Jedi Guardian/Sith Juggernaught PVE

Jedi Guardian/Sith Juggernaut PVE Guide
Jedi Guardian 33/8/0 http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#500fMGcubrouRZhG.1

Sith Juggernaut 33/8/0 http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#101fMGcubrouRZhG.1

Jedi Guardian and Sith Juggernaut are the tanking oriented Advanced Class for Jedi Knight and Sith Warrior, respectively.

DPS wise, they are sub-par compared to other classes, but that’s mainly to balance the fact that they are exceptional tanks with excellent survivability and threat management.

The main goal of the JG and SJ are to mitigate damage to themselves, via usage of cooldowns, and to protect the party from gaining aggro. In some cases, it will be difficult, but being a tank can be highly rewarding.

For ease of use, I will split this breakdown into JG rotations and SJ rotations, so you can just pick the one that you are, rather than get mucked up trying to decipher the different names of skills that do and are the same thing.

Jedi Guardian Rotation

Starting out a fight, you’ll want to open with Saber Throw. This is a medium range attack that will generate 3 focus. Follow up with Force Leap for another 3 focus and then Force Sweep for some heavy AoE threat. This will also lower the enemies chance to hit by 5%, thus gaining you more survivability. Next up is Blade Storm, it will cost no focus, as you just used Force Leap and it will also apply a healthy damage absorption shield. That gets the basic initiation out of the way and gets you on the path to sustaining yourself and holding aggro.

Now, use Sundering Strike on your main target and follow that up with Guardian Slash. The combination of these two skills will immediately apply the 5 stacks of Armor Reduction. Now, use Combat Focus to immediately generate 6 focus. After this, we have a few different options. If you find yourself in a single target fight, Use Slash while making sure that you are rolling Force Sweep, Blade Storm, Sundering Strike and Guardian Slash when they are up. If you are working on multiple targets, substitute Cyclone Slash for Slash.

Also, be sure to spam Riposte whenever it is up. It is not on the GCD, so it doesn’t matter when you use it. With this spec, it should always be on CD.

You will be using Soresu Form and as such should have your Guard ability on a nearby melee DPS or, failing that, the healer. The healer will have to know to stay within 15 meters, otherwise they will gain no benefit from Guard.

One other important thing to consider with the Guardian is that you are not an AoE tank. What this means to you is that you excel in one on one fights, but when you get more then 3 mobs or so, you’ll have to start Tab-targeting to hold aggro. In this case, it’s as simple as following your rotation, as above, but hitting the tab key to cycle to the next target, between skills.

So, easy breakdown is as follows:

1) Saber Throw 2) Force Leap 3) Force Sweep 4) Blade Storm 5) Sundering Strike 6) Guardian Slash 7) Combat Focus 8) Riposte (whenever it is ready) 9) Make sure 3-8 are on CD and then: a) Slash if you are in a single target fight b) Cyclone Slash if you are in a multi- target fight

Now, I’m sure you have noticed that you have many other skills that are not listed here. Most every other skill, that is not part of this core rotation, is situational. For example, Force Stasis is a great skill, but on a minute cooldown, I find it is best to save it for when you need to generate a little extra focus or when you are saving someone from a loose mob and your taunts are on cooldown. Play with all of them. Get used to the way the skills work and use what you feel most comfortable with.

Finally, we cover the survivability skills. This part will be short, because it’s basically just a priority system. Warding Call will be your go to, followed by Saber Ward and then Enure (NOTE: Enure is a last ditch effort… if you are not healed past the % of health it gives you, by the time it runs out, it will kill you). Call on the Force should be saved for tough boss fights, as it has a 20 min. CD and you don’t want to waste that on trash mobs.

The Empire must be shown that we will not back down and we will not allow them to destroy the galaxy. There is no death, only the Force.

Sith Juggernaut Rotation

Starting out a fight, you’ll want to open with Saber Throw. This is a medium range attack that will generate 3 rage. Follow up with Force Charge for another 3 rage and then Smash for some heavy AoE threat. This will also lower the enemies chance to hit by 5%, thus gaining you more survivability. Next up is Force Scream, it will cost no rage, as you just used Force Charge and it will also apply a healthy damage absorption shield. That gets the basic initiation out of the way and gets you on the path to sustaining yourself and holding aggro.

Now, use Sundering Assault on your main target and follow that up with Crushing Blow. The combination of these two skills will immediately apply the 5 stacks of Armor Reduction. Now, use Enrage to immediately generate 6 rage. After this, we have a few different options. If you find yourself in a single target fight, Use Vicious Slash while making sure that you are rolling Smash, Force Scream, Sundering Assault and Crushing Blow when they are up. If you are working on multiple targets, substitute Sweeping Slash for Vicious Slash.

Also, be sure to spam Retaliation whenever it is up. It is not on the GCD, so it doesn’t matter when you use it. With this spec, it should always be on CD.

You will be using Soresu Form and as such should have your Guard ability on a nearby melee DPS or, failing that, the healer. The healer will have to know to stay within 15 meters, otherwise they will gain no benefit from Guard.

One other important thing to consider with the Juggernaut is that you are not an AoE tank. What this means to you is that you excel in one on one fights, but when you get more then 3 mobs or so, you’ll have to start Tab-targeting to hold aggro. In this case, it’s as simple as following your rotation, as above, but hitting the tab key to cycle to the next target, between skills.

So, easy breakdown is as follows:

1) Saber Throw 2) Force Charge 3) Smash 4) Force Scream 5) Sundering Assault 6) Crushing Blow 7) Enrage 8) Retaliation (whenever it is ready) 9) Make sure 3-8 are on CD and then: a. Vicious Slash if you are in a single target fight b. Sweeping Slash if you are in a multi- target fight

Now, I’m sure you have noticed that you have many other skills that are not listed here. Most every other skill, that is not part of this core rotation, is situational. For example, Force Choke is a great skill, but on a minute cooldown, I find it is best to save it for when you need to generate a little extra rage or when you are saving someone from a loose mob and your taunts are on cooldown. Play with all of them. Get used to the way the skills work and use what you feel most comfortable with.

Finally, we cover the survivability skills. This part will be short, because it’s basically just a priority system. Invincibility will be your go to, followed by Saber Ward and then Endure Pain (NOTE: Endure Pain is a last ditch effort… if you are not healed past the % of health it gives you, by the time it runs out, it will kill you). Call on the Force should be saved for tough boss fights, as it has a 20 min. cd and you don’t want to waste that on trash mobs.

Now, get out there and show those cretins that the Empire is not to be trifled with! Peace is a lie