Sniper Lethality

[BlackMercenary]

I'd like to ask about how usefull weakening blast is. I'm making a letality build but I don't know yet if I should go full lethality or mix it with engineering.

 

I thought that maybe I could use the bonus from lethal dose together with the damage from the interrogation probe, also add the bonus area damage, but for me to do it, I'll lose the last 3 skills on the lethality tree.

 

Also, do you guys know if the corrosive granade get the bonus from explosive engineering or experimental explosives?

 

thanks for the answers guys !!

[zakaiz]

Lethality is the best spec for sniper 40+ in my opinion.

 

Corrosive grenade is AMAZING. I'm also in love with cull because I don't have to be in cover to use it. (Cover is just way to buggy atm when people are stacking CC on you)

 

Let's talk about the dmg increases to corrosive grenade.

 

Explosive engineering = + 15 %

weakening blast = + 30 % dmg for ALL dots,

targeted demolotion = + 8% dmg for corrosive grenade, not to mention when they reach below 30% hp you gain an additional 15%.

 

AND ITS AN AOE SNARE!!

 

When you have multipliers adding up like this you are talking about insane damage. Everyone else also forgets that corrosive dart/grenade are in fact classified as internal damage. I noticed as I started fighting higher level targets that I was not able to burst people down with the marksman tree anymore (even with blowing all my energy and energy probe). Once people started to have decent armor mitigation the damage output plummeted. But since lethality relies on internal damage you still have great damage output.

 

The main advantage of lethality is MOBILITY. Once you make the switch you will never want to go back.

 

(I don't advise running lethality below level 40 though)

 

When I switched to lethality at 40 my damage in warzones has DOUBLED. With my rotation I also almost never have to go into cover so it allows me to have mobility. I am out damaging level 50s for the top spot on dps. I think lethality is the best tree for snipers and most people who are pvp addicts like myself will end up making the switch at 40+.

[Faiike]

Explosive engineering = + 15 %

weakening blast = + 30 % dmg for ALL dots,

targeted demolotion = + 8% dmg for corrosive grenade, not to mention when they reach below 30% hp you gain an additional 15%.

 

Unless I'm mistaken, it was determined that ExpEng does not consider Corrosive Grenade an AoE, so it does not get the 15% damage increase.

[BlackMercenary]

Unless I'm mistaken, it was determined that ExpEng does not consider Corrosive Grenade an AoE, so it does not get the 15% damage increase.

 

That is one of the two core questions that I did this post for xD

 

Thing is, if corrosive granade is an AoE, then I'm going to mix engeneering and get not only explosive engineering but also experimental explosion; in case it isn't, then I'll just go and get weakening blast

[Rucket]

Explosive Engineering increases the damage for corrosive grenade (or at least it increases the damage displayed by the tooltip).

[BlackMercenary]

Explosive Engineering increases the damage for corrosive grenade (or at least it increases the damage displayed by the tooltip).

 

so it does work ?

 

I'm going to post here 2 build, build 1 is full lethality, build 2 is a mix, I just need to decide wich one to go xD

 

4/6/31

 

0/18/23

 

I can still make some small changes to the build and everything, but still, I'd like to decide if I should get the explosive bonus or weakening blast.

 

the fact that you said that it does work makes me tend toward build 2. I'm using build 1 now as to test weakening blast myself, and I have yet to find it that good.

 

as of now, weakening blast does give a bonus damage, but it isn't that great.

[Ayestes]

You will want to do something like 2/8/31. Weakening Blast increases your damage output by a metric ton. Lethality is awesome yes, but it is very reliant on Weakening Blast and Cull to put out direct pressure and quite energy costly. It's setup burst is crazy high, but even as a DoT spec it's sustained DPS is lower then a Marksman who is managing their energy properly. Edited December 28, 2011 by Ayestes

[Atype]

I just specced lethality at lvl 43. Its awesome. I can kill elites with no problems, I had to struggle while marksmen

[RoaRawR]

you will need weakend blast or the whole tree is rather crap =/

 

also scale a chunk better late game

Edited December 29, 2011 by RoaRawR

[DarthKreid]

Lethality is the best spec for sniper 40+ in my opinion.

 

Corrosive grenade is AMAZING. I'm also in love with cull because I don't have to be in cover to use it. (Cover is just way to buggy atm when people are stacking CC on you)

 

Let's talk about the dmg increases to corrosive grenade.

 

Explosive engineering = + 15 %

weakening blast = + 30 % dmg for ALL dots,

targeted demolotion = + 8% dmg for corrosive grenade, not to mention when they reach below 30% hp you gain an additional 15%.

 

AND ITS AN AOE SNARE!!

 

When you have multipliers adding up like this you are talking about insane damage. Everyone else also forgets that corrosive dart/grenade are in fact classified as internal damage. I noticed as I started fighting higher level targets that I was not able to burst people down with the marksman tree anymore (even with blowing all my energy and energy probe). Once people started to have decent armor mitigation the damage output plummeted. But since lethality relies on internal damage you still have great damage output.

 

The main advantage of lethality is MOBILITY. Once you make the switch you will never want to go back.

 

(I don't advise running lethality below level 40 though)

 

When I switched to lethality at 40 my damage in warzones has DOUBLED. With my rotation I also almost never have to go into cover so it allows me to have mobility. I am out damaging level 50s for the top spot on dps. I think lethality is the best tree for snipers and most people who are pvp addicts like myself will end up making the switch at 40+.

 

 

I'm actually running up lethality, been doin so since level 10, and pvping a ton (around valor rank 30 at level 26) And I am having a blast.

 

As long as you can manage your energy your golden, and in pvp just keep your poisons up. if they run away when they get low just laugh as your DoT kills em before they reach the health boost

[Ebiso]

How are you playing it in pvp? I find I don't have enough energy to use explosive probe or snipe if I use cull on CD along with keeping dots up/ambush

[BlackMercenary]

I tried the explosive engeneering and found NO CHANGE at the corrosive granade damage, not on the tooltip, nor on the actual damage, that made me consider roling a build without this, or getting the interrogation probe instead of the weakening blast.

 

but still I'm inclined to check the development on the poison damage on lvl 50

[BlackMercenary]

How are you playing it in pvp? I find I don't have enough energy to use explosive probe or snipe if I use cull on CD along with keeping dots up/ambush

 

sorry for the double post, just saw it now

 

now for the answer: the first thing about this build on pvp is NOT to use the cover all the time. since I don't have to cast snipe nor ambush since my main damage poison and cull, I'll just have the cover bar allmost equal to the standing bar, only using cover for the extra defense and the balistic shield.

 

I just get to the edge of my range and cast corrosive granade -> corrosive dart -> weakening blast -> (flashbang) -> cull

 

when cull is on the CD I'll try to keep using normal shots on the enemy, but once his life is bellow 30% I will throw in a takedown. If the enemy reachs melee range with me, it's time to debilitate and RUN - don't try to tank, you are a paper while not in cover and your only defense is a proper kitting.

 

Keep leg shot easy to press, you want to hold your enemy wherever you can't flash bang him.

 

as I've noticed recently, countermeasures can be very good to flee you from hold effects, but still, if you use escape or countermeasures, you will probably suffer to get free and stun the enemy. your main defense is not being seen and not being targeted, as you stay the hell away from those enemies sight.

 

as for the explosive probe, you may want to use it if you mix the engineering tree, but don't go that way unless you trully wants to mix,just found out that putting explosive engeneering does nothing to the corrosive granade ... well, if you mix, you will need a better cover bar than the one for the lethality tree.

[Ebiso]

Don't you need to cast weakened shot first to get the benefit for your dots?

[Faiike]

Don't you need to cast weakened shot first to get the benefit for your dots?

 

^Corrosive Dart doesn't tick until 3 seconds in, so you may as well cast it before Weakening.

 

Anyways, I haven't found myself using Snipe at all in Warfronts right now... I do use Ambush when given the opportunity, and if I'm using Ambush, I usually use Explosive Probe after. But for the most part, it's all Corrosive Dart, Corrosive Grenade, Cull, Rifle Shot, Takedown, and Overload Shot (Due to mobility issues).

 

But really just using those abilities, my records so far are 315k damage dealt in one round of Voidstar, and a 55K:2D record in another round. Lethality can be quite burly if left unchecked. Due to the AOE nature, and lack of Cover restraints, I'd argue it's scarier than Marksman. Especially after seeing the burst Cull unloads...

[Sydth]

this is a great thread. posting here to subscribe. Keep up the good work, Agents!

[Faytte]

I just specced lethality at lvl 43. Its awesome. I can kill elites with no problems, I had to struggle while marksmen

 

This seems weird..follow through rips through enemies like cake!

[_Nyth]

^Corrosive Dart doesn't tick until 3 seconds in, so you may as well cast it before Weakening.

 

 

Does it work that way?

 

Haven't checked it out in SWTOR yet, but in WoW (which this game shares a lot of mechanics with), dot damage was decided the moment your dot debuff is applied. Applying a +30% dmg bonus after that doesn't help your running dots.

Maybe its different here but, would be nice if anyone can confirm just that.

 

Otherwise I'd go with:

Weakening Blast > Corrosive Dart > Corr. Grenade > Cull

[BlackMercenary]

Does it work that way?

 

Haven't checked it out in SWTOR yet, but in WoW (which this game shares a lot of mechanics with), dot damage was decided the moment your dot debuff is applied. Applying a +30% dmg bonus after that doesn't help your running dots.

Maybe its different here but, would be nice if anyone can confirm just that.

 

Otherwise I'd go with:

Weakening Blast > Corrosive Dart > Corr. Grenade > Cull

 

there is no relations between the time you apply and the 30% effect, that's because the 30% is a stack of 10 effects saying that the next internal damage does 30% more damage. Also, this skill 15 seconds duration is a problem, some times you won't use all charges because the DoT's that the enemy have won't trigger them in time without cull, and you are to far to cull.

 

If you were right about the start, this skill would need to go beyond 15 seconds but as it if now, using weakening blast at the start is a risky way of playing it -> Let's imagine that you just used weakening blast, threw the dart, the grenade and took a stun. since you didn't started with poison, you probably lost the time for the 5 proc of the dart and the grenade, meaning that if you don't leave stun and cull, you will only use 8 of the weakening blast bonus due to the fact that it's duration is the exact duration of 5 proc damages per poison effect...

[fozbozjimjam]

so is it only advisable to play after 40+ im currently 33 missing devouring microbes 15% more damage under 30% and weaking blast

 

atm the damage just seems very low even with cull

 

people hitting for 3k + and the dots ticking for next to noting does this get alot better with weaking blast or are people just playing it for splash damage effect to top damage charts?

 

some numbers dots tick for at 50 with weaking blast would be awsome thankyou

[Aryndelin]

Does it work that way?

 

Haven't checked it out in SWTOR yet, but in WoW (which this game shares a lot of mechanics with), dot damage was decided the moment your dot debuff is applied. Applying a +30% dmg bonus after that doesn't help your running dots.

Maybe its different here but, would be nice if anyone can confirm just that.

 

Otherwise I'd go with:

Weakening Blast > Corrosive Dart > Corr. Grenade > Cull

 

just did a test

 

can confirm that the weaking blast "buff" works applying it after dart and grenade.

 

as such you should: dart -> grenade -> blast -> cull (then sit down and series of shot if you got the regen for it. SOS does 3000-3241 damage vs ambush's 2252-2433 for me. or you can rifle shot =P)

[Xlinc]

I just specced lethality at lvl 43. Its awesome. I can kill elites with no problems, I had to struggle while marksmen

 

im the other way round i can kill elites as marks but find it hard as leathal althought i much prefer it in pvp i find questing abit anoyin

 

anyone give can me any advice companion just dies and i die soon after in marks could just nuke half the mobs down before pullin aggro off my companion

[Chullore]

I made a video of some Level 50 WZ lethality gameplay:

 

 

 

I feel it should be played a lot like a maneuverable DoT class whilst a MM sniper is pretty much a turret (I do similar amounts of damage with both specs though)

 

Keep in mind many of the opponents don't have much expertise gear yet but IA's are fairly fragile as a whole.

[Chullore]

im the other way round i can kill elites as marks but find it hard as leathal althought i much prefer it in pvp i find questing abit anoyin

 

anyone give can me any advice companion just dies and i die soon after in marks could just nuke half the mobs down before pullin aggro off my companion

 

I've only done a few dailies with it but if you don't have access to a healing companion yet, I think you should stay with Marksman for PvE as Lethality lacks some of the upfront burst.

[Xlinc]

ye im 47 i played markson all time so still gettin use to it but against elites healer not enough but ill give it a shot