Combat and Watchman

[Zenmar]

Ok, lvl 50 sentinel, Combat Spec since level 1. Got many friends who use Watchman, and they suggested me to try it.

I tried a few warzones and:

+damage

+kills

+HEALINGS

-deaths

 

I don't very like watchman mechanics tho, so i returned to my combat spec. I've been playing this spec for 2 months now, I know my rotation, I know how to bind my skills and I usually know what I can use and when. I would define me a good player.

 

Now, I didn't spend much time on watchman, but i noticed better results; the healing thing is great, dots are powerful and very useful when it comes to interrupt people while they plant bombs etc.

Combat puts on the table a long rotation to reach max damage (which is not that great), plus you need to finish that in only 6 seconds. One CC and you have to restart... build focus again and wait for CDS.

 

I love playing Combat, but something is wrong with balance between it and the other specs, imho.

 

And if it is really so, what do you think developers should do to improve it?

[LiveandDieinLA]

change precision slash to "precision" which would function like overload saber. Have it not be an attack, be off the GCD, and last for your next 4 focus spenders instead of for 6 seconds. Edited February 11, 2012 by LiveandDieinLA

[Mal-Sharran]

change precision slash to "precision" which would function like overload saber. Have it not be an attack, be off the GCD, and last for your next 4 focus spenders instead of for 6 seocnds.

 

That's....brilliant. I want this. Signed.

[Sdspecter]

I agree that combat spec has some issues. I recently switched from combat to watchman due to an increased interest in pvp and my lackluster performance to start with. I have seen a huge improvement to my game and stats playing watchman. I think the precision idea warrants looking into. So I feel combat was ok for over, but is lacking in pvp.

[wtfimblue]

Ok, lvl 50 sentinel, Combat Spec since level 1. Got many friends who use Watchman, and they suggested me to try it.

I tried a few warzones and:

+damage

+kills

+HEALINGS

-deaths

 

I don't very like watchman mechanics tho, so i returned to my combat spec. I've been playing this spec for 2 months now, I know my rotation, I know how to bind my skills and I usually know what I can use and when. I would define me a good player.

 

Now, I didn't spend much time on watchman, but i noticed better results; the healing thing is great, dots are powerful and very useful when it comes to interrupt people while they plant bombs etc.

Combat puts on the table a long rotation to reach max damage (which is not that great), plus you need to finish that in only 6 seconds. One CC and you have to restart... build focus again and wait for CDS.

 

I love playing Combat, but something is wrong with balance between it and the other specs, imho.

 

And if it is really so, what do you think developers should do to improve it?

 

There's nothing really wrong with combat functionality-wise outside of occasional ability stutter. Outside of that, ataru form strikes could probably see a minor damage buff. Might not even be necessary. Don't have data, and numbers on hand.

 

In the end, it comes down to the player. Not the spec. I've functioned with chart/dps topping results with both specs in warzones, if it was combat's mobility, uptime, and upfront damage, or with watchman's dot and direct damage, and power to outlast most in a 1v1.

 

The strengths of combat is its uptime, and with the 5 focus you'd use every ~12 seconds on applying dots as watchman, would be ~7k worth of damage in 4.5 seconds.

Edited February 11, 2012 by wtfimblue

[NinjaRockStar]

My biggest complaint with Combat is with precision slash. If instead of lasting 6 seconds, it would just be the next 3 attacks it would be so much better. I'm not sure why, but I can hardly ever get more than 2 attacks off before precision strike ends. If it's not due to lag it's because of a CC, a snare, or a push back. This is why I think Watchman is so superior. You have more time to get your DoTs on them so even if you get pushed back you still have time to get back at them.

 

Watchman also builds centering faster if you put your skills in the right places. +2 centering built per attack is ftw. The Zen for Juyo is so much better than for Ataru as well.

 

Fix Combat please.

[Zenmar]

change precision slash to "precision" which would function like overload saber. Have it not be an attack, be off the GCD, and last for your next 4 focus spenders instead of for 6 seconds.

 

Yeah, that would be great. The effect is great, but not very useful atm.

[KronikInsomniak]

The biggest thing with watchman is how consistent/fast the dmg is and how much your self heals heal for. When you are pulling 300k to 450k in warzones you are healing 100k+ easy. That is a huge advantage that IMHO is not surmountable.

 

Also the speed at which you get your dmg off before getting CCed is huge. Force leap, overload saber while in the air, zealous strike and cauterize. Right there you almost got all of your dmg off in those 2 globals plus a snare built it.

[Absit]

Making precision a buff off the GCD would be a massive improvement. Having played both (but preferring Combat 'cause everyone and their mother plays Watchman) I support this. Too bad it'll never happen.

[HollowVamp]

The main difference i have with the 2 specs.

Watchman has alot more survival utility.

Both specs can win 1v1 fights, but thats rare in pvp.

Watchman has the self healing, controlled burst, and lower leap cds/dots to pop vanishers.

I frequently end up fighting 3 or 4 people at once by myself trying to cap a node, and as watchman, i have enough CDs to usually win that scenerio. With combat, your burn one down and your dead.

Watchmans damage output is a tad higher then combats as well, i don't fancy watchmans doty playstyle, but combat is just too lacking at the moment.

This is talking champ+ or columi gear level.

 

If you pve alot more than pvp, groups would rather have a watchman dps simply because of a 6 sec interrupt and a 12 sec leap at point blank as a second interrupt. and some aoe group heals from zen

Edited February 12, 2012 by HollowVamp

[Sikssix]

I tried this as well, but I noticed after a week with Watchman things just went downhill. How can people say it's better? My average critical was around 4K to the very highest of 5K, Now the highest I could possibly hit is 1.5K. DoTs on this is horrible in my opinion. But you can survive longer with this build. Combat is for more of those endurance fights. What I noticed in my combat build is that, yeah, epic damage, you can sustain more damage in long battles, but you don't survive. As for Focus, you do quick bursts after building up slowly. For Watchman, you just live longer. Just can't wait for dualspeccing. That will help by a lot.

[Zenmar]

I played Eternity Vault last week with another sentinel from my guild. Played with him a lot, I know his playstyle and he is not better than me.

 

So, we were fighting the fourth boss, and i thought i was doing it just right until I saw him using his Watchman spec. I had a much better gear, uncomparable. But he only took like 5 seconds more than me to kill his mob.

 

Today we did a hard mode flashpoint. I am a mix of rakata/champion/columi gear, and now he's almost full columi geared. Almost on par. My dps is good, as said before I can get good results in PvE and in PvP, but playing with him is becoming embarassing. He can outdps me easily while I must bleed all the time to express combat's potential.

 

Plus I'm confused by the community feedbacks. Many people just write "L2P" and don't support those players who do not have experience or skill. Seriously, this sucks. And most of these people are watchman specced.

 

I think we will never totally agree on something, too many people who feel OP because they once hit 500k dmg in warzone, too many people who just lie about their skill and too many people who instead of trying to understand what issues one can experience, just say L2P.

[kimloy]

I played Eternity Vault last week with another sentinel from my guild. Played with him a lot, I know his playstyle and he is not better than me.

 

So, we were fighting the fourth boss, and i thought i was doing it just right until I saw him using his Watchman spec. I had a much better gear, uncomparable. But he only took like 5 seconds more than me to kill his mob.

 

Today we did a hard mode flashpoint. I am a mix of rakata/champion/columi gear, and now he's almost full columi geared. Almost on par. My dps is good, as said before I can get good results in PvE and in PvP, but playing with him is becoming embarassing. He can outdps me easily while I must bleed all the time to express combat's potential.

 

Plus I'm confused by the community feedbacks. Many people just write "L2P" and don't support those players who do not have experience or skill. Seriously, this sucks. And most of these people are watchman specced.

 

I think we will never totally agree on something, too many people who feel OP because they once hit 500k dmg in warzone, too many people who just lie about their skill and too many people who instead of trying to understand what issues one can experience, just say L2P.

>< i agree, L2P to me is disrespectful. I understand what they are trying to say. "Learn your class and practice more" but for me L2P is like stating you cannot play at all >.> its just rude.

Also i understand about the hm flashpoints. Combat is great honestly, i love the idea of the ataru form but watchmen as some other posters have said has better survivability and has a little bit more dps in the tree.

[Sikssix]

>< i agree, L2P to me is disrespectful. I understand what they are trying to say. "Learn your class and practice more" but for me L2P is like stating you cannot play at all >.> its just rude.

Also i understand about the hm flashpoints. Combat is great honestly, i love the idea of the ataru form but watchmen as some other posters have said has better survivability and has a little bit more dps in the tree.

 

I still find it funny that people say you are the best if you roll Watch. My opinion: Not really. If you want to kill fast, go with Focus, quick bursts and DoTs. If you want to survive while doing the ending speed kill after build up, roll Watchman. If you just want to even it all out and just go in and wave your saber around like a total idiot, roll Combat. (FTW!) Personally, I like combat, I rocked everybody on Combat.

[Faetalknight]

It would help a lot if they made Precision Slash a lot cheaper on focus and reduce the cooldown drastically.

 

That wouldn't help the survivability issue of Combat tree though

[FobManX]

The key thing Watchman has over Combat: superior Zen, along with faster Centering generation. Zen is available so much more often as Watchman than as Combat, and your next six dots being guaranteed crits is way better than just reducing the focus cost and GCD of Blade Rush.

[ProfessorWalsh]

A few things to help Combat:

 

1. I love the proposal to change Precision Slash to just Precision an off the GCD buff that would last for 3-4 non-ataru strikes as opposed to 6 seconds. That would be a HUGE improvement.

 

2. One of the biggest issues with the Combat tree is that it builds Centering slower than the other two trees. To increase this simply grant 1 additional stack of Centering with each Ataru Strike.

 

3. Change Zen into something that works with our tree abilities. Shii-Cho gets free Slashes. Watchman gets free crits on all burns. Juyo gets... 1 focus cheaper Blade Rushes that refresh slightly faster? If our class is about burst then how about something that helps with that burst, how about +30% to all critical damage for the next 5 seconds?

[OrsoTheExiled]

My biggest complaint with Combat is with precision slash. If instead of lasting 6 seconds, it would just be the next 3 attacks it would be so much better. I'm not sure why, but I can hardly ever get more than 2 attacks off before precision strike ends. If it's not due to lag it's because of a CC, a snare, or a push back. This is why I think Watchman is so superior. You have more time to get your DoTs on them so even if you get pushed back you still have time to get back at them.

 

Watchman also builds centering faster if you put your skills in the right places. +2 centering built per attack is ftw. The Zen for Juyo is so much better than for Ataru as well.

 

Fix Combat please.

 

It doesn't last long because you go Precision slash, wait 1.5 seconds, then (if you're smart) master strike... so now you're 4.5 seconds in, then bladestorm and it's gone.

 

Also lot of people go Precision Strike, Bladestorm, Master Strike... which is a mistake, it means any lag (from your performance, your computer, or the servers) will make the final (and strongest) blow of master strike check against armor. (you're going 1.5 +1.5+ 3 instead of 1.5+3 (which means no GCD after the channel) then whatever instant you want)