Merc is TERRIBLE in PvP...QUOTE]

 

Somebody just hit 50 WZ's lol. Nothing new here. Same ole **** just a different day.

 

Also, the two most *****ed about classes are ranged classes that have alot of their main attacks with channel and activation times. Those classes would be merc and sorc. If they made those two classes more mobile by removing activation time on maybe 1 main attack then the class would be overpowered. For example, take a pyro merc. You already have two nades and railshot with instacast. This makes you pretty mobile but damage is not great. You have to stop to Unload. Arsenal mercs are screwed because of the activation times on Tracers. If they took powershot (I think that's what I remember it was called) and made it instant cast the class would be a kiting nightmare. All ranged classes have their abilities designed to make them stop. IMO the best way to fix merc would be to adjust powershot so that it still needs an activation time but can be used on the run.

Merc is TERRIBLE in PvP...QUOTE]

 

Somebody just hit 50 WZ's lol. Nothing new here. Same ole **** just a different day.

 

Also, the two most *****ed about classes are ranged classes that have alot of their main attacks with channel and activation times. Those classes would be merc and sorc. If they made those two classes more mobile by removing activation time on maybe 1 main attack then the class would be overpowered. For example, take a pyro merc. You already have two nades and railshot with instacast. This makes you pretty mobile but damage is not great. You have to stop to Unload. Arsenal mercs are screwed because of the activation times on Tracers. If they took powershot (I think that's what I remember it was called) and made it instant cast the class would be a kiting nightmare. All ranged classes have their abilities designed to make them stop. IMO the best way to fix merc would be to adjust powershot so that it still needs an activation time but can be used on the run.

 

It would be crazy wouldn't it? We can't have Merc/Commandos killing melees, it would be almost as crazy as giving melees an instant cast attack with a guaranteed crit chance that can hit for 6k on multiple targets and can be repeated in about 5 seconds, oh and let's give them TWO closers and a snare that reduces movement progressively to 90% just so nobody can possibly kite them. Now THAT would be crazy OP wouldn't it? good thing BW isn't stupid enough to make such a change...

I doubt an overhaul of the commando/merc AC is forthcoming. It doesn't just need a buff to be equal in terms of PvP utility, it needs a few new abilities wholesale - something that makes it a tactically relevant piece to have on the board, and that at the very least makes it as challenging to kill as any other dps class.

 

Combat Medic is a different story, but they still have no viable escape mechanic and your best gamble is to just cc and heal yourself for as long as your ammo lasts until help arrives (unfortunately you're stuck standing still while you do this - in between Kolto bombs you can't heal and keep LoS'ing at the same time - Trauma probe helps a little here but it is underwhelming).

 

So more often than not you just have to accept that every mission is a suicide mission and try to have fun. You might be surprised how many objectives you can win once you accept that at some point everyone is going to get facerolled by someone else in this game. I still like the look & feel of the commando AC, enjoy PvE and the storyline, and know the AC well enough (I have 2) that I can take down a button-mashing jugg or mara, and can typically make it a close fight against a skilled one. But yeah, even though I make them work for it, I'm pretty much a free kill for skilled/geared warrior and (this is a little harder to take) a free kill for a mediocre easy-mode cookie-cutter Pyro Powertech. A good operative can burn me down just by gaming the resolve system (if they do it right my resolve will only fill up just in time for the coup de grâce).

 

Playing a FotM AC will show you that more than just an interrupt was overlooked in the initial design of the commando/merc. And now that everyone knows it, commandos get focused even before the healers and the ball carriers, making the disadvantage seem even worse. There's no reason not to. Commandos need something is their arsenal to make them fearsome again, so that FotM players who want to focus commandos/mercs for kicks each time they respawn at least know that it's going to take some effort on their part.

I doubt an overhaul of the commando/merc AC is forthcoming. It doesn't just need a buff to be equal in terms of PvP utility, it needs a few new abilities wholesale - something that makes it a tactically relevant piece to have on the board, and that at the very least makes it as challenging to kill as any other dps class.

 

Combat Medic is a different story, but they still have no viable escape mechanic and your best gamble is to just cc and heal yourself for as long as your ammo lasts until help arrives (unfortunately you're stuck standing still while you do this - in between Kolto bombs you can't heal and keep LoS'ing at the same time - Trauma probe helps a little here but it is underwhelming).

 

So more often than not you just have to accept that every mission is a suicide mission and try to have fun. You might be surprised how many objectives you can win once you accept that at some point everyone is going to get facerolled by someone else in this game. I still like the look & feel of the commando AC, enjoy PvE and the storyline, and know the AC well enough (I have 2) that I can take down a button-mashing jugg or mara, and can typically make it a close fight against a skilled one. But yeah, even though I make them work for it, I'm pretty much a free kill for skilled/geared warrior and (this is a little harder to take) a free kill for a mediocre easy-mode cookie-cutter Pyro Powertech. A good operative can burn me down just by gaming the resolve system (if they do it right my resolve will only fill up just in time for the coup de grâce).

 

Playing a FotM AC will show you that more than just an interrupt was overlooked in the initial design of the commando/merc. And now that everyone knows it, commandos get focused even before the healers and the ball carriers, making the disadvantage seem even worse. There's no reason not to. Commandos need something is their arsenal to make them fearsome again, so that FotM players who want to focus commandos/mercs for kicks each time they respawn at least know that it's going to take some effort on their part.

 

Agreed. The merc AC needs a huge over haul....in pvp that is. And there in lies the problem. Remember my fellow pvpers that this game is a PVE game first. So PVE takes first priority and because Mercs are perfectly balanced in a PVE environment I seriously doubt EA/BW is planning on making any changes any time soon. So if that's the case, if you havent done so already, then I recommend becoming a FOTM reroller to a class that is both pve/pvp viable like a Vanguard/Sentinel/Operative and so forth.

People, ask yourself, why have you not voted this thread 5 stars yet?

I ended up trying assault. You should try pyro.

That disengage ability would be brilliant. They should make it so that it only works in PvP areas or warzones, so that it has no effect on PvE. In the same way the mercenaries "chaff flare" (threat lowering move) is only useful (and therefore used) in PvE, I don't see why there should be a problem with having a move that only works in PvP.

 

Or you could have a disengage ability like a Juggernaut's Intercede (on same cooldown) which then grants a few seconds immunity to moves like force pull, grapple and force charge/Obliviate (that way, the disengage ability doesn't become hugely OP in Huttball, though that being said, warriors in Huttball are far too mobile for that warzone imo)

Merc vs Warrior in PVP:

Merc vs Warrior in PVP:

 

^this

Merc vs Warrior in PVP:

LMAO!!

 

Anyways. Just did 5 ranked matches this morning against a geared (but not top tier) guild. Won most, led damage and killing blows in 3 of the 5 matches.

 

Still say commando is just fine.

LMAO!!

 

Anyways. Just did 5 ranked matches this morning against a geared (but not top tier) guild. Won most, led damage and killing blows in 3 of the 5 matches.

 

Still say commando is just fine.

 

Doesn't mean anything. You would still be better off and contributing more to your team as a Gunslinger.

Edited October 8, 2012 by Volxen

lol...

 

Hey Werdan/Trace...this thread sound familiar?

 

it reminds me of all that wasted beta feedback we gave.

I ended up trying assault. You should try pyro.

 

Go try pyro on a powertech and mercenary both, then tell me how you feel about that being the mercs best PVP option.

 

I'm dead serious because I agree that Pyro is probably the better tree for merc on PvP DPS. If you try it on both ACs, you will see the problem pretty easily. Whether you make it work just fine as merc or not.

LMAO!!

 

Anyways. Just did 5 ranked matches this morning against a geared (but not top tier) guild. Won most, led damage and killing blows in 3 of the 5 matches.

 

Still say commando is just fine.

 

Great. Now imagine if you were using one of the top tier dps classes? you'd be doing about twice as much dps if not more AND also providing utility to your team.

I don't even have a Merc and while some can do well... the class def needs some love.

 

Really I just think it's awesome that this is the only thread for as far as I could click that had 5 stars.

They just don't have as many escape utilities as the other stationary ranged classes (& a lot of inductions). Supposedly the defensive cooldowns and heavy armor make up for it, but in practice Mercs are squishy because PVP is so burst-damage-heavy in this game. Like others have said, if you are being ignored you can dish it out, but as soon as you get targeted by a decent opponent you're basically useless with only like 3 decent instant attacks. Edited October 8, 2012 by MorgonKara

Go try pyro on a powertech and mercenary both, then tell me how you feel about that being the mercs best PVP option.

 

I'm dead serious because I agree that Pyro is probably the better tree for merc on PvP DPS. If you try it on both ACs, you will see the problem pretty easily. Whether you make it work just fine as merc or not.

Don't agree after 1.4. Powertech range nerf is a serious disadvantage.

 

I constantly monitor range, and I try to stay as close to 30m from everyone as possible. Even versus powertechs, I can now more than hold my own by maintaining range above 10m.

I dont think dps mercs can defeat snipers in a direct fight. If they have some LoS with pyro skill tree while sniper is MM and sitting like an idiot then maybe yes. Generally i treat commando dps as free kills.

Generally i treat commando dps as free kills.

 

Because that's what we are. Oh yes, we do our best to stay alive but, hey, can't fight against bad class design.

Great. Now imagine if you were using one of the top tier dps classes? you'd be doing about twice as much dps if not more AND also providing utility to your team.

Im repeating myself. Again, I have a sentinel in aug'ed warhero, and I'm at least in the top 10% of sentinels on my server. I do well, but no better than my commando.

 

Oh, and I have no problems with gunslingers at all in a 1v1 fight. They really are turrets, and as an assault commando I'm not. Sticky, assault, light on fire, HIB. If I see those targets start to close in on me, I duck LOS.... Maybe even self-heal and then re-engage. On most maps my commando can beat a gunslinger 1v1 9 times out of 10.

Edited October 8, 2012 by heechJunzi

Im repeating myself. Again, I have a sentinel in aug'ed warhero, and I'm at least in the top 10% of sentinels on my server. I do well, but no better than my commando.

 

Assuming you are playing both classes to their full potential, I find that very, very hard to believe.

 

Or you are fighting far inferior players on your Merc.

Edited October 8, 2012 by Volxen

Im repeating myself. Again, I have a sentinel in aug'ed warhero, and I'm at least in the top 10% of sentinels on my server. I do well, but no better than my commando.

 

Then I hate to say this but you must be EXTREMELY bad at your sentinel that or you are going against garbage teams on your commando. The reason why I say this is because my guild does a premade everyday for the pvp dailies and the sentinel I run with is always doing anywhere between 400-800k damage a WZ.

Edited October 8, 2012 by tehrealdealz

Does anybody do Merc heals spec for PvP? I might try it just for a laugh.

Then I hate to say this but you must be EXTREMELY bad at your sentinel that or you are going against garbage teams on your commando. The reason why I say this is because my guild does a premade everyday for the pvp dailies and the sentinel I run with is always doing anywhere between 400-800k damage a WZ.

You roll premades in a regular wz? :eyeroll:

 

Shrug, I think I'm very good on my sentinel. I do 300-500k regularly as a solo pug. Very, very rarely do I see another sentinel out damaging or killing me. I often get 20+ killing blows as my sentinel. Record was 35 killing blows, I think.

 

I consistently do MORE damage on my commando. I never sneak attack a distant node as a commando, but in 4v4 fights I'm a big difference maker.

 

I do pretty well as my op healer too, even tho I just dinged 50 3-4 days ago. Usually heal 300-400k a game, with a high of 550k. Again, speaking as someone who PvPs quite a bit in top-level gear on other classes and therefore have a direct frame of reference... I STILL like my assault commando.

Edited October 8, 2012 by heechJunzi

Merc vs Warrior in PVP:

 

If you notice this BH is such a noob...all he does is backpeddle and use rapid shots. He needs to be kiting and running a pyro spec.