Alot of threads about the cover mechanism and it's flaws, personally I've had no problems with it since I learned how to bend it.

OVERVIEW

With Cover you gain:

*Increased Ranged Defense

*Instant Charged Burst

*Sweet Blue Screen (Imo)

My Build: http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#700bsrbdRsRGoZbcbZh.1 (PvE build, viable for PvP aswell)

NOTE: I use Pandemonium instead of Moled Down because of the extra instant charged burst

The first thing you should do: Go to your general Smuggler Abilities: Remove the "Cover" ability and replace it with Crouch. "Crouch" is the same as "Cover" however you will take cover at the very same place as you're standing instead of rolling to a green point. This is the most usefull one unless you're really skilled with the use of cover and it's rolling mechanism. (NOTE: Vs melee learing the rolling meachanism to know is a huge advantage).

When you go in cover you will try to avoid use it in an open area (PvP). Try stand right on the endge of a corner you can slip behind should you get targeted.

Every 6 sec after use you will gain "Snap Shot" giving you an instant "Charged Burst". This is the most usefull mechanism cover provides since it's followed by trickshot (Which shares Cd with Snap Shot). PvP wise there is no need to stay in cover to cast Charged Burst while waiting for Trickshot cd (Unless the enemy ignores you and let you freecast). You could:

1. Go Cover (Crouch)

2. Cast Instant Charged Burst followed by instant Trick Shot.

3. Cast Aimed Shot then leave cover.

Now look around, has anybody target you? if you, go back into cover and enjoy a new free Charged Burst + Trick Shot followed by either Aimed Shot or Speed Shot.

If you are allowed to freecast, just ignore this and nuke.

When a melee chases you, the Pandemonium skill is extremely usefull. You can go into cover, use your Snap Shot + Trick Shot, leave cover and Dirty Kick to stun your opponent. Now you can go into cover again, use Pulse Detonator to push him back, leg shot him then enjoy a new free charged burst + trick shot. Once he is back on melee range your snap shot will be ready and will provide you with another instant Charged Burst followed by either Aimed Shot or Speed Shot. (NOTE: can be usefull to pop Dodge since your legshot/flash grenade/Kick may be on cd). This is repeatable (almost) all the time.

1. Go Cover

2. Cast Charged Burst + Trick Shot

3. Go out of cover and dirty kick

4. do not run far because you gonna pushback with Pulse Detonator

5. Go cover

6. Use Pulse Detonator for instant Charged Burst + Trick Shot. Legshot your opponent when he is pushed back on distance.

7. Cast Speed Shot + charged burst. Once he get close pop Dodge and wait for leg shot.

8. Once legshot is ready, pop Hunker Down + Aimed Shot. Aimed Shot will push back and then you will leg shot and move out of cover and back in to recieve your proccs again.

Thanks for the reply: Vs ranged NEVER pop Hunker Down if you're gonna move

Some people claim Cover is bugged because while you move you go into cover automaticly. It's because cover is autobound to both mousebuttons. Try unbind this or bind it to 2 new buttons and it should not bug.

Cover is mainly a SS mechanism. It's not such a big part of the DF and Sab tree as it is for SS so if you still can't master the cover mechanism, try the ways of Dirty Fighting or Sabotage

Um, in point 8 you are wasting your hunker down. Why would you pop this if you were about to move out of cover? That's like saying drop scrambling field then stand up and walk away.....

It's to avoid being stunned/cc'd while casting Aimed, you do not need it for 20sec vs a melee because you're not supposed to stand still.

Still thanks for poiting it out because vs a ranged it would be poitless to waste Hunker Down like this

 

Cover is mainly a SS mechanism. It's not such a big part of the DF and Sab tree as it is for SS so if you still can't master the cover mechanism, try the ways of Dirty Fighting or Sabotage

This is an incorrect statement. no matter what spec you are, pvp or pve, unless you are moving (or are in a movement heavy phase in pve), You should be in cover. Cover provides ranged defense in all specs. In addition, in the Sab tree you can take 6% less damage while you are in cover, this is extremely helpful in both pvp and pve. Any spec can also get ballistic dampers from the SS tree which gives you 3 stacks of damage absorption when you go into cover. This is useful for both pvp and pve as well. Your healers in pve will like it when you take less damage.

In pvp cover gives you the added advantage of not being able to be leaped to or pulled by an enemy. This is so crucial in pvp that even the Dirty fighters should be in cover if they are not moving. Just because you can fight out of cover does not mean you should.

If you are a gunslinger/sniper you have to learn how to use cover. You should have both crouch and roll into to cover bound so you can be in control of where you take cover. Hard cover can be extremely useful as it provides 100% defense against white damage in between you popping your head out to attack. You will see the word "cover" above your head (or an enemy sniper/slingers head) when being in hard cover has prevented an attack entirely. (note this does not work against yellow damage, so it is not particularly useful to be in hard cover vs a class like a sage/sorc.)

If you don't like the cover system I would recommend playing a different class. But give it a fair shake first. Don't just play it for a few minutes and then say you hate it. Do a bunch of level appropriate or even below level flashpoints or just fight around an area with a lot of enemies and some good hard cover areas and practice. I have going into cover ingrained in my mind to the point where I often accidentally hit the go into cover button on my alts, and sometimes for a split second I will think why can't I go into cover, and then I laugh at myself.

Cover is fun, learn to love it, and it will be good to you.

It's to avoid being stunned/cc'd while casting Aimed, you do not need it for 20sec vs a melee because you're not supposed to stand still.

 

Still thanks for poiting it out because vs a ranged it would be poitless to waste Hunker Down like this

But you shouldn't need to... Your aimed shot after that string of attacks should be procced down to less than 1.5 seconds. If you have to worry about a short-cast like that, you'd have trouble getting charged off and you don't hunker for that.

If you don't like the cover system I would recommend playing a different class. But give it a fair shake first. Don't just play it for a few minutes and then say you hate it. Do a bunch of level appropriate or even below level flashpoints or just fight around an area with a lot of enemies and some good hard cover areas and practice. I have going into cover ingrained in my mind to the point where I often accidentally hit the go into cover button on my alts, and sometimes for a split second I will think why can't I go into cover, and then I laugh at myself.

 

Cover is fun, learn to love it, and it will be good to you.

QFT

Before I started playing my commando, I bad mouthed the cover system A LOT. It seemed to be a rather pointless restriction designed solely to limit the DPS output on smugglers.

However, once you start playing other classes (I have a 50 GS, commando, and shadow), you realize that being immune to force leap, storm/jetpack, and harpoon, especially in PvP, is a massive benefit. Perhaps less so in PvE where you can generally pick your spot no all the time, but even SS, the most cover dependent tree, can hop in and out of cover like a jack-in-the-box and still have tools to put damage downrange (trickshot,quickdraw,quickshot) *most* of the time you're moving.

Play it smart, learn the mechanics to the point that cover/burst is an automatic thing, and, when you get really discouraged with it, play one of the other classes to really come to appreciate the defensive benefits cover gives you.