Confused on building a tank.

[KinGBurdy]

I know this has been covered on several different threads but, putting it together is what is losing me. I have a Level 50 Vanguard in full Batllemaster supercommando gear. I am looking for a build so i can jump in the middle of a fight and do the most damage possible in PVP but still play PVE without respec everytime. Is that possible? from what i read supercommando might not be the armor i need and if it isn't what is the supercommando armor for if not for a tank? Any help would be great and sorry for being so lost this far into the game.

[Philosomanic]

Sorry, but you're going to need two separate sets of gear for PvP and PvE. Supercommando is indeed the armor you want if you're playing a tank in PvP. However, it's not good for PvE.

 

PvE gear has higher primary stats (like Aim, Endurance, Power, Crit, etc.). PvP has less of those stats, but also has Expertise, which raises your damage and damage reduction against enemy players. For example, the armoring in Battlemaster Supercommando gear has 33 Aim, 31 Endurance, and 50 Expertise. The Rakata Armoring has 51 Aim and 55 Endurance. The Rakata gear will be better against mobs because it has more Aim, but the Battlemaster gear will be better against players because it has more Expertise.

 

However, there is good news. If you want to start PvE, you have a big head start. Fresh 50s starting PvE have to grind dailies and spend money on crafted gear. Your PvP gear is decent for beginner PvE stuff. You should be able to easily handle any Hardmode Flashpoint, which will make your PvE gear pretty easy to start on. You might even be able to pull off some Storymode Ops, although I'm not sure. I'm primarily a PvP'er.

Edited May 10, 2012 by Philosomanic

[ATango]

You need to set priorities here, PvE or PvP and use the set and talents for it. You can't efficiently do both without respec and 2 sets of gear. Even with dual spec you still need 2 sets of gear. Expertise is useless stat for PvE and lack of it is doom for PvP.

[Sporticus]

You 'can' tank PvE in supercommando armor IF you spec into full retard tanking. This applies to hardmode flashpoints and story mode Ops, but I think you'd have a serious problem tanking a HM or NM mode Op. You'll just have to cater your PvP style to a full tanking build.

 

I was running the Iron Fist build for awhile with Combat Tech armor and found tanking the occassional HM flashpoint wasn't much of an issue.

[Neferseki]

i started on my vanguard tanking HM EV and KP in champion supercommando gear, those ops are incredibly easy though especially since they got fixed (abilities such as lightning balls dont hit anywhere near as hard now)

 

If you want to do damage in PvP whilst still being a tank and on the frontlines that doesnt die fast. Then you have to go for a few extra dmg talents and skip a couple of the reduced damage talents that you might of picked up as a PvE tank (i dont have extra endurance (3% of 2000 endurance is like 600hp) or the 2% reduced damage taken, instead opting for more damage) Those talents aren't neccessary for PvE and no im not squishy and im the main tank for our HM 4/4 EC group.

 

my defensive stats are: 23.6k hp, 47% shield chance, 56% absorb 71% with relic passive proc and 16% defense chance.

 

Now gear wise for pvp if you wish to do decent damage is to get the battlemaster/war hero combat tech or whatever one it was that gives a boost to your stockstrike being your highest source of damage, while keeping your shield generator on.

 

generally a sticky grenade -> storm -> stockstrike -> energy blast (off the gcd) -> high impact bolt -> ion pulse spam does a fair amount of damage this way. just remember to keep an eye on ammo and ammo cooldowns.

Edited May 11, 2012 by Neferseki

[KinGBurdy]

This is what i needed. Things coming to a point and straight answers. All ready putting the advise to good use.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Stupid got you in there, stupid can get you out." BURDY