Doomguide

Well very few of my builds involve level 50 IO's in the sets. I almost always build using set IO's in the 30 to 35 range and rarely above so what I loose by exemping (which I do frequently) is generally powers and not set bonuses. So, in fact, my main, a Claws/SR, got a much less exemp friendly build rather than the reverse (her sets being all lvl 50's except when the set capped lower).

It also boosts any To Hit buffs or Healing you do. In the case of my Cold/Ice this includes Aim. Between PBU and Aim he'll be sitting just shy of the +To Hit cap and Tactics puts him at the cap. Have fun enjoying ignoring the fact the +4 (or even +6) boss PP just hit his Tier 9 version of MoG or Elude, you will hit him with the PBU Infrigidate (about -80% def prior resistances etc.) and ruin his afternoon.

As part of my build I have Entropic Chaos in the blasts and noted the PBU effects the Entropic Chaos chance for self heal. Make or break, not a chance normally, but fun.

And yes it will effect the -end to target and your +end in Heat Loss. Prior to any resistances (purple patches, whatnot) that's nearly an entire full end bar in AoE form (about -95% end from each target and +58 end back to me also from each target hit).

And Blizzard after Sleet+PBU+Heat Loss+Aim with Assault running ... yummy.

Edit: And PBU effects To Hit Debuff in BIB as well.

With 3 well played empaths, 2 Forts on the entire team is should be well within their capabilities and that should put everyone at the soft cap for defense. As well the team should never not be under the effect of both auras and spend a great deal of time under the effects of stacked auras. Properly slotted and used 2 regen auras will have the entire team at or above 1800% regen ... as much if not more than a /Regen running IH is likely to have. The team described above should have been all but unkillable and more than capable of steamrolling whatever was in front of them.

Just a quick note about the controllers and their-kb immobilize powers, in most cases the -kb is of shorter duration than the immobilize portion (much shorter potentially) .. so use the powers with the most kb (or most likely to cause issues) right after you see all the immobilize animations appear.

Grats!

For me it would depend on whether I found myself frequently on teams where others were running Assault (and/or Leadership in general), stacking is a lovely thing. Considering the ease with which Assault can be taken, an initial choice requiring no prerequisite, if your build can fit it in I would be very tempted to include Assault in any build which commonly teams.

My first character, a claws/SR, "What is all the fuss about? Mez, they do that? The trops are vaguely annoying. *resumes hovering/sprinting around like crazy person launching Shockwave and Focus*

Second scrapper, a Broadsword/Regen, "Ouch that tickles, when I catch you! ... ", *resumes sprinting at the -spd floor thru stacks of caltrops" (oh the days of toggle IH)

My first defender, an Emp/Dark "grrrr mezzed yet again, for the next century!" *pops one of tray full of breakfree and tries to fly higher only to discover the meaning of stacked webnades*

I'd go with just the base slot (1 endred) in Snow Storm.

If anything in the area isn't already at the speed floor I'd hazard to say you can't get it there even with tossing Snow Storm into the mix. Nearly every attack you have is -rech and -spd (Benumb and Freeze Ray don't, unless you want to call Freeze Ray's hold the ultimate -spd)

If you want to hit the soft cap for ranged, give priority to slotting sets for +def (ranged) and not +rech. I'm looking at the Basilisk's in Freeze Ray in particular. I'd shuffle slots and look to get a full 6 slot with Lockdown in there instead.

Like vernichterhelge posted in his build I'd move slots to get 6 slots in those Thunderstrikes.

If you use Benumb on targets while you are effected by your own buffs (PBU, Aim) or the target is hit by your debuffs (Sleet, Infrigidate) or similarly effected by teammates you can readily have enough global accuracy to not need any accuracy slotted in Benumb itself (i.e. could go with 3 recharge).

Pretty much no matter what the overall build priorities (recharge vs ranged defense vs other) you want to maximize recharge in Benumb, Sleet, Heat Loss and in this case PBU.

Here's one possibility when CC is reworked with some of those thoughts in mind:

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.601
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Christmas Carroll (v2.00.i16): Level 50 Mutation Defender
Primary Power Set: Cold Domination
Secondary Power Set: Ice Blast
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Power Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Infrigidate -- Achilles-ResDeb%(A), AnWeak-Acc/DefDeb(9), AnWeak-Acc/Rchg(17), AnWeak-DefDeb(17), AnWeak-DefDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(31), AnWeak-Acc/Rchg/EndRdx(37)
Level 1: Ice Bolt -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(3), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(19), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(45), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(48), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(50)
Level 2: Ice Blast -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(3), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(19), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(46), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(46), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(48)
Level 4: Ice Shield -- LkGmblr-Def/Rchg(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(5), LkGmblr-Rchg+(5), LkGmblr-Def(34)
Level 6: Glacial Shield -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def/Rchg(7), LkGmblr-Rchg+(7), LkGmblr-Def(36)
Level 8: Super Speed -- Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(A), Zephyr-Travel(9)
Level 10: Aim -- GSFC-Build%(A), GSFC-ToHit(11), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg(11), GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx(42), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx(43), GSFC-Rchg/EndRdx(43)
Level 12: Arctic Fog -- LkGmblr-Def(A), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(13), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(13), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(40), LkGmblr-Rchg+(40)
Level 14: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(15), RechRdx-I(15)
Level 16: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 18: Health -- Mrcl-Rcvry+(A)
Level 20: Stamina -- P'Shift-End%(A), P'Shift-EndMod(21), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(21)
Level 22: Benumb -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(23), RechRdx-I(23)
Level 24: Freeze Ray -- Lock-Acc/Hold(A), Lock-Acc/Rchg(25), Lock-Rchg/Hold(25), Lock-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(37), Lock-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(39), Lock-%Hold(40)
Level 26: Sleet -- UndDef-DefDeb/Rchg/EndRdx(A), UndDef-DefDeb/Rchg(27), LdyGrey-DefDeb/Rchg(27), LdyGrey-DefDeb/Rchg/EndRdx(34)
Level 28: Bitter Ice Blast -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(29), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(29), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(46), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(48), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(50)
Level 30: Combat Jumping -- Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(A), Zephyr-ResKB(31), LkGmblr-Rchg+(31)
Level 32: Heat Loss -- Efficacy-EndMod/Rchg(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(33), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(33), P'Shift-Acc/Rchg(33), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(34)
Level 35: Maneuvers -- LkGmblr-Def(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(36), LkGmblr-Rchg+(36), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(37)
Level 38: Ice Storm -- Dmg-I(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(39), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(39)
Level 41: Power Build Up -- AdjTgt-ToHit(A), AdjTgt-ToHit/Rchg(42), AdjTgt-Rchg(42), AdjTgt-ToHit/EndRdx/Rchg(43), AdjTgt-EndRdx/Rchg(50)
Level 44: Temp Invulnerability -- RctvArm-ResDam(A), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(45), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(45)
Level 47: Snow Storm -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 49: Assault -- EndRdx-I(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Vigilance

Personally I'm on the fence about Grounded. It offers me essentially one thing in my build, about 1/3 of my negative energy resistance at no further cost in endurance usage. The kb and immobilize protection are both covered by powers and IO's that I would be taking and using anyway. The end drain resistance is trivial at best, particularly by my current level. Hip deep in dying Carnies with the dread Mask of Vitiation on me couldn't effectively drain me as is with no Grounded. Instead I was draining them dry. And it does "all" this at the cost of a power choice.

Still it has been painful at times facing things like Vampyri, Spectrals and or even the Carnies mentioned above owing to their use of negative energy attacks.

Really seems to boil down to increasing my negative energy resistance by about 11% or so to a total of about 33% for a power choice in a tight build. And negative energy is still going to tend to be painful.

So right now the plan is one build will have it and one won't and seeing how they compare.

Wouldn't be my first choice. Over the years since hitting 50 on my main I've used:

2 nucleolus, 3 centrioles, 1 endred SO (the reach out and touch you slotting) from pre-IO days.

The above only instead of the Endred SO going with an Explosive Strike

Full set of Thunderstrike

5 Decimation (no proc), with either a Explosive Strike, Apoc %neg, or centriole HO at various times.

5 Apocalypse (sans Dam), 1 lvl 50 range IO

5 Decimation (no proc), 1 Acc/Dam/Rech Apocalypse (the rest of the Apoc being in her Dark Blast from Dark Mastery)

Not necessarily the best potential slotting for the overall build but the 5 HO's plus Explosive Strike may have been the most fun. 60+ foot range !!

Basically no experience with MA so won't comment there. You are going to want to get the melee defense to 45+ (it's sitting at +42%). Fastest way without significant changes is swap back to a ToD set for the melee (edit: in Eagles Claw) and then take one slot from health (End/Rech) move it to Recall and use 2 BotZ there for the +ranged you lost.

Is it the Bres that are the issue? Which foes are hitting you more often you feel? There are a ton of Red Caps inside BNY's cave. And they would all not only have the bonuses for being +2 lvls mentioned previously but are using Archery ... inherent accuracy of 1.15

That inherent accuracy I'm guessing (multiplied by the huge swarms of +2 Red Caps found inside the cave, particularly in that first big room) has a lot to do with your issue.

EDIT: Very quick and dirty figuring by someone who isn't quite the number cruncher of some on these boards is telling me that even with capped defense those Red Caps, particularly the bosses are approaching 8 to 10% "Last Chance To Hit". What's the combat log saying about their chance to hit? Also a small detail is your passive scaling damage resistance isn't "maxed" Agile is providing only the base amount while Dodge is approaching ED limits but not quite there. Since you are getting hit more ... you are noticing the effect from this more as well I expect. Essentially it sounds and looks as if you are getting more nickels and dimes (to death) than normal rather than one large effect somewhere.

EDIT2: Hrrmm, looking at your defdebuff resistance by mistake (when thinking of your passive scaling resists). So nevermind that thought, I think (as I can't off the top of my head recall if enhancement effects that at all or not).

EDIT3: And yes while those To Hit changes are small they are occurring while you are at the soft cap. Which is to say their effect on your incoming damage is disproportionally higher than if you were at +20% defense or +0% defense. A 5% change at the soft cap is effectively doubling the incoming damage.

Grrr keep thinking of things. Your ranged (and even melee and AoE) defense(s) are almost exactly at the cap. What this means is even single auto hitting Quicksand is likely dropping you below the soft cap (95% of -25% debuff still leaves a 1 to 2% debuff on you). Now you are at 7 or so defense and all those Acc mods hit.

Varies quite a bit even when talking the same character depending on my mood, goals and the foe(s) at the time. Reyna (Emp/Rad/Dark) was at one point soloing Guassians RWZ arc on Unyielding until I ran into Lt Sefu at which point I went for Shivans, got distracted by something else and never got back to the mission till a long time later and ended up doing it with a team at that point.

Both Reyna and Tryth can if I'm in the mood for it solo vs higher foe levels .. numbers (of foes) can get a bit more problematic when combined with higher lvls. Tryth (in her solo build) has taken on a mob of lvl 53 Rikti, RWZ challenge style, successfully but wouldn't dream of doing it if she couldn't get airborne and hover blast them. 54's, so far, have been beyond her, too much mez and not enough damage output. Planning a respec into Electrical Mastery and having another go at the lvl 54's again. Tryth in particular can take on quite a bit more if she can get airborne. Generally for normal missions I prefer more lesser foes so lean towards +1/x4 (or more) so sounds very similar to Biospark. My other defenders rarely solo, mostly by choice, as I've other characters I'll grab if no teams are to be had.

Reyna Morningdew (Emp/Rad/Dark) and Tryth (Emp/Sonic/Dark)

As could a Cold/Rad defender who can use PBU ... when I replied I was thinking of PBU+Infrigidate+Sleet (or Cosmic Burst or run in and use the AB mentioned while under Heat Loss etc. etc.). The PBU Infrigidate+Sleet is around -155% or so.

If you start talking stacking ... numerous things will beat out -70% defdebuff

Just a random thought ... how close to the 60 month vet reward for no prerequisites on travel power are you (or will be when finishing out this build). You seem dubious about taking Air Sup will you need it for taking Fly?

Overall the build looks fairly solid. You can move 1 or even 2 of the slots off Fly as with 1 Fly Speed SO you are within 2 mph of the movement cap (2 Fly Speed SO's puts you beyond the cap). In Parry I'd slot for damage over defense. One successful use of Parry puts you at the defense soft cap for melee. Only reason to keep defense vs damage in there is if you are trying to soft cap lethal defense as well. And the only reason to do that is for Lethally typed ranged and aoe attacks. Better, in my opinion, to kill what's in melee fast and use terrain, tactics, etc. to get the ranged/aoe attackers in melee with you.

If you plan on exemping much I'd consider trying to get another attack or two in the build earlier on. Currently if you exemp below 26 you'll have 2 attacks, Hack and Parry, unless you have vet reward attacks. The vet attacks, however, burn plenty of end and can't be slotted with accuracy, damage etc., having to rely on them to fill out your attack chain would be a painful choice.

I'd probable go with something other than Focused Accuracy. For the endurance you'll burn (even 3 slotted with endred) I don't think it really pays for itself (unless you routinely go diving into mobs of Rikti drones or pvp zones). I'd also personally would be looking to get Lucky in the build much closer to the level at which it's first available rather than as my last power choice.