50 Vanguard - Ask me anything

[Hartly]

Is there sleek camo armor?

 

Well I wouldnt say "sleek" because all our armor looks like its taken some dmg at some point, but there is a set of lvl 45 gear that has a camoish look to it, but its not like a full camo. I never got the whole set but I remember the boots looking pretty cool.

[Honeybadgr]

Thanks a lot love the thread,

 

I was wondering if you could go into secondary stats for vanguards? I know that Aim and endurance are our primary stats.

 

I have been reading also that 105% for accuaracy is what I should be shooting for whats your opinion on that?

[Vadnais]

Okay, I REALLY need some help from my fellow Vanguards on this one. I hit 50 yesterday but since about level 40-45 i've started feeling weaker and weaker. Now that i'm 50 im on Ilum and I can't even kill 1 strong and 2 normal mobs. I use Elara but she may as well be trying to heal me by bashing me in the head with a rock for all the good she does.

 

I've tried both assault and shield spec but assault doesn't seem to do enough damage and shield spec isn't helping me last long enough to win. My gear is reasonable (I'm armormech and none of what I can craft is an upgrade besides the epics), and I keep my companions up with my crafting so I know that's not the issue. Anyone have any ideas? I know one contributing factor is that I cannot seem to use Blitz on anything no matter what the circumstances...

[Hartly]

Thanks a lot love the thread,

 

I was wondering if you could go into secondary stats for vanguards? I know that Aim and endurance are our primary stats.

 

I have been reading also that 105% for accuaracy is what I should be shooting for whats your opinion on that?

 

Aim and Endurance are the only 2 stats that you need. The other stats don't benefit us in any way really.

 

Yeah I think that 105% accuracy is what to aim for but im not 100%

[Remag_Div]

As Shield Spec w/ Ion Cell, you think you could do enough damage in PvP if you focus on End>Aim then gear for Defense/Shield/Absorption (tanking) or just go all out offense with Aim>End then Crit/Power/Surge.

 

What's the -/+ ratio of survivability/damage between the two?

[onethreeone]

Aim and Endurance are the only 2 stats that you need. The other stats don't benefit us in any way really.

 

Yeah I think that 105% accuracy is what to aim for but im not 100%

 

I think they were wondering about Power, Defense, Surge, Accuracy, etc.

 

I am just a lvl26 Vanguard, but I've noticed that Elara benefits more from Power than Aim when it comes to healing bonuses, so that might be one instance of a desirable secondary stat for her.

[DeathMerchant]

As Shield Spec w/ Ion Cell, you think you could do enough damage in PvP if you focus on End>Aim then gear for Defense/Shield/Absorption (tanking) or just go all out offense with Aim>End then Crit/Power/Surge.

 

What's the -/+ ratio of survivability/damage between the two?

 

I'm full shield spec, I do run pvp with a healer almost always. I've very much been focused on end and absorbtion over aim, and really not much aim honestly giving up aim for more end, and I've actually been very surprised, with my damage output usually keeping up with the dps'ers sometimes, mostly due to the other team will start to mob you eventually. When you never die the kills and damage piles up. I've been averaging over 14.5k hp in the wz's, peaked at about 16.2k with a stim

Edited January 2, 2012 by DeathMerchant

[Hartly]

Okay, I REALLY need some help from my fellow Vanguards on this one. I hit 50 yesterday but since about level 40-45 i've started feeling weaker and weaker. Now that i'm 50 im on Ilum and I can't even kill 1 strong and 2 normal mobs. I use Elara but she may as well be trying to heal me by bashing me in the head with a rock for all the good she does.

 

I've tried both assault and shield spec but assault doesn't seem to do enough damage and shield spec isn't helping me last long enough to win. My gear is reasonable (I'm armormech and none of what I can craft is an upgrade besides the epics), and I keep my companions up with my crafting so I know that's not the issue. Anyone have any ideas? I know one contributing factor is that I cannot seem to use Blitz on anything no matter what the circumstances...

 

Yeah the Vanguard really starts to fall off after 40, but once you hit 50 it was all good for me. I'm shield spec and I usually always use Jorgan as my companion. He throws out a surprising amount of dmg which I dont lol. And I never get to use blitz really. Kinda threw it off my bar.

[Hartly]

As Shield Spec w/ Ion Cell, you think you could do enough damage in PvP if you focus on End>Aim then gear for Defense/Shield/Absorption (tanking) or just go all out offense with Aim>End then Crit/Power/Surge.

 

What's the -/+ ratio of survivability/damage between the two?

 

Well, personally I dont really care about doing big dmg. I just like surviving and keeping my team alive with my taunts, guards, and CC. With that being said I go straight for the tanking gear.

 

Here's the funny thing tho. Im always top 3 dmg in battle grounds even with my tank gear on. Here how I think it works out. Surviving longer = more time to deal dmg.

[Hartly]

I think they were wondering about Power, Defense, Surge, Accuracy, etc.

 

I am just a lvl26 Vanguard, but I've noticed that Elara benefits more from Power than Aim when it comes to healing bonuses, so that might be one instance of a desirable secondary stat for her.

 

Oooooooohhhhhhhh. Well if your tanking then you want to focus on getting defense and absorption rating. I feel like Absorption is more important because of our talents and due to the fact that we cant parry.

 

Now dps Im not really sure due but if I would guess it would power for assault and Crit for tactics.

[Aaoogaa]

Oooooooohhhhhhhh. Well if your tanking then you want to focus on getting defense and absorption rating. I feel like Absorption is more important because of our talents and due to the fact that we cant parry.

 

Now dps Im not really sure due but if I would guess it would power for assault and Crit for tactics.

 

You are right we don't parry...we dodge. Each tank AC gets one ability that works off of defense parry, dodge, or deflect. Shield rating and absorption are the way to go since certain attack types are not mitigated by armor. This provides the much needed DR against those types of attacks. The higher the shield rating and absorption the lower damage spikes will be.

Edited January 2, 2012 by Aaoogaa

[Asolar]

Aye our best pvp stat is Shield rating, since if you "block" it will never be a crit (crit is only rolled for if the hit gets thou the defends) And there are many attacks that just aint migratet by our armor (elemetal and internal) alot of classes have some nasty damages abilities with those.

 

Sadly not all our lvl 50 pvp gear have Shield rating, so getting that stat on other items is gonna be a main focus for all us pvp tanks out there.

[GuyWithFace]

You are right we don't parry...we dodge. Each tank AC gets one ability that works off of defense parry, dodge, or deflect. Shield rating and absorption are the way to go since certain attack types are not mitigated by armor. This provides the much needed DR against those types of attacks. The higher the shield rating and absorption the lower damage spikes will be.

 

I was wondering why I recognized your name. Saw your Trooper in a Warzone one day, and your name made me giggle. (Steelhooves, by the way.)

 

But yes, my Vanguard has been at 50 since the first week of early access, I've done a massive amount of PvP (valor54), all of the heroic flashpoints with the exception of Battle for Ilum, and both of the Operations. All of this has been as either Shield Spec, or a Shield Spec/Tactics hybrid. Open to answer stuff.

[yellowjon]

Hey dude i have a question , Is it better to have defence rating or absoruption rating? I don't know which and i am having a set of armor being built, Should i have 1 or the other.

Also i have another question , How much is gut used? I am trying to get it for pvp but i Wonder if it is like a "Requriment,?

[Cheeseblaster]

Hello all.. noob crew skills question. Apologies if this was already mentioned But I don't thin I saw it on the thread yet.

 

Currently Lvl 15, crew skills are Armormech, Scavenging, Diplomacy

 

Anyone have any suggestions about the best crew skills to have? I play my Vanguard as a tank, and do mostly pve in groups.

 

I've been noticing that up to Lvl 15 there isn't much to be made in armormech that is better than what i'm finding in game or can buy. Unless I'm using it wrong, which is a definite possibility. Anybody have a link to a good Armormech tutorial?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

At such time i'm experienced enough to actually know what i'm talking about I'll be sure to pass my knowledge on as well

Edited January 3, 2012 by Cheeseblaster

[Hartly]

Hey dude i have a question , Is it better to have defence rating or absoruption rating? I don't know which and i am having a set of armor being built, Should i have 1 or the other.

Also i have another question , How much is gut used? I am trying to get it for pvp but i Wonder if it is like a "Requriment,?

 

Ok, until recently I thought defense rating was better but after reading a thread on the tank forms absorption and shield rating are better. This is because we cant parry and it only effects our dodge chance which is piss poor. Also our talents have everything to do with Absorption and not Defense.

 

Gut is one of my favorite skills. I mainly use it to prevent people from capping objectives but it actually dose a lot of dmg if the whole dot ticks through. I usually throw it on the target if I'm trying to do the most dmg that I can

[GuyWithFace]

Ok, until recently I thought defense rating was better but after reading a thread on the tank forms absorption and shield rating are better. This is because we cant parry and it only effects our dodge chance which is piss poor. Also our talents have everything to do with Absorption and not Defense.

 

Gut is one of my favorite skills. I mainly use it to prevent people from capping objectives but it actually dose a lot of dmg if the whole dot ticks through. I usually throw it on the target if I'm trying to do the most dmg that I can

 

Basically this. Shield and Absorption chance are our main defense stats, since they scale very well, and tie in with our talents.

[MatticusRex]

I've been leveling as Assault Specialist and have really been enjoying it. I had a couple questions, though:

 

1) For PvP I've been running around with Ion Cell active (and have lately switched to using my crummy shield generator just for the shield chance and endurance). I know that I'm losing out on a lot of Plasma Cell damage, and I'm not getting a whole lot of total protection. I'm still getting lots of medals, and am usually between 1st and 3rd on my team at the end (I average ~7 medals per game in Huttball and Alderaan, less in Voidstar--where NOBODY ON MY SERVER PROTECTS OBJECTIVES). With all that in mind, should I still be running with Ion Cell in PvP? Or is the damage gain worth the loss of guard and the armor buff?

 

2) For PvE DPS, I had a question regarding spec and scaling. I've seen a lot of people link to a build similar to the one you linked ( http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#8010MZMsMZfGbbzGhrs.1 ). However, I've also heard some rumblings on the forums that Assault DPS is pretty middle of the road as far as DPS goes (not that that's necessarily a bad thing). Specifically, our gear scaling may be pretty low at the moment. Is the 8 points in Tactics for Blaster Augs and Frontline Offense better than getting 9% more Aim from the Shield tree?

[KovuTalli]

I've been leveling as Assault Specialist and have really been enjoying it. I had a couple questions, though:

 

1) For PvP I've been running around with Ion Cell active (and have lately switched to using my crummy shield generator just for the shield chance and endurance). I know that I'm losing out on a lot of Plasma Cell damage, and I'm not getting a whole lot of total protection. I'm still getting lots of medals, and am usually between 1st and 3rd on my team at the end (I average ~7 medals per game in Huttball and Alderaan, less in Voidstar--where NOBODY ON MY SERVER PROTECTS OBJECTIVES). With all that in mind, should I still be running with Ion Cell in PvP? Or is the damage gain worth the loss of guard and the armor buff?

 

2) For PvE DPS, I had a question regarding spec and scaling. I've seen a lot of people link to a build similar to the one you linked ( http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#8010MZMsMZfGbbzGhrs.1 ). However, I've also heard some rumblings on the forums that Assault DPS is pretty middle of the road as far as DPS goes (not that that's necessarily a bad thing). Specifically, our gear scaling may be pretty low at the moment. Is the 8 points in Tactics for Blaster Augs and Frontline Offense better than getting 9% more Aim from the Shield tree?

 

Ion cell is great for PvP If you are using Guard on someone and getting protection points. And/or getting your ion cell procs for dmg/slowdown. Also your taunts are good for protection points. I usually always run my ion cell just for the guard, its so stupidly good for the dmg reduction on ball carriers and just on team mates in general for PvP.

[Azesino]

Hows the vanguard in 1v1 ?

What class gives u the most trouble? can u kill any class 1v1? how about healers? can u kill them or are they not possible to kill as vanguard?

Ty

[Dustfinder]

Hows the vanguard in 1v1 ?

What class gives u the most trouble? can u kill any class 1v1? how about healers? can u kill them or are they not possible to kill as vanguard?

Ty

 

I too would like to know this.

[Honeybadgr]

im a level 28 vanguard and i mostly do pvp. I love getting in 1 v 1 situations i usually own them. Healing Inquisitors seem to give me the most run for my money the have knock backs which takes me out of melee range ( taking away my dps attacks) and the range elemental attacks can put a hurting on you if you have everything off CD at the beginning then i can get an edge.

[bbqsauced]

Hows the vanguard in 1v1 ?

What class gives u the most trouble? can u kill any class 1v1? how about healers? can u kill them or are they not possible to kill as vanguard?

Ty

 

Hate to hijack the thread, but I've been 50 since release day, and i've done quite a bit of PvP so I'll at least throw in my experiences.

 

Healers aren't a threat alone if you know how to handle them, which is using Riot Strike/Storm to keep them locked down for the majority of the fight. (Back out of melee range to get a Storm off if you have to) Save Cryo Grenade/Neural Surge until they're low and Riot Strike is on cooldown, and finish them off with a good Stockstrike -> High Impact Bolt. Played correctly, your dps should be slightly more than they can handle, so you'll get them down eventually.

 

Other tanks end up being your closest match, and a well-played Assassin tank can be a huge threat if they manage to get an opener on you. Stealth Scan becomes insanely important in this matchup, sometimes deciding the victor right from the beginning.

 

DPS classes shouldn't give you many problems unless they swarm you (and it then becomes a non 1v1 situation). Do be wary of geared/good Marauders though, as they can do a number to you. Fortunately, good Marauders are few and far between, at least on my server. If you're on top of your game though, you shouldn't have any problems taking them out.

 

You should be able to survive Concealment Operatives openers, (most don't take me below 60%) and after that they're pretty simple to take down, just don't let them get away.

 

If you're really into PvP, I suggest getting Biochem. The reusable health pack is absolutely insane for us. I've had Alderaan games where I literally can't die defending a node, mainly due to being able to drag out the fight long enough to continually use it. (Obviously, call in reinforcements if your node gets swarmed though)

 

Overall, you should not be worried if you're looking to do some tanking pvp. We're in a good spot.

Edited January 3, 2012 by bbqsauced

[GuyWithFace]

If you're really into PvP, I suggest getting Biochem. The reusable health pack is absolutely insane for us. I've had Alderaan games where I literally can't die defending a node, mainly due to being able to drag out the fight long enough to continually use it. (Obviously, call in reinforcements if your node gets swarmed though)

 

Overall, you should not be worried if you're looking to do some tanking pvp. We're in a good spot.

 

What this guy said here. It's also nice if you can do some hardmode flashpoints/Ops for Biometric Crystals for the Rakata patterns. Having the Rakata Medpac which heals for about 8k, and the Rakata Fortitude Stim that gives 136 End and 56Def is really nice. I imagine people are fairly daunted by my 20k HP.

[Zunamii]

hey I've been going shield spec all the way to lvl 20 or something then tried tactic, found out tactics was much worse, then came back to shield. and now I've made a pvp/group build. can you tell me what u think about it?

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#801Gohrd0rRgzZMsr.1