The Laser Carbine (energy damage, medium armor penetration) is one of the best all-around weapons in the game. No Carbineer should be with out a Laser Carbine ever. The DH17 Snubnose (energy damage, no armor penetration) is a decent Carbine though it suffers from lack of armor penetration. The EE3 (heat damage, no armor penetration) and DXR6 (acid damage, light armor penetration) Carbines are useful for targets that are vulnerable to those damage types. The Elite Carbine (energy damage, light armor penetration) is very useful in PvP. See the section on Damage Mitigation for more information on the Elite Carbine and PvP (Note: Prototype PSG is resistant to energy but not acid, so a DXR6 is to be considered in PvP as well.)
What is the best way to level up the Carbineer trees?
This information is based on the work done by Novamarine.
Without accuracy, you cannot hit your target. Without speed, you will fire too slow to kill effectively. Thus, it is recommended to advance up the Assault (x000) and Marksmanship (0x00) Trees first. Many players recommend leveling both Assault and Marksmanship at the same time but recommend taking the Assault boxes first. The exception to this is the 4th box in the Marksmanship line, Master Masksmanship. Many players recommend taking this before Master Assault because of the significant accuracy gained in this box. In addition, it is important to note that the last line, Carbine Special Abilities (000x) levels off Combat Experience instead of Carbine Experience. Thus, level the last tree whenever you have enough experience.
The recommended path of advancement is:
100x 110x 210x 220x 320x 330x 340x 440x 444x
Some players recommend taking as the first box the Counterinsurgency box (0010). This gives access to the special BurstShot1. BurstShot1 has the advantages (over FullAutoSingle2 gained in the Novice box) that is has decent damage, decent speed and low HAM costs. If you do not have the means to deal with the high HAM costs of FullAutoSingle2, it is recommended to take this box so you have access to this low HAM special.
If you are or will be a Master Marksman or Bounty Hunter, then it is recommended to level the Bounty Hunter Carbine Tree (0x00) before going up the Carbineer Trees. The reason for this is the BH Carbine Tree gives a player BOTH Speed and Accuracy for the same Carbine Experience of the Assault OR Marksmanship Tree.
I have enough Skill Points for 2 trees of Carbineer, which do you recommend?
You cannot damage what you cannot hit and you need to fire fast in order to do respectable damage, therefore take the Assault and Marksmanship Trees (4400). Please remember this is a general recommendation and your individual needs might make it so you are better off with a different template. For instance if you have Bounty Hunter and wish to gain access to Cone Effect/Multi-Target Specials, then you could take Counterinsurgency and Special Abilities Trees (0044).
I have enough Skill Points for 3 trees of Carbineer, which do you recommend?
Based on the previous question, Assault and Marksmanship are a must (4400). The third tree requires some consideration. The Counterinsurgency line (00x0) offers state defenses, Counterattack (not currently working properly) and BurstShot1 and 2. BurstShot1 is a reliable Single Target Special with good speed, damage and most of all low HAM cost. If you are not buffed, this is the Special you really want to be using. BurstShot2 is a Cone Effect/Multi-Target Special that is the highest damage Cone Effect/Mutli-Target Special available to Carbineers. Both the BurstShots are very valuable Specials.
The Carbine Special Abilities line offers Accuracy While Moving, the FullAutoArea series and the ChargeShot series. The FullAutoArea Specials are both Cone Effect/Multi-Target with a chance to Stun, Blind and Dizzy. FullAutoArea2 is a higher damage version of FullAutoArea1. FullAutoArea2 does slightly less damage than BurstShot2 but the States it applies make is a very valuable Special. The ChargeShots are Specials that can apply KnockDowns with ChargeShot1 being Single Target and ChargeShot2 being a Cone Effect/Multi-Target KnockDown. The Specials in this Tree are very valuable.
Because these 2 trees both offer valuable modifers and specials, it is left to personal preference which the user ultimately would select.
Is the BH Carbine Line (X4XX) required to be a Carbineer?
AdmiralSpy wrote:
This question is asked frequently, and it all boils down to one thing and one thing alone:
Speed
To throw in a few numbers, a Master Carbineer has +60 speed. To cap out a 4.0 speed Carbine, you need 90 speed, or +30 in enhancements. You can get this 30 speed boost through the use of SEAs, specially-crafted Carbines (under 4.0), FS skills or the new Carbine Speed stims.
Thus, the first reason why people pick up the BH line is because the added speed boost alone allows them to bypass all of the above headaches and they can simply acquire any carbine and use it, never having to worry about speed issues.
The second reason why people pick up the BH line is because of the added accuracy, which helps them hit opponents/targets more often as well as boosting their natural ability to inflict states and KDs/posture changes. Accuracy helps, that's a given!
The third reason why people pick up the BH line is because the specials are rather powerful.. shots like ConfusionShot or SprayShot (at MBH) effectively land states much faster than Carbineer-specific specials.. and they dish out good damage in the process as well.
That being said, the BH line is not required if the above reasons do not apply to you. If you can get Carbine Speed SEAs, or have some boxes in the FS melee speed (which applies to ranged professions as well and can give you a +12 boost), or have some nice krayt/speed-sliced/speed-poweredup carbines.
As an example, I have +25 in Carbine Speed SEAs and have 2 boxes of FS melee speed, giving me +6 as well, for a total of 91 Carbine Speed. All my Carbines are under 4.0 speed, so I don't need to worry about not speedcapping. I also have +25 in Accuracy, so even if the BH line gives a lot more, I could pop some Citros Snowcake and get the same 'effective' accuracy. Or I could get my carbines made with experimentation on Ideal Accuracy, putting me off the bat where they are.
Finally, while I cannot benefit from their specials like FireKnockdown or ConfusionShot, the fact that I don't have Master Marksman or Scout means I can spend those skillpoints somewhere else.. maybe boost some defenses or increase some Medic abilities, or even pickup a "soft" profession like Armorsmith.. or something.
It's your choice.. one route is significantly 'easier' in terms of accuracy/speed mods and specials.. but it is costly in terms of Skillpoints. It's a trade-off and you alone have to gauge both sides and pick which is best suited for your style of play.
I want to level Carbineer fast, where should I go?
I am not comfortable putting that kind of information in this guide. Some players consider it a spoiler to find out how to power level a profession as it ruins the exploritory nature of MMO games. If you really must have an answer consider that no one creature is going to magically give you more experience than another. Go find an area you enjoy playing in and kill everything that moves.
What does the armor penetration rating of my carbine mean?
Sony has provided an excellent explanation of armor and armor penetration. Please read this guide for more information.
If you would like more information on armor, read the beginning of this excellent guide by JaatoWaals the former Armorsmith Correspondent.
Message Edited by TAfirehawk on 02-04-200509:11 AM
Actual Firing Speed, DPS and Damage vs. Speed Slice Info
This information is based on the work done by TAfirehawk
The Actual Firing Speed calculation is:
[(100 - Player Mod) / 100] * Weapon Speed * Special Delay = Actual Speed
This equation works for all fighting professions. The Player Mod is from your Skill Sheet with bonuses up to +25 for Skill Enhancing Attachments. A pure Master Carbineer get +60 and then you can add Master Marksman for +65 for a maximum of +85/+90 without any Bounty Hunter skills. The Weapon Speed comes directly from the Examine Window of each weapon. The Special Delay is typically found in each profession's forum.
For example, lets take an average Laser Carbine at 2.4 speed with 45-280 damage using BurstShot1 in the beginning stages of Carbineer, +35 Carbine Speed:
A) [(100 - 35) / 100] * 2.4 * 2.0 = 3.12 sec Actual Speed.
Now lets move up to Master Carbineer using CrippleShot with the same weapon:
B) [(100 - 60) / 100] * 2.4 * 2.5 = 2.40 sec Actual Speed.
Now throw in +20 attachments and we begin to see large improvements:
C) [(100 - 80) / 100] * 2.4 * 2.5 = 1.20 sec Actual Speed.
The progression to faster firing speed is not linear. This of course rewards the Master levels more but at the same time makes leveling more difficult. Also NOTE as of this writing all professions CAN NOT fire faster than once per second with any weapon using any special.
The DPS calculation is:
{[(Min Damage + Max Damage) / 2] * Special Damage Modifier} / Actual Firing Speed = DPS before Mitigation, Armor, or Resists
The Min Damage and Max Damage are listed in the Examine Window for each weapon along with the the Weapon Speed number. The Special Damage Modifier should be listed with the Special Delay on each profession's forum. NOTE: careful attention must be paid to where the "Mysterious 1.5X" multiplier is added. As Carbineers we include the 1.5X into the Special Damage Modifier as Nova got the figures from ACTUAL in-game testing. Some other professions base their Specials off the "standard/default attack" which is 1.5 * Weapon Damage.
Lets continue the above examples to calculate DPS.
A) {[(45 + 280) / 2] * 6.0} / 3.12 = 312.5 DPS
B) {[(45 + 280) / 2] * 7.5} / 2.40 = 507.8 DPS
C) {[(45 + 280) / 2] * 7.5} / 1.20 = 1015.6 DPS
As you can see, the Speed greatly affects the amount of damage you can expect to do on any given creature/person. Please remember there are other factors to the actual damage done; damage type of weapon, armor piercing of weapon, armor rating of target, resist % of target, to hit %, and your accuracy.
Comparison of Damage Slices vs. Speed Slices:
Lets continue on with the Laser Carbine above, that I listed with about a 30% Speed Slice. Now the actual data on this weapon will vary from server to server but for this math comparison it doesn't matter. It also does not matter if the Special Damage Modifier is used as it would just multiply each number by the same modifier. The same goes for Actual Firing Speed (until the 1.0 Speed Cap is reached, but more on that later).
Unsliced Laser Carbine with 3.5 speed and 45 - 280 damage, which is [(45 + 280) / 2] / 3.5 = 46.4 DPS
1) 30% speed slice makes it 2.45 speed and 45 - 280 damage, which is 66.3 DPS
2) 30% damage slice makes it 3.5 speed and 58.5 - 364 damage, which is 60.4 DPS
From the data above, when the % of the slice is the same, Speed is a higher DPS than Damage. Powerups can also change what slice you want, but for the most part people don't keep their weapons powerup'd 100% of the time. It is important to NOTE that when a player hits the 1.0 Speed Cap a speed slice will NOT improve the overall DPS.
1.0 Speed Cap in more detail.
As of this writing all professions CAN NOT fire faster than once per second with any weapon using any Special. For a Carbineer we don't have to worry about the Speed Cap until near or beyond Master. Lets look at capping our slowest Specials (i.e. those with a special delay of 2.5).
The calculation to find what weapon speed you hit the cap for is:
Actual Speed / [(100 - Player Mod) / 100] / Special Delay = Weapon Speed
Substitute special delay of 2.5 and actual speed for 1.0:
40 / (100 - Player Mod) = Weapon Speed to Cap CrippleShot/ScatterShot2/BurstShot2/WildShot2
For example:
I) Mid-level Carbineer with +40 Carbine Speed will need a 0.67 Weapon Speed to Cap
II) Master Carbineer with +60 Carbine Speed will need a 1.00 Weapon Speed to Cap
III) Master Carbineer and Master Marksman with +65 Carbine Speed will need a 1.14 Weapon Speed to Cap
IV) Master Carbineer and +10 Attachments with total +70 Carbine Speed will need a 1.33 Weapon Speed to Cap
V) Master Carbineer and +20 Attachments with total +80 Carbine Speed will need a 2.00 Weapon Speed to Cap
VI) Master Carbineer and Master Marksman and +25 Attachments with a total of +90 Carbine Speed will need a 4.00 Weapon Speed to Cap
Most Carbines are easy to find under 4.00 Weapon Speed, so at +90 Carbine Speed it becomes easy to fire EVERY Special once every second. You can also add in +Carbine Speed from Bounty Hunter for a +115 Carbine Speed without any Attachments, but as you can see above, going above +90 Carbine Speed has little effect.
Summary
Each character has different skill modifiers and weapons so there is no single answer to "what is the best carbine?" But this information can be easily figured while at a vendor sorting through stats on available Carbines. It is important to remember that a Speed-Sliced Weapon will out-damage an identical Carbine Sliced for Damage until you hit the 1.0 Speed Cap. At that point and only at that point a Damage Slice is better (not counting Powerups).
Message Edited by TAfirehawk on 10-05-200402:44 PM
Advice on dealing with the high HAM costs of Carbines
This information based on the work done by Novamarine.
This is the most simple and the most obvious, get doctor buffs. With these buffs, the HAM costs on your specials will be either zero or so small that your buffed regen rate will fill you back up immediately. I see reports of these costing from 6-10k depending on the server. You should be able to find them at the crowded starports such as Coronet and Theed. While you may scoff at the cost, 1 mission will earn the cost back. If you are planning to spend 1-2 hours hunting, the cost is very worth it.
Chef foods. There are several chef foods that increase the secondary stats. Visit your local chef and see what they have to offer. The trick is to find 1 food and 1 drink so that you take 1 of each. The way HAM costs work, once you hit 1500 in your Strength or Quickness, your cost is zero. If you can use some foods to get up into the 1000-1200 range your HAM costs will be very low. So low you can use specials and only after very long periods of fighting need a stim or some rest to regenerate.
Understand the specials. If you look at the specials in the Carbineer Special Info thread, you will find there are 3 classes of specials with respect to HAM usage:
First, there are the insane specials and those include the fullautosingles and areas. Never ever ever use these specials unless you are heavily buffed. The cost is an insane ~150 per special. Use these with armor on and you can hit 200 HAM per special. Just plain suicide!
Next are the action heavy specials. These include crippleshot and legshot. When you fire these specials, note how the HAM cost is green. That means the cost is coming mostly from action. Use these specials a lot and your Action will drain quick and leave the other 2 bars largely full.
The last class is what I call the balanced class and includes burstshot1. Fire this special and you will notice the HAM cost is similar to others BUT is yellow (red + green = yellow). It is yellow because the cost is coming from both health and action. You might say so what, the cost is the same who cares where it comes from. This is true but the subtile advantage to this is that since it is coming from 2 pools the HAM cost will regenerate back much faster since each pool is regenerating. This doesn't solve the HAM cost issue, but if you are forced to fight without buffs, you will be able to fire specials for a longer period of time by using this class of specials. This is why many players recommend taking the box that gives busrtshot1 early in your carbineer career.
Gun choice can affect HAM costs. If you do not have easy access to buffs or foods, then HAM costs on the carbine becomes very important. Stay away from carbines with scopes and stocks. You also will want to get yourself a DH17 snubnose or E11 carbine. Both of these carbines offer good damage and speed with very low HAM costs. Just be aware that the DH17 snubnose has no armor piercing. It will do great damage on the beginner planets but on the advanced planets its damage will be reduced dramatically. The E11 carbine has light armor piercing (AP1) and as such is a better choice verse targets with armor.
Slicing indirectly effects your HAM costs. A damage-sliced carbine will do more damage per shot which means you get more bang for your buck. If you can kill a target with 10 shots, a damage-sliced carbine might let you kill in 7 or 8 shots. Since you will be killing a target in less shots, you will be using less total HAM per kill. Following the same logic, powerups that increase your damage will also help with HAM costs since they will help kill they target with less shots. However, please note than in general, speed-slices result in faster killing so if you are buffed, stick with those.
Message Edited by TAfirehawk on 10-05-200402:47 PM
This information based on the work done by wilibus.
Ranged Damage Mitigation is a trait possesed by the gun-totting combat classes. For reference they are Carbineer, Pistoleer, Riflemen, Commando, and Bounty Hunter. Smugglers and Squad Leaders aren't so lucky. It comes in three levels, in our case we get Damage Mitigation 1 at 0010 (Intermediate Counterinsurgency Tactics) Damage Mitigation 2 at 0030 (Expert Counterinsurgency Tactics) and finally Damage Mitigation 3 at Master Carbineer. The progression for the other classes is similar with Damage Mitigation 3 always being at Master.
What exactly is Damage Mitigation?
It is a trait that works to reduce a weapons range of damage by a given percentage. A weapons damage spread is defined fairly simple as the maximum damage minus the minimum damge.
The trait *only* effects the maximum damage. There is a Melee version of the skill possessed by the close-quarter fighters (Pikeman, Swordsman, Fencer, Teri Kasi, *not* Jedi, but that may soon change). Ranged Damage Mitigation does not function against melee attacks and vice-versa. Damage Mitigation does not stack with one another. (i.e. Damage Mitigation 1 + Damage Mitigation 2 is *not* Damage Mitigation 3)
Alright that's cool why do I care?
Damage Mitigation is a large concern for deciding on the most effective weapon to use against certain targets in a Player versus Player environment. Damage Mitigation can have very severe consequences on some weapons, while very small effects on others. Knowledge IS power.
Ok ok, just tell me which weapon is best.
Well there really is no best weapon in SWG. The game is diverse and every situation requires a different look. Here are a few examples to help you decide which will work best for you.
Laser Carbine with 75-325 damage (Average = 200)
D.M. 1 at 20% reduces the damage range to 75-275 (Average = 175) D.M. 2 at 40% reduces the damage range to 75-225 (Average = 150) D.M. 3 at 60% reduces the damage range to 75-175 (Average = 125)
Notice how damage mitigation leaves the minimum damage alone yet reduces the maximum quite significantly. The average damage on this carbine has been reduced 37.5% by D.M. 3.
Elite Carbine with 150-225 damage (Average = 187.5)
D.M. 1 at 20% reduces the damage range to 150-210 (Average = 180) D.M. 2 at 40% reduces the damage range to 150-195 (Average = 172.5) D.M. 3 at 60% reduces the damage range to 150-180 (Average = 165)
Again notice how the minimum damage is left alone. With a high minimum damage compared to the laser carbine, this carbine is effected much less by mitigation. Note how the minimum damage on this carbine is now higher than the average damage of the laser carbine ar D.M. 3.
DXR-6 with 148-236 damage (Average = 192)
D.M. 1 at 20% = reduces the damage range to 148 - 218 (183) D.M. 2 at 40% = reduces the damage range to 148 - 201 (175) D.M. 3 at 60% = reduces the damage range to 148 - 183 (166)
Again notice how the minimum damage is left alone.
As you can see different weapons have different uses. The high minimum damage on the elite and DXR6 carbines minimizes the negative impact of damage mitigation on these weapons compared to a low minimum damage weapon like the laser carbine. However, remove damage mitigation from consideration and the laser carbine is superior and this is before taking into account the AP2 rating of the laser carbine. It is very important to note that only the ranged classes have ranged damage mitigation. Thus, against a player with ranged damage mitigation, the ideal carbine to use is an elite or DXR6. In cases where the target does not have ranged damage mitigation, the laser carbine with its higher average damage and medium armor piercing is the superior weapon. The carbineer is left to make the tactical decision of which weapon to use depending on the opponent he is facing.
*** Note: some players feel this does not function properly. I disagree. There is no solid evidence either way. This was meant to be a guide to help you make desicions. If you find one weapon is functioning better than another even though your damage mitigation calculations tell you otherwise, then by all means use that weapon. ***
Message Edited by TAfirehawk on 10-05-200402:52 PM
This information comes from the work done by EisMan_Buckeye.
What do all those stats on my weapon mean?
Armor Piercing
Armor piercing (AP) determines how well your weapon can pierce through armor. Generally, it is better to have equal or better armor piercing compared to the armor your target has. AP influences damage as damage is reduced if your AP level is lower than your target's armor resistance level (AR) and increased if your AP is greater than your target’s AR. For a more in depth look at the effects of armor, please read the Armor Piercing vs. Armor Resistance section of the FAQ.
Speed
This is the reload multiplier for your weapon. It effects how fast your weapon takes to reload after a special is used. The smaller the number, the faster it is, thus smaller numbers are better. More information can be found in the speed and reload section of the FAQ.
Damage Type
Carbines have 3 types of damage depending on what weapon you are using. Energy is the most common, but there are also carbines that do Acid damage (DXR6) and Heat damage (EE3). It is important to examine your target and look at its armor level and its resistances to determine the best weapon to use.
Minimum Damage and Maximum Damage
These are the damage multipliers of the weapon. They are incorporated along with the damage multipliers of the special attacks to determine how much damage you will do with each shot. The best way to judge a weapon is to look at its average damage divided by its speed, but do not ignore the max damage value as it can be just as important. Also important is the range (the difference between the min and the max), as the range plays a large role in damage mitigation. More information can be found in the Damage Mitigation section of the FAQ.
Range Modifiers
These are the accuracy modifiers for your weapon. They are given at 3 ranges: Point Blank, Ideal, and Max. The numbers can be positive (better accuracy than base) and negative (worse accuracy than base). They affect the accuracy modifier that you can see above and to the left of your target. The higher the number, the more likely you are to hit your target. It is best to know what your weapon's ideal range is and to try and stay at that range. Range modifiers on weapons can be increased by adding scopes to them, at the cost of higher HAM costs.
HAM Costs
These stats indicate how much health, action, and mind it takes to fire off a special. They are used in formulas along with the HAM cost multipliers of each special to determine the overall HAM costs. Generally, carbines have higher action costs than health and mind, though there are many factors such as scopes, stocks, WS experimentation, etc. that effect HAM costs. More information on reducing HAM costs can be found in the HAM cost section of the FAQ.
Radius
This stat is found only on the EE3 carbine, and has no known relevance to anything in the game.
What are some common stats and descriptions for the various carbines at our disposal?
CDEF Carbine
Certification ...... Novice Marksman Damage Type ........ Energy Armor Piercing ..... None Ideal Range ........ 35m
The only good use for the CDEF I can think of is for helping out noobie friends without stealing much XP from them.
DH17 Carbine
Certification....... Novice Marksman Damage Type......... Energy Armor Piercing...... None Ideal Range......... 35m Power Handlers...... 1
A very nice carbine for beginning marksmen to experienced carbineers, its low HAM costs make it useful when playing unbuffed, but its lack of armor piercing hurt it against medium to high end mobs.
DH17 Snubnose Carbine
Certification ...... Marksman: Carbines I Damage Type ........ Energy Armor Piercing ..... None Ideal Range ........ 25m Power Handlers ..... 1
Basically identical to the DH17 in every area other than looks, though the shorter barrel reduces the ideal range to 25m. Many prefer it over the DH17 because it looks better.
E11 Carbine
Certification ...... Marksman: Carbines II Damage Type ........ Energy Armor Piercing ..... Light Ideal Range ........ 30m Power Handlers ..... 1
Generally has a nice, tight damage range with a good minimum damage. Slightly less damage than an Elite, the E11 is preferred by those that want a Krayt enhanced weapon at a lower cost than the Elite carbine due to the fact that it only requires 1 power handler. Its light armor piercing make it more potent against armored opponents than the DH17s.
Laser Carbine
Certification ...... Marksman: Carbines III Damage Type ........ Energy Armor Piercing ..... Medium Ideal Range ........ 50m Power Handlers ..... 3
The "heavy hitter" of the carbine family, the laser has a quite high maximum damage. Often preferred for its high damage output, medium armor piercing capabilities, and long range, the laser makes for a very good weapon in PvE. Though it is still very good in PvP, the laser suffers greatly from damage mitigation and its loss of accuracy at close ranges. Many people ignore this, and still dub the laser carbine as their weapon of choice in PvP.
DXR6 Carbine
Certification ...... Marksman: Carbines IV Damage Type ........ Acid Armor Piercing ..... Light Ideal Range ........ 22m Power Handlers ..... 5
Known for its acid damage, the DXR6 is a must have weapon for any carbineer. Comparable to the Elite and the E11 in damage, speed, and AP, the DXR6 is sometimes preferred over those two for its ability to inflict acid damage and its shorter range. The DXR6 is very useful in both PvE and PvP.
EE3 Carbine
Certification ...... Marksman: Carbines IV Damage Type ........ Heat Armor Piercing ..... None Ideal Range ........ 27m Power Handlers ..... 3
Known for its heat damage, the EE3 is a very common carbine for progressing through the ranks of carbineer. Its damage and speed are good, but the biggest downfall of the EE3 is its lack of armor piercing.
Elite Carbine
Certification ...... Novice Carbineer Damage Type ........ Energy Armor Piercing ..... Light Ideal Range ........ 40m Power Handlers ..... 4
Exclusive to carbineers, the Elite carbine is one of the most versatile carbines in the game. With slightly more damage than the DXR6 and E11, the Elite carbine is preferred by masters that can reach the speed cap. Though it may not out damage the laser in PvE, the Elite shines most in PvP against opponents with ranged mitigation. With about equal speeds, the Elite's tight damage range allow for a much lower reduction in damage versus mitigation compared to the laser. With the right skill mods, and the right add-ons to the Elite, it can be one of the most deadly carbines in the game. If there were one downfall to the Elite, it would be the fact that it does energy damage, which is a very common damage type for ranged weapons, and is resisted quite easily by many targets.
Enhanced E11 Carbine
Certification ...... Novice Carbineer (?) Damage Type ........ Energy Armor Piercing ..... Light Ideal Range ........ 30m Power Handlers ..... 1
Usually preferred over a typical E11 due to its health bleed DOT, the Enhanced E11 has practically replaced the normal E11. The schematic for the Enhanced E11 is rewarded at the Imperial theme park quest, and is a limited use schematic.
Nym's Slug-thrower Carbine
Certification ...... Novice Carbineer Damage Type ........ Acid Armor Piercing ..... Light Ideal Range ........ 35m Power Handlers ..... NA (not craftable)
For some players, the Slug-thrower is used as a replacement for the DXR6, though many carbineers just hang it on their walls as a trophy. Though some players swear by it over the DXR6, the fact that the Slug-thrower is not craftable makes it very easy to find a DXR6 made by a good WS that outshines the Slug-thrower. The Slug-thrower is a reward from the Nym's Stronghold quest on Lok.
Message Edited by TAfirehawk on 10-05-200403:17 PM
This information comes from the work done by Bermag.
The goal of this section is to explain the different options that can be used to create various types of Elite Carbines. The focus is on making Elite Carbines for use in PvP. Stats might vary quite a bit from server to server depending on the resources available. When making a gun for PvP there are some things to think about:
Minimumum damage is very important because the way damage mitigation works (see the section on damage mitigation for more info). This makes the Elite the best carbine (followed by DRX6 - my personal favorite) because of the high minimum damage.
HAM cost is usually not a problem since you will (and should) be buffed.
Accuracy (range mod) is important to be able to hit an opponent with good defense mods. DO NOT NEGLECT ACCURACY!
A basic Elite with no optional components does not have very exciting stats. With our resources on Wanderhome it would be about damage: 110-191 speed 3.5. How can we make this better?
1) Stocks
a) Advanced stocks. This is your cheapest alternative. A weaponsmith should be able to experiment an advanced stock to about damage 40-40 speed +0.3 (i.e. making it 0.3 slower).
Typical stats:
Min dam: +40 Max dam: +40 Speed: +0.3 (mine are 0.294) Ham cost: 28/28/28 Wound: +10 Range mod: +10
You get better damage, accuracy and wound for the cost of slower speed and higher HAM cost. Note: In almost every case advanced stocks give you a higher DPS than with out. The speed penalty is worth it.
b) Form-fitted stocks
These are quest items from the imperial theme park (if you are lucky to get them). Price vary depending on your server (might cost about 100-250k).
Stats:
Min dam: +25 Max dam: +30 Speed: -0.5 (yes, 0.5 BETTER speed) Wound: 10 Ideal Range: 15
This stock is great! if you are a BH/Carbineer you might not need the extra speed and instead use the cheaper and higher damage advanced stock. Also no extra HAM cost!
c) Looted exceptional/legendary stocks
Those are rare. Stats vary a lot. I have got some with stats:
Min dam: 23 max dam: 38 Speed: 0.176 Range mod: +62
Also no extra HAM cost. If they are worth using depends on the stats of course. This stock is IMO better used for a T-21 (which have bad accuracy since you can't use scopes). For a Carbine I would prefer the form-fitted stock.
2) Scopes
Scopes do nothing to your damage. You can however experiment it on damage but it only adds wounds. The reason to use them is to improve accuracy. No gun that can use a scope should be without it.
a) Normal scopes. A master WS can experiment those down to zero HAM cost but actually adds +1 because of rounding.
Typical stats:
Range mod: +10-15 (I have 12 points and my are usually +15) HAM Cost: 1/1/1 Wound: 2
b) Advanced scopes. Those are heavier on HAM cost but possible to get range mod a lot higher than
Typical stats:
Range mod: +40-42 (my are +42) HAM cost: 17/17/17 Wound: 5
For an Elite Carbine for PvP I would use advanced scopes. I usually use normal scopes for "normal" guns.
3) Barrels
a) Normal barrels.
Typical stats:
Min dam: 9 Max dam: 9 Speed. -0.46 Range mod: +5
b) Advanced barrels
Typical stats:
Min dam: 11 Max dam: 11 Speed; -0.33 Range mod: +18
c) Looted exceptional / legendary blaster rifle barrels
Stats vary. I don't have any examples right now. My partner had one which was about double damage or so. There might be some really good loot exceptional/legendary barrels. I talked to one guy that had a pistol barrel which was dam: 49-33 speed: -2.156!!! If I found a rifle barrel anything close to that ....
As you see normal barrels are 2 pt less damage and less accuracy. Looking at DPS, normal barrels give you higher DPS, but on the other hand you have worse accuracy. Nor sure myself which is more important. I have been using advanced barrels but that is more of marketing reason than anything else (and accuracy IS important on a pvp gun).
4) Power handler
It is here Krayt tissues go. Stats vary on tissues. The most common (and cheapest tissue) is +30 max dam and -0.3 speed. Price and availability vary depending on server. On Wanderhome, a single +30/-0.3 tissue will cost about 200k each. A +50 and speed -0.5 will cost about 600-700k each. We recently had an auction on wanderhome for 6 x +97 tissues which were sold for 22 million.
You need at least 5 identical (same serial number coming from same drop) tissues. The Elite Carbine requires 4 identical power handlers. This means they need to be made in a factory and to make them in factory you need to first make a schematic for the krayt enhanced power handler. This means you will waste one tissue to make the schematic and the 4 others are used in the gun. If you have more than 5 tissues you can use the same schematic to make handlers for more guns. Nine identical tissues will give you handlers for 2 elite carbines. The max number of identical tissue is 11.
The end result you get when using Krayt tissues is to add the damage of the tissue to the maximum of the gun and subtract the speed (assuming no failed experimentation). Even if more than one tissue/handler is used, those are not stacked (using 4 x +100 damage tissues will "only" give you +100 damage). Is it worth it? Depends on how rich you are . Using the cheapest tissues would cost you at least 1 million. If you are unlucky and get a bad slice then stats might be worse than using a non-enhanced gun and a good slice. For the cost of the +30 tissues you would be able to buy 50 normal Elite Carbines and have them all sliced. You would most certainly get a 30%+ slice. However, with Krayt tissues you get both a damage and a speed improvement making it more valuable than for example Krayt enhancing rifles (where speed is of less or no importance). The damage boost is not that great since it only adds to maximum damage and maximum damage is greatly affected by damage mitigation.
Summary
To summarize, let's compare some stats (only useful for comparing different models not to compare with what you get on your server) for some different models:
1) Elite w/o stock and adv scope dam: 110-191 speed: 3.5 Range mod ideal: +44 HAM: 31/49/25 - DPS 43
2) Elite with advanced stock and scope (my standard pvp model): dam: 150-231 speed: 3.8 Range mod: +81 HAM: 76/94/70 - DPS 50.1
3) Elite with form-fitted stock and adv scope: dam: 135-221 speed: 3.0 Range mod: +86 HAM: 48/66/42 - DPS 59.3
4) Krayt Elite using 30/-0.3 Krayt and form-fit stocks and avd scope: dam 135-251 speed: 2.7 Range mod: +86 HAM: 48/66/42 - DPS 71.5
5) Krayt Elite and adv stock/scope: dam 135-261 speed 3.5 Range mod: +81 HAM: 76/94/70 - DPS: 58.6
Message Edited by TAfirehawk on 10-05-200403:38 PM
This information is based on the work done by wilibus.
What is a Skill Enhancing Attachment?
Skill Enhancing Attachments (SEA) are lootable items that can be added into both clothing and armor.
Items that can be please in clothing are referred to as Clothing Attachments (CA’s) and look like a role of tape. Armor accepts Armor Attachments (AA’s) which look like octagons.
An article of clothing/armor can accept a number of SEA’s equal to the available sockets, the number of sockets varies since neither Tailors nor Armorsmiths have an option to add or remove them. The maximum any item can have is 4 sockets.
What Carbine Skills can be enhanced by SEA’s?
Carbine Speed
Carbine Accuracy
Carbine Accuracy While Moving
Defense vs. Any State (Dizzy, Stun, etc.)
Ranged and Melee Defense
Carbine Aiming (This is different from accuracy, it affects /aim)
There are also many SEA’s with mods that no longer exist in the game such as Grenade Experimentation or 2 Handed Melee Evasion.
Are there any limits to how much I can enhance my skills?
The most you can gain is a total of +25 to any one skill, you can gain the +25 to multiple skills though; for example, you could have +25 Carbine Speed and +25 Carbine Accuracy.
What if I put multiple SEA’s into one article?
In any one given article you can not have multiples of one skill mod. Putting (4) +1 Carbine Speed AA’s into a 4 socket pair of gloves and the mods do NOT stack. This would result in +1 Carbine Speed Gloves with no empty sockets.
You can however put SEA’s with different mods into the same article. For example in our four socket gloves, you could put a +2 Carbine Speed, +3 Carbine Accuracy, and +1 Melee Defense with one empty socket.
Wow, this SEA has more than one skill mod, is that good?
Right now it is unclear whether these are unintended or just don’t function properly, the one post and another post in the Game Guides forum on SEA’s goes into greater detail on exactly how these work.
Are some Carbine SEA’s better than others?
Well which skills mods are better is truly is a matter of personal opinions, however some definitely give much more noticeable results and more sought after. Also each character’s inherent skills will determine if a particular SEA will have any real effect; for example, if a person has +100 Carbine Speed from BH, then Carbine Speed SEA’s would have no use based on the Speed Formula listed in this FAQ.
Likely the most popular Carbine Skill Mod is our speed since as you have seen +60 and +85 is quite a large jump. For a lot of Carbineers this is their main focus.
Accuracy and Accuracy While Moving are also a large concern for Carbineers, especially those trying to overcome the high defense of most serious PvPers.
The Defense Mods are sought after by basically every single combat profession and are always in demand.
There are other skills mods that are useful to Carbineers such as Terrain Negotiation.
Are there any recommended places to put my SEA’s?
With SEA’s in objects with condition (which is basically all of them) decay becomes an issue. SEA’s can cost upward of millions credits to purchase from other players. Having a piece of armor fail on a repair with a +15 SEA in it really hurts.
Depending on the armor you choose you will get a maximum of 9 pieces. A full suit of Composite has nine pieces. Certain pieces will decay slower; from limited testing the order of least decay to highest decay (this can vary on the opponents attacks against you) is biceps, bracers/gloves, pants/boots, helmet, and lastly chest.
With a full suit of armor on you can equip 3 other articles. A shirt, a belt, and something on your back (a backpack or a bandolier).
Even thought backpacks have sockets SEA’s do not work. So you need to make a choice, an extra 50 spots for items, or a bandolier for attachments.
Belts conflict with Personal Shield Generators. PSG’s are something that most PvPer’s swear by. So again you are stuck with a choice.
There are however hybrid items that don’t follow these rules. The mabari armourweave belt for example. It accepts AA’s and does not a condition value so it will last indefinitely.
Any advice on getting to +25 as fast and effectively as possible?
Of course, first and foremost with armor, if you plan on having it sliced, do that first as there is no point in wasting good attachments on armor with poor slices. With clothing, consider special ordering from a tailor, most tailors are familiar with how sockets work and can get you clothing with 4 sockets if you request it.
Shirts decay, but the rate at which they decay is very slow, unless you clone often without insuring, this should never be an issue. Try and find a high end attachment (+6 or better) and place it in here since you can basically always wear a shirt.
The next step really depends on whether you focus mostly on PvE or PvP. With PvE play PSG’s are not really required and backpacks are incredibly useful for stashing your loot. With PvP Belts are a bad idea since they restrict PSG’s, but backpacks are not really required since you won’t be gaining many new items, so a bandolier would be the next step. In either case try and find another higher level attachment.
You should now be at approx. +10 to +14, so we nine armour pieces left over with nothing in them. Start browsing some attachment vendors and buy as many +1’s and +2’s as you can find. Most vendors will have them for about 10K-20K.
Using this method should allow you obtain +25 without a lot of complications. However the most important part is that if you do end up losing an armor piece to decay or a bad repair it is very easy to replace.
Message Edited by TAfirehawk on 10-16-200410:31 AM
This information is based on the work done by AdmiralSpy.
It depends on a few things, namely:
What type of role do you prefer to play? Damage, Direct Support, or Indirect Support?
Damage means you'll be spending all your time on the front lines with a Carbine in hand.. spamming nothing but KDs and CrippleShot. Okay, so we Carbineers aren't fantastic for raw damage, but we do have our moments. You'll use ScatterShot2 as well.
Direct Support means you follow a person (a teammate) and set your common target up for a posture down and keep them dizzy/on the floor. This means firing FullAutoSingle2 and other state-inducing specials, as well as using ChargeShot/SuppresionFire/ActionShot to keep them flopping down. Your goal is to keep this target dizzy, blinded and stunned AT ALL TIMES. That's it.
Indirect Support means you're using a variety of specials (namely FullAutoArea) to inflict states to a large mass of people, but will dish out even less damage as a whole.
Whatever your playstyle (I prefer direct support, especially when teamed with a pure melee build), the tactics for Carbineer (for PvP only.. PvE is different) are:
- Get some states on your target: I prefer to use WildShot to get a Stun at first, as other states will inflict rather easily if your target is stunned. FullAutoSingle2/FullAutoArea2 are your best friends. Use them excessively until your target is dizzy, blinded and stunned (or whatever you can manage in a reasonable amount of time.)
- Get 'em down: Some people use Posture Downs.. others use Direct Knockdowns.. the trick is to KNOW YOUR OPPONENT and use either accordingly. It never hurts to fire off an ActionShot2 (posture down) before trying to use ChargeShot2 on them, though. Most templates are week on Defense vs. Pos. Down, and you're usually guaranteed to force them to kneel after a few shots if your accuracy is right.
Some good opponents know what to do when they are kneeling and dizzy.. but most will stand and fall down. Anyway, whatever you use.. bring them down.
- Damage. CrippleShot, FullAutoSingle2, ScatterShot2, BurstShot2.. whatever you prefer (check to see which gives you better DPS depending on the Carbine you're using.. that's very important.)
Lastly, THINK:
It is pointless to Dizzy/KD a Doctor, other than to waste a few seconds of their time, and yours. Keep them blinded and Stunned.. intimidated if your build allows it to. Most Doctor-fighters have a /healstate dizzy;/stand macro.. and it's their #1 priority. They use it often, so don't bother.
If you can't do damage, it is pointless to try. Really, it is. Your teammates will be happier if you stand at a distance and inflict states.. instead of damage. You're an easy target as a Master Carbineer, and any melee template (if you don't defense stack) will eat you alive. Stay back, and learn when to run.
Group up. A solo Carbineer is a dead Carbineer. Use your groups' strengths to your advantage. Again, Carbineers are there for states, not damage.
Templates change, and so do situations. Many Combat Medics suffer from lack of defenses, so getting them down and out is your priority. A rifleman kiter is your priority - get him/her down! A Jedi running away is your priority - get him/her down!!
HAVE FUN. If you're not having fun.. drop Carbineer. It's not worth it otherwise.
[Added] The above assumes you're a pure Master Carbineer without BH enhancements or defense stacking. PvP carbineers are generally BH/Carbineers or Defense-Stacking Carbineers. One focuses on dishing out states and knockdowns FAST, the other focuses on STAYING ALIVE. Pick which route you prefer.
A bit more about BH/Carbineers and Fencer/Carbineers:
PvP is a game of dedication. This means spending the time to gather the proper equipment, food and weapons, as well as SEAs if need be. Above all, however, it means that in order to be a *great* PvP Carbineer, you need to dedicate most - if not all - of your template to it. It's just a matter of competing with the others who do the same.
There are 2 main routes you can follow. Offense or Defense. Again, this varies greatly on your play style (and your group), but it's vital to pick one or the other.
Offense: Primarily BH/Carbineers, these players like to get dirty. Boasting high-damage carbines and a deadly slew of specials to use them with, this is a popular choice for those who want to speedcap and get accuracy bonuses without the direct use of attachments.
Additionally, the Bounty Hunter specials (Underhand Shot, FireKnockDown, ConfusionShot and SprayShot (at Master BH)) allow for excellent control of a target. People will fear you if you keep your distance.
Tactics involve the use of ConfusionShot/SprayShot to land nasty states (mainly dizzy) and FireKD to keep the target down (the use of other Carbineer specials is also wise, but often not needed.) Once down, CrippleShot is the BH/Carbineers main damaging special for single targets.
BH/Carbineers are generally divided into those who dabble only partly in the BH Carbine line and those who do Master Bounty Hunter and Master Carbineer. Each has its advantages and disadvantages - there's several threads relating to this topic.
Defense: Primarily Fencer/Carbineers with the addition of some TK or Pistol skills. These Carbineers load up on defenses and prefer to sacrifice speed and damage in favour of a "well rounded" approach to PvP. These Carbineers are extremely hard to kill, and fall within two categories:
Raw defense stackers, who equip Carbines 90% of the time and simply dabble in Fencer/TK/Pistoleer for the added primary and secondary (state) defenses. The most popular template involves Master Carbineer, 4440 Fencer and the choice between 4003 TK or 0043 Pistoleer. Novice Medic or Novice Scout are also certified for additional versatility. Some have been known to pick up other lines of defense (like a branch in Pikeman or additional Dodge from Pistoleer.)
Ranged/Melee combos , who swap between "Carbineer Mode" and "Fencer Mode" depending on the situation (the mastering of one ranged and one melee profession is becoming more popular.. for the obvious reasons of mitigation levels and situational versatility. Fencer is simply a natural choice for its high defenses and Stun-damage capability in PvP.)
Either case yields a fantastic PvP combination, though general damage output and the inducing of states is reduced (without the use of SEAs - a defense stacker CAN ALMOST equate a BH/Carbineer through the use of speed and accuracy tapes.)
Tactics involve the use of the basic Carbineer specials outlined above, as well as Intimidating opponents. Intimidate is by far the best state you can inflict in PvP - period. These players can also swap in "Fencer mode" and use a Stun Baton for higher damage (as well as CoB - refer to the Fencer forums for details on such tactics) or can even use DoT weapons like Janta Knives, looted knives, and DoT pistols (if the template allows it.)
Defensive Carbineer players are generally those who are able to speedcap their carbines through the use of krayt tissues/form fitting stocks/attachments, or those who simply enjoy melee combat and defenses.
Some common stuff:
Riflemen: Get them blinded. Their accuracy isn't all that great.. and they are useless when blinded. If they don't have Doctor in their template (most do, though), then dizzy/KDing them is great. They have little defense to posture down, but also have high ranged defense.. which means you'll need to stack up on Accuracy modifiers (through high accuracy carbines, accuracy food and accuracy SEAs.)
Defense Stackers: Run.. and kite. Get states on them if you can (though odds are they will resist easily.) Get them stunned and if you can, get them intimidated. Stun (WildShot and FullAuto series) and Intimidate (not a Master Carbineer ability.. requires Nov. Brawler) are a defense stacker's worst nightmare.
Know Mitigation: If they don't have Ranged Mitigation, kite them at 50m (as far as you can, really) and go for Max Damage with a Laser Carbine. Otherwise, the use of an Elite, E11 or DXR6 might be betters suited. There's a thread dedicated to it.
Combat Medics: KD them before anything. Get a dizzy in first if you can manage it.. but if you can't.. don't worry. Even with resistance buffs, they are still lethal.
Know Your Opponent
Your opponent is most likely wearing 80%+ effectiveness armor, has Ranged Mitigation, and is wearing a PSG. Standard buffs too.. maybe synthsteak, though probably not even needed.
DPS (damage per second) is one of the big issues for us Carbineers.. What can you do?
Carbineer isn't an excellent dueling template against such oppoents. We shine in group PvP, where our states and KDs can set up targets for others to plow through. Your Fencers, Pikemen and Riflemen will have a blast when you KD your opponents.
Get a better Carbine. Try aiming for atleast a damage slice in the 30s.. it makes a big difference. Eventually, you want to look into getting a Krayt Laser Carbine made with high max damage tissues, and a DXR6 Acid Carbine, krayted as well. The DXR6 goes right through PSGs.. and it's higher minimum damage makes it a prime choice for Ranged Mitigation 3 opponents.
Look into DoT Carbines. Even a weak one would do against templates that can't heal themselves. A good poison carbine can range anywhere from 1 to 10 million depending on your server, though most are in the 3-4 range from what I've seen. Add this stuff to your arsenal.
Accept the fact that you can't win all the time. Dizzy/KD means nothing if your opponent is well prepared.. and we shouldn't be able to "solo" all PvP templates by keeping them on the ground and slowly eating at their HAM bars. BH/Carbineer can win against many templates, but not all..
As for our "purpose".. I hate to say it, but we've never been damage dealers. Damage is overrated anyway. It's very easy to nullify the damage that any profession can do..don't be discouraged (odds are your opponent was one of the more prepared ones.) Don't base your findings on a single duel, either. Duel as much as you can, and find out what you can beat, and what you can't.
Carbineer has always been known to the mass for one thing: KDs. In reality, it's a combination of states, posture changes, and knockdowns.. but that's essentially what our profession is about. It's therefore not easy, and we can't get away with spamming Eyeshot or HeadShot3 or even 'Scalp Slam', UnarmedHeadHit, or ScatterHit2. We are one of the few professions that require the use of ALL of our state-inducing and posture-changing specials to make a difference..
Oh, and lastly, remember that in hardcore PvP, damage means nothing. Sure, you need to kill your opponent, but a good team will always keep themselves healed with several Docs and CMs.. and that good armor, foods, a suited template and a PSG will always shine.
It's all about defenses and DoTs. By defenses, I imply Carbineer, because our states against their state defenses is what decides the outcome of any large PvP encounter. Take pride in the fact that you can Stun/Dizzy/Blind someone in a few seconds, or an entire group in a few more. Remember, if they can't hit you, they can't kill you. If they're dizzied, they're potentially dead, and if they're stunned, their defenses versus other states/posture changes is threatened, and their damage is reduced.
A good Carbineer will aid in the kill of any template, including Jedi. In many cases, though, it requires grouping. That's it
Message Edited by TAfirehawk on 11-22-200411:02 AM
Derrrr... I must have missed the comment about why things aren't clickable the first time around.
Nice job on it though, TA.
Message Edited by EisMan_Buckeye on 10-05-200401:37 PM
__________________________________________ EisMan Buckeye [COG] Mercenaries do it for money [Master of Carbines] [Retired Mercenary] __________________________________________
MTOCatalog wrote: Great stuff, but I cannot view the spreadsheet. Is it broken?
Well it isn't just you....
Eisman said it would always be available....he must be having server problems. I can throw it up on my site if his doesn't come back soon.
You forgot the h in http. Just add the h to the begining of the URL and it'll work.
__________________________________________ EisMan Buckeye [COG] Mercenaries do it for money [Master of Carbines] [Retired Mercenary] __________________________________________
What are the thoughts on that weapon? Anyone use one?
The Bowcaster is classified as a rifle.
__________________________________________ EisMan Buckeye [COG] Mercenaries do it for money [Master of Carbines] [Retired Mercenary] __________________________________________
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
