Watchman or Combat

[Rodstorm]

Hey guys,

 

I've read a bit about the Watchman and Combat builds but unsure from a dps point of view which way to go.

 

Watchman is apparently good for single target so is that a more end of game choice whereas Combat is better for multiple targets so is a better leveling build?

 

Also individual builds for each one, I've seen the standard tree's but is there a hybrid or preferred build for either to maximize dps or is the standard build it?

 

I did read the sticky on here in the Jedi Knight class thread but not sure how dated, if it is at all, it may be.

 

Thanks.

[Mosene]

Combat is crap.

[aarka]

Go to the Sentinel section and read those stickies.

[Toweleeeie]

Combat is crap.

 

bc of ability delay/stutter

 

I can tell u my experience, I was watchmen lvling to 42 then swtich to combat. I played combat up until a week ago. I switch to watchmen, I can now solo the 2 man Heroic daily on Belsavis easily, I rip people(healers) in PvP, always in the top 3 dps. Not having to rely on Blade Storm is amazing bc it suffers the most from ability stutter.

 

Combat is more fun to play IMO, just not viable till they fix the game.

Edited March 7, 2012 by Toweleeeie

[Rodstorm]

As mentioned I did read the stickies but nothing stuck out as a positive answer to my questions.

 

Again I dont know how relevant/old some of that info is so thats why I asked here.

 

Watchman seems the go for overall dps so I'll try it and I'll stick with the mainstream tree until someone actually saids theres a better/hybrid build available.

 

Thanks.

[celebhorn]

I'd say go with Watchman, primarily because it adds quite a bit of versatility to the class. Reduces cooldowns on worthwhile abilities such as Pacify, Force Leap, buffs Incinerate & Burn Damage abilities too. Can't say that I'm itching to respec to Combat.

[Lucridate]

I've tried both Watchman and Combat, having to respec twice now, and I've found I really need a mixture to begin with (I'm at Level 33, should be 34 by day's end).

The first three choices in Combat I still stick with, including Defensive Roll and Focused Leap in the second Tier (so many troopers with area effect explosives). That's it for Combat.

I would also like to get Swift Slash from the Focus Tree, so Ill probably bump up to that only.

The rest I'll spend in Watchman as the Ataru Form in Combat I've found useless.

 

Learning as I go as with all MMO's I've played, and making plenty of mistakes along the way:o.

Edited March 7, 2012 by Lucridate

[AidanLightwalker]

bc of ability delay/stutter

 

I can tell u my experience, I was watchmen lvling to 42 then swtich to combat. I played combat up until a week ago. I switch to watchmen, I can now solo the 2 man Heroic daily on Belsavis easily, I rip people(healers) in PvP, always in the top 3 dps. Not having to rely on Blade Storm is amazing bc it suffers the most from ability stutter.

 

Combat is more fun to play IMO, just not viable till they fix the game.

 

This was might have been the case prior to some of the optimization that bioware has done, but I never notice ability lag anymore. How long are people going to carry on this argument? I'm combat and can solo that same quest, what's your point?

 

I can't wait until the combat log comes out in patch 1.2 so people can start posting some hard facts. This blindly saying watchmen is better is getting old.

 

Truth is, no one really knows. Without hard numbers for data crunching and parsing, all people can tell you is what "they think does more dps baised off of how they feel their killing power is." Truth be told, these people don't know either way and they are just stating an opinion.

 

I've done all the things people are saying watchmen do better on my combat sentinel and I've never hit a wall, had issues or anything. And I've played watchmen and it felt the same, just diffrent dps curve and a little healing. But it didn't stand out as the better spec to me.

 

So let the numbers come out, and when the dust settles, we will finally have an accurate analysis.

[Bullwrath]

This is a re-post of something I wrote in another thread much like this one. As some one said, without there being a damage meter, hard numbers are hard to come by, but that should not discount the experience of individuals.

 

Here is my experience: I started as combat and liked it. It was fast, fluid, and relied on direct damage rather than DoTs (I played DoT classes in WoW so I was thinking DoT=slow damage). In FP groups I was in, I felt like I pulled my own weight, and I noticed that as long as I kept my gear at-level while leveling, I was able to complete all solo missions. In short, I was happy.

 

Then I read all the hype about Watchman spec on the forums. I was dubious at first, but as I was questing in Alderaan, I was noticing that things were becoming quite hard to kill with a lot of down time in between pulls. I thought, "hey--I am DPS, so I am trading high DPS for low survivability. seems logical." But I was curious enough to try watchman spec.

 

I was *not* expecting it to be any better.

 

Boy was I wrong.

 

Watchman, sad to say, is head and shoulders above combat spec in both damage *and* survivability. It's not even close. Switching from combat to watchman was an immediate change from feeling like a punching bag to feeling like Rambo. The damage is better. You have healing. You have more frequent interrupts. You force leap more frequently with fewer range restrictions.

 

It's faster.

 

It's more fluid.

 

It hits harder.

 

It has less downtime.

 

It is night-and-day different.

 

To those still doing combat spec out there, I am *not* hating on your spec of choice. I wish to God that all three specs were just like three flavors of awesome ice cream. But in my experience, that is simply not true.

 

I know that there are some awesome combat specced sentinels out there. But that doesn't mean watchman isn't better or that you awesome combat sents wouldn't be even *more* awesome as watchman.

 

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.

[Csdabest]

I think its manly people dont know how to use Combat. I will say combat s more my style. Especially since they fixed the stuttering issue.(I see it once in a blue moon. but not enough to complain about it). Its all about timing your Blade rush. That and I find it better to stack power than Surge seeing as it hits alot harder even when it crits. I still optimizing my gear from watchmen Spec back over to Combat. And I must say. I never hit close to 300k with Watchmen. It was always 150 200k.

[LiveandDieinLA]

Combat doesn't suck, you just suck at combat.

 

Watchman is much more forgiving and much less reaction time and twitch based than combat is. If you make a mistake while speced combat you are going to lose thousands of points of damage.

 

Not saying watchman isn't good, it is, but when played at a high level combat melts face just as well.

[Asphen]

there is a greatness in Combat that few understand.

[Metaspark]

watchman and combat sort of swap back and forth on difficulty and usefulness

 

the class as a whole is difficult to play, and watchman is usually regarded as the better spec due to utility and survivability...but one that truly masters a sentinel can find just how useful combat is

[Ainianu]

Combat is less understood than Watchman, which is why many (including some on this thread clearly) could not figured it out, or never tried to figure it out.

 

All 3 trees of Sentinel are very good and have their strengths and weaknesses.

 

Watchman has slow build but good consistent damage.

for utility it has a 30% faster transcendence and its healing on burn crits.

 

Combat has very high front loaded and burst damage.

for utility it has 2 additional immobilise effects and a force camo that breaks movement impairing.

 

Focus has extremely high AoE damage, but a little weaker single target than the other two specs.

for utility it has a second leap, a very nice snare attack, a heal added onto resolute, uninturruptable Master Strike.

[Asacledhae]

Combat or Watchman.... The solution is simple : Go Focus!!!!!

 

Seriously though, from personal experience, I would say that Combat is meant for players who have fast reflexes.. When you activate your 30 stacks of centering in combat, you simply unleash hell quite fast, and with lesser focus usage.. Your attacks become faster too, and you simply see the Sentinel hitting with all his might.. Ataru form kicks in too, for extra damage..

 

However, like i mention in the beginning, it requires fast reflexes, and has no room for errors, or thinking.. You just act.. And if your rotation is good enough, your foes "feel" it when you strike..

 

Watchman now.. I found the skill tree more solid than the Combat, and a little more "forgiving".. The cooldowns are a plus in this case, and as people mention, quicker interrupts, and some healing to go with it.. Plus, it doesn't require your full attention in every step you make like Combat does..

 

From actual tests against Elites in my level, i strongly say that with Watchman i didn't use any medpacks, and that Kira survived to tell the tale, with me at around half my HP (Rebuke was on, plus my relics).. On Combat, i had to rely on a medpack, and at a point i couldn't tell what i was doing, as the action was too fast for me to handle.. (Rebuke was on, and the relics too)

 

So to your question whether to go Combat or Watchman? I say try them both, and find out the one you find more pleasing and fitting to your game style... Both trees are good enough if you learn how to use them!

 

I went for Watchman if you ask however..

[maligi]

One of the things I never see people mention is that when you "blade rush spam",If you dont pause you lose your offhand hit and its ataru proc, which to me seems like kind of a big deal. Edited March 9, 2012 by maligi

[Smuglerrun]

Well I think the first choises of combat seem superior to me , so im gonna begin with that and perhaps respec when i open up some of the more insteresting choises of watchman. If im not hooked on combat by then that is.

[Lucridate]

First choices of combat, bar one and then the area effect in the next tier is all I want from that stream. Nothing in Focus appeals enough to take away from spending elsewhere, so the rest is spent on watchman.

Sometimes still have a very rough time though even at Lvl 38 going up against a Lvl 32 "boss", no matter how carefully I've tailored my character and Kira's, or the combos. Glitches have not helped, with some areas deciding they are [Heroic] for 5 minutes and hit you with an insanely fast whirlwind of blades and beams before settling back down to normal. I suppose 1.2 will sort all of this out and make Class choices easier and clearer in their actual effects in combat.