Shadow Kinetic Combat Basics Guide

Kinetic Combat

A powerful connection to the Force allows the Kinetic Combat Shadow to draw the opposition’s attention while also warding off their attacks. Add to that a formidable Force-based offense, and it becomes clear that the Kinetic Combat Shadow can serve as an effective bulwark against any foe.

  • Role: Tank
  • Weapon: Double-bladed Lightsaber
  • Distance: Short Range
  • Mirror: Assassin – Darkness

Kinetic Combat for New Players

  • Kinetic Combat is a tank style, which means it does less damage, but can stay alive more easily.
  •  Most players recommend to level as a damage style, then switch to tank when you are ready for group content.
  •  In group content, tanks are expected to take a unique leadership role, not just do damage, which can be challenging for new players.
  • Kinetic Combat is the most complex of the three tanking styles.
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How to play a Kinetic Combat Shadow

You can start playing Kinetic Combat at level 1. To start playing Kinetic Combat, you will need to first create a Shadow character, which can be played by Jedi Knights and Jedi Consulars (or even the Sith Warrior and Sith Inquisitor if you unlock the dark-side Combat Styles.)

Once you are ingame, press K on your keyboard to open the Combat Style tab, and choose Kinetic Combat from the three options. This choice is not permanent, you will be able to switch between all three options by finding a rest location like a cantina.

Updated for 7.2!

Below Level 80

Below Level 80

If you are below level 80, there are no true guides available to tell you what specific abilities you should be using, because the ideal rotation would change every level.

Instead, you can use this guide to figure out which of your abilities are attacks, which are defensive, and which are just useful.

Level 80

5 Ability Basic Rotation

Not quite ready to learn all your abilities yet? Use this quick 5-ability rotation for the Shadow Tank until you’re ready to read and learn from a true level 80 guide. The goal for this rotation is to build up threat, which keeps the boss on you, and to reduce the damage you take.

  • Slow Time is a huge threat generator, and it weakens your enemy so you take less damage. Slow Time also builds a stack of “Harnessed Shadows”, a special buff which you’ll be working on building up as a tank.
  • Project generates lots of threat, and is your other ability that generates a stack of “Harnessed Shadows”.
  •  Cascading Debris is a channeled ability and your best attack, but you should only use it when it’s sparkling, which happens when you’ve built up 3 stacks of “Harnessed Shadows.” Your goal is to build up those three stacks of Harnessed Shadows and then use Cascading Debris as much as possible, which will give you a defensive boost.
  • Force Breach generates a high amount of threat much like Slow Time, use it when it’s glowing!
  • Double Strike is your filler ability in between generating and using Harnessed Shadows. It also has a chance of resetting Project’s cooldown. Use it when you have nothing else left!

More than 3 Enemies

  • Slow Time and Force Breach remain high priority in multi-target situations.
  •  You can spam Whirling Blow to hit many targets around you over and over!

Extra Tips

  • Start in Stealth for a defensive boost.
  •  Force Pull followed by Shadow Stride is a great way to generate a bunch of threat and then get into combat quickly, at the very start of a fight, even if your enemy is too big to actually pull to you!
  • Shadow Strike can be worked into your rotation – use it instead of Double Strike when it’s sparkling.
  • Spinning Strike hits extremely hard, but normally can only be used when your enemy is below 30% health. The Stalker’s Swiftness tree choice at level 73 can make Spinning Strike usable whenever Shadow Stride is used.
  • Feeling spicy? Force Potency acts as both a defensive and offensive ability. 30% absorption is good, but it can also make abilities critically strike, and crits will do more threat.

Taunts

  • Mind Control is your single-enemy taunt ability. Never start a fight with a taunt! After a few seconds of doing your high threat attacks on a boss, it is good to make sure you’ll keep threat by using a taunt. You can continue to use your taunt through-out the fight to build up threat. If you notice you have lost the attention of the boss, this should be the first thing you use. Some Operation fights require a “tank swap” that will require you save your taunt for a specific time.
  • Mass Mind Control is your AoE Taunt ability. This has the same effect as Mind Control, but it applies to every enemy in a large radius around you. This is great to use during Flashpoints or fights with many additional weaker enemies (adds). Make sure your character is in the center of the enemies you’d like to pick up, followed by your AoE attacks. In operations, be careful when using this ability if you are not the tank assigned to the boss, because if the boss is close enough to you, this will also taunt the boss.
  •  Guard allows you to place a guard on an ally, reducing their threat and damage taken. Guard your team-mate who hits the hardest – they’ll be the one accidentally stealing the boss from you during the fight.

Defensives

As a tank, in addition to building threat, you also need to use your defensive abilities to keep yourself alive.

  • Kinetic Ward is a very important Shadow tank ability – it’s a stack of shields you put on yourself. You will want to refresh it any time it falls off, either from taking damage or after it runs out of time. You should be using it quite often and your goal is to be protected by Kinetic Ward 100% of the time, so it should be a regular part of your combat abilities.
  • Resilience is a very important defensive ability that has three methods of use: either use it on cooldown to reduce incoming damage as much as possible throughout a fight, use it to cleanse all harmful effects from you, or use it at a very specific time to completely block 3 seconds worth of very heavy damage. It has a very short duration of protection, but comes off cooldown quite often. Using Resilience is a very active way to take less damage and knowing when to use it is something you’ll learn over time as you learn the tricks for each boss.
  • Deflection will increase your defense chance against basic damage by 50%, but also debuffs the amount of Tech/Force damage done by enemies. It has a long cooldown, so generally you will either use it when tanking smaller enemies to defend against their basic attacks more reliably, or to protect your group from raid-wide Tech/Force damage being done. There are some specific Operation bosses that have a rapid amount of basic damage being done in a short window of time, or many many extra enemies: Deflection is great for these types of fights.
  • Battle Readiness is an optional but very useful defensive ability available on your ability tree at level 43 that has many smaller benefits over the course of 15 seconds, and unless the fight has a lot of Force/ Tech damage that you cannot avoid, Battle Readiness can be used on cooldown to help make you be more durable overall.
  • Force Cloak allows you to fully stealth out against regular enemies and run away, and allows you to partially stealth out when fighting Flashpoint or Operations bosses or other instanced enemies but won’t take you out of combat. As a tank, Force Cloak is a very powerful defensive cooldown that not only cleanses, but lets you “dodge” certain attacks entirely by using it during the boss’ cast of the attack (causing it to interrupt the cast and start looking for a new enemy), and then immediately taunting the boss back onto yourself before it can switch and hit someone else! The level 73 Choice “Cloak of Resilience” turns this into an even more reliable defensive identical to Resilience. The level 51 choice “Fade” allows you to use this much more often per fight as well.
Level 80 Gear Recommendations
More Information:
Level 80 In-Depth Community Guides

Ready to learn more about your class, and how to play at a higher skill level? These guides by other players break down your class's abilities and your full rotation!

Guides

Attacks

  • Saber Strike - Basic AttackLevel 1
  • Double Strike - AttackLevel 1
  • Project - AttackLevel 4
  • Whirling Blow - Area AttackLevel 7
  • Shadow Strike - AttackLevel 12
  • Cascading Debris - AttackLevel 15
  • Force Breach - Area AttackLevel 23
  • Spinning Strike - AttackLevel 47
  • Slow Time - Area AttackLevel 47
  • Cleaving Cut - Optional Area Attacks Level 68 Option 1/3Level 68

Multiple Enemy Attack Abilities

These Kinetic Combat attacks are useful for attacking groups of enemies.

  • Whirling Blow - Area AttackLevel 7
  • Force Breach - Area AttackLevel 23
  • Mass Mind Control - Area TauntLevel 31
  • Slow Time - Area AttackLevel 47
  • Cleaving Cut - Optional Area Attacks Level 68 Option 1/3Level 68

Taunts

Taunts help the Kinetic Combat Shadow generate threat and keep the attention of the enemy on them.

  • Mind Control - TauntLevel 10
  • Mass Mind Control - Area TauntLevel 31

Buffs

You can combine your Kinetic Combat buffs with your attacks to create powerful combinations.

  • Force Valor - Passive Class BuffLevel 1
  • Force Potency - BuffLevel 15
  • Battle Readiness - Optional Buff Defensive Level 43 Option 2/3Level 43

Defensive & Healing Abilities

Use these abilities to help yourself stay alive. The Shadow has these defensive and healing abilities and you'll want to know where they are in a difficult fight.

  • Deflection - DefensiveLevel 27
  • Kinetic Ward - DefensiveLevel 35
  • Battle Readiness - Optional Buff Defensive Level 43 Option 2/3Level 43
  • Resilience - DefensiveLevel 51

Useful Abilities

These abilities may not be directly for attacking, but they are used heavily by skilled Shadows in combat to turn the tide of a fight.

  • Meditation - Regeneration - Regain health out of battle.Level 1
  • Guard - Guard - Protect another player / companionLevel 1
  • Force Stun - Stun - 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.Level 7
  • Stealth - 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.Level 10
  • Force of Will - Stun Break - If you are stunned and can’t move, you can use this ability to unstun yourself.Level 10
  • Force Speed - Movement - Increases movement speed by 150% for 2 seconds. Does not break stealth.Level 15
  • Mind Snap - Interrupt - 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!Level 19
  • Mind Maze - Crowd Control - 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.Level 19
  • Spinning Kick - Optional Stun Level 27 Option 2/3 - Performs a spin kick that deals kinetic damage and stuns the target for 3 seconds. Standard and weak enemies are additionally knocked down. Dealing damage with Spinning Kick increases your damage reduction by 10% for 6 seconds.Level 27
  • Force Cloak - Combat Stealth - 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.Level 31
  • Force Slow - Slow - Slows slow the enemy down, making it hard for them to run away.Level 35
  • Shadow Stride - Leap - Jump to a faraway enemy.Level 60
  • Force Pull - Pull - Pull an enemy to you. Doesn't work on stronger enemies.Level 60
  • Force Wave - Optional Knockback Level 68 Option 2/3 - Pushes enemies back.Level 68
  • Force Lift - Optional Crowd Control Level 68 Option 3/3 - 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.Level 68

Tree Choices

As you level up, you will be able to make choices about how you play your Kinetic Combat Shadow with the Ability Tree, which can be opened with the K key on your keyboard. If you do not choose one, a default option will be chosen for you.

You will have eight choices to make as you level up, at levels 23, 27, 39, 43, 51, 64, 68 and 73. All of these Ability Tree choices are not permanent choices and can be changed later. If you are following a Level 80 guide on how to play your Kinetic Combat Shadow, you will need to make sure to choose the same options as they have. You may not have the same choices chosen as a friend who is also playing a Kinetic Combat Shadow.

Solo 'Single Enemy' Suggestions
73
68
64
51
43
39
27
23
Solo 'Many Enemies' Suggestions
73
68
64
51
43
39
27
23
Flashpoint Suggestions
73
68
64
51
43
39
27
23
Operation Suggestions
73
68
64
51
43
39
27
23

Level 23 Choice: Cascading Debris Change

Choose from one of three ways that you want Cascading Debris to change at level 23. Your options are Chained Cascade, Antagonizing Debris, and Kinetic Cascade.

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. This ability can be channeled while moving.

Chained Cascade

Cascading Debris pummels nearby targets each time it deals damage.

Cascading Debris pummels nearby targets each time it deals damage.

Antagonizing Debris

Increases the damage, critical hit chance, and threat generated by Cascading Debris by 10%.

Increases the damage, critical hit chance, and threat generated by Cascading Debris by 10%.

Kinetic Cascade

Cascading Debris deals 20% more damage to targets you have mind controlled and restores 5 Force whenever it deals damage to them.

Cascading Debris deals 20% more damage to targets you have mind controlled and restores 5 Force whenever it deals damage to them.

Solo Single-Strong-Enemy Suggestion: Chained Cascade - If you are fighting groups of 3+ at a time (and doing solo content as a tank means you should probably pull extra) then this choice will help make it go faster. If you're doing mostly single target, Antagonizing Debris will be much stronger.

Multi-Enemy Solo Suggestion: Chained Cascade - If you are fighting groups of 3+ at a time (and doing solo content as a tank means you should probably pull extra) then this choice will help make it go faster. If you're doing mostly single target, Antagonizing Debris will be much stronger.

Flashpoint Suggestion: Antagonizing Debris - Antagonizing Debris will give the most benefit, both to threat generation and damage. If you're doing many big pulls in the flashpoint, Chained Cascade may be worth considering, but Antagonizing Debris will be best for most bosses.

Operation Suggestion: Antagonizing Debris - Antagonizing Debris will give the most benefit, both to threat generation and damage. If you're fine switching back and forth, you could use Chained Cascade for combat in between bosses for better AoE but stick to this for bosses.

Level 27 Choice

Choose from one of three Shadow abilities at Level 27, you can only have one of these options at any given time. Your options as a Kinetic Combat Shadow for the Level 27 choice are Energized Project, Spinning Kick, and Force Magnetism.

Energized Project

Project's critical hit damage is increased by 50% and dealing damage with Project extends the duration of mind control by 3 seconds to targets already affected by your mind control.

Project's critical hit damage is increased by 50% and dealing damage with Project extends the duration of mind control by 3 seconds to targets already affected by your mind control.

Spinning Kick

Performs a spin kick that deals kinetic damage and stuns the target for 3 seconds. Standard and weak enemies are additionally knocked down. Dealing damage with Spinning Kick increases your damage reduction by 10% for 6 seconds.

Performs a spin kick that deals kinetic damage and stuns the target for 3 seconds. Standard and weak enemies are additionally knocked down. Dealing damage with Spinning Kick increases your damage reduction by 10% for 6 seconds.

Force Magnetism

Force Cloak increases movement speed by 50%. Force Speed lasts 1 second longer and slows all enemies within 5 meters by 75% for 2.5 seconds when activated.

Force Cloak increases movement speed by 50%. Force Speed lasts 1 second longer and slows all enemies within 5 meters by 75% for 2.5 seconds when activated.

Flashpoint Suggestion: Energized Project - This choice is the default best due to the increase to dps and threat management. Take this unless you need a stun.

Operation Suggestion: Energized Project - This choice is the default best due to the increase to dps and threat management. Take this unless you need a stun.

Solo Single-Strong-Enemy Suggestion: Force Magnetism - Force Magnetism can really help a stealthy tank solo certain content faster, but for tangible combat benefits, Energized Project is a nice damage boost as well.

Multi-Enemy Solo Suggestion: Force Magnetism - Force Magnetism can really help a stealthy tank solo certain content faster, but for tangible combat benefits, Energized Project is a nice damage boost as well.

Level 39 Choice: Kinetic Ward Change

Choose from one of three ways that you want Kinetic Ward to change at level 39. Your options are Gloom Ward, Dusk Ward, and Twilight Ward.

Kinetic Ward

Erects a Kinetic Ward with 15 charges that increases your shield chance by 18% for 20 seconds. Each time you successfully shield, Kinetic Ward loses 1 charge. Does not break Stealth.

Gloom Ward

Each time you consume a charge of Kinetic Ward the cooldown of Mass Mind Control is reduced by 2 seconds. If Kinetic Ward is broken by damage it deals damage to nearby targets, generates a high amount of threat and finishes the cooldowns of Force Breach and Slow Time.

Each time you consume a charge of Kinetic Ward the cooldown of Mass Mind Control is reduced by 2 seconds. If Kinetic Ward is broken by damage it deals damage to nearby targets, generates a high amount of threat and finishes the cooldowns of Force Breach and Slow Time.

Dusk Ward

Each time you consume a charge of Kinetic Ward the cooldown of Force Cloak is reduced by 2 seconds. If Kinetic Ward is broken by damage it reduces the accuracy of all nearby enemies by 20% for 6 seconds.

Each time you consume a charge of Kinetic Ward the cooldown of Force Cloak is reduced by 2 seconds. If Kinetic Ward is broken by damage it reduces the accuracy of all nearby enemies by 20% for 6 seconds.

Twilight Ward

Each time you consume a charge of Kinetic Ward the cooldown of Force Potency is decreased by 2 seconds. If Kinetic Ward is broken by damage it grants 1 charge of Force Potency to you.

Each time you consume a charge of Kinetic Ward the cooldown of Force Potency is decreased by 2 seconds. If Kinetic Ward is broken by damage it grants 1 charge of Force Potency to you.

General Suggestion: Twilight Ward - Force Potency is absolutely the most worthwhile of your cooldowns available for reducing in this tier. Remember to keep Kinetic Ward up for this!

Level 43 Choice

Choose from one of three Shadow abilities at Level 43, you can only have one of these options at any given time. Your options as a Kinetic Combat Shadow for the Level 43 choice are Potent Defense, Battle Readiness, and Light Forces.

Potent Defense

Consuming a charge of Force Potency grants you and nearby allies Potent Defense, increasing damage reduction by 5% per stack. Potent Defense stacks up to 3 times and lasts 10 seconds.

Consuming a charge of Force Potency grants you and nearby allies Potent Defense, increasing damage reduction by 5% per stack. Potent Defense stacks up to 3 times and lasts 10 seconds.

Battle Readiness

Ready yourself with the Force, immediately restoring 15% of your max health and increasing your damage reduction by 25%. While active, Battle Readiness increases the damage of Combat Technique by 50%, the chance to trigger Combat Technique by 25%, and healing you when their effects are triggered. The triggered healing cannot occur more than once per second.

Ready yourself with the Force, immediately restoring 15% of your max health and increasing your damage reduction by 25%. While active, Battle Readiness increases the damage of Combat Technique by 50%, the chance to trigger Combat Technique by 25%, and healing you when their effects are triggered. The triggered healing cannot occur more than once per second.

Light Forces

Each time you deal damage to a target you have mind controlled you restore 2 Force and heal for 2% of your maximum health.

Each time you deal damage to a target you have mind controlled you restore 2 Force and heal for 2% of your maximum health.

General Suggestion: Battle Readiness - The other options in this tier aren't terrible for a shadow tank, but Battle Readiness is a "use it when you need it" defensive option that sees its full benefit exactly at the right times. The most important part of tanks being healable is surviving those difficult spikes of damage, so having something that helps you for a few seconds majorly instead of all the time minorly is appreciated, not to mention the personal DPS boost this choice can bring.

Level 51 Choice

Choose from one of three Shadow abilities at Level 51, you can only have one of these options at any given time. Your options as a Kinetic Combat Shadow for the Level 51 choice are Intangible Spirit, Sturdiness , and Fade.

Intangible Spirit

Reduces all damage taken while stunned by 30%.

Reduces all damage taken while stunned by 30%.

Sturdiness

Activating Deflection grants 6 seconds of immunity to stun, sleep, lift, and incapacitating effects.

Activating Deflection grants 6 seconds of immunity to stun, sleep, lift, and incapacitating effects.

Fade

Reduces the cooldown of Force Cloak by 30 seconds and extends its duration by 5 seconds.

Reduces the cooldown of Force Cloak by 30 seconds and extends its duration by 5 seconds.

General Suggestion: Fade - One of the coolest things Shadow Tanks bring to the party is a way to "cheese" mechanics by force cloaking out of the fight at the last second and immediately taunting the boss back to themselves to "dodge" an attack this way. This is an advanced skill to learn (if you don't taunt right away you may kill your companion or another player) but definitely worth it. The reduced cooldown of Force Cloak in this choice is also just a good convenience option in any mode of play, but if you don't plan on

Level 64 Choice

Choose from one of three Shadow abilities at Level 64, you can only have one of these options at any given time. Your options as a Kinetic Combat Shadow for the Level 64 choice are Kinetic Surge, Force Phase, and Lambaste.

Kinetic Surge

Increases your movement speed by 15% and your effective stealth level by 10. Activating Project, Psychokinetic Blast, or Squelch increases your movement speed by 50% for 9 seconds. This effect cannot occur more than once every 18 seconds.

Increases your movement speed by 15% and your effective stealth level by 10. Activating Project, Psychokinetic Blast, or Squelch increases your movement speed by 50% for 9 seconds. This effect cannot occur more than once every 18 seconds.

Force Phase

Force Speed and Shadow Stride grants Force Phase, removing all movement-impairing effects and granting immunity to them for 2 seconds.

Force Speed and Shadow Stride grants Force Phase, removing all movement-impairing effects and granting immunity to them for 2 seconds.

Lambaste

Increases the damage dealt by Whirling Blow by 25%.

Increases the damage dealt by Whirling Blow by 25%.

General Suggestion: Kinetic Surge - More movement speed is always great! The faster you can get from Point A (danger) to Point B (out of danger) the more delayed your initial reaction can afford to be. If in a fight where you are slowed, Force Phase may be even better.

Level 68 Choice

Choose from one of three Shadow abilities at Level 68, you can only have one of these options at any given time. Your options as a Kinetic Combat Shadow for the Level 68 choice are Cleaving Cut, Force Wave, and Force Lift.

Cleaving Cut

Strikes targets in a cone, dealing weapon damage, immobilizing targets for 2 seconds, then slowing them for an additional 6 seconds once the immobilize effect wears off.

Strikes targets in a cone, dealing weapon damage, immobilizing targets for 2 seconds, then slowing them for an additional 6 seconds once the immobilize effect wears off.

Force Wave

Deals kinetic damage and knocks back up to 8 enemies within a 15-meter cone in front of you, unbalancing them and immobilizing them for 5 seconds. Standard and weak enemies are additionally knocked down for 3 seconds. Direct damage dealt after 2 seconds ends the immobilize effect prematurely.

Pushes enemies back.

Force Lift

Lifts the target helplessly into the air, preventing all action for up to 8 seconds. Non-player, non-standard, and non-weak targets heal rapidly while lifted out of harm's way. Damage causes this effect to end prematurely and stuns the target for 2 seconds.

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.

General Suggestion: Cleaving Cut - An extra aoe attack is great news for any tank, let alone one that slows enemies and gives you a defensive buff. This should absolutely be your default for personal performance but as a tank you have more room to consider utility choices too, such as force wave to knock enemies off ledges for an instant kill or Force Lift to keep certain enemies out of a fight until the end.

Level 73 Choice

Choose from one of three Shadow abilities at Level 73, you can only have one of these options at any given time. Your options as a Kinetic Combat Shadow for the Level 73 choice are Stalker's Swiftness, Celerity, and Cloak of Resilience.

Stalker's Swiftness

Shadow Stride grants Stalker's Swiftness, allowing your next Spinning Strike to be used on any target, regardless of remaining health. Stalker's Swiftness lasts for 10 seconds. Additionally, if the target of your Shadow Stride is killed within 10 seconds of using Shadow Stride, Shadow Stride's cooldown is reset.

Shadow Stride grants Stalker's Swiftness, allowing your next Spinning Strike to be used on any target, regardless of remaining health. Stalker's Swiftness lasts for 10 seconds. Additionally, if the target of your Shadow Stride is killed within 10 seconds of using Shadow Stride, Shadow Stride's cooldown is reset.

Celerity

Reduces the cooldown of Mind Snap by 2 seconds, Force of Will by 30 seconds, and Force Speed by 5 seconds.

Reduces the cooldown of Mind Snap by 2 seconds, Force of Will by 30 seconds, and Force Speed by 5 seconds.

Cloak of Resilience

Activating Force Cloak grants 2 seconds of Resilience.

Activating Force Cloak grants 2 seconds of Resilience.

General Suggestion: Cloak of Resilience - Resilience and Force Cloak are both two very powerful moves for Shadow Tanks, so this choice is most beneficial, but if you aren't comfortable using Force Cloak as a tank yet, Celerity may be a great choice for cooldown reductions as well.

All Abilities

All your abilities for the Kinetic Combat Shadow.

LvlIconAbility
LvL1
Saber StrikeBasic Attack 4m (melee range)

Deals weapon damage spread across a flurry of 3 melee attacks.

Deals weapon damage spread across a flurry of 3 melee attacks.

LvL1
MeditationRegeneration

Allows you to pause and meditate to restore your health and Force. Cannot be used during combat.

Regain health out of battle.

LvL1
Double StrikeAttack 4m (melee range)

Strikes the target twice. Each hit deals weapon damage.

Strikes the target twice. Each hit deals weapon damage.

LvL1
Force TechniquePassive

Utilize a Force technique, giving your melee attacks a 50% chance to deal kinetic damage.

Utilize a Force technique, giving your melee attacks a 50% chance to deal kinetic damage.

LvL1
Force ValorPassive Class Buff

Increases Mastery by 5% and internal and elemental damage reduction by 10%.

Increases Mastery by 5% and internal and elemental damage reduction by 10%.

LvL1
GuardGuard 30m (long range)

While active, the guarded player takes 5% less damage and generates 25% less threat. In addition, so long as you remain within 15 meters of the guarded player, 50% of all incoming damage from enemy players is transferred back to you.

Protect another player / companion

LvL1
Kinetic BastionHidden Passive

The cooldown of Kinetic Ward is reduced by 5 seconds, the shield chance it provides is increased by an additional 3%, and shielding an attack while it is active has a 20% chance to restore a charge and increase its active duration by 1 second. In addition, Kinetic Bulwark can build 2 additional stacks.

The cooldown of Kinetic Ward is reduced by 5 seconds, the shield chance it provides is increased by an additional 3%, and shielding an attack while it is active has a 20% chance to restore a charge and increase its active duration by 1 second. In addition, Kinetic Bulwark can build 2 additional stacks.

LvL1
BombardmentHidden Passive

Project deals 20% more damage and consumes 15 less Force, and Double Strike and Whirling Blow inflict their targets with Trauma, which reduces the healing received from all sources by 20% for 6 seconds.

Project deals 20% more damage and consumes 15 less Force, and Double Strike and Whirling Blow inflict their targets with Trauma, which reduces the healing received from all sources by 20% for 6 seconds.

LvL1
ShadowsightPassive

Increases your stealth detection level by 5, defense by 2%, and shield absorption by 4%

Increases your stealth detection level by 5, defense by 2%, and shield absorption by 4%

LvL1
Mental FortitudeHidden Passive

Increases damage reduction and Endurance by 2% and allows for Spinning Kick to be used out of stealth mode. Additionally, activating Force Potency grants 30% shield absorption for 20 seconds.

Increases damage reduction and Endurance by 2% and allows for Spinning Kick to be used out of stealth mode. Additionally, activating Force Potency grants 30% shield absorption for 20 seconds.

LvL1
ElusivenessHidden Passive

Increases armor rating by 20% and damage reduction by 2%.

Increases armor rating by 20% and damage reduction by 2%.

LvL1
Deep ImpactPassive

Increases the critical strike damage dealt by Force Breach and Psychokinetic Blast by 20%.

Increases the critical strike damage dealt by Force Breach and Psychokinetic Blast by 20%.

LvL4
ProjectAttack 10m (short range)

Throws debris at the target, dealing kinetic damage. Standard and weak targets are additionally stunned for 3 seconds.

Throws debris at the target, dealing kinetic damage. Standard and weak targets are additionally stunned for 3 seconds.

LvL7
Force StunStun 10m (short range)

Deals kinetic 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.

LvL7
Whirling BlowArea Attack

Deals weapon damage to up to 8 targets within 5 meters. Requires a double-bladed lightsaber or electrostaff.

Deals weapon damage to up to 8 targets within 5 meters. Requires a double-bladed lightsaber or electrostaff.

LvL10
Mind ControlTaunt 30m (long range)

Controls the mind of the target, forcing it to attack you for 6 seconds. Player targets deal 30% less damage for 6 seconds when attacking anyone other than you.

Controls the mind of the target, forcing it to attack you for 6 seconds. Player targets deal 30% less damage for 6 seconds when attacking anyone other than you.

LvL10
StealthStealth

Enters stealth mode, increasing your stealth level by 15 and making you difficult to detect. While in stealth, movement speed is slowed by 15%. Your companion will not react to enemy attacks while in stealth. Most hostile actions prematurely end the effect. Cannot be used in combat.

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.

LvL10
Force of WillStun Break

Demonstrates your force of will, purging all incapacitating and movement-impairing effects.

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

LvL12
Shadow StrikeAttack 4m (melee range)

Deals moderate weapon damage to a single target if used from behind the target or less weapon damage otherwise. Requires a double-bladed lightsaber or electrostaff.

Deals moderate weapon damage to a single target if used from behind the target or less weapon damage otherwise. Requires a double-bladed lightsaber or electrostaff.

LvL15
Force SpeedMovement

Increases movement speed by 150% for 2 seconds. Does not break stealth.

Increases movement speed by 150% for 2 seconds. Does not break stealth.

LvL15
Force PotencyBuff

Grants 2 charges of Force Potency, which increases the Force critical chance of your direct attacks and heals by 60%. Each time a direct Force ability critically hits or each time a channeled Force ability is activated, 1 charge is consumed. Lasts 20 seconds.

Grants 2 charges of Force Potency, which increases the Force critical chance of your direct attacks and heals by 60%. Each time a direct Force ability critically hits or each time a channeled Force ability is activated, 1 charge is consumed. Lasts 20 seconds.

LvL15
Cascading DebrisAttack 10m (short range)

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. This ability can be channeled while moving.

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. This ability can be channeled while moving.

LvL15
Combat TechniquePassive

Utilize a combat technique, giving your melee attacks a 50% chance to deal internal damage and generate additional threat. Reduces all damage dealt by 10%, but increases armor rating by 150%., shield chance by 15%, threat generation by 150%, accuracy by 10%, damage reduction by 5%. Replaces Force Technique.

Utilize a combat technique, giving your melee attacks a 50% chance to deal internal damage and generate additional threat. Reduces all damage dealt by 10%, but increases armor rating by 150%., shield chance by 15%, threat generation by 150%, accuracy by 10%, damage reduction by 5%. Replaces Force Technique.

LvL19
Mind SnapInterrupt 10m (short range)

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!

LvL19
Mind MazeCrowd Control 10m (short range)

Confuses the target, leaving it bewildered and unable to act for 60 seconds. Damage will break the effect prematurely. This ability is only usable in stealth mode and cannot be used against a target in combat. Only one target can be incapacitated at any given time. Cannot be used on 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.

LvL23
Shadow's TrainingPassive

Increases your total Endurance by 3%. In addition, Saber Strike restores 1 Force each time it damages an enemy.

Increases your total Endurance by 3%. In addition, Saber Strike restores 1 Force each time it damages an enemy.

LvL23
Force BreachArea Attack 10m (short range)

Strike up to 8 nearby enemies with shattering force, dealing internal damage and generating a high amount of threat.

Strike up to 8 nearby enemies with shattering force, dealing internal damage and generating a high amount of threat.

LvL23
Chained CascadeOptional Passive Level 23 Option 1/3

Cascading Debris pummels nearby targets each time it deals damage.

Cascading Debris pummels nearby targets each time it deals damage.

Solo Single-Enemy Suggestion: If you are fighting groups of 3+ at a time (and doing solo content as a tank means you should probably pull extra) then this choice will help make it go faster. If you're doing mostly single target, Antagonizing Debris will be much stronger.

Solo Many-Enemy Suggestion: If you are fighting groups of 3+ at a time (and doing solo content as a tank means you should probably pull extra) then this choice will help make it go faster. If you're doing mostly single target, Antagonizing Debris will be much stronger.

LvL23
Antagonizing DebrisOptional Passive Level 23 Option 2/3

Increases the damage, critical hit chance, and threat generated by Cascading Debris by 10%.

Increases the damage, critical hit chance, and threat generated by Cascading Debris by 10%.

Flashpoint Suggestion: Antagonizing Debris will give the most benefit, both to threat generation and damage. If you're doing many big pulls in the flashpoint, Chained Cascade may be worth considering, but Antagonizing Debris will be best for most bosses.

Operation Suggestion: Antagonizing Debris will give the most benefit, both to threat generation and damage. If you're fine switching back and forth, you could use Chained Cascade for combat in between bosses for better AoE but stick to this for bosses.

LvL23
Kinetic CascadeOptional Passive Level 23 Option 3/3

Cascading Debris deals 20% more damage to targets you have mind controlled and restores 5 Force whenever it deals damage to them.

Cascading Debris deals 20% more damage to targets you have mind controlled and restores 5 Force whenever it deals damage to them.

LvL23
PsychokinesisPassive

The effects of your Force Breach ability are modified, and Force Breach causes its targets to become unsteady for 45 seconds. Unsteady targets have their melee and ranged accuracy reduced by 5%. In addition, Whirling Blow deals 15% more damage to Unsteady targets.

The effects of your Force Breach ability are modified, and Force Breach causes its targets to become unsteady for 45 seconds. Unsteady targets have their melee and ranged accuracy reduced by 5%. In addition, Whirling Blow deals 15% more damage to Unsteady targets.

LvL27
DeflectionDefensive

Increases your ranged and melee defenses by 50% for 12 seconds. Requires a melee weapon.

Increases your ranged and melee defenses by 50% for 12 seconds. Requires a melee weapon.

LvL27
Energized ProjectOptional Passive Level 27 Option 1/3

Project's critical hit damage is increased by 50% and dealing damage with Project extends the duration of mind control by 3 seconds to targets already affected by your mind control.

Project's critical hit damage is increased by 50% and dealing damage with Project extends the duration of mind control by 3 seconds to targets already affected by your mind control.

Flashpoint Suggestion: This choice is the default best due to the increase to dps and threat management. Take this unless you need a stun.

Operation Suggestion: This choice is the default best due to the increase to dps and threat management. Take this unless you need a stun.

LvL27
Spinning KickOptional Stun 4m (melee range) Level 27 Option 2/3

Performs a spin kick that deals kinetic damage and stuns the target for 3 seconds. Standard and weak enemies are additionally knocked down. Dealing damage with Spinning Kick increases your damage reduction by 10% for 6 seconds.

Performs a spin kick that deals kinetic damage and stuns the target for 3 seconds. Standard and weak enemies are additionally knocked down. Dealing damage with Spinning Kick increases your damage reduction by 10% for 6 seconds.

LvL27
Force MagnetismOptional Passive Level 27 Option 3/3

Force Cloak increases movement speed by 50%. Force Speed lasts 1 second longer and slows all enemies within 5 meters by 75% for 2.5 seconds when activated.

Force Cloak increases movement speed by 50%. Force Speed lasts 1 second longer and slows all enemies within 5 meters by 75% for 2.5 seconds when activated.

Solo Single-Enemy Suggestion: Force Magnetism can really help a stealthy tank solo certain content faster, but for tangible combat benefits, Energized Project is a nice damage boost as well.

Solo Many-Enemy Suggestion: Force Magnetism can really help a stealthy tank solo certain content faster, but for tangible combat benefits, Energized Project is a nice damage boost as well.

LvL31
Force CloakCombat Stealth

Uses the Force to make you vanish from sight, 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.

LvL31
Mass Mind ControlArea Taunt

Forces all enemies within 15 meters to attack you for 6 seconds. Player targets deal 30% less damage for 6 seconds when attacking anyone other than you.

Forces all enemies within 15 meters to attack you for 6 seconds. Player targets deal 30% less damage for 6 seconds when attacking anyone other than you.

LvL35
Force SlowSlow 10m (short range)

Deals kinetic damage and slows the target's movement speed by 50% for 6 seconds.

Slows slow the enemy down, making it hard for them to run away.

LvL35
Kinetic WardDefensive

Erects a Kinetic Ward with 15 charges that increases your shield chance by 18% for 20 seconds. Each time you successfully shield, Kinetic Ward loses 1 charge. Does not break Stealth.

Erects a Kinetic Ward with 15 charges that increases your shield chance by 18% for 20 seconds. Each time you successfully shield, Kinetic Ward loses 1 charge. Does not break Stealth.

LvL35
One with the ForcePassive

Increases the rate at which your Force regenerates by 30% and increases internal and elemental damage reduction by 10%.

Increases the rate at which your Force regenerates by 30% and increases internal and elemental damage reduction by 10%.

LvL39
Gloom WardOptional Passive Level 39 Option 1/3

Each time you consume a charge of Kinetic Ward the cooldown of Mass Mind Control is reduced by 2 seconds. If Kinetic Ward is broken by damage it deals damage to nearby targets, generates a high amount of threat and finishes the cooldowns of Force Breach and Slow Time.

Each time you consume a charge of Kinetic Ward the cooldown of Mass Mind Control is reduced by 2 seconds. If Kinetic Ward is broken by damage it deals damage to nearby targets, generates a high amount of threat and finishes the cooldowns of Force Breach and Slow Time.

LvL39
Dusk WardOptional Passive Level 39 Option 2/3

Each time you consume a charge of Kinetic Ward the cooldown of Force Cloak is reduced by 2 seconds. If Kinetic Ward is broken by damage it reduces the accuracy of all nearby enemies by 20% for 6 seconds.

Each time you consume a charge of Kinetic Ward the cooldown of Force Cloak is reduced by 2 seconds. If Kinetic Ward is broken by damage it reduces the accuracy of all nearby enemies by 20% for 6 seconds.

LvL39
Twilight WardOptional Passive Level 39 Option 3/3

Each time you consume a charge of Kinetic Ward the cooldown of Force Potency is decreased by 2 seconds. If Kinetic Ward is broken by damage it grants 1 charge of Force Potency to you.

Each time you consume a charge of Kinetic Ward the cooldown of Force Potency is decreased by 2 seconds. If Kinetic Ward is broken by damage it grants 1 charge of Force Potency to you.

General Suggestion: Force Potency is absolutely the most worthwhile of your cooldowns available for reducing in this tier. Remember to keep Kinetic Ward up for this!

LvL43
Force SynergyPassive

Critical hits with Force attacks increase your melee critical chance by 5% for 10 seconds.

Critical hits with Force attacks increase your melee critical chance by 5% for 10 seconds.

LvL43
Potent DefenseOptional Passive Level 43 Option 1/3

Consuming a charge of Force Potency grants you and nearby allies Potent Defense, increasing damage reduction by 5% per stack. Potent Defense stacks up to 3 times and lasts 10 seconds.

Consuming a charge of Force Potency grants you and nearby allies Potent Defense, increasing damage reduction by 5% per stack. Potent Defense stacks up to 3 times and lasts 10 seconds.

LvL43
Battle ReadinessOptional Buff Defensive Level 43 Option 2/3

Ready yourself with the Force, immediately restoring 15% of your max health and increasing your damage reduction by 25%. While active, Battle Readiness increases the damage of Combat Technique by 50%, the chance to trigger Combat Technique by 25%, and healing you when their effects are triggered. The triggered healing cannot occur more than once per second.

Ready yourself with the Force, immediately restoring 15% of your max health and increasing your damage reduction by 25%. While active, Battle Readiness increases the damage of Combat Technique by 50%, the chance to trigger Combat Technique by 25%, and healing you when their effects are triggered. The triggered healing cannot occur more than once per second.

General Suggestion: The other options in this tier aren't terrible for a shadow tank, but Battle Readiness is a "use it when you need it" defensive option that sees its full benefit exactly at the right times. The most important part of tanks being healable is surviving those difficult spikes of damage, so having something that helps you for a few seconds majorly instead of all the time minorly is appreciated, not to mention the personal DPS boost this choice can bring.

LvL43
Light ForcesOptional Passive Level 43 Option 3/3

Each time you deal damage to a target you have mind controlled you restore 2 Force and heal for 2% of your maximum health.

Each time you deal damage to a target you have mind controlled you restore 2 Force and heal for 2% of your maximum health.

LvL43
Kinetic BulwarkPassive

Consuming a charge of Kinetic Ward increases shield absorption by 1%. Stacks up to 10 times. This effect lasts for 20 seconds or until Kinetic Ward is reactivated. In addition, shielding an attack while Kinetic Ward is active has a 20% chance to restore a charge and increase its active duration by 1 second.

Consuming a charge of Kinetic Ward increases shield absorption by 1%. Stacks up to 10 times. This effect lasts for 20 seconds or until Kinetic Ward is reactivated. In addition, shielding an attack while Kinetic Ward is active has a 20% chance to restore a charge and increase its active duration by 1 second.

LvL47
Spinning StrikeAttack 4m (melee range)

Issues a subduing strike, dealing weapon damage. Only usable on targets at or below 30% max health.

Issues a subduing strike, dealing weapon damage. Only usable on targets at or below 30% max health.

LvL47
Applied ForcePassive

Increases the damage dealt by Double Strike, Whirling Blow, Clairvoyant Strike, and Serenity Strike by 5%.

Increases the damage dealt by Double Strike, Whirling Blow, Clairvoyant Strike, and Serenity Strike by 5%.

LvL47
Slow TimeArea Attack 10m (short range)

Slows the passage of time for up to 8 targets, dealing kinetic damage, slowing the movement speed of all affected targets by 30% for 10 seconds, and weakening all affected targets for 45 seconds. Weakened targets deal 5% less melee and ranged damage. Does not damage sleeping, lifted, or incapacitated enemies. This ability generates a high amount of threat.

Slows the passage of time for up to 8 targets, dealing kinetic damage, slowing the movement speed of all affected targets by 30% for 10 seconds, and weakening all affected targets for 45 seconds. Weakened targets deal 5% less melee and ranged damage. Does not damage sleeping, lifted, or incapacitated enemies. This ability generates a high amount of threat.

LvL51
ResilienceDefensive

Purges all hostile removable effects and increases your chance to resist Force and tech attacks by 200% for 3 seconds. Does not break Stealth.

Purges all hostile removable effects and increases your chance to resist Force and tech attacks by 200% for 3 seconds. Does not break Stealth.

LvL51
Intangible SpiritOptional Passive Level 51 Option 1/3

Reduces all damage taken while stunned by 30%.

Reduces all damage taken while stunned by 30%.

LvL51
Sturdiness Optional Passive Level 51 Option 2/3

Activating Deflection grants 6 seconds of immunity to stun, sleep, lift, and incapacitating effects.

Activating Deflection grants 6 seconds of immunity to stun, sleep, lift, and incapacitating effects.

LvL51
FadeOptional Passive Level 51 Option 3/3

Reduces the cooldown of Force Cloak by 30 seconds and extends its duration by 5 seconds.

Reduces the cooldown of Force Cloak by 30 seconds and extends its duration by 5 seconds.

General Suggestion: One of the coolest things Shadow Tanks bring to the party is a way to "cheese" mechanics by force cloaking out of the fight at the last second and immediately taunting the boss back to themselves to "dodge" an attack this way. This is an advanced skill to learn (if you don't taunt right away you may kill your companion or another player) but definitely worth it. The reduced cooldown of Force Cloak in this choice is also just a good convenience option in any mode of play, but if you don't plan on

LvL51
Particle AccelerationPassive

Damage dealt by Double Strike, Shadow Strike, and Whirling Blow have a 30% chance and Spinning Strike has a 100% chance to finish the cooldown on Project and make your next Project cost 15 less Force and automatically critically hit. Accelerated Projects that consume a charge of Force Potency deal an additional 50% critical damage.

Damage dealt by Double Strike, Shadow Strike, and Whirling Blow have a 30% chance and Spinning Strike has a 100% chance to finish the cooldown on Project and make your next Project cost 15 less Force and automatically critically hit. Accelerated Projects that consume a charge of Force Potency deal an additional 50% critical damage.

LvL60
Shadow StrideLeap 30m (long range)

Use the Force to weave through the shadows, appearing at your enemy target and increasing your movement speed by 75% for 3 seconds. Does not break stealth. Cannot be used against targets in cover. Requires a double-bladed lightsaber or electrostaff.

Jump to a faraway enemy.

LvL60
Force PullPull 10-30m

Uses the Force to draw the target in, instantly pulling it to your location and generating a high amount of threat. Does not work against targets in cover.

Pull an enemy to you. Doesn't work on stronger enemies.

LvL60
Double-bladed Saber TacticsPassive

Increases your melee and ranged defense by 4%. Additionally, whenever you successfully shield, parry, or deflect an attack, you recover 4% of your total Force and increase the damage dealt by your next Force Breach by 75%. This effect cannot occur more than once a second and does not stack. In addition, when you shield, parry, or deflect an attack, the active cooldown of Resilience is reduced by 1 second. This effect cannot occur more than once a second.

Increases your melee and ranged defense by 4%. Additionally, whenever you successfully shield, parry, or deflect an attack, you recover 4% of your total Force and increase the damage dealt by your next Force Breach by 75%. This effect cannot occur more than once a second and does not stack. In addition, when you shield, parry, or deflect an attack, the active cooldown of Resilience is reduced by 1 second. This effect cannot occur more than once a second.

LvL60
Rapid RecoveryHidden Passive

Increases the amount of Force recovered by Double-Bladed Saber Tactics by 100%. In addition, when you shield, parry, or deflect and attack, the active cooldown of Resilience is reduced by 1 second. This effect cannot occur more than once a second.

Increases the amount of Force recovered by Double-Bladed Saber Tactics by 100%. In addition, when you shield, parry, or deflect and attack, the active cooldown of Resilience is reduced by 1 second. This effect cannot occur more than once a second.

LvL64
Kinetic SurgeOptional Passive Level 64 Option 1/3

Increases your movement speed by 15% and your effective stealth level by 10. Activating Project, Psychokinetic Blast, or Squelch increases your movement speed by 50% for 9 seconds. This effect cannot occur more than once every 18 seconds.

Increases your movement speed by 15% and your effective stealth level by 10. Activating Project, Psychokinetic Blast, or Squelch increases your movement speed by 50% for 9 seconds. This effect cannot occur more than once every 18 seconds.

General Suggestion: More movement speed is always great! The faster you can get from Point A (danger) to Point B (out of danger) the more delayed your initial reaction can afford to be. If in a fight where you are slowed, Force Phase may be even better.

LvL64
Force PhaseOptional Passive Level 64 Option 2/3

Force Speed and Shadow Stride grants Force Phase, removing all movement-impairing effects and granting immunity to them for 2 seconds.

Force Speed and Shadow Stride grants Force Phase, removing all movement-impairing effects and granting immunity to them for 2 seconds.

LvL64
LambasteOptional Passive Level 64 Option 3/3

Increases the damage dealt by Whirling Blow by 25%.

Increases the damage dealt by Whirling Blow by 25%.

LvL68
Cleaving CutOptional Area Attacks 5m (melee range) Level 68 Option 1/3

Strikes targets in a cone, dealing weapon damage, immobilizing targets for 2 seconds, then slowing them for an additional 6 seconds once the immobilize effect wears off.

Strikes targets in a cone, dealing weapon damage, immobilizing targets for 2 seconds, then slowing them for an additional 6 seconds once the immobilize effect wears off.

General Suggestion: An extra aoe attack is great news for any tank, let alone one that slows enemies and gives you a defensive buff. This should absolutely be your default for personal performance but as a tank you have more room to consider utility choices too, such as force wave to knock enemies off ledges for an instant kill or Force Lift to keep certain enemies out of a fight until the end.

LvL68
Force WaveOptional Knockback 15m Level 68 Option 2/3

Deals kinetic damage and knocks back up to 8 enemies within a 15-meter cone in front of you, unbalancing them and immobilizing them for 5 seconds. Standard and weak enemies are additionally knocked down for 3 seconds. Direct damage dealt after 2 seconds ends the immobilize effect prematurely.

Pushes enemies back.

LvL68
Force LiftOptional Crowd Control 30m (long range) Level 68 Option 3/3

Lifts the target helplessly into the air, preventing all action for up to 8 seconds. Non-player, non-standard, and non-weak targets heal rapidly while lifted out of harm's way. Damage causes this effect to end prematurely and stuns the target for 2 seconds.

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.

LvL68
Pulsating ForcePassive

Deflection grants Pulsating Force, causing all enemies within 8 meters to deal 15% less Force and tech damage. This effect lasts for the duration of Deflection. Additionally, damage dealt by Force Breach and Slow Time is increased by 30%.

Deflection grants Pulsating Force, causing all enemies within 8 meters to deal 15% less Force and tech damage. This effect lasts for the duration of Deflection. Additionally, damage dealt by Force Breach and Slow Time is increased by 30%.

LvL73
Stalker's SwiftnessOptional Passive Level 73 Option 1/3

Shadow Stride grants Stalker's Swiftness, allowing your next Spinning Strike to be used on any target, regardless of remaining health. Stalker's Swiftness lasts for 10 seconds. Additionally, if the target of your Shadow Stride is killed within 10 seconds of using Shadow Stride, Shadow Stride's cooldown is reset.

Shadow Stride grants Stalker's Swiftness, allowing your next Spinning Strike to be used on any target, regardless of remaining health. Stalker's Swiftness lasts for 10 seconds. Additionally, if the target of your Shadow Stride is killed within 10 seconds of using Shadow Stride, Shadow Stride's cooldown is reset.

LvL73
CelerityOptional Passive Level 73 Option 2/3

Reduces the cooldown of Mind Snap by 2 seconds, Force of Will by 30 seconds, and Force Speed by 5 seconds.

Reduces the cooldown of Mind Snap by 2 seconds, Force of Will by 30 seconds, and Force Speed by 5 seconds.

LvL73
Cloak of ResilienceOptional Passive Level 73 Option 3/3

Activating Force Cloak grants 2 seconds of Resilience.

Activating Force Cloak grants 2 seconds of Resilience.

General Suggestion: Resilience and Force Cloak are both two very powerful moves for Shadow Tanks, so this choice is most beneficial, but if you aren't comfortable using Force Cloak as a tank yet, Celerity may be a great choice for cooldown reductions as well.

LvL73
Harnessed ShadowsPassive

Project and Slow Time grant Harnessed Shadows, which makes the next Cascading Debris used uninterruptable and immune to pushback. In addition, each stack increases the damage dealt by your next Cascading Debris by 15%. Stacks up to 3 times. At 3 stacks, each tick of Cascading Debris grants Shadow Protection, which increases damage reduction by 1%. Shadow Protection stacks up to 4 times and lasts 12 seconds.

Project and Slow Time grant Harnessed Shadows, which makes the next Cascading Debris used uninterruptable and immune to pushback. In addition, each stack increases the damage dealt by your next Cascading Debris by 15%. Stacks up to 3 times. At 3 stacks, each tick of Cascading Debris grants Shadow Protection, which increases damage reduction by 1%. Shadow Protection stacks up to 4 times and lasts 12 seconds.

LvL78
Shadow WrapPassive

Exiting Stealth instantly grants 4 stacks of Shadow Protection. In addition, Double Strike, Whirling Blow, Spinning Strike, and Shadow Stride grant Shadow Wrap, which makes your next Shadow Strike consume 50% less Force and deal damage as if you are behind the target regardless of your actual positioning. This effect cannot occur more than once every 10 seconds.

Exiting Stealth instantly grants 4 stacks of Shadow Protection. In addition, Double Strike, Whirling Blow, Spinning Strike, and Shadow Stride grant Shadow Wrap, which makes your next Shadow Strike consume 50% less Force and deal damage as if you are behind the target regardless of your actual positioning. This effect cannot occur more than once every 10 seconds.

Milestones

  • At Level 15 you will get your first exclusive ability only the Kinetic Combat Shadow has, it will be called Cascading Debris.
  • At Level 23 you will get to choose a way to change how Cascading Debris works from three different options. This is your first Ability Tree choice, and you can make it by pressing K on your keyboard and selecting an option from the Kinetic Combat Ability Tree on the right.
  • At Level 27 you will get your second choice between three options in your Ability Tree. These options may be useable abilities you can click, or they can be passive abilities which give you a boost to your existing abilities.
  • At Level 47 you will get your second exclusive ability only the Kinetic Combat Shadow gets, it will be called Kinetic Ward.
  • At Level 39 you will get to choose a way to change how Kinetic Ward works from three different options in your Ability Tree.
  • At Level 47 and 60 you will get your last two exclusive abilities only the Kinetic Combat Shadow has, Slow Time and Force Pull.
  • At Level 73, you will get to make an important choice between three major abilities. This is a big choice all players need to make for their character.
  • At Level 43, 51, 64, 68 you will get to make additional choices for your Shadow.
  • All of these Ability Tree choices are not permanent. You can change them any time you are not in combat and are not in a queue for Flashpoints, Operations or PvP.

Thank you...

One:

Thank you to these players who have submitted cool screenshots of their Jedi Knight characters:

@Sonji31 (Main Image), Swtorista (Knight on Tython), Swtorista (Knight with lightsaber in air), @phyreblade (Combat section), Swtorista (Sentinel), Swtorista (Watchman), Swtorista (Combat), @Drevina_Flynn (Concentration), @Lady_Alenko I think (Story), @kirkunit (Vigilance), @VirtualRambling (Defense), @AshiaSature (Focus), @underlurker (Armor & Weapons), @Lady_Alenko I think (Story), @MagSulDeruyter (Jedi vs Sith in story section), @AshiaSature (Species), @AJ_Darling (Dark Side Knight), @Lady_Alenko I think (Companions), @Lady_Alenko, @RevanchistOrdo

Thank you to these players who have submitted cool screenshots of their Jedi Consular characters:

@FibroJedi (Main Image), Swtorista, Swtorista, Swtorista, @loreleif (Togruta Shadow), @JaydenzOmega (Kinetic Combat), @MagSulDeruyter (Serenity), @celyntheraven (Infiltration), @IntisarNOR (Seer), @phyreblade (Telekinetics), @FibroJedi (Balance), Swtorista (Chiss in Story), @loreleif (Togruta Shadow again), @Kayeri (Dark-Side Consular), @MagSulDeruyter (Armor & Weapons), Swtorista (Companions shot)

Thank you to these players who have submitted cool screenshots of their Sith Warrior characters:

@travisteaspoon (Main Image), Swtorista (Throne image), @phyreblade (lightsaber raised image), @Failtasmagoria (Sith Warrior Combat), @phyreblade(Marauder), @Duccisan (Annihilation), @celyntheraven (Carnage), @SatiricalSanity (Fury), @celyntheraven (Juggernaut), @tomlewookie (Vengeance), @ecxrin (Rage), @salvador_242 (Immortal), @travisteaspoon (Light side), @tomlewookie (Armor & Weapons), @2JustinElliott (Companions), @Sanne_Leetz (Species)

Thank you to these players who have submitted cool screenshots of their Sith Inquisitor characters:

@AJ_Darling (Main Image), Swtorista (glowing purple eyes), Swtorista (lightning arms in air), @NonbinarySaru (Combat), @adsinmalgusland (Species), @travisteaspoon (Light Side), @Darth_Amarth (Armor & Weapons), Swtorista (companions), @Sutherland1P (Assassin), @Caelvin_Dulany (Deception), @Sutherland1P (Darkness), @Kagetheorc (Hatred), @scarletguard (Sorcerer), @phyreblade (Lightning), Swtorista (Corruption), @ecxrin (Madness)

Thank you to these players who helped look over the summaries for their favorite Force disciplines:

Kogass, Aflixion Starr, Helleboros, Kal at @TodayinTor, @Aylas494, @thaddrim, and Eksys

  And finally thank you to Zahk who helped type up all the 1,000+ abilities in the game for each class so we could make the summaries and the basic class guides for each discipline, and helped with testing and formatting for this page!

 

Learn Your Class
Combat StyleDisciplineRoleDisciplineCombat Style
SentinelWatchman DOT DamageAnnihilationMarauder
Combat Burst DamageCarnage
Concentration Burst DamageFury
GuardianDefenseTankImmortalJuggernaut
Vigilance DOT (AOE) DamageVengeance
Focus Burst DamageRage
ShadowKinetic CombatTankDarkness
Assassin
Infiltration Burst DamageDeception
Serenity DOT DamageHatred
SageSeer HealerCorruptionSorcerer
Telekinetics Burst DamageLightning
Balance DOT DamageMadness
VanguardShield SpecialistTankShield
Tech
Powertech
Plasmatech DOT DamagePyrotech
Tactics
Burst DamageAdvanced Prototype
CommandoCombat Medic HealerBodyguardMercenary
Gunnery Burst DamageArsenal
Assault Specialist DOT DamageInnovative Ordnance
ScoundrelSawbones HealerMedicineOperative
Scrapper Burst DamageConcealment
Ruffian DOT DamageLethality
GunslingerSharpshooter Burst DamageMarksmanshipSniper
Saboteur DOT DamageEngineering
Dirty Fighting DOT DamageVirulence
Learn Your Mirror
Combat StyleDisciplineRoleDisciplineCombat Style
VanguardShield SpecialistTankShield
Tech
Powertech
Plasmatech DamagePyrotech
Tactics
DamageAdvanced Prototype
CommandoCombat Medic HealerBodyguardMercenary
Gunnery DamageArsenal
Assault Specialist DamageInnovative Ordnance
ScoundrelSawbones HealerMedicineOperative
Scrapper DamageConcealment
Ruffian DamageLethality
GunslingerSharpshooter DamageMarksmanshipSniper
Saboteur DamageEngineering
Dirty Fighting DamageVirulence
SentinelWatchman DamageAnnihilationMarauder
Combat DamageCarnage
Concentration DamageFury
GuardianDefenseTankImmortalJuggernaut
Vigilance DamageVengeance
Focus DamageRage
ShadowKinetic CombatTankDarkness
Assassin
Infiltration DamageDeception
Serenity DamageHatred
SageSeer HealerCorruptionSorcerer
Telekinetics DamageLightning
Balance DamageMadness