How to: End-Game Arsenal Merc

[Becvar]

I have started to gear my Merc as an alt for guild HMs and eventually a second SM EC, and my guild is telling me that Pyro is the best dps build at the moment. I am assuming you disagree, but I was wondering why they would think that and what specific advantages Arsenal has over Pyro. I'm just starting to read your guide, and considering your success, I will be respeccing to Arsenal, but I was wondering this so I could possibly help the other Merc up their game by getting them to switch.

[Gyronamics]

Well it depends on the raid composition.

 

When whacking an ops dummy with class buffs stims relics adrenal etc a Pyro can break 1500dps.

 

If you then get 20% armour penetration on your 70-75% kinetic/energy damage from say... a Tracer/SA stack or Snipers Shatter shot, you gain another 100dps and you're into the 1600dps band.

 

Come Tuesday (woo, 1.3) Pyro will get a miserably small damage buff of about another 50dps due to 30% more passive armour pen on Unload and Railshot. That can put you into the 1700dps group when factoring in a 20% armour debuff from another player.

 

 

However come Tuesday (uh oh 1.3) Arsenal will enter a raid and gain nothing to their dps from other players armour debuffs because they will not be allowed to benefit from multiple armour debuffs. They bring 20% armour reduction and that's all they can have (on top of their passives).

 

 

In a nutshell, Arsenal has had it's raid damage nerfed while Pyro can still gain DPS from Juggs, Snipers or Merc armour debuffs in the raid.

 

 

I only really thought about this while I was doing an 8 man EC HM and ended up on Zorn with an Arsenal spec (ofc I'm Pyro) and found it pretty beneficial to my damage output. We were matching the melee on Toth all the way (which was not usual).

Edited June 23, 2012 by Gyronamics

[Raekor]

I think most of the increase has come from the augments and boosting power from swapping out crit mods, but dps was definitely increased.

 

One thing I did notice was that even though my surge dropped 2% t0 73% (no longer having 1% accuracy as the talent changed I had to swap an adept for an initiative enhancement), my tracer crits were doing 100% more than a normal. Hitting for ~1800 on something before Kephess, and critting for ~3600. Anybody else notice this?

 

I had thought surge was meant to cap at 80% so this wouldn't be possible.

[Aerro]

I think most of the increase has come from the augments and boosting power from swapping out crit mods, but dps was definitely increased.

 

One thing I did notice was that even though my surge dropped 2% t0 73% (no longer having 1% accuracy as the talent changed I had to swap an adept for an initiative enhancement), my tracer crits were doing 100% more than a normal. Hitting for ~1800 on something before Kephess, and critting for ~3600. Anybody else notice this?

 

I had thought surge was meant to cap at 80% so this wouldn't be possible.

 

I have noticed this. Without buffs I am doing 3300-3400 Tracer Missile crits, but that is only because I have increased my Power to 989. Surge starts hitting a MAJOR DR at about 75%, but I also have lowered mine to ~73%.