Shiv cooldown...5 seconds?

[djpostman]

For the record, my IA is my main, just hit level 30, so my experience with the class is pretty limited at this point. I don't know why this is bothering me so much, but it is really driving me nuts. I probably just need to get better at managing my TA...but the 5 second cooldown on Shiv is like nails on a chalkboard. I feel like I'm constantly waiting for it.

 

Being our primary TA generating tool, 5 seconds to drop another one is a pretty long time, especially in PVP. Honestly I'm kind of surprised there isn't anything in the skill tree to reduce the cooldown. Does this bug anyone else? Is it viable to suggest a cooldown reduction on this, being one of our bread and butter skills?

[Necrosov]

Overload Shot and your other ranged attacks which most people seem to neglect using are supposed to be your filler when your melee abilities are on cooldown. You need to watch your energy consumption though.

[zaknaphein]

it's 6 seconds btw..

[Naibchris]

You get acid blade and corrosive dart to reapply TA as well, so the cooldown isn't as bad. But as mentioned rapid shots or overload shots are the filler.

[Luwak]

You get acid blade and corrosive dart to reapply TA as well, so the cooldown isn't as bad. But as mentioned rapid shots or overload shots are the filler.

 

Rapid Shots are a BH ability so I'm not sure what you're getting that there.

 

Acid Blade is a 31 point concealment ability that does not have anything to do with TA. Corrosive Dart is a DoT that also had nothing to do with TA.

 

Are we playing the same game?

 

The only 2 abilities that apply TA are Hidden Strike (stealth opener) and Shiv. Medicine can talent Kolto Probes to proc TAs approximately once every 6 seconds (to make up for the fact that they are not using Shiv on cooldown while healing).

[Talixo]

Rapid Shots are a BH ability so I'm not sure what you're getting that there.

 

Acid Blade is a 31 point concealment ability that does not have anything to do with TA. Corrosive Dart is a DoT that also had nothing to do with TA.

 

Are we playing the same game?

 

The only 2 abilities that apply TA are Hidden Strike (stealth opener) and Shiv. Medicine can talent Kolto Probes to proc TAs approximately once every 6 seconds (to make up for the fact that they are not using Shiv on cooldown while healing).

 

He is referring to abilities that apply poison to the target--because of these talents...

 

Tactical Opportunity [Tier 4 Lethality Talent] - Collateral Strike has a [50 / 100]% chance to immediately re-grant Tactical Advantage when hitting a poisoned target.

 

Collateral Strike [Tier 3 Lethality Talent] - Laceration has a [25 / 50]% chance to trigger a Collateral Strike, dealing 375 additional kinetic damage. This effect cannot occur more than once every 10 seconds.

Edited February 27, 2012 by Talixo

[ggardner]

TBH once you get to 50, this doesn't really become I problem. It is actually an awesome mechanic to help with Energy burn-out.

[djpostman]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Glad to hear that its not as much of an issue at 50. Once I hate 30 it was like all of a sudden I hit a glass ceiling and TA generation and in turn Shiv cool down just become extremely frustrating. I didn't know backstab created TA, thats good stuff as i just picked that skill up.

 

So one more quick question. Do we get some kind of a knockdown later on? I hear my guild mates complaining about Ops knocking them down and stun locking them, but I haven't seen anything in the skills looking at the trainer that talks about knockdown.

[Kiryon]

Actually, no, backstab does not generate TA. It's still a great skill, especially in PVE when you're working with a tank, since once it's talented it becomes a high-damage, energy-free attack, which gives you something much more useful to do while waiting for the shiv cooldown to finish. You might be thinking of Hidden Strike, which does give you a TA, and once it's fully talented with Jarring Strike, it performs a knockdown as well. Edited February 27, 2012 by Kiryon

[djpostman]

Actually, no, backstab does not generate TA. It's still a great skill, especially in PVE when you're working with a tank, since once it's talented it becomes a high-damage, energy-free attack, which gives you something much more useful to do while waiting for the shiv cooldown to finish. You might be thinking of Hidden Strike, which does give you a TA, and once it's fully talented with Jarring Strike, it performs a knockdown as well.

 

yes hidden strike is what I meant, my bad. Thanks

[Drukoziz]

Don't forget to throw Crouch-->Explosive Probe into your rotation when you can, I hear it does good damage.

[Arrys]

Conceal spec ends up handling TA pretty well once you tqalent lacerate etc... Medicine spends alot of points but also end up able to generate TA decently well if somewhat randomly. Lethality being a shared tree with snipers which does not have TA ends up having horrible ways to generate TA in comparrison.

[PinnyFox]

Don't forget to throw Crouch-->Explosive Probe into your rotation when you can, I hear it does good damage.

 

It's quite nice to Sleep Dart an enemy, throw an explosive probe on them, hit them with a corrosive dart, and then backstab them for a nice CHUNK of damage.

 

It also melts weak/normal class enemies.

[nufanvandal]

You should definitely be using corrosive dart for the chance to regrant TA. It seems to hit pretty often.

[PinnyFox]

You should definitely be using corrosive dart for the chance to regrant TA. It seems to hit pretty often.

 

You're likely mistaking corrosive dart proccing TA for for the Tactical Opportunity talent that gives Lacerate's Collateral Strike a 50/100% chance to regrant TA on a poisoned target.

 

And by likely I mean you are, because there is no such talent or ability that makes corrosive dart grant TA

Edited February 27, 2012 by PinnyFox

[djpostman]

As long as the thread is going...i might as well ask.

 

Whats up with Eviscerate? In pve I can use it on targets i Debilitate, but for some reason it never procs in PVP? Am I missing something?

[doingtheobvious]

As long as the thread is going...i might as well ask.

 

Whats up with Eviscerate? In pve I can use it on targets i Debilitate, but for some reason it never procs in PVP? Am I missing something?

 

Eviscerate and Headshot are not useable in PVP at all. So, no, you aren't missing anything.

[PinnyFox]

As long as the thread is going...i might as well ask.

 

Whats up with Eviscerate? In pve I can use it on targets i Debilitate, but for some reason it never procs in PVP? Am I missing something?

 

Only usable on Normal/Strong class enemies. Those are no frame and silver frame enemies. Not usable on elites (gold frame), champions (gold frame with a white star), or players (In a category of their own, even though they don't get a unique frame)

Edited February 27, 2012 by PinnyFox

[Taliknor]

You can also throw in more cc's like flashbomb, etc if you need to play defensive, to make up for waiting for a shiv opportunity.

 

I even use a 'nade from time to time when I've got good energy regen going.

[Empirical_Data]

TBH once you get to 50, this doesn't really become I problem. It is actually an awesome mechanic to help with Energy burn-out.

 

I just wish it lasted a tick or two longer.

[ssfish]

Conceal spec ends up handling TA pretty well once you tqalent lacerate etc... Medicine spends alot of points but also end up able to generate TA decently well if somewhat randomly. Lethality being a shared tree with snipers which does not have TA ends up having horrible ways to generate TA in comparrison.

 

What? You cast the primary heal (Injection), you get a TA. Yes, the proc off of Kolto Probe can be seen as random, but when you have a guaranteed TA proc off of the staple ability in a line, it's not "somewhat random." Never mind that we Med-Ops still have access to Shiv, which, if the Med-Op is actually playing as a healer, will be available pretty much whenever it's needed (and really probably won't be used for anything other than TA generation.)

[Zunayson]

What? You cast the primary heal (Injection), you get a TA. Yes, the proc off of Kolto Probe can be seen as random, but when you have a guaranteed TA proc off of the staple ability in a line, it's not "somewhat random." Never mind that we Med-Ops still have access to Shiv, which, if the Med-Op is actually playing as a healer, will be available pretty much whenever it's needed (and really probably won't be used for anything other than TA generation.)

 

Injection costs 25 energy, and is not good for Mass producing TAs on demand whilst being energy efficient. The good thing about operative healing is that your patients are invincible. No force to run out, and no blank spots to renew rage and focus. Unfortunately, you are as useless as a sorc without consumption or any force once you burn all your energy. Most TAs will come from KP, trust me.

 

I open up with KP (getting TA) > Injection > RP >KP (Wanting the full heal now that he's stable on health) > [injection > RP] (Main heal, no energy loss) ... and renew KP as needed.

Edited February 29, 2012 by Zunayson

[ssfish]

I can't recall the last time I needed to pop AP because I let my power sink too low (I do, on occasion, deliberately over-cast and pop AP after). I'm not saying you cast Injection for TA, but considering the frequency of use on Injection (for me, at least), there is nothing "random" about getting TAs with medic spec. It certainly isn't energy efficient when looked at strictly as a TA builder, but it is reliable and consistent, which is about as far from random as you can get.

 

I was simply intending to refute the "random" claim of Med-Ops by pointing out that we have an assured way to obtain TAs, and it comes from our most commonly used ability. Yes, RNG effects KP procs, but he blanketed all of the Medicine spec into his statement.

Edited February 29, 2012 by ssfish