This guide explains the best builds for Operative DPS disciplines that are optimized to perform extremely well in solo content. They enable you to have a far more enjoyable experience fighting trash mobs than you would with a sustained DPS build since you’ll be utilizing effects designed specifically for use against trash mobs!
The guide is up-to-date for Patch 7.5
Table of contents
- Why solo builds are worth using in SWTOR
- Lethality Operative Solo Build
- Concealment Operative Solo Build
- Major Cooldown Abilities for Operatives
- Operative Solo Gearing and Stats
Why solo builds are worth using in SWTOR
For almost the entirety of SWTOR’s history, fighting trash wasn’t fun because the combat system didn’t support it. Trash mob encounters rarely last more than a few seconds while boss fights and PvP typically last at least a few minutes, requiring you to make use of far more abilities!
In solo content, you’re mostly fighting trash mobs that have so little health that the majority of enemies won’t be able to survive for more than 2-3 abilities and you often can’t even get through a whole rotation before that combat encounter is over.
Stronger single enemies like elites (golds) where you would be able to stretch your rotational legs are rare enough that you can trivialize them with proper use of offensive cooldowns (OCDs) so even they don’t always survive a full rotation cycle.
I believe this disconnect was responsible for making skipping trash via stealth and cheese such a popular approach to playing PvE in SWTOR. BioWare clearly understood this and (mostly) solved it by introducing extremely powerful new ability tree buffs and legendary implants that synergize with existing tactical items.
These ridiculously potent effects form the basis of the solo builds and are able to exist without causing (too many) balance issues in group content because they are short-lived and only reliably trigger off of combat events that are fairly unique to and common when fighting trash mobs.
Lethality Operative Solo Build
In this section, I’ll be covering the ability tree build and solo ability priority for Lethality Operative. Please refer to the 7.0 Lethality Operative PvE Guide if you want more detailed information, especially on topics pertaining to gearing, abilities, and ability tree choices.
Lethality Solo Content Ability Tree Build
Build Essentials: Penetrating Strategies Critical Grenade Tactical Offense Med Shield Viral Elements Tactical Tactician’s Implant Locked and Loaded Implant
This build is optimized for the best damage and survivability in a solo content setting. Your objective is to apply Corrosive Grenade and spread Corrosive Dart and Toxic Blast with Toxic Haze, and then follow it up with a Lethal Strike. In order to spread Toxic Blast and deal damage to multiple targets with Lethal Strike, you need the Viral Elements tactical.
How to use this build
This is the general rotation you’ll be using your abilities in against each group of trash in order to maximize your damage output. There are 2 components to taking out a group of trash with Lethality, an AoE component and a single-target priority component.
AoE Component
This first component is centered around AoE and spreading your poisons. It is enough to wipe out all standard and weak enemies. If the group of trash has a beefier enemy like a Strong or Elite (silver or gold), you will need to finish them off with some Single-Target fillers.
- Holotraverse (optional gap closer)
- Corrosive Grenade (DoT 2, 5m AoE, apply to centermost target)
- Corrosive Dart (DoT 1, will be spread by Toxic Haze)
- Toxic Blast (DoT boost, will be spread by Toxic Haze, grants 1 TA)
- Toxic Haze (DoT spread, AoE attack and stun, costs 1 TA)
- Lethal Strike (big hit and DoT boost, will be AoE w/ Toxic Haze)
- Single-Target Fillers
Your first objective is to apply the main DoTs, Corrosive Grenade and Corrosive Dart. Corrosive Grenade is a 5m AoE, so you want to apply that first to the target that will enable you to hit the most enemies. Then you apply Corrosive Dart and Toxic Blast which will be spread by Toxic Haze.
Toxic Blast doesn’t really do anything on its own, but will deal damage whenever your poisons tick and can be spread by Toxic Haze thanks to the Viral Elements tactical. Toxic Haze hits hard on its own and stuns Standard and Weak enemies, but costs a TA. You will be able to afford this cost because Toxic Blast grants a TA.
Most standard and weak enemies will have been defeated by this point, but you can finish everything off with Lethal Strike, which will deal damage to all nearby enemies that are standing in your Toxic Haze.
After that, the only enemies left standing should be Strong and Elite enemies, which you’ll be able to finish off with single-target fillers.
Single-Target Priority Component
This is the single-target priority you’ll be executing against stronger enemies. It should only be necessary to do this in heroics or against bosses.
- Toxic Blast (if not applied)
- Lethal Strike
- Corrosive Assault (only if at 2 TA)
- Shiv (generates 1 TA, only if at less than 2 TAs)
- Corrosive Assault
For the most part, you’ll be using Corrosive Assault as much as you can. You use Shiv to generate TAs, but you’ll also get one each time you defeat an enemy. The cooldown on Toxic Blast will also get reset if the target is defeated with it applied, so you can reapply it to the stronger enemy as soon as it falls off.
You may defeat your target before Lethal Strike comes off cooldown, but you should use it if it’s available.
Concealment Operative Solo Build
In this section, I’ll be covering the ability tree build and solo ability priority for Concealment Operative. Please refer to the 7.0 Concealment Operative PvE Guide if you want more detailed information, especially on topics pertaining to gearing, abilities, and ability tree choices.
Concealment Operative Ability Tree Build
Build Essentials: Relentless Blades Debilitate Crippling Wounds Med Shield Jarring Strike Explosive Cells Tactical Item Tactician’s Implant Locked and Loaded Implant
This build is optimized for the best damage and survivability in a solo content setting. Advanced Stealth theoretically will offer more damage per trash pull than Tactical Critical, but if you get hit by a Force or Tech attack (non-weapon damage), you will lose the buff before you get a chance to use it.
I recommend Debilitate so that you can use Backstab reliably against targets that aren’t affected by the Revealing Weakness debuff from Volatile Substance. Since Revealing Weakness makes it so your Backstab is treated as though it was from Stealth, Jarring Strike will trigger with each Backstab against a target with Revealing Weakness. Explosive Cells makes Volatile Substance an AoE, including it applying Revealing Weakness to the targets it damages, so you can knock multiple people over with Backstabs that deal boosted damage.
How to use this build
This is the general rotation you’ll be using your abilities in against each group of trash in order to maximize your damage output. There are 2 components to taking out a group of trash with Concealment, an AoE burst component and a single-target priority component.
AoE Burst Opener Component
This first component is centered around getting off your big hits, and detonating Volatile Substance on the whole group. It is enough to wipe out all standard and weak enemies. If the group of trash has a beefier enemy like a Strong or Elite (silver or gold), you will need to finish them off with some single-target fillers.
- Stealth
- Stim Boost (if available)
- Backstab (from Stealth)
- Veiled Strike or Fragmentation Grenade (only with Advanced Stealth)
- Volatile Substance (against centermost target)
- Crippling Slice (against same target for autocrit)
- Toxic Haze (AoE attack and stun, detonates Volatile Substance, costs 1 TA)
- Single-Target Filler Priority
You use Backstab from Stealth to grant a TA, do a lot of damage, and apply the Advanced Stealth buff. Advanced Stealth enables your next non-DoT attack to autocrit, but you lose it if you take non-weapon damage. The autocrit is really nice, but you can’t make it work for every group of trash. You can use Veiled Strike for a strong single-target hit or Fragmentation Grenade for a strong AoE.
If Advanced Stealth gets removed, it will typically disappear from your bar immediately, so you can just skip that step if you lose it. Your next step is to apply and detonate Volatile Substance. You can make it autocrit by causing it to detonate on a target with Crippling Slice, but you can’t hit that target with another non-DoT attack until Volatile Substance goes off.
Remember that Volatile Substance only detonates when the target takes damage from a poison effect after 3s have elapsed since application, so you’ll need to make sure that the target you apply Volatile Substance to gets hit by Corrosive Dart, Toxic Haze, or Acid Blade after those 3s are up.
Sometimes, Toxic Haze and Corrosive Dart apply their first tick too soon to detonate Volatile Substance, so you have to wait for the next tick. Your best option is to apply poison and then switch to a different target to begin the Single-Target Filler Priority. Pick a target that you don’t think will get hit by Volatile Substance.
Single-Target Filler Priority Component
This is the single-target priority you’ll be executing against stronger enemies. It should only be necessary to do this in heroics or against bosses.
- Backstab (against targets with Revealing Weakness)
- Toxic Haze
- Veiled Strike (if you have less than 2 TAs)
- Laceration (costs 1 TA, stuns standard and weak enemies)
- Fragmentation Grenade (against multiple targets)
- Corrosive Dart (only to stronger enemies)
Your objective is to just use the hardest-hitting attack you have available or enable other hard-hitting attacks to go off. Most of the time, you’ll be interlacing Veiled Strikes, Lacerations, and Backstabs. Laceration costs a TA, but deals slightly more damage than Veiled Strike and stuns normal enemies.
Remember, only use Backstab against targets that are affected by Revealing Weakness, they’ll be the ones that were hit by Volatile Substance. You’ll have a hard time hitting enemies that don’t have this debuff because you have to be behind them and enemies like to turn to face you.
Toxic Haze and Volatile Substance may come off cooldown before the fight is over. Since their cooldowns are so long, only use them if multiple enemies still have a lot of HP left or you’ll have to wait for it to come off cooldown before engaging with the next group.
Major Cooldown Abilities for Operatives
These abilities offer some sort of temporary boost to your offense, defense, and/or mobility. They are referred to as cooldowns (CDs) because they usually only last a short time while having a long cooldown.
You may want to group each category together on your bar so you can recognize them more easily, though keep them separate from the attacks I listed above.
Offensive Cooldowns
Offensive cooldowns (OCDs) increase your damage dealt temporarily. Sometimes they’re more generic boosts to everything, other times they only apply to specific abilities. It’s important to make sure you’re being thoughtful about which abilities you use and try to use them as fast as possible while the boost is active to maximize their effectiveness. Use them against stronger enemies to defeat them faster.
Stim Boost (Concealment Only)
Stim Boost grants a TA and increases your Alacrity by 10%. In Concealment, Stim Boost increases your critical damage dealt by 15%, making it a fairly significant offensive cooldown for the discipline. Use it against enemies or groups of trash that have a ton of HP to take them down ASAP.
Defensive Cooldowns
Defensive cooldowns (DCDs) increase your survivability temporarily, making it less likely that you’ll be defeated. Use them whenever you’re taking more damage than you can handle.
Shield Probe
Shield ProbeShield Probe just absorbs a small amount of damage. It’s nice to use to soften the blow if you know you’re about to take a big hit or can’t afford to take another. As an Operative, you’ll heal for 5% of your maximum health when it collapses, which nearly doubles the amount of mitigation it offers. In Lethality, you’ll also gain 15% DR for 6s once it collapses.
Evasion
Evasion makes you immune to weapon damage for the duration. The ability can have other effects if you take specific ability tree buffs, but for solo content, that’s all it does.
Stim Boost (Lethality Only)
In Lethality, Stim Boost gains the effect that makes you take 20% less damage and heal for 5% every 3s (25% total) while it’s active. This defensive boost overshadows the other minor effects, so you should save Stim Boost for use against strong enemies when you expect to take a lot of damage.
Crowd Control
These abilities have some sort of controlling effect on your opponent that often provide some sort of defensive benefit to you.
Distraction
DistractionThis ability can interrupt your target’s cast or channel and locks them out of activating that ability again for a short time. Typically the longer or more threatening-sounding the ability is, the more important it is to interrupt.
Debilitate
Debilitate stuns the target for a short time, preventing them from doing anything, allowing you to do anything without having to worry about them retaliating. Its cooldown is half as long as that of other hard stuns in the game.
Sleep Dart
Sleep Dart allows you to put a single non-droid enemy to sleep for 60s. It is only usable from stealth against targets that aren’t in combat and the enemy will wake up if it takes damage from anything other than Lethality’s DoTs. It’s great to use on an enemy in a particularly tough group of trash to make the overall fight easier. Make sure to sleep one that’s near the edge of the group so you don’t hit them with AoEs.
Mobility
These cooldowns allow you to move much faster than you would normally be able to go.
Exfiltrate
Covered Escape makes you roll forwards 12m (most of your abilities have either 4 or 10m range). The ability has a super short cooldown and 2 charges, allowing it to function as a rudimentary dodge roll as other game genres have. In Concealment, you’re immune to all damage for the full GCD. In Lethality, you get a proc called Quickening that makes your next Kolto Infusion instant and free.
Holotraverse
Holotraverse causes you to instantly teleport to your target (friend or foe), grant a TA, and increase your movement speed by 75% for 3s. It can be used from stealth too. Unfortunately, it has the longest cooldown of any gap closer, so you can’t use it for every single pull.
Escape
EscapeThis ability breaks you out of any controlling effects. Since it has such a long cooldown, only use it if you are prevented from doing what you want to do. For example, if you’re rooted in place but can still hit your target, there’s no need to break free.
Operative Solo Gearing and Stats
This section will cover the core elements of gearing and stats for Operative. If you want a more detailed explanation, please refer to the main guides for each discipline. Don’t forget to obtain thelegendary implantsand tactical items I mentioned when referring to individual disciplines!
Stat Priority
As a DPS, you’ll need to care about 3 different stats: Accuracy, Alacrity, and Critical Rating. There are thresholds associated with Accuracy and Alacrity, so you need to prioritize reaching those thresholds to get the full benefit from each stat point.
- Accuracy to 110.00% – Accuracy reduces the chance for your attacks to miss.
- Alacrity to ~7.5% – Alacrity holistically increases the speed at which you can execute your rotation.
- Critical gets the rest – Critical refers to both your chance to critically hit and the damage multiplier for critical hits. Critical Rating affects both.
Find out which mods to purchase from Hyde and Zeek in SWTOR on the Fleet to minimize spending and optimize your build. The dedicated guide contains tips for all roles in both PvE and PvP.
Individual Pieces
- Augments:Blue 276 augments([Type] Augment 73 + Augmentation Kit Mk-11)
- Crystals:Advanced Eviscerating(+41 Critical)
- Relics:Relic of Focused RetributionandRelic of Serendipitous Assault (highest iRating you have)
- Biochem:Advanced Kyrprax Medpac, Proficient Stim, and Attack Adrenal
