2.0 Marksmanship Guide [PvE]

[SamuelAU]

Hello friends!

 

I just made a thread covering the Gunslinger's sharpshooter skill tree, so if any of you snipers are interested: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=640261.

 

Edited May 17, 2013 by SamuelAU

[Sardonyyx]

Do you really need a guide for such a simple spec? It's 3 moves, Ft after all of them, orbital, and then TD when they're 30%. Your dot and armor debuff are common sense moves.

[SamuelAU]

Do you really need a guide for such a simple spec? It's 3 moves, Ft after all of them, orbital, and then TD when they're 30%. Your dot and armor debuff are common sense moves.

You're thinking of the spec a little bit too simplistically. There's a difference between pumping out '3 moves' and keeping up debuffs and actually understanding the rotation and maximising your output. This separates the bad from the good and the good from the great.

[KristianTORFTW]

Thanks a lot. Ive been thinking about playing on my sniper again after almost a year, so i have completely forgotten his skills and rotations. This will be very helpful for starting up again

[Roxas_kun]

Everything revolves around Followthrough (FT).

 

Shatter Shot> Snipe> FT> Ambush> FT> Series of Shots (SoS)> FT> Takedown> FT.

 

Rinse and repeat.

 

Everything else is just filler and icing on the cake.

 

Not very hard.

[Felli]

Everything revolves around Followthrough (FT).

 

Shatter Shot> Snipe> FT> Ambush> FT> Series of Shots (SoS)> FT> Takedown> FT.

 

Rinse and repeat.

 

Everything else is just filler and icing on the cake.

 

Not very hard.

 

You missed a snipe there.

 

It should be Shatter Shot > Snipe > Snipe > FT > Ambush > FT > SoS > FT > Takedown > FT.

[CoppertheBeagle]

What I meant to say was instead of vital shot I used sab charge. That 15% bonus to its damage I think makes it more worthwhile than vital shot. Vital shot however does proc the relics so I was wondering if you knew something I didn't.

[SamuelAU]

Everything revolves around Followthrough (FT).

 

Shatter Shot> Snipe> FT> Ambush> FT> Series of Shots (SoS)> FT> Takedown> FT.

 

Rinse and repeat.

 

Everything else is just filler and icing on the cake.

 

Not very hard.

Not very hard?

 

Knowing the rotation is 2200 DPS.

Understanding the rotation is 2700 DPS.

 

Experience has taught me this, if you read the guide you might find a way or two to pick up your output slightly. Whether you do that or not, don't talk about how easy and mindless the rotation is when there are various factors that influence your output, separating good from great.

 

It also seems like snipers have a lot more negative feedback than gunslingers, my observations have told me.

Edited May 19, 2013 by SamuelAU

[SamuelAU]

What I meant to say was instead of vital shot I used sab charge. That 15% bonus to its damage I think makes it more worthwhile than vital shot. Vital shot however does proc the relics so I was wondering if you knew something I didn't.

You're previous post was in the gunslinger forum but I follow.

 

If you forget about any buffs, non-crit 3-4 ticks of vital shot does the same damage of sabotage charge. I'm not sure how often DoTs tick, but if it's every GCD you'll get 20 ticks of vital shot for every sabotage charge. Then when you factor in +25% damage to vital shot being greater than +15% damage to sabotage charge the choice is much easier. The energy cost for vital shot is a lot lower as well.

[Synavix]

What I meant to say was instead of vital shot I used sab charge. That 15% bonus to its damage I think makes it more worthwhile than vital shot. Vital shot however does proc the relics so I was wondering if you knew something I didn't.

 

In general, cast-for-cast, Sab Charge will do slightly more damage if you have 3/3 Independent Anarchy. However, what makes Vital Shot so good is that it is Internal damage, and doesn't respect armor. It is also far more energy efficient, and will give you fewer problems in a general rotation.

 

I tend to use Vital Shot as a filler in my general rotation, while using Sab Charge on adds or burst phases. It's also great for any boss that use stealth or immunities, since Vital Shot becomes terrible DPS if it does not last its full duration.

Edited May 19, 2013 by Synavix

[ambitiousapple]

Hi,

 

i dont parse or pve consistently, mainly pvp. however, have people tried:

 

ss - [cover] - sos - ft - snipe - snipe - ft - ambush - ft etc. etc.

 

that way, assuming you don't stall, you're still getting the reduced cast of ambush using double snipe, the instant snipe when entering cover (the buff lasts 6 seconds), and the double snipe CD reset for followthrough.

 

i just feel as if part of the reason you are required to use double snipe is to reset the CD on followthrough, so it would be more efficient (given its a lower damage move than say, series of shots or ambush) to chain two snipes together only when followthrough is already on CD from using it beforehand.

[Roxas_kun]

You missed a snipe there.

 

It should be Shatter Shot > Snipe > Snipe > FT > Ambush > FT > SoS > FT > Takedown > FT.

 

Well, my rotation revolves around FT. My given rotation puts out as many FT as possible.

 

I use my rotation first, then switch to yours if target is still alive.

[BetaKiller]

Well, my rotation revolves around FT. My given rotation puts out as many FT as possible.

 

I use my rotation first, then switch to yours if target is still alive.

 

As an opening your rotation is probably the best, if we think about it instead of 3s - 1.5s between FT we would have 2.1s - 1.5s to FT. If we keep it to the normal rotation by walking and using Snap Shot.

 

It does seem to be the best option but since I still don't feel a master in the less movement rotation I'll prob keep with it for a moment.

 

I think that after every SV it will prob be better to use 2 Snipes instead of walking and Take Cover but have to test that.

[SamuelAU]

As an opening your rotation is probably the best, if we think about it instead of 3s - 1.5s between FT we would have 2.1s - 1.5s to FT. If we keep it to the normal rotation by walking and using Snap Shot.

 

It does seem to be the best option but since I still don't feel a master in the less movement rotation I'll prob keep with it for a moment.

 

I think that after every SV it will prob be better to use 2 Snipes instead of walking and Take Cover but have to test that.

It will always be quicker to drop in and out of cover for an instant snipe than casting two snipes. You can easily drop back into cover within one GCD.

[Sardonyyx]

It will always be quicker to drop in and out of cover for an instant snipe than casting two snipes. You can easily drop back into cover within one GCD.

 

 

 

Actually proved that wrong in another post. Faster to cast two than to get up, snap shot is still useful though,but if you can be a turret it's better not to move. Going in and out of cover resets the gcd.

[SamuelAU]

Actually proved that wrong in another post. Faster to cast two than to get up, snap shot is still useful though,but if you can be a turret it's better not to move. Going in and out of cover resets the gcd.

This is interesting. I feel the only way to resolve this is for me to try a few parses and compare the DPS difference using snap shot vs casting every snipe.

[namesaretough]

This is interesting. I feel the only way to resolve this is for me to try a few parses and compare the DPS difference using snap shot vs casting every snipe.

 

Could you explain where you expect to see extra damage coming from, if you use snap shot procs vs hard casting snipe every time? I just don't see where any extra damage could come from, as it's a GCD to cast vs a GCD+any delay from movement to use snap shot, but I keep seeing that advice popping up. I'm wondering if I'm missing something you could illuminate for me.

[Svii]

The only advantage to Instant Sniper over channeling is if Reactive shots is just about to expire.

[Synavix]

The only advantage to Instant Sniper over channeling is if Reactive shots is just about to expire.

 

^^ This. I also don't really see what advantage instant snipe would have, especially since you risk losing energy regen by leaving cover frequently.

[paowee]

^^ This. I also don't really see what advantage instant snipe would have, especially since you risk losing energy regen by leaving cover frequently.

Increased APM! lol.

 

Insta Snipe (in and out of cover) is useful for getting in some last second dps during burn phases (kephes stacks) or adds that are already low on hp (styrak adds).

[Synavix]

True that. I was just thinking more in terms of a "standard" rotation, but you got me

[adrunktick]

Well, my rotation revolves around FT. My given rotation puts out as many FT as possible.

 

I use my rotation first, then switch to yours if target is still alive.

 

I think it depends on the fight. It its single target and the target is stationary:

 

OS > Ambush > SS > FT > Snipe > Snipe > FT > SOS > FT > SV > SOS > FT >Ambush > FT....

 

But if its a moving target, then yeah, I tend to agree more with the other rotation you had.

 

SS > Snipe > FT > SOS > FT > SV > SOS > FT > Snipe > Snipe > FT > Ambush.

[OneArmed]

sos > ft > snipe > snipe > ft > ambush > ft > filler

i think this is the more common rotation.

 

edit: i just realized some might be talking about pve in general, not specifically in an ops. this rotation is for high hp targets that live more than a few of these rotations, like an ops boss. in open world, you might start at ambush and then continue with the rotation if they live that long.

Edited May 22, 2013 by OneArmed

[namesaretough]

edit:wrong thread

[SamuelAU]

There have been some interesting discussions in the gunslinger version of this thread about alacrity vs surge, set bonus etc. I've also made a few edits to the OP and will do a large edit about the value of the 2-pc PvP set bonus for an extra orbital strike in the next few days.

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=640261 is the link!