1) What materials does Slicing get you, anyway? heard it's primarily a money-making profession but doesn't actually make or collect anything for other professions?

2) Torhead suggests that Armstech make barrel, weapons, and augmentations, is it a good profession? Once I get orange weapon only the barrel is worthwhile, no? The augment requires you to have an augmented gear (crit) first, not sure how often that'd be.

Slicing is the new armstech. For me armstech was the worst profession for me. I had a toon who was 260+ or so and rerolled him to armormech.

I'm really disappointed with slicing now.

Slicing gets you Prototype & Artifact quality Augment components, as well as some recipes and ALL CRAFTING MISSIONS (very, very important!)

My Number One job for SCORPIO, my only companion with a Slicing Crit Bonus, is to farm Moderate missions for crits that score Crafting Missions. For Grade 6 Artifact quality ingredients, it is the EASIEST way to grind for those!

Armstech ALSO makes off-hand items for some classes - vibroknives and shotguns - and some unique weapons for companions - ... what's-it that Qyzen and Vector use?

Slicing gets you Prototype & Artifact quality Augment components, as well as some recipes and ALL CRAFTING MISSIONS (very, very important!)

 

My Number One job for SCORPIO, my only companion with a Slicing Crit Bonus, is to farm Moderate missions for crits that score Crafting Missions. For Grade 6 Artifact quality ingredients, it is the EASIEST way to grind for those!

 

 

Armstech ALSO makes off-hand items for some classes - vibroknives and shotguns - and some unique weapons for companions - ... what's-it that Qyzen and Vector use?

Yes, now that you can RE vibroknives, armstech has some usefulness. Before that, it was quite useless.