Combat End Game Stats and Rotation

[KarethRiker]

Hey everyone, I've got an all geared Watchman who is at end game and want to start a second sentinel (or marauder) but go Combat spec this time for end game PVE.

 

Is there a good Combat/Carnage guide anywhere that goes over rotation, end game stats (not sure how much crit I need), and build.

 

I'm pretty sure I have the build all figured out, so just need help with the rotation and the crit amount. Thanks in advance.

[arkitip]

I have a thread in here where I parsed the difference between 164 crit rating and 328 crit rating and came up with nearly identical (literally 2 DPS average) results with both sets.

 

My stats are currently 2158 Strength, 1065 Power, 164 Crit, 228 Accuracy, and 342 Surge. I parse roughly 1825-1850 DPS average, with a high of 1900.

 

This is my current gear and build http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/character/a5ea8cb1-9ba4-41cf-836a-3ab31d5bd319

 

 

Note that I have PVP specific talents in there. Displacement and Debilitation are really not useful for strictly PVE. Dropping those would let you grab 3 points in Steadfast and be able to drop your accuracy rating from where mine is. The only replacement for the accuracy rating is surge though, which is the reason I skip Steadfast and have the 2 PVP utility talents.

 

 

My rotation differs from what is the actual perfect rotation, only because it feels better for me.

 

I generally open with:

Leap

Zealous Strike

Blade Rush

Precision Slash

Master Strike

Blade Storm

 

From there it's pretty easy. You'll be spamming Blade Rush except when you need to use a focus builder, because you want to maintain your focus@7+. When Precision Slash comes off CD use it and either MS > Blade Storm or pop Zen and Blade Rush x3 > Blade Storm. ONLY use Blade Storm when you have the combat trance buff active. Rinse and repeat. Ideally you'll get your timing to the point where you alternate those 2 burn phases every time Precision Slash is up.

 

 

Now, where I differ from the perfect rotation is that I do not use Blade Storm on CD. I could eke out another 3 Blade Storms per minute. I only Blade Storm when I have the Combat Trance buff up AND the buff from Precision Slash. Blade Storm with just the Combat Trance auto crit buff does about 3k damage, as opposed to about 5k+ when also buffed with Precision Slash. In theory, you should be able to use Blade Storm on CD and still have it available for every Precision Slash window. I just never got comfortable with the timing, and Blade Rush does nearly as much damage (more if it crits).

Also, for the opener, I've seen it suggested to Blade Rush immediately after leap to get the Blade Rush buff (30% increase to Ataru proc chance) up asap. Again, I never got comfortable with it and it has an incredibly minor effect on DPS.

[Mr_Fuzzle]

There is a guide to this up already. Not sure why it hasn't been stickied.

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=513319

[KruelhandJorb]

my guild ran EC HM last night and I went in Combat mostly because I wanted to see how it stacked up. I parsed top DPS in all fights except Kephis because well you have to run around so much and our Commando could just pew pew the whole time ;-), even then he only had me by like 2%.

 

I was always running it in Watchman but did some testing that morning and found I was able to parse 1k more in combat after I finetuned my build and rotation priority a little bit and was pleasently surprised! People claim that Combat doesn't have sustainable DPS, it's a lie they can keep up although they don't offer the utility that Watchman can and I also find that Combat is much much more forgiving and adaptable.

 

On that last fight in EC a combat sent is a big bonus also to get those bombers down super fast and murder the walker with the high burst dps!