Gunnery Dps Q.

[MagnitudeZero]

4th grav round debuff just been applied, casting the next grav round...what next? I've been putting High Impact Bolt/Demo round at the end of that cast, but neither really have a travel time whilst the grav round does, so I don't think they get the benefit of the fifth stack as they usually hit the target before the grav round, should I just full auto?

[crazyBE]

fairly certain you get the HIB buff at the end of your cast and not when it hits the target like gravity vortex.

 

And if not; it's just 5% at the very start of a battle. Not gonna make the difference...

Edited October 10, 2012 by crazyBE

[oaceen]

my opener is usually Grav x3 > HIB > Diversion > Full Auto > Demo > Tech Override / Reserve Powercell / Plasma Grenade > Sticky Grenade

 

with the 4-set bonus, this makes me dip under 8ammo for a split second when i cast full auto. without it, i would suggest using hammershot to waste the GCD so full auto doesn't put you too far into lower ammo regen.

i do full auto after HIB as it helps regen some ammo so i can immediately follow it with demo (whereas the other way around, i'm going far into low ammo regen).

after that, i cast a free plasma grenade, and i'm usually at full ammo, so sticky grenade is there to eat up some extra ammo instead of casting grav round and wasting it

 

 

short answer to your question: in the grand scheme of things, i don't think 6% off my first HIB is going to ultimately matter all that much

[Keleset]

fairly certain you get the HIB buff at the end of your cast and not when it hits the target like gravity vortex.

 

And if not; it's just 5% at the very start of a battle. Not gonna make the difference...

 

I agree. I start the fight off with 3x Grav round, HiB, Demo, FA. My threat drop comes right before FA.

[Tranduril]

my opener is usually Grav x3 > HIB > Diversion > Full Auto > Demo > Tech Override / Reserve Powercell / Plasma Grenade > Sticky Grenade

 

It would not be more optimal to go with : Grav x2 => Sticky Grenade => Grav => Tech Override / Reserve Powercell / Plasma Grenade => HiB => Diversion => Demo round => Full auto.

 

It should provide a good initial burst damage with Sticky grenade, Grav round Plasma grenade and a bit later HiB to hit nearly in the same time stamp. At least for PvP.

 

Edit :: Added the Diversion for PvE rotation.

Edited October 24, 2012 by Tranduril

[spiewak]

I do Sticky>Grav x3 (or if FA procs i will throw that in)> demo> FA(if not on cd)> HiB. I use reserve cells on the second or third FA that i use, just to help keep ammo at +75%. And yes my tanks hate me and make me click more buttons and hit my aggro dump because with that rotation in my gear (full campaign/dread guard augmented) i will pull. (But my tank is my older brother so its fun:)

 

Edited :: save tech override for Med probe, its your 'self heal' that works

Edited October 24, 2012 by spiewak

[DocHaliday]

One important thing, if Full Auto procs, you should use it immediately because of the 25% damage increase. No matter where you are in your rotation.

[Bleeters]

You want to be using Full Auto whenever it's available regardless of Curtain of Fire procs, really. It's our best ability.

 

I'm honestly confused why people are using Sticky Grenade for single target pve dps. It's less damage than a Grav Round, lacks the bonus crit chance set bonus, has no synergy with your other abilities and isn't any quicker to use due to how global cooldown works. The only time I bother using it outside of AoE is when I'm moving.

Edited October 25, 2012 by Bleeters

[DocHaliday]

You want to be using Full Auto whenever it's available regardless of Curtain of Fire procs, really. It's our best ability.

 

I'm honestly confused why people are using Sticky Grenade for single target pve dps. It's less damage than a Grav Round, lacks the bonus crit chance set bonus, has no synergy with your other abilities and isn't any quicker to use due to how global cooldown works. The only time I bother using it outside of AoE is when I'm moving.

 

Couldn't agree with you more.

[crazyBE]

Why do people waste their time hitting diversion? I and both vanguard tanks in my guild have yet to lose threat to a DPS (and vanguard don't even have high threat abilities in their rotation)

Suggest telling your tanks to learn their cooldowns instead of using Diversion.

 

Also my rotation starts with Plasma Grenade since it saves my Tech Override + Reserve Powercell and start of battle is the only time I really have max ammo (usually around 10). Most of it's damage is elemental and Gravity Vortex does not help with that.

[Bleeters]

Why do people waste their time hitting diversion? I and both vanguard tanks in my guild have yet to lose threat to a DPS (and vanguard don't even have high threat abilities in their rotation)

Suggest telling your tanks to learn their cooldowns instead of using Diversion.

Diversion doesn't cost a global cooldown. You can slot it inbetween your other abilities without losing any time at all.

Edited October 25, 2012 by Bleeters

[DocHaliday]

Why do people waste their time hitting diversion? I and both vanguard tanks in my guild have yet to lose threat to a DPS (and vanguard don't even have high threat abilities in their rotation)

Suggest telling your tanks to learn their cooldowns instead of using Diversion.

 

Also my rotation starts with Plasma Grenade since it saves my Tech Override + Reserve Powercell and start of battle is the only time I really have max ammo (usually around 10). Most of it's damage is elemental and Gravity Vortex does not help with that.

 

While I can see your point in that tanks shouldnt lose threat to dps too often, but it does happen. Hitting your threat drop ability does not waste time because it ignores the Global Cooldown. And throwing it in your 1st or 2nd rotation will help tanks that may mess up their rotation.

 

As for Plasma Grenade, its initial explosion damage is kinetic, so you do lose a little damage to not having those armor debuffs on there.

Edited October 25, 2012 by DocHaliday

[ArchangelLBC]

Why do people waste their time hitting diversion? I and both vanguard tanks in my guild have yet to lose threat to a DPS (and vanguard don't even have high threat abilities in their rotation)

Suggest telling your tanks to learn their cooldowns instead of using Diversion.

 

Also my rotation starts with Plasma Grenade since it saves my Tech Override + Reserve Powercell and start of battle is the only time I really have max ammo (usually around 10). Most of it's damage is elemental and Gravity Vortex does not help with that.

 

There are certain fights where you want to push the DPS early and often, yet you don't want to be pulling threat (Toth and Zorn if you're on Zorn and not switching bosses, The Writhing Horror both come to mind). This means casting three grav rounds, getting buffed with inspiration, popping an adrenal, and then HiB > FA > DR > back to rotation, and if you're getting good crits then it's not at all unlikely you're going to pull threat. If the tank just can't handle it you can go ahead and slow down, but why not push it if at worst all you have to do is blow a diversion just to make sure? If you aren't pulling threat early on, and also not using diversion, then you aren't geared enough yet.

 

 

Also I personally never use Plasma Grenade for anything but clearing trash.

[oaceen]

It would not be more optimal to go with : Grav x2 => Sticky Grenade => Grav => Tech Override / Reserve Powercell / Plasma Grenade => HiB => Diversion => Demo round => Full auto.

 

It should provide a good initial burst damage with Sticky grenade, Grav round Plasma grenade and a bit later HiB to hit nearly in the same time stamp. At least for PvP.

 

Edit :: Added the Diversion for PvE rotation.

ok, if it's less optimal to use your rotation, i don't understand the point of this post then.

[oaceen]

I'm honestly confused why people are using Sticky Grenade for single target pve dps. It's less damage than a Grav Round, lacks the bonus crit chance set bonus, has no synergy with your other abilities and isn't any quicker to use due to how global cooldown works. The only time I bother using it outside of AoE is when I'm moving.

 

when you're at or near 12 ammo and the only abilities not off CD are grav round and sticky grenade, you're wasting ammo by not using sticky grenade

 

stockstrike is a better option, but that requires melee range, so i generally opt for sticky grenade instead.

 

Why do people waste their time hitting diversion? I and both vanguard tanks in my guild have yet to lose threat to a DPS (and vanguard don't even have high threat abilities in their rotation)

Suggest telling your tanks to learn their cooldowns instead of using Diversion.

 

because pulling aggro is very easy to do at the beginning of a fight.

i don't always use diversion, but i should. i don't always pull when i don't, but it's a free ability that's off the GCD that helps make sure that you don't mess things up by pulling aggro

 

there are a lot of fights where pulling aggro can cause a lot of problems (the writhing horror in tfb is a good example). there's really no reason not to use it, even if you can normally get by without it.

Edited October 31, 2012 by oaceen

[Bleeters]

when you're at or near 12 ammo and the only abilities not off CD are grav round and sticky grenade, you're wasting ammo by not using sticky grenade

On what basis? Sticky Grenade has the exactly same ammo cost as Grav Round, for less damage/no synergy/all the other things I listed earlier.

Edited October 31, 2012 by Bleeters

[oaceen]

On what basis? Sticky Grenade has the exact same ammo cost as Grav Round, for less damage/no synergy/all the other things I listed earlier.

 

on the basis of what i already said twice in this thread. i don't know how else to explain it.

 

i understand that, all things being equal, i'd prefer grav round to sticky grenade. hell, as i already said, stockstrike does more damage than sticky grenade, and the only reason i don't use that is because i'm rarely in melee range.

i also rarely use sticky grenade, but there are many times when i'm at or near full ammo, and waiting for grav round to cast is going to waste ammo i could be regenerating.

Edited October 31, 2012 by oaceen

[Bleeters]

[Edit] Oh, hang on. I see where you're going. You're saying you use Sticky Grenade to use up ammo straight away when capped (so, as your opening attack), where Grav Round would take time to cast before regen kicked in?

 

Hmm. That makes sense, yes.

Edited October 31, 2012 by Bleeters

[oaceen]

[Edit] Oh, hang on. I see where you're going. You're saying use Sticky Grenade to use up ammo straight away when capped, where Grav Round would take time to cast before regen kicked in?

 

Hmm.

 

yes.

sorry, i realize that my first post wasn't explaining it very well, but i had thought that my second post made it clearer.

 

i never meant to imply that grav round is a waste of ammo, just stating that any time you are at full ammo, you're wasting ammo that you could be regnerating. since gunnery has so much ammo now, i occasionally wave in sticky grenade to use up that extra ammo. i even save tech override to instant-cast grav round in lieu of having to use sticky grenade.

 

it might not actually be ideal. i honestly haven't tested it, but part of my playstyle is trying to stay below 12 and above 7 ammo at all times.

[venomlash]

My general opening strategy is:

Grav x3 -> HIB -> Demo -> FA -> Grav etc

Sticky grenade has one use only: keeping weak/standard mobs out of the fight. Plasma grenade is only ever useful for clearing out large groups of enemies when Mortar Volley is on cooldown or when the enemies are on the move. (It's a real ammo hog, and I'd prefer to save my Reserve Powercell for use with Mortar Volley if I need to regen some ammo.) I only ever use Diversion if I pull aggro during a serious bossfight; in most other circumstances either I'm facetanking (better me than Dorne getting hit) or the enemies aren't even worth the trouble.