Getting started - Class choice?

[JonnyRay]

So I read the excellent How to Become a Contender guide. I think I understand most of it. May need to re-read (a few times). But if one would like to get started with SWTOR PvP, what's the best class overall to learn?

 

Not looking for the current Flavor-Of-The-Month. I've always figured FOTM == Next Nerf Target.

 

Is there any particular class that is more useful? Easier to learn the PvP rotation? Etc?

 

Or does it pretty much come down to a matter of preferences and choice?

[Saikochoro]

+1 for Operative! They are an absolute blast to play in PVP. They aren't overly poweful, but aren't underpowered either (lethality may need a bit of help, but not too much). They are good middle ground so probably won't be getting nerfed. You never know though with operatives. Be prepared to be hated by the forum community. Nothing like operative hate. But it's worth it. They are so fun.

 

You have the option to DPS or heal. So you aren't stuck in one role. Op healers are very good and mobile. Concealment is the funnest spec in the game IMO. They have amazing single target damage and are good at taking out priority targets one at a time. Concealment has good damage and good burst both of which are counterable, which is a good thing IMO. Concealment is basically a pure melee class so don't let the fact that you carry a rifle around fool you. You have a couple 30m attacks, but those are situational. You mainly just use your knives. Concealment is basically meant to take out people one by one. Operatives in general do not have good aoe so don't be expecting to take on many targets. Focus on one at a time. Lethality is semi ranged/melee. They are a dot spec with a fair ramp up time and fairly good back loaded burst. They have very good self heals and off heals.

 

I believe operatives are a good first choice for a first PVP toon becusse they have stealth and a simple "rotation". Stealth allows you to pick your fights easier and run away when you need to. You can't tank damage like a jugg or dish it out like a hatred sin, but you are still handling a good class. The one thing you will have to get used to if you haven't ever played a scoundrel or operative is how to manage tactical advantage. If you need some help with that just ask.

 

Operatives are not the most powerful by a long shot, but they are still in a great place. They are also quite noob friendly IMO. So I vote operative.

 

My second vote would be assassins, but hatred sins are definitely FOTM. So if you don't want nerfs I would steer clear of hatred.

[Kintosi]

I recommend sniper. It is definitely not FOTM, but if played well it can be powerhouse dps in the marksman spec.

 

2 knockbacks

combat roll

2 stuns

root

multiple slows

can crit for well over 10k damage

significant immunity to physics and stuns

Dodge

cover

spambale moderate damage AOE with a huge radius

simple, high burst rotation

 

 

what else do you need to know?

Edited January 27, 2015 by Kintosi

[DrWeebs]

Right now, if you roll anything besides a Sorc healer or a Hatred assassin you are gimping yourself for solo q.

[hallucigenocide]

just pick something that seems fun to you.. and play the crap out of it.. only way you'll become usefull is by lots and lots of practice anyway.

 

and unless your plan is to become number one anything will do.

[teclado]

PT / Vanguard is a good starter pvp class IMO. Go with the AP / Tactics spec. Really good damage, taunts, high mobility, simple rotation. Good node guard because of shoulder cannon (level 51).

 

Really, you can pretty much go with whatever you want. If there is a particular class that you are very familiar with, you may have more initial success playing that class. Marauder / Sentinel, Merc / Commando are probably towards the bottom of the barrel in pvp right now. You can do OK with them, but you'll have more fun playing a PT / VG, Sorc / Sage, Assassin / Shadow, or Jugg / Guardian. Operative / Scoundrel heals are good. Sorc / Sage heals are good. Merc / Commando heals can be good in the right hands. Sniper / Gunslinger can do good damage and can be fun to play, but they are probably towards the bottom of the barrel overall in terms of FoTM.

Edited January 27, 2015 by teclado

[SkyLordJaden]

Id recommend a stealth, op or sin, cause thats a really good pvp ability to have. concealment ops have nice burst and are fun to play, lethality does super heavy sustained damage on top of good healing and kiting. Deception sin has probably the scond best burst in the game, after ap pt, but its got much better survivability. Hatred doesnt burst as quick but it hits incredibly hard and has really great self heals on top of it. If you are a medal whore like myself id recommend sin more cause taunts really fluff that up as well its also great in ranked to reduce damage to your team

[vennian]

Is there any particular class that is more useful? Easier to learn the PvP rotation? Etc?

 

Some would say vanguard/powertech for easy rotation. I say you should pick a class based on what you think would appeal most to you. PVP is a learning experience anyway. Better to learn it with a class you enjoy playing.

[DomiSotto]

Jonny, welcome to PvP! It’s an amazing part of the SWTOR! I suggest tha you keep returning to the Contender guide again and again, as there is always something there that only now starts making sense

 

TL;DR: Overall, I suggest either Sage DPS or Vanguard tank, ranged>melee, and tank>heal>DPS.

 

Here is where I am coming from:

 

I started recently, and from below zero skill, I have tried a few classes in 2.x and 3.0, trying to find ‘my’ class. That’s really what I would recommend, to be honest. If you have a few Legacy characters, just play Dailies with them as you level up, to get a feel for what you can do.

 

Second, think about the role you’d like to play. If you are good management skills, play a tank. If you are a natural multitasker, play a healer. Finally, if your reflexes are unparalleled, play a DPS.

 

When you have a preference for role and range, I suggest starting from Level 10.

 

As a novice, I feel more comfortable with the classes that are straightforward, so the character manipulation does not distract me from the mechanics of the zone.

 

I played: Marauder, Slinger (Dirty Fighting), Sniper (Engineering), Sorcerer (Madness in 2.0), Sage (Healer) and Vanguard tank. I am just starting a Guardian DPS.

 

From all those characters:

 

1. Vanguard Tank was the easiest class – I either guard nodes, or get in the middle of it, and keep the DPS out of trouble, and I survive well enough to give me that very important extra half a second to make decisions and switch targets, guards, etc. I also have a good utility in Huttball. It’s the only character that I survive unranked Arenas on. Every other character was the first down under focus.

 

2. Sorcerer DPS was easy and fluid. By then I had the basics of kiting and force speed, so no biggie. I never played objectives on this guy, just burned/off-healed. I was amazed how much off-heals he generated. Don’t really remember playing any arenas on him, and don’t play him in PvP anymore, as he is an Imperial.

 

3. Slinger and Sniper were hard for me. I don’t have the reflexes, and protecting myself while not LoSing my target, while recognising the DCDs like the “The Joke’s on You” on a Juggernaut… In the end of the day I ended up spamming DoTs and Roots, instead of putting out any DPS numbers worth mentioning (I was rarely able to crest the baseline 300 thousand). Once in a while I guarded nodes, and didn’t care for the experience.

 

4. My Marauder was worse than rDPS, because it had to get at the target, stay on target, build up the DPS (I played as Annihilation), and not to die in the process. One good thing was that there was no duality to the role. Nobody expected you to guard nodes.

 

5. Sage Healer. I did awful in 2.x, as I did not know how to kite/DCD when I tried it, and was basically an easy kill for Maras. I am going to retry at 3.0 with all the new mobility build into the class. I think I will do better.

 

6. Guardian. My L18 Guardian performs au par with Mara, only without the DCDs and stealth so it doesn’t survive nearly as short as the Mara did.

 

I have never really tried the Stealth classes because they are very awkward to me, and they have a special role that can win a zone or do nothing much. For a very short time, around L25-27 I tried a Scoundrel healer, but that’s about it. And I still think that Scoundrel is the hardest class I have tried.

Edited January 27, 2015 by DomiSotto

[Capt_Beers]

Don't even consider what is FOTM and what isn't. Don't cross a class of off your list because a lot of people play it. Play what you enjoy but more importantly play what you are good at. With the exception of a handful of classes most of them have at least one ranked viable spec (that's even debatable given the right team).

 

Consider the role you want to play and play the best class for that role. If you don't like that one try the second best. If you don't like that one, you probably don't actually like the role you are trying to play and should consider a different one.

 

These are the specs I think are most viable for the role (from a ranked POV):

Tank - All 3 of them can certainly be used

Healer - Sage/Sorc or Scoundrel/Operative, Commando/Mercenary if you are really good or only do team ranked.

Melee(ish) Burst DPS - Advanced Prototype Powertech/Tactics Vanguard, Carnage Mara for team

Melee Sustained DPS - Vengeance Jugg/Vigilance Guardian

Ranged Sustained DPS - Balance Sage/Madness Sorcerer

Ranged Burst DPS - Telekinetics Sage/Lightning Sorcerer, Marksman Sniper if you are amazing at it or in team ranked

All purpose DPS - Hatred Assassin/Serenity Shadow (they can do it all)

 

These are the specs I just enjoy playing in regs in no particular order

Tank - I don't really play tank but I have been messing around with Shadow tanking. All of them are fun when you have a competent healer IMO.

Healer - Commando/Mercenary

Melee(ish) Burst DPS - Advanced Prototype Powertech/Tactics Vanguard

Melee Sustained DPS - Pyro PT or Vigilance Guardian

Ranged Sustained DPS - Balance Sage/Madness Sorcerer

Ranged Burst DPS - Arsenal Mercenary/Gunnery Commando

All purpose DPS - Hatred Assassin/Serenity Shadow, my main atm

Edited January 27, 2015 by Capt_Beers

[Lundorff]

+1 for Operative.

 

Being a stealth class is a good way to start, and as mentioned earlier you can switch between DPS and Healer. And a stealth class is very good at both guarding, ninja-capping and of course picking out easy targets in the thick of it. As a non-stealth class, I love it when we have Operatives on our sides that participate in the "main" battle. They can take down a target very efficiently.

 

I will not recommend you try mara or jugg in the current meta. Especially if you intend to play at level 30-59. That is just brutal.

 

Side-note: Do you have a mmo-mouse with macros and multiple buttons? I will highly recommend it as it makes PVPing much more fluid.

[Armadyil]

Well, really go with what you think is most fun. I heard a lot of 'Operative' around here, and I think lethality ops is the most fun spec, so I could advise that. Especially if you don't care about OP or UP, just go with what you like.

 

Read the discipline trees, have a look at the class forums, check Youtube if you want. I did all adv. classes and I sticked with the ones I liked.

[MarcoMontana]

Just role a Sin! They can do everything an OP can do but better albeit off healing and shooting a gun...

[JonnyRay]

Thanks for all of the suggestions, folks. As it happens, I have a level 10 Operative who has just been wasting away on Fleet anyway. May need to see about getting him some gear and queueing up.

[MotorCityMan]

Roll a sin/shadow. It takes them about 2 years at least to make any significant changes. By then you will be bored to death doing the same repetitive warzones over and over and quit so what comes after doesn't matter anyways. Edited January 28, 2015 by MotorCityMan

[JouerTue]

i'd suggest PT/VG if you are in the mood of try tanking and a healer or ranged, any of them to learn kiting skills..

[Coolrockski]

Just role a Sin! They can do everything an OP can do but better albeit off healing and shooting a gun...

 

For a new player, a sin is a better version of an OP.

 

I have tried all the classes in lowbie and sorc\pt are easiest to pick up and do well.

[Saikochoro]

Thanks for all of the suggestions, folks. As it happens, I have a level 10 Operative who has just been wasting away on Fleet anyway. May need to see about getting him some gear and queueing up.

 

Very good choice. It is best to start PVP from level 10 anyway as it helps you learn PVP and the class at the same time. Hurray for one more operative!

[DomiSotto]

Enjoy the zones!

[JonnyRay]

Turns out I also have an Assassin. She's level 12, but close enough. So I can try both of the primary suggestions. Thanks again. Will post some updates once I've spent enough time with each to have an informed newbie opinion.

[funkiestj]

best advice ever for PvP n00bs:

• join a guild that does PvP and uses voice chat
  
• get in voice chat and group up for PvP
  
• practice dueling with guildies. do post mortems (in voice chat) after each duel
  

 

There is no guide or forum advice that will have 1/2 the impact of those steps above.

 

as for picking a class:

• all DPS specs are easier than healing / tanking as the penalty for lacking situational awareness is lower for DPS
  
• scoundrels are great fun but never seem to be a strong class for ranked arenas. If you are asking us for advice then ranked arenas shouldn't be a consideration...