Immortal Juggernaut
This is a preliminary guide that provides details on abilities and skill changes and initial recommendations for skill tree choices and an overview on the changes to the rotation. I suggest reading this guide in combination with the 6.0 class guide to understand the previous rotation to then adapt to 7.0 as discussed briefly herein. More detailed guides will be forthcoming after preliminary guides are posted for all disciplines.
Combat Style Abilities & Passive Skills
Discipline Passive Skills
Consuming Power
(Not on ability tree) Increases the critical chance of Smash and Crushing Blow by 20%. Additionally, Aegis Assault deals an additional 30% damage and increases shield absorption by 3%.
Heavy Handed
(Not on ability tree) Smash deals 75% more damage and consumes 2 less rage. Additionally, the critical chance of Sweeping Slash and Ravage is increased by 30%.
Soresu Form
Utilize a defensive lightsaber form, increasing armor rating by 61.5%, damage reduction by 6%, shield chance by 15%, threat generation by 150%, and accuracy by 10%. While utilizing Soresu form, all damage dealt is reduced by 10% and all Strike abilities generate 1 less rage.
Quake
Targets damaged by your Smash and Sweeping Slash become unsteady. Unsteady targets have their melee and ranged accuracy decreased by 5% for 45 seconds. In addition, damage dealt by Force Scream is increased by 40%.
Lash Out
Retaliation consumes 1 less rage and no longer causes a global cooldown. In addition, melee and ranged defense is increased by 3%.
Rule of Two
Increases armor rating by 15%, and when your guarded target is attacked, your movement speed is increased by 30% for 6 seconds.
Sonic Barrier
Activating Force Scream grants Sonic Barrier, which absorbs damage. Lasts up to 10 seconds. Retaliation raises a Blade Barricade, increasing your defense chance by 5% for 10 seconds.
Conquering Defense
Increases shield chance by 4% and reduces the cooldown of Saber Ward by 30 seconds.
Revenge
Parrying, deflecting, shielding or resisting an attack has a 50% chance to grant Revenge, reducing the focus consumed by your next Force Scream or Vicious Throw by 1. Lasts up to 12 seconds and stacks up to 3 times.
Dark Blood
Increases the duration of Endure Pain by 10 seconds. Increases elemental and internal damage reduction by 5%.
Defensive Slashes
Dealing damage with Ravage increases your defense chance by 2%. Stacks up to 3 times and lasts for 6 seconds.
Discipline Abilities
Guard
While active, the guarded player takes 5% less damage and generates 25% less threat. In addition, so long as you remain within 15 meters of the guarded player, 50% of all incoming damage from enemy players is transferred back to you.
Threatening Scream
45s cooldown. Taunts all enemies within 15 meters, forcing them to attack you for 6 seconds. Player targets deal 30% less damage for 6 seconds when attacking anyone other than you.
Force Choke
10m range, 60s cooldown. Chokes the target, stunning it for 4 seconds and generating moderate threat. Deals kinetic damage and builds 3 rage over the duration.
Endure Pain
60s cooldown. Temporarily increases your maximum health by 30% for 10 seconds and removes all cleansable effects. When the effect ends, the health is lost.
Intercede
30m range, 60s cooldown. Leaps to a friendly target, reducing their threat by a moderate amount and reducing damage taken by 20% for 6 seconds.
Discipline Skill Tree
Recommendations
Level 23
Through Strength
Through Strength should be the default choice for more base mitigation until comfortable that damage taken will not be a problem.
Targeted Assault
Targeted Assault is great for damage when you can safely taunt and AoE taunt the boss on cooldown and synergizes well with Crushing Mark. Taunting Strike is a back-up for fights where you cannot taunt freely or are the off-tank on single boss encounters.
Level 27
Sweeping Slash
Sweeping Slash should usually be taken for extra damage and threat generation on multi-target fights.
Level 39
Crushing Rage
Crushing Rage gives 10% DR to nearby players so is ideal for any fights with meaningful AoE damage or for buffing the main tank while in an off tank role.
Crushing Mark
Crushing Mark is great for adding damage when you can safely taunt on cooldown and is the default choice for this tier as the others are situational for multi-target and heavy group damage encounters.
Level 43
War Machine
War Machine will give more uses of Threatening Rage for damage/threat/more taunts and makes the ability a small DCD.
Level 51
Warmonger
All are situational but Warmonger is most likely to be useful for movement purposes.
Level 64
Stalwart Defense
Hardened Defense is a great choice for the stun DR. War Master and Payback are situationally useful for more damage and where stun breaks are important for mechanics.
Level 68
Blade Blitz
Saber Reflect or Mad Dash depending on which is more useful in a fight.
Saber Reflect
Saber Reflect or Mad Dash depending on which is more useful in a fight.
Level 73
Through Passion
Through Passion will be the best choice most of the time for the better uptime on your powerful self heal cooldown.
Skill Tree
Level 15 - Gain 2 Abilities
Aegis Assault
4m range, 12s cooldown. Increases damage reduction and shield absorption by 3% for 20 seconds, generates 6 rage, and deals weapon damage to the target with a series of quick melee attacks. Replaces Sundering Assault.
Threatening Rage
45s cooldown. Instantly generates 6 rage, reduces the cooldown of Taunt and Threatening Scream by 5 seconds and damages all taunted targets around you.
Level 23 - Pick 1 Upgrade for Warding Strike
Through Strength (passive)
Aegis Assault increases your damage reduction by an additional 2% when it deals damage.
Targeted Assault (passive)
Aegis Assault deals 50% more damage to taunted targets.
Taunting Strike (passive)
Increases the damage, critical hit chance, and threat of Aegis Assault by 20%.
Level 27 - Pick 1 Ability or Passive Skill
Sweeping Slash (ability)
5m range, costs 2 rage. Slashes up to 8 enemies within 5 meters in front of you for weapon damage and inflicts the targets with Trauma, which reduces the healing received from all sources by 20% for 5 seconds.
Overwhelming Slashes (passive)
Ravage immobilizes the target for 3 seconds and generates 1 rage.
Projected Scream (passive)
Force Scream does damage to additional enemies in a cone in front and slows them by 50% for 6 seconds.
Level 35 - Gain Ability
Crushing Blow
4m range, 12s cooldown, costs 4 rage. Crushes the target beneath a powerful blow, dealing weapon damage, enabling Retaliation, and impairing the target for 45 seconds. Impaired targets deal 5% less damage with Force and tech attacks. If you are protected by your Aegis Assault, Crushing Blow damages up to 7 additional nearby enemies for the same amount. Does not damage sleeping, lifted, or incapacitated enemies. This attack knocks down all affected standard and weak enemies. Generates a high amount of threat.
Level 39 - Pick 1 Upgrade for Guardian Slash
Crushing Rage (passive)
Dealing damage with Crushing Blow while Aegis Assault is active grants a barrier of protection to all allies within 10 meters for 6 seconds.
Critical Blow (passive)
Crushing Blow critical chance and threat generated is increased by 20% and its cooldown is reduced by one second each time it critically hits.
Crushing Mark (passive)
Crushing Blow deals 50% more damage to taunted targets.
Level 43 - Pick 1 Passive Skill
War Machine
Critically hitting with a direct attack reduces the cooldown of your Threatening Rage by 1 second. Threatening Rage purges movement impairing effects and increases your melee and ranged defense chance by 10% for 10 seconds.
Marked for Death
Dealing direct damage to taunted targets generates 1 rage. This effect can occur once per second.
Reckoning
Intercede grants Reckoning, increasing the damage dealt by your next melee ability by 20%. This effect lasts for 10 seconds. Additionally, reduces the cooldown of Intercede by 5 seconds and reduces the threat and damage taken by an additional 10% each for the friendly target of Intercede.
Level 47 - Gain Ability
Backhand
4m range, 60s cooldown. Bashes the target for kinetic damage, stunning it for 4 seconds. This ability generates a high amount of threat.
Level 51 - Pick 1 Passive Skill
Extending Roar
Increase the range of Force Scream to 30 meters, but Force Scream deals reduced damage beyond 10 meters. Additionally, Force Push deals 20% more damage and grants Extending Roar, allowing your next Force Scream to deal full damage regardless of the distance from the target.
Warmonger
Getting attacked reduces the active cooldown of Force Charge by 1 second. This effect cannot occur more than once every 1.5 seconds.
Unyielding
You generate 4 rage when stunned, immobilized, put to sleep, or knocked around.
Level 60 - Gain Ability
Invincible
150s cooldown. Reduces all damage taken by 40% for 10 seconds.
Level 64 - Pick 1 Passive Skill
War Master
Force Charge grants Unstoppable, granting immunity to movement-impairing effects and effects that push or pull you around for 4 seconds. In addition, Force Charge enables your next Vicious Throw or Hew to be used against a target with any percentage of health.
Hardened Defense
All damage is reduced by 30% while stunned.
Payback
Reduces the cooldown of Unleash by 30 seconds and causes Unleash to heal you for 10% of your maximum health when used.
Level 68 - Pick 1 Ability
Saber Reflect
60s cooldown. Reflects all single target ranged, Force and tech attacks back to the attacker for 5 seconds. The damage done by each reflect is capped, and the cap rises with each new rank of the ability. In addition, Saber Reflect generates a high amount of threat on all engaged enemies within 30 meters when activated.
Intimidating Roar
60s cooldown. Paralyzes up to 8 nearby enemies, preventing all action for up to 6 seconds. Damage ends the effect prematurely. In addition, targets affected by Intimidating Roar deal 15% less melee and ranged damage for 10 seconds after the confounding effect ends. Targets immune to the confounding effect will immediately suffer from this damage reducing effect.
Mad Dash
35s cooldown. Quickly dash forward 20 meters, dealing weapon damage to enemies in your path and increasing your defense chance by 100% while blitzing. Can be used while immobilized and purges movement-impairing effects when activated.
Level 73 - Pick 1 Passive Skill
Pooled Hatred
Whenever your movement is impaired, you gain a 10% damage bonus to your next ability that consumes rage. This effect can stack up to 5 times and lasts 15 seconds.
Crushing Fist
For the Immortal discipline, Smash slows the targets it damages by 60% for 10 seconds. For the Vengeance and Rage disciplines, Smash and Vengeful Slam sunder the targets they damage for 45 seconds. Sundered targets have their armor rating decreased by 20%.
Through Passion
Reduces the cooldown of Enraged Defense by 30 seconds.
Gearing in 7.0
Summary
Please see my initial 7.0 Gearing Guide for more information on gearing.
Preliminary gearing targets for Immortal Juggernaut should be as follows:
Legendary: Force Resistance and Retaliator for mitigation, can swap Fearless Victor for Force Resistance if using offensive gearing builds
Tactical: Grit Teeth for most encounters, Leviathan's Hide for multi-target encounters
Relics: Avoidance and Shield Matrix for additional mitigation tertiary stats
Crystal: Indestructible
Stim: Fortitude stim
Adrenal: Absorb adrenal
Tertiary stats and augments should be allocated between a mix of Shield Rating and Absorb Rating. I would recommend having at least 60% of your tertiary stats devoted to Shield Rating with the remainder to Absorb Rating.
Players should be cautious with offensive gearing in any Veteran or Master Mode operations until comfortable with the new gearing system and how to balance the use of fewer defensive cooldowns to mitigate damage. If gearing offensively, the priority should generally be to swap one Legendary per above and use offensive stims and adrenals. Some gear pieces can also be swapped to add in additional Critical Rating for some Shield Rating and Absorb Rating.
Legendary Implants
Force Resistance Package
Elemental, Internal, Kinetic and Energy damage reduction is increased by 3%. Package contains Absorption Rating.
Comments: Damage reduction is great for tanks so this is a solid option. DPS should not take Force Resistance as it does not increase damage.
Retaliator Package
Retaliation has no cooldown. Package contains Shield Rating.
Comments: Retaliation is not a key ability in either damage discipline but is meaningful to tanks where it deals extra damage and is available more frequently. Retaliator is a good option for tanks with a small mitigation buff and a more significant offensive benefit.
Fearless Victor Package
Whenever you use a rage spending damage ability, your melee damage is increased by 10% for 10 seconds. Package contains Critical Rating.
Comments: Fearless Victor is a simpler and better version of the 6.0 Descent of the Fearless 10% damage buff. This bonus is really good and should have very high uptime so is a must take for damage disciplines and tank builds prioritizing damage.
Tacticals
Grit Teeth
Crafted by Biochem.
The cooldown of Saber Ward is reduced by 2 seconds when you are attacked. This effect cannot occur more than once per second.
Comments: Grit Teeth was redesigned in 7.0 to affect Saber Ward. This balances the tactical to be less powerful in PVP while still valuable in PVE. Grit Teeth will only be viable for tanks but will be a great option and a go to for most encounters due to Saber Ward being a really powerful and flexible defensive cooldown.
Leviathan's Hide
Crushing Blow generates stacks of Crushing Defenses for every enemy it hits, granting 2.5% increased damage reduction per stack for 10 seconds. Stacks up to 8 times.
Comments: Leviathan’s Hide is great for multi-target encounters and decent for single target as well. Grit Teeth will generally be better by providing extra uses of Saber Ward in a fight.
Hord’s Makashi Strike
Retaliate consumes Aegis Assault's damage reduction and grants Retaliating Defense, increasing damage reduction by 5% for 20 seconds.
Comments: Makashi Strike is a decent alternative to Grit Teeth and Leviathan's Hide. I think it is less useful in 7.0 since it does not synergize well with the Retaliator Package. Using Retaliate as often as possible via the Retaliator Package is desired for damage but will not let you coordinate stacking the Makashi Strike DR buff with the base buffs applied by Aegis Assault, particularly if taking the Defensive Assault skill.
Rotation
Immortal Juggernaut does not see many changes to its rotation, which is largely unchanged from 6.0. The priority continues to be using key abilities on cooldown for damage/threat and uptime of defensive buffs.
Immortal Juggernaut sees two key changes to its rotation:
Targeted Assault / Crushing Mark - These passive buffs to Aegis Assault and Crushing Blow give large damage buffs if the abilities are used while a target is taunted. I initially recommend these passives for any fights where you can safely focus on damage instead of mitigation. The taunt cooldown does not line up cleanly but with practice you can usually get 3 of every 4 uses of both abilities inside a taunt window. That adds a lot of damage.
Threatening Rage - Immortal Juggernaut's version of Enrage now does damage and reduces the cooldown of your single and AoE taunt by 5 seconds, in addition to generating rage. It is now more important to use Threatening Rage on cooldown if possible for more damage/threat and more frequent taunts, particularly if taking Targeted Assault and/or Crushing Mark per #1. The ability now operates as a small DCD if taking War Machine.