_Radueriel_

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Good show, listened to it while playing tonight. My only complaint, if that, was that sometimes Cuppa became sort of hard to hear, as if she were leaning away from her mic. But other than that, it was good.

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Yeah and the lack of the people talking, like they would talk, and then it would go silent for a few seconds in my personal experience, shouldn't someone be talking (I only listened to the first little bit of it) because it was absolutely horrible. I hate listening to them. I'm not being negative either

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Man, very different than most stone builds. First off, Tough and Weave with no end rdx is gonna kill you. They have such little to add to a Stone build that they're really not needed. Granite will cap S/L with 1 RES in Stone Skin so they are not needed at all especially if you aren't going to take any other armors. I'd say to put another end rdx in Mud Pots too once again your end is gonna have problems. Also, if you're going to put that many taunt enh in taunt I'd suggest you take a few slots out of earth's embrace and put them into there for some recharge.

Basically I think you've gone the wrong direction with this build. I understand you want to be simply a defensive build but only granite builds are tough, especially with nothing but one slot in Swift. I'd think it over again.

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Post me your build

Next I will go over the basic power pools I used for this character.

Leadership
I took both Maneuvers & Tactics - for the sole purpose of extra accuracy and extra defense - and skipped every other power. You can notice this difference when you toggle them on/off when in battle, so try to keep them running whenever in a fight.

Leaping
I took leaping only because of the layouts of the zones, very hard to maneuver around with superspeed, fly is to slow, teleportation is a bad travel power (again, in my opinion). Now back to Leaping. The very first power you should take is Combat Jumping for the extra defense. When in battle, turn it on > your good to go. Hit level 14, and you got your travel power "Super Jump".

Fitness
Fitness is the main power pool that almost 99% of people take, only for stamina. You need this power when constantly summoning your pets, and running a few toggles. You can take either Hurdle or Swift, I took swift only to run a little bit faster, as well as Health for a little bit of health regeneration.

Teleportation
No travel power taken from this, but I took recall friend only because sometimes pets get stuck in certain areas of maps, or they are just way to slow. Also when in teams, you can recall your team members. That is about it for this power pool.

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While I admit the mastermind attacks aren't *great*; and you don't need them - - it should be pointed out that one can have and use them practically; and for me at least its more fun that way. Like I said; it's not *necessary*; but they can be worth having, if only for the fun factor.

There is also, one particularly practical use for them (thanks to bodyguard). If you happen to be a lazymind; leaving your pets on Defensive/Follow (Ie: Bodyguard) you can shoot the next spawn; and it'll attack you (ticking of your pets); meanwhile, you take very little damage from the incomming fire as your pets soak it up (and disperse it).

Just don't do that against AoE heavy bosses - otherwise, it works quite well and its fun to finish enemies yourself.

Anyways; just thought I'd put in a plug as to why you might want to take those powers; even if they aren't great; they're fun, have a couple niche uses ^^m worth taking if you like that style; but as you say, skippable.

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Well they may be fun to some people - that's there own choices, (not meant to be in a rude way) but those attacks are completely useless to me, there are other powers that you could use instead of choosing one of the Masterminds offensive powers. It's the users choice whether or not to use them, I just stated to me they were pointless in the higher levels.

I choose not to use them simply because of all the wonderful debuffs and things in the secondary set then wasting them on "fun powers". If you want to have fun with those powers then choose them by all means. You want to be a decent team member, Strikeforce member, ect. You want someone who knows how to build strong characters, taking those powers aren't strategic - but then again, it's up to the user. Simply my opinion

I thank you for your feedback, this is my first attempt at a "serious" guide, and I hope it does help someone figure out how to use masterminds, or help them build a solid character.

--McBean

Just made my first guide, here it is! McBeans Guide to Thug Life (Thug / Dark Mastermind Guide)

Secondary Powers

Twilight Grasp
The Villain channels negative energy through himself to a targeted foe. Twilight Grasp drains the power from that target and slowly transfer it to yourself and all allies near you. The targeted foes accuracy and damage is reduced while you and your nearby allies are healed. Twilight Grasp can only heal you and your allies as long as there is a valid target to steal power from. This power is the power that is going to keep you alive for most of your vile career. When slotted properly, you can heal up to 400 hP whenever you successful land a hit. This heal does not 100% always hit, so you can enhance with 2 Acc or 3 Acc, I made a choice of 2, and added a debuff so that when it hits an enemy, they can't hit as good as normal (good for PvP too).

Tar Patch
Drops a large patch of viscous negative energy which dramatically Slows down enemies that run through it. This power is going to be your best power, if not your most used power when it is available, this tar patch slows enemies down so that you can take them down before they even have a chance to touch you or your pets. This power also has a -res to those enemies affected within the tarpatch. Also helps your pets, team members do a bit more damage to the enemy player or mobs.

Darkest Night
While active, the Villain channels negative energy onto a targeted foe. Darkest Night decreases the damage potential of the target, and all foes near the target, as long as you keep the power active. If you have ever PVP'd alot like I have, base raids, pvp zones, arena, ect. You will know this is your most powerful secondary power you have. Select Target > Click. Your set. The target will rarely, if almost never get a single hit on you, or your pets. PVP zones, people will try to run away from you when this is cast on them because simply, they cannot hit you. Take it, slot it, enjoy it!

Howling Twilight
Activating this power channels the power of the netherworld to weaken your foes in an attempt to revive all nearby fallen allies. You must stand near your defeated allies to revive them, then select a foe. Selected foe and all foes around the target will be Slowed, Disoriented, and drained of some life. Revived allies suffer no ill effects and the more enemy foes are drained, the more your ally will be healed. Unless you team alot, which most people who I know play masterminds do, you solo alot. This power is never taken by me personally, as I never really need it, had it at one point, cast it every now and then, but got rid of it in a respec because it was not benefical to me as a mastermind.


Shadow Fall
Envelopes the Hero and all nearby teammates in a shroud of darkness. It does not make the Hero and his allies invisible, but it makes them much harder to see as long as you don't get too close or don't attack. Even if discovered, Shadow Falls grants a bonus to Defense while it reduces energy, negative energy, and psionic damage. Shadow Fall reduces the casters movement speed. A great power in my opinion, with super jump your moving fast enough to not be seen by enemies, but is really heavy on endurance - but in the end worth it. Slot with one End Red, and slot with 3 Dmg Res and you will be good to go.

Fearsome Stare
Instills tremendous Fear within a cone area in front of the caster and causes all affected targets to run away in terror. Well, this power does not make the enemies run away, but rather stand there shaking in their boots, since alot of players and mobs don't have resistances to fear, this is a great power to have on big mobs, hit fear > tar patch, and send your pets in!

Petrifying Gaze
Petrifies a single targeted foe with an terrifying gaze. The victim is held and defenseless. I would skip this power, single targeted fear isn't as good as fearsome stare, take it instead of fearsome if you want, slot them same, but I would highly suggest that you don't

Black Hole
Opens up a Black Hole that temporarily pulls all foes within the affected area into another universe. The phase shifted victims become completely intangible, are hard to see, and cannot affect or be affected by those in normal space. Easy words, just skip it.

Dark Servant
Summons a Dark Servant to your aid. The Dark Servant possesses an assortment of dark powers to weaken your foes. The summoned entity is not a willing servant, and it is only your power that partially binds it in this realm. If you considered gangwar as another pet, well consider this your 9th pet, has a few hold powers, a heal, an immobolizing power, and a fear instilling power. This is offically called my "Oh $hit button" great to have along with your others pets even if it does not stay for the lonest of time. Long recharge.

McBean's Guide to Thug Life - A Thug Mastermind Guide v1.0

Primary Powers
<ul type="square">[*]Pistols[*]Call Thugs[*]Dual Wield[*]Equip Thugs[*]Empty Clips[*]Call Enforcer[*]Gang War[*]Call Bruiser[*]Upgrade Equipment[/list]Secondary Powers
<ul type="square">[*]Twilight Grasp[*]Tar Patch[*]Darkest Night[*]Howling Twilight[*]Shadow Fall[*]Fearsome Stare[*]Petrifying Gaze[*]Black Hole[*]Dark Servant[/list]I will try to go through most of the primaries and the secondary as best as possible, give a small rating and why I have chosen certain powers over others, ect. But first, I will give you the build I -- plan to use once I get high enough to complete it. I build all my masterminds almost the same, and the end result in each of them is very pleasing.



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Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
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Name:
Level: 50
Archetype: Mastermind
Primary: Thugs
Secondary: Dark Miasma
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01) --&gt; Call Thugs==&gt; Acc(1)Acc(3)Acc(3)Dmg(5)Dmg(5)Dmg(7)
01) --&gt; Twilight Grasp==&gt; Acc(1)Acc(7)TH_DeBuf(9)Heal(9)Heal(11)Heal(11)
02) --&gt; Tar Patch==&gt; Rechg(2)Slow(36)Slow(37)Slow(37)
04) --&gt; Darkest Night==&gt; TH_DeBuf(4)TH_DeBuf(37)TH_DeBuf(39)EndRdx(39)
06) --&gt; Equip Thugs==&gt; EndRdx(6)
08) --&gt; Swift==&gt; Run(8)
10) --&gt; Combat Jumping==&gt; DefBuf(10)DefBuf(43)DefBuf(45)
12) --&gt; Call Enforcer==&gt; Acc(12)Acc(13)Acc(13)Dmg(15)Dmg(15)Dmg(17)
14) --&gt; Super Jump==&gt; Jump(14)
16) --&gt; Health==&gt; Heal(16)Heal(17)Heal(19)
18) --&gt; Gang War==&gt; Rechg(18)Rechg(19)Rechg(25)Dmg(34)Dmg(36)Dmg(36)
20) --&gt; Stamina==&gt; EndMod(20)EndMod(21)EndMod(21)
22) --&gt; Fearsome Stare==&gt; Acc(22)Fear(23)Fear(23)Fear(25)
24) --&gt; Recall Friend==&gt; EndRdx(24)
26) --&gt; Shadow Fall==&gt; EndRdx(26)DmgRes(27)DmgRes(27)DmgRes(33)
28) --&gt; Call Bruiser==&gt; Acc(28)Acc(29)DisDur(29)Dmg(31)Dmg(31)Dmg(31)
30) --&gt; Maneuvers==&gt; DefBuf(30)DefBuf(34)DefBuf(34)
32) --&gt; Upgrade Equipment==&gt; Rechg(32)Rechg(33)Rechg(33)
35) --&gt; Tactics==&gt; TH_Buf(35)TH_Buf(39)TH_Buf(40)
38) --&gt; Dark Servant==&gt; Acc(38)Acc(40)Hold(40)Immob(42)Immob(43)Fear(43)
41) --&gt; Chum Spray==&gt; Acc(41)EndRdx(42)Dmg(42)Dmg(45)Dmg(45)Rechg(46)
44) --&gt; Shark Skin==&gt; DmgRes(44)DmgRes(46)DmgRes(46)
47) --&gt; Spirit Shark Jaws==&gt; Acc(47)EndRdx(48)Hold(48)Dmg(48)
49) --&gt; School of Sharks==&gt; Acc(49)EndRdx(50)Dmg(50)Dmg(50)
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01) --&gt; Sprint==&gt; Empty(1)
01) --&gt; Brawl==&gt; Empty(1)
01) --&gt; Supremacy==&gt; Empty(1)
02) --&gt; Rest==&gt; Empty(2)
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Primary (Thugs)

Pistols
Quickly fires a round from one of your heavy automatic pistols. Damage is average, but the fire rate is very fast. I never take any of the offensive powers from the mastermind primaries - why you ask? Because the seem nice in the low levels, then they become useless in the higher levels, and use an extremely high amount of endurance. My advice, never take any offensive powers, wait till your Patron Powers for a few more powers that damage.

Call Thugs
Calls forth one to three Thugs (depending on your level) to do your bidding. The third Thug you gain will be an Arsonist. Thugs use Dual Pistols and can be taught additional pistol attacks. You may only have 3 Thugs under your control at any given time. If you attempt to call more Thugs, you can only replace the ones you have lost in battle. If you already have three, the power will fail. Recharge: Very Long. This is your very first pet power, until you get all of them your stuck with them. They get better once you get your first upgrade, and your second upgrade. Slot it like the guide above and you cannot go wrong. Take this power ASAP.

Dual Wield
Fires both pistols at once at a time target. Firing both pistols at once is slower than a single shot, but deals more damage, and the target may get knocked down by the force of the impact. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Fast. Skip these offensive powers, you can take other powers that can benefit your pets and yourself.

Equip Thugs
Equip your Thug Henchmen with better ammo, weapons and training. This power permanently bestows new weapons and abilities to one Thug Henchman. The powers gained are unique and dependent upon the target Thug Henchman. This power only works on your Thug Henchmen and you can only Equip any given Thug Henchman once. Take A.S.A.P

Empty Clips
Again, skip and offensive powers given by your primary, if you do take them you will realize it was a big mistake, you can take other powers that will help you more. Don’t take these powers.

Call Enforcer
This is where things begin to pickup, by this time you will have three pets that will be able to take down whatever comes at them (well maybe not an AV) but you get the point. A great add-on to your current pets, once you upgrade this puppy, it is very nice. This is when you can start changing mission difficulties.

Gang War
Calls a gang of 10 or so Thug Posse to come to your aid for a brief while. Posse are not like your true Henchman. They cannot be given direct commands, nor will they appear in your pet window. You must select an enemy target to attack first before calling these Thugs. Posse are many, but they are very weak, and are only equipped with the most basic weapons. Although they will follow you, they are not as loyal as your Henchmen, and they will only stick around for a few minutes before taking off. Recharge: Very Long. Some people like this power, some people don’t. I have chosen to include this into my build because all you got to do is click the main boss and WHAM, you got yourself a few more weak, but a few more pets to help you out, does not last that long, this is the reason for the three recharges and three damage enhancements.

Call Bruiser
Calls one massive Bruiser. He is strong, tough and has a mean temper. As a Brute, he will generate Fury and deal more damage the longer the combat lasts. His Super Strength powers means he favors hand-to-hand combat. He has resistance to Lethal and Smashing Damage and some resistance to Fire and Cold Damage. You may only have 1 Bruiser under your control at any given time. If you don’t take this power, you are making me wonder if you like Masterminds. See Guide for how to enhance. Take A.S.A.P and get your big toy.

Upgrade Equipment
Permanently Upgrade the most advanced ammo, weapons and training to one Thug Henchman. The Upgraded Thug will gain new powers, weapons and abilities. The powers gained are unique and dependent upon the target Thug Henchman that is Upgraded. This power only works on your Thug Henchmen and you can only Upgrade the Equipment of any given Thug Henchman once. Take A.S.A.P - your pets are full enhanced and ready to start some chaos.

I finally hit 50, here is my final build, thought maybe you could help me out to see if it is ok, 41+ powers are my own selection, but thought you could go through it - TIA.

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Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
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Name:
Level: 50
Archetype: Tanker
Primary: Stone Armor
Secondary: Stone Melee
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01) --&gt; Stone Skin==&gt; DmgRes(1)DmgRes(3)DmgRes(3)
01) --&gt; Stone Fist==&gt; Acc(1)
02) --&gt; Stone Mallet==&gt; Acc(2)EndRdx(7)Dmg(13)Dmg(15)Dmg(34)Rechg(43)
04) --&gt; Earth's Embrace==&gt; Heal(4)Heal(5)Heal(5)Rechg(7)
06) --&gt; Teleport Foe==&gt; Acc(6)
08) --&gt; Rooted==&gt; Heal(8)Heal(9)Heal(9)EndRdx(11)
10) --&gt; Heavy Mallet==&gt; Acc(10)EndRdx(11)Dmg(13)Dmg(15)Dmg(39)Rechg(39)
12) --&gt; Swift==&gt; Run(12)
14) --&gt; Teleport==&gt; EndRdx(14)
16) --&gt; Health==&gt; Heal(16)Heal(17)Heal(17)
18) --&gt; Kick==&gt; Acc(18)Dmg(19)Dmg(19)Dmg(37)
20) --&gt; Stamina==&gt; EndMod(20)EndMod(21)EndMod(21)
22) --&gt; Fault==&gt; Acc(22)Acc(23)DisDur(23)DisDur(25)EndRdx(25)Rechg(27)
24) --&gt; Tough==&gt; DmgRes(24)DmgRes(27)DmgRes(34)
26) --&gt; Weave==&gt; DefBuf(26)DefBuf(31)DefBuf(33)
28) --&gt; Mud Pots==&gt; Dmg(28)Dmg(29)Dmg(29)EndRdx(34)
30) --&gt; Taunt==&gt; Taunt(30)Taunt(31)Taunt(31)
32) --&gt; Granite Armor==&gt; DmgRes(32)DmgRes(33)DmgRes(33)EndRdx(39)DefBuf(46)
35) --&gt; Tremor==&gt; Acc(35)Dmg(36)Dmg(36)Dmg(36)EndRdx(37)Rechg(37)
38) --&gt; Seismic Smash==&gt; Acc(38)Dmg(40)Dmg(40)Dmg(40)EndRdx(42)Rechg(42)
41) --&gt; Focused Accuracy==&gt; TH_Buf(41)TH_Buf(42)TH_Buf(43)EndRdx(43)
44) --&gt; Laser Beam Eyes==&gt; Acc(44)EndRdx(45)Dmg(45)Dmg(45)Dmg(46)DefDeBuf(46)
47) --&gt; Hurl Boulder==&gt; Acc(47)EndRdx(48)Dmg(48)Dmg(48)
49) --&gt; Energy Torrent==&gt; Acc(49)EndRdx(50)Dmg(50)Dmg(50)
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01) --&gt; Sprint==&gt; EndRdx(1)
01) --&gt; Brawl==&gt; Acc(1)
01) --&gt; Gauntlet==&gt; Empty(1)
02) --&gt; Rest==&gt; Rechg(2)
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