Catharsis

@ Wilfred: I like the concept of your build; if I wanted a great attack chain, I'd play a scrapper. I have good experiences with team-oriented play, it makes me feel useful. The hero I have the most fun playing is a kin defender -- I use a buff/debuff chain, and hardly ever click an attack.

I'll probably end up with mostly the same build as you, maybe fitting in Incinerate somewhere to flesh out the attacks a bit. It's supposed to be a very effective damage dealer.

Well, you just recommended me to take defensive pool powers, so replacing FS with Boxing is exactly that, paving the way for Tough. But it eats so much End... Or should I take Combat Jumping at 6? I can't imagine that tiny defense bonus making a difference...

I'm tempted to leave Taunt out of the equation. After Invincibility, I should be an aggro magnet anyway. Before that, I don't know whether I'm even able to handle loads of aggro in the first place.

Here's another try... I know the inherent resists are rather weak powers, but something about spending half my powers on pools irks me. Thanks to the End I save by not taking Tough, I can spam more attacks...

+---------------------------------------------
+ Built with SuckerPunch's Online Planner
+ http://www.cohplanner.com
+---------------------------------------------
Name: Road Knight
Level: 47
Archetype: Tanker
Primary: Invulnerability
Secondary: Fiery Melee
+---------------------------------------------
01 => Scorch ==> Empty(1),Empty(3),Empty(7),Empty(9),Empty(33),Empty(37)
01 => Temp Invulnerability ==> Empty(1),Empty(11),Empty(13),Empty(43)
02 => Dull Pain ==> Empty(2),Empty(3),Empty(5),Empty(11)
04 => Combustion ==> Empty(4),Empty(5),Empty(7),Empty(9),Empty(33),Empty(37)
06 => Combat Jumping ==> Empty(6)
08 => Unyielding ==> Empty(8),Empty(13),Empty(39),Empty(39),Empty(43)
10 => Hurdle ==> Empty(10)
12 => Taunt ==> Empty(12)
14 => Super Jump ==> Empty(14),Empty(15),Empty(15)
16 => Health ==> Empty(16),Empty(17),Empty(17)
18 => Invincibility ==> Empty(18),Empty(19),Empty(19),Empty(46),Empty(46),Empty(46)
20 => Stamina ==> Empty(20),Empty(21),Empty(21)
22 => Resist Physical Damage ==> Empty(22),Empty(23),Empty(23)
24 => Resist Elements ==> Empty(24),Empty(25),Empty(25)
26 => Tough Hide ==> Empty(26),Empty(27),Empty(27)
28 => Fire Sword Circle ==> Empty(28),Empty(29),Empty(29),Empty(31),Empty(33),Empty(34)
30 => Resist Energies ==> Empty(30),Empty(31),Empty(31)
32 => Unstoppable ==> Empty(32),Empty(34),Empty(34)
35 => Incinerate ==> Empty(35),Empty(36),Empty(36),Empty(36),Empty(37),Empty(39)
38 => Greater Fire Sword ==> Empty(38),Empty(40),Empty(40),Empty(40),Empty(42),Empty(43)
41 => Conserve Power ==> Empty(41),Empty(42),Empty(42)
44 => Laser Beam Eyes ==> Empty(44),Empty(45),Empty(45),Empty(45)
+---------------------------------------------
01 => Sprint ==> Empty(1)
01 => Brawl ==> Empty(1)
02 => Rest ==> Empty(1)


Argh, the more I think about it, the less I can decide.

I wasn't going to get Hasten... I'm going for a jumping hero (Road Knight is wearing a trenchcoat, it just looks too cool not to take jumping), and with the temptations of the Fitness and Fighting pools, I don't feel like breaking open a fourth power pool.

Question: Should I just take Boxing to fill out my attack chain instead of Fire Sword? That would lead me to Tough with no wasted power choices... or is FS noticeably better than Boxing? Hmmm:

1: Temporary Invulnerability
1: Scorch
2: Dull Pain
4: Combustion
6: Boxing
8: Unyielding
10: Resist Physical Damage
12: Combat Jumping
14: Super Jump
16: Tough
18: Invincibility
20: Fire Breath
22: Buildup

Argh, too many choices!

EDIT: Thanks for the replies! That answers pretty much all my questions.

Hi all

While not a newbie, I am certainly not experienced either (my highest toon is 22), so I'd like some help on making my first tank before I botch him and have to reroll...

Most tanker guides I find are late-game builds with little or no indication of how to play the early levels. I, on the other hand, am chiefly interested in the early levels, because I cannot tell whether I'll take the Road Knight into the high levels. It all depends on how much fun I have with him. I expect to respec after level 22.

So here's what I imagine him to be like before the respec:

1: Temporary Invulnerability
1: Scorch
2: Dull Pain
4: Combustion
6: Fire Sword
8: Unyielding
10: Taunt
12: Combat Jumping
14: Super Jump
16: Breath of Fire
18: Invincibility
20: Resist Physical Damage
22: Buildup

In the respec, I presume I am going to toss out some stuff to make room for the Fitness tree.

I will spend the early levels in teams, but since I'm a newbie tanker, maybe I should drop Taunt and take RPD first, to avoid getting into more trouble than I can handle.

Opinions?

I can only agree on the fun inherent in Kin/. I'm only at level 11 so far, so Transfusion, Siphon Power and Siphon Speed were pretty much the only things I did apart from the occasional snipe-pull, but concentrating on buffing rather than damage-dealing was a welcome change from my other chars, and a gratifying experience at that. Slapping Siphon Speed on Sprint or Hover is very nice too, be it for crossing the Hollows or only for the wheeee! factor.

Looking forward to the high-end buffs and to speed-siphoned Fly...


Young Goddess, Kin/Psi 11, Union

I like the concept of a Storm defender, but the guides I've seen appear to agree that it takes some skill to play one effectively and team-friendlily. I'm still a noob to CoH, so would you not recommend trying out a Stormie? I'm not doing any PvP.