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Frontline Medicine: Combat Medic PVP Strategies and Tips


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Commando healer, in my opinion, sucks at killing things. There are maybe three attacks which don't need to be channeled or activated? If you do really want to go put "combat" back in "combat medic" though -- Supercharge Cells increases all damage by 5% for the duration (I'd throw down a Kolto Bomb immediately, too, just for that added damage resistance). It also makes Charged Bolts free so you can spam it to your heart's content (or until it most likely gets interrupted). Probably the best burst you can muster will be Plasma Grenade > High Impact Bolt, especially if both crit. I'd also keep Full Auto, Plasma Cannon, and Stockstrike at the ready since they generally due a moderate to decent amount of damage.

I see thanks for the input. I'll start using full auto and plasma cannon a bit more. I mostly find myself throwing sticky grenade, plasma grenade, stockstrike and then hammer shot.

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Read through it, honestly didn't think that I'd find anything I didn't already know, I was wrong. I've been a combat medic ever since I started SW:TOR and almost have my full BM gear, thought I knew everything, but I found this guide very useful. The little note at the end of your guide about focus targeting was so helpful, it's a feature I didn't even know about! Also liked learning about Tech vs all other attributes, why we don't use shield absorption, ect. I also had no idea that Field Aid could break roots, I'm such a dummy.

 

Overall a really good reference. I'm going to set up my focus frames/keys!

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EDIT: The First Impressions section of the guide has been updated with my preliminary opinions from the PTS testing. I will continue to update it as necessary. There will need be considerable changes to all aspects of the guide following the expansion, so bear with me.

 

For the full list of changes: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=600569

Edited by SpaniardInfinity
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Any update on the usefulness of Trauma Probe now? I know your first impressions had you still in the testing stages of actually taking points into Frontline Medic to get Probe Medic.

 

The effect Probe Medic has on Trauma Probe is too good to pass up. The problem with it is that it requires Frontline Medic, which I think is a good kiting talent but also ill-designed (you don't want to be breaking CC as a method of healing yourself). It can be modestly useful though when on the run, particularly when Hold the Line is active. Another annoyance is that this basically guarantees that Trauma Probe will never be on anyone but yourself (so you can Hammershot to heal yourself), which again is somewhat poor design. Overall though, it's a change for the better despite its kinks. Both of my objections may very well just be personal preference, of course.

 

EDIT: I also went and updated the First Impressions again, and will probably do so once more once I play with some min/max'd gear this weekend.

Edited by SpaniardInfinity
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Alacrity - this is a misunderstood stat. As of Update 1.3, all alacrity does (for a healer) is reduce the time needed to channel or activate an ability. It DOES NOT lower your GCD nor does it cause your HoTs to tick more frequently. Stacking too much alacrity actually hurts your ammo regeneration, since you channel faster than you can regenerate!

 

Is this still true? New to the game, and unsure what all stats do. However, I thought I heard something about this being changed in 2.0.

 

Thanks!

 

And thank you so much for the guide. Unbelievably informative!

Edited by Liwilliams
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Is this still true? New to the game, and unsure what all stats do. However, I thought I heard something about this being changed in 2.0.

 

Thanks!

 

And thank you so much for the guide. Unbelievably informative!

 

You would be correct. Alacrity now lowers your GCD, your channel time, and increases your regeneration rate at the same %. So if you have enough alacrity for a 5% faster channel, your GCD is 5% shorter and you regenerate 5% more ammo in all of the ranges (but the regeneration is less significant in the lower ranges due to the lower numbers).

 

Hope that helps!

 

EDIT: The Guide has now been completely updated for 2.0.

Edited by SpaniardInfinity
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Good guide and all that Jazz. Just wanted to say I like to keep kolto shell on my tank as opposed to myself. One of our highest hps heals.

 

True, but it in my opinion it depends on your tank and co-healers.

 

If you've got a good tank and another healer on your team, all you'll realistically need to do is toss the tank one heal every so often (in combination with the other healer) and they're good to go. So at that point, I usually keep Trauma Probe/Kolto Shell on whoever is taking more damage -- myself (usually) or the other healer.

 

And I know it may sound blasphemous -- but I like having Trauma Probe on my self for Frontline Medic. No, it won't save your life in a 1v3 but that extra tick of Trauma Probe by just managing my ammo with Hammershot can help take the edge off. (To me, the difference is clear. When I do duels without Frontline Medic I die in under 30 seconds. When I do them with Frontline Medic, I can usually get two Reactive Shields off meaning I can last more than 2 minutes against the same DPS. Obviously this is limited to 1v1s or light DPS 1v2s, but these do come up time to time in PVP. Besides, you have to put the two points there, might as well use it).

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I'm curious: When do commandos get Hammer Shot? Is it in the medic tree?

 

Hammer shot is a base ability you get at Level 1. Combat Support Cell is what gives your hammershot the abilitiy to heal allies. You get it at L14, it is an ability, it is not a talent. This is the cell that should be equipped at all times if you are healing and putting points in the medic tree.

Should be spamming hammer shot inbetween other skills whenever you are not doing anything else, it is free, but lowest priority ability.

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Hammer shot is a base ability you get at Level 1. Combat Support Cell is what gives your hammershot the abilitiy to heal allies. You get it at L14, it is an ability, it is not a talent. This is the cell that should be equipped at all times if you are healing and putting points in the medic tree.

Should be spamming hammer shot inbetween other skills whenever you are not doing anything else, it is free, but lowest priority ability.

 

Awesome! Thanks for letting me know. I already use that skill so all good.

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Awesome! Thanks for letting me know. I already use that skill so all good.

 

You're welcome... and I would say good luck, but given I play Imp side Bounty Hunter, I hope (in pvp at least).... we beat you lots!...If you play PVE, goodluck!

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You're welcome... and I would say good luck, but given I play Imp side Bounty Hunter, I hope (in pvp at least).... we beat you lots!...If you play PVE, goodluck!

 

I'm on imp side with a merc now, so can't wait to fight along side you.

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They completely ruined the merc bodyguard.

 

I know it may not seem like a lot, but the removal of rapid shots as a healing tools has completely ruined the class. my recent numbers from parsec show at least a 25% loss of healing power than before 3.0. Great work on ruining the best class in the game

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They completely ruined the merc bodyguard.

 

I know it may not seem like a lot, but the removal of rapid shots as a healing tools has completely ruined the class. my recent numbers from parsec show at least a 25% loss of healing power than before 3.0. Great work on ruining the best class in the game

 

Add Kolto shot to your hotbar and try out the skill, it may make you reconsider.

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I'm about to finish leveling my merc since he's been sitting around at level 35 for months and months and was wondering if it's viable to level with the Bodyguard discipline. I haven't touched him since way before 3.0, but he was originally intended to be my healer character. Should I level using Arsenal and then switch at 60, or just go with Bodyguard?
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Is there a translated version of this guide for Mercs?

 

That I have done, no. However, I am playing my Mercenary as my main now, so I actually had to look up most of the new ability/utility/skill names because I hadn't even leveled my Commando to Level 60. Fortunately, Commando and Mercenary share the same forum now (when I first made this guide they were separate), so I can look into adding the Mercenary "translations" along side the Commando names.

 

It might take a week or so considering my work schedule, but it should be doable.

 

I'm about to finish leveling my merc since he's been sitting around at level 35 for months and months and was wondering if it's viable to level with the Bodyguard discipline. I haven't touched him since way before 3.0, but he was originally intended to be my healer character. Should I level using Arsenal and then switch at 60, or just go with Bodyguard?

 

For PVP, I always found Bodyguard/Combat Medic healing really unforgiving in the lower and middle PVP brackets. Mostly because of ammo/heat management. I think it's still going to be harsh, at least until Field Triage at Level 40. But to be honest, I haven't gone through the leveling curve as a Bodyguard or Combat Medic since Patch 2.5 (except from Level 55 to 60, obviously), so it may be easier with the changes in the Discipline. I don't know for sure because I haven't done it.

 

I will say that while leveling between 55 to 60, though, I definitely noticed the cost of Kolto Bomb/Missile. That was one of my most used heals, and now its cost is the same as Advanced Medical Probe/Healing Scan and Medical Probe/Rapid Scan by default. Successive Treatment/Scan takes the edge off, but I still felt the relief when Kolto Bomb/Missile had its cost reduced by 5 at Level 59.

Edited by SpaniardInfinity
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