Same cast time

Same cost

Same range

Less damage

No debuff

Is there any reason for me to keep Power Shot on my hotbars?

There is none. Powershot is more for Ptechs. Use tracer from 20 on.

Powershot is Mercenary only.

That said, it's used for Pyrotech Specs and the occasional DPSing with Bodyguard, but otherwise Tracer Missile replaces it in your rotation.

On second thought, sometimes your abilities get interrupted and locked out for a duration. Power Shot might be handy to make use of your cooling systems during such a time.

tracer missile doesnt have a cd, just an activation time

tracer missile doesnt have a cd, just an activation time

It does if an enemy uses an ability that interrupts it and puts it on cooldown.

It might have to finish the activation but it still doesn't have a cooldown.

It might have to finish the activation but it still doesn't have a cooldown.

You're missing his point. Several class skills not only interrupt an induction but prevent the use of that skill for a number of seconds. It doesn't matter if Tracer Missile has no cool down if it's locked from use for 4 seconds.

When I got 5 Stacks of Heat Signature, my Power Shot deals more damage than the tracer missile. Power Shot is weapon damage, while tracer missiles are kinetic which makes it the preferred skill over missiles every time after I got the debuff up and unload is on cooldown.

This.

Also, we have a talent which reduces that heat cost of Power shot, buy I havent found one doing the same for Tracer Missile. So with 1 talent, Power shot has a higher Damage per Heat ratio.

This.

 

Also, we have a talent which reduces that heat cost of Power shot, buy I havent found one doing the same for Tracer Missile. So with 1 talent, Power shot has a higher Damage per Heat ratio.

The same talent also reduces the Heat Cost of Tracer Missile. Assuming you're refering to Muzzle Fluting, the reason it's lowers both is so Pyrotech can pick it up.

Power Shot also doesn't contribute Tracer Shot buffs which by the time you stack to 5, Rail Shot's CD will have finished (also assuming you get a Barrage Proc as well as using a Heatseeker) Additionally Power Shot can't Proc Terminal Velocity.

Arsenal = Tracer Missile

Pyrotech = Power Shot

At lower levels before you access said talents, Power Shot might be slightly more effective, but seriously who cares about low level DPS?

When I got 5 Stacks of Heat Signature, my Power Shot deals more damage than the tracer missile. Power Shot is weapon damage, while tracer missiles are kinetic which makes it the preferred skill over missiles every time after I got the debuff up and unload is on cooldown.

Thats unusual seeing as armor also modifies kinetic damage. Reducing 20% armor should have exactly the same effect on your power shot as it does your tracer missile.

Further up the tree Tracer will also boost rail shot and since it is a missile it works with Terminal Velocity, Power Shot does not. You should not be using Power Shot at all as Arsenal once you get Tracer. I would double check to make sure the Power Shot is hitting harder because mine definitely doesn't.

Tracer missle to 5 stacks + Supercharged Gas = super sex for Power Shot.

Supercharged gas is also kind of a moot point, why would you be using Combat Support Cylinder over the armor pen (55% armor pen with that and tracer, GG. Its even sillier if you have the IA armor debuff on top of that). If you are using it and you're reaching 30 stacks of it from Rapid Shots, you're doing something horribly wrong because you shouldn't have to rapid shot hardly ever with a decent crit rate and maxed Arsenel.

As others have said, Power Shot is for the Pyrotech tree.

Thats unusual seeing as armor also modifies kinetic damage. Reducing 20% armor should have exactly the same effect on your power shot as it does your tracer missile.

 

Further up the tree Tracer will also boost rail shot and since it is a missile it works with Terminal Velocity, Power Shot does not. You should not be using Power Shot at all as Arsenal once you get Tracer. I would double check to make sure the Power Shot is hitting harder because mine definitely doesn't.

 

 

 

 

Supercharged gas is also kind of a moot point, why would you be using Combat Support Cylinder over the armor pen (55% armor pen with that and tracer, GG). If you are using it and you're reaching 30 stacks of it from Rapid Shots, you're doing something horribly wrong because you shouldn't have to rapid shot hardly ever with a decent crit rate and maxed Arsenel.

 

As others have said, Power Shot is for the Pyrotech tree.

A main point I should mention.... Your Powershot might not be doing as much damage as your Tracer is because it's based on WEAPON Damage. Are your Pistols up to date/best they can be?

Supercharged gas is also kind of a moot point, why would you be using Combat Support Cylinder over the armor pen (55% armor pen with that and tracer, GG. Its even sillier if you have the IA armor debuff on top of that). If you are using it and you're reaching 30 stacks of it from Rapid Shots, you're doing something horribly wrong because you shouldn't have to rapid shot hardly ever with a decent crit rate and maxed Arsenel.

Because the person using CSC might actually be a Bodyguard/Arsenal Hybrid? Who would have thought such a thing? (It's a pretty viable PvP spec)

It works, quite well actually. Not too shabby in PvE either.

A main point I should mention.... Your Powershot might not be doing as much damage as your Tracer is because it's based on WEAPON Damage. Are your Pistols up to date/best they can be?

If you haven't noticed yet, every single damaging ability is based on your weapon damage.

If you haven't noticed yet, every single damaging ability is based on your weapon damage.

Based on Aim.

Weapon Damage abilities are based on Weapon Damage.

Based on Aim.

 

Weapon Damage abilities are based on Weapon Damage.

Fair enough. With up to date gear tracer and power are very close to each other for me. I suppose power would be preferable like mentioned if you don't go up Arsenel to get the rail shot improvements and the heat refunds.

Maybe Power Shot passes it at the very end from 40-50 when weapon damage takes a huge spike?

Though I must say that is difficult to discern how much benefit AIM gives us vs very nice blasters and well, just new gear in general.

Personally I'm not a fan of a "1 stat to aim for" thing that SWTOR has goign for it. (pun not intended)

Though I must say that is difficult to discern how much benefit AIM gives us vs very nice blasters and well, just new gear in general.

 

Personally I'm not a fan of a "1 stat to aim for" thing that SWTOR has goign for it. (pun not intended)

Me neither. They'll need to be very careful with the scaling of some skills. I'm expecting Power Shot to take a huge spike in damage in the last few levels when weapon damage more than doubles in a 15 level period.

I was really liking arsenel but I ended up switching to a heal spec since I'm running heals with my friends. I'm actually quite surprised at the damage I can dump into stuff with Combustable Gas + Power Shot spam.

You're missing his point. Several class skills not only interrupt an induction but prevent the use of that skill for a number of seconds. It doesn't matter if Tracer Missile has no cool down if it's locked from use for 4 seconds.

It matters a lot when someone is claiming it has a cooldown, using the correct terminology is important to avoid disseminating bad information.

It matters a lot when someone is claiming it has a cooldown, using the correct terminology is important to avoid disseminating bad information.

He never claimed it had a cooldown and he was using the correct terminology. He originally stated that Power Shot is useful if Tracer Missile is interrupted and locked out for a period of time. Someone responded saying Tracer Missile has no cooldown, just an activation time. His reply, to clarify his earlier statement, was that it does have a cooldown in the event that it is interrupted by an enemy that also places it on cooldown.

Nothing about that is confusing. You and the other player are confused and nit-picking.

He never claimed it had a cooldown and he was using the correct terminology.

It does if an enemy uses an ability that interrupts it and puts it on cooldown.

Okay, you are clearly wrong. He should have said interrupts and locks out the ability. Putting an ability on cool down that didn't have one would do nothing. You can keep claiming otherwise though if it makes you feel better.

Okay, you are clearly wrong. He should have said interrupts and locks out the ability. Putting an ability on cool down that didn't have one would do nothing. You can keep claiming otherwise though if it makes you feel better.

No, I'm not. He said exactly what you said he should have.

On second thought, sometimes your abilities get interrupted and locked out for a duration. Power Shot might be handy to make use of your cooling systems during such a time.

That was his first post. Someone responded to that post claiming Tracer Missile does not have a cooldown, only an activation time. His post in response to that was clarifying, stating that it is possible to be interrupted, placing Tracer Missile on cooldown. What the hell else are you supposed to call it when an ability is unable to be cast for a period of time? It's called a cooldown regardless of whether it's because you were silenced/interrupted or because of an internal cooldown. That's why they call that 1.5 second wait between abilities the global cooldown, or GCD. It was pretty clear from his first post exactly what he was talking about.

You either missed the first part of the conversation and replied to his one post without reading before that or you're just stupid. I'm not sure which one yet.

Okay, you are clearly wrong. He should have said interrupts and locks out the ability. Putting an ability on cool down that didn't have one would do nothing. You can keep claiming otherwise though if it makes you feel better.

Just... just stop.