If you and you're companion are adequately geared (not necessarily the best gear, but all-around decent) you can do anything non-heroic with any companion. Quinn will reduce down-time, dps-companions will reduce combat time (making them all around slightly faster, though slightly more risky as well). Tank companions are somewhere in between. Personally, Offensive Melee Tanks are my companions of choice. Give them a Focus/Generator, and put them in dps stance (cutting their damage cooldowns by 25%) and they put out decent dps, while still being able to taunt. Unfortunately, Broonmark is your final companion, and also your least interesting one. Right now, I'm able to do every Heroic 2 on my Sentinel using Kira (I'm on Alderaan), but I have a ton of Presence (from lvl 50 Human character and lots of finished companions) which makes it all (too) easy. She has almost 1000 health on me.

That's the idea. You want to keep the PvE bonuses, but use the gear for PvP. In a few Class/build combination that's more beneficial. You need BM Armorings to do it, because if you use (Elite) War Hero, you lose the PvE bonus. But thanks SpoeMeister, that will solve my problem.

First of all, not at all a new player but I didn't want to spoil the PvP forum with practical stuff like this. My problem is this: once 1.6 hits, Battlemaster Gear disappears from the game and I need their Armorings for two of my classes so I can remod PvE gear for the bonuses. One is a Madness Assassin who needs the 4piece bonus on PvE gear (+15% crit chance on Thrash). He is lvl 50 and has 2 pieces right now, so he shouldn't be a problem. The other one is my Gunnery Commando, who needs the 2piece PvE bonus (+15% crit chance on Grav Round). He's not 50 yet though and I'm a bit worried I won't get there in time. Then I remembered I only really need the Armorings, and I seem to recall having read about ways to transfer PvP mods between characters with some trick, but I could be mistaken, and eveb if I am correct, I don't remember it anyway. That would mean however than I can use my Operative main to collect the mods for my alts and get it done in time while having more fun doing so. Any help would be appreciated.

All true. Then again, seeing an open gate on respawn - going CRAP - running like hell and managing to barely SLIP THROUGH, feels like a small victory on its own.

Just saying, I'd much prefer to wield a Pistol on my Operative than this Rifle I'm currently using. Right now, my guy feels more like an elite army force. That's cool and all that, but I wanted my guy to feel more like a spy/secret agent. Single Pistol + Vibroknife would be perfect for that.

I like the new WZ. I like the concept and I like the looks of it. But watching some vids of it being played on the test server made me think of a slight change of the rules that could possibly make it more exciting/tactical/fun etc. Right now, there is a 2:30 minute relief period between the explosions. In the right upper corner of the map there is a timer you can look at to know how much time you have left to do your capping/killing/pylon charging... My idea. Randomize it. Just arbitrary numbers here: make the explosion (obviously with the charge up warning when it's actually about to happen) happen anywhere between, say, 1:15 and 3:45 minutes. It would make everything about it more exciting. The pylon you're trying to cap is quite literally a time bomb: you need to defuse it (to get big points) but it can go horribly wrong (which is your queue to go, not easy when nearby enemies are trying to flee in the same direction while trying to stop you simultaniously). Charging up a pylon - I mean carrying those orbs in the middle to it - of your own becomes much more risk/reward. Right now, if you keep your eye on the timer, it can't really go wrong (which makes it probably a slightly more boring job to do in the wz). This way, it gets significantly mroe risky. Anyway, other people may not feel the same way as I do. And anyhow, I look forward to the warzone, it looks dead fun, whatever form we may get to experience it!

I think running around with Vibroblades is pretty neat. It's like you're saying "Pfft, I don't need Lightsabers to kill you LULZ". However, due to the wider damage range of sabres, they get the biggest crit potential. Which may bother you (though it shouldn't, really).

If those are your races of choice, consider going Twi'lek female. That race/gender combination lore-wise has the implication of being attractive/seductive, which I think would greatly suit a female agent. While not a standard choice for the class, this would probably be one of the most credible combinations, and make for a very fluent storyline.

Both are viable. Being a Mara probably opens more doors high up (unless you're wanting to fill up a tank spot), but Sin has, imo at least, a higher fun factor. You're not a waste either way, so pick your own favourite.

Be careful when using it in PvP though. It definately has it's uses, but as an SS, often its damage is too low while hindering your own CC (MM excells at making good use of break-on-damage effects).

Guys, getting nerfed is never fun, but really, annihilation is still going to be a powerful, competent and viable spec. I agree that rage would have been a more obvious target, though.

I am regularly exceeding 300k. In pre-50 PvP. So yes, easily actually.

Just throwing in here that 105% equals 95% accuracy for special abilities (I think everything but auto attacks). If this is what you meant please ignore me.

Changing it now, no matter the general consensus, wouldn't be a good idea. People who didn't like it probably aren't playing it anymore, or they have at least come to terms with it. People who did like it probably stayed, or they may have actually been drawn to the class when they saw another Commando doing it. I don't like playing healers, but I think the Commando beam and the Merc needle shots are great. They are a bit grotesque and unlikely, but in a game like this that's all fine. In fact, the whole notion of field medicine this advanced is quite absurd (I didn't see any of this in the movies).

1. Kaliyo. Easily. 2. Elara. 3. Vette.

Why not take that girl to Nar Shaddaa? Show her a good night out (and if it doesn't work out, just try selling her to some hutt or something).

I was just about to start a thread on this matter, so I'll use yours if it's okay. I KNOW TK isn't the best PvP tree, but I'm going to use it anyway. Sage is one of my lesser alts anyway, so it's just for pugging anyway. Now, I was going for this build, http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#600hZcsrrdRrutzZ0M.2 But I now realize that Empowered Throw and Critical Kinesis from the Balance tree are actually quite viable dps skills for TK as well. So, my question is, what to drop? I'm thinking http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#600hZcsr0dRrhtzZcM0M.2 but I'm not sure. The increased lockout isn't bad at all and the improved Shield isn't either. Perhaps drop the + Weaken Mind duration? But I find that I get a lot out of that skill as I spread that dot early in the fight (to guarantee PP procs) and this skill saves me a LOT of recasting. What are the least valuable skills from TK for PvP purposes?

Melee tanks are actually my favourite sort of companion (for soloing purposes anyway). Give them an offensive off-hand and put them in attack stance (increasing their dps significantly - as it cuts their dps cooldowns by a major bit, a luxury ranged tanks don't get for some reason). Then, leave their taunts active. Allows for a very even damage spread (incoming) between you and the companion, while retaining a dps output relatively close to what a double dps combo would have. In my experience, this combination has fairly high killing power (only slightly outperformed by dps companions) and fairly low downtime (only outperformed by healer companions - and sometimes perhaps full tanks, if you can mount/unmount heal them). Important to add is that all my 8 characters are dps.

Just a thought. I thought that maybe this was a good idea as it actually doesn't touch those trees at all, meaning they keep PvE viable. My suggestion is to give every class a AoE damage reduction skill, and put it in the bottom 10 points of the most popular PvP sub-tree. A 30% damage reduction for everyone who sacrifices the points for it would help greatly. Just some suggestions on every class: Mara: the class that gave me the idea actually. Carnage is a decent subtree for both Anni and Rage itself, so many will take Defensive Roll. Jugg: should probably be in the Vengeance tree. Add it to any of the tier 2 skills. SAss: switch the effect of Sith Defiance with the secondary effect of Fade. Sorc: yeah, make Sith Defiance into a AoE damage reducer. Merc: change the Endurance bonus on Custom Enviro Suit into a AoE reducer. They already have an Endurance skill booster in Pyro anyway. PowerT: switch the overall damage reducer of Power Armor with the AoE damage reducer of Stabilized Armor. Sniper/Op: harder, as these classes don't really have a more popular subtree. (I mean, lethal/med, conc/leth and med/conc are all used combinations) Even though Op is my main class I can't really say. I guess most Snipers put at least 5 points in Engi for Cunning and Grenade CD, so perhaps buff Vitality Serum? Anyway, just an idea.

In my opinion, the most evil act in the game (to my knowledge at least) is actually part of a Republic Main Quest line. (on Belsavis) I felt really nasty doing that.

I like the casual, sophisticated sadists on Empire Side, like Lord Draul, or that officer on Balmorra who asks you to go after the Jetpack Bounty Hunters (forgot his name).

Yes Sir! Lock 'n Load Sir!

Lethality Med Hybrid (PvP) 1. People often don't know the spec, but as with all dps-oriented op specs, most consider us at the bottom of the food chain, or at least significantly behind more standard dps classes like marauders and powertechs. In higher end-oriented pvp, where team coordination lowers the importance of our escape tools and makes up for the lack of defensive cooldowns of say, powertechs, our efficiency drops lower, so people hesitate to take us there. 2. Dps Operatives can work to an extent (they're not totally worthless) but, as is the case with other AC's (mercs, sorcs and to some extent assassins) they don't have the same dps potential as some of the more standard classes. What follows are partly my own impressions: Comparing Concealment to powertechs: PT's have more utility (pull + taunts vs Flashbang), more sustained dps and equal (or perhaps even slightly better) burst that isn't stealth dependent. The bulk of their damaging abilities have a range to them (both 10m and 30m), whereas all of concealment's main dps options are melee). Concealment has probably slightly better survivability and significantly better escape tools. Comparing Lethality to Lethality (Sniper): largely the same, but Snipers are ranged and deal more damage more efficiently (both within their build-specific skills -poisons+WB+Cull- as with their other skills). Snipers can't heal, but unless you're using my spec healing as dps only has minor contribution in high end pvp. Personally I don't mind the awkward set-up tactics and melee/ranged conflicts of the build, but if that's to be kept that way, the Cull (operative-wise) playstyle should be made more lethal. (suggestion: maybe lower Cull's natural energy cost to 10 and change License to Kill into something that buffs the power of Cull, like it does to Snipers - this may prove enough to get the spec into the upper leagues). EDIT: Let me add that I do not consider classes like maras and pt's overpowered. I'm sure they are fun classes and provide a very smooth and enjoyable gaming experience to the player. I'd much rather see the other classes polished up to that lvl, which would make the game more fun to those players, rather than taking the fun out of the classes that work well at the moment.

Those aren't the problems. Time (without counting energy) is exactly the same, switch out HB in favour of SC (or is HB off global? - not sure). Damagewise, this rotation is more dangerous: Wounding Shots: 100% + 100% + 100% > 130% + 130% Dotwise, same logic. Shock Charge is mitigated by Armour but has a significantly higher tooltip value, so I think it evens out or even tips the odds even more in favour of the Hybrid. Also, I guess it's more cooldown friendly: no HB needed, and SC resets when the victim dies, so if you don't have Shrap Bomb you can still have a twin proc Wounding Shots. BUT the main crux is the energy consumption. 20 or even 16 energy for another dot, you feel that. This is why I think full DF is still more practical. But imma have fun with this.

Ok thanks! The strategy eats energy like crazy so it's niche at best, but still... stacking three dots and pulling off that Wounding Shots must be insanely painful. Not to mention the yellow numbers spray really has a wow-effect. Wonder how fast a fully geared gs could drain health with this.