Mixed messages

[aikitexan]

I have several toons, but was thinking of adding the sent to my list, however, I have heard conflicting information. I keep hearing that BW/EA messsed it up, or they're too squishy, or they don't put out enough DPS compared to Guardians for the lack of survaability (the ratio). I have also heard good things. I seem to hear bad things about all the classes, and find that most of it is either lack of knowledge/experience on how to play that class, or it doesn't fit their playstyle.

 

I would love to hear yalls comments

 

BTW, I mianly PvP, and I have a Guardian so I will proably rush through PVE until late 40s

 

Thank you

Edited February 9, 2012 by aikitexan

[Neithian]

This is all based on my experience/opinions but, until you hit 50 and get reasonably good gear you will be squishy and things will be no fun, pvp wise. Pvewise I never had a problem ever leveling. We are gear dependent, and it takes a bit to get used to the flow of our combat style. Once you get used to that and get gear though you will be a terror. I can kill a very well geared player in under 20 seconds if they receive no outside heals.

 

We are amazing killers once you learn how to manage you cooldowns, general skill use, and get gear.

 

My 2 cents anyways hope that helps.

[Kovaos]

A sentinel is as good as you play it.

 

Since you are an experienced PvPer how have you fared against Marauders? QQers in forums make the class seem much worse than it is.

[nschlan]

If you're good and/or have more than half a brain, go ahead and play Sentinel, it's a lot of fun Also, talking about survivability, I think they actually have more than, or at least the same as, Guardians. Edited February 9, 2012 by nschlan

[aikitexan]

Since you are an experienced PvPer how have you fared against Marauders? QQers in forums make the class seem much worse than it is.

 

I have faced some lower sents/maruaders when I was in my lower 40s that decimated my vanguard. I just couldn't do enough dmg quick enough.

 

I have seen **** talk, excuse the language, about every class on here. I think a lot of it is trolling, which is why I was wanting honest opinnions before hand. I really don't want to do Tython or Taris again, but if it's really fun, and worth it to play then I will.

[Kovaos]

but if it's really fun, and worth it to play then I will.

 

I absolutely love my Sentinel. Just consider once you go Sentinel you are stuck with DPS. All 3 of our trees are fun in their own way and take time to learn. Watchman will pretty much burn any class 1v1. Focus is a ton of fun and can AoE like a bomb.

 

Playing a Sentinel in PvP is very much like a concert pianist. We are highly dependent on key bindings. We are simply one of those classes if you work hard enough it pays off.

[Malkosha]

I play the mirror class ... SW Mara ... and when it comes to leveling the Sent/Mara is not only more fun (to me of course) but survives better. Yes, even with medium armor I survive better because I can kill so quickly.

 

Once you get into it and get "on a roll" you will see what I mean.

 

At the same time, if you're off your game you will die. I had that happen to me last night when I just wasn't 100% there in the game and got my butt handed to me.

 

Roll one up. The worst that can happen is you decide not to play it and then sell what gear you have and send the credits to an alt.

[onurgg]

Playing a Sentinel in PvP is very much like a concert pianist.

 

lol i liked the way you put it because you're absolutely right.

[ShiroRX]

It's absolutely the hardest class in the game to play to max. That being said, if you carry the heart of the blade in you, the Sentinel is a living weapon. There is no question also they do far more damage than Guardians/Juggs, and live longer than their dps forms. The crux is Guard/Jugg is much easier to play and quicker returns.

 

Valor 46 Sent and already crush every BM Mara, Sent, Jugg, and Guardian I see.

[Vodrin]

I have several toons, but was thinking of adding the sent to my list, however, I have heard conflicting information. I keep hearing that BW/EA messsed it up, or they're too squishy, or they don't put out enough DPS compared to Guardians for the lack of survaability (the ratio). I have also heard good things. I seem to hear bad things about all the classes, and find that most of it is either lack of knowledge/experience on how to play that class, or it doesn't fit their playstyle.

 

I would love to hear yalls comments

 

BTW, I mianly PvP, and I have a Guardian so I will proably rush through PVE until late 40s

 

Thank you

 

A sentinel has better survivability than a DPS guardian due to a better bubble selection (armor has a minimal effect on ability to soak up damage in this game), and with the right spec and play can pump out as much or more damage. Incidentally I am nearly full champ on mine now and I am a beast in PvP.

[HiroAyami]

Having started a Guardian, getting it to 50 and effectively "End Gaming" it, I was in your shoes. Just recently I broke into the 50 bracket as my Sentinel and started grabbing some decent pieces of gear.

 

If you primarily PvP, depending on your spec (I'm a Focus Guardian), you'll probably observe a few things that are fairly frustrating going from Guardian into Sentinel. Mainly for PvP, unlike a Guardian who can sort of Niche melee beat and generally survive during combat, often going unnoticed/attended, or be an excellent carrier in Huttball, a Sentinel won't really feel "effective" until the later levels. I think it's probably due to having Heavy armor and being often tough to kill make a lot of the short coming of a melee class bearable.

 

Effectively, you can Spec into Focus at between level 28-30 as a Guardian and start wrecking up the place, a lot of this is due to Force Push as you probably well know.

 

As a Sentinel, unless you're specc'd into Watchman, you're not going to feel effective until your late 30's (in Watchman Spec I didn't mind as much during PvP from level 33 onwards), but until you hit level 40 you will never really feel like you're shining.

[ShiroRX]

Watchman moves at its own tempo.

 

Like slowbrah.

[aikitexan]

Wel currently I have a 50 Van, 40 Shadow, 34 Guard, and a 29 Jugg. I like tanks, if you cant tell, but I usually selected these classes so I can fit a couple of rolls. I love to PvP here (haven't on any other)

 

I did see some people alking about Combat spec being very lethal. Is that true or should I go Watchmen?

[TheWhiskey]

A lot of sentinel survivability comes from killing people very quickly, which they do very well once you get your head around all the keybinds.

[Ultratron]

I have several toons, but was thinking of adding the sent to my list, however, I have heard conflicting information. I keep hearing that BW/EA messsed it up, or they're too squishy, or they don't put out enough DPS compared to Guardians for the lack of survaability (the ratio). I have also heard good things. I seem to hear bad things about all the classes, and find that most of it is either lack of knowledge/experience on how to play that class, or it doesn't fit their playstyle.

 

I would love to hear yalls comments

 

BTW, I mianly PvP, and I have a Guardian so I will proably rush through PVE until late 40s

 

Thank you

 

 

The reason there are so many conflicting statements on Marauder/Sentinel is because this class has a pretty high skill cap comparatively. If you are an experienced PvPer and don't think that, in order to be good, a class needs to only use 1-3 buttons to spam up dps meters and survive, then you will do good as a Sentinel.

 

Simply put, played correctly a Sentinel is devastating. They get a bad rap because they're not as easy to play as some of the other classes and produce a lot of fail.

 

As far as your squishy question, you have 4-5 defensive CD's and great self healing if you go with Watchmen. If you use your cd's correctly (they are mostly 1min cd's) you are one of the most difficult classes to kill by far. If you don't use your defensive cd's because it's too "hard" to bind more than 3 buttons you will die.

 

Also since you said you have a Guardian already, it sounds weird but a Sentinel has WAAAY more survivability than a DPS specced Guardian (obviously a tank specced guardian is going to stay alive longer).

 

PS. I have a geared sorc and operative and I really like where Marauder/Sentinel stands in PvP atm.

 

Edit: I'd also like to say that as Watchmen, I felt extremely effective in PvP as early as level 20 and it just keeps getting better.

Edited February 9, 2012 by Ultratron

[HiroAyami]

Wel currently I have a 50 Van, 40 Shadow, 34 Guard, and a 29 Jugg. I like tanks, if you cant tell, but I usually selected these classes so I can fit a couple of rolls. I love to PvP here (haven't on any other)

 

I did see some people alking about Combat spec being very lethal. Is that true or should I go Watchmen?

 

As far as I can remember, Combat spec is the most affected class by TOR's skill stutterng effect. Double triggering with animations, as well as a few bugged skills. I haven't deigned to go Combat yet since Watchman hasn't felt nerfed like I thought it might this most recent patch.

 

Most notably that I remember seeing was that Ataru Form doesn't proc correctly.

 

I ran with Combat for a while until Blade Rush not going off right and my dying as a result became pretty common place.

 

In terms of simplicity I found Combat a bit easier to manage, less strict with Focus management, less DOT management, plus having Force Camoflague as a second CC breaker felt a lot more powerful than it giving 100% damage reduction. for a very short time.

 

Watchman feels like a busy class. Lots to manage, you have a rotation as well as an obligation to manage your skills with a bit of a priority function, and of course DOTS. Getting timing and some good habits down is key though. Knowing which skills to interrupt are also super important.

Edited February 9, 2012 by HiroAyami

[aikitexan]

So, for an experienceed PvP at least, it seems that the consensus it Sent are awesome and Watchmen is best for PvP?

 

Thank you all for a wonderful discussion, and we managed to do it without any trolls or idiots....wait, same thing

[TheoNJ]

I prefer to stay doing nothing at the fleet, waiting for some WZ to pop than go play another character.

That's just how i feel about my sentinel.

[Calouse]

Ataru form procs work fine in pvp. In PvE against huge mobs it won't proc if the mob is targeting you. If it's targeting another you should be able to move closer to/inside it and the procs work fine. Not sure why but the distance from the center seems to cause problems.

 

However, as a combat Sent, I haven't had that issue in PvP. I've been combat since 10--now 47 or so--and found it effective at lower levels, but extraordinary at 40. I'm also valor capped as most of my time is spent in PvP. Once you get blade rush the combat Sent becomes entirely controlled dps. You will only do as much damage as your awareness allows in any fight. Your success or failure essentially depends entirely on your timing and awareness as the spec provides fully controlled burst. It isn't complicated, but messing it up can be dangerous. I found a lot more room for error in Watchman.

 

I've tried Watchman--not focus--and think the potential for overall dps is higher given enough time, but with inferior kill power. Watchman = Raw damage numbers. Combat = Anti-range Kill power. I spend most of my time killing healers and ranged dps. For that job I find Combat to be my most effective spec.

 

Each spec has its Merits. Some will excel in certain situations, while others will favor others. Try them out and see what works best for you. Our opinions may not work for you anyway. The best test is your own.

[Ultratron]

Ataru form procs work fine in pvp. In PvE against huge mobs it won't proc if the mob is targeting you. If it's targeting another you should be able to move closer to/inside it and the procs work fine. Not sure why but the distance from the center seems to cause problems.

 

However, as a combat Sent, I haven't had that issue in PvP. I've been combat since 10--now 47 or so--and found it effective at lower levels, but extraordinary at 40. I'm also valor capped as most of my time is spent in PvP. Once you get blade rush the combat Sent becomes entirely controlled dps. You will only do as much damage as your awareness allows in any fight. Your success or failure essentially depends entirely on your timing and awareness as the spec provides fully controlled burst. It isn't complicated, but messing it up can be dangerous. I found a lot more room for error in Watchman.

 

I've tried Watchman--not focus--and think the potential for overall dps is higher given enough time, but with inferior kill power. Watchman = Raw damage numbers. Combat = Anti-range Kill power. I spend most of my time killing healers and ranged dps. For that job I find Combat to be my most effective spec.

 

Each spec has its Merits. Some will excel in certain situations, while others will favor others. Try them out and see what works best for you. Our opinions may not work for you anyway. The best test is your own.

 

 

Watchmen has PLENTY of kill power, the dots are low duration and very high critting and merc slash can crit for around 3800. Watchmen dot's aren't really slow and steady like most dot classes, they are more like Warrior deep wounds. The dots hit really hard because of the lower duration (especially when you have an ability that makes them autocrit).

 

That being said Watchmen requires the most management out of the 3 specs and different people prefer different specs, but most high level Sent/Mara's prefer Watchmen for the great healing potential and killing power.

 

If you want to do a gimicky (not saying it's bad I'm just eluding to the fact that in focus all you really do is work to build 1 big burst shot up) AOE 4.5k crit every 9 seconds or so then go focus. If you want some better utility roots and less management look at combat, if you want good self/group healing + strong single target killing power try Watchmen. I would suggest trying all 3 specs out for yourself.

[Vodrin]

So, for an experienceed PvP at least, it seems that the consensus it Sent are awesome and Watchmen is best for PvP?

 

Thank you all for a wonderful discussion, and we managed to do it without any trolls or idiots....wait, same thing

 

Watchman is easiest. I've always done better with focus though. It just fits my playtsyle better. I've also seen some combat spec sents that are very good, but watchman is easier to play and very effective.

[Calouse]

Watchmen has PLENTY of kill power, the dots are low duration and very high critting and merc slash can crit for around 3800. Watchmen dot's aren't really slow and steady like most dot classes, they are more like Warrior deep wounds. The dots hit really hard because of the lower duration (especially when you have an ability that makes them autocrit).

 

I said inferior kill power to combat. I never said they have none. I suppose I should be a bit more clear about it.

 

When I say kill power I am not referring only to damage numbers. I'm referring to a combination of factors which allow you to actually finish a target. Mobility is a big factor in that. Watchman are considerably easier to kite and rely on dots, which I would assume can be purged. I don't play anything with a purge/cleanse so I'm not certain on the latter point. I define Kill power as the consistent rate in which you can guarantee a targets death. Potential kill power--if everyone stood still without cc--is not the same. Damage numbers are not everything.

[FobManX]

A Sentinel definitely requires more effort than other ACs that is true, but when played right they can wreck havoc. They have excellent single target DPS(sustained or burst)and also a lot of defensive cooldowns. The only things we're really missing is a hard stun and knockback, but if we got both of those we'd be OP.

 

The thing is, you have to play right(in PVP I mean). Don't Leap into a group of Sorcs and expect to live. Play within the confines of your team and you'll be fine. If you try to be a hero you'll die horribly.

[Eighthook]

I said inferior kill power to combat. I never said they have none. I suppose I should be a bit more clear about it.

 

When I say kill power I am not referring only to damage numbers. I'm referring to a combination of factors which allow you to actually finish a target. Mobility is a big factor in that. Watchman are considerably easier to kite and rely on dots, which I would assume can be purged. I don't play anything with a purge/cleanse so I'm not certain on the latter point. I define Kill power as the consistent rate in which you can guarantee a targets death. Potential kill power--if everyone stood still without cc--is not the same. Damage numbers are not everything.

 

I think you underestimate Watchman. I don't get kited very often, but not getting kited is just a matter of knowing what abilities to use and when to use them. But as far as kiting goes, you are right Combat is much less kite-able with all its roots and escapes. What Watchman does have, that I think outdoes Combat, is a shorter interrupt which means an easier time killing heals, but I also haven't played enough combat to know what the burst is like to verify this.

 

Any one know how Focus does as far as being kited? I would think it would be about the same as watchman.