Game Update 4.0 Class Changes: Bounty Hunter + Trooper

Welcome back to our series on the Class Changes coming in Game Update 4.0!

Whether you prefer bullets, missiles, or just plain fire, Bounty Hunters and Troopers have something for you! In Game Update 4.0, we wanted to give all Powertechs/Vanguards a quick way to jump into the thick of combat or instantly catch back up to a fleeing target. To accomplish this, we made Jet Charge/Storm baseline for all Powertechs/Vanguards.

Getting up in the enemy's face isn't something a Mercenary/Commando typically wants to do in combat though, so we gave them a way to quickly leave the thick of combat with their new ability that allows them to quickly disengage from an encounter to get some breathing room.

The following changes are not final, and changes may (and likely will!) occur:

Bounty Hunter/Trooper

• Hydraulic Overrides/Hold the Line's cooldown has been increased to 45 seconds (up from 30). With Jet Charge/Storm becoming baseline for Powertechs/Vanguards and the addition of Rocket Out/Propulsion Round for Mercenaries/Commandos, Bounty Hunters/Troopers will no longer rely so heavily on Hydraulic Overrides/Hold the Line for their mobility needs.

Powertech/Vanguard

• Jet Charge/Storm is now trainable by all Powertechs/Vanguards at level 61. Jet Speed/Blitz has been removed from the baseline version of this ability, and has been added as a utility choice instead.

Shield Tech/Shield Specialist

• New Ability: Translocate/Transpose! Swap places with a group member and bestow a benign presence upon them for up to 6 seconds. Targets with a benign presence are ignored by most enemies, cannot be leapt to or pulled, and are immune to interrupts and ability activation pushback until they use an aggressive or healing ability. This has a 1.5 second activation time and a 90 second cooldown.
• New Passive Skill: Heated Absorbers/Energized Absorbers! Heat Blast/Energy Blast increases Shield Absorption by an additional 5% (making it a total of 30%, once you get this skill)
• Jet Charge/Storm is no longer specific to Shield Techs/Specialists; instead, all Powertechs/Vanguards will get it at level 61.
• Oil Slick/Riot Gas is now trained at level 42 (up from 41).
• Firestorm/Ion Storm is now trained at level 58 (up from 57).
• Shield Enhancers is now trained at level 60 (up from 59).

Pyrotech/Plasmatech

• New Passive Skill: Perilous Flames/Hazardous Heat! Increases the critical chance of Immolate/Fire Pulse by 15%.
• Immolate/Fire Pulse is now trained at level 42 (up from 41).
• Scorch/Plasmatize is now trained at level 58 (up from 57).
• Burnout is now trained at level 60 (up from 59).

Advanced Prototype/Tactics

• New Passive Skill: Energy Burn/Cell Burn! When Energy/Cell Burst damages a target, it leaves them burning for elemental damage over 3 seconds.
• Thermal Detonator/Assault Plastique is now trained at level 42 (up from 41).
• Energy Burst/Cell Burst is now trained at level 58 (up from 57).
• Critical Ventilation/Critical Recharge is now trained at level 60 (up from 59).

Utility
Tier 1 - Skillful

• New Utility: Neural Delay! Neural Dart slows the target by 30% for 6 seconds (allowing for a 30 meter range utility that slows the target, should the player choose to take it).
• Iron Will now reduces the cooldown of Hydraulic Overrides/Hold the Line by 10 seconds (up from 5 seconds), due in part to the increase of the base cooldown of Hydraulic Overrides/Hold the Line.

Tier 2 - Masterful

• New Utility: Explored Area/Surveyed Terrain! Stealth Scan increases the movement speed of all allies within the scan area, excluding yourself, by 50% for as long as they remain within it and for 6 seconds after it expires or they leave the area.

Tier 3 - Heroic

• New Utility: Jet Speed/Blitz! Activating Jet Charge/Storm grants Jet Speed/Blitz, increasing movement speed by 30% for 4 seconds. The duration of Jet
• Speed/Blitz is refreshed if attacked while it is active.

Mercenary/Commando

• New Ability: Rocket Out/Propulsion Round! Jet/Fire a specially designed propulsion round to launch yourself backward 20 meters, gaining immunity to controlling effects while jetting/launched. Cannot be used while immobilized or hindered. This ability has a 20 second cooldown.

Bodyguard/Combat Medic

• New Passive Skill: Peacekeeper/Frontline Medic! Increases the healing done by Kolto Missile/Bomb and Progressive Scan/Successive Treatment by 5% each
• Kolto Shell/Trauma Probeis now trained at level 42 (up from 41).
• Progressive Scan/Successive Treatment is now trained at level 58 (up from 57).
• Kolto Boosters/Med Boosters is now trained at level 60 (up from 59).

Arsenal/Gunnery

• New Passive Skill: Honed Lock/Supercharged Barrel! Each stack of Tracer Lock/Charged Barrel now also increases the critical chance of the next Rail Shot/High Impact Bolt or Rapid Scan/Medical Probe by 3%.
• Priming Shot/Vortex Bolt is now trained at level 42 (up from 41).
• Blazing Bolts/Boltstorm is now trained at level 58 (up from 57).
• Blowback is now trained at level 60 (up from 59).

Innovative Ordnance/Assault Specialist

• New Passive Skill: Surging Shots/Boosted Bolts! Each time you deal periodic damage, you gain 1 charge of Surging Shots/Boosted Bolts, which increases the damage dealt by your next Power Shot or Sweeping Blasters by 1% per stack. Stacks up to 10 times. Power Shot consumes all charges when it deals damage and Sweeping Blasters consumes the stacks when the channel ends.
• Serrated Shot/Bolt is now trained at level 42 (up from 41).
• Mag Shot/Bolt is now trained at level 58 (up from 57).
• Speed to Burn/Blazing Celerity is now trained at level 60 (up from 59).

Utility
Tier 1 - Skillful

• New Utility: Adhesive Supplements/Sticky Mods! Power Shot/Charged Bolts and Tracer Missile/Grav Round slow their target by 40% for 6 seconds.

Tier 2 - Masterful

• New Utility: Supercharged Defense! Activating Supercharged Gas/Cell increases the Merc's/Commando's defense chance by 15% for 10 seconds (affects melee, ranged, Force, and tech attacks)

Tier 3 - Heroic

• New Utility: Smoke Screen! Rocket Out/Propulsion Round generates a Smoke Screen when used, keeping you from being leapt to or pulled and making you immune to interrupts and ability activation pushback for the next 4 seconds.

Thanks for reading, and check back next week for the final installment: Jedi Consulars and Sith Sorcerers!

The Star Wars™: The Old Republic Combat Team