Changes in Juggernauts/Guardians that makes me happy

I believe that people that have been to this blog and my youtube before, know that my first character is a Sith Juggernaut. It was my first character at SWTOR and I've spent a lot of time doing end game PvP and playing some PvE. As I've experienced most of the end game, I really wanted to try some other classes and after a while, I changed server and faction. I haven't played my Juggernaut since then and the thing is, I'm not really looking forward to do it. Focusing mostly in PvP, I was a little disappointed from the class. Juggs are a melee class that is missing a healing ability and even though they have great mobility, people could kite them easily. AoE tanking was a challenge, Vengeance has ok dps but more fitting for PvE and Rage's dps output relies on one strong hit. I'm not saying that the class is underpowered, I'm just feeling that it has a moderate performance in all fields.

Hopefully, 1.2 will make me play my Juggernaut again. Lots of changes for Juggernauts; they change and increase the dps rotations of all dps specs, better AoE for all three trees and finally, some self healing. So, let's analyse the new additions:

CRASH: You get this passive ability at level 10 and will cause Force Charge to stun your opponent for 2sec. This effect cannot occur more than once every 12sec. That will help a lot, as it can be combined with a Force Choke or Chilling Scream to pin your opponent after closing the gap. Don't know if and how much resolve it cause but definitely, a great tool for a melee class.

ENRAGE DEFENCE: The Juggernaut spend rage to lower threat and while active, one point of rage is spent each time damage is taken, heals the Juggernaut for a small amount. This ability is usable while stunned and is doesn't respect the global cooldown. AWESOME! Much needed, Juggernauts of all tree specs can use it and combined with Soresu Form and Saber Ward would make them un-killable. Enrage is mandatory for this skill as lot's of rage is needed and Vengeance specced would be more benefited, as they generate almost unlimited rage from Shien Form.

On top of those changes, some talents are relocated in different tier of their tree and some other have their effect change. The most important are:

VENGEANCE TREE

Single Saber Mastery: Now benefits all the three Forms.
Stagger: Now in the Tier 1 of the Vengeance tree. Good filler choice for all PvPers.
Rampage: Also generates 2 rage when is triggered.

Not a lot of changes on Vengeance, after all it was a decent spec, with a proper rotation. Still not the best for PvP but more viable now, very reliable in PvE.

RAGE TREE

Decimate: Is now relocated in Tier 1 of the Rage tree, a great filler choice for all speccs that need more AoE damage.

Force Alacrity is now gone. Good riddance I say as it's replaced by OVERPOWER, a new ability that would make Vicious Slash to generate to rage when it criticals hits. Much needed.

Force Crush: It's CD is reduced to 18sec from 21sec. COOL!

Obliterate also immobilizes the target for 1 sec that means it makes it a mini Force Charge.

Relentless Fury is now gone and it's replaced by EMPOWERING RAGE. Empowering Rages requires 2 points in Shockwave skill to be unlocked causes Enrage to immediately grant 2 stacks of Shockwave for each point spent on the talent. Another Smash is good.

Shockwave: now last 20 secs, up from 15.

As you can see, Rage is getting buffed in next patch. More stuns and control and more burst for this spec that were much needed as Rage still is the best PvP spec.

IMMORTAL TREE

There's only one big change for the Juggernaut tank, Thrown Gauntlet no longer reduces the CD of Threatening Scream. It would change their playstyle but with the Decimate in the first tier of Rage tree, level 50 tanks won't have a problem with AoE tanking anymore.

Overall, 1.2 finally buffs the Juggernauts and makes them stronger and more durable. Having access to parsers and combat log will help us evaluate our DPS and compare it to other classes but most of us knew that this class was kind of weak. Especially the nerfing of the Surge rating reduced the base of Rage juggs dps, effecting them more than almost all classes. I can predict from now that Juggernauts would dominate in rated Warzones. They would finally have enough survivability and damage to do what they were designed to do. Taunting off, controlling the battles with their charges and peel their opponents.

PvP: Sith Juggernauts vs Operatives!

During the past days I've noticed threads and posts about operatives being overpowered on pvp situations. As I've pvped a lot and I have encountered myself being overunned and overkilled by operatives dps, I decided to write down some tips to how to counter them.


First of all, operatives are NOT overpowered. I don't claim that the classes are balanced on 1v1 as they are intended to be. For me, pvp in general, is not 100% balanced but it's close to that. If you don't want to be dead all the time, try to use your abilities wisely, stuck up with people because  those 3 warzones we are 
playing are all about focusing on goals and not deathmatches. 

Stealthy bastards!

Now, let's see the abilities of an operative. For now on, I'm referring to operatives speccing on the Lethality tree.


They obviously have stealth. In SWTOR, stealth does not provide you with complete invisibility. To be trully undetectable you have to use Sneak, that lasts for 8secs and it's on a minute long cooldown. When operatives are in battle, they can get in stealth again with Cloaking Screen. Those two abilities provide a 100% stealth rating.

Operatives uses acid by using the Acid Blade ability. As the tooltips says: "Coats your instruments in acid, causing your next Hidden Strike or Backstab to deal an additional 1247 internal damage over 6 seconds and increase armor penetration by 50% for 15 seconds. This ability does not respect the global cooldown and does not break stealth."

That puts a powerful dot on their targets and many of their abilities tend to do extra damage to people that are suffering from the acid effect.

The main game mechanic of operatives, both to healers and dps alike is Tactical Advantage. I'll use again the tooltip: "Defeating an opponent or activating Shiv or Hidden Strike puts you in a position of Tactical Advantage, increasing all damage dealt by 2% and enabling the use of executions for 10 seconds. Up to 2 charges of Tactical Advantage can exist at once.". The tactical advantage not only provides 2-4% damage bonus but also the ability to enact skills that are otherwise unavailable, such as: Kolto Infusion (a 1.5 sec healing ability), Laceration (a beastly attack that does a ton of damage, has a chance to add a dot and when the dot is applied, you get a Tactcal Advantage) and Stim Boost (gives 3 energy every 3 secs for 45 secs). These skills are versatile, and when used properly will allow the operative to handle numerous situations with ease.

On top of that, operatives have two CCs (8secs is enough for pvp) Flash Bang that's an AoE stun (up to 5 players) and Debilitate at 45sec and 60 sec CD.

Now, what good operatives do. They open you with Debilitate, their 4 secs stun and it will give you a full resolve bar. They will re-stealth and will now open you with Hidden Strike that will throw you down for 3 secs. After that, Eviscerate, Backstab, Shiv and you are dead.

How to counter it. They will expect you to break their first CC and YOU MUST NOT DO SO! You should keep your CC breaker for the throwdown ONLY! Due to animation you still need to stand up, that means one more second before you'll be able to use your abilities. When you are back on your feet, use your defensive CDs. All of them and use a medpack. It's a shame that you must waste them on only in a 1v1 encounter but it's the only way to counter them. Even tanks cannot absorb or mitigate their burst so it's a necessity. If you are quick enough, you'll have enough health to fight back. In the case that you have all of your CDs proceed on CC them. Force Choke them, slow them and bring them on their knees by putting pressure on them. What's out for their Evasion ability that will give them 100% dodge to all attacks for 3 secs, so what's out and don't waste 2 GCDs during that. Now, remember, Juggernauts have the ability to withstand a lot of damage where as Operatives have tools to avoid getting hit. In a straight 1 on 1 situation they won't be a match for they heavy armor user so they'll try to run to health themselves. They have Sever Tendon that will slow you for 50% for 12 secs. Don't let them get away. Charge them, interrupt their heals and burst them.

Remember, this is an ideal 1v1 fight and during your game you'll encounter different playstyles and situations, so try to react accordingly. The best way to improve yourself is by practice, so find an operative and duel with him a lot. That way, you'll learn their tricks and abilities and you'll make your own tactics to counter them.

Hope this guide was helpful and I want to conclude it with some thoughts. Operative's burst is a beast but it's also true that they are a glass canon. Same goes for marauders and snipers for example. Juggernauts and assassins on the other hand have more sustained dps but they both have enough armor and defensive cooldowns to balance their gameplay plus a lot of pushs, stuns and CCs. They have the tools to withstand the burst and then fight backs. As the operatives have their long cds and can't burst ever 5secs the same goes to juggernauts, that can't shield wall every half a minute. I play a Juggernaut and I have to say, I CHOOSE MY BATTLES!

If I don't have cds, I don't run towards the mayhem. If I don't have cds and I see both imperial agent's advanced classes I run away. If my saber ward is on cd and I'm opened by an operative I'm dead. But that's once in a while.


Remember that if your opponent outgears you or/and outlevels you, you are dead. In the end, there's a point of no gear=no fun.


Thanks a lot, see you around and remember.


DON'T HATE THE GAMER, HATE THE GAME (epic meal time reference)

PvP: Sith Juggernaut vs Healers

I've PvPed a lot this past days with my Sith Warrior and I've noticed that a lot of level 50 healers are now actually strong. During leveling, it was plain easy to me to kill most healers by outdpsing their heals and even easier after learning my interrupt.

First to analyse, all people that engage PvP get a debuff called Trauma, that reduces the healing the receive by 30% while they are in combat. Here comes the PvP attribute named "expertise" that increase the damage and healing done while in combat against other players and also reduces the damage received by them. At level 50, the amount of expertise (mainly) and the other attributes (secondly) make healers pretty strong. They can outheal the damage they are receive while they're crunching your own health and killing you in the end.

What you can do to confront them? On thing. Play OFFENSIVE! Don't let them breath. Stay on them and dps them, interrupt them and faceroll them. Here some tips to help you.

1. Sith Juggernauts have 4 interrupts. Force Charge, Disruption, Force Push, Force Choke. Use them all.
2. They should be slowed ALL THE TIME. Refresh your Chilling Scream before it expires.
3. Keep your rage high. When their health points are below 60% you'll need to burst them.
4. Don't waste your interrupts on their damage abilities. Only use them on their heals and CC abilities (like Whirlwind).
5. Stack both your DoTs on them. That would push them hard.

So, an ideal battle would be to Saber Throw and Force Charge the healer, Chill Sream and stack your DoTs. Use interrupt for their first healing ability and Force Choke on their second. Burst them and interrupt their third healing ability with Force Push. Again, Saber Throw and Force Charge as soon he tries to cast his next heal. Burst again and use Enrage to keep your rage up. Interrupt would be up again if need it.

See you on Huttball, EU Hex Droid PvP

Smart uses of Force Charge

Force Charge is the most beautiful and acclaimed skill in SWTOR (Death from Above is also very cool). As a Sith Juggernaut, Force Charge makes you mobile, closing the gap between yourself and your target and also generates 3 rage.

In this post, I'll tell you some smart tricks of Force Charge.

1. First use Throw Saber and then Force Charge. That way you generate 6 rage.

2. When you fighting and your rage is low with your abilities to build it up is on CD, Force Push and then Force Charge. Even better, Force Push, Throw Saber and then Force Charge.

3. During Flashpoints and Operations during fights you'll notice that some enemy abilities can knock you back. If your rage is high enough DON'T CHARGE. Instead Intercede on a melee. That way you'll keep your Force Charge available for later use, (not that it have a long cooldown but it may be need soon if let's say adds spawn), you don't over-rage and you also the damage taken by the other player for 20% for 6 sec. Don't do it on tank as you get the aggro from the boss! This is also very helpful on PvP. On Huttball for example, while you escort the ball giver and an Inquisitor or a Bounty Hunter throws you off the ledges, don't Force Charge on them. Intercede on the ball carrier. It can be a life saver.

That's some tips on Force Charge, some smart use of the skill that I use on my gameplay and helps me out a lot. See you soon!