So here is my question. I am not sure that there is enough data/experience out there to answer it definitively but I want to ask it all the same. Right now everything in almost all of the tanking threads I have read is focused on total mitigation through defense, shield, absorb and other talents. Occasionally self healing is brought up, usually in the case of assassins/shadows. Through the comparisons the numbers seem to indicate that from a mitigation stand point it goes powertech > juggernaught >assassin. With a few percent separating each of them, the closest being powertech to juggernaught. In the grand scheme of tanking what is the value of a higher dps? So for example in other games (final fantasy 11 comes to mind for me) mitigation is certainly a big deal but also being able to maintain agro and giving the dps a higher damage threshold and thus speeding up the combat is nearly as important. In SWTOR what is the value of this and where to the classes match up? The answer for AOE tanking has been asked ad nauseam and my personal thought is that it also goes in an order of powertech > juggernaught >assassin. What about single target? I haven’t tanked any operations yet but I have tanked several hard modes and it seems that single target threat is usually the one that matters most. There are certain encounters where aoe threat is important but usually it comes down to a fight with the big bad. Do you feel like dps (not that there are threat/dps meters anyway) is something that should be taken more seriously when discussing the strengths of the given classes at tanking? Speaking anecdotally I feel like the assassin/shadow can bring the most damage to bear on a single target, and hence the most threat, but I admit that I have not leveled a juggernaught or powertech to 50 yet so this is based purely on what I have seen in pvp and the rare occasions I have grouped with one myself. What are your thoughts on the value of dps on the tank in an effort to speed up the fight? If you want to speak mathematically… - Let’s say for the sake of the argument that tank class 1 has 5% better mitigation than tank class 2 but tank class 2 has 5% more dps - What does that look like mathematically? I am no math wiz but it seems like if you do 5% more damage it also allows your DPS to also do AT LEAST 5% more damage without pulling agro (I say at least because as far as I know the tank classes all have some mechanic which makes their damage generate additional threat). So how much does that shorten the fight seeing as in a normal 4man 3 out of 4 of your players are doing more damage. - This does a few things o Reduces the chance you hit the enrage timer of boss fights (reducing damage taken significantly) o Shortens the overall duration of the fight, which reduces damage taken by what %? What do you guys think?

the 2nd shock is based off the base damage not the crit damage. For example if shock base dmg is 1000 and the 2nd shock will do 500. If it crits it will do 1500 and the 2nd shock will still do 500. I have been using that talent for a few days now and checking that in paticular because I was curious. I posted this same build a few weeks ago. I am currently lvl 39 and have just stuck to darkness and madness but I am considering looking into deception on my way up to the 1/2 cost shocks. I have been leveling as a tank build and have main tanked pretty much every heroic and FP up to lvl 39 with no issues at all. it does not seem like the build would have much trouble at all tanking at higher levels, operations I don't know but it has good survivability and very high damage for a tank. Which gives the DPS a higher damage threshold before pulling aggro off of me (at least on 1 or 2 mobs). I expect the cheaper force cost of shock will translate to more damage and less spamming of the basic attack until I build up force for another shock. This build is basically giving up the 1 of 2 AoE talents (either 31pt talent from darkness or the one in madness) for more frequent shocks. If AoE tanking becomes more needed than it is at the moment (lvl 39) then that could be a pretty big sacrifice. I have not PvP'd with it very much but when I have I have been very happy with its performance. I expect that operation tanking will probably require more investment in the darkness tree but I don't see much reason this build would not be very successful until then.

great idea. wouldn't be surprised to see this down the line.

I haven't run any numbers with force lightning + harnessed shadows yet but it seems like the possible opportunity cost is a bit more burst damage with thrash + shock. Its PvE application seems strong though. the 12% healing is nice but the range concerns me if recklessness isn't up. I also like to use recklessness when energize procs anyway for a bit more oomph. I will be interested to hear how it goes.

Thanks Rade! your posts regarding durable builds has been very useful to me so far.

I was thinking of running this same build on my assassin. My concerns: is the extra efficiency out of the deception(stealth or whatever for shadows) tree worth the talent cost? Basically you are getting some extra force regen out of stealth and your project/shocks are cheaper force cost. the other abilities don't seem paticularly useful. to the way this build operates. The opportunity cost of the build seems to be a strong AOE ability, a bit of durability and force pull.

Any thoughts? The intention is to use the build for leveling, tanking heroics on the way and a bit of pvp, not hardcore though.

Here is the idea for a hybrid build primarily focused on delivering good single target damage with decent survivability. http://db.darthhater.com/skill_calc/sith_inquisitor/assassin/#::ef4ef8ef7ce3fe4fe2fef2ef2ef4e2f5efef2 Basically it varies from the traditional Darkness/Madness build by fitting Induction from the Deception tree into the build. This should allow better force efficiency. The drawback is the build wastes a lot of points in the deception tree to get there. Do you think that the talent points spent in the deception tree would be worth the force efficiency? Would you stay with Dark Charge or would you possibly change up some talents and use another stance? The alternative build would be Darkness up to Force Pull and Eye of the Storm, and Madness up to Raze. Which is a pretty straight forward leveling / tanking spec. Thoughts?