Heretic's Gunslinger Saboteur build (PvP/PvE)

[Arodi]

The link you posted has nothing to do with SAB keybindings.

 

Wow, sorry for not posting the deep link right away. Its 1 click into the guides section, there you'll notice: http://taugrim.com/2011/04/07/guide-to-strafing-movement-and-keybindings/

[mrozanski]

What is the best way to choose my abilities if I am going SabSlinger? Should I go up the Sab tree first, or fill in the few stragglers in DF and SS, then fisnish out the Sab tree? Thanks in advance!

[StealthNerf]

Sab first. The other talents are just buffs to your main sab skills.

[Arodi]

Sab first. The other talents are just buffs to your main sab skills.

 

Could you post your build in here?

[StealthNerf]

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#700bcMZrI0bRRrorsZh.1

 

I don't really like the hybrids. As good as shrap bomb is, I don't feel that it or vital shot suits the Sab playstyle. If you want to focus on single target DoTs... go dirty fighting.

 

Likewise, grenade spamming in warzones always leaves me feeling a little underpowered. I love sab for the defence, and incendiary grenade, but when I want to kill someone I always have to use sab charge and speed shots.

Edited January 10, 2012 by StealthNerf

[Arodi]

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#700bcMZrI0bRRrorsZh.1

 

I don't really like the hybrids. As good as shrap bomb is, I don't feel that it or vital shot suits the Sab playstyle. If you want to focus on single target DoTs... go dirty fighting.

 

Likewise, grenade spamming in warzones always leaves me feeling a little underpowered. I love sab for the defence, and incendiary grenade, but when I want to kill someone I always have to use sab charge and speed shots.

 

So in practice, do you fight much from cover, or do you keep mobility?

[StealthNerf]

Depends on the situation.

 

Against trash in general PvE and flashpoints I fight mobile. Against stronger opponents and in PvP I use cover. My build's designed to be good at both, rather than have the only thing it does be grenade spam.

Edited January 11, 2012 by StealthNerf

[Hereticita]

Depends on the situation.

 

Against trash in general PvE and flashpoints I fight mobile. Against stronger opponents and in PvP I use cover. My build's designed to be good at both, rather than have the only thing it does be grenade spam.

 

My builds, the ones posted in the guide, are not meant to spam grenades.

They're meant to kill and to do an high AoE damage. If you're looking to do the highest damage in WZs you should take a look at DF builds because they offer a better DoT and higher damage versus ONE opponent, while, if you're looking to win WZs you should really try Sabslinger and some of it's nasty chains.

 

@StealthNerf: I think that with Incendiary Grenade you protect yourself from melee guys, while you're not protected by ranged people. However I like your build and I'll give Incendiary Grenade a shot, to see if it works.

 

Regarding keybindings, I'm experimenting a lot these days, but I'm still not convinced.

I'll post them in the next few days.

Edited January 11, 2012 by Hereticita

[StealthNerf]

Well, the problem I see with many sabslingers, and a problem I had myself, is that they get seduced by the mobile dots so much they forget to go into cover to use speed shots and sab charge.

 

Since I know I'll be (almost forcing myself to) taking cover once every 15 seconds or so, I like to be not completely useless in cover. If I wanted a mobility build I'd just go dirty fighter.

 

Incendiary grenade is just one of those extra things you throw on top of ballistic dampeners to put your shields up. I'd never use incendiary grenade in a sab-dirty fighting build. It needs to be a sab-gunslinger build.

 

But you always want to combine it with something. Be it flyby, sweeping fire, or even a cybertech pyro grenade.

Edited January 11, 2012 by StealthNerf

[MarcusFalco]

Is Trip Shot in your (anyone's) attack chain? For PvE or PVP? I don't like low damage and easy to break immobs but if others see value maybe I should reconsider.

[StealthNerf]

It's in my routine against strong or elite mobs. I use it just after a sab charge to give speed shot time to channel. They'll then reach me when I finish, and I dirty kick or pulse cover them away again.

 

In PvP I just use it to troll people.

[Kacktress]

Is there anymore information you can give me on the DF/Sabslinger? I just did a respec to that and I want to know how it works. Like what combos should I be using? What abilites shoud I use most? Cover or not cover.

 

Thanks in advance

[Serranex]

Hi there, thanks for the guide!

 

For a primarily PvE player trying a Sab/DF spec, is Sabotage really that good? Reading the tooltip tells me that approximately every minute, I get an extra 50 energy and ~650 damage. This feels somewhat lackluster. Is it better in practice?

 

I'm only level 38 at the moment, but I was thinking of going for something like this (again, purely for PvE):

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#700ZrIbboobZGbbkrMhd.1

 

With Shrap bomb, shock charge, vital shot, it would appear that wounding shots would be a higher DPS upgrade than sabotage would (considering the 50 energy is most likely spent on extra charged bursts where you'd have to use flurry of bolts otherwise).

 

The other build that does take sabotage would be:

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#700ZrIbbRoboZGbbkrMh.1

 

We lose wounding shots and 4% crit on wounding and speed shot, but maintain the energy regeneration from DoT criticals, as well as gain additional energy savings from dealer's discount and sabotage.

 

Basically in the end, I'm trying to evaluate how good Sabotage is in the grand scheme of things for PvE. Thanks!

[dizzyMongoose]

Ooh, interesting. I was thinking of making a hybrid very much like the Sabshooter build. One question, though: why do you take two points in Slick Shooter for that build? You don't need those points to go higher in the Sharpshooter tree, and putting them into No Holds Barred seemingly gives you all of the same benefits and then some.

 

Also, would taking Foxhole benefit that build, or is it not set up to stay in cover that long for the extra energy to be that useful?

Edited January 13, 2012 by dizzyMongoose

[Spaham]

You all seem to be at lvl 50 already.

What about mid-level people (I'm at 29 right now)

How would you spend the skill points ?

I'm building a "pure" sab with a few points in the other trees,

should I put points in the bottom ranks of SS and DF at the beginning,

or wait to have sab almost filled ?

 

thanks !

[Blurps]

The important thing to understand about Incendiary Grenade is that while dealing a fair amount of damage it is first and foremost a defensive tool. Put it down where you don't want the enemy to be.

[StealthNerf]

Hi there, thanks for the guide!

 

For a primarily PvE player trying a Sab/DF spec, is Sabotage really that good? Reading the tooltip tells me that approximately every minute, I get an extra 50 energy and ~650 damage. This feels somewhat lackluster. Is it better in practice?

 

It also refreshes defense screen. The extra energy is also decent as you get more energy intensive attacks.

 

It's a little more than 50 energy too, since when you drop to low energy your regen goes right down. The energy point of sabotage is to consistently keep you in the high regen area.

Edited January 13, 2012 by StealthNerf

[sinlab]

I'm using incendiary grenade now and love it.

 

It has a big psychological effect. No one wants to come stand next to you while you're standing in a raging inferno.

 

Best use: find a good spot to set up in cover and cast it on yourself. Anyone who attacks you will go "Aaah fire!"

 

I just respecced to your 7/31/3 build. what's your key binding/rotation?

[StealthNerf]

I use a G13 gamepad so my keybinding doesn't look pretty as I can map any available key to any of the keys on the pad.

 

As for rotation, make sure sabotage charge, speed shots, and incendiary grenade are on cooldown. Then you improvise.

[Cyricshand]

Thank you for this guide, I've been looking at the saboteur build for a while but since I started working up the the Sharp shooter tree I've basically stayed with it. I haven't PvP'ed much because I don't like getting pounded by other players 10+ levels over me. So I just decided to PvE until I get to 50 then catch up on PvP. For PvE I have no problem with an SS build it's very strong against single targets and most mobs just sit still and let you fire away at them from cover but of course that won't be the case in PvP.

 

The Sab build you have looks very nice because it's built for mobility and some power and I'm very used to that because I usually play range classes. On paper the only adjustment I would make would be to get Incendiary bomb. I see to many things I can do with that ability that would certainly make it worth while to get. Then again everyone has their own play style so it just may not be in yours.

 

Thanks again!

 

Cyrics

[GyorgDambit]

I'm currently a lvl 24 Gunslinger, going up the Sabateur tree. That is young, I know, but I do have conerns. Last night I did one of the Heroics on Taris, and felt crippled because I could not use AE. We couldn't find a healer, was just two smuggler and two jedi. The shadow would CC the toughest mob, then we would go to town on the rest. If I started throwing Thermals I would inevitably get one of the mobs on me, or worse break the CC. So I am starting to think this build is good for soloing and PvP, but not so much for group PvE. Am I wrong?

[mrozanski]

Usingh 7/31/3 spec also. But trying to decide if HOT PURSUIT is worthwhile to have. If it lets me use CHARGED BURST whenever, then it would be a definite. Otherwise I can keep sapping charge.

[StealthNerf]

I'm currently a lvl 24 Gunslinger, going up the Sabateur tree. That is young, I know, but I do have conerns. Last night I did one of the Heroics on Taris, and felt crippled because I could not use AE. We couldn't find a healer, was just two smuggler and two jedi. The shadow would CC the toughest mob, then we would go to town on the rest. If I started throwing Thermals I would inevitably get one of the mobs on me, or worse break the CC. So I am starting to think this build is good for soloing and PvP, but not so much for group PvE. Am I wrong?

 

You are. AoEs very good in groups that don't rely on the crutch of perma-CC. Not every group needs it. Your group probably didn't either.

 

It's also very lazy tanking play to CC mobs and then not bring the other two out of AoE range of the CC'd mobs.

Edited January 14, 2012 by StealthNerf

[dandamanno]

I'm currently a lvl 24 Gunslinger, going up the Sabateur tree. That is young, I know, but I do have conerns. Last night I did one of the Heroics on Taris, and felt crippled because I could not use AE. We couldn't find a healer, was just two smuggler and two jedi. The shadow would CC the toughest mob, then we would go to town on the rest. If I started throwing Thermals I would inevitably get one of the mobs on me, or worse break the CC. So I am starting to think this build is good for soloing and PvP, but not so much for group PvE. Am I wrong?

 

If you had a shadow tank you should know that at lvl 24 they don't have Whirling blow

(26) or Mass mind Control (30) so their tanking will be a bit lackluster at that point. Such is the way of grouping while levelling. No one has all the skills they need to be totally effective yet.

 

But yah he should move the rest of the mobs that are on him out of range of any cc'd mobs...

[gabusan]

What puzzles me is that stealthnerf left out "Seize the moment" but took "Pandemonium". Is "Pandemonium" really that good? Or maybe "Seize the moment" energy saving isnt really necessary?