Hello,

Happy with combat (and its mirror on my mara), I have rolled another sentinel and went Concentration spec.

I like it, but I have no idea about which rotation would be good nor which utility points to take.

Anyone got some tips about this spec? Dulfy etc. don't have a guide.

I certainly don't claim to be amongst the best Sentinel players, but I strictly play Concentration, now, and very much enjoy it. It seems pretty complicated on the face of it, however it's actually quite simple once you can grasp the fundamentals. It's all about maximizing the damage of Focused Burst/Force Sweep (depending on single target or AoE situations) via two procced buffs - Felling Blow and Koan - and then going bananas in the following burst window. Felling Blow procs when you leap (either from Force Leap or Zealous Leap), and Koan procs from Force Exhaustion and Zen.

How I open:

[ Zen/Leap > Focused Burst > (Force Exhaustion > Concentrated Slice > Zealous Leap > Zealous Strike > Focused Burst > Blade Barrage > Concentrated Slice > Slash > Zealous Leap > Zen > Focused Burst) ]

The string in parentheses is basically repeatable after you open, due to the way the aCDs line up. For AoE, I swap FB for FS, Slash with Cyclone Slash, and BB with Twin Saber Throw - mob alignment permitting.

I certainly don't claim to be amongst the best Sentinel players, but I strictly play Concentration, now, and very much enjoy it. It seems pretty complicated on the face of it, however it's actually quite simple once you can grasp the fundamentals. It's all about maximizing the damage of Focused Burst/Force Sweep (depending on single target or AoE situations) via two procced buffs - Felling Blow and Koan - and then going bananas in the following burst window. Felling Blow procs when you leap (either from Force Leap or Zealous Leap), and Koan procs from Force Exhaustion and Zen.

 

How I open:

[ Zen/Leap > Focused Burst > (Force Exhaustion > Concentrated Slice > Zealous Leap > Zealous Strike > Focused Burst > Blade Barrage > Concentrated Slice > Slash > Zealous Leap > Zen > Focused Burst) ]

 

The string in parentheses is basically repeatable after you open, due to the way the aCDs line up. For AoE, I swap FB for FS, Slash with Cyclone Slash, and BB with Twin Saber Throw - mob alignment permitting.

Thank you very much!

May I also ask you, how would you allocate the ability points for PvP?

Thanks for the tips! How does Concentration rank compared to the other specs?

According to Bant's thread,

Rank - DPS+-StdDev - vs Average (7908) DPS --- Imperial - Republic

01 - 8520+-229 - +7.74% --- Operative-Lethality || Scoundrel-Ruffian

02 - 8294+-112 - +4.89% --- Sniper-Virulence || Gunslinger-Dirty Fighting

03 - 8263+-191 - +4.50% --- Sniper-Engineering || Gunslinger-Saboteur

04 - 8213+-295 - +3.86% --- Mercenary-Innovative Ordinance || Commando-Assault Specialist

05 - 8183+-201 - +3.48% --- Marauder-Annihilation || Sentinel-Watchman

06 - 8047+-376 - +1.77% --- Operative-Concealment || Scoundrel-Scrapper

07 - 8042+-212 - +1.69% --- Marauder-Carnage || Sentinel-Combat

08 - 8041+-415 - +1.68% --- Assassin-Deception || Shadow-Infiltration

09 - 7950+-369 - +0.53% --- Mercenary-Arsenal || Commando-Gunnery

10 - 7943+-262 - +0.45% --- Juggernaut-Vengeance || Guardian-Vigilance

11 - 7796+-346 - -1.42% --- Juggernaut-Rage || Guardian-Focus

12 - 7777+-250 - -1.65% --- Marauder-Fury || Sentinel-Concentration

13 - 7660+-359 - -3.13% --- Powertech-Advanced Prototype || Vanguard-Tactics

14 - 7620+-246 - -3.64% --- Assassin-Hatred || Shadow-Serenity

15 - 7556+-273 - -4.45% --- Powertech-Pyrotech || Vanguard-Plasmatech

16 - 7553+-191 - -4.48% --- Sorcerer-Madness || Sage-Balance

17 - 7475+-329 - -5.47% --- Sniper-Marksman || Gunslinger-Sharpshooter

18 - 7405+-216 - -6.35% --- Sorcerer-Lightning || Sage-Telekinetics

This is for item level 230 rating gear, so Tier 1 from Galactic Command Crates. Ranking is identical in Iokath Mk-5 gear, which is rating 242 and currently the best. That being said, conventional wisdom in 4.0 often put Concentration/Fury as a decent spec in pvp because of ease of target swapping and aoe. Bant is using a mathematical model to determine optimal dps using a defined rotation for each discipline, which may or may not be applicable to pvp where combat often is more fluid, more brief, involves non-stationary targets, and does not lend itself to rotations per se.

Hello,

 

Happy with combat (and its mirror on my mara), I have rolled another sentinel and went Concentration spec.

 

I like it, but I have no idea about which rotation would be good nor which utility points to take.

 

Anyone got some tips about this spec? Dulfy etc. don't have a guide.

Dulfy has a PVP Concentration guide now, if that helps

PVP Concentration Sentinel Guide

Dulfy has a PVP Concentration guide now, if that helps

 

PVP Concentration Sentinel Guide

You should link your guide in your signature mate!

I'm still using Oofalong's old concentration rotation modified for 5.0:

Open - Force Leap / Zen >

1 - Focused Burst > Force Exhaustion > Concentrated Slice > Blade Barrage > Twin Saber Throw/Slash > Zealous Leap > Zealous Strike >

2 -Focused Burst > Blade Storm > Concentrated Slice > Slash/Dispatch > Zealous Leap > Slash/Zen > Got to 1

There two burst windows; Force Exhaustion primes the second, and I have just enough Centering for Zen just as I'm about to hit the first.

It may because of I'm low on alacrity, but I've noticed a half second gap in the rotation after the first burst window (I think the old Blade Dance channel used to smooth that over) which I've been filling with Twin Saber throw or Slash (if focus is good). I substitute Dispatch for Slash in the second window when it's available.