Is Focus any good for us in PvP?

[Kellindell]

I know guardians use focus alot, not sure if alot of sentinels do. Ive been playing for a while, and ive tried watchman and combat. But when I read the focus talents, it affects all the skills I like, Stasis, bladestorm, force leap etc... I like alot of the combinations it builds up, and I wouldnt mind having a 10 meter slow that does damage over time. I also really like the shi choo Zen.

 

The only thing I dont like is that im told it builds centering the slowest, and i really like bringing those team buffs to the table.

 

Right now im playing watchman because it seems thats what most PvPers are doing. I am effective, but I dont really enjoy the rotation, but I do enjoy winning.

 

Is focus good for Sents? Anyone pvpers who have extensively used focus as a sentinel who could weigh in, id appreciate it.

 

Thanks.

[McVade]

I know guardians use focus alot, not sure if alot of sentinels do. Ive been playing for a while, and ive tried watchman and combat. But when I read the focus talents, it affects all the skills I like, Stasis, bladestorm, force leap etc... I like alot of the combinations it builds up, and I wouldnt mind having a 10 meter slow that does damage over time. I also really like the shi choo Zen.

 

The only thing I dont like is that im told it builds centering the slowest, and i really like bringing those team buffs to the table.

 

Right now im playing watchman because it seems thats what most PvPers are doing. I am effective, but I dont really enjoy the rotation, but I do enjoy winning.

 

Is focus good for Sents? Anyone pvpers who have extensively used focus as a sentinel who could weigh in, id appreciate it.

 

Thanks.

 

Focus is fun-ish. Not my cup of tea, but I can see why people like it. Big AoE hits and very focus-friendly (It's named "Focus" Better be!).

 

If the only thing you don't like is the Centering, spend talent points on Inner Focus - it will be your favorite ability. The tool-tip isn't very clear how it works exactly. The way it actually works is you get +10 Centering for each person you effect with it when the effect ends, so in theory, when it ends after buffing 2 others with it - +30 Centering. Use it again.

 

It seems like a good fit for you.

Edited February 5, 2012 by McVade

[-Yui-]

It's fun in Void Star where you can stomp everyone at the door for 3k+ dmg aoe, or at the nodes in Alderaan. You get 100% up-time on transcendence as well.

 

But somehow, I always return to Watchman spec. I feel like I'm helping my team out more by destroying their healers or the (small) heals that come off my burns. And in my opinion, Watchman is more interesting to play.

 

It really depends on your playing style I guess. If you're looking for higher dps, I would say Focus gets the slight edge. But in terms of actually winning matches, I would say Watchman.

[Hostyle]

It's fun in Void Star where you can stomp everyone at the door for 3k+ dmg aoe, or at the nodes in Alderaan. You get 100% up-time on transcendence as well.

 

But somehow, I always return to Watchman spec. I feel like I'm helping my team out more by destroying their healers or the (small) heals that come off my burns. And in my opinion, Watchman is more interesting to play.

 

It really depends on your playing style I guess. If you're looking for higher dps, I would say Focus gets the slight edge. But in terms of actually winning matches, I would say Watchman.

 

See I totally disagree with this opinion. Killing the healers, while helping the team, isnt keeping people from capping turrets or planting a bomb. I win so many more WZs as focus than I ever did as Watchman. Being the bane of the others teams cappers is what focus is all about. With all my def abilities I can keep a node from being capped by 3+ people until help can arrive while taking then all down to below 50% hp with my aoe.

[elferin]

that's why it's good to have 1 watchman 1 focus speced sentinel

[Kellindell]

Thats a tough debate, and I guess it depends on team play.

 

In a pug its everyones responsibility to watch the doors.

 

But in team play, or premades id say if you are the class most efficient at killing healers, thats what you should do because then in turn everyone else dies. But if the healer stays up and so does everyone else, your team will keep rez waving which will lead to them capping the door.

 

But if you kill them, and they have to keep rezzing, your team gets a respite here and their which can go a long way.

 

So are people saying focus isnt as good at taking out healers as watchman? Because right now its what I mainly do in PvP, I even mark myself so people can follow the healing debuff and focus targets down and it seems to be really effective if my team will listen.

[Apocalypse-]

See I totally disagree with this opinion. Killing the healers, while helping the team, isnt keeping people from capping turrets or planting a bomb. I win so many more WZs as focus than I ever did as Watchman. Being the bane of the others teams cappers is what focus is all about. With all my def abilities I can keep a node from being capped by 3+ people until help can arrive while taking then all down to below 50% hp with my aoe.

As watchman, I just kill the 3 people rather than waiting for help.

 

 

However, OP, Focus is the easiest of the 3 specs to be successful with. Watchman can out-perform Focus at just about everything, but requires a significantly higher level of play to do so.

[Kellindell]

I dont want to sound like a D bag but im pretty good. Im not in the Gaming league or live stream and have people drool over me, but I know at the very least im good enough to pull off watchman. And I have been for a couple weeks now.

 

Like I said, from the outside looking in, focus looks not only more fun, but more suited for me as it focuses on all the abilities I "like".

 

It is kind of annoying to not have that +30% to force sweep and cooldown reducing talent guardians get though.

 

Whatever, we have the only healing debuff in the game.

[Apocalypse-]

I dont want to sound like a D bag but im pretty good. Im not in the Gaming league or live stream and have people drool over me, but I know at the very least im good enough to pull off watchman. And I have been for a couple weeks now.

 

Like I said, from the outside looking in, focus looks not only more fun, but more suited for me as it focuses on all the abilities I "like".

 

It is kind of annoying to not have that +30% to force sweep and cooldown reducing talent guardians get though.

 

Whatever, we have the only healing debuff in the game.

 

As backwards as it sounds, Focus Sentinels are actually more durable than Focus Guardians (if they're in Shii-Cho). 31-32 focus, 7 Combat, taking Crusader, Defensive forms and Defensive roll (one point in DW to move up) and then 2 points in Quick Recovery makes for a very tanky build in raw mitigation, but at the end of the day Watchman is more self sufficient for survival, more than making up for the lost mitigation in self healing.

 

Focus is definitely viable, you just don't have anywhere near the lockdown-and-annihilate someone ability that Watchman does. In my experience, Focus is far more team/opponent reliant than Watchman. You don't have a healer tending to you? Your survivability only means a couple GCDs. You team not playing around your abilties? Your AoE just goes towards the other team's healing. Your team full of casters? Your 100% uptime Transcendence just got a lot less useful. Your enemy smart/attentive enough to move out of your AoE range? Your damage just got truncated. Enemy team knockback heavy? You just became a one-trick-pony.

[-Yui-]

See I totally disagree with this opinion. Killing the healers, while helping the team, isnt keeping people from capping turrets or planting a bomb. I win so many more WZs as focus than I ever did as Watchman. Being the bane of the others teams cappers is what focus is all about. With all my def abilities I can keep a node from being capped by 3+ people until help can arrive while taking then all down to below 50% hp with my aoe.

 

The thing is, a Watchman can keep 3+ people busy as well. Force Sweep is available to both classes, and both specs have the same defensive abilities. Granted, you won't be bringing all of them down to 50% hp, but you'll be bringing at least one guy down while delaying them same amount of time. Give or take I guess...but saying that Force sents can keep an opponnent from capping longer than a Watchman sent is incorrect.

[Aznryoga]

Imo the biggest thing that separates focus from watchmen (other than the aoe vs single target dps) is its survivability. Watchmen is better at sustain and focus is better at tanking burst damage. with 45 second gbtf, 7% shii cho form dmg reduction, and near 100% transcendence it makes a focus sentinel hard to be bursted down. I choose focus over watchmen in this regard because 1v1 or even 1v2 is rare in a warzone. If there was a part of the game more similar to arena then I believe watchmen would shine

[Jeffor]

Focus is fun-ish. Not my cup of tea, but I can see why people like it. Big AoE hits and very focus-friendly (It's named "Focus" Better be!).

 

If the only thing you don't like is the Centering, spend talent points on Inner Focus - it will be your favorite ability. The tool-tip isn't very clear how it works exactly. The way it actually works is you get +10 Centering for each person you effect with it when the effect ends, so in theory, when it ends after buffing 2 others with it - +30 Centering. Use it again.

 

It seems like a good fit for you.

 

I just have to post and agree here. Inner Focus made such a difference when I unlocked it. This post is so true.

[thepilk]

Force Exhaustaion and Zealous Leap+speed boost are enough to make Focus fun and effective, without even going into the big Sweep combo they can both set up.

 

I really enjoy Focus a lot, passive 20% ignore is good on everything, and if youre specced into defensive forms (and you are will be) you have a 7% damage reduction, which combined with your mid 20's% armor practically puts you in heavy armor in terms of damage absorption.

 

The only trouble with Focus is that if you base everything on the big aoe singularity cannonball splash, youll be very telegraphed and be constantly disrupted. the trick is playing to its strengths without crutching on that combo and its really fun.