You can optionally go 2/2 Stagger. Not a big deal either way IMO -- those two points are filler. With this method, however, you can drop some ACC. The value of doing so depends on the new formulas and itemization. On the flip side, a longer root is pretty entertaining. Sidenote: I currently have 102% ACC (+12%) in Ataru stance with 0/3 Narrowed Hatred. My target is 100% (+10%) and I don't mind up to 105% (+15%) ACC. KEEN OBSERVATION.

This is teh specz0r: http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#100bcZurMRRrrdGzZM.1

Rakata synthweave crit augmented belt/bracers are good (e.g. significantly better tradeoff than a primary armor slot). Proc relic is typically bad for PvP because the proc is low damage sustained RNG. The clicky +power relic is vastly superior so you can control when you burst.

500 to 550 is pretty close, but weighs on the side of +expertise. The difference is minor, but it helps give you an expertise "buffer" in case you want to swap a more valuable trade elsewhere. Either way, the aesthetic value is superior, although I have helms hidden so I get a nice hood . Sidenote: The Armoring in the BM helm is not "bad"; it uses Rage Armoring like all the other BM pieces IIRC. The armoring in several Rakata non-helm slots (chest comes to mind, and there's one other piece) actually use Guardian Armoring, not Might Armoring.

PvE: Start fight with: 1. Overload Saber. 2. Cauterize before your first Merc Slash. For the rest of the fight, you should: 1. Overload Saber. 2. Zen. 3. Merc Slash. 4. Dispatch. 5. Zealous Strike when Focus <= 6. 6. Cauterize. 7. Master Strike when Focus >= 9. 8. Slash when Focus >= 9. 9. Strike. Notes: - Use Valorous Call with other cooldowns like your adrenals and relics when it's good for the fight (burst phase). - Slash will not be used after Dispatch range, generally. - Slash is used minimally when Merc Slash gets 3 stacks.

All the FOTM Marauders are watching K-TERA streams.

You should switch the helm to BM.

Maras aren't squishy. The class has better durability than any class in the game short of a full tank spec and geared PT or tank Assassin. Furthermore, Rage spec has +7% passive damage reduction over Annihilation (3% internal/bleed over Anni). Nevermind the potential abuse of a 45s UR. In a group cluster****, Rage has both more survivability and effectiveness. Anni is stronger for, as you say, humping a healer or solo target while not being cluster****ed by 5 players. Rage also requires much less raw contact time for its damage execution, allowing the Marauder to joust a bit and better manage the 5 players from a spatial standpoint. Edit: Annihilation is more suited to pug solo queue play than Rage by a significant margin, however: 1. Pug solo queue trends to players on your team sucking and not dealing with healers appropriately. Annihilation spec healer-hump is a great solution to this problem. 2. Maps like Huttball in a pug trend towards blitz ball caps where a solo hero Assassin or Jugg run across the whole map (again because you/your team is bad). With more "premade" work and more skill overall, this tends to drag, and the ball carrier will more often be surround by allies attempting to protect them. This meta leans towards Rage spec for clearing space.

Hit is not an exceptionally big deal for Carnage. For offhand Atarus, you're basically looking at plus 1% chance to strike above 67% in the 50% of cases where Ataru didn't proc on the mainhand, and then RNG'ing a 50% proc on THAT. +1% acc is approximately 1/67 * .5 * .5 = +0.37% of an Ataru per off-hand-proc-able attack. This delta is invalid for Force Scream, which is 1.5/9 = 16.7% of attacks. The +0.37% of an Ataru is valid for 83% of attacks (assuming all weapon attacks can proc offhand; IIRC force charge may not, but let's not quibble). So the net result is that +1% Acc for Ataru strike is worth slightly less than 0.31 Ataru strike procs per GCD, or 0.21 Ataru procs per second.

Yeah, Pacifying a Sent/Guardian and watching their Dispatches completely miss makes me giggle inside. Shadows and their execute as well. Hilarious **** and so predictable.

Do not trade BM for Rakata armor slots at 550 exp or below. There is no "10%" magic number. There is no "fill out with PvE" slots. Good PvP -> PvE trades are crit Columi implants, orange bracers, orange belt, matrix cube, crit Rakata synthweave / relic. If you're whoring an obscene amount of BIS and actually have all those, stop here. You don't want to lose more expertise. "Meh" PvP -> PvE trades are basically the sabers -- sabers are what you want to trade if you have none of the other crit or orange PvE trade options mentioned above. Poor PvP -> PvE trades are the primary armor slots. You generally want to avoid this and go get sabers and your Matrix Cube instead, and use BM gear. If you're juggling Champ/Columi, no one cares: get better gear.

Because neither Carnage nor Rage currently have Short Fuse? A Carnage spec shouldn't even take QR currently.

The Rakata sabers have higher total stats due to some oddities with the mods that you can't see in the BM saber. Also, pretty sure the BM saber has an endurance crystal. So, Rakata sabers are better (with power crystal), assuming you're not an idiot and you already have a ****ton of expertise (e.g. full BM gear). If you have several high-value PvE slots (orange bracers, crit implants, etc), then the BM sabers will probably be better to supplement your expertise (using an expertise crystal in the Rakata sabers is not effective because it trades down power+end for Acc versus the BM sabers, which is generally not what you're aiming for).

Rage cost is already appropriate for it given the context that Retaliation is a situational attack.

When I see a guildy in a Warzone, I spend that ENTIRE *********** Warzone training them. I will look for them and ignore the rest of the map, dive through the entire enemy team, SPAWNCAMP them as much as possible. Sidenote: LOL@Rep vs. Rep. The game has been like this for Imperials since release.