Nin's Merc heal pvp hybrid build - (nano)

[Omicrie]

Hey guys today I'm posting my merc healing dps hybrid build that i've been experimenting with.

 

I originally played a merc since pre-release and have since made a lvl 50 hybrid Sin, as well as a few other lvl 50's.

 

The basic idea behind this build is to reinforce the teams survivability by empowering the teams heals; while at the same time increasing the mercs survivability, and maintaining above moderate dps . When using this build the idea is to have a balance between healing and dps output; just like how the Sin hybrid tank/dps build aims for a balance between damage mitigation and dps. A sin tank hybrid loses some of its dps out put for the tank portion of the build, but then make much of it back by being engaged in the field for longer periods. This balance is what you eventually want to aim for in this build.

 

Nin's

Nano - merc pvp heal / dps hybrid build

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#300bfRMRzfdZMIk00MZf.2

 

 

This is a rough build of what I've found to be most effective at this point.

 

The basic idea as far as mechanics for this build:

 

- Build up super-charged gas cylinder with 30 charges as much as possible (pretty easy to build up with rapid shots or healing); this lowers the cost of heat for most of the ability's your going to be using, allowing you later to cast ability's healing or dps with and advantage. (heat dampening could be useful as well if you want to experiment)

 

- Dps: Unload ( 30% armor pen + 30% damage on crit), railshot (30% armor pen), power shot ( 6% more dmg + 0.5 reduction on cast time), rapid shot. (Like most hybrids this spec offers a bit of an area for more open use of ability's, but the ability's listed are most beneficial)

 

- Heals: rapid shots (builds up supercharged gas cylinder), healing scan (lower the heat cost of rapid scan + proactive median + 10% armor when applied + 6% heals + 3 second reduced cooldown), rapid scan (builds 6 charged to super charged gas + 6% heals + 0.5 reduced cooldown), Kolto missile ( AOE heal + 20% healing + increasing all heals 3% for 15 seconds).

 

- Utility / Survivability: Power Shield ( Immune to interrupts, activation push back reduced by 30%, increases healing received by 20%), Surgical precision (passive: heal cast push back reduced by 70%), Stabilizers (Passive: unload, powershot, and concussion missile cast push back reduced by 75%)

 

- Other Passives: Upgraded arsenal ( passive: increase tech crit chance by 3%), ironsights (passive: Increase aim by 9%), Hired muscle (passive: increase range and tech crit by 3%), Critical reaction ( passive: Damage and healing crits give 5% alacrity for 6 seconds), System calibrations ( passive: increase alacrity by 4%)

 

- Things to consider: heat dampening ( reduces the heat cost of jet boost, elecrto-dart, and concussion missile by 8 heat)

 

-- More on super charged gas cylinder:

- converts 30 charges: vent 8% heat + Increasing all healing and damage by 5% for 10 seconds

- reduces heat cost: Power shot by 17 heat ( the whole cost of the ability) and unload by 8 heat (50% of the whole cost of the ability)

- cooldown reduction of healing scan by 100%

- kotlo Missile places a shield on all targets reducing the amount of damage taken by 5% for 15 seconds

 

 

This is really where the build comes together, By using your heals to increase the management of the mercs dps ability's and high alacrity to gain a bit of situational adaptability. The build keeps the power in dps through unload, railshot with its armor pen, and power shot with alacrity. keeps the majority of the healing buffs and utility gained from them, such as increased healing gained from kotlo missile and proactive medicine. Has the advantage of reduced casting knockbacks. Gains the survivability of self healing and durations of being uninterpretable. Significant periods of increased healing and dps output while managing heat through supercharged gas. Ideally this will allow for a bit more open use of varying ability's while in pvp.

 

Stats:

Aim -> Crit -> Surge -> a balance between Alacrity and Accuracy -> power.

 

If you look at the battle master and war hero gear the only stat that pretty much changes between the healing and dps gear is a switch between alacrity and accuracy.

 

 

Well thats it guys i hope you enjoy the build, and I'm looking forward to see some feedback.

[germil]

Hi,

 

Compared to a 31heal/10gunn or 31/8/2, you gain barely nothing DPS-wise, but you do lose emergency scan which is quite important for heat management and burst heal.

 

Also If you go >20 in heal, you should take kolto shell : much better heal/heat than our 2 cast heals, no overheal, and instant.

[Omicrie]

Hello there,

 

Thanks for the input. However.....

 

emergency scan is a skill more oriented to a full heal build, which isn't what this build is all about (but admittedly is very nice for single target healing).

 

This build is about retaining some healing and gaining some dps to overall gain an advantage through adaptability. The dps isn't going to be in the same range as an endgame pyro or arsenal, but thats not the goal of this build. The goal of this build is to be able to do healing and dps adaptively.

 

 

DPS:

 

Since a merc using this build will be able to remain alive for longer periods than other dps builds, the amount of time there in play increases the chances they have at applying their dps ability's. Keep in mind that as long as your using supercharged gas cylinder the heat built up from the dps ability's in this build should almost be non-existent. Not to mention that both the heals and dps i recommend suffer little kickbacks if any while casting.

 

So while looking at the bare bones of: Unload ( 30% armor pen + 30% damage on crit), railshot (30% armor pen), power shot ( 6% more dmg + 0.5 reduction on cast time) may look less flashy than the mercs full dps counter parts, it dosn't need too. Not when they use little to no heat, allowing you to use heals to retain survivability and mix in extra dps abilitys as needed. (The benefits applied to unload and rail shot here, your builds do not get.)

 

 

Finally your comment on kotlo shell, I had originally considered this as well. But in the end the fact that you can only place it on one target and that heals are only applied when damage is done to the target its applied too makes it more of a "damage pillow" than a heal. The buffs gained from healing scan, the charges built buy rapid scan, and the aoe effect of kolto missile are all more useful.

 

I'm actually thankful for your feed back. I hope that cleared some thing up if not, meh. I'll keep playing with it until I find a way to make it satisfactory. Feel free to comment again, Just don't Knock it till you've tried it out.

[germil]

I'm actually thankful for your feed back. I hope that cleared some thing up if not, meh. I'll keep playing with it until I find a way to make it satisfactory. Feel free to comment again, Just don't Knock it till you've tried it out.

 

Its great to try builds which suit more your gameplay.

 

I am sure sharing my experience. I have been using hybrid heal/gunnery quite heavily before 1.2. At the time it was viable because of not-yet nerfed grav round and more importantly the fact that heals were far less costly. This spec was actually OP because of multiple additive reduction bonus which were nerfed as well. However the big limitations of the spec, ammo/heat consumption, and ultra-static gameplay are unfortunately still here.

 

I find that in the current state of the game, 31 heal actually performs better as "off dps". Because better heal and better ammo management means more possibility to cast DPS when not in supercharge cell buff. And with it you are better at healing when you really need to (healing a ball carrier for example)

 

IMO, to go hybrid, atm heal/pyro is more viable. Because pyro ammo management mechanism is quite good, and combustible gas cylinder allows free DPS. And the spec is less static and allows kitting.

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#300bfMkRzf0zZMZfhrbzh.2

 

Just a quick math on reactive armor vs Kolto Shell. On my character sheet, If I remember Reactive Armor increases damage reduction from 34.5% to 36%. So let s say 2%. Kolto shell is something like 400*10=4000 heal (non crit....) assuming you cast it once before the combat. So it "absorbs" 4000 damage. On the other hand, you need to receive 4000/0.02= 200k damage before 2% added damage reduction is equivalent to absorbs 4000 damage. There is really no contest between the two.

 

 

Just my opinion.

Cheers

[Omicrie]

Its great to try builds which suit more your gameplay.

 

Exactly

 

I will defiantly look into trying out the hybrid you suggested.

 

My main problem with it (which is why I proposed this spec) is that the ability to lay-down combustible gas is still limited in comparison to that of a Pt pyro, and doesn't really seem worth it unless pumping into firebug or burnout.

 

Essentially what you gain from the Hybrid build you suggested:

 

gain Dps heal/pyro:

 

Rail shot (30% additional armor pen + vent 8 heat and refresh Combustible gas if burning)

 

Incendiary missile ( nice, but high heat cost)

 

Combustible Gas Cylinder (16% chance to apply with 30% more damage)

 

Unload ( 75% chance to cool-down railshot)

 

 

Lost dps and management:

 

Unload (30% damage on crit)

 

power shot ( 0.5 reduction on cast time)

 

(The fact that there are instances with supercharged gas that makes them almost free and any cost knock backs are reduced by 75% the majority of the time, and a 100% of the time when using power shield. Making it much easier to mix in varying ability's constantly).

 

(A good amount of alacrity being key for theys ability's as well as the heals, reducing the need for instant's)

 

( lets not forget, that the build I suggested keeps 30% armor pen on railshot, just not 60%, And gains supercharged gas, proactive medicine, reactive armor, 100% chance on crit for critical reaction and 9% aim though ironsights) .

 

 

On healing scan you forgot to add proactive medicine as well as reactive armor and its base heal, when doing your "quick math". Not to mention the fact that as a "damage absorber" if your opponent has any burst at all the "4000" will most likely not be fully applied since if your opponent, lets say a sniper, hits you for 4.5k, your kolto shell will heal 400 of it making it 4.1k. Meaning that in all likely hood you'll be long dead trying to use kolto shell alone as armor. Rapid scan could help, but its less likely too without healing scan. Just because its instant, doesn't make it better.

 

 

Thank you again for commenting, I would very much like some more information on your builds (and a little more situational details to your playing style) So that I can better understand your choices in mechanics. Keep in mind that I play my merc now for "fun" with my sin being for my more active play..

 

Take care

[germil]

 

On healing scan you forgot to add proactive medicine as well as reactive armor and its base heal, when doing your "quick math". Not to mention the fact that as a "damage absorber" if your opponent has any burst at all the "4000" will most likely not be fully applied since if your opponent, lets say a sniper, hits you for 4.5k, your kolto shell will heal 400 of it making it 4.1k. Meaning that in all likely hood you'll be long dead trying to use kolto shell alone as armor. Rapid scan could help, but its less likely too without healing scan. Just because its instant, doesn't make it better.

 

 

 

I was not talking about proactive medecine which is quite good as it increases one of our main heal by 30% or something. I was just saying that imo, in your build, removing the point from reactive armor and putting it in Kolto shell seems a better investment. It is 10% armor, but it translates only in 2 or 3% damage reduction, and it doesn't affect stuff like elemental damage. Kolto Shell may not save you life either, but I see it multi proc quite often, especially on focus fired target, and this produces quite a nice heal in this case.

 

Concerning the spec I have linked, it plays more or less the same as full pyro. The key is to maximize Prototpye Particule Accelerator 6sec proc. You can alternate this proc with for example Critical efficiency 8sec proc.

 

You loose maybe 15 20% single target DPS compared to full pyro, but you gain possibility to heal for example once you have kitted someone after a pillar or something. IMO it is the best spec if I want to go DPS solo, and in 1vs1 (I can actually kill melee with it). I organized PVP I would still choose full heal however (especially because I would be guarded, so less need to kite).

[Omicrie]

I was not talking about proactive medecine which is quite good as it increases one of our main heal by 30% or something.

 

Proactive medicine is and additional heal over time (9 seconds) that is applied when using healing scan and reactive armor lasts for its duration, this pluse the inital heal of healing scan, I at least found to be more effective between the two.

 

While I follow you as far as the damage loss from full pyro, I think the need to rely on the combustible gas cylinder with lowered chance of applying to be shaky in nature. And is one of the downfalls of merc pyro vs PT to begin with. Wouldn't assured sustained damage be better, especially since you lose much of the burst offered by pyro from thermal detonator? (I'm not knocking the fact that it could be effective in some instances)

 

Edited August 4, 2012 by Omicrie

[Ifrit]

Hybrid doesn't work. You can't heal as well as a true healer, or dps nearly as well as a dps.

All a merc hybrid brings to pvp and pve is fail.

[Chaoskyx]

Hybrid doesn't work. You can't heal as well as a true healer, or dps nearly as well as a dps.

All a merc hybrid brings to pvp and pve is fail.

 

The sad truth, from what I've found. At least for Merc/Commando.

[Soljin]

If you want to shine as a healer/Dps Hybrid I would suggest Sorc...The couple I run with can crank 350k/400k dmg, and 150/200k Heals per match as hybrids....Mercs cant even get close. Edited August 4, 2012 by Soljin

[Sinsavz]

Haha merc hybrid, are we back in february or something?

 

That build in the OP is terrible. Seriously bad. You're sacrificing kolto shell (awesome), emergency scan (awesome), and 15% heal crit bonus (nice). And for what purpose? You haven't even really picked up any proper DPS talents in exchange.. Pretty much everything you took there you can still take whilst in a 31 heal build (pushback stabilisers on powershot, etc.). Also the DPS abilities that you say you'll be focusing on are unload, railshot, powershot, and rapid shots, these are ALL ranged (white) damage, which is heavily mitigated by armor, defensive stats, and cooldowns. 30% armor pen on a couple of those doesn't change things one bit.

 

The hybrid used to work because;

• Kolto shell was free
  
• Rapid scan proc was better
  
• Supercharge gas was way better
  
• Tracer missile was amazing, on its own, as a pure form of DPS.
  

 

None of that applies anymore, so it's not worth trying a hybrid any longer even if you try to make it interesting. Remember bioware have clearly stated that they do NOT want hybrids to be viable and as a result they are effectively nerfed when a build becomes mainstream. Sorry to dump on your bonfire , just offering a dose of realism from someone who has played pretty much every build possible for mercs over the last 8 months.

Edited August 5, 2012 by Sinsavz

[Jenzali]

I've been playing a Merc healer since launch and I ran as a hybrid healer for 2 weeks just to experiment. The main reason I tried it in the first place was because with so many Sentinels everywhere, Jet boost alone wasn't enough to interrupt all the master strikes because it has a 30 second cooldown. So I put enough points into Arsenal to get Rocket Punch. Being able to knock back and get a pseudo-interrupt every 8 seconds seems good on paper, right? And you can finish off low hp targets with Tracer missile.

 

Losing Emergency Scan is a huge hit. The spec is only better in one situation - Huttball - where you can punch people into fires and off ledges. But it's absolutely horrible everywhere else since your "interrupt" costs 16 heat. If you ever need to interrupt something you will most likely lose top-tier heat dissipation and you'll slowly be overwhelmed unless Vent Heat is off cooldown.

 

If you insist on going a hybrid build, I'd suggest this:

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#300MIk0RZbfR***fdzc.2

 

Edit: The link is broken because of chat censorship. Basically, put 13 points in Arsenal for rocket punch knockback and tracer missile, and the rest in bodyguard up to 3/5 on Warden for increased crit healing, so from a full bodyguard build you're only losing 6% on crit heals and Emergency Scan.

 

Pyro has nothing that synergizes with healing imo.

 

Because it can heal almost as well as a full Bodyguard-specced healer minus Emergency Scan (which, again, is an immense loss since PvP is all about burst damage and burst healing). Tracer missile was very handy to have as well as the rocket punch knockback assuming you keep a very close eye on your heat level.

 

If dual-spec is implemented I would use it as my off-spec so I could switch to it during Huttball. But otherwise, if you're going to do any sort of healing at all you need to have Emergency Scan.

Edited August 9, 2012 by Jenzali

[Exiled-Phoenix]

I'm not sure what you are trying to accomplish here..

For Ops you are just making yourself a gimped DPS or a slack-healer, for pvp it seems just as useless.

[bahdasz]

So are you trying to suck at PVE, be useless for PVP or just not get invited to groups in general?

 

This build has nothing to offer anyone.