|
This is an analysis I've been working on for people who have questions about templates, or even to add their own thoughts in to. First I will write about the combination of TKA/Melee, TKA/Ranged, TKA/Hybrd, and TKA/Crafting or Entertainer -- finishing up with the most popular templates in a list of relative popularity.
btw...I won't mention the highpoints of TKA, you should all know that! Meditation, KD, Unarmed Hit3, Combo, Mind Hit...
TKA + Fencer
This class is a force in offense (TKA) and with amazing defenses, that are nearly unmatched by any other combination. Fencer gives defenses, melee, ranged, Defense vs State etc etc. With TKA, you have a variety of offensive power that can make you a force in PvP and PvE. Also you can't forget Fencer, if you master this profession, you have a variety of weapons to pick from, that are still very useful. Stun Batons, Tusken Sticks -- fencer gives you many options for your template.
Overall I would rate this template as 6/10, given that you'll have access to great defenses, but against the immense high-end creatures with 90+% kinetic defense, neither TKA or Fencer packs enough punch of AP to get through that high-end content.
In PvP, this template will always be useful though.
TKA + Heavy Swordsman
This is my favorite Melee/Melee Combination. You get the offensive/defense power of TKA, with the amazing damage of Heavy Swordsman. With access to kinetic, AND blast damage (via the Power Hammer) you have another option that can kill turrets, AT-STs, and most high-end content. Heavy Swordsman won't give you the defense abilities that a Fencer would, but you have a much better option for offensive threat.
Aside from the Power Hammer, you also get the Scythe, and Executioners Hack, which while not the best weapon -- is for sure a good weapon, and a nice change from the common weapons we all see to often.
I would give this template a 7/10, it's a great offensive force, and TKA defenses are great, and for PvE you'll be hard-pressed to find a better combo than this one. In PvP, you'll find yourself using TKA skills far more often than HSwordsman, for the access to KD/Dizzy, Combo hits.
TKA + Pikeman
This is one combination that is kinda quirky, Pikeman is an offensive force -- but a base Pikeman vs a base Swordsman, the Swordsman is better in pure damage. However, Pikeman have MANY more options for loot weapons, DOT weapons, and exceptional weapons than any other melee class. If you have plenty of time, effort, and patience, you can take this template with modest defense, and modest offense, and turn it into the best tank in the game. That is if you're willing to camp the high-end spawns all day, and are able to take the armor decays you suffer from their major damage.
I give this template a 6/10, because while it can be an offensive force (using TKA), some people find Pike so hard, and so expensive to truly become wonderful, that you'll almost always end up using your TKA skills more. Because while your target might have lower electricty resists (for a Pike weapon) if you're not speed-capped with amazing weapons as a Pike -- you will use your TKA skills a lot more.
About MBrawler...
In my opinion, any melee/melee template requires Master Brawler to be truly amazing. It gives you intimidate2, warcry2, and lunge2 moves which is basically a 18M-20M knockdown attack. Any of the above combinations, with Master Brawler thrown in will automatically become 10/10 templates. The extra skills at MBrawler, and extra special lunge attacks give any melee template a true ability to stop and force kiters to the ground!
TKA + Rifleman
This is probably the most common Melee/Ranged Template, and is my current template. This template has great defenses, and amazing offensive force. This has more offensive force than any other template in the game with the current weapon/HAM formats. You have the ability to deal amazing ranged damage to nearly unhealable pool (mind) with weapons that have Medium or Heavy AP, and you fire nearly at speed-cap just at Master level Rifleman.
If that wasn't enough, with TKA you're also a tank. You can easily unequip our rifle, slap on your VKs and become a melee force to tank Super Battle Droids, Battle Droids, TKA gives you that central punch in melee combat, that makes you much more adaptable than any other ranged profession.
I give this a 10/10, because you cannot go wrong with this template. You are great in PvP, great in PvE, good defenses, great damage, great options, and access to the best weapons in the game. Even if you spend 0 Credits on speed tapes, accuracy tapes or any other SEA, you will be amazing no matter what. As long as you set your toolbars up correctly, you will be a force to be reckoned with.
TKA + Pistoleer
You're nearly impossible to KD with this template. You've got amazing defenses, nearly matching fencer for ranged/melee, but better with State Defenses. Pistoleer by itself with TKA however is only really useful for defenses. Unless you get an amazing pistol, you will find yourself almost always using your TKA moves in PvE and PvP simply because they are much more effective than any other Pistol attack, or pistol combat option.
I rate this template as 4/10, becaus Pistoleer is still broken, only has three working specials (Stopping Shot, Fanshot, and HealtShot2) and unless you have eyeshot, pistol attacks seem to be hitting the most easily defended, buffed, and healed pool. Health.
What about the Famous Tri-Master...
TKM/MPistoleer/MSmuggler - this template, the Tri-Master is an amazing template for PvE and PvP. You get smuggler pistol options, slicing abilities, faction bonus, all based around TKM. Last Ditch, Low Blow, can help prevent kiters, and if you're able to speedcap Pistoleer, Smuggler Pistol Specials make this template all the better for PvP and PvE.
PvP takes a lot more skill to be truly useful, but if you pull it off right, you'll be extremely happy.
I'd give this template a 9/10, it's nearly unmatched in usefullness for combat and non-combat options, but unless you have a truly good pistol, you'll still find yourself using your TKA skills more often.
TKA + Carbineer
I was this template for awhile...and found out I almost always used my TKA skills more often than my Carbineer attacks. It's not that Carbineer isn't a good class, but...at Master Level it has the lowest speed of any class, lowest defenses of any class, no master ability, and damage types that are routinely and easily defended against. Carbineer is able to land status effects very often, but with the current state of PvP where everyone has 70+ defense vs all states, you'll never be able to land one. In PvE, all status effects except Intimidate seem to be insignificant. You can't KD/Dizzy creatures, high-end content are nearly immune to all states, and only lower-end NPCs can be killed with Carbineer skills.
You'll find yourself in this template using your TKA skills nearly 90% of the time, only using Carbineer for KD attacks to stop kiters, but even then if you are only using Carbineer to KD, you're better off getting MBrawler for 20M KD and other options.
I'd give this template a 5/10, mainly because Carbineer has so few options of gameplay with the current state of affairs, armor rates are beyond insane, it's expensive to speedcap, it's defenses are terrible, and weapon options are too limited for being a ranged profession. With this template, you'll be using your TKA skills much more often.
Now...TKA is the perfect compliment class if you want to be a Master Entertainer profession, or a Master Crafting Profession. You can be great at crafting or entertaining, and TKM gives you amazing combat options, while also being more than just a "combat class," which many people find boring.
The Most Popular Templates:
TKA + Master Commando
This template is still a great option. Nearly everyone has tried commando at one point, and it is still a great class for PvE. Right now in PvP it is little more than a DOT machine, given the state of armor, and defenses that make it extremely hard to hit with. You'll find yourself landing a fire DOT on your target, and switch to TKA skills to finish your target off.
However Commando seems to be getting more options in the future, and a wider selection of weapons they claim to want to fix. This could make it more intelligent in the future to do this template, however it is still very popular today.
I'd rate this template as an 8/10, because of its options in PvE, and in PvP it can deal damage through major DOTs and then the TKA skills can finish the target.
Tri-Master
Already talked about...
TKA + Master Doctor
This template is a money maker via Combat and non-Combat options (buffing.) You'll be able to do anything at anytime with access to your own buffs, and if you find yourself KD/Dizzy, can spam stand and /healstate to get rid of the dizzy effect. You see this template more often these days because of the moeny making abilities of Doctor, and the Combat effeciency of TKA.
This demplate deserves a 10/10, because you can cure all DOTs, all States, heal damage, revive, and can still fight. You can deal out amazing damage, and heal the poison the Combat Medic lobs all over the place.
Also soon you will gain access to other skills to mitigate poison and disease damage.
About Defenses......
Having Melee Mitigation 3 and Ranged Mitigation 3 is wonderful, but they've said they are taking mitigation out, whether that means out of PvP or the game entirely is unknown.
Also if you're trying to decide to cap ranged/melee defenses or state defenses, take state defenses. In PvP you can't avoid, dodge, deflect poisons or Jedi attacks -- rifleman always hit you, and melee classes always hit you regardless anymore. State defenses can save you in PvP and PvE.
About Offenses...
As a TKA you already have the abilitity to use some of the most damaging specials, and while other professions have specials equally as damaging, they might not be as good overall as the TKA skills which hit at speedcap.
What's more damaging? A Heavy Swordsman hitting for 2000 damage every three seconds...or a TKM hitting for 1000 damage every second? You need to look at Damage Per Second, and not Damage Per Strike.
I hope you all enjoyed this and found it useful!
Message Edited by OnlyMaestro on 07-21-2004 01:09 PM
4Colonel Griffin Shade
4Combat Upgrade Tester Team Kick to Face
4Real men wear Marine Armor
4"Never stop fighting till the fight is done."
- Elliot Ness
| 
