The Focus Tree - How Misguided Public Opinion Has Misrepresented A Devastating Tree

[Rankith]

I can't agree with that assessment. Obviously, we need a combat log to get real number crunching.

 

Between crush, sweep, bladestorm, zleap, and a highly buffed slash, you always have options for high damage moves.

focus is often about options. you can use stasis as purely CC/interrupt. or you can use it as damage.

You can zen OR transcendence. both are great for you.

 

Its really easy to forget focus talents are buffing ALL focus dealing moves for crit % and damage, and cooldown. And that ALL Moves gain armor pen.

 

Watchman? just burns. you blade storm sucks. merc slash doesnt get the crit damage, or any armor pen. Not crit % buff on any of that either. Merc slash also is mh+OH. with your terrible offhand hit %.

 

For pve, I do admit, my dps can get interrupted by alot of in/out fights.

 

Again no combat log. Just my thoughts from the feeling I get whilst PvPing a dueling. Maybe my opponenets have been considerably better when Im focus or something .

[MBirkhofer]

Focus is a hell of alot more complicated. you really do have a complex rotation, and many many skills you can use at any given time. that makes it easy to pick the wrong ones.

 

combat is much simpler.

You can take cauterize, slash right off your bar. Little reason to ever use transcendence.

The bonus damage is literally passive procs on your attacks.

 

 

Focus in pvp, and pve will play very different. In pvp, its 10m range on most of its skills is a hugely useful factor. interrupting your rotation doesn't mean all that much, as you were doing more active, and reactive. vs just dps rotations.

 

In pve, its about rotations, and maxing cooldown timers. Melee out fights, and the like, can play hell with that. Maxing your dps will require making use of all 6 singularity stacks from force crush. you'll need to sweep immediately after using crush, so that sweep lands with 3-4 stacks, then proceeds to build another 3-2. Thus when your next sweep cd comes up, you can do it again, for buffed damage. and be ready again when crush cd comes up.

Edited January 8, 2012 by MBirkhofer

[Saetun]

Here's my thoughts as a 50 sentinel :

 

What spec you are as PvP really doesn't matter. Choose the one that has the toolset that works best for your PvP style.

 

In PvE however :

 

Watchman : Can do good dps long term. But only is worth a damn on mobs that live past 2-3 skill rotations as they don't reach their full damage until then. It is horrible for solo questing as you never get the benefit of your full burns, but can be ok if you are needing to take out elites as it gives you some decent self healing. However after you get Doc this healing is uneccessary.

 

Combat : good solo and group. Hits hard right from the start and keeps on going. Easiest to keep focus up without driving yourself crazy watching abilities. (sidenote : in pvp has a 2nd cc breaker and a root which are very powerful). Does not become viable however until at minimum lvl 40.

 

Focus : great for solo questing. You can leap in and decimate a group of mobs. However against elite/champion level mobs in group content it is lacking as it quickly starts running into focus starvation about the 3rd rotation.

Edited January 8, 2012 by Saetun

[Kirme]

I'm sentinel with the Focus tree and have no experiment with other specs except my pure observation, but there is a couple of notes I want to make regarding the Focus tree.

 

That is true that getting 2k medal is easy as hell, and a sentinel can make a significant damage to everyone surrounding. Unfortunately, this sweep tends to attract everyone around you and marks you as the "wanted dead" by the enemies. You won't survive long since you are a Sentinel.

 

In warzones, you tend to have small lags which causes you to misjudge you sweep range. You basically missed it. If the enemy runs away from you, you need to slow him down first before using the sweep. Otherwise, your sweep is a miss.

 

You have to decide fast where you will make your sweep, since in pvp everyone is extremely mobile.

 

Other than that, with good focus management, it is hard to run out of focus. With Zen you can actually recover you focus.

 

I will stick to the Focus tree till the end. However, I'm interested in other players' strategy as Focus Sentinels. If the enemy runs away from me, i use Valorous Call and Zen and just keep spamming Slash until he is annoyed, and then I finish up with the combo for sweep.

 

In the end, Focus sentinel is lethal like a grenade, though sentinel survival after the sweep is not always guaranteed.

[Darth_Furian]

I fell in love with the Focus tree ever since I tried it for the first time. I wanted to try something different after having a hard time with my Combat spec on Tatooine and I was amazed what a great potential Focus has.

 

I wouldn't say it makes me as good as you however... I don't do PvP but at lvl 45 now I'm feeling strangely weak on Belsavis just like I did on Alderaan.

 

Still, unless BW changes thing I won't be moving from Focus anytime soon.

[Zhorx]

Having tried both i found that focus is better at stomping bad players when you're dominating a game, while watchman is better against good opponents. Although the class lacks in general against really good opposition watchman is at least better than focus.

 

Unsurpricingly both screenshots were of games where you dominated and had seemingly good healing on your side.

Edited January 8, 2012 by Zhorx

[Apocalypse-]

*Disclaimer 1: Damage is not the most important stat in a WZ, nor is it all-indicative of good play. For the purposes of supporting an argument that the Focus tree is by far the most effective pure-DPS tree available to Sentinels, however, no other stats in WZ's are worth mentioning.

Well if that's all you're going on:

http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/ab129/apocalypse32100/swtor_2012_01_04_00_10_20_013.jpg

http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/ab129/apocalypse32100/swtor_2012_01_01_19_21_06_713.jpg

 

You're better than your peers, not traited better. Focus is a terrible PvE spec, but a solid PvP spec. However, Watchman is better at both. Due to the player-centered end-of-animation damage of Sweep, the frequency of being able to hit 3+ targets is quite rare. Unless your team is set up to capitalize on your AoE damage, you're better off with nuking one target and moving onto the next rather than damaging all of them.

 

Focus is perfectly effective in PvP, it is not superior to Watchman however. I occasionally retrait to Focus to change it up, but I don't do so because it's a better tree, it's simply a different mentality, different role.

[Acanti]

Been playing Focus in PvP for the past 5 days. It really is fun to set up your sweep in a crowd, and it's amazing when you've got a healer keeping you alive while doing it.

 

However I think I will be going back to Watchman today. It seemed easier to shut down a healer as Watchman (kick and 0m range Force Leap).

 

They're both very fun. The deciding factor for me was the fact that watchman works well in both PVE and PVP. Focus is great for clearing trash but for single target I'm just not feeling it.

[Anelyn]

Am still very interested in what your Force build (talents) look like with possible explanation on choices, am really interested in playing a Focus Sentinel, as Watchman seems close to asssasin madness tree (aka dot based which while great vs strong oponents, can't really ramp up in normal questing), and Combat did not appeal me yet.

 

Any input appreciated, thanks.

[Pricee]

Can you post your spec?

[texoc]

I can't agree with that assessment. Obviously, we need a combat log to get real number crunching.

 

Between crush, sweep, bladestorm, zleap, and a highly buffed slash, you always have options for high damage moves.

focus is often about options. you can use stasis as purely CC/interrupt. or you can use it as damage.

You can zen OR transcendence. both are great for you.

 

Its really easy to forget focus talents are buffing ALL focus dealing moves for crit % and damage, and cooldown. And that ALL Moves gain armor pen.

 

Watchman? just burns. you blade storm sucks. merc slash doesnt get the crit damage, or any armor pen. Not crit % buff on any of that either. Merc slash also is mh+OH. with your terrible offhand hit %.

 

For pve, I do admit, my dps can get interrupted by alot of in/out fights.

 

 

Just burns??^^ lolz... you can stack 4 dots on your target dealing an average 400-600 dmg per tick and critting for 1k !! (which pretty much results in constant healing!! )

Overload Saber is off the GCD!!!

And you get Centering like a boss ---> berserking all the time in Zen = constant group + self heal + 100% dot crits ---> means you can get 75k heal per match without even bothering to target and heal allies.

And ive seen MC crit for 5k !!!

You are doing even damage while stunned/knocked back/ kited because all your dots tick!!

[MBirkhofer]

Can you post your spec?

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#501bcZ0MZGbRrdrMdGR.1

this is mine. its more for pvp. A talent or two could be swapped for offhand mastery in pve.

 

I think most are pretty self explanatory.

I skip a few points in focus while leveling, and come back to them 45-50.

2/2 pulse. I put 1 in there leveling iirc. 50% is a large gain over 0. And really does the job most of the time.

2/2 inner focus. AMAZING pvp talent. and end game talent. but not all that great leveling.

Agil training. I 1 pointed this for a while too. Its a bit of a meh talent at best. Possibly can be outright dropped.

Come back to it. After you get force crush, zen becomes much less appealing. You'll really find you just don't need zen to deal damage at all. (The option is still there of course. and its great to generate focus after focused slash)

1 point def forms at 41. Quick recovery 42/43. def forms again. Then focused slash.

[lanslein]

at last someone that knows what he talks about focus tree. Because i am also sick reading all those other posts of focus suck. ty for your time to solve this vs brainless x wow players

[Anelyn]

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#501bcZ0MZGbRrdrMdGR.1

this is mine. its more for pvp. A talent or two could be swapped for offhand mastery in pve.

 

I think most are pretty self explanatory.

I skip a few points in focus while leveling, and come back to them 45-50.

2/2 pulse. I put 1 in there leveling iirc. 50% is a large gain over 0. And really does the job most of the time.

2/2 inner focus. AMAZING pvp talent. and end game talent. but not all that great leveling.

Agil training. I 1 pointed this for a while too. Its a bit of a meh talent at best. Possibly can be outright dropped.

Come back to it. After you get force crush, zen becomes much less appealing. You'll really find you just don't need zen to deal damage at all. (The option is still there of course. and its great to generate focus after focused slash)

1 point def forms at 41. Quick recovery 42/43. def forms again. Then focused slash.

 

Thanks for your input. Am trying to find out which abilities are force related (ie: benefit from the 6% crit talent as well as the lower cooldown) as the description is not very accurate. Should I presume that anything dealing other type of dmg (kinetic for example) than weapon dmg (energy) counts as force ability regarding cooldown reduced talent - Zephyr, as well as benefiting from 6% crit? Like Blade Storm and Force Sweep?

 

Also is Stage - 1s extra on root from force leap a bad talent? I was figuring it would be our best way to channel a full Master Strike since it keeps them rooted in place for entire duration of channel and doesn't break on dmg. Also Master Strike not that much used in pvp I guess? Since you did not take the 2 points to make it unninteruptable.

 

And the form to use always is Shii-Cho I presume. Could you also please make a quick breakdown on abilities priority (highest dmg / burst) from a general point of view (that would work well in pve too, as in pvp everything changes depending on situation). So far am not that much impressed with Force Sweep damage compared to Master Strike, Slash and even Blade Storm, but as I understood it gets better with talents further on - 100% crit and increased dmg as far as I can tell, so it will become our bread and butter main dmg ability?

 

Any other tips / insight much appreciated, thanks.

[Aznryoga]

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#501bcZ0MZGbRrdrMdGR.1

this is mine. its more for pvp. A talent or two could be swapped for offhand mastery in pve.

 

I think most are pretty self explanatory.

I skip a few points in focus while leveling, and come back to them 45-50.

2/2 pulse. I put 1 in there leveling iirc. 50% is a large gain over 0. And really does the job most of the time.

2/2 inner focus. AMAZING pvp talent. and end game talent. but not all that great leveling.

Agil training. I 1 pointed this for a while too. Its a bit of a meh talent at best. Possibly can be outright dropped.

Come back to it. After you get force crush, zen becomes much less appealing. You'll really find you just don't need zen to deal damage at all. (The option is still there of course. and its great to generate focus after focused slash)

1 point def forms at 41. Quick recovery 42/43. def forms again. Then focused slash.

 

just wondering, do you slash often? my current build cuts pulse and focused slash for dual wield mastery and focused leap. The 4 focus generated from force leap allows me to leap -> exhaust -> master strike (time burner) -> sweep

[Zaerion_H]

i tested it and i prefer wachman , focus is more AoE based damage and wachmen can give you more solo kills , i can focus everything on one guy and take him down but as a focus i die before i do nothing , the damage at the end of the wz its more than a wachman or more easy to get however i prefer wachman gives you 6 secs on kick , more centering , more damage on one objective and i dont know why but i use to keep me alive more time as wachtmen than as focus.

 

But focus is a good way to go , no doubt about it.

Edited January 8, 2012 by Zaerion_H

[MBirkhofer]

Thanks for your input. Am trying to find out which abilities are force related (ie: benefit from the 6% crit talent as well as the lower cooldown) as the description is not very accurate. Should I presume that anything dealing other type of dmg (kinetic for example) than weapon dmg (energy) counts as force ability regarding cooldown reduced talent - Zephyr, as well as benefiting from 6% crit? Like Blade Storm and Force Sweep?

 

Also is Stage - 1s extra on root from force leap a bad talent? I was figuring it would be our best way to channel a full Master Strike since it keeps them rooted in place for entire duration of channel and doesn't break on dmg. Also Master Strike not that much used in pvp I guess? Since you did not take the 2 points to make it unninteruptable.

 

And the form to use always is Shii-Cho I presume. Could you also please make a quick breakdown on abilities priority (highest dmg / burst) from a general point of view (that would work well in pve too, as in pvp everything changes depending on situation). So far am not that much impressed with Force Sweep damage compared to Master Strike, Slash and even Blade Storm, but as I understood it gets better with talents further on - 100% crit and increased dmg as far as I can tell, so it will become our bread and butter main dmg ability?

 

Any other tips / insight much appreciated, thanks.

Yes, there is no reason to ever leave shi-cho.

 

What is and is not force attack. Complicated.

Obvious force attacks. stasis, crush(exhaustion), bladestorm, sweep. These are effected by the cd reduc, crit % and +30% crit damage without question.

Less obvious force attacks. ataru procs. not really directly related to focus spec. but still for the question. likely a force attack for insight.

Cauterize and overload sabre. This one is very confusing. The application of both appears to be NOT a force attack. Neither benefits from the CD reduc in shii-cho. (Is this a bug, as they simple didn't expect a focus spec to try them? dont know). however, cauterize DOES get the +30% crit damage talent in focus. (and likely so does overload sabre) There is no way to really test if cauterize does benefit from insight crit %. but given the crit damage talent working, it very likely does.

 

 

Skills do not all scale at the same rate. Check your tooltips where you are atm. Look at Zealous leap compared to bladestorm. If you are still in your 30's or so, Zleap will deal more damage then bladestorm. But, as you get near 50, you will find bladestorm catches up and passes Zleap in damage. Force attacks in general, scale really well compared to melee ones. This is especially true when you consider all melee attacks that deal weapon damage, are adding in offhand damage. And that offhand doesn't have a 100% chance to hit. so will be doing even less then listed.

Sweep scales quite well really. This is especially true at 50 with a 1 focus cost. the damage per focus at that point is insane. My sweep lists at about 790 iirc, while my bladestorm is 1100 ish. It stays in about 30% of blade storms damage. So when you double it, to 1580. it becomes wow. It double any damage bonus. If you popped a +power adrenal for +103 damage, well now thats 206. and then of course 100% crit chance, and +80% damage crits innate.

 

 

Your damage skyrockets past 40. Many harp on sweeps damage, however, sweep is not really your bread and butter. Force crush is.

It is very deceptive. people completely overlook the damage crush and stasis put out.

Largely due to the way the skills are labeled.

Force crush. torhead lists it as 302 each second, 804. thats pretty close to what mine does iirc. Most dots list total damage, not damage/sec. Dots in tor tick instantly on application btw.

So lets translate that, 5s duration. 6 ticks. +last big hit.

1848+804=2652 over 5s. 1 gcd spent. TON of bricks. also consider its a force attack. +30% crit damage, +6% crit chance, 100% hit rate, can not be parried or deflected.

I for example have a 40% crit rate, and 102% crit damage for force attacks. Without poping a trinkete/adrenal.

Averaging about 4k.

 

A secondary point, that I think I mentioned? but needs to be pointed out again. Crush ticks 6 times. 6. Singularity stacks to 4 only. And sweep is on a 9s cd, crush is on an 18s cd. So, again. crush ticks instantly, then and then has a 1.5s gcd. 2 stacks will be applied as the first GCD comes off. In pvp, you will need to us skills as needed. But in pve, you will wish to sweep IMMEDIATELY after using crush. Sweep does NOT hit instantly, the delay in sweep animation means it will land 1-1.5s after casting it. 1.5s crush gcd+1-1.5s sweep animation, means 3-4 applications of singularity will be applied when sweep lands. And then it will keep ticking, adding additional stacks of singularity. 2-3 depending on when the first got off.

 

 

Stasis acts in the same way in terms of its listed damage, and applying stacks.

it says, 792 damage every second. (or so for damage as listed on torhead.). 3 second channel. Again, this damage is applied instantly, then again every sec for 3 second. it ticks 4 times. FOUR. Not three. (Although, it does only build 3 focus, not 4) 3168 total damage over 3s. this damage is higher then what I list for iirc. Dont have time to go log in to check. This value is ok. Crush is 1 gcd, and you can use other moves while it ticks. Stasis locks you out of course. so here is only like 1500d/cooldown, which isn't as impressive. that said. it is A: a focus builder. B: builds singularity for sweep. C: is also a force attack. Gaining the crit%, and crit damage bonuses strike does not. So for focus, is very much a strong focus builder in pve and pvp. Be mindful in pvp of course, using it for focus, then not having the stun when you need it, is a bad idea.

 

I am on the fence about using cauterize as a focus spec.

 

Stagger. That extra root on leap is complete unneeded. Leap already roots for 2s. Then you have legsweep or force crush to slow. Or stasis to stun. You will almost ALWAYS be hitting them with crush after a leap.

 

I dont even use master strike anymore. You really have more then enough tools in your arsenal. And they all get talents that buff them. Crush, sweep, bladestorm, stasis, zleap, slash, cauterize, zstrike. That is basically the priority order.

Zleap is ok, but gains no crit % or crit damage buff. it scales worse then bladestorm, naturally, and has the offhand miss %. So, fades in its usefulness greatly. I have pondered if dropping it entirely as your gear buffs your crit rate. at a 3 focus cost, I am pretty sure that it indeed becomes a dps loss eventually. Better off spending that focus on a 2 focus slash or cauterize.

Zen vs trans. Zen is godmode leveling. However, as you get all those tools. crush especially, and the 1 focus sweeps. you'll find, you always have those crush, sweep, stasis, or bladestorm ready to go. And frankly, they all have higher damage values then slash, even free. that said, for raid dps, using a zen to generate 6 free focus, while dealing 6 free slashes will be a good damage gain. Mostly just spam trans every 10s though. Between stasis and zstrike, you should have little focus concerns. Again, zen on the rare instance that you do. And... using MS in the rotation would buy time to never ever have to use strike.

 

pvp kill someone.

There are 2 options.

quick. or super quick mega lockdown.

Quick.

Leap in+3. crush-3. zstrike +6. sweep-1. (if you got kb, don't obviously. But if they didn't kb, your crushed target isn't going anywhere.) bladestorm-3. 2 focus left. crippling, legsweep, stasis, as called for slow, (heal debuff, and stun/damage. that guy isn't going anywhere) or strike+dispatch.

Super quick mega lockdown.

leap in+3. crush-3. stasis+3. bladestorm. this one is more to just lockdown someone in a group, and destroy them. sweep isn't even there as you notice. its about slowing, and stunning, with 2 dots ticking on them. in group play, this is certain death.

Edited January 8, 2012 by MBirkhofer

[Anelyn]

Awesome post. Thanks a lot. So focus specializes in force attacks, and melee attacks are not really big hitters, hence getting the talent to increase offhand dmg by 36% from combat is not really going to make a big difference.

[MBirkhofer]

yeah. nope. very few offhand hits.

that said, a pve build will still grab it, and drop one or two of the utility items I had in mine.

Some is still more then none.

 

 

I should note, that force attacks then gain 50% main hand and 50% offhand force power.

And thusly both weapons are equality important for that.

This is likely the cause of the "force abilities scale better then melee" statement I made.

weapons that use both, are neutered on the assumption you will take offhand mastery.

Edited January 8, 2012 by MBirkhofer

[Aznryoga]

you say very few, but a good amount of your attacks is still melee. zealous strike, strike, slash (especially when you pop zen), zealous leap, leg slash, force leap. even the occasional riposte. Which in my opinion is way more damage than what you would save by putting 3 points into focused slash. once again, no charts to prove it, but just my 2 cents.

[MBirkhofer]

you say very few, but a good amount of your attacks is still melee. zealous strike, strike, slash (especially when you pop zen), zealous leap, leg slash, force leap. even the occasional riposte. Which in my opinion is way more damage than what you would save by putting 3 points into focused slash. once again, no charts to prove it, but just my 2 cents.

 

Take riposte off your bar.

 

Dispatch and crippling throw are main hand only btw.

 

Leap and leg slash damage values are so to, as to be irrelevant in the first place.

 

so zstrike, slash.

the damage gain on offhand mastery is ALREADY poor. +33% of your offhand damage, which has a 60% hit ratio. so 19% offhand damage on average. and force attacks account for like 70% of your damage, in the focus tree. So 19% of the 30% of hits that can even use an offhand attack, and offhand damage accounts for something like 15% of those attacks as it is. so what. .08% dps increase? yeah. skip it, unless its pure dps looking for every little bit.

 

MS and strike are very very low on your priority list.

 

Even slash is mostly just to build focus with zen, or to use a low focus move when others on on CD, and you have focus to dump. If you dont have focused slash, then just use cauterize.

Edited January 8, 2012 by MBirkhofer

[Aznryoga]

and force leap, zealous leap, and leg slash (which is used often for me when exhaust is down)

 

and I have to argue about masterstrike being low on the list. When you force exhaust someone it is very hard for them to get away from you anyways. To maximize dps on a pvp target. If it doesn't work (interrupted/knocked back) then fine, but if it does work it is much more rewarding than almost any action you can perform over it (before singularity stacks anyways).

 

and I am not arguing that it may not be that great of an increase in dps taking those 3 talents. I am arguing that it is more of a dps and come in handy more than taking the 3 talents in focused slash. The 1 less focus on slash and dispatch doesn't really work for me. Any slash focused used you can use it on zealot leap, which is more damage and grants you 40% ms or blade storm. As for dispatch, that one focus saved once again isn't worth it because you still need 3 to use it, and whoever you dispatched should be close to dead if not dead after use.

 

one more thing, as I've stated before the 3 in offhand allows me to get focused leap

[Jinook_Phi]

First off, thanks for the great post and the wellspring of wit along the way- fun to read and very informative. The only thing missing- a link to your build, would LOVE to see it.

 

I just wanted to clear up another pervasive thing that is often said about Focus Sentinels, which I have found to be false- unless you do not keep up with your gear and/or do not enjoy or are not skilled at a spec that will require more "think" that mashing the same three buttons over and over, which is cool if thats what you want. I also have a BH, much easier to level and play, although still can be a challenge- but I like the fact the Focus Sents require you to think. Anyways, heres the deal you'll hear.

 

It doesnt get good and lethal until 40.

 

/Jinook jumps into a massive Force Leap on said poster, crushing him/her/it into oblivion.

 

Thats just not true and can scare off people unnecessarily. Yes, when you first start off, you're a tad squishy. And yes, even now at 30, I need to keep my eyes of things- to avoid a dirt nap. And yes, I do drop down into meditation a lot. Which the only thing that bugs me about that, is that BW doesnt have Kira do the same- as I think that would look cool. But I digress.

 

By the time I got to late teens all the way up until, lets say 26sh, I could handle groups of about 4-5 trash, plus a silver- like butter. I could solo one gold. Champions usually ate my lunch. But you really dont run into many of those while leveling, unless you're not paying attention. Then things really started to change at 27 and rapidly again at 30. Even with just one box of Singularity (I could have two, if I had not used boxes in other trees), I can fly through a gold now, with about 40% healthy left over- even the tough ones. If one of the golds is a droid, I can now solo two golds (sort of- I cc the droid, take down the reg gold, grab my breath, then go at the droid). As well, this last quest I did had me against up to 7-9 baddies, with always 1-2 silvers and although my health was very low by fights end- I never died. I looked like a leap frog on way too much Starbucks, jumping and sweeping like a madman, after my stasis ticks, but I lived- always. Its a cool feeling.

 

Then there was the time it was 9 against me and Kira; five mobbed me and due to the fact I had my stasis singularity up and do the the fact I crit'd- I two shot killed all five within seconds. Thats the only time my little dude has been that uber, but dang that felt good!

 

So, NO, you do not have to wait until 40 to rock. Had I been a tad smarter (I put 5 pts in non focus trees before working my way up focus- not smart)- I would have been uber even earlier. NOW, with all that said, you DO have to gear up you and Kira or the droid- every major zone change and I would suggest a saber review, every third zone change. And hot key targeting and leaps. But other then that, you can start kicking some major booty by your mid 20's.

[EternalFinality]

When I first glanced through the talents, I made these conclusions:

 

Watchman is the PvE dps tree.

Focus is the PvP tree.

Combat is in the middle.

 

As someone who does both PvE and PvP often, I chose combat, and it has indeed worked out decently well in both areas.

 

I also assume Focus would do even better in PvP, which is all you're talking about in this topic. I don't know why anyone would consider Focus a bad tree for PvP.

[SharkSurfr]

i've tried all 3 with epic gear. for pve watchman is no contest. especially raiding. continuous high damage burns that heal the party is mad. I can solo belsavis heroic2s solo with just wacthman senitnel + doc. with focus I die before the champion boss gets below 70%. for pvp, focus is mad. leap/exaustion/stasis/sweep. and they are pretty much dead. combat so far seems weak to me, low damage from basic attacks, no healing or tank buff with the other 2 builds. pretty much relies on spamming blade rush with zen and using precision slash+bladestorm crits to hammer targets.