Game Update 3.0 Class Changes: Vanguard + Powertech

Hello everyone,

For the base Class changes coming to the Trooper/Powertech, please take a look at the Commando/Mercenary blog.

Vanguard

All Vanguards are getting two additional passive abilities in the 3.0 update:

Focused Impact: High Impact Bolt ignores 60% of the target's armor and Stockstrike or Shockstrike deals 10% more damage.

Blaster Augs: Increases the effect of your cells while they are active:
Plasma Cell: Increases the damage and critical hit chance of elemental attacks by 3%.
Ion Cell: Increases the damage dealt by Ion Cell by 10%.
High Energy Cell: Further increases all energy and kinetic damage dealt by 2%.

Diversion has been removed from the Vanguard ability kit. Sonic Round will now reduce threat for Vanguards that do not have Ion Cell active, but continue to be an area taunt for Vanguards that do. Ion Cell also now increases accuracy by 10%, but it causes the Vanguard to do 10% less damage as well. Neural Jolt and Sonic Round can now miss, but the accuracy granted by Ion Cell offsets this for tanks, while damage dealers will need to continue to gear for some accuracy to keep all of their abilities from missing.

High Energy Cell now increases energy and kinetic damage instead of elemental and internal damage. This change makes more sense when viewed with the changes to the Tactics discipline.

Shield Specialist

The Shield Specialist discipline will be rather familiar to Vanguard tanks. No drastic changes have been made to Vanguard tanking, but there is a new ability:

Ion Storm: Sprays waves of ionizing energy in a 10-meter cone, depleting 28 energy cells and dealing elemental damage to up to 8 enemy targets over the duration. Affected targets are impaired for 45 seconds, reducing the Force and tech damage they deal by 5%. Shares a cooldown with Pulse Cannon.

Plasmatech

The Plasmatech (formerly Assault Specialist) discipline has undergone significant changes. Assault Plastique has been traded for Fire Pulse, and many other passive skills have followed suit – being traded for elemental skills that were formerly in the Tactics skill tree – with the end result being that the Plasmatech now feels like the pyromaniac’s dream discipline. The Plasmatech also has two new abilities:

Plasmatize: Drenches the target with a blast of plasma, melting them for elemental damage over 30 seconds. Plasmatize also makes the target Susceptible for 45 seconds, increasing the damage the target takes from tech attacks by 5%. When a target affected by Plasmatize dies, Plasmatize will jump to the closest enemy target within 10 meters that is not already affected by your Plasmatize.

Shockstrike: Strikes the target with an overcharged rifle butt, dealing kinetic damage and releasing a powerful discharge that deals elemental damage. Shares a cooldown with Stockstrike.

Tactics

The Tactics discipline still has Gut, but now has Assault Plastique instead of Fire Pulse. The periodic burning damage caused by Assault Plastique has been removed, while the damage of the initial kinetic blast has been increased to compensate for this change. Additionally, this discipline has two new active abilities:

Tactical Surge: Fires a concentrated surge of energy at an enemy target, dealing energy damage. This ability has no cooldown and effectively replaces Ion Pulse for this discipline.

Cell Burst: Unleashes your High Energy Cell's stored energy to decimate the target, dealing energy damage. This damage increases based on your current number of Energy Lodes. While High Energy Cell is active, Energy Lodes build when High Impact Bolt is used, and up to 4 charges may be stored at once.

On the whole, the new Tactics discipline can be summarized as having a play style similar to the old Assault Specialist without all of the burning, while the new Plasmatech can be summarized as having a play style similar to the old Tactics with a lot more burning.

Utilities

The Vanguard has many utility choices that will be familiar to players from the old skill trees, along with quite a few new utility choices. Here are a few of the new choices:

Sonic Rebounder: Sonic Round protects all friendly targets in its area of impact, excluding you, granting Sonic Rebounder, which reflects the next direct, single-target attack back at the attacker.

Charge the Line: Hold the Line increases movement speed by an additional 45% while active.

Re-energizers: When Reserve Powercell is activated, it recharges 10 energy cells over the next 5 seconds and immediately increases threat towards all current enemies by a small amount if Ion Cell is active, or reduces threat towards all current enemies if Ion Cell is not active.

Hello everyone,

For the base Class changes coming to the Bounty Hunter, please take a look at the Mercenary blog.

Powertech

All Powertechs are getting two additional passive abilities in the 3.0 update:

Puncture: Rail Shot ignores 60% of the target's armor and Rocket Punch or Flaming Fist deals 10% more damage.

Prototype Cylinders: Increases the effect of your gas cylinders while they are active:
Combustible Gas Cylinder: Increases the damage and critical hit chance of elemental attacks by 3%.
Ion Gas Cylinder: Increases the damage dealt by Ion Gas Cylinder by 10%.
High Energy Gas Cylinder: Further increases all energy and kinetic damage dealt by 2%.

Chaff Flare has been removed from the Powertech ability kit. Sonic Missile will now reduce threat for Powertechs that do not have Ion Gas Cylinder active, but continue to be an area taunt for Powertechs that do. Ion Gas Cylinder also now increases accuracy by 10%, but it causes the Powertech to do 10% less damage as well. Neural Dart and Sonic Missile can now miss, but the accuracy granted by Ion Gas Cylinder offsets this for tanks, while damage dealers will need to continue to gear for some accuracy to keep all of their abilities from missing.

High Energy Gas Cylinder now increases energy and kinetic damage instead of elemental and internal damage. This change makes more sense when viewed with the changes to the Advanced Prototype discipline.

Shield Tech

The Shield Tech discipline will be rather familiar to Powertech tanks. No drastic changes have been made to Powertech tanking, but there is a new ability:

Firestorm: Incinerates everything in a 10-meter cone, generating 28 heat and dealing elemental damage to up to 8 enemy targets over the duration. Affected targets are impaired for 45 seconds, reducing the Force and tech damage they deal by 5%. Shares a cooldown with Flame Thrower.

Pyrotech

The Pyrotech discipline has undergone significant changes. Thermal Detonator has been traded for Immolate, and many other passive skills have followed suit – being traded for elemental skills that were formerly in the Advanced Prototype skill tree – with the end result being that the Pyrotech now feels like the pyromaniac’s dream discipline. The Pyrotech also has two new abilities:

Scorch: Ignites the target with a blast of fire, burning them for elemental damage over 30 seconds. Scorch also makes the target Susceptible for 45 seconds, increasing the damage the target takes from tech attacks by 5%. When a target affected by Scorch dies, Scorch will jump to the closest enemy target within 10 meters that is not already affected by your Scorch.

Flaming Fist: Engages the jetpack and ignites your gauntlet, allowing you to strike the target with a flaming fist that deals kinetic damage and elemental damage. Shares a cooldown with Rocket Punch.

Advanced Prototype

The Advanced Prototype discipline still has Retractable Blade, but now has Thermal Detonator instead of Immolate. The periodic burning damage caused by Thermal Detonator has been removed, while the damage of the initial kinetic blast has been increased to compensate for this change. Additionally, this discipline has two new active abilities:

Magnetic Blast: Fires a blast of electromagnetized energy at the target, dealing energy damage. This ability has no cooldown and effectively replaces Flame Burst for this discipline.

Energy Burst: Unleashes your High Energy Gas Cylinder's stored energy to decimate the target, dealing energy damage. This damage increases based on your current number of Energy Lodes. While High Energy Gas Cylinder is active, Energy Lodes build when Rail Shot is used, and up to 4 charges may be stored at once.

On the whole, the new Advanced Prototype discipline can be summarized as having a play style similar to the old Pyrotech without all of the burning, while the new Pyrotech can be summarized as having a play style similar to the old Advanced Prototype with a lot more burning.

Utilities

The Powertech has many utility choices that will be familiar to players from the old skill trees, along with quite a few new utility choices. Here are a few of the new choices:

Sonic Rebounder: Sonic Missile protects all friendly targets in its area of impact, excluding you, granting Sonic Rebounder, which reflects the next direct, single-target attack back at the attacker.

Overdrive: Hydraulic Overrides increases movement speed by an additional 45% while active.

Liquid Cooling: When Thermal Sensor Override is activated, it vents 10 heat over the next 5 seconds and immediately increases threat towards all current enemies by a small amount if Ion Gas Cylinder is active, or reduces threat towards all current enemies if Ion Gas Cylinder is not active.