Carbineer Archive

This is for the FAQ, after talking with Novamarine -- I hope this helps some of you out!

The Carbineer/BH Carbine Discussion

A Common Question is should you go MCarbineer/BH Carbines IV, or MCarbineer/BH Carbines III/Novice Medic. Which is for you? Which is "better?"

Advantages of MCarbineer/BH Carbines IV
- Best Speed, Best Accuracy you can get with a Carbine, you don't need to spend millions on millions to get skill plates/attachments.
- Confusion Shot, while semi-redundant as Full Auto Series now for Dizzy/Stun, does seem to inflict these status effects on a more consistent basis than any other Carbine shots. This may be because this shot has been designed *specifically* to only do these effects. Damage is decent for Confusion Shot, but it was made for status effects, not damage dealing.
- BH Carbines IV gives you that extra shot for a nice combat macro spam, many of us probably use something similar to...(and a neat title)

Knockdown Attack; (whether it be chargeshot, fireknockdown, underhand shot...)
Confusion Shot;
Cripple Shot;
Cripple Shot;
Cripple Shot;
Deathblow;

- Rate of fire is impressive, but speed cap was hit earlier than BH Carbines IV.

- If you dabble in the Investigation line, none of your Marks stands a chance. You kill them faster and more easily than any Master BH out there with this template. You literally devastate them to no end.

Disadvantages of MCarbineer/BH Carbines IV
- You have no Novice Medic
- 13 remaining skill points to put somewhere...some people suggest Investigation III, some suggest BH Pistols...whatever you choose, you just have to remember they aren't enough SP to do anything other than...some other BH Skills.
- Very minimal defenses, meaning in Player vs Player if your opening barrage of massive fire can't penetrate the every present heavy composite armor, it's a matter of time until the Master Rifleman, CM, TKA get ahold of ya...we've all experienced this frustration.
- This template is an offensive force to be reckoned with, however with the current stage of armor, and the current damage type of our weapons, (Energy, Heat, Acid) armor rates against these can easily get to 70+%. Meaning despite the AP2 of the Laser Carbine, that 70% armor resists will "absorb" that damage, and buffs will further reduce the damge output of Carbines in PvP.

Advantages of MCarbineer/BH Carbines III + Novice Medic
- This template NOW is almost the exact same as BH Carbines IV...since the Full Auto Line will Stun/Dizzy, not as consistent as Confusion Shot, but with the speed cap you can tear off three FAS in under 3 seconds (you'll be in spam 3 shots over two seconds, might be a bug) and chances are one of those 3 will stun/dizzy.
- You're still at speed cap with all your attacks, have access to Underhand Shot, and Knockdown Fire, so your speed/damage will be consistent. Combat Macro will be same as above, except you'd substitute Full Auto Single (Or Area, Whatever) for Confusion Shot.
- Novice Medic is HUGE. Not only can you stim away damage, but this increases your solo capabilities, PvP abilities, dueling activities, and gives you tremendous overall flexibility.

Remember: With Novice Medic you can use Stim Bs, which are so powerful it's almost...not fair. Yet this can be so helpful if you're out hunting and your buffs run out, caught without buffs, or just like the flexibility.

Disadvantages of MCarbineer/BH Carbines III + Novice Medic
- Truth be told, there are none. Unless you want the BH Title...or believe Confusion Shot to be worth no Novice Medic...then this template is as close to perfection of Carbines as you can get.

Points:
You're at Speedcap
You have the best Carbine Specials
Best Accuracy
And self-reliance on healing abilities. A 500 heal stim can be major in any situation.

Conclusion
With Full Auto Series inflicting Stun and Dizzy on a more consistent basis, do you need confusion shot? You hit the speed Cap early in BH Carbines, you have other Dizzy/Stun attacks, and can spare up the skill points for Novice Medic and heal yourself still. It's my standing that right now, with our fixes, Master Carbineer/BH Carbines III/Novice Medic is not only great for PvE, but good in PvP. (right now the combat imbalance makes it so that you need mind attacks to be good, but played right, this template can also be great in PvP - especially if like me you enjoy "annoyingly" using "hit and run" tactics on those pesky rifleman.

While there may be people stating this template using many skill points, reducing your effectiveness...they are correct in that, but also wrong.

You're a Master Marksman, Master Scout, Master Carbineer with BH Carbine (medic maybe also) you'll get money from running missions, missions you finish in three minutes due to insane damage output, you get money from being an equal harvester to Ranger (since Ranger harvesting bonuses appear to add very very little), you're a force to be reckoned with PvP and PvE.

The final choice is yours however. I love Novice Medic, it's a life send when sometimes I find myself magically Overt, needing to heal myself -- or when in Combat and our Medic Goes down from a Strafe 2 Shot and I can heal them up...it helps yourself and your groupmates.

Downfalls
As we've all discovered, our three damage types are the easiest to avoid in Player vs Player. Anyone in a good suit of Composite, using KD Defense Food, Damage Reduction Food can withstand our barrage of fire...forcing us to apply only status effects so the big guns of PvP can take out the target. Many people will say we're more of crowd control class...this is true to a point, but Cripple Shot in this MCarbineer/BH Carbines Tandem is possibly the single greatest non-mind, single target special in the game. Its speed cap damaged output is wonderful.

This template uses a lot of SP either way, so if you want to dabble in other things...this is only for the devoted. If you're a holo-grinder, forget it. If you want to do more than just fighting, this is not for you.

If Carbines are your thing, damage is your thing, destroying things left and right in PvE, and being good in PvP are your thing...this is you. It takes time, skill, effort, training, and most of all patience...

...but Master Carbineer/BH Carbine templates are worth that effort and patience. If you do either one of these you'll be happy, I'm happier with Novice Medic template...that's me. But I was BH Carbines IV for awhile also...I just saw the advantages of Novice Medic for solo, and group play, and with fixes to Full Auto Series...I found Confusion Shot not needed.

edit: cleaned up line breaks, and odd formatting errors