This. If not, then go straight power once you hit all the caps. (For DPS)

Yeah that was somewhat misguided on my part I apologise, I'm pretty mobile in assault spec as well. I only felt that I had to actually stop moving in Tactics when I was doing PC, rest of the time I was applying dots on the move. While I felt in assault to get in and get out fast and start kiting. As for leveling both spec's will work just fine with a pocket healer, I did try using M1-4X since I'm cybertech and he tanks just fine if you want to go that route. Since our companions don't have resource problems to begin with, I don't think you should have any problem with either spec leveling and any companion.

Both are viable leveling specs, you just might have a easier time leveling with a SS and Elara out since you get her fairly quickly(Taris). You have to just remember Tactics and Assault are dramatically different playstyles. Tactics push out a ton of sustained dps and helps with aggro management while Assault has huge frontload burst tailing off then spike up again. Ammo won't be an issue with practice in both specs, just have to practice weaving in hammer shot between some skills and watching procs for free stuff(i.e. HIB). Tactics is much more mobile if you like to be a run-n-gun type player. Assault is pretty easy to learn. Not sure what level you are but neither tree would feel really powerful until probably at least the third tier. I personally leveled as a Iron Fist/Shield Spec and it was pretty easy with Elara as a pocket healer, never really having to take breaks and taking down elites. Hope this helps.

Why in god's name would you be using AP to prevent a node cap? It probably wouldn't go off until the door/node was capped. It's fine, I'd rather it NOT have splash damage so I can do spike damage on a single target while another player is CC'd right next to them and not look stupid in pvp breaking multiple CC's.

Yes people suffer from "The grass is greener" syndrome that afflicts thousands of gamers every update.

I love your positive outlook for the upcoming patch and I hope it does in the end help with control/management in pvp. I still feel weary about taking away the damage on stockstrike, it's still a great follow-up attack on a single healer to apply pressure for a low cost of ammo. BTW that aoe HIB applying ion cell won't break the non-targetted players, it applies the dots but won't interrupt the capping, will only stop your initial target(not 100% sure, just heard about on PTS). You'll probably have to storm -> E.S. then use HIB to apply the DoT/Snare.

VG/PT can't stance dance and guard - there's a casting time to switch and if interrupted, you actually turn neutral (no stance). Also, we can't heal ourselves while damaging our opponent at the same time.

Good Utility, Good Damage, Guard/Taunts and survivability. All around very good AC. They get looked over so much because people complain about Mauraders/Tankassins. They are awesome group play class without being overpowered. Plus it's one class you can tell who is good and who is a terrible player by playing against them.

I'm sorry if I came across as if I was trying to argue, I wasn't. I was trying to post an alternative. In the grand scheme of things, PS is probably the best option to take. In my experience, where I am solo queuing WZ's, time and time again degauss has saved my butt countless times against melee ( 2 stuns, a cc breaker and slow breaker shield) In group play, I do sometimes wish I had PS instead but that's because I'm either guarded or have a pocket healer. So yes, my playstyle comes into play on top of what I'm facing most of the time in WZ's. I just don't see Degauss as worthless as so many people do. I wish it was better sure, but it's useful as is right now. Ranked/Group WZ play I would definitely take PS over Degauss. There's no argument.

Usually don't get spammed slows by mauraders because they are following up with their attacks, tankassins force slow is on a CD. I in no means saying this is the optimal or "best" talent to pick but I've survived and kited more successfully using Degauss than having PS and hoping the extra ammo will useful in the follow-up. In the case of being focus fired neither is going to save you regardless.

While this is a good argument to take Paralactic stims, I started this way but switched to taking the degauss talent points due to the fact that I face teams of tankassins and mauraders where I get alot more mileage out of a free slow-break fighting them. If you're constantly facing these teams I highly recommend degauss and tweak your gameplay to use a stun on the first charge/stun they place on you and then use your shield when they apply their slow to get you that breathing room to start kiting away while they have ramped up all their power-ups. Before when i was running with PS it did me no good since my health was down to below 30% before I could even get away since they may FS/CC breaker the stun off the bat and stun/slow me in the process. Just my view as in my WZ's my opposing teams consist of 80% tankassins/mauraders.

Marauders barely have a 50% chance against a equally geared tankassin. You must not be using your utility correctly. Snipers only get you down to half your hp if they get the jump on you. It's the exact same for every other class a Sniper attacks. Tankassins have stealth,alot of other ACs doesn't. You have a huge advantage over snipers if you use stealth. As far as that much harder to kill Op healers, tankassins were the ONLY tanking class that could kill a Op healer, come 1.3 NO tank is going to be able to kill one so you're in the same boat as other tanking classes.

No there's still a couple I see in WZ's that are shield spec. But they have full aug WH gear so they are sitting around 22k base hps. and run with a pocket healer. If the changes they announce goes live in 1.3, I will be surprised if any VG will have points in the shield tree past the Aim talents. It's going to be a all out assault party.

Either make VG/PT tank specs an actual tank class in pvp or just disable it for pvp and give us another dps tree to play with since we are the ONLY tank class that can't melee other melee. Boggles my mind that we couldn't face-tank marauders OR tankassins w/o a pocket healer. Kind of embarassing to even give the class a tank spec with no defensive utility other than a crappy shield and crappy heal both on 2 min CD and our only option is to kite away to survive? It's no surprise of a 100% swing to all Assault spec VG's in WZ's lately, we have the exact same survivability(give or take 5 seconds) as a shield spec but with 500%(exaggerated) more dps output.

For real. If they would take a couple devs and have them only concentrate on bug fixes and not minor content that means nothing, people's gaming experience would be so much better. Like 3 people on PvE bugs and 3 on PvP bugs. It wouldn't take long to fix the priority ones with the most tickets. Honestly BW, I can hold off a few more months for that extra super worthless crap in Legacy you want to put in as soon as possible. Just fix the bugs, you would see a whole lot of happy subscribers.