Pasqal build - please help

[Supply Side Jesus]

I like Pasqal's character and want to have him in my party, but I can't make him into a decent damage dealer. Someone with 40K ruleset experience, please help me by posting a detailed build I could follow (melee or ranged). My main is officer grand strategist, I don’t need another buffer.

[Demon of Razgriz]

Well, he starts as an Operative, and I prefer ranged characters, so I made him a plasma gun weilding Bounty Hunter after Operative. If you look through his talents, you notice a lot involve Melta or Plasma or Melee. So, choose if you want him to be melee or ranged focused, then if its ranged, stick Melta or Plasma on him to take advantage of the talents.

[Supply Side Jesus]

What are key options to pick when making him an effective plasma-based ranged Operative? What stats to pump? I am new to 40K ruleset, so I only have tooltips to read to try to understand. None of it makes any sense, exploits mechanic is highly confusing to me as it does not seem to make any difference.

[Lywelyn]

pascal is defo a buffer/debuffer and has the particularity of being very versatile, i don''t have a particular build in mind, but if you intend on not needing another buffer, tryign to spec him into an assassin

[Hidetsugu]

Originally posted by Supply Side Jesus:

What are key options to pick when making him an effective plasma-based ranged Operative? What stats to pump? I am new to 40K ruleset, so I only have tooltips to read to try to understand. None of it makes any sense, exploits mechanic is highly confusing to me as it does not seem to make any difference.

Operative = deal more damage vs targets with exploits... or strip their armor and dodge with analyze weakness for the rest of the party to wreck them (or strip existing exploits, then slap some, then hit for even more damage), it is more noticeable on higher difficulties. Mine is melee and is chopping hard on a custom difficulty (enemy defensive abilities/stats unfair+ level, damage normal level). I will write down my build here, currently lvl 25, but if you understand what the build is going for, you can logically follow up.
Operative Skills: Tactical Knowledge, Intimidation
Operative Stats: Int x 2, Str x 2, Per x 1
Operative + Common Traits: CT: Strength, Tide of Excellence, Improved Tactics, Steel of the Forge, Instant Exposure, Prediction Protocols, Weak Body, Weak Soul, Heavy Armour Proficiency

Bounty Hunter (up to 25lvl) skills: Claim the Bounty, Hot on the Trail
BH Stats: Int, Per, Int (I am planning to start with WS if no more Int is available)
BH + Common Traits: Pinnacle of Weaponry, Acceleration Protocols, Skirmish Protocols, Scanner Mechadendrite, Trail and Shatter (planning to start taking BH traits, got all the Protocols I wanted)

What I recommend is - give Pasqal an extra turn from STI officer and put some stacks on some nearby mook. Don't trigger them. Save them for his turn. On his turn put some more stacks, then use Tactical Knowledge only on him. Easy 20+% damage for Pasqal and armor for the whole party.

[Supply Side Jesus]

I tried your build, it is deadly.

Why Perception and not Weapon Skill?

Why heavy armor considering you already have medium armor with +logic armor boost? I just found heavy xenomesh and OMG, 70% armor and 5 deflection. Not sure why it is so effective on this character.

[Demon of Razgriz]

Originally posted by Supply Side Jesus:

Why Perception and not Weapon Skill?

Why heavy armor considering you already have medium armor with +logic armor boost?

A lot of operative and bounty hunter talents use perception to scale things. When you read the ability description, it will tell you. Perception also helps negate enemy dodge. Weapon skill is nice, but for an operative, perception is important

As for heavy armor, it's because some heavier armor beats the medium armor even with logic boost, since they have their own boosts.

But my pascal doesn't use heavy armor since he focuses on range damage with a plasma gun, though I am going to get him power armor proficiency, since there is a suit that is unique to him that I got recently.

This was my first time playing this system, so I just spent a few minutes reading through everything and the tool tips. I would do that for a bit to learn.