I'm looking to make an alt, and I'm curious what the most mobile ranged dps class is. In PVP I mostly see Tracer missle spam Mercs or Lightning specced Sorcs who just stand there and either channel spells or use abilities with cast times. These classes seem to be viable and do good damage, but they look boring to play.

I'm looking for a class that is ranged dps that primarily uses instant cast abilities. I'm willing to give up dps for this mobility, as I find instant cast abilities and the option to dps on the move more fun. Does such a class/spec combo exist in this game?

I'll be using this character almost exclusively in PVP. So keep that in mind if that makes a difference in class/spec recommendations.

Thanks for the reply. I was looking at the lethality tree. It looks almost like what I want. But the 2 heavy hitting abilities, or at least what seem like the heavy hitting abilities, weakening blast, and cull, are only 10m range. Also, from my understanding of tactical advantage, I have to shiv to get it, which is a melee ability. Having a ranged class tied to a melee ability in order to use it's best skills seems like a poor design choice.

I haven't looked into pyrotech. I'll check that out. Taking a quick glance at the tree specific skills shows that they're both 30m and instant. So that looks more along the lines of what I'm looking for.

Anyone have any experience with madness sorcs? I'm curious how mobile they are as well.

Pyrotech is very melee (10m range, not melee, but almost), he can do some ranged damage but its not very effective above 10m range and he needs 4m rokkit punch once in a while (for railgun proc).

I think sniper is pretty mobile, only marksman tree recieves benefits from abilities that need cover, engie is all about instant cast (and grenade spamming. btw if you're fast (and if cover doesnt bug) you can enter and throw explosive probe at the same time so this 30sec CD ability doesnt really limit your mobility) and lethality have only cull to worry about (hard-hitting 3sec channeling, though it should be used from cover too, to avoid interrupts).

p.s. Weaking blast and cull are 30m for sniper, 10m are ops versions. Also sniper doesnt require advantage points to use cull, so you dont have to stab everyone with shiv, though it is usefull (its tech low cost ability you can use on move).

just a warning, you cannot evne do class quests 9 levels behind you as lethality sniper

Indeed, DF or Lethality should only be take at level 40. That's when the "key" ability for each is unlocked. Without it, you're fighting with one hand behind your back.

Afterwards though, you are amazing.

Pyrotech is very melee (10m range, not melee, but almost), he can do some ranged damage but its not very effective above 10m range and he needs 4m rokkit punch once in a while (for railgun proc).

I think you're confusing Pyrotech with a Powertech. Pyrotech is the shared tree. If you go Merc with Pyrotech spec it's all 30m range. It's very mobile ranged damage. The only reason that Arsenal Merc isn't very mobile is because their main ability that needs to be used to buff everything they do is a cast. Pyrotech removes that ability, and makes up the damage through dots.

Thanks for the reply. I was looking at the lethality tree. It looks almost like what I want. But the 2 heavy hitting abilities, or at least what seem like the heavy hitting abilities, weakening blast, and cull, are only 10m range.

You're looking at the Operative Lethality tree. A Sniper gets Weakening Blast and Cull (along with Overload Shot) with 30 meter range.

Also, from my understanding of tactical advantage, I have to shiv to get it, which is a melee ability. Having a ranged class tied to a melee ability in order to use it's best skills seems like a poor design choice.

Again, this is Operative only. Snipers do not get or use Tactical Advantage at all. Snipers have no need to use Shiv, ever, even though for some bizarre reason even the Sniper Lethality tree has a damage boost on Shiv.

Indeed, DF or Lethality should only be take at level 40. That's when the "key" ability for each is unlocked. Without it, you're fighting with one hand behind your back.

Weakening Blast isn't exactly a "key" ability and a spec that skips it to branch further into Marksman or Engineering is perfectly viable, actually Weakening Blast is so bad that it might be higher DPS to skip Weakening Blast and the last parts of Lethality to go into Engineering for Cluster Bombs and Interrogation Proge. It's just a damage buff on your main sources of damage, the spec plays perfectly well without it.

The key ability of Lethality is Cull which you can get at level 30. Before that the Lethality tree doesn't have any sensible rotation, you just get stronger dots from it. Still, I've been leveling my Sniper as lethality ever since I got Corrosive Granades and fell in love with spamming them in warzones and it's perfectly fine. There's no "can't do class quests many levels above them" like some poster claimed, I skipped so much questing that I was always many levels lower than the mobs. Ended up reaching Corellia at level 43 and that's when I finally decided that I have to go back and level a bit more as it was just too brutal for a level 43 Sniper.

I think you're confusing Pyrotech with a Powertech. Pyrotech is the shared tree. If you go Merc with Pyrotech spec it's all 30m range. It's very mobile ranged damage. The only reason that Arsenal Merc isn't very mobile is because their main ability that needs to be used to buff everything they do is a cast. Pyrotech removes that ability, and makes up the damage through dots.

Is there any difference between the Pyrotech trees for Mercs vs Powertechs? I don't see any difference on torhead, but they don't list any differences for Lethality with Ops vs Snipers. And apparently several skills are different for them.

Is there any difference between the Pyrotech trees for Mercs vs Powertechs? I don't see any difference on torhead, but they don't list any differences for Lethality with Ops vs Snipers. And apparently several skills are different for them.

Not only are the lowest level abilities different (the ones you get first). Also, keep in mind that when 2 ACs share a tree, the other skills chosen to complement it are from different trees. So like a Merc Pyro is adding from the Aresenal tree, which is inaccessible to the Powertech Pyro. IMO it makes a huge difference in how the Pyro plays with the Powertech Pyro being much better than the Merc Pyro, at least for PvP. That said I played Merc Pyro in the 40s while leveling and liked it more than Aresenal.

Not only are the lowest level abilities different (the ones you get first). Also, keep in mind that when 2 ACs share a tree, the other skills chosen to complement it are from different trees. So like a Merc Pyro is adding from the Aresenal tree, which is inaccessible to the Powertech Pyro. IMO it makes a huge difference in how the Pyro plays with the Powertech Pyro being much better than the Merc Pyro, at least for PvP. That said I played Merc Pyro in the 40s while leveling and liked it more than Aresenal.

The Pyro tree looks like it might be what I'm looking for. Can you elaborate a bit on why you feel Powertech pyros are better in pvp? I've been looking at the talents given to each, and it feel like the powertech has many tools for keeping targets in melee range (grapple and charge) as well as guard for protecting others close to you. All of those abilities seem to go against my goals of wanting to stay around 30m range dpsing. I don't want people to get close to me. And I won't often be within guard range or someone taking focus fire, if I'm keeping distance properly.

Whereas the Merc gets a pbaoe knockback, which seems to fit my playstyle, and some healing abilities. I've healed a bit on other characters and it felt clunky due to the UI. So I likely wouldn't heal much. But the option to do it is nice. But so is Guard. Would love some input on why you think one is better then the other.

Powertech gets +60% armour pen on Rail Shot as well as an instant cast zero CD ability with a 100% chance to apply Plasma Cell, also the abilities used to refresh Rail Shot CD and make the next one free are instant cast zero CD abilities also.

The downside is, powertech needs to be within 10m to be effective, though with an almost perma 50% snare it's not too big of an issue.

Is there any difference between the Pyrotech trees for Mercs vs Powertechs? I don't see any difference on torhead, but they don't list any differences for Lethality with Ops vs Snipers. And apparently several skills are different for them.

Basically what shucksy said. The tree may be the same, but because the advanced classes get different tools, and different trees that can have better synergy with, it becomes very different. A Merc Pyrotech will be a 30m range class because the Merc is a 30m range advanced class. A Powertech Pyrotech will be a 10m range/melee because the Powertech advanced class is a melee advanced class with some range.

In my opinion, Powertech does better with the Pyrotech tree because the other 2 trees in Powertech have better synergy with Pyrotech. Rail Shot is a big part of Pyrotech, and Powertech has ways to improve Rail Shot early in its other 2 trees.

Pyrotech is very melee (10m range, not melee, but almost), he can do some ranged damage but its not very effective above 10m range and he needs 4m rokkit punch once in a while (for railgun proc).

 

I think sniper is pretty mobile, only marksman tree recieves benefits from abilities that need cover, engie is all about instant cast (and grenade spamming. btw if you're fast (and if cover doesnt bug) you can enter and throw explosive probe at the same time so this 30sec CD ability doesnt really limit your mobility) and lethality have only cull to worry about (hard-hitting 3sec channeling, though it should be used from cover too, to avoid interrupts).

 

p.s. Weaking blast and cull are 30m for sniper, 10m are ops versions. Also sniper doesnt require advantage points to use cull, so you dont have to stab everyone with shiv, though it is usefull (its tech low cost ability you can use on move).

U mean powertech-pyrotech melee :/

Pyrotech-mercenary normal range.

I'm surprised no one has given a shout out to the Sorcerer by now. Force Speed and Force Slow make you the best ranged class at kiting. And as a Madness spec, or hybrid Madness/Lightning, you don't have to stop moving very often. You also have some nice instant cast support in your bubble, 30 meter range stun, and potentially instant cast Whirlwind.

edit: Ah, not to mention you have the shortest cast baseline heal of all the healers (1.5 seconds.)

-Macheath.

I was just explaining the difference of the two pyros and the common belief that the powertech one is better.

I was not recommending it as it goes against what you were asking for.

For mobile ranged, Merc Pyro is a choice, but maybe not the best choice. I'd recommend asking in the IA Sniper forums how the lethality ones are doing in PvP.

just a warning, you cannot evne do class quests 9 levels behind you as lethality sniper

Something must be broken with Agents then, cause I levelled to 44 (so far) as a Dirty Fighting Gunslinger with no issues whatsoever.

Something must be broken with Agents then, cause I levelled to 44 (so far) as a Dirty Fighting Gunslinger with no issues whatsoever.

Or you are feeding a troll.

As others have posted Snipers/gunlingers both offer two highly mobile ranged specs that drop alot of AE and single target.

O and I have had no problems leveling as a Dirty Fighting Gunslinger, i don't know how other people were. Dps pet + slinger = too much dps for elites.

I'm surprised no one has given a shout out to the Sorcerer by now. Force Speed and Force Slow make you the best ranged class at kiting. And as a Madness spec, or hybrid Madness/Lightning, you don't have to stop moving very often. You also have some nice instant cast support in your bubble, 30 meter range stun, and potentially instant cast Whirlwind.

 

edit: Ah, not to mention you have the shortest cast baseline heal of all the healers (1.5 seconds.)

 

-Macheath.

Sorcs own, but they aren't as mobile as snipers/slingers. Although i will say the Force speed is OP.