For the new Bounty Hunter

[JApolo]

Hello,

I am new to the game, and tried to search for the most current advice.

Sorry I can't make heads or tails of the abbreviations or what would work best.

A Shield Tech build was not in mind as my preference is to end a battle as fast as possible;

I prefer to do as much damage as I can and move to the next mob.

I instead went Pyrotech with this build from http://powertechbuilds.com/ :

 

http://pts.swtor-spy.com/skill-tree-calculator/powertech/231/?build=003200000000000000000000000000000203000000000000000000000000000003200302221002120230023002120010&ver=20

 

While I am enjoying it for solo quests and Heroics, I am kind of concerned with heat management.

I am also uncertain as to how to rotate between skills in the most practical and efficient manner.

Since all I was shown at that website was a build, not an actual rotation,

I'm always wondering if there is a better way to use my skills.

I find myself thinking that in Heroics I'm not being as effective as other bounty hunters.

 

My question is, Is this build okay to stick with ? or is there a better build and rotation for Pyro,

or should I go with Advanced Prototype, or a Hybrid ?

Sorry for the wall of text and thank you for all genuine help and advice.

[wreckdum]

You have chosen the lowest DPS spec of the bunch. Hybrid is on top, but can be a bit confusing. Advanced Proto is next for DPS. Its much easier to manage your rotation and heat with it. Keep in mind all specs need to have you around lvl 30-40 to start getting your bread and butter skills for each tree. I prefer AP personally for my play style, and I can still pull mobs off tanks, even with our broken class.

 

Hope that helps alittle

[JApolo]

You have chosen the lowest DPS spec of the bunch.

 

OUCH , well, that is what I was afraid of.

So for an Advanced Prototype build would you recommend the one on that website I gave earlier or is there a more current and better one available that everyone is using and a rotation of skills for it, Please ?

I don't think I can deal with too much complexity, I came from "Rift" where builds are as complex as they can get.

Hard enough trying to figure out how to use one soul in the build, only to have two others that are suppose to compliment it, then figure out the rotation for those skills .

Edited July 12, 2013 by JApolo

[af_raptura]

I personally use a spec like this

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#301G0hZMsMrRrRRkGGz.3

 

If you really want to squeeze out more damage, you can put points into rail loaders and iron fist.

[JApolo]

Thank you, I'll give that a try, Is there a rotation for the skills, that is recommended ?

[wreckdum]

I personally use a spec like this

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#301G0hZMsMrRrRRkGGz.3

 

If you really want to squeeze out more damage, you can put points into rail loaders and iron fist.

 

For pure DPS use;

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#301hMhZMsMRRrRRoGGzZb.3

 

keep Retractable up, use Flame throw when you are at 3 stacks of Prototype Flame Thrower. Quite simple.

[JApolo]

keep Retractable up, use Flame throw when you are at 3 stacks of Prototype Flame Thrower. Quite simple.

 

Hmmm ? Do you mean to use Retractable blade often ?, I did try that it still builds up heat ?

and Flame Thrower ? 3 Stacks ? I'm sorry I really am a noob :'( I don't understand what that means.

 

Maybe If I explain what I do that might help to see what I do wrong and right ?

For Single target at range, I start with explosive dart, followed by missle blast.

I'll pull it in with grappling hook into a rocket punch, rail shot combo, unload, retractable blade and finish with flame thrower.

If needed, I'll do rapid shots and flame burst if heat isn't too bad until a skill comes off cool down. I'll vent heat if I need to, use an Energy Shield if I'm taking too much dmg, pop a med pack, If it's a tough boss, I'll click electro dart and heroic moment: on the trail, and go from there.

Multiple targets I'll nail as much of the group as I can with death from above, and pick of any stragglers with explosive dart and thus begins the single target stream with flame sweep and using flame thrower when I get into position I can hit more than 1 Mob with it.

There are times I might misclick and do something other than that rotation, but I just continue from there most of the time.

So am I on the right track ? Should I try something different ?

Again thanks. I do appreciate.

[XantosCledwin]

keep Retractable up, use Flame throw when you are at 3 stacks of Prototype Flame Thrower. Quite simple.

 

I have been playing for a while and even I don't know what you mean by "Retractable" I assume you mean Retractable Blade, the Instant Ability which causes a Damage over Time Effect for 15 seconds. Otherwise it wouldn't make sense. In which case:

 

@ JApolo, he basically means make sure that the 15 second Damage over Time effect never wears off. As for the "3 Stacks" issue, he is referring to 3 Stacks of the buff (enhancement effect) known as Prototype Flamethrower that is applied to your character when you use either Flame Burst, Flame Sweep, or Immolate, but seeing as how you are a newer player and all, you may not have the Prototype Flamethrower buff allocated to your character on your class tree yet seeing as how it is a Tier 6 trait and you kind of need to be at least level 31 before you can even add it to your list of traits. If you are 31 and you have added it to your list of traits, then you will see a little Icon with a number over it displayed above your character's health bar which is named "Prototype Flamethrower" The numbers that are displayed above that Icon are the number of stacks you have for that particular buff.

 

Oh and I should mention that practically the only ability that a Bounty Hunter has that does not build heat but is still an attack, is Rapid Shots (aka the Bounty Hunters basic attack). So it is par for the course to be managing your heat at all times. Heat is to the Bounty Hunter what Force, Focus, and Rage are to Force Users. In the Force Users case, if their resource runs out they can't use most of their attacks. In our case if our resource bar fills up, we can't use most of our attacks. They just flipped the aesthetics around, but the end result is the same.

 

Please note that my signature is a bit misleading, I have several characters one of which is a Powertech utilizing the Shield Spec.

Edited July 13, 2013 by XantosCledwin

[Gelgaroth]

I run a shield tech powertech myself. I still do decent dps as far as i'm concerned. I mean, I kill fast enough for my tastes, and using mako, I have epic survivability and solo skills, soloing most 4 man content as I level. I also have like 5-6 aoes at my disposal, before level 30... Death from above, explosive dart, flamethrower, flame sweep and an aoe proc (triggered effect basically) from my ion gas cylinder that eplodes damageing targeted mob and 4 nearby mobs whenever I use railshot on said mob, which is almost every cooldown of railshot, because of how often ion gas cylinder's (tanking stance basically. doubles threat generation, gives higher shiled chance, and 60% extra armor rating, chance to do extra damage, can add a dot and explosion proc to it, as stated) dot (damage over time) procs. I no longer use missile blast as a powertech, because compared to most other abilities, it's damage is abysmal. I still use it on my mercenary though, because it shoots twice (idk if it shoots more yet though, I've only gotten merc to end of balmorra, like lvl 25).And the heat cost for it is too high to bother with for powertech tank. Flamesweep is my heat killer now, cuz I tend to spam it on accident. I try to only use it once or twice per aoe group rotation, but sometimes I hit the hotkey too fast and bam, 3-4 flamesweeps and maxed heat. Flame burst, even with it's relatively low heat cost still gets me into trouble as well.

[KnyghtmareX]

Every PT DPS will tell you different. Yes us Pryotechs keeping geting told we are the lowest on the DPS tree but its all in how you play your character and what you learn through trial and Error. I am a Pyrotech DPS and im a damn good one at that. I run a 8/8/30 build and it works great for me i barely overheat i Use Flame burst a lot and Rail shots a lot

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#301RMhZMsMZfGMrzRrcc.3

[Chickensevil]

Hmmm ? Do you mean to use Retractable blade often ?, I did try that it still builds up heat ?

and Flame Thrower ? 3 Stacks ? I'm sorry I really am a noob :'( I don't understand what that means.

 

Maybe If I explain what I do that might help to see what I do wrong and right ?

For Single target at range, I start with explosive dart, followed by missle blast.

I'll pull it in with grappling hook into a rocket punch, rail shot combo, unload, retractable blade and finish with flame thrower.

If needed, I'll do rapid shots and flame burst if heat isn't too bad until a skill comes off cool down. I'll vent heat if I need to, use an Energy Shield if I'm taking too much dmg, pop a med pack, If it's a tough boss, I'll click electro dart and heroic moment: on the trail, and go from there.

Multiple targets I'll nail as much of the group as I can with death from above, and pick of any stragglers with explosive dart and thus begins the single target stream with flame sweep and using flame thrower when I get into position I can hit more than 1 Mob with it.

There are times I might misclick and do something other than that rotation, but I just continue from there most of the time.

So am I on the right track ? Should I try something different ?

Again thanks. I do appreciate.

 

ACK! Get rid of missile blast pronto!!!! Remove it COMPLETELY from your bars and forget that ability exists. It is the WORST thing in this game, and has 0 use beyond the first 5 levels (like litterally when you get unload and rocket punch you can get rid of missle blast, which I think is around level 5)

 

Now that is out of the way....

 

Retractable Blade is the first new ability you pick up by going into the AP tree. It is a DoT that lasts for 15 seconds and increases your damage of just about everything else by 5%. You want to keep this up at all times but try not to refresh it too early (or you will just drive up your heat). The upfront damage is not enough to justify using it for anything other than re-applying the dot.

 

Because of an ability in your tree called Prototype Flame Thrower (5th tier on the left), when you use Flame Burst, Flame Sweep, or Immolate you gain a stack of Prototype Flame Thrower, up to three. Then when you use your flame thrower ability it increases the damage by 20% per stack. With a full AP build you should be able to get three stacks easily before your Flame Thrower comes off CD. Use this for single and AOE targeting.

 

Your basic AP rotation will be something like this:

1. Retractable Blade

2. Immolate

3. Rocket Punch

4. Rail Shot

5. Flame Burst

6. Flame Burst

7. Flame Thrower

8. Filler

9. Filler

 

I feel like I am missing something in there somewhere, I am pulling this from the top of my head so someone feel free to correct me. You can switch up the rotation a bit if you always start the fight with three stacks of Prototype Flame Thrower. By making Flame thrower your second ability in the rotation. Then it's just follow the flow you see there. The two filler abilities can either be Flame Burst or Rapid Shots depending on where your heat is at.

 

To manage your heat properly, NEVER go above 40 heat (if you do use a CD). Your target should be around 15 heat. If you are less than that you are free to use a high heat ability, if you are more than that you might want to scale it back a bit to ensure you don't go over 40.

[Chickensevil]

And if you want to run Pyro (the damage isn't the best, but it is easier to play. As long as you are high enough level to spec into Prototype Particle Accelerator you can execute the basic pyro build and rotation.

 

Basically, Rocket Punch and Flame Burst have a 70/40% chance to proc a free rail shot (it actually vents heat so it is better than free) and will refresh the CD of Rail Shot. This affect can only happen once every 6 seconds. Basically in an ideal world every 4th attack will be a Rail Shot. The rotation works out something like this:

 

Rocket Punch/Flame Burst -> Rail Shot -> 1st Ability -> 2nd Ability

 

So, now you should also have Incendiary Missile. You will want to use it as one of those two middle abilities combined with a Rapid Shots (to keep your heat down). You will reapply this ONLY when you need to refresh the DoT on the target it is a massive waste of heat otherwise.

 

So that looks like this:

Rocket Punch/Flame Burst -> Rail Shot -> Incendiary Missile -> Rapid Shots

 

When Death From Above is up you can use that as your filler since it will be your best single target damage you can do for those three seconds. That would come out to:

RP/FB -> RS -> Death From Above

 

Finally, if DFA is on CD, and IM is on the target you are left with filler. Depending on your heat you will either do two Flame Bursts or a Flame Burst and a Rapid Shots. Basically it will go like this:

 

Over 15 heat after RS:

RP/FB -> RS -> FB -> Rapid Shots

Under 15 heat after RS

RP/FB -> RS -> FB -> FB

 

That's pretty much all there is to know!