I would like to note a couple things before I start. I will cover how to engineer effectively with and without two engineers on a ship so don't worry if you’re the only engineer on a ship. Next, all of these setups are my own ideas and I'm sure other people have other ideas. Please know that I respect everyone’s opinion.
Welcome back Ladies and Gentlemen! We are back once again in the Guns of Icarus Online Lobby and you have made friends with the captain and he is online. Before you click on his name tag and press "Join Match", let’s make sure that we have the mallet and spanner selected. The mallet works best when trying to repair something. The spanner works best when trying to rebuild something.
The Spire:
Round one has started, the captain has chosen to fly a Spire and you have 2 engineers on your ship! A very good start. Like the Pyramidion, the hull and balloon are separated by some distance so it will be key that one person is on the hull while someone else is on the balloon.
Engineer 1 will be staying on the top deck and he will be in charge of the balloon, the two guns, and the main engine (located behind the steering wheel) but remember, some parts are more important than others! In this case you should repair the balloon first, the main engine second, and the guns third. If not taking too much damage at the moment and an enemy ship is in sights, it would be a good idea to stay on one of the guns and keep shooting until something is in fairly bad condition and needs to be repaired.
Engineer 2 will stay on the bottom deck with the hull and two engines for most of the time. The gunner will be in charge of repairing the main front gun unless it is on fire so that Engineer 2 does not have to waste any time which can make the huge difference of death or survival while taking heavy damage.
In the case where you only have 1 engineer on the ship, a gunner will be in charge of repairing the balloon and main engine while operating the two guns on the top deck while the engineer will be in charge of the hull and two main engines as usual. However, because the gunner may not always have the proper tools for fixing parts, if the engineer has some spare time, it would be ideal if the gunner had some help repairing the top deck. Most new players don't realize this but there is actually a ladder going straight down from the balloon to the hull. This is the fastest way to get from the hull to the balloon or vice versa.
The Goldfish:
The Captain congratulates you on your amazing engineering skills which have brought you victory! Good Game! No time to celebrate now though because another game is about to start and the captain has now changed the ship from the Spire to the Goldfish. The goldfish has a funny layout but you can still repair effectively.
Engineer 1 will be in charge of repairing the Hull, the two engines on the lower deck (located at the back) and operating while repairing the right gun (because it is closer to the hull) if a gunner is not already on it. Just remember though that while shooting at enemy ships is fun, you must always make sure that you don't ignore the need for your ship to be repaired.
Engineer 2 will be in charge of repairing the balloon, the main engine (located on the top deck) and operating while repairing the left gun (because it is closer to the balloon) unless a gunner is already operating the gun. I cannot stress enough the importance of not getting carried away at shooting the guns because once you realize that the ship is in critical condition and you have not been repairing the ship, it is most likely too late.
In the case that you are the only engineer on the ship:
The one engineer will be in charge of repairing the hull, two back engines, and operating while repairing the right gun. One gunner will have to be in charge of taking Engineer 2's role and he must repair the balloon, main engine, and operate while repair the left side gun. If the engineer can spare the time, and the gunner seems to be having a tuff time repairing things, it would be ideal if the engineer could help out the gunner a bit at repairing certain parts.
The Squid:
The Squid! An Engineer's Nightmare! (Quote from Guns of Icarus Online). The Squids hull is like tissue paper so as an engineer, you will constantly be having to be beating the Squid's hull with your tools.
Important: For the Squid I actually recommend to trade your Mallet in for a Monkey Wrench. Because the Squid's hull is so weak, it will usually only take one hit to fully repair the hull whether you hit it with a Mallet or a Monkey Wrench. The reason why I recommend the Monkey Wrench is because the cool down is much shorter than the mallet so you will be able to repair the hull again faster if it is taking more hits.
Engineer 1:
Engineer 1 will be in charge of the Hull and sometimes it might be a good idea to just repair a few engines if you are not taking any hits. If you do start taking hits, like I said before the Squid's hull is like tissue paper so Engineer 1 will literally just have to be standing right next to the hull and keep bashing it with his/her tools.
Engineer 2:
Engineer 2 while it may seem a little harsh is pretty much in charge of everything else except for the front gun (Unless it's on fire). Just remember that when in a heavy fire fight, repair the balloon before the engines and if you only have little time to repair the engines, repair the two engines closest to the balloon, you can fix up the other two engines when you have more time. Also, keep an eye out for the back gun and the gun to the right, it might also be a good idea to operate them if you have the time and your target can be hit.
In the case if you only have one engineer on a Squid:
The one engineer will have Engineer 1's role and must stay on the hull but also help out the gunner repair parts of the ship if not taking damage. The gunner will take Engineer 2's role and will usually be staying on the balloon.
Thanks for reading my 2 part guide!
Thanks for reading!
-CrazyRihron
PS: I'll be out with a buffing guide for the new players (and for anyone who wants to read it) in a few days.
