Viable DPS/Heal Hybrid

[sistersaffron]

I have been experimenting with this build recently in WZs, and find it to be quite excellent. Being a Hybrid build it won't put up the numbers of full ability trees, but it makes up for that in survivability, and general utility. While using it I have received many MVP votes, and seem to win the majority of 1vs1 fights, even against more skilled players. It basically makes you into a merc tank, and has cut my overall WZs deaths by more than half.

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#300rfMkRzcokZrffR0dok.3

 

A few salient points:

 

You can switch between cylinders depending on whether you need to dps or heal, but I prefer to use the high velocity cylinder unless I am the only healer.

 

Heat management can be an issue so you need to sprinkle some base attacks into your rotation.

 

Power Shield is great for uninterruptible Tracer Missiles and Death from Above.

 

Try to take advantage of Tracer Lock to give you instant Healing Scans.

 

Tabbing through all visible eneemies and giving each a tracer missile armor debuff is very helpfull to your teammates.

 

While node guarding you will pray a stealth is foolish enough to attack the lone pitiful merc, thereby gifting you with a easy solo kill.

[NathanielStarr]

I would have to try it more. So far in PvP it felt like a weaker dps that still has to run and hide to heal. Then all that tracer set up with no heatseeker is disappointing.

[Easpeak]

The main fault with your spec is that it relies on you being let to free cast, as you haven't taken any of the CC slots that help you survive - especially since you won't have the DPS nor the actual healing capability to pose a real threat.

[Gyronamics]

Switching cylinders is an illusion of flexibility.

 

In any given fight you are a gimped dps or a gimped healer. If you attempt to swap cylinders in a fight you are open to being interrupted, leaving you with no cylinder.

 

Whatever you do you can't keep it up because of heat issues and lack of high tier talents and you have no significant burst healing or damage.

 

Votes for MVP are extremely easy to come by if you heal anything at all. Very rare to blame a healer and very common to vote for a healer even if they aren't that good at it.

 

It's always tempting but there's no hybrid. You are a good A B or C branch or you're just trying to swim upstream.

[lokiwalker]

If you were to tweak this, I would try to stick with one cylinder. You have talents that will only work with one or the other. Also arsenal without the HSM just seems crazy... maybe try some pyro dots? It would be less DPSe and more Heals with some dots?

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#300rfMkRkcdkfMZMZfcb0z.3

[BigDumbViking]

The problem with hybrid builds as a Merc is the heat management. If you are bouncing back and forth between healing and dps, then you cant get a rotation going and are going to run through your heat much faster.

 

Also, switching cylinders has a cast time and if you are doing it during combat and get interrupted you could end up with NO cylinder active, which would be bad.

 

If you are intent on playing a hybrid, I would look at this if you want to run a TM rotation.

 

I would avoid any cylinder dependent talents for fear of getting stuck in the wrong cylinder. That is also why I would avoid going Pyro/heal hybrid. The talent tree for Pyro is very cylinder dependent, as is Bodyguard tree. Plus the tracer missile proc on healing scan could be useful if you have the higher tear buffs to HS.