That, stagger, and when in a mass of players, sometimes they don't even see you.

Since 1.2 Focus just hasn't had that same umf to it. I love it still, but I wanted to try something new. I posted this early in the patch, along with some other community tributes of my Master Strike Sorensu build. After some more testing, and gear shifting, here is the build : http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#500Rrh0zZfMrzrhdzGZM.1 I mostly stack the same crit, surge and str gear as I did with focus. This allows you to run in Soresu, opening the guard technique which is very helpful all around to your warzone team. When specced this way with unremitting, you can take a huge chunk of damage before going down, allowing you to kill more, just not as fast. With improvements to master strike, and the focus return from zen strike, you can keep a healthy killing rotation. Single saber master is also a nice healthy boost to Overhead Slash and Master Strike Abilities since the new patch. With points to Commanding Awe and Force Freeze, it allows great AoE CC, with great potential slowing skills to get full animation of master strike off. Majority of this builds damage comes from Master Strike and a Crit on Dispatch at 30% Health, which i've found great to bust healers and casters. All input and comments are appreciated. Thanks also to : wadecounty.

I was thinking of using this same build, I'd like to know the difference in dmg of master strike with single saber mastery.

I love the new vigilance and new hybrid builds with zen strike. But none the less I'll still probably stay focus due to the crits, burst dmg and taunt protection. I've even ran Focus in sorensu as of late, not all that bad. If you leap, instantly force exhaust, force freeze, master strike, sweep then dispatch, it pretty much can destroy most any class. It really helps to have your force exhuastions crit and tick along with your master strike, it instantly sets panic into a healer.

I fully agree, I too will stay focus specced. It's really about utilizing Force Exhaustion, Keeping Force Freeze frequent, using only well placed sweeps and using master strike as a great finisher. Focus has become a great in between spec, as I think it was originally designed to be. Though sweep cool down is longer, and there are sometimes pauses in attack rotation, this allows more time to Force Kick, Slow, Taunt, Awe or Reduce Armor, guarding and helping your team, but doing dmg as well. Though this can also be done in Vigilance, it has a much more aggressive rotation that may not allow as many taunts or CC.

Without parsing, I'm sure vigilance does more dmg just from playing both. It's really burst aoe dmg vs consistent single target and dot dmg. The burst is helpful anti healer if timed right, but vigilance give you more moves, and time to do dmg. Focus in its current state can leave some seconds without any moves to attack with to taunt, cc, etc...

I agree, I tested my new focus build last night. Switched Focus defense for combat focus, it not bad. It's definitely not pre 1.2 focus, you have to play much more reserved and tactful, I end up running out of skills to use on CD actually. It's great for knocking down the healers. But master strike is really something now, I try to use it as much as possible.

How is slash doing with it so far? I wanted to lean more to the damage of using master strike more frequently than slash, as I did more before 1.2 on healers.

Yeah I thought about this one too. With the two set piece bonus on the other battle master, I think it's one extra tick of Stasis. You could do 2 pieces for the 1 tick bonus and the other 3 with the 8% guardian leap or go for the 10% damage bonus with 4. That is if it hasn't changed since last patch...

Here's my idea for the new Standard Focus Guardian build. Don't know how much it will do with lower base sweep dmg and longer cooldown. http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/skills/guardian#88-e-1fe6fdc6ek

One thing i'd say is maybe at least one point to sundering throw. That way you'll have an insta plasma brand , without need of sunder armor animation, if needed.

Here is my new concept of the Master Strike, Sorensu Guardian. Still working out the kinks, and have yet to test it extensively in pvp for this new patch. If any one would like to join me in seeing what improvements we can make on it, refining it, or seeing if it's even worth the time. Here is the build - http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/skills/guardian#11diee-1die1e2f-2 My idea is that the force stasis mastery, with 15% increase master strike, overhead slash and blade storm will pump out a decent amount of dmg. Not to mention that single saber mastery now buffs dmg in all stances now, and master strike is white dmg. Also the benefit of guard, increased defense, and unremmiting ( possibly mixed with some pieces of BM gear bonus) this may be a viable new hybrid build, or it may not. I think it has some potential if matched with crit, power, str and surge gear. Also the length of force stasis being extended on Bm armor pieces( when equiping 2 ) could have some effect on it. Open to all comments and ideas of refinement

I've actually been experimenting with the current hybrid build - http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#500crhf0zZhRrMrhdzM.1 -, and I find it to have great utility, cc resistance, and survivability in sorensu form. I am really thinking about something near this build in 1.2 replacing Command with Stasis, being in tier 4 now, and the increase dmg of Master Strike. I ran this build of course with my full crit, surge and power and a generator that I was running for my Focus build.

Too be honest, I've liked focus out of the ability to Push, Stasis and Slow more often over the aoe sweep bombing. I also love force exhaustion, which recently pvping as a vig spec I have missed greatly for my needs. I also seem to have more time to taunt in focus spec, but that may just me getting used to Vigilance, it seems to be much more intensive and active on rotation.

Thanks for all the replies. I'm currently almost valor rank 60 and working on Battle Master Gear, I figured I'd want to get an idea before I start slotting Mods and Enhancements.