Yeah on my v89 vanguard on a still dead server. I run 25-9-7.

 

I am not big fan of harpoon CD nor the improved riot strike. My rerolled vanguard now on bastion just needs more burst plus I like PCS better than most things in 14 points tactics build. Just my opinion/play-style i guess

Just wanted to thank Taugrim and all the others that posted theory-craft here. My sub expired and I m gone. I did enjoy the exchange of ideas in this thread particularly.

 

GL and maybe I will see some of you in GW2

 

Neutrino

V89 "Iron Fist" formerly of Shadow Hand

Is this build good for leveling as well?

 

I tend to quest/warzone about 50/50 or 60/40 when I level. I understand this may be the best level 50 pvp spec for VG but I was also wondering if there was a better spec for leveling?

For the past couple days I've been trying an Assault spec because you hear so much about them, and also I run into a lot of VG's who run Assault and tell me how they love it. I found a 5/5/31 spec and ran it with my BM gear and SC shield, and Plasma Cell of course. So not optimized gear but w/e.

 

The increase in DPS was immediately apparent, Assault Plastique is a blast (hah) and will crit for 2800-3100. The other skills in the rotation do really well also and together the skill rotation in Assault spec cranks out a lot of damage all up front. By way of comparison in Iron Fist I'll crit Stockstrike for 2300-2500 and HIB will critfor anywhere from 1400-2300. The other thing I noticed is that an Assault spec is way easier on ammo management because of a couple skills that reset or reduce the CD on ammo regen.

 

So in PvP i was actually loving the mad DPS, while trying to get used to not having Storm. i did not feel squishy at all, when my team had a good healer. Off on 1-1 fights I still was able to kill most of the time before being killed, it felt great in PvP although it IS a different playstyle and takes some getting used to.

 

But it's funny when I ran my next dailies I kept getting whacked by mobs, even though I was still using my SC shield and even when I had Dorne out healing. These were not flashpoints mind you but just my usual Bel and Ilum dailies, lol. Maybe I really suck but I don't think so. The last straw was trying to solo Lesson on Bel, which i do every day with my Iron Fist spec, with Jorgo out, no healer. In Assault spec, even with Dorne out, i could not solo it.

 

I went back to Fleet and changed back to the Iron Fist spec. Ahh, I have my mobility back, my 6s interrupt, and most of all my tankiness. I know i am not doing as much DPS an Assault or even Tactics spec, and I wish i could have the best of both worlds. But in the end I'd rather play IF, I am after all, a tank, I have always played a tank and even though IF really isn't a pure tank spec, it's just such a great combo of all the things a Vanguard does. It's a damn good spec and hard to beat.

 

The only downfall is that i wish I had just a bit more DPS, I'm still geared BM and when I fight a good WH i become more of a harasser than a killer. When i go up against a good WH group i don't go after kills, but rather go after their healers because in Iron Fist spec I can lock them down continuously and absolutely drive them mad. And, i do get good kills and am usually somewhere between 5th and 10th in damage most fights.

 

Tomorrow 1.3 comes out and I have read about the changes. My thoughts right now are to try things out, and if I am feeling the SS nerf, I'm going to try going Elim set and focus more on HIB than SS as my big hit. Not planning on changing the spec or any other gear. Regardless of 1.3 I'd like to try playing with the SC set at some point, and kind of going back to my tank roots lol.

 

All in all the moral of my TLDR story is that Iron Fist still rocks, for me and my playstyle at least. *tips hat to Taugrim*

I just wanted to say I really enjoyed the Iron Fist spec for the last few months.

 

May it rest in peace.

 

6/26/2012 Never forget.

For the past couple days I've been trying an Assault spec because you hear so much about them, and also I run into a lot of VG's who run Assault and tell me how they love it. I found a 5/5/31 spec and ran it with my BM gear and SC shield, and Plasma Cell of course. So not optimized gear but w/e.

 

The increase in DPS was immediately apparent, Assault Plastique is a blast (hah) and will crit for 2800-3100. The other skills in the rotation do really well also and together the skill rotation in Assault spec cranks out a lot of damage all up front. By way of comparison in Iron Fist I'll crit Stockstrike for 2300-2500 and HIB will critfor anywhere from 1400-2300. The other thing I noticed is that an Assault spec is way easier on ammo management because of a couple skills that reset or reduce the CD on ammo regen.

 

So in PvP i was actually loving the mad DPS, while trying to get used to not having Storm. i did not feel squishy at all, when my team had a good healer. Off on 1-1 fights I still was able to kill most of the time before being killed, it felt great in PvP although it IS a different playstyle and takes some getting used to.

 

But it's funny when I ran my next dailies I kept getting whacked by mobs, even though I was still using my SC shield and even when I had Dorne out healing. These were not flashpoints mind you but just my usual Bel and Ilum dailies, lol. Maybe I really suck but I don't think so. The last straw was trying to solo Lesson on Bel, which i do every day with my Iron Fist spec, with Jorgo out, no healer. In Assault spec, even with Dorne out, i could not solo it.

 

I went back to Fleet and changed back to the Iron Fist spec. Ahh, I have my mobility back, my 6s interrupt, and most of all my tankiness. I know i am not doing as much DPS an Assault or even Tactics spec, and I wish i could have the best of both worlds. But in the end I'd rather play IF, I am after all, a tank, I have always played a tank and even though IF really isn't a pure tank spec, it's just such a great combo of all the things a Vanguard does. It's a damn good spec and hard to beat.

 

The only downfall is that i wish I had just a bit more DPS, I'm still geared BM and when I fight a good WH i become more of a harasser than a killer. When i go up against a good WH group i don't go after kills, but rather go after their healers because in Iron Fist spec I can lock them down continuously and absolutely drive them mad. And, i do get good kills and am usually somewhere between 5th and 10th in damage most fights.

 

Tomorrow 1.3 comes out and I have read about the changes. My thoughts right now are to try things out, and if I am feeling the SS nerf, I'm going to try going Elim set and focus more on HIB than SS as my big hit. Not planning on changing the spec or any other gear. Regardless of 1.3 I'd like to try playing with the SC set at some point, and kind of going back to my tank roots lol.

 

All in all the moral of my TLDR story is that Iron Fist still rocks, for me and my playstyle at least. *tips hat to Taugrim*

 

you were doing something wrong. I run dailies as an assault with a dps companion and drop everything I encounter without issue. even gold star mobs will drop in seconds with me still at 80%+ health.. Heck, I tank the heroic in Black Hole as an assault VG.

So do we have an updated IF build yet, or is this a total wash? I loved playing this build in both PVE and PVP.. so I'm hoping for something similar.. if there isn't one, I think I'll go back to PVE and find a good tank build for that. Any suggestions?

you were doing something wrong. I run dailies as an assault with a dps companion and drop everything I encounter without issue. even gold star mobs will drop in seconds with me still at 80%+ health.. Heck, I tank the heroic in Black Hole as an assault VG.

 

Well instead of just telling me I'm doing it wrong and peening about how grand you are, post your build, gear and rotations to provide some useful information for us all.

So do we have an updated IF build yet, or is this a total wash? I loved playing this build in both PVE and PVP.. so I'm hoping for something similar.. if there isn't one, I think I'll go back to PVE and find a good tank build for that. Any suggestions?

 

Sadly, Taugrim's bias against SWTOR has increased of late, if his twitter feed and The Republic show on Gamebreaker is anything to go by. Who puts out a show about one game, only to be negative about that game on the show?!

 

Don't expect to see quality SWTOR content from him the closer we get to GW2 release.

 

Ed, if you're out there, and reading this, I'd love to hear your comments.

Now I gotta say as much of a fanboi of Taugrim and this build as I am, I'm surprised to read posts that imply ya'll are waiting for <someone else> to provide a build for you.

 

Get your *** out there and craft your own build, or mod an existing build to fit, don't be a follower.

 

Sound like a hypocrite? No, I have tried many, many builds, both my own and others, and Taug's IF is a neat build that I enjoy very much.

 

In fact since 1.3 I haven't felt the need to change a thing with Iron Fist, I feel the lower Stockstrike crit is offset by the additional Explosive Surges that I can use (two for free after a Storm).

 

One thing I will try is going 4-pc Eliminator, effectively swapping out SS for HIB as my big hitter. Will be curious to see how that works. But the Iron Fist spec? Solid, for me.

 

Now what if I go down the HIB path and feel that points spent on SS-related talents could be re-assigned somewhere else? Now that gets into build theorycrafting and that's how it works. Try it, don't wait for someone to hand you a build.

I just wanted to say I really enjoyed the Iron Fist spec for the last few months.

 

May it rest in peace.

 

6/26/2012 Never forget.

 

Yes, as folks have already surmised, the spec no longer is viable given the changes to the mechanics of the tank tree to improve PVE tanking.

 

For Vanguards, at least the good news is that Pulse Generator is fixed.

 

Given the current mechanics, I recommend running Pyrotech (Assault Specialist) or Advanced Prototype (Tactics). If you are set on tanking, you can run a 31-pt spec but understand that your damage output is going to be limited.

 

Sadly, Taugrim's bias against SWTOR has increased of late, if his twitter feed and The Republic show on Gamebreaker is anything to go by. Who puts out a show about one game, only to be negative about that game on the show?!

 

Don't expect to see quality SWTOR content from him the closer we get to GW2 release.

 

Ed, if you're out there, and reading this, I'd love to hear your comments.

 

/sigh

 

I have always given my objective opinions about SWTOR. I am one of the hosts on GAMEBREAKER's The Republic show, but that does not mean I am going to lose my objectivity.

 

If you don't agree with my opinions, you don't agree with my opinions. That's doesn't mean my opinions are biased.

Edited July 1, 2012 by taugrimtaugrim

Having looked at thing for a bit now in terms of Shield Specialist, I've found that moving to Supercommando can be beneficial if your goal is to really play a bulwark or node defend-y type. But using any variation of the common 31/8/2 (particularly with points in Tactical Tools to allow better positioning and AoEs), you can still get away with using four pieces of Combat Tech if you supplement non essential slots with Supercommando. Your not the tankiest tank but you can retain a lot of mobility, do a lot of good in a battle with your AoEs (including the new mechanic on HiB), and retain your ability to guard well. And you can supplement deficient areas with augments easily now.

 

You might not have the single target burst that allowed for the really fast shutdowns on enemies you might have had in the past but it lends itself to a nice harassment playstyle with some fair debuff and DoT, plus a little bit more damage. It's not perfect but it seems to be one of the easier adjustments. And still let's you get into the thick of the fight.

Edited July 2, 2012 by AlyxDinas

Having looked at thing for a bit now in terms of Shield Specialist, I've found that moving to Supercommando can be beneficial if your goal is to really play a bulwark or node defend-y type. But using any variation of the common 31/8/2 (particularly with points in Tactical Tools to allow better positioning and AoEs), you can still get away with using four pieces of Combat Tech if you supplement non essential slots with Supercommando. Your not the tankiest tank but you can retain a lot of mobility, do a lot of good in a battle with your AoEs (including the new mechanic on HiB), and retain your ability to guard well. And you can supplement deficient areas with augments easily now.

 

You might not have the single target burst that allowed for the really fast shutdowns on enemies you might have had in the past but it lends itself to a nice harassment playstyle with some fair debuff and DoT, plus a little bit more damage. It's not perfect but it seems to be one of the easier adjustments. And still let's you get into the thick of the fight.

 

 

That sure sounds like an Iron Fist spec, 25/14/2 lol...

That sure sounds like an Iron Fist spec, 25/14/2 lol...

 

It retains a similar style of play but with less burst than what Iron Fist was capable of, to my knowledge. I. Fist was able to get in the enemies face and really burn them well in the hands of a solid player. This gear mix (and pretty standard point allocation) still retains some of the core ideas of that build but a lot more of the damage is spread around. Better for crowds than 1v1's, for sure. But that's just how our new mechanics and skills work out. Unless you're doing a lot of secondary stat stacking.

 

I guess my general point is that Shield spec is still capable of being a mobile, offensive minded class and not necessarily just a bulwark type. You just change how you're going about dealing your damage and also need to be willing to give up some of your DPS gear for the added survivability of Supercommando. The additional uptime let's you get the most out of your AoEs. Especially since the free E.Surges from Storm generally place you in the thick for a few seconds.

Edited July 2, 2012 by AlyxDinas

Hey taugrim. this is probably a lame question but how can you get numbers to show your HP or other player's?

Hey taugrim. this is probably a lame question but how can you get numbers to show your HP or other player's?

 

Do the following:

1) Open the "Interface Editor".

2) Click on your unit frame. Scroll down in the "Player Frame" options and select "Show Information Text". You should see the change immediately.

3) Click on your target frame. Scroll down in the "Target Frame" options and select "Show Information Text". You should see the change immediately.

4) Save your changes.

Thx. One thing though what spec would you reccomend for survivability and decent dps? Iron fist? And how fast will I level If I have no perks but PvP to lvl up. I get minimum of 9 comms per warzone but I only play 30 min-90 min on weekdays and 3 hours on weekends. Edited October 3, 2012 by TrumpetNut

I decided to give this spec a try in PvE and it works great. My health actually seems to not go down as fast as when I was pure tank spec'd. This is probably due to the damage boost which helps me burn down enemies faster as well as keep my threat up. The only slight changes I made was taking the 2 points from No escape in the Shield tree and the 2 points from hitman in the Adv. prototype tree. I put these points into rebraced armor and ablative upgrades for the additional armor rating and shield absorption along with the cooldown on kolto overload which is quite nice.

 

The immobilize in No Escape was a great fit for PvP, but I never actually seemed to notice it in PvE. The 2 second cooldown on Quell in Hitman is nice as it allows you to interrupt more but I felt the tank specific abilities added to the survivability.

 

Glad I gave this spec a test and was able to tweak it slightly to work wonders with my play style. Thanks for posting it.

 

Using this on my Powertech. Names of abilities are different but I believe the effects are the same.

Edited December 30, 2012 by Elyk_Borne
missed information

No offence intended to Taugrim but is this build still viable I thought it wasn't anymore?

Thanks

Yes, as folks have already surmised, the spec no longer is viable given the changes to the mechanics of the tank tree to improve PVE tanking.

 

For Vanguards, at least the good news is that Pulse Generator is fixed.

 

Given the current mechanics, I recommend running Pyrotech (Assault Specialist) or Advanced Prototype (Tactics). If you are set on tanking, you can run a 31-pt spec but understand that your damage output is going to be limited.

 

 

 

/sigh

 

I have always given my objective opinions about SWTOR. I am one of the hosts on GAMEBREAKER's The Republic show, but that does not mean I am going to lose my objectivity.

 

If you don't agree with my opinions, you don't agree with my opinions. That's doesn't mean my opinions are biased.

 

 

This is from page 29 post #286. I've messed around with it for dailies and such but it hasn't been recommended since last June

This is from page 29 post #286. I've messed around with it for dailies and such but it hasn't been recommended since last June

What tanking spec should be used now?

Thanks

Ok so Im looking to change my Van to something more devastating. I'm almost 50 and Im currently using Yojack's 1.6 tank build. Dont get me wrong, im tough to kill but I want something more from my toon and people are saying Vans are top DPS these days. I came from WoW when TOR launched as a DPS Pally but when my friends and I came over I took up the roll as tank and pretty much have stayed this way. Now I play solo alot and Ive been PVPing alot lately too. So.is it possible to have a PVE/PVP tank build that puts out dmg still or should I just focus on DPS. Any ideas to help me make a monster, Im all open to suggestions Edited February 4, 2013 by Vulkus