Why dont I feel like my Commando is awesome?

Zolaz · January 4, 2012

I am lvl 50, 36 Valor Commando with a 31 pt gunnery spec and I feel like the red headed stepchild of pvp. I am still trying to see what the defining aspect of the class is. We dont get stealth, no getaways, lackluster dps, no real armor vs the other classes. Pretty much I have a good game if I dont have a bunch of guys with glowing fishbats beating the tar out of me.

I mean I get ranged and I can start the fight, but I cant seem to finish it. You get jumped on and you use your one get off me and then the fishbatter just jumps back. Or it is one of those double wielders and he just runs back and finishes me off. Heaven forbid you get two people on you, then you are forever stunned and the beat down commences.

And dont get me started on the operative. They jump out and kill you before the stun even wears off. My commando has never hit someone for 6.5k and killed them before they can rush me. But, that operative sure can.

Even our mirror, the Bounty Hunter gets faster acting abilities than ours. I guess the joke is on all of us. Bioware doesnt appear to be listening because I havent seen a response about how bad the commando is from any devs. It is hard not to have a negative attitude when there doesnt seem to be very many positive things to say about our class.

As for warzone commendations ... we get fewer than other classes. My 17 Jedi Jugg will pick up more than my 50 Commando. All the warrior has to do is run in, put guard on someone and then just jump around and hit people. Even bad games where my team is getting trounced I'll pick up more commendations than my Commando. But, bad games as a Commando mean you are getting double and triple teamed and heading back to sit behind the glass.

Id just like to know where the fun in playing the DPS Commando is. It seems to me that in PvE the commando is fun, PvP no bueno.

Freeborne · January 4, 2012

1. None of us can tell you where your fun maybe be found in Commando PvP.

I love PvP on my commando. Two excellent knock backs, mid-range field control, and damage superiority? Yes, please!

2. "Even our mirror, the Bounty Hunter gets faster acting abilities than ours. "

Explain.

BlaineSwing · January 4, 2012

1. None of us can tell you where your fun maybe be found in Commando PvP.

I love PvP on my commando. Two excellent knock backs, mid-range field control, and damage superiority? Yes, please!

2. "Even our mirror, the Bounty Hunter gets faster acting abilities than ours. "

Explain.

He is right about the 2nd complaint. I will give him that. Death From Above vs. Mortar Strike. Full Auto vs. Unload.

Trooper's big abilities like those have a pause before the attack. While BH's just start going.

Barakus · January 4, 2012

While I agree with the OP that we are pretty much screwed once the melee classes decide to focus on us, I think our dps is anything but lackluster. I'm usually top 3 damage & kills in most matches even against geared level 50's and I'm only 43 at the moment. Grav x2 -> Demo Round -> HiB -> CoF Full auto can really wreck someone. Add in some mortar volleys and the damage really starts to make an impact.

One important thing about playing Gunnery is placement and situational awareness. If you are constantly getting swarmed by Sith then you are probably too close to the fight or going in alone. Try and use the terrain to get high ground so that you can use your knockback to greater effect such as the walkways in Huttball or the side ramps of middle in Alderaan. Humping pillars to break LoS with enemy ranged classes is also a good strategy.

TheHeadCapper · January 5, 2012

I don't understand, I'm always near the top or at the top and it seems.....well easy. I honestly feel a little overpowered.

One thing that really helped increase my pvp stats was being a lot more aware of where i am standing. Stand off to the side in alcoves, things between you and the other team etc.

Use line of site so they don't even know you are there till they are already engaged in combat with your jedi's or someone else. If you are standing in the open you are doing it wrong.

I can usually take out a couple of people before anyone even realizes i'm there and firing at them. After that you've got your pushback and cryo grenades to give yourself room. don't discount concussion shot. a great way to make them burn off their stun protection before using cryo grenade.

If you get in hand to hand start running around a lot and once again use line of sight. These maps have plenty of boxes, pillars, etc that can make life easy for a ranged character to get out of fire, block the los on jumps, etc. Your weakness is in close so get out of there and use the environment to your advantage.

Edited January 5, 2012 by TheHeadCapper

Euphymie · January 5, 2012

I'm a 50 gunnary commando as well and i feel useless in pvp.

operatives, snipers, sorcs, and assassins easily top the DPS charts, and they have a whole lot more getaway than we do. ops/sorcs getting A DAMAGE ABSORBING SHIELD that takes at least 2 grav rounds to take down and then it's only a 20 second cool down..

Operatives and sorcs complain that they are squishy, but they off heal better than we do, they have a whole lot more utility, and survivability then we do.

Ooo we have heavy armour, BUT THEY HAVE A SHIELD that absorbs 3-4k damage. That totally trumps our "heavy armour" and I've been instantly cut up by operatives and assassins. We actually need a gap closer.

The main issue with fighting operatives and sorc is that they pop their CD and disappear, while you're healing they can come back and destroy your face. You can't chase them. It feels like commandos are the only class that doesn't get a get out of jail free card.

Chaos_FTW · January 5, 2012

Commando is an extremely high awareness class. If you don't know where you are or where your opponents are then you are failing. The commando, especially gunnery spec, is a turret class. If you can plant your feet and unload on people, then you will notice a huge increase in your numbers during a pvp match. If you run in head first towards a ton of Jedi, expect to be spending most of your time in the rez chamber.

As stated above, make sure you take time to learn about the different arenas. Placing yourself in areas where you can fully utilize Concussion Charge and Stockstrike is key to keeping people away from you. If you still find yourself having trouble, find some people to group with. I notice that with a healer and a melee dps with me in warzones that I quickly drop down the list of focused targets and am allowed to unload on people who target the healers and melee with glow sticks.

Krimefighter · January 5, 2012

One important thing about playing Gunnery is placement and situational awareness.

This.

Its the #1 thing that makes or breaks my game as a PvP Commando.

Use Los objects constantly, always be denying los to the enemy team, while giving yourself los to one enemy target that you can turret down.

Stay behind your own glowbat wielders - let them take the damage.

On maps like Voidstar, keep between your spawn point and your opponents - that way your back is always covered by reinforcements.

In Huttball, stay as high as possible on the catwalks. Height is massive on that map. You can knock melee away from you and its harder for ranged to get you unaware.

Thats all I can think of for now.

Aggathor · January 5, 2012

I played a Commando at first and switched to Bounty Hunter. Bounty hunter has a more resposive Death from Above. It also has much cooler animations like Tracer Missle. Which is our main button mash ability.

Tips for pvp:

Don't jump while kitting (hard to get used to after playing other mmo's)

LoS is silly in this game, but use it to your advantage, we have a lot of instant cast spells, against a sorc you'll easily win using the right LoS.

Use Grav Shot until you have 5 stacks on the target (3 shots when spec'd) then use the instant cast that requires a DoT on the target (forgot the name for Comm's)

Stay at about 30m from your target, always let melee go in front. Good players will target you first as you do the most damage, don't use shield until you're out of CD's against a melee.

IMO, Bounty Hunter/Commando is a very fun class and does a lot of damage. I top damage in most WZs @ lvl 20

ndruo · January 5, 2012

You are attracting too much attention to yourself. Go after targets that are already engaged. When you see the "fishbat brawl," help out friendly fishbats, and do so from behind cover/pillars.

Don't set yourself up to fight in 1v1 situations - as a glorified siege tank, that is the LAST thing you want to do. You are extremely dependent on having a front line run interference for you while you wipe their entire team off the map, one target at a time.

Edited January 5, 2012 by ndruo

Chomag · January 5, 2012

You are attracting too much attention to yourself. Go after targets that are already engaged. When you see the "fishbat brawl," help out friendly fishbats, and do so from behind cover/pillars.

Don't set yourself up to fight in 1v1 situations - as a glorified siege tank, that is the LAST thing you want to do. You are extremely dependent on having a front line run interference for you while you wipe their entire team off the map, one target at a time.

Um...sorry but that's called "footwork" aka avoiding confrontation unless being backed up by a serious force. It's a cowardly playstyle imo which doesn't show any real skill, better suited for stealthers not soldiers, and you may find people who top damage meters in warzones are also very good at footwork.

Shooting from behind the raid is not a measure of skill and it's also not a way to get gratification through personal victories.

Personally, I frown on pvp videos showing the main "hero" as a glorified turret sniping off weak targets or lowbies while the opposition is focusing on someone else. That's not pvp, that's wanking.

Edited January 5, 2012 by Chomag

Chaos_FTW · January 5, 2012

Um...sorry but that's called "footwork" aka avoiding confrontation unless being backed up by a serious force. It's a cowardly playstyle imo which doesn't show any real skill, better suited for stealthers not soldiers, and you may find people who top damage meters in warzones are also very good at footwork.

Shooting from behind the raid is not a measure of skill and it's also not a way to get gratification through personal victories.

Personally, I frown on pvp videos showing the main "hero" as a glorified turret sniping off weak targets or lowbies while the opposition is focusing on someone else. That's not pvp, that's wanking.

That's how our class is designed. Especially with Gunnery. If you are constantly running into the fray and trying to be a "hero," you're going to fail. Our class is a damage support role and should strive to not be the focus of a pvp warzone. The more we can position ourselves behind cover and out of reach the more we will benefit. It's the commandos that are running towards Jedi that are constantly sitting in the rez room.

Dubage · January 5, 2012

Personally, I frown on pvp videos showing the main "hero" as a glorified turret sniping off weak targets or lowbies while the opposition is focusing on someone else. That's not pvp, that's wanking.

LOL, love it and agree.

OP: Have you tried Assault spec? I use it, am typically up in the top damage while assisting with objectives. I shyed away from Gunnery for pvp due to the heavy reliance on full auto (at least it appears every other skill does something for this skill)

Edited January 5, 2012 by Dubage

Freeborne · January 5, 2012

Um...sorry but that's called "footwork" aka avoiding confrontation unless being backed up by a serious force. It's a cowardly playstyle imo which doesn't show any real skill, better suited for stealthers not soldiers,

It's called Team Work, and it something a soldier is very good at, or he's a dead soldier.

But no, you run in and die, and then blame it on the class.

Edited January 5, 2012 by Freeborne

Lileth · January 5, 2012

I run a hybrid spec for PVP and find for me it works the best for Medal gains / Survivability. Hybrid Spec

It allows me to keep Trauma Probe on myself or someone else which greatly helps mitigate incoming DPS. Plus counts towards your healing #'s. You will spam Grav Round allot. But doing this gives you -10% Incoming Damage. I use Rapid Fire shot when it's off cooldown and save High Impact Bolt for Burst. If I really need to burst someone, I pop my Relic, a Expertise POT and light them up.

You also get Reduction in Push Back on both your heals and your main DPS.

I personally find it easier going this way to consistently receive 8 Medals. Also, terrain is your friend. Don't be in the open. Hug a wall a pillar a ledge. I can manage to do 300k Damage / 75k Healing.

R53 Valor

Pokeytehpenguin · January 5, 2012

Commando is an extremely high awareness class. If you don't know where you are or where your opponents are then you are failing. The commando, especially gunnery spec, is a turret class. If you can plant your feet and unload on people, then you will notice a huge increase in your numbers during a pvp match. If you run in head first towards a ton of Jedi, expect to be spending most of your time in the rez chamber.

haha, It's funny because your right, but BW tricked people by describing the trooper play style as the guy who "runs into a ton of jedi headfirst".

Chaos_FTW · January 5, 2012

haha, It's funny because your right, but BW tricked people by describing the trooper play style as the guy who "runs into a ton of jedi headfirst".

BW Trolling Commandos since 2011

ndruo · January 5, 2012

Um...sorry but that's called "footwork" aka avoiding confrontation unless being backed up by a serious force. It's a cowardly playstyle imo which doesn't show any real skill, better suited for stealthers not soldiers, and you may find people who top damage meters in warzones are also very good at footwork.

Shooting from behind the raid is not a measure of skill and it's also not a way to get gratification through personal victories.

No, it's called "positioning" and "good target selection." You aren't being backed up by a serious force - you are the serious force providing the backup.

If you want to be up close and personal, then you should have been a Vanguard or grabbed a lightsaber of your own. As it is, you are playing a class with range, extreme damage, and comparatively poor mobility/zoning.

If you want personal victories, go play a single player game. Skyrim is amazing. In multiplayer scenarios, it's only the success of your team that has any tangible result.

When a Sith is rushing down your low-health healer and you bail him out by burying three grav rounds in the enemy's back from 20 yards out, he doesn't think you're a cowardly scrub. You're a guardian angel.

When your tank is holding the line with enemies draped over every inch of his body and you show up and roast the entire enemy squad, he doesn't think you're stealing an "easy triple." You're the one guy who is making him feel useful.

If one of your Sentinels makes a move to pick off a healer, and he's suddenly set upon by a stealthed escort, he's not going to say "Whatever man, don't help - this is my fight." No, when you turn the walls behind those two targets into a bloody canvas, he's going to be thankful, because you were the equalizer (and then some).

To your allies, you are not a coward. You are not a handicapped kill thief. You are the fire support - when the battle lines are drawn, you are the one who is going to push them forward, one grav-round riddled or char-broiled Sith corpse at a time.

To your enemies, you are an angry and vengeful god who can only communicate through high-velocity projectiles and horrific explosions. And the message is very clear:

"Don't you lay a single f*cking dirty Sith finger on my team."

Edited January 5, 2012 by ndruo

NeoSwarm · January 5, 2012

No, it's called "positioning" and "good target selection." You aren't being backed up by a serious force - you are the serious force providing the backup.

If you want to be up close and personal, then you should have been a Vanguard or grabbed a lightsaber of your own. As it is, you are playing a class with range, extreme damage, and comparatively poor mobility/zoning.

If you want personal victories, go play a single player game. Skyrim is amazing. In multiplayer scenarios, it's only the success of your team that has any tangible result.

When a Sith is rushing down your low-health healer and you bail him out by burying three grav rounds in the enemy's back from 20 yards out, he doesn't think you're a cowardly scrub. You're a guardian angel.

When your tank is holding the line with enemies draped over every inch of his body and you show up and roast the entire enemy squad, he doesn't think you're stealing an "easy triple." You're the one guy who is making him feel useful.

If one of your Sentinels makes a move to pick off a healer, and he's suddenly set upon by a stealthed escort, he's not going to say "Whatever man, don't help - this is my fight." No, when you turn the walls behind those two targets into a bloody canvas, he's going to be thankful, because you were the equalizer (and then some).

To your allies, you are not a coward. You are not a handicapped kill thief. You are the fire support - when the battle lines are drawn, you are the one who is going to push them forward, one grav-round riddled or char-broiled Sith corpse at a time.

To your enemies, you are an angry and vengeful god who can only communicate through high-velocity projectiles and horrific explosions. And the message is very clear:

"Don't you lay a single f*cking dirty Sith finger on my team."

That... is so beautiful

Lileth · January 5, 2012

No, it's called "positioning" and "good target selection." You aren't being backed up by a serious force - you are the serious force providing the backup.

If you want to be up close and personal, then you should have been a Vanguard or grabbed a lightsaber of your own. As it is, you are playing a class with range, extreme damage, and comparatively poor mobility/zoning.

If you want personal victories, go play a single player game. Skyrim is amazing. In multiplayer scenarios, it's only the success of your team that has any tangible result.

When a Sith is rushing down your low-health healer and you bail him out by burying three grav rounds in the enemy's back from 20 yards out, he doesn't think you're a cowardly scrub. You're a guardian angel.

When your tank is holding the line with enemies draped over every inch of his body and you show up and roast the entire enemy squad, he doesn't think you're stealing an "easy triple." You're the one guy who is making him feel useful.

If one of your Sentinels makes a move to pick off a healer, and he's suddenly set upon by a stealthed escort, he's not going to say "Whatever man, don't help - this is my fight." No, when you turn the walls behind those two targets into a bloody canvas, he's going to be thankful, because you were the equalizer (and then some).

To your allies, you are not a coward. You are not a handicapped kill thief. You are the fire support - when the battle lines are drawn, you are the one who is going to push them forward, one grav-round riddled or char-broiled Sith corpse at a time.

To your enemies, you are an angry and vengeful god who can only communicate through high-velocity projectiles and horrific explosions. And the message is very clear:

"Don't you lay a single f*cking dirty Sith finger on my team."

That was one of the best post i have ever read.

Alfwich · January 5, 2012

...EPIC...

I'm going to petition for a rep system just for this post.

+3 REP.

Edited January 5, 2012 by Alfwich

TheOverLard · January 6, 2012

I'm only a level 23 right now and havent heavily invested into either gunnery or assault, and though gunnery seems more like my playstyle I just find myself putting more and more points into assault. But i think i see what I've been doing wrong the whole time in PvP now that I've read this. I do decent, but never score near the top, i guess its because I never notice how important LoS is. Also i haven't played an MMO since SWG 4 years ago and being a commando there and being a commando here to me are two VERY different experiences. Thanks for the help though

Haliczer · January 6, 2012

To your enemies, you are an angry and vengeful god who can only communicate through high-velocity projectiles and horrific explosions. And the message is very clear:

"Don't you lay a single f*cking dirty Sith finger on my team."

Yay, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil... for I am the baddest motherfraker in the valley.

And you, good sir, are now the Patron Saint of the Trooper. This is getting sig'd.

Edited January 6, 2012 by Haliczer

Gannacus · January 6, 2012