Wanted: Marauder PvE Build (AoE?) Advice

[PantherShade]

I recently made a Sith Warrior to play while online with a buddy of mine. (He's a Sith Inquisitor.) Although it will mostly be the two us us, I'm sure that I'll be running around solo sometimes, and we might find people with whom to group at others. Either way, it will be a strictly PvE experience. Right now, I'm hoping to get some build advice for leveling up.

 

I combed through the Marauder guides I could find online, but they weren't very guidey. (Although, I found several offers to sell me actual guides.) I did manage to read up on different build possibilities, but they only listed builds centered around actual builds for Annihilation, Carnage, and Rage, without mentioning which concentration provided best results for what play-style or desired effect. For example, I hear that Carnage builds have an acrobatic form, but it's not clear how interesting that ends up looking. Also, and more importantly, I couldn't tell which concentration, if any, had a better AoE focus.

 

Here are the main goals I'm trying to cover, as well as a couple exceptions.

• I chose to play a Marauder for the dual wielding lightsabers, so I'm a fan of style over elite effectiveness.
  
• I learned in other games to be a big fan of AoE effects, and I prefer to use them.
  
• I want to have a single build from level 1-50, as opposed to switching tracks while leveling.
  
• Although I'll surely do every raid once, I'm not building this as an end game raider.
  
• I can get pretty current stuff to equip through my guild, but I don't obsess.
  
• There will be NO PvP for me. I have nothing against PvPers; I just prefer PvE.
  
• I'll be rolling with a Sith Inquisitor (of undetermined build) most of the time.
  
• I want to contribute good DPS, but I recognize the advantage of healing as needed.
  
• I would prefer to have a fun & interesting build, even if I'm a little less effective.

 

So, I was hoping that "the Marauder experts" could advise me on which tree would be the best choice (or a hybrid?), and maybe even point me in the direction of a good build. I welcome any and all insights.

Edited July 5, 2012 by PantherShade

[Furinol]

My own experience ( up to level 41) is that the only AoE spec is rage and that doesn't really work until level 40 (the top talent in the Rage tree is what makes all the other "smash" related points really shine).

 

Even at level 40 without the utility talents from the bottom of the anni/carnage trees it still seems to drag a little.

 

Overall impression was that using the rage spec felt great when you hit whatever key you have bound to "smash". When I wasn't pressing that button I felt completely underwhelmed - meaning most of the remaining rage spec toolkit was pretty lackluster (IMO).

 

Another thing about AoE in this game. It only gets you so far it seems. Most groups are spread out enough that you are going to have 1-2 baddies left after whatever AoE you do so you have to like whatever skill set you use for single targets as well.

 

Like yourself - I have always loved AoE farming/grinding but it just doesn't quite seem to gel in SWTOR (again, just my experience).

 

Annihilation on the other hand seems _really_ well put together. No rage problems, a great berserk effect, self heals and fantastic damage. Not as flashy in the AoE department by any means but I feel _much_ stronger as an annihilation marauder than I did as a rage Marauder.

 

My 2 cents, hope it helped.

[Thundergulch]

I recently made a Sith Warrior to play while online with a buddy of mine. (He's a Sith Inquisitor.) Although it will mostly be the two us us, I'm sure that I'll be running around solo sometimes, and we might find people with whom to group at others. Either way, it will be a strictly PvE experience. Right now, I'm hoping to get some build advice for leveling up.

 

I combed through the Marauder guides I could find online, but they weren't very guidey. (Although, I found several offers to sell me actual guides.) I did manage to read up on different build possibilities, but they only listed builds centered around actual builds for Annihilation, Carnage, and Rage, without mentioning which concentration provided best results for what play-style or desired effect. For example, I hear that Carnage builds have an acrobatic form, but it's not clear how interesting that ends up looking. Also, and more importantly, I couldn't tell which concentration, if any, had a better AoE focus.

 

Here are the main goals I'm trying to cover, as well as a couple exceptions.

• I chose to play a Marauder for the dual wielding lightsabers, so I'm a fan of style over elite effectiveness.
  
• I learned in other games to be a big fan of AoE effects, and I prefer to use them.
  
• I want to have a single build from level 1-50, as opposed to switching tracks while leveling.
  
• Although I'll surely do every raid once, I'm not building this as an end game raider.
  
• I can get pretty current stuff to equip through my guild, but I don't obsess.
  
• There will be NO PvP for me. I have nothing against PvPers; I just prefer PvE.
  
• I'll be rolling with a Sith Inquisitor (of undetermined build) most of the time.
  
• I want to contribute good DPS, but I recognize the advantage of healing as needed.
  
• I would prefer to have a fun & interesting build, even if I'm a little less effective.

 

So, I was hoping that "the Marauder experts" could advise me on which tree would be the best choice (or a hybrid?), and maybe even point me in the direction of a good build. I welcome any and all insights.

 

Annihilation really is the best tree overall for pve leveling solo,but if you're going to always be with your Inquisotor buddy, then you might also want to check out the Carnage tree,

Annihilation = best dps over a long fight

Carnage = best burst dps.

You say you want to be a Marauder, then you say you want AOE.

Well.... we aren't an AOE class to be honest.

Try aiming for the typical 31/3/7 Annihilation build and gear up either Vette or Quinn with max Cunning gear and you and your Inquisitor friend will absolutely blast through content with ease.

[PantherShade]

So, I guess that there's not much in the way of AoE options for a Marauder. I can live with that. I was hopeful, but there it is.

 

As for Annihilation versus Carnage, it sounds like Annihilation might be slightly better for solo PvE (longer battles), but Carnage might be slightly better for group PvE (more burst). Does that sound about right?

 

So, I guess a deciding factor might be:

Just how "acrobatic" does a Carnage build look & feel?

[coldserpent]

Pretty much the only AoE attacks are Smash, a Shii-Cho berserk charged Vicious Slash, and Sweeping Slash, of which Smash and Sweeping Slash in this case munch on rage.

 

You can go the Rage tree, but you experience damage output downtimes in between shockwave charged Smashes. If you're able to herd groups of mobs together, it's doable, but a lot of the mobs are ranged. And in PvE, the spec is only good for clearing trash mob groups(if you're doing flashpoints/raids/operations). Against boss fights, Rage is a turd spec to use.

[coldserpent]

So, I guess that there's not much in the way of AoE options for a Marauder. I can live with that. I was hopeful, but there it is.

 

As for Annihilation versus Carnage, it sounds like Annihilation might be slightly better for solo PvE (longer battles), but Carnage might be slightly better for group PvE (more burst). Does that sound about right?

 

So, I guess a deciding factor might be:

Just how "acrobatic" does a Carnage build look & feel?

 

Carnage can have its moves flow together very nicely, like a dance. Annihilation is a very frantic paced fighting style, with no real set rotation. And Carnage can put down a monster quicker than Annihilation, but Annihilation has self-healing.

The Carnage/Rage hybrid of 0/21/20 is mainly a PvP spec itself. Not sure about Annihilation/Rage hybrid builds.

[Hizoka]

marauders are not for AoE, and rage is something only bad players use because they think critting a few targets once every 12 seconds is great even though outside thoes 12 seconds you got nothing

[PantherShade]

I'm not sure what the "official" 0/21/20 Carnage/Rage build would be, but I took a shot at my own hybrid build. I'm hoping that it captures the acrobatic fun of Carnage with some bare bones increases from Rage. I'm hoping that the (mostly) Carnage hybrid will provide me with an interesting mix viable in PvE play.

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#100bZhGMRRrrzZGr0rz.2

 

So, how bad does it look? Do I need to stick to a 5/31/5 Carnage build?

[PantherShade]

I'm not sure what the "official" 0/21/20 Carnage/Rage build would be, but I took a shot at my own hybrid build. I'm hoping that it captures the acrobatic fun of Carnage with some bare bones increases from Rage. I'm hoping that the (mostly) Carnage hybrid will provide me with an interesting mix viable in PvE play.

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#100bZhGMRRrrzZGr0rz.2

 

So, how bad does it look? Do I need to stick to a 5/31/5 Carnage build?

 

Any input at all on that build?

o.O