Fencer Archive

I decided to test a fencer vs pistoleer at melee range and see who fairs better.

Until today I had always thought it was only commandos and BHs that can destroy us at point blank, but alas, pistoleers seem to be able to do the same. Now, this is not a 'nerf pistoleers' thread, but rather a thread that's stating what we need to recieve to be able to kill these classes at close range, like we should be able to.

First off, let me explain how I tested this. I got a pistoleer, of about the same porportionality in skills to me. We /dueled eachother in close quaters to see the outcome. Much like a TKA does, as soon as the duel began, I was KDed and incapped before I hit the ground (yes I have the KD resistances and speed bonuses). He had pistol whipped me and stopping shotted. Two shot kill from a ranged fighter, at close quaters.

Second time I tried to get off a warcry in hope to delay his action, but alas, he hit first and it was over again. I'm not sure, but I feel as if even with the animation go fencers are still dealing with a beginning combat delay.

I tried some other things such as starting from distances and hoping dodging would work, alas, it did not.


So, what have a learned from this?

We need standard defenses and toughness. Pistoleers have a combo in which they can KD and kill you in one shot. This seems unbalanced to me, as it takes two hits to KD somebody (and it's always lagged and often doesn't work), and even when they hit the ground, it takes a bit longer. A meleer at melee range, should defeat a ranged user at that range, not the other way around, even pistoleer. It should not work like they have a faster, melee KD, and then get a shot that can destroy people in one or two shots. We should have that to (we do, but its speed is quite slow for some reason).

Also, we need our resistances and dodging to make a noticable difference.

And finally, we need to do more testing on beginning combat delays, I've found that with my smuggler as soon as the duel begins I'm shooting, while with melee I have a bit of lag before I do my first special. has anybody else noticed this? or is it possibly that ranged animations have been reduced, as I never saw the pistoleer even do his little 'pistol' swing. There is something seriously wrong with our delays and animations though and it needs to be adjusted.

Name: Eva
Server: Shadowfire

Woah, someone acutly tested this out to, nice to see someone taking the time to check things out. I have noticed this, everything you have said has been done to me already in game. I have noticed that some range classes such as pistoleer, bh, an even commando can 2 to 1 shoot me. What I mean is they get two attacks per my single non-special moves. When fencers attack thier is a 1.0 to 1.5 second dely it is very noticible in PVE an PVP. You just have to watch carefuly, aslo resistances haven't been working that well on an off since the patch done a month ago, prior to the patch last month resistances worked a bit better. Dodge on the other hand hasn't worked in PVP for over 2 months now. It works in pve but rarely, today I watched an rebel npc dodge 15 times while shooting at him (blue con) while I dodged 2 times vs his attacking. Dodge kinda works but isn't at all effective in any way.

Fencer defences seam to be slightly broken, even as a master fencer I noticed a huge differnce between a master swordsmen an tka vs a fencer. Lets say you got no chance agasit them, the only class we can best thats melee would be polearm currently. I have been testing melee vs melee, ranged vs melee. As well as skills vs defences to see what is working an what isn't. My findings have been not very good, an those that I asked to help test that are differnt speicies ect. Have come up with the same results, thier is deffently an underlining problem with fencers atm.

Anyhow in all I love fencers alot they are a wicked class if an when your skills are working right. Other then that good luck to you all an I do hope to see some fixes to us soon.

Ah great, so I'm not just crazy.

My main beef is that the pistoleer could best me in melee range. That doesn't quite make sense.

Yeah, and check out the typed of pistols they have, much cooller and more diverse than ours, not to mention way more powerful thanks to Krayt tissues and such.

My only success in fencing, the only advantage I seem to have is that I'm a big mean trandoshan. Fighting against my guildmate Dalmar, I can destroy him utterly with my mere novice fencer, while he is novice-and-a-bit Teras Kasi human, who also tosses poison after poison at me as a combat medic.. He doesn't have a chance if my sword is in my hand.

If you're really dueling for the sake of experimenting, try dueling without him using knockdown, or you using dizzy-lunge.

Stopping shot (and Last Ditch, moreso) can do scary damage, especially in the hands of a BH or Master pistoleer where the speed cap gets hit. Course, if they're using the favorite "big damage" weapon, the FWG, it's reallydepends on luck.Stopping shot needs to hit the same pool, multiple times, and not get stuck withback luck and be in the low minimum damage range of the FWG.

I've dueled pistoleers, Pistol Bh/Pistoleers, Master Heavy Swordsmen, Commandos with flamethrowers, and Master Carbineers with only one defeat. I only lost to the second master heavy swordsmen because I had just cloned with many wounds while he was at full strength. Even then the guy said, "**edit** man I normally 2 shot people, but your blind kept me from hitting you." The fight was so close, that he was lucky he got the last hit in or I would have won.

I understand we have problems and every other class can hit the 1sec cap like us. What I don't seem to experience is the same level of gimpness that other people complain about. Every fight I have, I endeavor to make sure that the tactical situation is favorable to me. If it is not, I do not proceed. I also try to keep my stats enhanced as much as possible. Since I am a master doctor, that is not hard to do. It also allows me to migrate most of mypoints into my Mind/Focus/Willpower stats, decreasing my weakness to mind attacks.

Like I said before, I understand we have problems. Most of them are the same problems all melee fighters have. I just do not see us as being gimped as we are constantly portrayed as being on this board.

Bah, I need to learn how to do a signature line:

Heru Kamau

Blademaster/Master Doctor of Bria

I somewhat agree with you Heru. I can use tactics and win almost any fight. The problem with this is, it's only because I have better tactics then the opposing player. Meleers group up tough and we learn how to completely utilize our surroundings. Ranged though, doesn't so so much of this.

The unfortunate side of this though, if the ranged players eventually learn to use the enviroment and skills like we do, we're going to fall behind again.

Fencers can't really win straight up fights with many professions, such as TKA, Commando, Pistoleer, BH.

TKAs take less damage than us, and can deal it faster and more efficiently.

Pistoleers can generally KD us and then get the attack Bonus and one shot with stopping (especially if they took Novice BH and use the over powered Scatter pistol). Also, Pistols can easily have now max damage in the 300s, while we have a hard time even coming close to this with our weapons.

Commandos...well, flame single 2...

BH, LLC, one shot KD, mind targeting. And because our moves use so much mind, we're faced with choosing a helmet and killing ourselves with specials, or not wearing one and being killed by eyeshot.

Herutehuti: You're a Master Doctor.

Imagine if you didn't have 24hr access to buffs...

The gripe here is that a Fencer is only mediocre at holding his/her own in combat. In order to be effective,a Fencer mustachievemastery in a second profession of Doctor, Creature Handler, or Pistoleer (or other ranged, though pistoleer is theoretically most effective due to stacking stats).

When people gripe, this is often what they are griping about.

Fredwroc: TKAs take less damage than us, and can deal it faster and more efficiently.

Very true.

Fredwroc: Also, Pistols can easily have now max damage in the 300s, while we have a hard time even coming close to this with our weapons.

Gaderiffi Batonscan have max damage in the 300's, with high minimum damage as well - and this is without tissues enhancements or whatnot (if possible).

I say gimme a rock and i'd be happy using that for my ranged attack as a fencer =)

I duel quite abit if you play on flurry you'll probably see me in front of cor starport making jokes and dueling. Anyways i noticed that tka's are out of our leage but for the others they can be beat easy. Most fencers dont bother to switch weapons when they fight people with armor seeing how stun batons are so weak compared to a gaff but ive noticed alot of commandos. bh, and ect where composite armor. Ive seen comp armor with as high as 69% kinetic resist and by not switching weapons most fencers screw themselfs befor the duel begins. I always go with body hit 3 and if they start healin constantly i change to scatter hit to kill of there mind. Good luck to you all and fight with honor.

hmmmm.. this is very bad news to hear.. i have been playing around with a sword forever and have just now made novice fencer.. do i have that much to look forward to? hmm i think i will take some of the advice in here and pick up novice medic.. i was planning on doing that anyways.. i also am a novice rifleman.. so that helps alot from a distance.so i switch back and forth alothehe (especially with my +13 rifle speed cloak i got from a dark side adept's loot) ;-)

any tips for a fledgling novice fencer? tips on faster leveling (well .. more effective levelling.. i dont grind.. just dont wanna be a sloth at it) .. which laddders to take first?