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Operative and Smuggler Class Changes

EricMusco

By EricMusco
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EricMusco

EricMusco

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Along with the 5 new levels coming in Eternal Throne, each of the Classes are receiving changes including new abilities, new utilities, and more. For this post, let’s talk about the Imperial Agent and Smuggler. This is just a sampling of the changes that are coming with Eternal Throne and are subject to change.

 

Imperial Agent

Operative

Operatives will notice that some cunning new tricks have been added to their repertoire with Knights of the Eternal Throne. When used under the right circumstances, these new skills and abilities can certainly give the Operative a tactical advantage and make them a dangerous opponent on the battlefield. Here are some of those changes:

  • Toxic Haze: New ability for all Operatives. Execute your Tactical Advantage to drop a canister at your feet which will do persistent AoE damage for 6 seconds. The Medicine Discipline will be able to use this ability from up to 30 meters away.
  • Take Cover, Crouch, Snipe: These abilities have been removed from the base class and are now Sniper exclusive.

Each Advanced Class is receiving a new suite of Legendary Utilities, here are some of the Operative’s:

  • Mobile Strategies: Exfiltrate grants a charge of Mobile Strategies, reducing the energy cost of your next Overload Shot by 100%, allowing it to be used at 30m, and making it knock the target back. Each use of Overload Shot consumes a charge of Mobile Strategies and grants 10 energy.
  • Curative Agent: Countermeasures heals you for 1% of your maximum health every second for 10 seconds and grants Curative Agent, causing your next Kolto Probe to immediately grant two stacks of Kolto Probe. In addition, Kolto Infusion heals for more initially, but no longer has a heal over time component.
  • Blow for Blow: Evasion grants Blow for Blow, reflecting 150% of single target tech and Force damage back at the attacker while Evasion is active. The damage is taken and reflected, but not absorbed.

 

Sniper

In Knights of the Eternal Throne, the Sniper will see several changes that reinforce its position as The Old Republic’s quintessential ranged damage dealer. With a slightly longer-range stun, and utilities that improve their chase and retreat capabilities, the Sniper is poised to handle more combat situations than ever before. Here are some of those changes:

  • Maim: New ability which replaces Debilitate. Allows you to stun a target from 10m away.
  • Shiv and Overload Shot: Removed from the base class, they are now Operative exclusive.

 

Each Advanced Class is receiving a new suite of Legendary Utilities, here are some of the Sniper’s:

  • Controlled Chaos: Diversion grants a charge of Controlled Chaos for every target initially affected beyond the first. Each charge increases armor penetration by 10%. This effect lasts for 8 seconds.
  • Defensive Safeguards: When Ballistic Shield is activated you gain a charge of Defensive Safeguards for each enemy inside your Ballistic Shield, up to 4. This effect lasts 20 seconds and each charge increases your damage reduction by 5%. In addition, while inside your Ballistic Shield, you heal for 3% of your maximum health every second and you are immune to being pulled or knocked back.
  • Executioner: Flash Bang and Maim grant Executioner, allowing your next Takedown within 10 seconds to be used regardless of the target's remaining health and deal 15% additional damage.
  • Tactical Retreat: Covered Escape heals you for 10% of your maximum health. Additionally, the duration of Evasion is increased by 2 seconds.

 

Smuggler

Scoundrel

Scoundrels will notice that some cunning new tricks have been added to their repertoire with Knights of the Eternal Throne. When used under the right circumstances, these new skills and abilities can certainly give the Scoundrel an upper hand and make them a dangerous opponent on the battlefield. Here are some of those changes:

  • Bushwhack: New ability for all Scoundrels. Execute your Upper Hand to drop spinning blades at your feet which will do persistent AoE damage for 6 seconds. The Sawbones Discipline will be able to use this ability from up to 30 meters away.
  • Take Cover, Crouch, Charged Burst: These abilities have been removed from the base class and are now Gunslinger exclusive.

Each Advanced Class is receiving a new suite of Legendary Utilities, here are some of the Scoundrel’s:

  • Slippery Shooter: Scamper grants a charge of Slippery Shooter, reducing the energy cost of your next Quick Shot by 100%, allowing it to be used at 30m, and making it knock the target back. Each use of Quick Shot consumes a charge of Slippery Shooter and grants 10 energy.
  • Sly Surrender: Surrender grants Sly Surrender, causing your next Slow-release Medpac to immediately grant two stacks. Additionally, Surrender heals you for 1% of your maximum health every second for 10 seconds and Kolto Pack now heals for more health instantly, but no longer heals the target over time.
  • Back At Ya: Dodge grants Back At Ya, reflecting 150% single target tech or Force damage while Dodge is active. The damage is taken and reflected, but not absorbed.

 

Gunslinger

In Knights of the Eternal Throne, the Gunslinger will see several changes that reinforce its position as The Old Republic’s quintessential ranged damage dealer. With a slightly longer-range stun, and utilities that improve their chase and retreat capabilities, the Gunslinger is poised to handle more combat situations than ever before. Here are some of those changes:

  • Below the Belt: New ability which replaces Dirty Kick. Allows you to stun a target from 10m away.
  • Blaster Whip and Quick Shot: Removed from the base class, they are now Scoundrel exclusive.

 

Each Advanced Class is receiving a new suite of Legendary Utilities, here are some of the Gunslinger’s:

  • Opportunity Knocks: For every target initially affected beyond the first, Diversion grants a charge of Opportunity Knocks, increasing armor penetration by 10% per charge. This effect lasts 8 seconds.
  • Shield Reserve: When Scrambling Field is activated you gain a charge of Shield Reserve for each enemy inside your Scrambling Field, up to 4. This effect lasts 20 seconds and each charge increases your damage reduction by 5%. In addition, while inside your Scrambling Field, you heal for 3% of your maximum health every second and you are immune to being pulled or knocked back.
  • Guile and Guns: Flash Grenade and Below the Belt grant Guile and Guns, allowing your next Quickdraw within 10 seconds to be used regardless of the target's remaining health and deal 15% additional damage.
  • Bait and Switch: Hightail It heals you for 10% of your maximum health. Additionally, the duration of Dodge is increased by 2 seconds.
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Jerba

Jerba

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" Kolto Infusion heals for more initially, but no longer has a heal over time component"

 

Please tell me this is an optional utility and not a forcefull change

Yes, it's under the utilities so you can choose whether or not to pick it. I'll probably pick it to get more burst healing, though I need to test how it plays. It'd require a different energy management because the energy is consumed 1 GCD earlier but if it improves burst healing, it'd be worth it.

Edited by Jerba
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Pizza_boy

Pizza_boy

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Yes, it's under the utilities so you can choose whether or not to pick it. I'll probably pick it to get more burst healing, though I need to test how it plays. It'd require a different energy management because the energy is consumed 1 GCD earlier but if it improves burst healing, it'd be worth it.

 

Figured so but just wanted to make sure... IMO the whole point of infusion is the after-hot... if u remove that ur essentially getting another injection... doesn't seem worth it off the bat to me but we will see i guess

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Jerba

Jerba

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Figured so but just wanted to make sure... IMO the whole point of infusion is the after-hot... if u remove that ur essentially getting another injection... doesn't seem worth it off the bat to me but we will see i guess

Well, the instant heal will be stronger with the utility. Whether the total heal amount will the stay the same or be lower, we'll see.

I use Kolto Pack when I need a faster heal than UM, or a stronger heal than EM. And I always apply it on tanks because of the armor increase. I very rarely use it for HoTing a player because its HoT is very weak and doesn't last as long.

But even if you don't like this, consider the other bonus the utility brings - a free second stack of SRMP, which saves me 1 GCD when I need to emergency heal someone - finally a reason to use Surrender.

And of course, you will be much more mobile because then UM is our only stationary heal (if you ignore Kotlo Waves).

Edited by Jerba
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QuiveringPotato

QuiveringPotato

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Mostly nice looking stuff, I'm a little on the fence about Bushwack. If I'm going to be using an Upper Hand on a DoT, I expect it better be a pretty potent DoT.

 

It does about the same damage as a Laceration, if I remember correctly from the PTS sources.

 

It's better than Carbine Burst, at least.

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JLazarillo

JLazarillo

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It does about the same damage as a Laceration, if I remember correctly from the PTS sources.

That's a bit of a disappointment then, honestly, unless it's the same DPS as Lacerate (i.e., 4x total damage), but if Assassins can get the damage up front, and don't have to expend a much more limited special resource, it seems like Scoundrels are still getting a little bit a short draw on that, once again.

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Jepac

Jepac

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Meh. I want Orbital Strike back for my operative :( You can keep your toxins. (Seriously, getting Orbital Strike as part of the story was one of the great delights of the original operative, I haven't had nearly as much fun playing mine after it got, ah, nuked. My sniper doesn't need it, he has stupid amounts of ranged attacks anyhow.)
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jimmorrisson

jimmorrisson

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This is just a sampling of the changes that are coming with Eternal Throne and are subject to change.

 

Imperial Agent

Operative


  • Take Cover, Crouch: These abilities have been removed from the base class and are now Sniper exclusive.
     

 

 

Smuggler

Scoundrel

  • Take Cover, Crouch: These abilities have been removed from the base class and are now Gunslinger exclusive.

 

 

Go ahead and restore Operative, Scoundrel's Take Cover hoss. I need those cool poses and the additional tool bar they provide.

 

You know what both these melee classes need? Faster knife and punch/kicking action!

Edited by jimmorrisson
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Cheops

Cheops

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... And of course, you will be much more mobile because then UM is our only stationary heal (if you ignore Kotlo Waves).

 

Actually i dont think it removes the activation time it just makes the heal it provides instant not HOT it instantly heals them for all the health after activation.. so if it healed for say 2000 with 500 HOT with a activation of 2 seconds it will not heal for say 3000 with a activation of 2 seconds.. making the amount healed instant but the ability not a instant

 

i get this because it says "Kolto Pack now heals for more health instantly, but no longer heals the target over time." my take away is it heals more instantly not activates instantly.. i could be wrong but thats what i get from reading it.

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Jerba

Jerba

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Actually i dont think it removes the activation time it just makes the heal it provides instant not HOT it instantly heals them for all the health after activation.. so if it healed for say 2000 with 500 HOT with a activation of 2 seconds it will not heal for say 3000 with a activation of 2 seconds.. making the amount healed instant but the ability not a instant

 

i get this because it says "Kolto Pack now heals for more health instantly, but no longer heals the target over time." my take away is it heals more instantly not activates instantly.. i could be wrong but thats what i get from reading it.

Oh yeah, my bad. In that case, the utility is not nearly as good as I thought. I might still take it though because there aren't many "must have" utilities for Sawbones.

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Tsetso

Tsetso

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Many a bodies about to be lying underneath the bridge of voidstar.

 

Just imagine the trolling potential in huttball. It would probably be usable from stealth so no one will be safe on the catwalks if there is operative in the opposing group.

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nepochop

nepochop

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Just imagine the trolling potential in huttball. It would probably be usable from stealth so no one will be safe on the catwalks if there is operative in the opposing group.

 

Yeah thats gonna be crazy in PVP, I really wont touch it in 5.0

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reppaz

reppaz

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Take Cover, Crouch, Snipe: These abilities have been removed from the base class and are now Sniper exclusive.

 

First they say operativ is a melee class and remove snipe, then they give them two 30 m knockback every 10 sec is that logical at all?

 

Devs said that assasins has to much mobility? DO YOU EVEN PLAY THIS GAME!

Assasins has force speed on 30 m cooldown and bugged phatom stride thats not a mobility move.

 

WHO has to much mobility from a person who plays the game: SORCS, OPERATIV

 

SORC DONT NEED PHASE WALK AND OPERATIVS DONT NEED A 30 M KNOCKBACK

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