KBNs sentnel guide translated to Mara

Are you tired of treating your Marauder as a mindless machine for converting Rage into Merciless stacks? Does your Force scream button stare up at you from your quickbar with sad, unused eyes? Are you fed up with tanks who hold agro that rightly belongs to you? Look no further; Carnage spec is just the thing!



Carnage spec is one of the most intricate and split-second situational specs in the entire game. I actually find it more challenging to play at a high level than any other spec in the game, including pre-2.0 hybrid sniper (which was the previous record holder in my book). Cue the "L2P N00B" crowd In any case, it's a really difficult spec to play, but when you play it well, the results are utterly spectacular. Allow me to list off some numbers:

9.6k

5k

4k

4k

3k

10k

6k

11k

9.6k



What if I told you that all of those numbers are damage values that will appear over your victim's head in floating white and yellow text within the span of 10 seconds? For those who can't math at home, that's burst damage of 6220 DPS!! Salivating yet? I know I am. (disclaimer: assuming Berzerk+Inspiration+Adrenal+Relic+somewhat lucky crits; if I don't assume lucky crits, you're looking at something closer to 4.5k DPS)



Carnage is built around 10.5 seconds of pure carnage punctuated by exactly 11.5 seconds of mind numbing boredom and pitiful damage output. This timing is extremely rigid and CANNOT be rushed. Thus, while Carnage spec probably has the best 10 second burst in the entire game, it cannot conjure those 10 seconds on demand. If you're looking for a spec that allows you to burst nearly at-will, then go try Rage. However, if you're looking for a spec that is enjoyable, obscenely high periodic burst, and also one of the highest parsing DPS specs in the game, read on!



Terminology



(G) Gore

(Mass) massacre

(FS) Force scream

(Rav) Ravage

(DST) Dual Saber Throw

(BA) Battering Assault

(VT) Vicious Throw

(Ru) Rupture

(A) Assault

(Exe) Execute



Spec



The optimal spec for a Carnage Marauder is 5/38/3. The two points in Jedi Crusader are optional, and it is often better to move them over into Swelling Winds (in the Rage tree) for the extra AoE damage. I find though that the extra Rage is worth a lot of DPS, and the talent comes into play extremely frequently due to the consistent raid damage in most fights.



One interesting discussion is Swift Slash (increased crit chance on Vicious Throw) vs a second point in Valor (faster Centering building). I had previously calculated that Swift Slash was a marginally superior option, though more RNG dependent. Oofalong helpfully pointed out several errors in my calculations which completely invalidate the conclusion. For more details, see this reply.



Gearing



Some simple rules of thumb. First, get full Might. After that, push your melee accuracy percentage up to 100%. If you have maxed your melee tank companion, you should only need three accuracy pieces, usually two implants and a single enhancement. Beyond that, you should push your crit to around 120 if you're in mostly-78 gear, and then stack power and surge from that point on. Finally, get yourself a spread of full Might 28 augments.



Strength augments are slightly better than Power augments (by about 1.9 DPS on average), and they will yield some pretty spectacular parses when RNG smiles upon you. Power yields more consistent parses, but is theoretically suboptimal.



Alacrity is currently a very poor stat for Marauders of all specs, but it will come into its own at some point (probably when your surge rating gets into the high 700s). Be sure to check back frequently with the theory crafting community!



Best in slot relics are currently the Focused Retribution and Serendipitous Assault. If you can't get the Dread Forged relics, your best option will be to PvP a bit and get the Obroan versions, as they are significantly better than any relics at the Underworld level, and even better than Kell Dragon relics.



Rotation



The "rotation" for Carnage is a complex series of intersecting priority queues, bounded by Rage availability, the internal cooldown on the Hand of Justice proc, the amount of Fury you have, the cooldown on Ravage and Twin Saber Throw, and a small mountain of other things. There's a lot to keep track of, and much of it comes with experience. My best advice would be to parse. A lot. And keep parsing. Practice until it is rote.



The core of the rotation centers around the following observation:



Quote:

Force scream has a 9 second CD. Gore lasts for 4.5 seconds. The CD on Gore is 16 seconds. The internal cooldown on Hand of Justice is 20 seconds.



It may not be obvious, but this series of alignments means that you can always take advantage of *both* Gore windows, and in each use a fully proc'd Force scream. You use Force scream at the very start of the first Gore window, and again at the very end of the second one. You should get the Hand of Justice proc *during* the first window. Insert a single Rage-building GCD between the windows (also ensures that FS isn't on CD at the end of the second G window), and then open the second window.



In practice, you will often see something like the following (depends a lot on procs; more on this in a bit!):



[G + FS > Mass > Mass] > Assault > [G + VT > Mass > FS]



The bracketed abilities are happening within the Gore windows. As long as you *never* use Force scream outside of a Gore window, and as long as your procs aren't being stubborn (more on this later), you should be able to hit this combo every single time.



Let's take a look at Rage costs:



[G + FS > Mass > Mass] = 1 + 2 - 1 + 3 - 1 + 3 - 1 + 0 = 6 Rage (requires 7 to execute)

Assault = -2 Rage

[G + VT > Mass > FS] = 1 - 1 + 3 - 1 + 2 - 1 = 3 Rage (requires 4 to execute)



Thus, in order to pull off this paired window, we require 4 + 3 - 2 + 1 = 8 Rage in our pool at the start of the first window. A huge part of playing Carnage well is knowing this value! Note that if you have Battering Assault up for the Rage builder instead of Assault, you can execute this sequence starting from 7 Rage instead of 8.



You need to use Gore exactly as it comes off CD. Not only is any delay a severe DPS loss, but you're playing with fire since the Slaughter proc is hot on the heals of the G natural cooldown, which means you're not only delaying your burst, but you're potentially nerfing it by almost 50%. And remember, Carnage is *all* burst, so nerfing your burst by 50% is nerfing your damage by 50%. Don't do it!



Plan to have at least 8 Rage in your pool when Gore comes off CD. I find that the easiest way to do this is to first build back my Rage after the last Gore double window (Battering Assault will come up in time for this) and then sit at around 8 Rage spamming Mass > Assault over and over. This gives me the best chance to build my Execute proc (required for Force scream) and ensures that I remain Rage neutral until the critical moment. Having a little extra Rage never hurts, but be careful not to use Battering Assault with more than 6 Rage in your pool, lest you Rage cap. Try to be around 2 or 3 Rage whenever you Battering Assault. Whenever you see your Rage pool at 10 or above, it means you haven't been burning enough and you're missing out on DPS.



Dealing with RNG



Now, the double Gore window I gave above is really just an outline of what you might see. There are times where you just can't do it. One obvious example is a mistake that leads to low Rage. If that happens, do *not* delay your Gore by more than one GCD. Even using Assault under Gore is better than wasting a window. The not-so obvious example though is when you don't get the Execute proc.



Without Execute, Force scream is very underwhelming. Not only underwhelming, but expensive. Carnage is very Rage constrained, and even a single wasted Rage is a huge amount of lost DPS. Never use Force scream without the proc! If you find yourself with Gore off CD and Force scream has yet to proc, do the following:



[G + Mass + DST + Mass] + (followed by a normal second window)



This will probably proc your Slaughter and your Force scream all at once. Notice though that the Rage costs for this window are slightly higher:



[G + Mass + DST + Mass] = 1 + 3 - 1 + 0 + 3 - 1 = 5 Rage (requires 6 to execute)



This is one more Rage spent than in the "normal" window, which means that you need to anticipate this situation and build Rage *before* Gore in response. You will need to enter the first G window with at least 7 Rage in order to avoid Striking at inopportune times.



Learn to recognize the FS proc with great alacrity. I stare at my buff bar and can pick out the proc without any trouble whatsoever. There is also a slightly subtle animation which you might find easier to catch. Be very, very mindful of this proc. It's not at all unusual for the FS proc to appear just as I'm starting to use G. You should be able to recognize and react to this proc in less than 500ms (the amount of time you will have between GCDs to make a decision under Berzerk). Remember, without this proc, Force scream is NOT to be used!



Another problem that is extremely common is failing to get the Slaughter proc. This one is *really* annoying, because you end up just sitting there conserving Rage and waiting for RNG to look at you the right way. If you don't get Slaughter during your first window, DON'T PANIC! Just alternate between Assault and massacre until you get it. Throw in a Battering Assault if you can. Just be sure you start the window with 4 Rage (5 if FS hasn't proc'd).



Ravage



I should do a forum post: Ravage, friend or foe? This is a wickedly damaging ability, but it has a number of problems with it, specifically: it is too slow, and it only has six chances to proc Ataru (which means very low odds of proc'ing Slaughter or Execute). Make no mistake: using Ravage delays your procs. Its saving grace is that it hits SO FRIGGIN HARD that we almost don't care.



First, an observation:



Quote:

Gore lasts for 4.5 seconds. The GCD not under Berzerk is 1.5 seconds. Ravage channels for 3 seconds.

Another observation is that, in terms of absolute damage, a full Ravage does very slightly more damage than Vicious Throw + massacre, which implies that we should try to fit it into Gore even if it means pushing Vicious Throw out. We cannot reliably put Ravage into the first G window (unless we get unlucky and don't have Exe up at the start) because it will delay the second window by a substantial degree. Thus, the best place to squeeze in Ravage is in the second window:



[G + FS > Mass > Mass] > (Rage builder) > [G + Ravage > FS] > Vicious Throw



Note how we allow Vicious Throw to fall off the end of the second window. This is acceptable because the damage of Ravage makes it a higher priority under Gore. If at all possible, we should try to get both Vicious Throw and Ravage under Gore, but this isn't always an option. When you have to choose, pick Ravage.



The best way to get both Vicious Throw and Ravage under Gore without using Berzerk is to get lucky on Slaughter. Specifically, if your first massacre in the first Gore window procs Slaughter, you should replace the second one with Vicious Throw right away:



[G + FS > Mass > VT] > (Rage builder) > [G + Ravage > FS]



This also opens up a very nice subtlety, which is that you can replace the "Rage builder" GCD with a massacre when you have 5 or more Rage. This increases the damage dealt by Ravage, since you will keep the massacre buff throughout the channel.



Another, more unfortunate, way in which we can get both Ravage and Vicious Throw under Gore is when we get unlucky on our Execute procs. This happens more often than I would like with a Ravage G window, because the number of Ataru hits is going to be lower. When this happens, and we don't have Exe up at the end of Ravage, we just replace the Force scream with our unused Vicious Throw:



[G + FS > Mass > Mass] > (Rage builder) > [G + Ravage > VT]



This is far less damaging than putting Force scream at the end, but it's better than a massacre.



Now, remember always that Gore and Vicious Throw both generate 3 Fury. Thus, if you hit your "Rage builder" GCD and you notice that you're at 24 Fury (or higher), then instead of G + Ravage, you should do the following:



[G + Vicious Throw + Berzerk > Ravage > Force scream]



It's all about being aware of where your Fury is relative to your cooldowns and your Rage. This situation doesn't arise that often (once every two minutes or so), but it's enough that it does make a noticeable DPS jump if you execute correctly. Also bear in mind that, in a boss fight, you may have raid damage incoming that will increase your Fury generation just enough to squeeze in that critical Berzerk.



Despite all of the above though, the damage gain from swapping VT > Mass for a Ravage is actually not that much. I mean, it will make a difference of 20-ish DPS at the end of a 1.5 million HP parse, but that's out of 3200 DPS. Thus, it is far more valuable to get in a few more Ravage channels over the duration of the parse than it is to get every Ravage under Gore. Thus, I obey the following rule of thumb:



If Gore has more than 3 seconds on its cooldown and the massacre proc has been recently refreshed (within the last GCD) and Ravage is off cooldown, then I will use Ravage outside of the Gore window. Otherwise, I will delay Ravage until the second window in that block as described above.



Rupture



In my current gear, Rupture does almost exactly 1k more damage (accounting for NPC armor) than massacre for exactly the same cost. Thus, when you have a choice between using one or the other, you should use Rupture!



This is not as clear-cut as it would seem though. First of all, Rupture doesn't benefit anywhere near as much as massacre does from Gore, and so you should never use Rupture during a G window (use massacre instead). Second, Rupture has a much, much lower chance of procing Execute than massacre does. As a result, if you're coming up on that first G window and you *still* don't have the Exe proc, you need to be using massacre and NOT Rupture.



Rupture should basically be treated as a filler while awaiting the natural CD on G when you already have your Exe proc and you're basically just spamming Assault > massacre over and over. In that space, Rupture is fantastic and absolutely a DPS increase.



Berzerk



Ataru Berzerk is definitely one of the most underwhelming Berzerks. Unlikely Juyo Berzerk, which makes burns an auto-crit, or Shi-cho Berzerk, which gives Rage and Singularity stacks, Ataru Berzerk just gives us 6 attacks with 30% extra alacrity. That's it. Effectively, it reduces the GCD down to 1 second for a total of 6 seconds (saving 3 seconds of time). It's definitely cool, and you do get accustomed to taking advantage of it, but it's kinda "meh" compared to the other Marauder specs.



Thanks to the Weaponmaster 4pc set bonus, Berzerk gives a significant damage buff for 15 seconds after its activation. Partially for this reason, you want to be popping Berzerk *exactly* as soon as you get 30 stacks of Fury. Additionally, once you have hit Berzerk, you should double-check the cooldown on Frenzy. If it's up, nail it during Berzerk and get a sweet double Berzerk. (note: only do this if there are no mechanical or utility reasons for saving Valorous, such as the need to activate Blood thirst at some point in the near future)



There are a couple things to be aware of in this case though. Most notably: Rage costs. When your GCD is 1s, you can fit *four* attacks comfortably into a single Gore window (up from 3). That's a pretty awesome buff, but it means you're going to spend a lot more Rage. Let's imagine a worst case scenario under Berzerk:



[G + FS > Mass > Mass > DST] > Assault > [G + VT > Mass > Mass > FS]



(note: there will be a slight delay before FS comes off CD at the end of that second window under Berzerk; just wait it out, the ~200ms pause is much less damaging to your DPS than missing Force scream under G)



Rage costs for this combo are very, very high:



[G + FS > Mass > Mass > DST] = 1 + 2 - 1 + 3 - 1 + 3 - 1 + 0 = 6 Rage (7 to execute)

Assault = -2

[G + VT > Mass > Mass > FS] = 1 - 1 + 3 - 1 + 3 - 1 + 2 - 1 = 5 Rage (6 to execute)



This is to say that you need 6 + 5 - 2 + 1 = 10 Rage in your pool before starting a Berzerk-enhanced Gore pair. Ouch! And that's assuming Twin Saber Throw is up! Be very careful of this situation. Build extra Rage if you have to and you know that Berzerk is going to be up very soon. (sidebar: Gore gives 2 Fury; learn to be adept at hitting Berzerk during that first G GCD as relevant)



Fortunately, we have an ace in the hole, and that ace has the name "Ravage". You see, the alacrity buff (now) affects Ravage too, reducing its channel time to a mere 2.3 seconds. That suddenly opens up the following possibility:



[G + FS > Mass > Mass > DST] > Assault > [G + VT > Ravage > FS] > Agro Dump



That second window is KILLER. It doesn't line up like this very often, but when it doesholy cow. Note that the second window only requires 2 Rage to execute (with a net cost of 1), which means that the whole pair will require 6 Rage in your pool at the start, just like the standard Berzerk-less double G windows.



Whenever you *can* use Ravage under Berzerk, and especially under Gore, and especially in the second window, you should do it. The damage boost is astronomically high.



Aside from all of the above, just treat Berzerk like a "do the same thing, but faster". If you end up hitting it between G windows, then you won't get all of your G attacks under Berzerk (if any), so just keep doing what you would normally do and build the appropriate amount of Rage. One nice thing about a mediocre Berzerk is it's pretty hard to "waste it" (like you can in Juyo if you don't have 3 stacks rolling).



Execute Phase



One of the benefits of the new Carnage dummies is the ability to practice the active execute for every class in a controlled environment. This has allowed players to discover a number of tricks that we simply didn't have before. It also allows us to see patterns that we just couldn't see in the chaotic environment of a boss.



For Carnage, the execute phase means two things. First, it means extra Vicious Throw usage, which is a DPS gain. However, it also means slightly less reliable Execute and Slaughter procs, since that Vicious Throw usage is coming at the expense of massacre. Even with those lower procs though, it is worth using Vicious Throw unproc'd because of how much of a damage gain it is over massacre.



The general idea behind the Carnage execute is to obtain a minimum of one additional Vicious Throw per rotation cycle, and ideally two. Our Gore windows under the execute phase should look like the following:



[G + FS > VT > Mass] > (Rage builder) > [G + VT > Mass > FS]



The problem with this is that Vicious Throw has a lower chance to proc Slaughter than massacre, which means that you will find yourself lacking the Slaughter proc much more often in the execute phase than in the above-30% phase of the fight. There's not much you can do about this other than fish for the proc in the "Rage builder" interim between windows, but it's important to be aware of what will happen.



The second use of "natural" Vicious Throw in the execute phase is as filler between Gore windows. The cooldown on Vicious Throw is just 6 seconds, which means that it will come off cooldown between Gore windows with enough time before the next G that we can use it as filler without preventing its use under the next Gore. Above 30%, the filler period for Carnage uses the following priority:

Rupture > Assault (if Execute)

Twin Saber Throw (if Execute)

massacre > Assault



During the execute phase, we have another high damage ability to squeeze into rotation:

Vicious Throw > Assault (if Execute and >5 seconds on Gore cooldown)

Rupture > Assault (if Execute)

Twin Saber Throw (if Execute)

massacre > Assault



Thus, you can think of Vicious Throw as replacing a massacre during the filler phase in the same way that Rupture does. Unfortunately, this means that Vicious Throw competes a bit with Rupture during our filler, which in turn means that you can end up using Rupture less during the execute phase, which of course diminishes the benefits we gain from natural Vicious Throw usage. Also bear in mind that it is more important to get the Execute proc during your filler period than it is to get Vicious Throw on cooldown. Much, much more important.



If the RNG gods are smiling on you, your rotation during the execute phase will look something like the following (assuming we're starting from 2 Rage following the previous G window):



Assault > massacre > Assault > Vicious Throw > Battering Assault > Rupture > Assault > [G + Force scream > Vicious Throw > massacre] > Assault > [G + Vicious Throw > massacre > Force scream]



If you have Berzerk up, you should have time to squeeze in a Twin Saber Throw > Assault before Gore. This of course assumes that you get the Execute proc following your first massacre in this sequence, which is a big assumption. If you can't get that proc, then you often end up unable to squeeze a Vicious Throw into your filler phase, since it is much more valuable to get that second Vicious Throw under Gore.



Opener



Every DPS class should have a scripted opener that is distinct from the rest of their rotation. This opener should burn their big CDs altogether for maximum damage, maximizing their value and terrorizing your tank. In the case of Carnage, this opener is made all the more exciting since you already have 30 stacks of Fury due to the self-heal Fury talent high in the tree. This means that, unlike either of the other two Marauder specs, you can actually open with both Blood thirst and Berzerk, which is pretty hot.



The first phase of the opener should look EXACTLY like the following:



Leap > (Blood thirst + Frenzy + Berzerk) Battering Assault > Gore + massacre > (Relic + Adrenal) Ravage > Twin Saber Throw



At this point, you've probably already leap frogged the tank, but we're not done yet. Hitting massacre first in the G window gives us a very high chance of having Slaughter at the end, and thus we can immediately follow up with:



Gore + Vicious Throw > Force scream > massacre > massacre



Right around this point, your tank has probably started cutting himself, because you're face tanking through the guardagain. And before you "L2P" caution me about holding back to let the tank get agro, remember that I main a tank. If the tank can't hold agro off you in your highest burst opener, it is mathematically irrefutable that it is their fault and not yours. All tanks are capable of holding agro in the face of this insanity, it's just that many *players* don't know how. Moving on



At the end of this sequence, Gore has just fallen off and we have 1 Rage. Follow up with this:



Assault > Battering Assault > massacre > Assault > Rupture > Assault > massacre > Assault



This will give you: 2 + 6 - 3 + 1 + 2 - 2 + 2 - 3 + 1 + 2 = 8 Rage going into your next G window. There isn't a lot that you can do to spend more Rage in this space. Just accept the fact that you have a bit extra and be happy. Now:



Gore + Force scream > massacre > massacre > Battering Assault > Gore + Vicious Throw > massacre > Force scream



Note that you use *two* massacrees in the first window, since Battering Assault will be coming off CD right at this point. At the end of this opener, you have exactly 27 Fury and 5 Rage. Ravage is just about off CD, so you're probably going to do the following:



massacre > (Berzerk) Ravage > Assault > Rupture (if Exe) >



From that point forward, you need to follow the rules I outlined in the main body of this article. However, the primary opener is very high probability (due to the way the procs line up), and thus it is extremely likely that you will be able to use *precisely* this scripted sequence. Here it is in its entirety (broken into phases for easier memory):

Leap > (Blood thirst + Frenzy + Berzerk) Battering Assault > Gore + massacre > (Relic + Adrenal) Ravage > Twin Saber Throw

Gore + Vicious Throw > Force scream > massacre > massacre

Assault > Battering Assault > massacre > Assault > Rupture > Assault > massacre > Assault

Gore + Force scream > massacre > massacre > Battering Assault > Gore + Vicious Throw > massacre > Force scream

massacre > (Berzerk) Ravage > Assault > Rupture (if Exe) >



That's your opener! Got it?



Yeah, it's a lot to memorize, but it's worth it. The damage you will do over this opener will be staggering, and it puts you in a very good position to keep the proc maintenance going for the rest of the fight.



Oh, one final bit. The [G + Mass > Ravage] bit is a pretty solid mid-opener in any fight where you have a "Masseak" when you cannot build Execute and you need to effectively reopen Carnage (potentially with Slaughter poised to ambush you). The best exemplar of this is Golden Fury in Hard Mode (which is a fight made for Carnage spec, btw), where you have to move away from the boss once every (wait for it) 30 seconds, which is precisely the CD on Ravage. If you're managing things well, you should have gobs of Rage (due to leaping back in) and the cooldowns available to use the G + Mass > Ravage combo. Critically, you're very unlikely to have Execute available because of the break away from the boss, hence the scripted mid-opener.



As a side note, if you're dummy parsing, you can get an even better opener by hitting Berzerk before you open the fight when you have less than 30 seconds left on your Fury stacks. Hit your self-heal immediately after you press Berzerk. Then, leap in the exact instant your Fury hits 30 stacks. Instead of Blood thirst + Valorous + Berzerk, you should instead hit Blood thirst + Valorous and then save your Berzerk until your second Gore, which is precisely where your first Berzerk will end. This gives you Berzerk and the Weaponmaster buff over your entire double Gore opening sequence, which is a large DPS gain. Unfortunately, it is somewhat difficult to pull this off on an actual boss fight, particularly when you're also attempting to time pre-casting of XS Flyby and similar. Thus, I generally open a boss fight with the sequence given above, simply because it is more reliable in the face of impatient tanks and pre-casting smugglers. :-)



Example Parse



For your viewing pleasure, here is an example parse. This is far from the best that Carnage spec can do, but it's a parse that I have on hand. http://www.torparse.com/a/529876/1/0/Damage+Dealt Note that this is done on the 1.5 million HP dummy (not the 1 million HP dummy!) and uses the armor debuff modification.



72 Main Hand with a 78 off hand. Verpine ear and implants (power/accuracy). Exclusively 72 armorings with the 4pc set bonus. About 50% 78 mods with the rest 72. Full 72 enhancements with one 78 power/surge and one 78 crit/surge. Underworld SA and BA relics. Full strength augments.



The Vicious Throw crits in this parse were abysmal (just over 9%), which makes an enormous difference in the overall DPS seen at the end of the day. However, massacre crits were a bit above average. Also, the procs were very nearly perfect. I think I only had a single Gore window that I was forced to delay. The opener was the worst part, really, due to the fact that Execute didn't proc until after the second Gore fell off. Still, not the worst parse given gear and lag (never less than 80 ms).



Closing Remarks



I know this is a lot to take in. Frankly, I'm still learning about Carnage and how to maximize its DPS and tame its RNG. The knowledge above has served me very well though. I feel pretty confident in saying that this is how Carnage is meant to be played. Other rotations and priorities may yield higher DPS under specialized circumstances (i.e. when the RNG gods favor you), but the above is the probabilistically-optimized method for attaining the most consistent DPS with a spec that is utterly beholden to a coin flip every second or two. I hope it serves you well.



Go terrorize some tanks! :-)