Table of Contents:

• Introduction
• Gear Attributes
• Preferred Attributes
• Identifying and Making Enigmatic
• Masterworking
• Enchanting
• Conclusion

Introduction

During your travels in Arborea you will come across many “enigmatic” items with a “?” over them. Only these “enigmatic” items can be identified, and only once identified can they be upgraded. To identify the item you will need to buy a common identification scroll at the general vendor (costs 5,250 gold).

Upgradable items always have base lower stats than non-upgradable items; however their potential is far greater. The reason is that the upgradable items can be identified to reveal specific attributes that will aid you in your numerous battles. In short, attributes are stats which activate when certain conditions are met, similarly to crystals. Once the item has been identified it can be strengthened via the enchanting system.

The enchanting system allows you to strengthen your gear and increase its base stats while also giving you the potential to unlock the gear’s attributes. To enchant an item press “T” by default to get the enchanting window. Then right click the item you wish to strengthen (goes in the middle slot). After you right click the sacrificial item (goes in the left slot). Finally right click the enchanting powder (goes in the right slot) and click the button to enchant. This system has three main components and this basic formula:

Sacrificial gear + Your gear + Enchantment powders = Strengthening(+1) / Failure(0) / Weakening(-1)

The sacrificial gear you must use depends on the tier of the item you wish to enchant. You can only enchant an item by using a sacrificial item of the same tier. Furthermore the sacrificial item has to be the same type as the item you wish to strengthen. For example, if you try to enchant a weapon you must sacrifice another weapon (any type as long as it is the same tier). The reason why it is called sacrificial item is that it will be destroyed in the process of enchanting your gear. The tier of an item varies depending on the level of the item.

Different types of enchantment alkahest (I refer to them as powders, much easier to say and type) can be used, each have their own effect but of course their price greatly varies. The three types are White powder, Pink powder and Blue powder.

Gear Attributes

This part will cover the various attributes that can be found on all equipments. Afterwards I will mention the class-specific attributes which you can get from two level 58 Dungeons (Dome and Watch). Finally I will finish the post by discussing which attributes are the most preferred for the various class roles.

Weapons

PvE Weapon

• +0.2% MP Recovered for every successful Hits
• +3% Damage when hitting Aggroed Monsters
• +3 Strength (Masterwork Only)
• +4.5% Damage when hitting Big-Ass Monsters
• +4.5% Damage when hitting Normal Monster
• +4.5% Damage when hitting Small Monsters
• +5.1% Damage when hitting Monster’s Rear
• +5.3% Damage when hitting Knocked-Down Monsters
• +6% Damage when hitting Enraged Monsters
• -7% Aggro Generation when using Skills (Healers Only)
• +8% Animation Speed
• +8% Healing Given (Staff & Sceptre Only)
• +10% Damage when hitting Players (PvP)
• +13.5% Aggro Generated per Hit (Lance Only)
• 50% Chance to get MP Recovery Effect when starting Combat

PvP Weapon

+5% Damage when hitting Players
+7% Damage when hitting Player’s Rear

Armors

PvE Chest Armour

• +0.11% HP Recovered for every successful Hits
• +1.7% Chance to Resist Crit Hits
• +2 Defence (Masterwork Only)
• -3% Damage when hit on Front
• -3% Damage when hit by Aggroed Monsters
• -4.5% Damage when hit by Big-Ass Monsters
• -4.5% Damage when hit by Normal Monsters
• -4.5% Damage when hit by Small Monsters
• -5.3% Damage when hit while Knocked-Down
• -6% Damage when hit by Enraged Monsters
• +8.6% Healing Received (Self Heals also work except for the Mystic)
• -10% Damage when hit by Players (PvP)
• 15% Damage is Reflected on Opponent (PvE and PvP)
• +24% Knock-Down Resist while using Skills
• 30% Chance to get HP Recovery Effect when starting Combat

PvP Chest Armour

• -7% Damage when hit on Rear by Players
• -10% Damage when hit by Players while Knocked-Down

Gloves

• Reduced Crit Damage when Hit
• +1 Strength
• +2 Crit Chance
• +2 Knock-Down Rate
• +4.5% Healing Given (Only Cloth)
• +6.7% Aggro Generated per Hit (Only Plate)

Shoes

• -0.7 Slow Duration
• +1 Defence
• +2 Knock-Down Resistance
• +10% Movement Speed (In and Out of Combat)
• -10% Damage when hit by Players (PvP)
• +30% Knock-Down Resistance when stepped on by Big-Ass Monsters

Jewellery

Rings / Necklace

• +0.04 Crit Damage Multiplier
• +2 Crit Chance
• +2.3% Chance to Sleep Opponent
• +2.6% Chance to Weaken Opponent (Lancer)
• +3% Chance to Poison Opponent
• +4.5% Healing Given (Priest / Mystic)
• +3/4/6% Animation Speed (Necklace Only)

Earrings

• +1.9% Stun Resistance
• +2.3% Weaken Resistance
• +4.5% Received Heals (Self Heals also work except for the Mystic)
• -15% Poison Damage
• -20% Stun Duration

Class-Specific Attributes

• Dome and Watch (two latest dungeons) drop special “Already enchanted” gear. The Weapons and Armours each have a class specific stat on them. The stat can be one of three:
• Increased % Skill Damage for a Specific Skill
• Reduced % Cool-Down for a Specific Skill
• Reduced MP Cost for a Specific Skill

Preferred Attributes

This section mainly focuses on the PvE aspect, since for PvP there are less attributes to choose from. I will however add a PvP section if people request it.
When there are more than one line of attributes it means you can choose between different options depending on what you prefer.

Archer/Berserker/Slayer/Sorcerer

The damage dealing classes have a very simple role, to unleash all the damage they can in the shortest amount of time. As such they focus on damage dealing and animation speed attributes. Furthermore, since they are often facing the monster’s rear, they can get an attribute to increase their damage for this specific situation. Here are their most commonly used attributes on the different equipments:

Weapon

• +4.5% Damage when hitting Big-Ass Monsters x3 AND +8% Animation Speed x1
• +4.5% Damage when hitting Big-Ass Monsters x2 AND +8% Animation Speed x2
• +5.1% Damage when hitting Monster’s Rear x1 AND +4.5% Damage when hitting Big-Ass Monsters x1 AND +8% Animation Speed x1
• +5.1% Damage when hitting Monster’s Rear x2 AND +8% Animation Speed x1

Chest Armour

• -4.5% Damage when hit by Big-Ass Monsters x3

Gloves

• +1 Strength x2

Shoes

• +1 Defence x2

Necklace

• +3/4/6% Animation Speed

Rings

• +2 Crit Chance x2
• +2 Crit Chance x1 AND +0.04 Crit Damage Multiplier x1
• +0.04 Crit Damage Multiplier x2

Earrings

• +4.5% Received Heals x2

Warrior

The Warrior has a different story than all the other classes. This is because it is the only class that can both Tank AND do a lot of damage. Depending on the situation, mainly whether the Warrior is tanking or going for damage dealing, the most crucial attribute is animation speed. Here are their most commonly used attributes on the different equipments:

Weapon

• +8% Animation Speed x2 AND +4.5% Damage when hitting Big-Ass Monsters x2
• +8% Animation Speed x2 AND +4.5% Damage when hitting Big-Ass Monsters x1 AND +5.1% Damage when hitting Monster’s Rear x1

Chest Armour

• -4.5% Damage when hit by Big-Ass Monsters x3

Gloves

• +1 Strength x2

Shoes

• +1 Defence x2

Necklace

• +3/4/6% Animation Speed

Rings

• +2 Crit Chance x2
• +2 Crit Chance x1 AND +0.04 Crit Damage Multiplier x1
• +0.04 Crit Damage Multiplier x2

Earrings

• +4.5% Received Heals x2

Lancer

Lancers rely on generating as much aggro as they can to make sure that their group can perform at their best without having to worry about monsters attacking them. Another very useful aspect to focus on is their animation speed, which helps them perform all their skills faster. Here are their most commonly used attributes on the different equipments:

Weapon

• +13.5% Aggro Generated per Hit x3 AND +8% Animation Speed x1
• +13.5% Aggro Generated per Hit x2 AND +8% Animation Speed x2

Chest Armour

• -4.5% Damage when hit by Big-Ass Monsters x3

Gloves

• +6.7% Aggro Generated per Hit x2

Shoes

• +1 Defence x2

Necklace

• +3/4/6% Animation Speed

Rings

• +2.6% Chance to Weaken Opponent x2

Earrings

• +4.5% Received Heals x2

Mystic/Priest

Healers have to focus on making sure they can quickly and efficiently heal their group. As such they will aim to get healing and animation speed attributes. Here are their most commonly used attributes on the different equipments:

Weapon

• +8% Healing Given x3 AND +8% Animation Speed x1
• +8% Healing Given x2 AND +8% Animation Speed x2

Chest Armour

• -4.5% Damage when hit by Big-Ass Monsters x3

Gloves

• +4.5% Healing Given x2

Shoes

• +10% Movement Speed x2
• +1 Defence x2

Necklace

• +3/4/6% Animation Speed

Rings

• +4.5% Healing Given x2

Earrings

• +4.5% Received Heals x2

Identifying and Making Enigmatic

Identifying and making enigmatic is a very simple process, however be aware that randomly generating attributes for your gear can get expensive, since it is random. It is suggested to only start doing so at level 50+.

The Process

Identifying an item will generate random attributes, some will come into effect straight away while the other attributes will only be reached by enchanting the item. Depending on the type of gear you can get either 1 or 2 additional basic attributes. This means you will feel the effect of those attributes even if you do not strengthen the item. On PvE and Crafted gear you can only generate the same attribute twice; once as an immediate attribute and again as an attribute which is unlocked via enchanting. The only way to get three of the same attribute on you gear is if the attribute is already present as a base stat and you generate two more of the same attribute on top of that. On PvP gear however you can generate the same attribute for all the enchantment levels.

After an item has been identified it can be made enigmatic if you wish to generate better attributes which are more specific to your class. To generate attributes which satisfies your requirements you can just keep identifying and unidentifying your gear. This process can become quite expensive and is therefore only recommended once you reach level 50+.

In the post above I explained which attributes you may want to focus on getting depending on your class, make sure you have read it. Once you are satisfied with the attributes, or are just tired of trying to get the perfect stats, you will use the enchanting system.

Gear Classification Differences

Depending on the type of gear you are using the random attributes will be generated at different enhancement steps:

• PvE Gear = +3/+6/+9
• Crafted Gear = +3/+5/+7/+9
• PvP Gear = +1/+3/+5/+7/+9

As you can see, crafted gear does gain an extra attribute over PvE gear. This is why crafting gear can be a good alternative when leveling up. However at high level it is less viable for various reason (mainly it is very expensive to craft armor that compares to the good drops).

Masterwork

Before you attempt to Masterwork your gear you need to be aware of a very important fact, it costs a lot of money. It is recommended to only Masterwork the best gear (currently Level 58 Tier12 Rank1) with this method.

The Effect

Masterworking is when you improve your gear by giving it the potential to be enchanted past the +9 mark. It also increases the effectiveness of the gear, hence raising its base stats and the effectiveness of each attribute. A masterwork item will have a gold medal (get picture) overlay. You will receive random attributes (for example at +3/+6/+9) as always but on top of that you will be able to strengthen the item to +10/+11/+12.

The +10/+11/+12 attributes will always be the same depending on the gear type. If it is a Weapon then the +10/+11/+12 attributes will be +3 Strength for each step. If the masterwork gear is a piece of Armour then the +10/+11/+12 attributes will be +2 Defence for each step.

The Process

The masterwork process is simple, yet painstakingly expensive. You can masterwork gear which is not legendary using the identification and enigmatic method, which is much cheaper than trying to masterwork a legendary item. To get both the masterwork and the attributes on a rare item takes on average 150-800 of each scrolls (depending on the item). To masterwork a legendary item however you have to use a better version of scrolls than those used for the identification and enigmatic process. This is where the intricate identification scrolls and intricate enigmatic scrolls come into play.

Again, and I cannot stress this enough, only attempt to masterwork the best gear. On average it takes around 50-100 of each intricate scrolls to get a masterwork on a legendary item. However to get both the masterwork and the attributes many of us will spend most of their money, and more. On average it takes around 150-300 of each intricate scrolls to get both the masterwork and attributes which you are satisfied with.

The best way to increase your chances while trying to be efficient with your spending money is to follow the flowchart below:

By looking at the flowchart you can see that there is no point of using an intricate identification scroll unless there is a golden “?” on the item. The reason is that statistically speaking the probability of getting a masterwork without first having a golden “?” is approximated at 0.05%. However using an intricate identification scroll on a golden “?” gives approximately a 1% chance to masterwork . Hence this saves you a lot of money in the long run.

Enchanting

When leveling up, it is greatly recommended to enchant your gear to +4 in the low to mid levels, no higher as you will get replacement gear fast as you level up. Getting +4 is relatively easy to achieve, with an approximate success rate of 80% from +1 to +4. Past level 45 and above it is more efficient to get +6, as you gain an extra random attribute and you keep your gear for longer. Finally, at max level (58) it is important to get +9 up to +12 on your high-end gear. The obvious reason being that you will keep the gear for many months and the added bonuses will really add up to greatly aid you in your many battles.

Gear Tier and Powder Amount

The number of powders required to enchant the equipment is directly depend on the Tier of the said equipment. If you are trying to enchant a low level item of Tier4 then you will only require 4 powders for an attempt at raising the enchantment level. If you are however trying to enchant the highest level items of Tier12 then you will require 12 powders.

I have made a chart to compare the Gear level range against the corresponding tier:

The high-end level 58 gear is Tier12 and has various rank that defines the quality. Tier12 Rank1 is the best gear and upgradable while Tier12 Rank6 gear is non-upgradable, but very useful as sacrificial items to upgrade Tier12 Rank3/Rank2/Rank1 gear. Please note that Tier12 gear cannot be traded, it is bound to whomever loots it.

Powders and Their Effects

As previously mentioned, there are three types of powders: White, Pink and Blue. Their effects are described below:White = Normal success rate, chance to downgrade if failure. Most commonly used powder type as it is very cheap and sold at every general merchant store.

• Pink = Higher success rate, chance to downgrade if failure. Least used powder type, it is relatively expensive and can still cause the gear to downgrade if the enchantment is a failure. This item is only sold in the luxury shop which can only be enabled by Vanarchs (Lords).
• Blue = Normal success rate, minimal chance to downgrade if failure. This powder is only used from +6 up to +12, it is very expensive but worth the price. The minimal chance to downgrade means that the gear will almost never downgrade from +6 to +12, although it can happen. This item is only sold in the luxury shop which can only be enabled by Vanarchs (Lords).

Preferred Enchanting Method

We all have a different way to play a probability based system such as enchanting. In TERA however my friends and I have found the following enchanting method to be the most efficient:

• +0 to +4 = Use Common and Uncommon gear as sacrificial items and White powders.
• +4 to +6 = Use Rare gear as sacrificial items and White powders. On Tier12 items, I personally use Pink Powders from +5 to +6 as Rare Tier12 gear is the most expensive Tier12 gear which can be traded.
• +6 to +12 = Use Legendary gear as sacrificial items and Blue powders.

Weapon Glow

As a side reward for enchanting your weapon to +7 and above you will notice a glow on your weapon. There are different hues, from a faint blue glow at +7 to a full bright neon pink at +12.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading this article, and I hope you found it useful. Credit for writing it goes to Deioth from Atra-Astrum guild. Don’t forget to add your own thoughts in the comments below!

For further information read this Tera Strategy Guide. Highly recommended for all players.

In this guide you’ll learn exactly which traits are best on your gear no matter the build or setup! If you don’t want to read the boring details, click here to jump directly to the table outlining best traits: Best Traits.

Since the trait names will be referenced plenty of times in this guide, here’s a table reminding you exactly what they do!

Armor Traits

Weapon Traits

 For armor, you will never want to craft items with Sturdy, Training or Well-Fitted, and equally useless are Charged and Training on weapons.

Which traits to use?

The biggest thing to consider is that not all items receive the same benefit from enchants. As an example, enchanting a V12 belt will give you around 45 health, while a same Veteran Rank headpiece can give you well over 100 health. Therefore, armor trait “Infused” giving you a stronger benefit from enchants is preferred on item pieces which give you the largest amounts of stats so the Infused trait will scale even further.

On nearly all item setups and skill builds Infused trait is preferred on your head, chest, and pants. If you decided to enchant all of these slots with bonus health you would get about 370, and with Infused traits another 50 or so on top of it is a big difference. For tanks using heavy armor Reinforced is best used on Shoulders and Boots, unless you are looking to overcharge your armor further and want it on Head, Chest and Pants as well.

Divines trait (increasing the effect of Mundus stones) is equally beneficial no matter which stone you prefer using. Gloves and belt slots give very little armor and enchants on them are not nearly as potent as on some other equipment slots, so they should always have the Divines trait on them.

The table below will give you a basic breakdown of how your armor traits should look in a majority of setups:

The table assumes you are using heavy armor for tanking, and light and medium armour for damage dealing.

As for weapon traits, almost all damage dealers will opt to go for Precise, increasing their critical strike chance. Alternatively you may see some with Sharpened or Weighted, though it’s considered sub-optimal currently. Tanks will likely want Defending if they’re still not overcharged with Armor and Resistances. In some cases Infused, Powered, Sharpened, or Weighted can be used as well.

This guide also doesn’t take PvP into account where Impenetrable trait is often a popular choice as well. Shoulders, boots, gloves, and belt slots are best with Impenetrable trait, and you should nearly always have it on gloves and belt.

Have any other questions about best traits in ESO? Shoot them in the comments below!

If you’re hoping for an item to drop for you then you’re in for a rough ride. Items which are worth over 10 Exalted Orbs are of course extremely rare and while they seemingly keep dropping for other players more than they do for you there is a way to increase your chances of getting one. Chance Orbs have a miniscule possibility to turn a white item into a Unique one, so using the orbs on particular whites can be a good strategy to maximize your farming time.

There are several high-value items that I almost always “chance”, and they include:

• Glorious Plate – Turns into Kaom’s Heart (value over 30 Exalted)
• Occultist’s Vestments – Turns into Shavronne’s Wrappings (value around 50 Ex unlinked, up to 80 if 6L); also chances in Infernal Mantle which is worth far less
• Siege Axe – can be chanced for Soul Taker, valued at 50+ Exalted depending on roll
• Spine Bow – Voltaxic Rift bow, valued at over 50 Ex

Note: approximate values are based on Standard league prices.

These are all some of the best items in game and highly valued by many skill tree builds, and rare enough to warrant their extreme prices. When farming Merciless Docks you should see at least 2-3 Siege Axes in a solo run, and Occultist’s Vestments are a bit more rare but still rather frequent. Glorious Plates and Spine Bows can drop in Docks or Lunaris as well but they drop more regularly once you get into 68+ map farming.

Other higher valued items still worth chancing are Hubris Circlets for Crown of Eyes, Nightmare Bascinets for Bringer of Rain & Devoto’s Devotion, Chain Belt for Auxium, Murder Mitts for Thunderfist, and Amethyst Ring for Ming’s Heart and Death Rush. All of these are worth between 10 and 30 Ex on average. There’s even more items you could try your luck with: Champion Kite Shield for Aegis Aurora, Sinner Tricorne for Alpha’s Howl, Gold Ring for Andvarius, Archon Kite Shield for Prism Guardian, Prophecy Wand for Void Battery, Slaughter Knife for Bino’s Kitchen Knife, Imperial Bow for Lioneye’s Glare and Sapphire Ring for Dream Fragments, though some of these may not be worth as much to make it worthwhile. Some of these items have certain iLvl requirements (see wiki), so for example to get Thunderfist as a drop you’d need iLvl 76: using Orb of Chance ignores these requirements so you could chance Thunderfist even on lower item levels.

It’s been said there’s about a 1:1000 shot to Chance a unique item. While I’m personally way beyond that number and have yet to see one, considering the ratio of Chance to Exalted (at the time of writing this 220:1) it’s a gambit I’m willing to take. Even if it was a 1:4000 chance it would at the very least be even in value, therefore making this a legitimate effort to obtain highly valued items. The probability of these Unique items dropping is likely not any better either, so you’re basically just doubling the possibility of getting them. Another upside to chancing is that you might even get a decent Rare item.

Tip: I usually carry 10-15 Chance Orbs in my inventory along with Wisdom/Portal Scrolls so I can immediately Chance the items and drop them so they do not take any unnecessary space.

The next time you pass by these Plates, Vestments, Axes or Bows consider the numbers and make use of all those Orbs of Chance you hoarded. There’s a possibility it will be worth it. And one day when your character is all shiny and rich be sure to remember to give me a cut of your profits. Or else.

Note: IIQ and IIR combined is often referred to as MF – Magic Find.

What’s Increased Item Quantity?

Increased Item Quantity (IIQ) affects the number of items dropped by monsters you slay. As a basic example having 100% IIQ would mean you get twice as many items. IIQ affects not only equipment drops but also currency, and is generally considered much more valuable than IIR.

What’s Increased Item Rarity?

Item Rarity (IIR) basically determines whether the item dropped will be normal (white), magic (blue), rare (yellow) or unique (brown, orange, or whatever it looks like). Having 100% IIR would mean you get twice as many rare and magic items than you normally would.

The main difference is that IIQ increases all drops, while IIQ only increases your chance to get rare/unique items.

What about item Quality?

There is no stat that affects item quality! The wording in Path of Exile can take awhile to wrap your head around at the start but there is no stat that affects whether items dropped will have +Quality on them. Whether gems, items and flasks have +Quality on them is pure chance. Although technically having more IIQ would increase the amount of items dropped thus increasing your chances to get more +quality items.

Is IIQ better than IIR?

IIQ is generally considered better than IIR, most importantly because it affects currency drop rates as well as equipment. However if you’re focusing on high MF you should try to get a good mixture of both stats, so if you have about 50% IIQ try to get at least 150% IIR to go with it. Having a high amount of either IIQ or IIR rather than both can be beneficial but rarely as much as having both.

Do note that if you’re mostly farming in groups having more IIR is better since a full group already has +250 IIQ (excluding any map bonuses if applicable). If you prefer to farm alone then either get a mixture of both stats, or consider getting high IIR if you want an increased chance to get rare rings and amulets for the Chaos vendor recipe.

How much IIQ/IIR should you have?

Dual Spark Totem is currently the main build that focuses on high MF. Most other skill tree builds have to focus on far too many other stats to be able to afford high MF as well. Players with some of the best gear available have +150% IIQ and +450% IIR which is considered an extremely high amount. It is possible to reach high amounts of IIQ/IIR on other builds but it’s ridiculously expensive and to most first-time players well out of reach.

On most characters/builds having any MF is not considered mandatory in any way. High-level players typically farm in groups where only one player has high MF and he’s the one who finishes most monsters, while others focus on damage. You should always prioritize high defensive stats followed by damage, and any MF you’re able to get is helpful but secondary.

Yes, IIQ+IIR of the player who deals the killing blow on a monster is the only one that counts!

Typically when you hit a certain threshold where you can clear Docks or low-level maps with ease you can consider getting MF. Even having 50% IIQ and 100% IIR will give you a noticeable increase in items and currency: the easiest way to notice it is when you start running out of Wisdom Scrolls.

Conclusion

Although there are diminishing returns on high amounts of IIQ and IIR there is no sweet spot: the more you have the better. If you can choose to have either IIQ or IIR, IIQ is at least twice as valuable, but if you decide to build a character with high MF then focus on getting both not just one. For solo play IIQ is better than IIR.

I hope this short guide helps you understand Quantity and Rarity better. If you have any questions or thoughts shoot them in the comments below!

I think it’s important to give newcomers guidance on what drops they should be paying attention to, and which aren’t worth keeping. This guide aims to do just that, offering a list ordered by pickup priority. It involves the obvious stuff (rares, uniques) but also the less immediate such as 3-color-links to trade into chromatics or max implicit jewelry.

Obviously, this guide assumes you want to pick stuff up for its general usefulness / market value. Your personal character needs at the moment should be max priority, and if you feel a blue (or a white) is an upgrade over what you’re wearing at the moment, by all means pick it up!

Understand this guide is a product of my own (limited) experience and doesn’t involve the endgame, just the route to MoC. If you have any suggestions or changes, feel free to post it in the comments =).

Priority List

So let’s say you are just born fresh (and soaked) into the world of Wraeclast. You might think that, just because you’re new, all the items you’re get are worthless. On the contrary! There are items of great value for newcomers too, that can be traded for high end Uniques. I recently got a +16% Whirling Blades gem in the very second area of the game, which sells for a substantial amount of high end currency. You should keep your eyes open!

In order to know what stuff is actually valuable, here’s my personal priority list:

Max Priority: Pick these all the time

1. All Currency items. Every single currency item is worth picking up and stacking, with the occasional exception of Scrolls of Wisdom and Portal Scrolls. These last two are plentiful so it is fine if you skip them every now and then. The rest should be picked without exception, as end-game “crafting” uses them in great quantities and they are all valuable. Even the less obvious ones (such as Orb of Scouring) are worthwhile and shouldn’t be left in the ground!
2. Quality Skill Gems. This is often overlooked by newbies, which leads to a lot of wealth wasted. Every time you see a skill drop, even if it’s extremely basic, take a second to hover your mouse over it and check if it has a Quality bonus. If it does, no matter how small, pick it up. These sell for high prices as they significantly reduce the number of Gemcutter’s Prisms you need to make them perfect, and high level min maxers will pay for them. They’re also good to use in place of the normal ones, even when underleveled!
3. Uniques. Some uniques are better, some are worse, but they’re generally helpful to the appropriate build, and some times they’re extremely powerful (such as Charan’s Tipua Kaikohuru). If you see brown text on the ground, don’t pass. Even if it’s low level, it may come in handy for your next character or a strange build. I’ve made a build that abuses Crown of Thorns, which has been called the worst Unique ever, so remember this: There will be someone out there buying the Uniques you get, even if you can’t figure out how to use them.
4. Three-Colour-Links. Knowing that you should pick 3CLs up is one of the best benefits of reading the Sales Recipe thread. 3CL is any item with one socket of each colour linked together (they may have more sockets). They are good because they sell for 1 chromatic orb, in one of the most direct recipes available, so it’s the equivalent to picking a (rather bulky) chromatic orb. Vendor it ASAP and collect your reward.

High Priority: You generally want to pick these

1. Rares. More often than not, you want to pick rares up. What you do with them is another issue that I’ll discuss in another section of the guide, but they’re useful material. Identified, they may turn out to be quite powerful and sell for decent amounts, or serve as gear for yourself or your twinks. If they turn out not too decent, they can be turned into Sale Recipes to get special orbs, or outright vendored for shards. Left unidentified they can also net you some orbs thanks to Sale Recipes. How to “spend” your rares will be explained later on.
2. Non-Quest Skill Gems. Many skill gems are awarded as quest rewards for the different classes. Others aren’t, and it’s a good idea to pick up the ones that can’t be easily obtained. You can probably obtain a list somewhere else in the forum, but quickly asking on the Chat will suffice. Having a couple copies of every non-quest gem is always good in case you roll a character that uses them, or a sale opportunity turns up. If they start piling up, you may want to skip some.
3. High Links. High Links are items with many linked slots. They won’t start appearing until late Cruel, so don’t worry about this at first. 5-links should be picked up without exception, and if you see a 6-link you better dive like crazy for it: they’re extremely rare. 4-links depends on you, and how much storage space you have. They’re rare enough to be convenient, but won’t sell for much.
4. Max Implicit Items. Some items (like Jewelry) have implicit bonuses: Those are the ones above the horizontal line before the magic stuff. Implicit values are important because they’re independent of the rest of the bonuses, so if you tinker with a piece of jewelry or belt that value will be left untouched, unless you use a special orb for it. This means items with perfect Implicit mods have an intrinsic value, as they are perfect tinkering material at any level (for example to twink characters). Since jewelry doesn’t take much space, picking up those 15% gold rings and 20 onyx amulets isn’t a bad idea.

Medium Priority: You may want to pick these

1. Magic Flasks: It’s always good to pick Flasks up and identify them, because some of their bonuses are valuable. Surgeon flasks sell for alchemy shards, and the ones that heal minions are decently rare. They usually aren’t trade material as most people seem to manage their own ones, but it doesn’t hurt checking them out.
2. Weirdly Coloured Sockets: This may be a personal quirk of mine but I like hoarding items with very unlikely socket colours. This could be, for example, a bow with four red slots, or an axe with five blues. These proportions are statistically very unlikely, and if there is ever a build that requires precisely that layout, chances are they’ll be paying a lot for it. Given how specific these would get, I only suggest picking them up if you have a lot of stash space!
3. Advanced Flasks: The weirder flasks, such as Resistance Flasks, Diamond and Granite Flasks are rare enough to warrant picking a 5-set of every one, if anything because they’re good to have around. I’d advise to pick them up until you have 5 of each, then keep them just in case.

Low Priority: You usually don’t want these

1. Whites without good sockets: There is little use for Whites without interesting socket layouts. Even if they have Quality, there is little point in picking them up, since Quality on a white is very easy to apply. Of course, whites with Implicit bonuses are subject to the Implicit criteria I explained above, but other than that, don’t pick them.
2. Blues (although you may to ID+Drop): Blues are very common and picking them up without any criteria will clog your inventory and waste your time and scrolls. This problem is very common with Diablo 3 players, since they’re used to blues being valuable. Here, not so much. However, you might want to pick up blues you might be interested in and drop a scroll on them to see if they have good mods. If they do, they might be good material for promotion into rares with a Regal Orb, but since an effective promotion would probably require some Exalted Orbs too, this is something you should probably be doing in the endgame.
3. Quest skill gems: Gems that are given as quest rewards are generally trash, unless you need them urgently.

What do I do with my Rares?

I am not going to replicate the Sales Recipe thread here, but if you haven’t read it yet, you really should =). There are plenty of useful recipes to be used. In my experience, the most interesting have been the 3CL one I explained before (which should be used whenever possible) and the Rare related recipes. There are recipes involving Quality Gems to get GCPs, but I think they offer a horrible return rate, so I wouldn’t advise to use that one.

When it comes to Rares however, there are many options to cash your rares in for currency even when they suck completely. So unless your Rare is actually good, or you happen to get the legendary quiver Skin Flute, which you should immediately send to me, prepare to turn them into useful stuff.

There are four recipes you want to aim for: Alchemy, Regal, Chaos and double Chaos.

Chaos is the simplest one if you don’t want to bother. Just stash those rares trying to keep different item types, and when you get a full set of gear, vendor it for a Chaos.

There is a twin for that recipe, which involves selling all rares unidentified. This will net you two Chaos instead of one, which is a great bang for your buck, but you won’t get to check whether the rares you got are good by themselves, which would mean they sold for more. It’s up to you. If you do want to farm Chaos orbs, I suggest farming a low level area (such as normal Fellshrine) and selling the unidentified rares in bulk. However, high level rares should be identified just in case.

If you want to put a bit more thought into your rare recipes (and also play a fun collection mini-game) you could aim for the Alchemy and Regal recipes. As you might have seen in the recipe thread, you are supposed to hand in Rares with the exact same randomly generated name, and this will give you rewards. 2 same-namers grant you an alchemy, and 3 give you a valuable Regal.

In order to match names effectively you need a strategy. Many people in this forum use a chrome extension to check for coincidences in their rare names. This is a good idea, but you can go even further.

I have a personal strategy that you may enjoy using: Pick a letter, or a set of letters, and gather rares that start with it, until your stash is reasonably full. This will make it easier to remember which rares you have to keep, but most importantly, you can comfortably buy in bulk. By asking on chat “WTB any bad rares that start with F, G and H” for instance, it will make it easier for people to look them up, rather than request specific names.

What do I do with my Currency?

Except for a very few cases, you do not want to use your currency items in your own gear. This doesn’t mean you should be stingy though. What I’m saying is that, until you reach the endgame, they’re better spend trading than enhancing.

Since the amount of currency items you have to sink to reroll a level 70 item is the same than for a 5 item, doing it on the latter means you’re wasting your currency potential. A spare alchemy every now and then when you absolutely have to replace a piece of your gear is okay, but don’t engage in addictive orb iteration when your base item just isn’t worth it.

Instead, actively engage in trades. It’s amazing how much more value you can get for your stuff by trading. An egregious example of this happened to myself after I started the game, back when I had no clue how valuable a GCP was. I sunk two GCPs on my Ice Spear gem to get a measly +2% quality on it, and then I saw someone in the chat sell a +10% Quality Ice Spear for 2 GCP. Silly me!

So remember: Unless you’re engaging in high-end “crafting”, or you are looking for something very specific, the value of the orbs is much higher when unspent.

Written by Falcord

If you know any other good video guides for Path of Exile (or if you made one) be sure to let me know!

We already have some of the information found in this guide posted previously, so I provided some links to my previous articles as well.

Those who wish to follow in the bootsteps of Han Solo, live life on the outside of the law or simply want to carve their own, fast-paced, independent way across the galaxy will want to investigate the Smuggler class in Star Wars: The Old Republic. A snarky sense of humor and oodles of self-belief will also get you off to a solid start.

Looking in the Mirror & Choosing a Species

So, you’ve decided to live life dangerously as a charming and stylish Smuggler? Good choice! After selecting your class the next thing you’ll need to do is choose a species. Options for the Smuggler are as follows; Cyborg, Human, Mirialan, Twi’lek and Zabrak.

Species has no bearing on your stats and only affects the Racial Ability (basically an extra emote) you are given. Also note that the Cyborg species is basically a human with metal bits grafted onto its face. The Cyborg Racial Ability, Scan, is quite fun though.

Primary Attribute

The Smuggler’s Primary Attribute is: Cunning.
Whenever possible, this is the stat you want to boost when upgrading your gear.

Game Quote:

“Cunning increases the damage and critical chances of the Smuggler’s Ranged and Tech powers. This remains so for both the Gunslinger and the Scoundrel Advanced Classes, while the Scoundrel’s Cunning additionally increases the effectiveness of healing powers.”

Armor, Stylish Vests & Equipment

A Smuggler wears Medium Armor and favors a look featuring a variety of leather leggings, multi-pocketed shirts and knee-high boots. Nothing screams “Back off corporate line-tower” more clearly than a nice, low-slung holster and a puffy cargo vest. Am I right?

Game Quote:

“They don’t wear fancy armor or carry high-powered blaster rifles, but Smugglers are outfitted for action nonetheless. Wearing comfortable, flexible clothing with some custom modifications, Smugglers are able to stay light on their feet and quick on the draw. Usually carrying a fast-firing blaster or two, Smugglers have everything they need to shoot their way out of trouble. Though style is rarely their intent, it seems to come naturally to Smugglers, and their dashing duds generally compliment their roguish charm.”

Starting Skills

The first three damage-producing skills you’ll have right off the bat are; Flurry of Bolts, Charged Burst, and Sabotage Charge.

You’ll also have a buff called Lucky Shots – which increases your Critical Hit chance by 5% – a self-heal called Recuperate and the ability to Take Cover (more on this shortly). Remember to use Recuperate liberally. After every battle if necessary.

At Level 2 you’ll obtain an up-close melee skill called Blaster Whip allowing you to clock mobs over the head with your pistol.

At level 3 you’ll obtain Thermal Grenade which damages up to five targets in an eight-meter radius. You will enjoy Thermal Grenade, trust me.

At level 4 you’ll learn Dirty Kick – hands down, the greatest single skill in SWTOR. Yes, Dirty Kick is a melee boot to an enemy’s groin. Humanoid or droid – they’re going down when you apply the ‘Kick! Ooof!

Level 5 brings in the Vital Shot ability. Vital Shot causes your target to bleed internally (dealing 124 damage over 15 seconds). This is a good thing. You want all of your enemies to be bleeding internally. Yessireebob.

More abilities: Here

Cover System

As a Smuggler you’ll need to find cover and use it to your advantage. You can dish out a whole lot of hurt but you aren’t the toughest toon on the block when it comes to soaking up damage.

When you have an enemy selected you will see a green silhouette appear next to an object (boulder, crate, tree, etc.) that can be used as cover. Click the Take Cover icon on your skill bar or hit the “F” key and you will stylishly roll into cover.

If you click Take Cover and there is nothing nearby to hide behind you will simply “take a knee”. Your cover-dependent abilities will then become available.

In later levels a Gunslinger can obtain a handy Portable Cover option which you’ll thank your lucky stars for.

Energy System

Smuggler skills work on an Energy system and it plays out something like this. Each time to you fire off a blaster shot or toss out a grenade you use up a bit of the Energy on your yellow, Energy bar. When your Energy bar is depleted you will no longer be able to use skills that require Energy to function.

Thankfully, right out of the starting gate, you have the Flurry of Bolts blaster shot which is free to use – costing no Energy. This is your bread-and-butter, basic fighting attack which you’ll rely on time and time again to pull your Smuggler hindquarters out of the frying pan.

Game Quote:

“Your energy regenerates faster at higher energy levels. As your energy decreases, so does the rate at which it recovers. To maintain a high amount of energy, use Flurry of Bolts regularly to allow your energy to recover.”

Skill Rotation

Let’s talk about a series of fighting actions which will help you battle your way through levels 1-10. This plan of attack may not be perfect but it worked well for me in early game.

Firstly, Take Cover. Throw out a Sabotage Charge at an enemy (preferably an enemy standing beside a few evil buddies).

Shoot the enemy with Vital Shot to get it bleeding.

Tab-Target the next enemy and throw a Thermal Grenade, Vital Shot for bleeds, fire off Charged Burst then use Flurry of Bolts as many times as needed.

Note that Sabotage Charge has a short cooldown period after use so you won’t be able to throw out these timed explosives more than once every 30 seconds. Also, keep in mind that Sabotage Charge can only be used when in cover.

To simplify even further; Cover, Sabotage Charge, bleeds, thermal grenades and flurry of shots to finish off any remaining.

Origin World: Ord Mantell & Leveling Like A Pro

You’ll first set down and begin your adventures on the wartorn planet of Ord Mantell. You’ll be assisting the local Republic troops in a battle against rebellious Separatists. The first tasks you’ll be asked to assist with include destroying some remote control stations and disabling some signal jammers. Rest assured, the local Seps will attempt to stop you.

Smugglers will also meet and learn to hate a dastardly thug who looms large in their personal story. I won’t spoil what goes down but you will be given ample reason to chase this fiend across the galaxy – beyond your Origin World beginnings.

TIP One: Grab up every side mission you uncover and get them completed before you leave Ord Mantell. You’ll enjoy the credits, gear and extra experience points they provide. There’s also plenty of fun story to be enjoyed.

TIP Two: Grab all Bind Points you come across. You will be able to use your Quick Travel ability to jump to any Bind Point you have unlocked previously.

You can grab a good Smuggler leveling guide here. It’s definitely worth checking out!

First Companion

Yeah, I know. You’d like a Wookiee as your faithful co-pilot, bodyguard and companion. Don’t worry – good things come to those that wait. Until then, you’ll be running with your first companion, a Heavy Armor-wearing fellow with a Southern American accent known as Corso Riggs.

Riggs ties-in closely with your story and Origin World play and he even helpfully provides you with your first, blue-quality blaster. Now, if we can just get him to wear a Wookiee mask we’ll be all set.

Advanced Classes: Gunslinger or Scoundrel

By the time you finish up your questing on Ord Mantell you should find yourself around level 10 or 11 (depending on how many side missions you completed). At this point you’ll be given a mission which sends you off to Carrick Station on the Republic Fleet. Here, the game really opens up before you and the galaxy is your oyster.

When you arrive at the Fleet talk to Sammo Kob and he’ll send you on your way to the Advanced Class trainers. You’ll be able to choose from one of two Advanced Classes; Gunslinger or Scoundrel.

Those inclined toward causing massive damage will want to select Gunslinger. Smugglers who prefer stealth and healing will want to opt for Scoundrel.

Game Quote:

“Gunslinger: Master of the trick shot, the first to dive for cover and able to take advantage of every opportunity, the Gunslinger and his dual blasters are the perfect team. There’s a right target for ending every disagreement, and the Gunslinger knows enemy vulnerabilities like the inside of his ship.

All Gunslingers learn how to fire two blasters at once, specializing in long-range combat and methods to keep enemies at a distance. Gunslingers can also opt to learn the skills of the saboteur, using grenades and demolitions technology that cause fire damage and ignore enemy armor; the Sharpshooter, shooting from cover and focusing on precise, high-damage attacks; and Dirty Fighting, crippling and bleeding opponents using underhanded tactics.”

“Scoundrel: The Scoundrel doesn’t have time for polite and doesn’t do fair fight. In addition to a trusty blaster, the Scoundrel packs a stealth belt, a scattergun and a medpac—everything you need to get in, knock the enemy for a loop and get out alive.

All Scoundrels learn how to move stealthily—sneaking past or surprising enemies—and various close-quarters fighting techniques that do damage at short range and prevent an enemy from fleeing. Scoundrels can also opt to learn the skills of the Scrapper, using scatterguns to deal even more damage close-up; the Sawbones, applying medicine and damage prevention techniques to heal and protect allies; and Dirty Fighting, crippling and bleeding opponents using underhanded tactics.”

Conclusion

Alright, Smuggler that should get you off to a running start in an exciting world full of new adventures. Remember to shoot first, leave ‘em with a sly wink and a snappy one-liner and hightail it to the next system before they can pick up your trail.

Keep in mind what one famous Smuggler once said and you’ll never go wrong:

“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.”

Don’t miss this comprehensive Smuggler guide if you want to learn more about this class!

Contents:

• Advanced Classes
• Companions
• Species & Appearance
• Leveling
• Stats & Equipment
• Crew Skills
• Heat System
• Skill Rotation & Combat

The Bounty Hunter brings a lot to the table, and has the opportunity to play any three of the major class roles; they can Tank, Heal, and DPS (the ‘Trinity’). Being able to fill all three vital spots of the Trinity leaves a lot of choice for your character, as if you do decide to roll a Bounty Hunter you will have some freedom before you decide your Advanced Class and which direction you’ll take.

Advanced Classes

As with all classes in SWTOR, at level 10 you will have to select your Advanced Class. The Bounty Hunter can choose from the Powertech which favors Tanking and DPS or the Mercenary which specializes in Healing and DPS.

Each AC has two unique Talent Trees, different specializations, and different ‘Cylinders’. You can only have one Cylinder activate at a time, and each provides different “buffs” for your character – They basically function like ‘stances’ in other MMOs. Each Advanced Class gains two unique Cylinders along with corresponding Talents to enhance them. Both ACs gain access to Combustible Gas Cylinder at level 4, which has a chance to add a damage-over-time effect to enemy targets with each attack.

The Powertech gains access to Ion Gas Cylinder which increases damage and threat-generation against enemies while also lowering total damage taken, providing increased Armor, and increases shield generation chance – this is mostly for Tanking. The other unique Cylinder for Powertechs is High Energy Gas, which increases all elemental damage dealt, this Cylinder would be used mostly for DPS.

Mercenaries gain access to High Velocity Gas, increasing Armor Penetration for more DPS and also Combat Support Cylinder which increases all damage & healing output, and allows you to shoot your allies in the face to apply some minor healing. It does take a little getting used to your Rapid Shots healing allies while Combat Support Cylinder is activated, but it is handy indeed.

Companions

Companions are also an important part of picking any character in SWTOR, and the first companion your Bounty Hunter gets is Mako, a pretty little lady who will heal up your wounds and follow you around with the utmost vigor.

(**Slight Spoiler Note: She tends to enjoy ‘good’ choices, although she loves her credits – so some Dark-side choices she will surprisingly agree with, but in general she tends to disagree with very evil moral choices)

Mako is the first legit Healing Companion that any of the classes get in SWTOR, which is also an added perk. If you decide to go Powertech or DPS Mercenary Spec then Mako will be a very handy addition to your adventuring.

The combination of any class role with a nice healing Companion pretty early in the game makes the Bounty Hunter a fine choice for the indecisive and Newbie MMO player. The combination of the Cylinder system with exciting abilities revolving around explosions, fire, and missiles lend itself to an aesthetically exciting character that also proves to be very versatile. Even once you pick your Advanced Class option, you’re still left with either Tanking/DPS (Powertech) or Healing/DPS (Mercenary) – a nice combo of options.

Species & Appearance

The Bounty Hunter can be played by five of the playable species in SWTOR; Humans, Zabraks, Rattataki, Chiss, and Cyborgs. Ultimately, species and appearance have no effect on your character, but it adds plenty of flavor and each race has its own unique emote which also adds some distinction. Feel free to play around with each, and make sure to choose something that you enjoy and makes you feel like a Bounty Hunter who’s ready to conquer the galaxy.

In terms of the Racial Emotes, my personal favorite for the BH is probably the Cyborg’s ‘Scan’ emote, as it adds some nice Bounty Hunter-eqse flair to your character.

Leveling

Starting off as a Bounty Hunter will land you on Hutta, which is a planet rife with plenty of greed and immoral activity for any up and coming Bounty Hunter. Your quest is to become a contestant in the ‘Great Hunt’, which is pretty much the Superbowl for Bounty Hunters. You’re competing, in usually not a nice way, against various other Bounty Hunters and attempting to win the favor of a Hutt who can make your dreams come true.

While on Hutta you’ll naturally deal with Hutts, but also the Empire, find your first Companion and complete plenty of mayhem for filthy credits. It’s also important to take a break from ruthless Bounty Hunting and remember to pick up the Datacrons on Hutta as well for some permanent stat increases. As far as I’ve been able to discover, there are 3 available Datacrons on Hutta, one for a bonus to Aim, one for Presence, and a Blue Matrix Shard.

Leveling up for the Bounty Hunter was for the most part, a piece of cake. Once you pick-up Mako and have a Healing Companion – you’re able to tackle many of the more difficult tasks, quests, and even Heroic Two-mans become pretty manageable.

The important thing to remember in SWTOR is to follow your main class story line. It will present you with everything you need, for the most part. Following the quest will you lead on the path to get your Companion, join the Great Hunt, “acquire” a ship (which is an awesome quest-line, mind you), and get you to the hub where you’ll be able to select your Advanced Class.

Stats & Equipment

As with all the classes, Bounty Hunters have a Primary Stat which functions as the definitive, most useful stat for them. Aim is the key stat for Bounty Hunters, as it adds damage to Tech skills (yellow damage), standard range damage (white damage), and Healing Tech skills (green). It also increases the Critical Strike chance on these types of abilities as well. Endurance is the second primary stat for most BH gear, increasing hit points and health regeneration.

There are plenty of other secondary stats that will become important to your Bounty Hunter later on, such as Accuracy, Alacrity, Expertise and the like; with stats like Willpower and Strength being much less important, to almost useless for a Bounty Hunter. Accuracy will be an important secondary stat for Hunters, as much of the time they will be attacking from Range – so making sure you hit is of added benefit.

Bounty Hunters also seem to be reliant on Critical Strikes, so secondary stats boosting Crit Chance and Crit Damage will be important as well. But for the most part in early game you’ll find yourself focusing on Aim and Endurance. Also, once you get upgraded to Heavy Armor when you select your AC, don’t forget to swap out/upgrade your Medium Armor gear for the better, Heavy Armor.

Crew Skills

If you’re a big crafting fan, you’ll want to pick up your Crew Skills or Trade Skills as soon as possible and the best opportunity is probably once you reach the Imperial Fleet at around level 10. There are plenty of good crafting options for the Bounty Hunter. The two main skills that stick out are Armortech and Armstech in terms of gear construction, depending on whether or not you want to be able to craft Armor or Weaponry for your character.

The Bounty Hunter uses various guns & assorted weaponry and Medium/Heavy Armor, So Armortech & Armstech are the natural selection if you’re interested in crafting some of your own gear.

If crafting equipment isn’t your thing, then Biochem or Cybertech may be good alternatives to those skills, as having extra ‘Consumables’ on hand or crafting gear for Droids can always come in handy if you’re a big fan of the non-Organic. Depending on what crafting skills you’ve selected, you’ll most likely want to choose the complimenting ‘gathering’ Crew Skill so you will be able to provide yourself with your own materials and save your precious credits.

Below is a list of the suggest pairings of gathering skills and mission skills with the listed crafting skills above.

• Armortech – Scavenging (Gathering), Investigation (Mission Skill), Underworld Trading (Mission Skill)
• Armstech – Scavenging, Investigation, Underworld Trading, Treasure Hunting (Mission Skill)
• Biochem – Bioanalysis (Gathering), Underworld Trading
• Cybertech – Scavenging, Slicing (Gathering), Treasure Hunting, Underworld Trading

With Crew Skills in mind, remember to keep an eye on your wallet – as each mission you send your Companion out on will cost you credits. While leveling up and needing to save for a mount and pay for skills, keeping tabs on your Galactic checkbook is always helpful.

Heat System

Your Bounty Hunter uses the Heat System to execute abilities, starting off with zero Heat and slowly building Heat as you continue to use abilities, with each ability having a ‘Heat Requirement’ or Cost to use. Some abilities, like Rapid Shots (your main attack ability), do not build Heat and it will be important to use abilities that don’t build Heat inbetween the use of Heat-building skills, as to give your Heat System time to cool down.

The Heat System works on a scale of 0-100 and the system is not ‘static’ in its depletion after you’ve built heat; so the less Heat that you have, the faster your Heat will dissipate. You can see your current ‘Dissipation Rate’ to the right of your Heat Bar in-game, represented as small arrows; the more arrows you have, the faster your Heat will dissipate. With this mechanic of Heat dissipating faster the less Heat you have built up, it’s in your Bounty Hunter’s best interests to attempt ‘Heat Management’ (or keeping your Heat at a lower level) so it can continue to deplete at the accelerated rate. There will, of course, be occasions where you’re forced to build up large amounts of Heat quickly, but keep in mind that your Heat bar will not ‘cool down’ as fast as it would if your Heat was only 1/3rd full.

You also have abilities in your arsenal to either lower your current Heat level, or not build any at all. Vent Heat is a prime example of one way to get rid of some of that nasty built up Heat, by venting out 50 Heat over three seconds, although it is on a two minute cooldown so be wary with its usage.

The quicker degradation of Heat when your Heat level is lower is an interesting mechanic, as if you are able to manage your Heat well – you could, in theory, stay at a consistent level and keep using your relevant abilities. As a general rule, I attempt to keep my Heat below 25% or 50% to keep the dissipation rate quick. So, when jumping into your Bounty Hunter, learning Heat Management will be key for future encounters as you continue to level up.

Skill Rotation & Combat

In your early days as a Bounty Hunter you’ll be limited in your abilities, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t efficient at blowing things up. As you level up and continue your adventures, your skill rotation will depend more & more heavily upon your Advanced Class, its Class Roles and Talent Specs.

When dealing with groups of bigger enemies; start off with a Power Shot, Mako missile, Death from Above, or Explosive Dart. Proceed with Rapid Shots, Rail Shot, or Regular fire. Attempt to keep Heat low. If enemies close distance, Rocket Punch + Flamethrower or Vice Versa (with Rocket Punch as a finisher) is a good combination.

One very effective combination for groups, up until at least level 20 (as a Mercenary specifically,) was opening up with Kolto Missile, followed by Death From Above. This combo pretty much eliminated most groups, perhaps needing to throw down a little extra blaster fire at most.

For single-enemies or Rare/Elite enemies; I found starting off with Power Shot, Explosive Dart, and Unload was an effective combo to really start the damage; at that point if Rail Shot is triggered, use it – it’s always a nice boon to add some instant damage.

Overall, Combat with the Bounty Hunter is extremely fun, engaging, and if you’re into pyrotechnics – the BH is your pick.

Conclusion

That’s about it for now. Hopefully you enjoyed this introductory guide to the Bounty Hunter class in SWTOR. Stay tuned for further looks into the intricacies of the Bounty Hunter and other SWTOR-related elements!

See also: Skill rotations, leveling tricks, PvP tactics, credits making and more guides specifically written for Bounty Hunters

1. Introduction
2. Advanced Classes
3. Species
4. Storyline
5. Abilities
6. Khem Val (First Companion)
7. Equipment
8. Conclusion

Introduction

If you are thinking about rolling a Sith Inquisitor, but need a little convincing, I’m here to help. Would you like to shoot lightning from your fingers? Interested in wielding a lightsaber? Want to shock people to get your way? No desire to follow a strict moral code like the goody goody Jedi? Well, this Sith Inquisitor is the class for you.

To start, as an Inquisitor, you have each of the MMO trinity roles open to you. Depending on your Advanced Class, you will have the option to tank, heal, or deal crazy levels of purple lightning powered damage.

Advanced Classes

At level 10, your Inquisitor will journey to the Imperial Fleet and will have to choose an Advanced Class. If you want to tank, the Assassin class is for you. If you want to fulfill a support/healing role in groups, the Sorcerer AC is for you. The decision is a little harder if you want to DPS. The Assassin and Sorcerer have one shared tree called Madness that focuses on dealing damage. In addition, each AC has two skill trees that are dedicated to that class. The Assassin has ‘Darkness’ which is the tank tree, and a damage tree called ‘Deception.’ The Sorcerer’s trees are ‘Lightning’ and ‘Corruption’ which are damage and healing trees respectively. If you want fill a DPS role as an Inquisitor, the decision lies in what type of damage you want to deal.

If you want to shock your enemies from a distance until they are nothing more than smoking, still sparking husks on the ground before you, go with the Sorcerer. If you prefer your enemy a little closer to you so that you can bash them with a lightsaber, the Assassin, with his stealth abilities, is a deadly choice indeed.

Lightsaber types differ with your Inquisitor Advanced Class as well. You will receive a double-bladed lightsaber if you take the Assassin route and a single-bladed one with the Sorcerer. Truthfully, I wasn’t that excited many months ago to learn my future Assassin had to have a double-bladed lightsaber. I loved having two lightsabers in the original Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Mostly because I could have each one be a different color, and for some reason it felt like I was doing more damage. Two lightsabers equals twice the damage right? I understand why BioWare did this, and after playing my Beta Assassin close to level 30, it would be strange to have anything but a double-bladed lightsaber. There’s something satisfying about watching both blades ignite, decloaking and backstabbing an enemy, all in one devastatingly smooth motion. It just feels right.

Species

Sith Purebloods, Humans, Twi’lek, Rattataki, and Zabrak are your species choices for the Inquisitor. If you want to take the iconic route, choose the Darth Maul look-a-like Zabrak. I went with a human Assassin and a Pureblood Sorcerer. While species choice has no effect on gameplay, I have to admit, the racial abilities for the Purebloods are just kick ass. Slapping your companion and making them cry is just ruthlessly fun. Humans get a pump up the crowd racial ability where everyone around you hops up and down doing the Arsenio Hall fist pump motion. (I never thought I’d ever mention Arsenio Hall in a TORWars article, but there you go.) Bottom line, if you really want to be evil at all times, the Pureblood is the way to go.

Species, skill rotations, leveling, Datacrons, specializations and lots more are covered in more detail here!

Storyline

The Inquisitor story is dark. Really dark. I played the Consular on the Republic side until level 10. Not surprisingly, the story is very Jedi-tastic. Sure, there are Dark Side decisions, but those decisions, in my opinion, are nothing like the Light/Dark Side decisions the Inquisitor faces. It’s not really fair to compare the two, because they are completely different factions and storylines, but let me give you a spoiler free example of the sinister beauty that is the Inquisitor story.

Within the first few levels, you are faced with several opportunities to inflict pain on others as your quest for power unfolds. A typical Light/Dark Side dilemma will give you the choice to shock an NPC, or to kill him/her. In a word, the Inquisitor storyline is not for the faint-hearted. Granted, I played my Inquisitor as dark as possible, but if I was trying to go the Light Side route, the choices are just not all that light.

*Minor spoiler example incoming: On Balmorra, I walked in on a Sith Lord Force Choking another NPC. The Light Side choice was to interrupt a very powerful Sith Lord (Dark, would allow her to kill the NPC.) I chose not to intervene, but my hunch is that she would have killed him anyway, and probably would have been a little peeved at the interruption. Think about it, would you interrupt Darth Vader mid-Force Choke? I didn’t think so.

Without spoiling any more of a story filled with backstabbing, scheming and power posturing, the Inquisitor story is amazing in its darkness. If you are curious about how the Palpatines of the Star Wars universe got their sinister beginnings, the Inquisitor is for you. If you don’t want to hurt anyone at all, this is not the class for you. A Light Side Inquisitor, is only marginally more forgiving than its Dark Side equivalent. If that sounds like your cup of blue milk, take a big sip, and shock your way to top. And please, don’t be ashamed if an evil cackle escapes your lips from time to time.

It’s no secret that the Sith Inquisitor starts off as a slave. As I’ve mentioned in my Beta Impressions post a while back, within moments of appearing on the screen, your Inquisitor will have a rival, and every person in power is more than happy to see you fail and die. The rival I mentioned is the ‘star pupil’ of the young Inquisitors. He talks a lot of smack, and is looking to undermine you at every turn. Without giving too much away, if you are patient enough, you will see an opportunity to not only defeat him, but discredit his puppeteer as well. After playing through this scenario twice, it’s just as satisfying the second time as it is the first time. Did I mention the whole ordeal earns you a place at Darth Zash’s side? It’s a good day to be a Sith when you can help your master work her way toward the coveted status of Darth and beyond.

Abilities

I’ve mentioned before how satisfying Force Lightning is, but I’ll say it again. Force Lightning never gets old. In conversations it’s just plain fun, but on the battlefield it’s dominating. In the early levels on Korriban, you’ll be facing mobs of three to five enemies at once. It’s essential before you earn your first tanky companion Khem Val, that you learn to use your lighting-powered crowd control abilities to subdue enemies for a few seconds while you dispatch the others. Not surprisingly, the dark, flowing robes of the class don’t do too much in the way of absorbing damage.

When you venture into the first tomb at level one, you are cutting down K’lor’slugs with relative ease. You’re soon asked to take out the tomb looters that are hanging out in mobs of at least three. Aren’t looters supposed to be looting? Anyway, be sure you visit the trainer near the tomb entrance each time you level up. I remember when I died the first time – it came as a complete surprise. I was owning so completely, I just kept fighting, even after I dinged my next level. I realized pretty quickly that when faced with a mob of four looters, I’d need a new strategy. Buying new abilities from the trainer would have been a good start.

In the first five levels, Electrocute and Whirlwind will be your best friends. Whirlwind, which you get at level four, is an ideal way to approach groups of three or more. The ability will not only scoop an enemy up in a vortex for 15 seconds, but it will shock them, (and up to 8 others) every 3 seconds. Be sure you do not cause damage to the enemy you’ve used it on, otherwise it will break the whirlwind, and he’ll join his buddies in pummeling you.

After crowd controlling an enemy with Whirlwind, tab target the next enemy and use Electrocute. That will both stun and damage for five seconds. You’d think 15 seconds isn’t a lot of time, let alone five seconds, but at early levels, this is plenty of time to bash the rest of the mobs with your vibroblade, or use Force Lightning to do heavy damage. By the time the five seconds are up, at least one other enemy will fall, if not two. Then all you have left is the vortex guy. Do what you will with him. He’ll be close to death anyway.

Khem Val (First Companion)

As you progress in your class quests on Korriban, you will free the ancient devourer of thousands of Jedi, Khem Val. Besides combat becoming a lot easier when Khem Val joins you as a companion, he’s actually pretty entertaining and easy to please. That is, if you get right to the point, don’t put up with any crap, and kill everything in your path, Khem Val is easy to please. He’ll act as a meat shield of sorts for your pre-AC Inquisitor. He’ll absorb a ton of damage while you shock fools from a distance.

If you can get past his ugly mug, and partial nudity, he’ll get your back wholeheartedly. Be sure to choose Dark Side options if you want to keep his favor however. He will actually threaten you at times if it appears that you’re going soft. Kill enough, and make dark choices and he’ll happily kill, and protect you while you rack up a ton of Affection Points. Everybody wins.

Equipment

I mentioned before that the Inquisitor can only use Light Armor. It’s really important that you upgrade your gear as often as possible. Granted, if you decide to use Khem Val as a tank while you dish out the damage, you’ll survive. However, mere survival is not enough I’m afraid. Focus on gear which increases Willpower for a greater Force pool, and Endurance to help you survive the early levels.

Don’t forget the meat shield! Khem Val will die, and die often if you do not upgrade his gear. Focus on Endurance and Strength for Val if he’s to tank for you. He won’t last long on Heroic missions, Flashpoints, or later level encounters if you don’t hook him up with better (Heavy Armor) gear. If he goes down, unless you are a tank spec, you’ll be soon to follow. It happens faster than you’d think.

Conclusion

Overall, the early levels of the Inquisitor are a blast to play. You get to be more evil than you think is possible, shoot lightning from your fingers, shock people in conversations, and selfishly aspire to great power at the expense of everyone around you. If this doesn’t sound like your style of gameplay, this isn’t the class for you. As with all classes, you will be faced with many choices, but most of the Inquisitor’s are just plain evil. Would an aspiring Sith Lord have it any other way? That’s for you to decide.

Species, skill rotations, leveling, Datacrons, specializations and lots more are covered in more detail here!