Snipers VS Aeldari Harbingers

[Majere]

This is getting seriously annoying. In an attempt to keep things interesting I've been playing a Sniper Assassin in the Seasonal Campaign, and I've run into a solid wall with Aeldari Harbingers.

Because I'm a Sniper, and my typical approach to a tough mob is to sneak up on it, line up a Sniper Shot, and decorate the scenery with its grey matter, I'm a bit of a glass cannon. Most of the time this is fine, and keeps things interesting rather than playing a melee build with massive lifesteal that just spams an AOE skill all mission. But with the Aeldari Harbinger, there are two massive problems:

#1: He can't be Sniper Shot. The aim interface doesn't come up, so I can't build up to the 8x shot. This is extremely annoying, but pales into insignificance against problem #2.

#2: He apparently has a damage reflect that means any damage I do to him is done to me. Since his health pool is enormous and I don't really do life-steal, this means I can't wear him down without dying. I just did a Seasonal against Aeldari and at the end ran into a Harbinger and the Ultimate Harbinger together (a Wraithlord). I one-shot the Wraithlord, but it was standing in the Harbingers aura and I died from full health.

Is there any way around this issue for a Sniper? (I've tried my back-up shotgun, which similarly bounces off whilst murdering me). Obviously it's possible to simply not do missions against Aeldari, but that seems a very poor solution, especially when you have an Ancient Relic that requires them.

[Majere]

Not that anyone cares, apparently, but this is definitely flat-out broken.

I did an Intel last night with my Sniper, level 85, with optimised gear including a Destruction's Reach Exitus rifle, masses of Focus damage, etc. I can one-shot most Ultimate Harbingers on +5 (including the Aeldari one). Obviously this means I can't take many hits, so taking on the Alpha Legion for example is a game of cat-and-mouse, exactly as it should be.

This Intel mission was at a mere +2, so basically everything was evaporating in one hit from my Boltgun which has explode on kill. And then I hit an Aeldari Harbinger, and simply could not do the damn thing any meaningful damage. At +2.

I've looked into it, and apparently the Harbinger gives everything within its aura a 60% chance to reflect 20% of damage. The Harbinger has some 300k HP, I have about 5k. My guns, because I'm a Sniper, heal on kill, not on hit. The result? Any attempt to kill the thing simply kills me and leaves it basically unmarked.

Then there's the fact that for no logical reason he's immune to Aimed and Sniper shots, the only example in the game I know of of a core weapon ability being useless. I can 'headshot' tanks, wraith constructs and Daemon Engines, just not a Farseer or Warlock. This, in a game in which an armoured vehicle can be poisoned and bleed to death.

So, is this really 'working as intended'?

[Bilateralrope]

That aimed and sniper shot thing does sound like a bug.

As for your problem with reflect, the only thing I can think of is one psalm doctrine:

Voltaic Psalm + Aegis Psalm + Hermeticon Psalm + Shroud Psalm + Emanatus Psalm
Gives 12% Life Drain and Energy Shield Drain

[Majere]

Originally posted by Bilateralrope:

That aimed and sniper shot thing does sound like a bug.

As for your problem with reflect, the only thing I can think of is one psalm doctrine:

Voltaic Psalm + Aegis Psalm + Hermeticon Psalm + Shroud Psalm + Emanatus Psalm
Gives 12% Life Drain and Energy Shield Drain

Well, that would probably help keep me alive a bit longer, but given that the other half of the problem is that my damage just bounces off the guy whilst he pelts towards me intent on turning me into a shish kebab I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not!

[Majere]

I think I've found a solution: the humble autogun. With the life/shield drain doctrine and Full Auto, it's capable of wearing down the Harbinger whilst stopping me from dropping dead for having the temerity for doing it, and does have the added bonus of "say hello to my little friend" moments.

I guess the old adage holds true in Inquisitor: If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, riddle them with bullets.

[Granite]

How is your critical hit chance?
Reroll a pair of relic autopistols with 8% HP healed per critical hit and crippling salvo the devil out of them. If you can get them to yellow suppression they also get shocked, and at red suppression will be completely disabled until the salvo finishes.

[Schalimah]

There is another doctrine that reduces reflected damage by 80%

[Majere]

Originally posted by Granite:

How is your critical hit chance?
Reroll a pair of relic autopistols with 8% HP healed per critical hit and crippling salvo the devil out of them. If you can get them to yellow suppression they also get shocked, and at red suppression will be completely disabled until the salvo finishes.

Extremely high, since I'm a sniper. Didn't much help on the Intel in question which 'helpfully' disabled the dratted things. I'm hoping to get a couple of decent autopistols but RNGesus has not smiled on me (still no Rampage of the Reckless Stealth armour, 40k Santa?) and I mostly levelled SoBs this Season so the schematic hasn't dropped yet.

[Voldski]

Isn't it point the design that some enemies supposed to push you out the comfort zone, by yah its broken since it only apply to some builts where other can steam roll through just about everything. Even if that may been intention with design to challenge you in different ways, maybe force you into using offhand sometimes for certain occasional encounters.

Doubt its going to get changed however, so my best advice would be try to find some way to overcome. Indifferent damage work really well with the Aldari ones. But think I won't be exaggerating if I say most hate them Aldari harbringers, because of just how annoying they are. Would lie if I said it wasn't case for me too with my boltgun built, usually always had flamer offhand just to deal with them. Then after I got the seasonal aldari boss its been mostly ignoring most aldari mission coming up.

The worst part again is some builts can just sizzle through them like it was nothing, my flamer sister can stand next to them and they're dead in seconds. But with boltgun its one frustrating and annoying encounter you wish mostly to be without.

[Voldski]

Originally posted by Schalimah:

There is another doctrine that reduces reflected damage by 80%

How many is going to bother with moving doctrines just for one encounter especially when were talking doctrines that use 4 psalms, when you could skip most them less you're doing storylines or locked into them doing void crusades or warzones.

[Bilateralrope]

Originally posted by Arnevoldski:

Isn't it point the design that some enemies supposed to push you out the comfort zone, by yah its broken since it only apply to some builts where other can steam roll through just about everything. Even if that may been intention with design to challenge you in different ways, maybe force you into using offhand sometimes for certain occasional encounters.

Thing is, the Aldari harbinger doesn't challenge anyone with life/shield drain. Guess what all all the steamrolling builds have. Guess what the Sororitas has from attributes.