Carnage Discussion 1.2

[Ryfe]

Do you have a link to those Qed? I need something to do while the servers are down. =P

EDIT: I found it! The whole Combat Watchmen thing threw me off (I'm Sith)... Its late.
http://mmo-mechanics.com/swtor/forums/Th...Simulators

[Melanie]

yes it's quite annoying that they use 2 names for the same ability, when someone only post the Republic names i'm like shit ... what was that again?

[Baalis]

I love playing combat/carnage, but I can't help think that my key layouts/bindings are hindering my overall effectiveness. Anyone have a good setup they like? Maybe a screen cap to help? Thanks.

[tkawika]

Post 1.2 Combat Spec 5-31-5 DPS has been a little disappointing. Im a pretty much topped out on gear. I have 4 out 5 Blackhole/Campaign level pieces. My stats are: Strength 1990, power is 472, crit is 306, surge is high at 477, 108% on Accuracy. On the FB/SC Hardmode my DPS was over 1200. Just did a KP NM run and on all the bosses except Bonecrusher was over 1350. Now that sounds decent, but I was third in DPS all night. Behind a Dirty Fighting Gunslinger (1600 DPS) and a Vanguard (1400 DPS). On the test dummys I'm above 1500 DPS. I really love being a combat spec'd, but I cant be embarrassed by a Vanguard again (his DPS was a true surprise).

My starting rotation:
Force Leap
Zealous Strike
Precision Slash
Blade Rush
Blade Storm
Master Strike

Then its Strike, Blade Rush combo to keep Ataru and other buffs up and repeat. Of course popping relics, inspiration, adrenals, and zen. Needless to say I would hate to switch to Dotman, oops I mean Watchman spec, but if I cant get my DPS up then I am going to have to make the change..

[BigRedJedi]

(05-10-2012 04:43 PM)tkawika Wrote:  Post 1.2 Combat Spec 5-31-5 DPS has been a little disappointing. Im a pretty much topped out on gear. I have 4 out 5 Blackhole/Campaign level pieces. My stats are: Strength 1990, power is 472, crit is 306, surge is high at 477, 108% on Accuracy. On the FB/SC Hardmode my DPS was over 1200. Just did a KP NM run and on all the bosses except Bonecrusher was over 1350. Now that sounds decent, but I was third in DPS all night. Behind a Dirty Fighting Gunslinger (1600 DPS) and a Vanguard (1400 DPS). On the test dummys I'm above 1500 DPS. I really love being a combat spec'd, but I cant be embarrassed by a Vanguard again (his DPS was a true surprise).

My starting rotation:
Force Leap
Zealous Strike
Precision Slash
Blade Rush
Blade Storm
Master Strike

Then its Strike, Blade Rush combo to keep Ataru and other buffs up and repeat. Of course popping relics, inspiration, adrenals, and zen. Needless to say I would hate to switch to Dotman, oops I mean Watchman spec, but if I cant get my DPS up then I am going to have to make the change..

Does your accuracy include the 3% bonus from the Ataru stance? Also, I'm assuming that 108% is your Special accuracy? If so (and it might just be me), you may want to consider squeezing that extra 2% accuracy into your gear, as a decent number of your high-damage attacks (Master Strike, in particular) are 'white' damage, and subject to a boss' 10% defense (thus, you're suffering some DPS loss from Miss/Deflect/Parry).

As far as your rotation goes, it looks pretty good, the one thing that I do differently with my rotation, compared to yours, is:

• Force Leap
• Zealous Strike
• Precision Slash
• Master Strike
• Blade Storm iff Ataru form proc'd and Combat Trance is active.
• Blade Rush
• Blade Storm
  

This both gets Master Strike into CD faster (thus, up more often over prolonged fights), it also helps to match up Master Strike's CD with the 2nd uptime of Precision Slash in a standard rotation, thus, minimizing the time that Master Strike is not used on CD, to a pair GCD's (1 GCD before Precision Slash is off its second cycle, then the CD wherein Precision Slash is actually used). More importantly, Master Strike is your overall hardest hitting ability, and prioritizing it immediately after Precision Slash lessens the possibility of the final tick losing the benefit the armor penetration (which is really what helps to maximize your damage output).

Just my 2 EC,
-BRJ


P.S. Vanguard DPS, especially Assault Spec or a hybrid Tactics/Assault Spec, is amazing right now...

[Baalis]

Quote:Does your accuracy include the 3% bonus from the Ataru stance? Also, I'm assuming that 108% is your Special accuracy? If so (and it might just be me), you may want to consider squeezing that extra 2% accuracy into your gear, as a decent number of your high-damage attacks (Master Strike, in particular) are 'white' damage, and subject to a boss' 10% defense (thus, you're suffering some DPS loss from Miss/Deflect/Parry).

As far as your rotation goes, it looks pretty good, the one thing that I do differently with my rotation, compared to yours, is:

• Force Leap
• Zealous Strike
• Precision Slash
• Master Strike
• Blade Storm iff Ataru form proc'd and Combat Trance is active.
• Blade Rush
• Blade Storm
  

This both gets Master Strike into CD faster (thus, up more often over prolonged fights), it also helps to match up Master Strike's CD with the 2nd uptime of Precision Slash in a standard rotation, thus, minimizing the time that Master Strike is not used on CD, to a pair GCD's (1 GCD before Precision Slash is off its second cycle, then the CD wherein Precision Slash is actually used). More importantly, Master Strike is your overall hardest hitting ability, and prioritizing it immediately after Precision Slash lessens the possibility of the final tick losing the benefit the armor penetration (which is really what helps to maximize your damage output).

Just my 2 EC,
-BRJ


P.S. Vanguard DPS, especially Assault Spec or a hybrid Tactics/Assault Spec, is amazing right now...

Why not Blade Rush before before precision slash?

[BigRedJedi]

(05-12-2012 04:20 AM)Baalis Wrote:  [quote]
Why not Blade Rush before before precision slash?

For me, I keep it afterwards because it runs the risk of Combat Trance wearing out and not being up to guarantee that Blade Storm gets a critical hit. Since, AFAIK, Combat Trance doesn't refresh itself until it has delivered the 1 Focus to you (at the end of 6 seconds, after being activated), if you hit Blade Rush prior to hitting Precision Slash, you will be activating Blade Storm exactly on that 6-second mark, and while it probably is a slight gain, it really tightens the rotation to a point of exactitude that I would feel like I have to be 110% on top of my game and the slightest nudge (whether that were missing a keystroke, lag, etc.) could throw everything out of alignment.

-BRJ

[tkawika]

(05-11-2012 07:23 PM)BigRedJedi Wrote:  As far as your rotation goes, it looks pretty good, the one thing that I do differently with my rotation, compared to yours, is:

• Force Leap
• Zealous Strike
• Precision Slash
• Master Strike
• Blade Storm iff Ataru form proc'd and Combat Trance is active.
• Blade Rush
• Blade Storm
  

The only issue I see using Master Strike before Blade Rush and Blade Storm, is that they wont get the armor debuff from Precision Slash. I switched to Watchman to try it out for a bit and just did Zorn and Toth Hard Mode. We had 2 watchman spec on Toth and we actually had to slow down DPS because we were killing him to fast. We actually killed Toth in a little over 3 mins one time and Zorn was at 18%. That wasn't good. I am going to try Watchman for a few runs and see what my DPS is. The test will be tomorrow when we do the Firebrand and Stormcaller Hard Mode..

Btw, what is your DPS on the dummies?

tkawika

[BigRedJedi]

(05-12-2012 05:10 PM)tkawika Wrote:  The only issue I see using Master Strike before Blade Rush and Blade Storm, is that they wont get the armor debuff from Precision Slash. I switched to Watchman to try it out for a bit and just did Zorn and Toth Hard Mode. We had 2 watchman spec on Toth and we actually had to slow down DPS because we were killing him to fast. We actually killed Toth in a little over 3 mins one time and Zorn was at 18%. That wasn't good. I am going to try Watchman for a few runs and see what my DPS is. The test will be tomorrow when we do the Firebrand and Stormcaller Hard Mode..

Btw, what is your DPS on the dummies?

tkawika

Haven't tested in awhile, especially since starting to add Campaign/Black Hole gear, when (/if, LOL) I get some free time this week, I'll try to throw a 5-10min test together... IIRC, my dummy numbers were pretty comparable to what you were seeing, I just found that my cooldowns seemed to flow more smoothly with the rotation running with Master Strike after Precision Slash.

Was thinking about it today, though, and your rotation looks like a definite improvement if used:

• Force Leap
• Zealous Strike
• Precision Slash
• Blade Rush
• Master Strike
• Blade Storm, iff Combat Trance is up
• Blade Rush
• Blade Storm
  

In this case, I may only have to delay Blade Storm for an extra GCD, to get Combat Trance back up with Blade Rush, but by putting the initial Blade Rush between Precision Slash and Master Strike, all of Master Strike's hits will gain the increased % chance to proc Ataru form strikes, thus increasing both damage output and the likelihood that Combat Trance will be up and ready for Blade Storm at the end of Master Strike. Additionally, I still do not have to worry about any of Master Strike's hits losing the armor penetration from Precision Slash (which was my initial, mental reasoning for positioning it in the rotation as I did).

-BRJ

[Hibbo]

I posted it earlier on this Forum, I think till Bioware will fix stacking armor reduction debuffs, a spec like Carnage with a talent that gives you x seconds with 100% armor pen will not be in line with the other specs or classes.

With enough Bounty Hunter, Sniper and Juggernaut`s in your raid every damage dealer has a "Gore" Buff the hole fight.

I hope Bioware will adress this with Patch 1.3 because they already promised to fix this with 1.2.