Can you put Biotic Scout guide in the title? I know I am just being nitpicky but I absolutely have no Pill Bottle skills, just the TACNET electronic ones.
It's a matter of opinion right now to what degree EWAR Works

Can you put Biotic Scout guide in the title? I know I am just being nitpicky but I absolutely have no Pill Bottle skills, just the TACNET electronic ones.
It's a matter of opinion right now to what degree EWAR Works

To be honest that argument is really what splits the scouts in two.
Minmatar-speed tanks
Gallente - HP Tank/Ewar

It's like the difference in shotgun scout and sniper scout.
Shotgun scout says sniper scout does not work.
Sniper scout says sniper scout works but so do shotgun scouts.

Pill Scouts say Ewar scouts do not work
Ewar scouts say ewar scouts work but so do Pill Scouts
*shrug*

add the 1 complex precision for a 31 precision making you a passive scanner for yourself and squad

That's going to change soon. When they update Tac Net system, they are removing shared scanning. So because one person picks another up, does not mean that everyone else will. This is a buff to scouts because just because some fool sees you with a sniper scope doesn't mean that the squad you are stalking will.

That's going to change soon. When they update Tac Net system, they are removing shared scanning. So because one person picks another up, does not mean that everyone else will. This is a buff to scouts because just because some fool sees you with a sniper scope doesn't mean that the squad you are stalking will.

My problem with dampeners at this point is not that they don't "work" but that they are very very situational. They protect against proto scanners and MAYBE scouts that are eWAR focused. For now. I loved them in the chromosome build. Uprising not so much.

My main problem is the shared LOS on TACNET. As soon as you get spotted by eye running between boxes.....that's it for your advantage. Then, your modules aren't helping you at all

voidfaction's fit sounds pretty awesome actually. The utility as a killing machine seems a lot less but then again that's not really the role it's going for. I hadn't really thought of those fits mostly because I assumed all of eWAR was trash due to everything else being crapish....

With the shared vision changes coming, those fits are going to start being a lot more important and if they up the ranges on scanning then it might even be feasible on a non lame-duck fitting.

Regardless, as a general guide I think it's not a good idea to go into eWar skills early (right now) and probably more important to round out other skills. Once you hit maybe 8 mill sp you can start to make the choice of biotics, eWar, or combination.

the way i understand profile dampening and precision is when someone has line of sight on you and your dampening is low then your not put on the tacnet for all to see unless the one that sees you has higher precision so you may be spotted by the one person when your running but they are the only one that sees you. you also have the factor of hiding from scanners both passive/active.

I would just add to the tactics part to half expect your shotgun round may fail to register even tho it's blatant you couldn't have not hit them. Just always be prepared to empty your shotty...

Also, You might consider kicking nanocircuitry up to LV2 so you can carry a compact nanohive. 10/2 CPU/PG makes it easy to fit in your equipment slot. it heals armor and then feeds ammo in that order. Pretty useful for a shotty scout. And in a pinch it can really save your ass. especially when you are deep behind enemy lines.

Thanks for this - confirms 'im doing it right'. Since I've been playing MLT light frames (I know, right!?) my WP and kDR have jumped considerably (I'm normally top 6 somewhere in between members of a proto-squad EDIT: scrap that just came second from bottom...)

My problem is - its only when I lone wolf and use uplinks to control the sea of blue, my entire strategy is based on seeing what they are up to and either supporting or redirecting it ('hey guys I know you're having fun smashing your faces against that wall of proto at alpha/bravo but look at this shiny uplink I've placed Delta...try it...').

In a squad, well...this doesn't happen - My corp is great and I feel silly not playin with them. Now I don't have a (working) mic so that is a massive downer on playing scout in a squad, but what else am I doing wrong?

The single best thing you bring up is your use of uplinks. In an ideal situation they should always control the flow of a battle and that is still your role, even in a squad.

I've found that I don't work well in a squad where everyone acts as assaults. You really can't support a squad acting like that. You can be the eyes of a squad (scout) using an eWar fit or with biotics. If you scout with biotics then you need to be able to run from an engagement. Quickly. Even more important to choose your battles in that situation. Maybe try and lead a group of reds into your buddies arms. Find choke points and ambush spots and use them to your advantage.

If you are looking for kills as a scout, often lone wolfing it is the only choice you can make. Point defense is also a decent strategy. If people are coming for you then they typically get closer than is comfortable for them. As in, within shotgun range. It's hard to be friendly with a swarm of super heated plasma pellets.

Some of my best games were spent running between blue controlled objectives and ambushing small groups after they thought they'd cleared the area. Cheap tactics? Absolutely. Unfair? Perhaps. Effective? Completely. Why should you play by your enemies rules?

If you're not using a scout's speed or eWAR advantages, then stop using a scout. Odds are another class would suit your playstyle better. Like someone said earlier in the thread, an assault shotgun is almost always superior to a scout shotgun in a head to head battle. That's why you don't go head-to-head.

Can you source a link to a forum post that someone has done the science? As I understand it your profile has nothing to do with line of sight. Line of sight automatically makes anyone you see pop up on your squads (teams?) tacnet. Hence why I say that eWar is broken....

I haven't done any science on this but I went in on profile dampening since it's a passive and I had some extra SP to burn. I didn't find a difference. As in I would flank kill someone who was farther away from everyone but then I would have a whole squad doing a red dot hunt. This happens frequently in my experience. Of course this will all change in either a month or two

You are right
Line of sight is in no way effected by dampening or precision as stated by a post from CCP wolfman. Passive scan is the same as active scan as stated in another post by CCP wolfman. Scans will only be shared by squad in the upcoming changes. Shared vision will not. So I assume shared vision is line of sight which is the biggest problem for scouts so that will be a big help removing that but in return will require scouts to need better range and precision making the gallente suit really nice.

I guess all this time it was just me not being seen and not the dampeners. Will make my life easier when shared vision is turned off and I can focus more on scan range and precision

The single best thing you bring up is your use of uplinks. In an ideal situation they should always control the flow of a battle and that is still your role, even in a squad.

I've found that I don't work well in a squad where everyone acts as assaults. You really can't support a squad acting like that. You can be the eyes of a squad (scout) using an eWar fit or with biotics. If you scout with biotics then you need to be able to run from an engagement. Quickly. Even more important to choose your battles in that situation. Maybe try and lead a group of reds into your buddies arms. Find choke points and ambush spots and use them to your advantage.

If you are looking for kills as a scout, often lone wolfing it is the only choice you can make. Point defense is also a decent strategy. If people are coming for you then they typically get closer than is comfortable for them. As in, within shotgun range. It's hard to be friendly with a swarm of super heated plasma pellets.

Some of my best games were spent running between blue controlled objectives and ambushing small groups after they thought they'd cleared the area. Cheap tactics? Absolutely. Unfair? Perhaps. Effective? Completely. Why should you play by your enemies rules?

If you're not using a scout's speed or eWAR advantages, then stop using a scout. Odds are another class would suit your playstyle better. Like someone said earlier in the thread, an assault shotgun is almost always superior to a scout shotgun in a head to head battle. That's why you don't go head-to-head.

TL;dr Thanks for the feedback and hope to murder you all from behind someday.

Yesterday I made myself go shotgun regardless of whether Id be in a cqc situation - it's amazing how even in an open field, if the red is distracted by blues in the distance I can run almost right alongside them until I can swerve into shotgun range. Though its not something I would willingly do normally.

I think part of my squad problems is that most Squad Leaders tend to go for that tried and true tactic of picking a central objective, capping it and then holding it. This doesn't work for me in light frame - they are clearly not designed to 'hold the line'. I'm so use to hugging the defend order normally, and I feel bad if I go harass other points or drop links to support a blue offensive/defensive action.

Thanks for the feedback - I've just got Biotics 5, once I get armour and shield upgrades from 4 to 5, there will hopefully be news on new suit bonuses and hopefully racial symmetry and I can skill into scout suits without fear. If not I'm thinking hacking lv5 - but that looks like a painful grind. Im thinking that before weapon proficiencies, but I dunno....I like killing people but I love all the other things a scout can (potentially) do even more.

Last question - is it me or is skirmish pretty much the mode for scouts? I only do ambush when practicing actual combat skills (strafe/shotgun - bunny hopping productively etc.) - domination though...depends on the map I guess - its hard to strike where the enemy is not when there is only one objective.

Note about things I've come across lately. Remote explosives. F*** YEAH. The most cheap freaking kills I've ever gotten. I feel dirty every time I use them, but damn those double and triple kills are satisfying. You need explosives to 3 and only demolitions 1.

Damage doesn't scale with tier on RE's so the only advantage to going adv and proto RE's is that you can carry more and have more active at once.

EWAR skills may become all the rage once 1.4 hits. Be prepared and start in on range amplification and profile dampening. Getting to level 3 in each can give a significant boost to both range (30% ie to 13m, or if you run gallente and have proto racial, ~20 m) as well as to dampening (can shield you from std active scanners, but not adv or proto as well as most passive scanning)

Oh and I also updated formatting on the page. No more holy block of text. Yay formatting. I also changed a bit of advice based on changes in the last update / nerfs / buffs / future proofing

Other weapons to consider:

-Mass Drivers are great for when you're working with a squad. With a scout's speed, you can easily flank enemies too busy fighting whatever is in front of them, fully disorienting even the most organized squads while finishing off the wounded. The breach MD is a particularly interesting choice for scouts until shotgun hit detection gets sorted out. One direct hit can wreck most suits and two will put a hurting on a heavy. It's a bit more forgiving than a shotgun since you're getting close enough that a near miss is going to deal damage and add pressure. Fire rate can be a pain, it's a bit hard to fit, and nanohives and flux grenades are an absolute must, but having that extra option is worth it.

-TAC AR is another unorthodox thing to consider, but adds more options on the more wider open maps. Again, great when flanking or behind distracted enemies, even better when you pay attention to optimal range. ~90% of the community runs with the AR so you can easily out range someone and put them down with a couple well timed head shots. I'd recommend lining up around the neck area and unload. The rifle will climb after a few shots, and go for the head. Damage mods are recommended, but you can be a little more lenient with your fittings and throw on a plate.

Scrambler Rifle could work if you don't mind fitting a PG enhancer. Like the TAC AR, you're better off running around like a sharpshooter, picking off any stragglers, but you get the extra luxury of a charged shot. One well timed head shot will put down anything below a heavy and put the serious hurt on the latter. More SP intensive than the TAC AR, but superior to it in just about every way- except range. (Until 1.7) Just be careful of overheating.

Scrambler Pistol is almost a must if you're using nova knives or the breach shotgun. SMGs are good, but a well timed headshot on a guy you just can't close the distance on is the difference between who has to pay for their next fitting. Practice with the breach, its low firing rate will train you to line up shots instead of just panic firing. After you get the hang of things, it's up to personal choice on which variant you want to use. Personally, I stick with the breach, but use the assault or burst when using dual pistols. With enough practice, you might be able to pull off some crazy stunts like leaping around someone and pop them in the dome before they have a chance to turn around.

SMGs are so underrated for just about any class- except maybe heavies. The Ishukone ASMG is a monster, even capable of surpassing the AR in DPS. It's particularly great for scouts since it plays well with strafing in close range and even capable of putting the hurt on targets just outside its optimal when you ADS. Main an ASMG and run a toxin if you're low on CPU/PG. Being able to dance around someone while unloading 160 rounds into them is an amazing experience. Use flux grenades for more fun. At least proficiency 3 recommended for maximum effect.

K5 specialist shotgun (if you run out of ammo consider that a job well done, you've survived far longer than most people in scout suits)

need to bump this.
Great info.
Going to help me out quite a bit.
Updates?