Tracer missile tracer missile tracer missile tracer missile tracer missile

that **** ability is so damn annoying and op why does it hit for 4-5k?suck when I try to interrupt and the ability delay bs kicks in and i get 3 shotted..

I'll explain a bit how Mercenary (and its republic counterpart) works, for those who genuinely don't know.
Those who want to troll will never be persuaded anyway.

Here is how an Arsenal Mercenary works (the one with tracer missile):

First of all it has to be said that BH has a heat bar instead of force/energy. Most special abilities have a heat cost. When the heat bar is full, the mercenary can only use the basic attack until heat dissipates or, if available, can use Vent Heat do dissipate 50/66 heat (66 if you put two points in bodyguard tree). Vent Heat is on a 2min cooldown, Pyro Mercs can purchase 2 boxes which will lower the cooldown by 30sec, full arsenal spec can't.
Heat dissipation is more efficient if your heat lvl is low, but the higher your heat lvl is, the lower your heat dissipation will be.
I don't have access to the game right now but if memory serves me it works like this:
0-39% heat->5 points dissipated per second.
40%-79%->3 points per second.
80%-100% heat->2 points per second.
In short: as a Mercenary you must keep heat low unless you want to be forced into a 30 seconds cooldown where you're absolutely useless and vulnerable. In order to have the best possible dissipation, we must keep our heat below 40%, unless we really have to finish off someone (to prevent them from scoring, so to say), in which case we'll have to deal with the downtime.

Mercenary Specials:
-UNLOAD: channeled ability, does good damage over its 3 seconds duration, 15 seconds cooldown. With proper template, its damage can be improved and it can have up to 100% chance of snaring a target for 2 seconds with each hit.
Via template, Unload has a 50% chance to vent 8 heat.
Very good ability, to be used everytime it's available.

-TRACER MISSILE: charged ability, 1.5 seconds cast time, no cooldown, 25 heat cost heat cost lowered to 16 via template). Each Tracer applies up to 2 heat signatures (depending on the template), which lower target armor by 4% each for 15 seconds and stack up to 5 times (i.e., you need 3 Tracers Missile to get the maximum amount of signatures).
Tracer Missile puts a vulnerability to Rail Shot on the target.. see below.
Also depending on template (full Arsenal have this), each Tracer Missile grants 1 Target Tracking (stacks up to 5), for each target tracking you get a 6% damage bonus on your next Rail Shot.
In addition, critical hits with Tracer and Heatseeker missiles have up to 50% chance of venting 8 heat (therefore, it's needed) and, via template, Tracer missile has up to 30% chance of proccing barrage, which ends the cooldown on Unload and makes the next unload hit 25% harder (see above).

RAIL SHOT: good damage, instacast, 16 heat cost, 15 seconds cooldown. The target must be incapacitated, burning or vulnerable via tracer missile for Rail Shot to work. Arsenal Mercenaries don't get the big bonuses (armor piercing, chance to reset its cooldown etc) on Rail Shot that Pyro Mercs get, however our high velocity gas cylinder (call it our stance, to be clear) lowers the cost of Rail Shot by 8.
It's a very good ability which we must use everytime it's available.

HEATSEEKER MISSILE: This skill is only available to those who go full Arsenal, is instacast, 15 sec cooldown, 16 heat cost.
Its damage is improved by 5% per heat signature on the target, meaning it's mostly effective once we have stacked our 5 (cap) heat signatures.

-POWER SHOT: same cost and cast time as Tracer Missile, no cooldown, but as an Arsenal the only benefit we get to using it is a chance to reset cooldown on Unload.
This special is intended to be the alternative to Tracer Missile for Pyros (who get lots of nice bonuses on it) and Bodyguards (they get nioce bonuses on this too, via proc).
Power Shot is pretty much only good to bait interrupts for us, because we don't get any of the debuffs/vulnerabilities etc out of Power Shot.

-FUSION MISSILE: damage on impact and burning on a 2mt radius from target, the burning lasts for 6 seconds. 33 (!) heat cost, 30 sec cooldown, 1.5 sec cast time.
It's a nice Dot and if the opponents are very close to each other (within 2m from target) it's AoE. The very high heat cost makes it usable only in certain situations or when we have our Thermal Sensor Override up (2min cooldown, 1.30min via template), which allows the next ability to be fired at no heat cost.

-DEATH FROM ABOVE: our best AoE, on targeted area, 25 heat cost and 60sec cooldown

-SWEEPING BLASTERS: another AoE on targeted area, no cooldown, but its 33 (!) heat cost make it hardly worth it due to heat management issues.

-MISSILE BLAST: instacast, 25 heat cost, deals damage to one target and little damage to up to 3 targets close by. Almost useless due to heat cost, only good to finish off a runner who's on the brink of death combined with rapid shots (our basic attack) and if we have heat to spare OR to prevent 2-3 enemies from capping an objective.

-EXPLOSIVE DART: explodes after a few seconds dealing damage to target and nearby enemies, 16 heat cost, 15 sec cooldown.

Have to cut it short now, I'm probably forgetting something for sure..

Anyway, if you read the above it's clear our rotation MUST be the following:
-Unload (the heat cost will dissipate before channeling is over if we're at 0 heat)
-Tracer
-Tracer
-Tracer
Now we have 5 heat signatures on target and 3x bonus on railshot
-Heat Seeker
-Tracer
-Tracer
Now we have maximum bonus on Railshot
Railshot.
If Barrage has procced in the meantime, we can do Unload again.. otherwise rotation restarts.

Depending on heat level and situation, we can try to add a Fusion Missile or Exploding Dart here and there if they are off cooldown.

The point is this: the class was built around Tracer Missile. If you don't like it keep in mind that they would have to change THE WHOLE ARSENAL tree to make the class different but still viable.
Adding a cooldown or the likes on tracer without changing the rest of the class would make Arsenal absolutely useless.

The point is this: the class was built around Tracer Missile. If you don't like it keep in mind that they would have to change THE WHOLE ARSENAL tree to make the class different but still viable.
Adding a cooldown or the likes on tracer without changing the rest of the class would make Arsenal absolutely useless.

Whatever. So what should we ***** about? Let's ***** about BioWare making a 3-button class.
Tracer missile spammers, I still hate you.

Actually it goes more like..

Tracer Missile Away! .... cant see target.. crap

Chase..

Tracer Missile Away!!.. Cant see target.. crap

Chase...

Tracer Missile Away!! ... cant see target... /groan

Chase..

Tracer Missile Away!!.. cant see target.. /sigh

chase..

Traser Missile Away!!.. cant see target... /punchmonitor

If that's the case just lower the damage of tracer missle by 10-15% so its not as bursty