Cuddles

Before you make a Blaster

The purpose of this Guide is to educate those who are about to start a Blaster to better protect them from misguided judgments and perceptions.

History of the Blaster
Initially when the game first came out Blasters was the cream of the crop. Fire/Device Blasters in particular ruled as they had massive AOE damage and smoke Grenades that gave them good defense. This was a time before Scrappers had criticals on there attacks and nerf Blasters reigned supreme. We should call this period of time “City of Blasters”. There truly was a lot of */Device Blasters at that period of time but to be fair it was also a time when +8 minions weren’t that hard to kill either. Then things began to screech to a halt. In issue 2 Smoke Grenade was struck down, Scrappers got Criticals (and it was just about this time that Scrappers started to realize they didn’t have that bad after all), and the Purple Patch was put in. The end of City of Blasters had come.

As time wore on Tankers got improved, Controllers realized they were pretty damn good after all, most Scrappers enjoyed the high life of killing +5 mobs, and Defenders did what they do best and that’s help the party out. It was during this time that the fall of the Blasters began. Mobs began to increase in mez output, most had range and would use it, and almost all range attacks had been increased to outperform a Blasters attack range. Frequent deaths began to occur and just recently it was discovered that Scrappers, Controllers, and some Tanks and a Defender set do outperform a Blasters overall damage output thus neglecting the Blaster to the backseat. To say that City of Blasters has gone into the City of the Blaster Landfill is an understatement.

So why make a Blaster?
To start off none of the AT’s are a challenge. If you like riding that wave of excitement on every battle well this AT is for you. No other AT comes with no way to heal, no defense, no resistance, no Mez protection, and low Health. To make things even better at the higher levels your damage output becomes sub par and everything uses high damage range weapons that can shoot from a mile away. You want challenge? You want an AT that will challenge you to the limit? You want an AT that can make people laugh and feel pity at the same time? Well the Blaster is for you.

So I made a Blaster what can I expect?
When you first make your Blaster you will notice that you really truly do rock. You can take a few shots and you can deal damage out in droves. To me this is the trick stage. There lying to you. Don’t believe any of this. If this truly represented how a Blaster was then when you hit Outbreak you would notice that rock that guy is throwing at you was hitting for nearly half your health. Not only that but you would be stunned and walking around in circles while his buddies came down and beat the hell out of you. To get out of outbreak you would have to visit the Hospital a half a dozen times. This is the future of your Blaster if you’re not careful.

Really is it that bad?
Yeah it is. Like I said the Blaster isn’t for everybody. In fact it isn’t for most people. It’s for those crazy ones who like the rush of battle each and every battle. I’m one of those crazy ones. I like playing on the edge. A tanker is no rush, Scrapper is dull, Controller…please, and a Defender…yahn.
With a Blaster everything comes to timing. How good you are at keeping track of everything is what it comes down to. Can you keep track of 6 orange minions, two red Lieutenants, and a Purple Boss, while also keeping track of the mob next to you that is getting ready to bum rush you? If you can you have some hope. Every battle is a rush, your living on the edge, and your just two shots from dying. This is the life of a Blaster. Planning, Intelligence, skill, and most of all an ability to run very fast is needed.

For the Beginner.

Really the Primary doesn’t matter too much. If you’re looking at being an AOE type I would suggest Fire, Ice is good for soloing as is Assault Rifle. If you are up for more of a challenge then Electrical Blast and Energy is for you.
Secondary sets for the Beginner really come down to two different types. The first one I can not suggest enough for the Beginner and that’s Energy Melee. This comes with a wide array of useful skills that will help your Blaster become the best he or she can be. The Second is Devices which also comes with a wide arrange of skills that will help you toast your enemies and achieve a better life as a Blaster. If you’re looking for something in the medium challenging department I would suggest Ice Manipulation as it comes with a wide arrange of slow powers which are really sweet.
If you think you’re brave try Electricity Manipulation and if you don’t give a crud about your secondary then do Fire.

Inspirations
You know those things that collect in the Tanker, Controller, Defender, Scrapper bin well they have a use here. Use them often and use them well. As a Blaster these are your life blood. You run out in the middle of a mission well go get more. Usually a dead Blaster is one that doesn’t use them or has just run out. Each and every one has a use, so use them. Just make sure you save 4 for that boss and if you run into that boss without having any then go get some.

Running is a Defense
You heard right. A dead Blaster is no good to anybody. You’re waiting for that critical heal don’t count on it. Run for your life and don’t look back when you’re in trouble. Many times I have ran away, healed, and came back just about the time the group is in almost total wipeout and saved the day. Knowing when to run and when to stay is key to being a good Blaster. After all you don’t want to be Synapse.

Debt… My God I got Debt.
For a Tanker coming into the Blaster line this is just about as bad as it gets, it’s even worse for a Scrapper. There not used to it so I only have a couple of things to say about it. Get used to it. As a Blaster you are going to die and you are going to die a lot. It is nothing for me to have died 2 or 3 times per level. Remember you have no Mez protection, No resistance, No defense, and low health. You are going to die and as a beginner you’re going to die a lot.

Accolades and Temp Powers
I can not say enough about the Eye of Magus. This Accolade is important for a Blaster. It gives you a minute of high defense and high resistance. Going up against those lvl 40 Bosses and this is a Godsend.
Wedding Band- Don’t know what it is then look it up. It’s a two hour Temp power so use it sparingly but use it when you need to.
Cryogenic Armor-Don’t neglect getting this one either. Combined with the Wedding Band it makes you near as good as a Scrapper. I believe this has a 1 hour timer on it.

Epic Power Pools:
I won’t get into them to much.
All are about the same. I prefer Force mastery Set but the Fire set is probably just as good if not better. A lot of people don’t pick the Ice or Assault set but I’m thinking that the slow toggle in Ice might be a Godsend for the Blaster in PvP. Assault seems to be heavy handed in the Attacks and not enough defenses. Best bet when you come up to the 41 stage is save your respecs and try them out on test.

Hell No! I’m ready for the Big Leagues.
So you are ready for the big leagues. All guts and no glory then the Blapper is for you. This crazy SoB has decided to take almost all his melee sets from his secondary line. Now for those that are crazy enough this set is perfect. You want to really live on the edge then no range is better than some range. As a Blapper you are in that Bosses face and your screaming “Kill me you ugly freak!”
This kind of Blaster gets long strange looks from everybody. Can they be that crazy, is going through there minds.
So what is best to be a Blapper?
Probably Energy Manipulation followed by Electricity secondary. The ingrained stuns in Energy manipulation really helps to take the sting out of being a Blapper. You’re still crazy but it helps.
The Blapper is for those who have taken the extreme in this game and just wanted more. You want to ride that wall of debt then here you go. Just don’t complain about it. I’m right now playing a Blapper and enjoying the hell out of it.

What happens after I’m a Blaster?
The other AT’s become dull and lifeless. You realize how risk free they really are. You laugh as Regen is taken down a notch and hear them screaming while you’re here wondering what the big fuss is about. That Tank becomes something boring. The Controller with Pets becomes lifeless. Nothing is as exciting as a Blaster. The closest I have found was my Scrapper when I was soloing AV’s. But nothing can take away that feeling a Blaster has after each and every fight.

The Future?
Judging from the CoV video recently it can be determined that Blasters do get to do decent range damage in the near future. Unfortunately you have to die first so you can be used as a projectile weapon by your enemy but at least we’ll get to do decent range damage at the upper lvl.
Statesman has made some comments recently but the Future remains uncertain about our usefulness in the higher lvls. Either way enjoy the ride because it sure is one hell of a one.

A lot of people find the Blaster frustrating and if that’s the case it isn’t for you. It is the hardest AT to play and not everyone can hack it. Only a very few are crazy enough to build a Blaster and even fewer are crazy enough to build a Blapper. If you are one of us then come on over to the Blaster boards and join in on our crazy fun. We’re a bunch of nice guys who don’t really give too much of a damn about anything.
Hope this Guide helps those who are thing of going down the Blaster path.

Having probs accessing your site.

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We care an awful lot about this game. We pour our hearts, minds, and energy into making this game. Many of us have spent years of our lives working as hard as we can and trying our best to make the best game possible.

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Man, I just got a tear in my eye.
You know I really love you guys too. Even though I give you guys a hard time and I want to hold a Riot!
GROUP HUG!

I don't think the damage is our problem. We do plunty of damage. The problem is the No Defence, No Resistance, less health, No mez Protection for Scrapper amount of damage. Give us a little resistance, a little Defence, a little mez protection and you have balance.

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it's just a "perception" by some

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Majority isn't just a "some".
Alot of blasters feel this way me included.
You once said Statesman that we were the King of Damage and that isn't true anymore.
You stated that if you use range then the object you are targetting will use range back but you neglected to specify that most of the time the subject will fire once or twice and then close in on you for melee attacks.
You also neglected the fact that nearly every mob post 40 has some kind of Mez in there bag. How is range supposed to help us there?
We have a handicap inspiration as of right now that helps and that's dicipline but that is going away.
I hope you realize that the "Blaster Role" isn't working out quite as you planned.
Theres problems with this AT compared to all the others and I hope you guys start really looking into this.
Our role is no longer defined.

I am Cuddles. I have been able to take some of the Heros of The Evil Do-Gooders to a safe location and though at this time we are few in numbers we shall win.
Yes it was I who was able to locate Woadan but unfortunatly I believe he too may have been corrupted by one of Phantom Pirates evil souls.
Though Phantom Pirate was classified as an entity it is my understanding that he is something much more than what any of us expected. He always spoke of the high seas and the good days when he would light candles in his beard. After further study it came to me that this could very well be the first recorded Super ever mentioned in hystory. BlackBeard the legendary Pirate of the early 1700's was among us again it would seem. The infamous fight of the Hero Maynard and BlackBeard is told to this very day. How Maynard and BlackBeard flew into the skies, one dressed in purplish black, and Maynard in white.
Now the question remains how was he brought back and how can we stop him? The books speak that a purplish fire rose from the cannon of Maynards ship, engulfing them both, and sending both crashing into the sea. Could the very weapons that our enemies use against the Peacebringers be used against the Pirate himself? If that is the case then the Kheldians have been among us sence the 1700's. Many questions remain unanswered but there is...
There's some commotion at the door and .... You!
Arrghhh....

Dear TEAM,
By now you must know that your endevours are fruitless in stopping the upcoming War that is upon you. It was I who pitted Eternal Prophecy and The Evil Do-Gooders against TEAM. By now most of there SuperGroup has fallen into my hand and in the not to far future I see me aquiring a fair amount of TEAM also. Already I have planted agents in among your mix of SuperHeroes. You best friends already subverted.

Was it Crey or Nictus J17? Did you really leave on your own or were there doubts in your mind before you left? It took a year of skillful masterminding to regain my freedom from that wretched Gal Valentine. To gain my Freedom I had to destroy the group. The evils in me only she could contain. The sickening Love that made me puke every evening but with every soul I pulled I began to remember who I was. I was the first.

I came to this planet seeking vengeance and in so doing I had found the vilest man on this world. I plundered and destroyed. Together as one we sailed the high seas. I was BlackBeard the wretched Pirate I was. The first Superviliian to ever sail the high seas.

For hundreds of years I laid buried in the silt and then the Dreds found me. My essence was all that remained but combined me in Burt Reynolds they did. Out of two we became three in one. I slaughtered the Dreds and took there souls. Weak they were mates. And then I fell into Eternal Prophecy. They captured me and turned me into a force of good. But little by little as I grew stronger and gathered more souls I regained whom I had been.

Not even you J17 knew my true talents. I pushed and prodded. Your stability was a hinderance. You were stabilty personified. I nudged you and hinted that better things lay not so far away. With you gone it was only a mattter of time before Gal Valentine would fall. And then you took Snow. How did you know that Snow and Gal had grown so close. I siezed the moment. I was free. But vengenace would be mine. I set a path of War that would destroy the Do-Gooders and leave them ripe for my plundering. Ohh sweet plundering it is.

Now I am in charge of there group. Gal Valentine is my lap dog. This city will burn for releasing me from my watery grave. I hold the power but I do seek more treasures and treasures your group does hold.

Phantom Pirate
P.S. Arrr.. You be a Devil Dog indeed.
P.S.S. I be liken that wench of a tin can you have. I may let your group live if yeah convince her to be my bride.

A section of the speech given by Cuddles on City Hall.
"Many of you know that heroes don't back down. That we fight and continue to keep on fighting even when the odds are against us. So I'm telling those right now that if your looking for a fight a fight is what your going to get. Were coming for you and not even the Paragon Patrol can save you."

A leaked Memorandum from the offices The Evil Do-Gooders.

As of now I urge every hero in The Evil Do-Gooders to report to the Emergency Bunker located at point Alpha. Current positions have been compromised by Crey Forces and Paragon Patrol. As of now we are Red for counter attack plan Charlie.
Gal Valentine

"Reports are sketchy but it does appear that The Evil Do-Gooders have pushed back the Paragon Patrol and Crey Forces. The buildings of TEAM can be seen smoldering in the distance."

"Statesman... Can we get a comment please.. Statesman a comment."
"Lady we have a crisis right now and I don't need that damn camera in my face."

The Governor.
"Yes it's true we had Gal Valentine. But a cordinated attack on the convoy holding her..."

A letter to TEAM sent in the late afternoon by an unknown source.
You can find Woadan in an abandoned house locaed in Kings Row. You will find this property to be owned by the group Eternal Prophecy. I fear for his safety. Please hurry.

"Breaking news just in..
Eternal Prophecy's old headquarters has just been devestated in an explosion of unimaginable size. Reports are sketchy..."

"Forum Troll, leader of Eternal Prophecy, was badly injured in the explosion. He is credited for saving many civilian and hero lives before the explosion..."

"We just recieved a tape showing the exposion... We shall be playing it in a few minutes... Ohh my... Oh my God.."

"Sir, you say you witnessed the attack"
"Yes I sure did. There was this guy. He was dressed up in Blue and Grey. He looked like a hero to me. Well he walked into the main headquarters of Eternal Prophecy. Next thing I know I see people flying out the door. There was this Greenish skinned guy with horns just tossing them out. Well he went back in and the explosion happened. I don't know how he survived."

"Gal Valentine issued this statement. The attack on Eternal Prophecy..."

"Forum Troll is in grave condition as those outside the Atlas Community Hospital wait on word..."

"Some of the dead included the heros Bullseye, Green Bubbler, Dusk King...."

"Reports are coming in that TEAM may have been involved..."

"TEAM has issued a public statement condeming the attacks even though speculation..."

"Paragon Patrol are on standby as word is coming in that The Evil Do-Gooders have launched a massive assault on TEAM Headquarters..."

"Governor Al Shib has issued this statement "We can not allow these activities to continue. As of now we have turned to the Crey Organization to bring in The Evil Do-Gooders for activities..."

"A statement was issued from Blue Rook, a member of The Evil Do-Gooders, stating they have evidence that the attack on Eternal Prophecy was a cordinated effort by both TEAM and Crey Tech."

"And in other news The Adult Movie Devil Doggin the Countess Crey is selling like hotcakes..."

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J17 remembers Phantom Pirate screaming like a little girl and bolting for the door. He braced himself for the battle to come, only to discover that the rest of you had also vanished! Horribly outmatched, he soon awoke at the hospital alone, wondering what had happened.


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Phantom Pirate is still missing at this time. Are you sure this was Phantom Pirate if so we need to know his location and where abouts immediatly. Left alone and on his own he can be a hazard to those around him and the very world itself.
J17 must have had a bout of amnesia after our last confrontation. It was indeed Pargon Protectors that pulled him from our grasp.
As for the Malta attack we have no comment and invoke our constitutional 5th ammendment rights.

Devil Doggin the Countess Crey did indeed come out on the shelfs today as promised.
Rave reviews are pouring in from around the nation. Sorry Devil Dog that this was leaked from your collage days but you know we do have to make a buck now and then. Enjoy the video we did.

We also heard on the news that a base of operations under the title of TEAM came under heavy attack from groups unknown. Once again we have no comment and envoke the 5th. on said subject.

As J17 will tell you we did indeed try and reaquire him from TEAM today. Unfortunatly he broke free when a group of Paragon Protectors came to his aid. Phantom Pirate has gone missing and though we can not link it to your group we suspect that you are indeed holding him captive.
The Crey Foundation has also issued out warrants for our arrest. This has forced us to move the location of our base underground.
As for the Bathroom incident we have no clue to what you are talking about. We shall send you the address of the building that was damaged in our assault. If this helps the Deed to the Estate was traced to one Grandma Woadan.
In order to help appropriate the funds for our War we are releasing an Adult video to the market.
Coming soon "Devil Doggin the Countess Crey".

Shortly after recieving your message that you wanted the tape it dissapeared. We even had Phantom Pirate message you stating the factual nature of this problem. By this statement of yours it can only be assumed that you knew the tape had gone missing before you were notified. Now that we know we have a mole in our Super Group we will be better prepared to deal with him/her.
Another matter was that a number of our missing material was recently located in a building owned and operated by TEAM. We apoligize for the extreme amount of costly building damage that it took to reaquire the missing material but seeing the sensitive nature of the documents at hand you can understand why such a momentous undertaking was performed.

We are at a point of reorginazation. Forum Troll is still trying to purge the computer systems of the subliminal messages that are ingrained there. We have also recently been given a video by mail showing J17 being kidnapped on a fishing trip that we can only assume happened during his time away frim the group. Clearly members of the TEAM Group are present in this video. This would also explain why after reforming the new Eternal Prophecy he suddenly went on a two month leave of absence. We are only at the begining. The downfall of TEAM is assured.

In the not so distant past there were three Super Groups: Eternal Prophecy, Hot’s Hotties and the Angry Druid, and Doom Patrol. Though these Super Groups were not as powerful as the others that now run Paragon City they had substantial numbers and had appeared shortly after the last Rikiti invasion. During the time of the great missing (this was a period of time when substantial number of heroes disappeared) Eternal Prophecy was shaken to its core. In a move to gather new and upcoming talents the core members of Eternal Prophecy broke from their group and created TEAM leaving J17 Celtic War and a handful of others at the mercy of there enemies.

Hots Hotties were also in a shambles. The leader Hot had gone missing as did a number of there core members. The Super Group left in the hands of Mud could no longer take on the mass of enemies that now plagued them. Destruction for the entire Super Group seemed assured and it was now just a matter of when instead of if.

Doom Patrol was also shaken but the leadership of Gal Valentine kept the ship afloat. Realizing that without help her group would also be destined to destruction she contacted Mud and J17 to see if a combination of the left over pieces of their destroyed super groups could be mended together.

J17 was adamant to keeping the Eternal Prophecy name, Mud and his group leaderless agreed to the merger, and Gal Valentine in an effort to keep some recognition of the Doom Patrol accepted to the merger only if the colors remained the same.

Thus the new Eternal Prophecy was born. Shortly after the merger J17 disappeared leaving Gal Valentine and Mud to continue the leadership of the new group. With stunning offensive skill Eternal Prophecy drove back the enemies of there old Super Groups and once again became a Group to be reckoned with. It was during this time that Mud’s wife was attacked. In a moment of anguish Mud relinquished leadership to Gal and walked away a hero no more.

Gal Valentine and her group continued the crusade of Justice even though one by one members of the old Eternal Prophecy group disappeared. Then J17 Celtic War returned. Startled by his presence Gal Valentine was happy to relinquish some of the leadership duties back to J17 and granted him the highest clearance to top secret files. As time went on Hot returned as did the Angry Druid. Eternal Prophecy grew and expanded. There was never a shortage of new recruits and veteran heroes who wanted to join in Eternal Prophecy’s move to turn back the tide of evil.

Then one day in an unexpected and shocking development J17 Celtic War announced he would be leaving. Startled and in shock Gal Valentine could only watch as her long time friend walked out the door. Betrayal never entered her mind nor could she fathom the true danger the Super Group Eternal Prophecy was in. In an accident of sheer proportions a glitch in a computer system attracted Gal Valentines attention. What she saw could not be. TEAM had placed subliminal messages into all the electronic devices to recruit the members of Eternal Prophecy into there group. Further study showed that a number of heroes had already been subverted. Tearing apart the structure Gal Valentine disbanded Eternal Prophecy and reformed a new group The Evil Do-Gooders to counter TEAMs brainwashing activity. It was at this juncture that Gal Valentines best friend Snow Crystal fell prey to TEAMs evil manipulation.

With nothing else left to loose she contacted J17 and demanded the safe return of Snow or face the repercussions of war. With a mighty laugh J17 yelled that they would never return the hero and that TEAM was more than ready for The Evil Do-Gooders. Gal Valentine was left without a choice, thoughts of leave no man behind flooded her mind, and the call for WAR was spoken.

We are The Evil Do-Gooders. Were a brand new SG rising from the ashes of Eternal Prophecy, Hot's Hotties and the Evil Druids, and Doom Patrol. Our focus is set on having fun and having a good time. We don't have a website, teamspeak, etc... But we do have a Global channel.
Currently we are at WAR with TEAM and focusing on building a strong upper echelon of Heroes to combat the TEAM menace.
Beware the EVil Do-Gooders.

I'm adding a little here.
Gravitic Emanation when slotted up offers a very long stun period. I actually like this power better than Gravity Well as you don't have to even get close to use this power.
Toril made a point about constant Form shifts but I want to point out how I do this without constant slaughter.
I use SS and Shadow Cloak to get into the mix hit Eclipse, then Sunless Mire, and then Nova Form. Once you get the 85% resist your good to go. I don't drop out of the Form constantly after this as the above poster stated DPS would suffer. I have made great use of the medicine pool. It keeps me rolling along. Usually when it comes to getting held I have two pets wailing on the subject. This more times than not saves my butt.
In Issue 4 some big changes are coming for the Warshade. This might actually make the Human Form much more user friendly.
Toril made a point about groups and a Tank. He's right I do run with a Tank and big teams. Your constant AOE's you can throw off in Nova Form is a godsend to any large team.
I haven't tried my Warshade in PvP yet but I will. Some of the things that have me worried is that alot of the Warshades powers are built around dead bodies.
Thank you to those who posted here providing further indepth detail to some of the things I have skipped. If you have good points are strategies that work for you or even further insight on the subject please add it here. I would appreciate it as I am sure others.

I hope so. I could have written a basic step by step guide on each power but I don't think that's very useful. Dark Detonation is nice but is it great? I didn't feel so. I could have wrote about Gravity Field and the other resistant toggle powers but the end drain is pretty steep even without them let alone with them.
I 've taken a Warshade up to lvl 43 and most of it was human form (all but the last 7 lvls where I respeced and went strickly Nova). My first Warshade I deleted at lvl 24 becuase I had tried to go a mix Nova, human, dwarf form. It didn't work.
If your trying to go the jack of all trades master of none your not going to be good at anything and I think that sucks worse than being really good at one thing and not so good at the others.
I'm a high damage Warshade. Not many compete against him. For sheer unadultrated damage he is second to none. When I ask to get on a team it's what I state" "I'm a high damge Warshade." Over a period of time a few Tanks have gotten to know me and when I get on now I get the request. Missions fly by and are quicker with me then without. Find a role and stick with it. You'll be much happier with your Warshade if you do.

I decided to write this guide to give an overview of the Warshade and some helpful guidance versus talking about each power and what each power can do. In general Warshades are pretty hard to work with. They have some major endurance problems and there powers over all are not very powerful unless you go certain routes.
Some people have stated that Warshades are Controllerish and while I find that some what truthful I also find it very false. So with that being said I’m going to start by examining certain sets and powers in hopes that before you start a Warshade you can make some proper judgments about where you want to go and how you want to get there.

Before lvl 6 is where you first get to meet the Warshade in all aspects the powers are the same as a PB. No real difference as far as damage goes. Here the difference lies in that one can fly and one can TP. The attacks are weak and you’ll probably meet your first Quantum or Void death at this lvl. You’ll notice when you face a Void that your attacks do less damage to them versus the other mobs. There highly resistant to you while being able to dish out massive damage in return. Best bet’s are to either leave them alone or have a buddy help you out.

At lvl 6 you get your first form power if you so choose. If you decide to go the whole human only route you are in for a very hard road indeed. The Nova/Squid form is very powerful. It is probably the most damage dealing power set you can get. It comes with two AOE powers one that does a very wide cone attack and another that does an area attack. You also have two single target attacks one which does moderate damage and one that does high damage. The drawbacks to this selection are that you’ll be an agro getter. You’ll send so much damage out that Tanks at this lvl will not be able to help you out. You’ll send damage out in waves and droves that Blasters just can not compete. The drawbacks are you’ll be targeted and unless you’re with a good team you’ll probably be whacked a few times.

Between lvls 1-13 you still do not have a power to deal with Voids and Quantums. My suggestion on three powers to get is Hasten, Sunless Mire, and Shadow Cloak. With a team this will allow you to get into big mobs and suck up there energy allowing you to do capped damage for 30 seconds. The Fitness pool is by choice only. If you’re going Nova route Stamina will be of little use. I would suggest slotting your Nova form if you have chosen that with an end reducer and then some Stamina building ones. Still you will notice you are an endurance drainer and will have problems in that area.
If you have stuck with human form you’re damage isn’t getting any better in fact it’s getting worse. Orbiting Death sucks so much end that even with three endurance reducers it doesn’t help. Your main damaging attack powers don’t do damage at all but more like little ticks against a big elephant and though Sunless Mire is wonderful it doesn’t seem to help. In Human form you notice one thing and one thing only; you are out of endurance and you are dying way too much. I would not suggest the Human form…ever.

At lvl 18 you get Gravity Well. Take this power. This power combined with Shadow Cloak is wonderful. Why did you take Shadow Cloak? This is why you took Shadow Cloak. Gravity Well allows you with Super speed (you did take Super Speed right?) to zip on in there, hold that Quantum or Void, and then wail on them like no return. This is one of the most damaging attacks in human form and it has a nice hold that lasts for 10 seconds. I can not stress the importance of this power. It is needed; do not neglect it, and if you do just remember “I told you so”.
If you’re still messing around with human form I’m sorry. If you have taken Nova Form your damage is still unbelievable and is getting better. You have no regrets at this point because your endurance usage isn’t that horrible. You’re dealing death on a mass scale and taking no names. You’re a Blaster on steroids. You are getting better.

At lvl 20 comes the second Form, the Lobster or should I say the Dwarf form. At this point a lot of people drop the flying squid and go for Dwarf. It comes with some nice resists, some damaging powers (that are not that damaging), and a taunt. It has mez protection and is built to be a tank when you slot it with at least 4 resist SO’s. It’s nice if you don’t like to do a lot of damage but you also don’t like to die. My suggestion is to take it. I use it for those moments in a team when the Tank needs help. I don’t have the damage slotted but I do have the taunt. The sunless mire is nice and combined with the other human version one you can cap your damage for 30 seconds easily. Some people love this power others don’t. If you’re still going human form only “I’m sorry”. Your endurance issues are still big issues, your damage is about that of the Dwarf form, and you have more debt than a bad Blaster on a bad day. At this point most people are cussing, yelling, and have deleted the Warshade altogether.

Up until lvl 32 nothing much changes. I would suggest getting Nebulous Form as this will allow you to get into those hard to reach spots without danger, gives you some jumping distance, and is nice when you want to run through Crey’s Folley or other places with Snipers without worrying too much. It’s a big endurance hog but it’s nice. I’ve used it a lot.

If you still decided to go the human route I would suggest taking Inky aspect and Gravitic Emanation. These two powers combined can daze a boss but honestly have you felt the pain yet? There are some other powers in the human line but really if you’re stuck on going human only you should have picked PB.

Now at lvl 32 you get your first big power: Quasar or Dark Extraction. Which one first? I would highly suggest going with Dark Extraction. Human form suddenly becomes viable at this point, Nova form starts to become epic, and Dwarf form finally gets some damage. It’s just taking you 32 lvls to get here. A very long and stressful 32 lvls but you have reached the milestone. Dark Extraction gives you a soul that you have captured to be used as a pet. It does some AOE damage and single target attacks. It’s real nice and real damaging. Slot it the way you want or feel like. Everybody is different but taking this power turns your whole game around.

Quasar as fun as it is it isn’t Nova or Inferno. It’s flashier, less damaging, and faster recharging. Capped out you can take out some yellow minions but that’s about it. You get drained of your endurance but nothing a few blue inspirations can’t handle. I would suggest taking it at lvl 35 and using it here and there. Two sunless Mires on a big mob will cap out the damage so slotting it is up to you.

And now the drum rolls please, the one power that will make you truly epic, you have worked for 38 lvls for this point. Yes, it’s Eclipse. This power when you jump into a big mob and launched will turn your unresistant POS into a virtual 85% resist Tank. If your human form this is a God send and makes you viable (kind of) but if your Nova form this has made you epic. Mobs of Reds will fall before you as you and your pet Souls as you unleash death from above. You will slaughter all that come before you on a mass scale. Blasters will stop and look on in envy as you wade from one mob to the next slaughtering all those that come before you. Pop two disciplines and take on Purple Bosses without a care in the world. Paragon Protectors will fall to your might. You are unstoppable, you are Epic. Five Recharges makes this perma. Take this power and nothing shall stand before you. If your Dwarf Form only, this power won’t help you much except to get some endurance.

Nova form is good all the way through. You’ll be relying on teams a lot and the solo experience can be harsh. You might hear some bad things but honestly out of all the powers this is one of the better ones and least likely to stress you out. Becomes truly epic with Eclipse and there is no power in the game that can match this death dealing do gooder on sheer damage and resistance. Think 85% resistant all high damage AOE blaster with damage dealing pets and you have Nova form at lvl 39. You just have to look like a squid to do it.

Human form is a harsh life. It is painful and filled with debt. At lvl 32 becomes viable but you’ll have pain and lots of it. I went to lvl 36 human only and found life miserable and hated my Warshade. Endurance problems plagued me with 6 slotted stamina and damage was mediocre at best. Ohhh yes I could stun them and watch them walk dazily around me but killing them was a different story. The Nemesis staff was a great boon but when it came down to it I gave up and went all Nova all the way. I haven’t turned back nor am I sad that I did. Human form is for those to stubborn to realize that better things just lay a respec away. I was stubborn but in the end common sense came through. Good luck if you want to do Human form only. My suggestion is go with Peacebringer.


Now the Dwarf power; I use this for emergencies or when the tank yells help. Others use it as there main form. It’s got mez protection, a little damage, and lots of resistance. For those who want to play a Tank without playing a Tank this power is for you. With Dark Extraction I’m sure that solo wise this form is the way to go. You can wade into a group of three reds and let your little souls do all the work. Team wise you can replace a tank and solo your missions easily. It just wasn’t for me because I like doing mass carnage. If you don’t like debt and are willing to take less exp overall this form is for you. It’s not Epic but it will do.

Honestly I liked the way Rage was with the stun. They changed it and now it really doesn't have a major drawback. I use it all the time and never once think about what I'm fighting and how it will affect me. With the old rage there would be times I would say "Naaa man that's to risky."
Now I don't care. It is a powerful tool and does buff us up quite a bit but it's to easy. I liked the old rage. It made us think and kept us on our toes.

Wondering about the Endurance Issues that Warshades have?
Before anybody attacks yes all my powers have an endurance reducer in them and orbiting death has three.
Also 5 slotted Stamina.
I still have endurance problems and big ones. Not as big as before but still big.

if your team mates get to close to the raze then you'll have some problems. Some of the problems I have witnessed.

"Ohh wow. That Lava sure looks warm and I've been freezing all day."

"Mmmmm.. Pretty rock.. Must pet rock.. "
This one usually effects multiple people for some reason.

"Hey Invis dude... Invis dude.. Where you go... Oh hey Hi Ruin Mage."

"I don't like this Rock. I want Spandex Boys rock. My rock is ugly.. fine I just won't touch it then."

"What the hell is wrong with him.. He keeps running into the middle of that rave and trying to flash everybody."

"Look I've done this before. You can just walk right up to them and they won't do ughhhh...."

"What rock... I don't see any rock."

"OMG were getting our butts kicked.. I'm running inside. Ohh Hell it's Kaogo. Arggghhh."

Yeah we al had to exemped down to lvl 15 for it to work. We had a 16 who had to get exemped down for the mission to work. So this trial was tough.

Yeah they changed it. Karsis said he wanted "Noobs Only". You know he really is a sicko. I hope one day they have "Kill Karsis" mission. I would be the first one on it.

Not anymore they have to exemped down to lvl 15.. yep it's a TF now.

Well guys here it is. It looks like our buddy Sam has gotten himself in a little bit of trouble. Karsis will give you some baloney story to try and make you save his buddy but I got the truth from Sam so here it is.

Sam was out looking around and he saw this foxy Pumicite. Well Sam has this strange fetish for stone and he couldn't resist. One thing led to another and wouldn't you know it damn Sam is caught with the Chief Pumicite's daughter. You can just imagine how the Chief took it. So now Sam is locked away with the Chief Koago and is about to be beheaded.

Now it gets worse. Karsis doesn't really like Sam all that well because he messed around with his sister but because Sam owes him a fair amount of cash he's willing to send some noobs down into the Chiefs Palace to save the poor soon to be beheaded guy. Karsis is a real sicko and gets his jollies watching others get maimed and hurt so only those Security lvl 12-15 are selected to go. If your over that lvl your going to have to suck it up and drop yourself down to a noobs lvl.

As your talking to Karsis he lets you know that the Chief has a mad hate for Sam and has him locked up in a special room that requires you to have seven additional buddies at noob range to open the door.

So now you have to collect 7 additional dudes in the Security lvl of 12-15 before you can even start to rescue Sam. If anybody is over that Security range well there to damn manly and need to be kicked down a notch.

Getting your team is real important here. Karsis won't tell you because honestly deep down he wants you get maimed and hurt real bad but I'll tell you just so it'll be a little easier.

Your team should have somebody who has Invis and TP. This will make it alot better on the maiming and hurting part. Trust me your going to get maimed and hurt but it won't be nearly as much. So you get yourself that Invis/TPer now what else. Couple of damage dealers would be nice. You know that Chief is a bad (censor) so having a couple of good damage dealers helps. If you can you should look for somebody who is going to make him and his buddies (a number of bosses) not hit so much. This will ease the maiming and hurting alot. A guy who can take some damage will help and a few people who can lay down some holds. Stcking the holds on the Big Chief will limit your pain a sizeable amount. Did I forget a healer? Might want one of those also.

So you get your team and you talk to Karsis. He then makes a wager you can't complete the mission in time and sets a time limit on you saving Sam. So now you have 90 minutes to save that dumb (censor).
So you storm the Troll Tunnels. Having that Invis/TPer helps here. He runs to the the entrance of the Palace and teleports all of you there. Easy as pie. No maiming or dying. Everybody is still happy.

So you all enter. Now you can go in and out but if all of you leave at the same time then Karsis will call you a chicken and cancels the bet. I know but it's his bet. So make sure at least one of you stays inside at all times.

Now you can choose to fight everything in the palace but the question I have to ask you is: Do you like pain?
If the answer is No then send that Invis/TPer around to each stone and have him place you there. There maybe Guards at a few of them so Pain and Suffering could be a part of this plan. By the way I didn't know CoT and the Premice have rave parties but there sure having one now. So expect some CoT.

So your all situated and on the word go you touch em at the same time. Whoo hooo you just broke into the Chiefs main hall.

Now that Invis/TPer should find that sweet spot in the middle and tp you all there. There should be some Premice behind you and some in front of you. The ones behind you are Parting so hard they won't notice you but the others are Guarding this door. Yeah there the ones you want to kill. So you lure them in and defeat em. A little pain but not a whole lot.

Now you just got this big door. Whooa nelly you know what is behind this one. You betcha it's the Chief and he is ticked. He just found out his daughter is pregnant.

So the question I have to ask you is this : Do you really want to open that door? Well do yeah Punk?

Well of course you do. Your Security lvl 12-15 and that makes you a Noob. You don't know any better. Your stupid like that.

So you send the sacraficial lamb up. It's that Invis/TPer. The one you conned into doing this mission anyways. Well he runs up, opens the door, and runs back wetting his spandex. He just caught a glimpse of the Chief and it sure wasn't pretty. Not only that but he's naked and so is his Boss Cronies. God don't ask it wasn't pretty.

So your all ready. You can take em.. yeah you can just lure and.... OMG... Jeebus.. Somebody help me... Arrrghhh.. Pain Suffering... OK now that part was done you can all rez yourself and thank heaven on earth that you were able to knock out half.

So you do it again but this time your doing good. If you have a Dark/Dark Defender make sure he's focused on the chief it helps. Trust me it helps. The holds finally kick in and the Chief goes down. Yeah.. You won..
Or did you.. You march in and Sam is still be held by a couple of Guards. Them Premice are dumb as rocks. Here there big chief just bit the big one and there still focused on Sam. Well what are you waiting for? Kill em.

So Sam is free. He goes to find his girlfriend Premice and becomes the new Chief of the Rocks. What about Karsis?
Sam gives you some money to take back to Karsis and in exchange Karsis will give you some influence and note worthy praise for efforts.
Damn do I hate Karsis. I really do.
There yeah go.
The end.