Yea I don't really have trouble with sorcs / sages if we engage at the same time. Between the burst and interrupts I look at them actually as fodder. Generally if our get out of stun free card is down an operative / scoundrel who knocks me down out of stealth usually gets me - especially if my biochem heals / shield is down. And it would be a sentinel / marauder with a clue - they have to be gilled in top notch pvp gear (like me) to cut through and slice me up like butter. But more importantly it's those that know to slow me right away so I cannot kite them - those are the ones typically with a clue on how to beat a pyrotech powertech and as such are typically the most difficult.

I have to say this post is highly constructive. Very well said. These are clear next steps for you to do to make it better for yourself. You can't expect people to grasp what you have grasped based on your experience. You have to approach it in such a way that you educate them and be patient.

Probably this ... also the other poster said most likely because they suck at PvP. I don't think it's that - I think they are not 'into PvP' - it's not their thing. But they realize the PvP gear might complete their PvE set quickly with a random chance of landing them - might be faster in their head to bounce from WZ to WZ to do the weekly pvp reward to land those bags to get that equipment than farming HM flashpoints.

Exactly. Really poor in game guides on this. If you're new to Ilum - heck to put this in perspective ... I am valor 57 and I've just recently went into Ilum and didn't even know the pvp spot was west. Took me awhile to find it without asking silly questions. I think the BETA folks maybe take this for granted. Same with acquiring bags to get champ gear - no clue how that worked nor was there any guidance in game.

This quote. It's really straight forward what the issue is that's why I'm actually surprised nothing has changed yet. I know the game is early so maybe they already have a strategy. I am valor 56 and I am missing boots and helm. Only thing I bought is the gun. Saving for the helm - about 15 short. That's extremely slow compared to the random chance of getting champ items - where I see guys in rank 40s wearing all champ gear.

Believe it or not if they offered me the chance to transfer my character to the counter class on the republic side in my server I'd do it in a heart beat. I don't want to reroll and do it all over again honestly. But that would be pretty cool. I realize the journey in SWTOR is 85% of the fun (at least it can be argued) due to the storyline but that intrigues me. I have a 50 powertech pyrotech valor 57 and I just won't grind that again on the mirror class. However, being a trooper vanguard at that valor rank I'd enjoy and quickly contribute. They wouldn't do it but anyway I like it

Words of truth. It was a blast back then. Shadowblade rank 10. Proud and representing. The other one would be based on fun and how quickly you could be competitive - Warhammer online.

yea if you're a min max type guy sure. We need some constructive help based on all the posts from 50 snipers. Again I stress 50 snipers that actually have pvp'd in the 50 bracket. I have a 50 powertech and I think I've seen 3 snipers/gunslingers over the course of about 25 warzone matches. It's pretty terrible. I think that number in itself is a red flag for BW. I'm still leveling one though and will plan on bringing him into the pvp world at 50. Yes I'm a glutton for punishment. But I want a challenge. My powertech BH is a lot of fun; constantly taking out people as pyrotech and it's insanely powerful. I enjoy the hybrid melee/range type and it suits my playstyle. But I like to switch it up. In the pre50 we're fine - it's when we're 50 in pvp that I hear it's rough due to the gear upgrades and the plain misses - plus due to our damage types on most skills it's mitigated quite a bit on armor types. Lethality seems nice but I want to play a .... sniper. That means I set up my attacks and unload as a marksman. I will try to min max the guy to be the best I can in PvP and let you all know my results. I got a ways to go though - only 24.

Quoted for truth. It's night and day. I wish it wasn't the case either because I generally would love the feel of decent heat regen at the expense of no kiting capabilities. I'd trade it if the DPS wasn't so drastically different in performance.

There's definitely some learn to play in these comments. Sniper is tough to master; I'm no expert - mine's just an alt. I've played against some snipers that I maul through as a pyrotech bounty hunter. Then, the other day there was this sniper and I BELIEVE he was a marksman and he literally was DESTROYING me. I mean he played marvelously. I'm nothing to shake off either. I'm in almost full champ gear, 53 valor and put out 300K a match. I consider myself a decent pvp'er. This guy made me want to roll a sniper. He landed a leg shot at just the right times. He pressed me and swiftly kept me at range. Separate topic but I think to be effective in SWTOR pvp you need a nostromo or a mouse that you can program keys, like a razer. It helps a lot for complex classes like this where you can program in some rotations. Anyway, I think the sniper needs help after reading about the fact marks damage mitigation is so terribad since it's all weapon damage. It's a shame I can't roll lethality while leveling up since in order for that to be effective you need HIGH crit which means decent gear and you should at a minimum have cull - which is like 35+. Oh well

Good point. How many classes get it and which ones? Commando? Sorcs/Sages? In the early brackets - pre 50 I guess I can still go with Marks or Engineering and be good. Heck at level 18 I top damage charts against everyone in warzones - not saying damage is a measure of success in games like huttball per say but there is some correlation, especially considering we are a pure damage advanced class. I have a 50 bounty hunter powertech pyrotech at valor 53 and he rocks but just wanted to share some time with him because the warzone grind is getting a bit tedious to get the bags to drop what I want. And to be honest end game isn't shaped up to where I believe it needs to be. The story lines and the adventure to 50 is more exciting; especially the second time around where I don't feel the need to rush with the guild and with the fact I have funds.

Currently level 18, finally got that skill that you can fire off when the opponent is under a certain % in health. Great to finish off people. Anyway, I need more mobility so I told myself start with engineering which is sort of a blend in the middle between marks and lethality. However, I feel lethality is my end game build. This is purely for PvP. My questions is what is the minimum level to make the switch to Lethality? I need to obviously practice and cement it on my way to 50. And let's be honest getting to 50 can sometimes be more fun than actually being 50, especially now with the warzones separating out the 50's from the rest of the pack. Thanks in advance.

50 Valor Rank Powertech here. I will say I support this quote 110%. There's nothing at all I could counter here. Very well said. Now, if you want to be a situational subpar DPS'er at best then by all means spec it. I've tried it through countless respecs to make it work but I keep going back to my 31 point PT build.

Not sure why you wouldn't take the 3 talents to automatically snare at command versus spamming rapid shots to snare. To me it just makes sense to add it to your toolset.

Look, like the rest of us, including ME, I want to make it work. I've tried it and had fun but ultimately for what I am trying to accomplish it doesn't work for me. If I had support around me constantly backing me up I could play any spec, even an AP spec with average DPS, and do very well. Since I am solo 99% of the warzones I'm in I cannot rely on backup I have to either go full defense (which I've never done in MMOs) or full offense. Offense it is and that means I need to line up damage; damage that can spike. And that means Pyro up to 31 to get TD. It's just too sick. I just dinged 50 valor and landed 370k damage in one huttball where I wasn't even trying to focus on it. That doesn't seem like much considering I believe Pyros have thrown out 500k + damage if they try. I realize Huttball is not all about damage but when I can at a dime switch tactics from protecting or carrying the ball and then land some serious damage it's what I prefer. That coupled with the kiting tactic that I do relentlessly against melee types it makes for a spec that I have grown to love. I can't imagine going full AP and running ION with it. The ONLY reason I liked AP is because of the heat management being tolerable. With the damage being non spikey and 'Ok' coupled with having to manage heat I'd go crazy.

I did but I think that Gyroscopic Alignment Jets is better. I get stunned a lot and since we don't have the vent heat every X seconds from AP might as well try to offset it.

Honestly you don't have to use GUARD - you gain the armor whether you use GUARD or not. GUARD is great when you want to help someone else but no one is stating you can't be selfish On the other poster, I hear you - Parakeet doesn't use CGC either. I might try it out to see since you will get the extra defense at the cost of a snare and some extra periodic damage.

The only reason I'd try and stick with an AP build is so that we can vent heat with high energy gas cylinder active. I don't see us not only getting sub par DPS AND dealing with heat management. At that point I might as well go Pyrotech with Ion Gas Cylinder since that DPS is higher, right? 8/2/31 http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#301hRMZ0MZbIbrdGhMs.1 You miss out on CGC but is it THAT important? This is sort of a version of the Parakeet build people have been tossing around except no jet charge and only 8 into sheidltech. You get the armor upgrade and the snare with rocket punch. Sounds good to me. I might just try this out. We still can drop an IM and an immediate RS. Trade off is no instant snare and no big CGC dot. EDIT: not sure this will work now that I think about it. CGC lets you put periodic damage on someone with flame bursts. Without that the only way to burn targets is through IM, right?

AP is fun since you don't really have to manage heat. I think a 8/31/2 or 7/32/2 AP build will shine only when you have some serious expertise PvP gear. It shows you it's weaker for PvP because of this statement but I think it's actually fun firing off missile blast and not have to worry about heat management when doing it haha!

I don't quite understand why you wouldn't pick ION to run with this build. You lose 60% armor too. If you wanted to go with CGC just go full pyro - you will only lose jet charge really.

I think it should be called RailTech 1.0.

GAJ has nothing to do with stealth detection right? Infrared Sensors does. Confused!

By the way, other than Flame Burst, what other fire effects are there for Pyro? Basically, I noticed you picked 2 in Hot Iron over 2 in Intimidation. I get why you did since we rely on Flame Burst quite a bit. I guess the question is does 4% flat increase on ALL fire effects out weigh the flat 6% increase to flame burst?

I am still torn on going ST/Pyro with Ion up over the CGC full 31 in Pyro spec. I can't see not having the critical bonuses and the damage increases when the guy is under 30% health. Plus, the snare is so important in my game play. I'll eventually try it but bah! All I'm concluding is I won't touch AP any time soon due to the fact that it doesn't have the durability of ST and the burst of pyro. It's a middle land somewhere that offers some mobility but not enough to gimp your durability or power.

The other key difference though which imo sways me to be Pyrotech is the kiting technique you can do on melee types. This allows you to control the fight whereas a AP powertech cannot effectively snare at will. Pyrotech's with CGS can effectively circle strafe around opponents that melee at 10m range and blow them up. I've beaten opponents starting the fight at 30% or so health only because they could never catch me and when they did they got one swing off. Some are quick to land their snare but most are not.