If so can you please link your spec and stats (accuracy, crit, surge and power ratings) and/or build along with a parse. I'm not quite full black hole yet, but am starting to get into the high 1600s. Thrak'kera DPS spec Average DPS ~1658 p.s. In order to keep this constructive and useful, please limit this to an in-game parse and a linked build or posted stats. There are enough theory-crafting threads on this forum.

YES! 1778 with 109 crit rating and 1078 power (ratings budget of 1187) and 447 surge and 114 accuracy (ratings budget of 561) those are both below the highest budget ratings you can achieve, and I see you have some places where you can still upgrade gear. I'd appreciate it if you could drop another parse or two in just to confirm that the 1778 dps wasn't a fluke, but this totally supports my Power >>>>> Crit argument so thank you!

1. How do you think your Powertech spec is perceived by other classes? Pyro is seens as one of the highest damage specs in PvP, and a great spec for PvE DPS. I also play Shield for PvE, which is seen as a great tanking spec with probably the highest DPS of the tanks and the best armor by far. 2. How do you perceive your own spec? I love Pyro and think it is top-tier for both PvP and PvE. I also think shield is the best tank currently in the game, with the best aggro, especially for AoE tanking, and the best survivability for most boss fights.

That is a LOT of crit rating and surge rating, at the expense of accuracy and power. Perhaps that is the difference between gearing Carnage vs Annih?

Uh ... no, it's not moot. Also you can't use the term then dismiss it lol. In fact, you DEFINED the term as the same thing you just said. In my opinion, the "soft cap" for crit in FULL black hole 61 mod gear is 235 crit rating (71 crit from ear and 4 x 41 crit mods). This is what I have decided to gear towards. Simulations indicate that any less or any more is a DPS loss compared to Power, and it is a nice round number to use.

I mean, it's sounds to me like you may have overall gear issues that need to be resolved, but I have no idea what gear level you are at. In general Aim >>>>>>>>>>> Surge/Accuracy. But it's different for Tionese vs Campaign etc.

Sup home skillet! Hope you don't mind me butting in. Just a wandering Powertech so this might be a bit ham-fisted. We ain't known for subtlety. Aside from the accuracy change, does Carnage benefit from extra crit or power more than Annihilation? Bleeds have REALLY low coefficients, and considering how much of your DPS they account for it's not necessarily a power-heavy build using them. Could Carnage also benefit from not having DoTs ticking on Zorn with Fearful and Trenchcutters under the Warrior shield? Combined with the AoE DR it might offer some more survivability, or at least time-on-target. Well let's get this out of the way. Time to throw numbers at you! This is the biggest problem I see with itemization as Carnage. Look at the Enhancements available: you have 57 Acc/41 Power, 57 Surge/41 Power, 57 Surge/41 Crit, 57 Acc/22? Crit ... see the pattern? Effectively, you have 10 slots with "enhancement" stats (slots that carry either 57 Accuracy OR 57 Surge). Implantsx2, Ear, MH, OH, helm, chest, legs, gloves, boots. Lets assume a base of 50/50 split between 57 Accuracy and 57 Surge. This puts you at 285 Accuracy rating and 285 Surge. After adding in the companion legacy buff, you are at 109.89% Accuracy and 75.82% Surge (I may be slightly off on those). Spec'd into Carnage, this would put you at 114.89% Accuracy. If you drop ~5% worth of Accuracy rating by replacing 2x57 Accuracy Enhancements with 2xSurge Enhancements (down to 171 Acc rating), your Surge rating becomes 399, getting you up to 78.44% Surge ... a gain of less than 3% Surge.

It is NEVER worth taking Accuracy or Surge over Power or Aim. The only viable BiS end-game augments are Aim or Power (which is a separate debate not relevant to this thread). While temporarily slotting an Accuracy augment MIGHT be worthwhile, you should always eventually replace it. That's not opinion, it's a fact (or at least, as close to a "fact" as you can get) based on end-game gearing options, parses and simulations ... but not super relevant to this topic either. I mostly posted that whole thing in here cause it's relevant to the Crit vs Power question which I really would like to find out.

So here's an interesting conundrum - the way black hole/campaign gear is itemized, I seem to have run into a weird choice: Surge vs Accuracy and Power vs Crit. This is as concerns BiS with Black Hole gear (I don't have access to Campaign for my DPS set as that is going to tanking or other guildies). This is mainly due to the fact that the mods on gear are either 57 Accuracy or 57 Surge, and either 41 Power or 41 Crit. So I have 2 questions: 1) Is it worth lowering Accuracy below 110% tech if it means stacking surge into the 300s-400s? Otherwise, assuming a 5/5 split of 57 Surge/Accuracy (2x implants, earpiece, main hand, off-hand, 5 main armor pieces) - that would be 285 Surge and 285 Accuracy, putting me right below the 110% special Acc cap (with the companion 1%) and stopping before Surge gets too deep into DR. It seems to me this might be better than stacking Surge beyond 300. 2) Is it EVER worth taking Crit rating over Power? If so, how much Crit rating is worth it? Aside from my BH earpiece with 71 crit rating I could replace ALL the rest of my crit with power at a 1:1 ratio. (Bear in mind I'm asking JUST about crit RATING. I am really sick of people saying stack to "35% crit buffed". What does that even mean? Ranged crit? tech crit? does it take into account extra tech crit abilities? crit from Aim? sorry rant over) (p.s. Yes, I know the Simulator is up there but it's not been updated since 1.2 AND it gives very inconsistent results with my current stats.)

Yeah I've seen people posting 98% as the magical sweetspot but what is that based on?? And what gear level?

I don't know what class you are, but in general shield augments are the worst to stack because you get so much shield rating from enhancements, Defense or Absorb are generally the best, depending on your class and current ratings.

What? Look back in the thread you will see how that number was acquired. Shield lasts 18 seconds - ~30-35 seconds later (assuming you are being hit) it will be off cooldown. Thus, a total of ~50 seconds is the cooldown time. The napkin math is all listed in previous posts.

Not sure if anyone cares about this anymore, but as promised my DPS of KP NmM parses With 4 pc Combat Tech (pve) set: http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/combatlog/2cfff7b7-4604-4ae7-a498-fd23beb6a0ab#d=0,f=3,b=1 With 4 pc Eliminator (pvp) set: http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/combatlog/b758c717-96e6-4142-a3fb-12eebcdbacdb/overview#d=0,f=21,b=1 Unfortunately the run I had with my combat tech gear was only the final 2 bosses, but as you can see I performed noticeably better in the Eliminator pvp set. As I'm a main tank I have not changed my DPS gear at all except to swap mods from Combat Tech to Eliminator pvp set.

I don't see how, as he clearly states UNDER HIT CAP, whereby I assume he means accuracy up to 110% special/tech. If it is a typo it's a pretty serious one for a guide meant to inform people new to tanking how to allocate stats.

Sorry I read the following and had a good laugh: PVE Expertise is useless in PVE. Tanking Primary stats: Endurance > Aim Secondary stats: Accuracy Rating (under Hit cap) > Shield Rating > Defense Rating > Power > Crit Rating > Surge Rating > Accuracy Rating (at/above Hit cap) This is HORRIBLE advice. Accuracy for PVE tanking?? Shield > Defense with no mention of Absorb?? No, sir. Just ... no. Not to mention the specs listed in that post are also really bad. 3/3 into endurance? 3 skill points to gain 3% endurance? What is that guy smoking? In short, that link is filled with horrible advice, IMO. This link at least has the basics right, and some good, accurate info: http://mmo-mechanics.com/swtor/forums/Thread-The-Shield-Tech-Shield-Spec-Compendium

Never say never. There does come a point in gearing when Defense becomes the most beneficial stat for a PT tank. Yes, this only occurs when you are already into Black Hole / Campaign gear, but it DOES happen. For the OP, it's a bit more complicated than has been stated here. You obviously want to gear up in Columi as you start working on Rakata. When you DO start getting Rakata pieces I HIGHLY recommend ripping out the 51 accuracy enhancements and putting in the 48 shield enhancements from your Columi gear. Until you hit ~400-500 Absorb rating, that is your primary stat to build up. Use Augment slots, the best lvl 49 purple Implants and Earpieces you can get with absorb, the shield/absorb relic, the absorb proc relic and anything else you can use to boost it. Only after 400-500 absorb does defense start becoming very useful. You will get enough shield rating just from your enhancements and other gear, but don't totally dump it. Additionally, if you can get crit Implants, Earpiece, Belt and Bracers, at least 1 piece of crit orange head/chest/hands/legs/feet, and a crit orange blaster - these will each allow you to slot in an augment (the absorb one) each granting up to an additional 18 absorb rating. It adds up! Start farming the Black Hole weekly and Lost Island / Kaon weekly to get Black Hole commendations. Personally, I recommend first getting your Black Hole Implants and Earpiece and then possibly the belt and bracers. These will provide a significant boost. Once you have achieved full Rakata (with altered enhancements) and the above Black Hole pieces you will be ready to tank anything currently in the game. p.s. I also highly recommend running as Biochem. Having access to unlimited uses of the Rakat adrenal and medpac are really great, and the Rakata stim can also be great (my server never has Exotech fort for sale and I never got the pattern to drop).

Pyro spec: http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#301bMZMsZfhbbdGhrs.1 Rotation: Explosive Fuel + IM > RS > RP (PPA proc) > TD > RS If PPA doesn't proc, spam FB until it does then vent heat. Try to TD only after a RS, try to save RP for when PPA is off cooldown. With 4pc Combat Tech: http://www.torparse.com/a/25853 With 4pc Eliminator (pvp): http://www.torparse.com/a/26065 Same buffs used for both, Rakata stim, Vent heat and TSO used mostly on cooldown, Explosive fuel on cd. The Eliminator set is not a HUGE boost in DPS but it does parse higher for me. Yes this is just one parse, I'll get a longer one when I dps KP NmM and compare it to my parse in full combat tech.

What are you doing looking under Alderaan nobles' daughters' skirts?? But come on, those can't REALLY be the only augmented blaster available? Or maybe they are. Sigh.

Wait really, Pyro doesn't need accuracy? Raid bosses have 10% dodge. http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/combatlog/b71af3c7-8f8c-4322-9819-51d56df5b57e/player/4#d=0,b=1 In that parse I am at 110% Accuracy. As you can see I have ~10% misses on my rapid shots. At 0 accuracy you will miss 10% of your Rail Shots. Rail shot makes up over 20% of my DPS. Missing a Rail Shot is a horrible blow to your DPS. In fact, anytime I try to reduce accuracy in favor of something else (say, surge) in the Powertech Simulator my DPS goes down. I would actually appreciate it if someone would do the math and explain how much accuracy is actually worth, but from all I can tell having 110% accuracy is very important for Pyro. Am I wrong on this?

@OP if you are going to post DPS numbers please post the actual parse with it. How long were your DPS tests? What rotation, what gear, what cooldowns etc? Just stating "I did ~1500 DPS" doesn't provide enough information. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE for AP to be as much DPS as Pyro in PvE but I cannot match the DPS I do as a Pyro. If you are exceeding Pyro then please tell us how? I suppose you could strip out all accuracy as AP if your used a no rail shot build of some sort, which I have seen floating around, although afaik those are PvP builds. In every parse I have done Pyro has far outdone AP. I say this not to argue "Pyro is better than AP" but to ask "how can I make AP as good as or better than Pyro"?

Is there any pistol besides the Elegant one that can be crafted with an Augment slot? It looks okay but I'd rather not have to settle for "okay" for y BiS end-game weapon...

I parse ~100 DPS higher with Thermal Detonator in my rotation (used immediately after a PPA proc).

If I wasn't so busy messing around with my Tanking set I'd have tried this out already. Hopefully someone can try it and post parses with the Combat Tech vs Eliminator set bonuses. By the way, I really have to bring up this question that bothers the hell out of me: Why don't more people spec into Prototype Cylinders??? On every simulation and parse I have run, 3% Tech Crit FAR outweighs 6% Aim. http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#301bMZMsZfhrbzGhrs.1 is the highest DPS PvE Pyro spec by every metric I know how to measure it.

Yes, this is true and I was not accurate or precise in my post. Thank you for the clarification. But to my knowledge every elemental and internal attack in the game is also a tech or force attack. (At least, as far as bosses go). In Explosive Conflict this seems to continue to be the case in my logs (as I glance no elemental or internal damage) although I do not know where to go to look up the details/code on EC bosses. Additionally, some abilities that would normally be Ranged (like Rail Shot) are in fact Tech abilities on bosses (such as Jarg/Sorno). Your clarification seems to indicate that this spec might be even more valuable. All that is to say, the abilities that hurt the most are the unavoidable, unshielded and often armor-ignoring abilities on bosses, and the only protection we have vs them is our HP, pathetic resists, sometimes our armor - and energy shield. Which is the ONLY merit I see for the Bubble Tank spec.

Sorry, I just went by what you said, assuming when you said you did something you did it. *** u me = My bad. Ok yeah, DFA isn't the BEST but it's still a net gain if you're on a stationary target. Not a big deal either way. Was just pointing it out. Actually, no that's not correct. It's not more mitigation on Force/Tech attacks, it's extra damage mitigation vs Elemental/Internal attacks. A Force attack can deal Energy, Kinetic, Internal or Elemental damage. Same with a Tech attack etc. Only Kinetic and Energy attacks can be Shielded or 'glanced'. Therefore vs every Elemental and Internal attack in the game the Bubble Tank provides more mitigation. This has been worked out multiple times and I'm not repeating the math here again.