LogFAQs > #950819886

Here's a quick Level 50 Machinist guide for newbie interested in picking up the class.

Machinist is simple at its core but can be tricky to play as you have to press buttons very quickly to get the most damage out of it that you can. Currently has the 2nd-highest APM for optimal damage, last time I checked. Luckily the tradeoff is that it has probably the least-amount of unique buttons to push in the game, if you struggle with keeping track of bloated hotbars, this is a nice job to use.

Machinist has two bars: the Heat Gauge and the Battery Gauge. Both of them have one specific function.

1. When the Heat Gauge reaches 50 (out of a max 100), Heat Blast becomes available to use.
2. When the Battery Gauge reaches max 100, use Rook Autoturret.

Not too complicated. Key moves are:

Split Shot -> Slug Shot -> Clean Shot: Your basic 1-2-3 GCD combo. Increases the the gauges as well.

Hot Shot: A GCD with a cooldown that does decent damage and increases the Battery Gauge by 20. Open with this and use it pretty much whenever it comes up.

Reassemble: Off-GCD that guarantees your next weaponskill crits. Use this before Clean Shot, at least until you learn Drill at Level 58, then use it before Drill.

Gauss Round and Richochet: Off-GCDs with low damage but low cooldowns. Use them pretty much whenever they're up.

Drill: GCD with a 20 second cooldown that does a buttload of damage. Use this...wait for it...pretty much whenever it comes up, HOWEVER if Reassemble is available or is just about to be available, make sure to use Reassemble before Drill. That does a lot of damage.

Rook Autoturret: Does damage. Use this when the Battery Gauge reaches 100. The game will make it obvious when the gauge is maxed because it plays a loud sound effect as well.

Hypercharge and Heat Blast: So here's where the fun begins. Whenever your Heat Gauge reaches 50, you can spend 50 (by activating Hypercharge) to make Heat Blast available for the next 8 seconds. Heat Blast is one of the main reasons Machinist has such a high APM, because it has a 1.5 second cooldown and reduces the cooldowns of Gauss Round and Richochet by 15 seconds every time it's used. So for the next 8 seconds you're going:

Heat Blast -> Gauss Round (or Ricochet, whichever comes up first, then alternate)
Heat Blast -> Richochet
Heat Blast -> Gauss Round
Heat Blast -> Richocet

Each Heat Blast -> Off-GCD combo can be done within the 1.5 second window. If you mash efficiently, you can get four combos off before Hypercharge's 8 second duration ends.

Wildfire: Here's where the other fun begins. This is an off-GCD with a very long cooldown. When activated, Wildfire delays its damage by 10 seconds. During that 10 second window, any weaponskill you use increases the final Wildfire damage by 150. So you want to spam as many weaponskills as you can in those 10 seconds, and Heat Blast is a weaponskill.

Optimal Wildfire usage looks something like:

Wildfire -> Hypercharge
Heat Blast -> Gauss Round
Heat Blast -> Richochet
Heat Blast -> Gauss Round
Heat Blast -> Richocet
Heat Blast no longer available, finish with any other weaponskill (Split Shot, Slug Shot, Clean Shot, Hot Shot, or Drill)

This does so, so much damage. Also, never activate Wildfire unless Hypercharge is also available. Not worth it

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That's the gist of it. Basically, learn to spam efficiently. Always be pressing buttons and make sure you keep attacking even while moving.

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It's Reyn Time.