Game Update 3.0 Class Changes: Shadow + Assassin

Hello everyone!

In case you missed our other Game Update 3.0 Class Changes blogs, the purpose of this blog is to let Jedi Consulars know some of the major changes that are coming in the 3.0 update. Please keep in mind that this blog is not a comprehensive list of every single Jedi Consular change. Also, please note that the content described in this blog is still under development, so anything mentioned throughout this blog is still subject to change (especially any exact numbers or percentages that may be mentioned).

Probably the most substantial base class change specific to Jedi Consulars is the change to Force Potency that allows it to increase the critical chance of other channeled Force abilities like it already does for Telekinetic Throw. This means that Forcequake, Cascading Debris, and Healing Trance (in addition to Telekinetic Throw) all now have their critical chance increased by Force Potency, and each use of these channels will consume one charge of Force Potency.

Shadow

Shadows have received a few quality of life improvements in the update. They will find that Force Cloak no longer prevents healing done or received while active. Also, Whirling Blow’s cost and damage have been readjusted to make it easier to use the ability rotationally. Additionally, all Shadows now gain the following passive abilities:

Technique Mastery: Improves the effect of your techniques while they are active:

• Combat Technique: Increases internal and elemental damage reduction by 10%.
• Force Technique: Increases the critical hit chance of Force Technique by 50%.
• Shadow Technique: Increases your armor penetration by 10%.

Force Synergy:Critical hits with Force attacks increase your melee critical chance by 5% for 10 seconds.
Applied Force: Increases the damage dealt by Double Strike, Whirling Blow, Spinning Strike, Clairvoyant Strike, and Serenity Strike by 5% and reduces the Force they consume by 3.

Kinetic Combat

Kinetic Combat Shadows get a new passive ability that increases shield absorption by 30% for 20 seconds when Force Potency is used. They also get another passive ability that increases the damage Whirling Blow deals to targets that have their accuracy reduced. In addition to these passives, Kinetic Combat Shadows also get the following new active ability:

Cascading Debris: Deals kinetic damage to the target and consumes 40 Force over the duration of the channel. Slows the movement speed of the target by 50% and stuns weak or standard enemies while channeled. Shares a cooldown with Telekinetic Throw.

Overall, the Kinetic Combat discipline should feel quite familiar to most Shadow tanks.

Infiltration

Infiltration Shadows are granted a new passive ability that increases the critical chance and the critical damage bonus of Whirling Blow to help them in the area damage department. They are also granted another new passive ability that increases the damage dealt by Whirling Blow, Clairvoyant Strike, and Spinning Strike to boost their melee damage output. Like Kinetic Combat Shadows, they also get one new active ability:

Psychokinetic Blast: Blasts the target with the psychokinetic power of the Force for kinetic damage. Standard and weak targets are additionally stunned for 3 seconds. Shares a cooldown with Project.

Shadow Technique has also been modified so that it normally only triggers off of melee attacks. This prevents Force Breach from unintentionally generating and instantly consuming a stack of Breaching Shadows when used, while the skill that allows Project, and now Psychokinetic Blast, to generate a stack of Breaching Shadows remains intact.

Serenity

Serenity (formerly known as Balance) Shadows gain a new passive that allows Force in Balance to spread their Force Breach and Sever Force periodic effects to the unaffected targets it damages, as long as one of the targets it damages is affected by those periodic effects. Unlike the other two Shadow disciplines, Serenity gets two new active abilities:

Serenity Strike: Redistributes life from an enemy, dealing weapon damage to the target and healing you for 50% of the damage dealt. Requires a double-bladed lightsaber or electrostaff.
Vanquish: Vanquishes the target with mighty force, dealing kinetic damage initially, plus additional kinetic damage over 6 seconds. The target also becomes Vulnerable for 45 seconds, increasing the damage taken from Force attacks by 5%. Shares a cooldown with Mind Crush.

Serenity should feel rather familiar to current Balance Shadows, even though it has an additional attack to use rotationally and some new functionality that it previously lacked.

Utilities

Most of the utilities available to Shadows will be familiar to players of the class, but there are also a few new utilities. Here are some examples of the new utilities:

Force Harmonics: Reduces the cooldown of Force Wave by 2.5 seconds and Force Potency grants 1 additional charge when activated.
Cloak of Resilience: Activating Force Cloak grants 2 seconds of Resilience.
Sturdiness: While Deflection is active, you are immune to stun, sleep, lift, and incapacitating effects.

Hello everyone!

In case you missed our other Game Update 3.0 Class Changes blogs, the purpose of this blog is to let Sith Inquisitors know some of the major changes that are coming in the 3.0 update. Please keep in mind that this blog is not a comprehensive list of every single Sith Inquisitor change. Also, please note that the content described in this blog is still under development, so anything mentioned throughout this blog is still subject to change (especially any exact numbers or percentages that may be mentioned).

Probably the most substantial base class change specific to Sith Inquisitors is the change to Recklessness that allows it to increase the critical chance of other channeled Force abilities like it already does for Force Lightning. This means that Force Storm, Depredating Volts, and Innervate (in addition to Force Lightning) all now have their critical chance increased by Recklessness, and each use of these channels will consume one charge of Recklessness.

Assassin

Assassins have received a few quality of life improvements in the update. They will find that Force Cloak no longer prevents healing done or received while active. Also, Lacerate’s cost and damage have been readjusted to make it easier to use the ability rotationally. Additionally, all Assassins now gain the following passive abilities:

Charge Mastery: Improves the effect of your lightsaber charges while they are active:

• Dark Charge: Increases internal and elemental damage reduction by 10%.
• Lightning Charge: Increases the critical hit chance of Lightning Charge by 50%.
• Surging Charge: Increases your armor penetration by 10%.

Exploitive Strikes: Critical hits with Force attacks increase your melee critical chance by 5% for 10 seconds.
Thrashing Blades: Increases the damage dealt by Thrash, Lacerate, Assassinate, Voltaic, and Leeching Strike by 5% and reduces the Force they consume by 3.

Darkness

Darkness Assassins get a new passive ability that increases shield absorption by 30% for 20 seconds when Recklessness is used. They also get another passive ability that increases the damage Lacerate deals to targets that have their accuracy reduced. In addition to these passives, Darkness Assassins also get the following new active ability:

Depredating Volts: Deals energy damage to the target and consumes 40 Force over the duration of the channel. Slows the movement speed of the target by 50% and stuns weak or standard enemies while channeled. Shares a cooldown with Force Lightning.

Overall, the Darkness discipline should feel quite familiar to most Assassin tanks.

Deception

Deception Assassins are granted a new passive ability that increases the critical chance and the critical damage bonus of Lacerate to help them in the area damage department. They are also granted another new passive ability that increases the damage dealt by Lacerate, Voltaic Slash, and Assassinate to boost their melee damage output. Like Darkness Assassins, they also get one new active ability:

Ball Lightning: Blasts the target with a ball of lightning for energy damage. Standard and weak targets are additionally stunned for 3 seconds. Shares a cooldown with Shock.

Surging Charge has also been modified so that it normally only triggers off of melee attacks. This prevents Discharge from unintentionally generating and instantly consuming a stack of Static Charge when used, while the skill that allows Shock, and now Ball Lightning, to generate a stack of Static Charge remains intact.

Hatred

Hatred (formerly known as Madness) Assassins gain a new passive that allows Death Field to spread their Discharge and Creeping Terror periodic effects to the unaffected targets it damages, as long as one of the targets it damages is affected by those periodic effects. Unlike the other two Assassin disciplines, Hatred gets two new active abilities:

Leeching Strike: Saps the life away from an enemy, dealing weapon damage to the target and healing you for 50% of the damage dealt. Requires a double-bladed lightsaber or electrostaff.
Demolish: Crushes the target with devastating force, dealing kinetic damage initially, plus additional kinetic damage over 6 seconds. The target also becomes Vulnerable for 45 seconds, increasing the damage taken from Force attacks by 5%. Shares a cooldown with Crushing Darkness.

Hatred should feel rather familiar to current Madness Assassins, even though it has an additional attack to use rotationally and some new functionality that it previously lacked.

Utilities

Most of the utilities available to Assassins will be familiar to players of the class, but there are also a few new utilities. Here are some examples of the new utilities:

Audacity: Reduces the cooldown of Overload by 2.5 seconds and Recklessness grants 1 additional charge when activated.
Shroud of Madness: Activating Force Cloak grants 2 seconds of Force Shroud.
Dark Stability: While Deflection is active, you are immune to stun, sleep, lift, and incapacitating effects.