What's the best way to solo elites?

I'm playing a Powertech spec'd bounty hunter which is currently at level 13. My problem lies in the fact that whenever elites enemies close, my guy drops immediately (3 or four hits max). And not elites at the same level either, so far even four levels below me are downing me if they get close. I don't have a lot experience with MMOs, never been interested in WOW. SO basically, what do I need to do to make my bounty hunter a survivable class? I get so very tired of waiting on the med bot to respawn.

Solution 1:

I played a Powertech in beta and now play a Vanguard (Trooper equivalent). At your level, this is how I'd recommend taking on an Elite enemy:

1. Make sure you're at full health and are using your Combustible Gas Cylinder (CGC)
2. Start at range with Unload
3. If CGC proc'd and Rail Shot is available, use it while running towards the enemy. Rail shot will always be your highest priority ability, so use it whenever it's available.
4. Use Explosive Dart
5. Use Rocket Punch as soon as you're in melee range
6. Use Rapid Shots when your heat is around 50% to allow it to regenerate.
7. Use your Electro Dart now to stun the enemy for a few.
8. Stick to Rail Shot, Explosive Dart, and Rocket Punch while in melee range at this level.

My final tip is to make sure you're always doing something! Don't waste global cooldowns trying to figure out what to do next; get used to your abilities and see what's available and what isn't.

Solution 2:

Without knowing anything about your character, it's hard to tell what exactly is wrong. But, based on my experience, killing single Elite (gold) enemy should be straight-forward.

I haven't played Bounty Hunter, so here's some of my general guesses of why does that happen to you:

1. You don't have the correct abilities, or you didn't level them. You should visit your class trainer periodically to purchase new abilities and upgrade old ones.

2. You don't use the correct abilities. Have a look at all your abilities. Are there some that could help you significantly?

3. You (or your companion) don't have the correct gear. I don't think this isn't very likely, since mission rewards should give you gear that's good enough.