Rifleman Archive

Surprise Shot works with CARBINES? Really? Can we trade it to them for Crippling Shot?

So if Surprise shot gives a one-time damage bonus (before your cover is blown), why wouldn't I use Conceal Shot any number of times instead? Maybe I'm not understanding (I'm being serious)... Why would I use Surprise Shot?

I just tested this, and it appears that the solution Holo speaks of either did not go in with today's hotfix or does not actually fix the problem. I still get "this attack can not be done with this weapon" with any of my four main rifles (Bowcaster, Jawa Ion, Laser, and T21). The last poster being able to use the shot with a carbine seems very, very odd.

So, as for what it is supposed to do it seems that we can still only speculate. I assumed that it was an aggro-avoiding shot like conceal because it refers to both of them as "ranged sneak attacks" in the skill chart, but I dunno. It seems odd that there would be another shot like conceal, especially in a different tree than conceal, but on the other hand, we have plenty of effect/damage adding shots too.

Regarding a damage decreasing multiplier on conceal shot, it has always seemed like conceal shot actually has a fairly high *additive* multiplier, not the .75 as stated in the Prima guide (I think). This may just be because I usually use a laser rifle, and the AP2 multiplier on unarmored targets is overcoming it, but it still seems high to me. Anybody have clarification or ideas on either of these?

OK... I'm being a little dense here, but I think I may see your point. It must depend on the type of target. As a PvE soloist killing Mountain Squill with 10K HAM, a one-time power shot that reveals my position doesnt help me. Conceal shot seems better. But if you're going after a quick kill, Surprise shot would be the way to go. Yes?

(Actually, I open withMindshots that give me away, but I was just trying to clarify....)

Well, if my theory is true, it belongs in the sniping line. It can only be used once per battle. But, to make it worthwhile the multiplier would need to be quite large..... and you cant spam it because of the cover restriction.

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WayneInAustin wrote:

OK... I'm being a little dense here, but I think I may see your point. It must depend on the type of target. As a PvE soloist killing Mountain Squill with 10K HAM, a one-time power shot that reveals my position doesnt help me. Conceal shot seems better. But if you're going after a quick kill, Surprise shot would be the way to go. Yes?

(Actually, I open with Mindshots that give me away, but I was just trying to clarify....)

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Thats it exactly. Errr, my theory exactly. I guess no devs want to really tell us what it is supposed to do.....

it's a ONE shot kill on any target - even a rancor.

But it has to be used form cover, during a full moon, on the second tuesday of the Chinese year of the Mouse, with a CDEF rifle.

hmmm, i don't think it is really working yet. Besides the leisurely walk through the mall pace i take afterwards is really pointless.

"Thank you for letting me blow your head off! Now, im going to just strole through and look at the biridies."

Everytime I tried using suprise shot it just did a regular shot, like I hit /attack. No errors or anything just put me in attack. I'll try it tonight see what I get, this was with a Laser Rifle.

I tried this with a CDEF carbine as well so I can confirm that the log actually says 'Wild Shot', some fix.

The idea of a single-use, very high damage attack seems interesting, but I don't think that is it as Holo said that the fix made it so that it *doesn't* remove you from covered state when you use it. However, that idea conceptually makes more sense than pretty much anything else I can think of for this skill... Who knows?

When I first got this skill like a month ago, it did the same as it does now, just simply puts me in attack mode. Does not fire any special shot. However, there is a delay like I did shoot. Such that I hit suprise shot and it puts me right into attack mode, yet I don't start firing for a second or two. Whatever it does, it's not doing it, the mob acts the same whether I start with suprise or /attack.

An fyi, I hit my target mob that conned grey to me, 18 times while in cover at master rifle level. both when i started combat with surprise and with /attack. /attack was faster because there was no delay at the start of combat, as I described in the previous paragraph, when starting combat with surprise.

long story short.

it no workie.

FYI: Take Cover DOES work!

I travelled to Dantooine with a nice group. We were going to check out the Jedi cave behind the waterfall. Once we got there, we killed what we needed to to get to the quest giving Jedi. Turned out to be a total waste of our time, other than verifying the location for when we have the faction needed to receive the quest.

The general consensus was to suicide, instead of the 30 minute run back to town. Everyone suicides, and I start to also, then figure, what the heck... I started killing the mobs in there, and got incap'd twice, but got the mobs mind down to 20%. I figure, I'm going to take this puppy out, then I'll die. So, I have 1/4 health, full action and full mind. (I am a zabrak rifleman, and I have all 3 mind pools maxed, action/health at 1000, with all action/health stats at their minimum). I get in good rifle position, drink a sunburn, spam take cover till I take cover, and wait till my action is reasonably full, then I open fire on the monster.

I am 1/0/0/0 in rifleman, so I open with mindshot2, then follow up with headshot2/repeat.... I take the monster with 20% mind left in no time flat! the other 2 of his friends are spitting at me with their range attack and unable to hit me, either because of the "take cover" or because I'm wearing some armor, but I figure it's the take cover, cause they beat the crud out of me when I wasn't using cover. I change targets to the second mob, and I kill him using half of my mind pool, and they still cannot hit me... I then start on the 3d mob, and rinse/wash/repeat... all mobs dead. They were blue cons on dantooine, also. I know some of you will say "only a blue con"? Haha! You examine these puppies, and they have a 40% resistance to everything, and the average blue con can be killed by a full group in about 3 minutes, so I was pleasantly impressed with my rifleman's abilities..

I am not telling you what weapon I was using, nor any other specifics on this. This is enough of a spoiler for those of you thinking about doing this. Have fun!

Tik -

Master Architecht/Artisan, Apprentice sharpshooter, novice Weaponsmith/Scout/Merchant/Droid Engineer/Marksman (and yes, I have ZERO points left, haha)

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