Circuit_Boy
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Posts
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Joined
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In actual practice, you won't use Spore Burst much. It's not non-aggro, like Mind Control's sleep power, so you can't use it to pacify foes lest one of your team members wanders too close to them.
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I find them largely just an annoyance in that I have to stand around and wait for them to return to defeat them.
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If the whole spawn's asleep, why even bother with +Defense at all?
Amplify at 49? And only two slotted?
And Build-Up only one-and-a-half slotted for Recharge, the other part doing ToHit Buff (when most people are well over the ToHit Cap anyway)? Seriously?
Does anyone look at City of Data anymore, or do you just let Mids do all the deciding for you?
(shakes his head and walks out of the thread, muttering "...this explains the PUGs I've been on lately...") -
Quote:That wouldn't be a function of the Purple Patch. Per ParagonWiki, Archvillains are resistant to -RunSpeed, -Recharge, -Endurance, -ToHit, -Defense, -Perception, -Regeneration, and -Recovery.Originally Posted by tarrantm
I'd like to know the answer to this as well since I was also under the impression that non-enhanceable debuffs like the -damage debuffs were unaffected by the purple patch. I remember reading it in some Kinetics guide which argued for always taking Siphon Power because the -20% damage stayed as is against AVs and stacked with the -20% damage debuff from Fulcrum Shift. For the life of me, I can't find that guide anymore.
That's a matter of AV inherent resistance.
Just as a total aside, I don't see how it could at all be worthwhile to fight +4s, being stripped down to 48% effectiveness on Damage, Debuffs, Mezz Duration, etc. Doing 80% of baseline against +2s is one thing, but being busted down to less than half damage means it's going to take twice as long to actually kill something. -
Quote:Originally Posted by seebs
Is that with just plain tactics or some slotting in it? I seem to recall MMs get a sorta weak buff from tactics.Code:
Assuming Level+2 Foes to Player ToHit Chart: Level+4: 39% ToHit -- Tier1 Level+3: 48% ToHit -- Tier2 Level+2: 56% ToHit -- Tier3 Level+1: 65% ToHit Level+/-0: 75% ToHit Supremacy: +10% ToHit Tactics: +7.5% ToHit Tactics (3-Slotted SOs): +11.7% ToHIt 1 SO Acc = 1.33 Accuracy Modifier 2 SO Acc = 1.67 Accuracy Modifier 3 SO Acc = 1.965 Accuracy Modifier Player Level+2 Foes = Tier1 Level+4 Foes Tier1 (3 Acc) = 96.29% [CAPPED] Tier1 (2 Acc) = 81.83% Tier1 (2 Acc + Tactics) = 94.36% Tier1 (2 Acc + 3-slotted Tactics) = 101.37% [CAPPED] Player Level+2 Foes = Tier2 Level+3 Foes Tier2 (2 Acc) = 96.86% [CAPPED] Tier2 (1 Acc) = 77.14% Tier2 (1 Acc + Tactics) = 87.12% Tier2 (1 Acc + 3-slotted Tactics) = 92.7% Player Level+2 Foes = Tier2 Level+2 Foes Tier3 (2 Acc) = 110.22% [CAPPED] Tier3 (1 Acc) = 87.78% Tier3 (1 Acc + Tactics) = 97.76% [CAPPED] Tier3 (1 Acc + 3-slotted Tactics) = 103.34% [CAPPED]
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Quote:This is going to be highly-dependent on whether or not you take Tactics--for a Mastermind, Tactics is kind of a game-changer.Originally Posted by Nalrok_AthZim
But because they con lower than you (save for the top tier) it's better to have more accuracy, especially when dealing with higher-level spawns.
3 slots only for Demonlings, or am I misconstruing your post? All of the enhancements I use (in the order I've used them as per my previous post) are level 35 IO's.
I ran the numbers years ago just to figure out the slotting for my Necro / Dark Mastermind, but the numbers are the same for all Masterminds.
Without Tactics, you want 3 SOs' worth of Accuracy in Tier1 and 2 SOs' worth of Accuracy in Tier2 and Tier3 pets.
With Tactics (slotted), you can drop one SOs' worth of Accuracy: 2 SOs' worth in Tier1, and 1 SO's worth in Tier2 and Tier3.
Combined with the Supremacy inherent, that'll bring your pets' ToHit checks to close to 95% vs. +2 foes and lower. -
Quote:I wasn't saying that to say you're wrong or anything. It's just the way the power's configured, that's all. You should take it--seriously. You will use it. It just won't be up all the time, and even if you have it on maximum Recharge (which is sensible), you still need a dead pet to make it work. A dead pet which, with Necro / Dark, you can't generate on your own.Originally Posted by ChaosAngelGeno
.....LOL
It's never easy is it? I fight for build tooth and nail, I cave in just little bit to masses and I still don't get what I want. LOL.
Awww....screw it. I half heartily apologize, I appreciate all the input...
But now its staying the way it is!....LOL.
However, it's a good summon. It's got a medium-damage single target hold (Necroplasmic Grasp), Life Drain, Ghastly Blast (a version of Dark Blast), and Phase Shift. The strength of these powers is determined by the pet you used to summon the Ghost, i.e. a Wraith summoned by using a Lich is stronger (and has more hit points) than a Spirit summoned by using a Zombie. It also has resistance to Smashing, Lethal, Cold, Negative Energy, and Toxic damage. -
Necromancy / Dark Miasma - Miss Havisham (from Charles Dickens's Great Expectations--only in this version, she didn't die. Instead, she's a revenant, bent on revenge against men.)
Bridesmaids (Zombies): Jane (Eyre, from Jane Eyre), Catherine (Earnshaw, from Wuthering Heights), and Bertha (Antoinetta Mason, from Jane Eyre).
Groomsmen (Grave Knights): Heathcliff (from Wuthering Heights) and (Edward Fairfax) Rochester (from Jane Eyre)
Maid of Honor: Estella (Havisham, from Great Expectations)
Groom (Dark Servant--officially unnamed, but referred to): Compeyson (from Great Expectations)
Can you tell I'm a Victorianist? -
That was my point. You can't do that. You used to be able to, but you can't any more.
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Don't focus much on Recharge on Soul Extraction. You need a dead pet for it. You used to be able to dismiss a pet and it would count (people usually dismissed the lich, then used Soul Extraction on it), but it hasn't since I started my Necro / Dark years ago. Unless you've got a pet dying every 5 minutes, you probably don't need it up that often. (And, IMHO, if you've got a pet dying every 5 minutes routinely, you need to reconsider basic field tactics.)
I think what I'd do is use your secondary build and experiment with it, probably with SOs before committing to anything.
I've found that even with the extra +Defense and +Damage Resistance from the Unique SOs, my pets are still... well, far too flammable. No other kind of damage much matters (and Smashing / Negative Energy / Energy / Psionics make me snicker).
This is my current build:
Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.707
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Miss Havisham: Level 50 Magic Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Necromancy
Secondary Power Set: Dark Miasma
Power Pool: Teleportation
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery
Villain Profile:
Level 1: Zombie Horde- (A) Accuracy IO
- (3) Accuracy IO
- (3) Damage Increase IO
- (5) Damage Increase IO
- (5) Damage Increase IO
- (7) Edict of the Master - Defense Bonus
- (A) Accuracy IO
- (7) Healing IO
- (9) Healing IO
- (11) Healing IO
- (19) Recharge Reduction IO
- (21) Recharge Reduction IO
- (A) Recharge Reduction IO
- (9) Recharge Reduction IO
- (11) Recharge Reduction IO
- (50) Slow IO
- (A) To Hit Debuff IO
- (21) To Hit Debuff IO
- (33) To Hit Debuff IO
- (A) Endurance Reduction IO
- (A) Endurance Reduction IO
- (A) Disorient Duration IO
- (36) Disorient Duration IO
- (36) Disorient Duration IO
- (37) Recharge Reduction IO
- (37) Recharge Reduction IO
- (37) Recharge Reduction IO
- (A) Accuracy IO
- (13) Damage Increase IO
- (13) Damage Increase IO
- (15) Damage Increase IO
- (15) Soulbound Allegiance - Chance for Build Up
- (17) Sovereign Right - Resistance Bonus
- (A) Jaunt - Endurance/Range
- (A) Resist Damage IO
- (17) Resist Damage IO
- (19) Resist Damage IO
- (A) Run Speed IO
- (A) Healing IO
- (A) Endurance Modification IO
- (23) Endurance Modification IO
- (23) Endurance Modification IO
- (A) Accuracy IO
- (25) Damage Increase IO
- (25) Damage Increase IO
- (31) Damage Increase IO
- (31) Recharge Reduction IO
- (33) Recharge Reduction IO
- (A) Accuracy IO
- (27) Damage Increase IO
- (27) Damage Increase IO
- (29) Damage Increase IO
- (29) To Hit Debuff IO
- (31) To Hit Debuff IO
- (A) Accuracy IO
- (33) Fear Duration IO
- (34) Fear Duration IO
- (34) Fear Duration IO
- (34) Recharge Reduction IO
- (36) Recharge Reduction IO
- (A) Endurance Reduction IO
- (46) Endurance Reduction IO
- (A) Endurance Reduction IO
- (A) To Hit Buff IO
- (40) To Hit Buff IO
- (43) To Hit Buff IO
- (50) Endurance Reduction IO
- (50) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up
- (A) Accuracy IO
- (39) To Hit Debuff IO
- (39) To Hit Debuff IO
- (39) To Hit Debuff IO
- (40) Recharge Reduction IO
- (40) Recharge Reduction IO
- (A) Accuracy IO
- (42) Damage Increase IO
- (42) Damage Increase IO
- (42) Damage Increase IO
- (43) Range IO
- (43) Range IO
- (A) Accuracy IO
- (45) Damage Increase IO
- (45) Damage Increase IO
- (45) Damage Increase IO
- (46) Range IO
- (46) Range IO
- (A) Accuracy IO
- (48) Disorient Duration IO
- (48) Disorient Duration IO
- (48) Disorient Duration IO
- (A) Defense Buff IO
Level 1: Brawl- (A) Accuracy IO
- (A) Run Speed IO
- (A) Recharge Reduction IO
Level 6: Ninja Run
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The "Pink Triangles of Death" are Mag100 protection.
A single player cannot get around them. When they're down, an AV (or an Elite Boss) simply has boss-level (Mag3) mezz protection. In other words, two Holds or a single stacked Hold will affect them when the PTODs drop.
I'm not saying you should drop those yourself. It's a viable strategy against bosses, non-resistant EBs, and AVs when the PTODs are down (which isn't nearly enough). But you can't direct your Lich's or your Dark Servant's Petrifying Gaze. If all you have left is the AV, it'll target those, sure, but even with them and your own Petrifying Gaze and Soul Storm, you're talking Mag12 total. Even if you could somehow pull off a Power Boost (or use Megalomaniac), you're talking Mag18. You'll be Mag82 short. When the PTODs drop, your own Holds will do the trick, even just Petrifying Gaze cycled if you've got enough Hold Duration (maxed) and Recharge (maxed) on it.
Wyatt_Earp is right that -ToHit Debuff is affected by the Purple Patch (so, for example, it's at 80% effectiveness against +2s). Also, several of these powers (not Chill of the Night or Darkest Night, but Fearsome Gaze, Tenebrous Tentacles, and Torrent) require ToHit checks themselves, so it's not a sure thing, by any means.
...I also just noticed you don't have Fearsome Stare... Your choice, but it comes with an enormous cone (70', 30 degree), an -11.25% ToHit Debuff (slottable to -17.55, a difference of -6.4%), and it can hit 16 foes (an entire spawn). Furthermore, the Fear effect--even if you don't slot for Fear Duration--puts minions and lieutenants out of commission unless and until they take damage.
As much as it galls me to say this sometimes, in matters regarding math, number theory, and game mechanics, Arcanaville is never wrong (seriously, it's irritating. How can a human being be so right so much?). Check out her Guide to Defense. It includes everything you want to know about the Accuracy equation, and then some. -
You can defend your use of Accuracy / ToHit bonuses all you want, but you're fighting against a ToHit equation that renders that defense completely illogical.
There's an upper ToHit cap of 95%, and also an upper Accuracy cap of 95%.
The equation looks like this: [Base ToHit + ToHit Buff - ToHit Debuff - (Foe Defense - Foe Defense Debuff) ] * Accuracy Modifier. The result inside the brackets is capped at 95%, and the end result is similarly capped at 95%.
With only two Accuracy SOs (or an Accuracy Modifier of 1.67), against +2s, you'll be at 93.33% ToHit.
In other words, as long as you've got at least 1.67 Accuracy or higher in a basic 1.0 Accuracy Modifier power, all that extra Accuracy is wasted on +1s and lower, and virtually wasted on +2s. With two common Accuracy IOs or the equivalent (1.70+ Accuracy Modifier), you'd be at the ToHit Cap on +2s, too.
Having Tactics renders all the +Accuracy Bonuses you have completely useless. I have Tactics, too--it's not a bad idea, because it relieves the amount of Accuracy you need to have on your pets (2 for the Zombies, 1 for the Grave Knights, Lich, Soul Extraction, and Dark Servant) to be capped or close to capped (within 2%) on +2s and higher. But it really does render all that +Accuracy from Set IO Bonuses completely moot. Against +2s and lower, you're probably at the ToHit Cap anyway, and with Tactics (especially slotted), that's certainly the case.
The problem with your Hold strategy is that you cannot control what Dark Servant decides to Hold. Normally, I'd agree that single-stacking Holds is a great idea. However, Dark Servant's -ToHit Debuff is so massive--and it has so many powers with -ToHit Debuff--that it can virtually crush your foes to their 5% ToHit Floor almost by itself, slotted correctly. Since you can't control what it decides to use Petrifying Gaze on--it might be a minion, it might be the unholdable Elite Boss or Night Widow--it's just not a good hold-stacking strategy. Better to use your own Petrifying Gaze & Soul Storm, because you can control what they hit (though I skipped both--against my squad, even +2 bosses don't live long enough for Hold-stacking to be relevant).
Frankly, you may not feel "gimped", but my Necromancy / Dark Mastermind is an absolute monster against +2s, using just SOs, common IOs, and well-chosen (and admittedly expensive) Uniques / Procs. The Grave Knights are like a wall of blades, and nothing can touch her or her pets due to the massive amounts of -ToHit Debuff flying around.
Seriously, you're letting Mids build for you, rather than taking a close look at the game mechanics and playing to your own strengths, building Set IOs around those strengths. Instead, you've traded -17% ToHit Debuff that affects your whole team and all of your pets for 2% Defense that affects only you.
You said "every bonus is good". That's the problem with a lot of players' thinking lately. Every bonus is NOT necessarily good. If you're trading off a power's basic function, or some really strong secondary effect to chase a 1% Accuracy Bonus, that's not a wise trade-off. If you're skipping a great power, such as Howling Twilight, to take a Power Pool Power of dubious necessity and value, such as Challenge, to hang a 2.75% Terrorize Resist on it, you haven't done yourself any favors. -
This is one case (of several) where chasing after tiny Set IO bonuses has basically gimped a build.
Collectively, Necromancy's pets do a massive -ToHit Debuff, and that's actually more valuable than any +1.88% Fire Defense a Set IO bonus might give you. On a Mastermind, virtually all of the +Damage Set IO bonuses are a complete and utter waste, because they don't transfer to your pets. Same with the global Accuracy buff. Furthermore, -ToHit Debuff protects your pets--the +Defense from Set IO bonuses does not. My Lich is slotted 1 Acc / 3 Damage / 2 -ToHit Debuff, because every power it has except Petrifying Gaze does damage (usually AoE) and -ToHit Debuff. Three of those are wide AOE cones, meaning its -ToHit Debuff spreads out over several foes. For example, my Lich's Torrent does -13.66% ToHit Debuff over 10 foes, up from -9.38%, a difference of -4.28%. Same with Tenebrous Tentacles. Its Fearsome Gaze is at -27.32%, up from -18.75%, a difference of -8.57% ToHit Debuff over ten foes. You might as well call that a +Defense Buff for the entire Team and all of your pets, because the upshot is the same.
Challenge? I understand the tactic, but visual aggro is enough. And furthermore, I find that setting the Grave Knights in Aggressive while leaving the rest in Defensive gives my entire horde an opportunity to hit an entire spawn with their AOEs.
I certainly wouldn't skip Soul Extraction on Necro / Dark for any reason whatsoever. Another pet, another source of damage and -ToHit Debuff, and another target for your foes.
And you skipped Howling Twilight? It's a very solid solo power, and it's a >GREAT< team power. It may very well be the best ally-rez in the game, and it's quite probably the best AOE hard mezz available to Masterminds, too. Slot for Stun Duration and Recharge.
The Pet Set IOs are... meh. On Necro, you can do better. Since Necro pets don't use much Endurance, the EndRed on those is next to worthless. No +Chance for Build-Up? Have you seen the damage a Grave Knight can do with a critted Headsplitter that's under the effect of its own self-generated Build-Up?
And Basilisk's Gaze in Dark Servant? It has exactly one single-target Hold power, while it has four -ToHit Debuff powers (three of them Area of Effect -ToHit Debuff). I have mine slotted 1 Acc / 3 ToHit Debuff / 2 Recharge. That sets the -ToHit Debuff on Chill of the Night at -47.23% (alone, from -30%; a difference of -17.23%). Its Darkest Night is -23.62% (from -15%--a difference of -8.62%). Its Tenebrous Tentacles are -7.87%, up -2.87%. As before, you might as well call that a +Defense Buff, not just to you, but to your entire team and all of your pets. You get a lot more bang for your buck with extra -ToHit Debuff than an extra 14.38 second hold duration on a single Mag3 target (lieutenant or lower).
The 3.75% Defense of Shadow Fall isn't worth slotting. Fully slotted, you're talking 5.85%--a gain of 2.85% Defense. Not exactly a big deal, especially if your pets are crushing your foes' ToHit to 5% anyway.
I'd seriously reconsider that build.
Monstrofo, the pet summoned by Soul Extraction self-destructs after five minutes. Even with just very basic Recharge slotting (and without Hasten), it should be up often enough. Things are best if your pets aren't dying every five minutes anyway.
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Just to defend Electric...
The secondary is quite potent, if you're intelligent and know how to leverage it correctly. In fact, there are two secondaries: Endurance Drain, and -Recovery. The first is strong enough, but leveraging the second is where the potency of the set comes into play. If players' only familiarity with Endurance Drain comes from Kinetics or Electric Melee, then it's no wonder they think it's "meh". Both Transfusion and Transference lack the -Recovery Debuff.
Allow me to explain. Tesla Cage, Short Circuit and Thunderous Blast each have a 100% chance of adding a 100% -Recovery Debuff effect to the foes they hit. This effect is actually enhanceable (though in PvE, that doesn't matter much except against foes higher level, and even then, not a whole lot). That means they won't gain any Endurance back while the -Recovery Debuff is in effect. Short Circuit also drains 35% Endurance (enhanceable out to about 68.78%), and Thunderous Blast drains 55% Endurance (enhanceable out to about 108.08%).
If you just use Tesla Cage on a foe--even if it's unholdable--your other blasts will still nickel and dime their Endurance by 7-15% while the -Recovery Debuff effect is going on. This adds up faster than you'd think, especially as they burn their own Endurance. I used the tactic against the Shivan Elite Boss in the Ouroboros missions, holding it to 0% Endurance with just Charged Bolts, Lightning Bolt, and Tesla Cage for the rest of the fight after I got it there. No Short Circuit, no Power Boost, and no Power Sink.
Furthermore, Electric's secondary effect of Endurance Drain / -Recovery is one of the only ones available to Blasters that can completely shut down a Boss, at least if you know what you're doing. You might take the Alpha strike, but every Blaster will--even Ice's -Recharge doesn't stop the Alpha strike, and in fact, it won't stop the Beta strike, either. Electric's -Endurance Drain / -Recovery can stop the Beta. It can stop the Gamma, too, and the Delta, etc. on through to the Omega.
Even further, regarding Electric's "single-target" damage, it's actually on par with Energy's. I ran those numbers years ago. Everyone else who's done it ignores Voltaic Sentinel. That's like saying you're going to look at Fire, but strip out Fire Breath from the equation. When you add it into the equation, Electric and Energy are roughly on par with one another in terms of single-target damage. With IOs, Defiance 2.0, and +Damage Buffs (outside the Pet Damage IO: Chance for Build-Up) not affecting Volty, the edge there probably goes to Energy, but not in any huge way.
In terms of AoE damage, both Electric and Energy surpass Ice by a country mile. I ran those numbers, too. When looking at AoE damage, most people only focus on the per-target damage. This is a mistake, because the point of AoE damage is to do more actual damage across as many foes as you possibly can so that it doesn't have to be done one-by-one. Ice kept up to Energy and Electric up to about 11 foes, but after that (i.e., a full 8 person group), it lagged significantly behind because it's up-front AoE only hits 10 targets and its other AoE takes a while to deliver its damage and it's on a much longer recharge timer. Electric actually has two 16-target AoEs (Ball Lightning and Short Circuit) outside its nuke, compared to Energy, which has one 16-target AoE and one 10-target AoE (and that's ignoring Energy's potential to knock its own foes out of its follow-up AoE path or time considered lining up the cone). While Energy Torrent delivers more damage to the foes it hits than Short Circuit does, it hits 6 fewer, which wound up putting them about on par with one another at about 12 foes, and meaning Electric does more actual AoE damage than Energy after that. If you consider knockback and lining up cones, I'd have to say Electric's AoEs are superior to Energy's, at least on a full team.
And before someone protests, "You have to pick Damage or Endurance Drain for Short Circuit!!! You can't claim it's both a drain power and an AoE power!!!!!!11!!!111!!!111!!!toyota prius!!!!11!!!1!!!!", I respectfully submit the following:
1 Nucleolus Exposure (Accuracy/Damage HO) / 1 Multi-Strike (Damage/Recharge IO) / 1 Scirrocco's Dervish (Damage/Recharge IO) / 1 Efficacy Adaptor (Endurance Modification / Recharge IO) / 1 Performance Shifter (Endurance Modifcation / Recharge IO ) / 1 Endurance Modification IO
=
+33.3% Accuracy / +84.7% Damage / +91.8% Endurance Modification / +95.9% Recharge
(Short Circuit has a 1.3 Accuracy Modifier inherent, so the +33.3% Accuracy leads to a 1.73 Accuracy Modifier, more than enough to hit +2s at 95%.)
(It goes without saying that Fire, Archery, and Assault Rifle are superior in the AoE dept. I'm not going to dispute that.) -
For what it's worth, Soul Tentacles is also an AOE Immobilize, which is always handy to have with the rain powers, Rain of Fire in particular (since it cannot be slotted for Slow).
Not sure I'd do it, though. With the other AOEs available, your foes should be long dead before RoF gets even halfway through. -
In theory, you should, since it's a pseudo-pet summon, not an actual pet summon.
However, the mechanics of Carrion Creepers are highly wonky, so I could be 137% wrong. It's possible that you'll be blasted forward 30,000 years into the future on the second summon. -
Quote:Star Wars Galaxies.Originally Posted by Arcanaville
Let me know when you find an MMO that balances their game by buffing the strong and nerfing the weak because they didn't do a good enough job of making the difference high enough the first time.
Even Enhancement Diversification (which was supposed to kill CoH--even I bought that hype, back in the day) was nothin' compared to the Epic Nerfs that were the Combat Upgrade and the New Game Enhancements (seriously, it was like language out of Praetorian propaganda).
That game would have given you fits and nightmares. Try balancing a Bounty Hunter with a Tailor. -
Quote:Procs in the Creepers are... well... funky.Originally Posted by Mr. DJ
meh, I'd slot Fly Trap like normal, save the procs for Carrion Creepers
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Quote:Only if you're bad at it or not paying attention.Originally Posted by Local_Man
Plant/Storm is flashy and chaotic, not as team friendly but probably better to solo. Storm's back-up control is less reliable and has a good chance to throw foes around.
Entangle, Roots, and Carrion Creepers (not the vines, but the patch) have some hefty -Knockback attached to them. In addition, the Giant Fly Trap does Entangle, also with -Knockback.
This gives the Plant / Storm Controller more opportunities to mitigate or eliminate any unwanted Knockback from Tornado and Lightning Storm than virtually any other Controller. In other words, you can let Storm throw foes around if you want... or not.
Also, Storm also gives another "hard control" in the form of Thunder Clap. -
Illusion does take some time to "come into its own", though, honestly, the AOE Immobilize other sets have really just gets them in trouble early on. Big aggro, no actual incapacitating mezz effect, not enough damage to kill anything, and even if it could, it's damage-over-time.
You'll turn the corner at 18, when you get Phantom Army. Spectral Terror gives you your alternate AOE Mezz power. You'll want Superior Invisibility, if not for the stealth, then for the reduction of your own personal "threat" on teams (and, later, when soloing with Phantasm).
All of the first four of the Radiation Emission powers should be "killer app"-level for a team (and solo, really), not just Radiant Aura. -
Grey Pilgrim, that's just Ice Blast. Even for Blasters, it's always been known to be a little heavy on Endurance use. I'm totally with you on that, though--I have an Ice/Cold Corruptor (50). Slot it for Endurance Reduction, when you get a chance--it makes a difference.
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Quote:Actually, I mentioned it nine times in the post on 7-31-2010. I figured nine times was enough, but apparently not.Originally Posted by JayboH
Is the defiance argument discounting scourge altogether? I don't see it mentioned anywhere...
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At the end of the day, however, the Corruptor adds nothing not already added by a Defender.
If anyone thinks Corruptors crossing over means "the end of Blasters", they're only deluding themselves. Defenders, on the other hand...
Also, why would you bother with Assault if you're using Fulcrum Shift? The Damage Cap is the Damage Cap--once you're at it, you can't go beyond it, even with Assault. It seems to be a strange point to argue, even if it weren't made irrelevant by the Damage Cap. Corruptor Assault adds +15% Damage, while Blaster Assault adds +10.5%. You're quibbling over 4.5%, which a Blaster makes up in Defiance 2.0 just by sneezing.
What I have not included in my analysis are the panoply of Area of Effect powers available to a Blaster, which multiplies the Blaster advantage across its number of targets and, furthermore, across the number of powers available to the Blaster.
Take a Fire Blast / Fire Manipulation / Electrical Mastery Blaster on the one hand (Fire Ball, Breath of Fire, Rain of Fire, Inferno, Combustion, Fire Sword Circle, Static Discharge, Aim, and Build-Up--and that's not counting Blazing Aura and Consume as AOE damage powers), and a Fire Blast / Kinetics / Soul Mastery Corruptor (Fire Ball, Breath of Fire, Rain of Fire, Inferno, Soul Drain, and Aim). The Blaster has two more fairly high-damage AOE attacks, and Static Discharge delivers more damage to its 10 targets (and has a larger actual AOE) than Soul Drain does to its.
Allow me to demonstrate, again:
Blaster Fire Ball (3 SOs + Aim + Build-Up): 202.12 Damage (per target)
Corruptor Fire Ball (500% Damage Cap): 187.70 Damage (per target)
"But, CB, that doesn't look so bad!"
I'm not done. We have to multiply that over the maximum number of targets, in this case, sixteen:
Blaster Fire Ball (3 SOs + Aim + Build-Up): 3233.92 Total Damage
Corruptor Fire Ball (500% Damage Cap): 3003.20 Total Damage
The Corruptor, who's going all out, still does 230.72 less total damage than the Blaster who's not going all out. The Blaster's still got lots and lots of room for more damage:
Blaster Fire Ball (500% Damage Cap): 4504.00 Total Damage
This leaves the Corruptor behind by 1501.80 Total Damage.
And that's just with one AOE. -
I logged onto mine earlier this afternoon, and it was only taking one application of Entangle / Roots to keep foes--at least Malta Group foes--from being knocked back. This is consistent with what City of Data says: Entangle, Roots, and Carrion Creepers have -100 Knockback and -100 Knockdown, while Tornado does 12.46 Knockback and 6.23 Knockup (that just sounds wrong to say).
Oh, and yeah, that "******* it, I've got a violent, hairtrigger tail" thing can be irritating at times, but damn, isn't it juicy? -
Yeah, but they do that anyway.
Also, Hercules, I think the reason you're having to put down Creepers is to ensure the -KB actually hits. Roots has a 0.9 Accuracy Modifier, meaning you need to make sure you've got at least two SO's worth (+66%) Accuracy slotted in it to make sure it hits all the targets. If it misses, the -KB also misses, and the foes it misses will get flung by the Tornado.
I'm 99.999% sure it only needs one application, though you do need to reapply it before the -KB wears off, if foes are still standing. I've been using the tactic for a very long time.