Version

Last Updated: 12th July 2013 - Patch 2.2.2

Full Version on the Suckafish Forums with extra pictures.

Disclaimer

Everything in this guide is subject to change and I will do my best to keep it updated. Tanking is largely about knowing the fights as well as knowing your class and this guide only shows my play style of the PvE Darkness Assassin. If you have any questions or discussion points post in this thread or PM me.

Table of Contents:

Skill Tree

Gearing and Stats

- 1. Target Values

- 2. BiS Gear

- 3. Set Bonus

- 4. Tanking Spreadsheet

Abilities

- 1. Offensive

- 2. Defensive

- 3. Utility

Rotations

- 1. Single Target: Opening

- 2. Single Target: Priority

- 3. Single Target: 10m Range

- 4. AoE

About the Author

I'm Fuyri an Assassin Tank for <Suckafish> since December 2012.

I've been playing SW:TOR since launch and have mained Assassin Tank since joining Suckafish.

My Twitch Stream

My Youtube Channel

Suckafish's Guild Website

Suckafish's Compendium of Class Guides

There are two optional points in Avoidance (Deception Tree) that reduce the cooldown of your interupt, cc breaker and force sprint, if none of these are needed in a fight you can move the points into Exploitive Strikes (Madness Tree) for a dps increase.

1. Target Values

All target values listed are stimmed, untalented and unbuffed values.

Endurance

Target: 3749

Endurance increases the amount of damage you can suffer before being defeated (Health Pool).

You want to spend available points on defensive stats over endurance because it only increases your TTL and not mitigation. A certain amount of endurance however is required to avoid getting 1 shot but you will obtain this by just using the BiS gear.

Shield Chance

Target: 940

Increases the chance that incoming energy or kinetic attacks will be reduced by your shield.

This is the least efficient of the defensive stats, but is present on all tanking gear.

Absorption

Target: 1193

Increases the percentage of damage prevented when an attack is absorbed by your shield.

This is the most efficient defensive stat for assassin tanks due to the extra 20% shield chance obtained through dark ward.

Defence Chance

Target: 462

Increases the chance to avoid incoming ranged and melee attacks.

Another great defensive stat, however unlike shielding attacks this only works on white damage and not tech/force attacks

Accuracy and Alacrity

Target: 0

While these stats can be found on some tanking gear they are terrible you should not have any.

2. BiS Gear

Armoring & Hilt

Advanced Force Wielder Armoring 34

Advanced Force Wielder Hilt 34

Mods

Advanced Reinforced Mod 34B

Advanced Robust Mod 34B

Enhancements

Advanced Bastion Enhancement 34

Advanced Bulwark Enhancement 34

Earpiece

Dread Forged Survivor's Device

Implants

Dread Forged Survivor's MK-X Package

Relics

Dread Forged Relic of Reactive Warding

Dread Forged Relic of the Fortunate Redoubt

Augments

Advanced Absorb Augment 28

Advanced Redoubt Augment 28

Stim

Prototype Nano-Infused Fortitude Stim

Ask Mr Robot

My Target Gear

3. Set Bonus

PvE Survivor - 4 Piece

(2) Increases shield chance by an additional 5% during Dark Ward or Kinetic Ward.

(4) Increases Elemental, Internal, Kinetic and Energy damage reduction by 2%.

Keeping this set bonus is usually more important that the armor and stats provided by a better tier of gear.

4. Tanking Spreadsheet

The Thread

The Spreadsheet

If you want to see the calculations behind my decisions, wish to test it for yourself or calculate BiS values for a different tier of gear you can check out my tanking spreadsheet.

1. Offensive

Wither

This is your main threat generation move that you use roughly on cooldown. Also grants a stack of Harnessed Darkness.

Force: 20

Cooldown: 9s

Range: 10 m

Causes up to 5 targets to wither under the weight of the Force, dealing kinetic damage, decreasing the damage all targets deal by 5%, and slowing the movement speed of all targets by 30%. Does not damage sleeping, lifted, or incapacitated enemies. This ability generates a high amount of threat. Lasts 15 seconds.

Discharge

Use this mainly for the debuff. It also provides reasonable threat.

Force: 20

Range: 10 m

Unleashes your current lightsaber charge upon the target, applying an effect based on your current charge. Only usable with a charged lightsaber. Requires a double-bladed lightsaber or electrostaff.

Dark Charge: Strikes up to 5 nearby enemies, dealing internal damage and decreasing the targets' melee and ranged accuracy by 5% for the next 30 seconds. Generates a high amount of threat. Puts Discharge on cooldown for 6.

Shock

The other ability that grants a stack of Harnessed Darkness. One of your higher dps moves.

Force: 45

Cooldown: 6s

Range: 10 m

Shocks the target for energy damage.

Force Lightning

You only use this when at 3 stacks of Harnessed Darkness to get bonus damage and a self heal.

Force: 30

Cooldown: 6s

Range: 10 m

Deals energy damage to the target over the duration of the effect. Also slows the movement speed of the target by 50%.

Thrash

Your filler move that also grants procs for your shock and maul.

Force: 25

Range: 4 m

Strikes the target twice. Each hit deals weapon damage.

Maul

This is used as a filler instead of thrash when the facestab buff is active. Whenever using this you must think of

Force: 50

Range: 4 m

Deals weapon damage to a single target. Only usable from behind the target. Requires a double-bladed lightsaber or electrostaff.

Assassinate

This is your execute, it replaces thrash as a filler when the target is less than 30% health.

Force: 25

Cooldown: 6s

Range: 4 m

Attempts to assassinate the target, dealing weapon damage. Only usable on targets at or below 30% max health.

Saber Strike

Your "Auto Attack" only to be used whenever low on force.

Range: 4 m

Deals weapon damage spread across a flurry of 3 melee attacks.

Recklessness

Use this in your opener and whenever it's available. Make sure one of the two charges acts towards a Harnessed Darkness Force Lightning for maximum dps.

Cooldown: 90s

Grants 2 charges of Recklessness, which increases the Force critical chance of your direct attacks and heals by 60% and increases the range of Force Lightning to 30 meters. Each time a direct Force ability critically hits or you activate Force Lightning, you lose 1 charge. Lasts 20 seconds.

2. Defensive

Dark Charge

This is your lightsaber charge for tanking, make sure it's toggled on at all times.

Force: 100

Charges your lightsaber with dark energy, giving your attacks a 50% chance to drain life force from the target, dealing 594 internal damage and healing you for 832. This effect cannot occur more than once every 4.5 seconds. Increases your armor rating by 115%, shield chance by 15% and threat generation by 100%. While active, melee bonus damage is reduced by 5%. Requires a double-bladed lightsaber or electrostaff. Does not break Stealth.

Dark Ward

You want to keep this buff active constantly while also refreshing it at the last possible moment, either as the last stack is lost or as it times out. You gain an extra 5% shield chance with the 2set bonus making it 20% total.

Cooldown: 15s

Surrounds you in a dark ward with 15 charges that increases your shield chance by 15% for 20 seconds. Each time you successfully shield, Dark Ward loses 1 charge. Does not break Stealth.

Force Shroud

Immunity to force and tech attacks, 5s with the "Disjunction" talent. This is a situational cooldown that can be either increadible or useless. It can also act as a self cleanse if needed.

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.

Deflection

A great cooldown against ranged or melee damage. Again situation so make sure it's not wasted.

Cooldown: 120s

Increases your ranged and melee defenses by 50% for 12 seconds. Requires a melee weapon.

Overcharge Saber

Your best multipurpose cooldown. A self heal and grants 25% damage reduction from the talent "Hollow".

Cooldown: 120s

Overcharges your lightsaber charge for 15 seconds, immediately restoring 15% of your max health, increasing the damage and healing dealt by all Charges by 100%, and increasing the chance to trigger their effects by 35%. Requires a double-bladed lightsaber or electrostaff.

Exotech Absorb Adrenal

This is the best available adrenal, it's a good effect but has a huge cooldown.

Cooldown: 240s

Increases Armor by 1675 for 15 seconds. (1500 for reusable version).

3. Utility

Phase Walk

With the talent "Assassin's Shelter" you can place this where your healers will be standing to grant them a 5% bonus to healing done.

Cooldown: 45s

Activating this ability marks your current location for 120 seconds. When this ability is activated again, if you are within 60 meters of the marked location, you instantly return to the marked location. When returning to the marked location or when the effect ends, Phase Walk goes on cooldown for 45 seconds. Does not break stealth.

Force Speed

A speed boost to help you move around the fight (help kite/re-position).

Cooldown: 20s (15s with the talent "Avoidance")

Increases movement speed by 150% for 2 seconds. Does not break Stealth.

Force Pull

Use this for a high threat start. Also useful for re-positioning trash mobs.

Cooldown: 45s

Range: 30 m

Uses the Force to draw the target in, instantly pulling it to your location and generating a high amount of threat. Does not work against targets in cover.

Stealth

You can enter stealth mode. This helps setting up your phase walk and initial positioning. You can also stealth res in very specific situations.

Jolt

Your interrupt. If you see an enemy cast bar and you can interrupt it you should.

Cooldown: 12s (10s with the talent "Avoidance")

Range: 10 m

Interrupts the target's current action and prevents that ability from being used for 4 seconds.

Unbreakable Will

Your CC breaker, use whenever you are stunned.

Cooldown: 120s (90s with the talent "Avoidance")

Summons the unbreakable will of the Sith, immediately freeing you of all incapacitating and movement-impairing effects.

Taunts

Use to gain/regain aggro or as part of your rotation to gain threat.

Mind Control

Cooldown: 15s

Range: 30 m

Controls the mind of the target, forcing it to attack you for 6 seconds. Player targets deal 30% less damage when attacking anyone other than you. Lasts 6 seconds. This effect cannot be resisted.

Mass Mind Control

Cooldown: 45s

Forces all enemies within 15 meters to attack you for 6 seconds. Player targets deal 30% less damage when attacking anyone other than you. Lasts 6 seconds. Does not break Stealth. This effect cannot be resisted.

1. Single Target: Opening

A good opening for a tank is one that gives you great initial threat while enabling you to get and keep all your important buffs/debuffs active.

Each point here represents a Global Cooldown (GCD), as some abilities are off the GCD you can cast them at the same time and in this situation they'll fall under the point but you should click the first (or top) one first. The taunts listed in the openings are also optional and should be used when wanting extra early threat at the risk of not having the taunt available while it's on cooldown.

The Start

1. Dark Ward & Force Pull

2. Wither

3. Discharge (& Taunt)

4. Shock

5. Thrash

What happens next depends on which procs you get.

If Energize procs:

1. Shock

2. Recklessness & Force Lightning

3. Wither (& AoE Taunt)

If no Energize procs:

Thrash again or if "Conspirator's Cloak" procs use Maul. Then check again for the energize proc.

If 2 attacks without an Energize proc:

1. Recklessness & Wither

2. Force Lightning

3. Shock (& AoE Taunt)

These choices ensure that the charges of recklessness should be used on Force Lightning and Wither for maximum threat.

After this point you'd go into the Single Target: Priority system.

2. Single Target: Priority

The easiest way to look at the Assassin rotation is a priority system. If point 1 is available/needed you hit that move if not go down the list until an option is availiable.

This priority give good threat, keeps your buffs/debuffs active and provides optimal self healing.

1. Check Dark Ward buff is active.

2. Check Discharge's Accuracy Debuff if on the target.

3. If you have 3 stacks of Harnessed Darkness use Force Lightning.

4. Use Wither.

5. Use Shock.

6. Assassinate if the target is below 30% health.

7. Maul if Conspirator's Cloak proc is active.

8. Thrash if you have >35 force.

9. Saber Strike if you have <35 force.

3. Single Target: 10m Range

There are some specific situations when it's best to stay at 10m distance from your target, This will not allow use of any of your melee moves but there are a couple of others you can use to fill the gaps. Here is the altered priority system.

1. Check Dark Ward buff is active.

2. Check Discharge's Accuracy Debuff if on the target.

3. If you have 3 stacks of Harnessed Darkness use Force Lightning.

4. Use Wither.

5. Use Shock.

6. Use Discharge.

7. Use Overload (only use this if all targets it will hit are immune to CC).

8. Use Force Slow.

9. Use Electrocute.

Optional. Use Crushing Darkness. This is optional as you may suffer from pushback when casting making it the less effective than it originally looks.

4. AoE

When Tanking multiple opponents within a small area you want to prioritize your AoE moves (Wither and Discharge) over the rest of your rotation. Holding aggro is more difficult in this situation so maximizing threat is more important than getting the highest self healing possible. Here's the new priority system.

1. Check Dark Ward buff is active.

4. Use Wither.

2. Use Discharge.

3. If you have 3 stacks of Harnessed Darkness use Force Lightning.

5. Use Shock.

6. Lacerate[/b for an almost guaranteed refresh on shock.

While tanking multiple targets you will want to tab target through the different mobs and share your single target attacks around while ensuring that your AoEs hit as many as possible. If you ever see a target's focus target not as you (or another tank) then you can use a taunt.

It's also important to watch for any mobs running away after other people. If you see this target it and use either Force Pull or a taunt to bring it back. Ideally you also don't want have to move to pick it up as this will make it more difficult for dps.