Assault Commando: Need advice for dealing with Powertechs

[HoyaPooch]

Let me start by saying I'm a very experienced pvp'er. I've played feral and disc priest since level 70 and have been very successful in both arena and rated bg's.

 

I played a sith sorc healer to about half battlemaster gear pre 1.2 but got sick of playing 90% Huttball so I rolled a Trooper because being constantly on the move while firing an assault cannon looked like a blast. So naturally I became an assault-spec'd Commando.

 

I am now valor rank 75 on this toon with 3 augmented war hero gear slots filled (elegant cannon, chest, and helm). Obviously I am biochem.

 

I know the rotations and use everything that should be used on cooldown (reserve powercell, recharge cells, power/pvp adrenal, relic, etc).

 

I cc as much as the class allows with cryo and both activated and non-activated concussive rounds. I feel like I'm a very good kiter and use all geography to my advantage (steps, posts, etc).

 

I have been playing with a 4 man premade since 1.2. We play anywhere from 4-10 games a night and win about 85% of these games. Despite playing very objectively, I am consistently at or near the top damage in every warzone. The only class that does more dps are skilled vanguards/powertechs and we have about 4 very good ones on our server. One of these powertechs is an absolute beast and consistently doubles the next highest dps.

 

I'm basically hoping to prove that I know my class and know how to play. I know how to deal with marauders. I know how to deal with assassins. I know how to deal with juggs. Sometimes good players beat me. Sometimes I beat good players. And like I mentioned as a team we usually win.

 

I also know the limitations of my class. Despite wearing heavy armor (which doesn't mean much in this game), we have very questionable survivability and are very limited in terms of defensive cooldowns. MY "oh s**t" trifecta of rakata medpac, reactive shield, and adrenaline rush is pretty damn weak.

 

The other major limitation is utility and other than skill we offer very little to a game like Hutt Ball. I have a crew I run with so I feel safe but I just don't see many teams knocking down the doors of a commando/merc to get them on their future warzone teams. Why choose an op or a merc when you can have a class that pulls, yanks or leaps (on the chance you get a Hutt Ball).

 

So anyways...like I said before I know how to deal with most of the classes. I feel like I can hold my own in any group or 1 v 1 situation except against a powertech. I have extreme difficulty kiting them. I rarely escape due to the harpoon. Cryo is a short stun and a skilled powertech won't trinket that and will only trinket the concussive round. And 4 seconds is not enough time to get away from them. But that's not the most disheartening thing. What I really can't believe is how fast they melt me even with my aforementioned "oh s**t" trifecta active. I've never seen burst like this playing countless warzones. Marauders have nothing on Powertechs.

 

So I'm just wondering how other commandos (or any class) are dealing with very skilled powertechs/vanguards. I just don't see any possible way to beat them. The only solution for me is to be healed or not focused. If a skilled powertech intercepts me heading to a base in NC for example...it's game over.

[LancelotOC]

 

Here watch this video so you can see the windows in their rotations where you can react to them. Also their snare is tech so you need a smuggler to cast cleanse on you instead of heal first so you can kite them as the sage cleanse wont clean it off .

[Angryorc]

Commando/Mercs are free kills for Vanguards/Powertechs.

 

Then again, you're a free kill for anyone with half a brain after certain nerfs and heat signature stacks not buffing tracer/grav at the moment.

 

Anything with a fairly short cooldown interrupt will ravage you.

 

That's how your class is right now!

 

Left my R72 merc collecting dust long before 1.2

[pwnshoppe]

Sorry dude, they kinda messed up your class with 1.2. I view mercs as free kills for my marauder and vanguard.

[Fidopro]

I have both classes and sorry to say but if the skill level is equal the powertech will dominate

[cashogy]

assault commando has access to almost the same burst potential as powertech/vanguard

 

this game is not based around 1v1 combat. my best advice would be to prevent yourself from being in 1v1 fights.

[pwnshoppe]

assault commando has access to almost the same burst potential as powertech/vanguard

 

this game is not based around 1v1 combat. my best advice would be to prevent yourself from being in 1v1 fights.

 

* almost, but they are missing a huge amount of armor pen from talents. Their weapon does higher base and max damage but it just isn't enough to overcome the armor pen.

[TheMunny]

Rollover and play dead?

 

[Niconogood]

Rollover and play dead?

 

 

Basically this.

 

Commando/merc is a dead class atm. unless you are a maschosist or something. Its simply not fun. I dont mind playing the underdog, but this is ridiculous. Commando/merc got absolutely nothing to contribute to WZs anymore. Reroll or quit. Thats your options given by Bioware.

[cashogy]

* almost, but they are missing a huge amount of armor pen from talents. Their weapon does higher base and max damage but it just isn't enough to overcome the armor pen.

 

the difference in armor pen applies to only rail shot. 30% vs 90%. that doesnt correlate into 3x more damage tho

 

against a target w/ 30% damage reduction from armor, 30% armor pen reduces that to 21%.

against the same target, 90% armor pen reduces that to 3% damage reduction.

 

take an example hit of 4k: 30% armor pen = 3160 damage

90% armor pen = 3880

 

noticeable difference for sure, but insurmountable? no

[LancelotOC]

assault commando has access to almost the same burst potential as powertech/vanguard

 

this game is not based around 1v1 combat. my best advice would be to prevent yourself from being in 1v1 fights.

 

Yes stop queing for wz's your class is not coded for that stuff.

[Remulan]

the difference in armor pen applies to only rail shot. 30% vs 90%. that doesnt correlate into 3x more damage tho

 

against a target w/ 30% damage reduction from armor, 30% armor pen reduces that to 21%.

against the same target, 90% armor pen reduces that to 3% damage reduction.

 

take an example hit of 4k: 30% armor pen = 3160 damage

90% armor pen = 3880

 

noticeable difference for sure, but insurmountable? no

 

Merc's also have to channel either powershot or unload to proc free railshots, rather than using instant cast abilities. Mercs also only have a 16% chance to apply the cylinder dot, while PT's have 100% chance.

[HoyaPooch]

Basically this.

 

Commando/merc is a dead class atm. unless you are a maschosist or something. Its simply not fun. I dont mind playing the underdog, but this is ridiculous. Commando/merc got absolutely nothing to contribute to WZs anymore. Reroll or quit. Thats your options given by Bioware.

 

 

Well I think this is why I made this post. I'll always be conscious of our healer and try my best to peel for him even though Commandos aren't the best peeling class. For the first few weeks post 1.2, he'd be focused from the get go. In the last few nights I've seen a host of sentinels/juggs and powertechs now focused on me instead from the get go. And like I said I can deal with sentinels and juggernauts and assassins for the most part. But when I'm up against the good pyro powertechs on our server it's usually game over.

Edited May 9, 2012 by HoyaPooch

[Aaoogaa]

Reroll to Assault Vanguard and play the spec as it was intended intsead of being the red headed step child spec.

[Diddley]

My pyro merc is bitterly underpowered compared to my powertech.

 

Take the rail-shot proccing moves which have no cooldown and similar-ish damage, for example:

 

Merc

A very interruptible 1.5s cast (so 3 seconds total until dealt) that is pushed back to hell unless spec'd (which limits our extra 10 points substantially), and affected by armour. Little to chance of cgc dot and snare to be applied.

 

Powertech

No cast and tech damage means not affected by armour, and low hanging traits mean this can get a crit chance increase of 9%. cgc dot is instantly applied along with a 2 second snare. That's equivalent damage over 1.5s with 100% dot chance and snare, no pushback, no interrupts

 

Both skills cost 16 heat.

 

There are other reasons as well, not least for the PTs ability to taunt, grapple and interrupt which make it way more useful.

 

Once you're in the path of a PT pyro, as a merc, you're pretty much screwed.

Edited May 9, 2012 by Diddley

[exphryl]

 

Powertech

No cast and tech damage means not affected by armour, and low hanging traits mean this can get a crit chance increase of 9%. cgc dot is instantly applied along with a 2 second snare. That's equivalent damage over 1.5s with 100% dot chance and snare, no pushback, no interrupts

 

.

 

Tech attacks yes. But most of our attacks are Kinetic which are affected by armor

[Diddley]

Tech attacks yes. But most of our attacks are Kinetic which are affected by armor

 

Ahh yes, good point to differentiate between tech and elemental/kinetic. Flame burst however is elemental so my point about the armour bypass still stands.

Edited May 9, 2012 by Diddley

[gundamemo]

Read your ability description.

 

Cleanse = remove 2 tech ability

 

You can win heat management battle and mess up his RS rotation

 

If there's line of sight, you can heal and PT can't... you should win the attrition war.

 

Though it is true if they see you first, they can burst you down before you can retaliate much (they have better burst)

[Sybaris]

Read your ability description.

 

Cleanse = remove 2 tech ability

 

You can win heat management battle and mess up his RS rotation

 

If there's line of sight, you can heal and PT can't... you should win the attrition war.

 

Though it is true if they see you first, they can burst you down before you can retaliate much (they have better burst)

 

Cleanse has a cooldown that's longer than a powerpyro's gc. Meaning if you run/stand trying to stay clean he can flameburst you (100% chance to dot) and railshot you after every cleanse. If you still have a quarter health left by the time he has to use vent heat (railshot's free and vents 8 heat every time) then I would be amazed. Edit: and good luck line-of-sighting a powertech, lol.

 

I've tried, and failed, time and time again. The answer to the OP's question, is there is no answer. If you're willing to wait long enough and live with it, they'll buff us eventually somehow. Until then, we feel your pain.

Edited May 9, 2012 by Sybaris

[Sokee]

It's a no win situation. You can't kite, they put the snare on you the same as you do them, you can cleanse it but it goes right back on.

 

They have insta abilities to proc HIB, yours are 1.5 or 3 sec to proc HIB.

 

They have grapple to bring you in to make sure you cant kite and a interrupt for when you do have some space to try and get a charged bolt off.

 

Flat out if your going up against someone with equal gear and knows what they are doing you will lose 100% of the time.

[EduardoJN]

In this game the tank class (powertech) does more damage than the actual DPS class (Mercenary).

 

Go figure these bioware devs and their crazyness.

[Sybaris]

In this game the tank class (powertech) does more damage than the actual DPS class (Mercenary).

 

Go figure these bioware devs and their crazyness.

 

Powertech is not a Tank class. It's a short/mid-ranged tech class that can spec tank or dps. Mercenary is not a dps class. It is a mid/long-ranged class that can spec heals or dps. There are only two "dps classes" in the game and that's the Marauder and the Sniper.

[cashogy]

how to beat a powertech:

 

dont 1v1 him

[Moryu]

In this game the tank class (powertech) does more damage than the actual DPS class (Mercenary).

 

Go figure these bioware devs and their crazyness.

 

I'd argue that by saying commando/merc is a healing class.

However, I am in agreement that in a straight 1v1 you have not much chance as commando/merc all things being equal on gear/skill. Warzones are a team game though, so with good support commando/mercs can wreck havoc, and one of the best skills you can learn is to try to go unnoticed, pick a good spot to dps from

[justntrue]

ya, theres a lot of bandwagoners here.

 

I wouldn't fuss over it so much. We got a commando assault build in our guild and he chews some huuuuge DPS numbers. He's got top gear and he was producing 1.28k dps on dummies and as of last night he swapped to the pvp build and is producing 1.4k dps (over 10 minutes) and that was without going low ammo.

 

In other words, play like a gunslinger: don't run in first, play from behind, and don't pretend to take out everyone every time... but, against VG/PT, try to keep em at range. Their best damage comes from refreshing HiB on stockstrike (rail shot on rocketpunch), so if you can keep em outside of 4 m (very effign short range) for any length of time, you'll do better.

 

Yah, watch out for grappling hook. but refresh on it is 45s so, can't happen all the time.