Leveling Spec

[Pinkspawn]

Ok so I read some about how Engineering is the way to go in terms of leveling.

Personally, I want to level Marksman. It suits the sniper play style to me.

 

How is Marksman leveling?

 

I also love to PVP while leveling, so I'm looking for something that would go with that too.

Edited April 24, 2012 by Pinkspawn
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[SaveMeeJebus]

bump because i would also like an answer to this from more educated snipers

[Tibbel]

Deciding between MM and Eng for leveling is very much a matter of playstyle choice. Both specs are perfectly viable from level 10 all the way to end-game.

 

The Marksmanship style, starting right at level 10, will allow you to mitigate and avoid some incoming attacks with Ballistic Dampers and Cover Screen. Later on, you'll gain the opportunity to add a knockback to Ambush, plus a very powerful defensive cooldown in Diversion; both of those will help you even further if you like to sit in cover there and dish it out.

 

As you get up into the 20s, you'll gain several bonuses for being in cover -- increased energy regeneration with Sniper's Nest and Sniper Volley (which also interacts positively with Sniper's Nest), increased damage on most of your cover-required abilities, and even an increased knockback from Cover Pulse. Being able to proc a reduced cast time on Ambush with the skill Reactive Shot really helps the burst damage, as well.

 

At level 30, the game changes as you can unlock Followthrough, which is an ability on a short cooldown that hits harder than Snipe but costs far less energy. Even better, its cooldown and energy cost are futher reduced with the skill Recoil Control.

 

At level 36, you'll train Series of Shots, and from then on, the playstyle is very similar to what you'll experience at level 50. The only big change will be when you can spec into Rapid Fire, which will let you use Series of Shots three times in succession; however, you can also choose to forego Rapid Fire and the tier 6 skills to reach further into the Engineering tree if you prefer to have some of that utility.

 

Meanwhile, the Engineering style revolves around probes, grenades, and gadgets, as you might expect. Early on, you'll lower the cooldown of the AoE Fragmentation Grenade and increase its damage, and also shorten the cooldown of the AoE mesmerize Flash Bang. The skill Energy Tanks will right away give you more energy to work with, which will be a recurring theme throughout the Engineering tree. You also will have the option to gain a small heal with your energy replenishment ability Adrenaline Probe, and also to increase your health pool.

 

In the 20s, you'll gain a DoT called Interrogation Probe, which can be reduced in energy and/or improved to apply a slow if you like to kite. You'll also get Cluster Bombs, which adds aftershocks to Explosive Probe and also returns energy thanks to the skill Imperial Methodology. Don't forget Experimental Explosives, which helps add to Engineering's AoE superiority.

 

At 30, EMP Discharge will become reachable. It's not the powerful damaging attack that Marksmanship or Lethality can get at that level, but more of a utility ability. It'll reset some of your handy probe abilities and, with the Energy Overrides skill, make your next damaging probe free of cost.

 

At level 36, when you train Series of Shots, Engineering starts to catch up in single-target damage. Electrified Railgun will add a powerful, short, stacking DoT to Series of Shots, and meanwhile you'll be increasing the strength of your defensive gadgets through the skills Augmented Shields and Deployed Shields.

 

At 40, you'll gain the best area denial ability in the game. Plasma Probe pulses in one area for 18s, dealing very good damage for the first 3, and then trailing off a bit. In combination with Interrogation Probe, it also functions as a ranged stun.

 

Both specs will start out making heavy use of Snipe, but will gradually use it less and less. MM will keep using it fairly frequently at end-game, but Engineering will almost completely ditch it in favor of probes or stronger shots like Series of Shots and Ambush.

 

Hope that helps!

Edited April 28, 2012 by Tibbel

[SaveMeeJebus]

Thank you for your lengthy and in depth reply Tibbel, very much appreciated Edited May 1, 2012 by SaveMeeJebus