Looking for honest opinions on Vanguard PVP

[Phixler]

Hi All, I'm returning from a long break and used to play a Vanguard, mainly assault or tactics and exclusively PVP. I am reading a bunch of stuff about Vanguards being weak and such, so I'm not really looking for the QQ.

 

I guess what I want to know is, what is considered the best PVP spec we have right now? I'm assuming based on reading Assault has fallen from it's throne, but is it still viable, and will it be viable for arenas? What about tactics and shield spec?

 

Thanks in advance, going to start grinding 50-55 and would like to get some ideas on how to gear up for PVP to be most effective. =)

[mfourcustom]

Hi All, I'm returning from a long break and used to play a Vanguard, mainly assault or tactics and exclusively PVP. I am reading a bunch of stuff about Vanguards being weak and such, so I'm not really looking for the QQ.

 

I guess what I want to know is, what is considered the best PVP spec we have right now? I'm assuming based on reading Assault has fallen from it's throne, but is it still viable, and will it be viable for arenas? What about tactics and shield spec?

 

Thanks in advance, going to start grinding 50-55 and would like to get some ideas on how to gear up for PVP to be most effective. =)

 

It all boils down to how you look at things....

Assault in a good players hands will probably do *OK* in arenas but will mostly get out classed by smashers/slingers.

Tactics will probably fallow along the same lines sadly.

 

if you consider yourself a *GOOD* vanguard and you think you can get everything out of the class that it has to offer than play it and try your best see how you do. I'm pretty much done playing this game but I've been playing my vanguard as assault and a few days of tactics since around 3 weeks after 2.0 (took a three week break after 2.0 and all its glory nerfs pretty much killed the class...) you can do *OK* assault has no burst and you die just as fast as you did before, tactics is meh at best has *SOME* don't let these tactics pros fool you tactics burst is meh at best does not what so ever stack up to a smasher/mandos so on and so forth.

 

Over all in my honest opinion the class is a big joke these days but you can get burst outta tactics and you can do good numbers and mediocre burst in assault. As far as the best spec goes I don't see a point in the hybrid craze I out DPS these hybrid pros with full assault and full tactics so meh.

 

Good luck.

Edited August 23, 2013 by mfourcustom

[Phixler]

Thank you I truly appreciate the honest feedback.

 

What happened that nerfed us so bad? When I quit I actually got bored because I felt the game was too easy as assault and eventually just got so bored I quit playing.

[Keypek]

Thank you I truly appreciate the honest feedback.

 

What happened that nerfed us so bad? When I quit I actually got bored because I felt the game was too easy as assault and eventually just got so bored I quit playing.

 

The plasma cell DoT damage got cut in half, Assault plastique got half it's damage taken away and turned into a looong DoT (however on pts this got slightly unnerfed but still not as good as once was), Incendiary round and assault plastique range was changed to 10 meters instead of 30, the snare of plasma cell DoT was reduced to 30% and 2 seconds (being slightly unnerfed on pts to 6 seconds), the new level 55 assault tree has several useless or crappy things you have to spec into just to get to AP making it even more worthless, HiB armor penetration was reduced to only 75%, and while bioware completely neutered assaults burst potential at the same time they gave almost all the dps classes huge buffs to burst damage making vanguard one of the worst in this category now. That all came down pretty much in 2.0 aside from the range changes. That coupled with our poor defensive CDs or lack of compared to something like a sentinel there just isn't much of a place for VGs in ranked pvp anymore.

 

Having briefly played on pts last night and having done some dummy parses I'd say tactics will be an ok spec in pvp now. Assault still seems very week all thought AP is back to hitting for just under 5k on initial explosion on crit. To bad got to waste so many points to get it. The 20% nerf to gut seemed to hurt hybrid spec. meh.

[DaShuk]

I must be in the minority but I love my Vanguard in PVP, though I chose to go shield specialist and fill more of a tanking/defensive role for holding objectives. Damage output isn't the greatest, but I can hold my own and if we have a decent healer that is paying attention I can take a boatload of punishment.

 

My only disclaimer is that this is in pre-50-55 pvp, as I'm only 40 on my Vanguard right now, but having a real blast with her in both PVE and PVP.

[cashogy_reborn]

Its fine for Regs. Crap for Ranked.

[Aelaias]

Here's my full assault rotation. Hammer shot > hib, IR>AP>sticky>battle focus (if up)>stock strike>IP or take a chance with pc-less hib (if up)> IP/hib. Stacking damage (2 time-delayed explosives and 2 instants as well as dots) works, I have caught many an operative by surprise. Unfortunately it's very costly and with the incoming plasma cell nerf we will have even less finishing power than we already do. The burst can be decent, I feel it is better than vigilance but the spec is far too soft unlike vigilance as well as more complicated due to need for careful timing. I gave arenas a go, between mediocre damage, softness, and plasma cell nerf it does not appear to be viable. There are many classes who do single target way better than assault. The Austin half-wits are out of their depth. Edited August 25, 2013 by Aelaias

[Couver]

I'll just leave this here...

 

http://www.twitch.tv/aioribfz/c/2794895

[Tonev]

I'll just leave this here...

 

http://www.twitch.tv/aioribfz/c/2794895

I can guarantee you with a pre made team that used AoE taunts and such , with proper classes CCing this woukd not have shifted in your favor. I have to give it to you guys though, the element of suprise was funny!

[that_Spartan_IV]

Its fine for Regs. Crap for Ranked.

 

This is regrettably true...

[Couver]

I can guarantee you with a pre made team that used AoE taunts and such , with proper classes CCing this woukd not have shifted in your favor. I have to give it to you guys though, the element of suprise was funny!

Funny you should say that.

 

http://www.twitch.tv/vork17/b/449484061

 

Here's the vid from the opposing team's point of view. It WAS a premade, cookie cutter group.

[tensaix]

I must be in the minority but I love my Vanguard in PVP, though I chose to go shield specialist and fill more of a tanking/defensive role for holding objectives. Damage output isn't the greatest, but I can hold my own and if we have a decent healer that is paying attention I can take a boatload of punishment.

 

My only disclaimer is that this is in pre-50-55 pvp, as I'm only 40 on my Vanguard right now, but having a real blast with her in both PVE and PVP.

 

Only viable option for Vanguard in pvp is tanking otherwise you are a burden for your team, vanguard dps is non-existant, but according to devs. it's working as intended

[Phixler]

Only viable option for Vanguard in pvp is tanking otherwise you are a burden for your team, vanguard dps is non-existant, but according to devs. it's working as intended

 

Are vanguards considered viable tanks for ranked/arena if specced and geared as tanks? I understand most feel the burst is gimped, but what about the tanking utility in PVP?

[AlyxDinas]

On an objective level, we're still at a disadvantage compared to other tanks, who enjoy much better DCDs. Having a charge and a pull helps us but only so much. A good VG can get high protection, particularly with a pocket healer (although that's obvious). My friend's broken the 1 mil mark. If you're a good player and understand the class, you can still be a threat. But that's not saying much since you can be a threat, generally speaking for normal matches, with a majority of classes if you understand them.

 

Ranked? It's a different story. We're not exactly are a premium for value at the moment.

[Macroeconomics]

Only viable option for Vanguard in pvp is tanking otherwise you are a burden for your team, vanguard dps is non-existant, but according to devs. it's working as intended

 

The problem is that the few remaining Vanguard dps are really good ones. So Vanguard Assault meta averages are off the charts. The few times I play my PT Pyro, it is fairly trivial to have the highest damage output on my team. But I know that the same thing would have transpired on my Smash Monkey. The difference is that my Smash Monkey's high scores are masked by scads of low scores from undergeared, FoTM Rage/Focus players.

[TUXs]

The problem is that the few remaining Vanguard dps are really good ones. So Vanguard Assault meta averages are off the charts. The few times I play my PT Pyro, it is fairly trivial to have the highest damage output on my team. But I know that the same thing would have transpired on my Smash Monkey. The difference is that my Smash Monkey's high scores are masked by scads of low scores from undergeared, FoTM Rage/Focus players.

 

VERY valid point!!!

[Iolus]

The problem is that the few remaining Vanguard dps are really good ones. So Vanguard Assault meta averages are off the charts. The few times I play my PT Pyro, it is fairly trivial to have the highest damage output on my team. But I know that the same thing would have transpired on my Smash Monkey. The difference is that my Smash Monkey's high scores are masked by scads of low scores from undergeared, FoTM Rage/Focus players.

 

So I should stop playing my vanguard?

[Iolus]

Funny you should say that.

 

http://www.twitch.tv/vork17/b/449484061

 

Here's the vid from the opposing team's point of view. It WAS a premade, cookie cutter group.

 

oh no.... ap pts are stupid good right now.......

[Arch_Angel_Gabe]

It all boils down to how you look at things....

Assault in a good players hands will probably do *OK* in arenas but will mostly get out classed by smashers/slingers.

Tactics will probably fallow along the same lines sadly.

 

if you consider yourself a *GOOD* vanguard and you think you can get everything out of the class that it has to offer than play it and try your best see how you do. I'm pretty much done playing this game but I've been playing my vanguard as assault and a few days of tactics since around 3 weeks after 2.0 (took a three week break after 2.0 and all its glory nerfs pretty much killed the class...) you can do *OK* assault has no burst and you die just as fast as you did before, tactics is meh at best has *SOME* don't let these tactics pros fool you tactics burst is meh at best does not what so ever stack up to a smasher/mandos so on and so forth.

 

Over all in my honest opinion the class is a big joke these days but you can get burst outta tactics and you can do good numbers and mediocre burst in assault. As far as the best spec goes I don't see a point in the hybrid craze I out DPS these hybrid pros with full assault and full tactics so meh.

 

Good luck.

 

This is pretty accurate... Funny thing is the the VG is very competitive UNTIL L55... After that, it seems everyone can outheal the burst damage you do. 2.4 should provide some assistance overall, though not enough to bring the class up to some of the other power houses.

[Brunner_Venda]

oh no.... ap pts are stupid good right now.......

 

AP specs are fairly good on live now. It's weird but when you get used to it, it's fun.

 

It has the best defense CD's of all trees. The reflexive shield redoubt proc absorbs all kinds of damage. Shield is available quite a bit, and shock absorbers is a built in nerf to smash/sweep.

 

AP is mobile, with the extra HTL time and 20% speed boost you can run a huttball all the way to an end zone. Assault usually gets murdered with the ball.

 

AP damage is fairly good with the AOE. Hitting with a three stack pulse generator should do 9K to every sucker caught in it every eight seconds. If you're good with it, it's extremely effective, but the downside is that half of your DPS is in this one three second channel cast.

[Arehonn]

The popular trend right now ( which you'll see even more of ) is running a tactics build with ion cell. I would probably run this too, but I'm too enamored with Storm.

 

Personally, I run a full Shield spec with Ion Cell and tank for my group. I love it.