Torn between variety of builds...

[CrypticCerberus]

Anyone help me decide which build would be good for PvP and PvE?

 

This One?

Or...

This One??

Or...

What about this one?

Or...

Or this one?

 

Right now this is my spec...

[Atlebertczelly]

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#700bsrbdRsRGoZbIZM.1

 

I use this one for PvP. Always top dmg, and i almost never have any energy problems.

Best thing about this build is to pop the +20 alacrity skill and and do the x3 speedshoot thats made possible with rapid fire. with the alacrity boost from burst volley it gets even better. Crazy dmg in about 5 sec.

[dcgregorya]

Depends on your server makeup and who you want to kill.

 

DF - tank killer because a lot of its damage bypasses armor reduction - harder to run away from (dots), more kitability (dots), lots of killing blows.

Sabo - more survivability and high AOE damage. Should top damage charts but less killing blows than DF.

Sharpshooter - best sustained bursty DPS against squishy classes like sorcs and marauders. Lots of tools for dealing with those classes but a somewhat turret-like playstyle. Does very poorly against 31 point spec'd tanks.

[Renita]

The great thing about the gunslinger is that all 3 specs are viable in pvp and pve, it depends on your play style, do you like increased mobility DF is an excellent tree because you aren't required to use cover as often, but don't forget that cover is still a great tool to use to defend against leaps, and to mitigate incoming damage.

 

If you like burst damage SS is the way to go, you will see larger single attacks with longer cast times. This is very useful for taking down targets one at a time in pvp. You can focus the lower health targets and really pressure healers. But if you go this route, don't get tunnel vision. Make sure you pop in and out of cover often to proc ballistic dampers and snapshop.

 

Sab spec has amazing aoe power which is really good at defending a node pvp. You also have increased survivability in this spec. This is my personal favorite. Incendiary grenade has so many uses.

 

But it all depends on your personal play style. I would suggest if you are going to pvp a lot that you take some of the controlling talents for instance, trip shot in the SS spec to reduce the cool down on your root, or feeling woozy in the DF tree to get your shrap bomb aoe slow 3 targets. Dirty trickster, is another great pvp talent if you are going full DF

 

All in all my suggestion is try out each tree to see which play style you prefer, and then play around with the spec to see which talents you feel you can live without.

[Lightning_]

As said above, all the specs are viable in PvP - the variety is great! For PvE you should just choose whatever works for PvP unless you want to respec all the time. For pure PvE I suggest either full SS or full DF.

 

Your current spec is the same I use - a standard full DF. It may not be the best in terms of numbers in WZs - that would go to Sab/DF probably - but it burns down targets sooo fast. Thus you do not waste any damage, but provide real help by eliminating targets one by one. The downside is of course slow target switching (and energy problems when constantly switching targets).

 

Full SS provides fastest burst, biggest crits, easy target witching, no energy problems, but my experience shows that being in cover all the time makes you a more noticeable target.

 

Sab/DF provides great AoE (which gives you those cool numbers), slow, better energy management than full DF. But it's extremely vulnerable to cleanse. If you stumble on a good healer that cleanses all the time, you do like zero damage.

 

As for the SS/Sab or SS/DF, I would not mix SS with other trees. I find high-level SS talens extremely useful - especially the surge talent and the Hunker Down CD reduce (what's use of being SS if you are not in Hunker Down and get CC'd all the time). Triple Speed Shot with adrenals and Illegal Mods is also a great burst and should not be discarded easily. Others may have different opinions of course.

 

Never tried full Sab, so can't comment on that.

Edited May 16, 2012 by Lightning_

[Fusillade]

I've played a variety of GS builds, pure SS, pure DF, pure Sabo, and Hybrids of DF/Sabo & DF/SS. I've found that DF/Sabo is the highest dmg output, really good burst when setup with dots+florish shot+woundingshots, and if played correctly and you have 35% base crit, you can maintain your energy fairly well.

 

However, I got bored of it, and wanted to try something new. So I came up with this build. I'm still learning how to play it, but basically you still play off the dots+wounding shots for most of your dmg, but you now have the increased burst from Snap Shot (Instant Charged Burst when entering cover) & Pandemonium (Pulse Detonator makes the next Charged burst Instant). So a max dmg rotation on a single target would go something like this:

 

Flourish Shot->Vital Shot->Sharp Bomb->Cover->Wounding Shots->Luck->Charged Burst-> Sabotage Charge->Speed Shot->Wounding Shots->Pulse Detonator+Charged Burst

 

Granted I am out of energy, but you can see the extra burst makes this build interesting. If you use Cool Head after this you can pop into cover and Charged Burst for one last pop of 2-3k dmg. My combat log on the training dummy in fleet (lvl 50 silver one) this combo generates between 24k-28k dmg in 15 seconds. Note: I have about 41% Crit and 74% Surge, 2 pieces of WH and rest BM, all augmented gear with crit and surge augments. Quick Draw can't be used on the dummy so the real dmg output will be higher in pvp.

 

So how do I play this build? I play very objective based so, a turret playstyle doesn't suit me a GS. I'm mobile 70% of the time. The only time I'm in cover is for Wounding Shots, Sabotage Charges, Charged Bursts and or an Aim Knockback off a pit/ledge (very rare; last tool in the box). All other times I'm DoT'n, Flourishing, Fly By's, Thermals, CC'in. Just depends on the situation. During pvp battles with this build, I feel like I have 3 quick draws. So if I spot some one low, I pop in cover and QD them or CB if +30% health followed by QD to finish them off. If I spot someone with 50% health, pop a Sharp Bomb/Vital Shot and Wounding Shots to drain em down to -30% then follow with QD, CB and or Flurry Shot until dead depending on the situation. My favorite targets are those with 75%-100% health so I can really drain em down. That's when they get the 'oh no!' sensation as my wounding shots tears through their health bar like a starving honey badger!

 

Keep in mind, I'm not trying to use the CB all the time, that's just a waste of energy, but for sure I will once Luck's CD refreshes. I use the insta CB for additional burst to take out that pesky healer or dps that won't get off me or the healer. So many times I get someone down to less than 10% and they pop some meds or a defensive buff/shield or something to let them enjoy the last few moments to CC or kill me or my team. This extra burst has been crucial for taking those types of players out.

 

A huge part of this build that I really love is the ability to survive absolute mayhem from the following skills:

• Hold your Ground
  
• Dirty Escape
  
• Saboteur's Utility Belt
  
• Percussive Shot
  
• Cover Screen
  
• Ballistic Dampers
  

Overall, this build strengthens my defense and escapability and brings in either methodically destructive damage or sneaky burst damage, I will call this build the Honey Badger Build.

[adezero]

Flourish Shot->Vital Shot->Sharp Bomb->Cover->Wounding Shots->Luck->Charged Burst-> Sabotage Charge->Speed Shot->Wounding Shots->Pulse Detonator+Charged Burst

 

If you're using pulse detonator just for an instant charged burst. you're wasting energy and the cooldown. it's worth it if you are actually using pulse detonator to get someone off you though.

[Fusillade]

If you're using pulse detonator just for an instant charged burst. you're wasting energy and the cooldown. it's worth it if you are actually using pulse detonator to get someone off you though.

 

This a mute point since the sequence is for MAX DMG on a training dummy, as I had qualified. I would not waste a pulse det just for more dmg. i would use it first for the knockback and then happily accept the instant CB. As I qualified, I don't go out of my way to use CB, just another tool for burst.