Mercenary Arsenal/Pyro DPS Guide 2.x (PVE) by ODawgg

[SiXXXX]

Hey so I've recently gone back to playing with my merc after playing my sorc healer for months. I did a couple tests and I found something confusing that I hope you can clarify.

 

I did a couple parses of these two relic combos. 2 war hero relics from pre 2.0 vs a partisan serendipitous assault and a arkanian relic of cerulean nova. As you know today with the patch we are able to use two proc relics.

 

What surprised me was that the war hero's still did over 100 dps a second in a 5 min parse then the procs did. I was told by people that war hero's were obsolete and not even worth considering. I realize the partisan serendipitous only is 410 power for 6 second and the energy tech proc isn't your BIS but still.

 

Should 226 constant power really be better then 30% chance 332 energy tech damage every 4.5 secs and 30% chance 410 power for 6/20 seconds? Doesn't seem right to me although maybe thats the wrong damage proc or pvp and pve don't mix together still. Would appreciate imput

[cashogy_reborn]

I many be mistaken, but there has been a bug where relics are locking out others from proc'ing their effects. I know that the patch notes have stated it was fixed for the different PvE relic tiers, but I have not seen any statement of a fix for the PvP relics.

 

So by mixing them it could be causing a problem with proc frequency.

 

Ive not thoroughly read the 2.3 notes yet tho, so I could be mistaken.

[odawgg]

I haven't tested the proc relics yet and I don't think I'll be able to for some time so if anyone else is using 2 proc relics (damage and power) please share your results since the patch. Supposedly they are supposed to work together now, it's not the route I plan to go, I'm sticking with the power clicky and proc combo.

 

EDIT: A mara in my group today was sporting Damage proc/Power Proc, he didn't mention it not working properly so I think it's fine now, but needs verification.

 

As far as the WH relics, they aren't bad....comparing them to arkanian and newer pvp relics, probably pretty close...I would say any Serendipitous is probably better than them, but not sure about the Cerulean Nova, the arkanian relics are kinda bad, not as good as the old DG ones nor the WH relics IMO.

 

You're likely seeing this 100dps difference just from RNG, it's awfully difficult to test dps from relics (other than the damage ones, they straight up show the dps in the parse logs) and compare them together as a merc just cuz of RNG, you could easily parse 100 dps higher with inferior relics by sheer chance. I would just make sure if you're using 2 proc relics, to check the logs and make sure they are acting properly. I guess my overall point is relic choice is pretty low priority, but as long as you have 2 of the 3: SA/CN/BA/WH ur g2g, but drop the WH when you get Underworld relic tokens.

Edited August 7, 2013 by odawgg

[odawgg]

updated a couple boss parses, TWH and DG 8M NiM.

[The_Duck]

Resource discipline (between 0-40 heat for merc), priority system execution, all while keeping APMs at a maximum is DPS in a nutshell (for any class). Once you have these 3 things mastered, you see the big numbas. I'll try to address some of ur concerns.....

...

Q. attacking while moving issues

A. This unfortunately is one of our Achilles heal, best counter is to anticipate your positioning to reduce movement as much as possible, save power surge for heavy movement fights to use with TM, and make a habit of positioning yourself during your instant abilities like HSM, Rail, RS etc.

...

Q. could use any tips possible.

here is a recent parse of HM Writhing Horror and Ciphas fight. I am usually ~1900 dps but feel i shoul dbe around 2000-2200 ...

Latest Raid Parse

A. From what I can see you just need practice...if you are serious about bringing your numbers up, get on the dummy and practice the tips from this guide and thread posts....set goals of increasing your dps 50 at a time and if you hit a wall, come back to the thread and post a dummy parse, that's a lot easier for me to dissect and tell you what you can do better....first things first ABC (always be casting) and get HSM/Rail off as close to cd as possible, keep your heat in 0-40 heat window

 

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

We tried Nightmare Writhing Horror last night and got him down to 12k hp left (ugh!).

A fun fight definitely.

I tried to focus on upping my APM and planning on my movement or positioning better.

This seemed to work pretty well.

I was averaging about 2200-2400 dps on the 5-minute fights that we had. Few times 2400+

NM Writhing Horror

Will work more on my timings and your other recommendations. THanks!

[Ansalem]

I switched back to using the cerulan nova dmg proc relic this week after the patch finally fixed them. I havent tested the pvp versions yet or mixing them with the pve versions, but I can confirm the relics seem to be working fine for pve. Im getting about 40-45 dps from dmg procs now. I did experience a slight loss in dps but I think it was rng as I looked over my logs and was seeing very few HSM or RS crits. I replaced 2 power mods with 75 crit mods after the raid and will try out the 240 crit rating setup next week to see if there is a difference.

[Ionscout]

Great post!

 

Quick question. When you folks speak of "Crit Rating" are you referring to the score displayed when mousing over the "Critical Chance" stat under the "Ranged" menu of the player window?

 

Thanks!

[AMightyKnight]

Yes, crit rating is just the sum of all crit you have in your gear.

I wouldnt use more than three crit items in 72 gear (personally i play with 82 crit) with 75 gear you could aim for ~ 240 (4 pieces).

[odawgg]

updated some parses and gear stats, added AMR profile

[AMightyKnight]

I'm thinking about the possibility of using Obroan PvP Relics as a stopgap until i get Dread Forge ones.

Unfortunately i cant get the PTS to work for some stupid reason, so are those things better than Underworld or even Kell Dragon relics?

Edited August 30, 2013 by AMightyKnight

[odawgg]

I'm thinking about the possibility of using Obroan PvP Relics as a stopgap until i get Dread Forge ones.

Unfortunately i cant get the PTS to work for some stupid reason, so are those things better than Underworld or even Kell Dragon relics?

 

I'm not sure yet but I'll do some investigation...I was chatting with a sniper guildie and he found it proc'd more often than the tooltip stated, but from the best of my memory, mathematically they seemed inferior to the SA relic...I'll try to take a closer look when I can but let me know if you find anything out as well.

[NiclasB]

Hey!

I was just wandering what rotation is the best to use? I have had problems with dps on dummy just getting 2.6k. Im full 72 but earlier today i managed a 2798.8 parse. So some help with rotation would be good. I havent played merc more than 1 month in total and im progressing tfb/s&v NiM. I also use Underworld relics SA and BA but i want to switch out BA for CN. Is that a good idea to do and if so, should i use a Arkanian CN until i get a underworld one? Lastly i have seen people said that we should have no crit at all. Is that really the best way to go? I put 120 rating in crit (from my kell-dragon boots) and im precisly at 25% crit and 25,5 Tech crit and then i dont get that many crits? What is the best way to play merc to maximize the dmg output? My main Before reroll was a maradaur and i had no problems at all getting to top1 on the dps list.

[MVaglin]

Hey!

I was just wandering what rotation is the best to use? I have had problems with dps on dummy just getting 2.6k. Im full 72 but earlier today i managed a 2798.8 parse. So some help with rotation would be good. I havent played merc more than 1 month in total and im progressing tfb/s&v NiM. I also use Underworld relics SA and BA but i want to switch out BA for CN. Is that a good idea to do and if so, should i use a Arkanian CN until i get a underworld one? Lastly i have seen people said that we should have no crit at all. Is that really the best way to go? I put 120 rating in crit (from my kell-dragon boots) and im precisly at 25% crit and 25,5 Tech crit and then i dont get that many crits? What is the best way to play merc to maximize the dmg output? My main Before reroll was a maradaur and i had no problems at all getting to top1 on the dps list.

 

120 crit is fine. At 72 gear basically up to 200 crit is pretty much a toss up. Sims have power to be slightly better, but not by enough to be significant.

 

Same with relics. SA is best, but the other two are close enough that it's more a personal preference. BA pulls ahead a little, but CN is fine. best option is of course to have all three and swap between them as the fight demands. I wouldn't swap for the arkanian though, since that will be a dps decrease.

 

As for rotation, read the very first post in this thread and you've got all the info you need. Mercs don't have a rotation per se, we're priority based. So basically use whatever is off cooldown and higher up on the priority list while being mindful of your heat levels.

 

If you want more detail help with your parses, post a link to one and those more skileld than me can probably analyze it a bit more

[The_Duck]

Slowly getting up there.

Nightmare Writhing Horror I am up to 2500-2600 dps.

Was wondering where I can squeak out a few hundred more if you don't mind analyzing.

Usually I take the 4th red circle when all hell breaks loose in the last 60 seconds or so.

 

This parse is the one we killed him on (i think I died the few seconds before he went down).

http://www.torparse.com/a/411106

[odawgg]

Hey!

I was just wandering what rotation is the best to use? I have had problems with dps on dummy just getting 2.6k. Im full 72 but earlier today i managed a 2798.8 parse. So some help with rotation would be good. I havent played merc more than 1 month in total and im progressing tfb/s&v NiM. I also use Underworld relics SA and BA but i want to switch out BA for CN. Is that a good idea to do and if so, should i use a Arkanian CN until i get a underworld one? Lastly i have seen people said that we should have no crit at all. Is that really the best way to go? I put 120 rating in crit (from my kell-dragon boots) and im precisly at 25% crit and 25,5 Tech crit and then i dont get that many crits? What is the best way to play merc to maximize the dmg output? My main Before reroll was a maradaur and i had no problems at all getting to top1 on the dps list.

 

Thanks Vag for chiming in, I concur with everything u wrote...and Nic, you just need practice, it's likely your APMs are a bit low, post a parse and we'll respond

 

Slowly getting up there.

Nightmare Writhing Horror I am up to 2500-2600 dps.

Was wondering where I can squeak out a few hundred more if you don't mind analyzing.

Usually I take the 4th red circle when all hell breaks loose in the last 60 seconds or so.

 

This parse is the one we killed him on (i think I died the few seconds before he went down).

http://www.torparse.com/a/411106

 

yeah doing a lot better man, just practice needed....you still have room for improvement on APMs and I think you're overheating a bit, your rapid shots usage is a bit high for this fight...part of that could be cuz you're not using rail shot on cd...you used 2 less rail shots than heatseeker missiles yet they have the same cd...personally I prioritize it over HSM. Use more Flame Thrower and Sweeping Blasters on the adds in addition to the DFA and explosive dart (I actually don't use much explosive dart personally but that doesn't mean u shouldn't) Flame thrower is your 2nd best AoE, takes a bit of anticipation to position for it.

[LeDri]

Slowly getting up there.

Nightmare Writhing Horror I am up to 2500-2600 dps.

Was wondering where I can squeak out a few hundred more if you don't mind analyzing.

Usually I take the 4th red circle when all hell breaks loose in the last 60 seconds or so.

 

This parse is the one we killed him on (i think I died the few seconds before he went down).

http://www.torparse.com/a/411106

 

 

You have used Rapid Shots too many times which implies poor heat management. The most prominent thing about this is that you have used Vent Heat only once and you have used Rapid Shots while your Vent Heat was off CD. Rapid Shots are only to be used for heat management and never when Vent Heat may be used instead, otherwise it is a DPS loss.

 

To give a concrete example, after your first 30'' "heavy" opener you reach a high heat level and start throwing out a few Rapid Shots. What you should have done instead is to pop Vent Heat.

 

As a result of poor heat management your use of HeatSeeker Missiles, Rail Shot and Unload was not optimal, i.e. you weren't able to use them as many times as you could. Also note that, although Death from Above is a great ability and it definitely belongs in your rotation, you should not prioritize it before HeatSeeker Missiles, Rail Shot and Unload.

 

Lastly, you have poped you Adrenal only once, you should (could) have also poped one during the soft-enrage phase in the end.

Edited September 10, 2013 by LeDri

[The_Duck]

Thanks for the advice from both of you.

I'll work on my rotation a bit to manage heat better/more-efficiently

 

Couple questions on this fight in particular:

1. do you solely use DFA just on the adds/red-circle phases?

2. is Fusion Missile worthwhile on the add phase such as the 2nd and 3rd add phase where there are more to burn? Usually I plop an Explosive Dart on them as they are running and then Flame Thrower them if DFA is on cooldown.

3. when you HAVE to move are you usually using rapid shots? usually if i have to move then i just click my rapid shots as a default.

[MVaglin]

The adds come at roughly one minute ntervals, so personally I save DFA for that. But I'm not using it regularly in my single target rotation anyway anymore.

 

But yeah, on WH I'd hold it, depending on how many orbital strikes your team has...

 

Edit: Going off on a tangent here, but DFA only hitting five targets while having the same cooldown (or longer) as Orbital Strike, while also hitting for less damage and having a smaller area completely baffles me. It's not as resource intense, and OS has positional requirements that DFA doesn't, so I'm fine with it being weaker. But let it hit everything in the area at least...

Edited September 10, 2013 by MVaglin

[LeDri]

1. do you solely use DFA just on the adds/red-circle phases?

 

Well, to quote odawgg from the 1st post: "You can use DFA in single target situations when AoE is not needed for at least the next 60s. For maximum dps it should be used right after a barrage proc'd UL when all other abilities are on cd."

 

I am not *that* strict in its usage but, as said before, DFA should never come higher than TSM, RS, UL. For this fight it depends whether you have other efficient AoEs in your group or if you are on "red pool" duty. An ideal usage of DFA would be if the tank is smart enough to position the Jealous Male very near to the red pool so that you can AoE him together with the adds.

 

2. is Fusion Missile worthwhile on the add phase such as the 2nd and 3rd add phase where there are more to burn? Usually I plop an Explosive Dart on them as they are running and then Flame Thrower them if DFA is on cooldown.

 

You *could* use FM as an alternative means of AoE as long as you are sure you can keep your heat manageable (it is very costly). However, I believe its optimal use on boss fights is to pop it in conjuction with Thermal Sensor Overrides during your single target rotation.

 

3. when you HAVE to move are you usually using rapid shots? usually if i have to move then i just click my rapid shots as a default.

 

When you are on the move there is also a priority system:

 

TSM > RS > ElectroNet > Power Surge + TSO + FM > Power Surge + TM > Rapid Shots

 

I would also substitute Rapid Shots with Explosive Dart and/or Missile Blast if the heat is manageable.

[JimmyTheCannon]

You *could* use FM as an alternative means of AoE as long as you are sure you can keep your heat manageable (it is very costly). However, I believe its optimal use on boss fights is to pop it in conjuction with Thermal Sensor Overrides during your single target rotation.

 

I've never, ever understood this concept. If Fusion Missile is efficient enough DPS-wise to use on a single target, it's MORE than efficient enough to use on multiple targets. Sure, if you need to use TSO to keep your heat low with it, then do so - but it's fantastic AOE. If the thought is "it does better damage so it should be used on the boss", the faster you kill the adds the faster you're back on the boss, so what's the difference? If you're only using it on cooldown with TSO it's not adding a whole ton to the fight anyways, and you might as well utilize its AOE.

 

Personally, I'll use Fusion Missile while the adds are moving. It's a good AOE that doesn't require the enemy to be stationary - hence, while the enemies are running to the pool in a group, or on EC Kephess if your group pulls the Trenchgutters out of the shield to a specific spot. It gets some good damage on them without you having to worry about them running out of the AOE and it being wasted.

 

Explosive Dart is good for that also, yes, and has the added benefit of being usable while you're moving if you want to position for Flamethrower, but I believe it does less damage. If the movement is a concern, though, you can always save Power Surge for that and use FM.

[LeDri]

I've never, ever understood this concept. If Fusion Missile is efficient enough DPS-wise to use on a single target, it's MORE than efficient enough to use on multiple targets.

 

No it's not more effiecient. Don't forget that FM consists of an initial hit and then a DoT that ticks for 6''. If the adds are dead within 3''-4'' (and they most probably will be) then the rest is wasted DPS. Maybe on tougher group of adds (like in Titan 6) it might worth it, but personally I very rarely see any group of adds surviving that long. FM as AoE is much more suited on tough trash pulls like the Dustclaw Alpha groups before Thrasher.

 

Sure, if you need to use TSO to keep your heat low with it, then do so - but it's fantastic AOE. If the thought is "it does better damage so it should be used on the boss", the faster you kill the adds the faster you're back on the boss, so what's the difference? If you're only using it on cooldown with TSO it's not adding a whole ton to the fight anyways, and you might as well utilize its AOE.

 

If you use FM without TSO then you are wasting your heat on a weaker ability (double the cost and ~half the damage of TSM) and during the course of the fight you would either have to lower your APM or use more Rapid Shots, both of which lead to less DPS. I would use FM without TSO only on situations when there is an upcoming mandatory break from the fight (e.g. launch on Titan 6). In such cases you can "burn" through you abilities without heat concern.

Edited September 11, 2013 by LeDri

[odawgg]

Thanks for the advice from both of you.

I'll work on my rotation a bit to manage heat better/more-efficiently

 

Couple questions on this fight in particular:

1. do you solely use DFA just on the adds/red-circle phases?

2. is Fusion Missile worthwhile on the add phase such as the 2nd and 3rd add phase where there are more to burn? Usually I plop an Explosive Dart on them as they are running and then Flame Thrower them if DFA is on cooldown.

3. when you HAVE to move are you usually using rapid shots? usually if i have to move then i just click my rapid shots as a default.

 

Others have commented, I figure I'll comment as well

1. if you get all of the add sets then save DFA for add phase every time...we run with a sin tank that vanishes 2/3 add phases so I use DFA early (single target), for the 2nd add phase, then again at the end (solo target or maybe when some twisteds spawn).

2. yes FM is worth saving with TSO for add phases IMO, you can hit them as they are running to circle and then DFA them when the get there, then flame thrower, positioning can be tricky going from DFA to Flame thrower though I usually end up wasting about a half a GCD moving closer...some of this depends on how much damage the rest of the group is doing on the adds, they might not have enough health left to warrant fFT. You'll only be able to use FM on 1st and 3rd add phases which is better than using it for solo target 3 times in the fight = higher total damage.

 

Side Note: I personally never use FM without TSO unless I know I will have time to dissipate heat very soon, I'd rather use Sweeping blasters for the better dps/heat ratio.

 

3. In a mechanic heavy fight I'm using rapid shots most of the time on the move cuz I don't have my attention on my heat bar and don't want to risk going over 40 heat. But when I'm able to keep good eye on heat, I will prioritize PS+TM > Explosive Dart > Missile Blast when my heat is low and rapid shots when it's high (assuming HSM/RS on cd)

[Shakell]

Have we done any simulations with the new gear tier in terms of DPS? Specifically in regard to our wonderful, funderful set-bonus? I'm trying to determine whether I should start practicing with Newset for Dread Forged tier (although I will probably still pull higher numbers with the old one due to the sheer amount of practice).

[odawgg]

Have we done any simulations with the new gear tier in terms of DPS? Specifically in regard to our wonderful, funderful set-bonus? I'm trying to determine whether I should start practicing with Newset for Dread Forged tier (although I will probably still pull higher numbers with the old one due to the sheer amount of practice).

 

Are you referring to 78 gear? if so I'm pretty sure the new armorings/set bonus will finally overcome the DG set bonus...although no I haven't actually simulated it yet. Sad that this is even a topic of conversation for us but it is.

 

If you're referring to 75 gear it's about even either way with a QoL buff to the DG bonus

Edited September 12, 2013 by odawgg

[JimmyTheCannon]

No it's not more effiecient. Don't forget that FM consists of an initial hit and then a DoT that ticks for 6''. If the adds are dead within 3''-4'' (and they most probably will be) then the rest is wasted DPS. Maybe on tougher group of adds (like in Titan 6) it might worth it, but personally I very rarely see any group of adds surviving that long. FM as AoE is much more suited on tough trash pulls like the Dustclaw Alpha groups before Thrasher.

 

Uh... let's see here.

 

We're talking groups of adds like the spawned larva on Writhing Horror and, as I mentioned previously, Trenchgutters on EC Kephess. They generally don't die within 3-4 seconds, and again - this is DPS that you can get in *while the adds are moving into position for your stationary AOEs*. There's no way it won't help you kill them faster.

 

As far as it not being more efficient, I'm going to make up some numbers here as a real simple way of getting this across.

 

It hits up to 3 targets, including the primary target.

 

Say it does 10 damage on initial hit and 5 damage over time. On one target that's 15 damage for your investment. On a group of 3 that's 45 for the same heat cost (whether free with TSO or not) and cast time.

 

How is that not more efficient?

 

Regarding it being "wasted DPS" - if it saves you having to throw down just one more Sweeping Blasters than it's already saved you time even though it didn't save you heat. That means you can get back to the boss sooner, which is always a plus.

Edited September 12, 2013 by JimmyTheCannon