Amidst all the strife that constantly grips this forum, I'd like to try to help some of you who are struggling with your Jedi Knight Guardian, and give you some hope! I don't have a lot of time to make a long-winded post right now, but I hope you can trust what I say to be honest and truthful, if lacking expansive elaboration.

Just to tackle a few of the hot issues right now....

---PVE

Yes, I had much difficulty in PvE on my Guardian. Many fights seemed impossible and I had to request the help of guildmates and others from my community to finish them (mainly the various class bosses such as the sand demon, Sith Harrowers, the final boss, etc). Once I got Doc though I had no other problems with PvE except on the final quest when I was stuck with T7 (who I had not upgraded since lvl 10).

I do not know if it is true that Bioware attempted to make this class less appealing to control the amount of JK creations, but I can say that once I got through the obstacle of leveling, I found myself absolutely loving my class.

Now, at lvl 50, I have completed several Hardmode Flashpoints and find myself having no trouble with PvE at all. I am a DPS spec and can easily hold my own in PvE. If you are below level 50, please don't be discouraged! Once you get Doc your life will be better, and once you are 50 you will have no troubles at all!

---PvP

PvP is where I spend most of my time in this game (currently valor 53 with only 3 non-champion slots). PvP is also where Guardian has shined the most for me. At lower levels, I had doubts, like many of you, as to the practicality of Guardians in PvP.

Once I got to 45-50, I soon realized just how true it was that JK really comes into its own at higher level, and let's face it--pvp doesn't matter at lower levels because you will always be advancing until you hit cap.

As a DPS spec (2/8/31), I am top damage in Warzones 98% of the time, and I have no problems with survivability. I absolutely love PvPing as a Guardian, with or without a healer. Some of my best performances have come without a healer, just relying on tactics and innate survival cooldowns (including a 76/0 voidstar with 361k damage + 15k protection).

I can't stress enough how balanced and fun this class is when you hit 50, and even more so when you are in PvP/PvE gear.

I would also like to note that as a tank spec in PvP I could get 60k+ protection and still manage 70-100k damage, which is easily on par with vanguard, shadow, etc.

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Don't give up! Jedi Knight is an excellent class, and despite difficulties while leveling (which are easy enough to overcome), it really becomes beastly at 50.

The only thing I would change about it is the atrocious PvP armor. If you agree with this please go support one of the ongoing threads about it.

Anyway, I hope that this may have encouraged someone out there. Good luck with your guardians!

If you have any questions, I will try to answer, but I will not always be on the forums.

Not in the slightest is that what he's suggesting. He's saying that yea its a bit of a frusturating experience to level but the juice is worth the squeeze at 50.

OP - I'd be interested to see your pure dps spec if you don't mind.

I'm glad to hear you're having success with a Focus spec in PvP, since that's what I'm planning on doing. So many people on this forum seem to be drinking the "Defense is the only viable PvP spec" Kool-Aid.

Quick question on your spec though, I was planning on going 10/31. I assume you've skipped Defiance to take the extra Focus on Sundering Strike? For PvP it seems to me that in the long run you'd end up getting more extra Focus from being CC'ed than from Sund. Strike. Or did you take the hit debuff on Force Sweep?

edit: Also, do you use a Shield offhand or Focus offhand?

OP - you are obviously a skilled player to put up numbers like that. I agree that the JK does pretty well in pvp at top level. The only thing I will say to you is that if you were playing a commando with the same level of skill you would dominate the warzone even harder.

In summary: Does the JK do okay at end game? Yes. Does it do as well as another class at end game played with the same skill? No.

I'm glad to hear you're having success with a Focus spec in PvP, since that's what I'm planning on doing. So many people on this forum seem to be drinking the "Defense is the only viable PvP spec" Kool-Aid.

 

Quick question on your spec though, I was planning on going 10/31. I assume you've skipped Defiance to take the extra Focus on Sundering Strike? For PvP it seems to me that in the long run you'd end up getting more extra Focus from being CC'ed than from Sund. Strike. Or did you take the hit debuff on Force Sweep?

 

edit: Also, do you use a Shield offhand or Focus offhand?

I believe the spec he's running (purely speculative) is 2 in Focus for the 10 sec Stasis CD, 8 in Defense and 31 vig.

I put together a few specs following that format and the only one I truly liked was 2/7/32 which is why I would like to see his.

If you are not in Soresu, you do not benefit from the shield offhand.

I have always been 2-3 levels higher than the quests I am doing because I complete every non-heroic quest for each planet, including the bonus ones. I find that it makes the bosses easier and I haven't had much trouble with them. So far, I have found the actual bosses to be easier than some regular elite mobs.

Doc helps a lot, for sure. Once I got him PvE became much easier. I was able to chain pull strong/regular mobs without having to heal in between whereas before Doc I had to heal after most fights. Even some elites I came out with almost full health. At level 42 though, I am beginning to have difficulty and have to heal more often than I did right after I got Doc, around level 37. Did you have this experience as well?

It's been hit or miss in PvP. Sometimes I do really well and surprise myself and other times I die quickly with the enemy still at half HP. For instance against a level 40 Sorcerer I fought last night on Hoth killed me while he was still at half health. The heals are difficult to damage through but I probably interrupted the damaging spells instead of the healing ones. I do notice a lack in burst damage.

I've been Vigilance since the beginning and haven't tried Focus dps.

This is my best guess at what he's running:

http://db.darthhater.com/skill_calc/jedi_knight/guardian/#::f9ef10df6ef6ef3efefe7fef2e7:

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#5000MZI0bZGrorzrRdGo.1

I'm not 100% sure on a few of the points in focus, as I am not logged in atm, but that is essentially my spec. I'll try to post a few crappy phone pics of warzone stats in a minute (screen shot utility not working with tor client).

Ohhhhh you use TORhead skill calc haha, that would explain the 2 8 31 pt spread, I always use DarthHater.

Thanks for posting, I've been testing out a lot of focus builds lately.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/269/wz1p.jpg/

Sorry for bad quality, but the important stuff is there. 11 Medals. I recieved maybe 10-20k healing in the warzone.

Good stuff Sithis, thanks for posting. As someone who hasn't done much work in the focus tree, what kind of "rotation" do you tend to stick to with that spec?

Usually something like this to start a fight --

saber throw > force leap > force exhaustion > zealous leap > sundering strike (for more focus) > freezing force ( to lock as many people near me as possible for sweep) > force sweep

The key is to always have singularity up when you hit sweep. I try to mix in plenty of Slashes when I have extra focus and when I don't have singularity up. Also, force stasis builds singularity so you can replace exhaustion with it in the initial rotation, but exhaustion has a much shorter cooldown and does much more damage, so it should be used as often as possible.

Great to see that you had success I myself just got over the hump and the light is now at the end of the tunnel. At 50 I will be running this for PVE:

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#500fMZIGMR0hddhRZh.1

What are you thoughts on that?

I really like your focus build and am wondering how it operates in PVE.

Im enjoying it so far, im debating whether or not to even keep bladestorm on my bar

actually im thinking take 2 out of imp sunder and 1 out of defiance and pluggin 3 into the free bladestorm after leap

Great to see that you had success I myself just got over the hump and the light is now at the end of the tunnel. At 50 I will be running this for PVE:

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#500fMZIGMR0hddhRZh.1

 

What are you thoughts on that?

 

I really like your focus build and am wondering how it operates in PVE.

I think that your build is a pretty good standard dps build for PvE. I personally have done great in PvE with my build and pvp gear. Though it is difficult to tell without a dpsmeter/combat log, I have successfully run several hardmode flashpoints.

In regards to the above post, I am currently not using Blade Storm myself, but I was considering doing something similar to your plan. With the extra crit damage from focus tree and my high crit/surge from stacking those skills, I already do 2-3k on my occaisonal blade storm, so the extra attack may be worth picking up.

No Perserverance?

I assumed that was a must for any spec.

I'm glad to hear you're having success with a Focus spec in PvP, since that's what I'm planning on doing. So many people on this forum seem to be drinking the "Defense is the only viable PvP spec" Kool-Aid.

 

Quick question on your spec though, I was planning on going 10/31. I assume you've skipped Defiance to take the extra Focus on Sundering Strike? For PvP it seems to me that in the long run you'd end up getting more extra Focus from being CC'ed than from Sund. Strike. Or did you take the hit debuff on Force Sweep?

 

edit: Also, do you use a Shield offhand or Focus offhand?

You take the extra stack of sundering from Improved Sund Strike and use it as a follow up to your saber throw (After using force leap) which guarantees your next Force sweep crits due to "Felling Blow" which puts 2 stacks of Sunder Armour onto your target through sundering throw (Thats 4 stacks of sunder armour on your opponent before he even knows about it = 16% armour reduction) - Combine that with Shii-cho forms (Shii-Cho mastery) 20% Armour ignorance perk for 36% armour bypass!!!!

You follow that up with force exhaustion which gives you the required 4 ticks of singularity (+25% dmg bonus to your next Force Sweep) so when you finally get to using force Sweep it does 25% extra damage and is a guaranteed crit.

You will usually hit for anything between 3k and 5k damage (Dependant on your Surge rating) with Force sweep alone, but combined with the previous builders youll do about 7-8k damage on average.

THATS ONE HELL OF AN ALPHA BABY!

You can then do it all over again with a waft of force stasis and a sniff of zealous leap.

Focus build AKA Force Sweep pwnage is really very nice indeed.

EDIT: Also, Focus offhand as shield is useless unless youre in Soresu form.

Build sundering strike up with as many perks as possible, its your main focus builder. It also has a seriously smexy bonus effect, so use it whenever possible.

The main reason I roll with the improved sundering strike is for the extra focus. I may switch it up, but with zealous leap, exhaustion, sweep, strike, etc all taking 3 focus each, I drain everything I get fast. That's also the logic behind going deep enough into Vig to get the

+4 focus on CC.

Btw some one asked if I used shield generator, and I do. Less for the shield chance and more for the extra endurance.

Also, I am rolling mostly Surge/crit right now (especially with relics). The most important thing is surge for the force sweep, since it is a guaranteed crit.

The main reason I roll with the improved sundering strike is for the extra focus. I may switch it up, but with zealous leap, exhaustion, sweep, strike, etc all taking 3 focus each, I drain everything I get fast. That's also the logic behind going deep enough into Vig to get the

+4 focus on CC.

 

Btw some one asked if I used shield generator, and I do. Less for the shield chance and more for the extra endurance.

 

Also, I am rolling mostly Surge/crit right now (especially with relics). The most important thing is surge for the force sweep, since it is a guaranteed crit.

What form do you run with?

I scored big time on finding this post, a lot of really necessary information as far as Guardian PvP goes.

Much appreciated!

I must say, I am loving my guardian. Originally I was going to tank for my guild, but I luckily got out of it with a few excellent additions and now I am full time DPS like the OP. I've used all the specs (Defense, PvE DPS, PvP DPS, etc) and I enjoy them all. They each have their own unique feel.

I was discouraged for a long time in PvP, where I truly shine now, but Operatives, etc. But now that I have my class under control and fully understand all of the mechanics I can decimate any opponent 1v1, if PvP lag does not interfere! Guarding someone and pushing out top (or top 3) damage in battle groups makes me feel a bit overpowered

Cheers.