Gomerik's 2.0 Sharpshooter Guide [PvE]

[SamuelAU]

Did a little bit of math myself. The usual shaprhooter rotation of

 

SS - TS - CB - CB - TS - AS - TS - <filler> - Repeat

 

with two points in Black Market Mods takes 12,35 seconds to execute (assuming the filler is just a single GCD). Getting that down to exactly 12 seconds would be a DPS gain of about 3 percent, and that can be achieved with 214 alacrity. Quite doable. Of course swapping 214 surge for alacrity will in turn lower the damage of each individual shot. So what is better in the end? Only a good simulation can tell for sure.

I quickly had to validate the math and you're right, it's a touch under a 3% damage increase.

 

It's a bit more difficult to calculate the damage loss by dropping the 214 surge; it depends a lot on your gear level and stat distribution so I can't really speak for everyone though. I'd have to guess that it would be better to actually keep the surge because what you haven't yet considered is that SS, TS and QD benefit from +30% surge in the skill tree, and these abilities usually make up 52 to 58 percent of your total damage output.

 

Then you have other factors playing in from your rotation, such as BV providing a 10% activation speed increase for the duration and then small things like server lag. It can get messy when you try to calculate.

[Jurugu]

It can get messy when you try to calculate.

 

Exactly. Which is why I am advocating a simulation, not a calculation. I do not know whether you ever played WoW and are familiar with the program Simulationcraft that was developed for that game, but suffice to say that was one great and helpful tool.

Edited June 3, 2013 by Jurugu

[SamuelAU]

Exactly. Which is why I am advocating a simulation, not a calculation. I do not know whether you ever played WoW and are familiar with the program Simulationcraft that was developed for that game, but suffice to say that was one great and helpful tool.

I should be able to pull it off once I get some gear for my operative. I'll be able to send over some power/alacrity enhancements and swap surge out directly for alacrity. I'll keep you posted.

[Tromador]

I understand the talent tree and the rotations, largely common sense!

 

What I'm not getting is the gearing. I am not the worlds best at mathematics so it's a little unclear what is being suggested:

 

You should always stack power in favour of crit, since game update 2.0 made the DR so steep on crit to be almost worthless. If you can't avoid taking crit, I would go no higher than 150 critical rating.

 

When you're at the point of BiSing your gear, you should take accuracy and surge in equal measure. Until then, focus on getting accuracy to 100% ranged or as close to as possible and then add accuracy. The BiS power/accuracy enhancements are hard to come by so if you can, try to get accuracy from earpiece and implants to make things a bit easier on yourself.

 

Power not crit, surge not alacrity and build for 100% accuracy. I get that far, makes sense.

 

What I'm not seeing or understanding is the amount of power vs surge that gives the best overall DPS output.

[ThomasCool]

It is a relatively simple question. You cannot really trade power for crit unless you are talking suboptimal enhancements. Using good enhancements (adept, initiative, acute, battle) you can only trade surge for accuracy

[ThomasCool]

EDIT: Was duplicate Edited June 5, 2013 by ThomasCool

[Tromador]

It is a relatively simple question. You cannot really trade power for crit unless you are talking suboptimal enhancements. Using good enhancements (adept, initiative, acute, battle) you can only trade surge for accuracy

 

Ok so if I understand correctly:

 

You can only stack accuracy from enhancments, plus potentially a little in earpiece/implants. Therefore one should stack initiative enhancments until accuracy hits 100%, then remaining slots (if any) want to be filled with adept enhancements to bump the surge rating.

 

This along with skill armourings and artful mods all around, with skill augments (to go with the +9% cunning talent).

 

Put it like that it becomes very simple indeed.

[Moreatan]

Hey all,

 

really great guide, I just have a quick question regarding gearing:

What's the percentage of crit and surge I should go for?

[SamuelAU]

Ok so if I understand correctly:

 

You can only stack accuracy from enhancments, plus potentially a little in earpiece/implants. Therefore one should stack initiative enhancments until accuracy hits 100%, then remaining slots (if any) want to be filled with adept enhancements to bump the surge rating.

 

This along with skill armourings and artful mods all around, with skill augments (to go with the +9% cunning talent).

 

Put it like that it becomes very simple indeed.

Pretty much.

Hey all,

 

really great guide, I just have a quick question regarding gearing:

What's the percentage of crit and surge I should go for?

In BiS, surge will be about 70%.

 

Please don't fall into the trap of thinking there is a percentage of crit you should be aiming for. In terms of crit rating, the closer to 0 the better. If you start adding more than 100 critical rating you're sacrificing a lot of power for a little bit of crit % which also makes you more susceptible to RNG.

Edited June 6, 2013 by SamuelAU

[Moreatan]

Thanks for your answer, I'll have to adjust some things then and try it

[Lord_Erman]

Awesome guide, thank you so much for this. I'm leveling a Gunslinger now, he's level 41 right now and thankfully I found this guide and now my whole way of playing the toon has changed. I had no idea that I was doing so many things wrong.

 

Anyway a question: There are fights as you know, which require lots of movement. Directive 7 last boss or Scum&Villainy first boss are the ones that come to my mind right now. What do you do in those fights? I mean what do you do when you are not in cover and/or moving constantly? Which abilities you use?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Svii]

Anyway a question: There are fights as you know, which require lots of movement. Directive 7 last boss or Scum&Villainy first boss are the ones that come to my mind right now. What do you do in those fights? I mean what do you do when you are not in cover and/or moving constantly? Which abilities you use?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

The key is to know the fight, very rarely will you have to move a lot for long periods of time. You can weave in your instants when you time the movement phase correctly

[SamuelAU]

Awesome guide, thank you so much for this. I'm leveling a Gunslinger now, he's level 41 right now and thankfully I found this guide and now my whole way of playing the toon has changed. I had no idea that I was doing so many things wrong.

 

Anyway a question: There are fights as you know, which require lots of movement. Directive 7 last boss or Scum&Villainy first boss are the ones that come to my mind right now. What do you do in those fights? I mean what do you do when you are not in cover and/or moving constantly? Which abilities you use?

 

Thanks in advance.

When you're moving, especially in Dash'roode, there isn't a lot you can do unfortunately. When I'm running under the shield I tend to root one of the Voracious Xuvva (leg shot), reapply DoTs to the boss, flurry of bolts. If you can get ahead a bit you have time to drop into cover for an instant CB and then you can throw out a TS. If Dash'roode is below 30% you can also QD -> TS. For all RDPS moving shields is essentially DPS downtime.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE

I'm going to do a comparison of the XS Freighter Flyby skill tree (with 2-pc PvP set bonus) and the Vital Shot skill tree (with PvE set bonuses) to compare their DPS output, ideally once I get 2 Kell Dragon armorings so I can substitute the two 75 armorings for Conqueror armorings and get a BiS comparison to see if the main stat loss is a factor yet. Stay tuned but it might take a few weeks depending on my luck in the /roll department.

[Ardarell_Solo]

For all RDPS moving shields is essentially DPS downtime.

 

Not really, especially not for gunslingers. Go Sab/FD Hybrid and you do:

 

Frag grenade

Shock Charge

Vital Shot <- these are all done "on the run"

Take Cover, channel Wounding Shots, use Hightail it to get in front of the boss.

Flurry, Flurry <- while running further

Take Cover again, another Wounding Shots

<- repeat

 

If Hightail it isn't ready, you skip one Wounding Shots in your rotation and just refresh dots/flurry

 

Basically, if you play dot-specc, the key abilities are done on the run. That's why DF and Sab/DF Hybrid have the best ratio of how much of the dps they can do on the dummy, they can acutally transfer to a raid situation, when a lot of movement may be required...

[OMGitsCHARLIE]

Loving sharpshooter.

 

http://www.torparse.com/a/285942

Mostly 72 with some 69 (and two 63PVE armorings with PVP 2set bonus)

[SamuelAU]

Not really, especially not for gunslingers. Go Sab/FD Hybrid and you do:

 

Frag grenade

Shock Charge

Vital Shot <- these are all done "on the run"

Take Cover, channel Wounding Shots, use Hightail it to get in front of the boss.

Flurry, Flurry <- while running further

Take Cover again, another Wounding Shots

<- repeat

 

If Hightail it isn't ready, you skip one Wounding Shots in your rotation and just refresh dots/flurry

 

Basically, if you play dot-specc, the key abilities are done on the run. That's why DF and Sab/DF Hybrid have the best ratio of how much of the dps they can do on the dummy, they can acutally transfer to a raid situation, when a lot of movement may be required...

You're right, but I woudn't say SS is inhibited by movment per se. Dash'roode is in my experience a bad fight for RDPS; I hate it personally and never put out great numbers.

Loving sharpshooter.

 

http://www.torparse.com/a/285942

Mostly 72 with some 69 (and two 63PVE armorings with PVP 2set bonus)

That's great to see, looks like you've nutted the spec out quite well.

Edited June 14, 2013 by SamuelAU

[SweetsPatogga]

Very useful guide. Lots of information. Thank you for this.

 

The one question that immediately came time mind when I was reading it is that given what was said about the relatively uselessness of Alacrity, is it really worth spending 2 points on Black Market mods in the Dirty Fighting tree or might those 2 points be better spent somewhere else?

[SamuelAU]

Very useful guide. Lots of information. Thank you for this.

 

The one question that immediately came time mind when I was reading it is that given what was said about the relatively uselessness of Alacrity, is it really worth spending 2 points on Black Market mods in the Dirty Fighting tree or might those 2 points be better spent somewhere else?

If you're speccing into Mortal Wounds, you have to take Black Market Mods. Even if you choose not to spec into mortal wounds I still think that you shouldn't squander alacrity, especially when technically it's a free 2%.

[greg_biochem]

Very useful guide. Lots of information. Thank you for this.

 

The one question that immediately came time mind when I was reading it is that given what was said about the relatively uselessness of Alacrity, is it really worth spending 2 points on Black Market mods in the Dirty Fighting tree or might those 2 points be better spent somewhere else?

 

Myself and many others put at least those 2 points in Independent Anarchy for 10% increased Flyby damage. I personally use two Conqueror armorings for an extra tick on Flyby and actually put 3 points in Independent Anarchy.

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#700rcrbbRkRrfkzzZbIZb.3

[Sightx]

Heres is my opener tell me what you think. I pop fs> Illegal mods > power relic> ss> ts>bv > ss> ts rest is similar except the xs which I am def gonna plug in now but the reason I do this is I am able to get 2 speedshots and trickshots in before illegal mods and power relic buff goes off. Is this a good way of opening?

[SamuelAU]

Heres is my opener tell me what you think. I pop fs> Illegal mods > power relic> ss> ts>bv > ss> ts rest is similar except the xs which I am def gonna plug in now but the reason I do this is I am able to get 2 speedshots and trickshots in before illegal mods and power relic buff goes off. Is this a good way of opening?

If you're going to do XS straight after BV you want to save your illegal mods and relic for after your cast has finished. Your rotation would look like like FS -> SS -> TS -> BV -> XS -> Illegal Mods + Relic -> SS -> TS

[CoppertheBeagle]

Has any1 toyed with the beta version of the updated simulationcraft? That might help with the 2 set pvp boost vs 4 set pve. The one problem i saw was i couldn't get the simulations to even come close to my parses.

 

http://code.google.com/p/simulationcraft-swtor/downloads/list

 

the 2.00.4 version

[SamuelAU]

This guide has been updated. Please click this link to visit the consolidated and updated thread. Edited July 3, 2013 by SamuelAU