I rewrote this to speak plainly and from my experience as a player and theorycrafter (yes, I raid). Shadowbringers changed Machinist into a burst-focused gunner with a Heat Gauge and the Automaton Queen; that rework arrived with Patch 5.0 when Shadowbringers launched on July 2, 2019. As of 2025 the core loop—build heat, time Hypercharge, deploy Queen—still defines the job.
Want to do solid damage without overcomplicating things? Read on. I’ll tell you what to do, why it works, and where people argue with me (you’ll see one controversial take soon).
Quick job summary
Machinist is pure DPS now. You manage Heat and time burst windows. Mobility is excellent; you can shoot while moving. The Queen is a deployable pet that eats Battery charge and hits hard if she’s kept on-target. Simple, but timing matters—bad timing costs you damage.
Core mechanics, plain
The Heat Gauge fills from your 1-2-3 combo (Split Shot → Slug → Clean) and some other actions. Hypercharge spends Heat for a huge burst. Automaton Queen uses Battery (built by Clean Shot and similar actions). Use Hypercharge when raid buffs line up; deploy Queen when she won’t walk into nothing (that wastes it). I’ve noticed players who simply spam Hypercharge lose roughly 5–10% DPS compared to those who plan windows around buffs.
Heat is like a pressure cooker: build it safely, then release it when the lid’s secure. If you overcap you literally throw potential damage away. Honestly, that hurts more than you think.
Abilities you actually press
- Drill — big single-target hit on cooldown.
- Air Anchor — heavy potency, use on cooldown.
- Chainsaw — strong, use when available.
- Split → Slug → Clean — combo that generates Heat and Battery.
Why these? Because Drill, Air Anchor and Chainsaw align best with Hypercharge windows. Use Reassemble procs on your highest-potency skills so they crit reliably (yes, crit stacking pays off).
Example opener (short)
Pre-pull: Reassemble (-5s)
1) Split Shot
2) Gauss Round (oGCD)
3) Slug Shot
4) Ricochet (oGCD)
5) Clean Shot
6) Hypercharge + Gauss Round
7) Heat Blast spam (weave oGCDs)
8) Drill
That opener works for most fights. Watch your oGCD weaving though—timing is everything. There, I said it. You won’t hit peak numbers if you ignore weave timing.
Heat management (short table)
| When | Do this |
|---|---|
| Raid buff window | Use Hypercharge |
| High movement phase | Avoid starting Hypercharge |
| Gauge at 100 | Don’t keep doing combos — spend it |
There are exceptions (depends on your niche). For example, in short fights you might deploy Queen at 50 charge rather than waiting for 100 so you don’t miss a window. That’s tactical and not wrong—depends on the timeline.
Automaton Queen — use her smartly
The Queen costs Battery, and she won’t come back after you deploy her. Deploy her when the boss is targetable for the whole duration. If you drop her into a phase transition she’ll vanish and you lose her damage. We found many groups underuse the Queen by deploying it too early or during vulnerable transitions.
Pro tip: trigger Pile Bunker (Queen Overdrive) manually to time the huge hit when buffs are active.
Controversial take: sometimes the Queen feels overrated in full-geometry raids with frequent untargetable windows. Some players swear she’s always best; I disagree—she can be awkward in high-movement or add-heavy fights. Debate me? (I’ll bring logs.)
Stats and gear, simply
Prioritize Critical Hit, then Direct Hit. Determination is fine as filler. Skill Speed is usually last unless you need smoother weaving. Why Crit first? Because Reassemble lets you force guaranteed crits on big skills, multiplying their value. Direct Hit gives steady increases with less RNG fuss.
| Priority | Why |
|---|---|
| Critical Hit | Synergy with guaranteed crits |
| Direct Hit | Consistent damage |
| Determination | Safe flat boost |
Food: pick Crit-boosting food. Use Grade 4 Dexterity potions for openers and burns. I’ve noticed small buffs stack and matter more in 2025 where numbers are tighter than in older patches.
Advanced tips (for savages/ultimate)
- Pre-position before mechanics; you shouldn’t be wandering when a Hypercharge comes up.
- Slidecast where possible to keep uptime while moving.
- Coordinate Queen and Hypercharge with party buffs like Trick Attack or Divination.
Here’s the funny part: delaying Hypercharge by 10 seconds is sometimes better than using it immediately. Sounds odd, but if a party buff lands you’re amplifying the whole window.
Counterintuitive insight: lowering Skill Speed slightly can improve long-term damage because it allows more precise oGCD weaving with higher-potency skills. Not intuitive, I know, but we found it in logs.
One small checklist
- Keep Heat managed (no overcaps).
- Time Hypercharge with buffs.
- Deploy Queen when she’ll live full duration.
- Use Reassemble procs on big hits.
Yes, practice matters. Muscle memory beats theory alone. To be fair, you’ll still make mistakes; I do. But steady improvements show up in logs.
Extra: quick weave tip (code style)
// Simple weave rule
if (oGCD_ready && GCD_animation) {
weave(oGCD);
// don't clip your next GCD by more than ~0.3s
}
Final-ish note: Machinist asks you to think like a timer and move like a dancer. The job rewards planning and small habits. Surprisingly, attention to tiny timing windows beats trying to memorize every possible rotation branch. Keep practicing—those small gains add up!
— I’m Mira, and I play Machinist in raids. If you want logs or a specific boss breakdown (E12S example? tell me), ask and I’ll post a short, fight-specific plan.
