CecilPaladin Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 I find it pretty difficult to get any 16m SM ops spot as a fresh 55 tank. So in the meantime, I'll have to run ops as a dps. Which spec do you guys recommend, Tactics or Assault? This will be for a few weeks until I get enough tanking gear. Or can I actually dps as shield spec (without pulling aggro etc)? I've heard Assault is the easier spec but I have no experience. Also what's with this hybrid spec, that might not be viable anymore? Is it possible to do contribute as dps while using shield spec or would one pull aggro and cause massive headaches? Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TACeMossie Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 I find it pretty difficult to get any 16m SM ops spot as a fresh 55 tank. So in the meantime, I'll have to run ops as a dps. Which spec do you guys recommend, Tactics or Assault? This will be for a few weeks until I get enough tanking gear. Or can I actually dps as shield spec (without pulling aggro etc)? I've heard Assault is the easier spec but I have no experience. Also what's with this hybrid spec, that might not be viable anymore? Is it possible to do contribute as dps while using shield spec or would one pull aggro and cause massive headaches? Thanks in advance. You will only pull aggro if your tanks suck. However, just know that you only need a single run of Dread Fortress/Dread palace to be completely geared as a tank for all SM ops, so no need to go running around to get more gear. I wrote a guide for Assault last night that, while tailored for 2.8, is mostly correct for patch 2.7 as well. With tank gear, you can just buy stuff off the GTN - until you get to the Dread Forged level, the implants and enhancements are better off being the Crafted [Artifact] grade stuff - or more specifically, the Veracity crafted earpiece/implants, and the Advanced Immunity/Sturdiness Enhancement 28 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CecilPaladin Posted May 6, 2014 Author Share Posted May 6, 2014 Ran as dps assault last night, felt kinda clunky. I'm coming from a gunslinger/sniper and mara/sent dps stand point, where there's usually more resource energy and moves mesh together. Assault felt like, just hit this and hit that when off CD, and watch out for HIB procs. Towards the end of the ops, I was mainly using IP, SS, and HiB with the dots thrown in. Is there more to this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TACeMossie Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 Ran as dps assault last night, felt kinda clunky. I'm coming from a gunslinger/sniper and mara/sent dps stand point, where there's usually more resource energy and moves mesh together. Assault felt like, just hit this and hit that when off CD, and watch out for HIB procs. Towards the end of the ops, I was mainly using IP, SS, and HiB with the dots thrown in. Is there more to this? It takes a few tries to get used to it, and RNG can screw you over at the worst of times, but it just feels so good when the procs line up and you get all the big hits out there. The good parses come from proper delays of High Impact Bolt and proper timing for Reserve Powercell/Rapid Recharge, though without the ammo counter its much harder for us vanguards to get it done. If you want a static rotation, there is always tactics, which does pretty bad DPS but on the bright side its very predictable (you right out a 15 second rotation, and then repeat it till the end of all time). As for if there is more to Assault? Well as I said, the skill isn't just spamming IP/SS/HiB, its getting an Ionic Accelerator Proc every 6 seconds while keeping Assault Plastique on cooldown, and the Incendiary Round burn on the target - and in addition to that you have to worry about offensive cooldowns (shoulder cannon + battle focus) and not using up too much energy without Reserve Powercell/Recharge Cells available. It also has a great advantage in mobility and in burst damage capabilities, so even in NiM Operations, Vanguards have a spot available, even if it is currently very niche (assault spec before the 2.8 buffs were announced would have been a Tyrans + Dread Council Fight Raptus Kiting spec, though after 2.8 its going to be tough not justifying the use of an Assault Vanguard in your raid team) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cotlu-Hunlon Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 If you want a static rotation, there is always tactics, which does pretty bad DPS but on the bright side its very predictable (you right out a 15 second rotation, and then repeat it till the end of all time). Is my suggested Tactics rotation considered as meta now? OP, for assault, there is no need for it to feel clunky as the rotation is completely fixed around 6 second windows. 1 GCD > 2 GCD > 3 GCD > High Impact Bolt In the 3 attacks following a HIB, as long as either the first or second attack and the third are Ion Pulse / Stockstrike you will get a guaranteed HIB cooldown reset. eg. High Impact Bolt > Ion Pulse > Hammer Shot > Ion Pulse > (cooldown reset) HIB The first 6seconds should be Incendiary Round > HIB > Stockstrike > (might reset for HIB) if not: Ion Pulse > HIB Every third 6 second window should start with Incendiary Round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TACeMossie Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Is my suggested Tactics rotation considered as meta now? OP, for assault, there is no need for it to feel clunky as the rotation is completely fixed around 6 second windows. 1 GCD > 2 GCD > 3 GCD > High Impact Bolt In the 3 attacks following a HIB, as long as either the first or second attack and the third are Ion Pulse / Stockstrike you will get a guaranteed HIB cooldown reset. eg. High Impact Bolt > Ion Pulse > Hammer Shot > Ion Pulse > (cooldown reset) HIB The first 6seconds should be Incendiary Round > HIB > Stockstrike > (might reset for HIB) if not: Ion Pulse > HIB Every third 6 second window should start with Incendiary Round. Well its always been my suggestion for first-timers - I still personally use the 30 second one. As for assault, it hasnt been like that since patch 2.4 neutered the cost of Incendiary Round and took auto-plasma-cell off ion pulse, but if you are going to do that you may as well run 10/8/28 (Get All the boosts for Ion Pulse + Elemental Damage, as well as damage debuff from targets when using ion pulse - it makes running with double guardian tanks much smoother) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cotlu-Hunlon Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Well its always been my suggestion for first-timers - I still personally use the 30 second one. As for assault, it hasnt been like that since patch 2.4 neutered the cost of Incendiary Round and took auto-plasma-cell off ion pulse, but if you are going to do that you may as well run 10/8/28 (Get All the boosts for Ion Pulse + Elemental Damage, as well as damage debuff from targets when using ion pulse - it makes running with double guardian tanks much smoother) Old habits.... though I suppose Assault Plastique would easily fit in there, I just am set into the old ways of not taking it. Those low hanging fruits of elemental boosts in the tank and tactics tree are too sizeable to want to pass up on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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