Need opinions on Engineer/Operative build

(Dragnerok X) #1

Here is what I have planned / am working on (currently level 21):

Body type: Medium

Common Weapon Loadouts:

  1. Primary: Mossington w/ red dot;
    Secondary: Bulpdaun w/ front grip, high cap. mag, muzzle brake, red dot

  2. Primary: Rhett w/ front grip, high cap. mag, muzzle brake, red dot
    Secondary: Barnett w/ COGA, muzzle brake, speed sling

Universal Abilities:
Battle Hardened
Combat Intuition
Resupply Rate Increase
Silent Running
Sense of Perspective
Sprinting Reload
Supply Max Increase

Engineer Abilities (all except extra kevlar and pyro mines):
Command Post Upgrade
Extra Landmine
Gear Head
Improved Weapon Buff

[INDENT]Light Turret
Medium Turret
Gatling Turret
Nerves of Steel
[/INDENT]

Operative Abilities (all except sticky bomb):

[INDENT]Caltrop Grenades
EMP Grenades
Comms Hack
Control Turret
Hack Turret
Cortex Bomb
Firewall Command Post
Homing Beacon
UAV
[/INDENT]

As an engineer I tend to stick with my team, although occasionally wandering off to capture/defend/upgrade command posts. As an operative, I’m somewhere between being mostly on my own to 50/50 depending on whether we’re defending and how useful my EMP grenades are to the current objective. With that being said, are there any tweaks I can make (especially ability-wise) to this build to better suit my playstyle? Any strategies or tips for this kind of build?

(Humate) #2

Interesting.

I would remove Homing Beacon - and go for Nade Shooting.

For your weapons, you have a Barrett as a secondary with Coga.
As an alternative, try something like the Dragnov with red dot and rapid fire.
Great on maps like Sectower, Shipyard, and especially Resort.
For an alternative to the rhett which is ok at mid range, I would go for something more punchy in close. Euston might be better here, with the mid to long range of the Dragnov.

(Nexolate) #3

No Pyro Mine? They’re scary deadly you know. Got 3 kills from one mine on Labs Arkoral objective the other day.
Also for Mossington you don’t really need sights. If anything you could get Adjusted since zoom won’t help in CQC.

Regards,
Nexo

(1111) #4

I would never recommend using sights on Mossington. Two best qualities of the shotgun are having a regular spread (not the growing one like in other guns) and not having to ADS which means people with the spider sense perk can’t know someone is behind them etc.

(Dragnerok X) #5

No Pyro Mine? They’re scary deadly you know.

Indeed; I guess the problem is that I’ve run out of skill points, and I’m not sure what I could get rid of that isn’t essential to my build or extremely useful (sprinting reload? homing beacon?).

(1111) #6

Maybe the Command Post upgrade on the Engineer build? Battle Hardened from the Universal?

The latter is something everyone picks because it sounds so obvious but I bet you could live without it. Command Post upgrading is a nice touch and more XP but is it really more essential than an Extra Landmine?

(Dragnerok X) #7

Battle Hardened from the Universal?
That’s what I was thinking, although I ask myself how many times has that extra pip allowed me to plant a last-second turret or survive an unexpected mine. Perhaps not many. In any case, it’s definitely on my list of consideration.

(Punisher_ITA_) #8

Interested in topic!

(Nexolate) #9

Disagree, on both accounts.
One, the spread does increase. It increases to the point that follow-up shots barely do any damage.
Two, it is much better to ADS as it actually slightly reduces the spread; focusing the shot.

Could get rid of Gear Head. 1 second speed reduction for Turret, Mine and MG Nest constructions isn’t really that great compared to the usefulness of the Pyro Mine.

Regards,
Nexo

(Cep) #10

[QUOTE=Nexolate;371959]
Could get rid of Gear Head. 1 second speed reduction for Turret, Mine and MG Nest constructions isn’t really that great compared to the usefulness of the Pyro Mine.[/QUOTE]

Gotta agree with this entirely. I almost always sacrifice the time saver abilities since in the long run they don’t amount to much.

(wolfnemesis75) #11

Drop a couple things and get Grenade Shooting and Pyro Mine. Drop Sense of Perspective and Homing Beacon or Control Turret.

(Nexolate) #12

Oh God, he had Control Turret? How did I miss that?
Drop that. Drop it like the plague. Unless you like using MG Nests, Control Turret is useless.

Regards,
Nexo

(nephandys) #13

Yeah definitely drop Control turret. I’m not saying it can’t be useful, but you roaming the battlefield with your weapon is probably more useful than controlling a turret the vast majority of the time.

Get GS and Pyro mine.

(1111) #14

[QUOTE=Nexolate;371959]Disagree, on both accounts.
One, the spread does increase. It increases to the point that follow-up shots barely do any damage.
Two, it is much better to ADS as it actually slightly reduces the spread; focusing the shot.
[/QUOTE]

It does increase a little, true, but the way I use the shotgun the spread has already stedied for a new shot while I pump a new shell and aim.

I understand ADSing concentrates the shot but maybe we use the shotgun differently. I can understand using the adjusted iron sights but ADSing still slows you down and I hardly use it on such distances where it would affect the damage. I use an SMG and Shotgun at the same time and when I’m getting really close to an enemy I quickly switch to the shotgun and blast the guys face. Even if you ADS it can become a lucky shot to shoot someone from 30 feet or so.

(Nexolate) #15

Unless you’re reloading every shot then the spread gets pretty bad after the second consecutive shot, even at close range.

The point is if you’re at a junction and you either know an enemy’s around the corner or about to come at you, you aim up and the shot is more likely to deal the full damage. Then you de-sight and start moving around if they somehow live to keep shooting you.

Of course by that point you may as well stay aimed and keep the spread tighter for the next shot, see above comment for reasoning.

Regards,
Nexo

(Dragnerok X) #16

Thanks for the feedback so far.

In response to the whole Mossington adj. iron sight vs. red dot debate: I currently have the C-U-gone mounted on the Moss, although I’ve tried out the adj. iron sight and have only noticed a very modest decrease in zoom, while not providing red-dot functionality. I probably will switch to the iron sight, though, as the Moss isn’t really designed for anything beyond point-blank ambush/luring tactics, so long as the sight provides the same accuracy bonus (faster equip speed, too).

As for abilities: No doubt I will get rid of something to make room for pyro mines, but I don’t really see the utility in grenade shooting for this build beyond shooting down grenades before they reach my turret. Finally, I’m really at a loss about whether I want to keep control turret or not. Mind you, this would be used almost entirely on friendly turrets while defending objectives. I suppose it might be worth sacrificing though.

Now a new question, regarding the light rifles: The previously mentioned loadout w/ the barnett would be used exclusively as operative, because I don’t really have much opportunity, with how I play engineer, to snipe. Because of this fact, I’m really considering going with a silenced light rifle, although I’m not sure if either rifle, when silenced, would be even worth using (due to low damage output) as an often unbuffed operative. Perhaps I’d be better suited with something like the Rockstedi?

(Dragnerok X) #17

I just thought I’d note that the above text was by no means definitive. Feel free to comment.

(wolfnemesis75) #18

[QUOTE=Dragnerok X;372184]Thanks for the feedback so far.

In response to the whole Mossington adj. iron sight vs. red dot debate: I currently have the C-U-gone mounted on the Moss, although I’ve tried out the adj. iron sight and have only noticed a very modest decrease in zoom, while not providing red-dot functionality. I probably will switch to the iron sight, though, as the Moss isn’t really designed for anything beyond point-blank ambush/luring tactics, so long as the sight provides the same accuracy bonus (faster equip speed, too).
As for abilities: No doubt I will get rid of something to make room for pyro mines, but I don’t really see the utility in grenade shooting for this build beyond shooting down grenades before they reach my turret. Finally, I’m really at a loss about whether I want to keep control turret or not. Mind you, this would be used almost entirely on friendly turrets while defending objectives. I suppose it might be worth sacrificing though.

Now a new question, regarding the light rifles: The previously mentioned loadout w/ the barnett would be used exclusively as operative, because I don’t really have much opportunity, with how I play engineer, to snipe. Because of this fact, I’m really considering going with a silenced light rifle, although I’m not sure if either rifle, when silenced, would be even worth using (due to low damage output) as an often unbuffed operative. Perhaps I’d be better suited with something like the Rockstedi?[/QUOTE]Pyro Mines are very effective. Essentially you can block off an entire room just about with 3 mines. Pyro flames longer and so continues to not only injure enemy, but impedes their progress. Essential on Sec Tow or to slow the Escort. I respec all my dudes and added Grenade Shooting as part of each build: and I play primarily as an Engineer. I don’t snipe much. But have used the Dragnov to good use. :slight_smile: