Chaplain_EU

I am finding Ice a double edged sword in PvP.

You have 3 good single target attacks, which you mix up with holds. You can dispatch a full 5 attack burst in very quick order, and its possible to get all but Bitter Freeze Ray out of 1 Aim/BU.

The disadvantage is your range. Your highest damage attack is a close range one. Other blasters enjoy the BU/AIM snipe from safety strategy. I have to get in there and mix it up. Which is fine, because this allows me to tap into the damage potential of my secondary, Elec. Which is awesome.

I havent played with Devices. I think its an interesting pool, but i dont know if you might find it a bit fidly in RV. There is that much +perception going around, your stealth or even invis, (as i am finding) is almost useless. Meaning getting in close can be an occupational hazard. So you might find it difficult to use teh s3xy mining skills.

I am however using Fly. Most blasters have success jousting with superspeed. Get in, get out. However, your ice primary will not be sufficient to down anything other than squishies. For scrappers / tanks i have to use Havoc Punch, Charged Brawl and sometimes Thunderstrike.

I havent seen another Ice/Dev in my time in the game. Sounds like you could be unique. Be interested to know what PvP strategy you come up with!

Very nice. Do you happen to know any good guides for comic frame layouts etc? I have tried a few and they always look stupid. As in, a frame, with something in it. Static if you will.

V Nice pic.

chap.

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Fraz, I don't know what to say to that...
Thank you.

_Avernal_, Yep, swissy-nopants...

Omega_MCX, ^^ felt-tip is fun..

Sayia, I'm glad you like it!

Thank you all for your comments.

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Wow, Swissy, i checked your gallery and your site...very good stuff! You are a Pro!
I really like your colouring

C!

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Yup. Nice gallery. Like the Featured Favourite , the guy with the helmet, almost looks like Master Chief from Halo.

V Nice.

Wow. Thats truely amazing.

Im not a comic book fan really, so hopeing not to insult you, i immediately thought of Disney's Aladin when I saw your line art.

The colouring is simply superb, really great job there...

<Sulks and goes back to drawing board>

So, what to do on a business trip, far away from a PC with COH installed... Well, draw one of toons was the plan.

Here is Helana Armstrong. My Bots/TA MM.

Line Art

Fully Coloured

I havent ever done this before, but after the Bristol Comics expo, i just wanted to give it a go. So, for anyone else who wants to try, i found these links very useful! Even so, i had to sketch Helana over 12 times before a got a pose i was happy with , and her features in perspective. Still not sure about her right hand. Its supposed to be on an outstretched arm, coming towards the viewer.

http://www.steeldolphin-forums.com/h...olorpart1.html

http://www.steeldolphin-forums.com/h...olorpart2.html

TTFN.

Well, i challenge that. Pre - SL6 its going to be difficult but not impossible. In the same way i soloed my DM/EA to 6... Everyone just has to 'scrap' their own portion of mobs.

If you could devise, from teh ground up a lvl 1 8 man stalker team, how would you do it? I ask, because its something im mad keen on experiencing.

Although my experience is limited, it does seem certain powersets offer slightly differing playstyle opportunities.

if you considered a CoH archetype set up, where you have an agro taker, a nuker and a couple of boss killers, how could you do this with 8 man stalker?

Of course conventional wisdom suggests you just co-ordinate Alphas out of hide and wipe the floor with everything. However, you will always be left with bosses and a few stragglers... Who scraps them?

It might be that I am over compicating things, and that EM x 8 is the solution?

Anyhoo. My next project might be an 8 man stalker outfit, so if a decent debate can be had, and some conclusions drawn, i may actually try and find the time to set it up.

think the experience could be quite a calculating and strategic afair, which is why it appeals.

Ok, thanks for input.

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I just got my claws/nin to 38 chap so if you want to tag along and see one in action anywhere just let me know.

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Would love to, have an MM around there (ish). But im also somewhat hooked on my dark/EA at the moment. Seems to be a nice stalkerish powerset.

Add me on @Chaplain, have too much inf and nothing to do with it.

I could do with some defiant cash, but not too much, so the remaining 7M sounds fine... I'll create a holding toon on defiant.

Good work, tickled me in a Funny but True style.

Cherry is the PvP expert, i've only limited experience with nikta in pvp, but i have learnt from my experiences and my freespec will be used... promptly.In my usual unhelpful manner, ill post my own build (in copyright Chaplain - 'at work, cant use heroplanner' style.). Hope you can follow it.

CLICKY

Im going for electric APP, it fits my concept, but having PvPed with Nik a few times, I decided the immobilize would be very useful to stop my debuffs running off.

Casual observers wil note, ive not got many attacks. Well, after ED, defenders are the SUX for pvp damage, even with EF. So, the best i decided i could hope for, was a quick kill with Aim, Irradiate, Cosmic burst, Thunderstrike, Neutrino Bolt.

Also, with all my Defender PvP build, I try to get in invis and tactics before 30. Sirens call is still fun and I want these powers available. Something I havent achieved with this build, because i'd be gimped if exempt to a low level. Since Nikta needs Positron for the TF Commander badge, ill forgo tactics before 30 this time. Its still an annoyance tho.

Nikta will fly, invised above the action and swoop in on the sneaky MMs and Corrupters around the back. I'd try to take brutes down if i had more damage, but i see that unlikely.

All my attacks are short range, because the safest place for a rad is sat in amongst his debuffs. This will hurt VS AVs in RV, but well - others can do the damage for me... My debuffs are helpful enough.

So... hope you can make sense of the pic above.

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If you saw a mate who was tanking an AV and you was a brute would you take your mate out?

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Yes. I'm a villain. It's my job. And I'd expect the same from my friends.

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What Weasel said. Definately. Every time.

RV should be brutal, it should be no stop war and I really hope it turns out like than when villains get up to 50.

I was only thinking, on Tuesday, while 40 heros were mobbing the AVs, this is too easy. If there were stalkers in the mix, taking down the rads, and brutes ripping through the squishies, with bot mm's pouring on the fire from the flanks. Well... it would be a tough fight for sure. Bring it on.

hey Pvt! nice build

Im not a hugely experienced Ice Blaster, i am enjoying Joust a lot tho, and he'll definately be my next 50. RV here i come.

Anyhoo. I think its a shame you aren't taking Elec secondary. Its got some very nice PvE toys and after lvl 38 allows you to respec out of Bitter Freeze Ray when you pick up Shocking Grasp. (Bitter freeze ray animation is a really pain, starting a fight with it is a half solution, but id much rather be starting a boss fight with damage, and you wont get a perma hold on a boss cycling FR and BFR and do any decent damage at the same time.)

Also, you can replace Conserve Power with Power sink, which i find very handy. 60 Second recharge, full End bar from 3 or more minions, or 1 boss + 1 minion.

Ice storm is excellent and I cant say enough good things about this power. Its a great save your bacon power, and i find it works very very well in PvP (which i note isnt your primary concern, but it is one of mine). I use it when i have too many mobs around. I use it on the TV reactor. I use it to pull stalkers out of stealth (as it has ludicrous accuracy), i use it to protect my position when i know there is a stalker around. Sometimes i can get it off fast enough to stop my next kill from excaping. Basically i have a lot of fun with it. Havent tried it with BU+Aim yet.

Elec secondary just cant replace power boost, and boost range tho. Shame, but with ice i'd rate boost range quite low in the priority list, since 40% range increase on 'very short' isnt particularly great. Power boost however would be great for the holds tho...

hope you enjoy our ice blaster as much as i have.

Jousts is between SGs at the minute and will be my PvP toon when he hits the big 50. Might be intersted in joining the party if there is room.

Please add @chaplain to you global and ill bring Nikta if someones having a crack at this...

Omg... at work... cant concentrate...

Edit: @FFM - Should be ok on instances, villains will be racing for 50 or rolling Thugs MMs by all acount. Should be a hero fest.

Morning all,

Having earned a respec at 37 on my Ice/Elec blapper last night, I’m left with a small decision about a pvp (and pve sympathetic) build and a specific couple of powers.


1) Thunderstrike
I have never had this power on the blapper, but have limited experience with it on Chaplain (who no longer has the power).

In consultation with Tundra, I think i am convinced not to take it in the build. Owing to its long animation time, its not in keeping with the ice bolt/blast/bitter ice blast/charged brawl/havoc punch chain all of which can be dispatched in quick succession. At 38 ill be getting shocking grasp too, which I believe is also a quick fire power. I do however find that there is a hole in my attack chain at the moment, even with those 5 powers and adding in electric fence. Shocking grasp might fill that hole. Not sure.

As Joust is scheduled to be my PvP toon of choice, I wondered about the merits of thunderstrike as a shock opener, as its damage is considerable. I just wonder what people think about it in general?.


2) Mastery for PvP
I rate Joust’s strengths in his holding ability and quick attacks. Should I choose to, with my primary, secondary and a mastery, I could have 4 mag 3 single target holds. That said, I wont be doing so, as I plan to remove Bitter Freeze ray as its animation time is tedious. Instead openers with shocking grasp and freeze ray should be enough for squishies, but sadly not enough for stalkers, brutes and certain masterminds/corrupters. So I had considered taking Electrical Mastery for the single target hold, which is another quick animation I believe.

However, thinking last night, for PvP survivability I wondered whether I should consider force mastery. Is Force of Nature a PVP default choice?

3) Builds,

feel free to comment on my builds in general.

I know you all love Heroplanner, but that’s not something I can use on my breaks at work, so instead, if you want to see how my build stacks up, youll have to interpret my fairly basic spreadsheet version:

Build


Variations on the theme involve swopping out leaping for hover/flight and taking lightening clap as my 49 power.

Assistance appreciated.

I may be wrong, as i often am, but the crey pistol is an immob, and hence should not stack with the holds that trollers and co are spamming. Unless hammy has 0 immob resistance. Which for him, isnt a big deal, since he's in no hurry to go anywhere and it wont stop him using his mito spawn.

On topic, i apologise for not making this event. I remember signing up a long time ago, but out of sight, out of mind. Best to request stickies of Bridger for these events. for whats its worth, i think its wishful thinking that there is some hidden device or mechanism in the Hive.

However, thats different from trying to shake the psycological inertia of the current US derived hamidon tactic. I'm all for trying new things, but the organisation of said events is never easy.

Impromtue hami raids are the way forward. Should there not be a global channel for Hami raid organising, where the MOTD can be set to specify upcoming events? get all the major coalitions to join the channel... Just an idea.

Chap.

Ill bring Chaplain, or Nikta depending on requirements. I can lead a team if required, either hami healing or just a control group.

Chap has TK and Dominate, Nikta hasnt any holds atm, but has the obligatory s3xy debuffs... You choose.

Well, now that im back and hooked on CoH again, i was kind of hoping to relive the hamidon memories, with another raid some time. Im too rusty to remember the technique,and I know the methods have moved on. However, lag aside, the raid was fun, so if someone organises it, i will be there!

Once a month would be fine? On farm status i think he could be downed in an hour and a half or something (including forming up... )

Well, i saved myself the effort of explaining Rad at early levels, and soloed. Made possible by the mob scaling and the fact that RI/EF even with TOs made me a viable tank. Tank status is all to often removed by the 'hollow blaster' whom just nuked the anchor and suddenly the irradiate I just dropped whilst standing in the middle of a group of 7 oranges didnt seem like a good idea.

In the later game, i teamed with 2 scrappers, a couple of khelds and some good tankers. Scrappers on the whole are reliable boss killers. Alpha strikes were downing bosses pretty pronto. Blasters and kheld nukes were dispatching minions far to fast for robust anchoring. So, that left Lts. Lts are indeed the best anchor points as they are ignored until bosses are down.

Your worst enemies as a rad are knockbackers. Khelds will upset you... a lot...

Mutation, as Tundra said, has no debuff, and hasnt had for the duration i have been using it, which is since issue 3... Moooootants are special, and the buff is very nice. Just a shame those pesky empaths are always trying to rez first... grr.

Grats,

Heres to hoping i have a little more company on villains now!

Hey all,

Wonder if someone could spend a few lines eductating me about the merits, (or lack of) for a claws/nin build, both pre I7 and post I7.

As my in game mates have been hearing recently, i have a disability to play a character to which i cannot associate a good concept. As much as I know claws is at present weak, and at top end probably not the PvP monster i desire, i just cant get it out of my head.


An alternative to that, which i am thinking about, is to take SR, but only take the passives, not the toggles. (well up until the mez protection that is.) Trying to think about stalkers roles in PvP and PvE, my thoughts are in-out, no hanging about. As such i get meaty defence in hide prior to attacking, attack, and move away. With combat jumping in the build i'd be running at a lack lustre (roughly) 10% defence to ranged and melee all the time...

I just know how painful it is to run toggles in PvP...
Regards,

Paratroopers

Required Powers: Group Fly (nice to have; grant Invis)

Basically, grant invis your pets, group fly them above the battle. Wait for a suitable moment and swtich group fly off and normal fly on. Bots will drop, sure they take some damage when they hit the ground but since bots are normally avoided in PvP contest, they will no doubt be left to cause some nice PvP damage.

Group teleport

Required Powers... Duh... group teleport

Take you and you pets with you everytime you spot that tanker/scrapper/blapper closing to melee... There are no anti tele powers other than hold, so pratically you can get you and your bots out of dodge pretty quick. Also since the direction of movement isnt particularly easy to follow, youll likely get the opportunity to turn the tables, especially with ranged pets.

Big grats, was a lot of fun on derek.

To all and everyone who knows about Masterminds. I need your help.

Im shortly to roll a MM with an ingame friend as a 1-50 Duo. I want to roll something different without completely gimping myself. I have come up with the concept of Mercs or Robots with Poisons. I am not fussed about a cookie cutter, but I don’t want to be running round with a totally useless solo toon, and nor do I want to be gimped in a team.

Poisons? Well I don’t see many people using it, and certainly with its lvl 38 secondary power, poisons certainly favours melee types masterminds.

Does anyone have any experience with poisons and ‘prefer ranged’ MMs?

Although my in game friend really doesn’t like PvP, I will be PvPing and I though Poisons is probably one of the best sets for PvP, especially with a ranged primary.

Ranged Single Target Debuffs followed by an assortment of blasts from my bots/mercs = viable?

I don’t really know what I am doing, so advice is a must. I just need someone to supply me with the confidence to go ahead with the Mercs/Bots + Poisons really.

Chap.