BrandX

Then go scrapper!

You say not a full time tank, and you like damage...scrapper sounds the best!

Build for the best damage, build to be survivable, then since you said "not be a full time tank" grab confront (maybe when i19 arrives), so you can keep all that AV attention on you (the only thing a Scrapper may ever want to tank for their team imo...on regular missions, you just try to kill everything for them).

Personally, I went KIN/WP Stalker. But I thats because I want Reconstruction over RTTC.

I have to say, for the game to be a challenge, expect some powers the enemies use, to break the rules of the player allowed powers.

As for the enemy smokes, there are work arounds for it...like...grabbing some +Perception powers.

I thought everyone was pretty much in agreement, that this was based on teaming with, not playing the set.

As was mention, FF has lots of things going for it, for the one playing the set...freedom to use other power set, buff the team and go!

Plus you get DB's defense and mez protection. That alone can make it a worthwhile set for anyone to play.

IO'ed Willpower tends to do pretty well versus the Rularuu. I don't recall how well my DB/WP did, but I recall it not being that difficult, and my WP/EM was pretty nigh-invincible when facing them.

But that was with a lot of IOs.

Are you saying I should, or shouldn't watch the saw movies?

I'd say Infridate is skippable, but on anything else than a Defender, that's not technically true.

Snow Storm, I at least find handy for the -Fly.

I can imagine.

They can't have him miracously walking every few years.

This was early level, and I can't really comment on their playstyle with the dom (Ive teamed mostly with their scrapper).

I didn't run into that problem on my Plant/thermal, but if you're running into that problem, I guess putting it off would be the way to go if you solo.

That's what I think becomes the difference between KIN and the other Primaries.

With the other primaries, I'd save BU for when I thought I really needed it, because of it's recharge.

With KIN, you don't need to. Use BU! Use it often! At least after level 32.

With KIN you have the opportunity to have BU numbers for 30 seconds (2 Crits of CS two time in a row). I wouldn't double stack em, but once it's duration is over the first time, I hit it again.

Now theoritically you can have BU numbers even longer, I just haven't gotten more than 3 Crits off of CS in a row.

Of course with my KIN, I also tend to Placate -> Burst, so I Crit everything

Sadly, on some later level teams, it can become less of an issue with not knowing what's around the corner.

Ran a Faathim of the Kind TF today with 4 Stalkers (KIN/WP-mine, DM/WP, DM/NIN, BS/NIN), a MM (Poison), two Trollers (Mind/FF and Plant/Emp), and a Tanker (Ice/Fire).

I think the Tanker was having a hard time keeping up with the stalkers (not a bad tanker), but the stalkers where just beating her to the spawns.

I'd lead off with a Burst from Hide, while the DM/NIN's would lead off with an AS when hidden by the next spawn (the DM/NIN was never the first into the spawns, but I know the player and she tends to be a bit more cautious...and face it...Raluruu laugh at stalkers...even ones with a stealth proc and a grant invisibility empowerment buff).

So basing it off that TF, I'd say there's a lot of tactics that can work, maybe you might have to change tactics team to team.

Now that statement is true for a lot of characters, true, but it seems good advice for the stalkers too

Personally, I like to sneak in, make a ruckus then repeat (ie...run into the spawn with hide and then just scrap it out thenmove onto the next).

Something to remember though...if you're a stalker, and there's a glowie in the mission, and it's a defeat all, do not go looking for the glowie, it's a waste.

As someone who's leveled both a COLD and a RAD to 50, from personaly experience, for how a lot of teams go, COLD is better for quite a few reasons.

RAD's toggle debuffs are good, but it requires the team to pay attention a bit more, or they'll kill the target who's keeping the debuff going.

Luckily I haven't run into the problem of people thinking RAD's heal is all that (I have before), but RAD's AOE heal is rather weak, it's meant to supplement RI and EF. Both of which have don't have biggest radius, so if you're not keeping things clumped, you can have enemies outside of it.

AM is a nice buff as well

And for normal missions, I'd say that's a lot of what RAD comes down to...AM, Heal. Fighting enemies like the Cims, this changes a bit, they can still be scattered, but the target of the toggle debuffs tends to stay a round a bit longer.

Now COLD, does away with the -tohit, and buffs teammates defense instead, get an awesome END recovery powerm but I wouldn't call it all that, in that again, it's needs proper placement of the team for best results, but it's good.

The other nice things about Cold, is it's debuffs are clickies (barring one, that I personally don't tend to see needing constant use), this imo is just more fun for the player as they get time in to attack.

Now, one could say this about RAD just putting the toggles back up, but on a steamrolling team, that might be all you're doing...up BAM dead enemy...up BAM dead enemy.

This also leaves RAD's -tohit not always up, but the +DEF of COLD always up (in theory anyways...the COLD could always forget to reapply the shields).

Now, FF does have other benefits for the player. Face it, bubble and attack.

Yeah, there's Force Bubble, it has uses. I personally find it better on a team of ranged toons.

One poster said, don't worry about the complaining melee, which doesn't make since, seeing as how melee is very popular.

Now, being the TF junkie that I am, I'll gladly take either to the team (if not both), but seeing as how the question seemed more of a "one or the other" it'll go to COLD, because it delivers what I want...+Defense Sheilds, and an easier time on the AVs.

Both sets have their AOE damage power, but Sleet comes with -resist, so on a game that a lot of teams want AOE lawnmowers, how would COLD not be popular?

Sleet group, tanker/scrapper/brute shield charge in then lightning rod or whatever AOE, for even more damage!

However what I will say, is at least with a Force Field Defender ona PuG I'm more likely to believe they have the Bubbles.

Defender wise, I'm usually just suprised if I don't see a COLD with the sheilds, but it's happened a few times.

COLD Corrs I've seen skip the team shields on multiple occaissions.

When Force Fields get ported to Corrs, I think we'll see a few who skip the team bubbles.

As for those Trollers...*sigh*...more and more seem to skip the ally shields. :/

MMs...will need to do more teaming! But, they're all off soloing everything.

Obviosuly, someone hasn't seen some of the /Force Field Trollers out there.

I'd rather see a full crit on CS, not a 30% of damage crit.

The one who's player won't quit the TF or AFK half of it!