In Star Wars: the Old Republic, damage disciplines are broken into two subtypes: burst and DoT, or damage over time. Each DPS discipline tends to have one burst discipline and one sustained discipline. To learn more about the difference between burst and sustained damage, view this article.
Vigilance / Vengeance: Sustained
- Strong single-target damage
- Strong rotational AoE and DoT spread
- Short ramp-up time
- A strong hybrid option that bridges some of the gap between burst and sustained
- Lots of defensive and survival utility
- Generally not suggested for PVP environments
Focus / Rage: Burst
- Strong single-target damage
- Capable of using rotational AoE, though on limited basis
- Lots of defensive and survival utility
- Complex rotation (2-3 additional skills) and awkward (and potentially hazardous) positioning of second leap skill may cause issues
- Generally better to play Vigilance / Vengeance in PVE
- Excels in PVP if not running a tank in DPS gear
Scrapper / Concealment: Burst
- Very strong single-target damage
- Minimal AoE capabilities, no rotational AoE
- Adept at target swapping
- Immense raid utility (stealthing, no revive cooldown, battle revive, raid buff, movement boost, self heals)
Ruffian / Lethality: Sustained
- Strong single-target damage
- Rotational AoE based on location of player instead of location of the target
- Minimal target-swapping ability
- Immense raid utility (stealthing, no revive cooldown, battle revive, raid buff, movement boost, self heals)
Concentration / Fury: Burst
- Strong single-target damage
- Limited rotational AoE
- Strong target-swapping capabilities
- Strong class-based raid functionality
- With the right tactical, sustained damage capabilities are increased.
Watchman / Annihilation: Sustained
- Strong single-target damage
- Rotational AoE
- Very simple rotation with short, but powerful DoTs
- Capable of relatively quick target swapping
- Short ramp-up time
- Strong class-based raid functionality
Combat / Carnage: Burst
- Strong single-target damage
- Very simple rotation that requires high APM
- Minimal AoE capabilities
- Strong class-based raid functionality
- Overall damage output tends to be lower than the other two disciplines
Serenity / Hatred: Sustained
- Strong single-target damage, particularly during burn phase (which can be further increased with careful attention to tactical choice)
- Insanely strong AoE capabilities in tightly packed groups of adds
- Relatively simple rotation
- Some raid utility (defensives, stealth, speed boost, self heals via DoTs, guard shroud with tactical)
Infiltration / Deception: Burst
- Strong single-target damage
- Some AoE capability, which can be boosted with a tactical (ideal only for adds)
- Simple rotation dependent upon high APMs.
- Strong burst damage capabilities
- Some raid utility (defensives, stealth, speed boost, guard shroud with tactical)
- Note: the discipline’s rotation is highly energy negative and the priority system must be strictly followed to push this class to its absolute best. Additionally, maximum damage can only be achieved if the player is consistently positioned behind the enemy.
Tactics / Advanced Prototype: Burst
- Very strong single-target damage
- Capable of rotational AoE by subbing out single-target fillers
- Strong target-swapping capabilities, excepting the need to the reapply Gut/Retractable Blade DoT.
- Ideal in situations requiring burst damage and outside of Telekinetics Sage/Lightning Sorcerer, probably the most lightly class/discipline to pull off a tank in the early part of a fight. Watch threat levels and aggro through the 15 second mark.
- Immense class-based raid utility (gap closer, short interrupt, movement and impairment immunity, grapples, taunt, guard, sonic rebounder reflect shield, two stuns, and debuffs that benefit overall group damage)
- All defensives have a long cooldown and the class has no self cleanse/purge
Plasmatech / Pyrotech: Sustained
- Very strong single-target damage
- Strong rotational AoE though dependent upon player location and orientation (conal attacks)
- Capable of swapping targets, but should make an effort to maintain some DoTs on primary target to ensure maximum uptime
- Can be considered a rather “bursty” sustained class during encounter start due to class’s damage boosting skills, set bonus and best in slot tactical; tanks would benefit from watching threat and aggro in the early part of the fight through the 15 second mark.
- Immense class-based raid utility (gap closer, short interrupt, movement and impairment immunity, grapples, taunt, guard, sonic rebounder shield, two stuns, and debuffs that benefit overall group damage)
- All defensives have a long cooldown and the class has no self cleanse/purge
Gunnery / Arsenal: Burst
- Very strong single-target damage
- Capable of rotational AoE with tactical, else minimal AoE capabilities in extended encounters without significantly sacrificing overall DPS.
- Strong target-swapping capabilities
- Great at burst damage
- May struggle with energy management without Apex Predator set bonus
- Immense raid utility (2 self-heal defensives, 1 shield, 1 powerful reflect, movement boost and impairment immunity, cleanse, heals, 1 force/tech absorption defensive, raid buff, rapid movement ability)
Assault Specialist / Innovative Ordinance: Sustained
- Strong single-target damage
- Rotational AoE, though dependent upon enemy’s location
- Immense raid utility (2 self-heal defensives, 1 shield, 1 powerful reflect, movement boost and impairment immunity, cleanse, heals, 1 force/tech absorption defensive, raid buff, rapid movement ability)
Sharpshooter / Marksman: Burst
- Strong single-target damage, though it has a lower overall damage ceiling than most other burst classes
- Some AoE capabilities
- Energy and damage is heavily penalized by leaving cover and buffed by staying still
- Strongest abilities cannot be used out of cover
- Very simple rotation/priority system
- Some raid utility (raid-wide defensive shield, extremely long attack range, large array of defensives to mitigate damage, rapid movement ability)
Saboteur / Engineering: Sustained
- Strong single-target damage
- Immense rotational AoE capabilities
- Most mobile of all 3 sniper disciplines, though the best class set bonus still rewards staying stationary (with an optional alternative allowing for more mobile rotations)
- Relatively simple rotation
- Some raid utility (raid-wide defensive shield, extremely long attack range, large array of defensives to mitigate damage, rapid movement ability)
- This discipline is a hybrid between burst and sustained damage
Dirty Fighting / Virulence: Sustained
- Strong single-target damage
- Rotational AoE through DoT spread
- DoTs deal minimal damage alone until forced to tick with trigger abilities, though the DoTs themselves last for a long time and allow for a lot of outgoing damage in between refresh periods
- Long ramp-up time
- Damage, energy and defensives are penalized by moving, and buffed by staying still
- Some raid utility (raid-wide defensive shield, extremely long attack range, large array of defensives to mitigate damage, rapid movement ability)
Telekinetics / Lightning: Burst
- Strong single-target damage
- With Stormwatch tactical, has steady sustained damage
- Ability to target swap quickly
- Simple rotation and priority system that requires high APM
- Rotational AoE can lead to some issues with aggro and early pushing, and dropping it punishes this class’ damage output
- Immense raid utility (speed boost and possible impairment immunity, raid buff, strongest defensive in the game, absorb shields, powerful self heal and off heals, general damage reduction through threat drop, player pull)
Balance / Madness: Sustained
- Strong single-target damage
- Strong rotational AoE capability
- Poor target swapping ability
- Relatively simple rotation
- Medium ramp-up time
- Immense raid utility (speed boost and possible impairment immunity, raid buff, strongest defensive in the game, absorb shields, powerful self heal and off heals, general damage reduction through threat drop, player pull)
