5.0 Class Guides/ SWTOR

SWTOR 5.0 Pyrotech Powertech PvE Guide by Jaymis

Jaymis 47 Comments Dec 20, 2016

SWTOR 5.0 Pyrotech Powertech PvE Guide written by Jaymis.

Introduction to Pyrotech

Pyrotech is a DoT based melee DPS discipline that offers high burst for a DoT spec, and decent AoE damage.  This spec should only ever be used over Advanced Prototype on fights with a lot of adds.

Ratings

Single Target Damage: 4/10

With 5.0 Flamethrower has been renamed and redesigned to Searing Wave, it is now an instant ability. With this, the damage has been reduced significantly from this ability, thereby reducing our single target damage. However this also means our rotation is now 100% mobile and 6/7 of our core rotational abilities can be used at 10+ meters. With Reflective Armor and Pyro Shield as utilities, we can still compete with higher parsing specs if played optimally.

AoE Damage: 7/10

Due to the damage nerfs on Flamethrower/Searing Wave, and a new gimped version of Death from Above (Deadly Onslaught) our AoE damage is not quite what it was in the previous tiers. However we don’t have to sacrifice our single target rotation to do AoE so it is still quite good.

Burst Damage: 8/10

Despite being a DoT based spec, and roughly 30% of our damage coming from dots, Pyrotech can offer some very high burst. With an auto crit on Rail Shot every 15 seconds, and our new Consuming Flames proc on Immolate, which can be abused in the opener along with Shoulder Cannon and Explosive Fuel to pull off some crazy opening numbers, our burst damage is on par with some of the burst specs when setup correctly.

Raid Utility: 7/10

With a taunt, Guard, reduced cooldown on Sonic Missile and reduced cooldown on Kolto Overload (assuming you’re getting attacked) Pyrotech offers some decent raid utility, but not as good when compared to AP. If you try to offtank you will most likely explode due to no Energy Rebounders and no 30% AoE/Stun damage reduction. Also there is no Sundered debuff in Pyrotech, so keep that in mind when playing this spec.

Survivability: 6/10

With no Energy Rebounders, and no 30% AoE/Stun damage reduction, Pyrotech can be quite squishy despite wearing Heavy Armor. This is probably the most squishy melee discipline now when compared to the other ones.

Gearing

The following numbers are taken from Bant’s Optimal Stats For All 24 Disciplines, KoTET Edition forum post on the SWToR website. For reference E = Enhancement (this includes Implants and Earpieces); A = Augment; C = Crystal.

Eternal Commander MK-3, Tier 1: Artifact (230 ilvl): 7556+-273 DPS @ 48.1 APM

• 7167 Endurance
• 5901 Mastery (Stim)
• 3183 Power
• 1469 Critical (5xE, 4xA, 2xC)
• 1130 Alacrity (2xE, 8xA)
• 735 Accuracy (3xE, 2xA)

Eternal Commander MK-13, Tier 2: Artifact (234 ilvl): 7847+-288 DPS @ 48.2 APM

• 7440 Endurance
• 6128 Mastery (Stim)
• 3337 Power
• 1518 Critical (6xE, 2xA, 2xC)
• 1152 Alacrity (12xA)
• 760 Accuracy (4xE)

Eternal Commander MK-15, Tier 2: Legendary (236 ilvl): 8272+-311 DPS @ 48.9 APM

• 7741 Endurance
• 6216 Mastery (1xA)
• 3424 Power
• 1667 Critical (4xE, 6xA, 2xC)
• 1376 Alacrity (4xE, 6xA)
• 736 Accuracy (2xE, 1xA, Stim)

Iokath MK-3, Tier 3: Artifact (240 ilvl): 8542+-326 DPS @ 49.1 APM

• 7881 Endurance
• 6284 Mastery (1xC)
• 3506 Power
• 1720 Critical (2xE, 11xA, 1xC)
• 1435 Alacrity (7xE)
• 733 Accuracy (1xE, 3xA, Stim)

Iokath MK-5, Tier 3: Legendary (242 ilvl): 8896+-345 DPS @ 49.3 APM

• 8205 Endurance
• 6493 Mastery
• 3694 Power
• 1783 Critical (6xE, 2xA, 2xC)
• 1509 Alacrity (3xE, 9xA)
• 743 Accuracy (1xE, 3xA, Stim)

The most important part about gearing is getting as close to the 736 accuracy cap as you can, the rest of the stats can be played around with a bit, as long as you don’t go over the top with it. As far as relics go you will still want to use the Focused Retribution and Serendipitous Assault ones. For Set bonus you will want the 6 piece Combat Tech set bonus to maximize DPS potential.

Utilities

Recommended utilities are in bold

Skillful

	Iron Will	Reduced the cooldown of determination by 30 seconds and the cooldown of Hydraulic Overrides by 10 seconds.	Reduced cooldown on Hydraulics is good for both mobility and completely ignoring mechanics. Reduced cooldown on Determination is more of a PvP thing.
	Gyroscopic Alignment Jets	You vent 20 heat when stunned, immobilized, knocked down or otherwise incapacitated. Additionally your next Tech ability deals 10% extra damage or healing.	Situational, but good on fights where you get stunned a lot like Brontes, or the Drouks in Explosive Conflict.  Take this over Pneumatic Boots if that is the case.
	Reflective Armor	When Close and Personal is triggered, it will also deal X elemental damage to the attacker if the attacker is within 10 meters.	100% mandatory to have, as there is usually some sort of AoE damage going out on almost all fights, and it’s free elemental damage each time you get hit.
	Suppressive Tools	Magnetic Blast, Flame Burst and Flame Sweep reduce the movement speed of affected targets by 25% for 3 seconds. Additionally, Neural Dart slows the target by 50% for 6 seconds.	PvP utility
	Bracer Propellant	Increases the range of Flame Burst and Magnetic Blast by 2 meters and the radius of Flame Sweep by 1 meter	Worthless, 2 meter increase? LUL
	Engulfing Flames	Increases Flame Sweep damage by 25%	Take this if you are in a fight with a lot of adds.

Masterful

	Pneumatic Boots	Increases movement speed by 15%. (only works while in combat)	Only taken as there’s not much else for PvE, but 15% extra movement speed is always good.
	Pyro Shield	When activated, your Energy Shield ignites in a blaze scorching attackers for elemental damage when they deal direct damage to you. This effect cannot occur more than once each second.	100% mandatory, free elemental damage when getting hit while Energy Shield is active.
	Accelerated Reel	Reduces the cooldown of Grapple by 10 seconds.	PvP utility
	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.	100% mandatory, helps out the healers and DPS checks. This is one of the best utilities we bring so use it!
	Prototype Electro Surge	Reduces the cooldown of Electro Dart by 15 seconds.	PvP utility
	Hitman	Reduces the cooldown of Quell by 2 seconds.	PvP Utility

Heroic

	Adaptable Assailant	Grapple immobilizes the target for 3 seconds. In addition the cooldown of Stealth Scan is reduced by 5 seconds, and any target it reveals is immobilized for 3 seconds and 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.	PvP utility
	Torque Boosters	Increases the duration of Hydraulic Overrides by 4 seconds.	Good for increased mobility and being able to ignore some mechanics.
	Mutilating Shards	Shatter Slug reduces the movement speed of all affected targets by 75%. This effect can only occur once every 30 seconds.	PvP utility
	Enhanced Paralytics	Increases the durations of Electro Dart by 1 second and Carbonize by .5 seconds.	PvP utility
	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.	Gives an extra 10 heat to play around with, take it.
	Efficient Suit	Allows Kolto Overload to be activated while stunned and causes Kolto Overload to purge stun effects when activated. This will not work against other types of incapacitating effects or scripted stuns, which are often used by Flashpoint and Operation bosses or other special non-player characters. In addition, increases the range of Grapple and Shoulder Cannon by 10 meters and eliminates the heat generated by Electro Dart and Carbonize.	PvP utility

Legendary

	Pressure Overrides	Explosive Fuel grants Pressure Overrides, allowing Flame Burst, Magnetic Blast, Searing Wave, Firestorm, Shatter Slug, Deadly Onslaught, Heat Blast, Energy Burst, Immolate, and Scorch to be used at 30 meters for 15 seconds.	Useless, looks cool, but that’s about it.
	Shield Cannon	Damaging a target with your Shoulder Cannon Missiles heals you for 3% of your total health.	Might be good for solo content, but worthless in endgame PvE.
	Reel and Rattle	Grapple deals tech damage to pulled targets and grants Reel and Rattle, causing your next Rocket Punch or Flaming Fist against the pulled target to deal 20% additional kinetic damage and stun the target for 1.5 seconds. This effect lasts for 6 seconds.	Useful when dummy parsing to replace a Rapid Shots but that’s about it.
	Fuel Additives	Explosive Fuel increases damage done by 5% while Ion Gas Cylinder is being utilized and increases damage reduction by 5% while Ion Gas Cylinder is not being utilized.	Worthless
	Overdrive	Hydraulic Overrides increases movement speed by an additional 45% while active.	Good for on demand speed boost.
	Battering Ram	Using Jet Charge grants Battering Ram, resetting the cooldown of Jet Charge and increasing movement speed by 30% for 6 seconds. While Battering Ram is active, Jet Charge may be used once within 10 meters of the target and deals 50% additional damage but does not cause an additional interrupt, immobilize or charge. This effect cannot occur more than once every 15 seconds.	Might be useful for leveling, but other than that, worthless.

Passives and Abilities

Passives

Pyrotech Passives

	Volatile Igniter	Flaming Fist, Flame Burst and Flame Sweep trigger Combustible Gas Cylinder on all affected targets.
	Heated Tools	Reduces the cooldown of Searing Wave by 3 seconds , and causes Flaming Fist to root the target for 2 seconds.
	Superheated Gas	Increases the damage dealt by Combustible Gas Cylinder by 10% and its chance to be triggered by 5%.
	Flame Suit	Reduces damage taken from all periodic effects by 15%.
	Heat Flow Recycler	Increases critical hit chance of elemental attacks by 3% and you vent 2 heat every 1.5 seconds while Combustible Gas Cylinder is being utilized.
	Insulating Mats	Increases elemental and internal damage reduction by 5% and reduces the cooldown of Sonic Missile by 10 seconds.
	Charged Gauntlets	Activating Flaming Fist makes your next Rail Shot an automatic critical hit.
	Superheated Flamethrower	Flame Burst, Flame Sweep, and Immolate grant Superheated Flamethrower, increasing the damage of your next Searing Wave by 20% causing it to slow affected targets by 45%. This effect can stack up to 2 times.
	Rain of Fire	Searing Wave spreads your periodic Incendiary Missile effect to the targets it damages, as long as it damages targets already affected by your Incendiary Missile.
	Firebug	Increases the critical damage bonus of Searing Wave, Flaming Fist, Scorch, and Immolate by 10%.
	Automated Defensives	While Kolto Overload is active, your damage reduction is increased by 30%. Additionally the active cooldown of Kolto Overload is reduced by 6 seconds when you are attacked. This effect cannot occur more than once per second.
	Flame Barrage	Immolate makes your next Flame Burst or Flame Sweep generate no heat. Additionally, Searing Wave will now Overwhelm the targets it damages. Overwhelmed targets take 10% more damage from ar attacks.
	Burnout	Increases the damage dealt by Elemental attacks by 10% on targets below 30% max health. Additionally, Scorch costs 5 less heat.
	Perilous Flames	Increases the critical chance of Immolate by 10%.
	Consuming Flames	Searing Wave causes the next Immolate to deal 20% more damage.

Powertech Passives

	Close and Personal	Increases the duration of Energy Shield by 3 seconds. In addition, suffering direct damage from area attacks heals you for 2.5% of your total health. This effect cannot occur more than once every 3 seconds.
	Puncture	Rail Shot ignores 60% of the targets armor and Rocket Punch or Flaming Fist deals 10% more damage.

Bounty Hunter Passives

Combustible Gas Cylinder

Ranged weapon attacks have a 25% chance to deal additional elemental damage over 6 seconds. This effect cannot occur more than once per second.

Abilities

Rotational Abilities

	Flame Burst	Fires a burst of flame that deals X elemental damage.Cost: 15 Heat,Cooldown: None, Range: 10m
	Searing Wave	Torches everything in a 10-meter cone with a flamethrower, dealing X elemental damage to up to 8 targets.Cost: 20 Heat, Cooldown: 15s, Range: 10m
	Rail Shot	Fires a very powerful shot at the target that deals X weapon damage. Only usable against incapacitated targets or targets suffering from periodic damage.Cost: 15 Heat, Cooldown: 15s, Range: 10m
	Flaming Fist	Engages the jetpack and ignites your gauntlet, allowing you to strike the target with a flaming fist that deals X kinetic damage and X elemental damage. Replaces Rocket Punch.Cost: 15 Heat, Cooldown: 9s, Range: 4m
	Incendiary Missile	Fires a missile that explodes on contact, igniting the target for X elemental damage and an additional X elemental damage over 15 seconds.Cost: 15 Heat, Cooldown: None, Range: 30m
	Immolate	Spray the target with fuel and ignites it into a fireball that deals X elemental damage.Cost: 12 Heat, Cooldown: 15s, Range: 10m
	Scorch	Ignites the target with a blast of fire, burning them for X 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 within 10 meters that is not already affected by your scorch.Cost: 10 Heat, Cooldown: None, Range: 10m
	Rapid Shots	Fires a quick stream of bolts, dealing X weapon damage.Cost: None, Cooldown: None, Range: 30m

AoE Abilities

	Shatter Slug	Fires a high impact slug that instantly explodes on contact with the target, spraying the area with shrapnel shards that deal X kinetic damage to up to 8 enemies within 8 meters of the initial target.Cost: 15 Heat, Cooldown: 15s, Range: 10m
	Deadly Onslaught	Unloads all of your ordinances in rapid succession dealing X kinetic damage and X elemental damage over the duration to up to 8 enemies. Standard and weak targets are knocked down by the blast. Can be used while moving.Channel Duration: 3s, Cost: , Cooldown: 45s, Range: 10m
	Flame Sweep	Torches up to 8 targets within 5 meters for X elemental damage.Cost: 15 Heat, Cooldown: None, Range: 5m

Offensive Cooldowns

	Explosive Fuel	Increases ranged and tech critical chance by 25% for 15 seconds.Cooldown: 120s
	Shoulder Cannon	Deploys a Shoulder Cannon that gradually loads 4 missiles over time. Once loaded, the Shoulder Cannon can be triggered again to fire against an enemy target within 10 meters, launching 1 missile that deals X kinetic damage. A missile can be launched up to once per 1.5 seconds. Loading and launching the Shoulder Cannon does not respect the global cooldown and can be done while controlled. Once all missiles have been loaded, depleting all missiles puts the Shoulder Cannon on cooldown for 1.5 minutes.Cooldown: 90s
	Vent Heat	Rapidly vents 50 heat over 3 seconds.Cooldown: 120s
	Thermal Sensor Override	Your next ability generates no heat. This effect lasts 15 seconds.Cooldown: 120s
	Advanced Polybiotic Attack Adrenal	Increases Power by 870 and reduces all healing done by 20%. Lasts 15 seconds.Cooldown: 180s

Defensive Cooldowns

	Energy Shield	Increases damage reduction by 25% for 15 seconds.Cooldown: 120s
	Kolto Overload	Activating this ability applies a Health Monitor that lasts up to 60 seconds, which triggers a Kolto Overload when your health is reduced to 35% or less. If your health is already 35% or less, Kolto Overload triggers immediately. Once Triggered Kolto Overload goes on cooldown for 3 minutes and rapidly heals you up to 35% of your max health for 8 seconds but will not exceed 35% of you max health.Cooldown: 180s
	Advanced Polybiotic Medpac	Restores 37,225 – 44,545 health and an additional 11,136 health over 15 seconds. Only usable once per fight.Cooldown: 90s

Other Abilities

	Determination	Purges all incapacitating and movement-impairing effects.Cooldown: 120s
	Electro Dart	Fires an Electro Dart, dealing X energy damage and stunning the target for 4 seconds.Cost: 5 Heat, Cooldown: 60s, Range: 10m
	Carbonize	Encases up to 8 enemies within 8 meters in carbonite, dealing X internal damage and stunning them for 2.5 seconds.Cost: 5 Heat, Cooldown: 45s, Range: 8m
	Hydraulic Overrides	Grants 6 seconds of immunity from movement-impairing effects, knockdowns and physics and increases movement speed by 30%.Cooldown: 45s
	Stealth Scan	Fires off probes that scan the area for stealthed opponents. Probes last for 10 seconds.Cooldown: 20s, Range: 30m
	Neural Dart	Fires a neural dart that taunts the target, forcing it to attack you. Player targets deal 30% less damage when attacking anyone other than you. Effect lasts 6 seconds.Cooldown: 15, Range: 30m
	Sonic Missile	Drops threat towards all current enemies. Enemy players have their damage reduced by 30% for 6 seconds unless they attack you.Cooldown: 20s, Range: 30m
	Guard	While active the guarded player takes 5% less damage and generates 25% less threat. In addition so long as you remain within 15 meters of the guarded player, 50% of all incoming damage from enemy players is transferred back to you. Note: as of 5.0 this can be used as a DPS.Range: 30m
	Quell	Interrupts the targets current action and prevents that ability from being used for the next 4 seconds.Cooldown: 12s, Range: 4m
	Grapple	Fires a Grapple line that pulls the target to the Bounty Hunter and generates a high amount of threat. Cannot be used on targets in cover.Cooldown: 45s, Range: 30m
	Jet Charge	Jet to a distant target, dealing X kinetic damage, interrupting the target’s current action and immobilizing the target for 2 seconds. Cannot be used against targets in cover.Cooldown: 15s, Range: 30m

Rotation

Opener

I found this opener to be best for burst, and to keep things running smoothly in the long run.   I start off by using Searing Wave to get the Consuming Flames proc for Immolate, this is done before entering combat.

General Rotation

The rotation is completely static, the only thing that changes is where your Flaming Fist lands. Note that I place a GCD between Scorch and Incendiary Missile, this is done so that Flaming Fist can be used on cooldown.

Your 3 fillers are

1. Flaming Fist
2. Flame Burst
3. Rapid Shots

Flaming Fist should be used 100% on cooldown, Flame Burst and Rapid Shots should be used depending on your Heat level and whether or not you have Vent Heat or Thermal Sensor Override coming off of cooldown.

AoE Rotation

For the AoE rotation I recommend just following the single target rotation and swapping out Fillers with Flame Sweeps or Shatter Slugs, it’s best to use Flame Sweep 1st to apply the burning DoT from Combustible Gas Cylinder then use Shatter slug if they already have the DoT. I do not recommend using Deadly onslaught as it costs more Heat than the 2 abilities I just mentioned and does less damage than Shatter Slug per GCD.

Sample Parse and Video

Here’s a link to my current highest parse. The parse is done in mostly 240+ gear minus armorings.

Sample Parse Video

Fights you can use Pyrotech over Advanced Prototype

Eternity Vault:

• None

Karraga’s Palace:

• Jarg and Sorno
• Foreman Crusher

Explosive Conflict:

• Warlord Kephess – Only if assigned to Trenchcutters

Terror from Beyond:

• None

Scum and Villainy:

• Dash’roode
• Titan 6

Dread Fortress:

• Draxus
• Grob’thok
• Corruptor Zero

Dread Palace:

• Bestia
• Calphayus – Only if going Orange side 1st

The Ravagers:

• Torque

Temple of Sacrifice:

• Malaphar
• Revanite Commanders

Keep in mind on all of these that you are sacrificing 30% AoE damage reduction for more damage towards adds.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Kevin/Them for giving me a chance to tryout for <Failure> and to Nalia for putting me on a raid team. Shoutout to my current team members: Auro, Aretha, Beast, Blas, Dongo, Mac, Mon, Narwhal, Nestle, and Phreaky. Shoutout to my good friends Veldix and Rhegas.  Lastly, thanks to Dulfy for hosting this guide.

About Me

Most people know me as Jay/Jaymis, or by my Marauder’s name Septumis. I have been playing SWTOR since 2.0 but never got into hardcore raiding until late 3.0. I joined <Failure> on the Harbinger in 4.0 and have since then cleared all content this game has to offer in 4.0 including Timed Runs and everything in 5.0 excluding Dragonslayer, Dread Master and Gate Crasher. You can watch me live on Twitch here.