I need help to make my Tactics Vanguard combat more interesting.

[ForjKlahaa]

Hey,

 

This isn't a complaint thread, I'm actually looking for help because I must be playing wrong.

 

Whenever I have a target that takes some time to take down I'm basically spamming Tactical Surge until Tactical Accelerator procs and then using High Impact Bolt. I throw in the odd Assault Plastique if I have enough energy and I keep up the bleed with Gut and the armour debuff with Stockstrike (although the bleed is refreshed with HIB so it's rarely needed more than once) and when I have four stacks of Energy Load, I use Cell burst.

 

So the majority of a long fight against a single target is the constant dong, dong, dong of TS and with the occasional pew of HIB. It's a bit boring to be honest and the "dong" sound of TS is starting to really grate on me.

 

When I'm soloing story content it's a bit more exciting as I Use Sticky Grenade and AP to CC a couple of targets or Mortar Volley if they're tightly grouped. I like grapple a lot and took the utility to reduce the cooldown even though I think it's meant for tanks as it generates threat but that's fine if it's just me and a healer.

 

I usually CC the trash with grenades and then grapple the Elite, Gut, Stockstrike, finish off the trash as they start to get up and go back to dong, dong, dong, pew, with the occasional crunch (SS) just for fun all interspersed with my interrupts, escapes and all that jazz until it's dead.

 

These "instant" abilities have like a one second cooldown too which might not sound like much but if you're using the same ability again and again waiting between dongs reminds me of a chiming clock or something.

 

I didn't mention Shoulder Cannon because while I use it occasionally it's a pain in the **** to use (wait for it to load up, release at the right time before it goes on cooldown, pointless against mobs) and the damage doesn't seem all that spectacular.

 

I'm coming from playing a Combat Sentinel and Carnage Marauder and I always feel like I'm going ape**** on a target even if my DPS output is not great (it's not bad, I read guides and try and get a good rotation going. I think I do OK) but with my Vanguard, it feels like he's not trying hard even if the numbers are good.

 

Does anyone else have the same problem? Please help if you know a way to liven things up.

 

BTW I'm pretty new to the game so if I've overlooked anything or made any glaring errors in my writeup, feel free to point it out. Just be kind, I'm new, not stupid.

Edited October 8, 2015 by ForjKlahaa

[Kaos_KidSWTOR]

Tactics Vanguard is one of those classes that uses one attack as main filler. That is Tactical Surge. Assault Plastique and Stockstrike are your high damage skills, and HiB is your main builder for Energy Burst. You build up to Energy burst, then you let it fly for 15k+ crits at level 60. You also always want to put Gut on your target before you start laying into them, it's a free 3% damage buff that gets refreshed each time you use HiB or Sticky Grenade. Sticky Grenade does not quite deal enough Single Target damage to be placed in the Single Target rotation, but it's really close, like 5% more damage would make it Single Target viable.

[ForjKlahaa]

Tactics Vanguard is one of those classes that uses one attack as main filler. That is Tactical Surge. Assault Plastique and Stockstrike are your high damage skills, and HiB is your main builder for Energy Burst. You build up to Energy burst, then you let it fly for 15k+ crits at level 60. You also always want to put Gut on your target before you start laying into them, it's a free 3% damage buff that gets refreshed each time you use HiB or Sticky Grenade. Sticky Grenade does not quite deal enough Single Target damage to be placed in the Single Target rotation, but it's really close, like 5% more damage would make it Single Target viable.

 

This is what I'm doing, no? I guess it just feels slow and samey with fewer reasons to use your more situational attacks. And I guess standing there firing one shot over and over is never going to feel as exciting as slashing away with two lightsabers. Even Cell Burst, which is the most damaging skill is underwhelming sound and animation-wise. It's like an almost silent red cloud that just blows in the targets face.

 

I heard there's an alternative high alactrity build which might speed things up at least.

[Keypek]

Even Cell Burst, which is the most damaging skill is underwhelming sound and animation-wise. It's like an almost silent red cloud that just blows in the targets face.

 

I heard there's an alternative high alactrity build which might speed things up at least.

 

Yeah that's just a VG thing. Devs have always liked giving us super strong abilities with the worst animation and sound to go with them.... ie- cell burst, fire pulse

 

High alacrity is yummy when at BiS gear.

[Kaos_KidSWTOR]

This is what I'm doing, no? I guess it just feels slow and samey with fewer reasons to use your more situational attacks. And I guess standing there firing one shot over and over is never going to feel as exciting as slashing away with two lightsabers. Even Cell Burst, which is the most damaging skill is underwhelming sound and animation-wise. It's like an almost silent red cloud that just blows in the targets face.

 

I heard there's an alternative high alactrity build which might speed things up at least.

 

I would say that it is also a byproduct of the Republic Side being rushed in the dev cycle of the game. They develop everything for Impside, and rush the Pubside. playing a PT isn't anwhere near as boring as a VG.

[ForjKlahaa]

Yeah that's just a VG thing. Devs have always liked giving us super strong abilities with the worst animation and sound to go with them.... ie- cell burst, fire pulse

 

High alacrity is yummy when at BiS gear.

 

I'm at 60 but saving all my comms and money for KOFTE when they'll inevitably be much better gear to spend them on. I'm kinda stuck in stalemate right now.

[ForjKlahaa]

I would say that it is also a byproduct of the Republic Side being rushed in the dev cycle of the game. They develop everything for Impside, and rush the Pubside. playing a PT isn't anwhere near as boring as a VG.

 

I always play the good guy so I though The Republic would be a no brainer but everything about the Empire (except the evil overlords) is so much cooler. My Marauder which was my second character is my main after first playing a Sentinel and it was 100x times more enjoyable. Plus I'm English and Mark Bazeley sounds more like me than any other actor that voices one of the other PCs.