Rifleman Archive
Thread: My Rifleman/Tank combo and a few tips
Hi, this is my first post to the boards. I wanted to post my class and skill list to show that rifleman is not a dead end class, there are other classes that can add a lot to rifle tactics and cover its weaknesses. I started this character 6 weeks ago, dropped a few elite classes to come up the this combo to maximize my ability to not get killed when shot at or charged.
My Character has the following skills:
Master Rifleman
Marksman 4-0-0-4
Medic 3-0-0-0
Brawler 4-0-4-0
Swordsman 4-4-4-0
TKA 0-0-0-4
My current Melee Defense is 69 and Ranged Defense is 66, along with possesingthe non functioning Block and Counterattack Skills. Currently I almost always take fewer hits while running then when prone and under cover. I may not be able to solo kill an ATST (since I can no longer mind bleed them)but can count on them hitting me muchless then 50% of the time while running, making me the perfect soldier for drawing them away from basesor my more vulnerable allies. In PvPenemies will miss me often but still take me down pretty fast. Eventually Icould master swordsman for another +5/+5 to my defenses and +10 counterattack but that will take almost half a million more combat xp.
I had no problem reaching this level in PvE, not sure why so many rifleman feel that getting xp is tough. I highly reccomend spending the 20 Skill points in brawler thatit takes to learn 2handed head hit 1, only 6000xp as well,even if its only tempory, it makes mobs that rush you after you head or mind hit them much less of a problem. I found the best way to level up was to use a powered up rifle spamming head hits or conceal shot on the Creatures, then use a melee weopon or my bare hands on the lair to save wear and tear as well as earn combat xp quicker, until I mastered rifleman. Then I would only equip my rifle to get the highest level creature missions from the terminal and for pirate protection running to and from my high level missions, as well a softening up and trimming off packs too large to handle.
I know the TKA skills I have are gratutious, but the Main point of my skill plan is that rifleman is cheap compared to other elite proffessions, has great defenses compared to most other ranged classes, and allows you enough skill points to stack a ton of complimentry defenses.I also have brutal melee offensive manuvers such as 2handedheadhit3 and 2handedAreaattack3 and thier lesser versions, that suppliment rifleperfectly. Also I came up with this plan when CHs were king, and wanted to see how well a PC could both tank against and kill Pets in Melee without using any pets of thier own.
The most brutal combination is combining rifle mind bleed with melee head hits, because if you make sure to put a /peace or weopon change at the end of your bleed macro you will get 0 rifle xp and full melee xp. I didn't even exploit this, but certainly used bleeds when fighting creatures too big or too numerous totake outotherwise. Also 2handed melee weopons, especially the power hammer, have a really low mind cost and are great to spam specials while buffed by a doctor.
I got the best rifle xp on Talus for the most part, at high enough level I could even take Wolf Kima and Tortor Pack missions, but before that I had to count on running into large packs of Foaming Vynocks, Giant Dalyrakes, Wolf Kima, and Tortors, all of which were non social and easy to take out with Headhits or Concealshot and finish off in melee. While on Talus I had plenty of scout skills, and only dropped them after I no longer needed to climb mountains to run missions.
One last tip, I am still not sure how armor is working or is supposed to work, but when fighting PVE for xp, get a helmet with high special protection from kinetic, and put it in your toolbar. Equipt it whenever you might take a melee hit to the head and are not spending mind, and take it off to do specials and recover. Other armor is optional, but it is great to not take full damage when something gets a lucky hit to your head, because as we all know, your mind pool is the most important factor in how fast you can get xp with a rifle, as well as recover your other pools.
Unless you have a doctor all the time available it just plainly doesnt work.
FIrst of all I have maxed focus and willpower, only other 2ndary stat I put points into was quickness for a sword, no points in recovery stats, as medic is quicker.
You do not need a doctor to swing a two handed sword. Get a nice one sliced for damage not speed. Putaction reducingpower ups with a good secondary modifier on. Now the action you spend will do more damage, I would say 300-900 damage might be the range of a head hit1 but I am not quite sure.
Or just use berzerk the HAM cost is more efficiant, just make sure you can take the incoming damage.
You do need basic medic or have one in your group. As many people have mentioned, effeciant stim pack use will allow any other class then rifleman to quickly kill multiple enemies with high damage specials while healing yourself often, earning fast cash and xp.
I'm a 1/1/1/.999 rifleman and I've been lurking for a while but have finally decided to say something.
Rifleman is NOT, as lex said, broken or dead end. It IS however a grind to do, as you can see from my lowly non-master status 
Lex also, BRAVO on pointing out the WHOLE game for riflemen--that haM cost. Riflemen don't get to heal their mind for the most part....Nobody does....
But SOE making people who use a rifle take MELEE skills means that the weapons are not powerful enough. I 've got a "classic" T21 but I'm afraid to use it...That's living, buddy. But some of the monsters are bugged so AP doesn't work. And monsters teleport ALL THE TIME!!!! and so on, and so on....
BUT riflemen still punish people, am I right? One on one, I never go down last but I have always killed my opponent PvP with the mind bleed before any DBs...
My point is that riflemen are very powerful one on one, no matter the opponent (3 AT-STs is NOT one on one). Just because our mind costs are OUTRAGEOUS, (esp. PVP...it's like, ummm, maybe just aim attack???) people cry nerf this nerf that nerf them ... well, if this game worked as advertised, Riflemen wouldn't need to worry at all, because our defenses would be fixed, our specials would work right, mobs wouldn't teleport on you (I am really incensed about the outright teleportation ability that critters have...I mean, they might as well add it to the source material (" All monsters in the galaxy also have the ability to teleport. You have this ability as well but you alone cannot control it. Have fun, sucker. "))
...and riflemen would be doing even better.
I don't have "any" melee skills. I don't really want them. Sure I get knocked down alot, but half the time it's my fault for not controlling my guy and half the time I get teleported onto...Most riflemen from what I've gathered have the same problem. But I feel like I do alright, at least against single targets...which is what riflemen (snipers) are for.