SWTOR Game Update 6.0 Gearing Guide

SWTOR Game Update 6.0 Gearing Guide

Here is my SWTOR Game Update 6.0 Gearing Guide. I will continue to update this Guide!

This Guide has been translated into German by Franky! You can read the Translation here – https://www.maledicta.de/portal/index.php/Guides/Swtor-6.0/Ausrustungs-guides/Ausrustungs-guide-wie-werde-ich-schnell-306.html


LAST UPDATED (5th March 2021) – General updates

Questions and Suggestions welcome!


Introduction

Welcome to my Endgame Gearing Guide. Not sure how to gear now that you’ve hit level 75? Well, check out this guide for an overview of the gearing system plus some tips and advice.

If you’re feeling completely lost, read over the Core Principles/Basics and Gearing Strategies/Tips sections first. Your primary focus, until you get to 306 Item Rating, should be on advancing your Item Rating. Ignore your stats completely to ensure a faster gearing process. Flashpoints are the fastest way to get gear.

Completing the Onslaught story does give you a full set of 268 gear (be sure to keep the green loot boxes you get while doing the story). This will give you a head start with this new gearing system.


Core Principles and Basics

Gearing in Game Update 6.0 is entirely based on your item rating. This means that the game looks at your current Item Rating to determine what Gear drops you will get from various content and purchase from RNG Vendors.

For example, if your Item Rating is 268, all gear you get from content and from vendors should be at 270 Item Rating.

All kinds of gear drops from doing pretty much any content in the game that offers rewards. Here is a list of the types of gear you can expect to get drops of

  • Unmodded gear
  • Moddable gear with mods
  • Set Bonus Armor
  • Individual modifications
    • Armorings
    • Enhancements
    • Modifications

You can divide the gearing into two systems. Horizontal Progression (increasing your Item rating to 306) and vertical progression (getting set bonuses and BiSing your 306 gear).


What is Item Rating?

Your Item Rating is the average rating of all your gear pieces. Almost all pieces of gear (with the exception of Tacticals) have an Item Rating.

To see what your Item Rating is, go to your Character Sheet. It will display it under your level.


Horizontal and Vertical Gearing Progression

You’ll come across two types of gearing progression with this new system, Horizontal and Vertical.

Vertical Progression is how gearing mainly worked in 5.0. You progress through the various tiers to get to max tier. In 6.0 while there will still be Vertical Progression, which you’ll progress through fairly quickly. Horizontal Gear Progression is where the real grind is going to be.

Horizontal Gearing refers to the new Set Bonuses, Tacticals and using Modifications ie. BiSing. There are multiple Set Bonuses and Tacticals to collect for each class.


Set Bonuses

Instead of having just one Set Bonus, per class, there are now a variety of Set Bonuses for all classes, base classes and even general ones that all classes can use.

Set Bonuses are now located on Shells instead of Armourings.

A full list of Set Bonuses and where they come from can be found here – 6.0 Set Bonuses Guide


Tacticals

Tacticals are a new item slot bring introduced to the game. Basically, these gear pieces alter existing abilities allowing players to customise their gameplay.

Tacticals are not level specific. So they can start dropping from content at any level (but probably 10+).

A full list of Set Bonuses and where they come from ca be found here – 6.0 Tactical Items Guide


Currency – Tech Fragments

Tech Fragments drop from all content. You can spend them at various types of gear vendors to supplement the gearing process. They are stored in the Currency Tab of your Inventory and are a Legacy wide currency.

All 5.0 currencies were made obsolete and turned into credits at a small conversion rate.


Deconstruction

You can deconstruct any piece of unwanted gear or modifications and get Tech Fragments as well as Jawa scrap. The new Deconstruction Window allows you to deconstruct multiple items at once.


Gearing Basics

There are two key methods for acquiring gear. Doing content and buying gear from Vendors. Both are riddled with RNG.

The fastest content to do to get gear is Flashpoints. Gear or Gear Boxes and Tech Fragments to spend at vendors drop from all content. Unwanted Gear can be deconstructed for Tech Fragments.


Personal versus Group Loot

In PvE content, you will get separate Personal loot and Group loot drops.

Personal loot is a guaranteed off of almost every boss you kill (whether a Flashpoint or Operation) and it is (mostly) tailored to your discipline.

Group loot is generally tailored to the classes in the group and does not drop off of every boss. The harder the content, the more likely you are to get group loot drops. When group loot does drop, it functions the same as it did in 5.0. You will get the option to roll on it or you can master loot it (Operations only).


All Gear is Bind on Legacy

Every single Armour Shell, Modification, Enhancement, Armouring, Relic, Implants and Earpieces are Bind on Legacy. This allows you to freely move any piece of gear or modification you like between your alts.


Loot Discipline

You can set your Loot Disipliine by right-clicking on your character portrait. This will allow you to get gear for your preferred spec (eg. get Healing/Tank Gear while specced as a DPS).

SWTOR Game Update 6.0 Gearing Guide - Loot Discipline
Play What you Want – The Reality

The developers leading up to 6.0 insisted that you could play however you want to get gear with this new system. Realistically, you can not play whatever content you want with this system. To gear faster, you are forced to do the content that drops the gear you want. Flashpoints also remain the fastest way to level up your Item Rating. Be sure to research where the Set Bonuses and Tacticals you want come from. See links above for my Set Bonus and Tactical Lists/Guides which include sources.


Advancing Through the Tiers – Vertical Progression

Vertical Gearing Progression should move at a pretty fast pace. Your aim should be to get to 306 Item Rating as soon as possible (see Gearing Strategies and Tips section below).

Here’s out it works. If you are at item rating 270 (meaning at least 11/14 of your gear pieces are rated 270), you will start getting 272 gear drops from content and from vendors. This will also allow you to upgrade any piece that isn’t 270 to 272. Once 11/14 of your gear pieces are 272, you will be considered at 272 Item Rating and you will start getting 274 gear drop.

You should not receive any gear piece or modification that is below your item rating as you’re progressing through the tiers. Note, when you get to 306 Item Rating, you will get 300-304 drops as well as 306 drops.

Here is a table showing all the Tiers of gear.

SWTOR Game Update 6.0 Gearing Guide - Vertical Gear Progression Tiers

For the most part, you will only need 11/14 pieces of gear at the same Item Rating or higher to be considered that Tier (eg. 11/14 gear pieces 274 to be considered a 274 Item Rating). At some tiers, however, you may need 12/14 pieces of gear to get that Item Rating.

Reminder – progressing through the tiers goes by relatively fast especially if you focus on your Item Rating and completely ignore the stats in your gear.


BiSing – Horizontal Progression

Once you get to 306 Item Rating your horizontal gearing journey truly begins. While you may end up with a couple of the key gear pieces you need while vertically progressing, given the nature of RNG, you won’t end up with a full kit. So the real gearing journey begins once you hit 306 Item Rating.

To improve your chances of getting the Set Bonuses and Tacticals you want, you will need to focus on doing the content that they drop from so you at least get a chance of getting them rather than entirely relying on buying them from the vendors. This way you can be earning Tech Fragments from the content and from Deconstructing gear so you can buy your remaining pieces to fill in the gaps.

Given the number of individual items, you will need to acquire, not just gear itself but also the modifications. It is a time-consuming, grindy process.


Primary Sources – Content

Doing any content that gives you rewards via missions or just boss drops, will give you plenty of gear drops.


PvP

For PvPers, gear comes from a couple of sources. From completing Ranked and Unranked Dailies and Weeklies and from completing ranked and unranked matches.

You also earn Tech Fragments from completing matches. The amount you get varies depending on the match type and if you win or lose.

  • Regular Warzone Win – 25 Tech Fragments
  • Regular Warzone Loss – 10 Tech Fragements

The Dailies and Weeklies reward PvP Equipment Crates (which drop gear pieces and modifications) and Tech Fragments.

Warzone Daily
Warzone Weekly
Solo Ranked Daily
Solo Ranked Weekly
Group Ranked Daily
Group Ranked Weekly

Completing a match also rewards you with a crate which can contain either gear pieces and/or modifications.

  • Unranked Win – Premium Warzone Crate
  • Unranked Loss – Standard Warzone Crate

Operations

Every operation boss should at least drop personal loot and is highly likely to drop group loot. The harder the content, the better the quality the loot will be and the more likely you are to get Set Bonus pieces or Tacticals drop.

Tech Fragments also drop off of each boss. However, for everyone to get their full allocated share, everyone MUST loot the Boss. Everyone will get a share of the tech fragments irrespective of the number of people in the instance. This means you can, for example, 6 man an Operation and the same amount of Tech Fragments will drop per boss regardless. The important thing is that everyone in the group loots the bosses.


Flashpoints

Every boss should drop personal and possibly group loot. The more difficult the content, the more likely there is to be group loot.

Tech Fragments also drop off of each boss. The amount that drops per boss is not consistent even within a single Flashpoint instance. For example, one boss may drop 50, the next boss 30 or 20 etc.

However, for everyone to get their full allocated share, everyone MUST loot the Boss. Everyone will get a share of the tech fragments irrespective of the number of people in the instance. You can 3-man a flashpoint and the same amount of Tech Fragments will drop per boss regardless. The important thing is that everyone in the group loots the bosses.

The Flashpoint Weeklies reward Flashpoint Equipment Crates and Tech Fragments.

Veteran Flashpoint Weekly
Master Flashpoint Weekly

Conquest

Completing Personal and Guild Conquest threshold Goals will reward you with Equipment Crates that will drop gear.

For Personal Conquest, you do not need to be in a Guild and you will get the rewards as soon as you get 50k Conquest Point. However, you have to be in a Guild to get Guild Conquest Rewards and these are rewarded weekly at Conquest Reset every Tuesday (US/EU).

Remember to qualify for Guild Rewards, you have to reach your Personal Conquest Target and your Guild has to reach it’s Yield Target.

REWARDS – POINTS CRATE SIZE TECH FRAGMENTS
Personal Rewards – 50kSmall Conquest Equipment Crate100
Small Yield – 500kSmall Conquest Equipment Crate300
Medium Yield – 2 millionMedium Conquest Equipment Crate400
Large Yield- 5 millionLarge Conquest Equipment Crate500

You will also gain useful crafting materials from Guild Conquest Rewards.


Crafting

There are select Set Bonuses and Tacticals available exclusively through crafting. Each base class has at one Set Bonus that’s crafted. Each advanced class has own Tactical that can only be gained through Crafting.

  • Set Bonuses
    • Force Bound (Sith Warrior) – Synthweaving
    • Controller (Sith Inquisitor) – Synthweaving
    • Escape Artist (Imperial Agent) – Armourmech
    • Woad’s Instinct (Bounty Hunter) – Armourmech
  • Tacticals
    • Grit Teeth – Juggernaut
    • Undying Cloak – Marauder
    • Jerra’s Persistence – Assassin
    • Cleanse of Agony – Sorcerer
    • Combat Medic Training – Operative
    • Technical Debt – Sniper
    • Missile Blastback – Mercenary
    • Neural Trigger – Powertech

Supplementary Sources

Here are some additional sources of getting gear and Tech Fragments.

Renown

Renown is replacing Galactic Command and will be an entirely supplementary source of gear. Every renown level you earn, you will get a Renown Cache (Crate) and 100 Tech Fragments.

Renown is static at 160,000 Renown XP per level.

Preferred Status players at level 75 will still earn Renown XP but at a 25% rate.

  • All players have been set to Renown Rank 0.
  • Players will be able to start earning Renown XP beginning at character level 75.

Pro-tip – Do not disintegrate any gear you get from Renown Caches. Claim the gear then deconstruct it for Tech Fragments if you don’t need the gear!


Vendors

There are a couple of different Vendors to spend your Tech Fragments at. They are located in the Supplies section of your Factions Fleet..

Spoils of War Vendor

This Vendor sells RNG lockboxes for various gear slots and modifications. The gear and modifications that drop from the boxes are based on your Discipline and Item Rating.

  • Imperial – Takanna
  • Republic – Nitoo
Kai Zykken

Kai is a weekend only vendor (like Xur in Destiny). He will appear with a limited number of random items direct to buy each week. The mods you get in the gear purchased is based on your current Item Rating.

He is accessible from Thursday till Monday.

Set Bonus and Tactical Vendors

These vendors sell almost all Set Bonus Shells and Tacticals directly, without modifications in them. The Shells cost Tech Fragments and Credits.

There are a total of four Vendors that sell Set Bonuses and Tacticals based on Base Class. Each vendor also sells the generic Set Bonuses and Tacticals.

The only Set Bonuses and Tacticals not available from these Vendors come from the new Dxun Operation, Corellia Flashpoint, Onderon Reputation Vendor or are Crafted.

Onderon Reputation Vendor

The Onderon Reputation Vendor exclusively sells a couple of Tacticals and a Set Bonus (all general sets).

  • A Breath of Fresh Air Tactical
  • Biorhythm Tactical
  • Dying Precision Set Bonus
Galactic Command Light and Dark Side Vendors

The Light Side and Dark Side Token Vendors on the Supplies section of your Factions Fleet now sell a Weekly Equipment Crate for 100 Light/Dark SideTokens.

  • Galactic Command Dark Side Vendor – Lord Majzon
  • Galactic Command Light Side Vendor – Lord Aayu

The Weekly Equipment Crate gives you 400 Tech Fragments and a few pieces of gear/modifications.


Stats

Here is the basic stats info. Keep in mind it’s always better to go above these numbers if you’re attempting to BIS.

For Tank Stats, see this thread on the SWTOR Forums – http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=970879

DPS Stats

  • Accuracy – 1,590 (110%)
  • 1.4 GCD Alacrity – 1,216*
  • Critical Rating – 3,200+

Healer Stats

  • 1.3 GCD Alacrity – 3,208
  • Critical Rating – 2,670

*Exceptions – Carnage Marauder & Arsenal Mercenary 1.4 GCD is 663 Alacrity, Lightning Sorcerer 1.3 GCD is 1,895 Alacrity.

If your Guild is using the Zeal Set Bonus Perk that gives you an additional 5% Alacrity, then the value changes. The perk does not apply to Master Mode Operations or PvP.

  • Alacrity with Guild Perk (1.3 GCD) – 1895

When choosing which Alacrity threshold to go for, it really comes down to your class and personal preference/playstyle. Healers easily have the stat budget to go for the 1.3 GCD Alacrity threshold. For PvP DPS, it’s better to go for the 1.4 GCD (keeping in mind the guild perk doesn’t apply to PvP) then put the rest into Crit.

To get perfect 1,216 Alacrity, use two Nimble 80R-19 Enhancements and four Alacrity Augment 74’s.

BiS Modifications are the ones with the highest stat pools. See links below for specifics.

Additional Info and Links


PvP Bolster

How does Bolster work in PvP?

In instanced ground PvP scenarios, players are bolstered to 306 Item Rating.

Mastery and Endurance are entirely static and do not change at all no matter how you change around your modifications and gear*. Power and Tertiary stats, on the other hand, do vary depending on your gear.

*The exception to this is the Focused Retribution Relic which, when procced, will increase your Mastery (temporarily).

Therefore BiSing in PvP is as simple as:

  • Using high Power Mods
  • Using high tertiary stat, low endurance enhancements
  • Unranked – Devastating Vengeance (Crit) or Focused Retribution (Mastery) and Serendipitous Assault (Power) Relics
  • Ranked – Focused Retribution (Mastery) and Serendipitous Assault (Power) Relics

Honestly, there is little need to worry about Armourings with this Bolster. Just focus on getting your Tertiary stats right, then switching your Mods to high Power ones. Using a Focused Retribution Relic is a must for Ranked PvP but for Unranked PvP comes down to personal preference.


Gearing Strategies and Tips

Here are a couple of my tips and strategies on how to make the most of this gearing system.


Focus entirely on your Item Rating until you are full 306

This new gearing system does not allow room for proper BiSing of your stats while progressing through the gear tiers, at all. It will slow the gearing process down significantly if you BiS as you go.

It is far more optimal to just focus on getting to 306 item rating as fast as possible. This means ignoring your stats (to an extent) and wearing sub-optimal gear. If you get a Resistive Armouring or anything with high endurance and low tertiary stats, just use it, it won’t hurt to use it temporarily. Use unmoddable gear drops you get from content to prop your Item Rating up.

Progressing through the gear tiers goes by really fast if you just wear whatever gear you get. When 11-12/14 pieces are the same item rating, you will start getting drops from the next tier.

Once you get to full 306 Item Rating, then you can begin the long arduous BiSing process.


Spend Tech Fragments minimally until you’re 306

Only spend Tech Fragments to fill in gaps so you can progress through the tiers faster. Otherwise, just save your Tech Fragments for BiSing and buying Set Bonuses and Tacticals once you’re at 306.


Plan ahead – focus on content that drops the Set Bonuses/Tacticals you  want

Determine what gear sets you want to get and where they come from. Then, focus on that content even when progressing through the tiers. Once a Set Bonus piece drops, you can keep it and just upgrade the modifications.


Get a Generic Set at 306 for your Alts

Once you get one character decently established at 306 Item Rating, as in well on the path to BiSing, put together a 306 set for your alts to utilise. Whether a generic Set Bonus or just a Set of basic unmodded 306 gear, this will be invaluable to your alts. This will mean they can skip the vertical gear progression grind entirely and go straight into horizontal progression on your alts.


Thank you for reading this guide! If you have any questions, please let me know.

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