Insta Snipes worth it for Dominators?

[blayzemaster]

So I have a Mind / Elec dominator who has taken Zapp. Electric doesn't have many ranged moves so I'm contemplating trying to slot for insta snipe but for Dominators you need Kismet, Tactics AND Link Minds. Psionic Mastery only sort of fits with the theme, so I'm wondering if it's worth trying to do Insta Snipe, or just drop Zapp completely.

[Mr. Vee]

If you can afford to keep it running at 50 the offensive amplifier temp power from p2w will get you insta-snipe with just kismet and one slotted tactics. Not to mention the damage and recharge buffs, which are decidedly more than just icing.

[Machariel]

I honestly think they're worth taking anyway since Tactics + Kismet + small yellow will get you perma for the duration of the inspiration, and the to-hit buffs from Build Up (and build-up proc effects) and Domination are all up collectively often enough that you can get a lot of uptime on the snipe.  I take it on my Plant/Fire/Fire, which has neither Link Minds nor a +tohit effect from Build Up (because /Fiery gets Embrace of Fire instead), and I definitely get a lot of mileage out of it.  

 

My preferred slotting for snipes is the Sting of the Manticore set (5 pieces for the 7.5% recharge) and the Decimation chance for build up, which goes off quite frequently in a snipe power. (Though statistically maybe it's better in Blaze or something, I dunno).

[Ozryk]

Y'all know the PTR changes will nerf the instant snipe mechanic, right?

[Darkir]

Well, as I understand it, if you maintain 22% tohit the damage will be the same in combat. Without the 22% tohit, in combat will be instant, but will do less damage. Out of combat will do more damage but take the full cast time. So, I don't know if it's a Nerf exactly, more of a rework as you can get the same in combat damage as now with 22% tohit. Or have they changed this again?

[nihilii]

I think the plan was to "nerf" Dom snipes specifically - that is, to lower their recharge and their damage scale. Which might make them more usable as part of a regular attack chain, but will decrease their DPA, ergo their overall efficiency for a Dominator who had already his hands full (and let's be honest, with a clicky primary and a clicky secondary, that's most Doms).

[blayzemaster]

1 hour ago, nihilii said:

I think the plan was to "nerf" Dom snipes specifically - that is, to lower their recharge and their damage scale. Which might make them more usable as part of a regular attack chain, but will decrease their DPA, ergo their overall efficiency for a Dominator who had already his hands full (and let's be honest, with a clicky primary and a clicky secondary, that's most Doms).

It looks like the plans are to take all the snipes down to a 2.26 damage scale, with tohit at 22% making them 2.76 damage scale. Dominator snipes atm are 3.56 I think. Cooldown would come down from 20 seconds to 12.

 

I was aware of the changes, yes, but seeing as they've been on the PTS for a while and one of the GMs in discord said no decision on them has been reached, I'm ignoring them for now. Without a snipe I don't really have a ranged attack chain that's complete, so I was wondering if chasing intent snipes would be worth it to complete the chain.

[Machariel]

Oof, that's a rough hit.  I'll probably still take them because it's still a pretty nice power (definitely I'll continue to take it over Fire Blast), but that's a pretty big hit to dominators.

 

One nice thing about taking snipes on Dominators is that you can build up your domination bar very fast by starting the power and deliberately interrupting it, so I often use that + Ageless epiphany before fights if I didn't have Domination up already.  

[Obitus]

16 hours ago, Machariel said:

Oof, that's a rough hit.  I'll probably still take them because it's still a pretty nice power (definitely I'll continue to take it over Fire Blast), but that's a pretty big hit to dominators.

The Dominator version of Fire Blast is the best in the game, due to its short activation time (relative to Blaster Fire Blast - 1.452s vs 1.848s) and its relatively high recharge (8s vs 4s for the Blaster version), which raises the power's damage scale.

 

In fact, Dominator Fire Blast will have higher DPA than the standard fast snipe, if/when the current plan for fast snipes goes live. 

• Fire Blast DPA = 1.99424 damage scale over 1.452s = 1.373 DPA. 
• Blazing Bolt default DPA under new system = 2.26 damage scale over 1.884s = 1.199 DPA.

Even at the max damage scale under the new system, the fast snipe will only barely out-DPA Fire Blast on a Dom: 2.76 / 1.884 = 1.465 DPA.

 

I wouldn't skip Fire Blast.  It's not exactly better than the fast snipe (though you could make an argument that it will be, unless the devs' plan changes), but it's one of the stronger ranged attacks available to a Dominator.

Edited August 1, 2019 by Obitus

[Machariel]

Huh.  I always felt that Incinerate was better but I guess that must have been subjective - guess I should consider swapping Incinerate for Fire Blast then (though then I won't have a place for Hecatomb. . .).  Thanks for crunching the numbers!

[blayzemaster]

It's no longer the same nerfed dom damage scales on beta. You still need +22% tohit to get the current damage of it though. Otherwise I think the scale starts at 2.76. This post is just so if someone reads it later they aren't confused

[Mr. Vee]

Re my earlier post - can get to 22 with just a level 50 To Hit in tactics and the offensive amplifier, but if you want to have insta-snipe when exemped you'll need the kismet too. I dumped the kismet and picked up the slot on my arch/tactical. Went to run penny earlier and it no longer had insta snipe. of course it also didn't have rain of arrows at that level so i could use aim and upshot separately for it like I wouldn't if rain were available. or a small yellow.

[Obitus]

On 8/12/2019 at 6:54 AM, blayzemaster said:

It's no longer the same nerfed dom damage scales on beta. You still need +22% tohit to get the current damage of it though. Otherwise I think the scale starts at 2.76. This post is just so if someone reads it later they aren't confused

Good point.  Yeah, the devs have changed the plan since my last post.  The snipe changes will be a pure quality-of-life buff to any Dom who has the current requirement of +22% ToHit; you'll get the same amount of damage, but now you no longer have to worry about losing fast snipe e.g. when you get hit with a small ToHit debuff.

 

Fire Blast is still a beastly attack on a Dom, though.  Worth emphasizing that, because other ATs often skip it, and for good reason.  Doms have a different situation.