SithSpecs own SWTOR Beginner’s Guide with everything a new Sith needs; leveling tips and leveling builds for Assassins, Sorcerers, Juggernauts and Marauders and Guides for Companions and Crew Skills.
Star Wars: The Old Republic has launched and the game is live. It seems like ages ago when SWTOR was first announced back in 2008. Now three years later, the Galaxy far, far away is a lot closer. If you missed the semi-open Beta Weekends or last week’s stag-stag-staggered Early Access and are aimlessly stumbling around Korriban, I hope this short guide will get you back on track.
SWTOR Leveling Builds
While questing most your encounters with quest mobs will be short. Even if SWTOR leveling is more challenging then the spam-fest of World of Warcraft, most normal targets will go down within 3-6 seconds, elites 6-9 seconds.
For the leveling builds listed below, I’ve focused on talent trees with potential for burst and talents that augment Rage generation or Focus preservation. These talent builds are designed to be used with instant or channeled abilities.
These are not the builds and rotations advocated on most other Sith Inquisitor and Sith Warrior builds and specs sites. However I see no point in applying a spell with a 1.5 second cast time and 9 seconds DoT tick on a target that your companion can solo in 3 seconds flat. You are only gimping yourself by spending too much Rage/Force and thus increasing down time. Reserve these abilities for Boss fights in Flashpoints or Class Quests.
Sith Inquisitor Sorcerer: Madness Leveling Spec – 0/6/31 +4
A burst heavy leveling-build for Sith Inquisitor Sorcerers utilizing the Madness talent tree intended for solo questing and heroic group quests. This talent spec is optimized for a tank melee companion and a rotation prioritizing instant and channeled abilities for burst against single targets.
More Sith Inquisitor Sorcerer Builds
Sith Inquisitor Assassin: Madness Leveling Spec – 5/3/31 +2
A Sith Inquisitor Assassin leveling-build employing the Madness talent tree for burst and utility. This talent spec is optimized for solo questing and heroic group quests with talent points allocated in the Darkness and Deception talent trees to boost damage and preserve Force.
More Sith Inquisitor Assassin Builds
Sith Warrior Marauder: Carnage Leveling Spec – 7/32/2
A Carnage talent tree leveling build for Sith Warrior Marauders optimized for questing and group heroics with sustainable DPS in single targets fights employing the synergy of the Carnage and Annihilation low tier talents Cloak of Carnage and Cloak of Annihilation for Rage generation and damage mitigation.
More Sith Warrior Marauder Builds
Crew Skills, aka Professions
In SWTOR Bioware has taken a different approach to crafting than most other MMO’s. While players are still involved in the planning of crafting, the crafting itself is performed by your crew, more precisely your companions.
Check out the SWTOR Crew Skills Guide for Sith Warriors and Sith Inquisitors to help you chose the Star Wars: The Old Republic Crew Skills most valuable to your Sith class while leveling.
Sith Companions
In Star Wars: The Old Republic each class comes with a unique set of companions who will join your cause and accompany you on your adventure. Providing information and commentary, your companions will try to influence you on your travel through the galaxy just as your decisions will influence them.
Sith Warrior Juggernaut & Marauder Companions
Sith Inquisitor Assassin & Sorcerer Companions
What’s in a Sith Name?
Can’t find an epic Sith name to suite your SWTOR Sith Warrior or Sith Inquisitor? Try these simple formulas to create a personalized Sith first name and Legacy name containing your own name, dark emotions and ambitions.
Key Commands
SWTOR sticks to the common key command layout we’ve seen in most other MMO’s. WSAD/ Arrows Keys are used for movement with the usual Q and E for strafing.
Movement
W – Move Forward
S – Move Backwards
A – Turn Left
D – Turn Right
Q – Strafe Left
R – Strafe Right
Spacebar – Jump
Numlock – Auto Run
Actions and Combat
TAB – Cycle Available Targets
Z – Show/Hide Weapon
F1 – Target Self
0-9, + Action Bar Abilities (Keys vary depending on Keyboard layout)
Other UI Elements
ESC – Game Menu
ENTER – Chat Box
M – Map
P – Abilities
C – Character Sheet
B – Bags
L – Quest Journal
Tried your Sith name formula and unfortunately my Sith first name would be Revan. Can’t use it, ha ha.
Got a question though. Do you use CoA and CoC on every fight? It’s got a minute CD. Do you just wait between fights? Seems like a waste of time.
I assume you mean the Marauder spec. No, I don’t use CoC on every fight and I don’t wait between fights either. I generally reserve Cloak of Carnage for elites but try to use it as often as I can. If you use this build, make sure your companion doesn’t pull agro. You need a steady stream of incoming damage for this build to work properly.
OMG, why no ppints in Reserves?! I looked at the stickied post on the swtor forum, it’s like THE MOST IMPORTNAT ability for a Sage! How can you be withuot Reserves? It increases your damage and your Force by 100%! It’s the most imporatnt talanet! You must have Reserves!!!
I assume you refer to the tier 1 talent Reserves in the Sorcerer Lightning tree? The reason why I left out Reserves is that I never ran out of Force while leveling. 2 points in Reserves will increase your total Force by 100, not 100%. It does not increase your damage by 100%, no matter what a stickied post on the SWTOR forums claims.
As a Madness Sorcerer or a Balance Sage you should not run out of Force. If you do run out of Force you are either undergeared for your level or wasting resources and should reconsider your rotation.
I run out of mana all the time. I couldn’t kill anything without 2/2 reserves. Five points in the lightning/telekinetic tree are a must for any sorcerer/sage. there are so many guides that point to that.
What level is your Sage or Sorcerer and what rotation do you use?
Is there any Sage info or you got only Sorcerer? I went telekinetics, I think that’s Sorcerer Lighning tree. But I skipped it when I noticed I did way less damage than other Sages and went Balance instead. Man, what a difference. Whoever stickied that BS post on the swtor forums about TK should have their nuts cut off. Wasted 3 days just dying to normal mobs because I followd that BS advice.
I really treasure what you’re writing here. Keep going that way. Take care!
I’ve used your build guides for my Jedi and my assassin and they’ve been great. Do you have guides for you the other classes, like the smuggler or the agent?
Great to hear our builds and guides have been helpful. Unfortunately we do not have the manpower to cover all classes, so we just stick to the glowie sticks. However, there is an Inquisitor/Warrior vs Smuggler PVP guide in the works covering some of the basic Smuggler builds and class mechanics. It might give you some pointers.
I enjoy your work , regards for all the great posts.