Engineer's Skills, which to focus on and which to map?

[IanJones]

I'm looking for all a little help from all the Engineers on here. I started SL about 2 weeks ago since I'm sick of waiting around for the PL update. I'm already a Lv22 Engineer but I'm not sure where to focus my skill points on. It seems like some of the skills are duplicated as one skill will help you and another skill will help the whole crew in the same way. So is it better just to level the skill the helps everyone and not even use the personal skill? An example is Force Shield and Protection. Force Shield increases my armor but Protection increases everyone's armor (but not by as much). Leech and Transference are similar.

Wither seems to suck and so does Suppression since it never stuns anyone. Transference and Pain are my best attack skills I think (with Trans also healing the crew). I also wanted to know if revive should just stay at level 1, the only benefit is that it uses less Mana but I wouldn't want to waste a skill point just on that.

We only have 8 skill spots so let me know which 8 you use (1st page and 2nd) and what levels you have everything at? Hopefully some 40s or 41s see this post. I wish all the skills were on the main screen like in PL cuz I always forget to go to the second 4. Also, if anyone has done a sticky thread on the Engineer's skills then post that link. I wasn't able to find anything.

Thanks for the help!

[Mitchturbo]

Well it all depends on what job you want your engineer to do...
There are two types of engineer players, one which is the standerd support engineer and the other an offensive engineer.
Engineers and Comeng. LOL.
What ever your play style you'll always want 6 heal, 6 transferance, at least 1 on revive and only 1 on pain.
The rest I'll leave up to whether you decide what your strengths as an engineer are, as a supportive or a tanking offensive type.

[Cahaun]

I'll get you a pic of my skill arrangement. When it comes to engies, I know a lot of good tips and tricks.

[IanJones]

I'll get you a pic of my skill arrangement. When it comes to engies, I know a lot of good tips and tricks.

I'll be patiently waiting to hear about all of them and see the pics!

Mitchturbo, I definitely like to attack so I want to be an offensive engineer and help heal on the side. Why only 1 level on Pain? Is it not that good of a skill? What's the best offensive skills then? You say you are a stun specialist, is that your go-to skill?

[Mitchturbo]

I'll be patiently waiting to hear about all of them and see the pics!

Mitchturbo, I definitely like to attack so I want to be an offensive engineer and help heal on the side. Why only 1 level on Pain? Is it not that good of a skill? What's the best offensive skills then? You say you are a stun specialist, is that your go-to skill?

Yup, pain is a brilliant skill, handy to use on snipers in the volaria lvls (lvl 34 and up) but after you add one point on pain, its really not worth spending the rest of your points on, the upgrades to the skill only add a few damage points, which can be used on higher hitting engineer skills. The stun time still remains the same lenth of a few secs.
I call myself the Stun specialist because ive mastered the art of the most underestimated engineer skill... suppression. Which I can use to good effect. The secret is (if your planning on using it, lvl all the way to 6 points) to use it before you or anyone else engages in combat with a mob group. It will paralize six enemies at a time depending if they are all in range whereas you can then focus all of your attacks on one enemy at a time, picking them off one by one like an op. The problem with suppression is once someone paralyzed is hit, the spell over em is broken, so using while others have engaged or in the middle of a heated mob battle is a no no... Just wont work and will infuriate tour fellow team mates, as using the skill deactivates auto attack of everyone near you. Engineers using it like that have given the skill a bad rep... But when soloing lvls like some do it becomes an engineers handiest skill.

Also as an offensive engineer (comeng) you should avoid putting points on protection and force shield... Why, because even with all them maxed out, the amount of offense you'll be giving out will make em void due to engineers causing more aggro than comandos do.
The force shield breaks after 75+ damage, which will be one hit by the time you can run volaria, enimies cause 80+ damage regulary then and protection, maxed out only offering 60+ armour to everyone is useless. An extra 60 armour is nothing at all lol.

Instead focus the rest of your points on offensive skills like Decay, Wither, leech, transference. Up to you if you want to include sonic boom but the long refresh rate is a joke even contemplateing putting a point on. As is the tiny amount of damage it gives out lol.

Hope these personal tips have helped you in some way.

[IanJones]

Awesome post Mitch! Thanks a lot! When you refer to ComEng, is that character 100% STR or still 100% INT with just a focus on attacking?

You wrote Decay, With, Leech, and Trans when you said offensive skills, so you probably don't have any points on Pain or Sonic Boom do you? You want to level those other 4 out.

[Mitchturbo]

It depends I once used to have 100% strength, but I then switched to 100% Intelligence, cause it causes more damage, here are some photos on the stats differences:
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Yeah always put one point on pain, its essential to use on Scorn snipers as it temporarily messes up their one shot head kill ability.
Yeah no points on sonic boom.

[Chloe]

Awesome post Mitch! Thanks a lot! When you refer to ComEng, is that character 100% STR or still 100% INT with just a focus on attacking?

You wrote Decay, With, Leech, and Trans when you said offensive skills, so you probably don't have any points on Pain or Sonic Boom do you? You want to level those other 4 out.

Hi, I have a 41 eng, and run with Mitch alot. This "Eng / Comeng" thing he's referring to is about what you see your role as. Whichever role you like to play more (full-out support, run ahead first, etc..), you're still going to have decent armor and decent DPS. For either role, you have to have Both heal skills at 6, rev at least at 1, and Pain no higher than 1.

Then, like mitch said, the rest of the skills will be chosen based on play style. He likes to "tank" (or in PL, be like a 'bear') and solo (he can solo Thyra, the last boss in the game), in that way, he's more like a paladin (if you played WoW, this helps you, if not, then ignore). So his skills are different than say, mine. I like to sit back and full support (I'm more like a disc priest, again, if not a WoW player, ignore). But both of us can do both roles if needed.

As far as where to put your attribute points, All Int :). There is very little payoff for putting points in anything else compared to the massive loss in DPS that you take by not putting it all in INT.

[Cahaun]

I'm really sorry about the delay. I worked over 5 hours on an Algebra 2 honors chapters 7-9 exam review! :p
I'll get some pics tooken today and post a strategy guide tomorrow that has pictures lol.

[Araxu]

I have 2 engineers this is a lvl 30 support style

7124

This is the 41 Offensive build.

7126

I hope this helps.

[ArtStar]

I've never changed my build from the start, just added on with excess skill points.
My first page of four skills are pain6, boom6, heal6, trans6 going up.
Back four are decay6, leech3, buff6, rev1 going up.
I added decay when shipyard came out, then leech when voleria came.

I absolutely love my build for PvE.
It is good to focus on skills that help the team overall.
Though leech is very useful for yourself when you are pulling all the aggro with transferrence.

I have never had surpression mapped EVER.
Go with Pain all the way. It stuns the enemy with an initial strike and does an area stun for an extra second.
Its crazy with engineers if you practice the right skills you can do soooooo much damage to a full mob, and with a team behind you it makes you unstoppable.

Healing is a lot more than just spamming empathy and transference.
Well yes, you spam heals when you are actually around your teamates.
Transferrence can be used a number of ways though.
It really matters that you time it right when needed or if you wanna do alot of damage.
Try to learn the timing of the three clicks of empathy. It doesnt heal you instantly obviously.
It can get tricky, like if you spam empathy then another eng spams. This causes the clicks to start over for everyone, and no one gets healed because engs constantly restarting the clicks.
These clicks im reffering to are the three stimpack strong heals you get from one empathy.

Idk i kinda ranted that last paragraph, but basically it takes real skill to heal.
Once you start getting your massive healing waves down youll see.

Oh btw these are just fyi tips and things to look for.
For anyone who cares to read.

[IanJones]

Thanks again for another great post Mitch. I'm definitely a 100% INT. Let me get a screen shot of your skill levels if you get a chance!