Snuggles PvP MM/RS Spec - With Video

[StrifeV]

Let me first state that I'm not claiming this to be an original build, but it is my build that I use. I have used a variation of this before RS was cool. I used to run 44MM/16RS/6RNG, but when trion decided to make stalker phase an 18 point ability, that took away my ability to still go 44 in MM and get crippling shot from RNG, so I moved to 44MM/22RS/0Inf. Once 1.7 came, Inf was no longer there so I switched to the 0 point sab for the Adhesive Bomb.

Here is the build
44MM/22RS/0SAB

And some video of me over the weekend.
Video

You'll probably notice I have no strafe. I never used it anyways, so I just took it out of my build. I realize it's useful, but it's just not a skill I used much. Also, only 1 point in collateral damage, I just don't AOE enough for it to be useful enough to put 2 points in. Usually I fanout to stop people from capping or to dismount groups of people, not to do damage.

in Full R40 PvP gear I sit at around 8500HP self buffed and closer to 9K with group endurance buffs.

Macros

ATK
#show Swift Shot
suppressmacrofailures
cast lightning fury
cast swift shot

Finisher
#show Rapid Fire Shot
suppressmacrofailures
cast rapid fire shot
cast hasted shot

knockback
#show Repelling shot
suppressmacrofailures
cast repelling shot
cast adhesive bomb

aoe
#show fan out
suppressmacrofailsures
cast lightning fury
cast fan out

Silence
#show Deaden
suppressmacrofailures
cast planar disruption
cast deaden

As you can see, not really any extensive macroing, there really isn't a lot to macro in this spec. I put adhesive bomb with repelling shot because if repelling shot is down, and I want to use it, adhesive bomb is a decent backup to use. I just recently switched to having sab as my 0 point soul and I will admit that I underuse adhesive bomb.


Buffs
Electrified Munitions
Vampiric Munitions
Planar Reversal
Planebound Resilience
Stalker Phase
Guardian Phase(sometimes switch to this when you need more HP, like when carrying a stone or running a flag or something)

Other commonly used abilities(not all inclusive)

Barbed shot - Usually the first thing I use on anyone
Eradicate - spammable purge,
Retreat
Deadeye Shot
Empowered Shot
Cleanse Soul(from PvP PA)
On the double
Break Free(from PvP PA)
Bull's Eye(usually with empowered shot or Deadeye Shot)
Shadow Stalk
Shadow Shift

The most important keys to being a good marksman is learning how to strafe attack, and positioning. If you can learn these 2 things, you'll be VERY successful as a marksman.

When I'm talking about strafing, I'm not talking about the ability(I don't even have it). I'm talking about running away from someone while being able to attack them from behind. In order to strafe(or at least this is how I do it), you hold your camera in place by using your right mouse button, then you run using A & D. Assuming the person isn't DIRECTLY behind you, this will allow you to move away from them at full speed while also attacking them. It takes a little bit of practice, but after you get used to it it becomes second nature.

The second key is positioning. Always try to stay at max range, or as close to it as you can. If you are at max range, nobody can attack you except another MM. If there are objects to get on top of(like Codex), get on top of them. The cliff's in codex are an ideal spot for a MM. In order for any melee to attack you, they have to come up to the cliff, which will LOS them from most of their healing as well as increase their chances of getting ganged up on. If a mage tries to attack you from across the cliffs, just back up until you stop taking damage. Also use your surroundings as LOS. If you're attacking someone out in the open and you can step behind a wall and still attack them, do it. This will cut off LOS from others while still allowing you to do damage.

Tips
Empowered Shot -> RFS -> Deaden. Silences are generally something that either isn't going to take effect due to diminishing returns, or they are going to get cleansed quickly. One of the things I like to do to try and add some burst is to get a blue bar to 3 attack points and hit them with an empowered shot, as soon as that goes hit them with a RFS and deaden. This will do a tun of burst damage and hopefully the silence will take effect and they can't heal themselves. If this doesn't kill them, hopefuly the next couple attacks will before they can get the silence cleansed and heal. Due to how global cooldowns work, RFS will hit at almost the exact same time as empowered shot. You can even throw in a bulls eye for the Empowered shot to make sure it crits.

Shadow Stalk->Repelling Shot. I mostly use this for warriors, I don't believe they get access to any knockbacks so you're generally safe doing this. If you get attacked by a warrior(especially in Codex), you can put your back to a cliff's edge and make the warrior to come to you, then simply use shadowstalk -> repelling shot and it will punt them off the ledge. Warriors are generally not a target for me. They have way too much life and mitigation and are hard to kill, so I generally either ignore them, or remove them.

Save your finishers. Just because you have 5 AP's, doesn't mean it's time to blow your finisher. If it's a healing class it's just going to be wasted damage. Use your builders to plink them down and when you get a chance to kill them, then use your finisher.

Just RUN!. You're one of the fastest classes in the game for a reason. The MM speed + the movement from RS makes you extremely hard to catch. If you're getting hammered or you find yourself out numbered. Run!! Use your blink, use retreat, use on the double, use quick reload to use on the double again. Most classes aren't going to be able to catch you and if they can, by the time they catch you, you're far enough away where you've found friends. More often than not if I run from someone, they will not chase. If you die, you're not helping your team while dead. If you take the chance to run and heal up, you'll be back in the action much sooner. And if the person chases you, you've trained that person away from the control point or whatever and lessened the numbers fighting your team.

Rift Scavenger is your friend! This ability is a life safer and make sure to make good use of it. Getting the killing blow from using a finisher is nice, but it's just a stat.. if you find yourself getting low on life, put 5 AP's on the target and let your group killing them, especially when you know the target is going to die anyways. Also, make use of enemy pets, especially ranger pets. Ranger pets are easy to kill, put 5 AP's on them and kill them for a nice HP boost.

GET THE GUN! We(guardians) recently got access to what used to be the defiant only top tier PvP ranged weapon. I don't care if you've already spent the 100+ favor for the bow... I did as well.. But it's worth every penny to get the gun. Getting the gun takes a huge "hey look at me, I'm over here with the streaks of light coming at you" off of your body. The gun has no weapon trails(other than a few select abilities) and really hides your position well.



Well I hope this is useful to at least 1 person and hopefully it wasn't too wordy! If anyone has any suggestions or questions for me, I will be happy to respond.

[Archemys]

Nice tips.

You've got me on Rift zam now looking at build options... I currently only have pve-centric builds.

[StrifeV]

And forgive the few grammatical errors(namely tun =ton and safer=saver). Sure there are others that I didn't catch in my spell check and quick once over.

[StrifeV]

Nice tips.

You've got me on Rift zam now looking at build options... I currently only have pve-centric builds.

WHAT!!?!! I always carry two PvP builds, my other is 32sin/18rs/16nb that I mostly use for open world.

[Ax1om]

Sadly you don't seem to understand the weak points of the MM soul and how to fix them by taking the RS soul into your build.

Accepting that you cannot kite most, almost all opponents is the first step.

[StrifeV]

Sadly you don't seem to understand the weak points of the MM soul and how to fix them by taking the RS soul into your build.

Accepting that you cannot kite most, almost all opponents is the first step.

I'm confused by your statement, care to explain?

[Ax1om]

I'm confused by your statement, care to explain?

Have you ever kited a NB/RS, an AS/RS or Riftblade succesfully? Let's face it: all the MMs escape skills are worthless, even less. There are so many charges, get closers and ranged attacks on melee chars.

If you want to survive, then your MMs needs defensive skills and migation

[StrifeV]

Have you ever kited a NB/RS, an AS/RS or Riftblade succesfully? Let's face it: all the MMs escape skills are worthless, even less. There are so many charges, get closers and ranged attacks on melee chars.

NB/RS & AS/RS are harder, but yes. Not to the extent of Riftblades, but I still consider it kited.

NB/RS is harder to kite because they also have ranged abilities.. even when they teleport I'm still faster than them and can pull away from them and at least keep them using their weaker ranged abilities. AS/RS is easier as most of it's damage is melee and the ranged damage comes from their 3rd soul. It also depends on your definition of kiting. For the 2 rogue specs I tend to kite back and forth. If they teleport to me, I may switch and go back the other direction. Whatever I have to do to keep them out of melee range.

For riftblades, you have to purge planar blade, otherwise they are going to chain summon/pull you to them(if they are in VK as well). Otherwise they are hard as hell to kite as they can shift to you every time they crit.

You shouldn't expect to be able to kite everyone though.

If you want to survive, then your MMs needs defensive skills and migation

Kind of why I take RS, the defensive skills = more HP, better movement, more mitigation

[Ax1om]

Here's my point: you took only +HP and movement speed besides the riftguard from the RS talent. These are no damage migation skills, a decent melee char or an assist will just blow you up. Considering your vid: you should put more effort in keeping your RS buffs up.

[StrifeV]

Here's my point: you took only +HP and movement speed besides the riftguard from the RS talent. These are no damage migation skills, a decent melee char or an assist will just blow you up. Considering your vid: you should put more effort in keeping your RS buffs up.

I don't waste my teleports and leave myself with my pants down for a DPS buff that I can do without. The object is to do damage from range and if you take damage get the hell out.

Melee characters aren't a problem generally.. and if you mean assist as in multiple people targeting me, that's pretty much a weakness for every non-warden spec. And more times than not, I can get away from multiple people unless they stunlock me and my teleports/break free is down... which mitigation isn't going to matter anyways.

[Ax1om]

I don't waste my teleports and leave myself with my pants down for a DPS buff that I can do without. The object is to do damage from range and if you take damage get the hell out.

Melee characters aren't a problem generally.. and if you mean assist as in multiple people targeting me, that's pretty much a weakness for every non-warden spec. And more times than not, I can get away from multiple people unless they stunlock me and my teleports/break free is down... which mitigation isn't going to matter anyways.

+15% damage and 5 - 15% more crit is alot. You cannot say "I don't need damage buffs, because I can do without" unless you are accidently grouped into a rank1-20 warfront.

[StrifeV]

+15% damage and 5 - 15% more crit is alot. You cannot say "I don't need damage buffs, because I can do without" unless you are accidently grouped into a rank1-20 warfront.

I can and do. Having them available when needed is greater benefit than the damage increase. I use my teleports as movement.. the damage increase is just an added bonus.

[Amane]

I'm not sure what Ax1om's problem is, his original post is confusing and means two completely different things depending on how it's read, neither of which actually make sense either.

Anyways, I've been running this spec for a while now and so far enjoy it. The biggest benefit in my mind is how useful it is to get free heals off someone who dies before I get in a finisher, which is frequently in group PvP. The biggest drawback in my mind is not having the extra 3% hit from MM, which happens to be my only source of hit in full PvP gear at all. Also takes a little getting used to having so many teleports as a MM.

Still not sure if it can beat a pure 51MM in terms of raw damage capability, but it's a fun spec to try out nonetheless.

[Theneus]

Sorry to go a little offtopic here, but what are the addons you use? I really like the cast bar/combo point thing and the bar that shows your debuffs.

[ChrisN]

I'll have to show you how it's done Snuggles. When I see you in a WF....

Watch out