New Jugg: Which spec to level with first?

[DragonRhapsody]

I am rolling a juggernaut and im only lvl 11. I was wondering which spec is good to start off with for low levels(like 11 to 30ish). Also I mostly play pve. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks all.

[Otembe]

A good way to get practice with the tank role in between Flashpoints is to level with the Immortal spec and tank for your more fragile damage dealer companion.

[DegreesOfFreedom]

Depends on what you want to do. Do you want to pvp or pve exclusively or do both? If you want to tank I suggest going up the immortal tree as early as possible. Its easier to learn how to tank and seamlessly learn all your skills and how they would fit into your rotation as you level up. Personally, I run the 27/12/2 immortal tanking build, though many swear by the 25/16 vengeance/immortal hybrid build. Do you want to dps, you could try a vengeance build which gives you alot of utility or rage build which gives you hard hitting smashes. There is a perception that the vengeance build is the lesser brother to the rage build right now because of recent buffs to the spec. This may sound cliche but don't listen to the people who would says fotm stuff, play the spec that fits your playstyle. While the rage spec got alot of boost to their smashes, they gave up alot of utility to achieve that. So in essence, all the trees are viable.

 

Word of advice: if you want to go tank, start early, dps is easy enough to do. You can't just start flipping a switch especially if you started out as dps early on and expect to be an elite tank.

Edited October 4, 2012 by DegreesOfFreedom

[HauksbokT]

Word of advice: if you want to go tank, start early, dps is easy enough to do. You can't just start flipping a switch especially if you started out as dps early on and expect to be an elite tank.

 

That's ABSOLUTE rubbish. 100 percent rubbish.

 

I've leveled multiple tanks, and multiple healers, and NEVER for a second would I do it in heal spec/tank spec.

 

That only hinders the amount of time you'll take to get to 50. Anything you do pre 40 at very best is completely changed anyway, your rotations, etc, everything. So that's gotta be the most terrible advice I've seen in a while.

 

To OP; Rage spec for leveling, destroy those mobs with a smash bomb. If you wanna respec at 50 go for it, sit on the training dummy for 15 mins, work out your rotations for threat gen and boom, seeya any use of 1-49.

Edited October 4, 2012 by HauksbokT

[Caprindo]

It heavily depends on how your playing. Flashpoints will favor Tanks and healers due to rarity, but general pve will want dps. That said, tanking with a healing companion will let you spend little downtime and a little maneuvering room in terms of L2P. Experience rules all though.

[spectreclees]

Go Immortal (Tank) and have Vette out while leveling. You won't be sorry.

[Grondar]

As you can see everyone has a totally different idea of what spec to use

 

I personally leveled my character in the rage spec because I wanted to do burst damage, a lot of damage in a short amount of time. During the earlier levels, let's say till 30, not completely sure, I felt at times a bit underpowered, as I struggled to keep alive when I ran out of rage.

 

At higher levels, 50 now, when you get the synergy between all your skills really going, the burst damage is awesome. I have no marauder alt and I am sure it could be higher, but I am loving the damage output. Even Elites drop like flies. I do have to note that I use my jug just for doing all the dailies now and fund my other alts, so I do no high level PVE raids, etc. I've read a lot that people recommend the vengeance spec for that, but for my ends the rage spec is wonderful.

 

I do find it to be very squishy and your target selection and prioritization is very important. After you've hit your rotation and you're waiting for the cooldown on your main damage dealing skills, and you've let the wrong guys live, you're pretty much toast. You jump into 5 mobs and 2 or more of them are strong, and you don't drop one of them fast or apply some cc real fast, you're dead. I love it, makes it interesting to play.

 

As to your companion selection with this spec, I see a lot of people recommending Quinn because of his healing. I switched to Quinn at first as soon as I got him, because it does get tiresome to have to spend healing time after each fight. Except that when you set Quinn to just heal, it..goes..so..sloooooow.

Switched to Jaessa when I got her, and keeping her gear up I kill so fast that I personally find I am faster even when healing after each fight, than that I can keep going with Quinn. All personal experience of course.

[Teioh_White]

I'd probably start out in immortal tree until you get Quinn, at which point I'd respec into Veng and use Quinn. At about 35, I'd feel alright switching to rage, as before you're not able to use Enrage to make Shockwave, plus lower recast on enrage, plus extra 4 rage.

 

I generally also like to have the free force scream in any Jugg build I'm doing, as when leveling solo or in pvp, you'll be jumping around a lot, and starting out with 7 Rage from a leap goes a long ways toward making a fight easy. Especially nice in rage, as you'll probably get a 2nd free scream in the fight following your obliterate. Once you swap to rage, should just ride that all the way to the end, as these days it's generally better than Veng if dps is your concern, and might as well get used to the somewhat awkward rotation it has.

[Burgdawg]

I, personally, wouldn't level Immortal until the 30's. Pick a dps spec and go with it until then. If you pick vengeance, you can pour out enough dps to tank while having enough survivability to get by. Also, you'll have enough survivability to do solo quests with a dps comp just fine, with pulling out a healer for the tougher bosses.

[Gloomycakes]

I went to the forums to ask exactly the same. Making an alt, yay. So asking here too if that's ok.

 

Even after reading the answers, I'm still unsure. I LOVE leveling as tank with a (ranged) DPS companion (imo fastest, while having good chances to survive and Vette + Quinn use the same gear if I have trouble with a boss)

 

but I also do a lot of PvP before level 50. For which I'd prefer Rage most likely. I just enjoy PvP a lot even pre-50 and the experience given by a lot of matches allows me to skip heroics and not bother with flashpoints (so groupfinder doesn't affect me, same with teams for heroics preferring tanks usually) So...

 

Will going rage require me to use Quinn or not? Is there a viable hybrid-tank build maybe? (Like Assassins)

And what options are there for tank in low-level PvP? Will it clip me and my team, or not matter much? Or maybe even add more, having guard.

 

Thank you in advance and hope you found your spec to stick with OP. If PvE (with flashpoints/heroics) is your goal I'd also agree tank + ranged dps, nice for the gf-queue.

[DragonRhapsody]

Thanks all for the input. And any one else who has similar questions are welcome to use the thread if u would like. Btw I think I will go with immortal. Only doing pve with this character right now. Edited October 10, 2012 by DragonRhapsody

[Dire]

Thanks all for the input. And any one else who has similar questions are welcome to use the thread if u would like. Btw I think I will go with immortal. Only doing pve with this character right now.

 

I know you said you're doing PvE. But if you're looking for the best PvP build down the line, do Vengeance. Trust me on this.

[Elyxin]

run vengeance. after 3 different juggs, and with the changes to immortal, Vengeance is best pre 40. both immortal and rage suffer for rage early on, and rage feel empty (more time inbetween skills) until it gets its crowning skill at 40. immortals DPS simply sucks now.

 

pre 20, i mix my skills up and run in soresu...it's simply smoother. once i hit 20, I respec full vengeance and don't look back.

[Letsjet]

run vengeance. after 3 different juggs, and with the changes to immortal, Vengeance is best pre 40. both immortal and rage suffer for rage early on, and rage feel empty (more time inbetween skills) until it gets its crowning skill at 40. immortals DPS simply sucks now.

 

pre 20, i mix my skills up and run in soresu...it's simply smoother. once i hit 20, I respec full vengeance and don't look back.

 

I got an 11 Jugg too. I've tanked and tanked (PT,VG,Dark Asn) to get que's, but you can quest solo while qued dps and at least get your daily done I'm guessing.

 

Are you saying this bonus everyone's talking about to Rage hits at 40? I wanted to roll Rage now, but if its too squishy, I'd like to be able to run through quest mobs, includiing elites.

 

So Vengence until 40 is recommended of which I know nothing. lol on me, heh

[Letsjet]

I've been demolishing crowds of mobs with improved smash. I'm going to just goo all over the place (shash, sunder) until later then respec at like 20.

[Elyx]

I've been demolishing crowds of mobs with improved smash. I'm going to just goo all over the place (shash, sunder) until later then respec at like 20.

 

that's what I usually do. early on I pick the stats that yield the most bang for my buck. so far they seem to be (pre-20):

 

Enraged sunder - more rage gen

Decimate - extra smash damage ftw. lower CD also translates to more damage

Single saber mastry - extra damage or defense, take your pick

battle cry - saves you 4 rage every time you leap...and its immediately available. nice damage boost early on.

 

Rage isn't bad pre-40...it's just not as smooth as Vengeance. most of its damage is pre-loaded into smash...and until 40 you don't have enough skill options to reliably use it every pull. so you end up having one awesome pull...then one or two mediocre ones...then an awesome one...then mediocre....

 

With vengeance rage is almost unlimited, and even if there's no other specials to hit, you have enough rage to vicious slash pound them into the ground. and it's dots are always going with a good rotation, and those DoT seem small, but they add up...and they tick while you are doing other stuff. It all just works into a smoother rotation early on.

 

this changes at 40 when rage gets force crush....it turns a spec that rotates entirely around force choke (a channeled spell) into a flexible viable DPS spec. I'ts doable prior to that, but it will feel very cyclical, with the downcycles not too fun. Whereas vengeance feels strong from 20 on, and just gets stronger. but it will never have the cool smash numbers that rage does....the first time you crit smash or 5k+ on 5 mobs you will chuckle in a way only a sith could . but thats what rage is about. I just prefer the smooth and regular approach of vengeance in PvE.