Aelanis Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Well, i will follow your guidance on that. I also read some posts about dps difference between serenity and infiltration, as serenity is DoT, so i m 99% to choose serenity right now. I think serenity don't have that "burst over time depth" , and of course the dps numbers are way bigger than infiltration.... More like marginally. When you play both specs at the top level you can play them at, the damage difference between your parses will be less than 4%. If the 3.1.2 proposed changes go through, it'll drop to about 2%. It's not a huge damage difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sotmax Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 More like marginally. When you play both specs at the top level you can play them at, the damage difference between your parses will be less than 4%. If the 3.1.2 proposed changes go through, it'll drop to about 2%. It's not a huge damage difference. Those are very good news. As i respect serenity AoE, Dot and generally dps numbers (slightly higher as you said but yet higher), i really prefer infiltration play style, as i'm struggling to get used to serenity play style. Hope that tiny 2% will stay tiny and not a huge difference from the dps numbers side of view..... Really thank you for your help... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sotmax Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Wow...i just have a look at 3.1.2 notes. They really sit serenity down a little i think(still powerful but kinda reduced). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evolixe Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Wow...i just have a look at 3.1.2 notes. They really sit serenity down a little i think(still powerful but kinda reduced). Not really, it hits PvE a lot harder than PvP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invertioN Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 (edited) More like marginally. When you play both specs at the top level you can play them at, the damage difference between your parses will be less than 4%. If the 3.1.2 proposed changes go through, it'll drop to about 2%. It's not a huge damage difference. This is a pve focused post. When I read posts about this I feel like I live in a different world. Infiltration is sooooooooooooooooooo terrible that I want to cut myself over and over and over every time I try to parse in it. It needs like 100% crit on force breach to be competitive with Serenity on any boss tbh. The opener is fine but then it's just poop poop poop poop, don't crit a few times in a row and you are at literally 400 dps below what u would be in Serenity until you get some cooldowns up or until 30%. The only excuse for anyone to play this disaster is when mechanics demand it or you are a huge fan of the spec. That's just my experience and opinion, but if anyone wants to get the maximum out of the class then go Serenity 99% of the time. Edited March 4, 2015 by invertioN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evolixe Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Nah I agree with you. Infiltration doesnt come anywhere close to Serenity even for me. And I'm leaps and bounds better at Infi than Serenity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelanis Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 This is a pve focused post. When I read posts about this I feel like I live in a different world. Infiltration is sooooooooooooooooooo terrible that I want to cut myself over and over and over every time I try to parse in it. It needs like 100% crit on force breach to be competitive with Serenity on any boss tbh. The opener is fine but then it's just poop poop poop poop, don't crit a few times in a row and you are at literally 400 dps below what u would be in Serenity until you get some cooldowns up or until 30%. The only excuse for anyone to play this disaster is when mechanics demand it or you are a huge fan of the spec. That's just my experience and opinion, but if anyone wants to get the maximum out of the class then go Serenity 99% of the time. Maybe you just aren't running enough crit. You need a good chunk more in Deception than in Hatred. Only Assassin to yet clear HM Revan as a DPS did it in Deception, which means they broke 4.3k (more?) DPS in the burn phase losing 8 of every 60 seconds. It's not in a bad place for PvE, but if you gear for 0 crit, yes, your sustained will suck Also, being 400 dps behind a sustained spec shortly before your burst cooldowns come back up is actually completely normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jemkeldromm Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Ok so crit is the most important stat to have in gear for a shadow dps? currently using the Yavin 4 gear with a Masassi head piece and got told I need better gear to dps for ravegers. Any suggestions would be appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelanis Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Ok so crit is the most important stat to have in gear for a shadow dps? currently using the Yavin 4 gear with a Masassi head piece and got told I need better gear to dps for ravegers. Any suggestions would be appreciated You don't need better gear. Old 180 coms gear is enough to meet the DPS checks in Ravagers, having the gear just helps you out if you're not playing well. Crit isn't the most important stat, not by far, though. It's a balance, and it typically goes to WIllpower or Power. Neither Discipline wants a huge amount of critical rating, actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madistein Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 wait, I have been told over and over that deception and hatred do not need to worry about accuracy for pvp....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundragon Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 (edited) Yes, I just hit level 60 today on my Hatred Assassin, and after asking several times in PvP chat without an answer, I asked in general chat and was told by many people that I did not need Accuracy for PvP, that I should instead focus on Willpower and other issues (perhaps alacrity or fortitude depending upon my final desired stats). I'd love to get some advice on where I should focus my stats for my new Hatred Assassin. As in, what is a good "crit %" and should I have X% in Alacrity bonus, etc. Any advice/input would be appreciated. Again, this is only a PvP gear question. I see the OP is fully detailed on PvE gearing. Edited August 4, 2015 by Sundragon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sotmax Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 (edited) Yes, I just hit level 60 today on my Hatred Assassin, and after asking several times in PvP chat without an answer, I asked in general chat and was told by many people that I did not need Accuracy for PvP, that I should instead focus on Willpower and other issues (perhaps alacrity or fortitude depending upon my final desired stats). I'd love to get some advice on where I should focus my stats for my new Hatred Assassin. As in, what is a good "crit %" and should I have X% in Alacrity bonus, etc. Any advice/input would be appreciated. Again, this is only a PvP gear question. I see the OP is fully detailed on PvE gearing. I strongly think that accuracy is the first that you have to cap in any class except healers where crit is more important. Getting your accuracy to 95/105(pvp) , 100/110(pve) , is a must target to achieve. No matter what telling you less accuracy than normal will guide to many misses inside wz's(both force and melee attacks) causing your dps to decrease. Edited August 4, 2015 by Sotmax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundragon Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 I strongly think that accuracy is the first that you have to cap in any class except healers where crit is more important. Getting your accuracy to 95/105(pvp) , 100/110(pve) , is a must target to achieve. No matter what telling you less accuracy than normal will guide to many misses inside wz's(both force and melee attacks) causing your dps to decrease. Well, without really focusing on Accuracy augments or whatever you can get the 95/105 PvP level with the basic Dark Reaver set. Hence, in a way, you answered that question about Accuracy not being important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinre_the_Jedi Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 Well, without really focusing on Accuracy augments or whatever you can get the 95/105 PvP level with the basic Dark Reaver set. Hence, in a way, you answered that question about Accuracy not being important. Check out the guide in my signature for a detailed breakdown of mods and enhancements for min maxing all 3 shadow specs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBZSSTrunks Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 I definitely need new gear! Ever since I came back, my current gear just isn't cutting it anymore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kazz_Devlin Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 (New) 1/26/2015: PvP Update This update points the scope mainly at Ranked PvP \\ Gearing & Stats Priority Accuracy is mandatory as this spec more than the others since it has more emphasis on melee attacks than the other specs without the tank accuracy benefits. You'll need at least 95% / 105% (Force) as this spec.23 - 25% Critical Strike Rating.Absolutely no AlacrityMust at least hit 75% SurgeRest in PowerPower / Main Stat RelicsResolve Augments (Makes it easier to hit the necessary crit without sacrificing enhancements / mods) Refer to this thread for feedback on the spec. \\ Gearing & Stats Priority Accuracy is important, but unlike Deception you can get away with some missed hits. Roughly 94 - 95% would be all that is needed.22 - 24% Critical Strike Rating.2-3% Alacrity68-70% SurgeRest in PowerPower / Main Stat RelicsResolve Augments (Makes it easier to hit the necessary crit without sacrificing enhancements / mods) Refer to this thread for feedback on the spec. \\ Gearing & Stats Priority Accuracy is not mandatory as this spec since it receives the accuracy tank bonus. It is not recommend to use any accuracy pieces for this spec.Absolutely no CritAbsolutely no AlacrityMust at least hit 75% SurgeAll in Power (Due to Auto-Crits and the high uptime on Shock, Darkness' burst potential benefits greatly from stacking as much Power / Surge as possible)Power / Main Stat RelicsRequires A Shield instead of a Power GeneratorResolve Augments (Makes it easier to hit the necessary crit without sacrificing enhancements / mods) or Power Augments for the all-burst styleNote that in 3.1, Alacrity may become more important due to Discharge changes. Refer to this thread for feedback on the spec. 2015 Update Credit to Exilove for Deception / Infiltration and Aelanis for Hatred / Serenity updates Disclaimer The following information below is geared toward maximum PvE output. Deception / Infiltration Gearing & Stats Priority Must Have Accuracy: As close to 759 accuracy rating as possible.0 Alacrity68-77% Surge180-220 Critical Rating (Got less attractive, not sure about the values)All other secondary stats in PowerMust Have Augments: Willpower (Resolve)Relics: Serendipitous Assault & Focused RetributionAlternate Relic: Boundless AgesSet bonus: 6 piece Stalker’sSurging Charge Gearing Overview Reaching the Accuracy cap should be your highest priorityAt this point in time Alacrity is not advised until you start hitting massive Surge Diminishing Returns (over 74%, which you won’t reach for a while with the accuracy requirement). It doesn’t reduce the cooldown of your Force Cloak and therefore completely mucks up your Recklessness/Blackout synergy.Crit rating isn’t that amazing anymore, I’m unsure of the exact values that would be wishful. But I’d personally stay around the ~180-220 crit rating right now.Choice of relics should be made on a fight-to-fight basis. Serendipitous Assault and Focused Retribution will give you a greater overall damage increase, while Boundless Ages will allow you to focus your burst into a short window for fights with tight burn phasesGetting your set bonus as quickly as possible is highly recommended. It will increase your dps substantially enough that having lower item level armorings with the set bonus is still a better option than higher item level armorings without it. Hatred / Serenity Gearing & Stats Priority Must Have Accuracy: As close to 759 accuracy rating as possible.1.5-3.1% Alacrity (111 to 240 Rating)64-69% Surge (222 to 360 Rating)150-250 Critical Rating (156 in Resurrected, 252 in Revanite)All other secondary stats in PowerMust Have Augments: Willpower (Resolve)Relics: Serendipitous Assault & Focused RetributionAlternate Relic: Boundless AgesSet bonus: 6 piece new Stalker’sLightning Charge Gearing Overview Reaching the Accuracy cap should be your highest priorityDue to nasty diminishing returns beyond the first 250 points of Surge, Alacrity is going to be very important in 3.0, especially since it makes your periodic effects tick through faster. The split will likely end up being a 3:2 Surge:Alacrity ratio through most of 3.X, though current Best in Slot looks like a 2:2 ratio for 192 and 198 gear levels.Critical rating fell vastly in usefulness in 3.0. Thrash is down 20% of its old Surge boost, our periodic effects and Death Field, though we picked up 30% on Assassinate. A smaller portion of our overall damage now has a Surge boost, but that doesn’t make the stat obsolete.Choice of relics should be made on a fight-to-fight basis. Serendipitous Assault and Focused Retribution will give you a greater overall damage increase, while Boundless Ages will allow you to focus your burst into a short window for fights with tight burn phasesGetting your set bonus as quickly as possible is highly recommended. It will increase your DPS substantially enough that having lower item level armorings with the set bonus is still a better option than higher item level armorings without it.Despite the old 4 piece giving a substantial boost to the critical chance of a move used quite often, it is not as valuable, even with the new 2 piece, as the full new set bonus. You can PM Aelanis on the forums for these calculations. 2014 Guides PvE Deception / Infiltration Update - 3/29/2014 Credit to IInox for the update to this section. Please click here for the google drive version. Build & Bonus Set Lvl 50 Tionese/Columi/Rakata Stalker's set Lvl 50 Black Hole/Campaing/Dread Guard Striker's set Lvl 55 Arkanian/Underworld/Kell Dragon/Dread Forged/Dread Master Stalker's set Bonus sets are (2) Saber Strike hits restore 1 Force. (4) Increases the critical chance of Thrash and Voltaic Slash or Double Strike and Clairvoyant Strike by 15%. Nothing special to discuss here, second bonus set is good cause it gives +15% to our spam skill (~20% of dmg) Relics 1 AutoProc Power Relic 1 AutoProc PriStat Relic More information here:http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=648556 Stats Full Dread Master 81 Augments: 13x Willpower / 1x Accuracy rating Stat | Rating Value | Percentage Value Accuracy: 440 | 100,07% Critical Rating: 525 | 29.72% Surge Rating: 612 | 75.6% Alacrity: 0 | 0 Power: A lot I found how DPS changes with crit rating and 521crit rating is the theorycal (and average) BiS crit. Btw there is the usual range of crit rating where DeltaDPS<1, between 521 +/- (~70) crit. As you can see crit rating is higher than BiS 78 because surge rating is higher, so crits are more important. Another thing is using full willpower augments with 510accuracy rating (5enhs/implants) is a DPS loss of ~2.5 so just use 408accuracy rating plus 1x accuracy augment. (Here is higher benefit because our main stat is going to be really high and crit'DR from its is higher Full Dread Forged 78 Stat | Rating Value | Percentage Value Accuracy: 470 | 100,43% Critical Rating: 441 | 28,12% Surge Rating: 470 | 72,96% Alacrity: 0 | 0 Power: A lot Using Ino's spreadsheet I found a range of crit rating between 441 - 482 that the DeltaDPS < 1 so I chose the 441 to be ""more safe"" (I mean power is ""sure"" boost). When 78 came out my first BiS was about swapping 2x mr augm into 2x accuracy to use 1 more surge enh but Ino's simulator showed it wasn't the best solution and I drop it but recently MrKnightraider is playing with the same set up and is having good result but Oofalong's simulator still shows a dps loss (at least, generally) the difference is really low and it's difficult to prove which one is the best set up, damn RNG! Full Kell Dragon 75 Stat | Rating Value | Percentage Value Accuracy: 430 | 99,95% Critical Rating: 441 | 27,84% Surge Rating: 430 | 72,01% Alacrity: 0 |1 0 Power: A lot Full Underworld 72 Stat | Rating Value | Percentage Value Accuracy: 395 | ~99,50% Critical Rating: 399 | ~25/26% Surge Rating: 395 | ~71% Alacrity: 0 | 0 Power: A lot Augments: Willpower Skills Shadow Strike/Maul This is the best damage dealer we have (high damage for just 12.5Force) and it must be used with Infiltration Tactics/Duplicity that reduces its cost by 75%. Spinning Strike/Assassinate This is our "Finisher" and it can be used with <=30% target's health, must be used at CD if possible. Project/Shock One of the two semi-ranged (10m) istant skill that we can use, decent damage and must be used at CD with 2 stacks of Circling Shadow/Induction to reduce its cost by 50%)and 2 stacks of Clairvoyant/Voltage to grants at 100% 1 stack of Breaching Shadows/Static Charge. Force Breach/Discharge A non CD istant skill that can be used with 1+ stacks of Breaching Shadows/Static Charge, it must be used with 3 stacks to maximize dps and reduce its total fight cost, also the damage increase linearly with stacks so we have a tripled damage. Clairvoyant Strike/Voltaic Slash This is our spammable skill that builds Clairvoyant/Voltage and Circling Shadow/Induction for Project/Shock. Spinning Kick/Spike Our opener from stealth that ensures Infiltration Tactics/Duplicity. Damage CDs Battle Readiness/Overcharge Saber A CD that improves our technique's procs (damage and %proc) and heals us for 15% of MaxHealth. Force Potency/Recklessness A CD that increase the critical chance of next Project/SHock and/or Force Breach/Discharge. Force Cloak When used, resets CD of Blackout, so gives more sustain at our burst damage phase. Blackout It gives us istant 15Force and they proc Shadow's Respite/dark Embrace that gives +50% Force regen for 6seconds. Tools Mind Snap/Jolt - 10m 12s Interrupts casts/channels. Phase Walk - 60m 45s Our teleport and gap closer. Defensive Abilities Resilience/Force Shroud Removes all hostile removable effects and increases our chance to resist Force and tech attacks by 100% for 3 seconds. Deflection Increases our ranged and melee defenses by 50% for 12 seconds. Force of Will/Unbreakable Will It immediately frees us of all incapacitating and movement-impairing effects. Rotation: Opening Sequence There are 2 openers viable, one opens with Spinning Kick/Spike other one is the classic opener that opens with Force Breach/Discharge. The First one was suggested by Aranelde (I can wrong cause I don't remember, when mmo.mechanics is up I'll check it) at first look it's nice (I still use it) because it gives us one more Shadow Strike/Maul under Adrenal/Relic's buff but it can overcap more force than classic opener. These two openers give pretty the same burst (Classic one is more ""solid""), it's difficult to check cause of our RGN dipendence, use what you like/prefer. I will show just the Spike Opener because the classic one follows the priority list that I will show on sustained rotation. Time Condition (If) | Skills 0s - Stealthed Spinning Kick/Spike 0s<1.5s - Relic, Adrenal, Battle Readiness/Overcharge Saber 1.5s - Shadow Strike/Maul 3s Infiltration Tactics/Duplicity up Shadow Strike/Maul * 3s 0 Breaching Shadow/Static Charge Force Potency/Recklessness during GCD then Force Breach/Discharge 3s - Clairvoyant Strike/Voltaic Slash >=4.5s - Follow the Burst Phase priority until you have up your buffs * That second Shadow Strike/Maul (you can think it has 9s of CD) must be used with Force Sinergy/Exploitive Strikes up! I'll show you two different priority lists where the first is used when we have CDs/tools UP to maximize DPS and/or when we are in a phase of fight that needs a DPS focus (example: final phase of Soa on Eternity Vault); otherwise the Sustained Priority is used on each other situations. On both situations you must mantain Clairvoyant/Voltage @2stacks which gives Shock a 100% chance to automatically trigger Breaching Shadow/Surging Charge and bypass its rate limit (=> more force Breach/Discharge per fight). Another important thing is to use Shadow Strike/Maul (always with Infiltration Tactics/Duplicity up) while Force Sinergy/Exploitive Strikes is up (to have more chance to crit it), and it's triggered by Force Critical Hits. Burst Phase Priority Spinning Strike/Assassinate > Shadow Strike/Maul > Project/Shock @2stacks > Force Breach/Discharge @3stacks Clairvoyant Strike/Voltaic Slash to mantain Clairvoyance/Voltage @2stacks which gives Shock a 100% chance to automatically trigger Breaching Shadow/Surging Charge and bypass its rate limit (=> more force Breach/Discharge per fight) If you aren't so close to kill the target use Shadow Strike/Maul with Spinning Strike/Assassinate Force Sinergy/Exploitive Strikes up. Sustained Priority Force Breach/Discharge @3stacks > Project/Shock @2stacks > Spinning Strike/Assassinate > Shadow Strike/Maul Force Breach/Discharge @3stacks > Project/Shock If proc of Shadow's Technique is on CD cause we must no waste any Breaching Shadow/Static Charge => more time to build another 3stacks => DPS loss. Project/Shock @2stacks > Shadow Strike/Maul As above, Shadow Strike/Maul proc Circling Shadow/Induction, if we use Shadow Strike/Maul than Project/Shock we waste 1xCircling Shadow/Induction => +1 Clairvoyant Strike/Voltaic Slash to use => 23Force wasted => DPS loss . Spinning Strike/Assassinate > Shadow Strike/Maul Spinning Strike/Assassinate has 6s of CD and when you have it up and Shadow Strike/Maul 's proc better to use Spinning Strike/Assassinate then Shadow Strike/Maul cause last one doesn't have a real CD (just use it in 9s) To recap, we have 5 big rules to remember: 1. Force Breach/Discharge @3stacks 2. Use Project/Shock @2stacks @CD 3. Use Spinning Strike/Assassinate @CD 4. Shadow Strike just with its proc within 9s 5. Do not lose Clairvoyance/Voltage stacks ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PvP with Semjase - 3/21/2014 An update to the codex that focuses on gearing and combat mastery for the rising PvP Shadow / Assassin. INDEX 0:21 – 2:00: Combat Mastery (Tips, Guide) 2:01 – 4:13: Army of One Sneak Peak Xinika Productions Gearing The eternal path to gearing will live on as long as this game continues. Only the ilvl changes but the names generally remain the same. There are priorities to consider when gearing a Shadow / Assassin. The number one thing is what kind of playstyle do you choose to fit yourself into? Burst-Type Assassins are great at small scale combat since they have the capability to down a target quick due to their high power output. However, they pale in the longrun compared to their DPS-Type counterparts that trade some of that small scale burst for more prolonged encounters on the battlefield. Burst-Type Assassins / Shadows gearing for burst should place their gearing investments into low crit, high power. Crit should not drop lower than 21%. Advanced Aptitude Mods Advanced Adept EnhancementsWillpower AugmentsStalker MK-2 MotivatorForce-Mystic MK-1 RelayRelic of Serendipitous AssaultRelic of Focused Retribution DPS-Type Assassins / Shadows gearing for sustained damage should place their gearing investments into high crit, preferably 25% or higher. Advanced Mettle Mods (BX ver)Advanced Battle EnhancementsWillpower AugmentsStalker MK-1 ChipStalker MK-1 MotivatorRelic of Serendipitous AssaultRelic of Devastating Vengeance Combat Mastery Wisdom for the uprising Shadow / Assassin. Baiting Wait before using abilities such as CrD. Bait the opponent's breaker. Prediction Predictive Shrouds can avoid CC. Always know what your opponents can and cannot do. Cloak + Mass Taunt A useful tactic to get you out of combat without your foes utilizing the chance to heal themselves, thus giving you the advantage to reopen after their defensive cooldowns. Mind Maze into CrD An excellent way to make sure your opponent is locked down without visual sight on you until it's too late, allowing you the kill window. Phase Walk Optimal usage for Phase Walk varies based on the situation. There are times where you can use it to wait out an opponent's offensive / defensive cooldowns, other times to avoid heavy damage. Never be Predictable The one who is flexible will always triumph. You have to be willing to try new tactics, new strategies and face your fears. Versatility There are multiple ways you can open as an Assassin based on the target you are pursuing. The only way to find the right one is to try something until it works. Defensive, Offensively Using your defensive cds such as Shroud or Cloak offensively can catch opponents off guard and pile an enormous amount of damage into them. The next update will focus on PvE gearing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2013 Guides ONE WITH SIN - 8/2/2013 This update focuses on becoming one with your Assassin / Shadow. Becoming ‘one’ with the class is crucial if you are to master it in any form. Whether it’s Warzones, Arena, Open PvP or Duels. The key to success as an Assassin or Shadow is understanding and respecting the class for what it is. INDEX 0:12 – 2:36: Gameplay 2:37 – 3:34: One With Sin (Commentary, Tips, Gameplay) 3:35 – 4:05: Gear (Optimization, Goal, Variations) Xinika Productions SPEC http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/skills/Assassin#200-100221220320112032223-210012223 Playstyle The Shadow / Assassin is a stealth class. By default it has the option to pick its fight(s). This means that one shouldn’t zerg in like some swashbuckler. You need to be wise. Knowing when to attack and when not to would mean victory or defeat. Avoidance This class is strictly based on a spiked measure. It wears light armor. It can be easily destroyed by the player with the incorrect mentality. It is meant to avoid damage, not mitigate it. Mitigation is your absolute last form of defense. Your first form is making sure the enemy’s attack does not connect. Just take a look at some of the abilities Deflection Instant Cooldown: 120s Increases your ranged and melee defenses by 50% for 12 seconds. Requires a melee weapon. Force Shroud / Resilience Instant Cooldown: 60s Removes all hostile removable effects and increases your chance to resist Force and tech attacks by 100% for 3 seconds. Does not break Stealth. Low Slash Instant Force: 30 Cooldown: 15s Range: 4 m Slashes the target low, dealing 1953 - 2082 weapon damage and incapacitating the target for 4 seconds. Damage causes this effect to end prematurely. Requires a double-bladed lightsaber or electrostaff. The theory of this class is based around chances to in-take no damage or shutdown the opponent from outputting their damage. Understanding this theory will drastically improve the way you play this class and set you on course to mastering it. Damage and Tanking This class is not a pure damage dealing or tanking class. This is very important to keep in mind. It has the ability to do spike damage or spike tanking in select situations. There are times when your damage matters, other times when it pales in comparison to what others have to offer. Same applies with tanking. It cannot accurately tank without shutting down something first. Lose the Ego An important feature as a Shadow / Assassin is vital to how others interact with you. Do not be overconfident. If you believe there is a battle you cannot win, then simply step aside. You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone. Your class is based on opportune moments, not honorary gains. Take the chance only if you feel the moment is right. Sooner you realize this, the more versatile you will become. Movement A vital factor of how opponents react to you is your movement. Unbinding the S Key would be a large step in this aspect. You need to slither around corners, move in and out of opponents and frankly annoy them to the point of no return. Remember, you must do damage, but they must not. Note There are abilities to mitigate damage and promote damage (IE: Blackout / Darkswell or Force Recklessness) However, these abilities should be used wisely, not recklessly. This is the least forgiving class. A simple mistake can cost you everything. Be patient, keep a cool head and never get emotional. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PVE ESSENTIALS - 7/23/2013 This section is solely dedicated to PvE only. Here you will find information on gearing, rotation, specs and additional tips. DPS GUIDE DPS-Balance / Madness Spec: 8/2/36 http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/skills/Shadow#3000320-200-1012232211202212230223 http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/skills/assassin#3000320-200-1012232211202212230223 General Rotation: Understanding more behind the Balance Rotation... DPS-Infiltration / Deception Spec: 5/36/5 http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/skills/Shadow#320-10120211220321112232223-203 http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/skills/assassin#320-10120211220321112232223-203 General Rotation: Additional Rotation Information: DPS Stats Armory http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/character/b17b1b77-4ec8-4d9e-866d-16e02394559e Augments / Armoring / Enhancements / Mods / Set Bonus Augments http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/46733/advanced-resolve-augment-28 Armoring http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/46002/advanced-resolve-armoring-31 Enhancements http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/46277/advanced-initiative-enhancement-30 http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/46149/advanced-adept-enhancement-31 Mods http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/45290/advanced-mettle-mod-31 http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/45315/advanced-aptitude-mod-31 Set Bonus http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/48298/underworld-stalkers-robe Crystal http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/13586/advanced-orange-hawkeye-crystal TANK GUIDE TANK-Kinetic Combat / Darkness Spec: 37/5/4 http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#601rsroddfdGbRZcMZbM.3 Variant: 37/5/4 http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/skills/Assassin#1220322123212110223302-203-220 General Rotation: Tips: Mitigation / Stat Distribution: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=616779 - KeyboardNinja In-Depth Tank Essentials: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=659873 - insaneric TANK Stats Armory http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/character/5446d5ae-6482-4c5a-8d78-20cae0ad3f70 Augments / Armoring / Enhancements / Mods / Set Bonus Augments http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/46741/advanced-absorb-augment-28 http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/46735/advanced-redoubt-augment-28 Armoring http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/45976/advanced-force-wielder-armoring-33 Enhancements http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/46414/advanced-bulwark-enhancement-33 http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/46105/advanced-bastion-enhancement-33 Mods http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/45405/advanced-robust-mod-33b http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/45587/advanced-reinforced-mod-33 Set Bonus http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/47247/kell-dragon-survivors-boots Crystal http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/13431/advanced-black-red-indestructible-crystal Additional Shadow Abilities http://www.torhead.com/abilities/advclass/601/class/6/level/1-50 Assassin Abilities http://www.torhead.com/abilities/advclass/200/class/2/level/1-50 Contributors mmerry, insaneric, KeyboardNinja, Kitru, llnox ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHADOW / ASSASSIN ADVANCED PLAY - 6/20/2013 In hopeful cheer of an eventual arena system, this video takes its own stand. Included are some 1vX, 2v2, 3v3 and 2vX battles paired with tips, cliff notes and pointers on why or what to do in select, dynamic situations. This video contains less vanity, but can be very helpful to those learning Assassin / Shadow PvP. Sit back and enjoy! 0:06 - 2:47 - 2v2, 3v3, Cliff Notes. 2:50 - 5:14 - 1v2, 1v1, 2vX, 3vX, Tips, Cliff Notes. SPEC [Deception/Infiltration] http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/skills/Assassin#320-12120221220320112032223-203 Xinika Productions ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHADOW / ASSASSIN CODEX 2.1+ - 5/31/2013 For Tank Shadows / Sins, please refer to Zabuza's collection of Tank wisdom: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?p=5781269 Video: 0:00 - 2:13 : Gameplay 2:13 - 2:20 : Mods, Enhancements, Augments 2:21 - 2:26 : Stats to Aim For 2:27 - 3:13 : Gameplay INTRO Welcome to the new 2.1+ Shadow / Assassin Codex. I’d like to get straight down to business. Topics that will be covered will include the following: - Stats - Gear (Min/Max) - Specs - Notes - Armory STATS Now the stat section of the Assassin / Shadow has been changed not too drastically since the expansion, but enough to make some scratch their heads as to where to go or where not too. Luckily it isn’t as uniform as it was before, but there is a general rule of thumb for each DPS spec. Basically, here are the stats you want to aim for (Assuming, all buffs) 1262-1565 Damage 95 - 97% Accuracy 20 - 23% Crit 72 - 75% Surge 1072 - 1200 Bonus Damage (Force) 2018 Expertise This setup ensures that you have enough burst damage with consistency to follow. I’ve been using this and generally topping charts even sometimes on node defense. It is the perfect balance to hit the smooth spots required. GEAR Next we’re going to cover the gear section. I automatically assume that you will be aiming for full Conqueror gear. If you aren’t, then you should. Now let’s move onto the more important matter pertaining to gear. First, I’d like to show you the difference between geared vs undergeared. (Note: These are averaged values, not direct.) Now let's start with the initial difference. http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/49013/partisan-stalkers-boots vs http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/48997/conqueror-stalkers-boots +8 Armor +9 Endurance +8 Willpower +3 Power +4 Surge Rating For the sake of saving time and making this easier for readers, let's convert the off stats to 1 stat: Off Stats. So basically, we'll combine Surge, Power, or Crit, Alacrity etc. +8 Armor +9 Endurance +8 Main Stat +7 Off Stats Now this is 1 piece of gear, we have a total of 14 pieces to upgrade. So let's multiply these numbers by 14 for the full set. 14x8 = +112 Armor 14x9 = +126 Endurance 14x8 = +112 Main Stat 14x7 = +98 Off Stats Now this is the shift from full Partisan to full Conq. Next, let's calculate the augment (purple) differences. http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/46733/advanced-resolve-augment-28 +20 Endurance +32 Willpower Now, let's multiply this by 14, because we need to augment all our gear. 20x14 = +280 Endurance 32x14 = +448 Main Stat (aka WP for me) Now, let's total it together in order to find true values of geared people, vs entry-geared players. Remember, these values can change based on the player's profession. IE: Tank, more End. +560 Main Stat +406 Endurance +112 Armor +98~200 Off Stat This is example math, but clearly, there is a major difference between entry-geared players, and not-even-optimized-but-geared players. Don’t let anyone fool you, gear makes a tremendous difference. Especially considering the fact that people do not die in one hit, so if you want additional math on the gear, multiply each hit you take to kill someone, times that by your entire team (X DPS on your team) and, in addition, multiple how many heals your healers take to heal you up in how many heals. Then, multiply that by how much absorb/end/mitigation your tanks have (1-2?) and now add that all up in comparison to the enemy team. Additional Non-Average Math [Part v Conq]: Now, let’s focus on optimizing our gear to its full potential. We already know what stats we should aim for, but now, let’s discuss what mods/enh are needed to get there. I automatically assume you will be using Conqueror armoring, so I will not go over that. Prime Mods: http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/45870/advanced-mettle-mod-28x http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/45762/advanced-aptitude-mod-28x Prime Enhancements: http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/46632/advanced-adept-enhancement-28x http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/46597/advanced-battle-enhancement-28x Notice a trend here? There are no high-WP mods. Why? Wait and see. Augments: http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/gear/46733/advanced-resolve-augment-28 And that will be your reason why. All augments should strictly be WP, because this grants you access to be more flexible concerning your mods/enh. High WP-Mods are generalist in nature. They specialize in nothing, and therefore, will make it more strenuous to attain min/maxer stats. SPECS KC/Darkness (Tank DPS): 36/5/5 http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/skills/shadow#1201322123212110223302-203-221 Standard Tank Build designed for use with a generator. Warning, this spec with DPS gear may not be overly efficient for a specialist-based team. Infiltration/Deception (Burst DPS): 7/36/3 http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/skills/Assassin#2000320-12120221220320112032223-3 DPS build with emphasis on heavy burst damage backed with respectable consistency and defensive output. Balance/Madness (DoT DPS): 7/3/36 http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/skills/assassin#2000320-3-1212232211002212230223 DPS build designed for harassment scaled encounters on multiple ranges. NOTES The Shadow / Assassin in 2.0+ so far seem to have a solid spot as a DPS. Particularly, Deception / Infiltration are performing (at last) at a balanced level. Madness / Balance, however, are desperately lagging behind and are in need of some serious revamps. Some changes I’d recommend is to make the tree a lot more tanky. Have it perform similar to that of an Annihilation Marauder. I’ll get into that in more detail for another subject. It should also be noted that Darkness is performing on a solid level, though, lacking the absurd mitigation compared to that of a VG/PT Tank. Overall, I think the state of the class is in a fine chapter. This is one of the better times we’ve had since launch. Let’s enjoy it. ARMORY http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/character/158eee0e-aed4-4bb5-a455-9fadd0b2fe10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why Acc all you do is hurt your DPS output Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evolixe Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 Why Acc all you do is hurt your DPS output Not exactly. It creates a more stable output at the cost of spike damage. It really depends on what you want. I've said it before, I'm not an accuracy person for that reason. Doing max DPS isn't my strafing, doing max burst is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterFeign Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 Not exactly. It creates a more stable output at the cost of spike damage. It really depends on what you want. I've said it before, I'm not an accuracy person for that reason. Doing max DPS isn't my strafing, doing max burst is. And to put it in perspective. The longer the fight, the more useful accuracy becomes. That's why you see people saying to use it for PvE, and not PvP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixSixSvn Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Really need an update for PVE Kinetic for Jedi Shadow. My experience with 4.0 is it's all burst damage: acc -> 110%, alac -> 5% and the rest crit. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelanis Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 Really need an update for PVE Kinetic for Jedi Shadow. My experience with 4.0 is it's all burst damage: acc -> 110%, alac -> 5% and the rest crit. Thoughts? So there are 2 consequences of using Kinetic Combat as a DPS spec in PvE. You're going to terrorize your tanks hardcore. That's a lot of amplified-threat damage.It's a lot of damage for a tank, but junk DPS for a DPS. Playing a tank as a DPS means you're not getting hit to regenerate resources, in addition to the fact that it's simply not designed to do a lot of damage. Those aside, why would you gear for accuracy if you were going to do this? Simply being in Combat Technique grants 101% accuracy since 3.0, so it's not like it's even a new mechanic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kazz_Devlin Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 why is a hatred video tied to deception? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexcentric Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 [/sISooooo..... Now what? Who are the "best" assassins? 1v1s? warzones? ranked? ZE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lordshyamal Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 http://www.swtor.com/r/MFwsZR referral link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fragla Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 Good post, love it that you put a video in there, (Referral link if you wanna http://www.swtor.com/r/lywgXw ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evolixe Posted April 1, 2017 Share Posted April 1, 2017 I created a new thread for 5.0 with all the information you could formerly gather here. This thread is way outdated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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