Janie's Got a Gun [General MCH Advice]

[ExVex]

I wasn't sure if I should post here or not. I'm a newer lv 56 MCH and I'm not too experienced with DPS classes overall (besides SMN & BLM at 50). So, this is probably a dumb thing to post. I don't know if there's another thread floating around. Apologies.

I'm just looking for some advice in regards to playing my job correctly. I know it's not over-complicated and not hugely structured, but I still feel doubts when I happen to notice other MCHs playing. It may just be a difference in playstyles.

However, I figured I'd give it a shot (heh) and reach out to some more experienced players. I'm really big into guides, but for some reason I can't find one that smacks me in the face. A lot of them say "Hey, this is outdated!" or "Here's what you do when you get to 70 - ROLL YOUR FACE ON THE KEYBOARD."

I like hearing advice and different perspectives from other players. Figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.

For example, stuff like - When is the appropriate time to use [Wildfire]? What habits should I start getting into on my way to 60? Is there some sort of turret etiquette? What role actions do you consider most useful to have on your bars?

Small note: I'm still not through HW. That's really the only thing I'm mainly focused on now. I started this class because I wanted something new and to take a break from my tanxiety. It was mostly leveled from me doing the Yo-kai Event.

[Azerhan]

Look at the abilities Wildfire, Reassemble and Rapid Fire: they're both 60s. So, use them together. It's you're burst core.
Reload is 30s, so you can use it one time between each burst.
Reassemble only on a Clean Shot proc by ammo.
You're burst should be like 2-1-3-2-3.

Try to apply that for beginning, and don't forget your turret

Oh, and Quick Reload on 2.

P.S.:1 is Split Shot, 2 is Slug Shot and 3 is Clean Shot.

[Kaozurei]

I'm by no means a MCH expert (only have it sitting at level 64) but I've had people tell me I'm not a terrible MCH, some even told me I'm good!

Wildfire is MCH's strongest attack, and it requires some setting up to achieve its top damage potential. You really won't be able to play MCH optimally until level 70, but you can perform decently well at 60. Basically, you want to use wildfire as soon as it's off cooldown, but you need to make sure to use it alongside your buffs Reassemble and Rapid Fire, as mentioned by Azerhan, as well as using Reload (and Quick Reload) during Wildfire's duration to increase the potency of your attacks. Ideally, you want to get at least 5 GCDs into Wildfire's duration, the 2-1-3-2-3 rotation is pretty much the best you can get at level 60 and under. Naturally, you want to throw in Gauss Round and Ricochet (at level 60) during it as well, but as oGCDs you can weave them in between shots. Just make sure you know whatever you use Wildfire on won't die within 10 seconds, or else the skill will be wasted, and if used on a boss make sure it won't enter an invulnerability phase before the skill ends.

Turrets are mostly unobtrusive and they're just kinda... there. Use the right turret for the situation (rook for single target, bishop for stationary AoE if 3+ targets). Use hypercharge wisely (preferably on bosses) and be sure to pet the Rook turret for doing a good job.

As for role actions, I run Tactician, Refresh, Palisade, Invigorate and Peloton. The last two are interchangeable depending on the fight but those five are the ones I mostly stick to. Tactician for melee DPS who spam AoEs, Refresh for healers (and both also double as enmity control tools which EVERY DPS should have and use), Palisade for the occasional tank that needs the extra defense for whatever reason, Invigorate for my own AoE spam and Peloton just for the sake of moving faster between dungeon pulls. (It's also very liked in PotD).

Regarding my own playstyle, I stick to medium range and just shoot things with rook to the side. I store and redeploy the turrets as needed and keep an eye out on party TP and MP. If a healer is below half MP, I use Refresh, if anyone is below half TP, I use Tactician. Boss fights aside, I make sure I always have at least one or the other for enmity control. Fron there, it's keeping Gauss Barrel and Ricochet on cooldown as much as possible, as well as learning my flow of ammo to make sure I never have to hold on to it for long. Overall the class skills have cooldowns that align pretty well, so there shouldn't be much of a reason to hold onto anything.

[Pence]

Honestly? Don't worry about learning anything yet. Get to 70 so you have your abilities. It's pointless for anyone to write a guide where you have limited skills.

[Rongway]

Turrets are mostly unobtrusive and they're just kinda... there. Use the right turret for the situation (rook for single target, bishop for stationary AoE if 3+ targets). Use hypercharge wisely (preferably on bosses) and be sure to pet the Rook turret for doing a good job.

Bishop outdamages Rook on 2+ targets.
Hypercharge is better on trash. Bonus AoE turret damage + 5% of a boatload of other damage is greater than double Rook damage and 5% of other single target damage.

Also, know the value of non-melee LBs.
AoE LB1 on two targets outdamages melee LB1.
AoE LB1 on four targets outdamages melee LB2.
AoE LB1 on seven targets outdamages melee LB3.

So use it on a big trash pull.

[Kaozurei]

Bishop outdamages Rook on 2+ targets.
Hypercharge is better on trash. Bonus AoE turret damage + 5% of a boatload of other damage is greater than double Rook damage and 5% of other single target damage

Huh. I actually hadn't thought of that. Thanks for the tip! I learned something new from this.

[Kleeya]

For role actions i was using at first peloton as well, until i did see his huge aggro range who was even working on mobs behind a wall. After a few times making the tank annoyed coming back to me to save my life, i did take second wind instead, which i find more useful when you are low on life and healers too busy to heal you right now.

[cjparmen]

Look at the abilities Wildfire, Reassemble and Rapid Fire: they're both 60s. So, use them together. It's you're burst core.
Reload is 30s, so you can use it one time between each burst.
Reassemble only on a Clean Shot proc by ammo.
You're burst should be like 2-1-3-2-3.

Try to apply that for beginning, and don't forget your turret

Oh, and Quick Reload on 2.

P.S.:1 is Split Shot, 2 is Slug Shot and 3 is Clean Shot.

this is sound and what i am to do every time however it dosent really hurt to get a free crit on any of your combo weapon skills, so if your about to say run out of hotshot and have one ammo left i would use it on hotshot its still a potency boost. same thing for reassemble, but like Azerhan said above is how it should be prioritized.

[Lina_Slayer]

While by no means I'm the best MCH (it's my 3rd lvl 70 job after blm and war) I think I can answer most of your questions:

-When to use Wildfire? Basically as soon as it comes off cd and blow everything you have during it, the idea is to do it after your second shot on a combo it goes like this 3 bullets (it's your rotation not your opener) - 1st shot - 2nd shot (wildfire weave) - 1st shot (weave the crit skill and the speed skill here) - 3rd shot (weave reload) - 2nd shot (weave Gauss Round) - 3rd shot (weave that 60cd AoE skill I forgot the name), sorry if I forgot half of the names of the skills but hopefully you can understand it, also never forget to reapply Hot Shot when it's falling off, at 70 you'll want to do all this WF burst phase inside OH and you'll have to see if you can do the low ping or the high ping rotation, but I won't bother with Overheating for now simply because without Cooldown or Flamethrower it is way too annoying to control.

-What habits should you have: Using everything as soon as it comes is a good habit, there are some cases it is good to delay some skills a little (mainly if you die) but most of the time you should use your skills as soon as they come off cooldown, another good habit is to always load you bullets after every fight on dungeons, and also the always important advice of always be pressing some button.

-Turret etiquette: 2 or more targets you should be using AoE turret, 3 or more targets you should use your AoE skill, Hypercharge on big pulls is better than save it for the boss most of the time.

-Role Actions: I normally run on dungeons Tactician, Peloton, Second Wind, Refresh and Palisade, thought Invigorate is probably really useful as well, on Raids/Trials Peloton will be useless so you just drop it in this case.

[Azerhan]

this is sound and what i am to do every time however it dosent really hurt to get a free crit on any of your combo weapon skills, so if your about to say run out of hotshot and have one ammo left i would use it on hotshot its still a potency boost. same thing for reassemble, but like Azerhan said above is how it should be prioritized.

No no, Reassemble only during WF, on the 3 that is proc
It's a huge waste to use Reassemble on another situation.