DPS PvE - Which Spec?

[SeanTayTay]

There're a few posts about which spec is best for PvP, but what is the best spec for simple DPS PvE Spec?

[PaxFelix]

FWIW, here's mine.

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#800McZMIkrRMdokfzZcM.1

 

Many will disagree with the points I've put in Heavy Trooper and Soldier's Endurance, but I think it covers all the DPS boosts and I personally like the greater survivability. Many take the points I've allocated to those two and put them in PvP abilities. I'm not a PvP'er, much.

[Accomplice]

I would recommend the following for a strict PvE DPS build:

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#800McZMIkrordRkfzZc.1

[PaxFelix]

Certainly a robust and viable build.

 

However, with respect, the Slow that is Cover Fire and the Stun-Breaker of Tenacious Defense are exactly the two talents I referred to as having mostly PvP benefit, rather than being "strictly" PvE DPS. Neither enhances Damage (the D in DPS), while Concussive Force technically does, even if only a small bit.

Edited February 14, 2012 by PaxFelix

[Accomplice]

Certainly a robust and viable build.

 

However, with respect, the Slow that is Cover Fire and the Stun-Breaker of Tenacious Defense are exactly the two talents I referred to as having mostly PvP benefit, rather than being "strictly" PvE DPS. Neither enhances Damage (the D in DPS), while Concussive Force technically does, even if only a small bit.

 

To an extent. Playing the DPS role in a raid environment isn't only limited to DPS. You, as a player, are a raid utility and anything you can do to make it easier on the healers and tanks, you should be doing. For instance, having Full Auto slow the target on the Bonethrasher fight reduces the change the target will reach Bonethrasher, ultimately eliminating the chance it is consumed, thus causing an enrage. Or even an add such as the adds that spawn for the pylons. Snaring the adds increases the amount of time it takes for the add to reach the tank, reducing the damage taken, reducing the amount of heals necessary to output.

 

Another instance - there are a various encounters which spawn adds (Karagga and Foreman Crusher to name a couple in the current content). When these adds spawn, it's very possible the healers will end up with immediate aggro due to HoT's and whatnot. There is no reason the Commando should not be jumping in and knocking back the adds to provide the tanks another few seconds to gain aggro without the adds hammering away on the healers.

 

Each class has their own role they perform in the raid, but it separates the quality players who act as a utility and perform outside of their roles that will make the difference in being successful. Maybe not in the current content, as it's not entirely difficult, but the concept behind it remains true.

[wesleycrushers]

Very interesting thread. I'd like to contribute my two cents and my current build.

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#800rcZrIkroMdokfzZc.1

 

I agree that Troopers should be helping as much as possible in raid situations. I feel that the place that I can help the most currently is less about the bonus's to our skills in the tree for things like slow on Full Auto and extra distance on Concussion Charge, and instead give a hand to our healers.

 

Here is what I've heard against the slow to Full Auto. It's only a single target slow, and it is 100% chance fully spec'd. So what you are actually doing normally is seperating one add from the rest. In most of these situations we should be using AOE, and that extra slow is more likely to keep that one add from being in for the AOE damage.

 

The Concussion Charge extra knockback is useful for solo encounters, but when grouped, you are hopefully not taking aggro, and in a raid situation you should not be using this ability anyway as you are more likely to be aggroing additional mobs, or you will be knocking people over edges which tends to bug out raids.

 

The situation I find this most helpful is during the Soa fight. Everyone is taking fall dmg that is a percentage of their health, this means that the tank is most likely coming up shortest on AOE heals. I can add an extra heal or two in that time and help out the healers. Plus I want those casts off ASAP so I can keep moving with the group too. I am going to regen my ammo during the process anyway, so why not throw more and bigger heals?

 

Also, the instant cast is not really that helpful to us in DPS as the only real attack that benefits is your plasma grenade. If you use it for heals, it can be very effective. Plus a medpack and a Medical Probe can give me 7k+ health back.

 

I also don't pvp much, so I don't see the tenacious defense, cover fire, or concussive force benefits that you would normally pick up there.

 

One of the points that I'm not very happy about in this tree is Kolto Recharge, as once you have the 2 piece set bonus from PVE you won't be needing for ammo very often, and when you do a 7% HOT is not really that great. Moving that point into Tenacious Defense could be helpful just to lower your CC break by 15 seconds for places like Kaon.

 

PS: Big fan of TrooperCommando.com just wish it got updated more often

Edited February 14, 2012 by wesleycrushers

[PaxFelix]

Lt. Crusher, that build is intriguing. A step further:

 

As a secondary healer, what about moving the 2 points in Quick Thinking to Field Medicine? The combination of Field Medicine, Advanced Tech, and Heavy Trooper means we have an 8% boost to healing received and an equal boost to the healing we give, at least via MP & AMP. Is the shorter activation time of Quick Thinking really the better use of those two points?

[wesleycrushers]

That is a change I've been thinking about, or moving the points in cell capacitor. The reason for this spec specifically right now is for the Soa fight when we run without a sage. In that instance speed of heals are more important to me than the extra 6% currently.

[wesleycrushers]

Last night we ran against Soa on Hard for about 2 hours. After the first few wipes, I decided to switch to support cell to be an additional healer. Since there is a high likelyhood that at least one of the healers will be mindtrapped, targetted by lightning, or in the air at any given time, this seemed like a good way to help heal through the lightning balls. Our DPS did suffer, and we didn't manage to make it through phase 2, but we got the furthest that we have so far.

 

After we called it a night, I respecced to this:

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#800rfoZrIkroRdozfz.1

 

I was over 100% accuracy, so I took out the points for accuracy, and spent them in better heals, and Supercharge cells. I'm now at about 97% standard and 107% tech acc.

 

In playing around on the fleet, I managed to get a 5500 crit self heal off after consuming supercharge cells.

 

Major downsides that I see to this build are that I have no points to preventing healing pushback or aggro, and I still don't have Kolto Bomb. On the other hand, I'm still fully specced DPS for most of the time.

 

The way I see it, I have 1 instant cast heal on a 2 minute timer with Tech Override.

 

One other change that I was thinking about was moving the points in Cell Capacitor to Steady Hands. Reason I didn't is because sometimes you wanna just max dps and that means spamming Grav Round through your entire ammo bar and popping recharge cells. Losing the 2 free ammo from that would really hurt, if you were to do this. While I don't pop recharge cells often, I should be pushing more dps more of the time and needing it every 2 minutes. I realize that supercharge cells would give me the same 2 ammo (and free charged bolts) but I'm not typically in Combat Support Cell, and so I'm not typically building those stacks.

 

I'm not sure if this is a worthwhile build yet or not. Seems like a lot of the points are ammo type specific, so I won't get the benefit of several of my talent points at any given time. But, this will let me switch to healing and be a better backup for that situation.

[Pumlek]

An argument in favor of Concussive Force is that the knockback lets you use Stockstrike as an interrupt.

[wesleycrushers]

Yes, but why am I fighting in melee range as a Commando?

[JLapp]

An argument in favor of Concussive Force is that the knockback lets you use Stockstrike as an interrupt.

 

Only on things that aren't immune to movement impairing effects....which at end-game is basically everything you want to interrupt.

 

Only place I can think of it being somewhat useful is last boss of false emperor. Two points in tenacious defense would be more useful on fabricator if you are doing the panels though.

[Calei]

Very interesting thread. I'd like to contribute my two cents and my current build.

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#800rcZrIkroMdokfzZc.1

 

I agree that Troopers should be helping as much as possible in raid situations. I feel that the place that I can help the most currently is less about the bonus's to our skills in the tree for things like slow on Full Auto and extra distance on Concussion Charge, and instead give a hand to our healers.

 

Here is what I've heard against the slow to Full Auto. It's only a single target slow, and it is 100% chance fully spec'd. So what you are actually doing normally is seperating one add from the rest. In most of these situations we should be using AOE, and that extra slow is more likely to keep that one add from being in for the AOE damage.

 

The Concussion Charge extra knockback is useful for solo encounters, but when grouped, you are hopefully not taking aggro, and in a raid situation you should not be using this ability anyway as you are more likely to be aggroing additional mobs, or you will be knocking people over edges which tends to bug out raids.

 

The situation I find this most helpful is during the Soa fight. Everyone is taking fall dmg that is a percentage of their health, this means that the tank is most likely coming up shortest on AOE heals. I can add an extra heal or two in that time and help out the healers. Plus I want those casts off ASAP so I can keep moving with the group too. I am going to regen my ammo during the process anyway, so why not throw more and bigger heals?

 

Also, the instant cast is not really that helpful to us in DPS as the only real attack that benefits is your plasma grenade. If you use it for heals, it can be very effective. Plus a medpack and a Medical Probe can give me 7k+ health back.

 

I also don't pvp much, so I don't see the tenacious defense, cover fire, or concussive force benefits that you would normally pick up there.

 

One of the points that I'm not very happy about in this tree is Kolto Recharge, as once you have the 2 piece set bonus from PVE you won't be needing for ammo very often, and when you do a 7% HOT is not really that great. Moving that point into Tenacious Defense could be helpful just to lower your CC break by 15 seconds for places like Kaon.

 

PS: Big fan of TrooperCommando.com just wish it got updated more often

 

I agree, those 2 points in the healing talents can make a very big difference when clutch healing is needed. Especially if you've got high crit and surge.