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Ren_Ahern
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re: Mercenary Strategy

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Mercenaries are a class with high AoE damage potiential as well as solid healing options. They are frequently at the tops of the charts in PvP for damage and healing, often with a single Mercenary able to be within the top three in both categories.

This class seemed to really shine in fluid environments like PvP and as Dps'ers with support healing in PvE group. However, the heat management system seemed to required more attention than other energy resource types in my opinion as the Mercenary lacks the huge pool to draw from that sorcerers have or the regen tricks that the Agents have. But reports seem to be that with levels and gear this issue may be less significant. I am concerned though that due to the heat mechanic and the only quick heat dump being on a two minute cooldown that Mercenary healers may struggle when it comes to recovering from bad pulls or high peaks of incoming burst damage. The class is also on the weaker side of things when it comes to crowd control. Dispite those issue this class is definately one that can shine in many situations and can definately put up some impressive numbers.

As far as stats, it may be to early to tell and I've heard compelling arguments for various prioritys but for now I think Mercenaries are most likely to benfit from prioritizing stats in the following order:
1. Aim
2. Power
3. Crit.
4. Surge
5. Alacrity
6. End.
but your default gear will pretty much take care of Aim and End. so the middle four are what to watch for.


Last edited by Ren_Ahern on Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:27 pm; edited 1 time in total
Ren_Ahern
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re: Mercenary Strategy

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A Bodyguard Build:

An Arsenal Build:
7/31/3
http://www.torhead.com/calculator/skill#300Mc0MZMIkbRrdokfzZd.1

A Pyrotech Build:

A Hybrid Build:
24/17/0
http://www.torhead.com/calculator/skill#300rfRoRzcdzZMIkbR0b.1
(Werdan from swtor.com forums originally made this hybrid build. http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=630718 links to a thread of his that is very long but has good merc information spread throughout it.)


Last edited by Ren_Ahern on Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:42 pm; edited 1 time in total
Ren_Ahern
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re: Mercenary Strategy

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If anyone else has any builds or comments they'd like to contribute please do so. I will be updating information here as soon as possible.
ProjectAlice
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Here is my idea for a Bodyguard build:
http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#300rdRoRkfdkqZrc0M.1

It is similar to Heelar's build in another post with a few differences. The main difference is mine is built around power over crit. I'm not convinced this is the best policy however, I just hate using crit as a main stat for a healer. I'd rather have more dedicated power. In general though, this is more of a "learning the fight" heal spec. A crit spec might be better once we are more geared for raiding. This is why I like this spec:

Hired Muscle (crit chance): I just put one point in this to get access to the higher trees. I don't want to focus on crit and I don't care about critical reaction because I feel alacrity is a bad stat for BH's (unless proven to reduce GCD)

Heat Dampening: makes your stun/cc free. very helpful when your overheated and about to wipe when there is just one single add/trashmob left and you need a second to recover after an almost botched pull.

Protective Field[b]: I chose this over Power Insulators because I feel as a whole healers shouldn't take enough dmg to matter, and if you are taking dmg, the temporary reduction of your shield and the bonus to incoming heals will be more likely to save you than an overal flat 4% reduction. Again, better for those oh-sh** moments for a chance at saving the raid from a wipe. I did throw a point in Power Insulators because my last point had nowhere to go.

[b]Cure Mind
: I chose this out of the assumption that mental effects are a big player in some fights... as well as using cure being common. If it turns out not to be the case, take it out and put it in Power Insulators instead.

Custom Enviro Suit: I maxed this out instead of taking Upgraded Arsenal because +hit is worthless for a pve healer unless I'm missing something. Seems like this talent needs to be revisited, imo. Plus endurance and +heals is helpful again for those last second oh-sh** moments to resurrect a dieing raid.

This is my opinion, but it is all theory and no crafting because I have yet to get max level to really test out my crit vs power debate, nor have I had a chance to really see if there is value in alacrity. I can't help but feel like alacrity will just make us overheat faster since we already overheat really fast, but it doesn't give us any way to cool off faster so it means more time spent shooting snot rockets instead of healing. I've not ever felt like I can't cast enough heals, I just feel like I need them to hit harder. Maybe that changes as you get max level?


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YamiQ13
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Just Recently Respeced. This Build does need some Ops/HM Flashpoint stress testing to really test some of the changes I made but so far I am really enjoying the increase to my healing after changing my skill point allocations.

My Current Bodyguard(PvE focused healing spec)
http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#300bfRMRdcdkqZrMoZb.1

Some of the choices are a no brainer so I will not be discussing thing like Med Tech or Kolto Missile/Shell.

On the Bodyguard tree:

Hired Muscle - After playing at lvl 50 I feel (for now) the 16 heat just isn't really worth giving up the extra crit chance. This is one of the changes I need to stress test in Ops/HM Flashpoints will update when I test more.

Critical Reaction - Alacrity speeds up your casting time, faster you can cast the faster you can heal. Never really had much problems with the constant casting over heating me too much between vent heat and super charged gas. I feel this will be needed in those OMG you really need to heal the S out of things quick moments.

Healers should NOT be taking much damage. Learn to move out of aoes and stand in safer spots. This is why I felt any ability that only increased healing to you or increased your endurance should take a secondary priority to increasing how much you heal and how often you can crit with your heals. Reality is we are gonna take some damage for now I kept Powered Insulators and Power Shield for the straight out damage reduction and the decrease in pushbacks/immune to interrupts on our healing. I did not feel the abilities that Heat Damping affects will be used often enough to use a point just to reduce 8 heat on each ability.

On Pyrotech Tree:

System Calibrations - Straight out 4% increase to Alacrity

On Arsenal Tree:

Intergrated Systems - Increases how much healing you can do by 2% bonuse also increases how much you recieve by 2%.

Mandalorian Iron Warheads - Increases Kolto Missile healing by 20% and it also increases dmg done by all missiles and Power Shot by 6%

Ironsights - Increses your Aim and that affects everything we have . Unfortunately I only have 2 points here due to a lack of skill points. Debating to drop Power Shield for the extra aim. (Need to see what there is in Ops/HM Flashpoints if I can drop Power Shield. Only putting 2 points in this was my hardest decision.

Upgraded Arsenal - Must have in my opinion. For only 1 point we can increase our ability to crit more often with tech skills by 3% a very fine purchase for 1 point.

My first time posting a build. If you have any suggestions on how I presented this or on the build itself, Please by all means send me a msg and let me know. I would love to hear feedback on what everyone thinks.
VanZhandt
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re: Mercenary Strategy

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I am curious why in your Arsenal build you put points in the Alacrety enhancing talents. For Arsenal most of our casts are 1.5 sec which is the same as the GCD. We cannot go below the GCD so I dont see what Alacrety helps us with. Can you help clear this up for me?

Also, I could be wrong but looking at our Eliminator gear with the set bonus that matches the Arsenal tree there is more power than crit. Is Bioware trying to tell us something. Should we use more power and the crit we get from Aim enough? My crit and surge are pretty good as I stack them but it feels like my basic shots might be a little low. So should we stack crit up to 30% and then get power?

Thank for the post and responses.


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YamiQ13
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Hiya yeah I noticed the differences in the stats on each of the tier gear it is strange not really sure what to tell you. I am far from being geared haha. May change the way I look at my skill trees after I get geared. Yeah you can go below the 1.5sec cast time. Checked this morning with my patchworked gear here are rapid scan and healing scan with my build at the moment.

Just Base
Rapid Scan 1.85
Healing Scan 1.38

Critical Reaction Proc Only
Rapid Scan 1.75
Healing Scan 1.31

Lvl 36 Darkside Alacrity Relic Only
Rapid Scan 1.76
Healing Scan 1.32

Critical Reaction Proc + Relic
Rapid Scan 1.66
Healing Scan 1.24

Whoo can get under 1.25sec cast time. To be honest I am not sure what the cap is. This does need futher investigation. Sorry I can't answer more about the gear yet.
YamiQ13
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Got to reading around a little bit on the net and came across this:
http://www.squidoo.com/swtor-alacrity
Apparently alacrity seems to be reducing gcd, although it still says officially unconfirmed. It also gives his opinion on merc healing it in. It doesn't look favorably on alacrity for us . Worth a read check it out.
VanZhandt
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While I agree that alacrety may be benefici to healers, even Merc healers if you do not spam and manage resources, I do not see how it can help Arsenal builds. Unless you are saying the cast time of 1.5 seconds can be reduced. If so you are usually casting it again right after. Aren't you having to wait for the GCD at that time?


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YamiQ13
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No it lowers the GCD. Healing Scan is 1.5 originally which is the GCD normal. When I get the lower cast time on it that is the new GCD. So I can cast Rapid Scan right after Healing Scan casts even at the 1.24 cast time. Curious to check on dmg abilities, but don't have anything currently that breaks the normal GCD.
Ren_Ahern
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I've been playing my Merc a lot again and have been looking at alternative specs to the pve dps arsenal build I currently run in. With the announced nerf on its way it's probably going to be best to be pretty familiar with all three trees to be able to jump ship if your spec of choice is the one that gets hit hard. I haven't seen much new but these are a couple of links to some decent Merc stuff:

A thread that seems to be fairly well updated and covers most of what you'll want to know for leveling and raiding.
http://sithwarrior.com/forums/Thread-Arsenal-Mercenary-Gunnery-Commando-DPS-Compendium


This is the lastest Merc discussion on the swtor forums that I think has some good merits to it. There are a lot of build links there too if you need some direction on how to spec.
http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=279723

Anyone else seen any Merc specific stuff worth reading?
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