I usually run assault spec for the mobility, but the new stun on stockstrike helps enough that gunnery is actually useful. I can do some real damage with gunnery spec now, but assault is still quite gimped. The big difference between assault for commandos and vanguards is how often you can proc HIB. The commando has full auto and charged bolts to proc HIB. No problem with full auto, it works well. However, charged bolts takes 1.5 secs, if you spec into it, to cast. During this time you are interrupted often and even if you do get it off it doesn't proc HIB more than half the time. I honestly rather use hammer shot and move around than risk standing still and not even proc HIB. Vanguards have 2 very strong instant attacks that proc HIB causing them to proc it more often. I suggest BW makes charged bolts an instant ability and just tone down the damage on it to balance this spec. Input? Edited October 19, 2012 by HybridCode

what? stun? its a root... gunnery is still the ultimate garbage, to easily shut down, needs something to make immune to interrupts...

Ur right, root, I do think it works well enough to live though. I'm putting up some pretty good numbers now and I can actually solo Marauders occasionally. I couldn't do that before. I wish they would have kept the knockback and added the root though.

Ur right, root, I do think it works well enough to live though. I'm putting up some pretty good numbers now and I can actually solo Marauders occasionally. I couldn't do that before. I wish they would have kept the knockback and added the root though.

 

+1 they shouldnt have removed the knockback...

In PvP I don't usually use charged bolts. Like you said, it isn't worth trying to cast and unlike full auto if you're interrupted you don't proc HiB.

 

Some advantages Commandos have over Vanguards (Assault spec) to make up for increased HiB difficulty:

 

30m range on Incendiary round

30m range on assault plastique

Higher base damage from assault cannon

 

And post-1.4 Assault Commandos can load up a lot of burst with sticky grenade, assault plastique, a couple of DOTs ticking simultaneously, and a well-timed HiB. All from 30m. And you can still reproc HiB one extra time every 15 sec, without using charged bolts.

The range is cool and all, but it's not enough compared to the fact that Vanguards proc HIB probably about 35% more often and the abilities that they use to do so are so strong. I have a 50 Vanguard with full battlemaster that outdamages my commando in full warhero fully mod'ed when they are both assault. It's easy to close the distance with a Vanguard, and we you do, you can actually do some damage. I'm sorry but even with distance I think they are plain and simply unbalanced.

Tone down the damage on Charged Bolts?

 

That sounds really useful for raiders.

 

In case you didn't know, CB doesn't hit as hard as GR because it has no armour penetration.

hell for vanguard you don't even have to use any attacks to setup HiB. Just go to plasma cell, and spam hammer shot till the other guy is on fire and then BAM HiB, then you go into your other attacks while HiB recharges then hit it again.

 

It's actually pretty easy to get HiB going for a vanguard. I don't know, i have a lvl 43 Vanguard and i am thinking about just going all the way up on Assault but on the other hand i do love that gut shot attack.

Disagree that 1.4 fixed Gunnery. The AC as a whole (regardless of which tree it's spec'd into) needs some new survival tools in order to place it on par with other ACs in terms of both survivability and utility in PvP.

Disagree that 1.4 fixed Gunnery. The AC as a whole (regardless of which tree it's spec'd into) needs some new survival tools in order to place it on par with other ACs in terms of both survivability and utility in PvP.

 

Healing is solid.

Healing is solid.

Healing output is solid but it's still a lame duck. The other healing ACs have reliable escape mechanics. The Combat Medic typically is forced to face-tank until help arrives. You can heal through some of the burst damage, assuming Reactive Shield (buffed by Combat Shield, 3rd tier CM talent) is off cool down so you won't get interrupted, but stringent resource limitations mean you'll still run out of ammo before your opponent runs out of ways to burn you down. So you can't escape, you have to be rescued every time. Edited October 21, 2012 by klham

Healing output is solid but it's still a lame duck. The other healing ACs have reliable escape mechanics. The Combat Medic typically is forced to face-tank until help arrives. You can heal through some of the burst damage, assuming Reactive Shield (buffed by Combat Shield, 3rd tier CM talent) is off cool down so you won't get interrupted, but stringent resource limitations mean you'll still run out of ammo before your opponent runs out of ways to burn you down. So you can't escape, you have to be rescued every time.

and healing was nerf on SCC 1ammo from 2 and less med probe reducion cost. healing just got more broken and TP is lolz.. only really usefully on storyline or boss fights on pve or whenever u are sure u won't pick up agrro. healing was ok the way it was. now its just painfully

+1 they shouldnt have removed the knockback...

 

I definitely agree. Short KB+root would have been of immense help. But noooo, it's one or the other.