So my son loves Troopers and wants me to make a combat medic for my next character. I'm 48 on my SW so I'll likely be starting up this weekend once I hit 50. In the past I played a Vanguard, so the healing role is new to me.

 

Since he wants me to be a healer (loves the green beams and helping others), I'll be leveling in the medic spec. Does anyone have any general direction or advise on how to spec out while leveling. I do mostly PVE with PVP matches sprinkled in for fun. Also, is there a preferred companion that works well with me as a healer?

 

Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom you can share (I'm sure my little guy will love watching me play this one to 50).

the xp boosts from the cartel market are your friends while lvling a healer. as are the pvp and flashpoint dailies. i also find that lvling with your dps companion(s) is the best since you will kill things faster. will have to do a little more healing buy i think its good practice.

Tanking companion is pretty good for anything, but it may take you longer to kill. I find the dps companion best against elites or strongs, because you can keep your dps companion up with ease. Either dps or tank is a pretty good pick. The only drawback for dps companions is that they suck at keeping aggro so if you throw in some damage, you may find yourself swarmed. Tank is safe bet. DPS is probably better once you get used to the class. Healing while leveling is not as slow as people think it is. It is actually quite fast, because there is little downtime. Edited February 14, 2013 by bbare

Thank you for the replies. Is the spec in the sticky for 1.2 still valid or have things changed enough to go a different route?

 

edit...just tried to link for the build in the sticky and it doesn't seem to populate a valid skill tree, answered my own question there

Edited February 14, 2013 by nicoliy

Thank you for the replies. Is the spec in the sticky for 1.2 still valid or have things changed enough to go a different route?

 

edit...just tried to link for the build in the sticky and it doesn't seem to populate a valid skill tree, answered my own question there

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#800rfRMRbcdkczZrcoZb.2

 

That's the Commando equivalent of my level 50 Merc healing build for PVE. For PVP - take one of the points out of Gunnery (either from Ironsights or from Special Munitions, your choice) and put it into the Combat Shield talent. Maybe try to fit Med Zone in there too if you find you're unable to outheal other players after popping your shield.

 

I wish I could help you with a leveling spec, but I leveled on DPS. If you want order of importance - new healing abilities are huge (Kolto Bomb, Trauma Probe, Supercharge Cell); ability pushback and threat reduction as well, and ammo efficiency will make healing a LOT easier. Commando healing is all about the secondary effects on your heals - Kolto Residue, the armor buff and heal over time (as well as ammo cost reduction on your next Medical Probe) on Advanced Medical Probe are what make us awesome, so grab those ASAP as well.

 

Basically, they're ALL fantastic talents, but the straight crit increases, damage reduction for you, and other things along those lines are more secondary. Get them, but focus on the above-mentioned stuff first.

For levelling, perhaps try a hybrid? Take skill points to kolto bomb, then focus on gunnery or assault. This allows you to heal, plus also use grav round/incendiary for damage.

 

It really depends, what do you/your son want to do more? Do you want to be and play a commando, or do you want to succeed/heal better? If it really is healing/being a commando, then I guess join us. If it is having fun and succeeding at high level content [raids/50 pvp] roll another class. I have played a CM since launch, and it is night and day when I play on my guardian that i recently started. Abilities work all the time and there are less bugs. Trooper just seems unfinished to be honest.

 

With PVP at 50, CM is frustrating unless up against less organised teams. Against good teams, you will be focussed a lot, and we simply are not up to the same level as other classes.

For levelling, perhaps try a hybrid? Take skill points to kolto bomb, then focus on gunnery or assault. This allows you to heal, plus also use grav round/incendiary for damage.

 

It really depends, what do you/your son want to do more? Do you want to be and play a commando, or do you want to succeed/heal better? If it really is healing/being a commando, then I guess join us. If it is having fun and succeeding at high level content [raids/50 pvp] roll another class. I have played a CM since launch, and it is night and day when I play on my guardian that i recently started. Abilities work all the time and there are less bugs. Trooper just seems unfinished to be honest.

 

With PVP at 50, CM is frustrating unless up against less organised teams. Against good teams, you will be focussed a lot, and we simply are not up to the same level as other classes.

 

Regarding PVP, though, CM will do better than other Commando specs, generally. It's the most viable out of the three for PVP.

Regarding PVP, though, CM will do better than other Commando specs, generally. It's the most viable out of the three for PVP.

 

True, but it is still well below Sage and Scoundrel healers in both utility and heals.

True, but it is still well below Sage and Scoundrel healers in both utility and heals.

 

True, but if he's leveling a Commando heals anyway he might as well know that it's the best PVP spec for his class.

True, but if he's leveling a Commando heals anyway he might as well know that it's the best PVP spec for his class.

 

Yep. So OP, gear up as a combat medic, but throw a few points into gunnery to help you kill things a bit quicker. Trauma probe isn't really a great skill, so put in enough points to grab kolto bomb. Something like this:

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#800bfRoRzc.2 - then apply points to gunnery as you see fit [or even assault if you want to stay mobile for occasional pvp].

I have been a long time commando medic. It is perfectly fine for leveling up. CM's still have decent DPS and if you keep your gear current to your level it has decent survivabity. You would be best to level up as medic if that's what you want to be so that you are learning your skills and what you can and can't do well.

 

Commandos have excellent AOEs so I would usually send in my companion and then AOE the whole group when they clustered around the companion. With ranged enemies you will have to be more creative with your AOE positioning or you could LOS them to get them to cluster. When facing gold stars I would usually CC them then try to pull the others away to AOE. Your CC is priceless while leveling up, use it religiously.

 

You don't get a tank companion till the droid (name escapes me ATM.), so Jorgan will sufice or you can use Dorne to heal you while you tank/DPS. Dorne is nice for the extra CC she has but she does little in the way of damage and you can easily be overwhelmed by multiple enemies. Sending your companion into harms way while you heal and AOE,etc is still the best and fastest method.

 

Don't forget to do FPs on a regular basis so you get more used to the true healing role in a group.

 

Lastly Learn good ammo management. Watch the 4 arrows next to your ammo bar. This is good >>>>, this is not >...

 

CMs are a fun class for PVE, but prepare to be somewhat frustrated in PVP as commandos are a hard class to master in PVP and most other players are aware of this.

 

One thing I would add is that commando is an easy class to respec in from CM to gunnery as you are only trading a few skills. If you keep a few pieces of armor to swap that have accuracy on them the res of your gear with Crit/Pow/Surg will serve equally well for both specs. So this is one class that you can be a healer and DPS with a quick respec that does not require a steep learning curve or a major gear swap.

Edited February 20, 2013 by ChicagoBearsFan