Need some input for a launcher ranger build

[Ygdrad]

For thematic reasons and mostly for fun, I've created an alt using only launcher with the occasional weak bullet thrown in. I have maxed out Weak Hit Advance 1&2, sharpshooter, and have one point in weak bullet(not keeping the rifle out so i wont be firing more than one). I am currently running Ra/Hu, I would normally sub Gu for double PP generation and more PA spam, but the launcher has terrible pp gain.

I am not too sure where to go from here. Standing snipe might work great for a rifle, but it seems worthless for a launcher since unless you're using basic attacks, you'll most likely move before the slow shot hits its target. First hit might be something nice to grab and use with divine launcher t clear trash.

From there i still have a bunch of points left over and what seems like very little of worth for the launcher. Was thinking of potentially putting one point in all the launcher shells and maxing power bullet and PP save bullet to keep their effect up most of the time.

What are your thoughts on launcher builds?

[Ordy]

You actually have some nice alternatives when you don't plan to use a rifle:

First, make sure to get Sharp Shooter and First Hit. Both are really nice damage boost skills. Fist Hit is harder to trigger in MPA full of Force spamming ilmegid but it's pretty good to clear respawns.

One option would be to max Shooting Up 1 for 50 extra R-ATK and add 5 points in Killing Bonus, it's always nice to get some PP back when you are in the skill range to get the PP (usually when you cosmos or Divine in close range).

Another option would be max power bullet and load a bullet for situational extra damage burst. So 5 in Power, 3 in bullet for 2 charges and 3 in PP Save Bullet to compensate the lack of Killing Bonus. OR you could get the other bullets too and no PP Save Bullet. Up to you.

As far as you have the RAHU "core" skills, you should be fine and will deal good damage :)

Launchers are fun

No Launcher, No Life

[Ygdrad]

I'm wondering about weak bullet, if i swap weapon do the shots stay loaded in the rifle? If so it might be worth getting more than one level.

[HIT0SHI]

If you swap, the bullets sadly disappear until the skill is activated again.

[Ygdrad]

Google translate's translation of the japanese wiki still leaves some things in a confusing state so I'll ask here.

How does the Power Bullet and PP Save bullet bonus work exactly? The japanese wiki mentions a 30s duration on power bullet effect and mentions it being lost or somesuch while there is no mention of a duration on pp save. I need to know for sure whether I need to still have a special shot loaded to have the bonuses or if they'll stick around for 30s even after the loaded shots have been used.

The second case could be useful since for 18 points I would get 100 extra power and 80% pp usage almost always up by having only one point in each launcher shot and spreading out their use over time.

[Kondibon]

I dunno about power bullet but I don't really think it's worth maxing. PP save lasts as long as you have a special bullet loaded. If you plan on getting it, you can actually put a few points in jellen shot or something to save pp on launcher PAs.

[Ygdrad]

Since I won't be getting all that much out of PP Save Bullet, I'm thinking of something like this:

http://pso2-skill.pwnedgalaxy.net/skillcalc.php?07fbsIkbsIkbsIkbsIkbsIkbsIkbsIkfdsib 6ebIoqnGKsN6JiGA000000ib000000lb2QGFfGFcDINfdqbnrA 0000lb000009b0000000Ib0000000Ib000000j

It would give power bullet a downtime of only 18s with an uptime of 90s and some situational utility from the launcher shots. Wondering if some of those points should be diverted to Dive Roll Advance since I fight at close range a lot with the launcher.

[Asellus]

My launcher build: http://pso2-skill.pwnedgalaxy.net/skillcalc.php?07dQbsIkbsIkbsIkbsIkbsIkbsIkbsIk0lbI nqnGKJ7JiGA000000ib000000j2O5dcFfGFcAikdnInqA0000l b000009b0000000Ib0000000Ib000000j

I exclude weak hit advance one and two because I'm using Launchers almost exclusively.

I have a second build for rifle which is centered around WB and includes weak hit advance.

You should play around with different skills until you find what works for your set up.

Personally I like to include Braver into the WB mix for maximum exploitation of weak points.

[angrysquid]

Even with a launcher you should be hitting weakspots all the time.
WHA is a must.

[Ygdrad]

The problem I have with Standing Snipe is that a lot of PA's will move your character at least a bit and you have to remain immobile until the shot lands since you need to have been standing perfectly still for the last second for standing snipe to kick in. My launcher playstyle is pretty mobile and is usually close to enemies, I have sharpshooter in there just for extra damage when I'm not. Being close also lets me hit weak spots more reliably with the launcher.

[Ordy]

I think you can skip Standing Snipe, even though you can easily SS Cosmos, you won't get the bonus 90% of the time because of your playstyle that probably involves mid air shooting. Then you'll get 100 (200 with power bullet) extra R-atk from shoot up to boost your damage.

I used to have some extra points in roll advance but the roll is just terrible, now I just try to avoid situations where I'd have to rely on rolls to stay alive. Launchers being slower than other weapons, I rather focus on my positioning than my dodging skills (. _.)

[starwhisper]

Hello. I use a launcher too and I'm really having a blast whith it :D

My skill tree: http://pso2-skill.pwnedgalaxy.net/skillcalc.php?07fbsIkbsIkbsIkbsIkbsIkbsIkbsIk0lbIn dn00000009b000000jdBJdJ2Id6dx2Nfqn0000lb000009b000 0000Ib0000000Ib000000j

* Weak hit advance 1 & 2 are very good talents and they make the hardest hitting pa's (divine launcher, cluster bullets) to scale very well with gear and buffs.

* Standing snipe 1 & 2 are the second best damage increase for launchers. Don't listen to players who are not even playing ranger when they tell you standing snipe is hard to use, it's wrong, in fact the launcher naturally triggers standing snipe. And here is how:

-your feets are on the ground : simply shoot whith left-clik and tadaaaaaa!!!!! Your next pa will have SS bonus.

-you are airborne : first use crazy smash then just attack your pa (divine launcher, cosmos breaker...) for it to have the SS bonus.

* The last good damage increase is sharp shooter, so if you want use launchers at their best you must have ranger main.

* I like having killing bonus for comos breaker spam: this pa is very expensive but can kill a lot of mobs at once, giving you tons of pp, if you are close enough, allowing you to spam that pa withtout ever shooting to refill your pp gauge.

* this skill tree is to be used with the hunter cookie-cutter build as sub.

* photon arts : cluster bullets, divine launcher, cosmos breaker, crazy smash, rodeo drive, zero distance. Launcher is powerfull and the gameplay is nice as you don't spend you game sessions spamming ilmegid or shunka over and over.


Whith this setup and poor-person gear (2s, lv1, 50% agni bazooka with 3s units) I totally melt everything in sight : up to 60k divine launchers , 30k cluster bullets, a cosmos breaker so strong it kills anything as long as I use it with just attack OR standing snipe, both being a huge overkill. Without weak bullet, of course.
And when a boss spawns you can switch to your rifle to land insane 1M damage satellite cannons, if you know what to do, thanks to SS, WHA, WB, and fury tree.

Haters gonna hate, enjoy being the master class, with the master weapons.

edits: corrected typos.

[Ordy]

* Standing snipe 1 & 2 are the second best damage increase for launchers. Don't listen to players who are not even playing ranger when they tell you standing snipe is hard to use, it's wrong, in fact the launcher naturally triggers standing snipe. And here is how:


No one said it was hard to SS, it's just terribly impractical and slow on a launcher. The launcher PA's are overkill even without SS, that's why I said 90% (not 99,99%) of the time, RAHU with a decent launcher won't even bother with SS because you'd be killing everything in one PA just with a JA'ed cosmos/divine/cluster. Then you have the other 10% situations, usually in TA/TD where you want the extra SS boost.



-your feets are on the ground : simply shoot whith left-clik and tadaaaaaa!!!!! Your next pa will have SS bonus.


more like tadaaaa all the mobs are already dead because you are too slow to fire your PA



-you are airborne : first use crazy smash then just attack your pa (divine launcher, cosmos breaker...) for it to have the SS bonus.


AFAIK, Crazy Smash slightly moves you forwards, which cancels out your Standing Snipe. So people Smash mid-air to JA faster, not for SS.



Without weak bullet, of course. And when a boss spawns you can switch to your rifle to land insane 1M damage satellite cannons, if you know what to do, thanks to SS, WHA, WB, and fury tree.


OP said "have one point in weak bullet(not keeping the rifle out so i wont be firing more than one)."
Go fire a sat cannon without a rifle out.

[starwhisper]

The launcher PA's are overkill even without SS, that's why I said 90% (not 99,99%) of the time, RAHU with a decent launcher won't even bother with SS because you'd be killing everything in one PA just with a JA'ed cosmos/divine/cluster. Then you have the other 10% situations, usually in TA/TD where you want the extra SS boost.

Well there are a lot of mobs I cannot os without standing snipe in SH : fordoransa, gilnach/gilnas, vagr family, blumegalla, predicadas, el ahda... If one of them spawns you should have used max power...


more like tadaaaa all the mobs are already dead because you are too slow to fire your PA

Oh come on its ok and it can chain kill, even for a non-japanese, wich is a big addition. There more big ennemies that spawns the better it is.


AFAIK, Crazy Smash slightly moves you forwards, which cancels out your Standing Snipe. So people Smash mid-air to JA faster, not for SS.

Noted.



OP said "have one point in weak bullet(not keeping the rifle out so i wont be firing more than one)."
Go fire a sat cannon without a rifle out.

I don't understand why to ignore an ability (and a good one) thats is given to you. But I can do nothing about it.