SWTOR 7.7 Sentinel Best Solo Builds

This guide explains the best SWTOR Sentinel Solo builds for all three disciplines: Watchman, Combat and Fury. Optimized to perform extremely well in solo content.

These builds enable you to have a far more enjoyable experience fighting trash mobs than you would with a sustained DPS build since you’ll be utilizing effects designed specifically for use against trash mobs!

Why solo builds are worth using in SWTOR

For almost the entirety of SWTOR’s history, fighting trash wasn’t fun because the combat system didn’t support it. Trash mob encounters rarely last more than a few seconds while boss fights and PvP typically last at least a few minutes, requiring you to make use of far more abilities.

In solo content, you’re mostly fighting trash mobs that have so little health that the majority of enemies won’t be able to survive for more than 2-3 abilities and you often can’t even get through a whole rotation before that combat encounter is over.

Stronger single enemies like elites (golds) where you would be able to stretch your rotational legs are rare enough that you can trivialize them with proper use of offensive cooldowns (OCDs) so even they don’t always survive a full rotation cycle.

I believe this disconnect was responsible for making skipping trash via stealth and cheese such a popular approach to playing PvE in SWTOR. BioWare clearly understood this and (mostly) solved it by introducing extremely powerful new ability tree buffs and legendary implants that synergize with existing tactical items.

These ridiculously potent effects form the basis of the solo builds and are able to exist without causing (too many) balance issues in group content because they are short-lived and only reliably trigger off of combat events that are fairly unique to and common when fighting trash mobs.

I do want to note that the Sentinel solo builds are a fair bit less refined (as in clunkier and more complicated) than all of the other disciplines, though the skills are more transferrable to and from group content as the overall ability usage is similar.

Watchman Sentinel Solo Build

In this section, I’ll be covering the ability tree build and solo ability priority for Watchman Sentinel. Please refer to the 7.0 Watchman Sentinel PvE Guide if you want more detailed information, especially on topics pertaining to gearing, abilities, and ability tree choices.

Watchman Solo Ability Tree Build

The Build Essentials are what I consider to be the core components that make the build viable. Without them, the build no longer accomplishes its primary function.

The ability tree buffs, implants, and tacticals that aren’t listed as Build Essentials can be changed as needed without compromising the integrity of the build, though I have included a full set of default choices that will be most consistently helpful in accomplishing what the build sets out to do.

This build is fairly similar to what you use for sustained DPS, the biggest difference is in the tactical item, though the build is fully optimized for solo content. Your objective is to apply and spread your DoTs and then whack the group with AoE Merciless Slash and Twin Saber Throw. 

I recommend using Melting Center over Juyo Melt because you get another big hit in your arsenal along with additional survivability. The added survivability is valuable because you’ll want to take Stoic for the Centering generation. You can and should switch to using Spiteful Saber instead of Malmourral Mask against bosses since the latter does little to improve single-target sustained DPS.

Usually, you’ll want to apply Force Melt to the strongest enemy in the group, or at least a different one from what you applied Cauterize to so that the target doesn’t die before you have a chance to spread.

How to use this build

1. Force Leap (if necessary)
2. Overload Saber
3. Zealous Strike (on target with highest HP)
4. Cauterize (DoT, apply to target with highest HP)
5. Zen (damage boost)
6. Force Melt (DoT, apply to target with highest HP)
7. Force Sweep (for DoT spread)
8. Merciless Slash (on centermost target that is affected by Force Melt)
9. Twin Saber Throw (aim to hit as many enemies as possible)
10. Cauterize (spam on centermost target with lowest HP)
11. Reuse High-Damage Abilities

This rotation really only works against groups that have higher HP like you’ll see in heroics on higher-level planets. Against normal groups of trash, especially with weak enemies, you’ll end up defeating enemies you apply your DoTs to before you get a chance to spread, so it’s crucial that you’re hitting whichever enemy has the most HP at any given time.

Usually, you can only apply both DoTs to the same target if it’s a strong or elite (silver or gold) enemy. Even though Force Leap and Zealous Strike don’t deal that much damage, they can be enough to push something over the edge. Force Melt is the big one though because it will autocrit and deal double damage.

Assuming you can get the DoTs applied before the targets turn to ash, you’ll want to DoT spread with Force Sweep. Position yourself such that you’re in the middle of the pack to maximize the number of enemies you hit, but make sure your still clip the burning enemies.

Once you’ve DoT spread, you want to use Merciless Slash next, which will deal AoE damage thanks to Malmourral Mask and finish off any remaining normal enemies it hits while boosting further DoT damage. It’s absolutely essential that your target has Force Melt on it because otherwise, Merciless Slash won’t deal AoE damage.

You’ll follow that up with Twin Saber Throw, which you want to aim such that you’ll hit as many enemies as possible. The easiest way to accomplish this is by standing at one end of the pack and target something on the opposite end so you guarantee that the sabers go through the group.

Now that all of your high-damage abilities are on cooldown, it’s time to spam Cauterize, which will tick your burns on all other nearby targets thanks to Flaming Wave. Try to maximize the number of targets you’re hitting and prioritize the target with the least HP because the DoT ticks from Cauterize and Force Melt will deal more damage than the reapplication of Cauterize.

By the time your high-damage abilities come off cooldown, only the strongest enemies remain, so you can activate Zen ▶ Force Melt, Overload Saber, Merciless Slash, Cauterize, and Twin Saber Throw again as they become available along with Blade Barrage, Dispatch, and Slash. The exact order doesn’t matter too much.

Concentration Sentinel Solo Build

In this section, I’ll be covering the ability tree build and solo ability priority for Concentration Sentinel. Refer to the 7.0 Concentration Sentinel PvE Guide if you want more detailed information, especially on topics pertaining to gearing, abilities, and ability tree choices.

Concentration Solo Ability Tree Build

The Build Essentials are what I consider to be the core components that make the build viable. Without them, the build no longer accomplishes its primary function.

The ability tree buffs, implants, and tacticals that aren’t listed as Build Essentials can be changed as needed without compromising the integrity of the build, though I have included a full set of default choices that will be most consistently helpful in accomplishing what the build sets out to do.

It’s challenging to play Concentration in solo content because you have to use specific abilities at specific times against specific enemies in the group. You can’t just blindly hammer away at a single enemy and end up wiping out the whole group like you can with some other disciplines.

That said, if you can handle and master Concentration in solo content, you’ll have a much easier time with the discipline in group content because you’re forced to understand how all the procs and cooldown reductions work together. Playing Concentration in solo content essentially teaches you how to start and recover from different points in the rotation.

If you want, you can use Unstable Focus and/or Criticality instead of Zenith and Focused Meditation. Criticality offers slightly higher single-target DPS, but with Focused Meditation, you’re basically overflowing with Focus, so you don’t need to worry about it nearly as much.

Unstable Focus enables you to deal AoE damage with Focused Burst, which will increase the rate at which you will take out the weaker enemies, though it will take longer to defeat the stronger enemies as single-target DPS is lower.

I recommend Focused Meditation because it offers a more fluid experience whereas Zenith is optimal for single-target situations while still offering a boost to your AoE damage output. Any combination of the 4 ability tree buffs will work just fine though.

How to use this build

This is the opening rotation you’ll use against trash. You need to think carefully about which mob you’re hitting with each attack.

1. Force Leap (if necessary)
2. Zealous Strike (for Focus if necessary)
3. Zealous Leap (for Felling Blow autocrit proc)
4. Concentrated Slice (for Centered Focus damage boost and heavy hit)
5. Force Exhaustion (for AoE and Koan buff)
6. Force Sweep (AoE damage, detonates Force Exhaustion)
7. Zen (earliest you can use it)
8. Zealous Leap (against target with lowest HP for Zealous Annihilation)
9. Blade Storm (only if Focused Burst is excessive)
10. Focused Burst (against same target as last Zealous Leap)
11. Concentrated Slice (for Centered Focus damage boost and finisher)
12. Zealous Leap
13. Focused Burst

You’ll want to start by leaping in and making sure you have sufficient Focus, use Zealous Strike if you need more. Then you’ll want to use Zealous Leap since it deals a fair bit of damage and grants a proc that makes your next Focused Burst or Force Sweep autocrit. You’ll be using Zealous Leap pretty much on cooldown, so that’s why it has higher priority.

Your first major objective is detonating Force Exhaustion as an AoE with Force Sweep (Focused Burst also works, but Force Sweep is better in this case). Force Exhaustion only lasts 3s, so you have to be quick about applying it and immediately following it up with Force Sweep or the final tick will go off and you’ll miss out on your AoE damage.

You can also miss out on the AoE damage from Force Exhaustion if the target is defeated by Force Sweep, so it’s essential that you apply Force Exhaustion to the enemy with the highest HP in the group.

Before you do Force Exhaustion + Force Sweep, throw in a Concentrated Slice since it hits hard and gives you a proc that boosts the damage dealt by your next Force Sweep or Focused Burst. Remember, Concentrated Slice should be used next on a target that will be able to survive through the subsequent Force Sweep autocrit and Force Exhaustion detonation, so use it on a different enemy if there are no Strong or Elite enemies present.

Force Exhaustion also boosts the damage dealt by your next Force Sweep or Focused Burst and makes it free. Zen gives the same proc and can be used at the same time as other abilities, so make sure to only use 1 per Force Sweep or Focused Burst. In general, you should only use Force Exhaustion once per trash pull since it has such a long cooldown.

To be clear, as soon as you Force Sweep, you can use Zen since the buff will be consumed and will last long enough to boost your next Focused Burst. In longer pulls, you can usually get 2 Zens off.

Once you’ve done Force Sweep and Force Exhaustion, it’s time to finish enemies off with Zealous Leap, Focused Burst, and Concentrated Slice. You need to leverage the Zealous Annihilation ability tree buff to reset the cooldowns of Zealous Leap, Focused Burst, and Force Sweep and boost their damage dealt or you’ll take significantly longer to defeat the rest of the group.

In order to get the Zealous Annihilation proc, you need to defeat the enemy within 3s (2 attacks) of using Zealous Leap on it, so you need to pay close attention to what enemy you expect to defeat next and how much damage it will take to defeat them. Zealous Leap + Focused Burst is sometimes overkill, so you can use Blade Storm instead of Focused Burst if you think that will be enough to finish something off.

You can use Cyclone Slash, Blade Blitz, and Twin Saber Throw for an additional bit of AoE (especially from range) as needed and Dispatch, Concentrated Slice, Blade Storm, and Blade Barrage for other single-target attacks.

Combat Sentinel Solo Build

In this section, I’ll be covering the ability tree build and solo ability priority for Combat Sentinel. Please refer to the 7.0 Combat Sentinel PvE Guide if you want more detailed information, especially on topics pertaining to gearing, abilities, and ability tree choices.

Combat Solo Ability Tree Build

The Build Essentials are what I consider to be the core components that make the build viable. Without them, the build no longer accomplishes its primary function.

The ability tree buffs, implants, and tacticals that aren’t listed as Build Essentials can be changed as needed without compromising the integrity of the build, though I have included a full set of default choices that will be most consistently helpful in accomplishing what the build sets out to do.

The Combat solo content build is nearly identical to the single-target sustained build. The biggest difference comes from how Lance is used. You’ll be leveraging Zen Lance and Andeddu’s Malevolence which will allow you to hit every enemy in the group and make each of them burn.

You could use Puncture instead, but you’ll basically never be able to hit as many targets and it’s far more inconsistent. You can also use Rush Down instead of Valor Blade, it doesn’t really matter all that much since you won’t be using Blade Rush all that often against trash mobs and Valor Blade offers higher single-target sustained DPS along with greater utility and burst.

How to use this build

This is the general priority system you’ll be using your abilities in against each group of trash in order to maximize your damage output.

1. Twin Saber Throw (AoE, grants Dispatcher’s Challenge)
2. Force Leap (if necessary)
3. Zen ▶ Blade Rush ▶ Zealous Strike ▶ Precision
4. Clashing Blast (hits hard with Precision + Opportune Attack)
5. Dispatch (hits hard with Precision + Dispatcher’s Challenge)
6. Lance (can be spammed with Zen)
7. Cyclone Slash (only as AoE finisher or filler against 3+ targets)
8. Blade Rush (single-target filler)
9. Strike (free single-target filler)

The main idea is to prioritize abilities that empower your heavy hitters and then use those heavy hitters against the enemies with the most health. After you’ve used your Clashing Blast and Dispatch autocrits, it’s time to spam Lance on everything until you’ve run out of Zens.

It’s typically not worthwhile to use more than 1 heavy hitter against a regular enemy since it’s overkill, so spread them around amongst the weaklings. When there’s a stronger enemy, you should focus the big hits onto stronger enemies and use the Lance spam on the normal enemies.

Once you’ve run out of Zens and Lanced practically everything, you can spam Cyclone Slash and Blade Rush until your higher-priority attacks come off cooldown. You should only use Strike if you can’t afford to use Blade Rush or Cyclone Slash.

Major Cooldown Abilities for Sentinels

These abilities offer some sort of temporary boost to your offense, defense, or mobility. They are called cooldowns (CDs) because they usually only last a short time while having a long cooldown. I am not covering abilities that are optional or not useful in solo content.

You may want to group each category together on your bar so you can recognize them more easily, though keep them separate from the attacks I listed above.

Offensive Cooldowns

Offensive cooldowns (OCDs) increase your damage dealt temporarily. Sometimes they’re more generic boosts to everything, other times they only apply to specific abilities. It’s important to make sure you’re being thoughtful about which abilities you use and try to use them as fast as possible while the boost is active to maximize their effectiveness. Use them against stronger enemies to defeat them faster.

Zen, Centering, and Valorous Call

Activating Zen grants 6 stacks that offer a buff that’s unique to each discipline along with a 5% damage boost thanks to the Berserker’s Call implant. The effects for the solo content builds are as follows:

Watchman
You generate 4 Focus immediately and your next 6 DoT ticks autocrit. In addition, Force Melt deals double damage heals for 35% of the damage it deals.

Concentration
You gain 4 Focus immediately and 8 Focus over the next 6s.

Combat
Your alacrity is increased by 30% for the next 6 GCDs and Precision gains an additional charge if it’s activated while Zen is active.

Rather than having a cooldown, Zen is only usable while you have 30 stacks of Centering. You generate 4 Centering each time you activate an ability that costs Focus while Zen is not active and 2 Centering each time you are attacked thanks to Stoic. Watchman also generates Centering from DoT crits and Concentration generates Centering from dealing damage with Blade Barrage.

Valorous Call gives you 30 stacks of Centering, allowing you to use Zen immediately. This is valuable because in all 3 disciplines, you want to activate Zen at very specific points, so use Valorous Call if you don’t have enough Centering at the point when you’d want to activate it. Please refer to the individual sections for more information about when to activate Zen for each discipline.

Defensive Cooldowns

Defensive cooldowns (DCDs) increase your survivability temporarily, making it less likely that you’ll be defeated. Use them whenever you’re taking more damage than you can handle.

Rebuke

Rebuke increases your damage reduction by 20% deals a small amount of damage back to the attacker whenever you take damage (up to once per second). If you’re taking Adjudicator, it also generates 1 Focus each time you send damage back.

It lasts for 10s, but the duration is refreshed whenever you are attacked, but cannot last for more than 30s. Since the ability has such high uptime thanks to its long duration and short cooldown, you want to use Rebuke as often as possible.

Saber Ward

Saber Ward has a much longer long cooldown but offers more potent effects. While it’s active, you’ll be significantly more likely to completely avoid the weapon attacks and are guaranteed to absorb a quarter of all damage you take from Force and tech attacks.

 Force Kick

This ability can interrupt your target’s cast or channel and locks them out of activating that ability again for a short time. Typically the longer or more threatening-sounding the ability is, the more important it is to interrupt.

Mobility

These cooldowns allow you to move much faster than you would normally be able to go.

 Force Leap

This ability causes you to leap at your enemy target, generate 3 Focus, 2 Centering (thanks to Intercessor), and deal a small amount of damage. In Concentration, it also makes your next Focused Burst or Force Sweep autocrit.

Unlike with Juggernauts, you can’t use it quite as often since its cooldown doesn’t reset when you exit combat nor get reduced when you take damage. You’ll need to leverage the second charge from Intercessor to leap from one group of trash to the next.

Transcendence

Transcendence increases purges slows and roots and increases your movement speed by a significant amount for 10s. It also slightly increases your chance to avoid damage from weapon attacks. Use it whenever you want to go faster.

 Resolute

This ability breaks you out of any controlling effects. Since it has such a long cooldown, only use it if you are prevented from doing what you want to do. For example, if you’re rooted in place but can still hit your target, there’s no need to break free.

Force Camouflage

Force Camouflage turns you invisible for a few seconds and it’s arguably the most versatile ability in the game. While invisible, you’re immune to CC, take 50% less damage, and move faster. Out of combat, you’re able to sneak past groups of enemies undetected. As soon as you use an offensive ability (attack or otherwise), Force Camouflage ends.

In addition, when Force Camo is activated, all cleansable debuffs are cleansed, any abilities being casted at you are interrupted, and your threat is lowered by a moderate amount, assuming you’re in combat. You will not exit combat by activating Force Camouflage.

All of the effects are pretty powerful and its cooldown isn’t super long, so use it whenever you need one of its effects, though consider that Transcendence offers a more significant movement speed boost and also purges movement-impairing effects.

Sentinel Solo Gearing and Stats

This section will cover the core elements of gearing and stats for Operative. If you want a more detailed explanation, please refer to the main guides for each discipline. Don’t forget to obtain the legendary implants and tactical items I mentioned when referring to individual disciplines!

Stat Priority

As a DPS, you’ll need to care about 3 different stats: Accuracy, Alacrity, and Critical Rating. There are thresholds associated with Accuracy and Alacrity, so you need to prioritize reaching those thresholds to get the full benefit from each stat point.

1. Accuracy to 110.00% – Accuracy reduces the chance for your attacks to miss.
2. Alacrity to ~7.5% – Alacrity holistically increases the speed at which you can execute your rotation. Please note that you’ll need different amounts of Alacrity Rating to reach 7.5% with each of this combat style’s disciplines. Refer to the main PvE guides for each spec for more information.
3. Critical gets the rest – Critical refers to both your chance to critically hit and the damage multiplier for critical hits. Critical Rating affects both.

Find out which mods to purchase from Hyde and Zeek in SWTOR on the Fleet to minimize spending and optimize your build. The dedicated guide contains tips for all roles in both PvE and PvP.

Individual Pieces

• Augments: Blue 296 augments ([Type] Augment 83 + Augmentation Kit Mk-11)
• Crystals: Advanced Eviscerating (+41 Critical)
• Relics: Relic of Focused Retribution and Relic of Devastating Vengeance (highest iRating you have)
• Biochem: Advanced Kyrprax Medpac, Proficient Stim, and Critical Adrenal

I recommend a Relic and Adrenal that boost your critical chance for solo content because, unlike Power, Critical Rating isn’t capped by level sync.