**** SENTINEL.FOCUS guide

[hoantran]

hello, my name is Visaerys from DARAGON TRAIL server. i am a 50.SENT of 65 Valor and have ONLY played SWOTR through Warezones (WZ).^^

 

i rarely find it hard to win a 1v1 and find it fun when i get 2v1'ed.^^

 

in addition, the more you play SENT, you will find that the class will enable you to even do 4v1 to delay/hinder the enemy teams from capping NODEs or DOORs.

 

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. THEORY

2. HOW TO DO IT/ROTATION

3. CONTROL THE FIGHT

4. BUT I'M NOT GEARED.!

5. MY SKILL TREE

6. OTHER TIPs

7. CLOSING

 

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#1 THEORY

what most opponents don't realize is how surprisingly fast they start to die when you **cauterize & exhaust** them. so you want to apply this devastating technique towards the end of the fight.

 

the flow of the fight you want to guide them in is:

1. hurting them like normal.

2. dot them up **cauterize & exhaust**

3. put them in stasis **not needed but helps**

4. being in stasis, they begins to see how FAST his HP is going down

5. their response is normally too late when u close

 

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#2 HOW I DO IT/ROTATION

 

leap -> master strike/sweep -> zealous -> cauterize -> exhaustion -> stasis -> dispatch -> sweep

 

then ZEN -> Spam Slash until Cauter & Exchaust CD is good

 

///-> alternatively, you can just start from zealous strike -> cauter -> etc.

 

***DMG number (minimum DMG used)

700 -> 3000/1200 -> 800 -> 1200 -> 3000 -> 2200 -> 3000-4000 = 13,900 or 12,100

 

***SLASH spammed

1400 +hits 1 extra target

 

***NOTE: that if you CRIT at any moment in this rotation -- AND you will -- the opponent is normally done by the time Stasis is done. and if Stasis is broken, they are done when you DISPATCH or SLASH spam.

 

***NOTE: the 2 important things here is to lay CAUTERIZE & EXHAUSTION back to back. it's as if you had 2 other people doing melee with you in your fight.

 

 

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#3 U R IN CONTROL -- KEEP COOL

even if u don't get the first move or have been cc'ed and knocked down for 3/4ths of ur HP... EVEN if they break your Stasis hold... the SENT.FOCUS tree allows you to CONTROL the flow of the fight in the direction u want. --- HOW.??

 

A. rebuke & saber ward

B. force camo

C. guarded by the force + heal stim

D. force leap -- away from being focused

 

A, B, and C will allow you to continue your rotation at will --- and D is a good method of getting away.

 

when D is used -- i target someone far away. prefer someone already engaged.

when B is used -- i stealth FIRST towards the opposite of where i go to throw them off.

 

***NOTE: do not even allow a 2v1 do deter urself from your rotation. YOU are in control of the flow.!

 

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#4 but i'm not GEARED OUT.!!

before i had all my nice toys, i was able to do what i wanted Vs. better geared IMPs. Gear helps, but it is through REPITITION do you gain an understanding of how to guide the fight into the direction you want.

 

#A. remember that you know what you need to do to kill.

#B. that you are comforted by A B C D if things go awry.

 

 

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#5 MY SKILL TREE

2/8/31 -- FOCUS BUILD

 

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151070179155603.775961.698965602&type=3#!/photo.php?fbid=10151218359450603&set=a.10151070179155603.775961.698965602&type=3&theater

 

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#6 OTHER TIPs

1. when directing people, be nice to them even if they are dumb. it doesn't help anyone if you call them out.

 

2. always leave 2 people to a door/node. 1 person can be defeated by 2 smart players anyday thru CC/MEZ

 

3. in huttball -- DO NOT protect the ball carrier. it is more effective to run ahead of him so he can throw to you.

 

4. in Civil War -- DON'T RELY on people calling for INCs ->> when a enemies have stopped attacking 1 NODE, quickly run to the other NODE. most of the time, the have already re-directed their fight there.

 

5. in VOID -- i like to focus everyone on 1 door. it's easy to understand that when you FOCUS targets, that things die faster, but i'm surprised most people don't apply that to one area of the game. --- you are doing 8 of u VS 7 of them most of the time.

 

 

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CLOSING

i originaly stayed away from threads on "how" to play a SENT, because i didn't want people to understand how OP (*nerf* paranoid) this class is and that i also didn't want people to be as good as i am.^^;

 

playing SENT is not easy to play b/c of the many abilities that come with the class. but it is rewarding in that it is not a 2-button/1 skill spam... it is heavy on action and response to the current situation.^^

 

i hope my guide helps SENT players to enjoy their class more.^^.!

 

 

Please ask me anything, but note that i have two weeks left to my sub as there is really nothing left for me to play for ATM.^^;

Edited January 30, 2012 by hoantran

[DunoOfe]

I've been getting frustrated with my Sent lvl 27...felling like Im getting weaker...weird, I know. You've posted some great tips, gonna start trying out those combos tonight. Thanks agian!

[Whithorn]

I don't understand your rotation. It seems you are missing singularity opportunities weakening your damage.

My rotation

force leap(3)>exhaustion(0) >zealous strike(6) > sweep(5) > stasis(8) >zealous leap(5) > slash(3)> slash(1)> sweep (0)

10 gcds (stasis counts as 2) same as yours with master strike

 

using your numbers and 900 for a zealous leap

700 >3000 >800 >300-4000 >2200 >900 (zeal leap) >1400 > 1400>3000-4000 =16,400-18400 in the same time span w/o dispatch.

 

Is there something i am missing in your rotation that you would not go for 2 singularity sweeps?

[hoantran]

I've been getting frustrated with my Sent lvl 27...felling like Im getting weaker...weird, I know. You've posted some great tips, gonna start trying out those combos tonight. Thanks agian!

 

i don't think u'll fully enjoy ur SENT till around 43 as you will not have access to everything. but, this is also good in that you learn each ability at its own pace.

 

then when u learn everything, u can start to understand where you want to place those abilities in your own rotation.

[PaZZo]

Uhm.... to me it seems that you're not really using the focus tree to your advantage with sweeps placed where you place them in your rotation...

 

 

 

... i think you should go watchman, fits your playstyle (as far as i can guess from what you wrote) better

[Omniblast]

I don't understand your rotation. It seems you are missing singularity opportunities weakening your damage.

My rotation

force leap(3)>exhaustion(0) >zealous strike(6) > sweep(5) > stasis(8) >zealous leap(5) > slash(3)> slash(1)> sweep (0)

10 gcds (stasis counts as 2) same as yours with master strike

 

using your numbers and 900 for a zealous leap

700 >3000 >800 >300-4000 >2200 >900 (zeal leap) >1400 > 1400>3000-4000 =16,400-18400 in the same time span w/o dispatch.

 

Is there something i am missing in your rotation that you would not go for 2 singularity sweeps?

 

I do a similar rotation too, you really need to use Force Exhaustion to build up those singularities then sweep to hit as many as possible and bury them in a hp deficit (via Taugrim). I toss in a Blade Storm in there instead of Slash because like other people say, it hits like a truck, it's ranged and is a force ability. Then toss in a dispatch if I have enough focus.

 

My issue is that I want to do more damage per spam of any and all of my abilities, have you guys been stacking Power and Surge or going for a different type?

 

Power > Surge > Accuracy > Crit?

[SarimRune]

Uhm.... to me it seems that you're not really using the focus tree to your advantage with sweeps placed where you place them in your rotation...

 

 

 

... i think you should go watchman, fits your playstyle (as far as i can guess from what you wrote) better

 

I think the goal of this guide is to defeat 1vs1. And switching to Watchmen would deny Exhaustion, which seems like one of the most important aspects of this form of attack.

 

The DoT from Cauterize and Exhaustion and Force Statis seem to be the key.

[hoantran]

I don't understand your rotation. It seems you are missing singularity opportunities weakening your damage.

My rotation

force leap(3)>exhaustion(0) >zealous strike(6) > sweep(5) > stasis(8) >zealous leap(5) > slash(3)> slash(1)> sweep (0)

10 gcds (stasis counts as 2) same as yours with master strike

 

using your numbers and 900 for a zealous leap

700 >3000 >800 >300-4000 >2200 >900 (zeal leap) >1400 > 1400>3000-4000 =16,400-18400 in the same time span w/o dispatch.

 

Is there something i am missing in your rotation that you would not go for 2 singularity sweeps?

 

 

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Dear Whitehorn,

your rotation is perfectly fine in maximizing and bursting damage.

 

the theory in my method is to hold off on the “pounding damage that kills him” towards the end so that:

 

1. he is surprised/does not notice the RAPID increase in damage

2. his response (heals/escape) is too late to save him.

 

 

Sun Tzu said:

Open confrontation will trigger

over-powering resistance. Thus the key

to victory is the ability to use surprise tactics.

The position of victory is one of determination.

The position of defeat is un-preparedness.

 

 

IMO

1. too much damage in the open

--- typically he’s in escape mode or wants to find friends to counter; losing u a 1v1 opportunity.

2. steady damage throughout

-- control of the fight remains in his hands and does not put him into panic mode.

 

which is why I like to:

1. give him a typical/average open that won’t alarm him, but will set him up:

leap -> master strike /sweep -> zealous

 

2. then rapidly increase damage output

cauterize -> exhaust -> stasis

 

3. typically, by now, he is on the verge of dying or ¼ away from death’s door. In which case:

---> if he stands n fight: u have singularity from exhaust & stasis to sweep then dispatch

---> if he runs: zealous/bladestorm (10m) then dispatch (15m).

 

4. whatever you choose to end with, your opponent now must consider evasion or escape in a losing match in which you have enough FORCE stored to pursue.

 

 

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here is also a comparison of our methods:

 

 

FOCUS points COMPARISON

your bursty method:

leap (+3) -> exhaust (-3) -> zealous strike (+6) -> sweep (-1) -> stasis (+4) ->zealous leap (-3) -> slash (-3) -> slash (-3) -> sweep (-1)

= -2 focus

 

my RAPID DMG increase method:

leap (+3) -> master (0) -> zealous strike (+6) -> cauterize (-3) -> exhaust (-3) -> stasis (+4) -> FINISH CHOICE dispatch (-3) -> sweep (-1)

= +3 focus can now also add zealous leap/bladestorm

 

 

STASIS BREAK comparison

 

your exhaust and melee strikes are just x2 amount of side by side damage.

Versus

my cauterize, exhaust, and melee strikes are x3 amount of side by side damage.

Edited January 31, 2012 by hoantran

[hoantran]

I do a similar rotation too, you really need to use Force Exhaustion to build up those singularities then sweep to hit as many as possible and bury them in a hp deficit (via Taugrim). I toss in a Blade Storm in there instead of Slash because like other people say, it hits like a truck, it's ranged and is a force ability. Then toss in a dispatch if I have enough focus.

 

My issue is that I want to do more damage per spam of any and all of my abilities, have you guys been stacking Power and Surge or going for a different type?

 

Power > Surge > Accuracy > Crit?

 

 

i understand the power behind sweep and i use to think that we should concentrate our efforts behind this single powerful skill. however, that kinda gives us tunnel vision in that we're concentrating on building up one skill rather then employ other advantagous.

 

in group battles, i WILL rotate between building for sweep and slash as much as i can to AOE down the enemy.

 

 

however, in 1v1 my emphasise is placed behind ramping up DPS rather then steady bursty damage that catches the opponent off guard.

 

again -- if u read the article, i am not here to say that your spam or burst methods are wrong... i am rather suggesting a method typically catches the opponent off guard and giving the player more control in the fight when the opponent begins to panic.

Edited January 31, 2012 by hoantran

[Whithorn]

I use focused slash so it only costs 2 focus leaving me at 0 which I typically use for master strike before a zealous strike.

 

I do agree about tunnel vision which is why I am planning on switching to watchmen. People may disagree with me but focus forces you to basically spend 3 gcds to pump one ability that is not an automatic hit especially in pvp. Thu, I find i only concern myself with that move weakening my total fighting ability. If spreading the damage helps you alleviate this go for it.

[SteveGarbage]

 

 

Sun Tzu said:

Open confrontation will trigger

over-powering resistance. Thus the key

to victory is the ability to use surprise tactics.

The position of victory is one of determination.

The position of defeat is un-preparedness.

 

Dude, I don't play PvP at all, but if I decide to, I'm using your build JUST because you dropped some Sun Tzu on that guy. Fantastic.

 

Love the idea. Lure him in with a "This guy sucks!" then drop Cauterize/Exhaustion/Stasis and **** all his health before he has a chance to recover.

[OldxLady]

Meh, love everything besides rotation. But than I have found a perfect Focus/Combat spec, where "presice strike" with "Free Slash 2x target" kills most 2v1.

 

Anywho, love the atitude to how you aproach your targets, but wold recommend maybe actualy burst tham down from start to finish, so you make tham panic.

As players that panic do many more mistakes, and might actuatly start running at the begining, which gives you more HP left at the end of the fight.

This big burst tactic is also quit fun in a 1v2, as you burst 1 target down rendering him useless, as this mostly starts to escape while he pops all the defencive CD's he has. Which gives you time to kill the second target. And as you are about to finish 2nd taarget, the first one will most likely return at abou 50% hp thinking he can take you out with the almost dead 2nd target. And ofcs 0 defencive CD's left.

 

This has graanted me so many 1v2 kills, and me only beein in champ set.

[EasymodeX]

I thought that was the normal way to play.

 

You poke at a person to 80/85%. Then you load your Exhaust. Then you Cauterize. Then you ZL Sweep them as they "***", chaining into a Stasis as they say "**** I CAN'T HIT MY KNOCKBACK", then when Stasis expires, they KB you and you charge back into them. Then you mez or interrupt their MIRACLEHEAL, and Sweep them again with an execute as you say goodbye.

 

If the enemy will ignore your activities for the first 10-15% of their health, then why try so hard? Just set them up.