Hey all, I've been debating the use of Vital Shot for my Sharpshooter. I get how it can be useful in PvP for cases where a DoT is nice to have, but for PvE it doesn't seem like it's worth giving attention. I'm admittedly only level 15, but I have a hard time seeing it help much in the encounters I have faced thus far. Is Vital Shot something I should try to use much as a Gunslinger focusing on the Sharpshooter tree, or is it better for other build types?

It depends of course but I have a couple of good uses for it. I cast it while I am moving to a different position or running etc. Second, its great to throw on a stealther in combat as the ticking will pull them out if they try to use their in-combat stealth. Other than that, it's a filler if my main rotation is on cooldown etc.

While levelling you can forget about it completely.

 

In endgame PvE ideally you wouldn't use Vital Shot in the regular rotation because Damage/Energy ratio is definitely not worth it. However, in the movement phases when you have nothing else to spend energy on, it may be useful.

 

In PvP there is use for a lot of skills, especially instant casts. Circumstational.

 

P.S. All said above only applies to Sharpshooter. For Dirty Fighting for example, it's one of the main abilities.

Edited November 17, 2012 by Lightning_

You'll get a DPS increase if you use it and let it reach its max duration and then refreshing it. That being said, it hardly represents a significant portion of DPS for Sharpshooters, and refreshing the DoT should be low on your list given its DPE, especially if you have Quick Aim, Trickshot procs to use up. So it's nothing to fret too much about. As others have said, if you are forced to move, then you pretty much have very little to cast outside of Thermal Grenade, Flurry of Bolts, and Trickshot if you have the proc, so you may as well get DPS via Vital Shot while moving.

Okay, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't looking at it wrong. I definitely get the idea of using it on the move or in PvP for certain cases, but it never seemed like the slow ticks added up enough (maybe I'm missing some in the other damage numbers, but the ticks seem really low). Dirty Fighting definitely seems like it would like it, given its focus on bleed effects.

Be careful when using it in PvP though. It definately has it's uses, but as an SS, often its damage is too low while hindering your own CC (MM excells at making good use of break-on-damage effects). Edited November 17, 2012 by Diplomaticus

I use it whenever there's a Commando in the group. The Commando has a powerful attack that is only possible when the target is suffering a DoT and I think this helps them.

I use it whenever there's a Commando in the group. The Commando has a powerful attack that is only possible when the target is suffering a DoT and I think this helps them.

If you mean High Impact Bolt, which is used by Assault-specced Commandos, their energy cell applies the DoT anyway. And Gunnery commandos don't usually use HiB.

I like the DOT, every little bit helps

If you mean High Impact Bolt, which is used by Assault-specced Commandos, their energy cell applies the DoT anyway. And Gunnery commandos don't usually use HiB.

 

Good to know this, I am at level 17 only though, I suppose lower level Commandos might not get this DoT to their energy cells? At least I didn't notice this on my level 17 Commando (or perhaps I'm doing something wrong)?

Gunnery commandos are able to use High Impact Bolt off of their own Grav Round debuff (since they use a different cell), but even then it's a lot more situational and less useful than it is for other specs/vanguards. In general it's not a bad idea to keep it up on a target, but it should be one of your lowest priority fillers, and usually only while moving. Never use it on adds or a target that's low HP, since it's a DPS loss unless it ticks full duration.

When I was SS, i used to use Vital shot with some sort of relic/adrenal. Mainly, XSFF + Vital Shot + adrenal, then into rotation. This way it would get the benefit of the +power while maintaining a standard rotation afterwards. Basically your stacking damage that benefits from the relic/adrenal.

 

it can be used situationally depending on the fight, but for the most part, you do not want it part of your rotation unless you can gain from it like above or on the move.