Hey guys. An Arsenal Merc here and I love to PvP. Now before, I never thought of my class as bad in PvP. Some games I get wiped because the other team is good, or I dominate because mine is good or the other team sucks. However, reading these forums has put the thought in my head.

 

 

Now I am talking about Pyrotech and Arsenal. I want to be more efficient in PvP as a Mercenary! Do not tell me to re-roll. Not this far into the game. Do not tell me Mercs suck at PvP. I have proven to myself they don't. Do not tell me Arsenal is like a turret, because it is not to me.

 

Some notes:

 

Level 28 Arsenal Merc

Doesn't use AoE much unless given the oppurtunity.

I am more worried about the objective than kills, but I do love medals.

 

Here are my thoughts:

 

Arsenal will do more damage and get me more kills, but Pyrotech will help more for damage and objective, seeing as how objectives require a cast and damage breaks that.

 

So which is better? I want some proof and a build if you can! Thanks!

I'm thinking of looking at Pyro for dots which help in WZs as the enemy can't take objectives while taking damage.

The answer is to reroll powertech before you waste the time to get to 50 as mercenary.

 

I can not stress this enough. I am serious and if you do not heed this advice, you will be here at 50 crying like the rest of us.

 

 

Just do yourself a favor, delete that toon and start over as powertech. The powertech pyro > merc pyro. Merc arsenal is not even remotely viable in pvp when you are against a premade. You will get zerged 100% of the time and spend more time dead then alive.

 

 

At low levels (or before 50's existed) arsenal feels fine, if not somewhat OP. This is just like the wow hunter. Leveling a wow hunter they 3 shot people..but at 85 the tables are turned 180 degrees.

Edited January 2, 2012 by Raideen

The answer is to reroll powertech before you waste the time to get to 50 as mercenary.

 

I can not stress this enough. I am serious and if you do not heed this advice, you will be here at 50 crying like the rest of us.

 

 

Just do yourself a favor, delete that toon and start over as powertech. The powertech pyro > merc pyro. Merc arsenal is not even remotely viable in pvp when you are against a premade. You will get zerged 100% of the time and spend more time dead then alive.

 

 

At low levels (or before 50's existed) arsenal feels fine, if not somewhat OP. This is just like the wow hunter. Leveling a wow hunter they 3 shot people..but at 85 the tables are turned 180 degrees.

 

 

Damn sounds like Merc was a perfect choice for me given I got gladiator 3 times on my hunter. @OP, If you are high enough level to get the required arsenal talents then pyro may be better imo. However at lower levels its awful due to not having the pretty much core lower tier talents of arsenal.

Edited January 2, 2012 by Moddim

The answer is to reroll powertech before you waste the time to get to 50 as mercenary.

 

I can not stress this enough. I am serious and if you do not heed this advice, you will be here at 50 crying like the rest of us.

 

 

Just do yourself a favor, delete that toon and start over as powertech. The powertech pyro > merc pyro. Merc arsenal is not even remotely viable in pvp when you are against a premade. You will get zerged 100% of the time and spend more time dead then alive.

 

 

At low levels (or before 50's existed) arsenal feels fine, if not somewhat OP. This is just like the wow hunter. Leveling a wow hunter they 3 shot people..but at 85 the tables are turned 180 degrees.

 

I'm glad you read the whole post I said. I read this whole forum and I know your groups complaints. Can't 1v1. Can't survive. BLAH BLAH BLAH. The Arsenal is powerful with the right gear (AKA pvp gear) and has its own strategy. I also understand I will get roflstomped by a pre-made. Most people should. This game is team based, not everyone go be a hero.

 

Also, I have 20 valor. Not high but still takes a good amount of games to get to. I never have less than five medals and die like 4 times. One time I died ten but that is because my frustration got over me. I am fine with this. With three tracer missiles, rail shot, then heat seeking, it doesn't matter for me.

 

With melee, all I need to do is concussion missile them. Heal, then back up. They want to break it? Go for it. Electro dart! Then, I can get one more CC off and guess where my jet boost is going? RIGHT THERE! I am not worried about killing either.

 

Anyone else want to tell me they think it sucks needing strategy to win? Cuz that is my favorite part.

 

(Also have a level 32 Gunnery Trooper. Mirror class.)

 

Damn sounds like Merc was a perfect choice for me given I got gladiator 3 times on my hunter. @OP, If you are high enough level to get the required arsenal talents then pyro may be better imo. However at lower levels its awful due to not having the pretty much core lower tier talents of arsenal.

 

I am already level 30. Eleven more levels and I have what I want. Arsenal was a great choice for me at first, I just want to know if Pyrotech MERCENARY was a better choice for PvP overall.

Edited January 2, 2012 by DarthNofu

I've been playing pyro since about 25ish or so and I love it. It's a completely different playstyle though and not suited to everyone. With pyro you're perpetually on the move, and you really should only ever stand still for the occasional heal, conc, fusion missile and unload/power shot to set up rail. You're not going to burst people down like you would with arsenal, but you're able to put out much better sustained damage which is great as long as you know how to use it. Chasing down that ball carrier? Trying to kite melee? Pillar humping and using line of sight to harass people trying to capture objectives? Being able to mix instants and casts gives the spec a lot more versatility than arsenal in my opinion.

 

That being said, it's not all roses. Without dispel protection, good players can shut you down with properly used dispels. You can't stand toe to toe with other casters and you can't burst down healers (though you'll find that you can LOS casters and beat them that way instead). And your snare relies on proc'ing from your rapid shot, so it can be unreliable at times.

 

It really comes down to what you enjoy in PvP. If you're more of a 'kill everything in sight' kind of person, arsenal is likely your spec. If you're more objectives focussed, pyro might be for you.

It really comes down to what you enjoy in PvP. If you're more of a 'kill everything in sight' kind of person, arsenal is likely your spec. If you're more objectives focussed, pyro might be for you.

 

What if I am both

The answer is to reroll powertech before you waste the time to get to 50 as mercenary.

 

I can not stress this enough. I am serious and if you do not heed this advice, you will be here at 50 crying like the rest of us.

 

 

Just do yourself a favor, delete that toon and start over as powertech. The powertech pyro > merc pyro. Merc arsenal is not even remotely viable in pvp when you are against a premade. You will get zerged 100% of the time and spend more time dead then alive.

 

 

At low levels (or before 50's existed) arsenal feels fine, if not somewhat OP. This is just like the wow hunter. Leveling a wow hunter they 3 shot people..but at 85 the tables are turned 180 degrees.

 

Not crying. Not experiencing any of what you are saying. I play with my guild (zerodefect, a guild full of ex-WoW gladiators) vs. other big PvP guilds on a daily basis and I absolutely love this class.

 

Don't listen to these whiners.

What if I am both

 

Well then just pick the one that suits your playstyle and try to adapt it to what you want to do. Or re-roll sorc.

Damn sounds like Merc was a perfect choice for me given I got gladiator 3 times on my hunter. @OP, If you are high enough level to get the required arsenal talents then pyro may be better imo. However at lower levels its awful due to not having the pretty much core lower tier talents of arsenal.

 

 

You got glad because you were carried by two FOTM classes...plain and simple. Even the korean dude that own the tourny made a ton of mistakes, but easily undone by the DK holy pally combo

I'm glad you read the whole post I said. I read this whole forum and I know your groups complaints. Can't 1v1. Can't survive. BLAH BLAH BLAH. The Arsenal is powerful with the right gear (AKA pvp gear) and has its own strategy. I also understand I will get roflstomped by a pre-made. Most people should. This game is team based, not everyone go be a hero.

 

Also, I have 20 valor. Not high but still takes a good amount of games to get to. I never have less than five medals and die like 4 times. One time I died ten but that is because my frustration got over me. I am fine with this. With three tracer missiles, rail shot, then heat seeking, it doesn't matter for me.

 

With melee, all I need to do is concussion missile them. Heal, then back up. They want to break it? Go for it. Electro dart! Then, I can get one more CC off and guess where my jet boost is going? RIGHT THERE! I am not worried about killing either.

 

Anyone else want to tell me they think it sucks needing strategy to win? Cuz that is my favorite part.

 

(Also have a level 32 Gunnery Trooper. Mirror class.)

 

 

 

I am already level 30. Eleven more levels and I have what I want. Arsenal was a great choice for me at first, I just want to know if Pyrotech MERCENARY was a better choice for PvP overall.

 

 

You asked, I told you!

 

Your strat is so flawed it is funny. My merc is 50 and I AM TELLING you how it is at FIFTY...the who damn game changes...ok BUB!

 

You are not going to concussion anyone and "heal up" do you even know how pathetic the heals are? You will burn your entire heat pool for about 3k health...and when that melee catches you and you are full on heat...you are dead. Your defensive maneuvers cost heat just like the offensive ones...

 

but hey, go ahead, roll that dude merc to 50. I cant wait to see you suffer.

Not crying. Not experiencing any of what you are saying. I play with my guild (zerodefect, a guild full of ex-WoW gladiators) vs. other big PvP guilds on a daily basis and I absolutely love this class.

 

Don't listen to these whiners.

 

 

You play with a maximum of 3 people in a premade...that is how SWTOR works. No amount of communication can save a node or a door if you get 2 shot by 2 stealthies.

 

I run with all x-glads as well, and the guild I am in is structured to be a solid pvp guild. Mercs simply do not have the utility that every other class in game has. The resource mechanic is flawed, the damage output is sub par at best in comparison to any dps class.

 

You might feel fine if you have a pocket healer, but other classes dont need a pocket healer to perform well. I myself dont like always relying on someone to do my job. I like to fend for myself as I am that dude in every BG WZ whatever that you enter who is doing objectives.

 

 

Here is the easiest way for me to put it. Classes that can perform well in pugs are the classes that get hte job done...arsenal merc is not one of these.

Raideen , show me a powertech build for pvp please.

 

I'm an arsenal spec and getting tired of standing still to do anything in pvp.

Edited January 3, 2012 by ChuckThePug

Raideen , show me a powertech build for pvp please.

 

I'm an arsenal spec and getting tired of standing still to do anything in pvp.

 

I'm going to try this.

 

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#301bMZMsZfhMrzGhrs.1

You asked, I told you!

 

Your strat is so flawed it is funny. My merc is 50 and I AM TELLING you how it is at FIFTY...the who damn game changes...ok BUB!

 

You are not going to concussion anyone and "heal up" do you even know how pathetic the heals are? You will burn your entire heat pool for about 3k health...and when that melee catches you and you are full on heat...you are dead. Your defensive maneuvers cost heat just like the offensive ones...

 

but hey, go ahead, roll that dude merc to 50. I cant wait to see you suffer.

 

I don't know if the guys I've been fighting on Prophecy of the Five are just not as good but generally speaking I kill mercenaries swiftly. I am a powertech pyrotech at level 43 and typically kill level 50 arsenal mercenaries. Not much they can do against me. Now keep in mind I have at my disposal a purple medpac that I use and pop relics quite often but the fact they cannot properly kite me since they have to stand still I usually win. I disrupt one of their tracers whenever I can but more importantly I land a bunch of critting rail shots and a big TD hit and it's no more mercenary.

 

I'm not bragging - I am just saying the class I fear more than you is a DPS sorc. That class gives me trouble - especially the ones who start on my from range when my grapple is down.

 

Pyrotech powertechs are very fun to play. Full pyro atm (0/3/31 at 43) and I can kill any class at the moment with the proper jump. Main reason is I can control the fight on melee types at 10M range by snaring them with my instant flame burst.

Mercenary is fine for PVP, really... and we EXCEL on a good team, probably more than most other classes.

 

I am a 5/31/5 Merc and I have plenty of utility AND mobility (and DPS). My best single target attack is instant/shot on the run.. so is my stun.. and Rail Shot.. and I think Missile Blast (which I never use). I can slow people with Unload, which is pretty much up all the time, and has a bonus cooldown trigger from a skill/talent... or I can use Jet Boost, which also has shortened timers from my skills. We have pretty much the best AOE's in the game, from what I can tell. Also, learn-2-Death from Above in PVP... I can inflict massive damage in a crowd with that ability... I don't go telegraphing it for 5 seconds either, I can pop it pretty much instantly where I want it, because I've practiced at it.

 

Do I win in EVERY situation? Nope... but I seem to do pretty damn well in most. Yes, healing sucks in PVP, but you can pop your instant+heal for a little bit of a health boost... or go Biochem (which is very useful for PVP).

 

Practice more and bind your keys properly? Situation awareness FTW? POSITIONING FTW? Learn how LOS works? Learn the maps? GET BETTER GEAR. Practice, practice, practice!

 

People are still learning how to play, myself included... give it more time before you call for huge adjustments (or nerfs).

 

Or pick a different class before you regret it even more?

Edited January 4, 2012 by -Kraxis-

god just hit 32 as a merc, im rerolling now, SOB!!, i KNEW i should of rolled PT, lol merc is fun but i pvp more then i pve most of the time and being melee fodder is not what i signed up for, regaurdless if i am top 3 or so for dps blah blah blah, fact PT has jet charge and grapple just sweetens the deal

god just hit 32 as a merc, im rerolling now, SOB!!, i KNEW i should of rolled PT, lol merc is fun but i pvp more then i pve most of the time and being melee fodder is not what i signed up for, regaurdless if i am top 3 or so for dps blah blah blah, fact PT has jet charge and grapple just sweetens the deal

 

You are fodder because you are pvping below 50, i guarantee you wont do much better as any other class below 50 with no expertise

Arsenal Merc is very effective against certain opponents, and is at a disadvantage against others. I'm at my best against Snipers/Gunslingers, healers, Sorcs/Shadows, and any melee class that doesn't get the jump on me. Now does getting TM interrupted hurt my DPS? Yes, it does, but it isn't my only high damage skill. What I most dislike fighting is a tank or Rage/Pyrotech spec Juggernaut/Guardian/Powertech/Vanguard, or an Operative/Scoundrel that jumps me from behind. Assassins/Shadows don't have enough CC compared to Ops/Scoundrels or as good burst, and Marauders/Sentinels die way too fast to me if they are starting at range. Edited January 4, 2012 by BountyHuntertwo

I'm thinking of looking at Pyro for dots which help in WZs as the enemy can't take objectives while taking damage.

 

Pyro is a HUGE waste of time for mercs. You are giving up large amounts of on command burst that lets you make clutch plays and remove key targets from a fight. Pyro is very RNG proc reliant that requires you to play like arsenal in the first place to take advantage of your procs.

 

It is not hard at all to prevent caps as arsenal, you still have all your aoe's you have a VERY strong knock back.

I'm a gunslinger and on gunslinger forums people complain about the class sucking, always using mercs as a comparison since you're considered to be very good. So I go check out your forums and here people complain you can't play merc cause it sucks. I guess it's the same thing everywhere. People pick classes that don't fit them an start complaining that the class is worthless.

i have a level 50 merc in full champion pvp gear... including pistols.. and im rolling a powertech as i type this lol.. im sick of chain interrupt spell lockouts + stun + spell interrupt = dead merc... i still cant believe we get ONE instant cast with our level 50 ability and pyro gets 15 seconds of 25% crit.. why dont we get 15 seconds or even 10 seconds of instant casts =D or read my post on making tracer instant cast........

Arsenal merc pvp from my xp goes like this...

 

10-49 You rock for the most part. Can almost go where you want and do what you want as long as you are still being somewhat smart about where you're placing yourself.

 

50 You start seeing a decline. You can still rock, but it takes a lot more effort. You have to be extra careful as to where you are and who is around you. You will need your team mates a lot more.

 

 

I pretty much lvl'd my merc through pvp. When I was in the 10-49 bracket I would sit around 250k-300k dps and could hold off single's coming at me while protecting a node solo. In the 50 bracket, I only adv 200k-250k dps and the only way I can defend a node solo is if it's single and the other player has no clue what they are doing. It's almost backward from what you would expect. You would figure that at lower lvls you would have a harder time dps'n and having to rely on your team, but it's at 50 where you start to feel that more.

 

I still enjoy playing my merc as arsenal, but I have to be way more team based then I was in 10-49. I also find myself gang ganked a lot more as well. Even if there are team mates around me. I also see a lot of team mates complain at the beginning of a match when they see a merc...

i made a little post about how i feel with chain interrupts on arsenal mercs whos whole build is based on us casting one specific attack... watch me get flamed...

 

 

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=311032

 

 

please if you have any ideas or anything that could be useful feel free to comment!

If you want to feel like a pvp god then re-roll as a powertech....at level 26 it's worth it.

 

I have a valor level 63 Merc aresanal spec and love it....but I didn't start to appreciate it till I was in all champ gear.... and stacking crit/surge. I am regularly marked for death in hutball because I have annoyed the other team so much. A merc really shines in this map

 

I will tell you I have an levle 37 powertech alt as well and am loving the class.