Warhammer Online: Thoughts on the Dwarf Engineer
MMORPG.com Warhammer Online Correspondent Joshua Peters writes this article giving his expreiences playing a Dwarf Engineer in Mythic`s WAR.
With the start of anything, you need a plan. In this case, starting in Warhammer, you probably have a lot of questions when it comes to realm, race, and class. In the last two weeks I have tried several types of classes for the Order realm. My favorite and the one that this article is going to talk about, is the Dwarf Engineer. I have chosen my path and with this information you might be able to have a better grasp of what you will do as well.
After playing a bit as an Engineer, I have to say that I am really enjoying it. I didn't see many engineers early on as people were finally figuring out what class they wanted to play as the game got under way.
To keep you informed, I have leveled my character up to Rank 24. So far, I have been able to solo (PvE) up to two levels above me. RvR is a lot harder because the only ones I can solo are softies at range. You really need to be in a Warband with quite a few people to take control. This class is better suited for support/ranged DPS style players. It is a good class for holding down a control point in scenarios.
Here‘s a quick overview of the fighting style that works for me in RvR with my Engineer: First, I find the position that is far enough away from the front but close enough to deal damage to the healers and ranged damage dealers. Then, I lay out my turret and a couple of landmines. These give me enough time to move away if I am attacked… at least until the tanks step in. Engineers also have a hammer or spanner that can put a slowing hex on the enemy.
At my current rank, I am able to crit for 600+ damage with my rifle but my normal average for softies is 400. I also have a morale ability that allows me to do 100% more damage for 7 seconds. For battling at Tier 3, Engineers are a must have but they are also targeted first in many cases, so make sure you have a healer or some potions to keep you alive until the cavalry arrives.
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Ranks 1 through 10 are pretty easy to move through because it doesn't take much XP to level up. I got there in about 2 days playing about 4-5 hours a day. So if you work on it for a week you should definitely be Tier Two within that time frame. I didn't do much RvR until the top ranks of Tier One because it is very hard to stay alive. Even though you get bolster which ranks you up to Rank Eight, you don't have all the morale and weapons until higher ranks, so I did a lot of PvE. What I did then is similar to what I do now in Tier Three. I break out the turret (my favorite is the flame thrower in Tier One) somewhere you can get to easily but far enough away from where you are headed so as not to disturb other non-friendly types. Then, I start looking for something Want to kill. Target then shoot then with your rifle from a far enough distance that you can chuck an acid or fire bomb at them while they are still running toward you. This way, you can hit them twice and get them starting to drop with a little damage over time. Now head back to your turret so it can attack them and grab the agro while you fall back to shoot them some more. At Rank Seven, you can get the ability "Adding Shot" which de-taunts the enemy and reduces their damage 50% for 15 seconds. This comes in handy for those mobs that really like you. Before long they will die and then you can do it again. It is pretty straight forward when you are fighting in PvE, but PvP is a lot different. You may use similar tactics but you have to remember that this will be a person and not a dumb NPC, so they will go after you and not the turret. Also, keep in mind that most tanks are going to probably have a healer somewhere near them, so they will really have an advantage against you. I have yet to do any serious damage to anything other than softies because everyone else either gets too close or annihilates me while being healed or they have strong armor and can take a lot of damage
Summing it up, all battles are about range with this character type. You have a melee weapon but you are most certainly not a Tank! You are a ranged DPS class with very strong attacks at distance. However, don't think that when they get up close that the fight is over because there are a lot of ways to attack back with higher damage than your spanner. Grenades are a good way to knock off some life with both damage over time and instant powerhouse blasts. The abilities you earn move up in rank with you, meaning that if you get something at ranks 1-6, they may only say "deals 40 damage" but as you rank they get stronger too. By 24 my rank 5 abilities are almost as powerful as the ones I just unlocked, so don't worry about changing things up on your hot bar once you find a good set of skills that you use often, but do try and mix things up for the best way for you to win.
If I can give you some other advice it would be to group up. I am in a guild which is also something I highly recommend because fighting alone in RvR, especially with an Engineer, is just ridiculous and you will parish. The reason I suggest a guild is because most have VOIP servers so it makes it easier to battle plan than trying to type while in battle. Usually, if they are a good guild, they will help you out and Engineers need it just like everyone else (maybe even more). The other thing I recommend is that if you aren't in a guild or you are but no one is on when you are, look around for groups. Every time you enter a new area a pop-up in the top left of the screen tells you the open parties in your area and what they are doing. There are things you can do alone but most of this game was built around teaming up with your realm to fight together. Trying to complete a PQ by yourself, for example, is suicide unless you are at least one Tier above the zone and just running back for the added influence.
Another thing to remember is that, as a Dwarf Engineer, you are very easy to kill. You are soft, and because you deal a lot of damage from a distance, you are a threat and you will be attacked the first time they get a chance whether in PvE or PvP. I have noticed that I get a lot more aggro than others in PvE simply because of this. Good luck with your new Dwarf Engineer, now go to WAAAGH!
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