Desmodos

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It's just too long, and too mindless. It could easily be fixed if they cared to, but it's certainly a low priority.

[/ QUOTE ] Which I think is a big mistake. Positron is the first chance people have to do a Task Force. IMO it should be fixed just so people can get a better first impression. I wouldn't blame somebody if they tried Positron and decided that they never wanna do another task force again.

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I wonder how people would respond if they just made Positron a level 45-50 TF?

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Oh, me too! Can I borrow some of your motivation? I lost mine somewhere.


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South Park WoW episode, just skip to the part where they turn into fat [censored] from playing an MMORPG to freaking much.

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I can't really seem to get any help with my da scrapper so here it is.

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What is it you think is wrong with your build? Yeah I did things a tad bit different on my Spines/DA but it's not really that far off from yours.

Really liking what you're doing with the mask. Looks great.

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Des what are you going to do from 830pm after the ITF till the STF starts at 10?

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Use a crobar to pry my [censored] out of the chair and then drive to the gym...for the 2nd time that day

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I noticed in a DA slotting thread that you mention slotting for positional defense and I'm curious as to why, maybe it's something I'm missing?

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In small part, it has to do with how things started. Initially, positional defense was far more plentiful than typed. I never felt the need for defense prior to IOs, but I did feel a gaping whole to energy damage. I tried really hard to build strictly for energy defense (before it was paired with neg. energy). In doing so I incidentally amassed a lot of positional defense that simply worked better at the time.

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I've slotted my DA's (tanks and scrappers both) to cover S/L defense and can reach close to if not the soft cap without detriment. It also seems to require less slots to get S/L defense bonuses than positional.

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Despite S/L being the most common type of damage in the game, I never felt the need for additional mitigation beyond Dark Embrace and Tough. Part of the issue with typed defense is you need to build for all of it (S/L, F/C, and E/NE), or you'll find that investment great in one mission and near useless in the next. If you build for equal amounts of typed defense as I would be positional defense it would equally effective.

But I do have another reason for my preference. Blessing of the Zephyr has -KB IOs and has hefty ranged (3.13%) and AoE (3.13%) defense bonuses. I LOVE this set because it grants Dark Armor the freedom to build for any travel power. Assuming you use Hover or Combat Jumping, a single power can provide KB protection (mag 4) and 4.99% defense to Ranged and AoE. I find that so appealing I frequently take Hover and Combat Jumping on the same character. CJ + hover + SJ/FLY grants you -12 KB protection and 13.11% defense to Range and AoE.

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At first I thought it had to do with the coupled +max health bonuses but I get those as well.

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I know there has been some recent discussion about +HP on Dark Armor builds. Presently, I do not recommend pursuing +HP bonuses. I do not believe they add anything significant to Dark Armor's survivability. I do not dispute additional hit points translate to additional mitigation, but rather Dark Armor already has more pressing bonuses to pursue. In other words, more an opportunity cost issue.

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Or is it just preference?

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Well yeah sort of. If you chose to pursue KB protection by means other than Zephrys, then you could make a very valid case for targeting typed defense over positional. I just advise you get equal amounts to all positions. 25-30% defense to S/L/F/C/E/NE would be just as effective as 25-30 % defense to M/R/AoE.

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Now Since I do like to pvp some,what are opinions of pvping with/DA?

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Imagine standing in a bucket of cement in the center of a boxing ring, wearing boxing gloves with your arms tied to your thighs. Now imagine your opponents are following UFC rules. That's pretty much what Dark Armor is like in the hands of a skilled PvPer.

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So when looking at /Da I was wondering what to max here?How to best play to it's resistances?
It's a bit frustrating to plan a build out .........but time for me to move on from easy builds.
I think /DA will be a challenge, so gonna keep at it.
I may keep pestering you guys with questions tho :P

Thanks again

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Might I suggest you start with the guide in my signature.

Quick tips.
1) decide on your kb protection (I recommend Zyphers)
2) get key end managing IOs (Miracle + Numina's Uniques and Theft of Essense: +end PROC)
3)Target Max end bonuses
3)Add positional defense, 25-30%

That's being ultra brief, but basically how I build all my Dark Armor characters.

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Long and flowing?

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My kryptonite.

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*considers* That's an interesting thing to be your kryptonite.

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You prefer the phrase 'weak in the knees'?

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Or you could just run Doc Q twice.

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That would take longer...

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Long and flowing?

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My kryptonite.

Actually, it's what she did with her hair I love the most about it.

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Not sure if I want to continue with this scrapper or not now.

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Don't be disheartened by the lack of resistance bonuses. Dark Armor can be difficult in the early levels, but gets strong in the mid 20s and pays off big by the mid 30s.

Once you add IOs to the mix, Dark Armor becomes very powerful in the late game, especially if you team often.

Just got this playful pin up from DarkVanessa.

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For that matter, if you understand "mitigation value" in a technical sense, you've already moved beyond the simplified equation above, and shouldn't think of them as being equal.

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I think this sums up what I was driving at.

[u]The 200 Hero Milk Run[u]
Sunday June 28

Basically, if you sign up for each TF with the same hero, you'll make 232 merits. You're not required to do so, feel free to switch characters as you see fit. You're not required to sign up for every event. If an event is full, sign up anyways, a few these can be run with two smaller teams.

Sister Psyche lvl 20-25, 50 merits
9:00AM EST/8:00 AM CST/7:00 AM MST/6:00 AM PST
Sorry West Coasters, it's the only way to fit on 200 merits in a day.

1) Des - scrapper
2) Vanum - undecided
3) Zamuel - scrapper
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Rikti Respec Trial lvl 44-50, 20 merits
11:00 AM EST/10:00 AM CST/9:00 AM MST/8:00 AM PST

1)Des - scrapper
2)Vanum
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Synapse lvl 15-20, 57 merits
1:00 PM EST/12 Noon CST/11:00 AM MST/10:00 AM PST

1) Des - Scrapper
2) Vanum
3) Chumly - tanker/scrapper
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LGTF lvl 44-50, 39 Merits
6:00 PM EST/5:00 PM/4:00 AM MST/3:00 PST
Feel free to bring a villain if you prefer.


1) Des - Scrapper
2) Vanum - undecided
3) Brierley - Tanker
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Imperious TF lvl 45-50, 28 merits
8:00 PM EST/7:00 PM CST/6:00 MST/5:00 PM PST

1) Des - Widow
2) Vanum - Undecided
3) Brierley - Tanker
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Statesman TF lvl 45-50 38 Merits
10:00 PM EST/9:00 PM CST/8:00 PM MST/7:00 PM PST

1) Des - scrapper
2) Vanum
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[u]The 200 Villain Milk Run[u]
Saturday June 27

Basically, if you sign up for each SF with the same villain, you'll make 201 merits. You're not required to do so, feel free to switch characters as you see fit. You're not required to sign up for every event. If an event is full, sign up anyways, a few these can be run with two smaller teams.

Third Respec Trial lvl 44-50, 15 merits
7:30 AM EST/6:30 AM CST/5:30 AM MST/4:30 AM PST
SUCKS to get up early on a Saturday
Sorry West Coasters, it's the only way to fit on 200 merits in a day.

1)Des - most likely a brute
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Virgil Tarikos TF lvl 15-20, 12 merits
9:00 AM EST/8:00 AM CST/7:00 AM MST/6:00 AM PST

1)Des - Widow
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Silver Mantis SF lvl 20-25, 35 merits
11:00 AM EST/10 AM CST/9:00 AM MST/8:00 AM PST

1) Des - Widow
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Operative Renault SF lvl 25-30, 22 Merits
1:00 PM EST/12:00 noon/11:00 AM MST/10:00 PST

1)Des - Widow
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Ice Mistral SF lvl 35-40, 25 merits
3:00 PM EST/2:00 PM CST/1:00 MST/12:00 noon PST

1)Des - Widow
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Lady Grey SF lvl 45-50 39 Merits
5:00 PM EST/4:00 PM CST/3:00 PM MST/2:00 PM PST
Feel free to bring a hero if you prefer.

1) Des - Brute or scrapper
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Imperious SF lvl 45-50 28 Merits
7:00 PM EST/6:00 PM CST/5:00 PM MST/4:00 PM PST

1) Des - Brute or Scrapper
2) Vanum
3)
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Lord Recluse SF lvl 45-50, 25 Merits
9:00 PM EST/8:00 PM CST/7:00 PM MST/6:00 PM PST

1) Des - Brute
2) Vanum
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It's a trade off with +max health vs resist dmg. In the above example, the character with more health will die after 4 hits of the same amount and type while the character with resist will still be alive. However the more health gives you mitigation against dmg types for which you have zero resistance. It all depends on what you value more.

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Which is why I don't get why folks equate the two. I'm not disputing additional hit points increase your survivability, I just don't see how folks equate hit points to resistance.

Another way of putting it, you simply cannot add the two and derive a mitigation value?

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A 1% increase in hp is the equivalent of a 1% increase in resistance to all damage.

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I would really love to see this broken down a bit. I've seen this claim made several times but I have yet to see it explained. I rather skeptical but I would love to build for resistance instead of defense for once.

My recommendation is 4 Impervium Armors in OS, MC, and DE. This is mainly done for the +2.25 Max end. bonus and 2.5% recovery bonus.

+ resistance is extremely scarce in the form of set bonuses. It's far simpler to pick up defense bonuses. I recommend aiming for 25-30% defense to M/R/AoE.

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This for my friend. He's never had any art done of his characters, and is too shy to ask. He very rarely ventures out of Victory forum either.

He's a scaredy-Ninja.

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Being as I know who this is, I'm struggling to get past the "he's too shy" part

It's awesome you did this for him, Viv. Can't wait to see what develops.

We can't discuss actual prices on these forums, but if one were to follow the link to Graver's dA page and then click on his previous journal entries, you should find what you are looking for.

I haz me some Graver arts.

Desmodas Siazar disrupts The Ritual.

I might be a few minutes late. If you have enough folks, feel free to start with out me, otherwise I'll be on as soon as I can.

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Ah, you didn't have stealth, Des? Thought you did.

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I made no claims one way or the other. I simply stated of the 28 deaths, only 5-7 were mine. That I recall, atleast two of those occurred while 'stealthing' and at least another two from attempting to use an awaken mid-combat.

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And don't you be pulling legs, Des... 28 deaths? I don't recall them being nearly that high... thought we just had a few.


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I can only tell you what the pop up window indicated. We were moving a decent pace. We never had a team wipe and none of the defeats slowed our pace, so it's easy to lose count of them.