Pyrotech Mercenaries

[Bamajawn]

Mbarone, that's an interesting idea. I also have a 3/7/31 build but with Sweltering Heat. I'll do a test using HVGC and see that the results are.

[Soultyr]

My thoughts on Commando and vanguard are as such.

 

Heals=Armor

Commando have cast time/no cast time dps trees

Vanguard have short and mid range dps trees

 

A commando pvp build has to include heals in its build.

 

This is what I am thinking, what do you think. (I know management of resources is difficult though not impossible)

 

Which depends on procs

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#800bfMz0zZrcoMMZbIMrzh.1

 

OR

 

Which depends on a cast but is not resource management intensive

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#800bfR00zZrckrM0bZbIMbz.1

Edited March 8, 2012 by Soultyr

[midianlord]

Rail shot is useless for a Mercenary. Thus Pyrotech sucks.

 

So, so wrong. Unless you're just trolling? In which case, you can do much better: 2/10.

 

In general, in my experience:

 

The Arsen-Merc is certainly more "guaranteed-bursty" due to his gas-cylinder effect not being chance-based, but the Pyro's debuffs/effects apply anytime the target is burning, not just when it's burning from the effect of Combustible Gas cylinder. (if you play Arsen-Merc without HV gas cylinder selected, then you're doing it quite wrong). I always get at least one Demolisher (2.5k HP single hit) and since I've gotten more WH gear, Annihilator (5k HP in one hit) medal in every WZ I play on my level capped Arsen.

 

But:

 

The way you "earn" that though, is that you have to spam Tracer Missile to keep the debuffs on the target. With maxed skills in that "mini-tree" you must put three Tracer Missiles on him (stack up to 5 times, each missile stacks two with full skills), and throw one in on occasion after to keep the debuff up. Tracer Missile has, IIRC a 1.5 second cast-time, and can be interrupted.

 

As you go up the Pyro skill tree, you also get a buff to the damage --quite a big one, actually-- to your "Auto-attack," which the Arsen-Merc doesn't get, again if the target is afire. IME, this helps a lot, might just get you that last killing blow whilst you're getting lolsmashed to death by three or five IWINBUTAN-rolling kiddies.

 

That buff also applies to Rail Shot among other attacks, and if the latter crits even at low levels, well, there is, again, a pretty much guaranteed one more (Demolisher at the least again) medal for the match!

 

In a word:

 

Arsen-Merc uses Tracer Missile spam to buff/max his potential damage.

 

Pyro-Merc uses Incendiary Missile, though you needn't --and really, mustn't-- spam it, it is rather heat-intensive (You have to watch your heat on the Pyro much more carefully than on the Arsen). You don't have to spam it, at any rate, as it has a DoT effect --again, quite a nice one-- that the Arsen-Merc doesn't get and that single burn-effect is what opens up the buffs for the other attacks, and gives you a nice DoT on its own.

 

This is what the Pyro-Merc gets instead of the Arsen-Merc's pure glass-cannon "URP-SPLOSION TYME NAO!!" massive burst, and I do believe, from my experience, that it can be better over a long fight if you can hold range.

 

I love, love, love my RDPS-Mercs. The problems with the class aren't the fault of any one skill-tree, and can mostly be worked around. I mean, look at it this way, again just going by my own experience:

 

I hear a lot of lolsmash-idiots hating on Huttball. As a Merc and Gunslinger, I seriously almost won't play any other warzone anymore, as Huttball is the only one that doesn't, at some point or other, practically force you into melee/brawl range (Denova Coast or however you spell it is my particular un-favourite for this), which is somewhere you generally don't want to be with your DPS-merc.

 

Take that for what it's worth, I'm not even close to any kind of great PvP'er --at least in this game -- but that's my experience, anyway.

 

E:

 

Total sentence-structure and typing-fail!

Edited March 17, 2013 by midianlord
sentence structure fail

[CommanderKeeva]

I want to give my input as well on Pyro/Assault vs Gunnery/Arsenal. I'm playing a Commando so please forgive the Republic terminology.

 

I find Pyro/Assault more versatile overall and better for survivability, which is an important factor in warzones. My Assault numbers are not as high as my numbers in Gunnery but sometimes I figure it's more important to be able to effectively support your team with less but more constant and mobile damage. Obviously I wouldn't enter a 1v1 situation with any class if it can be avoided.

 

In my personal experience gunnery is better pure damage wise but your mobility and survivability suffers so much that most of the time you end up watching the spawn door. Three Grav Rounds, HiB, Demo Round and procced Full Auto can kill basically any enemy I came across but they have to unsuspecting and preoccupied with other things for that to work. If any character decides to go against you, you'll be in serious trrouble. If it's a melee character, you're dead. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say I've killed more people 1v1 as a Scoundrel healer or Shadow tank than a Gunnery Commando, which I find a bit sad.

 

So, most of the time I tend to go for Combat Medic as a Commando. The green beam is annoying, yeah, but at least I get some appreciative MVPs from team members.

 

But that's just my experience anyway.

[DariusCalera]

A year old necro.....

[Xerain]

A year old necro.....

 

yeah... w t f at this thread.

[ArchangelLBC]

long as hell response to a year old thread

 

 

You are everything that is wrong with the internet.

.

.

.

Ok some of the things that are wrong with the internet.

 

Either way I'm pretty sure I hate you.

Edited March 18, 2013 by ArchangelLBC

[Swaption]

In lowbie warzones I'm currently running my merc in pyro spec and hitting ~300k quite regularly (as well as topping damage charts). While pyro is obviously inferior to arsenal in pve (for boss fights), with proper dot management and aoe timing the damage output in pvp is absurd.

[cashogy_reborn]

In lowbie warzones I'm currently running my merc in pyro spec and hitting ~300k quite regularly (as well as topping damage charts). While pyro is obviously inferior to arsenal in pve (for boss fights), with proper dot management and aoe timing the damage output in pvp is absurd.

 

1. lowbies mean nothing

2. reg wzs =/= RWZs

3. you are playing with a soon to be extinct build

4. this thread is over a year old so please let it die.

[Natharon]

Pyrotech mercs are just mercs who realized they done ****ed up and tried to un**** themselves instead of doing the smart thing and rerolling a powertech.

[midianlord]

You are everything that is wrong with the internet.

.

.

.

Ok some of the things that are wrong with the internet.

 

Either way I'm pretty sure I hate you.

 

Oooooh, right, right:

 

Silly me, I forgot the pay-to-win generation kiddie attention-span.

 

That was not a long post --not even close, actually-- by the standards of actual literate adults, mate. Neither will this one be.

 

Seeing as how I had a lot less PvP experience then, then it makes sense that I couldn't post with authority anything relevant to same until now, that I do have much more PvP experience with my Arsen-merc (and more recently, Pyro-merc).

 

(Yes, it's bloody frustrating at times even in mostly WH gear, though not yet min/max'ed --still learning the maths/doing the research for that. But believe me, my favourite ideal "quick and dirty" rotation --Power Surge --> 1x Tracer --> Heatseeker --> Rail ---> Unload can make for some seriously totally-stupid-grin-inducing "I URP-SPLODE YOU'ZE NAOW!!" gank-moments. As a sandbox-player before SWTOR, that's what I see the Arsen-merc as, and my experience of what little true open-world/roaming PvP there is in this game --IE, Illum during the events-- seems to prove it, at least for me and my preferred playstyle: The Arsen-merc is a great roaming ganker, but SWTOR isn't a roaming ganker's game, really. And even in carebear warzone PvP, when he finds an opportunity to work, oh my word, does he work beautifully)

 

Is that simple enough, then, even with the digression? I kept the words to one or two syllables, just for you.

 

Next!

 

[/lolol necro]

Edited March 27, 2013 by midianlord

[cashogy_reborn]

pyro merc is dead. let this thread die with it

[cub-lover]

in soem aspects pyro merc is better due to the increased range of incendiary missile and thermal detonater since the powertech version only has a 10m range with the skills, yeas i know thats what grapple is for but i also think merc healing is best in terms of pvp due to the mobility it offers over a stand and cast heal like the sorc/ sage

[cashogy_reborn]

in soem aspects pyro merc is better due to the increased range of incendiary missile and thermal detonater since the powertech version only has a 10m range with the skills, yeas i know thats what grapple is for but i also think merc healing is best in terms of pvp due to the mobility it offers over a stand and cast heal like the sorc/ sage

 

pyrotech is being nerfed significantly. for PvP, its now bad.

[Macroeconomics]

in soem (sic) aspects pyro merc is better due to the increased range of incendiary missile and thermal detonater since the powertech version only has a 10m range with the skills, yeas i know thats what grapple is for but i also think merc healing is best in terms of pvp due to the mobility it offers over a stand and cast heal like the sorc/ sage

 

Seriously? Merc Pyro had the range advantage for IM and TD over PT/Vanguard dating back to 1.4. We've had months since then for everyone to realize that Merc Pyro blows. And now in 2.0 Merc Pyro inherits all the nerfs to PT (bugged CGC, nerfed CGC, nerfed TD). It blows more now. And *** about mobile merc healing with Merc Pyro? Both your standard heals are cast, i.e. no mobility heals. The new 2.0 heal is your only mobile heal.

[Sheike]

I do just fine on my Merc Pyrotech, the spec gets more rail shot resets than powertech/vanguard anyway. Just keep your distance and be sure you have 'stabilizers' and 'muzzle fluting.'

[DarthBloodloss]

I do just fine on my Merc Pyrotech, the spec gets more rail shot resets than powertech/vanguard anyway. Just keep your distance and be sure you have 'stabilizers' and 'muzzle fluting.'

This is probably the biggest "personal preference" issue with Merc builds: Stabilizers

 

I used to use them, but I don't anymore. I am never going to trade blows with anyone like that because whatever they are hitting me with is going to hit for more than my Unload/PowerShot. Its a losing situation and having Stabilizers is justifying you to get involved.

 

Ever play Texas Hold'em? You raise with pocket 10's and end up losing the hand to someone who played J,5suited. And the guy says "but they were suited!"

 

That's what Stabilizers are to me. An excuse to get involved in a bad situation. Win, Lose, or Draw....there are better ways to spend THREE skill points in my opinion.

Edited March 28, 2013 by DarthBloodloss

[cashogy_reborn]

This is probably the biggest "personal preference" issue with Merc builds: Stabilizers

 

I used to use them, but I don't anymore. I am never going to trade blows with anyone like that because whatever they are hitting me with is going to hit for more than my Unload/PowerShot. Its a losing situation and having Stabilizers is justifying you to get involved.

 

Ever play Texas Hold'em? You raise with pocket 10's and end up losing the hand to someone who played J,5suited. And the guy says "but they were suited!"

 

That's what Stabilizers are to me. An excuse to get involved in a bad situation. Win, Lose, or Draw....there are better ways to spend THREE skill points in my opinion.

 

this. that skill is bad

[Macroeconomics]

I do just fine on my Merc Pyrotech, the spec gets more rail shot resets than powertech/vanguard anyway. Just keep your distance and be sure you have 'stabilizers' and 'muzzle fluting.'

 

Wait a minute - you are a Merc Pyro and you actually spent pts on Stabilizers and Muzzle Fluting?! LOL. Worst idea ever. It means you are actually going to use Power Shot. Doh!

[midianlord]

Wait a minute - you are a Merc Pyro and you actually spent pts on Stabilizers and Muzzle Fluting?! LOL. Worst idea ever. It means you are actually going to use Power Shot. Doh!

 

You mean that someone actually even still has Power Shot in their action-bar?

[Ugolino]

You mean that someone actually even still has Power Shot in their action-bar?

 

It's a shame, power shot has a nice animation, just like the old KOTOR attacks.

[Sheike]

Wait a minute - you are a Merc Pyro and you actually spent pts on Stabilizers and Muzzle Fluting?! LOL. Worst idea ever. It means you are actually going to use Power Shot. Doh!

 

Powershot and unload reset your railshot, how is making powershot easier to fire off and harder to stop a bad thing? It's more than a small percentage of the time that my powershot fires, resets my railshot and lets me kill the smash monkey that just lept to me so I'm going to have to disagree completely based on effective practice.