CptAdder

As far a set bonuses go it's sad to say but Blood Mandate has you covered and enhances your pets quite well plus Defense=survivability in most MM's. 3 sets = 13.63% to AoE defense, 11.25% Ranged defense plus bonuses to fire/cold/energy/negative.

Yes you can enhances your pets via secondary slotting or proc them but I find it oh so much more useful to just anytime slotting an MM saying Blood Mandate times 3 and working from there. The purple and red bonuses are just lacking. If you have the primary or secondary for it (Demons/, Thugs/, Zombies/ or /Storm) use that 4th pet to slot the hell out of the +resistances, +defenses for a free +20% to resistances and +10% to defenses.

Shadow cloak + stealth IO in sprint=total invisibility which combined with Warshade inherent TP means free recall to the end of the mission setup.

Shadow cloak like most defense powers is another 2.5% after being supressed maybe 4% totally enhanced. So your talking with something like combat jumping and maneuvers and weave your looking at 16% defense to everything. However since changing forms means more and more re-toggling it means more annoyance if you shift forms often.

I like and don't like Flamethrower, I like Fire damage but hate the fact it's a 2.33 second cast. Don't get me wrong if FA is not up it's a great opening attack but between rooting the nearest boss the cutting lose with FA/Buckshot before iginting the immoblized boss I just never have the time in my attack chain for such a long attack, FA's worth it because of it's massive damage nature AND the fact I can use it from such a great range. In teams I find flamethrower utterly worthless, I get a buckshot in, a FA and then it's spamming burst until whatever is left is down.

I see I get a better ROF attack and Flamethrower plus 25% more recharge but trade away .30 endurance redux and healing plus 4% ranged defense hmmm.

Teleport is a great spot for three Blessing of the Zephyr because Blessing provides great free +defense to everything, failing that I'd slot it with one Winters Gift Range/Endurance, one Blessing Range/Endurance and one Jaunt Range/Endnurance for max range/max endurance redux. Four slots are not needed and all of those IO's can be had cheaply on the market (Less then ten million is my mark of "cheap")

Need some feedback on a build I have going for my Assault Rifle/Fire blaster who's been idle since Issue 9.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.92
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Magic Blaster
Primary Power Set: Assault Rifle
Secondary Power Set: Fire Manipulation
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Flame Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Burst -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(3), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(3), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(5), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(5), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(7)
Level 1: Ring of Fire -- TotHntr-Acc/Rchg(A), TotHntr-EndRdx/Immob(25), TotHntr-Acc/EndRdx(25), TotHntr-Immob/Acc(27), TotHntr-Acc/Immob/Rchg(27), TotHntr-Dam%(29)
Level 2: Buckshot -- ExStrk-Dmg/KB(A), ExStrk-Acc/KB(13), ExStrk-Dam%(13), Det'tn-Acc/Dmg(50), Det'tn-Dmg/EndRdx/Rng(50), Det'tn-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(50)
Level 4: Combustion -- C'ngBlow-Acc/Rchg(A), C'ngBlow-Acc/Dmg(11), C'ngBlow-Dmg/EndRdx(11), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(43), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(46), Erad-Acc/Rchg(46)
Level 6: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(7)
Level 8: Hover -- Zephyr-Travel(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(9), Zephyr-ResKB(9)
Level 10: Fire Sword Circle -- Erad-Acc/Rchg(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(29), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(33), C'ngBlow-Acc/Rchg(46), C'ngBlow-Acc/Dmg(48), C'ngBlow-Dmg/EndRdx(48)
Level 12: M30 Grenade -- Acc-I(A)
Level 14: Maneuvers -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(15), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(15), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(21), RedFtn-Def(23), RedFtn-EndRdx(23)
Level 16: Tactics -- GSFC-ToHit(A), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg(17), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx(17), GSFC-Rchg/EndRdx(19), GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx(19), GSFC-Build%(21)
Level 18: Flamethrower -- Acc-I(A)
Level 20: Vengeance -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 22: Build Up -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 24: Boxing -- Acc-I(A)
Level 26: Ignite -- Acc-I(A)
Level 28: Consume -- Erad-Acc/Rchg(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(33), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(33), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(34), P'Shift-Acc/Rchg(34), P'Shift-EndMod(34)
Level 30: Tough -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam(31), RctvArm-EndRdx(31), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(31), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(48)
Level 32: Full Auto -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(36), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(37), Posi-Dmg/Rng(37), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(37), RechRdx-I(40)
Level 35: Burn -- Erad-Acc/Rchg(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(36), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(36)
Level 38: Weave -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(39), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(39), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(39), RedFtn-Def(40), RedFtn-EndRdx(40)
Level 41: Char -- Lock-Acc/Hold(A), Lock-Acc/Rchg(42), Lock-Rchg/Hold(42), Lock-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(42), Lock-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(43), Lock-%Hold(43)
Level 44: Fire Shield -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam(45), RctvArm-EndRdx(45), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(45)
Level 47: Melt Armor -- AnWeak-Acc/Rchg(A)
Level 49: Rise of the Phoenix -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 50: Spiritual Total Radial Revamp
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Acc-I(A)
Level 1: Defiance
Level 1: Sprint -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Flight-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A)


Short form is 45% Smashing/Lethal Resistance with 43.8% to Ranged/Negative/Energy so I figure if I'm fighting anything but melee fire/cold/psionic enemies I have some defense against what they are throwing out with, my best shot is fighting Council or Malta and staying at range with those kind of resists. +Acc is on the low side but running tatics will take care of that. The only major ding is lack of Perma-hasten but I'm grabbing the Spirtual Alpha to correct that much as possible.

My attack chain currently is just spamming Burst/Buckshot/Full auto as required with Char and Ring of fire in there for filler/locking down troublemakers. I ended with lots of set mule sets which is withh Fire Sword Circle and Combust are so slotted because each one gives me 2.1% range defense when fully slotted. I was aiming for soft cap but they give me two quick to spam PBAOE attacks.

Feedback is apperciated.

That is all of them, however I'd amend that list because I've run all those tips with one to eight players and some of them change very much depending on who's with you.

I've divided the existing hero tips into four groups, Gold, Silver, Bronze and dismiss on site. Also included are my personal best times in running the missions solo at +0/1 with bosses on with my best soloer a Dual Blade/Willpower scrapper who can stealth if the need arises.

Gold
Blatantly Fake Malta Plans:The final bosses and hostages annouce themselves via npc chatter the mission even with eight people is very small, keep going up elevators till you can't find anymore then search.
Best time: Two minutes, five seconds

Shattered Jar of Flesh:Note mission is always in Independence port, The bosses announce themselves via npc chatter and the mission is in a tanker so you can quickly run past the Arachnos mobs and drop only the two boss groups.
Best time:One minute, eighteen seconds

Doc Quantum's Moral.....: Council enemies! And a support NPC who's pretty decent if you want to grab him. Otherwise keep running till you see Skydragon and save him followed by an ambush ten seconds or so later by Doctor Quantum.
Best Time:Forty seven seconds (Skydragon was in the first room past the entrance)

A Biting Wind: Longbow and Circle of Thorns some of which will be fighting each other. The Alter and Polar Shift. Beat up Polar shifts group and blast the alter and your done. Always in one of the big cave rooms
Best time:Two minutes even

Miss Thystle's Plea: You only need save Frostfire and beat up your double to end the mission. They can be in the same room or different rooms. Keep and eye out for the Nemsis bosses because they will always be guarding him (And Thystle as well). Your double will be where ever he feels like but announces himself via npc chatter
Best time: One minute fifty three seconds

Some Nut on the Radio:Keep running till you run out of base, the Agent will announce himself via npc text. Beat him up and check your map, there will be a marker for the computer you need to click on. If you get lucky you'll see or here it on the run to the end of the mission.


Silver

Can't Keep Your Balance:A quick mission and the bombs are hard to miss and often clustered close to each other. Silver not gold due to number of bombs and the fact that the DE is always a boss which is annoying and he tends to run the second you hit him into other DE groups.
Best time:Three minutes, eight seconds

Scrawled Bark:A quick mission as it's an easy run to the last room but like the Balance mission the "is always a boss" thing is annoying considering how hard DE bosses hit and the fact you must fight all five groups in the end room sometimes seven groups. Worse herding is next to impossible as those guarding the hostages are almost always the razorvine/fungas types
Best time:Two minutes fifty seven seconds

You're a Cruel One Mr. Phipps:Note mission is always in Independence port, three hostages to save who are always in the same three places (Except for the middle hostage she/he might be just before the second large room, in the middle of it or just after. The first is always close to the entrance and the computer is always close to hostage 3. The three required rescues get this mission marked down and the fact that groups are tightly clustered so even on +0/1 you are likely having to fight two groups per hostage rescued.

An Unstable Trigger: The Oberst is easy to find and annouces himself via text, but the Commondant will not until you attack him. He can also be ANYWHERE and I do mean anywhere. I've had times where both the Oberst and Commondant where in the first room past the entrance and the box spawned just above our heads (Which I only found out after beating down the Commandant and spending eight minutes search the rest of the base for the box I had missed like ten feet behind and above the Commandant:
Best time:Four minutes thirty seconds

Bronze

Art, Psychics & You: Against anyone else this would be a silver mission, if you can deal with Carnines pick this one. The boss might be a Master Illusionist or a Carnival master. If the first boo, if the second yay. The glowies are dead easy to find. They normally cluster up, have found all 3 just past the entrance door in the first room. The misstress announces her self via npc chatter and after you find the third mask glowie you must fight the fire idiot who should go down easy.
Best time:Four minutes thirty seconds

Broken Pocket Watch: Would be silver mission where it not for the fact the bombs can be impossible or dead easy to find. Have spent ten minutes on this mission because one bomb was almost impossible to find. The police are easy to locate but the bombs can be tucked into anything
Best time:Three minutes forty two seconds

Explosion in Perigrine: Malta enemies and two bosses you must fight would be okay if not for the fact the bombs are insane I've spent ten minutes on a Broken Pocket watch hunting bombs, I've spent twenty hunting them on the office map. They will and can be anywhere including in those little unused decoration office rooms.

A Clever Trap: Rescue hostages is easy (No escort) but a Bronze mission due to number of objectives and the occasional time the 2nd hostage spawns up on the first floor and you miss because you get used to the hostages being in the rough same locations. One in the office, one in the caves two in the sewers or one in the offices three in sewers.
Best time:Five minutes one second

Malta Gunslinger Action Figure: This would be a dismiss mission except it's a great mission for low damage or low survivability types. Why? You get Frostfire! You can recruit him before the ambushes start and if you keep him healed/take some of the damage for you he will fight and defeat all the ambushes by himself. Takes always about ten minutes to to delays between ambushes.
Best time :Nine minutes, thirty seconds

Dismiss
Your Life Story, wait what?: The caltrops of Artemis are annoying as all get out. Ambushs will spawn when you get the hostage who has Lady Grey's AI pattern IE from the instant you rescue her she's only to happy to try and solo the entire mission. Beware she will die because she's also turns herself invisible making it next to impossible to track her down if an ambush groups hits you while your fighting another group and there are three or four translucent sword wielders running around one of them you must protect. Don't ever bother running this mission unless you happen to be a class that loves hostage escorts and can solo at least ten Knives at once because your hostage argo order seems to be at random, I've seen here fight one mob then run down the hallway into the next group to fight them because it seems her perception range is set to "the whole mission"

Elegant Party Favor: Two words, Master Illusionist's. Every single one of the girls normally has a Master Illusionist paired with her. Worse with a six man group we ran this once and saw the first group had four of these highly annoying mobs. A full group of sixteen and four were bosses and all Master Illusionists. The escort nature of this adds to the annoyance. Do not bother running this mission, there are 16 other better ones you could be doing.

This is twilight stuff indeed. Nothing makes me happier than inviting a pair of Widows/Banes or one of each along because two SoA = almost soft capped defenses for all if they take leadership toggles on top of Arachnos toggles. Four is just wonderful because your talking about a base +160 to damage for all if we bunch up. After four you hit diminishing returns because those other four spots could be filled out with say a Sonic controller who boosts the neglected resist side of things or a Willpower/Invul tank to play sheep dog to quickly gather mobs for more efficient doom. Or a Radiation for great debuffs +more endurance.

I always snag a SoA over any other class if running an ITF or STF or any of the WTF. Unlike Warshades (*Sigh) having them there makes everyone get even more awesome.

Shame on you for forgetting

Poison
-Poison trap for /Poison Master minds is the most useless power in the entire game. (We took a vote, and it barely beat Propel and intangibility powers for those powers occasionally being useful /at least fun to grief people with)

It takes five seconds to place and is interrupt able for four of those seconds. When it fires off it puts foes to sleep and drain's their endurance and holds them. Except the endurance drain is only a percentage chance and does not always hit and the drain itself is small. Likewise the hold chance is almost non-existent and in a packed group of sixteen on average no more than two mobs will be held.

It's further noted that Poison Trap in the Traps power set has has a 2.77 cast time and provides a very useful -regen, -recharge and it's hold will net 16 out of 16 in a packed spawn when it goes off and it costs less endurance.

Ok of the powers the only ones that need serious effort are 4. Neurotoxic Breath, 6. Antidote
7. Paralytic Poison 8. Poison Trap and 9. Noxious Gas

I do with that they would oh double the values that the set debuffs, why? Because while it would not affect 95% of PvE content (IE most resists are 40% or less, same with defenses) there are these things called AV's who have an 85% debuff resistant built in, and I wish that Poison, the master of debuffing could actually debuff AV's to some extent. So I debuff say Honree's resistances by 9% not 4.5%. Same thing with -Regen. Plus with -Resistance being a non-buffing by any set it means I limited to slot more -to hit or -defense but their exists no -resistance I'm aware of.

As for powers that need work

4. Neurotoxic Breath
Why not gives me a tiny amount (10% say) of Defense or Resistance debuffing on top of the slow effect and hold chance in keep with the poison theme? Make it a cone envenom in other words (A weaker version to be sure)

6. Antidote
Feels out of place in the set, it's not an empathy, and seriously... cold resistance? Why not let the bonuses last longer or give it some secondary function.

7. Paralytic Poison
Just a hold? Come on guys lets get a secondary 30 function on our Poison hold

8. Poison Trap
An utterly useless power as traps are already questionable, and sleep traps are utterly worthless. I'd love to see some Database digging to see how many /Poison 50's have Poison trap. I'm guessing it's few and far between.

After all lets review
It's a trap you have to sneak up and place that sleeps all your enemies, which is far harder then simply pulling or simply killing all of them.

If you don't want to break the new power rule why not in keeping with the poison theme remove the sleep and and make it an AoE weaken as in give a nice 60 second -tohit and damage debuff. Or a 30 second if you remove the trap portion and just make it an AoE

9. Noxious Gas
Make it a pure AoE, remove the targeting portion and just give us an AoE super tier 9 debuff that is a full strength Envenom/Weaken/Paralytic Poison or Neurotoxic breath.

Let the Poison set shine by being able to do almost no damage but putting enemy Defense and enemy tohit and Resistance into the ground.

Ok lets review Poisons powers

1. Alkaloid
A very endurance heavy single target heal that provides 15% Toxic resistance for 60 seconds

2. Envenom
An endurance heavy single target 30 second debuff that by default hits Defense for 22.5% and Resistance for 30% as well as reduces Regen by 50% and healing by 15%

3. Weaken
An endurance heavy single target 30 second debuff that hits Tohit for 11.25% and damage by 22.5%

4. Neurotoxic Breath
A wide cone debuff that slows enemies recharge speed and physical speed (IE a Shiver clone) with the additional possible 4 second magnitude 2 hold

5. Elixir of Life
A rez, nothing more needs to be said except for the fact that for 90 seconds you turn them into a Regen scrapper with super hasten running, in line with other powers like Hasten. After 90 seconds however they are held while they puke their guts up

6. Antidote
Single target 60 second resistance to Toxic/Cold damage buff that also acts as a breakfree. Since it does last 90 seconds it's possible to apply it over and over again along with Alkaloid to give someone 40% toxic resistance

7. Paralytic Poison
Single target hold, no damage, moderate endurance cost lasts 10 seconds

8. Poison Trap
AoE trap, drains a little bit of endurance and puts enemies to sleep.

9. Noxious Gas
Single target minion only power, acts like a combined Envemon/Weaken that can also has a low probability AoE hold throw in for good measure.


My thoughts in next post

Just a short update, rolled my Dark/Traps and am slowly leveling her up. A need for a trolled got me distracted and got me leveling my long ignored kinetic and IOing him out. But I'm working her up.

Just checking this is working as intended if this is a well know issue or deliberate

While working Hero tips today I would be stunned or held by Arachnos, shift to Dwarf form to break it only to see the animation start and then break when I would be slept or immoblised or held or had any other kind of status effect other than the one I was shifting out off.

Getting between a Executioner and Fortunna boss I was reliably able to duplicate it by waiting for the Executioner boss to stun me then shifting to Dwarf and pretty reliably (I have an excellent computer and connection and the server was only moderately stressed) if the other boss held me or immobilized me then I'd be knocked out of Dwarf form and have to redo the power.


Notice I was standing still and munching on oranges and greens during testing on a hero-tip mission.

So votes for /Kin, more for /Dark and more for /Traps

I'll be rolling up my character tomorrow, so I'll decide in the morning.

I also mentioned and I'll repeat no Storm, I have a Storm Controller and a Storm MM. I'm all stormed out.

My only two requirements is that I'm happy with Dark as my primary, not sure on my secondary, and by the way no Storm. So Dark? And right now the only recommendation is Dark/Dark.

Yes to repeat, I am committed to Dark/
I don't want Archery, don't want Rad, Fire

I want a Dark/ character but right now I'm not sure what to pair it with
Right now I have one vote for /Dark and no other votes

This is a short and sweet request, I'm reading the various guides in the sticky but I'm still up in the air about I want my Corrupter to become.

Little background I'm several year vet who's been playing since day one but subscribing in 3-month chunks every year or so. I've gotten to 50 on four characters and am working on 5 and 6 (Which I left at 47 and 40 back during Issue 15) and among my other Alt's I realize I have no Corruptors in any of my twenty slots on Virtue.

Dropping a failed Brute build I have a slot free and know I want to have a Dark something Corrupter. My poor Issue 1 Dark/Empathy Defender brings back found memories of street sweeping and playing heal bot for teams but since then I've sworn of Defenders because of how sad it made me to have to solo with him. But I like Defenders so lets give Corruptors a try.

What I am looking for in essence is a Corruptor secondary that will support soloing but teams will be happy to have around. Storm is right out because I have it on two other characters and don't want a third with Storm.

Right now I'm deciding between Dark, Cold and Radiation with the fourth spot being given to anyone who wants to sell me on traps or Thermal. I've very leery of having to shield everyone even if the shields last four minutes and it's not a bad as trying to keep up Clear mind on everyone and how little those shields benefit me. But make a good enough argument and maybe you can sell me.

So there's my challenge to you, sell me on how great your secondary is

Log off in Graveyard
Gravedigger/Undertaker

Log off near zone entrance
Border Security

Log off near established Crey Building
Rent-A-Cop/Mercenary

Log off near Dockyard
Longshoreman/Boat Captain

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I think there's a 2nd Respec Accolade as well. I could've sworn I've seen someone with "Thorn Raider" or something like that.

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Thorn Thief for second Respec Accolade
Thorn Robber for first.

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I'll take a look at those badges for the contacts mentioned.

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Yay for Statesman!

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Indeed, I wanted to do Slot Machine but outleveled it before I could.

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After you hit 38, go back and check Naylor. Sometimes, he may have a new story arc for you.

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Yes he should have another fun arch for you at 38. I know I got 40 in the end XP in that Arch.

No it does not, it only affects how fast you can resummon them.