CDN_Guardian

All good points Arcana, our buffing for defence vs minions, lieutenants and bosses is par none.

Our knockback is useless in AV or GM fights; +acc powers can shred defence....

I'd just like to see another layer added to FF that can be applied in every fight. Other Defender primaries have -res, -speed, -to hit, -regen, -recharge, damage... FF gets +def and knockback. Another layer would add to what is possible for us to help the team with.

I totally agree with your point about how powerful a FF'ers buffs can be with fairly minimal power choices and slotting. This was one of the reason I loved my FF'er because I loved being able to blast so much.

However, while the design of FF lends itself to that playstyle, the design of FF also prevents us from having the defence necessary to survive that playstyle.

Edit:

This post is not endorsed by Magicj; the FF status-quo protector

Since this post has obviously gotten some attention, and even had Castle make an appearance, let's actually talk about some of the ideas for FF and ignore semantic arguments and discussions of Defender secondaries, which anyone with half a brain would know have nothing to do with the earlier discussion of FF.

I'll iterate my own thoughts on how to make FF more fun:

-Swap the values of Dispersion & Deflection/Insulation; this would keep the value of defence offered by a FF the same for the team, but increase the survivability of the FF'er.

-Make Repulsion Bomb activate more quickly, and have a higher chance to stun enemies. Dark Pit is an example of how this power could look and work, with some tweaking of the duration or endurance cost to account for the knockback

-Change Force Bubble into a -res, -speed PBAoE. This would give us a way of increasing our damage solo and on a team and I in my opinion still fit within the theme of FF.

Edit:

Forgot to add:

This post is not endorsed by Magicj; the FF status-quo protector

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Again, Force Fields works great in every AT except Defenders. It's probably not short comings in FF that are the reason for that.

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Ok, you morons have made your point; you think FF is fine and it's the Defender secondaries that are responsible for all the shortcomings some of us feel are in the set.

Yay for you, you got your point across by say it over, and over, and over.....

Now piss off so the rest of us can discuss what we would like to see changed. I'll be sure to put on the bottom of all of my posts:

"This post is not endorsed by Magicj; the FF status-quo protector"

Actually, I think I'll put you on ignore and put that on all my posts in this thread.

Now go away so this discussion can actually continue.

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If you hit 5 guys at once, you are doing 5 times as much damage as you would be hitting one guy at a time with the same attack.

Thus, bubble herding "buffs" damage output.

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Dumbest. Argument. EVER.

That is NOT a buff to damage; you are doing the same damage per target that you were doing before.

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Well, if your usual spawn has 3 baddies in it and you can herd that up to 9, it's a +200% increase in the damage your going to do using your powers. That's a pretty nice increase from a set that isn't supposed to be able to increase your damage.

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Your point is ridiculous. Any character in this game can gather a herd using toggles, PBAoEs or even just body pulling. That isn't an increase in damage; you are just doing the same amount damage to more targets than if you used your AoE's on single targets. That DOES NOT equal an increase in damage.

Seriously, you are trying to say that FF can increase your damage output because it's easy to herd with? That is one of the dumbest things I've ever read on these forums. To iterate, an increase in damage is doing more damage per target; it is NOT doing the same damge to more targets.


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Well, from what I've seen, it's the way FF is often played. Bubble players, turn on Dispersion Bubble, done. When you play that way, the only thing left to do is blast. And the blasts are wanting, IMHO.

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And what about sets that can actually add to our damage through +damage or -resistance effects? How do you consider them? Rad and Dark can both easily toggle herd, and both have -resistance powers, so according to you are they +damage squared?

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Darks and Rads are no where near as good at herding as an FF.

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Herding is herding, regardless of how easy it is, and in this game, it's all pretty easy. Toggling Rad infection on the rearmost enemy and running around a corner is hardly difficult. So what's your point? FF is fine because you find it the easiest to herd with?

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As to damage increases for Defender secondaries, my idea was to clean up some of the wierdness like mis-matched cones, and to raise the number of baddies Defender and Blasters nukes can affect to 20-24, rather than 16. I also wanted to see Defender blasts retain their relationship to Blaster blasts now that Blasters have been given a damage buff. Edit: And to lower the Endurance drain of Defender (only) nukes from 100% to 85%, to give them a chance to at least do _something_ after their nuke goes off and most baddies aren't dead.

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Good grief.

You can still do stuff after you nuke. Eat a blue and presto! You have endurance again. Especially if you're a Kin with Transference, or dipped into some of the EPP powers.

Secondly, some cones, and I believe you are referring to Dark Blast, since I remember this stupid idea from your previous troll attempts, have different purposes.

Tentacles is and immobilize and damage power. Nightfall is a damage power. Tentacles has a wider but shallower cone, hence, more enemies can be immobilized. Nightfall is deeper but narrower, so it is easier to line up who's going to get hit and gives us longer range to do the damage with.

Is it clear what I'm saying? Different size cones for different purposes.

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But FF _can_ increase your damage, at least solo, by herding. Your nuke will be a lot more effective against a herd than against 3 guys.

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Are you kidding me? This is your logic? I guess then by this asinine logic, Defenders had unlimited damage when there were no limits on the number of targets out nukes could hit. Yeah, I remember those days, we weren't allowed to use our nuke because the game would implode in a cascade of Defender damage awesomeness.

I believe PK and the rest of the people in here can see why I told you to piss off. You come into a thread to discuss changes to FF and do nothing but state that FF shouldn't be "ruined" by people like PK. I may not agree with all of PK's opinions, but this is supposed to be a constructive thread, not a debate with some close-minded peon who's afraid their favourite set might get changed.

Oh wait, we aren't even talking about Controllers! I guess that means you should get the hell out of here and let us continue to discuss how FF might be made better for Defenders.

Please, feel free to go into the Controller forums and start your own thread titled "Make Your Reasons Not to Change FF Here".

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I'd ask you to consider the idea than when FF works well when paired with everything _except_ a Defender's secondary, the problem is probably _not_ FF.

The Defender's secondary needs a buff. It doesn't offer anything I can't get in better form from other ATs that have FF.

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Oh God, piss off. Is this going to turn into another Controller > Defender rant from you? Go troll somewhere else. Really, go away.

We are obviously having a discussion about FF DEFENDERS.

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The Defender's secondary needs a buff. It doesn't offer anything I can't get in better form from other ATs that have FF.

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Yeah, yeah, yeah. Gee, what are you getting at here? FF is only available to Defenders and Controllers hero side, so you must mean there is no point to bringing a FF Defender? You made your obtuse opinion well known in the thread regarding a "Controller's weaker cousin". If you mean to turn this into another discussion of how much better you think Controllers are than Defenders then I will iterate:

Piss off. The rest of us want to continue discussing the FF set without having to beat our head against the brick wall that is your ignorance of Defenders.

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Cause I'm "special". Well, at least that's what my Mommy says.

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Hahah, she didn't make you take the short bus to school did she?

Well, since Castle has taken the time to read through this, let me toss this out even though I know it's a cottage. (I think you just came up with a new forumism Philo!)

Since about I2.. yes, I2 people! I've been advocating Force Bubble be changed to a -res, -acc, -speed PBAoE with a radius identical to Dispersion. I see that someone on the first page had a similar idea.

I've always thought this would be in-line with the FF concept, since a bubble of force, that causes enemies to push their way through, lowering their ability to defend themselves could easily be seen to fit within the FF powerset.

I recognize that Force Bubble and Repulsion Field use different mechanics, but the reality is these powers are, for the majority of time, redundant. Keep Repulsion Field for the PBAoE foe knockback power and let Force Bubble give us something to help boost team damage.

The name of the set is Force Field; not Force Defensive Field. Using powers to direct and amplify force is still within what many people would consider true to the set and the superhero genre.

Anyhoo, good job on the discussion Philo. It's been a while since we had a good FF discussion going. We've just about got the whole crew of oldtimers here again!

P.S. How did you get that spiffy forum title? I want one!

I would reduce Force Bubble's radius to be identical with Dispersion; that way you would ensure that people still receive Dispersion's benefits even when they are at the edge of Force Bubble. A -acc to those affected by the bubble or a +def bonus to the FF'er would be gravy.

Change Repulsion Bomb's animation. Make it an AoE Force Bolt.

Repulsion Field, ugh, hate this power. I guess inrease the frequency of it's pulses.

What I'd really, really like to see is a -resistance effect added to a power. Perhaps Force Bolt & Repulsion Bomb; picture knocking back a boss and then letting RB go. Everyone would be picking themselves up and have a reduced ability to resist damage. Even a 20% debuff would be good and would tie these powers together.

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Currently, our plan is to enable the Character Transfer service with no limitations. There will be no restrictions on which server you can or cannot transfer too. Of course, if you have no free character slots on a server, you will need to make room before you can transfer there.

Our main goal with the Character Transfer service is to enabler customers to play on the server they want to with the character they want to with their friends. We are sensitive to population issues and will continue to closely monitor server populations and server performance. Should transfers be seen as a contributing factor to a less than optimal gaming experience, we reserve the right to restrict transfers in the future to address such concerns


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This is a disaster waiting to happen. The Freedom server already has a "less than an optimal gaming experience" due to its population size. We've seen the overpopulation problem on Freedom during Double XP weekend when players couldn't even log onto the server. Now the reality is that every day could be like Double XP weekend on Freedom.

Is this transfer of characters without server restrictions also going to be accompanied by a server upgrade? If not, the "we'll fix it if it breaks" philosophy contradicts your claimed sensitivity to population issues, because the population size of Freedom is already a known problem. Unrestricted server transfers to Freedom will only make an existing problem much worse.

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Before you cry that the sky is falling, Chicken Little, explain to me this. How is playing a new character on Freedom any different than playing a higher level character on Freedom?

To assume that every day is going to be like Double XP Weekend is so ludicrous as to not deserve even the remotest consideration. Give me a break.

If people want to play with their friends on a server, they will do it regardless. At least with server transfers we have the option of porting over some of our characters that are in the same relative range.

Did you ever think that allowing server transfers might be a way of equalizing server populations over the long term due to people filling their slots with characters they don't wish to delete? This has already happened in some groups like Repeat Offenders which is why they run on Virtue and Freedom.

It's great for soloing. Thunderclap + Dark Pit give great damage mitigation, as does Freezing Rain + Tentacles. The only drawback is the lack of a self heal (which you could fix by grabbing Life Drain earlier) and it can burn through endurance quickly if you are spamming your AoE attacks.

How about you all shut up and contribute your guides as asked and quit with your longwinded crap about whether an official guide is needed/warranted/necessary etc....holy cow, focus people, focus!

Hmmm, I wonder. Either way, very observant of you. I completely missed that.

Thanks, glad you guys liked it!

I wanted to post this build as well, since this is how I plan on building from here on in. I've switched out some slots from O2 boost and some toggles to put towards Tornado's damage as well as fully slot Life Drain's heal.

Just a slight tweak, but fans of Tornado might like this build a little more:

---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
---------------------------------------------
Name: Blackstormer
Level: 50
Archetype: Defender
Primary: Storm Summoning
Secondary: Dark Blast
---------------------------------------------
01) --> O2 Boost==> Heal(1)
01) --> Dark Blast==> Acc(1)Dmg(3)Dmg(5)Dmg(7)EndRdx(13)Rechg(34)
02) --> Gloom==> Acc(2)Dmg(3)Dmg(5)Dmg(7)EndRdx(13)Rechg(31)
04) --> Snow Storm==> EndRdx(4)EndRdx(27)Slow(29)Slow(29)
06) --> Combat Jumping==> Jump(6)
08) --> Freezing Rain==> EndRdx(8)Rechg(9)Rechg(9)Rechg(36)DefDeBuf(36)DefDeBuf(36)
10) --> Steamy Mist==> EndRdx(10)EndRdx(11)DmgRes(11)DmgRes(15)DmgRes(15)
12) --> Hurdle==> Jump(12)
14) --> Super Jump==> Jump(14)
16) --> Tenebrous Tentacles==> Acc(16)Dmg(17)Dmg(17)Dmg(19)Range(19)Rechg(31)
18) --> Health==> Heal(18)
20) --> Stamina==> EndMod(20)EndMod(21)EndMod(21)
22) --> Night Fall==> Acc(22)Dmg(23)Dmg(23)Dmg(25)EndRdx(25)Rechg(27)
24) --> Hurricane==> EndRdx(24)TH_DeBuf(39)TH_DeBuf(39)TH_DeBuf(39)
26) --> Dark Pit==> Acc(26)DisDur(31)
28) --> Thunder Clap==> Acc(28)DisDur(33)
30) --> Acrobatics==> EndRdx(30)EndRdx(46)
32) --> Lightning Storm==> Dmg(32)Dmg(33)Dmg(33)Rechg(34)Rechg(34)EndRdx(37)
35) --> Tornado==> Rechg(35)Rechg(37)Dmg(37)Dmg(43)Dmg(43)
38) --> Blackstar==> Rechg(38)Rechg(40)Rechg(40)Dmg(40)Dmg(46)Dmg(46)
41) --> Dark Consumption==> Acc(41)Rechg(42)Rechg(42)Rechg(42)EndMod(43)
44) --> Dark Embrace==> EndRdx(44)DmgRes(45)DmgRes(45)DmgRes(45)
47) --> Soul Drain==> Acc(47)Rechg(48)Rechg(48)Rechg(48)
49) --> Life Drain==> Acc(49)Heal(50)Heal(50)Heal(50)
---------------------------------------------
41) --> Sprint==>
01) --> Brawl==> Dmg(1)
02) --> Rest==> Rechg(2)
01) --> Vigilance==> Empty(1)
---------------------------------------------

I slotted Stygian more than Dwarf solely due to the fact that I spend 90% of my time in Human form and I want that heal up as much as possible.

I use Dwarf solely to absorb alphas when Eclipse is recharging and to set up double Mire's. Occasionaly I'll use Dwarf to take out a mezzing enemy, but if my resistances are up due to Eclipse, I'll stay in human form with a Breakfree handy because my damage is better. I view Dwarf as my back-up form.

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Awesome guide, out of personal preference I chose swift instead of Hurdle, also to me it seemed somewhat redundant what with CJ and SJ

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Thank you. I went with Hurdle since it stacks with CJ to give you even more mobility in fights. Really though, it's totally a matter of personal preference. Either way works.

Thanks Tek. Glad you liked it. I'm considering trying out a Tri-Form as well, I'll let you know how it goes.

The accuracy of the Axe and Sands is identical.

Here's a link to my Human/Dwarf Warshade Guide:

CDN_Guardian's Guide to Human/Dark Dwarf Warshades

Here are my two builds. The first is the one I used up to lvl40, the second is how I plan on finishing off my character, currently lvl44.

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Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
---------------------------------------------
Name: Despotic
Level: 41
Archetype: Warshade
Primary: Umbral Blast
Secondary: Umbral Aura
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01) --> Ebon Eye==> Acc(1)Dmg(3)Dmg(5)Dmg(19)EndRdx(37)
01) --> Absorption==> DmgRes(1)
02) --> Gravity Shield==> EndRdx(2)DmgRes(3)DmgRes(5)DmgRes(17)
04) --> Orbiting Death==> EndRdx(4)Dmg(9)Dmg(9)Dmg(11)
06) --> Shadow Blast==> Acc(6)Dmg(7)Dmg(7)Dmg(15)EndRdx(17)Rechg(19)
08) --> Shadow Bolt==> Acc(8)Dmg(11)Dmg(37)Dmg(37)
10) --> Hurdle==> Jump(10)
12) --> Sunless Mire==> Acc(12)Rechg(13)Rechg(13)Rechg(15)
14) --> Health==> Heal(14)
16) --> Shadow Cloak==> EndRdx(16)
18) --> Gravity Well==> Acc(18)EndRdx(25)Rechg(25)Dmg(29)Dmg(36)Dmg(36)
20) --> Stamina==> EndMod(20)EndMod(21)EndMod(21)
22) --> Stygian Circle==> Rechg(22)Rechg(23)EndMod(23)EndRdx(34)EndMod(36)
24) --> Black Dwarf==> DmgRes(24)
26) --> Unchain Essence==> Rechg(26)Rechg(27)Rechg(27)
28) --> Gravity Emanation==> Acc(28)Rechg(31)DisDur(31)Rechg(40)
30) --> Inky Aspect==> Acc(30)DisDur(31)
32) --> Dark Extraction==> Rechg(32)Rechg(33)Rechg(33)Dmg(33)Dmg(34)Acc(34)
35) --> Quasar==> Rechg(35)
38) --> Eclipse==> Acc(38)Rechg(39)Rechg(39)Rechg(39)Acc(40)DmgRes(40)
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01) --> Sprint==> Run(1)
01) --> Brawl==>
01) --> Shadow Step==> EndRdx(1)
01) --> Dark Sustenance==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Rechg(2)
10) --> Shadow Recall==> Range(10)
---------------------------------------------
24) --> Black Dwarf Strike==> Acc(24)
24) --> Black Dwarf Smite==> Acc(24)
24) --> Black Dwarf Mire==> Acc(24)Rechg(29)
24) --> Black Dwarf Drain==> Acc(24)
24) --> Black Dwarf Step==> EndRdx(24)
24) --> Black Dwarf Antagonize==> Acc(24)
---------------------------------------------




---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
---------------------------------------------
Name: Despotic
Level: 50
Archetype: Warshade
Primary: Umbral Blast
Secondary: Umbral Aura
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Ebon Eye==> Acc(1)Dmg(3)Dmg(5)Dmg(15)EndRdx(25)
01) --> Absorption==> DmgRes(1)
02) --> Shadow Bolt==> Acc(2)Dmg(3)Dmg(5)Dmg(17)
04) --> Orbiting Death==> EndRdx(4)Dmg(9)Dmg(9)Dmg(11)
06) --> Shadow Blast==> Acc(6)Dmg(7)Dmg(7)Dmg(11)EndRdx(17)Rechg(25)
08) --> Hurdle==> Jump(8)
10) --> Starless Step==> Acc(10)
12) --> Sunless Mire==> Acc(12)Rechg(13)Rechg(13)Rechg(15)
14) --> Health==> Heal(14)
16) --> Shadow Cloak==> EndRdx(16)
18) --> Gravity Well==> Acc(18)EndRdx(19)Rechg(19)Dmg(34)Dmg(36)Dmg(36)
20) --> Stamina==> EndMod(20)EndMod(21)EndMod(21)
22) --> Stygian Circle==> Rechg(22)Rechg(23)EndMod(23)EndMod(29)EndRdx(36)Rechg(37)
24) --> Black Dwarf==> DmgRes(24)
26) --> Unchain Essence==> Rechg(26)Rechg(27)Rechg(27)Dmg(40)Dmg(43)Dmg(43)
28) --> Gravity Emanation==> Acc(28)Rechg(29)DisDur(31)Rechg(31)Rechg(45)DisDur(45)
30) --> Inky Aspect==> Acc(30)DisDur(31)
32) --> Dark Extraction==> Rechg(32)Rechg(33)Rechg(33)Dmg(33)Dmg(34)Acc(34)
35) --> Quasar==> Rechg(35)Rechg(37)Rechg(37)Dmg(42)Dmg(43)Dmg(45)
38) --> Eclipse==> Acc(38)Rechg(39)Rechg(39)Rechg(39)DmgRes(40)DmgRes(40)
41) --> Hasten==> Rechg(41)Rechg(42)Rechg(42)
44) --> Super Speed==> Run(44)
47) --> Nebulous Form==> Rechg(47)
49) --> Stygian Return==> Rechg(49)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Run(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
01) --> Shadow Step==> EndRdx(1)
01) --> Dark Sustenance==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Rechg(2)
10) --> Shadow Recall==> Range(10)
---------------------------------------------
24) --> Black Dwarf Strike==> Acc(24)Rechg(46)
24) --> Black Dwarf Smite==> Acc(24)Rechg(46)Dmg(48)Dmg(50)
24) --> Black Dwarf Mire==> Acc(24)Rechg(46)Rechg(48)Rechg(50)
24) --> Black Dwarf Drain==> Acc(24)Rechg(48)Heal(50)
24) --> Black Dwarf Step==> Range(24)
24) --> Black Dwarf Antagonize==> Acc(24)
---------------------------------------------

CDN_Guardian’s Guide to Human / Dark Dwarf Warshades

My Warshade has become one of my all-time favourite characters that I’ve had a chance to play in the past 2+ years. I remember when Kheldians were first announced; the name alone, Warshade, drew me to the AT and I’ve never been disappointed. They are definitely one of the cooler looking AT’s with the bluish-purple auras that surround us as we use our powers. Our blasts have a distinct look and we have one of the best nukes in the game.

This guide will detail how I’ve built my character and how I play him. This is in no way the defining build of a Warshade or even a Human/Dwarf Warshade. Warshades have an enormous variety of viable builds that are possible given the number of powers we have access to.

I can tell you with all honesty that this character is one of the most powerful I’ve had the chance to play.

First some information on Warshades. They are late bloomers. This is a fact, not opinion. Our best powers are not opened up until the 20’s and in some cases the late 30’s. But once you have access to those powers, you will become incredibly powerful. PvP is definitely not our forte. Some people have made it work with their builds, but given our reliance on enemies to buff ourselves, and corpses to summon our pets and heal ourselves, PvP can obviously cause some problems.

Warshades inherently have the Teleport power named Shadow Step. We also receive Shadow Recall at level 10 which is identical to Recall Friend. You will be a popular fellow in the lower levels since you can recall your teammates to the missions long before they can get a travel power. Warshades cannot access the Teleport pool (duh, why would you?) or the Flight pools. Super Speed and Super Jump are available however.

Warshades also receive an inherent power called Dark Sustenance which grants damage buffs for every Scrapper & Blaster on the team, defence buffs for every Defender & Tanker on the team and mez protection for every Controller on the team.

Warshades receive a higher max resistance cap than most AT’s. Our cap is 85% resistance to damage types.

This guide requires a respect at some point. I planned my Warshade up until 40 and respec’ed after that. If you plan on using Nova as a way of speeding up the leveling until your 20’s, you might require two respec’s.

Alright, lets start. This is how I made Despotic, my Human/Dwarf Warshade and how I plan on finishing his build.



Umbral Blast:
Umbral Blasts have the secondary effects of slowing enemies run, jump, fly and recharge by 20%. This is noticeable once you start stacking your attacks.

Shadow Bolt:
Your starting blast. You have a choice of this or Ebon Eye as your starting blast power. I went with both since I like the chain they form right away. Shadow Bolt is pretty much identical to Neutron Bolt in the Radiation Blast set. Low damage but very quick activation and recharge. This power will be a staple of our single target damage chain.

Ebon Eye:
Your other starting blast. Slower recharge than Shadow Bolt but hits a little harder. Plus, purple laser beams out of your eyes are damn cool. Again, this power will be a staple of your single target sequence.

Gravimetric Snare:
Single target immobilize. I didn’t take this as I prefer to use my range blasts. That said, taking this instead of either starting blast is viable since it actually has a higher base damage than either with similar activation and recharge numbers to Ebon Eye. I just like to shoot stuff and Shadow Bolt costs half the endurance.

Dark Nova:
The flying blaster platform. I tried this power, but I didn’t end up keeping it. It does fantastic damage but I wanted to focus on our human form since it offers some great control & buff powers later in the build. That said, if people wanted to use Nova to speed up the leveling until their 20’s, it is a viable strategy.

Shadow Blast:
Our third and strongest single target blast. This one looks pretty cool as well as it leaves a purple contrail as it flies to its target. It has a normal range. I mention this since a lot of blast sets that have a third stronger, single-target attack often have a shorter range than the other two attacks.

Starless Step:
Teleport Foe, just given another name. Good for dealing with Quantum enemies and Voids.

Sunless Mire:
This power is basically Soul Drain from the Dark Melee set. It requires a hit check, but it buffs our damage and accuracy for every foe hit. It gives around an 11% damage & accuracy buff from each foe. This is a fantastic power and will become the staple buff of your Warshade throughout his career.

Dark Detonation:
Basically Explosive Blast from the Energy Blast set. I didn’t want knockback on this character and I found the damage lacking. If you like AoE attack powers, this is one of the few human Warshades have access too.

Gravity Well:
Single target hold and also our most powerful single target attack. Use this in combination with Starless Step to take out those Quantums and Voids. As well, it will become a vital part of your single target attack chain.

Essence Drain:
Syphon Life from the Dark Melee set. With Stygian Circle, I’ve never found a need for this power, although it can be another attack or heal without needing to rely on corpses.

Gravitic Emanation:
One of our best powers. I at first underestimated how good this power is. It is a cone knockback power that also disorients. Use this power in combination with Inky Aspect to disorient entire spawns, bosses included.

Unchain Essence:
Similar to Fallout from the Radiation Blast set, but it is used on enemy corpses rather than ally corpses. It is a very powerful attack. I have mentioned our single target attack chain for three reasons, and this power is one of them. I use Gravity Well and our three blasts to kill an enemy as fast as possible. As soon as I see their endurance bar start to evaporate signaling that they are dead, I queue this power. The explosion that follows will then hit all enemies that are near. This will disorient all enemies that are hit.

Dark Extraction:
The second reason our single target attack chain is important. This is the power that allows us to summon our pets. They are purple fluffballs that follow us and blast. They do good damage and once slotted, it is possible to have two out simultaneously. This power, similar to Unchain Essence, requires a corpse to summon from. Be careful with this power. If you happen to try and summon off of a corpse that is about to expire, the power will activate but you will not receive the pet. You will then have to wait for the power to recharge. If you are unsure, wait for the next corpse.

Quasar:
Our nuke. It is the best looking nuke in the game in my opinion and after you buff yourself with Sunless Mire, you will hit your enemies hard. It also has a disorient secondary effect that is very helpful in protecting you from the survivors.



Umbral Aura:

Absorption:
Starting power we have no choice over. Gives us a natural resistance to Energy and Negative Energy.

Gravity Shield:
Toggle shield giving resistance to Smashing & Lethal attacks. I used this shield continuously until Eclipse became available at which point it felt redundant. Some people keep it in their builds to ensure their S/L resists are capped, but this build is tight for power and enhancement slots.

Orbiting Death:
Nicknamed “Orbiting Debt” by players that use it before you have the ability to handle the agro it generates. It has a larger area of effect than standard damage auras with its 20 foot radius. Used in conjunction with Inky Aspect, this power will contribute significantly to your total damage output.

Penumbral Shield:
Fire, Cold and Toxic resistance. I did not feel this power was necessary and did not fit it into my build.

Shadow Cloak:
Basically Cloak of Darkness from the Dark Armor set. Gives stealth with unsuppressed speed and a slight defence buff. It also grants a perception buff, which is handy against stealthed enemies. Don’t bother slotting for the defence buff, as it is minor, but this is a very helpful power to have. It also stacks with Super Speed or Nebulous Form to give complete invisibility.

Twilight Shield:
Energy & Negative Energy resistance shield. Again, I did not fit this power into my build.

Black Dwarf:
Our Tank form. It makes us turn into a mean looking, hazy, purplish, lobster looking creature. It is a very durable form with inherent mez protection and base resistances of 37.5% to everything except Psionic attacks. It also gives a HP boost. Dwarf form removes the benefit of the Fitness pool, as well as Dark Sustenance.

When choosing this power, it automatically gives access to the following powers:
Black Dwarf Strike: light, quick recharge melee attack
Black Dwarf Smite: stronger, slower recharging melee attack with a chance to knockdown enemies.
Black Dwarf Mire: identical to Sunless Mire from Umbral Blast
Black Dwarf Drain: identical to Essence Drain from Umbral Blast. This is the only heal available while in Dwarf form.
Black Dwarf Step: identical to Shadow Step, the inherent human form travel power.
Black Dwarf Antagonize: AoE Taunt power, good for pulling attention away from your squisher teammates.

Stygian Circle:
The third reason our single target attack chain is vital. This power allows us to siphon health and endurance out of any corpses nearby. With 3 recharge, 2 endurance modifications and 1 endurance discount, this power will be up roughly every 15 seconds and with two corpses will basically refill both your health and endurance. Many people would choose not to so heavily slot this power, but I rely on this as my only heal. I want it up as fast as possible. The health recovery is strong enough on its own not to require additional enhancements.

Nebulous Form:
Basically Phase Shift from the Concealment Power Pool but with the additional bonus of granting an enhanced jump. It does take over a second to activate, so if you plan on using it as an escape power, be aware of the situation. The power lasts 60 seconds. You can stack this with Super Speed or Shadow Cloak for complete invisibility in PvE. This is a great power to use in conjunction with Super Speed to get through tough zones. I took this power later in my build.

Inky Aspect:
Another power I underestimated when I first designed my Warshade. It is a PBAoE (Player based area of effect) aura that disorients all minions within range. Used in conjunction with Gravimetric Emanation, entire spawns, bosses included, can be disoriented. I use this power with Orbiting Death to disorient and whittle away groups of enemies while I set myself up for Sunless Mire and Eclipse.

Stygian Return:
Self rez power, similar to Soul Transfer from the Scrapper Dark Armor set. Requires an enemy nearby to fuel your rez. I have not tried this power yet and plan on grabbing it at lvl49.

Eclipse:
One of the best damn powers in the game, period. For every enemy it hits, we receive 11.25% resistance against everything for 90 seconds. That’s right, with 2 resistance SO’s and basically 5 enemies, you will have capped 85% resistances against all damage types. This is the power that causes Warshades to bloom so late in the game. This power is not available until lvl38 which means lvl40 is the quickest it can be six slotted and this power is worth those slots. You will make Tanks look bad after you use this power.



Power Pools:

Speed:
I chose Hasten and Super Speed to complement my build. Hasten helps with some of the longer recharging powers like Dark Extraction, Unchain Essence & Eclipse which you want up as much as possible. Super Speed is purely optional. I got tired of Teleporting around and took Super Speed to alleviate this as well as granting me invisibility when stacked with Shadow Cloak.

Fitness:
As I remain in human form for most of my play, I went the Sprint, Health, Stamina route. Many players find Stamina redundant with Stygian Circle, but I find if I blast continuously, Stamina’s recovery is needed.

These are the only Power Pools I felt helped round out my Warshade.



Notes on Tactics:
Warshades really shine on a team. The bigger the mobs, the more powerful our buffs. Having a Tank to hold agro really allows us to open up with our attacks.

However, I’ve found my Warshade is more than capable solo. Invincible can be difficult, as the mobs are smaller and a purple boss, with nobody to buff myself off of, can be quite difficult. I’ve found Unyielding to be the most fun.

My usual tactic is to Teleport into a group with Inky Aspect, Orbiting Death and Shadow Cloak running, click Eclipse, followed by Sunless Mire and hit a Boss or Lieutenant with my attacks until they drop. Unchain Essence will take care of most of the mob. Extract Essence to get my little buddy, and wipe up any survivors. Use Stygian circle after Unchain Essence to recover and move on to the next mob.

I often use Dwarf to herd or gather groups for Eclipse & Mire and when I am waiting for Eclipse to recharge.

Dwarf Mire + Sunless Mire + Quasar is also one of my favourite tactics.



Notes on Binds and Tray Set-Ups:
Managing all the powers a Warshade has access to can be cumbersome. I found the following binds invaluable:

/bind g “goto_tray 3$$powexec_toggleon Black Dwarf”
/bind h “goto_tray 1$$powexec_toggleoff Black Dwarf”

This allows you to change to Dwarf form with “g” and return to human form with “h”.

/bind j “team $target Incoming Teleport$$powexec_name Shadow Recall”

This allows you to teleport your teammate with “j” and alerts them a teleport is incoming

/bind shift+lbutton “powexec_name Shadow Step”

This allows you to teleport by holding down shift and left clicking. This will make traveling using Teleport much easier.

To organize my powers, I have my human blasts and my Extract powers on Tray 1. Tray 2 houses Stygian Circle, Sunless Mire and Eclipse, as well as the toggles I run in human form. Tray 3 houses my Dwarf powers. When I change into Dwarf form, Tray 3 switches into Tray 1 position and switches out when I revert to human form. See the above binds.

My toggles, Orbiting Death, Inky Aspect and Shadow Cloak I have bound to X, C, and V respectively with the “/bind x powexec_name Orbiting Death” command.



Notes on Enhancement Buying:
Hopefully you have some influence saved up on your 50, because fully slotting your Warshade with SO’s can be a very expensive process. Given the greater number of powers we have access to, our inherent powers, and additional powers granted by forms, you are looking at slotting many more powers that you had to with the other AT’s. If you don’t have a lot of excess influence, be patient using DO’s for as long as needed. There is nothing more frustrating than having a basically empty slot because your SO turned red when you leveled and you cannot afford to buy another enhancement. I don’t really have any specific advice on this, but I wanted to mention it, since I found myself in this exact position a couple times. I was too used to the cost of slotting up my lvl50 Defender, and the extra slots can really add up.

I hope this guide will help any aspiring Human/Dwarf Warshades! Good luck!

You noticed this was written in 2004 didn't you?

Wow, I remember reading this post when it was first written and saving to my HD to read at work.

Ah, memories.