PvP help - I'm dieing here!

[CobaltPanther]

First, thanks to all those who read - I really (really!) can use some help.

 

I've recently hit 50 - and for the past 2-3 days I've been trying to PvP, out of 12-15 matches, I've finished LAST on 90% of the matches.

 

This is just sad!

 

Now, I don't claim anything about the commando or class balance. clearly, I'm doing something wrong.

 

I read the forum, tried to stay with the group, tried to choose my battles, to avoid being in the mid of the fight.

 

But still(!!) every time I start to shoot Grav rounds - I'm being identified and get 2-3 imps on me and I just go down in seconds(!)

 

My shots don't do much damage (I feel like I barley scratch sometimes) and every time I'm running with a group I get left behind because I don't have that fast speed spell most of the Jedi get - and then... I die (again).

 

I'm specced Gunnery - and have no idea what I'm doing wrong.

 

Are we *that* bad as commando-gunnery in PvP? can I make it better? I can't even have my dailies properly.

 

Appreciate the help

[jedip_enguin]

Sounds like you just might be running up against teams with much better gear than you.

 

Until you get some expertise PvP gear you;re probably going to struggle to dmg geared players.

 

It does'nt help that Imperials have twice the population on most servers leading to you being in a WZ with maybe 75% of your team comprising sub level 40 players and the Imperial team being composed of all 50's

 

I find I work best standing back from the main melee, chucking gravs/demo/autos at anybody I see at the lower health levels and chucking sneaky heals on the tougher individuals.

 

Make sure you;re making judicious use of your cooldowns too adrenaline rush+reactive sheild will keep you up for that bit longer once you start to get focused and concussion blast is a huge laugh on Voidstar bridges (my personal best at this point is 5 players over the side in one go ) and never underestimate the shock of a good tech overide+medical probe combo to pull out those last minute 1v1 victories.

 

Our AoE's especially HoB are great for interuppting mutliple cappers at once, so always kep an eye to that as well.

 

Either way try not to become too discouraged (easier said than done at times, I went 0-8 on Sunday night, no daily bag for me) as with time hopefully the situation will improve a bit as you get gear and more players hit the 50 mark (or we finally get out bracket)

[ZeroGravitas]

As you get better PVP gear, you'll find things becoming much easier for you. 3,000+ damage crits will become commonplace. With or without gear, though, you must be cautious and aware of what's going on around you. You may wear heavy armour but you are not very durable without support.

 

If three people are attacking you and you don't have a healer, there is no shame in running away; the only time this is not acceptable is when you are trying to interrupt someone capping a door or turret.

 

Try to exploit line of sight and reduced visibility by staying near pillars, etc. The high ground is usually a lot safer than being down low but it can make you a more obvious target in Hutt Ball.

 

In regards to the group leaving you behind, I wouldn't consider that entirely your failure. If they're wasting a Force Speed and leaving their team mate to die, they're doing it wrong. Remember to turn on your Sprint ability every time you respawn if you aren't.

 

Sometimes, however, there is very little you can do. Your team is very important as a Commando. If your side has no healers and the enemy has a lot of melee, you could be in a lot of danger. You can still do well but you should expect to die a lot more often.

 

 

Posting your build and strategy for play might help people offer more specific areas in which you could improve.

[CobaltPanther]

Thanks for the advice guys,

 

Basically, my build is 31 Gunnery and 10 Medic.

 

That build was super great for my PvE lvling and I was cutting through the levels having fun and nearly without deaths.

 

I know my gear is really bad - I'm wearing mostly orange gear at a rating of about 104-112.

 

I usually go with 1-2 other players, stand aside and spam grav + HIB (when I remember to use it). I almost never remember to use adrenaline rush, but I do use a lot of Cons. and the silly shield we have.

 

That's it mostly - I've learned that mortar volley is quite useless, auto-fire takes a lot of time to shoot out, and all the rest is needless.

 

Still havn't figured out how to use the tech overdrive (the 50 talent if I remember the name right) - but the advice to use it combine with healing probe is quite interesting.

[jedip_enguin]

Still havn't figured out how to use the tech overdrive (the 50 talent if I remember the name right) - but the advice to use it combine with healing probe is quite interesting.

 

It's basically our version of Nature's Swiftness, and can be combined with abilities and other CD's on lots of fun ways.

 

In addition to the standard Tech+Medical Probe for those emergency situations you can use it in combination with reserve power cell and plasma grenade for a free instant (not counting animation) aoe, which works well in PvE or PvP if you dont have the time to set up a mortar strike.

[ZeroGravitas]

I think that you are dismissing some abilities too quickly.

 

Mortar Volley can be extremely useful in some situations, though more so in Void Star and Civil War where people tend to group up around the turrets and doors. If you see one or two enemies in a group on low health, Mortar Volley will often finish them off and provide some distraction for their healers. You just need to find the right time to use it.

 

Similarly, Auto Fire can be extremely useful when you keep in mind that it receives massive bonuses to damage (and crit bonus damage) from talents and doubles as a short snare. I primarily use it to stop people from running away but if the talent Curtain of Fire procs, it's an easy 4,000-8,000 damage that lets me regenerate some ammo.

 

Sticky Grenade is useful if you use it early in your rotation. Most other abilities will still be used much more often but it has its place.

 

I've even found Plasma Grenade to have some success, though it's something I use only once or twice every few games and almost exclusively in Void Star.

 

I second the combination of Tech Override and Medical Probe. I use them so often that they're practically the same ability in my mind.

[Secured]

full pvp geared chars do 10% more damage and receive 10% less damage.

 

if you are equally geared, the 2 things negate each other.

 

this may be part of your problem.

 

 

a solution would be, to spec healer and help your people that do the damage. even though healers profit the most of expertise (they still receive 10% less damage, but their heals will hit for 10% more, because this buff doesnt get negated by anybody elses gear).

 

 

also; USE YOUR RELICS, USE YOUR MEDIPACS, USE YOUR STIMS AND USE YOUR ADRENALS.

those give very high stat bonuses and stats are everything.

[mujrim]

That's it mostly - I've learned that mortar volley is quite useless, auto-fire takes a lot of time to shoot out, and all the rest is needless.

 

Hell no, Mortar Volley is probably the best offensive tool we have. Pop an adrenal or a relic before it, and it really messes a bunch of people up.

[CobaltPanther]

Hell no, Mortar Volley is probably the best offensive tool we have. Pop an adrenal or a relic before it, and it really messes a bunch of people up.

 

I didn't think about combining it with a relic - I'll give it a shot (heh, pun) on my next match

 

also, one of the replies recommended healing - maybe I should go healing specc? but I assume that it'll still keep me on the end side of the list (although from my understanding valor points will be the same)

[jedip_enguin]

There are plenty of medals to be had healing, thats why even as a gunnery spec I spend at least a few rushes doing spot healing to compliment my dmg ranking.

 

As a full spec healer in WZ's you will make many friends very quickly.

 

A word of warning though, if you do spec healer dont use hammer shot for healing unless absolutely forced, as this is like drawing an enormous green arrow to yourself with the text 'HEALER OVER HERE PLEASE KILL ME' written above it (like a priest with Benediction in Alterac Valley back in WoW ) , build your supercharges by hammer shotting the enemy and use your probes/grenades to do the bulk of your healing.

Edited January 17, 2012 by jedip_enguin