i never got to use HPM much because all the high end ones were unattainable or illusionary. i would have loved maran to make my own exotics, instead i had to use blackwood rods and that cat orb
i had more than enough avg 28 other weapons though. so much so that i never ever used my pincer staff
the goal with HPM was disarm/offhand and space. all the folks i needed to use it on though wound up with cursed weapons (koul, varric, gillador) and could then just straight up whip me. if i made the build again i'd forego HPM and probably take the dodge legacy or something.