Bwah. Thanks guys. I'm gonna peek at what skills Crusader gets for Sniper before moving onto something else, I think. I'm really liking a bit of synergy between Photon Saber/Sniper Rifle. Appendages basically explode instantly if I decide to unload on them.
This is my crusader build as of maxing it out last night:
Skills:
Quick Reload 5 (Max): Reduces cooldown for ranged auto attacks by 50%
Combo Gunner 4 (from Commando): Boosts damage by 100% when triggering ranged combos
Third Eye 4 (from Commando): Boosts TP by 50 when using a Ranged Art; double that if you have an aura active.
Aura Burst 4 (from Commando): Extends aura effects by 7 seconds
Looks like I wasn't actually using many Astral Crusader skills, lol.
Arts:
Ghost Sniper 3 (aura): Boosts critical chance, Boost TP when landing critical hits, Boosts ranged accuracy. | Effect normally lasts 24 seconds, with a skill it lasts 7 seconds longer. The aura already boosts TP gain, plus I had another skill that doubles TP gain with aura active. Basically, though I didn't actually use this much, I was a TP demon. Easily recovered the 1000 TP spent using the skill, with more to spare afterwards.
Eagle Eye 3 (buff, from Partisan Eagle): Grants Ranged Accuracy and Attack up| mostly there when I got a Soul Voice to use a buff, because I only used the next buff during a combo.
Hawkeye 3 (buff): Grants Critical Power.| Crits are lovely. I only really used this in between my two Shot arts with great effect.
Sidewinder 3 (range): Deals weapon damage + inflicts Debuff Res Down | pretty much just used to trigger a ranged combo, which I have boosted by a skill. Does more damage on its own than other ranged arts I had available.
Shrapnel 4 (range, from Partisan Eagle): Deals Weapon Damage + Boosts appendage damage | the BnB. Everything leads to this. When I'm ready to unload, I shoot Sidewinder (which opens up the combo window), cast Hawkeye for the crit, and then shoot Shrapnel at a targeted appendage. The crit + the range combo boost + hitting an appendage is spectacular.
The rest I pretty much had in order to fulfill Soul Voices.
Intercept 3 (debuff, from Partisan Eagle): Deals weapon damage + inflicts Stun | Just for Soul Voice. Stun has saved me from some big attacks, but I wouldn't rely on it really.
Balance Breaker 3 (melee, Lao affinity): Deals weapon damage + inflicts Stagger in melee combos | Just for Soul Voice, though I usualy use it in combo with the next art depending on if I just want damage (so I'll use balance Breaker first), or if I want to inflict Stagger (so I'll use Balance Breaker 2nd)
Arcing Horn 2 (melee, from Partisan Eagle): Deals electric damage + Inflicts Electric Res Down + Boosts Damage in melee combos | Again, just for Soul Voice and to use in combination with Balance Breaker depending on the situation. You start with it in Partisan Eagle and I just didn't unequip it, lol.
I probably could have optimized even more, especially with the ranged combo skill I could have used another ranged shot, but 2 was enough for me. I didn't pay much attention to my damage output when I used Ghost Sniper, since I did mainly use it for generating TP, and with my setup is was pretty darn good for that.
Now I'm leveling up Enforcer!
