Any "newbie" PvE guide for Sentinels, please?

[Slivovidze]

Hi. I consider pretty experienced endgame tank, but I have never ever done any serious DPS. My main is a Guardian tank and when I try to DPS with a Vigilance build I end up dealing actually lower DPS than while tanking. (partially due to my sucky offspec gear) That demotivates me from learning to DPS with my tank character, so I have decided to pull my Sentinel to some serious level.

 

I want to play PvE only. My problem is that I don't have a clue how to keep DPS rotation flowing nicely. All my DPSing consists of randomly activating attacks when they pop off CD, which actually works now (level 20-ish), but it does not feel right and I doubt I will make it far this way.

 

I'm asking for a link to guide explaining some basic rotation, focus management, centering usage, utility skills usage (I don't have a clue how to use Rebuke properly, for example) and maybe even some general tips. My tree of choice would be Combat.

I don't need these pro guides about endgame min/maxing and tactics for raid bosses.

 

Thanks a lot!

[Ausgelebt]

http://www.noxxic.com/swtor/pve/jedi-knight/sentinel/combat/rotation-and-cooldowns

[Xiij]

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

 

That's pre-2.0, but a good basis. Maybe you could try and necro the thread and get it updated for 2.0.

[Slivovidze]

Thanks

 

I don't feel great about necroing thread asking OP to update this big piece of work, but I have tried it

[Xiij]

Thanks

 

I don't feel great about necroing thread asking OP to update this big piece of work, but I have tried it

 

I wouldn't feel bad about it, BlznSmri is very nice and very knowledgeable (especially about Combat). If it so happens that he does not revise the Guide someone (me?) might take his collection of work and revise it in a new thread. But just so you know, the only 'earth shattering' change to Combat was the addition of Hand of Justice (allows you to Dispatch any target on proc); so the information there is still relevant.

[Ausgelebt]

I wouldn't feel bad about it, BlznSmri is very nice and very knowledgeable (especially about Combat). If it so happens that he does not revise the Guide someone (me?) might take his collection of work and revise it in a new thread. But just so you know, the only 'earth shattering' change to Combat was the addition of Hand of Justice (allows you to Dispatch any target on proc); so the information there is still relevant.

 

This is the most important change made. Not only does it let you Dispatch, it refreshes CD on Precision Slash, meaning you gotta try and time your stuff with Hand of Justice procs if possible. Which also requires better focus management and the watch of procs and cooldowns on stuff like Adrenal, Click-relic, power proc relic and so on.

Edited May 21, 2013 by Ausgelebt

[Xiij]

This is the most important change made. Not only does it let you Dispatch, it refreshes CD on Precision Slash, meaning you gotta try and time your stuff with Hand of Justice procs if possible. Which also requires better focus management and the watch of procs and cooldowns on stuff like Adrenal, Click-relic, power proc relic and so on.

 

Ausgelebt, sorry to offend. I wasn't trying to trivialize the importance of HoJ, was simply trying to point out that it's essentially the only thing that wouldn't be covered in the guide I posted.

 

Thanks

 

I don't feel great about necroing thread asking OP to update this big piece of work, but I have tried it

 

As I put in the thread I linked to you, he appears to no longer be active on the forums. I'm going to start looking into updating the information in the guide, however, it may take a while. You may also want to check out the marauder forums for info since that's the mirror class to sentinel.

[grallmate]

Ausgelebt, sorry to offend. I wasn't trying to trivialize the importance of HoJ, was simply trying to point out that it's essentially the only thing that wouldn't be covered in the guide I posted.

 

Unfortunately HoJ completely changes the way the spec plays. Its not a small difference. Where previously you had a Precision Slash (PS) window every 15 seconds so it synced up nicely with Master Strike + Blade Storm for one and Zen + 3x Blade Rush + Blade Storm for the second.

 

You now have PS reset on a semi-predictable basis but importantly, PS no longer syncs up with your CD on Master Strike so you end up with a series of PS window combinations based on what you have available when it comes off CD. You also need to use PS pretty much the instant it comes off CD so you don't get a HoJ proc before you use PS and end up losing a second PS window thanks to the reset. Annoyingly PS can also proc HoJ (and hence reset itself) so you need to check if its an ability misfire or a HoJ proc before hitting PS again if it doesn't go on CD.

 

Further, the changes to Zen for Ataru form really mess up the old priority. It no longer affects only certain abilities so its now a global GCD reduction for 6 attacks, however it also no longer reduces Focus costs so you need to maintain a higher level of Focus going into your PS windows.

[AngusFTW]

I wouldn't feel bad about it, BlznSmri is very nice and very knowledgeable (especially about Combat). If it so happens that he does not revise the Guide someone (me?) might take his collection of work and revise it in a new thread. But just so you know, the only 'earth shattering' change to Combat was the addition of Hand of Justice (allows you to Dispatch any target on proc); so the information there is still relevant.

No alot more of the spec has changed, the energy management has changed completely due to zen/berserk changes, auto crit force scream/bladestorm is no longer 100% proc chance on massacre/blade rush so the whole spec is now rng you can no longer do a steady rotation after 2.0. It still does good dps sure but any guide you read before 2.0 is nowhere near relevant and its a lot more then just HOJ.

I prefer watchman these days for the nicer feeling rotation and i can actually chillax a bit while playing it got to be on your toes for constant pve dps with combat and watching procs the whole time. On the other hand i like playing combat in pvp because its more on the fly..

Edited May 22, 2013 by AngusFTW

[Slivovidze]

I think I see the basics of Combat now. There is no rotation, there is priority list. I kinda like that.

 

Last thing that really troubles me, is that I seem to have trouble keeping some decent resource level. (close to lv40)

Zealous strike is my only focus generator besides Strike? I feel like it is right now, and it has 12s cooldown, so I often run out of focus, forcing me to use strike. Especially when I pop Zen, I need to use Strike at least two times. How wrong is that?

 

Any resource keeping tips, please?

[grallmate]

I think I see the basics of Combat now. There is no rotation, there is priority list. I kinda like that.

 

Last thing that really troubles me, is that I seem to have trouble keeping some decent resource level. (close to lv40)

Zealous strike is my only focus generator besides Strike? I feel like it is right now, and it has 12s cooldown, so I often run out of focus, forcing me to use strike. Especially when I pop Zen, I need to use Strike at least two times. How wrong is that?

 

Any resource keeping tips, please?

 

Do you have the Focus refund on Blade Rush/Slash from the bottom of the Watchman tree? Makes a huge difference.

 

Its also easier once you hit 51 and get Dual Saber Throw since its free so you have another ability to help hold you between Zealous Strikes. Otherwise, using Blade Storm early in your Precision window (with the proc) will refund 1 Focus so that also helps you fill out the window with heavy hitters. As always, Master Strike is free as is a procced Dispatch.

 

Re. Strike and Zen: having to use strike with Zen isn't bad per se. Using Strike during Precision Slash windows is. Its ok to use Strike a few times to keep your resources up between Precision windows. Its also OK to use a procced Blade Storm without Precision Slash if there is more than 6s on the CD of Precision and the ICD on HoJ is still ticking.

[Slivovidze]

Let me just ask here a tiny little question about Watchmen.... Do they use Blade Storm?

[Delta_V]

Not as part of the primary priority list, no. The damage and 10 meter range are nice, but the focus cost is just too high. The only time you'd use it is if you find yourself with almost full focus and all your higher priority abilities (Merciless Slash, Overload Saber, Dispatch, Cauterize, Master Strike) unavailable.

[Slivovidze]

Good, thanks. Another Watchman question now. When I use Cauterize and follow up with Mericless Slash, Dispatch or Slash and the proc happens, should I use the new Cauterize right away, or wait for the old burn to end? Does the duration just refresh, or is it added to previous one?

Sadly I can't test it on my dummy because some ******** made it level 55 >.>

[Mythurin]

You should wait for Cauterize to finish its burn then immediately re-apply.

 

-J:cool: