I just recently got my BH to 55, and I plan on playing him in rated solo arenas. I keep hearing about the AP/Tank/Dps build. I would appreciate it if someone can share the spec, and any specific gear stats I should strive for? Thank you in advance. I would also like to know what's the primary role of the DPS/AP/Tank in 4v4.

I just recently got my BH to 55, and I plan on playing him in rated solo arenas. I keep hearing about the AP/Tank/Dps build. I would appreciate it if someone can share the spec, and any specific gear stats I should strive for? Thank you in advance. I would also like to know what's the primary role of the DPS/AP/Tank in 4v4.

 

Currently, the following build is popular for a AP/Tank/dps hybrid: http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#301hMhMzZrsMMorRRkGG.3 while running in ion cylinder and wearing dps gear. The primary goal is to tank, as you will guard the healer. It has some pros and cons:

 

Pros:

- Very high damage compared to what any other tank can pull.

- Enjoys AP's mobility and DCDs.

- Huge cleave from flame thrower.

- Highly resistant to aoe damage.

 

Cons:

- Obliviously, not as survivable as a full tank, especially in dps gear.

- Terrible resource management.

 

Its popularity is from its ability to counter smashers and dish out strong damage.

 

I am not sure if you run it with shield or not. Hopefully that was helpful.

Edited October 22, 2013 by Ottoattack

Thank you for the info. I really appreciate it. I'm still not sure what makes this Spec a tank just because you're using Ion Gas Cylinder and no tanking gear. I'll give it a go, I'm sure the oil slick will be even more valuable in arenas than in Warzones. Does anyone know if this spec optimal with a shield or not?

If the other team is running 2 dps + healer + full tank, then there's very little incentive to run a full tank on your team. There isn't enough incoming damage to make the survivability difference between a full tank and a prototank important. Meanwhile prototank is doing 3x the damage of a full tank (and also way more than any other tank hybrid right now)

 

Often players don't run with a shield since it's a big dps drop and damage you take from guarding the healer (likely most of your incoming damage) isn't mitigated at all by shield.

They fixed Guard so that yes, incoming damage through guarding someone can be mitigated by shield.

 

What makes it tanky, and arguably tankier than a Shieldtech build, is the AOE damage reduction, the additional stacking damage reduction while stunned, and the CD reduction on your energy shield allowing you to have that cooldown up almost 2-3 times longer.

 

With energy shield up, when stunned, an AP powertech can easily reduce incoming damage by more than 70 percent.

They fixed Guard so that yes, incoming damage through guarding someone can be mitigated by shield.

 

Really? What patch was that?

It has basically always worked

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=585245

 

It just doesn't appear in your combat log/on screen as shielded, which is why people thought it was broken. But extensive testing by multiple people over thousands of hits has confirmed that guard damage is in fact shielded against at a rate consistent with your shield rate. At least since January of this last year.

Currently, the following build is popular for a AP/Tank/dps hybrid: http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#301hMhMzZrsMMorRRkGG.3 while running in ion cylinder and wearing dps gear. The primary goal is to tank, as you will guard the healer. It has some pros and cons:

 

Pros:

- Very high damage compared to what any other tank can pull.

- Enjoys AP's mobility and DCDs.

- Huge cleave from flame thrower.

- Highly resistant to aoe damage.

 

Cons:

- Obliviously, not as survivable as a full tank, especially in dps gear.

- Terrible resource management.

 

Its popularity is from its ability to counter smashers and dish out strong damage.

 

I am not sure if you run it with shield or not. Hopefully that was helpful.

 

Am I missing sth here? Running ion cell, but taking prototype cylinder and charged gauntlets? Which work only with high energy cell on.

 

Im trying some normal warzones with this, I love it, but don't get this part up, isn't it better to spend this 3 points somewhere else? Maybe reduce cd of interupt or stun?

Am I missing sth here? Running ion cell, but taking prototype cylinder and charged gauntlets? Which work only with high energy cell on.

 

Im trying some normal warzones with this, I love it, but don't get this part up, isn't it better to spend this 3 points somewhere else? Maybe reduce cd of interupt or stun?

 

You are right. Probably in the stun and grapple lower CD and interrupt.

Wait... this has BETTER tanking ability than Shield Tech AND does more damage?

 

Z

Nah, this build isn't tankier in normal situations than a tank geared full tank spec'd PT but the added armor combined with having a guard *does* make running ion generally superior over running HEC. The person above is correct, proto cylinder and gauntlets get put into reduced cd on stun, or, better yet perhaps, into ion/neural overload talents. This build makes for a great "pit-boss" style, in your face tanky melee play style....great aoes....but as was said previously heat can get wonky in arenas or other situations where heat-expensive globals are used for a continuous duration. You'll get used to it with practice. Strong build.

They fixed Guard so that yes, incoming damage through guarding someone can be mitigated by shield.

 

What makes it tanky, and arguably tankier than a Shieldtech build, is the AOE damage reduction, the additional stacking damage reduction while stunned, and the CD reduction on your energy shield allowing you to have that cooldown up almost 2-3 times longer.

 

With energy shield up, when stunned, an AP powertech can easily reduce incoming damage by more than 70 percent.

 

Anything using dps gear is less tanky than full tank...period

 

However ignoring gear and just looking at specs hybrid is more/less tnaky depending on what your fighting.

 

If your fighting smashers or specs that use a lot of elemental/internal damage (like other AP PT) the hybrid is better. (the rebounder proc makes it better for I/E damage than full tank)

However if your fighting say MM snipers, mercs, non smash-warriors, etc. full shieldtech pulls ahead by a wide margin