This Guide provides in-depth information on the Bounty Hunter Powertech and Trooper Vanguard advanced classes (AC) in Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR). This Guide has been updated for Patch 1.3.
The Powertech and Vanguard ACs are mirrors of one another: the ability tooltips and talent trees are identical. As such, I am covering both ACs together in one Guide.
For ease of reading, whenever mentioning a Powertech ability or talent I will also provide the Vanguard mirror in parentheses.
Please post your feedback, tips, and questions!
Revision History
The first version of this Guide was posted on January 4, 2012. Here is the change log for recent revisions:
- July 01, 2012: updated for patch 1.3. Removed “Iron Fist” from the list of recommended builds
- April 27, 2012: fix spec links for PVE tank
- April 26, 2012: added links for 31/10/0 tank spec
- April 23, 2012: fixed typo about pull and root effects and Resolve
- Apr 18, 2012: added links to TheOpf’s post on Advanced Prototype (Tactics). Fixed typos. Updated gear tiers
Table of Contents
- Advanced Class Overview and Playstyle
- Talent Tree and Stance Overview
- Talent Tree Analysis
- Heat (Ammo) Mechanics
- Damage Mechanics
- Defense Mechanics
- Crowd Control and Debuff Mechanics
- Mobility and CC Counter Mechanics
- DPS Rotation
- Recommended Specs
- Stat Prioritization
- Gear Recommendations
- Narrated Gameplay Videos
- About the Author
1. Advanced Class Overview and Playstyle
Powertech (Vanguard) is the “can-tank” AC for the Bounty Hunter (Trooper) base class.
Players often ask which they should play: Powertech (Vanguard) or Mercenary (Commando).
You should roll Powertech (Vanguard) if:
- You are comfortable engaging in near-quarters (0-10m) combat
- You want to maximize your ability to control casters and healers with interrupts
- You want to have tools to close gaps to opponents and to increase your in-combat movement speed
- You want to tank in PVE and in PVP. By tanking in PVP, I mean that you want to be able to Guard a friendly target, which redirects 50% of the incoming damage from them to you, and be able to Taunt opponents to debuff their damage on your friendlies. With the changes in 1.3, please note that tank damage is down significantly in PVP
You should roll Mercenary (Commando) if:
- You want to be able to meaningfully heal yourself and your friendlies
- You want to beef up your 30m RDPS capability
- You want the option of playing a cast-time nuking spec, Arsenal (Gunnery)
- You prefer to have abilities that keep opponents at range (e.g. knockbacks)
I’m a huge fan of melee strafing, i.e. running circles around stationary targets to break their Line of Sight (LoS) to lower their offensive and defensive capability, and kite-strafing MDPS while I burn them down, so Powertech (Vanguard) fits my preferred playstyle.
2. Talent Tree and Stance Overview
The AC has 3 talent trees from left-to-right, 1 for tanking and 2 for DPS:
- Shield Tech (Shield Specialist): this is the tanking tree. As you’d expect, this is the tree to spec into for PVE tanking; there are talents that boost durability via Armor-based mitigation, flat mitigation, increased Shield Chance / Shield Absorption, etc. This tree provides utility in PVP including an in-combat charge, debuffs, a proc-snare effect, and buffs to our melee attack. The main downside to this tree is that your burst and sustained damage is significantly lower compared to the other 2 trees
- Advanced Prototype (Tactics): this DPS tree provides a passive movement buff, an on-demand movement buff that provides movement-related CC immunity, excellent short-range (0-10m) capability, increased Elemental and Internal damage, crit mechanics, passive Heat venting (Ammo regen), strong CC capability, and 2 snares. This tree lacks the durability of the tank tree and the ranged capability of the Pyrotech (Assault Specialist) tree
- Pyrotech (Assault Specialist): this DPS tree provides mechanics that revolve around a proc-reset for the cooldown of Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt) and strong Elemental Damage Over Time (DoT) damage and related damage buffs. This tree provides the strongest > 10m ranged capability of the trees, a spammable snare effect, high sustained damage, and excellent burst via the talent to reset the cooldown of Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt). The main downside to this tree is the lack of a charge / sprint
Before discussing the trees further, it’s important to understand the 3 “stances” that the AC can choose from. Each stances provide benefits that synergize with a particular talent tree:
- Ion Gas Cylinder (Ion Cell): this tanking stance provides increased threat, mitigation, and shield chance and a damage proc for ranged attacks. You must be using this stance to activate the Guard ability
- Energy Gas Cylinder (High Energy Cell): this DPS stance increases your Elemental and Internal damage, which are not mitigated by armor
- Combustible Gas Cylinder (Plasma Cell): this DPS stance provides a chance for ranged attacks to proc a 6-sec Elemental DoT
Note that unlike the other “can-tank” ACs, switching stances for Powertech (Vanguard) requires a 1.5 sec cast time. For the most part, you’ll spec for and use a particular stance.
3. Talent Tree Analysis
Instead of breaking down every talent, let me short-circuit that by explaining the talents you can pass or should pass on.
Shield Tech (Shield Specialist)
- Combust (Static Field) is must-have for PVE tanking. While the debuff is nice for PVP, this talent should be skipped for DPS specs
- Rebraced Armor is must-have for PVE tanking. For PVP, you can skip this talent as it buffs Armor, which only works for 2 of the 4 damage types
- Shield Vents (Shield Cycler) is must-have for PVE but for PVP 1/2 is fine given the internal cooldown and because Shield is a weak mechanic in PVP. See the Defense Mechanics section for the limitations of Shield
- Ablative Upgrades (Ceramic Plating) is should-have for PVE but should be skipped for PVP
- No Escape (Defensive Measures) can be skipped for PVE but is must-have for PVP
- Supercharged Ion Gas (Supercharged Ion Cell) is must-have for PVE (AOE threat), but can be skipped for PVP
- Ion Screen (Ion Shield) is must-have for PVE. Given the weakness of the Shield mechanic in PVP, this is a solid choice for PVP as well
- Jet Speed (Charge!) is must-have for PVP
- Empowered Tech (Counterattack) and Power Screen (Heat Screen) are must-have for PVE. For PVP tanks, only take these talents if you are trying to reach the 31-pt ability Energy Blast (Heat Blast)
Advanced Prototype (Tactics)
- Prototype Electric Surge (Containment Tactics) is not needed for PVE, but it’s solid for PVP prior to getting the AOE stun at 46. At 46+ for PVP, take your pick of this talent or Power Armor in the next tier
- Prototype Cylinders (Blaster Augs) is an excellent talent when running Energy Gas Cylinder (High Energy Cell) or Combustible Gas Cylinder (Plasma Cell) but is optional if you’re using Ion Gas Cylinder (Ion Cell)
- Power Armor is very good for PVE tanking. For PVP it’s a solid choice, as it provides 2% mitigation against all damage types
- If you are running Energy Gas Cylinder (High Energy Cell): the Pneumatic Boots (Battlefield Training) is must-have for PVP, and for PVE and PVP, Prototype Cylinder Ventilation (Cell Generator) is must-have
- Serrated Blades + Charged Gauntlets (Combat Tactics): this is a controversial choice for PVP. Serrated Blades only buffs the DoT portion of Retractable Blade (Gut) by 15%, so that’s a poor ROI for 3 talent points. Charged Gauntlets (Combat Tactics) is a good talent, but keep in mind that unless you spec 18 points into Pyrotech (Assault Specialist), you’re only going to be able to use Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt) at most once every 15 seconds. For this reason for a heavy Advanced Prototype (Tactics) build (i.e. > 23 points) I recommend skipping these talents
- Prototype Flame Thrower (Pulse Generator) is a must-have for PVP due to the 70% snare. As of patch 1.3, the snare effect is now working correctly for Vanguard
- Hamstring is worth the point if you invested up through Charged Gauntlets (Combat Tactics)
- Hydraulic Overrides (Hold the Line) is must-have for PVP but can be skipped for PVE
- Stabilized Armor (Shock Absorbers) is a decent talent for PVP but should be skipped for PVE
Pyrotech (Assault Specialist)
- Integrated Cardio Package (Soldier’s Endurance) is a good talent for PVE tanking. For PVP, if you are investing 18 points in the tree to get Prototype Particle Accelerator (Ionic Accelerator) talent but are not using Combustible Gas Cylinder (Plasma Cell), this talent makes sense to take so that you don’t waste talent points in Bursting Flame (Ionized Ignition)
- Gyroscopic Alignment Jets (Parallactic Combat Stims) should be skipped for PVE DPS. For PVP, it is a useful talent for managing Heat (Ammo)
- Infrared Sensors (Nightvision Scope) should be skipped for PVE. For PVP, this provides not only better Stealth San capability but also increased avoidance against Melee and Ranged attacks (but not against Force or Tech attacks)
- Degauss should be skipped for PVE. For PVP, Degauss adds a root/snare-breaking effect to Energy Shield (Reactive Shield) which is situationally useful. That being said, my experience is that Infrared Sensors (Nightvision Scope) provides better utility in PVP, so I take that talent over Degauss to open up the 4th tier of the tree
- Rapid Venting (Rapid Recharge) is valuable in PVE for sustained DPS in long boss fights. It is also a very good choice for PVP
- Energy Rebounder (Reflexive Shield) should be skipped for PVE but is useful for PVP. Given the internal cooldown, you get the most bang for your buck at 1 talent point. In a premade context with a pocket healer, you can pass on this talent
- You can skip Automated Defenses (Adrenaline Fueled)
- Thermal Detonator (Assault Plastique) should be taken for full 31+ builds. Keep in mind that this ability replaces the base Explosive Dart (Sticky Grenade) and they share the 15-sec cooldown
4. Heat (Ammo) Mechanics
The “mana” bar for the AC goes different directions depending on your faction but they are functionally equivalent:
- For Powertech, Heat builds up as you use abilities
- For Vanguard, Ammo cells are consumed as you use abilities
The most important thing to understand about our “mana” bar is that it depletes (regens) at a non-linear rate, where the less mana you have the slower it regenerates. This is a rather unique mechanic, and the implication is that if you spam mana-heavy abilities, you will bury yourself in a resource deficit. Therefore, you want to manage your ability use carefully.
To see the rates of heat venting (ammo regen), mouse over the >>>> mini-bar to the right of your resource bar while using abilities.
We have an on-demand ability on a base 2 min cooldown called Vent Heat (Recharge Cells) that will lower your heat (regen ammo).
At level 42, we get the ability Thermal Sensor Override (Reserve Powercell) that causes the next ability to not generate Heat (not consume Ammo). For maximum mana efficiency, activate TSO (RP) before a 25 Heat (3 Ammo) ability.
There are talents that boost your ability to vent Heat (regen Ammo) or reduce the cost of specific abilities:
- Shield Tech (Shield Specialist): Shield Vents (Shield Cycler) provides a chance to vent 8 Heat (regens 1 Ammo) when you shield an attack. The 31-pt ability is off the global cooldown and vents 8 Heat (regens 1 Ammo)
- Advanced Prototype (Tactics): Prototype Cylinder Ventilation (Cell Generator) vents 8 Heat (regens 1 Ammo) every 6 seconds and is awesome. Battering Ram (Flame Barrage) can make your next Rocket Punch (Stockstrike) free
- Pyrotech (Assault Specialist): this tree has two excellent mana tools that revolve around Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt). Superheated Rails (High Friction Bolts) halves the cost of Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt). Prototype Particle Accelerator (Ionic Accelerator) makes the next Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt) free. Gyroscopic Alignment Jets (Parallactic Combat Stims) vents 8 Heat (regens 1 Ammo) every time you are stunned, rooted, knocked down, or incapacitated
Post-Patch 1.2 Note for Pyrotech (Assault Specialist)
Prior to 1.2, to apply a burn effect on a target within 10 meters, it made sense to use Ion Pulse (Flame Burst) instead of Incendiary Round (Incendiary Missile), because Ion Pulse delivered more damage in a shorter timeframe, cost less mana, applied a snare effect, and could trigger the Accelerator talent to make the subsequent High Impact Bolt (Rail Shot) free.
However, in Patch 1.2, an internal 6-sec cooldown was added to the Accelerator talent, so you want to trigger the proc only when your High Impact Bolt (Rail Shot) has been used and is on cooldown. Remember, even if your High Impact Bolt (Rail Shot) is not on cooldown, by using Ion Pulse (Flame Burst) or Stockstrike (Rocket Punch), you can trigger the Accelerator talent.
Therefore, in some cases you may want to open on a target with Incendiary Round (Incendiary Missile) on your target instead of Ion Pulse (Flame Burst), despite the higher mana cost.
5. Damage Mechanics
The AC delivers a combination of the following damage types:
- Elemental damage
- Kinetic damage
- Weapon damage (always Energy AFAIK)
Elemental damage rocks because it is not mitigated by armor, and as our Elemental attacks are Tech-based, they are not Dodgeable nor Shieldable. If you’ve read my PVP Guides across games (e.g. WoW Prot Pally, WAR Swordmaster), I prefer “non-physical” damage types because they make targets feel equally squishy in terms of your damage output.
At level 10, the AC gets the core 10m ranged Elemental attack Flame Burst (Ion Pulse). Many of the talents in the non-tanking trees revolve around this ability, so we tend to deal our best single-target damage when within 10m of a target. The Pyrotech (Assault Specialist) tree provides strong Elemental DoT capability via Combustible Gas Cylinder (Plasma Cell) procs and Incendiary Missile (Incendiary Round).
As a Bounty Hunter (Trooper), we have two channeled AoE abilities: Death From Above (Mortar Volley) and Flame Thrower (Pulse Cannon). Flame Thrower (Pulse Cannon) is a 10m conal AoE which deals solid single-target damage, and you can rotate your character while channeling the ability the change the direction of the cone. FT (PC) is very effective against targets that are on a stationary object (e.g. a node) or are not moving. In Patch 1.2 FT (PC) when talented and stacked to 5 buffs also applies a 70% snare effect during the channel.
We have an excellent 30m ranged burst ability in Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt). This ability has a 15 sec cooldown, which can be reset via the Prototype Particle Accelerator (Ionic Accelerator) talent. The most important talents for buffing the damage on a RS (HIB) cast are the 60% armor penetration in the middle tree and the 30% armor penetration 12-pt talent in the right tree – and these armor penetration talents stack additively.
There is a delay before the damage from Explosive Dart (Sticky Grenade) triggers, but in PVP this is awesome as you’ll generate spike damage from the damage trigger plus other abilities.
At level 50 we get an on-demand buff ability called Explosive Fuel (Battle Focus) that boosts Ranged Crit Chance and Tech Crit Chance by 25% for 15 sec. EF (BF) and the on-demand buffs from Relics are off the GCD, and they stack together, so you can pop EF (BF) and a Relic to maximize your DPS and burst. Relics do share an internal cooldown so you can’t activate them together or chain them.
Per the class mechanics, there are a few abilities that you should be careful about using:
- Flame Sweep (Explosive Surge): this PBAoE ability has high “mana” cost and low damage output without talents in the tanking tree. For AoE damage situations, DFA (MV) and FT (PC) are typically better options in terms of damage. The use cases for this ability are for tank-spec’d players to debuff the damage of multiple opponents, to damage opponents trying to cap a flag, or to build up to 5 stacks of Prototype Flame Thrower (Pulse Generator). Also note that the range of the PBAoE is 5m, so your targets need to be near-melee range
- Missile Blast (Explosive Round): this instant-cast ranged AoE ability deals low damage relative to the high “mana” cost so don’t spam it. It is an effective tool for preventing a node cap, especially when you are closing the distance to multiple opponents capping a node.
- Unload (Full Auto): this is a channeled 3-sec ability. As discussed above, this is a highly-mobile spec that tends to be most effective when within 10m of your target. This ability is a long self-root and it can be interrupted. There is only 1 talent across all 3 trees that buffs this ability, and that’s in the Pyrotech (Assault Specialist) tree. The main use case where this ability makes sense is when you are at long-range from a target who will remain in your field-of-fire for 3 seconds and your Explosive Dart (Sticky Grenade) and Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt) are on cooldown
6. Defense Mechanics
Avoidance and Mitigation
This section is a sub-set of the information that I provided in a separate article, so check that article out for more detail than what is provided below.
Here are the terms defined:
- Avoidance: not being hit
- Mitigation: reducing damage taken when hit
SWTOR leverages a 2-roll system for determining the outcome of an opponent’s attack as explained by BioWare’s Georg Zoeller (references: 1 2), bold emphasis mine:
First is a hit roll, accuracy versus defense, and if the attacker misses then no damage occurs. If the attacker rolled poorly enough to miss even discounting the target’s defense then a “Miss” result occurs. If he misses because of the defense then the result varies based on the attack type, the cover state of the target, and the target’s equipped weapons. All the possible results – Dodge, Parry, Deflect, Resist, Cover – are mathematically the same, but they can trigger different effects and are visualized in different ways.
If the attacker hits, then a second roll is made with the crit chance of the attacker versus the shield chance of the target. If a Crit or a Shield occurs then the damage is adjusted up or down (based on Surge/Absorb), and then it goes through to the armor and damage resistance. A critical can never be shielded, and an attacker with a high enough crit chance can push the target’s shield chance off the table. It shouldn’t be possible to get your passive crit chance high enough to start pushing off the target’s shield chance, but there are short-duration buffs that push these chances high enough to come into conflict.
There are 3 categories of Avoidance as captured in the Defence Chance tooltip:
- Melee Dodge: base of 5%, boosted by Defense, talents, and buffs
- Ranged Dodge: base of 5%, boosted by Defense, talents, and buffs
- Resistance: base of 0%, boosted by talents and buffs. This is against spells
There are several categories of Mitigation:
- Damage Reduction: provided by Armor against Energy and Kinetic damage, flat damage reduction via talents, Expertise, and the tanking stance, and a bubble in Energy Shield (Reactive Shield)
- Shield Chance / Shield Absorption: provided when you have a Shield offhand equipped and successfully Shield an attack that hit. The amount of damage mitigated (absorbed) is based on the offhand (e.g. 20%) and talents in the tanking tree
SWTOR’s Shield functions similarly to WoW’s Block or RIFT’s Block mechanic. The main difference is that in SWTOR you don’t have to keep oppponents in your frontal facing to Shield.
The important thing to understand are which types of attacks are Avoidable and Shieldable and which are not. There are 4 types of attacks: Force, Melee, Ranged, and Tech. Melee and Ranged types are Avoidable and Shieldable, whereas Force and Tech attacks are not. This is consistent with other games such as WoW and RIFT, where “spell” attacks are not dodgeable / parryable and not blockable. That being said, the main consideration for SWTOR is that all classes have either Force or Tech attacks. Therefore, you may not get as much mileage out of your Avoidance and Shield-related talents as you might expect. E.g. the melee stun and melee attack for the Imperial Agent (Smuggler) class are Tech and therefore given sufficient accuracy will always hit.
The AC has an on-demand mitigation bubble in Energy Shield (Reactive Shield), and the ability is off the GCD. This ability provides 25% mitigation against all damage types for 12 sec, so it’s important to activate it as soon as you start taking focus fire or you may die before the bubble expires.
Protection Mechanics
You can reduce damage to friendlies, that is Protect them, by using Taunts and by Guarding them.
Taunts reduce the damage on debuffed opponents by 30% against anyone except you. The single-target Taunt is called Neural Dart (Neural Jolt) and the AOE Taunt is Sonic Missile (Sonic Round). Taunts are off the GCD so use them liberally.
SWTOR has thankfully implemented the Guard mechanic from WAR :)
Guard is a buff you can put on a friendly player when you’re in the tanking stance. Guard provides a flat 5% mitigation for the guarded friendly, and 50% of the incoming damage is redirected to you. This is an excellent tool for keeping your guarded target (e.g. a healer, flag carrier, etc) alive under focus fire.
The main catch with Guard is that you have to be in the tanking stance, and keep in mind the following:
- Unlike the other 2 tank AC mirrors, we can not switch stances instantly. We have a 1.5-sec cast time. As this AC relies heavily on a mobile playstyle and staying within 10m of your target in most situations, stopping to switch stances may not always be ideal
- If you invested talent points in the non-tanking stances, those talent points are not leveraged when you are in the tanking stance
Stealth Detection
Stealth detection is provided by the Stealth Scan ability, and it’s a terrific counter against an opponent who uses an in-combat stealth.
Self-Healing
At level 32, we gain a mild Heal-over-Time (HoT) in Kolto Overload (Adrenaline Rush), which heals for 15% of the character’s maximum health. This ability is off the GCD.
For a detailed writeup on tanking, check out Gankstah’s excellent Tanking: A Primer thread on the SWTOR tanking forum.
7. Crowd Control and Debuff Mechanics
I recommend that you read my article, Understanding SWTOR’s Resolve Mechanic, so that you understand how Resolve works.
The AC as a variety of CC’s to work with regardless of spec:
- 30m range 4-sec stun in Electro Dart (Cryo Grenade) which has a 60 sec cooldown, 50 sec with Prototype Electro Surge (Containment Tactics)
- 30m range pull in Grapple (Harpoon) which has a 45 sec cooldown, 35 sec with Advanced Tools (Tactical Tools). You can add a 3-sec root effect with the tanking tree talent No Escape (Defensive Measures). Keep in mind the root effect does not build Resolve, but the pull builds 400 Resolve
- 4m range interrupt in Quell (Riot Strike) which has an 8-sec cooldown, 6 sec with Hitman (Frontline Defense). The interrupt locks the target out of using the interrupted spell for 4 sec. The interrupt is fantastic for shutting down healers and interrupting dangerous channeled abilities, and it’s off the GCD
- PBAoE 2.5-sec stun in Carbonize (Neural Surge) which has a 45-sec cooldown
In addition, there are tree-specific CC effects:
- 3-sec root effect and a ranged interrupt from the charge ability Jet Charge (Storm) in the tank tree
- 50% snare for 2 sec from the Neural Overload talent in the tank tree
- 30% snare for 6 sec from the Hamstring talent in the Advanced Prototype (Tactics) tree
- 70% snare on affected targets during the channel of Flame Thrower (Pulse Cannon) if you have the Prototype Flame Thrower (Pulse Generator) buff stacked to 5
- 50% snare for 2 sec from the Sweltering Heat talent in the Pyrotech (Assault Specialist) tree
The tank tree provides the following debuffs:
- a PBAoE debuff in Oil Slick (Smoke Grenade) that lowers Ranged and Melee Accuracy by 20% for 18 sec
- Flame Burst (Ion Pulse) and Flame Sweep (Explosive Surge) debuff the target’s damage by 4% for 15 sec
8. Mobility and CC Counter Mechanics
Mobility is king in PVP, even moreso given our 10m single-target mechanics and the design of the warzones, which have an emphasis on covering ground quickly.
There are talents that improve your mobility:
- Shield Tech (Shield Specialist) provides an in-combat charge called Jet Charge (Storm), which can be further talented to provide a 30% movement buff for 4 sec
- Advanced Prototype (Tactics) provides a passive 15% movement buff in Pneumatic Boots (Battlefield Training) and a 30% movement buff for 8 sec in Hydraulic Overrides (Hold the Line) that provides full immunity to movement-related CCs and knockbacks. You can use HO (HtL) as a CC breaker, and it has a relatively short 30-sec cooldown
When CC’d, we have the same base ability to break all CC effects in Tenacity (Determination) on a base 2-min cooldown that all classes get.
Aside from Tenacity, you can counter the following CC effects:
- Roots / snares / knockbacks with HO (HtL) and Jet Charge (Storm)
- Roots / snares with the Degauss talent for Energy Shield (Reactive Shield). The extent to which you can use this as a CC breaker depends on how many procs you get from Energy Rebounder (Reflexive Shield)
9. DPS Rotation
General
- Weave in Rapid Shots (Hammer Shot) as needed to keep your Heat low (Ammo high)
- Use Explosive Fuel (Battle Focus) as needed for the huge buff to Ranged and Tech Crit Chance
- Remember that we deliver our highest sustained single-target damage when <= 10m of our target, based on our class mechanics, so manage your distance to your target accordingly
AOE Considerations
In PVE against standard and weak mobs, Explosive Dart (Sticky Grenade) is a good damage + AOE knockdown, but remember that the AOE knockdown will disperse your targets.
If you are spec’d into Shield Tech (Shield Specialist), your Flame Sweep (Explosive Surge) is a good choice for PBAoE damage and debuffing your targets’ damage. The changes in 1.3 for the Flame Surge (Static Surge) talent now enable two mana-free casts of FS (ES) after using Jet Charge (Storm). In addition, Supercharged Ion Gas (Supercharged Ion Cylinder) provides AOE damage when using Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt).
Single-Target Rotation for 18+ in Pyrotech (Assault Specialist)
The #1 tip for maximizing your sustained and burst damage is using Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt) as often as possible. Therefore, when you are <= 10m to your target and Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt) is on cooldown, your priority is to proc a reset of its cooldown via Flame Burst (Ion Pulse) and Rocket Punch (Stockstrike).
- Apply a ranged DoT on your target. Due to the changes to the Prototype Particle Accelerator (Ionic Accelerator) talent in 1.2, you should use Flame Burst (Ion Pulse) to apply the DoT only if the Prototype Particle Accelerator (Ionic Accelerator) talent is on cooldown. Otherwise, apply the more expensive Incendiary Missile (Incendiary Round)
- Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt) – this will only cost a net of 8 Heat (1 Ammo) when the target is burning
- If you are > 10m from the target, Explosive Dart (Sticky Grenade) or the 31-pt replacement Thermal Detonator (Assault Plastique), otherwise use Flame Burst (Ion Pulse)
- Rocket Punch (Stockstrike) and Flame Burst (Ion Pulse) to try to proc the cooldown reset for Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt)
- If you get a cooldown reset for Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt), use it
- Rinse and repeat 4-6
Be very careful about spamming Incendiary Missile (Incendiary Round), as it is very expensive to cast.
I have played with 31-pt Pyrotech (Assault Specialist) specs, and while Thermal Detonator (Assault Plastique) is a good tool, after extensive testing in PVP and duels, I have come to the conclusion that TD (AP) should *not* be used in favor of FB (IP) or RP (SS) when Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt) is on cooldown, because RS (HIB) is king.
Single-Target Rotation for 31-pt Shield Tech (Shield Specialist)
Aside from Rocket Punch (Stockstrike), you want to use Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt) ASAP to get the 15-sec cooldown ticking.
Make sure to use Heat Blast (Energy Blast) for managing your mana, and as of 1.2 that ability is off the GCD so you can use it to provide some additional instant burst damage.
Aside from those abilities, here is the rotation:
- From range, Explosive Dart (Sticky Grenade)
- While closing to melee range, Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt) if possible, Rapid Shots (Hammer Shot) if not
- As soon as you close to melee range, Rocket Punch (Stockstrike) and when that’s on cooldown, Flame Burst (Ion Pulse) until you can Rocket Punch (Stockstrike) again
- Rinse and repeat
Single-Target Rotation for Advanced Prototype (Tactics) with < 18 points in Pyrotech (Assault Specialist)
Please see TheOpf’s post.
10. Recommended Specs
I intentionally put this section after all of the previous ones, to make sure you understand the mechanics of your class before copying someone else’s spec. Too often on the forums people ask for specs but don’t understand the mechanics and therefore how to play them correctly.
PVP
I cover several specs below in my narrated Spec Guide video, so check that out for more information.
Here is a list of some of the viable PVP specs from “left-to-right”:
- Tank: 31/10/0 Powertech (Vanguard) provides charge, Guard, solid melee capability, and excellent durability via passive mitigation. Limited ranged capability. In 1.2, Heat Blast (Energy Blast) was removed from the GCD. Empowered Tech (Counterattack) increases the chance to proc Shield Vents (Shield Cycler) and Flame Shield (Static Shield) to improve DPS
- TheOpf’s “NORS” (No Rail Shot): 8/31/2 Powertech (Vanguard): provides mobility, an emphasis on damage that ignores Armor, excellent CC capability, and passive mana management. For a comprehensive look at viable 8/31/2 specs, check out TheOpf’s thread on the BH forum.
- Run-and-Gun: 1/22/18 Powertech (Vanguard): blends the cooldown reset proc for Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt) with the in-combat sprint and short CC cooldowns of the middle tree. Oozo has created a series of videos on his blog for an almost identical 0/23/18 spec
- Controlled Burst DPS: 4/12/25 Powertech (Vanguard): blends high burst and sustained damage with max interrupt capability. This spec passes on Thermal Detonator (Assault Plastique), because within 10m TD (AP) competes with Rocket Punch (Stockstrike) and Flame Burst (Ion Pulse) for the GCD, and the latter abilities take priority due to their ability to reset the cooldown of Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt). Credit for this spec goes to Omegix, a kick-ass Vanguard on Ajunta Pall
- Full DPS: 4/6/31 Powertech (Vanguard): delivers the highest burst and sustained DPS for the AC at the cost of limited mobility. Fore more information, check out the blog article. There are many variants to this spec, e.g. 4/12/25, 5/5/31, 8/6/27, 8/8/25, etc.
PVE
Here is a list of some of the viable PVE specs from “left-to-right”:
- Main Tank: 31/7/3 Powertech (Vanguard): provides every Armor, Shield Chance, Shield Absorption, and 2% mitigation talent. Also delivers solid damage from Rocket Punch (Stockstrike) and Elemental attacks to boost threat generation
- DPS: 7/6/28 Powertech (Vanguard): delivers high sustained and burst damage with tools for managing your Heat (Ammo). The points in the 1st tier of the tree that boost Endurance are filler, as the other 3 options are talents more suited to PVP
11. Stat Prioritization
Diminishing Returns
The “secondary” stats, with the exception of Power, have diminishing returns.
Check out tuskake’s post on the official forums for a chart and numbers. Here are the approximate “soft caps” for some of the secondary stats:
- Crit Rating: ~400
- Expertise: ~550
- Power: N/A, scales linearly
- Surge Rating: ~200 (chart for new scaling in 1.1.3)
Alacrity is similar to WoW’s Haste mechanic, and as the vast majority of your GCDs will be spent on instant-cast abilities, this stat is mostly wasted. Alacrity does shorten channeled ability cast times but all of our meaningful channeled abilities have significant cooldowns.
PVP
- Primary stats: Aim = Endurance, favor one over the other for damage vs time-to-live
- Secondary stats:
- DPS builds: Expertise > Power = Crit Rating > Surge Rating = Accuracy Rating
- Tank: Expertise > Defense Rating = Shield Rating > Power = Crit Rating > Surge Rating > Accuracy Rating
For specs with 18+ points in Pyrotech (Assault Spec), please note that Accuracy Rating is an important stat, and you should not replace what comes on PVP gear. You need that Accuracy to make sure your Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt) hits.
PVE
Expertise is useless in PVE.
- Tanking
- Primary stats: Endurance > Aim
- Secondary stats: Accuracy Rating (under Hit cap) > Shield Rating > Absorption Rating > Defense Rating > Power > Crit Rating > Surge Rating > Accuracy Rating (at/above Hit cap)
- DPS
- Primary stats: Aim > Endurance
- Secondary stats: Accuracy Rating* (under Hit cap) > Power = Crit Rating > Surge Rating > Accuracy Rating (at/above Hit cap)
* Note: I have not tested yet to see whether Accuracy is worth stacking over the Hit cap to reduce your target’s defenses.
12. Gear Recommendations
PVP Sets
There are 3 “tiers” of PVP gear
- Recruit: full set of purchasable blue gear for fresh 50 characters for ~320k credits
- Battlemaster: purchasable via normal Warzone commendations
- War Hero: purchaseable via Ranked Warzone commendations. The armor and weapon slots require that you trade-in the corresponding Battlemaster piece
There are 3 sets to consider for this AC (in alphabetical order) and their set bonuses:
- Combat Tech
- 2-pc: +0.5 seconds to duration of PBAoE stun, reduces CC breaker cooldown by 15 sec
- 4-pc: +15% Crit Chance to Rocket Punch (Stockstrike)
- Eliminator
- 2-pc: N/A
- 4-pc: +15% Crit Chance to Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt)
- Supercommando
- 2-pc: -1.5 second to cooldown for Heat Blast (Energy Blast) and Jet Charge (Storm)
- 4-pc: +5% damage while Guarding
Which 4-pc set bonus do you pursue? With Patch 1.3, the decision is simple and based on your primary tree:
- Shield Tech (Shield Specialist): Supercommando. Pre-1.3, I used to recommend swapping out the tank mods for DPS ones, but in 1.3, the style of play that makes sense for tanks is durable meatshield
- Advanced Prototype (Tactics): Combat Tech
- Pyrotech (Assault Specialist): Eliminator
Aside from the 4-pc set bonus, for a given slot take pieces based on the stat prioritization.
Offhand
- If you are running the tanking stance, you can not Shield unless you have a Shield offhand equipped, so use a Shield offhand
- If you are not using the tanking stance, use a Generator offhand
13. Narrated Gameplay Videos
Writing Guides like this is part of what I contribute to the community. The other 2 major pieces of content that I provide are:
- Streaming live gameplay with commentary: http://twitch.tv/taugrim
- Narrated videos on YouTube: http://youtube.com/taugrimtaugrim
My narrated videos for this AC are included below in reverse-chronological order:
Avoiding False Accelerator Procs for Vanguard (Powertech) in SWTOR 1.2
In this video, I explain for Patch 1.2 how to avoid “false” procs for the Accelerator talent in the Assault Specialist (Pyrotech) tree for the Vanguard (Powertech) class.
4/6/31 All-Out DPS PVP Spec
This spec synergizes around the strong offensive capabilities of the Pyrotech (Assault Specialist) tree, in particular the mechanics for Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt) and Elemental damage.
Taugrim’s “Iron Fist” PVP Tank Spec (25/14/2)
I designed this spec after discerning the limitations of the Defense (avoidance) and Shield (block) mechanics for tanks in PVP. Mitigation is king in SWTOR; therefore the spec provides a significant amount of flat mitigation against all damage types.
The 4-pc Tech set bonus, Flame Shield (Static Shield) talent, and Flame Surge (Static Surge) talent synergize to generate a high frequency of high-damage Rocket Punch (Stockstrike) crits.
<3 this spec, it rocks :)
50 PVP Spec Guide
I discuss four PVP specs at level 50 in terms of their key talents, tradeoff decisions, and pros and cons.
Tips for Using the Ranged Pull Ability Grapple (Harpoon)
One of the best abilities of the AC is the ranged pull, which can be used to wreck enemy players and peel for friendlies.
Powertech PVP @ 20 as Advanced Prototype Spec in Huttball
In this PUG match I led all players with 273k damage, 51 kills, 23 killing blows, and 2 solo kills while using the tanking stance. Not that stats are the most important thing, but this gives you an idea of the offensive capability of the AC.
Vanguard PVP @ 14 as Tactics Spec in Alderaan
PUG match where I discuss the core class mechanics, match tactics, and combat tips.
14. About the Author
I’ve written Guides across multiple MMORPGs, including:
- RIFT Riftblade PVP Guide and M*A*S*H Melee Healer PVP Guide
- The stickied Protection Paladin Cataclysm PVP Guide on the WoW Pally forum. The copy of the Guide on my blog has ~1000 comments. During my time in Cataclysm, I was the only Prot Pally rated 2k+ in the 2v2 and 3v3 Arena brackets in my battlegroup
- Warhammer Online Swordmaster and Bright Wizard Guides and videos
- LOTRO Captain and Orc Reaver Guides and videos
Taugrim's MMO Blog 
Your bloody good Taugrim. Big ups mate. The harpoon tactics are priceless.
I’ve been afraid to go Vanguard as I’m worried about the ability of a bursty melee dps spec (tactics) to stand up to the other melee dps. How does Vanguard do going toe to toe with Shadows and Sentinals?
You don’t go toe-to-toe with MDPS.
You beat them via GCD starvation. That is, you short-range kite them outside of 4m so they can’t melee you but you can use your ranged attacks such as Flame Burst (Ion Pulse).
Against Jedi Knight / Sith Warrior you want to keep them at 5-9m so they can’t charge you.
For the avoidance of doubt, you never want to try to get a stockstrike or two in on a knight/warrior? It seems like once they leap at you, that’s a good opportunity to let it rip (perhaps after a cryo-grenade) as you’re kiting away.
You want to use Rocket Punch (Stockstrike) when you can, but you don’t want to go toe-to-toe for extended durations because you are enabling use of their melee abilities.
Very cool. One thing I disagree about is Degauss. As you know, roots and snares do not build resolve. So you can use Reactive Shield to break those in bad situations while reserving our CC break for the harder CCs.
A lot of classes (Sorcerer, Sniper, Merc) have an added root component to their knockback. This is also a situation where they try to load up their heaviest damage. It’s nice to be able to break that root to get back in range with the added bonus of having some damage mitigation as you close.
It’s situational, but the ability has saved my bacon more than a few times. Getting knocked back and eating tracer missles isn’t much fun. :)
I can see it losing some of its value if you have Hold the Line, though. Does Hold the Line break current CC or does it just grant immunity?
Fair enough, I’ll update the Guide.
Hydraulic Overrides (Hold the Line) breaks any CC currently on you that it’s designed to provide immunity to.
It’s freaking amazing and part of the reason I run the Advanced Prototype (Tactics) tree as my main tree while leveling.
I’ve tested Hold the Line several times in PvP and while it may break snares/roots it doesn’t break stuns.
Correct. Like I said, it breaks CC that it provides immunity to.
Stun isn’t on the tooltip description.
It’s good to see it clarified. I believe some items in WoW classified stuns as a “movement impairing effect.” Even still, it will be extremely helpful in Huttball to prevent getting knocked off the ramps.
Great beginning to a comprehensive guide. Here are a few editing suggestions. I hope these don’t sound snotty. I do a lot of editing in my job and these are only meant to be constructive.
Introduction, ¶ 2: “… from my experience [of] playing both [on] live…” delete “of,” no need for addition preposition. The “on” seems unnecessary but that may be a gaming convention. If so, leave it.
Section 1, ¶ 5: “…so Powertech (Vanguard) fits me like a glove from a playstyle perspective.” awkward phrasing. Consider changing to, “…so the Powertech (Vanguard) fits my playstyle like a glove.”
Section 1, ¶ 6: “The closest thing to Powertech (Vanguard) that I’ve seen across other games is RIFT’s Riftblade-spec’d Warrior, which is a heavy-armor class that has both melee and ranged DPS and good CC.” awkward construction
Section 2, ¶ 3: “…and each has synergies with a particular…” awkward construction. Should read, “…and each synergizes with a particular…”
Section 2, ¶ 3, bullet point 3: “…stance provide[s] a chance…” missing an “s” on provide. Should read, “…stance provides a chance…”
Section 3, ¶ 1, bullet point 1: “In addition[,] when…” missing comma between “addition” and “when”
Section 3, ¶ 1, bullet point 3: “… damage mechanics and CC capability and passive and on-demand movement buffs.” slightly unclear construction. Consider replacing the second “and” with something like “as well as” for clarity. The sentence would read, “damage mechanics and CC capability as well as passive and on-demand movement buffs.”
Section 3, ¶ 1, bullet point 4: “…you must and should take talents that buff…” consider removing “must and.” This is just a stylistic preference, but it reads a little cleaner.
Section 3, ¶ 2: “…and tertiary trees go, [where] are some common…” “where” should be “here”
Section 3, ¶ 3: “…they synergize with [the] playstyle and capabilities you are trying to maximize.” awkward construction. Should read something like, “…they synergize with your playstyle and the capabilities…”
Section 4, Pyrotech list, bullet point 4: “… so you can pop it[,] for example[,] when rooted by a Sniper (Gunslinger[s]) at range…” two commas on either side of “for example” and make “Gunslinger” singular
I hope some of these editing suggestions help. This is a great guide, thanks for putting in the time to make it.
Thanks, I’ll go through the list and make the appropriate edits.
Nice guide Ed! I wanted to let you know that I have a PT Spiderman build that dips more heavily into ST and a bit into AP just to get the passive movement buff. I plan to sacrifice the luscious badge getting Guard if I plan on running the Huttball. In warzones 5-10 seconds means a huge amount ie. getting the first turret or getting first dibs on the huttball! Being able to jump stun someone on fire/acid and pull them into fire/acid is very entertaining. I thank you for the post on resolve which explains a lot more on why my clutch pulls become dud!
I find it hard for my build to ever do more than 1500 damage on any given hit… so it will miss out on the freebie badge of 2.5k in one hit. Again sad we couldn’t be on the same server for this game like in Rift. If you are near downtown San Francisco again and bored we can talk strats/builds!
Are you running the Combustible Gas Cylinder (i.e. middle stance)? If you are not, you don’t get the passive movement buff. If you are, I’m not sure why you are spec’ing into the tanking tree as your primary tree.
The tanking tree pretty much requires that you use the tanking stance in order to get the benefit of key talents.
You should be able to crit for 1900+ with Rocket Punch and 2200+ with Rail Shot if you took the talents in the 1st tier of Advanced Proto.
Hey Ed,
I’m currently a level 43 Vanguard playing Shield Tech. I’ve found tanking to be very useful in Warzones, i.e, carrying the hutt-ball and staying alive to keep people off nodes. It’s a thankless job as far as damage meters go, but I’d rather win games than always top the charts.
I have a few questions/feedback about what you say regarding the Shield Tech tree.
“Combust (Static Field) is must-have for PVE tanking, but 1-pt filler for PVP”
So the other option is a 6% increase to HIB dmg. I’ve found the 4% damage debuff to be useful, considering it becomes an AOE debuff with the use of the AOE move (forget what it is called.) In areas around nodes and doors you can easily tap your AOE to debuff 4+ people, which takes some strain off of the healers. I suppose the alternative is a 6% increase to HIB, which I may use several times in a war zone, but not nearly as much as I spam Ion Pulse, which also generates the debuff. I suppose it depends on play style, as neither gives too much of an advantage at this point. I could see the increase to HIB being useful for someone primarily in the Tactics or other DPS tree.
“Rebraced Armor is must-have for PVE but should be skipped for PVP”
Maybe I’m mistaken, but an addition 16% armor seems like a big deal to me. Especially endgame when you are getting more returns from it. Armor reads to mitigate both kinetic and energy attacks, which are basically all attacks, no? I’m not sure the exact statistics, which I should find out, but 16% armor seems like it would be somewhere in the 3-4% range for damage mitigation, which is decent for only 2 talent points.
“For PVP, you can skip Empowered Tech (Counterattack) if you would prefer to beef up your offensive capabilities. Keep in mind that Shield chance only works for weapon-based attacks not spells.”
I was not aware that shield chance does not work on spells. What constitutes the difference between a weapon based attack and a spell? The extra 10% shield is nice to help refresh stock strike, which seems to be the staple damage ability for Shield Tech. I’m not too fond of the level 40 Shield Tech talent, and am open to skipping the last 6 points in the tree to go into all three trees. Would like to hear more about this. My shield chance, with the talents, is currently at 31%, with absorption at 33%. This essentially is 11% damage reduction.
Thanks again for the guide. Love your blog in general. Look forward to hearing back from you.
Agreed, Shield Tech is highly effective in Huttball.
I agree with what you’re saying about the debuff.
The AOE ability Flame Sweep (Explosive Surge) is horrible though. Low damage, high heat (ammo) cost, and it’s PBAoE. You should be keeping opponents in front of you as much as possible.
Will talk about why in the sections I still need to add to the Guide.
Armor mitigates 2 of the 4 damage types. It does not mitigate elemental nor internal damage.
And yes, you make a good point about 16% armor being a single-digit % increase in mitigation.
I’ll test shielding to confirm how it works.
So I tested with some guildees today.
Here is what we found when testing with Ryndar, a Jedi Consular Sage:
1. Double Strike (weapon damage) can be shielded
2. Disturbance, Project, and Telekinetic Throw (all kinetic damage) can not be shielded
Here is what we found when testing with Lightweight, a Trooper Commando:
1. Hammer Shot, Charged Burst, Full Auto ticks, and High Impact Bolt can be shielded (all weapon damage)
2. Mortar Volley, Stockstrike, Sticky Grenade, Explosive Round (all kinetic damage) can not be shielded
3. Pulse Cannon ticks (elemental damage) can’t be shielded
So it looks like the shield mechanic only works on weapon damage attacks.
Therefore, shield works well from a mitigation perspective against classes that deal primarily weapon damage but is fairly useless against non-weapon-damage attacks.
EDIT 2011/01/10: per Kollbjorn’s insightful post on my PT Guide thread on the SWTOR forum, I didn’t interpret the above correctly:
http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=154123&page=6
Here’s the answer: Melee and Ranged attacks are Avoidable / Shieldable, whereas Force and Tech attacks are not.
Also, crits can’t be shielded.
It would be interesting to test how shields interact with damage taken from guard.
Crits can be shielded. The magnitude from the Crit is simply lower.
EDIT: I was incorrect. Crits can not be shielded. See NoGoal’s post below:
We can’t test this via duels, so we’ll have to do this in Outlaw’s Den.
Yea, I was curious about that as well. Is the damage coming in from guard being mitigated through myself or the person I am guarding?
I haven’t been able to test yet with Guard given that it involves 3 people (1 opponent, 1 friendly, and the tank).
Thanks for clearing that up. If you are correct on that only weapon damage is mitigated through the shield, that is indeed pretty lame for PVP. I’d be curious to know what % of staple attacks or classified as weapon damage.
Great stuff, thanks! Keep up the good work.
I wonder if you mixed up the abbrevations in this part
SS (ST) primary, AP (T) secondary
AP (T) primary, ST (SS) secondary
AP (T) primary, PT (AS) secondary
PT (AS) primary, AP (T) secondary
Shouldn’t it be ST instead of SS in the first row?
ST (SS) primary, AP (T) secondary
AP (T) primary, ST (SS) secondary
AP (T) primary, PT (AS) secondary
PT (AS) primary, AP (T) secondary
Or maybe my head is still sleeping :)
Woops, fixed.
Thanks!
Hello and thank you for your videos and articles.
I disagree on a few points so here are my comments:
1) are there any evidence that armor/shields don’t work against spells? Force and Chain Lightning ability deals Energy damage and armor tooltip includes that. A lot of attacks are actually kinetic (rocket punch, missiles, etc) or energy (rail shot, chain lightning, etc).
It doesn’t mean that the talent is useful though. At level 50 in purple you should have around 4200 armor rating (28.00% damage reduction [4200/(4200+200*50+800)]). 60% from Ion stance is 2520 for a total of 6720 (38.36%). 16% from the talent is 672 (it’s additive with stance so number is from base) for a total of 7392 (40.03%).
So, for 2 points you get 1.67% less damage on some attacks. Ion Screen/Shield or Power Armor are better choices (2% for 2 points on all damage).
2) In the Energy Gas Cylinder (High Energy Cell) section, you claim it provides cc capability but, afaik, it’s the only one which doesn’t provide a 50% snare.
3) You say that Prototype Electric Surge (Containment Tactics) is a must have but 50s cd instead of 60s isn’t really game changing. Especially as a lot of players are stun happy which allows me to keep my stun for when I really need it.
4) I’ve found Degauss quite disappointing. You are more than likely Pyro/AP if you have that talent and all your attacks but 2 have a 30m range so being rooted/snared isn’t that bad. That said, I dislike the other optional talents in that tree too :P
5) I’ve read that bosses knockback/stun/etc a lot in PvE so Gyroscopic Alignment Jets (Parallactic Combat Stims) is a good PvE talent too.
PS: I see that you often refer to tooltips in your video but be aware that they are wrong. Abilities scale with level but tooltips reflect numbers from the level you last trained it, not your actual level.
I need to do some tests to verify how the shield mechanic works.
What I wrote was that the *pairing* provided CC capability, not that the stance did. There are talents for reducing the cooldowns of our stun, pull, and interrupt.
It’s not game-changing, but I can theoretically use it 20% more often talented than untalented. It all depends on how valuable you perceive CC to be.
Understood. I beefed up the note per Oozo’s comment. I would personally skip Degauss, but players who want to maximize their CC counter capability will take it.
Correct.
“so being rooted/snared isn’t that bad” – I disagree. Being rooted or snared against a sniper or a mercernary spamming missiles is not a good situation. Unfortunately, we can’t interrupt snipers, but you can pop degauss to LoS if an object is near enough to hide behind. Against mercenaries you can use it to remove the snare after their knockback to get back into range to interrupt their casts. It’s also good against sorcerors who have a root component on their knockback. The faster you can get back in their face and interrupt their casts the better for you. If you don’t break that root you are giving them free damage against you.
And to make matters worse, root does not build nor is effected by resolve. So, you can be chain rooted. It’s nice to have more than one root breaker. Let’s say you are just short of the goal line in Huttball and your CC break and Hold the Line are down and you get rooted. Degauss could be the difference between scoring and dying.
Thing is, shield has a 2 mins cd and snare/roots are easy to re-apply.
That said, I now have Energy Rebounder (Reflexive Shield) and I can use my shield almost twice more often so having both talents sounds great. In theory, you could use your shield every 40s.
As I said, my comment was for a x/x/31 spec. As you mention Hydraulic Overrides (Hold the Line), are you a 0/23/18 hybrid? Do you run the fire DoT buff? What did you give up for that talent? The vent-heat-when-cc-ed one?
I never play the ball game. When I was in shield spec, I had guard on ball carrier and taunt/cc opponents. I’m playing as pyro now and I just ´rain´ death :P
Pyrotech (Assault Specialist) isn’t really a DOT spec, it is the sustained/burst spec. Between semi-spamable railshots, and TH spikes, and especially if they crit, Pyro has superior burst and sustained damage than the rare critical rail shot AP can put out and sustained immolate provides. It’s not really a dot spec either, the main dot will applied either through random rapid shots or flame burst, and the incendiary missile dot is only really useful to annoy stealth classes or get a rail shot opener at 30M.
Advance Prototype (Tactics) doesn’t have much going for it, except excellent ball carrying ability in huttball.
I’m currently valor rank 47 and have tested all three Powertech specs throughout my leveling which has primarily been done in warzones. While I can provide excellent support and have great utility with Shield Tech, I’ve found Pyrotech to excel in dealing damage and actually killing people. Shield Tech really lacks the burst to take people down. The support is nice but I often found that while I could stay alive quite a while I couldn’t take people out fast enough to capture an objective. I love the play-style of AP but as soon as I specced Pyrotech I became a killing machine. Huge damage and lots of killing blows. I’ve gone back to Shield Tech to do more testing with a pocket healer but at this point I’m wanting to go back to Pyrotech. The amount of pressure I could apply and killing blows I could deliver feels more effective for capturing and defending objectives. Shield Tech is probably slightly better for Huttball because of the charge.
The tanking tree doesn’t provide the damage capability of the other 2 trees, and this is by design. Otherwise there would be no reason to spec into the DPS trees.
As you said the tanking tree provides excellent support and utility.
DoT = sustained damage.
As I documented above, the spec packs some nice burst.
AP (T) tree has the strongest CC and mobility mechanics of the 3 trees. It does however require good melee strafing technique to be utilized to its full potential.
Many players dismiss it without really understanding it’s mechanics.
As a side note, the 23 AP (T) / 18 PT (AS) build has a lot going for it – excellent sustained damage, proc-refreshes and proc-crits for Rail Shot (High Impact Bolt).
TBD: does Shield require frontal facing?
-> No, it doesn’t. There’s no reason to attack someone from behind. Avoiding damage or attacks requiring to do so (Backstab) aside.
Just something I noticed while playing trooper: mortar volley feels more clunky than death from above (the dmg starts later in the channel) but you can move as soon as the channel bar is done and get full effect–he will lob the final grenade for damage on the run.
Nope, the game first roll if it’s a hit or a miss (avoidance) then rolls if it’s a crit, shielded or normal hit. In that order.
See this post: http://www.swtor.com/community/showpost.php?p=1055540
Awesome, thanks for that link.
[…] (Vanguard) has the option of equipping a Shield in the offhand slot to provide Shield Chance (SC). SC is a chance to mitigate attacks that deal weapon damage but it does not work against Elemental an…. My guess is that SC does not work against Energy and Internal damage types, but I have not […]
Nice to see you in SWTOR Taugrim. I remember you from Harrow, and the forums there. I was Marok the rogue and inquisitor that used to drive Dalla nuts. Been watching your streams and have rolled a Tactics Vanguard on my server and am loving it so much better than my Merc. Keep up the great work and I look forward to seeing your guide finished.
Have fun ;)!
PS: If I might suggest your legacy name should be “Grim’tau” Taugrim Grim’tau just has such a nice ring to it. Not quite a palindrome but dam close.
You asked about Burnout (T6 talent) at least twice in your videos so I thought you wanted to know that the +3% tech critical chance is a permanent buff. Your tech crit % increase by 1 each time you put a point in it.
It’s not when your target is under 30% HP. If we can trust the character panel at least.
OK awesome, thanks for the info.
[…] that’s Taugrim. Take a moment to look around his site, and you’ll find tidbits such as this: The AC has 3 talent trees from left-to-right, 1 for tanking and 2 for […]
Have you considered showing skill points at lvl 20, 30 and 40, as well as 50?? I think it would be most helpful.
Thanks
I have, but the main issue is it depends which tree you are leveling and whether you are doing PVP, PVE, or both.
I.e there would be a lot of different variations.
Let me think through what would be a scalable way of documenting this.
Thanks for the feedback!
i use the 8/31/2 spec, with some points moved around to support ion cell vs high energy cell, for a bit more survivability. I do like playing the role of shutdown/dps.
My questions are: In my offhand, do i get more out of the build by using a shield, or would i get more out of the build by using something that helps my dps in my offhand?
I use 8/31/2 build with ion cell for the survivability, not for the guard. Am i gimping myself overall? would i get more out of my role just using high energy cell, and moving points over to support that cell?
hope it makes sense what im asking, im not good at wording these kinda questions >_>
The Ion Cell talents (Ion Overload and Neural Overload) do not provide a direct increase in survivability (although the proc-snare helps).
You can and should run the tanking stance if you want to improve your survivability with the flat 5% damage mitigation.
As discussed in the Guide, for PVP Shield as implemented is a weak mechanic. So I would stick with a Generator for your DPS-oriented build.
The tank PvP shutdown build has a broken link
Fixed the link and moved a few talent points around. The spec is now 27/12/2
In the PvE Stats priority you have not mentioned Absorb, how high (or low) would you rank it ?
Below Shield Chance. Absorption is only relevant when you Shield.
Under “Guard Mechanics” you write that the other two tanking trees don’t have a 1.5 sec cast time, but I know at least JK guardians have the cast time too. You also lose focus when switching stances, making it even less viable for them. Just another small way JK’s are inferior again. Fantastic guide, can’t wait to see what else you’ll come up with.
AFAIK Guardians/Juggernauts have an instant-cast for switching stances.
What you said about losing Focus (Rage) is true though. I think that should be changed.
You mention Tactics and Ion Cell provides a passive movement buff.
I think this is incorrect as the movement buff is only when High Energy Cell is active, is this a good enough reason to drop guard in PvP?
Thanks for catching that, it’s been fixed in the Guide.
Heya, thanks for a great guide. I got a question:
I’m wondering what do you think about augment slot, should I put endurance in it or go with defense?
For PVP, Endurance.
For PVE, depends on your HP pool.
“Flame Sweep (Explosive Surge): this PBAoE ability has the worst of 2 worlds: high “mana” cost and low damage output.”
I agree with the high cost and low damage output, but it hits up to 5 targets and provides a 4% damage reduction debuff to those players when talented. Do you not think it serves some use as an AoE damage reduction tool in certain situations?
I wouldn’t use it 1v1 but if even numbers are fighting, a quick 15 second damage reduction on 5 players can be a nice advantage when used along with taunts and good guard switching imo.
Understood.
What I should caution people is not spamming the ability, which I have seen people do.
I’ll update the Guide accordingly.
Thanks for the feedback.
Hey Ed,
This guide is great, its good to understand some of the nitty gritty of the class, and I like to understand why people spec in particular ways.
In your Assault spec you dont take Nightvision Scope. My guild wants me to take this ability and Im trying to piece together why you wouldnt take it (other than a lack of free talent points)
Are you looking to invest in this once you get closer to 50? or do you just not like Nightvision scope?
I will probably work it into my 50 spec regardless as its for the team but, if you dont mind, I would be interested to hear the reasons you dont take what I see as a pretty good PVP talent.
Cheers, Benjamin
I don’t think Nightvision Scope is must-have or even should-have. I would rate it as nice-to-have..
It’s not needed for unstealthing opponents that use their in-combat Stealth – you just need to quickly get your Stealth Scan activated.
Great stuff mate !!!
My question is – could you give some more detail about every spec you showed to us? I mean why this talents over the others , point of spec and some primary skills and role with this spec.
Cheers
Thanks for the feedback.
I’ll add more description content to each of the specs eventually.
Right now I’m @ 45 so my focus is getting to 50. At that point, I’ll have first-hand experience and more perspective on spec mechanics, especially comparatively.
Really well done guide. By far the best out there for the Vanguard/Powertech atm. Was reading and caught a minor error.
From the first bullet point in section 3:
This is incorrect. You gain a DoT proc effect which has a 100% chance to snare your target for 50%.
On a side note. It would be nice if you had a way to donate. I don’t mean to be rude but I’m not interested in swag. I really enjoy your content and would like to support you in your endeavors as a pro gamer/guide writer.
Keep up the awesome work!
Woops, thanks for catching that.
Did you see the Donate button in the right-hand bar?
I’m not sure I understand why Ion Shield is good to have in PvP, but Power Armor should be skipped. Don’t they give the same damage mitigation? Actually, wouldn’t Power Armor be better, since it doesn’t carry a Cell requirement?
EDIT: They’re both worth taking, because they provide flat 2% mitigation to all damage.
See, I thought about that, and if Power Armor only mitigates damage that can be “armored” against, I agree. It just doesn’t read that way in the tooltip, though. It states, “Reduces *all damage taken* by X%.” Has this been tested? I wouldn’t be surprised either way at this point.
Sorry, what I wrote in my previous post was incorrect.
Power Armor provides 2% flat mitigation and is therefore a solid talent.
Oh, and let me state, thanks a ton for putting this stuff together. Getting test scenarios in this game (and all new games), is a pain I’m sure.
Which of your recommended specs are you currently rocking? I prefer to live as long as possible so I will be going with the one with most points in the defense tree. It worked very well for me when I followed your paladin (wow) and warrior (rift) guides. Living longer and being able to tank my opponent helped me out a lot even when I was out geared.
I’ve been leveling up from 37-49 as Assault Spec / Tactics, right now 0/11/29 at level 49.
If you want max survivability, you probably want to mix the tanking and middle trees and take the talents related to flat 2% mitigation in both trees, as well as the 4% damage debuff in the tank tree.
[…] If you are looking for more in-depth information on Powertech / Vanguard, check out my Guide on Powertech / Vanguard Mechanics and PVP. […]
Hey,
Awesome blog, I’ve really found it to be helpful both with PvP and my general understanding of the AC as a whole.
I just had one question; I’m about to quit my PT and restart as a VG on a new server – what spec build would you recommend for leveling PvE?
Thanks in advance!
If you aren’t tanking PVE instances nonstop, I’d recommend running as either of the DPS trees as the DPS is much higher compared to tank spec.
Im currently level 30 and mostly im doing warzone and class storyline. The specs im using is Bursty Run-and-Gun (1/22/18) that you provided in the blog. Is it a good and reliable spec for PvP-ing?
1/22/18 is my favorite all-around PVP spec. Good DPS, good mobility, and good CC.
Post 1.1.5. and changes to DOTs is this still your favorite PVP spec? If not, which is?
[…] For the links to the specs and more information on Powertech / Vanguard PVP, please refer to the Specs section in my PVP Guide. […]
[…] For the links to the specs, please refer to the Specs section in my PVP Guide. […]
Hey Tau! First i just want to thank u for an awsome guide in every way.
Now to the little question. Im planning to play as Advanced proto and/or Pyrotech. What set bonuses should i be going for? Not sure what sets benefit the most from each specs. Thought u have already given it a lot of thought so why think for myself? ;)
Cheers again for an awsome blog/guide/vids;)
Sorry just saw the comment about the diffrent sets. Awsome work mate, really helpfull stuff;)
[…] For more information on Powertech PVP, please refer to my in-depth Guide. […]
On your new 25/14/2 “Iron Fist” spec, due to Shield Cycler a shield generator that lets you shield attacks would be a must for better resource management. Otherwise it is a wasted talent point. Correct?
Your vids and guides have made myself and many that I play with better. Thank you.
Correct.
You’re welcome!
That’s always encouraging to hear.
Hi Taugrim,From Portugal Maxcom.
Vang was my first toon but lack of information I tried diferent class but I want to start again.
And after I saw is realy my style.
My question is.
Spec for lvl up,from 10 to 50
Thank you Adv
Hello!
The spec you want from 10 to 50 depends on how you plan on leveling and what role you want to fill.
All 3 trees are viable for leveling, it just depends on your preferred playstyle.
[…] For more information about Powertech / Vanguard PVP, please refer to my free in-depth Guide. […]
Think this is about the best blog I’ve seen to help with skill setup’s etc.., you are to be commended, I am looking for some assistance with my BH Powertech, in regards to the skills tree, I was hoping you could post a picture/screenshot of a recommended or tried and tested PVE/PVP tank Powertech tree so I can look to setup up a mirror and test it in game, I can then fine tinker to match my game style, I chose both options as I would like to hold my own in both circumstances and not have seperate toon for each, Would really be appreciated.
I’m currently level 20 on PVE server , and would like to setup the skills accordingly as I play rather than wiping clean at 50 then resetting it, any help or advice would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance
I added links to a PVE main tank spec today (31/7/5). As you can see comparing that spec to Iron Fist, the selection of talents in the tank tree looks very different.
Your iron fist spec is pure genius
Thanks!
Did you try it, and if yes, what’s been your experience with IF compared to other 50 specs?
Hey Taugrim I have need to be steered in the right direction with what AS to build. First I built a mercenary, but the turret and spam playstyle hasn’t really appealed to me. I realized too late that a Powertech was more what I was looking for. At the same point, I have leveled a BH a ways already and not looking forward to doing it again. I am on the fence between a tanky Sith Assassin or building a powertech for pvp purposes.
I understand both have their ups and downs but are powertechs more or less better tanky dps characters, due to their ranged advantage and non reliance upon stealth plus having armor penetrating? Which class is better at 1v1s? I like the idea of the Sith Assassin, but the powertech seems more mobile with the ability to shoot in between cooldowns at range to keep sustained damage. Is it not really that bad on a sin or do you find kiting to be a big issue? It also appears that the powertech is better against other tanks mainly due to the armor penetration.
Anyways, feedback is appreciated as I am rerolling today and what to make a better decision on my main. I know I would probably end up being relatively happy with either, I just need a push. The concept of the assassin appeals to me, but if toe to toe the powertech has a distinct advantage vs the other tanky dps, then I know I might have some regrets.
Both Assassin and PT, if spec’d correctly, are very durable in PVP. PT has more mitigation from talents (4% available compared to 2%), but Assassin even tank spec’d offers excellent burst that is not reliant on RNG as, say, Carolina Parakeet build is.
Assassin has the advantage of controlling when combat starts and getting out of it, PT as you noted has better ranged capability.
The choice really depends on your preferred playstyle.
Not sure if you answered this, but what is your crew skill set up? Keep up the great work.
Cybertech + the two gathering professions Scavenging and Underworld Trading.
In hindsight, Biochem + its two gathering professions would have been the better choice for PVP.
Great! I was on the fence about which was more optimal between Cybertech and Biochem. While Cybertech does have some toys, Biochem addresses some of the things Powertech is lacking.
I was running an assault spec (8/8/25). http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#801hMhZMs0MZfhMrdhhM.1
I was doing good dps but, was getting a lot of focus fire. Switching to your tank spec just gave me a lot more survivability. The healer tank combo in this game is also very very strong. With that combo you can kill a lot of people. It’s very hard to kill the tank and healer.
I also like the burst with your spec. Since I was running a dps spec I had picked up the champ gear that gives the high impact (rail shot) 15% crit chance instead of the stock strike set. It has actually worked out very well. Stock Strike is already talented up to have a good chance to crit. So what I do is I hit battle focus and use my relics if they are up. I then use storm to jump in and do the 3 second stun. In that 3 second stun I have a high chance to drop a stock strike crit as well as high impact bolt crit. If both crit I do over 5k as an opener which usually sends the player on the receiving end into a panic. This happens fairly often even with battle focus on cool down.
FWIW, if you are playing an all-out DPS 4/6/31 would have been much more effective from a damage standpoint. But I totally hear you in terms of Iron Fist providing a lot more survivability.
I value uptime, and you can’t DPS when you’re dead :)
[…] For more information about Powertech / Vanguard PVP, please refer to my free in-depth Guide. […]
[…] For more information about Powertech / Vanguard PVP, please refer to my free in-depth Guide. […]
[…] Combat Tech, and in some cases Combat Medic. The priority for the stats is what I documented in the Stats and Gear section of my Powertech / Vanguard […]