Some suggested merc changes.

[Hoppinswtor]

Missle Blast changes:

Missile Blast now has a 5 second cooldown for all specs.

 

Arsenal Merc changes:

 

Arsenal Passives:

1. Power Launcher increases damage dealt by all missile attacks (Tracer, Heatseeker, Fusion, Missile Blast) by 5 percent. It no longer buffs Electro Net and Rail Shot by 5 percent.

2. Light 'em Up now allows Missile Blast to generate one stack of Tracer Lock.

3. Target Tracking increases surge bonus of Heatseeker Missile etc by 25 percent (down from 30 percent), but it now also increases the surge bonus of Fusion Missile (and its dots) and Missile Blast by 25 percent.

4. New Passive: Supercharged Loaders. Activating Supercharge Gas makes the target immune to interrupts for the duration and allows the next Missile Blast to automatically critically hit. This passive will replace Blowback.

5. Decoy. Chaff flare can be activated while stunned but grants 4 charges instead of 5.

6. Tracer Lock. Each stack of Tracer Lock increases Rail Shot damage by 8 percent (up from 6 percent).

 

Merc Passives:

1. Upgraded Arsenal for High Velocity Gas Cylinder. Reduces heat cost of Rail Shot by 5 (down from 10) and Missile Blast by 2.

2. Improved Shields. Energy Shield absorbs weapon (white) damage by an additional 10 percent. Chaff Flare additionally makes the target immune to controlling effects for 2 seconds.

3. Supercharge: Missile Blast and Fusion Missile now generate a stack.

 

The rationale: I think Arsenal Merc Survivability/single-target parsing can be increased a bit (per above), but it should come at a cost. What's the cost? Slightly trickier heat management and an additional move to juggle in the rotation. Plus, I've always felt that Missile Blast should have more of a role in a discipline that's heavily based on shooting missiles. The changes above aren't all pure buffs: heatseekers are being nerfed slightly, and you need to make full use of Tracer Lock to make Rail Shot hit reasonably hard. Plus, Supercharge Gas needs to be managed more effectively and used more often in a pvp setting to take advantage of the interrupt immunity and autocrits.

Edited July 21, 2015 by Hoppinswtor

[Flintfire]

For pvp purposes, I believe Tracer lock should only affect Railshot damage and tracer missile should apply a different buff for our healing abilities' decreased cooldown and increased healing. This way you can pop a railshot at full power and get a useful heal. The reasoning behind two seperate stacking buffs, one for healing and one for railshot, is that us mercenaries have to swap survivability for offense, yet no other class does? Same with our top tier utilities. You kinda have to choose between being more mobile or more sturdy. If I take Stabilized Armor and Energy Redoubt I have better survivability but at a loss of mobility from Thrill of the Hunt, but if I replace one of the above abilities I lose their vital defensive abilities.

[Lalainnia]

Missle Blast changes:

Missile Blast now has a 5 second cooldown for all specs.

 

Arsenal Merc changes:

 

Arsenal Passives:

1. Power Launcher increases damage dealt by all missile attacks (Tracer, Heatseeker, Fusion, Missile Blast) by 5 percent. It no longer buffs Electro Net and Rail Shot by 5 percent.

2. Light 'em Up now allows Missile Blast to generate one stack of Tracer Lock.

3. Target Tracking increases surge bonus of Heatseeker Missile etc by 25 percent (down from 30 percent), but it now also increases the surge bonus of Fusion Missile (and its dots) and Missile Blast by 25 percent.

4. New Passive: Supercharged Loaders. Activating Supercharge Gas makes the target immune to interrupts for the duration and allows the next Missile Blast to automatically critically hit. This passive will replace Blowback.

5. Decoy. Chaff flare can be activated while stunned but grants 4 charges instead of 5.

6. Tracer Lock. Each stack of Tracer Lock increases Rail Shot damage by 8 percent (up from 6 percent).

 

Merc Passives:

1. Upgraded Arsenal for High Velocity Gas Cylinder. Reduces heat cost of Rail Shot by 5 (down from 10) and Missile Blast by 2.

2. Improved Shields. Energy Shield absorbs weapon (white) damage by an additional 10 percent. Chaff Flare additionally makes the target immune to controlling effects for 2 seconds.

3. Supercharge: Missile Blast and Fusion Missile now generate a stack.

 

The rationale: I think Arsenal Merc Survivability/single-target parsing can be increased a bit (per above), but it should come at a cost. What's the cost? Slightly trickier heat management and an additional move to juggle in the rotation. Plus, I've always felt that Missile Blast should have more of a role in a discipline that's heavily based on shooting missiles. The changes above aren't all pure buffs: heatseekers are being nerfed slightly, and you need to make full use of Tracer Lock to make Rail Shot hit reasonably hard. Plus, Supercharge Gas needs to be managed more effectively and used more often in a pvp setting to take advantage of the interrupt immunity and autocrits.

 

I like this tbh I don't arsenal much but I absolutely agree on the concept of having missle blast be apart of the spec and your suggestions opens up a path to have an ability to use while running, it won't hit as hard as tracer but won't be so useless outside of tracer.

 

Number 4. is a great start but imho might end up being op especially with dps mercs getting rapid scan that can build 2 stacks the down time of builing stacks as arsenal might be to strong offensively and defensively at least with it granting interrupt immunity and then you can run into the issue of dps mercs using the medic 4p bonus which a lot prob will be switching to now that it work's at least for pve. The icd would also need to be increased if it were to grand interrupt immunity.

 

The idea for your merc passives are also nice they benefit the other 2 specs as well especially IQ which use missile blast and fusion missile already.