Watchmen

Jedi Shadow Guide / Entertainment

The sequel to Shadow Breaker has arrived! A 'hybrid' video, featuring Tutorial and Entertainment qualities packed with new information to make sure you're unmatched out there on the battlefield. Sit back and enjoy!

INDEX

14/4/23 Balance

0:21 - 0:38 : Spec Introduction and Rotation.

0:13 - 1:20: Gameplay.

2:20 - 3:10: Gameplay.

17/1/23 Balance

0:39 - 0:54 : Spec Introduction and Rotation.

0/27/14 Infiltration

1:26 - 1:40 : Spec Introduction and Rotation.

1:24 - 2:19 : Gameplay.

3:11 - 4:00 : Gameplay.

6:09 - 6:52 : Gameplay.

8:07 - 8:52 : Gameplay.

27/1/13 Kinetic Combat

6:56 - 7:07 : Spec Introduction and Rotation.

6:53 - 8:06 : Gameplay.

8:53 - 9:48 : Gameplay.

Commentary

4:04 - 5:15 : Basic Training.

Gear Optimizing

5:20 - 6:00 : Stats to Aim for and Mod/Enh Tips.

Spec Examples

9:49 - 10:12

4/14/23: http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/skills/Shadow#2c-180kf-c72e832f

17/1/23 : http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/skills/Shadow#220829e-1-c72e832f

0/27/14: http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/skills/Shadow#0-c8cf78cif-8830f

27/1/13: http://swtor.askmrrobot.com/skills/Shadow#e79e162fe-1-2830f

Edited and Directed by Shinarika.

Watchmen presentation.

Hey Shin,

great video as always! But there is one thing I have to wonder about - why did you decide to go for so much Expertise? I thought the soft cap is at 1100.

I remember you posted back during 1.3 that 23/1/17 was hand down the best build. I still love it because it's a good build for teamwork. I can guard, have lots of CCs, and do pretty good damage. Why'd you get away from that? Did it just get old and you didn't like it, or are these legitimately better builds in your opinion?

23/1/17 Is still the best hands down build overall. All I'm doing is showcasing the creativity of the Shadow class. I play and alternate between different specs daily. It's not that these builds are better. What I want, for the Shadow / Assassin community, is for them to try out and test different builds and combinations. Push the envelope.

It makes you a better player if you have more information and if you're aware of what can and cannot be done.

Hey Shin,

 

great video as always! But there is one thing I have to wonder about - why did you decide to go for so much Expertise? I thought the soft cap is at 1100.

"Let me explain to you, the whole deal with expertise. It's relative in growth and doesn't cut off at any soft cap. Basically, a player with 1100 expertise vs a player with 1400 expertise, the 1100 expertise player will take more damage than the player with 1400 and do less damage to her.

However, a player with 1100 expertise vs a player with 1000 expertise, the 1100 player will hit the 1000 expertise player harder than the 1400 expertise player will. (Assuming the 1100 expertise player is in good pve armourings/gear etc) So, basically, in a nutshell - you need to adjust your expertise based on your server.

The higher, the better for more stabilized play. You want to get high numbers? Then go for lower and look for those with lower expertise. My armoury showed 1200, but in game I'm rolling with 1350. Reason is for ranked. However, most players in regular warzones generally have a low count. So again, you need to decide what works based on the environment.

If you're curious how I swap my expertise gains, then just take away the (63) PvE armourings and replace it with the EWH Stalker bracer armourings. Then place an EXP crystal in the focus."

http://watchmen.activeboard.com/t51983650/maxing-expertise-discussion/?page=1#lastPostAnchor

Awesome read on Expertise, thanks for the link, Shin.

Now, since assassin are usually used for node guarding, the most common situation when you are in combat is 1v1 or 1v2, without healers. Don't you think the higher EH benefits you more than the mitigation from Expertise ?

What's your thoughts on the 15% crit double strike chance? I'm thinking more and more that there's a lot of merit to the idea when most builds use at least a third of their rotation on a proc or build up from that ability. It would average out to a 7-8% increase on damage in a vacuum. Force recklessness can't match that I think.

It's a matter of comparing burst vs sustained dps. Due to the nature of the game, PvE bonuses tend to go to the latter, where PvP bonuses to the former. Always exceptions of course. I run the PvP stalker bonus for my Infil-based builds, and the PvE stalker bonus for my madness based builds, other than 0/14/27, which uses PvP stalker.

Great vid. Def needed the sniper killing tips

I've played the crap out of arika. Ty for that build. I'll give these a try.

It's a matter of comparing burst vs sustained dps. Due to the nature of the game, PvE bonuses tend to go to the latter, where PvP bonuses to the former. Always exceptions of course. I run the PvP stalker bonus for my Infil-based builds, and the PvE stalker bonus for my madness based builds, other than 0/14/27, which uses PvP stalker.

What's your thoughts on the 15% crit double strike chance? I'm thinking more and more that there's a lot of merit to the idea when most builds use at least a third of their rotation on a proc or build up from that ability. It would average out to a 7-8% increase on damage in a vacuum. Force recklessness can't match that I think.

It's a matter of, never-use-this-pve-set-ever. The lack of expertise makes this a pain and you will have to deform and manipulate your gear in other places - therefore taking blows on multiple different stat allocations to catch back up.

15% Crit on DS is gimmicky. You're better off stacking some more crit than losing exp/power over this gain. Melee attacks crit enough with a simple 30% crit chance.

(39% When force attacks crit.)

Stop. Neglecting. Expertise.

It's a matter of, never-use-this-pve-set-ever. The lack of expertise makes this a pain and you will have to deform and manipulate your gear in other places - therefore taking blows on multiple different stat allocations to catch back up.

 

15% Crit on DS is gimmicky. You're better off stacking some more crit than losing exp/power over this gain. Melee attacks crit enough with a simple 30% crit chance.

 

(39% When force attacks crit.)

 

Stop. Neglecting. Expertise.

Huh? This is patently untrue. The only hit you take in using the shell bonus is the look factor. Revan's chest piece with tionese shell leggings looks a bit wimpy. All other things are equal though. You use unrestricted armorings from the bracers/belt to fill in the shell. You get 63 pvp armoring. You get the pve shell bonus, which I've come to appreciate much more then the WH one after tentatively trying it yesterday (the difference is noticeable). It's not gimmicky when your filler attack has a 50+% chance to do 3600 per activation.

It's actually very similar to the position arsenal was in. Imagine if arsenal was viable in competitive pvp. Their pve set bonus is +15% crit chance on tracer missile. Needless to say that's huge. Similar thing for shadows and the +15% crit chance on double slash. I'd recommend trying it xinika.

I'm also going to respectfully disagree with Shin about the PvE bonus, I noticed a huge increase in my performance when I used it with Balance builds. I had no issue reworking the rest of my gear to make up the expertise without gimping other stats. I use 3 Campaign armorings, and a Tionese shell with a WH OH armoring to get the set bonus. I still land at my comfortable 1200-1250 expertise, and using the PvE armorings gave me so much extra willpower to makeup for having to lose some power elsewhere to keep my expertise. At least on my server, 1200 is plenty.

Also, if the fact that I mentioned Balance builds did not give it away, this is strictly for regular warzones. IMO ranked warzones are a pathetic joke, and I do not regularly participate in them.

Huh? This is patently untrue. The only hit you take in using the shell bonus is the look factor. Revan's chest piece with tionese shell leggings looks a bit wimpy. All other things are equal though. You use unrestricted armorings from the bracers/belt to fill in the shell. You get 63 pvp armoring. You get the pve shell bonus, which I've come to appreciate much more then the WH one after tentatively trying it yesterday (the difference is noticeable). It's not gimmicky when your filler attack has a 50+% chance to do 3600 per activation.

 

It's actually very similar to the position arsenal was in. Imagine if arsenal was viable in competitive pvp. Their pve set bonus is +15% crit chance on tracer missile. Needless to say that's huge. Similar thing for shadows and the +15% crit chance on double slash. I'd recommend trying it xinika.

I get what you're saying and I have tried it but I don't find it worth the exp loss. Especially considering the fact that Balance is already horribly squishy as is. Least on my server, the expertise does matter. A change up in stats can trigger a partially similar effect to get what you're looking for.

I'm also going to respectfully disagree with Shin about the PvE bonus, I noticed a huge increase in my performance when I used it with Balance builds. I had no issue reworking the rest of my gear to make up the expertise without gimping other stats. I use 3 Campaign armorings, and a Tionese shell with a WH OH armoring to get the set bonus. I still land at my comfortable 1200-1250 expertise, and using the PvE armorings gave me so much extra willpower to makeup for having to lose some power elsewhere to keep my expertise. At least on my server, 1200 is plenty.

Do as you please.

IMO ranked warzones are a pathetic joke.

Couldn't agree more.

IThe rest seems obvious. I have 1396 expertise by the way.

But how are the rest of your stats? Your power? Your crit? How dd you gain a full set of expertise using PvE armourings?

I get what you're saying and I have tried it but I don't find it worth the exp loss. Especially considering the fact that Balance is already horribly squishy as is. Least on my server, the expertise does matter. A change up in stats can trigger a partially similar effect to get what you're looking for.

 

 

Do as you please.

 

 

Couldn't agree more.

 

 

But how are the rest of your stats? Your power? Your crit? How dd you gain a full set of expertise using PvE armourings?

You don't use pve armourings. I don't know how to make that more clear. You use the tionese set which has the bonus tied to the shell. You then put pvp armorings from the bracers/belt into them. As they have no bonus it doesn't override the pve bonus. Crit is 150, bonus force damage is 960 or near enough.

You don't use pve armourings. I don't know how to make that more clear. You use the tionese set which has the bonus tied to the shell. You then put pvp armorings from the bracers/belt into them. As they have no bonus it doesn't override the pve bonus. Crit is 150, bonus force damage is 960 or near enough.

Make an armoury? You're perhaps teaching me something I'm not aware of - but I was under the impression that 4PC was from the PvE armourings only.

Edit: Nevermind, I get it.

Make an armoury? You're perhaps teaching me something I'm not aware of - but I was under the impression that 4PC was from the PvE armourings only.

 

Edit: I think I understand what you mean, but is this intended or a bug/glitch?

It's been that way forever. And people have on both spectrums (pve and pvp) used shells (battlemaster or tionese) to get the other bonus while using armorings that aren't bound to a slot. I'd make an armory, but it's not showing the armorings you can rip out of the belt bracers as existing. Needless to say you can have your exact gear setup with the pve bonus, though you'd have to change the 'look' of your character.

I've also considered going for +50 force as you could technically have a pool of 160, but I really have no idea how that would play.

It's been that way forever. And people have on both spectrums (pve and pvp) used shells (battlemaster or tionese) to get the other bonus while using armorings that aren't bound to a slot. I'd make an armory, but it's not showing the armorings you can rip out of the belt bracers as existing. Needless to say you can have your exact gear setup with the pve bonus, though you'd have to change the 'look' of your character.

Right, I get it. I didn't realize it worked that way, and when I tested it patches ago, I forcibly used the old pieces with their armourings. Now that I understand that it can be modded, let me get to trying it out and tell you how it goes.

Edit: Seemingly this would be more of a choice for Balance-orientated specs, wouldn't it? Missing the 3 charges on Reck for infil or even KC specs kind of irks me.

Right, I get it. I didn't realize it worked that way, and when I tested it patches ago, I forcibly used the old pieces with their armourings. Now that I understand that it can be modded, let me get to trying it out and tell you how it goes.

 

Edit: Seemingly this would be more of a choice for Balance-orientated specs, wouldn't it? Missing the 3 charges on Reck for infil or even KC specs kind of irks me.

That's what I thought. In retrospect the potency buff is pretty trivial comparatively. A KC build is going to be double slashing all day for the particle acceleration proc. 15% wins there. Balance or anything with the +50% crit damage is an easy win for the 15% buff. Even infiltration is going to open with two clairvoyant strikes and continue using them all game. You are basically talking about having one extra crit on demand versus having multiple crits occur. How many times do you typically use double slash/clairvoyant strike in a 75 second interval? Enough to easily counterbalance one extra on demand crit.

That's what I'm thinking at the moment anyway. It might change, but right now I'm delighted with it.

That's what I thought. In retrospect the potency buff is pretty trivial comparatively. A KC build is going to be double slashing all day for the particle acceleration proc. 15% wins there. Balance or anything with the +50% crit damage is an easy win for the 15% buff. Even infiltration is going to open with two clairvoyant strikes and continue using them all game. You are basically talking about having one extra crit on demand versus having multiple crits occur. How many times do you typically use double slash/clairvoyant strike in a 75 second interval? Enough to easily counterbalance one extra on demand crit.

 

That's what I'm thinking at the moment anyway. It might change, but right now I'm delighted with it.

It seems to be a case of sustained vs burst, to be honest. Specifically with infil or infil hybrids. Nevertheless, I'll throw off the pre conceived notions and try it out for fair results.

It seems to be a case of sustained vs burst, to be honest. Specifically with infil or infil hybrids. Nevertheless, I'll throw off the pre conceived notions and try it out for fair results.

That's how I see it as well, as stated in my earlier post. Which is why I use the PvE bonus for Balance, and the PvP bonus for Infil.

Some good discussion here, seems like everyone is learning some good stuff