Combat needs a buff

[Shandrii]

I think combat tree needs a buff i have played combat since level 10 and im now a level 50 and am lvl 61 in valor and i still think we need a buff. i play with my watchman buddy and he consistently out dps's me. When compared to other classes like BH's and sorcs we can't compare to their damage output, we just can't. Like others have said you can be very good and bust your *** trying to be the best but even at the end of the match you will be in the middle of the road when it comes to dps and will truely be the unsung hero. I have all champ gear with 1 piece of BM and im far from being a "noob." i know my class very well but even doing all that i can, its still next to impossible to dps like other classes with similar gear. i don't think we need a huge buff but a buff is necessary maybe add some damage to blade rush or something.

 

EDIT: i'd like to add that by no means am i dissapointed with my sentinel, i love playing sentinel and relish the challenge buts its not fair that even though i've put in a **** ton of time, i still can't dps like some other classes.

Edited January 28, 2012 by Shandrii

[ReithKanaka]

Hope you put on your flame resistant undies.

[-Arcane-]

Hope you put on your flame resistant undies.

 

He's gonna need more than undies with a post like that.

[Shandrii]

well nobody has put up an arguement yet lol. When it comes to dps it can't keep up with watchman dps, it sure as hell can't keep up with focus, and it can't keep up with the dps specs of other classes so due tell why this spec doesn't need a buff.

[slowantics]

combat does need a buff. after playing all of the trees it seems watchman>focus>......combat

kinda sucks i like combat a lot more.

it is not a gear problem too. at lvl 50 i see others with lvl 40-45 mods. and all my gear is purple/modded 51 or higher with some champ gear. and these ppl with lvl 40 mods still out do me. and yes i know how to play. combat is just weak-er

[LiveandDieinLA]

I tend to agree, combat builds centering much slower than the other 2 trees, but I think the real issue with the tree is the sluggish animation of bladerush. Make my instant cast focus burner do instant damage and then lets evaluate the tree.

[AeetesSixFive]

I don't really think it does, I've played both specs a great deal in both PvP and OPs. Since they fixed the stuttering combat is even with watchman imo, but there's still that chance that Blade storm doesn't go off and MS gets stuck. And that ataru bug is BIG for raids, once again if this was fixed than this spec would be fine. I do about the same dps in WZ with combat as watchman ~300k.

[SteveGarbage]

I agree.

At least I'd hope if they're going to rework the class a bit they consider a Combat buff and not a Watchman nerf.

[ProfessorWalsh]

I think combat tree needs a buff i have played combat since level 10 and im now a level 50 and am lvl 61 in valor and i still think we need a buff. i play with my watchman buddy and he consistently out dps's me. When compared to other classes like BH's and sorcs we can't compare to their damage output, we just can't. Like others have said you can be very good and bust your *** trying to be the best but even at the end of the match you will be in the middle of the road when it comes to dps and will truely be the unsung hero. I have all champ gear with 1 piece of BM and im far from being a "noob." i know my class very well but even doing all that i can, its still next to impossible to dps like other classes with similar gear. i don't think we need a huge buff but a buff is necessary maybe add some damage to blade rush or something.

 

EDIT: i'd like to add that by no means am i dissapointed with my sentinel, i love playing sentinel and relish the challenge buts its not fair that even though i've put in a **** ton of time, i still can't dps like some other classes.

 

This in spades.

 

The issues I see with Combat:

 

1. Lack of synergy within the spec.

 

Yes, yes, we have something that procs, and a Blade Rush followed by Precision Strike and then a Blade Storm then a Master Strike is pretty sweet... (Some people like to do precision strike before the Blade Rush, your mileage may vary.)

 

But we have nothing that synergies with the most powerful ability in Warzones:

Crowd Control

 

Master Strike does 3600 damage in 3 seconds?

 

That is awesome...ly bad.

 

Any healer can heal through that.

 

Force Stasis can do 1500 damage over 3 seconds and stuns the target? Awesome! So I can open up with a Precision Strike, then move into a Blade Rush, then a Blade Storm, then I can fire off a Force Stasis and land a full Master Strike and they can't heal or knock us back and negate it! ... Oh... Wait... It is a channeled ability that stuns us too... Crap.

 

At level 50, when geared, we have around 15000 to 17000... So in 3 seconds we can deal 10% of their HP.

 

Watchman, well, they can do something here. They can land a DoT then Force Stasis and get much more oomph out of it.

 

We can Awe! Great! Oh... Wait... No... Unlike Watchman we can't land a DoT and begin healing then use an Awe and heal while it ticks. We deal damage, that is all we can do, and... Awe breaks on damage.

 

What we need, quite simply, is a stun. A good, decent, single target 4 second stun.

[-Arcane-]

I agree ^

 

If combat just had a talent for 2pts "Reduces channel duraion on Force Stasis" by 50%" this would be a fair buff.

 

But giving Watchman that would be crazy op. Stack dots, stun, merc slash... that would be better burst whan anything

[Lexster]

I agree ^

 

If combat just had a talent for 2pts "Reduces channel duraion on Force Stasis" by 50%" this would be a fair buff.

 

But giving Watchman that would be crazy op. Stack dots, stun, merc slash... that would be better burst whan anything

 

Combat blade storm should stun, so that it could follow with hilt strike.

[Apocalypse-]

Combat blade storm should stun, so that it could follow with hilt strike.

 

Uh.... You want a PvP stun on a sub-15 second cooldown? Do you realize how ungodly overpowered that is?

[Ravrohan]

This in spades.

 

The issues I see with Combat:

 

1. Lack of synergy within the spec.

 

Yes, yes, we have something that procs, and a Blade Rush followed by Precision Strike and then a Blade Storm then a Master Strike is pretty sweet... (Some people like to do precision strike before the Blade Rush, your mileage may vary.)

 

But we have nothing that synergies with the most powerful ability in Warzones:

Crowd Control

 

Master Strike does 3600 damage in 3 seconds?

 

That is awesome...ly bad.

 

Any healer can heal through that.

 

Force Stasis can do 1500 damage over 3 seconds and stuns the target? Awesome! So I can open up with a Precision Strike, then move into a Blade Rush, then a Blade Storm, then I can fire off a Force Stasis and land a full Master Strike and they can't heal or knock us back and negate it! ... Oh... Wait... It is a channeled ability that stuns us too... Crap.

 

At level 50, when geared, we have around 15000 to 17000... So in 3 seconds we can deal 10% of their HP.

 

Watchman, well, they can do something here. They can land a DoT then Force Stasis and get much more oomph out of it.

 

We can Awe! Great! Oh... Wait... No... Unlike Watchman we can't land a DoT and begin healing then use an Awe and heal while it ticks. We deal damage, that is all we can do, and... Awe breaks on damage.

 

What we need, quite simply, is a stun. A good, decent, single target 4 second stun.

 

I agree with this too, while I love my AC and combat spec, it needs some work. My biggest disappointment I think was with Blade Rush's animation. For the spec based around an acrobatic form, I was hoping for something fast and flashy, instead I get a wind up with both sabers that is anything but fast.

 

I've said before, that before I knew what the specs were, I thought Combat would have dealt with handling different aspects of battle and in part controlling its flow, otherwise why not name it Duelist or something?

 

Whatever boost combat gets, should be high enough in the tree so that it doesn't allow the other specs to benefit from it as well otherwise it'll defeat the purpose of bringing Combat up to their level. I would suggest mobile attacks, and the ability to cast rebuke on someone else much like Guard.

 

Our Zen ability just doesn't stack up either. Focus has a cleave and slash is free, Watchman 100% crit on burns + group healing. How does a reduction in cost and a buggy .5 reduction in CD stand up to either? And if we're going to have a poorer Zen ability, could we at lest boost the effects of our other two centuring abilities? Or give the stance a unique one?

 

I like Sentinel's complexity and playstyle, I just want all Sents to stand on equal ground.

[Shandrii]

Force Stasis can do 1500 damage over 3 seconds and stuns the target? Awesome! So I can open up with a Precision Strike, then move into a Blade Rush, then a Blade Storm, then I can fire off a Force Stasis and land a full Master Strike and they can't heal or knock us back and negate it! ... Oh... Wait... It is a channeled ability that stuns us too... Crap.

 

At level 50, when geared, we have around 15000 to 17000... So in 3 seconds we can deal 10% of their HP.

 

Watchman, well, they can do something here. They can land a DoT then Force Stasis and get much more oomph out of it.

 

We can Awe! Great! Oh... Wait... No... Unlike Watchman we can't land a DoT and begin healing then use an Awe and heal while it ticks. We deal damage, that is all we can do, and... Awe breaks on damage.

 

What we need, quite simply, is a stun. A good, decent, single target 4 second stun.

 

I have to agree, and you're coming from a perspective that i hadn't even considered before.

[slowantics]

i think they need to buff blade rush a little. it almost does the same as slash... just look at MS over in the watchman spec it alone does the same amount as my buffed up bladestorm

[Blaaat]

Great post ProfessorWalsh minus the awe part, awe should break on damage this includes dots and if it doesn't I'm going to respec to Watchman immediately immediately.

 

Zen effect definitely needs a buff, we build centering the slowest and we have the weakest Zen something is wrong with that.

I first had the idea of giving Precision slash effect to Zen but while the duration is a buff (6 hits = 9 GCD or 7.5 if you include Master Strike) there's no way a Combat can build up 30 centering in 12s unless there are four or more Trash mobs standing next to you for cyclone slash.

[Notensack]

Combat has great synergy in trains. 2 roots is - amazing. Combat is also the only tree that is infinitely better by staying almost entirely in the tree.

 

I do think combat is the most susceptible to CC. Particularly damaging is getting your precision slash rounds wasted. Some of that can be mitigated by player skill, never all of it. CC is too abundant for that to happen.

 

The smallest but most beneficial tweak I can see is changing Precision Slash and giving it the feel of Overload Saber. Precise Strikes - For the next 15 seconds 5 activated damaging abilities ignore 100% of targets armor, activated damaging abilities also deal an extra 250-300(tooltip) damage.

 

 

Edit: The above poster said something about buffing Zen, the first thing Zen needs is to reduce Atrayu's GCD as well. Blade Rush should not be getting out of synch with the procs. After that the potential change would be a 50% increased chance for Atrayu to proc.

Edited January 29, 2012 by Notensack

[RamzaBehoulve]

Uh.... You want a PvP stun on a sub-15 second cooldown? Do you realize how ungodly overpowered that is?

 

Yup, would be too much.

 

I'd give it an interrupt effect on a critical hit that way it gives Combat a little bit more to look forward to.

 

Also, my biggest annoying factor with Combat right now is Precision Slash. This needs a slight buff, either increase the buff effect to 9s or change it to be effective on the next 3-5 attacks. It would go a very long way in improving Combat damage in PvP without changing anything to PvE.

 

Force Stasis 2pts talent high up in Combat reducing channel time by 100% would also give it a much needed stun and avoid it being available to the other two specs who'd abuse it to no end.

Edited January 29, 2012 by RamzaBehoulve

[Kanshan]

Having blamestorm stun for even 1 sec would be amazing

 

 

Also bladestorm can get to a 9 sec CD

Edited January 29, 2012 by Kanshan

[Moldrany]

I'm happy with my combat sentinel atm. Things I would change:

 

- precision slash should only cost 1 focus. currently, often after you use precision slash you have to use low damage focus building abilities just to get enough focus for blade storm and blade rush.

 

- riposte needs a buff, it should only cost 1 rage (players should be rewarded to make effective use of it)

 

those changes would fix our issues with focus starvation.

 

Then Zen should also be buffed, for example 'reduces GCD of blade rush and triggers an additional aturu form proc with each attack during it's duration'.

 

What we don't need is new mechanics or abilities, the class and especially the combat spec is already very complex and challenging to play. I still think that the majority of the people always claiming that combat sucks didn't really master the spec yet, because imo combat and watchman are equally strong.