Rifleman Archive

If I trained up to master rifleman, then did TKA at 4/0/0/4, would I not see *any* of the benefits listed under precision striking when using a rifle? Including the defenses?

Are these only active while wielding a melee weapon?

Message Edited by CrashNgoBoom on 02-16-2005 08:11 PM

Combat EQ works with rifle in hand??

---

o0-Brink-0o wrote:
If I trained up to master rifleman, then did TKA at 4/0/0/4, would I not see *any* of the benefits listed under precision striking when using a rifle? Including the defenses?

Are these only active while wielding a melee weapon?

---

Primary defenses would still work. Those are defenses vs melee/ranged and vs states. While holding a Rifle the only secondary defense that would work is Block. Secondary defenses are weapon specific. Though if you got Block from Pike then it would combine. But CounterAttacka and Dodge won't work with a Rifle equipped.

If you use CoB (Center of Being) it won't work with a ranged weapon in hand either. Not sure about Acuity. But believe it's also melee or TKA only.

Thanks a bunch, appreciate the good responses.

With that said, does it seem worth it to take the 4th line of TKA just for the defenses? Assuming I'm already taking the first line just for meditate and Force of Will.

I'm 4004 TKA with Master Rifle Master Pike and I love it. The extra ranged defense is huge when you get into battles where there are a bunch of hard hitting weapons shooting at you and the meditation line with FOW Power Boost and would healing is a great bonus.

For an example of the ranged defense I was shooting at a thug at the village last night and had 5 or more outlaws shooting at me with random weapons and they missed about 80% of the time allowing me to concentrate only on the hard hitting thug and ignore the weaker outlaws. Just because they are weaker though does not mean they don't hit like a ton of bricks themselves.

Another time it came in handy was when a thug with the hardest hitting T21 I've ever seen decided to pick on me after he killed his first choice. I was wearing full 90% energy composite and this NPC hit me for over 1300 on my head, then missed twice and followed up with a 1200 shot to my health. He hit me about every third shot always for 900+. Needless to say I got out of there quick, but without capped ranged D every shot would have connected and I don't think I would have been alive.

4004 TKA is great, but if you don't need the meditate I would probably go fencer for the defense. If there is one thing that I really hate about my template is that I get dizzy at the drop of a hat and knocked down way too often. I have been thinking of switching up, but everytime I seriously consider dropping TKA I am forced to use a FOW and it saves my life.

Message Edited by HanzoRegana on 02-17-2005 02:09 PM

---

HanzoRegana wrote:

Heres the solution!!

Teras Kasi Master.

Master Rifleman.

Dirty Fighting one in the Smuggler tree.

First aid 2 in the Medic tree.

^ My Temp

^ Best all round combat temp

Advantages:

Great Melee area attack, Great Melee Mind attack.

Great Ranged area attack, Great Ranged Mind attack.

With a good set of 400+ stim Bs, heals around 800.

Meditation.

Force of Will.

If Force of Will doesn't stop 'em, Feign Death, go grab a sandwich whilst your enemy glorifies himself about 'killing' you.

Good Ranged and Melee Defense in general.

Speed capped at Master with Teras Kasi.

Disadvantages:

Defences versus states are quite frankly poor

Good Rifles and Vibro Knucklers are often quite expensive when using looted components for improved stats.

Although, if you are a rifleman and money is the problem, read my thread on 'Looting as a Rifleman', there should be some tips

Message Edited by HanzoRegana on 02-17-2005 02:09 PM

---

Personally I would drop the smug and medic lines, and go with 0040 pistol and just novice medic. State defenses=not getting your butt kicked by any serious pvper. If you really want to clean up in pvp with a rifle, TKM isn't the way to go, as it doesn't really compliment you very well. Pikeman for the block and some fencer or pistoleer for the states, and if you really need it the meditation line from TK.

M Rifle, Pike 0030, Fencer 0440, and novice medic has been a great template for a friend of mine. But he doesn't like switching to melee. If you do obviously this would be a pretty poor choice.

---

HanzoRegana wrote:

Some good points. It's just Rifles and Teras Kasi are a passion of mine

---

Heh, actually I do too. I currently have a TKM, pistols 0040, novice medic and working my way to master rifles. It's not the best pvp template because it doesn't have the defenses stacked as well as some others, but it suits. I'm just tossing out other ideas and points of view.