PvE and PvP 2-piece and 4-piece set bonuses for all classes (1.0)

Posted on by February 5, 2015
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(A new version of this post has been created for the changes made in Game Update 2.0. We'll keep this post around for posterity. -Teo) It seems every time I look for one of these online I end up with a dead link or a random reference that doesn’t help. So here they are. Note that they use the same general name for both PvE and PvP gear; for instance, the Vindicator gear name is used for Sith Warriors and Jedi Knights for both PvP and for PvE sets. But the sets do not mix and match; 3 pieces of PvE Vindicator and 1 of PvP Vindicator will not give the 4-piece bonus from either set. The name (example: Vindicator) will appear in the name of every item of the set. This includes items (like belts) which don’t count towards the set bonus; they share the name because they generally are itemized for the same use. Only head, chest, leg, feet, and hand pieces will count towards 2- and 4-piece bonuses. The 2-piece and 4-piece information below is from information found in-game, and is copyright BioWare.

Sith Warrior (Marauder and Juggernaut) and Jedi Knight (Sentinel and Guardian)

Vindicator PvE 2-piece Lowers the cooldown of Enrage or Combat Focus by 5 seconds
4-piece Reduces the minimum range of Saber Throw by 10 meters
PvP 2-piece Intercede or Guardian Leap heals you for 8% of your total health
4-piece Increases all damage dealt by 10% for 5 seconds after using Force charge or Force Leap
War Leader PvE 2-piece Increases the duration of Blade Turning by 1 second, and the duration of Invincible or Warding Call by 2 seconds
4-piece Increases the amount of damage absorbed by Sonic Barrier or Blade Barrier by 20%
PvP 2-piece Increases the duration of Force Choke or Force Stasis by 1 second
4-piece Increases your damage dealt to players by 5% while you Guard another player
Weaponmaster PvE 2-piece Reduces the rage cost of Vicious Throw or Dipatch by 1
4-piece Reduces the cooldown of Frenzy or Valorous Call by 15 seconds
PvP 2-piece Reduces the cooldown of Undying Rage or Guarded by the Force by 15 seconds
4-piece Increases the range of Vicious Throw or Dispatch by 5 meters

Sith Inquisitor (Assassin and Sorcerer) and Jedi Consular (Shadow and Sage)

Force-Master PvE 2-piece Reduces cost of Lightning Strike and Force Lightning or Disturbance and Telekinetic Throw by 2
4-piece Affliction or Weaken Mind damage has a 10% chance to increase alacrity by 5% for 15 seconds.  Cannot occur more than once every 20 seconds
PvP 2-piece Reduces cooldown of Crushing Darkness or Mind Crush by 1.5 seconds.  Crushing Darkness or Mind Crush damage heal you for 0.5% of max health
4-piece Increases range of Shock and Jolt or Project and Mind Snap by 5 meters
Force-Mystic PvE 2-piece Reduces cooldown of Innervate or Healing Trance by 1.5 seconds
4-piece Increases total Force by 50
PvP 2-piece Reduces the lockout debuff duration of Static Barrier or Force Armor by 3 seconds
4-piece Consumption or Noble Sacrifice restore 3% of max health over 6 seconds
Stalker PvE 2-piece Saber Strike hits restore 1 Force
4-piece Increases the critical chance of Thrash and Voltaic Slash or Double Strike and Clairvoyant Strike by 15%
PvP 2-piece Increases range of Force Slow and Jolt or Mind Snap by 5 meters
4-piece Increases Recklessness or Force Potency charges by 1 and reduces its cooldown by 15 seconds
Survivor PvE 2-piece Increases shield chance by an additional 5% during Dark Ward or Kinetic Ward
4-piece Increases Elemental, Internal Kinetic and Energy damage reduction by 2%
PvP 2-piece Reduces cooldown of Spike or Spinning Kick by 10 seconds
4-piece Increases your damage dealt to players by 5% while you Guard another player

Bounty Hunter (Mercenary and Powertech) and Trooper (Commando and Vanguard)

Combat Medic PvE 2-piece Increases the duration of Supercharged Gas and Supercharge Cells by 3 seconds
4-piece Reduces the cooldown of Healing Scan or Advanced Medical Probe by 1.5 seconds and the cooldown of Emergency Scan or Bacta Infusion by 3 seconds
PvP 2-piece Increases the duration of Energy Shield or Reactive Shield by 3 seconds
4-piece Reduces the cooldown of Healing Scan or Advanced Medical Probe by 1.5 seconds and the cooldown of Emergency Scan or Bacta Infusion by 3 seconds
Combat Tech PvE 2-piece Reduces the cooldown of Explosive Fuel or Battle Focus by 15 seconds
4-piece Increases the damage of Rail Shot and High Impact Bolt by 8%
PvP 2-piece Increases the duration of Carbonize or Neural Surge by 0.5 seconds, and reduces the cooldown of Determination or Tenacity by 15 seconds
4-piece Increases the critical chance of Rocket Punch or Stockstrike by 15%
Eliminator PvE 2-piece Increases the critical chance of Power Shot and Tracer Missile or Charged Bolts and Grav Round by 15%
4-piece Reduces the cost of Rail Shot by 8 or the cost of High Impact Bolt by 1
PvP 2-piece Reduces the cooldown of Jet Boost or Concussion Charge by 5 seconds
4-piece Increases the critical chance of Rail Shot or High Impact Bolt by 15%
Supercommando PvE 2-piece Increases the duration of Oil Slick or Smoke Grenade by 2 seconds and the duration of Energy Shield or Reactive Shield by 3 seconds
4-piece Increases Melee, Range, Tech and Force defense by 2%
PvP 2-piece Reduces the cooldown of Heat Blast and Jet Charge or Energy Blast and Storm by 1.5 seconds
4-piece Increases your damage dealt to players by 5% while you Guard another player

Imperial Agent (Operative and Sniper) and Smuggler (Scoundrel and Gunslinger)

Enforcer PvE 2-piece Increases the critical chance of Backstab or Backblast by 15%
4-piece Increases maximum energy by 5
PvP 2-piece Increases the duration of Infiltrate or Smuggle by 5 seconds and Evasion or Dodge by 1 second
4-piece Increases max energy by 5
Field Medic PvE 2-piece Reduces the energy cost of Recuperative Nanotech and Kolto Cloud by 4
4-piece Increases the critical chance of Kolto Infusion and Kolto Pack by 15%
PvP 2-piece Increases healing done by Recuperative Nanotech or Kolto Cloud by 15%
4-piece Increases max energy by 5
Field Tech PvE 2-piece Activating Target Acquired or Illegal Mods restores 10 energy
4-piece Reduces the energy cost of Takedown and Quickdraw by 7
PvP 2-piece Increases the duration of Orbital Srike or XS Freighter Flyby by 3 seconds
4-piece Increases the range of Distraction and Takedown or Quickdraw by 5 meters
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OotiniCast Episode 67

Posted on by February 22, 2013
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We discuss the initial information about Game Update 2.0: Scum and Villainy, which is now on the PTS for everyone to try!

1. Introduction

This portrait of Hyp's Scoundrel, Pearlneck, almost makes him look good. Artistic Pearlneck Meanwhile, Hyp's Marauder, Baldy, receives a Jawagram from an admirer. They're just good friends. Baldy gets a Jawagram

2. Trivia Question

There are lots of reused items in game, as there are in any MMO. For example, on nearly every fence near a military base or even factory you will find bright yellow signs that say, in Aurebesh, “KEEP OUT.” Also common are Wanted posters, with that word and a credit symbol. But the most common words I think you will see in-game are the words in Aurebesh for “VIABLE SAMPLE.” So the question is: where will you see them? Hint: you will find this phrase on every planet in the game, excepting the starter planets, and never in a spaceport or cantina. If you are interested in being entered in the random drawing for a Tauntaun Fawn code, please send your answer to ootinicast@gmail.com.

3. The Holofeed

  • Patch 1.7.0a and Patch 1.7.0b were deployed this week, intending to fix the cooldown for the new Priority Transport: Personal Starship. However, it was not to be; the global Legacy unlocks to reduce the cooldown from 24 hours to 1 hour have been disabled for now.
  • Game Update 2.0: "Scum and Villainy" is now live on the PTS. This appears to be conceptually separate from the expansion, which contains the story content on Makeb. Its patch notes were posted on the forums (part 1, part 2).
  • The weapons from the Relics of the Gree world event are Bind-to-Legacy, though the components which are needed to purchases the weapons are Bind-on-Pickup. The intention is that players without multiple alts are not disadvantaged in terms of acquiring the weapons.
  • While companions can't currently wear Gree armour, this will be fixed in a subsequent update.
  • BioWare have acknowledged that equipment repair costs are too high with the change introduced in Game Update 1.7, and as of the next maintenance the costs will be reduced. As an apology for the inconvenience, all repairs will be 50% of that reduced cost until early access to the expansion commences.
  • Rob Hinkle explained the proposed changes to Expertise, bolstering and PvP itemisation that are coming in Game Update 2.0.

4. Community News

Thanks to the Revcast crew for allowing Chill and Teo to join them in their second episode! You can find out more about Revcast at revcast.net. Chill has written an article that documents PvE and PvP 2- and 4-piece set bonuses for all classes. Also, a reminder to have a look at Ryan (a.k.a. Grav)'s article "PUG", which was published last week.

5. Force Feedback

Our sincere thanks to @HamSammich509 for his generous donation! We discuss tweets from @TheTurg, @mark00z, @DarthSolarion, @EmpireDivider (Moff Chong), @ChazLobo, @JediKrackr, @ForceChuckle, @masterbearjedi (Raz), @Ryan_B1313, @bytorsnowdog, @rbleamon (Ray Leamon), @AspisVodox, @DanCremer, @Darklighter159, @banyo1984 (Benjamin Becker), @HamSammich509 and @GregCarter78.

6. Outro

Thanks to Oni (@Freakin_Ninja), Redna (@RystoJ) and Hyp (@Hypknotoad) for joining us this week. Redna also invites players on The Bastion to /cjoin cpunks and/or to friend his characters Numa and Rysto. Information about our guilds on The Harbinger, Ootini Knights (Republic) and Ootini Rage (Empire), can be found here. You can email questions and comments about the show to ootinicast@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter via @OotiniCast. Check out our website, ootinicast.com, which has links to our presence on Google+ and Facebook. We are a proud member of the TOR Syndicate! You can subscribe to us on iTunes and Zune, and listen to us on Stitcher and Radio Paragon.
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PUG

Posted on by February 14, 2013
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To put it simply, “PUG” stands for “Pick up group” in the online gaming world. Its use and definition can transcend grammatical boundaries. “He was a dumb pug!” “We’re going to have to pug the healer” “I’m so sick of pugging!” “Putting together a pug run.” I am a pug, she pugs, together we are pugging. But noun, adverb or verb, “Pug” typically has a negative connotation. I will focus on the PvE aspect of pugging. To me, griping about bad attitudes in a PvP setting seems unfair, in a way. It's a competitive aspect of gameplay that focuses on being better than other players. So, I think most of the time those comments tend to be warranted if not needed. Up to a point, anyway. With Star Wars: The Old Republic's release of Game Update 1.3: "Allies" on 26 June 2012, the pug has become a way of life for players. Long gone are the days of spamming general chat to an empty fleet; in its place was the instant gratification (if you’re a tank) of the group finder queue popping. With so many different people congregating in concentrated areas of gameplay, there are bound to be a few bumps. Obviously the Group Finder does not limit your choices only to instanced Flashpoints; it also allows players to queue for story mode operations. For most of us, a story mode operation can be run nearly instinctively and flawlessly. Karagga's Palace in story mode is akin to the function of an involuntary system within the body. However, to a newcomer, it can be vastly overwhelming, intimidating, fast paced and unforgiving. This clash of experience and inexperience has caused for some great disturbances in the Force. Some I have witnessed, and though it pains me to say, some I have been a part of. photo adfadf_zps6dce5c5e.jpg I am lucky enough to be part of a guild that can usually fill the role quota for a random operation or Flashpoint. However, sometimes you need that last spot. So you throw your names into the magical Group Finder hat, and voila, your needed role is filled. You have 7 people in our preferred voice chat application, and each of the 7 have great experience with the content. So enters the marauder with 15,000 hp in Recruit gear. The trash is pulled instantly before an introduction is given. CCs go unmarked. The Gammoreans stand no chance at the hands of over-geared Assassins and Dread Guard-ed Snipers. Enthralled by excitement and overwhelmed by the need to smash, the Marauder jumps into the battle! He Force Leaps straight to the CC-ed target. Naturally, since the group is so overpowered for the content, it is of no real consequence. However, it begins to irk the perfectionist(s) and the groaning begins. Of course, rather than marking the targets that will be CC'd in the future, we’ll just talk about how much of an idiot this Marauder is in guild chat. Why would we want to try and help a new player? That doesn't make sense. He should just KNOW how to do these things, because we know how to do them! Let us fast forward to Karagga’s Palace's very own Foreman Crusher. 3 wipes later. 6 broken CCs later. 12 passive aggressive elitist comments later. 1 purple smoke death later. Most of us enter. All of us hugging the wall to the right side, and grouping in a far corner until the tank leads us into the familiar battle. The Marauder has other ideas. Before the rest of the operations group can enter, the Marauder puts himself within close proximity to Foreman Crusher, thus beginning the fight. Meanwhile, 3 members of the group are locked out of the arena, stuck on the other side of the force field. The nerd rage becomes overwhelming, boiling itself to the point where it finally becomes aggressive. Finally, what everyone has wanted since the first broken CC comes to fruition. “Kick this noob.” After some more discussion, it's agreed that this has happened to most of us before and that the Marauder will receive one more chance to redeem him or herself. He or she is told not to do anything until WE say so. No explanation of the fight is given, however. The phase shifts, the Marauder stands directly in front of Foreman Crusher when he does his frenzy—he dies. Healers refuse to use their battle rez on him. The fight is won with the Marauder's corpse observing from the floor for 75% of the battle. The player is kicked from the group without an explanation or any advice. The operation is finished as a 7-man team. Marauder—if you’re out there somewhere, I am truly sorry. This whole experience has bothered me for a long time. Though I wasn't the driving force behind the negativity, I sat idly by when I could've stopped it and helped you become familiar with the procedure. I was tired, cranky, and in a frenzied state to collect as many black hole commendations as quickly as possible. I consider myself to be a very patient person. I do not groan when I encounter new players, or players that don't seem to have their chops down yet. Instead, I try to take the time to teach these players. It’s hard to remember that we were all new to SW:TOR at one point. To YOU, the tank that quits the group that keeps wiping at the end of Hammer Station, I say to you: Who do you think you're fooling? At level 17, that instance can be as unforgiving as Kephess in Hard Mode Explosive Conflict. To you the DPS that quits after 2 wipes of The Foundry during the HK fight I say: What are you trying to prove? I don’t know why these attitudes get formed, or why they must be steeped in negativity. I can't imagine it making someone feel better to pick on a player because he or she is F2P, or doesn't know the mechanics of a boss fight. For those of us that subscribe, we can all agree that we enjoy this game. There is such an influx of new players with the launch of F2P, shouldn't it be our responsibility to encourage these new comers to continue playing the game? One of the main reasons I have stuck it out with SW:TOR is the community. It's generally friendlier than other gaming communities I have encountered in the past. Pugs can be like children. They aren't unintelligent; they just have no prior experience to base their forthcoming actions on. Do you call a child a noob for putting his finger in an electrical socket? You say “NO” “Don’t do that!” and explain why it must never be done.
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OotiniCast Episode 66

Posted on by February 15, 2013
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Given the unexpected arrival of Game Update 1.7, we discuss the various additions and changes, including our initial experiences with the Relics of the Gree world event.

1. Introduction

Hyp has developed an interest in Star Wars Origami: Origami - XWing Origami - Jedi Origami - Falcon Origami - Yoda He also models three moods, with the clear winner being "Astounded":
Ecstatic

Ecstatic

Eager

Eager

Astounded

Astounded

For all you need to know about contacting BioWare customer service, see this help center article.

2. Trivia Question

Congratulations to this week's winner, Frankie (a.k.a. Drako)!

3. The Holofeed

4. Community News

Ryan (a.k.a. Grav) has written another article, titled "PUG". It may encourage you to be a little more forgiving (or at least understanding) the next time your Operation group or Flashpoint party PUGs in an extra member. Just a reminder to check out Jacob Hausman's article, "Enduring Shadow, the PvP Tank Guide", if you are interested in PvP tanking. Finally, Dulfy's SWTOR titles guide may be just what you're looking for, to find that perfect title that suits your character's personality.

5. Force Feedback

We discuss tweets from @ChazLobo, @StoleTarts, @tshapedvisor, @Dimbo56 (SWTOR Mayor!), @JediKrackr, @ForceChuckle, @masterbearjedi (Raz), @Ryan_B1313, @bytorsnowdog, @rbleamon (Ray Leamon), @AspisVodox, @hypknotoad, @Geldarion, @weihanthekidsun and @GregCarter, and a Facebook comment from Mark Emery. Hyp provided yet another portrait of Pearlneck modelling the "Astounded" mood, this time while raiding in Terror From Beyond: Astounded Pearl @JediKrackr sent us a picture of the new companion customisation for the ship droid that makes him look like a Crash Test Dummy: C2N2 - Crash Test Dummy

6. Outro

Thanks to Redna (@RystoJ) and Hyp (@Hypknotoad) for joining us this week. Redna also invites players on The Bastion to /cjoin cpunks and/or to friend his characters Numa and Rysto. Information about our guilds on The Harbinger, Ootini Knights (Republic) and Ootini Rage (Empire), can be found here. You can email questions and comments about the show to ootinicast@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter via @OotiniCast. Check out our website, ootinicast.com, which has links to our presence on Google+ and Facebook. We are a proud member of the TOR Syndicate! You can subscribe to us on iTunes and Zune, and listen to us on Stitcher and Radio Paragon.
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Enduring Shadow, the PvP Tank Guide

Posted on by February 7, 2013
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[Editor's note: I'd like to welcome another new writer, Jacob Hausman, to the OotiniCast team. We hope you find his guide useful! -Teo]

Introduction

This guide’s purpose is to describe the perfect hybrid Player vs. Player (PvP) Shadow (Republic) or Assassin (Imperial) tank. Shadows are one of the best classes in Star Wars the Old Republic (SWTOR) because they can dish-out stuns, provide sustainable damage, and rely on quick movement throughout the battlefield. shadow tank This guide is:
  • One that assumes you know general SWTOR knowledge, terminology, and PvP
  • Are viewing this from a PvP perspective
This guide isn’t:
  • The end all-be-all guide on how to play a Shadow/Assassin
  • Something that will tell you the only way to play a Shadow/Assassin
What you’ll learn:
  • Skill trees
  • Specs
  • Stat priority

Terminology

  • Area of Effect (AoE) – Area damage/healing ability, not single target.
  • Crowd Control (CC) – Something that hinders your movements or stuns you.
  • Damage Per Second (DPS) Advanced Class – An Advanced Class focused on damage.
  • Diminishing Returns (DR) – The point beyond which the stat takes more and more to get the same result; in other words, the more points you put into a stat, the fewer bonuses you get per point.
  • Damage over Time (DoT) – An ability that isn't burst, just takes time to generate damage.
  • Full Spec’d – 31 points or more into one specific talent tree.
  • Hybrid – Class that can do damage and/or heal.
  • Min/max – Finding every possible way to extract the exact stats one wants.
  • NPC (Non-Player Character) – Typically a vendor or a computer generated character.
  • Proc – A "procedure", an event that is triggered under particular circumstances.
  • Taunt – A Tank's primary damage reduction ability, it reduces the damage done by enemy players to your team (except damage done to you).
  • Stack – Put as many points as possible into one stat.
  • Tank – An Advanced Class with a stance that allows the guard ability to be used.

Roles and Responsibilities

“If the tanks succeed, then victory follows.” (Heinz Guderian)
PvP is a dynamic game-play type that allows for many different successful builds.  However, most times, it comes down to the same well-established composition for a team to be successful.
  • Healer – Someone who keeps friendly targets alive with healing.
  • Tank – Protects top priority targets while maintaining sustained damage.
  • Damage Per Second (DPS) – Focuses damage on the current highest-priority enemy target.
  • Hybrid – Not only damage or healer, but a utility type play-style focusing on support.

PvP Tanking in Depth

As a shadow tank, your job is more often than not a complex one. Many of SWTOR's maps revolve around capturing nodes to obtain objective points. This is where the Shadow shines. Moreover, as a front line battlefield tank, your primary role is to keep the healer protected with Guard and taunts. These both lower the damage that the healer takes, thus allowing them to heal the rest of the team rather than focusing on keeping themselves alive. But it extends beyond that. While guarding is simple, the best kinds of tanks manage targets' Resolve and make effective use of their own stuns to keep top DPS classes at bay. Here are some highlights on what a shadow tank should be doing in a warzone (ranked or unranked):
  • Protecting nodes
  • Calling for help
  • Guarding healers
  • Punting (Force Push) targets off the healers
  • Using damage mitigation on enemy DPS to reduce their damage output
The build I've selected for this type of shadow is Enduring Shadow. It's designed for maximum control, survivability, and speed.

Abilities

Name Level Purpose
Battle Readiness (Overcharge Saber) 50 Used in conjunction with Force Potency for maximum DPS burst.  Combined with higher crit chance, Force in Balance (FIB) sometimes generates 12k DPS!
Spinning Kick (Spike) 42 Basic stun that should be used whenever it's off cooldown (except if full resolve).
Resilience (Force Shroud) 36 Use this right before and incoming Smash or in combination with Force Cloak for an escape.
Spinning Strike (Assassinate) 32 Always use if target is below 30% health.
Mass Mind Control 30 Your AoE taunt. Should be used when around two or more DPS targets.
Whirling Blow (Lacerate) 26 An AoE damage ability. Rarely used, only needed when more than one player is attempting to capture a door/node.
Deflection 24 Usually used while protecting a node against multiple targets or taking major damage from protecting healers.
Blackout 22 Use right before capping a node for increase stealth.
Force Cloak 22 Used to escape, but also can be used to not be targeted.
Mind Maze (Mind Trap) 20 In-stealth out of combat CC. I use this to hold enemy players off a node to give time for my team to arrive. Note that it takes a lot of Force and adds a lot of Resolve, so learn when to break it and when not to use it.
Mind Control 16 Basic single-target taunt, should use this when off cooldown on enemy DPS.
Combat Technique (Dark Charge) 14 Our basic stance, which should always be on one's buff bar.
Guard 14 Our protection ability that should always be used (even when guarding a node). Note that you can guard NPCs to receive extra damage; more on that later.
Force Breach (Discharge) 12 Excellent ability when used in conjunction with Mass Mind Control, reducing attackers' accuracy. It should be used on groups of two or more DPS.
Armor Proficiency: Shield Generator 10 Use Shield offhand for survivability, or a Focus offhand to increase DPS.
Shadow Strike (Maul) 10 Use on the back of target only when Infiltration Tactics proc is active (i.e., showing on your buff bar).
Telekinetic Throw (Force Lightning) Your main channeled ability, use to slow an enemy down, and combine with Force Potency/Recklessness extend its range to 30m.
Force in Balance (Death Field) 1 Major AoE DPS ability with a self-heal that should be used whenever it's off cooldown.
Force Pull 1 Used to pull attackers away from healers, pulling target to you so you can land a killing blow, etc.
Force Potency (Recklessness) 1 A cooldown that increases critical strike chance by 60%.
Project (Shock) 1 Main attack which should be used in conjunction with Particle Acceleration or Energize procs.
Force Slow 22 Slows enemy player.
Force Speed 16 Your speed machine and also CC breaker.
Force Stun (Electrocute) 6 Basic four second stun. Use with caution, as it builds a large amount of Resolve.
Force Wave (Overload) Your “punt” or knockback ability.
Force Lift (Whirlwind) 4 Two second cast to stun an enemy player for 8 seconds, which is broken on damage. Use this in a 1v1 one scenario and call for help.
Force of Will (Unbreakable Will) 9 Your CC breaker. Use with full Resolve for nearly 10 seconds of un-CC-able power!
Mind Crush (Crushing Darkness) 14 Your primary DoT ability. Use sparingly with this spec as it takes two seconds to cast.
Double Strike (Thrash) 1 Basic attack that procs auto-critical Project.
Saber Strike Auto-attack, use when out of Force.
Mind Snap (Jolt) 18 Interrupts target’s action; use this on healers or a long cast.
Procs
Name Level Purpose
Particle Acceleration (Energize) Spec Automatic critical hit on Project, should always use if appears on buff bar.
Infiltration Tactics (Duplicity) Spec Increased damage and less Force cost on Shadow Strike, go for a backstab when this is up.

Combos

Bursty Bursty

Abilities: Battle Readiness (Overcharge Sabe), Force Potency (Wrelessness), FiB (Death Field), and Force Breech (Lighting Charge) Usage: When three or more targets are grouped together, use this combination for nearly guaranteed critical hit and increased damage. I can sometimes do 20k in a few seconds (as a tank)!

Rip and Grip

Abilities: Force Pull, Spinning Kick (Spike), and Force Stasis (Whirlwind) Usage: If I see an unstoppable DPS character I will run nearly 30 meters away from my healer and pull, stun, and lock down the target. Usually I only do this if the player has used their CC breaker, that way I know they’ll be sitting suspended in the air for 8 seconds. Yeah, you’re that guy!

Later Player

Abilities: Resilience (Force Shroud) and Force Cloak Usage: Use this when you have zero DoTs on your character for a quick escape. Force Cloak alone isn’t very useful because it can be broken, but combined with Resilience it's a near-perfect exit plan.

No Deeps 4 U (ND4U)

Abilities: Mind control, Force Breech (Lighting Charge), and Force Slow Usage: My primary damage reduction rotation on a single target; it's simple, slow, and lowers damage and accuracy.

Stun and Gun

Abilities: Spinning Kick (Spike), Force Stun (Jolt), Shadow Strike (Maul) (if proc up), Project (Shock), Double Strike (Thrash), Force Slow Usage: This is a bit hard to pull off, but you can melt a single target. Try to manage your proc and wait for both stuns to be up; once they are, execute this rotation for mega single target damage. If they get away, wave at them and use FiB for the kill! You are for sure that guy.

Punt and Dump

Abilities: Force Wave (Overload), Force Potency (Recklessness), Telekinetic Throw (Lighiting Strik) (until range is closed), Spinning Kick (Spike) and Force Lift (Whirlwind) Usage: This is a long one but it’s designed to keep a melee target at bay. If they close range immediately punt them back, pop Force Potency to get a near auto critical and start throwing pebbles at them with Telekinetic Throw; this will slow down their approach. Once they are in range, knock them down, and depending on their Resolve, Force Lift them for eight seconds to call reinforcements or grab a health pack.

DoT to Death

Abilities: Spinning Kick (Spike), Force Slow, Force Stun (Jolt), Mind Crush (Crushing Darkness) Usage: Assuming the target has zero resolve, use this combo to put a lot of DoTs on a target. Then go into the normal rotation for more damage when they come out of the stun.

Rotations

I’m not big on "rotations", or a set way of attacking an opponent. If you look above, the Combos section is full of useful ways to attack in a variety of settings. With that said, a basic understanding of when and why to attack is necessary for this guide. Single Target When fighting a single opponent, the idea is to do damage without taking any. Sound simple? If attacking a melee target, use long range abilities; if ranged, pull closer to do damage. The following assumes that you are attacking a medium-ranged target and does not include CCs, as they are situation-dependent.
  • Force in Balance (Death Field) – Great ranged ability that I use to start a fight and close the distance.
  • Project (Shock) – The biggest attack we have without a proc.
  • Double Strike (Thrash) (waiting for Project proc or Shadow Strike proc) – Use for decent sustained damage, to regenerate some Force, and wait for one of two procs.
  • Either Project (Shock) or Shadow Strike (Maul) based on proc – Big hit time, either an auto-crit Project or a Shadow Strike in the back. You’ll most likely have enemy running away at this time.
  • Force Slow – This ability slows their escape and allows me the speed required to catch them for a finishing blow or more damage.
  • Force Potency (Recklessness) – This generates higher crit and most importantly increases the range of your throw to 30 meters.
  • Telekinetic Throw (Lighting Strike) – The finisher. Even if they are trying to get away, you have 30 meters to damage them, and if they get too far, just Force Pull and kill.
AoE
  • Force Potency (Recklessness) and Battle Readiness ((Overcharge Saber) – Will generate a near auto-crit and two big AoE burst damage.
    • If you’re in a group you should always be using Taunts/AoE Taunt because they're off the global cooldown, meaning you can use them in conjunction with another ability.
  • FiB (Death Field) – Mega damage, but make sure you place it near three targets for maximum effectiveness.
  • Force Breach (Lighting Charge) – If it crits on five targets, this ability can do nearly 6K damage and lowers accuracy on five targets!
  • Force Wave (Overload) – Usually this does decent damage and people are usually casting abilities, so why not interrupt them?
  • Back to single target. At this point I can usually pick up their healer or go rescue mine. The important part is that you’re rotating between targets, using FiB (Death Field) and Force Breach (Lighting Charge) whenever possible along with constantly using taunts to reduce damage.

Stat Priority

Expertise > Endurance > Willpower > Critical Chance 25% (buffed) > Surge (75%) > Accuracy (200 points) > Power First thing that stands out is that Expertise and Endurance are the cornerstones of this build. Expertise does not have diminishing returns for damage reduction (or they're very small), though it does for damage output.  Moreover, your nemesis will be smash-happy Juggernauts that can still do 5K critical hits. So maximizing damage reduction and Endurance is key. Another thing that stands out is why I haven’t put defense or shield stats in my build. These stats are for the most part broken in PvP. I've seen builds with heavy defense and shield get melted down because they couldn't kill anything. PvP is about balance, and doing damage along with taking it is a major part. This build is about survivability while still putting out damage. Next thing one may notice is a low critical rating. This build is designed for some guaranteed critical hits (Particle Acceleration), increased critical hits (Force Synergy), and nearly guaranteed critical hits (Force Potency). Keeping it low and managing abilities allows for more Power and thus bigger hits. Lastly is the misunderstood concept of Accuracy.  This is a very important stat because everyone has a base defense of 5%. Most DPS classes use 150 points of accuracy just to reach this baseline number. Anything higher than this has a chance at penetrating armor, thus giving bigger hits. Given that it's very easy to get to 75% Surge, with any more than that wasted, getting 50 points in Accuracy instead is a wise choice.

Item Modification

Below is a sample itemized list of items you will need to maximize the build. Assuming you have collected all the Datacrons, are using an Exotech Fortitude Stim, and have all the buffs, this will put you at 24,000 hit points, 1390 Expertise, and 500 melee bonus damage. This blended stat distribution will have a near-perfect balance of survivability and damage. For those of you familiar with Ask Mr Robot, here is a sample build with my suggested spec and gear: Deltia ranked tank. Also of note, I use the item set bonuses from the tanking pieces, giving you added incentive to guard a target because it grants a 5% bonus to your damage. Did you know you can guard an NPC at the start of the match for this bonus? Try it the next time you play Civil War if you’re going to guard a node. Main-hand– (61) War Hero (WH) Stalker's Saberstaff
  • Expertise Crystal
  • Shroud hilt
  • Mettle 26A mod
  • Initiative enhancement
  • Fortitude augment
Off-hand – (61) WH Survivor’s Shield Gen
  • Expertise Crystal
  • Shrouded 27 armoring
  • Mettle 26A mod
  • Acute enhancement
  • Fortitude augment
Head – (61) War Hero Survivor’s Headgear
  • Survivor armoring
  • Mettle 26A mod
  • Efficient enhancement
  • Fortitude augment
Chest – (61) War Hero Stalker's Robe
  • Shrouded 27 armoring
  • Mettle 26A mod
  • Efficient enhancement
  • Fortitude augment
Glove – (61) War Hero Stalker's Handwraps
  • Survivor armoring
  • Mettle 26A mod
  • Efficient enhancement
  • Fortitude augment
Belt – (63) EWH Force-Mystic's Sash
  • Shrouded 27 armoring
  • Mettle 26A mod
  • Fortitude augment
Wrist – (63) Elite War Hero Stalker's Bracers
  • Shrouded 27 armoring
  • Mettle 26A mod
  • Fortitude augment
Leg - (61)War Hero Survivor's Legwraps
  • Survivor armoring
  • Mettle 26A mod
  • Efficient enhancement
  • Fortitude augment
Feet – (61) War Hero Survivor's Boots
  • Survivor armoring
  • Mettle 26A mod
  • Efficient enhancement
  • Fortitude augment
Ear – (61) Force Lords
  • Fortitude augment
Implants – (61) War Hero Striker's MK-1 Motivator x2
  • Fortitude augment
Relics – (61) War Hero Relic of Boundless Ages x2
  • Fortitude augment

Summary

Armorings needed:
  • Survivor armor bonus x4
  • Shrouded 27 armoring x4
Mods needed:
  • Mettle 26A x9
Enhancements needed:
  • Initiative x1
  • Efficient x5
  • Acute x1
Color Crystals needed:
  • Expertise x2
Augments needed
  • Fortitude x14

Tips and Tricks

  • Use Taunts/AoE Taunt whenever they're off cooldown (assuming you’re not alone).
  • Always interrupt healers casting long heals. If your interrupt is on cooldown, use a punt, a stun, use something to stop them; yes, be that guy!
  • Use stims, warzone medpacs, warzone adrenals, v-1 seismic grenades, anything that can help the battle!
  • Play every class in the game. It takes a lot of time, but makes you such a well-rounded player when you know why someone is doing what they’re doing.
  • Gear means nothing without skill; gear is meant to augment your skill, not dominate it. If you’re not doing well, watch some videos on YouTube or contact me. The gear gap has significantly closed in SWTOR.
  • Learn from the best. In one match I faced an Assassin who utterly destroyed me. He controlled me, did tons of damage, and out-dueled me, no problem. I didn't cry about it; instead, I immediately logged over to my Sith character and asked him how he did it.  Most great players aren't afraid to share their secrets. Having all the stats/gear/knowledge means nothing if you can’t execute.
  • Understand your stuns and manage Resolve. Don’t use your Force Stun off the bat, it generates too much resolve.
  • Enable your Resolve bar on your User Interface setting.

Resources

  1. http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=494097
  2. http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=588963
  3. http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=427933
  4. http://www.noxxic.com/swtor/pvp/jedi-consular/jedi-shadow/kinetic-combat
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OotiniCast Episode 65

Posted on by February 7, 2013
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In the lull before Game Update 1.7 appears on the PTS, we discuss the newly revealed details about the upcoming reputation system, and an interview with PvP designer Rob Hinkle.

1. Introduction

2. Trivia Question

The original trilogy boasts some great old-time actors, including Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing among them.  Using IMDB, answer the following two questions:

  1. What actor with a speaking role of the original trilogy has the earliest acting credit?
  2. What actor with a speaking role of the original trilogy has the most acting credits?
I hope I've done enough research to properly identify the correct answers, but will of course check on any new answers that come in. Hint: Alec Guinness does not have the earliest acting credit. If you are interested in being entered in the random drawing for a Tauntaun Fawn code, please send your answer to ootinicast@gmail.com.

3. The Holofeed

4. Community News

Chong has created a machinima dance video that is well worth watching. Impressive work! We'd like to introduce Jacob Hausman, who has posted his first article: "Enduring Shadow, the PvP Tank Guide". It provides a thorough overview of PvP tanking on either a Sith Assassin or Jedi Shadow, with plenty of useful tips and tricks to help one do better in warzones.

5. Force Feedback

We'd like to sincerely thank the inimitable @ForceChuckle for his most generous donation. We discuss tweets from @ForceChuckle, @GregCarter78, @rbleamon (Ray Leamon), @bytorsnowdog (Snowy), @JediKrackr, @TheTurg, @markthetwit (Mark Power), @obtuseViolator, @MikeG, @StoleTarts, @Telenroidswtor, @Ryan_B1313 (Ryan Barth), @voyak, @DarthBaphomett, @braggge (Lanier), @HolyCrapItsLate, @ruleoftwocast (Rule of Two Podcast) and @Geldarion, and Facebook comments from Eli Ejb and Jeremiah V. @GregCarter78 provided evidence that the security chests in Outlaw's Den really do exist: Outlaws Den chest @EmpireDivider (Chong) sent us this screenshot of a glitch in Void Star, that appears to grant him the power of flight (or at least levitation): Levitation bug   He also participated in a flawless victory in Ancient Hypergate (level 50): Chongs flawless victory   @StoleTarts (Megan) mentioned that the food buffs available from Cantina vendors can make leveling a little bit easier: Stole tip - food buffs @HolyCrapItsLate mentioned that on SWTOR's Facebook page, a couple of pictures of (presumably) Game Update 1.7 armor had been posted: New armor 2New armor 1   The interview with Cory Butler from just over a year ago, in which he answered a question about our starships being used as customisable housing, can be found here. You can catch @Geldarion on the second episode of TORWars TV.

6. Outro

Thanks to Redna (@RystoJ) and Hyp (@Hypknotoad) for joining us this week. Redna also invites players on The Bastion to /cjoin cpunks and/or to friend his characters Numa and Rysto. Information about our guilds on The Harbinger, Ootini Knights (Republic) and Ootini Rage (Empire), can be found here. You can email questions and comments about the show to ootinicast@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter via @OotiniCast. Check out our website, ootinicast.com, which has links to our presence on Google+ and Facebook. We are a proud member of the TOR Syndicate! You can subscribe to us on iTunes and Zune, and listen to us on Stitcher and Radio Paragon.
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OotiniCast Episode 64

Posted on by February 1, 2013
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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After discussing some SWTOR news, we dive into Redna's second theorycrafting discussion, this time covering how to balance the defensive stats utilised by the three tanking ACs.

1. Introduction

Hyp shares a couple of memorable pictures of his characters:
Baldy on Quesh

Baldy taking the elevator down on Quesh

Pearlneck looking a little the worse for wear

Pearlneck looking a little the worse for wear

Teo discovered that the PTS Character Copy has been updated to support having more than 12 characters on a server: PTS character copy for more than 12 toons

2. Trivia Question

The original trilogy boasts some great old-time actors, including Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing among them.  Using IMDB, answer the following two questions:

  1. What actor with a speaking role of the original trilogy has the earliest acting credit?
  2. What actor with a speaking role of the original trilogy has the most acting credits?
I hope I've done enough research to properly identify the correct answers, but will of course check on any new answers that come in. If you are interested in being entered in the random drawing for a Tauntaun Fawn code, please send your answer to ootinicast@gmail.com.

3. The Holofeed

Extra content and free-to-play contributed $185 million, up 50% led by FIFA and Madden Ultimate Team and Star Wars: The Old Republic. These revenues relate to businesses on PC or consoles, where consumers pay for additional digital content—including virtual characters, map packs and micro-transactions associated with browser based games or MMOs—like Star Wars. As a reminder, on November 15 we launched our free-to-play option for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Very early indications have been positive and we are pleased with the initial results but it is too early to know how successful this will be in the long term. … Subscriptions, advertising, and other digital revenue contributed $79 million, growing 18% over the same period last year. The current year includes a full quarter of Star Wars subscriptions, but it was offset by a decline in other licensing digital revenue.
  • Patch 1.6.3a was released on Friday morning, that resolved the newly-introduced bug that was preventing Taral V from being completed.
  • A player prompted BioWare to update the Patch 1.6.3 patch notes to include the fact that it fixed the bug which left the glow from a companion's lightsaber after that companion was dismissed.
  • BioWare confirmed that purchasing account-wide cargo bays and inventory slots will be immediately applied to all existing and new characters, ignoring any level restriction imposed if purchasing them with credits.
  • Many players have discovered that they did not receive their monthly grant of Cartel Coins. BioWare acknowledges that the issue is being investigated, and all affected players should receive their Cartel Coins towards the end of next week (6-8 February).
  • Across several posts (1, 2, 3), BioWare attempted to clarify how the "daily" missions for the heroic (50+) space missions work. The intention appears to be that a new mission (one of six) will become available on each day of the week (except Monday) at 6am CST, but won't be retained in a character's mission log when the next day's mission becomes available. The current schedule is as follows:
    • Tuesday—Far Cradle Strike (Imp)/Regnant Station (Rep)
    • Wednesday—Kabal Station Defense (Imp)/Ardis Outpost Fortification (Rep)
    • Thursday—Kanz Minefield (Imp)/New Covar Ice Field (Rep)
    • Friday—Duma Strike (Imp)/Baros Ambush (Rep)
    • Saturday—Lorta Escort (Imp)/Hypori Escort (Rep)
    • Sunday—Cha Raaba Assault (Imp)/Thanium Disruption (Rep)
    • Sunday—Operation Foe Smasher (Imp) Operation Clean Sweep (Rep)
  • Damion Schubert gave some insight into the amount of effort required to add non-human playable species.

4. Force Feedback

Chong's second article Metal Gear: The Old Republic is now available, revealing why so many of the voices heard in SWTOR are familiar to MGS fans. For pet collectors, Dulfy's SWTOR pets guide is exactly what you need! We discuss tweets from @ThePiousPunk, @JediKrackr, @EmpireDivider (Chong), @rbleamon, @DarthKenji, @GregCarter78, @terrencemyers, @masterbearjedi, @Voyak, @weihanthekidsun, @Evarwyn, @JaeOnasi, @RadioParagon and @Telenroidswtor (Telenroid), a comment on episode 62 from Deavante, and Facebook comments from Eli Ejb and Mark E. Voyak found us the breadcrumb mission that starts the chain that takes players through the Boarding Party and The Foundry Flashpoints, picked up from the R2 unit as shown on the map (located at 4577, 4692) and screenshot he provided: Voyak map to Boarding Party and Foundry quests The discussion started by Chill was based on his worn out keyboard: Chills keyboardWe'd like to shout out to Telenroid's guild "Blasters and Lightsabers", who are Republic-side on the west coast PvP server, The Bastion. They’re always open to more fun, friendly members on the server. Anyone in the guild can invite. They’re in the process of filling out extra raid groups, finding it hardest to find healers so far though. They've got Explosive Conflict hard mode on farm, and are gearing up to knock out Terror From Beyond (so far just 1 boss in). There's also the guild KRATH, on the Empire side of the Ebon Hawk server. They're all about light roleplaying, warzones and community. If you're interested, contact "Hydras". You can find them on Twitter via @krathcult. Our guildmate Kuze emailed in the following sceenshot of the UI he uses for healing our raid group: Kuze's Healing UI   He also provided the following showing that not all the water in SWTOR is ankle deep! Ankle Deep Finally, Kuze also showed that the class buffs do not affect a character's main stat any more than it does Power: Kuze power vs main stat

5. Sarlacc Digest

Redna led our discussion this week, in which we covered the stats affecting damage mitigation and avoidance. The following are the graphs and table that Redna talks to: Redna - Armor

Redna - Tank stats

Redna - table6. Outro

Thanks to Redna (@RystoJ) and Hyp (@Hypknotoad) for joining us this week. You can email questions and comments about the show to ootinicast@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter via @OotiniCast. Check out our website, ootinicast.com, which has links to our presence on Google+ and Facebook. We are a proud member of the TOR Syndicate! You can subscribe to us on iTunes and Zune, and listen to us on Stitcher and Radio Paragon.
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Metal Gear: The Old Republic

Posted on by January 31, 2013
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The year was 1998, Christmas day; I was seventeen. My parents gifted me with a few games, per my request, for Christmas. One of them would go on to be one of the most influential video games of my life:  Metal Gear Solid (MGS) for the original Playstation. For the younger reader, back then was what I would call ‘The Age of Consoles’. At seventeen I was more enthralled by story, and less so with maniacal button mashing. I wouldn’t give credit to MGS for that transition; that path was laid by Final Fantasy VII. Nevertheless, MGS became the game that I would later use to judge all other games by. Playstation had just released controllers with the ability to vibrate. This is how far we have come in fifteen years. Metal Gear Solid exploited the vibration ability before most games, though this is not why this game imprinted on me. Other than the novel vibration on the controller, the game had another feature that applies to this article. MGS was fully voiced by amazing actors. This made it a clear leader in storytelling back in 1998. In contrast with the other biggest game of that year, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, MGS was clearly many years more advanced. The recent discussion on OotiniCast podcasts about voice actors in Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) inspired me to write about MGS, and its connection to SWTOR. I knew one voice had returned from my beloved teen gaming years as the male Jedi Knight class voice. This was the most important voice to me and the main character in MGS, Solid Snake a.k.a. David, voiced by the very talented actor, writer and soon-to-be-director, David Hayter.
  • David Hayter: Solid Snake (MGS) & male Jedi Knight class (SWTOR)
Solid Snake and JK
  • Jennifer Hale: Dr. Naomi Hunter (MGS) & Satele Shan, female Trooper class (SWTOR)
Snipe Wolf and Kaliyo Djannis
  •  Tasia Valenza: Snipe Wolf (MGS) & Kaliyo Djannis (SWTOR)
Cam Clarke and Tai Cordan
  • Cam Clarke: Liquid Snake (MGS) & Tai Cordan (SWTOR) [also Malygos (WoW)]
  • Paul Eiding: Roy Campbell (MGS) & credited with many roles in SWTOR
  • Peter Lurie: Vulcan Raven (MGS) & credited with many roles in SWTOR
  • William Bassett: Jim Houseman (MGS) & credited with many roles in SWTOR
The many connections lead me to believe that BioWare and EA did a really thorough job looking for talented voice actors. In my opinion, SWTOR is the apex of voice acting and storytelling in video games. I do hope that the rest of the voice actors from MGS eventually find their way into SWTOR.
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