SWTOR Carnage 2.10 Guide

L & G, Greetings and welcome
The time has finally come for me to attempt and transfer what I know about Carnage and Combat into a video form. Or in other words, with the changes coming to the spec in Update 2.10, I am finally making my guide for the what used to be most fun and most random spec in the whole game. Wether it will be 100% accurate or you will fill in some gaps and possibly wrong statements, we will see when in the end.
The video will be structured as such:
* Changes in 2.10 (based on PTS as of 20.08.2014)
* Gear recommendations for PvE and PvP
* Builds for PvE and PvP
* Skill priorities and Combat Phases
* Tips to boost our performance in Combat

I will be using the Marauder skill names, but we know that it is all mirrored for the sentinel, so I hope it wont be a problem.

CHANGES
The 2.10 Update brought 2 major changes into the spec. It removes  the RNG and introduces flat procs and CDs for the most important skills.
- Execute now triggers 50/100 percent of the time when Ataru Form deals damage
- Slaughter now triggers 33/67/100 percent of the time when Ataru Form deals damage. This effect can still only occur once every 20 seconds.

GEAR
The stats priority remains the same for both Pve and PvP. Or at least the way I prefer them. No crit rating from mods at all (more on that later), Stacking first Accuracy to 100% and after that everything goes to Strength and Surge. Wether you prefer STR or POWER augments, I will leave that to each player's preferences. The difference is proven to be minimal and I do not wish to resume this old argument (it's as old as the game is)
The reason I chose to use no crit is the fact that most of the damage comes from Force Stream and now in 2.10 it is even harder to NOT crit with it. The proc is stable now and I recommend boosting the magnitude of those secure crits rather than building additional 2-3% to for other skills to chance a crit hit.

BUILD
My 2 main PvE builds are as similar to each other. I change a couple of skills around depending on what bosses I am facing as well as the group balance we have for the encounter.
My favourite is the well known 5/36/5 where boosting the AoE for trash and AoE heavy boss fights is the key.
The 2nd one I like to call Brontes-Build, because this is where I use it mainly. Main difference is I swap Decimate for Unbound to give my team a little speed-boost during the lightning transition.
For PvP I like to go with 5/41/0. I mostly play solo que WZs and this build helps me bugg and annoy the healers, who are my main target most of the time. The build is constructed around dealing maximum single target damage while maintaining all possible tools and utilities the spec has to offer.

SKILLS & PRIORITIES IN COMBAT
This part is mainly aimed at PvE, because in PvP nothing is scripted and you can never predict what the oponent will do.
Here comes the hardest to explain in a video part.
When I started mastering Carnage, I used the widely popular guide written by Ewok from Obviously. Many of the teachings and tips are still valid and even mandatory now with the flatness of the spec in 2.10.
We have 2 phases during combat.
- Gore phases where we spend rage and deal maximum damage.
- Build phase - where we have just exosted our 2 Gores and need to rebuild the rage before the next Gore is ready.
The spec evolves around precise timings and properly fitting abilities inside the 4.5 Gore durations.
In Gore phase, the priorities for skills goes in this order:
1. Ravage - to be used only during Gore, never outside
2. Force Scream - easier to use than ever, due to the changes of Execute procs
3. Vicious Throw - In and out of Gore after it procs.
4. Dual Saber Throw - to be used as soon as it's out of CD, in any phase
5. Massacre - best and main "filler" damage ability
In the build-up phase we use everything else available, even Force Scream if timing is right and it has the proc from Execute.
- Battering Assault - on CD, but preferably not during Gore windows.
- Asault - to build up rage
- Massacre - for proc on Execute, to prepare for next Gore
- Rupture - ideal filler, to be used when Execute procs and preferably right before Gore
Some of the most popular combos during Gore are
Gore + Force Scream + Massacre + Massacre
Gore + Ravage + Force Scream
These two are the most basic and suggested combos for first and second Gores, because when you start with Force Scream in first window, you will have it ready and buffed by Execute before the end of the 2nd Gore window.
There are a number of other options depending on random moments of the fight and cool-downs of abilities available, mobs spawned and so on.
I have not yet perfected my rotations on the dummy for an amazing parse, but to me this is not main priority, because high parse on dummies don't kill bosses. I prefer to focus on boss mechanics and combine them with the knowledge I have for the specs and classes I play. One day I may sit and parse until I fall asleep to master the perfect rotation, which will be much easier to do now after the changes made to Carnage... Maybe, just maybe.

TIPS
- Start Gore with Force Scream and use Ravege in the 2nd (proc) Gore window followed by another "Executed" Force Scream
- Use Dual Saber Throw on CD, it replaces Assault and Masacre
- Do not try to fit Berserk into a specific phase. It cannot happen always due to its CD. Use Berserk on CD to maximise APM and number of abilities used.
- Never ever use Ravage outside Gore
- Use Vicious Saber Throw proc out of Gore only if its CD is about to finish and you are about to lose it
- Do not be afraid to spam assault if needed outside Gore
- Try to never use rage building abilities during Gore, it's a waste of effective DPS.
- Normal APM vs 1 target uninterrupted combat is 50.
- Before you start Gore, make sure you have more than 7-8 Rage points, or better yet, a full bar

This list can go on and on forever, because the spec is complex enough, even after the RNG is gone.
Some consider the new Carnage boring and dum, but it now fits with all the other changes Devs made to the other specs, so it was to be expected.

This was my attempt to fit as much as I know about Carnage into one relatively short video guide. I am sure many other great players can fill in some gaps and perhaps maybe share knowledge I have not aquired yet - some secret tips or tricks that can help us be even more productive as the most unpleasant role in any MMO - A Melee DPS class. :)

Thank you for watching my guide. I hope it helped you at least a little bit.
See you in my next SWTOR video. Bye-bye!