5.0 Class Guides/ SWTOR

SWTOR 5.0 Shield Tech Powertech Guide by Yam’unun

Yam 50 Comments Dec 24, 2016

SWTOR 5.0 Shield Tech Powertech Guide written by Yam’unun.

Intro to Shield Tech

“Launching into the fray with a jetpack-propelled attack and able to withstand powerful offenses, the Powertech trained in the Shield Tech specification takes the brunt of the assault while employing a wide range of tech-based attacks to scorch and trip up even the most formidable adversaries.”

The Shield Tech Discipline of the Powertech AC is one of the 3 tank Disciplines in Swtor. With 5.0 PT tank has gone through some rough times having lost almost the rest of its ranged abilities and nerfs to Kolto and Oil Slick. While gaining nothing new while playing the same in 5.0 and compared to the strength of Assassin tanks right now, it is in the right hands more than capable of clearing the most difficult content in the game.

Rating

• Threat Generation: 9/10
• Mitigation: 7/10
• Damage: 6/10

5.0 Changes

Compared with 4.0, with 5.0 all classes are going through several changes that will affect how the classes play down to their core level.

Universal Changes

With 5.0 all base classes will be removed from the game and characters starting from level 1 will have be choosing an Advanced Class and choosing a Spec at level 10. Utilities also have been reworked with not only change but an additional Legendary tier of utilities including new ones. Also all abilities for melee classes will be instant including PT with very few channeled abilities that can be used on the move.

PT Shield Tech Changes

Base Class abilities have been mostly reworked with the PT. Flamethrower has been replaced with Searing Wave which has been removed from the game. Death from Above has been replaced with the new Ordinance Onslaught and Explosive Dart with Shatter Slug. These two old abilities will be now exclusive to the Mercenary class.

Gearing and Stats

Listed Below are the Optimal Numbers as suggested by Bant’s Theory Crafting. This is his work and indebted for it (Source: Bant’s Thread on SWTOR Forum)

Iokath MK-5, Tier 3: Legendary (242 ilvl)	73.42% Reduction | 7379 Endurance (2xC, Stim) | 6714 Mastery | 910 Power | 3793 Defense | 2201 Shield (7xE, 6xA) | 1413 Absorb (3xE, 8xA)
Iokath MK-3, Tier 3: Artifact (240 ilvl)	73.12% Reduction | 7067 Endurance (2xC, Stim) | 6451 Mastery | 910 Power 3605 Defense | 2138 Shield (8xE, 4xA) | 1370 Absorb (2xE, 10xA)
Eternal Commander MK-15, Tier 2: Legendary (236 ilvl)	72.84% Reduction | 6924 Endurance (2xC, Stim) | 6315 Mastery | 910 Power 3523 Defense | 2102 Shield (9xE, 2xA) | 1352 Absorb (1xE, 12xA)
Eternal Commander MK-13, Tier 2: Artifact (234 ilvl)	72.52% Reduction | 6634 Endurance (2xC, Stim) | 6065 Mastery | 910 Power 3337 Defense | 2100 Shield (10xE, 1xA) | 1248 Absorb (13xA)
Eternal Commander MK-3, Tier 1: Artifact (230 ilvl)	72.14% Reduction | 6382 Endurance (2xC, Stim) | 5830 Mastery | 910 Power 3183 Defense | 2015 Shield (9xE, 3xA) | 1237 Absorb (1xE, 11xA)

Notes about numbers: Numbers are based on modeling and therefore have limitations. Use with a grain of salt. Gearing is based on maximizing mitigation but due to extreme amount of defense use of either Warding B mods or even Lethal B Mods is preferred.

Set bonuses

Set Bonus: Supercommando

• 2 Piece: 2% Damage Reduction when Heat Blast is activated
• 4 Piece: Activating Rocket Punch Reduces CD of Taunt and AoE taunt by 2 seconds
• 6 Piece:Increases Duration of Oil Slick by 3 Seconds and Energy Shield by 4 Seconds

Stats and Gearing Methods

Now I will not say their is only one way and if not you will never clear anything as you might expect from a guide   as long as you gear have proper item level, no fight will really come down to how min maxed you did your tank. Unless you forgot to budget a stat entirely or forgot to put your gear on (Hey it happens).

That said here are some generally agreed upon ranges of stats people use

• Shield: 1800-2100
• Absorb: 1300-1600
• For PT Shield>Absorb>Defense

I leave out defense as the amount of defense  is far over the limit needed.

Mitigation Build vs Higher HP Build

Higher HP build whereby mostly defense is traded for HP is gained through any combination of B Mods, Bulwark/Bastion enhancements or DPS relics because they have HP.I personally lean towards more HP for my builds to counter spikes since it’s mostly trading defense for HP and many spike attacks aren’t countered by defense. Unfortunately BW has decided that BiS is only unlettered so you will have to go with less than BiS Mods and Enhancements for HP.

Utilities

Credit to Jaymis for writing these out already thus saving my fingers and for the simple idea of making it a table. His 5.0 Pyro Guide can be found here . (Recommended Utilities are bolded.)

Skillful

	Iron WIll: Reduced the cooldown of determination by 30 seconds and the cooldown of Hydraulic Overrides by 10 seconds.	Hydros are your bread and butter for PT tanking from speed to ignoring lots of physic mechanics it is handy. Especially with the CD increase in 4.0
	Reflective Armor: When Close and Personal is triggered, it will also deal X elemental damage to the attacker if the attacker is within 10 meters.	Free Damage when attacked by AOE is useful when not a lot of adds and bosses with AOE or cleaves.
	Bracer Propellant: Increases the range of Flame Burst and Magnetic Blast by 2 meters and the radius of Flame Sweep by 1 meter	Mostly worthless as a tank you will for the most part be in 4m range and its only 2 meters now
	Engulfing Flames: Increases Flame Sweep damage by 25%	Good for AOE heavy fights
	Suppressive Tools: Magnetic Blast, Flame Burst and Flame Sweep reduce the movement speed of affected targets by 25% for 3 seconds. Additionally, Neural Dart slows the target by 50% for 6 seconds.	PVP Utility
	Gyroscopic Alignment Jets: You vent 20 heat when stunned, immobilized, knocked down or otherwise incapacitated. Additionally your next Tech ability deals 10% extra damage or healing.	Mostly PVP utility with little situational PVE use as a tank

Masterful

	Pneumatic Boots: Increases in combat movement speed by 15%	Very Useful as a tank especially on with lots of movement and kiting
	Sonic Rebounder: Sonic Missile protects all friendly targets in its area of impact, excluding you, granting Sonic Rebounder, which reflects the next direct, single-target attack back at the attacker.	Very useful as this is your raid utility. Helps reflect damage and reduce incoming damage.
	Pyro Shield: When activated, your Energy Shield ignites in a blaze scorching attackers for X elemental damage when they deal direct damage to you. This effect cannot occur more than once each second.	Free Damage for pushing a phase faster
	Prototype Electro Surge: Reduces the cooldown of Electro Dart by 15 seconds.	PvP Utility
	Accelerated Real: Reduces the cooldown of Grapple by 10 seconds.	PvP Utility with situational use on Revanite Commanders
	Hitman: Reduces the cooldown of Quell by 2 seconds.	Useless Utility

Heroic

	Adaptable Assailant: Grapple immobilizes the target for 3 seconds. In addition the cooldown of Stealth Scan is reduced by 5 seconds, and any target it reveals is immobilized for 3 seconds and increases the movement speed of all allies within the scan area, excluding yourself, by 50% for as long as they remain within it and for 6 seconds after it expires or they leave the area.	Pvp Utility
	Enhanced Paralytics: Increases the durations of Electro Dart by 1 second and Carbonize by .5 seconds.	PvP Utility with situational use on Revanite Commanders
	Torque Boosters: Increases the duration of Hydraulic Overrides by 4 seconds.	Useful for extending Hydro cheese by 4 seconds
	Liquid Cooling: When Thermal Sensor Override is activated, it vents 10 heat over the next 5 seconds and immediately increases threat towards all current enemies by a small amount if Ion Gas Cylinder is active, or reduces threat towards all current enemies if Ion Gas Cylinder is not active.	Mostly DPS utility but can be taken if nothing else
	Mutilating Shards: Shatter Slug reduces the movement speed of all affected targets by 75%. This effect can only occur once every 30 seconds.	PvP utility
	Efficient Suit: Allows Kolto Overload to be activated while stunned and causes Kolto Overload to purge stun effects when activated. This will not work against other types of incapacitating effects or scripted stuns, which are often used by Flashpoint and Operation bosses or other special non-player characters. In addition, increases the range of Grapple and Shoulder Cannon by 10 meters and eliminates the heat generated by Electro Dart and Carbonize.	PvP utility

Legendary

	Pressure Overrides: Explosive Fuel grants Pressure Overrides, allowing Flame Burst, Magnetic Blast, Searing Wave, Firestorm, Shatter Slug, Deadly Onslaught, Heat Blast, Energy Burst, Immolate, and Scorch to be used at 30 meters for 15 seconds.	Gimmick utility and doesn’t even have Rail Shot.
	Fuel Additives: Explosive Fuel increases damage done by 5% while Ion Gas Cylinder is being utilized and increases damage reduction by 5% while Ion Gas Cylinder is not being utilized	Helpful for tight dps checks
	Shield Cannon: Damaging a target with your Shoulder Cannon Missiles heals you for 3% of your total health.	Since nerf has limited use but can be taken if nothing else needed
	Overdrive: Hydraulic Overrides increases movement speed by an additional 45% while active.	Useful on fights with heavy movement
	Reel and Rattle: Grapple deals tech damage to pulled targets and grants Reel and Rattle, causing your next Rocket Punch or Flaming Fist against the pulled target to deal 20% additional kinetic damage and stun the target for 1.5 seconds. This effect lasts for 6 seconds.	Due to being in 4m range at most times pretty useless due to Grapple minimum distance being 10m
	Battering Ram: Using Jet Charge grants Battering Ram, resetting the cooldown of Jet Charge and increasing movement speed by 30% for 6 seconds. While Battering Ram is active, Jet Charge may be used once within 10 meters of the target and deals 50% additional damage but does not cause an additional interrupt, immobilize or charge. This effect cannot occur more than once every 15 seconds.	Situational use if nothing else is taken

Passives and Abilities

Listed below are a general outline of a PT Tank’s abilities and passives.

Passives

Overview

The strengths of PT tanking lies in its passives abilities and heavy armor along with its ability to dish out damage from range. With this in mind PT tanking is all about keeping up your passives which luckily is quite easy to do if you use your abilities right.

Passives

With Ion Gas Cylinder your Armor, Shield, Absorb, Damage Reduction and Accuracy (you have full accuracy while in tank stance) are increased while your damage is decreased. When using it has a chance to deal extra energy damage when you use an attack
The core element of PT tanking is maintaining its passive stacks of Heat Screen and Shield Enhancers. When you reach 3 Stacks of Heat Screens Heat Blast will become available to use significantly increases your absorption by 25%. Building stacks of Heat Screens which increase your Absorb revolve around shielding an attack and proc’ing your Ion Gas Cylinder through attacks particularly Rail Shot and Rocket punch. These last two abilities are used to build your Shield Enhancers which increase your Shield.

Shield Tech Passives

	Ion Gas Cylinder	Loads your blaster with ion-charged gas, giving ranged attacks a 15% chance to deal <<1>> additional energy damage once every 1.5 seconds. While this cylinder is active, armor rating is increased by 60%, damage reduction is increased by 5%, shield chance is increased by 15%, threat generation is increased by 100%, accuracy is increased by 10%, and all damage dealt is reduced by 10%.
	Ion Overload	Dealing damage with Rocket Punch triggers Ion Cylinder on the target and dealing damage with Rail Shot triggers Ion Cylinder on the target and up to 7 additional enemies within 5 meters. In addition, when Ion Cylinder deals damage, it will also shock the target for X additional energy damage over 6 seconds. None of these effects damage sleeping, lifted, or incapacitated enemies. Generates a high amount of threat.
	Combust	Flame Burst and Flame Sweep cause trauma and weaken their targets. Weakened targets deal 5% less damage with ranged and melee attacks for 45 seconds. Targets with Trauma receive 20% less healing from all sources for 6 seconds.
	Heat Screen	Shielding an attack or triggering your Ion Gas Cylinder generates a Heat Screen, increasing shield absorption by 1% for 20 seconds. Stacks up to 3 times. This effect cannot occur more than once every 1.5 seconds. In addition, each time you build a Heat Screen or refresh your Heat Screen stacks, the active cooldown of Heat Blast is reduced by 1 second.
	Flame Engine	Direct damage attacks have a 50% chance to trigger Flame Engine, which finishes the cooldown on Searing Wave or Firestorm and causes your next Searing Wave or Firestorm to generate no heat and deal 100% more damage. This effect cannot occur more than once every 15 seconds.
	Shield Vents	Increases shield chance by 2%. In addition, shielding or defending an attack vents 1 heat. This effect cannot occur more than once every 1.5 seconds.
	Hydraulic Shield	Increases the critical chance of Rocket Punch and Flame Sweep by 10%. In addition, shielding or defending an attack has a 50% chance to finish the cooldown on Rocket Punch. This effect cannot occur more than once every 7.5 seconds.
	Power Armor	Increase damage reduction by 2%, armor rating by 15%, and the damage dealt by Ion Cylinder by 10%.
	Flame Surge	Increases the damage dealt by Flame Sweep by 15%. In addition, Jet Charge grants 2 charges of Flame Surge, which makes your Flame Burst and Flame Sweep generate no heat. Each use of Flame Burst or Flame Sweep consumes a charge of Flame Surge.
	Ion Screen	Increase damage reduction by 2%. Additionally, Heat Blast damages up to 3 additional enemies within 5m of the primary target. Does not damage, sleeping, lifted, or incapacitated enemies.
	Coolant	Kolto Overload now heals you for 2% of your total health every second while above 35% of your maximum health. Additionally, Explosive Fuel increases defense chance by 35% while active.
	Deflective Plating	Increases melee and ranged defense by 4%.
	Ablative Upgrades	Increases shield absorption by 4%.
	Shield Enhancers	Rocket Punch and Rail Shot grant Shield Enhancers when activated, increasing shield chance by 1% for 15 seconds. Stacks up to 3 times.
	Heated Absorbers	Heat Blast increases shield absorption by an additional 5%.

General PT Passives and Misc

	Puncture	Rail Shot Ignores 60% of the targets armor and Rocket Punch or Flaming Fist deals 10% more damage
	Close and Personal	Increases the duration of Energy Shield by 3 seconds. In addition, suffering direct damage from area attacks vents 2 heat and heals you for 2.5% of your total health. This effect cannot occur more than once every 3 seconds.
	Stealth Scan	A useless PVE ability that is handy for uncovering sneaky stealthers in PvP.
	Transpose	The greatest Meme of PT tanking BW has given us. Best use for trolling teammates.

Abilities

Offensive Abilities

	Firestorm (FS): 10 meter conal attack and hardest hitting attack now an Instant. Double Damage with Flame Engine and causes targets to become Impaired reducing their F/T attack damage of enemy by 5%. 10m
	Rail Shot (RS): Ignores 60% of armor and with Ion Cylinder can cause damage to multiple targets. Builds Heat Screens and Shield Enhancers. Use on CD. 10m
	Shoulder Cannon (SC): Loads 4 missiles to be used off GCD 1 every 1.5 seconds and goes on CD for 1.5 minutes. With heal utility can provide a now small heal but should not be delayed as very useful in building threat and doing damage. 10m
	Rocket Punch (RP): Builds Heat Screens and Shield Enhancers. One of your hardest hitting attack. Use on CD. 4m
	Heat Blast (HB): Uses Heat Screens to boast absorb by 25% for 6 seconds. Should be used on CD unless saving for a major hit. 10m
	Flame Burst (FB): Main filler and causes Enemies affected to be Weakened and do 5% less M/R Damage as well as Trauma. 10m or 12m if Utility is taken.
	Rapid Shots: Secondary filler as it costs no energy. 30m
	Shatter Slug: AOE does moderate damage. 10m.
	Ordinance Onslaught: AOE does moderate damage. 10m
	Flame Sweep (FS): Filler AOE and does moderate amount of damage. 4m.
	Grapple: Pulls Enemy towards you if capable and/or generates a lot of threat. Utility allows it to deal damage if taken.
	Jet Charge: Gap Closer and provides 2 free FP or FS.
	Carbonize: AoE Hard Stun
	Electro Dart: Single target hard stun

Cooldowns

	Oil Slick: Covers surrounding area in an oil slick and for 10 seconds (13 with 6 piece) enemies within oil slick are slowed 70% and M/R accuracy reduced by 15% and can act as a raid utility if you aren’t tanking or there is M/R Dmg going out to raid.
	Explosive Fuel: Increases Crit Chance and more importantly gives you 35% defense chance for duration. With Oil Slick and built in defense this can give you a very powerful cooldown..
	Energy Shield: 15 seconds (19 with 6 piece) you take 25% less damage from incoming attacks.
	Kolto Overload: When activated it goes on stand by for 1 minute. During that time when health dips below 35% it will heal you up to 35% and if above 40% heal for 2% of total health.
	Hydraulic Overrides: Increases movement speed by 30% (45% with utility) and grants immunity to physics and movement impairment for 6 (10 with utility) seconds
	Vent Heat: Reduces Heat by 50.
	Thermal Sensory Overrides: Makes next attack cost no heat.

Rotations and Priorities

A Standard “Opener” (Will Vary):

Preload SC–>Grapple–>Jet Charge–>RP and SC Spam–>RS–>FS or HB –>FBx2 or FS–>RP or FB–> HB or FB–> Taunt and FB–>RP/RS—>FS–> AOE Taunt->…… Priority

Priority:

1. HB (Heat Blast)
2. SC (Shoulder Cannon) (off GCD)
3. RP (Rocket Punch)
4. RS (Rail Shot)
5. FS (Firestorm) (with Flame Engine)
6. FB (Flame Burst)

A few notes about PT tanking rotation. First Grapple had its threat greatly increased making it near equivalent to the Assassin force pull. 15k threat of the bat is pretty nice. With Jet Charge you get the free 2 Flame bursts. Right away you want to build your Heat Screens and Shield Enhancers. Now depending in a real fight if you have gotten a third screen or not use Heat blast. If not use Firestorm to put the F/T debuff on the target and deal serious damage. During this time you want to use your shoulder cannon since it’s off the GCD and adds to your threat generation and skills.

If the boss does no or little M/R dmg during at least the first two minutes you can use Explosive fuel as an Offensive cooldown instead. Since raid buffs go out at the beginning you can grab a metric poop ton of threat. After first HB use your taunt then FB to get that M/R debuff up then just go from their. Procs are mostly dependent on shielding attacks so see it as priority not static. And here and there rapid shot for heat management as it can build fast even with Thermal Sensors and Vent Heat.

Advice on Tanking in General

Tanking is one of the three trinity types found in Swtor and when it comes to defining clear goals and what constitutes good or even great tanking is harder to quantify than DPS or Heals. That said there are some core keys to being a great tank in Swtor able to tank any boss. I’ll outline them below

1. Global Rule aka No one is perfect– You will make mistakes and you must own up to them. This is key for any role but particularly for tanks. No matter how good you are you will make mistakes because no one is perfect. The key is to learn from them and admit them while at the same time focus on how to do better rather than you made a mistake.
2. Generate all the threats– Keeping threat is highest priority and use both taunts. This is primary goal of tanking as the boss is hitting you instead of a DPS or Heals. Unless a boss has an aggro drop mechanic or you aren’t currently tanking boss use your taunts as much as you see fit.
3. Go Ham on the boss: Every extra dps counts on the boss; the more you do the less DPS have to burn. Particularly true in NiM, tank DPS can help shave off a good number. Tanks can push over 2k in most set piece fights. Whether it’s doing over 400k+ on the Revan Core, shaving a few % off of Brontes, or preventing a third surging chain on Dread Guards, tank DPS does help. Which leads me to last rule
4. Never waste a GCD: Doing nothing is the worst thing you can do: Whether throwing in taunts for extra threat, spamming rapid shots when far away, or carbonizing some adds, every GCD can be filled with something. Unless Styrak is giving you the ole Choke’aroo Kappa. :3

Final Notes & Acknowledgements

Final Notes & Acknowledgements

I like to thank everyone over my time playing SWTOR for helping me become a better player. I am thankful for my guild Origin in helping achieve where I am. Shoutouts to Roscoe, Var, Mal for being dank leaders. To the current main team, Jaydenz, Sabz, and Adorable. Special Thanks to Deatch who is always awesome. Shoutout to the people in Nemesis Striker, Paxxyon, and Jericho. Shoutout to former raid members/players  including Derpynova and the the one and only Loak. Thanks to my Republic guild Fortitude and to  Team Res Zan, Lor, Val, Semmi and Sov. Thank you Dulfy for hosting this guide. Thanks to past authors of the PT guide here which I read when learning how to play. Thanks to all readers as well.

About the Author

I am Yam.