What's pve rotation for pyro? (PT)

[killmaimburn]

IM RS RP RS? I'm a bit confused. I always play as a mercenary. I know as mercenary you use the dual shot and unload. Wondering what the filler skill is for PT's? On mercenaries it's the dual shot, or whatever its called.

[OlosBC]

Rail shot if its available. Flame burst/rocket punch if you can proc it. Filler abilities (2 gcds after proc) are IM, dfa, flamethrower, flame burst, depending on heat. Thermal detonator is not used in pve. (Though its great burst in PvP).

 

Its a tad more complicated, but not much, and not gonna type it here.

[ScytheEleven]

My biggest parses come from never using Flamethrower or Death from Above, unless there adds.

 

Typically I run in spamming rapid shots with the hope that my CGC will proc, but if I get within 10m and I have not proc'd my CGC yet, I stop with rapid shots...then its:

 

Thermal Sensor Overrides > DG Power Relic > Explosive Fuel > Incendiary Missile > Rail Shot > Rocket Punch > and hope that procs another free rail shot...if not, flame burst till it does.

 

The rotation that I've found to be most useful is to use Rocket Punch at the end of the 6 second rail shot proc cool down, and then one round of rapid shots post free rail shot to get my heat to around 10.

 

So it would look something like this:

 

Flame Burst > Flame Burst > Rocket Punch > PROC Rail Shot > Rapid Shots > Flame Burst > Flame Burst > Flame Burst

 

On that last Flame Burst, if no proc, use rapid shots, then follow up with Flame Burst again to try to proc. No proc, rapid shots, then Rocket Punch will be open. After your proc'd rail shot, rapid shots again to get heat close to 10, and start all over again.

 

Pop Incendiary Missile when yours is about to wear off, and when your heat is at 10. So using the rotation above, lets say your IM is about to wear off:

 

Flame Burst > Flame Burst > Rocket Punch > PROC rail shot > rapid shots > Incendiary Missile > rapid shots > Flame Burst (follow same formula as above with rapid shots till you get a proc rail shot).

Edited March 12, 2013 by ScytheEleven

[bbare]

My biggest parses come from never using Flamethrower or Death from Above, unless there adds.

 

Typically I run in spamming rapid shots with the hope that my CGC will proc, but if I get within 10m and I have not proc'd my CGC yet, I stop with rapid shots...then its:

 

Thermal Sensor Overrides > DG Power Relic > Explosive Fuel > Incendiary Missile > Rail Shot > Rocket Punch > and hope that procs another free rail shot...if not, flame burst till it does.

 

The rotation that I've found to be most useful is to use Rocket Punch at the end of the 6 second rail shot proc cool down, and then one round of rapid shots post free rail shot to get my heat to around 10.

 

So it would look something like this:

 

Flame Burst > Flame Burst > Rocket Punch > PROC Rail Shot > Rapid Shots > Flame Burst > Flame Burst > Flame Burst

 

On that last Flame Burst, if no proc, use rapid shots, then follow up with Flame Burst again to try to proc. No proc, rapid shots, then Rocket Punch will be open. After your proc'd rail shot, rapid shots again to get heat close to 10, and start all over again.

 

Pop Incendiary Missile when yours is about to wear off, and when your heat is at 10. So using the rotation above, lets say your IM is about to wear off:

 

Flame Burst > Flame Burst > Rocket Punch > PROC rail shot > rapid shots > Incendiary Missile > rapid shots > Flame Burst (follow same formula as above with rapid shots till you get a proc rail shot).

 

Never use TSO to begin a fight. It makes no sense using a free ability when you have no heat.

[steave]

Never use TSO to begin a fight. It makes no sense using a free ability when you have no heat.

 

When you consider the cost of IM compared to your other abilities, it does. You either use the TSO for the IM at the start, which will save you 16 heat (24 minus the 8 you would have regained during that GCD), or you use it on one of your other abilities, all of which cost just 16 heat anyway. Either way, you save 16 heat but using it at the start means it will be available again that much sooner, and personally I find it easier to hit all my CD buttons at once and then go back to just following my normal rotation instead of using them separately.

 

Regarding Scythes advice, his rotation looks way too rigid to me and you should always use a flame burst before the first RP if the CGC dot is not already on the target - for me personally that means always since I prefer to use my speeder to get to melee range fast over running into range doing rapid shots, but both are viable and fine. Pyro is reliant on procs, and thus you should constantly be adapting what you're gonna use next based on those procs rather than following a set order.

 

Bbare wrote a good guide for the new hybrid spec over in the PTS forum, basically just remove the RB from there and it's exactly what you should be doing on live too.

[ScytheEleven]

Never use TSO to begin a fight. It makes no sense using a free ability when you have no heat.

 

Nope. You want to get the most out of your Explosive Fuel and DG relic, and you do that by reducing the time before you have to hit Vent Heat.

 

If you don't use TSO at the beginning, you run the risk of going over 75 heat faster. Yes, I said 75 heat.

 

During my first rotation, I go way past the 40 heat rule so I can maximize my Explosive Fuel and DG power relic. I pop Vent Heat when I get to 75-80 heat, so I drop down to 25-30.

 

If you don't use TSO as an opener with IM, you run the risk of getting to 75-80 heat much faster if you don't get your proc's, thus, you waste time of Explosive Fuel and DG power relic. So yeah, DPS loss there

 

When you consider the cost of IM compared to your other abilities, it does. You either use the TSO for the IM at the start, which will save you 16 heat (24 minus the 8 you would have regained during that GCD), or you use it on one of your other abilities, all of which cost just 16 heat anyway. Either way, you save 16 heat but using it at the start means it will be available again that much sooner, and personally I find it easier to hit all my CD buttons at once and then go back to just following my normal rotation instead of using them separately.

 

Regarding Scythes advice, his rotation looks way too rigid to me and you should always use a flame burst before the first RP if the CGC dot is not already on the target - for me personally that means always since I prefer to use my speeder to get to melee range fast over running into range doing rapid shots, but both are viable and fine. Pyro is reliant on procs, and thus you should constantly be adapting what you're gonna use next based on those procs rather than following a set order.

 

Bbare wrote a good guide for the new hybrid spec over in the PTS forum, basically just remove the RB from there and it's exactly what you should be doing on live too.

 

On a dummy, I'll go with Flame Burst before RP to get my first Rail Shot proc (and to get CGC) up. Against OPs bosses, the majority of the time my CGC goes up from my Rapid Shots as I close the distance. If I don't get CGC up, then Flame Burst is first rather than RP. I probably typed that wrong earlier.

[SgtKlavier]

Nope. You want to get the most out of your Explosive Fuel and DG relic, and you do that by reducing the time before you have to hit Vent Heat.

 

If you don't use TSO at the beginning, you run the risk of going over 75 heat faster. Yes, I said 75 heat.

 

As long as you use TSO at some point during your explosive fuel and DG relic uptime but before you go past 40 heat, the time that it will take to reach 75 heat will not change. However, by opening with TSO, you lose at least one second of cooling (potentially two) because you cannot activate your second ability until a GCD has passed, ultimately reducing the time to the point where you need to vent heat. You want to increase the time before vent heat so you are more heat efficient while maintaining high burst.

 

Also, I don't really like the idea of powertechs front loading damage like that with explosive fuel and relic use. Depending on the fight, you should be able to get the same amount of activations of them without blowing them in the beginning of an encounter.

[bbare]

Reasons not to use TSO to begin the fight:

 

1. IM isn't even going to be your opener most of the time. I've been using RS, ED and rapid shots a lot while getting in range to use IM. Rapid Shots to get the CGC going, then RS, and ED only if I'm still out of range.

 

2. Opening with TSO + IM will cost you 5-10 energy regen. You are better off using TSO for a free DFA or FT in your filler at the beginning of a fight.

Edited March 13, 2013 by bbare

[ScytheEleven]

Interesting concepts in regards to TSO. However, I still maintain that using TSO w/ IM as an opener is the best way to go. Under what I consider "normal" rail shot procs, when I get to around 55 heat my first IM is about to wear off, and that's when I pop another one and blow Vent Heat.

 

In regards to using TSO w/ DFA or FT...I use neither one of those unless there are additional enemies (i.e. the spawns during the Writhering Horror).

 

And about blowing Explosive Fuel and DG Power relic in the beginning...I use those right at the start to front load my damage simply because I want to keep them both on cool down as much as possible. If I wait a bit, then I might not have them up for later. For specific fights though, I'll still use them at the very start, but will save them when they come off CD for burn phases (i.e. again, using the Writhering Horror as in example. In HM, you gotta burn that last 10% so the adds don't wipe everyone).

 

My top parse on a dummy (2121 over 7 minutes, no adrenals) was probably the luckiest parse I've ever gotten, but I typically hit around 2050 for 7 min (though lately I've been getting TERRIBLE rail shot procs and just barely hit 2k...in one dummy parse I had 3 rail shots come off cool down on their own, if that tells you anything ). Anytime I've tried to use FT or DFA, it results in a lower parse.

 

Agree to disagree on TSO + IM as a 10m opener, it's just what I've found works best for me

Edited March 13, 2013 by ScytheEleven

[bbare]

Interesting concepts in regards to TSO. However, I still maintain that using TSO w/ IM as an opener is the best way to go. Under what I consider "normal" rail shot procs, when I get to around 55 heat my first IM is about to wear off, and that's when I pop another one and blow Vent Heat.

 

In regards to using TSO w/ DFA or FT...I use neither one of those unless there are additional enemies (i.e. the spawns during the Writhering Horror).

 

My top parse on a dummy (2121 over 7 minutes, no adrenals) was probably the luckiest parse I've ever gotten, but I typically hit around 2050 for 7 min (though lately I've been getting TERRIBLE rail shot procs and just barely hit 2k...in one dummy parse I had 3 rail shots come off cool down on their own, if that tells you anything ). Anytime I've tried to use FT or DFA, it results in a lower parse.

 

Agree to disagree on TSO + IM as a 10m opener, it's just what I've found works best for me

 

You only use FT or DFA very situational. The only times you use them is in your filler when you can manage the heat and you have the CGC dot up.

[Marb]

The train of thought is that during the PPA cooldown with both CGC and IM dots up, you are deciding between a (FB>Rapid Shots>RP / FB) or a (FT / DfA>RP / FB). The damage to heat ratio is better by going with a flamethrower / death from above to fill in the PPA cooldown. Obviously this changes if you're responsible for add control or aoe damage for a specific phase.

 

I tend to just save TSO/vent for a bad proc streak, that way I can keep IM up even if I haven't had a proc to manage the heat cost of it. I never restrict myself to rigid use of these two abilities due to the pure randomness of the PPA proc. For example you could open with TSO, flood out heat, use vent heat and then proceed to not get a PPA proc for a painful length of time.

 

From my experience anyway, I don't open with fuel / relic within the first few GCD's, considering the powertech has terrible defensive cooldowns and no agro drop, but this will depend on the class and aggressiveness of your specific tank.

Edited March 14, 2013 by Marb

[bbare]

The train of thought is that during the PPA cooldown with both CGC and IM dots up, you are deciding between a (FB>Rapid Shots>RP / FB) or a (FT / DfA>RP / FB). The damage to heat ratio is better by going with a flamethrower / death from above to fill in the PPA cooldown. Obviously this changes if you're responsible for add control or aoe damage for a specific phase.

 

I tend to just save TSO/vent for a bad proc streak, that way I can keep IM up even if I haven't had a proc to manage the heat cost of it. I never restrict myself to rigid use of these two abilities due to the pure randomness of the PPA proc. For example you could open with TSO, flood out heat, use vent heat and then proceed to not get a PPA proc for a painful length of time.

 

From my experience anyway, I don't open with fuel / relic within the first few GCD's, considering the powertech has terrible defensive cooldowns and no agro drop, but this will depend on the class and aggressiveness of your specific tank.

 

Luckily, there will virtually be no aggro problems in 2.0 so you can open up with your full burst and not have problems. Powertechs are getting a threat drop and Juggs are getting huge buffs to threat.

[Marb]

Luckily, there will virtually be no aggro problems in 2.0 so you can open up with your full burst and not have problems. Powertechs are getting a threat drop and Juggs are getting huge buffs to threat.

 

Bring on 2.0.

[steave]

From my experience anyway, I don't open with fuel / relic within the first few GCD's, considering the powertech has terrible defensive cooldowns and no agro drop, but this will depend on the class and aggressiveness of your specific tank.

 

I usually adapt that a bit depending on the tank - I'm always guarded, which ofc helps a lot with the threat, so if the tank is using his taunts to boost his threat at the start it's enough to keep aggro even if I go all out (keeping in mind that he gets a few attacks in while I'm still closing). If he doesn't, it depends on the fight - if it's something like writhing horror where tank just can't be allowed to loose aggro or there's a really early forced tank swap I'll hold back a bit, but otherwise the tank will have 2 taunts available anyway if he's not taunt boosting so going all out just means I'll effectively help him build threat when he taunts back.