Crit or Power for Healing?

[Kraylessa]

I'm getting to the point now where secondary stats are appearing on some items. As a combat medic, should I prioritize Crit or Power?

[Valin_Thren]

Would like to learn this as well. How does Power affect the ammo bar?

[cashrender]

Power affects how hard you hit/heal. Crit affects your chances for a critical hit/heal. I'd suggest crit since First Responder gives you a 6% Alacrity boost whenevern you get a critical with damaging or healign abilities. Atleast until Crit starts stacking poorly, which I don't know the numbers on that yet.

[Haydawgg]

Crit will always be a lackluster choice for heals. RNG is never reliable when you are trying to keep people alive. Its not horrible by all means, there are just better stats to aim for instead.

[cashrender]

Until we know the actual numbers on how Power and crit stack and effect heals, I'd put my money on crits over power. What power peices I have equiped haven't made a major difference in either my heals or my damage. Where as critting is a significant boost when it occurs.

[Haydawgg]

Until we know the actual numbers on how Power and crit stack and effect heals, I'd put my money on crits over power. What power peices I have equiped haven't made a major difference in either my heals or my damage. Where as critting is a significant boost when it occurs.

At lower levels the amount of power you have equipped won't show a huge difference. RNG is RNG. Don't rely on it while healing.

[cashrender]

At lower levels the amount of power you have equipped won't show a huge difference. RNG is RNG. Don't rely on it while healing.

 

While that is true, the Commando Medic tree does support the idea of critical healing. +6% crit chance in the first tier, procced +5% Alacrity from said crits in second tier, +15% Critical healing bonus in the sixth tier, and picking up Special Munitions for an additional +3% Tech crit chance while using Combat Support Cell.

 

Enhancign your crit chance is favorable for the synergery already developed.

 

Like I said, until we have solid numbers to compare the "caps" for each secondary stat, we don't know the balance and ratio for each one definitively. Personally, I would go with the pre existing synergy as a guide.

 

EDIT: accidently had the Alacrity proc listed as 6% instead of 5%.

Edited December 18, 2011 by cashrender

[Haydawgg]

While synergy is a good thing I still plan on avoiding crit when possible. If it happens to be on gear, OK. But I won't actively try for crit stacking unless a godly crit % chance is obtainable (which my guess prob won't be possible)

One thing to keep in mind is that crit will be wanted for dps so having it on healing gear makes solo play not as horrible.

[Nikato]

Not to hijack the thread or anything, but besides the secondary stat, we still look for Aim and Endurance on our armor if we go combat medic right? About to do it so I want to make sure.

[Aaoogaa]

Currently you want crit and surge. The +15% heals from crits via skills means you want to stack crit/surge as much as possible. Power is meh. Get as much aim and tech as you can (tech is on main and off hand and need to be as high as possible..based on the rating of the barrel for mod items). Edited December 18, 2011 by Aaoogaa

[Zalekanzer]

Not to hijack the thread or anything, but besides the secondary stat, we still look for Aim and Endurance on our armor if we go combat medic right? About to do it so I want to make sure.

Yes, Aim is our stat. If you're using gear with something besides Aim, you're shooting yourself in the foot.

 

 

Har har.

[Refmo]

While synergy is a good thing I still plan on avoiding crit when possible. If it happens to be on gear, OK. But I won't actively try for crit stacking unless a godly crit % chance is obtainable (which my guess prob won't be possible)

One thing to keep in mind is that crit will be wanted for dps so having it on healing gear makes solo play not as horrible.

 

AFAIK, stacking a high amount of crit is obtainable. At my level I've got about 18, and if I party with my friend that's going to be 23 crit, which is pretty good. Yes, at a basic level, Power can outperform Crit because it provides a guaranteed benefit, something which Crit cannot do. However, the amount of Power we're getting isn't worth it to avoid Crit.

 

Now from what I can tell, Crit rating scales per level (the amount needed) whereas the Power to Healing Bonus does not. This could mean that Power "sucks" (in comparison) only now because we have very little of it. Some quick notes I jotted down in Notepad a week or two ago:

 

Primary Stats - 140 = 1% Crit
829 Aim Tionese + Base Aim (250)
Without +9 Aim buff = ~7.7 Crit

Crit Rating - ~23.3 = 1%

Tionese Gear provides ~11.7 Crit
(no secondary implant, no weapon, no relics).

(A11.7)+(T7.7)+(FT6)+(SM3)= 28.4%
+6 Crit Field Training included.
+9% from AS tree not included.
+3% Crit Special Munitions included.

 

 

I really suck dick at math (and I'm sure someone can do the work and improve this), but if we use this as a general area, that's like 28% crit using the (unchanged) Tionese gear. Half the time you'll run around with that 5% crit buff, so 30% crit benchmark needed to focus on it over Power seems to be pretty obtainable. On the Rakata gear, there is a lot of Crit, something worth nothing.

 

Talents like First Responder and Potent Medicine seem to point to us wanting to get as much Crit as possible. This doesn't mean sacrificing Power, however. Power/Tech Power will improve our base heal and crit heal.

 

IDK, need level 50.

[Fsixknight]

As long as we don't have a load of level 50 combat medics doing some serious number crunching, and more importantly, as long as YOU are not level 50 yet, don't worry about it too much.

 

Just make sure you are using AIM gear and the rest doesn't matter much.

 

As already said, skill synergies seem to favor crit but that doesn't mean it's our best secondary.

 

TBH, currently nobody truly knows what the best secondary is and it's all best guess.

Just go with what you personally prefer. And once again, as long as you use AIM gear, you should be fine.

 

Besides, min/maxing your character doesn't make much difference anyway until you hit level 50 and start doing heroic flashpoints and operations.

[JLapp]

Personally I have started prioritizing crit over power. I think I only have crit on a couple pieces of equipment...but at level 30 I have about 21 or 22% crit chance (w/o the scoundrel buff).

 

As long as I am healing the first responder skill might as well be a permanent buff since it is pretty much always on.

 

Not positive on the numbers...I'll check when I get home if I remember.

[Refmo]

Personally I have started prioritizing crit over power. I think I only have crit on a couple pieces of equipment...but at level 30 I have about 21 or 22% crit chance (w/o the scoundrel buff).

 

As long as I am healing the first responder skill might as well be a permanent buff since it is pretty much always on.

 

Not positive on the numbers...I'll check when I get home if I remember.

 

Yeah, I've noticed my First Responder was almost always up and that was with one point in. I have about 24% crit and just hit 30 today. It's ... nuts

[Maniacal]

I'd say crit as well. Power seems to scale your min / max heals, or at least as far as I can tell tinkering with pieces that have the stat, while crit does exactly what you'd expect. Plus my healing crits are just insane. I heal normally 1100 around lvl 21, but a crit tops over 3k easy.

 

Plus, as mentioned, a few talents that are very healer-friendly are reliant upon crits.

 

Personally, it all comes down to those big, giant green numbers rolling by.