How do I into Engineering?

[MikeFL]

Funny grammar aside, I recently picked up my level 50 Sniper to do some heroics and level to 70. Sniper used to be my favorite class, and I played MM spec before. I wanted to switch it up, so I decided to try Engineering since it looks like an interesting spec with great utility and promising damage output.

 

I can't seem to get back into the swing of this class. Perhaps its my gear or something, but it just feels...slow. I just got my Arsenal Merc to 70 running heroics and it felt like it melted everything down, and I know Snipers can (or should) match or exceed Mercs in terms of sheer damage output. Everything took much longer to take down than I remember. Do you fellow Snipers/Gunslingers have any tips/advice for getting back into this class (broadly) and Engineering (specifically)?

[Cuiwe]

Funny grammar aside, I recently picked up my level 50 Sniper to do some heroics and level to 70. Sniper used to be my favorite class, and I played MM spec before. I wanted to switch it up, so I decided to try Engineering since it looks like an interesting spec with great utility and promising damage output.

 

I can't seem to get back into the swing of this class. Perhaps its my gear or something, but it just feels...slow. I just got my Arsenal Merc to 70 running heroics and it felt like it melted everything down, and I know Snipers can (or should) match or exceed Mercs in terms of sheer damage output. Everything took much longer to take down than I remember. Do you fellow Snipers/Gunslingers have any tips/advice for getting back into this class (broadly) and Engineering (specifically)?

 

Engineering's the most difficult Sniper Discipline. Are you up to it? If not, you could always take Marksmanship or Virulence. Virulence in particular is very powerful, yet very easy to play. As for Engineering:

 

-> Maintain Plasma Probe at all times

-> Keep Int.Probe on the enemy

-> Use Grenade only after EMP(oh wait, have you got EMP?)

-> Use Explosive Probe with Series of Shots

-> When Explosive Probe is on CD, use 2x Snipe as a filler(you could also use Rifle Shot as a filler if the energy management is problematic)

-> Remember to use Orbital Strike

-> Don't forget about the dodge roll and the Scatter Bombs

-> For AoE: Plasma Probe + Orbital Strike + Suppressive Fire is REALLY deadly

 

It has a LOT of damage potential, but you must earn it with this one. Forget the 1 -> 2 -> 3 mentality of the likes of Arsenal / Virulence. This is more of a priority system(imo) than a fixed, stable rotation. I'd suggest Virulence anyhow. Or Marksman if Viru is too simple for you(perfectly understandable).

[shyroman]

Engineering's the most difficult Sniper Discipline. Are you up to it? If not, you could always take Marksmanship or Virulence. Virulence in particular is very powerful, yet very easy to play. As for Engineering:

 

-> Maintain Plasma Probe at all times

-> Keep Int.Probe on the enemy

-> Use Grenade only after EMP(oh wait, have you got EMP?)

-> Use Explosive Probe with Series of Shots

-> When Explosive Probe is on CD, use 2x Snipe as a filler(you could also use Rifle Shot as a filler if the energy management is problematic)

-> Remember to use Orbital Strike

-> Don't forget about the dodge roll and the Scatter Bombs

-> For AoE: Plasma Probe + Orbital Strike + Suppressive Fire is REALLY deadly

 

It has a LOT of damage potential, but you must earn it with this one. Forget the 1 -> 2 -> 3 mentality of the likes of Arsenal / Virulence. This is more of a priority system(imo) than a fixed, stable rotation. I'd suggest Virulence anyhow. Or Marksman if Viru is too simple for you(perfectly understandable).

 

Engineering actually has a 100% fixed rotation (unless you have energy cd's available). It's certainly a lot harder in ops than on dummy parses because of placing plasma probe efficiently and target switching isn't nearly as straightforward, but the rotation itself is static. Virulence has way more variability in its optimal rotation due to dot crits and energy regen, but it's more straightforward with target switching and can always just use a basic filler rotation that could always be used.

[SalBasss]

Engineering actually has a 100% fixed rotation (unless you have energy cd's available). It's certainly a lot harder in ops than on dummy parses because of placing plasma probe efficiently and target switching isn't nearly as straightforward, but the rotation itself is static. Virulence has way more variability in its optimal rotation due to dot crits and energy regen, but it's more straightforward with target switching and can always just use a basic filler rotation that could always be used.

 

Agree. It's fairly easy before you put mechanics into it, and despite that I find it pretty fun. Even when you put mechanics into it (or just target switching), it gets really fun to me. And still strong.

[Cuiwe]

Agree. It's fairly easy before you put mechanics into it, and despite that I find it pretty fun. Even when you put mechanics into it (or just target switching), it gets really fun to me. And still strong.

 

If you ask me, they should rework Scatter Bombs to be something else(Inc.Mine too). Because this line of thinking benefits an Op, not a Sniper. Because, hell yeah, I can already see it "oh I have this huge sniper right here, but wait for me to get near an enemy to drop bombs on him". lol

[verfallen]

If you ask me, they should rework Scatter Bombs to be something else(Inc.Mine too). Because this line of thinking benefits an Op, not a Sniper. Because, hell yeah, I can already see it "oh I have this huge sniper right here, but wait for me to get near an enemy to drop bombs on him". lol

 

its not meant as an attack, but as a gift to melee attacker as you get away. Sure you can use it offensively, but its not the primary purpose.

 

 

As for engineering and heroics/solo pve, slap an orbital on a group, land your plasma probe as fire start raining from the sky, use suppressive fire to pick up the spares (if there are any spares left to pick up that is). Pretty much all there is to engineering for solo pve lol.

 

If there is a champion in the mix, instead of supressive firing, use explosive probe on him, series of shot, interrogation probe and EMP discharge (you want your stacks of electrified railgun on target before EMP discharge). Yup, more aoe to pick up his buddies. Feel free to add a grenade to the mix for good measure, its good for energy

Edited March 24, 2017 by verfallen

[MurkyDregs]

Question about DoT in general both Saboteur & Dirty fighter...

 

With Sabo, the plasma probe is pretty obvious, and you have a visible reference to keep track of it with...

 

But the bleeds on Dirty, there's no visible countdown clock/ timer, anything like that...and on Sabo I have a hard time seeing if my Int probe is still there/active...

 

What do you folks do to keep track of your DoT's in order to know when they're expiring? I feel that I'm compensating by losing APM reapplying probes unnecessarily...thx!

[MurkyDregs]

On another note...I love the "feel" of Sabo/Eng...nothing quite as satisfying as laying on and building layers of hurt from a standoff position. Edited March 29, 2017 by MurkyDregs

[bdatt]

What do you folks do to keep track of your DoT's in order to know when they're expiring? I feel that I'm compensating by losing APM reapplying probes unnecessarily...thx!

 

DOTs show up in the enemy's debuff bar. Have you deactivated it in your UI? If you look at the debuff icon you can tell when it's close to expiring by the horizontal line that moves down. Or you can hover to see the actual time (not really something you can do in a real fight though).

 

In the UI customization you can also sort debuffs to have yours in certain positions (on bosses where there might be multiple of the same from your teammates) and sort by when they'll expire and such.

[MurkyDregs]

DOTs show up in the enemy's debuff bar. Have you deactivated it in your UI? If you look at the debuff icon you can tell when it's close to expiring by the horizontal line that moves down. Or you can hover to see the actual time (not really something you can do in a real fight though).

 

In the UI customization you can also sort debuffs to have yours in certain positions (on bosses where there might be multiple of the same from your teammates) and sort by when they'll expire and such.

 

I'm having a hard time finding that...I've never seen a debuff I've applied, and I'm not sure what to look for in the editor...and I'm quite familiar with it. I haven't deactivated anything that I'm aware of...Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[MurkyDregs]

Something to do with the "Target Frame" settings?

[shyroman]

What I do is instead of paying attention to what debuffs are on the enemy (which can be really hard in operations, especially 16 man, even with organizing debuffs so mine are at the bottom), I count how many culls/series of shots I have done. For virulence, I apply dots every 3rd cull, so I count my culls and after every 3rd I reapply my dots. For engineering, dots get reapplied every second series of shots. With the rotation I use, I don't combine my dots. I do SoS, 1 dot, SoS, 2nd dot, repeat (obviously with the other abilities mixed in, but that's how I keep track of dots).

[ThomasCool]

Frankly, the core rotation of Engi is pretty easy

 

 

SoS->PP->IP->EMP-> Filler -> SoS -> PP -> Filler -> Filler -> EP

 

 

One of the fillers will be Fragmentation grenade.

One of the others will be orbital or corrosive dart (you can use both if you combine with an energy CD).

Finally the last filler will be rifle shot or covered escape (again unless you have an energy CD)

 

Opener is Laze Target ~10s before fight starts

Orbital -> Snipe -> EP -> rotation

 

that's it

 

~lunagazer (hope i translated to Engi from sab properly)

[MurkyDregs]

Thx for the UI tips...found what was wrong and now I can reference my debuffs.

 

This is an interesting discipline... it's as if you can bias for AOE yet hit with big single target clout, but you need to always be a few steps ahead of the fight.

 

Electrified Railgun...I'm not seeing this being discussed here and it seems integral in terms of maximum damage, it also has an AOE component if I understand correctly. Only now after a bunch of reading have I figured out that this stacks, and you want the maximum stack (3?) before you set off EMP....reminds me of "Breaching Shadows" with infiltrator...

 

"Electrified Conduit – When EMP Discharge damages a target, Electrified Conduit deals an additional energy damage per stack of Electrified Railgun on the target. Additionally, EMP Discharge harms up to 7 other targets within 5 meters if the primary target is affected by your Electrified Railgun"

 

How do you build this stack most efficiently? I understand the "free" frag grenade, post EMP, provides 1, how do you build the other two stacks? Snipe & SoS?

 

EDIT...SoS builds a full three stacks. So, SoS should always precede EMP.

 

It's almost as if there are two separate rotations built into this discipline.

 

1- One that centers around the Explosive Probe with Series of shots- this is single target specific. Laze target, Target Acquired, that is something you always want to use in conjunction with EP, correct?

 

2- The other is the layup for EMP, meaning Plasma probe, Int probe, then EMP

 

Uh, why PP first? Why not Int Probe then PP?

 

...Now I've noticed that I can set up the two probes, but the EMP box doesn't glow until I've hit the target with a Series of Shots...Why is that? I'm missing something here. When the EMP box glows is that indicative of having the Electrified Railgun fully stacked as well in conjunction with the probes?

 

Now, there are abilities that stack buffs (or takes advantage of stacked buffs) for the two distinct applications.

 

SoS should come right after EP, to blow up the cluster bombs...and SoS also gives you a stack of Railgun.

 

Snipe gives you a stack of railgun.

 

Same with Frag grenade...

 

And you should always have a full stack of railgun before setting off EMP.

 

...and EMP contributes to AOE damage significantly with a full stack of Railgun if the baddies are clustered in a spot.

 

One thing I really want to do is work in very tight synergy with the Tank, because if I know where the tank will be, it's like plotting artillery.

 

Am I getting this?

 

The firing sequence for Eng seems really time-consuming on the front end...yet when you hit, it just hurts.

Edited March 31, 2017 by MurkyDregs

[ThomasCool]

Basically yes, the three stacks are always provided by SoS and they last just not long enough to keep 3 stacks up between SoS so as long as you use SoS on CD, EMP will always benefit from the 3 stacks. On the other hands, grenade and snipe can refresh it. This means that on a single target rotation, elecrified should at most fall off once per 18s.

 

The location on PP in the rotation isn't that important as long as you regularly use it once every 9s. It just lets you gain fractions of a second selecting the ability and aiming the ground circle while SoS is channeling. If you're PvPing you want PP -> IP -> EMP to get an additional stun off

 

~Lunagazer

Edited April 1, 2017 by ThomasCool

[Memo-]

It just lets you gain fractions of a second selecting the ability and aiming the ground circle while SoS is channeling

 

You can doubleclick an ability (both with keybinds and mouse clicking) to plant an AoE on your target. For Engineering, you'll need to mouse place OS and PP only if something's on the move or you need precision to hit multiple targets.

[ThomasCool]

oh i know but you can click once during the channel and the second time right as it ends = micro gains ftw

[MurkyDregs]

oh i know but you can click once during the channel and the second time right as it ends = micro gains ftw

 

That all makes sense, been doing it, you don't want to click too early on SoS...with the 4th shot, else it cancels out.

[ThomasCool]

yea you have to clip at 0.1 or 0.0s left... It requires some practice to get the timing down

[Kalebhernandez]

I always do most of the damage in an OPS group according to star parse. My rotation for engi sniper consist of the following:

 

Orbital Strike> Plasma Probe> Interrogation Probe> Laze Target and Target Aquired> Explosive Probe> Series of Shots> EMP Discharge> Fragmentation Grenade> Reapply the first the steps of the rotation (Oribtal Strike is not off CD so just reapply Plasma Probe and Interrogation Probe> Series of shots again and repeat.

 

This rotation is useful for PvP too, because I PvP a lot. One tip on my rotation is that if all your scatter bombs haven't being used up, use your snipe twice if there is more than one on the target. If it's one, just use rifle shot to regen energy.

 

Use your hunker down off cooldown or when the op boss will do a stun or movement impairing effect.

 

Lastly, only use your roll when there are melee attackers or when you need to avoid damage, since it makes you immune to any damage during the animation (PvP tip: Use it against your enemies hardest hitting attacks ex. ambush, impale, heatseeker missles.).

[DenariusJay]

I always do most of the damage in an OPS group according to star parse. My rotation for engi sniper consist of the following:

 

Orbital Strike> Plasma Probe> Interrogation Probe> Laze Target and Target Aquired> Explosive Probe> Series of Shots> EMP Discharge> Fragmentation Grenade> Reapply the first the steps of the rotation (Oribtal Strike is not off CD so just reapply Plasma Probe and Interrogation Probe> Series of shots again and repeat.

 

This rotation is useful for PvP too, because I PvP a lot. One tip on my rotation is that if all your scatter bombs haven't being used up, use your snipe twice if there is more than one on the target. If it's one, just use rifle shot to regen energy.

 

Use your hunker down off cooldown or when the op boss will do a stun or movement impairing effect.

 

Lastly, only use your roll when there are melee attackers or when you need to avoid damage, since it makes you immune to any damage during the animation (PvP tip: Use it against your enemies hardest hitting attacks ex. ambush, impale, heatseeker missles.).

 

No corrosive dart? Or is that not worth the energy? Other than that, this is pretty much my rotation too.

[KommissarReb]

My routine has been (with Elite bosses and up)

 

1-Leg Shot

2-Interrogation Probe

3-Plasma Probe

4-EMP Discharge

5-Explosive Probe

6-Series of Shots

 

Because of the limited number of hotkeys, I tend to forget to use abilities like Dodge, Ballistic Shield, Laze Target, or Evasion. So I try to prioritize abilities.