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Love Commandos, Hate Cannons

Mehter

By Mehter
in Commando / Mercenary

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Mehter

Mehter

Posted
Posted

I know you aren't able to use two abilities if you use a rifle, but is there any other difference?

 

I'd love to be able to just forgo the cannon altogether. I don't like the animations, and it feels less 'tactical'.

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mastervalkar

mastervalkar

Posted
Posted (edited)

The base weapon damage of an Assault Cannon is higher then a Blaster Rifle.

Example: at the 180 mod level a Assault Cannon was 604-1122 base weapon damage; a blaster rifle has 503-935.

 

Cannons also have a large damage range, while the Rifle is much tighter. Add Tech power, Power, and Surge, and the Cannon has the higher overall damage range, where the rifle stay within a tighter range.

Examples:

My Demo round on my Mando crit for anywhere from 7500 to 11750, depending on relic procs

My High Impact Bolts of my Vanguard Crit from 7700 to 9450 depending on relic procs (tighter damage range)

(Both are in full 180 gear with 168/162 set armorings mixed in; Obroan relics)

 

Long story short, Assault Cannon are just better. End of story

Edited by mastervalkar
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Cuiwe

Cuiwe

Posted
Posted (edited)
I know you aren't able to use two abilities if you use a rifle, but is there any other difference?

 

I'd love to be able to just forgo the cannon altogether. I don't like the animations, and it feels less 'tactical'.

 

I know what you mean. The fact that you're lugging around sth that should be a part of a vehicle is just lol to me. Ok, first gen(Coruscant, Taris, sub 20 crafting) cannons I am able to stomach(Wraith projector and the like), but it quickly becomes WAY too ridiculous for me. As for the question:

 

You lose Charged Bolts which become obsolete for a Gunnery Commando by 20 anyhow(GravRound replaces it). As an Assault Commando, this loss is felt however.

You also lose your only reliable AoE(Hail) which could be felt in Zerg heavy situations. Overall? Not so much because both of your DPS trees are ST focused.

From the Healing standpoint-you lose nothing!

 

But there is one thing you lose on: Rifles are about 90% as effective as cannons(perhaps even lower). That's why Vang has all those elemental attacks. Seeing how most of your damage(if you intend to use a Rifle, you'll go Gunnery 100%) is physical, the difference will be even more evident and ever increasing as the difficulty of the game increased(act I->act II->act III). Because of the Armour values of strong and elite enemies. Assault is out of the question(no charged) and if you try comparing your damage with an equally leveled/geared Vang...you're in for a surprise! I am not sure about tech power difference though. For a Healer, it could very well be quite insignificant.

 

It boils down to this: Using a Rifle as a Commando is the same as using a single blaster as a merc. You're 80% effective(perhaps 85 or so for a Rifle).

 

If you don't care for endgame or for PvP where each % is felt, feel free to create a Commando and use a Rifle. In those "serious" modes, however, you are forced to use a cannon. Those are your facts.

Edited by Cuiwe
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Ryuku-sama

Ryuku-sama

Posted
Posted
Thanks ryuku. You're a godsend for all these statistical stuff. Must be a lot of PvP under the belt no? ;)

 

Some PvE too... And I like your hybrids.. they give me good base to build a better one that is useable in PvP (not in serious PvE unfortunately :()

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Gyronamics

Gyronamics

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Doesn't it affect healing Hammer shot though? I sure love being able to heal tank with just click 1, 1, 1, 1 in many situations :D

 

Hammer shot does not use damage points for healing.

 

Your bonus healing (from tech tab) is used for all your healing and ignores whether its a cannon or rifle.

 

 

Bottom line is:

 

Rifles lose damage on all white damage and disable Charged Bolts and Hail of Bolts

 

This makes Assault unplayable, lowers the damage output of Gunnery and badly affects damage potential on Combat Medic.

 

Some people don't mind trading that for bonus points in role play and appearance.

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Ryuku-sama

Ryuku-sama

Posted
Posted

Bottom line is:

 

Rifles lose damage on all white damage and disable Charged Bolts and Hail of Bolts

 

This makes Assault unplayable, lowers the damage output of Gunnery and badly affects damage potential on Combat Medic.

 

Some people don't mind trading that for bonus points in role play and appearance.

 

Because as healer your DPS matters that much ;)

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ScarletBlaze

ScarletBlaze

Posted
Posted
Because as healer your DPS matters that much ;)

 

Ryuku so if I was to make a commando healer I could use a smaller gun? My boyfriend and I are looking at making new characters and the only one I don't have yet is the trooper and since he is making a shadow-tank then I normally make a healer so was thinking commando healer but those cannons would overshadow me.

 

Thank you.

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Ryuku-sama

Ryuku-sama

Posted
Posted
Ryuku so if I was to make a commando healer I could use a smaller gun? My boyfriend and I are looking at making new characters and the only one I don't have yet is the trooper and since he is making a shadow-tank then I normally make a healer so was thinking commando healer but those cannons would overshadow me.

 

Thank you.

 

Yes.... As long as you don't care about your DPS, using a rifle is viable for Commando.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Gavin_Kelvar

Gavin_Kelvar

Posted
Posted

I just wish they'd make assault cannon variants that were held like rifles and just looked like a larger, bulked up rifle. Star Wars already established repeating blasters (basically what TOR calls assault cannons) that are held like rifles. For example, the T-21 or Canderous Ordo's heavy repeating blaster.

 

I'd like to use a rifle as my healer commando but I kinda also feel that the loss of DPS might upset people if I try to do FPs, especially at end game.

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LaniAkavir

LaniAkavir

Posted
Posted (edited)
I just wish they'd make assault cannon variants that were held like rifles and just looked like a larger, bulked up rifle. Star Wars already established repeating blasters (basically what TOR calls assault cannons) that are held like rifles. For example, the T-21 or Canderous Ordo's heavy repeating blaster.

 

I'd like to use a rifle as my healer commando but I kinda also feel that the loss of DPS might upset people if I try to do FPs, especially at end game.

 

I've healed through most contents with rifle 1 month after release (HM FPs, Eternity Vault in January 2012), and have been using the very same, original set of crafted armor (As seen on my avatar) and my Black Talon Rifle until legacy gear and Interstellar Regulator's blaster rifle dorn came out (2.5 years later).

 

I still use the same look for pvp, and people are not upset, if happy, that I'm healing. Newbs might question your choice, but all veterans know that a rifle mando can operate just as good as any other healers.

 

Go on and use a rifle, I never went back to those ugly cannons anyways :)

Edited by LaniAkavir
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wishihadaname

wishihadaname

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I've been playing gunnery dps with a rifle for years now in top end pvp and in normal mode ops/HM flashpoints. Its perfectly viable. You will need a slightly higher than suggested gear level for the flashpoints and ops, but that's not hard to do as the pvp gear is sufficient. For pvp what matters most is your ability to stay alive, kite, and heal yourself. The burst in gunnery doesn't change with a rifle and sustained doesn't much matter in pvp. I never have any issues and can easily pull 800k+ in a stalled voidstar match or 40 kills + in a healer light alderaan.
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Gyronamics

Gyronamics

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Posted
Because as healer your DPS matters that much ;)

 

In your average content it's not likely you'll need to.

 

In challenging content of whatever kind, maybe NiM, maybe undermanning for a challenge, a commando can do massive damage for a healer by popping SCC, adrenal and with zero ammo cost, spamming charged bolts for the duration. Ideally you burn your ammo then spam CB with SCC while your ammo regens.

 

Neither a scoundrel or a sage healer can put out that level of damage even if they crippled their energy to try.

 

Point is if you're using a rifle then CB is disabled so you don't have that option.

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