Is Playing a sentinel solo really that hard

[HiroAyami]

It's been echoed, many times, but adding another drop into the well is worth while given how important it is: Learn when to interrupt your targets.

 

The class from a PvE perspective is credit and concentration intensive. An awkward combo given you want this character developing with the luxuries of a same faction alt but you may lack attention span simply wanting to grind through story (especially if your prior character was a Guardian). Keeping your gear and your companions gear up to date is incrredibly important. Yes, some Class Quests you can fudge and just get yourself a pair of good hilts, but sometimes, you need all the boosts you can get especially if you're intent on playing one way over another. Watchman being able to reduce CD's of Pacify and Force Kick are pretty useful abilities as well, if not one of the more important benefits of the class (besides Overload Saber).

[AlatarTheGrey]

Most important piece of advice for playing Sentinel effectively. If you don't interrupt well against tougher enemies you WILL die.

 

Before my current Sentinel I first played a Sage up to level 50. Had never played an MMO before. Interupting was a completely new concept and I got my head handed to me time and time again around level 30 until I figured out how to watch what my opponent was doing and counter it.

[babiegirlla]

Aside from the last fight, everything was simple for me, even when it was orange, as Watchman. use your cds well, and a lot of bosses you need to run back, then charge interrupt, and use your kick interrupt as well. use saber ward/rebuke and pacify wisely

[Trashcan]

Is definitely harder to play than any other class (mauraders being an exception of course). For the most part I can kill level elites or even elites a level higher but I seem to have trouble with Sith Casters at my level. If I have trouble though I just level up more or get a friend to help.

 

It's my opinion that some of the class bosses are too strong for their level. You beat all the other elites on the planet and come to your class boss and they roll you. So you go get a friend or level up and come back and roll him. My problem is I shouldn't have to be overleveled to beat my class mission boss.

 

This isn't limited to Sentinel though. My rogue guildmate got rolled 8 times to his class mission boss on Tat and that even included some attempts after leveling up. I helped him with his mission and he helped me kill the sand demon.

 

As a level 47 on Belsavis, I was doing the level 50 dailies without much of a problem, and was taking down 50 elites with Doc healing. Only issue I ran into was with Sith casters until I started interrupting their casts and was able to take them down pretty easy.

[jankins]

I can't speak to whether its hard leveling is in relation to other classes as I've only leveled a Sentinal and a Sith Assasin, but spec wise, if you don't go watchman it makes your leveling much more difficult.

 

For example I was taking on a story level boss as combat spec, no Two-man indication on the quest. I started out with me tanking then let T7 take over when I got low health to try to spread out the Damage between the two of us and still ended up getting destroyed by the boss. I specced Watchman and went back, T7 still died, but the boss easily died and I was still full health by the end.

 

Long story short, the other trees need a huge buff at least for leveling.

[Zag_Stratos]

You can't just jump in a fight, stay in one place and press buttons. When I started to realize that, things have been turning to a positive note.

[McVade]

You can't just jump in a fight, stay in one place and press buttons. When I started to realize that, things have been turning to a positive note.

 

Basically this. If you hit Charge at the wrong time or otherwise see 4 red names around you and no other green ones in melee with you, hitting Force Camouflage is a very good plan, because you're about to be focus-fired.

 

Then, once they pick other targets, you can attack the one furthest back. Typically the other 3 will be so tunnel-visioned, they won't even notice.

Edited February 3, 2012 by McVade

[jdela]

Gear, gear, gear, gear, gear. Did I mention gear? Probably the thing I learned latest in my career and has made by far the most difference in my experience. I was basically always a planet behind in gear until Correlia, where I started gearing up for my fight with the emperor. I crushed Correlia so much easier fully geared than I did up until that point.

 

The problem is that it can be real difficult to find gear while leveling. The commendations from planets get you some stuff, but really you are going to need more. With crafting in its current state it will cost a lot to gear up well, if you can even find the gear (for example Might Armoring from commendation vendors are lower than what is suitable for your level in general, but finding Might Armor on the GTN is a crap shoot).

[Phraun]

It's hard in the sense that you have to use your brain, sure. It may have something to do with my being hell bent on keeping my gear current as well, but I've been absolutely steamrolling through the leveling process (currently 33) as a watchman using Kira exclusively. Everything just dies, up to and including elites, and I've had amazing success soloing same level champion mobs.

 

Learn your cooldowns, and don't be afraid to use them early; saber ward isn't going to do you one damn bit of good if you're already down to 400HP, for example. Also being biochem helps a fair bit if you're really having issues. Aside from that, interrupt everything under the sun and remember that you do have more than one interrupt... Kick is all well and good, but Stasis and Leap do the job just as well (in most cases) and between all of those nothing should be sliding through. There's more to it obviously (there always is ) but if you keep that stuff in mind there isn't much you're going to have trouble with.

 

Compared to some of the nightmarish garbage I had to deal with as an end-game affliction lock over the last 4+ years of WoW, this is child's play. It's also quite a bit more fun, in my opinion.

[Arsonrapture]

Standard mobs are crazy easy, boss mobs are often overpowered. You go into a fight feeling very prepared and then get wiped, often on bosses that you match or outlevel. Its a Dev issue. They are doable, but I found myself very frustrated at points. With the Sentinel main boss fight, normal DPS role doesn't work. You try to focus down the adds, like a Sentinel is told to do in mmo's and you find yourself very dead. It wasn't until I was told by a friend to do something very out of character for Sentinel (focus the boss, ignore the adds) that I excelled.

[Veniras]

Too bad you just didn't read the fact, that we are talking about SOLO play of sentinel.

I don't give a damn about childish PVP, but Sentinel lacks a lot in PVE solo gaming and thats what this thread is all about.

 

Learn 2 read!

 

I disagree. Levelling a sentinel is easy if you know what you are doing and bring the right companion and/or use your skills accordingly. We are damage dealers. That means we need a tank or use force camo correctly. And that's how it is all the way through. It's not a facerollin' class, but once you know your tools it's not hard levelling one.

[Ryat]

I have had only one issue with one boss (and no, not the Emperor). After that I had minimal issues with Sentinels. Though I will say this, after playing others types (commando, gunslinger, sage) I will say Sentinels are the hardest to play solo. Edited June 10, 2012 by Ryat

[coille]

It is hard but doable. I did it solo. What made it extra harder for me was using an underpowered laptop. It would have been easier if I had a better faster computer.

 

Some of the bosses are real hard. A couple come to mind that stick out.

 

Since doing the JK I did the Consular which was easy; never used call on the force at all. Smuggler, Sith Warrior and Inquisitor seem easier too. Never used call on the force with them yet either.

Edited June 12, 2012 by coille