Operative Lethality Basics Guide

Recovers your health and energy over 15 seconds. This is only usable out of combat.

Regain health out of battle.

Increases the critical damage dealt by Veiled Strike, Backstab, Volatile Substance, and Laceration by 10%.

Increases the critical damage dealt by Veiled Strike, Backstab, Volatile Substance, and Laceration by 10%.

Corrosive Grenade reduces the movement speed of all affected targets by 30% for its full duration.

Corrosive Grenade reduces the movement speed of all affected targets by 30% for its full duration.

Increases the duration of Corrosive Dart by 6 seconds.

Increases the duration of Corrosive Dart by 6 seconds.

Increases the critical hit chance of all periodic effects by 5%

Increases the critical hit chance of all periodic effects by 5%

Increases the damage dealt by Lethal Strike, Overload Shot,, and Noxious Knives by 15%. In addition, Shiv deals 10% more damage to targets affected by your poison effects.

Increases the damage dealt by Lethal Strike, Overload Shot,, and Noxious Knives by 15%. In addition, Shiv deals 10% more damage to targets affected by your poison effects.

Shoots your rifle at the target, dealing weapon damage.

Shoots your rifle at the target, dealing weapon damage.

Stabs a target for kinetic damage.

Stabs a target for kinetic damage.

Blasts a target for weapon damage.

Blasts a target for weapon damage.

Reduces the cooldown of Revive by 100%.

Reduces the cooldown of Revive by 100%.

Increases critical hit chance by 5%.

Increases critical hit chance by 5%.

Deals kinetic damage to the primary target and kinetic damage to up to 7 standard or weak enemies within 5 meters of the primary target. If the primary target is a standard or weak enemy, it is knocked to the ground.

Deals kinetic damage to the primary target and kinetic damage to up to 7 standard or weak enemies within 5 meters of the primary target. If the primary target is a standard or weak enemy, it is knocked to the ground.

Heals a friendly target over 3 seconds.

Heals a friendly target over 3 seconds.

Fires a dart at the target that deals internal poison damage over 18 seconds.

Fires a dart at the target that deals internal poison damage over 18 seconds.

Activates your stealth generator, increasing your stealth level by 15 and making you and your companion difficult to detect. Movement speed is reduced to 85% of normal while in stealth. Most hostile actions and taking cover will break Stealth. Your companion will not react to enemy attacks while in stealth.

Enter Stealth to sneak around or sneak up to enemies. Stronger enemies can see you coming, but you can sneak past weaker ones. You can only enter Stealth when you are outside of combat unless you use your Combat Stealth ability.

Purges all incapacitating and movement-impairing effects.

If you are stunned and can’t move, you can use this ability to unstun yourself.

Ambushes an enemy for kinetic damage. Only usable while behind the target. If used from stealth, Backstab deals more kinetic damage and grants a Tactical Advantage.

Ambushes an enemy for kinetic damage. Only usable while behind the target. If used from stealth, Backstab deals more kinetic damage and grants a Tactical Advantage.

Summons a droid that helps you recover 50 energy over 3 seconds.

Summons a droid that helps you recover 50 energy over 3 seconds.

Executes your Tactical Advantage to fire a volley of corrosive shots, dealing weapon damage and causing your periodic poison effects on the target to also deal damage. Requires and consumes a Tactical Advantage.

Executes your Tactical Advantage to fire a volley of corrosive shots, dealing weapon damage and causing your periodic poison effects on the target to also deal damage. Requires and consumes a Tactical Advantage.

Inject yourself with a specially-engineered Imperial stim, immediately gaining Tactical Advantage, restoring 10 Energy, boosting alacrity by 10% for 15 seconds and granting Revitalizers, which restore 5% of total health every 3 seconds and reduce damage received by 20%. Does not break stealth.

Inject yourself with a specially-engineered Imperial stim, immediately gaining Tactical Advantage, restoring 10 Energy, boosting alacrity by 10% for 15 seconds and granting Revitalizers, which restore 5% of total health every 3 seconds and reduce damage received by 20%. Does not break stealth.

Defeating an opponent or activating Shiv puts you in a position of Tactical Advantage, enabling the use of executions for 24 seconds. Up to 2 charges of Tactical Advantage can exist at once.

Defeating an opponent or activating Shiv puts you in a position of Tactical Advantage, enabling the use of executions for 24 seconds. Up to 2 charges of Tactical Advantage can exist at once.

Increases your weapon damage by 20%. In addition, the area damage dealt by Fragmentation Grenade has been increased by 50%, and Fragmentation Grenade now deals its area damage to any nearby enemy targets, even if those targets are stronger than weak or standard.

Increases your weapon damage by 20%. In addition, the area damage dealt by Fragmentation Grenade has been increased by 50%, and Fragmentation Grenade now deals its area damage to any nearby enemy targets, even if those targets are stronger than weak or standard.

Hurl envenomed knives in a 10-meter cone in front of you, damaging up to 8 targets for kinetic damage and internal poison damage.

Hurl envenomed knives in a 10-meter cone in front of you, damaging up to 8 targets for kinetic damage and internal poison damage.

Your periodic damage effects don't tick on targets affected by any of your sleep effects. In addition, you always take 30% reduced damage from periodic effects, and your damage reduction is increased by 15% for 6 seconds after Shield Probe ends.

Your periodic damage effects don't tick on targets affected by any of your sleep effects. In addition, you always take 30% reduced damage from periodic effects, and your damage reduction is increased by 15% for 6 seconds after Shield Probe ends.

Stim Boost immediately restores 10 energy when activated and grants Revitalizers, restorign 5% of total health every 3 seconds and reducing damage received by 20% for the duration. Additionally reduces the cooldown of Stim Boost by 30 seconds.

Stim Boost immediately restores 10 energy when activated and grants Revitalizers, restorign 5% of total health every 3 seconds and reducing damage received by 20% for the duration. Additionally reduces the cooldown of Stim Boost by 30 seconds.

Executes your Tactical Advantage to heal the target immediately. Requires and consumes Tactical Advantage.

Executes your Tactical Advantage to heal the target immediately. Requires and consumes Tactical Advantage.

Interrupts the target's current action and prevents that ability from being used for 4 seconds.

Every class has an interrupt ability that allows them to interrupt an enemy while they are casting. Enemy castbars that fill up from left to right are called casts and can be interrupted and the ability will be stopped, but castbars that go from right to left deal damage the entire time they are channeling. Using your interrupt in combat is very useful as it can prevent the enemy from damaging you, or sometimes even prevent them from stunning you or knocking you back!

Increases your chance to dodge melee and ranged attacks by 200% for 4 seconds and lowers threat by a moderate amount. Does not break Stealth.

Increases your chance to dodge melee and ranged attacks by 200% for 4 seconds and lowers threat by a moderate amount. Does not break Stealth.

Increases energy regeneration rate by 1 per second. In addition, Evasion will now purge all hostile removable effects when activated.

Increases energy regeneration rate by 1 per second. In addition, Evasion will now purge all hostile removable effects when activated.

If Corrosive Assault would reduce your Tactical Advantage to zero, it is refunded instead. This effect can only occur once every 10 seconds.

If Corrosive Assault would reduce your Tactical Advantage to zero, it is refunded instead. This effect can only occur once every 10 seconds.

General Suggestion: A refund to Tactical Advantage is too good to pass up - as the trickiest part of the rotation is managing your stacks of Tactical Advantage.

Increases the armor penetration, critical hit chance, and critical hit damage of Corrosive Assault by 10%.

Increases the armor penetration, critical hit chance, and critical hit damage of Corrosive Assault by 10%.

Corrosive Assault deals 10% additional weapon damage and slows the target by 50% for 6 seconds.

Corrosive Assault deals 10% additional weapon damage and slows the target by 50% for 6 seconds.

Reduces the energy cost of Corrosive Assault by 5, and causes damage dealt by Shiv to make its target susceptible for 45 seconds. Susceptible targets take 5% more damage from tech attacks.

Reduces the energy cost of Corrosive Assault by 5, and causes damage dealt by Shiv to make its target susceptible for 45 seconds. Susceptible targets take 5% more damage from tech attacks.

Increases the damage dealt by Corrosive Dart and the healing done by Kolto Probe by 5%.

Increases the damage dealt by Corrosive Dart and the healing done by Kolto Probe by 5%.

Overload Shot and Noxious Knives reduce the movement speed of targets they damage by 40% for 6 seconds. In addition, Noxious Knives deals 25% more damage.

Overload Shot and Noxious Knives reduce the movement speed of targets they damage by 40% for 6 seconds. In addition, Noxious Knives deals 25% more damage.

Solo Single-Enemy Suggestion: A boost to noxious knives' damage may be good for leveling or solo content where you can't rely on a better AoE teammate to do it for you, but if the extra AoE isn't needed you could also choose the Evasion passive for a better defensive or Debilitate for a useful 4 second stun.

Solo Many-Enemy Suggestion: A boost to noxious knives' damage may be good for leveling or solo content where you can't rely on a better AoE teammate to do it for you, but if the extra AoE isn't needed you could also choose the Evasion passive for a better defensive or Debilitate for a useful 4 second stun.

Increases the duration of Evasion by 2 seconds. While Evasion is active, the damage you take from area effects is reduced by 60%.

Increases the duration of Evasion by 2 seconds. While Evasion is active, the damage you take from area effects is reduced by 60%.

Flashpoint Suggestion: Adding a DR effect to your operative in group content is by far the best choice here. The reduced damage will make you much easier to heal!

Operation Suggestion: Adding a DR effect to your operative in group content is by far the best choice here. The reduced damage will make you much easier to heal!

Deals energy damage and stuns the target for 4 seconds.

You can use your short stun on weaker enemies to stop them from running around, from casting abilities, to stop them from damaging you, or just to keep them out of the fight in general.

Summons a droid that heals a friendly target over 18 seconds. Stacks up to 2 times.

Summons a droid that heals a friendly target over 18 seconds. Stacks up to 2 times.

Overloads your stealth generator, immediately exiting combat, purging all hostile removable effects and entering stealth mode. For 10 seconds, you become virtually undetectable.

Enter Stealth while you are in combat, either to run away, to sneak off and heal up, or to take advantage of stealth in the fight. If you enter Combat Stealth while you are alone or all your team mates are dead, the fight may reset.

Puts the target to sleep for 60 seconds. Damage will break the effect prematurely. Only usable from stealth and only usable on targets not in combat. Only one target can be incapacitated at a time. Does not affect droids.

Your crowd control (CC) is a special type of stun you can only use when your enemy is outside of combat. You use it before a fight, to temporarily knock an opponent out of the fight while you deal with the other enemies. Accidentally damaging your crowd control'd target will wake them up.

Hurls a grenade that spews poisonous acid in a 5-meter radius, dealing internal poison damage on impact and internal poison damage over 24 seconds to up to 8 targets. Targets damaged this way are slowed by 30% for the duration.

Hurls a grenade that spews poisonous acid in a 5-meter radius, dealing internal poison damage on impact and internal poison damage over 24 seconds to up to 8 targets. Targets damaged this way are slowed by 30% for the duration.

Shiv triggers Fatality, which makes your next Corrosive Assault regrant Tactical Advantage and cost no energy. This effect cannot occur more than once every 10 seconds.

Shiv triggers Fatality, which makes your next Corrosive Assault regrant Tactical Advantage and cost no energy. This effect cannot occur more than once every 10 seconds.

Corrosive Grenade increases the critical hit chance of your periodic poison effects to targets it affects by 20%.

Corrosive Grenade increases the critical hit chance of your periodic poison effects to targets it affects by 20%.

General Suggestion: Periodic poison effects is Lethality's bread and butter. Corrosive Grenade increasing the crit chance is a huge boost in damage and so you can't afford to take anything but this choice.

Corrosive Grenade refunds 2 energy for each target it hits.

Corrosive Grenade refunds 2 energy for each target it hits.

Corrosive Grenade deals 10% more initial damage and grants 2% damage reduction per target it hits for 10 seconds.

Corrosive Grenade deals 10% more initial damage and grants 2% damage reduction per target it hits for 10 seconds.

Executes your Tactical Advantage to drop a canister that fills the vicinity with poisonous gas, dealing internal damage to up to 8 enemy targets within 8 meters over 6 seconds. The haze stuns standard and weak enemies for 6 seconds. Requires and consumes Tactical Advantage.

Executes your Tactical Advantage to drop a canister that fills the vicinity with poisonous gas, dealing internal damage to up to 8 enemy targets within 8 meters over 6 seconds. The haze stuns standard and weak enemies for 6 seconds. Requires and consumes Tactical Advantage.

Stim Boost's cooldown is reduced by 15 seconds. Activating Stim Boost purges movement impairing effects and maxes out your Tactical Advantage.

Stim Boost's cooldown is reduced by 15 seconds. Activating Stim Boost purges movement impairing effects and maxes out your Tactical Advantage.

Resets the cooldown of Stim Boost, Lethal Strike, Toxic Haze, Backstab, and Shield Probe and increases your Mastery by 20% for 15 seconds.

Resets the cooldown of Stim Boost, Lethal Strike, Toxic Haze, Backstab, and Shield Probe and increases your Mastery by 20% for 15 seconds.

Having a Tactical Advantage increases your critical hit chance and all damage and healing dealt by 5%.

Having a Tactical Advantage increases your critical hit chance and all damage and healing dealt by 5%.

General Suggestion: This is pretty much a flat boost to your damage at all times, especially if you took the refund talent at level 23! It's also the least complicated choice on this tier and results in the most benefit over time, but for very short encounters Tactical Overdrive is great too.

Toxic Haze spreads your Corrosive Dart to the targets it damages, as long as it damages at least one target already affected by your Corrosive Dart.

Toxic Haze spreads your Corrosive Dart to the targets it damages, as long as it damages at least one target already affected by your Corrosive Dart.

Deals weapon damage and for the next 10 seconds causes the target to take additional weapon damage whenever it takes damage from one of your poison effects. Grants a Tactical Advantage.

Deals weapon damage and for the next 10 seconds causes the target to take additional weapon damage whenever it takes damage from one of your poison effects. Grants a Tactical Advantage.

Increases the critical chance of Kolto Infusion, Backstab, and Lethal Strike by 15%.

Increases the critical chance of Kolto Infusion, Backstab, and Lethal Strike by 15%.

Summons a probe droid that projects a shield around you for up to 10 seconds, absorbing damage. Does not break stealth.

Summons a probe droid that projects a shield around you for up to 10 seconds, absorbing damage. Does not break stealth.

Cleanses a friendly target of up to 2 negative tech or physical effects.

Your cleanse can help remove harmful effects from you or other players.

Increases movement speed by 15% and effective stealth level by 3.

Increases movement speed by 15% and effective stealth level by 3.

Solo Single-Enemy Suggestion: As a stealth combat style, this may speed up your grindable solo content farms a little bit. For real tangible benefit in combat, take Chem-resistant Inlays.

Solo Many-Enemy Suggestion: As a stealth combat style, this may speed up your grindable solo content farms a little bit. For real tangible benefit in combat, take Chem-resistant Inlays.

Reduces the cooldown of Cloaking Screen by 30 seconds and activating Cloaking Screen increases movement speed by 50% for 6 seconds.

Reduces the cooldown of Cloaking Screen by 30 seconds and activating Cloaking Screen increases movement speed by 50% for 6 seconds.

Increases damage reduction by 5%.

Increases damage reduction by 5%.

Flashpoint Suggestion: It will make your healers very happy to see a less squishy Operative. Take this by default.

Operation Suggestion: It will make your healers very happy to see a less squishy Operative. Take this by default.

Toxic Blast deals 10% more damage and Corrosive Grenade has a 10% chance to deal its damage twice whenever it harms a target.

Toxic Blast deals 10% more damage and Corrosive Grenade has a 10% chance to deal its damage twice whenever it harms a target.

Corrosive Dart and Corrosive Grenade have a 10% chance to deal their damage twice whenever they harm a target. In addition, Corrosive Grenade makes its targets assailable for 45 seconds. Assailable targets take 7% more elemental and internal damage.

Corrosive Dart and Corrosive Grenade have a 10% chance to deal their damage twice whenever they harm a target. In addition, Corrosive Grenade makes its targets assailable for 45 seconds. Assailable targets take 7% more elemental and internal damage.

Ambushes an enemy for kinetic damage and internal damage. If used while stealthed, deals more kinetic damage, more internal damage, and grants a Tactical Advantage. Replaces Backstab.

Ambushes an enemy for kinetic damage and internal damage. If used while stealthed, deals more kinetic damage, more internal damage, and grants a Tactical Advantage. Replaces Backstab.

Reduces the cooldown of Adrenaline Probe by 15 seconds. In addition, dealing damage with a poison effect restores 1 energy.

Reduces the cooldown of Adrenaline Probe by 15 seconds. In addition, dealing damage with a poison effect restores 1 energy.

Roll forward 12 meters. While rolling, your chance to dodge melee and ranged attacks is increased by 30%. Does not break stealth. Cannot be used while immobilized or hindered. Exfiltrate has 2 ability charges and recharges one charge every 8 seconds.

Roll forward 12 meters. While rolling, your chance to dodge melee and ranged attacks is increased by 30%. Does not break stealth. Cannot be used while immobilized or hindered. Exfiltrate has 2 ability charges and recharges one charge every 8 seconds.

Your Shield Probe heals you for 5% of your maximum health when it collapses.

Your Shield Probe heals you for 5% of your maximum health when it collapses.

General Suggestion: This is definitely the best defensive bonus on this tier. You shouldn't have energy problems so bad as to need Endorphin Rush, but it is there if you are having troubles.

Adrenaline Probe now immediately restores 15 additional energy.

Adrenaline Probe now immediately restores 15 additional energy.

When activated, Cloaking Screen grants 2 seconds of Evasion.

When activated, Cloaking Screen grants 2 seconds of Evasion.

Cloaks all group members within 10 meters of you in a temporary stealth field that lasts 15 seconds. Cannot be used in combat. Only usable while in stealth mode.

Cloaks all group members within 10 meters of you in a temporary stealth field that lasts 15 seconds. Cannot be used in combat. Only usable while in stealth mode.

Detonates a flash bang that blinds the target and up to 7 nearby enemies for 8 seconds. Damage causes this effect to end prematurely. When Flash Bang ends it leaves behind Flash Powder that reduces the target's accuracy by 20% for 8 seconds.

Stuns allow you to knock enemies out of the fight temporarily. Some stuns break on damage - so if you attack the enemy while they are stunned with any type of attack, they will no longer be stunned.

Supercharge your stealth generator, generating a Tactical Advantage and quickly moving you to a friendly or enemy target and increasing your movement speed by 75% for 3 seconds. Can be used while immobilized and purges any movement impairing effects. Does not break stealth. Cannot be used against enemy targets in cover.

Jump to a faraway enemy.

Solo Single-Enemy Suggestion: Holotraverse generating an Tactical Advantage makes it rotationally important right off the bat. The mobility component is a cool bonus too! Definitely take this by default unless you really need an AoE stun for something.

Solo Many-Enemy Suggestion: Holotraverse generating an Tactical Advantage makes it rotationally important right off the bat. The mobility component is a cool bonus too! Definitely take this by default unless you really need an AoE stun for something.

Flashpoint Suggestion: Holotraverse generating an Tactical Advantage makes it rotationally important right off the bat. The mobility component is a cool bonus too! Definitely take this by default unless you really need an AoE stun for something or are helping your less sneaky group members get around enemies.

Operation Suggestion: Holotraverse generating an Tactical Advantage makes it rotationally important right off the bat. The mobility component is a cool bonus too! Definitely take this by default unless you really need an AoE stun for something or are helping your less sneaky group members get around enemies.

Increases the duration of your Evasion by 1 second and your effective stealth level by 2. In addition, when you activate Exfiltrate, you gain Quickening, which makes your next Kolto Infusion activate instantly, cost no energy, and not require or consume Tactical Advantage. This effect cannot occur more than once every 10 seconds.

Increases the duration of your Evasion by 1 second and your effective stealth level by 2. In addition, when you activate Exfiltrate, you gain Quickening, which makes your next Kolto Infusion activate instantly, cost no energy, and not require or consume Tactical Advantage. This effect cannot occur more than once every 10 seconds.

Executes your Tactical Advantage to grant Tactical Superiority to you and your Operation Group members within 40 meters, increasing critical chance by 10% for 10 seconds. Does not break stealth. Those affected by Tactical Superiority become Agitated and cannot regain Tactical Superiority for 5 minutes.

Executes your Tactical Advantage to grant Tactical Superiority to you and your Operation Group members within 40 meters, increasing critical chance by 10% for 10 seconds. Does not break stealth. Those affected by Tactical Superiority become Agitated and cannot regain Tactical Superiority for 5 minutes.

Every time you get attacked, the active cooldown of your Evasion is reduced by 3 seconds. This effect cannot occur more than once every 1.5 seconds.

Every time you get attacked, the active cooldown of your Evasion is reduced by 3 seconds. This effect cannot occur more than once every 1.5 seconds.

Flashpoint Suggestion: Evasive Imperative provides the best benefit over the duration of a fight for your survivability. Blow for Blow may be helpful for some extra damage but trying to reflect damage can be risky on an operative in group content.

Operation Suggestion: Evasive Imperative provides the best benefit over the duration of a fight for your survivability. Blow for Blow may be helpful for some extra damage but trying to reflect damage can be risky on an operative in group content.

When used from stealth, Backstab and Lethal Strike interrupt and knock down the target for 3 seconds. Player targets are immobilized for 3 seconds, rather than being knocked down.

When used from stealth, Backstab and Lethal Strike interrupt and knock down the target for 3 seconds. Player targets are immobilized for 3 seconds, rather than being knocked down.

Solo Single-Enemy Suggestion: So long as your enemy isn't immune to the effects, the stuns resulting from this choice may help some tough solo fights to be easier at the start. If they're immune anyway, go ahead and take Evasive Imperative as it will provide the most defense over time.

Solo Many-Enemy Suggestion: So long as your enemy isn't immune to the effects, the stuns resulting from this choice may help some tough solo fights to be easier at the start. If they're immune anyway, go ahead and take Evasive Imperative as it will provide the most defense over time.

Activating Evasion grants Blow for Blow, returning 150% of direct single target tech and Force damage taken back to the attacker while Evasion is active.

Activating Evasion grants Blow for Blow, returning 150% of direct single target tech and Force damage taken back to the attacker while Evasion is active.

Increases the damage dealt by poison effects by 15% on targets below 30% of max health. In addition, if a target dies with Toxic Blast, it finishes the cooldown of Toxic Blast.

Increases the damage dealt by poison effects by 15% on targets below 30% of max health. In addition, if a target dies with Toxic Blast, it finishes the cooldown of Toxic Blast.

Lethal Strike grants Augmented Toxins, increasing the critical chance and critical multiplier of your damaging and healing periodic effects by 30% for 6 seconds.

Lethal Strike grants Augmented Toxins, increasing the critical chance and critical multiplier of your damaging and healing periodic effects by 30% for 6 seconds.