I'm currently a level 31 bodyguard spec Merc, but was thinking of messing around with a DPS respec for ***** and giggles.

 

Has anyone tried out the pyro tree extensively, and if so is it any good and how does it compare to arsenal? I think arsenal if probably one of the most used DPS specs, but there's something about hunching over all constipated to spam missiles that sort of turns me off. Or rather, I saw bounty hunters as something other than missile spam.

 

Is pryo any viable at all?

 

Bit saddened that Bounty Hunters arent as mobile as I initially thought they would be.

Pyro is still good damage, not as bursty as the other spec though. It is still good and it is still a bit more mobile. Mercenary isn't the most mobile option, Powertech is very mobile but you are trading being at ranged and a bit higher burst for less mobility. As a Merc you pretty much need to focus on positioning a lot more.

Also yeah, they need to change that animation, or swap animations for Tracer Missile, it is a bit silly. Just give the other spec a shot.

Agree that they need to change the animation. It was kinda cool at first, but with the amount it's used, kinda gets old. Have you ever seen two bounty hunters, close range, spamming that at each other? Looks like a cheap Chinese movie, lol.

I'm currently a level 31 bodyguard spec Merc, but was thinking of messing around with a DPS respec for ***** and giggles.

 

Has anyone tried out the pyro tree extensively, and if so is it any good and how does it compare to arsenal? I think arsenal if probably one of the most used DPS specs, but there's something about hunching over all constipated to spam missiles that sort of turns me off. Or rather, I saw bounty hunters as something other than missile spam.

 

Is pryo any viable at all?

 

Bit saddened that Bounty Hunters arent as mobile as I initially thought they would be.

 

Given the graphic for tracer missile, we should be facing the other direction when it goes off. That might not be very epic, but it would be funny.

Agree that they need to change the animation. It was kinda cool at first, but with the amount it's used, kinda gets old. Have you ever seen two bounty hunters, close range, spamming that at each other? Looks like a cheap Chinese movie, lol.

 

So very very true.

Arsenal is Burst damage that is usually very hard if not impossible to heal over (in pvp) but the class is less mobile and is designed mostly for PvE bosses and such.

 

Pyro is DoT and IMO is designed more for PvP as the class is more mobile and stacking DoT effects on a player. Not so much in PvE where bosses can often be immune to stuff or quickly get rid of the DoT's

 

It all depends on your play style.

 

I like to PvE/Raid/Flashpoint so I chose Arsenal.

Can you link me a PVP Pyro Dot build? TIA

3/7/31

 

I don't take any of the heat venting talents but you could move two points from infrared sensors if you want. This is the build that I'm working towards.

I´m running a pyro build and it´s rocking my boat. Usually topping damage in warzones and I´m an aggro biadch in flashpoints. The mobility gain in PvP is great even though Mercs don´t have it as easy to manage heat with railshot resets. We have to root ourselfs by using Unload/Power shot. But I´m handling it.

 

I decided to go into stabilizers over hired muscle since in PvP you often have to squeeze out the damn cast time power shot but you get pused back into oblivion. If I would run a PvE Pyro build I´d switch the two.

 

I also like automated defenses due to the non stop smallish crits you deal you reduce the cooldown to nearly 1min and can use it almost in every encounter.

 

So there are small difference due to preference but in general I love my pyro spec.

3/7/31

 

I don't take any of the heat venting talents but you could move two points from infrared sensors if you want. This is the build that I'm working towards.

 

What made you decide to pick Energy Rebounder vs. Automated Defenses?

What made you decide to pick Energy Rebounder vs. Automated Defenses?

 

Well, mostly that I don't have those skills yet yet so I can't really speak to its usefulness. The heal seems good, but usually I don't do too much healing. Also, because my energy shield removes snares I also like reducing the cooldown on that.

Well, mostly that I don't have those skills yet yet so I can't really speak to its usefulness. The heal seems good, but usually I don't do too much healing. Also, because my energy shield removes snares I also like reducing the cooldown on that.

 

Thanks for the response! I'm not there yet either so just trying to take in everyone's opinions.

3/7/31

 

I don't take any of the heat venting talents but you could move two points from infrared sensors if you want. This is the build that I'm working towards.

 

Here is where I sit currently. I took 2/2 in Gyro over Defenses and Rebounder mostly due to the fact that I didn't really see much utility. Those skills all seem to be up when I need them, and I didn't really notice any drastic reduction in cd for Kolto or Override when I was specced into Defenses. I think part of the problem is that the reduction tick can only happen once every 1.5 seconds.

 

Gyro is slightly more useful in that you get a free 8 heat vent when a player or a mob gets a stun in. Makes me feel a little less bad for getting stunned.

I finally switched to Pyro on my level 40 Merc, I think it’s a keeper. It’s a bit trickier to manage the heat and rotation but once you get into a rhythm of IM>Rail>Unload>Rail>PS so on it does really good damage. I spent today doing a few 2+ Heroics and killing lots of elites, I didn’t feel as if it was any slower than Arsenal and Tracer spam.

 

To the person who said Champions resist and remove the dot , I really haven’t seen it yet. We did Boarding Party and Foundry and none of the bosses resisted my flame ( that I could see). Since Burn gets applied so often with all the shots and missiles it really doesn’t matter if they do resist the occasional one.

I finally switched to Pyro on my level 40 Merc, I think it’s a keeper. It’s a bit trickier to manage the heat and rotation but once you get into a rhythm of IM>Rail>Unload>Rail>PS so on it does really good damage. I spent today doing a few 2+ Heroics and killing lots of elites, I didn’t feel as if it was any slower than Arsenal and Tracer spam.

 

To the person who said Champions resist and remove the dot , I really haven’t seen it yet. We did Boarding Party and Foundry and none of the bosses resisted my flame ( that I could see). Since Burn gets applied so often with all the shots and missiles it really doesn’t matter if they do resist the occasional one.

 

Meh, I kite melee 50 champions all the time and never fall below 70% health. The dot seems to stick for me just fine as well.

I'm a 42 pyro merc and also have never had trouble with a boss resisting my dots. I do love the spec but i have two small annoyances. The first being that when you cast power shot you don't know if you proc a free rail shot till your half way through your next attack which can lead to wasting procs. My other small annoyance is that our heat is completely dependent on rng. If i get a bad streak of no rail shot procs then i end up having a very boring rotation with lots of rapid shot fillers.

Here is where I sit currently. I took 2/2 in Gyro over Defenses and Rebounder mostly due to the fact that I didn't really see much utility. Those skills all seem to be up when I need them, and I didn't really notice any drastic reduction in cd for Kolto or Override when I was specced into Defenses. I think part of the problem is that the reduction tick can only happen once every 1.5 seconds.

 

Gyro is slightly more useful in that you get a free 8 heat vent when a player or a mob gets a stun in. Makes me feel a little less bad for getting stunned.

 

I haven't done any PVP yet but I'm really struggling with spending any points on infrared sensors. It just doesn't seem like that good of an investment.

I haven't done any PVP yet but I'm really struggling with spending any points on infrared sensors. It just doesn't seem like that good of an investment.

 

You could certainly drop it and pick up Automated Defenses, but I do notice a pretty nice bump in my ability to passively detect stealthed players and it's saved my butt a few times in the open world.

Edited December 31, 2011 by Phrase

You could certainly drop it and pick up Automated Defenses, but I do notice a pretty nice bump in my ability to passively detect stealthed players and it's saved my butt a few times in the open world.

 

Do you view muzzle fluting as a must have for Pyro?

Do you view muzzle fluting as a must have for Pyro?

 

I didn't have it initially b/c i didn't spam powershot, but you get Power Surge at 50 which makes a cast time ability into an instant, so I end up using powershot more, even though surge is on a 2 min cd. You don't need it, esp. if you sub in missile blast for powershot in order to stay more mobile, but I actually ended up using powershot a lot more than I anticipated. Plus if you get an instant powershot (with fluting) to proc a rail, it can be a nice heat dump.

Can anyone explain what Stabilizers do? As far as i understand "pushback" is not cooldown, but what is it ?

I'm a 42 pyro merc and also have never had trouble with a boss resisting my dots. I do love the spec but i have two small annoyances. The first being that when you cast power shot you don't know if you proc a free rail shot till your half way through your next attack which can lead to wasting procs. My other small annoyance is that our heat is completely dependent on rng. If i get a bad streak of no rail shot procs then i end up having a very boring rotation with lots of rapid shot fillers.

 

If your worried about cancelling the free rail by using another attack before you use rail, but after it's been procced, don't worry. When rail procs as free, the next rail will be free no matter when it happens in the rotation.

Can anyone explain what Stabilizers do? As far as i understand "pushback" is not cooldown, but what is it ?

 

Watch your cast bar next time you cast powershot. As you take damage your bar will be "pushed back." If it gets pushed back far enough you get interrupted.

 

I wouldn't recommend it for pyro spec though, b/c you shouldn't be heavily reliant on your two casts except to proc free rails. And of the two Unload is more valuable as it procs the free rail at the beginning of the channel, so it doesn't matter too much if it gets interrupted.

Edited December 31, 2011 by Phrase

Watch your cast bar next time you cast powershot. As you take damage your bar will be "pushed back." If it gets pushed back far enough you get interrupted.

I suspect that this is so.

Thanks for the confirmation.