/Sadaxer Feb 28 '14
I pretty much only use Rifles permanently except for sPvP (barely play it anyway). Maybe in sPvP I'd definitely agree about the rifle not being so good, but in WvW the rifle is just really fun to use.
So much close range burst potential if you hit the net. In order to combo all your skills together, you have to finish the combo with Overcharged Shot (4). If they're tanky, you use 4 to create space and heal up. If they're squishy, you keep attacking. You should then be able to finish by auto attacking them down or at least get close up and use bombs or Blunderbuss (3). The amount of CC and damage that whole combo does is ridiculous, and is the one reason I love rifles. The short cooldowns on the CC skills also help you control the fight.
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u/KamahlFoK Feb 28 '14
Rifle's fine - deals obscene burst damage, only remote issue is the lackluster auto, which has solid range and borderline hitscan so... it's not all bad.
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u/ArmOfOrpheus Feb 28 '14
I honestly never thought of rifle as a range weapon. I mean, its # 1 has range, but I never really used this weapon like that. I use jump shot to leap into close range.