What You're Doing Wrong In Shatter (And How To Fix It!)

[ThirdChild_ZKI]

First, Gauss Barrel, once used, becomes the old MCH PvP aoe stun, Stun Gun. An aoe stun. Sure, it forces an overheat regardless of gauge, but you're wasting a very powerful CC tool that can be used on both offense and defense. Did a DRK just pull me in? Did a WAR just Holmgang me? Did a MNK just Shoulder Tackle me out of nowhere? Stun Gun to their face and begin a counteroffensive.

What you explained perhaps works in Shatter, but there ARE other modes too where that wouldn't quite apply. All I need is 2 Hot Shots (whether on ice or an enemy player), and I'm good to go, with increased damage and all my cc abilities readily available. Assuming the 250 potency increase of ammo is present, the heated 4500 total potency shot combo (1250>1500>1750) is the same, but I'd have the added benefit of still not being close to overheating at all due to building up, THEN reloading between the shots, thus generating no heat per shot. Basically: Hot Shot>Hot Shot>Reload>H Split>Reload>H Slug>Reload>H Clean. . . 4500 and I'm still sitting at 50 heat, AND still have my stun available if needed. Best of all, I can still deal damage at my highest due to no forced cooldown, still push into an Overheat either naturally or with Stun Gun, AND if I somehow don't want to overheat yet, there's Cooldown (the weaponskill) to keep myself heated indefinitely. . .

I don't mean to step on any toes, but if you're using your burst on the ice, that's. . . not good. But we'll chalk it up to differences in playstyle. At the most, I hit ice when I need to build heat quick (and there are no enemy players around) or when there's absolutely nothing else to do. Beyond that, I'm following the advice I gave in the guide and actively trying to take down any enemy Battle Highs/Fevers (or prevent them from happening), taking out healers, defending teammates, and stopping enemy players from hitting the ice by making sure they're not alive to. I literally have no time or concern for the ice.

You may have recently picked up MCH and performed well with it, but I've been maining it in PvE and PvP since day 1. In both 3.x when MCH had "too many buttons", and even now where our PvP gameplay is a bit too simplified now. Let's not try to weigh your month of MCH vs my 2 years of it. . .

[Geryth]

Snip

You are absolutely correct, my advice only applies to Shatter.

You really underestimate the ice and your role as a physical DPS. Casters are gimped against ice for some reason so their focus should be on picking kills, while yours should be on ice whenever possible. Your advice was great and stands - if you can get picks, take advantage of it. You get points for the kill and you get the points for the damage they are no longer doing to the ice. But you have to be real careful about when you make that choice - if you start trying to get a pick and the target gets healing support, your time is literally wasted. You got no points for not getting a kill and you didn't do damage to the ice while they did.

But again, as a ranged physical DPS you are the safest and most reliable damage on ices. Dragoon is superior sustained overall DPS but is sooo dangerous being melee, and you are the target of getting picked (and rightfully so because if they don't kill you you're going to steal a lot of ice points).

As for the stun...different play styles. I respect your use of the ability. I always use it for DPS because I think I get more points for the ability when used for burst. I keep a sharp eye on my positioning to prevent getting holmganged or sucked in my a DRK, and I have heavy and a pushback for over-zealous melee. Sure I get caught sometimes, but that's my mistake on map awareness. With a knowledge of where my opponents are, where my allies are, and where the next ice will spawn, I can maximize my gauss barrel for points and wins instead of get-out-jail cards. But then again, it is only a 60s cooldown, so it's not like I never have it available for the stun.

Also, my experience is anecdotal. If there was a way to prove a "most efficient" way to use stun gun or precisely what gets more points - loading ammo before battle or not - then I concede to facts. But without facts and objective data, anecdotal is all I have. But with a 51% win rate queuing adders only against a Maelstrom dominated meta, I don't think my methods are too far off the optimal way to do things. Again, I respect your time and experience, but your advice on pre-loading bullets goes opposite to my experience. I'll take your advice and give it a try, and maybe I'll see things your way.