There's a huge difference between a 50 in normal gear(or 49 or whatever level under) and a 50 in PvP gear. Even if a team has a bunch of 40s, it's nothing compared to having a couple of geared 50s. You either don't have PvP gear, or you believe that it's only your superior skill that makes everyone else hit you like wet noodles while you tear them apart. Sure 40s are still going to have an advantage over 20s, but at it's way less than 50s because on top of the talent and skill advantage, 50s also get a gear advantage which is extremly big(~15% more dmg/less dmg taken/more healing done and 25-30% more health).

It's the same for every class really, most of the time the endurance heavy mods/armor/hilts/barrels are higher level than the main stat ones. Hell sometimes they don't even have a main stat one. For example I think it was Hoth or Voss that didn't even have the Aim oriented mods, just the Commando ones that have more endurance than aim. Not much to do about it, whoever itemized the vendors probably did it quickly and so there's a lot of mistakes, or it's intended.

Yeah as I said in the edit I found it, and it is Aspiring Knight.

As the title says, looking for a moddable version(orange). Don't care if different colors just interested in the model itself. http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/4810/swtor2012011408244081.jpg http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/7450/swtor2012011408244497.jpg Don't really like the whole cape/cloak thing but this one I like, sadly it's a very low lvl green. I know The Esseles doesn't drop it(the medium chest there is a robe), I'm thinking maybe Hammer Station or an heroic quest even though from what I've checked on torhead and such, this wasn't the case. Also the name of this is Echani Wraidskin Chestguard. Edit: Nvm found it, it can be crafted.

As a combat medic I haven't found a use for a tank companion besides soloing champions, kill stuff much faster with a DPS one and you don't need to have someone tank for you because you can heal and have heavy armor. Some very rare elites can be troublesome, but a bit of kiting and it was fine.

No, mostly because of the same issues he has when tanking, he's ranged with a lot of pbae, and he doesn't have a charge, so he only hits one mob at a time(unless you rush into packs so he's closer and even that doesn't work all the time). If you want a DPS companion you have to use Jorgan or Yuun, and potentially Tanno Vik in DPS stance but imo he pales in comparison to the 2 others. Yuun is awesome too because he applies a bleed which lets you use High Impact Bolt all the time.

There's half a billion of Mercenary videos of Gunnery mirror, just look for Arsenal specs. It's fairly boring to watch in my opinion but you can see how it plays and the kind of dmg it does.

Have done all 4mans up to Tatooine, mostly with 1 or 2 other people(so not full groups) and rarely dedicated tanks, worked np. I'm a healer though, and that helps a lot. Can duo them easily and can solo SOME of them too as a commando. Hardest group quest yet has been a 2man heroic, on Taris with crazy OP rakghouls, they were tearing people apart and I had a hard time healing, even though it was half silver half elite packs and stuff. Ridiculously hard for a 2man.