Would this be accurate?

I would think that Electric Bindings would potentially be better than Backlash, and generally Lightning Barrier is something you will want as the more damage your Static Barrier absorbs, the less damage you are taking. I mean yes, the ability to negate movement impairing effects is nice and all, but its not all that great when you can be just as lethal while standing still as you can be on the move.

Additionally if you are taking the Corrupted Barrier utility (which I agree you should), then the Empty Body utility is an absolute MUST, due to the fact that Empty Body buffs the healing received from Corrupted Barrier. I would replace Oppressing Force with Empty Body.

Otherwise you look good. Though I will say that once Version 3.1.2 goes live you will want to switch to Madness Spec instead of playing Lightning anymore due to Madness just being better overall at that point.

http://www.swtor.com/community/showpost.php?p=8090070&postcount=6

And above post has a lot of misconceptions, including ignoring emersion for pvp which is a must for any sorc spec unlike lightning barrier and that lightning is pretty much still viable if not better for pvp.

http://www.swtor.com/community/showpost.php?p=8090070&postcount=6

 

And above post has a lot of misconceptions, including ignoring emersion for pvp which is a must for any sorc spec unlike lightning barrier and that lightning is pretty much still viable if not better for pvp.

I won't argue on the Emersion front... but what are you smoking that you think Lightning is not just viable, but actually better for PvP once the 3.1.2 changes go live? I am sorry but not only is Lightning's single target DPS horribly nerfed by those changes, but Force Storm is rendered completely USELESS in PvP due to the fact that the effect that slows everyone inside its radius has been removed from it. The stun effect won't work in PvP most of the time because all enemies in PvP are considered to be Strong Enemies at the very least, if not right up into Elite or Champion enemies, while the stun only affects Standard or Weak enemies. So that immediately removes the ability for Force Storm to have any real bite from it. And with that gone, along with the nerfs to the single target rotation, Lightning Sorc has just become rather sub par in PvP.

Meanwhile the 3.1.2 changes did not even TOUCH Madness Spec at all whatsoever (with the obvious exception of the changes to Force Storm). But since Madness Spec doesn't rely on Force Storm nearly as much as Lightning Sorc currently does, losing Force Storms bite, doesn't hurt Madness Sorc nearly as much as it does Lightning Sorc. Plus, cleansing DoT's in PvP is a crapshot at the best of times, otherwise Hatred Assassins wouldn't be as lethal a threat as they currently are.

I won't argue on the Emersion front... but what are you smoking that you think Lightning is not just viable, but actually better for PvP once the 3.1.2 changes go live? I am sorry but not only is Lightning's single target DPS horribly nerfed by those changes, but Force Storm is rendered completely USELESS in PvP due to the fact that the effect that slows everyone inside its radius has been removed from it. The stun effect won't work in PvP most of the time because all enemies in PvP are considered to be Strong Enemies at the very least, if not right up into Elite or Champion enemies, while the stun only affects Standard or Weak enemies. So that immediately removes the ability for Force Storm to have any real bite from it. And with that gone, along with the nerfs to the single target rotation, Lightning Sorc has just become rather sub par in PvP.

 

Meanwhile the 3.1.2 changes did not even TOUCH Madness Spec at all whatsoever (with the obvious exception of the changes to Force Storm). But since Madness Spec doesn't rely on Force Storm nearly as much as Lightning Sorc currently does, losing Force Storms bite, doesn't hurt Madness Sorc nearly as much as it does Lightning Sorc. Plus, cleansing DoT's in PvP is a crapshot at the best of times, otherwise Hatred Assassins wouldn't be as lethal a threat as they currently are.

Lightning's burst damage has gone up while terms like "rotation" and "overall dps" are pve terms but if you want to discuss in these terms even after the nerfs ling still parses higher than madness in single target (I repeat talking about parses in pvp is non-sense). Force storm nerfs were expected and rightfully so, doesn't destroy the spec the slightest. Not my fault that what you are smoking doesn't let you see still how good ling is for pvp, or simply you were relying too much on storm.

The primary strength of lightning right now is the conduction bug. As soon as that is fixed the spec will run into the same type of "lock out" problems it ran into pre-3.0. It's gotten slightly better at handling those issues but they will still be a problem.

Madness will definitely outperform Lightning in PvP come 3.1.2

As soon as that is fixed the spec will run into the same type of "lock out" problems it ran into pre-3.0.

Not any more than Madness or Mercs. Lightning casts the majority of its spells as instants now (although in 3.1.2 with the nerf to Shock's talent Shock will become a backup filler only) and is hyper-mobile, so hardly comparable to pre-3.0.

Besides, interrupts themselves are less common than pre-3.0. You're not going to have every single spell interrupted as could happen before.

I disagree about the main strength, too: Lightning's strength is extreme mobility combined with the longest range in the game and snares in your rotation. It's got amazing control and kiting ability.

Also, Madness already outperforms Lightning, albeit slightly, on Live, so it's not like it's a big change. Madness has been the PvP spec since before I came back to SWTOR.

Not any more than Madness or Mercs. Lightning casts the majority of its spells as instants now (although in 3.1.2 with the nerf to Shock's talent Shock will become a backup filler only) and is hyper-mobile, so hardly comparable to pre-3.0.

Quantity is not the issue. Thundering Blast is still predictable and will eat up the majority of the interrupts. Yes, lightning has more instant cast abilities now. That doesn't change the fact that the most threatening attack/combo is going to be the most commonly shut down. This will become increasing more evident the higher quality of opponents you face. (Read: Solo and Group Ranked)

Quantity is not the issue. Thundering Blast is still predictable and will eat up the majority of the interrupts. Yes, lightning has more instant cast abilities now. That doesn't change the fact that the most threatening attack/combo is going to be the most commonly shut down. This will become increasing more evident the higher quality of opponents you face. (Read: Solo and Group Ranked)

All caster disciplines are vulnerable to interrupts having a single hard-hitting skill that can be interupted does not suddenly make a discipline unviable. Even Arsenal isn't unviable because it can have Blazing Bolts and Tracer Missile interrupted, it's unviable because it instantly squishes and has mediocre mobility.

Even if you have every TB interrupted, which means you're eating two people's interupts that could have been used on the healer, you still can trigger your CL off of Lightning Bolt. TB is about 20% of your single target damage (less if you consider overall damage), versus almost 40% for Arsenal's Blazing Bolts, and if you lose TB you won't be reduced to hardcasting Lightning Strike as can happen to Madness. Everyone loses some of their dummy parse damage in PvP, that's just the way it is, and Lightning isn't the worst off.

Quantity is not the issue. Thundering Blast is still predictable and will eat up the majority of the interrupts. Yes, lightning has more instant cast abilities now. That doesn't change the fact that the most threatening attack/combo is going to be the most commonly shut down. This will become increasing more evident the higher quality of opponents you face. (Read: Solo and Group Ranked)

The bug was fixed but unshakeable still exists... interrupt only delays a TB, ditto it will have a critical effect on focussing down someone. But it was always meant to be as such for sorcs and mercs unlike snipers. In fact I would argue that current madness will suffer way more by interrupting FL.

I am sorry but not only is Lightning's single target DPS horribly nerfed by those changes, but Force Storm is rendered completely USELESS in PvP due to the fact that the effect that slows everyone inside its radius has been removed from it.

I don't care what spec you are... unless you where dueling using force storm in pvp is just bad. the ONLY thing is should be used for is stopping a group from capping. There are very few situations where it would be useful. don't waste a utility point on it.

Try This for general pvp. switch it up a bit if you find your self going against certain classes or certain objective maps repeatedly.

Sap Strength often seems to be ignored.. i think of it as a Sorc Taunt in pvp. basically reduce someones damage for 12 seconds every 45.

after patch maybe switch chain shock to empty body.

Don't bother with backlash. the only time it is almost useful is if you get stunned by a stealth, they get stunned for 2 seconds and get more on their resolve bar then you force speed away. Use overload with binding, turn overload and they are already away and rooted so you can unload on them. Overloads fairly short cool down make this more useful, the only crappy part is that you have to turn to face them.

Lightning's single target DPS horribly nerfed

So, you lose 5% chance to proc and 5% proc damage on two or three proc skills and suddenly Lightning is "horribly nerfed"? Come on, get over yourselves. Lightning is a trolly spec in PvP. Its damage is more than fine, it has the range of a SNIPER with none of the weaknesses they possess, respectable burst, massive amounts of control from the absurd amount of roots/slows they have, the mobility to equal a MELEE class (something no ranged should ever have), root/slow immunity on sprint, bubblestun that can CC up to 5 times back-to-back before resolve is filled, and god bubble with H2F attached for complete free.

Tell me more about how hard life is as a FOTMer.

rely on Force Storm nearly as much as Lightning

Oh, that explains your entire train of thought. You're a FOTM reroller force storm spammer. Cute.

So, you lose 5% chance to proc and 5% proc damage on two or three proc skills and suddenly Lightning is "horribly nerfed"? Come on, get over yourselves. Lightning is a trolly spec in PvP. Its damage is more than fine, it has the range of a SNIPER with none of the weaknesses they possess, respectable burst, massive amounts of control from the absurd amount of roots/slows they have, the mobility to equal a MELEE class (something no ranged should ever have), root/slow immunity on sprint, bubblestun that can CC up to 5 times back-to-back before resolve is filled, and god bubble with H2F attached for complete free.

 

Tell me more about how hard life is as a FOTMer.

Pretty much this^ If you have trouble after the nerfs, you're a baddie.

Pretty much this^ If you have trouble after the nerfs, you're a baddie.

+1

Lightning almost never has to stand still, has the best kiting ability in the game, and deals high burst that is extremely hard to mitigate with DCDs. L2P.

I don't care what spec you are... unless you where dueling using force storm in pvp is just bad. the ONLY thing is should be used for is stopping a group from capping. There are very few situations where it would be useful. don't waste a utility point on it.

Btw current storm is not bad the slightest. In fact it can actually change the outcome of an arena all by its own.

Dear trolls and badies, even after the upcoming nerfs of 3.1.2 we will still faceroll you in pvp even if you are FOTM sins (yes you got that wrong too). The nerfs have a big impact on pve but not so much on pvp. Please post your miseries on your class subforums.

lol@implyinglightningisn'tfotm

Btw current storm is not bad the slightest. In fact it can actually change the outcome of an arena all by its own.

so can a cat on fire.

give an example.

attempting to break peoples stealth is an acceptable use.

In Regs and solo queue where you are not working out stuns with your team mates it is just bad as you are not breaking peoples stuns with storm.

In group play where you are on mumble or whatever and you know who is stunning what when and where.. okay maybe