ok i'm trying to decide if i should use the arsenal or pyrotech trees on a pvp mercenary. i've been trying to read up on people's opinions, but it has only managed to confuse me more. can someone please explain to me the difference in play style between the two? what is the basic strategy involved? as far as i can tell, with an arsenal you want to stack tracer missiles and with pyrotech you want to set your enemy on fire using certain moves because you do more damage with the guy is on fire? please try not to use TOO much appreviations without explaining what they are, because i may or maynot understand what you mean.

Arsenal

 

+

High burst damage

Good heat management (if you crit)

Knockback Rocket punch

Some defense from power barrier

 

-

Have to be stationary 80% of the time

Your heavy hitter can be interupted

Not so great against melee

 

 

Pyro

 

+

Good burst damage

Good continues damage (dots)

Great mobility

Can solo just about anyone

 

-

Can get overheated fast if not played carefully

No knockback Rocket punch or lower timer on jet boost

No armor penetration which makes tanks harder to deal with

 

 

 

Just my 5 cent.

ok thanks that was perfect. think i'm gonna go pyrotech

Pyro

 

+

Good burst damage

Good continues damage (dots)

Great mobility

Can solo just about anyone

 

-

Can get overheated fast if not played carefully

No knockback Rocket punch or lower timer on jet boost

No armor penetration which makes tanks harder to deal with

 

 

 

Just my 5 cent.

Pyro's don't need armor penetration because almost all the damage they deal is elemental, which has innately 100% armor penetration.

Edited February 29, 2012 by Rhaphael

While yes pyros have alot of elemental damage...

 

Armor effects railshot, unload, and power shot. Railshot is one the bread and butter abilities of pyro.

 

In no means am I saying Pyro is gimp. But fighting a tank can be a headache seeing railshot tickle. Just like a Marksman Sniper's ambush.

 

Just don't fight tanks unless you absolutely have to

While yes pyros have alot of elemental damage...

 

Armor effects railshot, unload, and power shot. Railshot is one the bread and butter abilities of pyro.

 

In no means am I saying Pyro is gimp. But fighting a tank can be a headache seeing railshot tickle. Just like a Marksman Sniper's ambush.

 

Just don't fight tanks unless you absolutely have to

 

Pyro is way better at dealing with tanks then arsenal. Since armor works in a curve that 55% armor is at best only going to remove 6-7 % of DR from a tank.

 

P.s. where does the myth come from that pyro's have heat problems? If anything their heat management is way better then arsenal.

Edited February 29, 2012 by Jaigen

It's a myth started by players who can only just manage to control things on Arsenal.

 

There's a lot of ways to regen or simply make attacks free with Pyro and althrough Arsenal has some of them, Pyro has shorter CD on them.

Pyro is way better at dealing with tanks then arsenal. Since armor works in a curve that 55% armor is at best only going to remove 6-7 % of DR from a tank.

 

P.s. where does the myth come from that pyro's have heat problems? If anything their heat management is way better then arsenal.

 

Never said Pyro was worse than Arsenal against tanks. Just stating that we do have our attacks that are mitigated by armor just like the rest of the classes.

 

P.S.

 

Never said anything about heat management. You probably were responding to a different poster. But I love the synergy of pyro and heat management.

P.s. where does the myth come from that pyro's have heat problems? If anything their heat management is way better then arsenal.

Yeah I don't it understand either, I rarely if ever have heat problems. Only time when heat can become an issue is when Powershot doesn't proc Railshots 5+ times in a row while Unload is on cooldown, which rarely happens.

Yeah I don't it understand either, I rarely if ever have heat problems. Only time when heat can become an issue is when Powershot doesn't proc Railshots 5+ times in a row while Unload is on cooldown, which rarely happens.

 

To clearify I'm a pyro and don't have any heat problems unless I spam Incentary missile but if you're in a hecktic fight with no time to rest you'll get it unless Vent Heat cooldown is done.

 

I say Arsenal have better heat management because of Terminal Velocity, Pyro doesn't have any simular ability.

To clearify I'm a pyro and don't have any heat problems unless I spam Incentary missile but if you're in a hecktic fight with no time to rest you'll get it unless Vent Heat cooldown is done.

 

I say Arsenal have better heat management because of Terminal Velocity, Pyro doesn't have any simular ability.

 

Are you serious? The talent prototype particle accelerator is better then terminal velocity (free rail shot means not using heat and as such decreases heat with 7.5) ad superheated rail to the mix and you should never have heat problems.

It depends on what you are doing or want to do. Arsenal are better sustained damage and better in a PVE setting as well as in flashpoints and operations. Pyrotech i use mainly in PVP. In my experience their short burst damage is better than arsenal and they are alot more mobile.

Are you serious? The talent prototype particle accelerator is better then terminal velocity (free rail shot means not using heat and as such decreases heat with 7.5) ad superheated rail to the mix and you should never have heat problems.

 

Like I wrote, if it's a hectic battle like voidstar or alderaan where you have to keep people from taking the door/node and you have to dot them, or of you're trying to get the free rail shot to proc by using Power Shot, you run a high eisk of over heating.

Edited February 29, 2012 by Algeroth

Like I wrote, if it's a hectic battle like voidstar or alderaan where you have to keep people from taking the door/node and you have to dot them, or of you're trying to get the free rail shot to proc by using Power Shot, you run a high eisk of over heating.

 

Applies to any spec which can run down their action point regen?

 

It's not as if Arsenal has a magic "can't overspam" heat capacity.

Like I wrote, if it's a hectic battle like voidstar or alderaan where you have to keep people from taking the door/node and you have to dot them, or of you're trying to get the free rail shot to proc by using Power Shot, you run a high eisk of over heating.

 

I have no idea what your talking about mate. Its very simple unless the arsenal merc has 80% crit pyrotech has better heat management. What is so difficult for you to understand? Also i will use sweeping blasters to clear a door not dots.

Edited February 29, 2012 by Jaigen

I have no idea what your talking about mate. Its very simple unless the arsenal merc has 80% crit pyrotech has better heat management. What is so difficult for you to understand? Also i will use sweeping blasters to clear a door not dots.

 

I've been both and I felt that arsenal had better heat management since I crit almost all the time.

 

Also why would you use sweeping blasters and make yourself a target among 5 enemies? Better to dot the people trying to take the door then LOS because most medics don't think about clearing the dot. Besides the heat from sweeping and the dot is almost the same.

Like I wrote, if it's a hectic battle like voidstar or alderaan where you have to keep people from taking the door/node and you have to dot them, or of you're trying to get the free rail shot to proc by using Power Shot, you run a high eisk of over heating.

 

If you keep your heat level to having the 4 arrow bars you can cast power shot non-stop all day and never build heat.

Also why would you use sweeping blasters and make yourself a target among 5 enemies? Better to dot the people trying to take the door then LOS because most medics don't think about clearing the dot. Besides the heat from sweeping and the dot is almost the same.

 

what is dot and los?

what is dot and los?

 

you hit a target with your abilities that damage them over time. then you run around a corner. While they burn and take damage your hidden from their sight so they cannot attack you back.

I've been both and I felt that arsenal had better heat management since I crit almost all the time.

 

Also why would you use sweeping blasters and make yourself a target among 5 enemies? Better to dot the people trying to take the door then LOS because most medics don't think about clearing the dot. Besides the heat from sweeping and the dot is almost the same.

 

 

Why dont you provide some math instead of some ****** argument. It should be easy to prove right.

Why dont you provide some math instead of some ****** argument. It should be easy to prove right.

 

Can't really bring math to a feeling you know, and since I never counted all the times I crit and did not crit it's even harder to do math.

 

While it says on my stat that I have 30% chance to crit it doesn't I'll crit 1/3 of my shots, I might just be lucky and crit 80% of my tracer missles and thus have no problem with heat.

I can provide my feelings on a spec vs a spec.

 

I enjoy being able to be mobile while putting pressure on someone with decent burst. Pyro is my thing.

Both are viable; it's really just a matter of playstyle, which is very different for each spec.

 

Pyro is definitely more mobile, and more reactive/versatile as a result. You're much better at running down ball carriers and kiting, but you can also do a decent turret impression if need be. I find that playing much more aggressively (closing in for use of jet burst, generally being in peoples faces) and then running away guerilla style to be most effective most of the time.

 

Arsenal is the premier turret of the game. It's a good deal more strategic in style if you want your full potential (which is essentially free casting for as long as possible). Heat signatures act a bit like combo points, so it can be tricky to bring your full burst to bear on a target after a switch. Expect to do a lot of moving to find a good position, but then you can really go to town. People love interrupting tracer missiles, so starting with a power shot is actually a great idea most of the time.

I've been both and I felt that arsenal had better heat management since I crit almost all the time.

 

Also why would you use sweeping blasters and make yourself a target among 5 enemies? Better to dot the people trying to take the door then LOS because most medics don't think about clearing the dot. Besides the heat from sweeping and the dot is almost the same.

 

Well I guess you will need to rethink your argument for once 1.2 hits because DoTs no longer keep people from capping objectives.

Can't really bring math to a feeling you know, and since I never counted all the times I crit and did not crit it's even harder to do math.

 

While it says on my stat that I have 30% chance to crit it doesn't I'll crit 1/3 of my shots, I might just be lucky and crit 80% of my tracer missles and thus have no problem with heat.

 

Not much math needed really, just a healthy comparison.

 

PYRO

 

IM is 25 heat, can't be spammed and if you don't get muzzle fluting in the Arsenal tree your Power Shot also costs 25 heat. Railshot costs 8 heat or if you get a PPA proc'ed RS it reduces your heat by 8. TD cost 16 heat, no refunds possible.

 

However you will spend a lot of time casting Rapid Shots so heat management is easier and escaping by kiting with Rapid Shots is much easier. (ie. less heat from Rocket Punch/Jet Boost).

 

CD of Vent Heat comes up 30 seconds faster.

Its possible to get 12% crit and 3% accuracy from talents.

 

ARSENAL

 

Any missile crit (Tracer, HSM, Explosive, Missile Blast) and any Unload crit refund 8 heat.

TM, HSM, PS, RS, ExDart all cost 16 heat.

More liberal use of Jet Boost and Rocket Punch means higher heat for more utility.

Less time spent casting Rapid Shots because its has no utility.

Its possible to get 6% crit and 3% accuracy from talents.

 

For high crit rate Arsenal specs you will get 8 heat refunded every 3-6 seconds (3 casts).

But you can still reach high heat in PVP just through liberal use of rocket punch and jet boost (and healing).

 

For Pyro specs you have a 0 heat alternative in Combustible Gas Cylinder which hits for decent damage and snares your target making kiting easier.

 

If things get hectic however Pyro has no knockback and if they have to burn a target it will be harder and cost more heat overall. The Arsenal spec will have a better time when casting but will lose more heat if they have to run about.

 

Pyro can spend more time focusing on Surge and Power as they have high base crit and accuracy. Arsenal still has to bring up their crit rate to ensure heat management before focusing on Surge and Power.

 

Bad Pyro's will require massive heat management if they cannot kite properly, Bad Arsenal will require massive heat management if they cannot position themselves properly, both specs when played well, will have very few heat problems.