Pistoleer Archive
Thread: Pistoleer FAQ v2.0 (Jan 2nd 2004)
PISTOLEER FAQ
Version 2.0 (Jan 2nd 2004)
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Change List
2.0 Pre-Novice Questions ("So you're thinking about becoming a Pistoleer?")
2.1 Is Pistoleer comparable to Carbineer, Rifleman? How about Commando or Bounty Hunter?
2.2 Can I take out "tough" NPCs like Dark Troopers and Field Marshalls by myself as a Master Pistoleer?
2.3 Do I need to be a Pistoleer to use a Republic Blaster?
3.0 Pistoleer Questions ("I'm a Pistoleer, now what?")
3.1 What branch of the Pistoleer tree should I go down?
3.2 Which special is the best?
3.3 What is HealthShot or "bleeding"? How can it help me?
3.4 Are HealthShot 1 and HealthShot 2 stackable?
3.5 Which pistol is the best?
3.6 What's the best HAM settings to have for Pistoleer?
3.7 Where are the Pistoleer trainers located?
3.8 What is Damage Mitigation?
3.9 What's the quickest way to Master Pistoleer?
3.10 What other Professions compliment Pistoleer?
3.11 How effective are Pistoleer's Defense Mods?
4.0 The Bad Stuff ("What's wrong with Pistoleer?")
4.1 What's not working?
SPECIALS / WEAPONS / SKILLS
5.0 The Future
6.0 Further Reading...
1.0 Introduction
The "official" pistoleer FAQ was last updated August 2003 (not long after the game was released!) and is now unfortunately horribly out of date:
Quote: "The DX2 looks to be the best overall pistol in the pistoleer certifications."
The DX2 is now considered to be so inaccurate as to be worthless!
Quote: "Q. Which pistol tree should I go up first?
A. Stances and Grips "
Which would be cool if "Stances and Grips" actually existed!
Clearly SOMEONE needed to update it and unfortunately our corresspondent (Philospher1976) had too much on his plate. This is where you (and I) come in:
This FAQ us a Work In Progress!
I've put together as much information as possible, but I expect people will want to add/change things. Please politely make your additions/changes in a post below and I will update the FAQ sporadically.
Thanks!
~ Neutral
1.1 Change List
The old 1.0 FAQ from August 2003 was completely scrapped.
Version 2.0 - Released Jan 2nd.
2.0 Pre-Novice Questions ("So you're thinking about becoming a Pistoleer?")
2.1 Is Pistoleer comparable to Carbineer or Rifleman? How about Commando or Bounty Hunter?
In theory Pistoleer, Carbineer and Rifleman should have the same amount of firepower, with different advantages and disadvantages for each. In practice it's arguable, but none of these professions stand out significantly above the rest. Also, at the time of writing (Jan 2nd) the Devs have promised a whole new combat system to make the pros and cons of each combat profession more pronounced, obvious and balanced.
As for Commando and Bounty Hunter, these Hybrid professions take a LOT more XP to master and as you'd expect, offer significantly more fire power for your efforts.
2.2 Can I take out "tough" NPCs like Dark Troopers and Field Marshalls by myself as aMaster Pistoleer?
In a sentence: A Master Pistoleer with the right weapon, HAM stats, buffs and armor should have no trouble taking on tougher PCs. (It should be noted that some PCs like Krayt Dragons and Maul Graulers are designed to be taken out in GROUPS and will likely kick your butt!)
2.3 Do I need to be a Pistoleer to use a Republic Blaster?
Nope. At the moment there is no certification for this pistol, so anyone can use it!
3.0 Pistoleer Questions ("I'm a Pistoleer, now what?")
3.1 What branch of the Pistoleer tree should I go down?
A very commonly asked question!
If you are a Smuggler or have the BH pistol line: Marksmanship branch.
If you're a Fencer: Grips branch.
Everyone else: Techniques is your best bet (Fan Shot is very useful).
3.2 Which special is the best?
This is a difficult question, because despite the stats, different people seem to have different results. (Many claim that BodyShot3 is worse than BodyShot2, but some have claimed that BodyShot3 has offered them a significant boost. Right now no-one has knows why this is, but it is likely to become clearer when the Devs revamp the Combat system.)
Regardless, standard advice is the same: Use BodyShot2 until you get Fan Shot, then use that instead.
Also: You will want to "bleed" your opponent with HealthShot1 AND HealthShot2 before you spam them with other specials. (See below.)
3.3 What is HealthShot or "bleeding"? How can it help me?
HealthShot1 is actually given when the player reached x/4/x/x in the Marksman Tree ("Pistol Specialist"). When fired, the damage number you see on the combat window is NOT damage you just did, it is the value of the "bleed". Now every 20 seconds your opponent will have this damage removed from their Health Bar (the red one) until they're cured or the bleeding stops by itself.
You get HealthShot2 when you become a Novice Pistoleer, and this does the same thing as HealthShot1, but with more damage.
If you or a team-mate start to bleed, it can be cured with multiple applications of the /fistaid skill.
NOTE: You or your opponent CANNOT be incapacitated or killed by bleeding. Your health with stop at 1.
Also note: In the combat window, HealthShot1 is referred to as "Sap Shot" and HealthShot2 is referred to as "Sap Blast". It is my fond hope that the devs will change this one day.
3.4 So, are HealthShot1 and HealthShot2 stackable?
In a word: "Yup!". The really great thing about HealthShot1 and 2 is that they work independently of each other! Use both on an opponent for twice the damage!
It is basic tactics to use HealthShot1 and HealthShot2 on an opponent before commencing a "real" attack. (Note: You cannot incapacitate an opponent with bleeding, their health stops at 1.)
3.5 Which pistol is the best?
Another debatable point. At the time of writing a Republic Blaster or FWG5 are the preferred weapons on choice.
The CDEF, DL44, DL44 Metal and DH17 are basic pistols and very poor.
The Power5, SR Combat and Tangle are considered average.
The Scout Blaster and Striker are above average.
The FWG5 and Republic Blaster are both considered to be the best all-around pistols.
The DX2 (the only pistol you get a Certification in when you become a Pistoleer) is, at the time of writing, hopelessly inaccurate to the point of being bugged.
It is worth noting that some people claim to have good accuracy with their DX2s, so see if it works for you. One of the best things about a DX2 is that it is an Acid weapon, which most armor is vulnerable to.
3.6 What's the best HAM settings to have for Pistoleer?
I go for:
Health = Medium
Usage (Strength) = Low
Regen (Constitution) = Fairly High
Action = Medium
Usage (Quickness) = Medium
Regen (Stamina) = Fairly High
Mind = High
Usage (Focus) = Low
Regen (Willpower) = High
The logic is this: Health and Action can be healed quickly and easily (at the cost of Mind). I hardly lose any Health doing Specials so I keep the Health: Usage (Strength) at a minimum. I keep both Action and Health: Regen (Constitution and Stamina) fairly high. I DO lose Action doing specials so I keep Action: Usage (Quickness) reasonable.
Mind is a pain. I make sure I have high Mind and high Mind: Regen (Willpower) (because you use Mind to heal Health and Action and also you need it to regenerate quickly if Mind is attacked). I don't bother spending much on Mind: Usage (Focus) because I find it more important for Mind to be able to regenerate itself faster.
If my Mind bar gets bad I take off my helmet and run away for a bit, trying to let my Mind bar regenerate (doesn't always work as planned though 
). I then heal Health and Action again and return to the fight.
Note: The secondary stat "Usage" (eg. Strength) changes how much primary stat (eg. Health) you use when doing a Special.
The secondardy stat "Regen" (eg. Constitution) changes how quickly the primary stat (eg. Health) regenerates itself.
Also note: Taking off armor will allow your HAM stats to regenerate themselves MUCH quicker.
3.7 Where are the Pistoleer trainers located?
Tyrena, CORELLIA (-5220, -2488)
Keren, NABOO (1258, 2688)
Narmle, RORI (-5240, -2455)
Dearic, TALUS (583, -2871)
Mos Eisley, TATOOINE (3356, -4837)
Note: You can create waypoints to specific locations by typing /wapoint x y
eg.
/waypoint 3356 -4837
(Just make sure you're on the right planet 
)
3.8 What is "Damage Mitigation"?
Damage Mitigation is a defence against attacks that you get at various points on an Elite Combat Profession tree (eg. Pistoleer ). With Pistoleer you get Ranged Damage Mitigation (as opposed to Melee).
Damage mitigation doesn't reduce the TOTAL damage done to you -- it reduces the RANGE of damage that can be done to you. What does that mean? Well let's take an example:
Someone shoots you with a weapon that has 50-300 damage (50 is the minimum damage that can be done and 300 is the maximum). With no damage mitigation the damage done to you can be anywhere between 50 and 300 points.
With damage mitigation it reduces the RANGE of damage.
Here's the breakdown:
mitigation1 (Techniques I) limits damage to 80% of the range (20% reduction)
mitigation2 (Techniques II) limits damage to 60% of the range (40% reduction)
mitigation3 (Master Pistoleer) limits damage to 40% of the range (60% reduction)
So let's take that example:
Instead of 50 to 300 damage,
With mitigation1 the damage done to you is reduced to between 50 and 250.
With mitigation2 the damage done to you is reduced to between 50 and 200.
With mitigation3 the damage done to you is reduced to between 50 and 150.
The flipside to this means that Minimum Damage is now much more important than before, so your favorite weapon (your 60-500 Krayt modified pistol) might not be so good anymore.
Damage Mitigation in detail:
http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=pistoleer&message.id=29071
Damage Mitigation Dev Q&A:
http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=pistoleer&message.id=29202
3.9 What's the quickest way to Master Pistoleer?
This is commonly asked question when someone has just been told to Master Pistoleer by a Holocron.
The basic answer is to go up the Techniques branch using a pet of some sort until you get Fan Shot. Fan Shot will allow you to get Pistoleer XP a lot quicker. Simply move up the branches using /healthShot1, /healthShot2 and /fanShot.
Nice job.
That make me lol too much
"[...]that some PCs like Krayt Dragons and Maul Graulers are designed to [...]"
Maul Graulers... bwahahahah 
Great work.
Points of contention:
2.1 (comparable to other Ranged professions)
I would argue that at the Master level, as of this writing, Rifleman is clearly superior to Pistoleer, as 3X or better DPS, mind targeting, AP3, and ranged defense blow away our few advantages over them, Dodge better than Block and lower HAM costs (buffs being so overpowered in this game everyone can spam everything). But who knows how much we want to get into that here.
3.1 (which tree)
I don't know about Marksmanship for BH; perhaps our Correspondent knows better. They do usually take one or two boxes in the far right column in order in fire anything, even slow weapons like the Tangle, at 1s. They also sometimes get the third column for Defense Vs. and Fanshot.
Smugglers very often get the last column for extra speed in addition to the second.
Brawlers poking around the Pistoleer tree for whatever reason might want both of the right columns (mitigation, Defense Vs., melee defense, Pistol Whip)
3.2 (which special)
Some time back I devoted a lengthy post on this subject:
http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=pistoleer&message.id=25486
3.3 (bleeds)
Might want to add that bleeds currently ignore all armor and resist, as that point comes up on this and other forums quite a bit.
3.4 (stacking bleeds)
And the two Fencer bleeds stack also.And firing the same bleed on a targetwhich is already affected by that bleed does nothing if the new bleed has lesser damage than the old, but overwrites the old and resetsthe timer if the new bleed has higherdamage. Perhaps we should touch the subject of bleeds and XP, but that's messy.
3.5 (pistols)
I'd say the Power5 and SR Combat to be flat out useless. But the Tangle does stun damage and does get use against stun vulnerable targets (kimos, Nightsisters, PCs wearing composite armor). And the Striker does Kinetic, which is necessary against some Nightsisters again.
3.6 (HAM settings)
Tough question. I'd argue that if you have enough Medic to heal all of Health/Action in one shot, then just stick all four Health/Action secondaries to minimum, put Willpower high, keep Health and Action just high enough to avoid getting taken down before you can react with the healself, and throw all the rest into the Mind bar. Especially in PvP, where Blue is all that matters. Eat overpowered food and/or use the absurdly overpowered Doctor buffs to keep Health, Action and their secondaries up; buffing mind can be a little harder.
3.10 (other professions)
But +ranged/+melee defense still stack, as of this writing and that's becoming a bigger issue these days than Defense Vs. or any other such stacking, and is a big reason for combining classes now; but our Correspondent is needed to help work out what if anything we should say here.
3.11 (defense)
I had not heard that Defense Vs. does not stack; nor had I heard that it is weapon dependent. You may be right, but this is not the prevailing opinion. Was it nerfed recently? Also, consider the possibility that the carbine knockdown just doesn't follow the normal rules -- it already is the only knockdown in the game not on a timer -- perhaps try Lunge2 and see what happens.
4.1 (specials)
We should point out the features of the specials that do actually work; Fanshot is an AOE cone (insert the rules regarding it aggroing only on the first shot and then hitting all aggros in the cone thereafter), pistolMeleeDefense1 is a melee knockdown. Disarm1 and Disarm2 both do double damage to lairs.
It's not fair to say that Dodge "does not work" -- it actually works quite a bit in PvE, anyway. Note the problem with the animation slowing people down (and the devs comments) and the workaround (unequip pistol if you really just want to run).
Other additions:
Consider duplicating the Pistol Specials (damage/delay) information from the original FAQ here. Just correct stopping shot to 5X/4s. For all we know, the numbers on the unused specials could be off, too, but that's not really too important.
Some issues i find:
"As for Commando and Bounty Hunter, these Hybrid professions take a LOT more XP to master and as you'd expect, offer significantly more fire power for your efforts."
I don't agree, those professions are different from pistoleer-carbineer-rifleman. Do not offer significantly more power output, just different.
2.3 Do I need to be a Pistoleer to use a Republic Blaster?
Nope, everyone can use it (even artisans) but it MUST be crafted after the novenber '03 big patch. Previous versionare bugged/broken, you'll get the "non certified for" message.
3.1 What branch of the Pistoleer tree should I go down?
I used to be a smuggler before starting climb the pistoleer tree. I started with the techniques tree, while i don't get accuracy issues, the fanshot is absolutely priceless. It give a huge boost to xp gathered.
3.2 Which special is the best?
I find that question useless, sorry.
Specials got their enviroment, when i'm looking the enemy eyes too much close, my best special is melee defense, when i start the fight my best are the bleeds, when there'r someone tanking for me i prefer fanshot.
Useless and pointless.
3.5 Which pistol is the best?
Same as above, pistols got their uses too.
And I disagree with your description of the guns.
CDEF and DH17: low low end guns, that's right.
DL44 and Metal: Those'r nice guns, they take krayt tissues too. You can spill nice stuff from those schematics. And the DL44 is the Han Solo blaster!! Enough
Power5: I think that very few ppl use that, its the "improved" version of the dl44, Better damage output, slower, high ham costs. Unusefull.
SRCombat: That could be nice gun, nice stats, but it got a huge problem, attack range capped at 48m.
Tangle and Striker: Those guns got the WORSE stats of all the pistol, but they turn very usefull due their damage types (Stun, Kinetic), expecially the tangle, cause the stun damage is the weakness of the composite armors (mostly).
Fwg5 and scout: after the fwg's nerf they become very similar, scout is faster and got slightly better ham costs, fwg5 got more damage. Your all-around guns.
DX2: controversial gun. Due to the new damage mitigation it become a friend,it gothigh minimun damage. The acid is very usefull in Pve, not many mobs got high acid resistance. Tho its range modifier are awfull (+0 at point bank)... at short range it's good (10m?), farter it start shooting a little where it like
Hoping that's usefull, salute.
Tullius_Cicero wrote:
Great work.
Points of contention:
2.1 (comparable to other Ranged professions)
I would argue that at the Master level, as of this writing, Rifleman is clearly superior to Pistoleer, as 3X or better DPS, mind targeting, AP3, and ranged defense blow away our few advantages over them, Dodge better than Block and lower HAM costs (buffs being so overpowered in this game everyone can spam everything). But who knows how much we want to get into that here.
Good point! I'm presuming this will change within the next month though? If not I'll add that information to the FAQ
3.1 (which tree)
I don't know about Marksmanship for BH; perhaps our Correspondent knows better. They do usually take one or two boxes in the far right column in order in fire anything, even slow weapons like the Tangle, at 1s. They also sometimes get the third column for Defense Vs. and Fanshot.
Smugglers very often get the last column for extra speed in addition to the second.
Brawlers poking around the Pistoleer tree for whatever reason might want both of the right columns (mitigation, Defense Vs., melee defense, Pistol Whip)
The first twoparts were direct quotes from our correspondent!
Interesting about the Bawlers, but since Techiques is the right column and the other right column is based on Combat XP, not sure if it's worth it for them. Again, see what others have to say. Good feedback though.
3.2 (which special)
Some time back I devoted a lengthy post on this subject:
http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=pistoleer&message.id=25486
I'll put a link to it in to the next version. Can you sum up your conclusions for me? (Sorry, lazy I know
3.3 (bleeds)
Might want to add that bleeds currently ignore all armor and resist, as that point comes up on this and other forums quite a bit.
Excellent! I think I also forgot to mention something else about bleeds, but it escapes me right now :/
3.4 (stacking bleeds)
And the two Fencer bleeds stack also.And firing the same bleed on a targetwhich is already affected by that bleed does nothing if the new bleed has lesser damage than the old, but overwrites the old and resetsthe timer if the new bleed has higherdamage. Perhaps we should touch the subject of bleeds and XP, but that's messy.
Mentioning the Fencer bleeds isn't really relelvant here, I do mention it below though. I'd be interested to know more about bleeds and XP, how messy is it?
3.5 (pistols)
I'd say the Power5 and SR Combat to be flat out useless. But the Tangle does stun damage and does get use against stun vulnerable targets (kimos, Nightsisters, PCs wearing composite armor). And the Striker does Kinetic, which is necessary against some Nightsisters again.
Excellent! I'll add that for sure!!
3.6 (HAM settings)
Tough question. I'd argue that if you have enough Medic to heal all of Health/Action in one shot, then just stick all four Health/Action secondaries to minimum, put Willpower high, keep Health and Action just high enough to avoid getting taken down before you can react with the healself, and throw all the rest into the Mind bar. Especially in PvP, where Blue is all that matters. Eat overpowered food and/or use the absurdly overpowered Doctor buffs to keep Health, Action and their secondaries up; buffing mind can be a little harder.
I have enough Medic to just about /healDamage self all my damage, but when you're spamming /bodyShot2 etc, it is more cost effective to have a higher Action: Regen (IMHO) than use waste stimpacks. Not sure though, maybe those extra stat points would be better spent on Mind... This alternative should be added in the next version.
I should also add HAM settings for hardcore PvP I guess, too
3.10 (other professions)
But +ranged/+melee defense still stack, as of this writing and that's becoming a bigger issue these days than Defense Vs. or any other such stacking, and is a big reason for combining classes now; but our Correspondent is needed to help work out what if anything we should say here.
Cool, that's a good point!
3.11 (defense)
I had not heard that Defense Vs. does not stack; nor had I heard that it is weapon dependent. You may be right, but this is not the prevailing opinion. Was it nerfed recently? Also, consider the possibility that the carbine knockdown just doesn't follow the normal rules -- it already is the only knockdown in the game not on a timer -- perhaps try Lunge2 and see what happens.
All that defense stuff is directly quoted from the sticky thread by our correspondent. I suggest you check it out as it has all his stats there too.
I think TKM knockdowns are not on timers either, but that's a different matter.
4.1 (specials)
We should point out the features of the specials that do actually work; Fanshot is an AOE cone (insert the rules regarding it aggroing only on the first shot and then hitting all aggros in the cone thereafter), pistolMeleeDefense1 is a melee knockdown. Disarm1 and Disarm2 both do double damage to lairs.
Definitely!
It's not fair to say that Dodge "does not work" -- it actually works quite a bit in PvE, anyway. Note the problem with the animation slowing people down (and the devs comments) and the workaround (unequip pistol if you really just want to run).
Again this a direct quote from the "State of the Profession" list made by our correspondent and replied to by the devs. I'm not sure what the complete truth is :/
Other additions:
Consider duplicating the Pistol Specials (damage/delay) information from the original FAQ here. Just correct stopping shot to 5X/4s. For all we know, the numbers on the unused specials could be off, too, but that's not really too important.
It'd be nice to redo those stats as they were done a very long time ago.
Thanks for the feedback Tullius!!!
Gold00 wrote:
Some issues i find:
"As for Commando and Bounty Hunter, these Hybrid professions take a LOT more XP to master and as you'd expect, offer significantly more fire power for your efforts."
I don't agree, those professions are different from pistoleer-carbineer-rifleman. Do not offer significantly more power output, just different.
I think everyone here would agree that a Master Commando or Master Bounty Hunter could take out a Master Pistoleer (with nothing extra) and also take out many PCs/creatures that a Master Pistoleer would have difficulty doing?
2.3 Do I need to be a Pistoleer to use a Republic Blaster?
Nope, everyone can use it (even artisans) but it MUST be crafted after the novenber '03 big patch. Previous versionare bugged/broken, you'll get the "non certified for" message.
Thanks for the explantion! Now I understand the conflicting reports that it was broken!!
3.1 What branch of the Pistoleer tree should I go down?
I used to be a smuggler before starting climb the pistoleer tree. I started with the techniques tree, while i don't get accuracy issues, the fanshot is absolutely priceless. It give a huge boost to xp gathered.
Well, our correspondent contends that the Smuggler Pistoleer specials can replace Techniques IV while your Mastering Pistoleer?
3.2 Which special is the best?
I find that question useless, sorry.
Specials got their enviroment, when i'm looking the enemy eyes too much close, my best special is melee defense, when i start the fight my best are the bleeds, when there'r someone tanking for me i prefer fanshot.
Useless and pointless.
Well this is a Pistoleer FAQ, not a TKA or Creature Handler FAQ, so using a "Tank" or "Melee Attack" is not really relavant (if you meant meleeDefense1 though? that could be added). The question is also "Frequently Asked", hence its inclusion. Any difference in enviroment or alternate methods should be included in the FAQ.
Again this information was taken from many different answers to this question on the forum, not least the answer from our own correspondent.
I should have included stoppingShot however
3.5 Which pistol is the best?
Same as above, pistols got their uses too.
And I disagree with your description of the guns.
CDEF and DH17: low low end guns, that's right.
DL44 and Metal: Those'r nice guns, they take krayt tissues too. You can spill nice stuff from those schematics. And the DL44 is the Han Solo blaster!! Enough
Power5: I think that very few ppl use that, its the "improved" version of the dl44, Better damage output, slower, high ham costs. Unusefull.
SRCombat: That could be nice gun, nice stats, but it got a huge problem, attack range capped at 48m.
Tangle and Striker: Those guns got the WORSE stats of all the pistol, but they turn very usefull due their damage types (Stun, Kinetic), expecially the tangle, cause the stun damage is the weakness of the composite armors (mostly).
Fwg5 and scout: after the fwg's nerf they become very similar, scout is faster and got slightly better ham costs, fwg5 got more damage. Your all-around guns.
DX2: controversial gun. Due to the new damage mitigation it become a friend,it gothigh minimun damage. The acid is very usefull in Pve, not many mobs got high acid resistance. Tho its range modifier are awfull (+0 at point bank)... at short range it's good (10m?), farter it start shooting a little where it like
Thanks for the information, this is VERY useful!!!
Hoping that's usefull, salute.
Very useful, thanks! You have to remember that a FAQ is just a collection of Frequently Asked Questions and their respective answers. It can't cover every single possible situation or collection of skills,so the advice given is always general. If someone has a more specific question then it can be answered on the forum where they can give more information. Thanks for the valuable feedback though, I realize the FAQ needs changes in many places!
I think everyone here would agree that a Master Commando or Master Bounty Hunter could take out a Master Pistoleer (with nothing extra) and also take out many PCs/creatures that a Master Pistoleer would have difficulty doing?
A commando or a BH can take a pistoleer, true. But also a pistoleer can take a commando or a BH
Every prof got its up and down, if i'm a bh when I got a close encounter with a mob, i'm dead meat. If i'm a pistoleer I can bonk his head with my gun. Commandosbecome effective at 16m. I'm effective from 64m to point blank. I avoid bullets like Neo in matrix, commandos and bh take bullets on the teeth
This is way subjective tho, i don't see such a question fit in the faq.
Well, our correspondent contends that the Smuggler Pistoleer specials can replace Techniques IV while your Mastering Pistoleer?
Smuggler specials are great, but as i said, fanshot is priceless. The best pistol pve attack in the game. Group, start spamming fanshot, and ask who got the next mission when the othershad just take down the first mob
True what that line is useless untill fanshot.
For levelling and pve in general fanshot is a must have.
Igot only marksmanship 1 and i miss very few shots.
I'm omitting stances line, cause it takes combat xp and you don't have to choose between. Sure take it soon as possible.
Well this is a Pistoleer FAQ, not a TKA or Creature Handler FAQ, so using a "Tank" or "Melee Attack" is not really relavant
Sure i'm talking about /pistolmeleedefense1 and for "tank" i mean when i'm in a group or got a lil pet/droid, not counting other profs.
I think that is way more usefull a description of all the special, how they work, when use one, when don't use it and the broken ones. Maybe with statistical data like moltiplicators dmg and speed.
There isn't a "best special" ( fanshot maybe ), they got their uses.
And for the pistols... I forgot the rep^^
Republic Blaster: One of the better gun that a pistoleer can handson. It fully replace our beloved -nerfed- fwg5's. Stats are slightly worse than a pre-nerf fwg (damage-speed-ham costs) but it got a priceless AP1, nasty range modifiers and still take a power handler
Gold00 wrote:
A commando or a BH can take a pistoleer, true. But also a pistoleer can take a commando or a BH
A Commando or Bounty Hunter can take a Pistoleer with a lot more ease
"[fanShot is] the best Pistol PvE attack in the game!"
then
"There isn't a "best special" [for Pistoleers!]"
Uhuh
Sure i'm talking about /pistolmeleedefense1 and for "tank" i mean when i'm in a group or got a lil pet/droid, not counting other profs.
Either way /fanShot is still the best bet GENERALLY (as it already CLEARLY states in the FAQ and you yourself havesaid!)
I think that is way more usefull a description of all the special, how they work, when use one, when don't use it and the broken ones. Maybe with statistical data like moltiplicators dmg and speed.
There's only 7 working attacks and they're mostly completely different!
/fanShot -- Good against PvE
/stoppingShot -- Decent against single targets
/pistolMeleeDefense1 -- Close up attack only
/healthShot1, /healthShot2 -- Bleeding
/disarm1 and /disarm2 -- For lairs
Don't really need "statistical data" for that do we?
And for the pistols... I forgot the rep^^
Republic Blaster: One of the better gun that a pistoleer can handson. It fully replace our beloved -nerfed- fwg5's. Stats are slightly worse than a pre-nerf fwg (damage-speed-ham costs) but it got a priceless AP1, nasty range modifiers and still take a power handler
Thanks.
Here's the current "Release Candidate" for Version 2.1, taking into account Tullius's and Gold's input. Please give me some feedback before I replace 2.0!
* ONLY CHANGED SECTIONS ARE LISTED BELOW *
Thanks!
PISTOLEER FAQ: 2.1RC (Jan 2nd 2004)
2.0 Pre-Novice Questions ("So you're thinking about becoming a Pistoleer?")
2.1 Is Pistoleer comparable to Carbineer or Rifleman? How about Commando or Bounty Hunter?
In theory Pistoleer, Carbineer and Rifleman should have the same amount of firepower, with different advantages and disadvantages for each. In practice it's arguable, Rifleman seems to stand out right now, but, at the time of writing (Jan 2nd) the Devs have promised a whole new combat system to make the pros and cons of each combat profession more pronounced, obvious and balanced. With this update coming in the next month, there's not much point in further speculation on the current states of the Elite Ranged Combat Professions.
As for Commando and Bounty Hunter, these Hybrid professions take a LOT more XP to master and as you'd expect, offer significantly more fire power for your efforts.
2.3 Do I need to be a Pistoleer to use a Republic Blaster?
Nope. At the moment there is no certification for this pistol, so anyone can use it (even an Artisan)! It MUST however, have been crafted AFTER the November publish (ones before will have problems with their certification).
3.0 Pistoleer Questions ("I'm a Pistoleer, now what?")
3.1 What branch of the Pistoleer tree should I go down?
A very commonly asked question!
If you are a Smuggler or have the BH pistol line: Marksmanship branch seems to be the best, as you already have good Pistol specials.
If you're a Fencer: Grips branch.
Everyone else: Techniques is your best bet (Fan Shot is very useful).
3.2 Which special is the best?
This is a difficult question, because despite the stats, different people seem to have different results. (Many claim that BodyShot3 is worse than BodyShot2, but some have claimed that BodyShot3 has offered them a significant boost. Right now no-one has knows why this is, but it is likely to become clearer when the Devs revamp the Combat system.)
Regardless, standard advice is the same: Use BodyShot2 until you get FanShot, then use that instead (sometimes interspersed with StoppingShot, depending on who you talk to).
You will also want to "bleed" your opponent with HealthShot1 AND HealthShot2 before you spam them with other specials. (See below.)
And for close encounters /pistolMeleeDefense1 is good for knockdowns.
Whatever you prefer, at the time of writing (Jan 2nd), only the following specials are working:
/fanShot
This is widely considered to be our best special. It actually attacks multiple targets and is known to be very effective. It is a tad unusual, however: When you first use it it will aggrovate (make red) all the enemies you can visibly see on your screen (but NOT attack them). From then on it will attack all aggrovated enemies in your "cone".
/stoppingShot may not doing anything close to its ingame description, but some claim to have success with it
/pistolMeleeDefense1 is a melee knockdown.
/disarm1 and /disarm2 both do double damage to lairs (but are worth using against anything else).
/healthShot1 and /healthShot2 for "bleeding" your opponent (see below).
/overChargeShot2 is similar to /bodyShot2, but it does a lot more damage to your weapon.
For the rest of the Specials (the ones that are not working) see Section 4.1.
FYI: A common opening attack is:
/aim, /healthShot1, /healthShot2, /stoppingShot, /fanShot
3.3 What is HealthShot or "bleeding"? How can it help me?
HealthShot1 is actually given when the player reached x/4/x/x in the Marksman Tree ("Pistol Specialist"). When fired, the damage number you see on the combat window is NOT damage you just did, it is the value of the "bleed". Now every 20 seconds your opponent will have this damage removed from their Health Bar (the red one) until they're cured or the bleeding stops by itself.
You get HealthShot2 when you become a Novice Pistoleer, and this does the same thing as HealthShot1, but with more damage.
If you or a team-mate start to bleed, it can be cured with multiple applications of the /fistaid skill.
NOTE: You or your opponent CANNOT be incapacitated or killed by bleeding, your health will always stop at 1.
If you do healthShot1 twice (for example) then it will overwrite the previous healthShot1 (rather than stack) and reset the timer.
Also note: In the combat window, HealthShot1 is referred to as "Sap Shot" and HealthShot2 is referred to as "Sap Blast". It is my fond hope that the devs will change this one day.
3.4 So, are HealthShot1 and HealthShot2 stackable?
In a word: "Yup!". The really great thing about HealthShot1 and 2 is that they work independently of each other! Use both on an opponent for twice the damage!
It is basic tactics to use HealthShot1 and HealthShot2 on an opponent before commencing a "real" attack. (Note: You cannot incapacitate/be incapacitated with bleeding, health always stops at 1.)
It's perhaps also worth noting that the two "bleed" attacks from Fencer are stackable too (giving you a total of four bleed shots if you have the skills!).
3.5 Which pistol is the best?
Another debatable point. At the time of writing a Republic Blaster, FWG5 or Scout Blaster are the preferred weapons on choice.
The CDEF, DH17, Power5 and SRCombat are basic pistols and very poor.
The DL44 and DL44 Metal are slightly better (depending on how well they're crafted).
The Tangle and Striker are notable for their special attacks (Stun and Kinetic, respectively). Using these pistols can prove useful against Stun and Kinetic vulnerable enemies (like Nightsisters, Kimos and PCs wearing composite armor).
The Scout Blaster, FWG5 and Republic Blaster are all considered to be the best all-around pistols. The Scout Blaster has better speed and lower HAM costs than the FWG5, but the FWG5 does more damage.
The Republic Blaster is generally considered the best of the "all-rounders".
The DX2 (the only pistol you get a Certification in when you become a Pistoleer) is, at the time of writing, hopelessly inaccurate to the point of being bugged.
It is worth noting that some people claim to have good accuracy with their DX2s, so see if it works for you. One of the best things about a DX2 is that it is an Acid weapon, which most armor is vulnerable to and it also has a high minimum damage with is useful with damage mitigation (see below). Despite these bonuses it is still a slow and inaccurate weapon at the time of writing (Jan 2nd).
3.6 What's the best HAM settings to have for Pistoleer?
I go for:
Health = Medium
Usage (Strength) = Low
Regen (Constitution) = Fairly High
Action = Medium
Usage (Quickness) = Medium
Regen (Stamina) = Fairly High
Mind = High
Usage (Focus) = Low
Regen (Willpower) = High
The logic is this: Health and Action can be healed quickly and easily (at the cost of Mind). I hardly lose any Health doing Specials so I keep the Health: Usage (Strength) at a minimum. I keep both Action and Health: Regen (Constitution and Stamina) fairly high. I DO lose Action doing specials so I keep Action: Usage (Quickness) reasonable.
Mind is a pain. I make sure I have high Mind and high Mind: Regen (Willpower) (because you use Mind to heal Health and Action and also you need it to regenerate quickly if Mind is attacked). I don't bother spending much on Mind: Usage (Focus) because I find it more important for Mind to be able to regenerate itself faster.
If my Mind bar gets bad I take off my helmet and run away for a bit, trying to let my Mind bar regenerate (doesn't always work as planned though ). I then heal Health and Action again and return to the fight.
Some have said that with decent enough Medic skills that the secondary Action skills could be better spent on Mind or its secondaries.
Note: The secondary stat "Usage" (eg. Strength) changes how much primary stat (eg. Health) you use when doing a Special.
The secondardy stat "Regen" (eg. Constitution) changes how quickly the primary stat (eg. Health) regenerates itself.
Also note: Taking off armor will allow your HAM stats to regenerate themselves MUCH quicker.
wow, i had NO idea that both health shots stacked....i just twitched to health shot 2 when i got novice....also, i keep a fwg5, a scout blaster, 2 dx2s (one for speed, one for damage), and a republic blaster. their uses are as follows:
scout blaster: for regular fighitng when im using specials a lot, it usually has about 12-23-12 ham costs. my average one is like 75-155 1.4 speed. this does pretty good for me in regular combat.
fwg5: for animals who have good energy resist
republic blaster: when i run outta action and just do regular attacks
dx2: if its weak to acid and im not gonna use specials
now i prolly would do fine with just the scout blaster, but its nice to have backups!
VERY VERY VERY GOOD FAQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i just got fan shot and im at 3143 (almost finished with stances). would have been nice to konw that body shot 3 was worse than body shot 2...i went up grips first! just to get body shot 3!!!! DERNIT! oh well. whats done is done. oh and for the record, my holo said merchant and i always wanted to do pistoleer...soooo i figured its a good time to do it!
ive got 3300 CH to use my gsp and im doing terrific tanking him! i can usually get 200k pistol xp a day, and thats not playing ALLL day, but most of the day. i usually take animal lair missions so i can milk them too! good for xp. and pistol whip all animals as they come and then bleed then spam stopping shot....fan shot now!