Main Stat versus Power

[robbiticus]

At what point, or is there a point, do I stop stacking my main stat and begin stacking power? Edited October 4, 2012 by robbiticus

[Stenrik]

When your crit softcaps at 35-40%, since main stat is a lot like power except that it contributes to crit. I've often heard people say main stat is underrated.

[Karasuko]

Mainstats and power are basically the xact same in value.

1 has higher raw output(power)

1 has higher crit chance (mainstat)

The value is identical unless your class has alot of + crit bilities in it, then mainstat downgrades .

[scullzomben]

Power gives you .25 bonus damage per point, so it takes 4 points of power to give you 1 bonus damage.

Mainstat gives you .2 bonus damage per point, so it takes 5 points of mainstat to give you 1 bonus damage.

 

However, mainstat also gives you a small amount of crit chance. If your crit is lower than 35, choose mainstat over power. If your crit is above 37, choose power over mainstat. Inbetween it is your choice.

[Lord_of_Mu]

In all honesty I'd never stop stacking it. I'd simply substitute any crit rating on my gear for more power. Which might mean lots of variations of endurance, power, Surge / Accuracy enhancements and main stat, endurance, power mods.

[SoonerJBD]

These people don't know what they are talking about. Please see this thread for an extensive explanation of how these stats work: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=501045

 

It depends a bit on your advanced class and spec, but generally, main stat is going to be superior to power well past current gear levels. Power gives you more bonus damage point-for-point than your main stat, but your main stat also boosts your crit chance. The issue is that the crit bonus you get from your main stat is on a separate diminishing returns curve from crit rating, and the curve for your main stat is much less severe. Also, many specs have skills that give percentage increases to your main stat that make it even better. So while you stop stacking crit rating somewhere between 200-400 depending on your spec, you can stack your main stat until the cows come home. For my spec as a DPS Sage, I would need in the neighborhood of 9,000 willpower before power gives better DPS point-for-point than my main stat. As I understand it, there are some specs where power surges ahead, but I don't know which ones those are.

 

It's also important to note that the only time you are choosing between power and your main stat is with augments, and the difference between stacking main stat augments and power augments is pretty small from a DPS standpoint.

[robbiticus]

It's also important to note that the only time you are choosing between power and your main stat is with augments, and the difference between stacking main stat augments and power augments is pretty small from a DPS standpoint.

 

This is exactly where I am. I'm a Merc Healer, lvl 50, nearly all BH gear and augmented all around. I'm sitting on 3 power augs and don't know whether I should use them or not. My MS is at 1881 unbuffed. I'm leaning towards AIM augments though.

[Wessly]

This is exactly where I am. I'm a Merc Healer, lvl 50, nearly all BH gear and augmented all around. I'm sitting on 3 power augs and don't know whether I should use them or not. My MS is at 1881 unbuffed. I'm leaning towards AIM augments though.

 

I believe Mercs (in one of the skill trees) have a skill that boosts their aim by 3/6/9%. If you have this skill, I'd definitely use aim augments. I'd probably use aim augments even if you don't have that skill but it's up to you.

Edited October 4, 2012 by Wessly

[dinwitt]

It's also important to note that the only time you are choosing between power and your main stat is with augments, and the difference between stacking main stat augments and power augments is pretty small from a DPS standpoint.

 

There's also choosing between the vanilla mod and the A variant. Vanilla comes with more secondary stat, crit or power, while A has a chunk of main stat and a smattering of the secondary. I'm pretty sure these two have the same amount of endurance, with the B variant being the high endurance version.

[Spoletta]

We will have to take a second look at the soft caps for crit rating and surge rating too some of these days. They depend on the item budget, and they were estimated with unaugmented rakata as BiS.

[dinwitt]

There's also choosing between the vanilla mod and the A variant. Vanilla comes with more secondary stat, crit or power, while A has a chunk of main stat and a smattering of the secondary. I'm pretty sure these two have the same amount of endurance, with the B variant being the high endurance version.

 

The As actually have about more endurance than vanilla, but there may eventually be a ranking where its still worth going for it because of the main stat multiplying buffs and talents.