Is watchman the way to go for pure DPS?

[nschlan]

As Einstein said, it's all relative baby. Compared to every other class, this class is the hardest, and Watchman the hardest spec of it.

 

You've been on an anti-Watchman kick this whole thread, but don't confuse Combat's ineffectiveness for difficulty. Running with one leg is hard too, but it's not a matter of the difficulty of running.

 

I'm not anti-Watchman. I freakin play it. I'm anti "Watchman is tops and nothing else is viable". The only problem with Combat is the fact that it's buggier. Focus has no problems if AoE is your thing.

[ShiroRX]

I'm not anti-Watchman. I freakin play it. I'm anti "Watchman is tops and nothing else is viable". The only problem with Combat is the fact that it's buggier. Focus has no problems if AoE is your thing.

 

Well were of differing opinions then, cause I am in the camp of only Watchman is viable. When I see Combat do anything close to what Watchman does in pvp w/o a pocket healer and guard, then I'll soften on it. Played up combat twice with two maras in beta but the dude just couldn't abide anymore for release. I wanted Ataru to be better, I really did.

 

And in pve? Well, its probably an even bigger divide between WM and everything else.

[slowantics]

Well were of differing opinions then, cause I am in the camp of only Watchman is viable. When I see Combat do anything close to what Watchman does in pvp w/o a pocket healer and guard, then I'll soften on it. Played up combat twice with two maras in beta but the dude just couldn't abide anymore for release. I wanted Ataru to be better, I really did.

 

And in pve? Well, its probably an even bigger divide between WM and everything else.

 

this. i was really hoping ataru form was gnna be really good. but ill just stick to watchman till its up to par

[Coramac]

Combat is very good later with good gear. The last time I tested, which has been a while, the Blade Rush buff provided a 100% chance to proc Ataru Strikes. It's excellent sustained damage. It's behind in terms of burst and utility.

[Dangzing]

having long powerful DOTs is pretty much superior in every aspect of end game play.

[thepilk]

Combat's main advantages are in movment control and kite-countering, rather than in raw DPS.

 

Combat buffs Blade Storm to be one of your main go to specials, giving you an effective 10m of good damage. It increases the range of Pacify to help minimize damage intake while closeing in, it gives a snare breaker to camo, it gets a baseline speed boost, it adds imobilization effects to master strike to help keep melee pressure, and adds an immobilize to crippling throw to give a 10m root. Combat is the hardest spec for a non melee opponent get away from.

 

The problem many players have with this is that all that mobility and snare/speed manipulation is meaningless in PVE by and large. Combat is only getting full maximization in PVP. I do feel combat needs a little bump..we lose a baseline 10% damage simply by loseing access to Juyo when forced into Ataru for 3% accuracy instead for example. Id like to see Combat either have a bit more damage, or improved CC'/state defense to go along with the above mentioned "kite-proof" theme. Alternativly a stronger survivability option would be nice. (Watchman get a gradual self heal, and Focus gets a flat 7% damage reduction, defensivly speaking Combat doesnt have anything to either effect.)

Edited February 9, 2012 by thepilk

[darthtoph]

I still prefer Watchman by a mile although our DPS got a significant nerf with the last patch, Combat has little survivability and I dislike Focus and having to spam Slash <-- Where's the fun in that? Edited February 9, 2012 by darthtoph

[LiveandDieinLA]

There is a joke with my guildies that I call Watchman the "man's spec", mainly because most Sents/Mara are Rage or Combat...

 

and they are as children compared to Watchman. Have an adult's strength of will for Watchman, its def the hardest of the 3. Even if Combat is ever fixed up, don't think I'd ever switch; it gives too many benefits for pve and pvp.

 

From what I have seen/read on the forums like 75% of sents marauders are Watchman/annihilation.

 

Its a much more forgiving spec, because you don't need to stick to your target to do your damage, and because overload saber lasts for 3 attacks not a duration of time.

[Venator-Falco]

This is more powerful that is more powerful blah blah blah.

The reality is the differences are small, and we don’t have damage meters so it is all speculative. I am playing Combat and my observations lead me to feel there is little to know difference over time. In pure ability to clean up trash the Combat Sent is the King, it hits hard and big. If you let your focus run out because you are not watching your expenditure then it shuts you down whereas watchmen still have dots ticking over, so you have to manage that a little more carefully, but if you keep your focus and rotation sorted, then you will match a watchmen over the long combat. The place where this falls down is where you have to disengage from the mob because of PBAoE, there a watchmen still has his dots ticking over, while you have a couple of ranged attacks before you are out of focus and twiddling your thumbs.

[nschlan]

having long powerful DOTs is pretty much superior in every aspect of end game play.

Long DoTs? Watchman doesn't have long DoTs. It has DoTs but they aren't long by any measure.

[Brittaany_Banks]

Well the consensus I have drawn from this is basically Sentinel trees are really best when matched with playstyle so I will try all of them then pick which one I like best. Thanks for the input.

[thepilk]

Well the consensus I have drawn from this is basically Sentinel trees are really best when matched with playstyle so I will try all of them then pick which one I like best. Thanks for the input.

 

Thats honestly the way to go.

 

Watchman has a few things that I personally think make it "best" (and especialy for leveling), however its also my least favorite of the 3... I tend to get more out of Combat and Focus because I simply like those two better. Watchman, despite the extra ump, just doesnt do it for me.

 

Also, in case you havnt stumbled on it yet... respec costs reset to 0 every week (even though it will still tell you that it costs the previous ammount..you arent charged if its been a week). So you can mix and match all you want.

[firesprite_ea]

I started as sentinel and only tried watcham at abt lvl 45 or so. It was nice, offered ,more survivability but .. it was not my type of thing. I mean dots to hit for some dmg... but i greatly dislike the fact that that if you have troubles with target switching. You kill one silver with dots but then you have 3-4 more ....

On the other hand as we have started doing HM FP now i think i will try watcham again because if you do NOT have to change targets watchman may offer something nice.

What I disliked with watchman was focus generation - always seemed to lack any. In combat I always had focus to spam BR, BS etc. With watchman i did not get a hang of it - but then again, it is kinda thing I can try and learn.

[Fiachsidhe]

I leveled with combat to about 30, hated it. Switched to Watchman and never looked back. Fighting is much easier. The damage you do is higher, and you have more survivability due to self/party heals.

 

For fighting end game bosses, watchman is best. It's literally designed for long fights.

Combat is for killing enemies quickly, which is better for PVP where fights are shorter. In PVE, it was more a hindrance.

Edited February 10, 2012 by Fiachsidhe

[prokonto]

Combat's main advantages are in movment control and kite-countering, rather than in raw DPS.

 

Combat buffs Blade Storm to be one of your main go to specials, giving you an effective 10m of good damage. It increases the range of Pacify to help minimize damage intake while closeing in, it gives a snare breaker to camo, it gets a baseline speed boost, it adds imobilization effects to master strike to help keep melee pressure, and adds an immobilize to crippling throw to give a 10m root. Combat is the hardest spec for a non melee opponent get away from.

 

The problem many players have with this is that all that mobility and snare/speed manipulation is meaningless in PVE by and large. Combat is only getting full maximization in PVP. I do feel combat needs a little bump..we lose a baseline 10% damage simply by loseing access to Juyo when forced into Ataru for 3% accuracy instead for example. Id like to see Combat either have a bit more damage, or improved CC'/state defense to go along with the above mentioned "kite-proof" theme. Alternativly a stronger survivability option would be nice. (Watchman get a gradual self heal, and Focus gets a flat 7% damage reduction, defensivly speaking Combat doesnt have anything to either effect.)

 

 

This^^

[TheoNJ]

 

An Analogy: Jackie Chan is fully capable of killing a man with a spoon and making it look awesome. That doesn't mean that we'd be better if we went to war using spoons instead of guns. It means that Jackie Chan is exceptional.

 

I see you combat specced guys the same way.

 

Your commentary just made me decide to try watchman. not because what you said about the tree, but you did using Jackie Chan as an analogy.

THAT was awesome.

[prokonto]

Your commentary just made me decide to try watchman. not because what you said about the tree, but you did using Jackie Chan as an analogy.

THAT was awesome.

 

I think that Jackie Chan analogy was about combat not watchman...

[Vodrin]

Well the consensus I have drawn from this is basically Sentinel trees are really best when matched with playstyle so I will try all of them then pick which one I like best. Thanks for the input.

 

That is one of the most intelligent statements in this thread.

[Bullwrath]

Your commentary just made me decide to try watchman. not because what you said about the tree, but you did using Jackie Chan as an analogy.

THAT was awesome.

 

 

Happy to help.

[Legskindal]

if only i could keep my 6sec cd on force kick when i swap into Combat spec i would play it more frequently. i enjoy the attack animation for blade storm but i feel that as combat we as sentinels lose our advantage over all the ranged nukers without that 6sec interrupt.

[thepilk]

if only i could keep my 6sec cd on force kick when i swap into Combat spec i would play it more frequently.

 

That or the point blank Force Leap. Those 2 things are what I miss the most when Im in Combat. I kinda wish they had split those up between the two specs...letting one have a faster kick and the other have the shorter range leap to share the interupt improvment, much the way that Combat and Watchman get differnt takes on Pacify, or the way Watchman and Focus get differnt styles of Transcendence boosts.