SWTOR 7.0 PTS Sentinel Combat Styles Analysis

Overview and analysis of the recent changes and new Jedi Sentinel Combat Styles BioWare just released to the SWTOR PTS for Game Update 7.0!

The second PTS update for 7.0 is now available and gives us another glimpse into what BioWare plans for combat and gameplay in the next expansion.

This PTS update contains potential combat changes for the Jedi Sentinel Combat Style only (Combat Style is the new word for Advanced Class), so it includes all three Sentinel Disciplines. The Marauder version is not available on this version of the PTS, just like how Juggernaut was not available alongside the Guardian in the last patch.

I have made a Marauder translation for this article though, so you can still understand what is happening even if you aren’t familiar with the Republic nomenclature.

A few new UI Changes

The large tooltip window seems to be slightly more modern and the text is now affected by transparency (which will hopefully change), though the bug where the cooldown does not update properly is still not fixed! 

A lot of the text seems to be more readable and they changed the font for the red system messages. It doesn’t look faded normally either, this is just the best picture I could take.

Jedi Sentinel Combat Styles Preview

Just like the last update, the combat changes themselves completely change how abilities and passives are granted and the number of abilities and passives given to you are reduced significantly.

Every 5 or 10 levels, starting at level 10, you are either given a discipline-specific ability or you get to pick 1 of 3 options. The options include a mix of existing abilities, Discipline passives, and Utility effects (yes, Utilities are gone too). Sometimes there is only one ability available and two passives, sometimes all three are passives, sometimes all three are abilities.

Right now, you can’t actually make these choices on the PTS. The devs have just provided two complete sample builds that make all the choices for you:

• Levels tied to ability grants in PTS are not set in stone and subject to change
• The A and B markers indicate the two ability path options that are chosen for this phase of PTS.

Watchman Abilities per level

Watchman – Attacks single targets with burn attacks, dealing significant damage over a short period of time

~Level 1-5

• Strike (1)
• Slash (1)
• Force Leap (1)
• Blade Storm (4)
• Blade Barrage (5)

~Level 10

• Gain Zen and Force Melt

~Level 15

Gain Saber Ward and choose one passive (applies to Force Melt)

• [A] Melting Center – Force Melt’s initial damage is quadrupled when it consumes a Zen charge.
• Critical Melt – While Force Melt is on a target, the crit chance of all your burn attacks on that target increases
• [B] Juyo Melt – Force Melt immediately builds 6 Juyo Form stacks. Force Melt damage is increased per Juyo Form stack.

~Level 20

Choose one:

• [B] Slash + Snaring Slash – Slash now slows the target by 50% for 10 seconds.
• [A] Blade Barrage + Burning Barrage – Blade Barrage deals additional burning damage on each hit and immobilizes the target for 3 seconds.
• Transcendence – Requires Centering. Grants raid-wide speed and defense buff. Also breaks roots and snares

~Level 25

Gain Cauterize

~Level 30

Gain Dispatch and choose one (applies to Cauterize)

• [B] Force Lash – Direct Force attack that’s damage and crit chance are scaled by the number of burns currently on the target
• [A] Cauterizing Focus – When activating Cauterize consumes a Zen charge, it immediately refunds 2 Focus. Applies trauma.
• Flaming Wave – Cauterize procs a Flaming Wave version of Force Sweep when activated.

~Level 35

Gain Valorous Call and choose one passive

• [B] Burning Center – Build Centering even during Zen. Consuming a charge of Zen builds 1 Centering.
• [A] Burning Zen – Activating Zen immediately maxes out your Focus and makes your next direct attack critically hit. Periodic burn damage no longer consumes Zen charges.
• Force Clarity – Next attack deals 25% more damage

~Level 40

Gain Merciless Slash

~Level 45

Gain Twin Saber Throw

~Level 50

Choose one passive

• [A] Adamant – Builds Focus when crowd controlled
• [B] Intercessor -Charge grants extra charge, now grants 2 Centering.
• Defensive Roll – Reduces AOE damage taken.

~Level 55

Gain Overload Saber

~Level 60

Choose one option:

• [B] Jedi Crusader – While Rebuke is active, it generates 1 Focus whenever you are attacked.
• [A] Trailblazer – Increases certain AOE damage.
• Zealous Ward – Getting hit during Saber Ward heals you and grants crowd control immunity.

~Level 65

New ability granted but there is no choice to be made and it is not discipline specific

~Level 70

Choose one ability:

• [B]Blade Blitz – Quickly rush forward and deal weapon damage to enemies and increasing your defense change by 100% while blitzing
• [A]Guarded by the Force – Reduces damage taken for a short time.
• Force Camouflage – Obscures yourself with the Force, becoming difficult to detect, reducing your threat towards all enemies, reducing all damage taken by 50%, granting immunity to controlling effects, and increasing movement speed by 30%. Removes all cleansable effects when activated.

~Level 75

New ability granted but there is no choice to be made and it is not discipline specific

~Level 80

Choose a passive

• [A] Stoic – Increases damage reduction, builds centering when attacked.
• Contemplation – Resting increases Fury/Centering.
• [B] Incisor – Adds snare to certain attacks.

Combat – Speed and precision. Use attacks to buff themselves and deal damage before they unleash their strongest attacks

~Level 1-5

• Strike (1)
• Slash (1)
• Force Leap (1)
• Blade Storm (4)
• Blade Barrage (5)

~Level 10

Gain Abilities Lance and Zen

~Level 15

Gain Saber Ward and choose one option (applies to Lance)

• [A] Zen Lance – Whenever Lance consumes a stack of Zen, its cooldown is reset.
• Driving Lance – Lance now leaps to target, deals more damage and deals additional damage for each 10% of movement speed you have over 100%.
• [B] Puncture – Lance deals force energy damage in a straight line behind the target, piercing through multiple enemies.

~Level 20

Choose one:

• [B] Slash – Slash now slows the target by 50% for 10 seconds.
• [A] Blade Barrage – Now deals additional force energy damage on each hit.
• Transcendence – Grants raid-wide speed and defense buff. Breaks roots and snares

~Level 25

Gain Blade Rush

~Level 30

Gain Dispatch and choose one option

• [A] Valor Blade – Activating Blade Rush reduces the cooldown of Valorous Call by 2 seconds and its critical hit chance is increased.
• Rush Down – Blade Rush deals more damage for each 10% movement speed you have over 100%.
• [B] Defensive Flourish – Activating Blade Rush increases your damage reduction slightly after each use.

~Level 35

Gain Valorous Call and choose one passive

• [B] Swiftness – Whenever you critically hit, your movement speed increases by 5% and crit chance by 2%, stacking up to 5 times.
• [A] Quickness – Dealing energy damage reduces the cooldown of each of your Focus spending attacks by 1 second.
• Force Clarity – Next attack deals 25% more damage

~Level 40

Gain Ability

Precision

~Level 45

Gain Twin Saber Throw

~Level 50

Choose one

• Adamant – Build 4 Focus when crowd controlled.
• [B] Intercessor – Charge grants extra charge, now grants 2 Centering.
• [A] Defensive Roll – Reduces AOE damage taken and increases damage reduction.

~Level 55

Gain Clashing Blast

~Level 60

Choose one option

• Jedi Crusader. While Rebuke is active, it generates 1 Focus whenever you are attacked.
• [B] Trailblazer. Increases certain AOE damage.
• [A] Zealous Ward. Getting hit during Saber Ward heals you and grants crowd control immunity.

~Level 65

New ability granted but there is no choice to be made and it is not discipline specific

~Level 70

Choose one option.

• [A] Blade Blitz – Quickly rush forward and deal weapon damage to enemies and increasing your defense change by 100% while blitzing
• Guarded by the Force – Reduces damage taken
• [B] Force Camouflage – Obscures yourself with the Force, becoming difficult to detect, reducing your threat towards all enemies, reducing all damage taken by 50%, granting immunity to controlling effects, and increasing movement speed by 50%.

~Level 75

New ability granted but there is no choice to be made and it is not discipline specific

Level 80

Choose a passive

• Stoic – Reduces damage taken and builds centering when attacked.
• [B] Contemplation – Resting increases Centering.
• [A] Incisor – Adds snare to certain attacks.

Concentration Abilities per level

Concentration – Burst damage and control. Incredibly high damage abilities and also generate Focus quickly

~Level 1-5

• Strike (1)
• Slash (1)
• Force Leap (1)
• Blade Storm (4)
• Blade Barrage (5)

~Level 10

Gain Focused Burst and Zen

~Level 15

Gain Saber Ward and choose one option

• [A] Zenith – Modifies Heightened Power to also increase crit chance by 20% in addition to increasing damage by 5%.
• Focusing Strike – Focused Burst deals more damage the more Focus you have and applies trauma.
• [B] Unstable Focus – Focused Burst does AOE damage to enemies around the primary target.

~Level 20

Pick one:

• [B] Slash – Slash now slows the target by 50% for 10 seconds.
• [A] Kinetic Barrage – Blade Barrage deals additional Force kinetic damage.]
• Transcendence – Requires Centering. Grants raid-wide speed and defense buff. Also breaks roots and snares

~Level 25

Gain Zealous Leap

~Level 30

Gain Dispatch and choose one option

• [B] Zealous Discovery – Zealous Leap immediately builds 10 Centering.
• [A] Zealous Annihilation – Killing an enemy within 3 seconds of dealing damage with Zealous Leap resets its cooldown and increases its damage by 25% for 6 seconds.
• Zealous Defense – Zealous Leap puts a mini Saber Ward on you for 2 seconds.

~Level 35

Gain Valorous Call and choose one:

• [A] Focused Meditation – Each time you deal damage with a force energy attack, you generate 1 Focus.
• [B] Criticality – Critically hitting with a force energy attack builds 1 Centering. You can build Centering even during Zen.
• Force Camouflage. Obscures yourself with the Force, becoming difficult to detect, reducing your threat towards all enemies, reducing all damage taken by 50%, granting immunity to controlling effects, and increasing movement speed by 30%.

~Level 40

Gain Force Exhaustion – Slow the target and apply a high damage DoT.

~Level 45

Gain Twin Saber Throw

~Level 50

Choose one option

• [A] Adamant – Build 4 Focus when crowd controlled
• [B] Intercessor – Charge gets an extra charge, now grants 2 Centering.
• Defensive Roll – Reduces AOE damage taken and increases damage reduction.

~Level 55

Gain Concentrated Slice

~Level 60

Choose one passive

• [B] Jedi Crusader – While Rebuke is active, it generates 1 Focus whenever you are attacked.
• [A] Trailblazer – Increases certain AOE damage.
• Zealous Ward. Getting hit during Saber Ward heals you and grants crowd control immunity.

~Level 65

New ability granted but there is no choice to be made and it is not discipline specific

~Level 70

Choose one Ability.

• [A] Inspiration – Requires Centering. Grants a raid-wide damage and healing buff.
• Guarded by the Force – Reduces damage taken
• [B] Force Clarity – Next attack deals 25% more damage. 4 charges.

~Level 75

New ability granted but there is no choice to be made and it is not discipline specific

~Level 80

Choose a passive

• [A] Stoic – Increases damage reduction, builds centering when attacked.
• [B] Contemplation – Resting increases Centering.
• Incisor – Adds snare to certain attacks.

Abilities Comparison

Here are the current abilities available to you in 6.0:

Here is a potential selection of abilities available to you on the PTS for 7.0:

The lists do not seem to be fully accurate. For example, I don’t see Zealous Strike / Battering Assault listed anywhere in the post, but it is still given to you.

Marauder Combat Styles Translation

Despite these changes not being available to the Marauder mirror combat style on the PTS, I have created a translation for those of you that are more familiar with the Imperial nomenclature. Please note that this is not an official translation! If the new passive on the PTS was the exact same as an existing passive or utility on the live server, I used the existing name for the translation, but if it appears to be a brand new effect, I came up with my own name. I don’t play Marauder / Sentinel too much and I’m not super familiar with specific passives and utilities so it’s possible that I missed a few existing passives and accidentally came up with a new name for them myself. 

• Levels tied to ability grants in PTS are not set in stone and subject to change
• The A and B markers indicate the two ability path options that are chosen for this phase of PTS.

Annihilation Abilities per level

Annihilation – Attacks single targets with bleed attacks, dealing significant damage over a short period of time

~Level 1-5

• Assault (1)
• Vicious Slash (1)
• Force Charge (1)
• Force Scream (4)
• Ravage (5)

~Level 10

Gain Berserk and Force Rend

~Level 15

Gain Saber Ward and choose one passive (applies to Force Rend)

• [A] Bloody Berserk – Force Rend’s initial damage is quadrupled when it consumes a Berserk charge.
• Critical Rend – While Force Rend is on a target, the crit chance of all your bleed attacks on that target increases
• [B] Juyo Bleed – Force Rend immediately builds 6 Juyo Form stacks. Force Rend damage is increased per Juyo Form stack.

~Level 20

Choose one:

• [B] Vicious Slash – Vicious Slash now slows the target by 50% for 10 seconds.
• [A] Ravage + Bleeding Barrage – Ravage deals additional bleed damage on each hit and immobilizes the target for 3 seconds.
• Predation – Requires Fury. Grants raid-wide speed and defense buff. Also breaks roots and snares

~Level 25

Gain Rupture

~Level 30

Gain Vicious Throw and choose one (applies to Rupture)

• [B] Force Lash – Direct Force attack that’s damage and crit chance are scaled by the number of your bleed effects currently on the target
• [A] Rupturing Rage – When activating Rupture consumes a Berserk charge, it immediately refunds 2 Rage. Applies trauma.
• Blood Wave – Rupture procs a Blood Wave version of Smash when activated.

~Level 35

Gain Frenzy and choose one:

• [B] Blood Fury – Build Fury even during Berserk. Consuming a charge of Berserk builds 1 Fury.
• [A] Bloody Berserk – Activating Berserk immediately maxes out your Rage and makes your next direct attack critically hit. Periodic bleed damage no longer consumes Berserk charges.
• Furious Power – Next attack deals 25% more damage

~Level 40

Gain Annihilate

~Level 45

Gain Dual Saber Throw

~Level 50

Choose one passive

• [A] Inexorable – Builds Rage when crowd controlled
• [B] Interloper – Force Charge grants extra charge, now grants 2 Fury.
• Defensive Roll – Reduces AOE damage taken.

~Level 55

Gain Deadly Saber

~Level 60

Choose one option

• [B] Cloak of Rage – While Cloak of Pain is active, it generates 1 Rage whenever you are attacked.
• [A] Path Carver – Increases certain AOE damage.
• Blood Ward – Getting hit during Saber Ward heals you and grants crowd control immunity.

~Level 65

New ability granted but there is no choice to be made and it is not discipline specific

~Level 70

Choose one Ability.

• [B]Mad Dash – Quickly rush forward and deal weapon damage to enemies and increasing your defense chance by 100% while dashing
• [A]Undying Rage – Reduces damage taken for a short time.
• Force Camouflage – Obscures yourself with the Force, becoming difficult to detect, reducing your threat towards all enemies, reducing all damage taken by 50%, granting immunity to controlling effects, and increasing movement speed by 30%. Removes all cleansable effects when activated.

~Level 75

New ability granted but there is no choice to be made and it is not discipline specific

~Level 80

Choose a passive

• [A] Brazen – Increases damage reduction, builds Fury when attacked.
• Brooding – Resting increases Fury.
• [B] Interceptor – Adds snare to certain attacks.

Carnage Abilities per level

Carnage – Speed and precision. Use attacks to buff themselves and deal damage before they unleash their strongest attacks

~Level 1-5

• Assault (1)
• Vicious Slash (1)
• Force Charge (1)
• Force Scream (4)
• Ravage (5)

~Level 10

Gain Abilities

Gore and Berserk

~Level 15

Gain Saber Ward and choose one option (applies to Gore)

• [A] Berserking Gore – Whenever Gore consumes a stack of Berserk, its cooldown is reset.
• Charging Gore – Gore now leaps to target, deals more damage and deals additional damage for each 10% of movement speed you have over 100%.
• [B] Puncture – Gore deals force energy damage in a straight line behind the target, piercing through multiple enemies.

~Level 20

Choose one:

• [B] Vicious Slash – Vicious Slash now slows the target by 50% for 10 seconds.
• [A] Ravage – Now deals additional force energy damage on each hit.
• Predation – Grants raid-wide speed and defense buff. Breaks roots and snares

~Level 25

Gain Massacre

~Level 30

Gain Vicious Throw and choose one option

• [A] Victor Blade – Activating Massacre reduces the cooldown of Frenzy by 2 seconds and its critical hit chance is increased.
• Hunt Down – Massacre deals more damage for each 10% movement speed you have over 100%.
• [B] Defensive Barrage – Activating Massacre increases your damage reduction slightly after each use.

~Level 35

Gain Frenzy and choose one:

• [B] Unrelenting Speed – Whenever you critically hit, your movement speed increases by 5% and crit chance by 2%, stacking up to 5 times.
• [A] Rapidity – Dealing energy damage reduces the cooldown of each of your Rage spending attacks by 1 second.
• Furious Power – Next attack deals 25% more damage

~Level 40

Gain Ability

Ferocity

~Level 45

Gain Dual Saber Throw

~Level 50

Choose one

• Inexorable – Build 4 Rage when crowd controlled.
• [B] Interloper – Charge grants extra charge, now grants 2 Fury.
• [A] Defensive Roll – Reduces AOE damage taken and increases damage reduction.

~Level 55

Gain Devastating Blast

~Level 60

Choose one option

• Cloak of Rage. While Cloak of Pain is active, it generates 1 Rage whenever you are attacked.
• [B] Path Carver. Increases certain AOE damage.
• [A] Blood Ward. Getting hit during Saber Ward heals you and grants crowd control immunity.

~Level 65

New ability granted but there is no choice to be made and it is not discipline specific

~Level 70

Choose one option.

• [A] Mad Dash – Quickly rush forward and deal weapon damage to enemies and increasing your defense chance by 100% while dashing
• Undying Rage – Reduces damage taken
• [B] Force Camouflage – Obscures yourself with the Force, becoming difficult to detect, reducing your threat towards all enemies, reducing all damage taken by 50%, granting immunity to controlling effects, and increasing movement speed by 50%.

~Level 75

New ability granted but there is no choice to be made and it is not discipline specific

~Level 80

Choose a passive

• Brazen – Reduces damage taken and builds Fury when attacked.
• [B] Brooding – Resting increases Fury.
• [A] Interceptor – Adds snare to certain attacks.

Fury – Burst damage and control. Incredibly high damage abilities and also generate Rage quickly

~Level 1-5

• Assault (1)
• Vicious Slash (1)
• Force Charge (1)
• Force Scream (4)
• Ravage (5)

~Level 10

Gain Raging Burst and Berserk

~Level 15

Gain Saber Ward and choose one option

• [A] Apex – Modifies Cascading Power to also increase crit chance by 20% in addition to increasing damage by 5%.
• Raging Strike – Raging Burst deals more damage the more Rage you have and applies trauma.
• [B] Unstable Burst – Raging Burst does AOE damage to enemies around the primary target.

~Level 20

Pick one:

• [B] Vicious Slash – Vicious Slash now slows the target by 50% for 10 seconds.
• [A] Kinetic Slashes – Ravage deals additional Force kinetic damage.
• Predation – Requires Fury. Grants raid-wide speed and defense buff. Also breaks roots and snares

~Level 25

Gain Obliterate

~Level 30

Gain Vicious Throw and choose one option

• [B] Obliterating Revelation – Obliterate immediately builds 10 Fury.
• [A] Obliterating Ruin – Killing an enemy within 3 seconds of dealing damage with Obliterate resets its cooldown and increases its damage by 25% for 6 seconds.
• Obliterating Ward – Obliterate puts a mini Saber Ward on you for 2 seconds.

~Level 35

Gain Frenzy and choose one:

• [A] Raging Force – Each time you deal damage with a force energy attack, you generate 1 Rage.
• [B] Criticality – Critically hitting with a force energy attack builds 1 Fury. You can build Fury even during Berserk.
• Force Camouflage. Obscures yourself with the Force, becoming difficult to detect, reducing your threat towards all enemies, reducing all damage taken by 50%, granting immunity to controlling effects, and increasing movement speed by 30%.

~Level 40

Gain Force Crush – Slow the target and apply a high damage DoT.

~Level 45

Gain Dual Saber Throw

~Level 50

Choose one option

• [A] Inexorable – Build 4 Rage when crowd controlled
• [B] Interloper – Charge gets an extra charge, now grants 2 Fury.
• Defensive Roll – Reduces AOE damage taken and increases damage reduction.

~Level 55

Gain Furious Strike

~Level 60

Choose one passive

• [B] Cloak of Rage – While Cloak of Pain is active, it generates 1 Rage whenever you are attacked.
• [A] Path Carver – Increases certain AOE damage.
• Blood Ward. Getting hit during Saber Ward heals you and grants crowd control immunity.

~Level 65

New ability granted but there is no choice to be made and it is not discipline specific

~Level 70

Choose one Ability.

• [A] Bloodthirst – Requires Fury. Grants a raid-wide damage and healing buff.
• Undying Rage – Reduces damage taken
• [B] Furious Power – Next attack deals 25% more damage. 4 charges.

~Level 75

New ability granted but there is no choice to be made and it is not discipline specific

~Level 80

Choose a passive

• [A] Brazen – Increases damage reduction, builds Fury when attacked.
• [B] Brooding – Resting increases Fury.
• Interceptor – Adds snare to certain attacks.

Thoughts on the proposed changes

Compared to the Guardian changes, the new passives and effects they introduced seem to be a bit more interesting. For example, the Puncture passive that makes it so Lance / Gore’s damage pierces through the target to enemies behind is a really neat idea, though I feel that a lot of these could be worked in without major ability pruning!

They also seem to be experimenting with passive choices that have an actual effect on the rotation, though it seems all rotational abilities are still present. This is problematic because it means everyone is going to have to relearn their class and a lot of testing will need to be done in order to determine what is typically optimal for a given situation. 

The most notable change on this iteration of the PTS is that not every spec gains access to the same formerly shared abilities at the same level and some of the formerly shared abilities are fully unavailable to some disciplines.

For example, Force Clarity / Furious Power is offered as a choice for Concentration / Fury at level 70 while it is offered to Combat / Carnage and Watchman / Annihilation at level 35. Inspiration / Bloodthirst is only ever offered as a choice to Concentration / Fury and they have to give up Force Clarity / Furious Power in order to get it, though I did still have access to it in Watchman / Annihilation. Meanwhile, some less significant choices are the exact same for every spec.

Furthermore, some of the choices they offer are hardly choices at all, like needing AoE DR and Force Camo for raiding and being forced to give up some other mobility option in order to take it. 

Personally, I don’t like the way they’re pruning and forcing players to choose between abilities. It doesn’t fully make things easier for new players and I think your average new player will probably have a harder time with some of the content because this new progression system is more like skill trees where you’re picking things that have a major impact on combat rather than being guaranteed to have everything you need thanks to your discipline. This will result in more enrages because everyone else in the group is specced into exclusively AoE and daily or story-oriented passives on a boss that has no adds. 

Don’t get me wrong, there is still room for pruning, just not nearly to the degree we’re seeing. In my opinion, the best way to make the game more approachable would be to adhere to a strict color coding system for ability icons based on ability types, like ALL heal ability icons are green, ALL defensive abilities are red, ALL DCDs are blue, etc. This way, players can tell at a glance what sort of effect a given ability will have. Further simplifications can also be made by making it so highly effective abilities glow when they should be used, even if they don’t have a proc associated with them; combining stats that do very similar things, and simplifying discipline passives. 

You can also provide your feedback to BioWare about these changes on the forums here: https://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=995666

Please remember that only Sentinel version of changes are available on the PTS. The Marauder stuff is just a translation.