Best Single Target DPS Spec For Marauders?

[BlackVargan]

I just started playing SWTOR and have gone with Marauder.

 

I was just wondering what each spec is best at (Annihilation, Carnage, Rage). I like high single target DPS so which would be best suited to me for this?

 

 

Thanks.

[Skettitangles]

Annihilation is one of the best single target dps specs in the game but it can be a tricky one to master. Carnage and Fury are burst dps specs. All 3 specs have pretty good aoe potential as well. Carnage is probably the best all round spec for most situations with a fairly simple rotation but any downtime on your target(s) will see your dps drop rapidly. Fury is probably more suited to endgame PvP and less so for endgame PvE HM content. Carnage single target dps isn't that far behind Annihilation. Hope this helps

[WayOfTheWarriorx]

I just started playing SWTOR and have gone with Marauder.

 

I was just wondering what each spec is best at (Annihilation, Carnage, Rage). I like high single target DPS so which would be best suited to me for this?

 

 

Thanks.

 

The short answer is, as the previous poster stated, Annihilation. Before to long Jauvtus (something of our resident expert on the Annihilation discipline) will come along and be able to inform you more specifically about that actual use of Annihilation in practical terms better than I can. I myself am a Carnage user, although I have experience with Annihilation as well. My experience with Annihilation offers a caution in it's use. While it does have the best single target dps of the 3 specs over the long haul, meaning, when dealing with trash or elites, the fights don't last long enough for Anni's single target superiority to kick in because it requires a ramp up time before you start seeing the effects of it's single target ceiling raise. Additionally, it's rotation is less than ideal and can be clunky. "Slow and clunky" seems to be adjectives you often hear regarding it's use. Annihilation's greater single target DPS requires the use of multiple bleeds to achieve it's highest single target DPS, that need to be reapplied at different intervals from one another for top DPS performance and they need to be reapplied as seamlessly as possible. This can be difficult in "live fights" where you attention must be focusing on game mechanics that are often "melee unfriendly" and without proper attention to raid awareness that quickly spells the doom for mDPS (Marauders have it particularly hard). This can result in difficulty in keeping your bleeds up seamlessly in addition to your normal melee attacks. This is not an easy discipline to master, but once done can produce some very nice results. - Jauvtus- take it away!(=])

 

Regarding Carnage (Combat) - It is true that it is an easy spec to comprehend, you know the order of things fairly easily and the rotation is consist ant and flows rather well. Priorities are easy to remember and non conflicting cycle to cycle. It is, an extremely speedy spec. You move like lightning (especially while under the effects of berserk and it's +30 % alacrity bonus, in addition to the base 3% you have at all times from attar form. While it's greatest boon (and feels friggen awesome!) it comes with a pitfall. It is unforgiving of mistakes made in your rotation. Because it's so fast and relies so heavily on the gore window to deliver its greatest damage, not being ready or able to use your most devastating attacks inside the gore window (whether due to cool down or lack of resources [Rage], will cause your dps to plummet rather quickly and compromise your effectiveness as a damage dealer. Once a gore window is missed, your stuck with fillers until the next gore window comes around. If your rotation goes off track if you do not pull it back and correct it quickly, you can find yourself stuck in the sub par rotation. This is where priorities come in in order to bring the rotation back to its optimal (and necessary) order. It is not difficult to recover from but because of it's speed youhave to be able to respond that much more quickly to any number of things that could throw your rotation and resource generation off. Totally doable, not rocket science, but responsive reaction is a very important aspect of the spec. That said, in the right hands, Carnage can not only be quite devastating in it's burst windows, it can be a very rewarding experience. It's sustained damage is rather good as well (thought not as good as Annihilation given it's needed ramp up time. In practice, the specs DPS output don't often reflect the highest potentials the specs can achieve and thus you don't find large disparities in DPS output. Only the best users of the specs show the various potentials. Regarding Carnage,I find it's speed and grace intoxicating at times. It is by far the fastest pace/action spec in the game. No one moves faster in combat than a Carnage Marauder (Or dirty stincken Combat Sentinel =p ).

 

I cannot speak to Fury spec as my experience with it is limited. That said however, it may be telling that Fury users comprise the smallest percentage of Marauders in the game, Annihilation comprising the most.

 

The previous poster gave a general run down of the specs and where they seem to do best But I will add just a few more general thoughts

 

You cannot judge a spec effectiveness and potential until you have reached level cap (currently 60). You simply do not have all the abilities and potentials the spec offers prior to its mastery (Level 60). Once you have all it's abilities, all it's options, all it's potentials, you are merely looking at a half finished painting. I would urge you to not come to any conclusions about "How good it is" until you have all it has to offer both class wise, spec wise, and utility wise. I can tell you that until you reach 60 you simply do not have all the necessary components to see what utter destruction and bloody death the specs can bring and the manners in which they bring them.

 

Your life as a Marauder is meaningless. Your survival secondary to your duty to cause as much damage as possible. It is true that a dead marauder causes no damage, but being too careful makes the damage you do bring inconsequential. If you have to die to bring down the enemy no one will mourn you, but you will have the satisfaction and joy of company while on the way to hell.

There is no greater dishonor a Marauder can being to his fellows than dieing of old age.

Edited August 7, 2015 by WayOfTheWarriorx

[BlackVargan]

That's a massive help. Thank you very much guys!

[Cenla_Saint]

Your life as a Marauder is meaningless. Your survival secondary to your duty to cause as much damage as possible. It is true that a dead marauder causes no damage, but being too careful makes the damage you do bring inconsequential. If you have to die to bring down the enemy no one will mourn you, but you will have the satisfaction and joy of company while on the way to hell.

There is no greater dishonor a Marauder can being to his fellows than dieing of old age.

 

 

Ok dirty stinking Sent here. Where did this awesome quote come from?

[WayOfTheWarriorx]

Your life as a Marauder is meaningless. Your survival secondary to your duty to cause as much damage as possible. It is true that a dead marauder causes no damage, but being too careful makes the damage you do bring inconsequential. If you have to die to bring down the enemy no one will mourn you, but you will have the satisfaction and joy of company while on the way to hell.

There is no greater dishonor a Marauder can being to his fellows than dieing of old age.

 

 

Ok dirty stinking Sent here. Where did this awesome quote come from?

 

 

 

 

 

Hello dirty stinking Sent ( LOL)

 

Actually I just made it up writing the post. Your comment is very much appreciated. Glad you liked it.

 

~ A dirty stinking Mara =]