Help with My dps rotation

[joeltopian]

ok, i am struggling trying to find a good dps rotation for my marksman sniper. heres mine as it is:

 

Ambush - Snipe - Followthrough - Explosive Probe - Rifle Shot Spam - Takedown

 

Is this good? Please help me improve (if this one isnt fine how it is)

 

Thank you,

Joeltopian

[Bottomfeeder]

Explosive Probe can be insta-triggered off your first ambush without losing momentum, just queue up ambush and while it casts repeatedly mash probe it will alpha strike the target with damage from both at the same time.

[Invious]

Rotation changes based on what your fighting. 5 normals? 2 Strongs? 1 Elite? Group based? Bosses?

[joeltopian]

Explosive Probe can be insta-triggered off your first ambush without losing momentum, just queue up ambush and while it casts repeatedly mash probe it will alpha strike the target with damage from both at the same time.

 

So folowing your new suggestion:

 

Ambush - Explosive Probe - Snipe - Followthrough - Rifleshot Spam - Snipe - Ambush

 

Correct? or am i still missing something. This, is what i use Genericly, i through in a few other special abbilities such as Shiv, Cover pulse, ect depending on the situation, but at the core this is what i use. Any more suggestions?

:jawa_confused:

[MDGlean]

It realy depends on lvl/skills/situation. But on someone at full hps and I have the drop on them I'm usualy using...

 

cover/scatter/sos/insta snipe/followthru/ambush/explo probe/takedown. If it's a tank or being healed/shielded i'll explo probe/move/legshot(other cc or none if they are just hanging out)/ after followthru and start again from insta snipe.

 

Cooldowns or partial hp targets or someone beating on me will change this up a ton ofcoarse, but it's basicly my opening rotation. Sometimes I'll lead with explo probe instead to get it's cooldown burning. leading with sos isn't quite perfect due to the energy regen waist, but I don't seem to have an issue with energy atm. (might change that vs raid bosses or somethign). If it's an op or sin I try and drop a corrosive probe right after folowthru to keep um from vanishing.

 

I'd be prity interested in hearing what everyone else dose as well. I feel like I have a hard time dumping my energy with this rotation, and wouldn't mind being able to push it down further when I need to, but can't seem to find anything worth using a cooldown on.

[Anuga]

The Beauty with SWTOR is : There is no good rotation, it's like Invious says, it all depends on the fight.

 

For a Pure Damage Rotation (Single Target Combat, if you don't need to move) :

 

Laze Target >

Corrosive Dart >

Ambuser > Sniper (until Ambuser is available) >

Repeat from beginning...

 

If you get Low on Energy :

 

Adrenaline Probe > Laze Target (if available) >

Corrosive Dart >

Ambuser > Sniper (until low on Energy or Ambuser is available with enough Energy) >

 

During Regen Phase :

 

Rifle Shot > Corresive Dart > Repeat until either full on energy or 50% and Adrenaline Probe is available...

 

When the target is at 30% :

 

Takedown >

Rifle Shot > Overload Shot > Reapet until Takedown is almost available again...

 

And remember this, when "Rapid Fire" and "Sniper" Critical Hits, Ambuser CD (Cooldown) is instantly reseted (available again).

 

Will be doing a better guide when I got more to go on, still leveling my Imperial Agent : Sniper (Marksmanship)

Edited January 1, 2012 by Anuga

[Invious]

 

Ambush - Explosive Probe - Snipe - Followthrough - Rifleshot Spam - Snipe - Ambush

 

I tend not to use Explosive Probe. Yeah it hits hard, but it's also expensive. Again, it all depends on what your fighting. Early levels its your main burst. After you get FT its more of a drain.

 

1 Elite, Shatter > Laze/insta snpe > Followthrough > Ambush into Dart and then reset my cover. Snipe/Followthru and assess where its at.. aka Takedowns etc. SoS when both FT and Ambush are on CD and you can't takedown.

 

Group of normals, Ambush>FT>Takedown, Insta Snipe > Grenade > Headshot > FT if your quick enough.. if not snipe to finish 2nd, FT/snipe, takedown on 3rd sos/ft on last.

 

Larger groups tend to have some enemies with much less hp than normals, I tend to Ambush one and FT a 2nd, then grenade a 3rd to finish the first 2 and setup the 3rd for a headshot. Sooo many different things to do in different situations.

 

Occasionally I'll snipe/probe or ambush/probe if FT/takedown aren't available, but those fights I tend to end with sub 50 energy.

[_Nyth]

My current single target excludes Explosive Probe and Corrosive Dart. The latter doesn't do much more damage than a snipe and the target dies before it runs out (unless it's an elite+). The former is actually quite good, but I generally prefer to snipe as that gives both followthrough and a chance to proc reactive shots. But I'll use it at the start of a big fight at times.

 

It's mostly a priority what I use but it comes down to:

 

Snipe > Snipe > Followthrough (repeat)

Use Ambush whenever I get Reactive Shot

Use Rifle Shot whenever my energy drops below 60.

Use Series of Shots mostly for energy management (you gain roughly as much energy back as it cost you).

Takedown below 30%

 

My opening depends on what I feel like or the difficulty of the fight. For frontload burst I open with Laze Target > Ambush > Explosive Probe > Followthrough > Insta Snipe > etc.

If I don't do that I often just open with instant snipe and go from there.

 

Also instead of a Rifle Shot I also like to weave in tactical tools like Diversion, Shield Probe, Flashbang, Diversion etc.

 

I generally don't use Corrosive Dart.

Overload shot I tend to only use when it'll kill the target (or when I'm running towards it so I can loot right away)

Scatter Shot I tend to use at the start on elites and up.

 

I also don't like to make it too complex for myself.

That's why I use the simple priority of:

 

1. Followthrough (super cheap, super strong)

2. Reactive Shot Ambush (biggest hitting attack)

3. Takedown (sub 30%)

4. Snipe (>60 energy)

5. Rifle Shot (< 60 energy)

 

I only just got Series of Shots so I have to get a feel where I'd rank that. It doesn't feel very powerful though (energy efficient yes, powerful no) so I might just rank it above snipe.

 

On AoE I either use single target one by one (often faster), or I use Suppressive Fire combined with Frag Nades.

[Invious]

For me SoS does about 2-3k dmg over 3 seconds. As long as your casting it above 80 energy it should regen all of it back and if you have the 31pt talent you can SoS 3 times consecutively, that said a max of 3k dmg over 2 globals isn't really that much, considering snipe hits for over 2k on a crit.

 

I usually use SoS on longer fights or the last guy in a group of normals. I'll use it on Elites when I my interrupt is down since you can't cast it while channelling, but you can interrupt during a GCD. Thats why on elites I open with Shatter > Insta snipe > FT. It feels clunky but it gives me the ability to interrupt during my gcd's.

 

Also about interrupts on elites, lokin likes to get the first interrupt, he's cool like that. I usually Distraction the 2nd. Flashbang the 3rd cast, Debilitate the 4th, Ambush pushback the 5th (yes i run up in range.. overload on the way, Cover pulse the 6th cast, Evasion the 7th, Shield probe the 8th, Distraction the 9th and loot the 10th...

[joeltopian]

My current single target excludes Explosive Probe and Corrosive Dart. The latter doesn't do much more damage than a snipe and the target dies before it runs out (unless it's an elite+). The former is actually quite good, but I generally prefer to snipe as that gives both followthrough and a chance to proc reactive shots. But I'll use it at the start of a big fight at times.

 

It's mostly a priority what I use but it comes down to:

 

Snipe > Snipe > Followthrough (repeat)

Use Ambush whenever I get Reactive Shot

Use Rifle Shot whenever my energy drops below 60.

Use Series of Shots mostly for energy management (you gain roughly as much energy back as it cost you).

Takedown below 30%

 

My opening depends on what I feel like or the difficulty of the fight. For frontload burst I open with Laze Target > Ambush > Explosive Probe > Followthrough > Insta Snipe > etc.

If I don't do that I often just open with instant snipe and go from there.

 

Also instead of a Rifle Shot I also like to weave in tactical tools like Diversion, Shield Probe, Flashbang, Diversion etc.

 

I generally don't use Corrosive Dart.

Overload shot I tend to only use when it'll kill the target (or when I'm running towards it so I can loot right away)

Scatter Shot I tend to use at the start on elites and up.

 

I also don't like to make it too complex for myself.

That's why I use the simple priority of:

 

1. Followthrough (super cheap, super strong)

2. Reactive Shot Ambush (biggest hitting attack)

3. Takedown (sub 30%)

4. Snipe (>60 energy)

5. Rifle Shot (< 60 energy)

 

I only just got Series of Shots so I have to get a feel where I'd rank that. It doesn't feel very powerful though (energy efficient yes, powerful no) so I might just rank it above snipe.

 

On AoE I either use single target one by one (often faster), or I use Suppressive Fire combined with Frag Nades.

 

DUDE IM GUNA DO THE EXACT SAME. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

thread closed

[Lumathix]

I really appreciate threads like this. My wife is a sniper and is looking for suggestions, as she and I both think her dps is a little low.

 

Thanks again.

[Invious]

Gonna have to recend what I said about SoS earlier in this thread. Either its buggy (possible) and not displaying all 4 tics all the time or pushback knocks a tic off (shouldn't happen in cover) but I thought it was only 3 tic's. Apparently it tic's 4 times. I was paying close attention to numbers last night and well, it actually does a bit more dmg than I thought. Had it crit all 4 tic's for 1150ish last night, so 4600 dmg over 3 seconds, that puts it quite a bit ahead of snipe in my book.

 

At lvl 48, crit dmg looked something like...

 

SoS - 4600dmg (on a 4 crit)

Ambush - 3800dmg (15 energy)

Followthrough - 3400dmg ( only 6 energy... top priority imo )

Snipe - 1700dmg (1700 max crit for 20 energy)

 

Another thing I didn't really comprehend until last night was that SoS triggers the reactive ambush on crits too, not just snipe. Snipe's pretty inefficient and spamming it for a crit can drain energy quickly.

 

Also, if you're waiting til sub 60 to spam rifle shot, your're doing it wrong. You want to keep high energy regen. When Followthru is down I'll slip a Rifle shot in after a Snipe. You have to really be aware WHEN you're using energy to be sucessful. Using a Snipe/Takedown combo will do alot of damage yes, but that also uses 40 energy. If you're doing that at 70 energy, you'll be digging yourself into a hole that will be difficult to get out of (assuming it wasn't the last think you were killing!)

[_Nyth]

Gonna have to recend what I said about SoS earlier in this thread. Either its buggy (possible) and not displaying all 4 tics all the time or pushback knocks a tic off (shouldn't happen in cover) but I thought it was only 3 tic's. Apparently it tic's 4 times. I was paying close attention to numbers last night and well, it actually does a bit more dmg than I thought. Had it crit all 4 tic's for 1150ish last night, so 4600 dmg over 3 seconds, that puts it quite a bit ahead of snipe in my book.

 

At lvl 48, crit dmg looked something like...

 

SoS - 4600dmg (on a 4 crit)

Ambush - 3800dmg (15 energy)

Followthrough - 3400dmg ( only 6 energy... top priority imo )

Snipe - 1700dmg (1700 max crit for 20 energy)

 

Another thing I didn't really comprehend until last night was that SoS triggers the reactive ambush on crits too, not just snipe. Snipe's pretty inefficient and spamming it for a crit can drain energy quickly.

 

Also, if you're waiting til sub 60 to spam rifle shot, your're doing it wrong. You want to keep high energy regen. When Followthru is down I'll slip a Rifle shot in after a Snipe. You have to really be aware WHEN you're using energy to be sucessful. Using a Snipe/Takedown combo will do alot of damage yes, but that also uses 40 energy. If you're doing that at 70 energy, you'll be digging yourself into a hole that will be difficult to get out of (assuming it wasn't the last think you were killing!)

 

Not really fair to compare a 4 crit SoS with a single crit on other abilities though. The chance of a 4 crit with 30% crit chance (which is pretty sturdy) is roughly 0.8%.

 

That said, SoS is definitely one of our better abilities. Coming back on my last post, after using it a bit I try to mix it in on the strong and higher mobs.

 

As for the perfect rotation. I'm talking about leveling and questing here killing normal mobs. With Sniper's Nest I can pretty much disregard energy on anything but elites, because I hardly ever run out before the mob is dead anyway; or plan ahead and pop my Adren.Probe.

 

For serious dps like on bosses. It's ofc "mandatory" to stay above 60 energy. But on those bosses you'll want to whip out other tools as well as scatter shot / Diversion. And use explosive probe in your rotation for example.

 

When grinding and questing you got to keep it simple.

[Invious]

With a 30% chance to crit, your almost guarenteed to crit 1 tic of SoS, which gives you the faster cast on your next ambush. With no crits its still doing 2500's dmg for me, which for 2 global's isn't great, but rarely should you see no crits.

 

Honestly I feel torn between trying for the utmost highest dps "rotation" which seems more likely to be a priority system, and something that "feels good". I like the feel of having a cast time then instant at the same time, however that means seeing a followthru up and not using it, which is a dps loss in just about any situation. I love the feel of going from an ambush into a SoS, feels like your doing more.

 

Not really a fan of the instant snipe. It has its purpose, but if used on its own it feels like i'm doing nothing because I'm waiting for the global to finish. If your behind natural cover its great because your not taking damage, but it feels like eternity if you go from an instant into a casted ability. Most of this is probably just in my head though.

[Phairoah]

I would have to say so far, I love my sniper both in PvE and PvP. As for a set rotation yeah Nyth and Invious pretty much have it down and I use a combination of what both have mentioned thus far. With one small exception. I do like to start off using Ambush, just for the sake of starting the Sniper Volley buff and then instant snipe, snipe, followthrough, then an SoS because by the time its over Ambush is back up off CD.

 

But everything is all situational. Multiple groups, I like to destroy one guy off the bat using:

Laze - Ambush - Snipe - Snipe - Followthrough - Takedown

 

If the rest are ranged, throw a frag and then SoS one into a Takedown

 

It seems very much dependent on what you are dealing with, there are numerous of situations that you can find yourself in, but using a priority system while leveling probably is the best way to go.

 

Anyone got any good kiting tactics for the larger elites? I typically open up with all the heavy hitting stuff and then when it gets close either blind it, leg shot it or use all defensive CDs like Evasion, Shield Probe and Entrench and pound on it till entrench wears off and then stun it/root it and run away using whatever I can after that. Sometimes I use countermeasures and let the professor tank for a bit.

[Xontier]

The Beauty with SWTOR is : There is no good rotation, it's like Invious says, it all depends on the fight.

 

For a Pure Damage Rotation (Single Target Combat, if you don't need to move) :

 

Laze Target >

Corrosive Dart >

Ambuser > Sniper (until Ambuser is available) >

Repeat from beginning...

 

If you get Low on Energy :

 

Adrenaline Probe > Laze Target (if available) >

Corrosive Dart >

Ambuser > Sniper (until low on Energy or Ambuser is available with enough Energy) >

 

During Regen Phase :

 

Rifle Shot > Corresive Dart > Repeat until either full on energy or 50% and Adrenaline Probe is available...

 

When the target is at 30% :

 

Takedown >

Rifle Shot > Overload Shot > Reapet until Takedown is almost available again...

 

And remember this, when "Rapid Fire" and "Sniper" Critical Hits, Ambuser CD (Cooldown) is instantly reseted (available again).

 

Will be doing a better guide when I got more to go on, still leveling my Imperial Agent : Sniper (Marksmanship)

 

For the record, this is how not to play a Sniper. Unless you need to burst down a target, you should NEVER drop below 60 energy without Adren Probe being up.

 

By doing so, you've just destroyed any sustained DPS and while Snipers are capable of massive amounts of burst, without the Adren. Probe, you've just eliminated your usefulness in the fight for a large period of time because Corrosive/Rifle simply does not have any kind of decent DPS.

 

Also, overload is pretty useless for a sniper higher levels. There are much more energy friendly and higher sustained DPS abilities you can use.

[Anelyn]

I re-assigned overload to another keybind as soon as I got followthrough. Maybe I will get once in a blue moon to fire it in pvp when am chasing someone at 10% hp and take down is on cd.

 

I also stopped using explo probe as much as before, yes dmg is nice, especially when it crits, but energy cost is high, maybe use it at start of fight at >90 energy or smth.

[Xontier]

I re-assigned overload to another keybind as soon as I got followthrough. Maybe I will get once in a blue moon to fire it in pvp when am chasing someone at 10% hp and take down is on cd.

 

I also stopped using explo probe as much as before, yes dmg is nice, especially when it crits, but energy cost is high, maybe use it at start of fight at >90 energy or smth.

 

Nah, still not a reason to use overload. Unless the person you're chasing is at the very edge of your range you're better to drop cover and pop them with an instant Snipe (provided you specced for it) to finish them off.

 

Also, explosive probe is very nice if you're trying to burst down a healer. With Ambush+explosive combo, along with throwing out our other heavy hitters (and most expensive) you might not have much energy left but the healer is going to be dead too.

[Anelyn]

I prefer to probe, ambush + insta snipe for high spike dmg, Followthrough can be used on the move (while changing position or re-entering cover), and take down as well if it gets in range. Then again I just got follow through and am still experiencing with it. Will prolly change a bit once I get the lower CD / energy cost from talents.

[nrcrane]

For me

Laze target

snipe

Followthrough

Ambush with explosive probe

Follow through

 

Then depending on tagets health and squishiness

Takedown

Series of shots possibly with rapid fire

 

Then repeat as cooldowns allow

 

Edit: Never had an energy problem with this either.

Edited January 2, 2012 by nrcrane

[SandTrout]

Snipe is the least efficient attack from the Sniper's regular arsenal (not counting overload shot here), and should only be used if other attacks are still recharging or to prep for a follow-through.

 

Even a standard Explosive Probe does comparable damage/energy, without the channel time.

 

SoS does more than twice the damage over ~ twice the time, but costs less energy.

 

Takedown does more damage, costs less energy, and is instant.

 

Ambush takes 66% more channel time, but does 100% more damage and costs 25% less energy.

[_Nyth]

Nah, still not a reason to use overload. Unless the person you're chasing is at the very edge of your range you're better to drop cover and pop them with an instant Snipe (provided you specced for it) to finish them off.

 

Also, explosive probe is very nice if you're trying to burst down a healer. With Ambush+explosive combo, along with throwing out our other heavy hitters (and most expensive) you might not have much energy left but the healer is going to be dead too.

 

Overload shot still has its uses though. That's the reason I keep it on my action bars.

Of course its damage is pretty pathetic, but it's slightly better than rifle shot; so your best option if you need an instant out of cover attack (assuming Takedown is on cooldown). The problem with cover+snipe is that it takes quite a while. Unfortunately Bioware set the game mechanics to finish the animation before you can do your next ability (unlike say WoW), so setting up cover which should be off the GCD still puts you on a 1.5 sec animation delay (which can easily be the difference between in and out of range). Hopefully they fix this and you can do Cover+Snipe in a split second at which point I might totally drop Overload shot.

I also use it as a poor mans takedown when grinding. For some reason my Takedown has the tendency to leave mobs at 1-5% HP

[Esxelo]

like most people say it depends on what you're doing/fighting, but lets say I was fighting something with high health that I could pound on uninterupted like some elite or boss creature.

 

laze target > enter cover > shatter shot > snipe(snap shot) > followthrough > explosive probe > ambush(reactive shot) > followthrough > SoS > rapid fire > SoS > SoS > filler(untill below 30%) >takedown > filler(untill TD is ready again) > repeat last 2

 

filler for me is usually exit and re-enter cover for another snap shot > followthrough combo (as well as ballistic dampers refresh) and then go from there depending on what is on cd.

 

I put explosive probe in there becuase after followthrough (1.5 gcd) and the reactive 1.5 sec ambush, thats still 3 secs before you can use followthrough again. and since it has to be used within 4 secs of snipe/ambush, with no move between them it's 3 secs you sit there doing nothing other then spam followthrough untill it fires. it may not be the most effecient move but it's elemental dmg means it's all but guarenteed to hit for 1.6k minimum, and with snipers nest, energy tanks, and how synergistic mm rotations become as in my rotation, energy management almost becomes a non issue.

[Xontier]

Overload shot still has its uses though. That's the reason I keep it on my action bars.

Of course its damage is pretty pathetic, but it's slightly better than rifle shot; so your best option if you need an instant out of cover attack (assuming Takedown is on cooldown). The problem with cover+snipe is that it takes quite a while. Unfortunately Bioware set the game mechanics to finish the animation before you can do your next ability (unlike say WoW), so setting up cover which should be off the GCD still puts you on a 1.5 sec animation delay (which can easily be the difference between in and out of range). Hopefully they fix this and you can do Cover+Snipe in a split second at which point I might totally drop Overload shot.

I also use it as a poor mans takedown when grinding. For some reason my Takedown has the tendency to leave mobs at 1-5% HP

 

Maybe I've been lucky then without having a delay with cover+instant snipe. I haven't had any issues dropping cover and popping a snipe right away to finish of runners.

 

Still, if someone can't do it due to lag (or not speccing for instant snipe) then yea, I guess Overload shot could be used. Personally though, I haven't had it on my bars for quite some time.

[Anelyn]

No delay with instant snipe for me, and you can use shatter shot before entering cover, to instantly snipe + followthrough on debuffed armor.

 

You can - in fact, use shatters shot and laze target at same time you press cover, since laze target is off GCD and cover is on it's own cd, using 3 abilities in 1 second, followed by instant snipe.

 

Also I noticed it matters the distance / los to target when you start casting an ability not when it finishes the cast - I hit peeps runing away or losing with ambush.