A Gap Closer for Operatives

what do u want 100% uptime on ur target?

Aren't you a hybrid spec sorc?

Oh right.. THAT's balanced... Operatives not being forced to run, slowly, back up from the pit.. well.. that would just be gamebreaking.

Anyway, don't want to repeat myself but maybe it'll drive the point home, my sniper gets to do more damage then my Operative ever did at a longer range and not have to worry about being knocked back, rooted, with a much more effective defense mechanic and never have to deal with the games numerous positioning errors. Looking from the outside in, and having played the class before, I can say without a doubt they need serious love because they are laughable in their current state.. best suited for finishing off a kill someone else started.

I've seen good ops/scoundrels take out 4 people. They don't need anything but another nerf. Don't allow ops/scoundrels back in combat for 8 seconds following a vanish.

I've seen good ops/scoundrels take out 4 people. They don't need anything but another nerf. Don't allow ops/scoundrels back in combat for 8 seconds following a vanish.

First off, this is not a thread made to whine about the changes made to Operatives in pvp. Personally, I think a slightly lower damage hidden strike is a fair trade with the buff jarring strike was given to not fill the resolve bar. An issue I do feel needs addressed however is the lack of a gap closing power for Operatives, specifically concealment.

If you look at the other melee classes, they all have some sort of skill that allows them to get in a ranged dps' face more quickly (Force Charge, Jet Charge, Grapple, Force Speed, etc). Operatives have two talents that provide movement speed increases, but one requires us to use Debilitate on a target (our best stun), and the other requires us to burn out best defensive cooldown (Cloaking Screen). The other melee classes do not have similar drawbacks built into their gap closers, and only Jet Charge requires a talent.

Here is my suggestion:

1) Switch Meticulously Kept Blades and Culling in the Concealment talent tree.
2) Roll Acid Blade and Culling into one talent. It would still be a 3 point talent, and points invested beyond the first would only increase the damage dealt to poisoned targets (1%/2%/3%).
3) Create a new 31 point talent similar to Shadowstep used by rogues in that other game whose name cannot be spoken. The range would be equal to that of the other gap closers, and the operative would end up behind his or her target.

Now, before anyone says "Stealth is your gap closer, that talent would be overpowered!", I would like to point out that the other stealthy melee class not only has a gap closer in the form of a sprint, but also has an AoE knockback. I am suggesting Operatives sacrifice the utility of a knockback in order to have a skill that would bring them more into line with the other melee classes when outside of stealth.

Any thoughts are appreciated, and yes I can feel the flames at my back as I finish typing this. Cheers!