Require help

[Elrathion]

Hello guys

 

I know this isn't an ordinary request, but I'd like to gain some insight into how powertech's mechanics work and how I can counter them with my operative. I dinged 50 two weeks ago and seem to properly hold my own against every class, but I'm at a loss vs powertechs. I'd like to up my game to be at my most efficient vs every class, so if some of you pvp pro's could chime in, I'd be greatful!

 

Thank you in advance :>

[Fopspeenzuiger]

First check buff bar to see which Cylinder is active.

Combustable Gas Cylinder is the pyro cylinder and means the PT will use a pyro orientated rotation.

High Energy Gas Cylinder is the Advanced Prototype Cylinder and means the PT will use an AP orientated rotation.

Ion Gas Cylinder is the tank cylinder.

 

From the cylinder you can figure out the spec of the PT and how he will most likely play.

Pyrotech (CGC): High dps/burst, relatively low mobility/utility

AP (HeGC): Lower burst, slightly lower dps, more mobility/utility

Shield Tech (IGC): tank spec, I don't come across them too often so can't help you with this. They're not too hard on my shadow :/

 

There are some hybrid builds to consider:

Iron Fist is tanky with lots of utility and still decent dps. Cant' help you with these.

Run-And-Gun combines AP with Pyrotech to make a more utility/mobile spec that still has good damage. These use CGC, have lower burst, but more kiting options, quicker grapple, etc...

 

On to abilities/rotations:

Pyros main abilities are:

Incendiary Missile: ability with relatively low up front damage, but a pretty powerful dot component. Elemental damage. 30m range.

Flame Burst: Pretty good damage, if talented has 100% chance to apply the combustable gas dot and 45% chance to reset the cooldown on railshot. 10m range.

Rocket Punch: High damage melee ability. If talented has a 60% chance to reset the railshot CD. I think it's kinetic damage.

Railshot: High damage ability. 30m range. If talented ignores 90% armor. Needs you debuffed in order to use. CD can be reset by rocket punch or flame burst with a 6 second internal cooldown.

Combustable Gas Dot: this is the dot that goes along with the CGC. It WILL be applied to you either through rapid shots (the base, no-cost attack), or through Flame Burst.

Thermal Detonator: 30m range. Sticks on you (beeps) and goes off after a while (couple of seconds, might be 2 gcd's, not too sure). It's aoe damage and hits pretty hard, crits even harder (some talent improves crit damage for this, railshot and both dots)

The bread and butter of this spec is railshot. That's where the main burst comes from.

 

Typical rotation when everything is off CD for the PT will be incendiary missile and maybe TD (not necessarily in this order), railshot, FB/RP to proc the railshot CD reset and apply CGC, another railshot, etc...

 

Most notable defensive ability is a shield that mitigates 25% of all incoming damage.

 

CC: 2.5s aoe stun (carbon thingy), 4s single target stun (electro dart).

 

All skills are instant cast.

 

How you use this information is pretty much up to you. Every fight is different in pvp and there is no set "I win button".

On my shadow the clue VS Pyrotechs is to time resilience to remove the dots/resist TD and screw up the rotation. This buys me enough time to burn them down. I vanish if they shield. I play balance and can't afford to DPS through the shield and rely on self healing/mitigation to keep me up like kinetics can.

 

 

On to AP:

Abilities:

Flame Burst yet again: hits harder in this spec. If talented can proc to make the next rocket punch resource-free.

Immolate: 10m high damage elemental thingy. If talented will proc to make the next rocket punch resource-free.

Retractable Blade: Melee ability with moderate damage and pretty high damage bleed component.

Rocket punch yet again: hits harder in this spec

FlameThrower: Channeled aoe ability. it's a 10m cone, roughly 40 degrees wide. They are rooted while casting it but can turn around to reposition the cone.

Railshot once again although there's a pretty popular spec (AP NORS) that does not use railshot (hence NORS )

 

Important Procs:

Charged Gauntlets: damage caused by RB and RP has a chance to make next railshot autocrit.

Prototype Flame Thrower: stacks up to 5 times. Each stack increases next flamethrower cast's damage with 10%. At 5 stacks the FT cast will also slow you 70% while in the area.

 

This spec is mainly focused on getting the PFT stacks and toasting you with the flamethrower. Be aware of the autocrit RS proc, and the PFT stacks on the powertech.

 

Clue on my shadow is to, yet again, time resilience to resist the FT, or use force speed to get out of it fast. This spec also gets a movement speed increase ability that removes movement impairment abilities. Flame burst crits pretty high in this spec.

Typical rotation will put RB on you asap, immolate for free rocket punch, rocket punch, then flame burst spam to stack up the FT and then toast you with it.

 

 

The hybrid spec that combines these 2 specs will forgo immolate and the flamethrower buffs to combine the autocrit railshot of AP tree with the cooldown reset proc for railshot in the pyro tree.

 

I'm sure the PT's themselves can give you more info and correct me a bit, and give you some info on the tank specs

 

EDIT:

maybe some information about what, imo, everyone should do when they start pvp on their first 50. It's kind of off topic but might help you

 

Head to all the class forums and check the stickies. Most (if not all) have a sticky with pvp info on the class. Read these, twice, and try to get an idea of how the class works.

Next head to torhead and check the skill calculator for every AC. Most trees revolve around using abilities to buff other abilities. Check the ability descriptions for these abilities and learn the buff icons. This will give you a clue when big damage is incoming and when to use defensives or start kiting/juking.

The game mainly revolves around cooldowns, and 3 main types of abilities.

1. Those that are important for resource management.

2. Builders: the ones that proc buffs/debuffs for the big hitters.

3. Big Hitters: the abilities that get buffed by the buffs/debuffs procced by the builders.

 

Once you know how your enemies build up their rotations, it's much easier to screw them up, reducing their output, etc... Also learn which defensive options they have so you know how to react to them.

 

It's a lot of info for one night, so focus on the classes that are hard for you first, and gradually "get educated" )

You should probably start with powertechs, darkness sins and mara's first

Edited May 8, 2012 by Fopspeenzuiger