Advice Desired: Mothership Raids and Blasters

Hello,

I've got a blaster that I've been playing pretty consistently and really enjoying. I'm wanting to participate in Mothership Raids once he's "old enough" to get into the club (earn Vanguard Merit).

He's a Dual Wield/Mental Manipulation blaster FYI.
I've only done a couple raids as a controller, and I felt pretty useful.
I was just looking for advice about what my role would be as a blaster during the raid.

As a blaster, what should I focus on? For instance, should I slot Drain Psyche for accuracy and recharge or will I die in a couple seconds if I get in range to use it? Should I try to take out as many minions and Lieutenants as possible or focus on elite bosses and U'Kon Gr'ai and let my AoE splash damage take care of the littler guys?

I might set up my second build for this if I need to.

Thanks for your advice and help.

There are few to no minions on mothership raids, just the lieuts bosses and the few EBs.

You get 1 merit for any enemy that someone on your team causes at least 1 point of damage to. Dual Pistols has a lot of cones and aoes. I think you should chase merits. Aoe a group once, then aoe the next, then the next. Try to plink as many enemies as possible and concentrate your efforts on killing any large groups that cluster around the tanks.

As a blaster your damage will be important for taking down the hard targets. Watch for Magus and when they show, tear them up. Then go back to hurting as many as possible to max out your team's merit rewards.

Thanks Gavin and Dechs.

Speaking of Vanguard Merit, do you know if a character will receive bonus merits for defeating Rikti on top of the mothership if that character has the Vanguard Recruit Badge or does that only affect mission completion merit?

That only gives a single merit upon mission completion.

Also remember that you must have the Member of Vanguard badge to earn any Vanguard Merits at all.

I have an Elec\Nrg Blaster and did a raid again last night.

What I tend to do is use my build up, aim, power boost, and ST damage on the heavier hitters/bigger problems (Magus, Mesmers, UG, etc) and then plop down Sparky and then use my Ball Lightning and Short Circuit to hit as many of whatever is around me as possible.

Tactics wise I stay in the middle next to a lot of other squishies in case I get mezzed. Usually there is a lot of healing going on there and I can be held or mezzed in relative safety.

What my role would be depends on my chances of survival. With next to none I might be found +50ft in the air targeting whats immediately in front of a capable tank.