Welcome to our build guide for the Bounty Hunter, this particular guide will focus on the SWTOR Mercenary Arsenal Build. Throughout this guide we will first look at the actual top rated build itself, followed by a brief play style guide, as well as some general tips and reminders to look at, and the we will briefly go over a few of the key talents and abilities for this build. Now let’s get started!

SWTOR Mercenary Arsenal Build

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#300bfRoozZMIkoRrdRzc.1

SWTOR Mercenary Arsenal Build Play Style

The Arsenal build for Mercenaries is one that involves launching out rockets and missiles at a swift rate, having the ability to have moderate control over the battlefield with your crowd control effects, and also having such perks as being able to scan for stealthed enemies. The play style is a run and gun gig for the most part, though as always you can only benefit from having increased awareness and caution- depending on the situation.

As an Arsenal built Mercenary be prepared to spam your attacks. One of the core abilities; Tracer Missile provides the basis for almost all your damage down the road. In most scenarios you will find yourself fire it multiple times per enemy, and often in succession of each other. Arsenal Mercenaries also still benefit immensely from the buffs that the procs provide. Much like the other versions of this class, procs have a chance to activate while you are in combat and actively engaging your opponent. This goes only to further the running and gunning aspect ideal of this class, being that you always want to be keeping pressure on your opponent. Even if it is only regular attacks, getting your procs to activate can often times have the ability to turn the tide of the fight.

Arsenal Mercenaries are (much like the Pyrotech versions of the class) a DPS based class. In team situation you have the ability to be the boots on the ground, and the cowboy of the battle. With this in mind though, it is always wise to know where the tank is in correspondence to yourself, along with your exit strategies should you bite off more than you can chew. This is a fairly common occurrence with those playing Arsenal as though the class is extremely powerful, sometimes that can cause you to have a bit more ambition than you have health.

Mercenaries use their abilities on a system of heat management, rather than energy. Almost all of your abilities and skills will increase your heat as you use them, and the higher your heat gets (heat can be monitored on the bar below your health) the longer it takes to cool down. There is one great ability Mercenaries get to cull this effect though, called Vent Heat which will dispense a portion of your accumulated heat, and continue to cool your character’s heat down for a few seconds after.

SWTOR Mercenary Arsenal Build Tips/Reminders

It is often best to follow a rotation that puts emphasis on your Tracer Missile. You may feel a bit overstimulated with the amount of damage abilities the Arsenal Mercenary has,  and you might want to want to go ahead and try and use them all in one fight. Not to say this is a bad practice, and surely you have the freedom to play as you see fit, but by focusing your rotation around Tracer Missile and by using it multiple times in a row you not only prepare your target for the rest of your now boosted barrage of damage, you also increase the likelihood of your main proc firing.

Another important tool to get used to using is your camera. Try panning and looking around at all times while you engage your enemies and maneuver throughout the battlefield. Get comfortable with moving your camera around to all sides, and even behind you while you move and do your battle. The payoff is that your foes will have a harder time closing on you, greatly reducing the amount of danger you subject yourself to and any damage you might receive otherwise.

SWTOR Mercenary Arsenal Build Key Abilities/Talents

Tracer Missile: As mentioned previously this is your core attack for this build. It deals 1328-1495 kinetic damage and applies a “heat signature” to the target. This means the target will have their armor reduced by 4% for 15 seconds. Some may scoff at this as being too miniscule to have any amount of payoff. The charm of this attack is that the armor reduction effect stacks up to 5 times, meaning 20% of your target’s armor will no longer be working to fend off the rest of your onslaught.

Jet Boost: This is another great ability you have at your disposal. While shared with the other types of Mercenary builds, it makes itself right at home with the Arsenal toolset. Jet Boost will knock up to 5 nearby enemies backwards and away, dealing 1193-1323 elemental damage. It also slows the movement speed of the affected targets by 60% for 4 seconds, which is a pretty significant slow.

Fusion Missile: While this ability can still be used to great success in PvP it can really shine in PvE. Fusion Missile 1322-1785 kinetic damage to up to 3 targets within 5 meters, it also places a DoT on the targets for 1957 elemental damage over 6 seconds, meaning it has an awful powerful tick. In PvE though, standard and weak targets enter a state of panic when set on fire by this ability which means you are able to control adds to some extent.

SWTOR Mercenary Arsenal Build Conclusion

There you have it, everything you’ll need to know to master this build and bring it into the game. Be sure to check out some of our other build guides as well as overall class guides, leveling guides, and much more for SWTOR!