Okay since I've seen a few posts about asking for a guide to Kinetics/Radiation Blast I thought, "eh, why not make one?"
This is my first "guide" so be gentle with me
So you've decided to be a Kinetics with Radiation Blast as a Secondary powerset eh? Well good for you! By choosing Kinetics you are a valuable assest to most any team and are good to great at solo'ing (depends on what mob type you face).
There are quite a few ways you can go with Kinetics/Rad. Blast...you can go for a more team-oriented defender or a more solo-oriented defender or you can go somewhere in the middle
There really is no wrong way for this powerset/combination...it is YOUR character...have fun with it! If you don't like a certain way/power then there are 3 respecs. available to play around with
Let me say that I'm kinda in the middle with my build. Right now I only have 4 attacks; which is good enough for me but I could have more and be more of an "Offender (offensive Defender)". I also have Hasten, Stamina, Maneuvers and Tactics...so when you are reading about enhancement slottings, just remember that I have slot differently since I have the above powers.
Okay let me go on with my build...I'll start with the primary powerset (Kinetics).
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Kinetics:
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Transfusion:
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The best AoE heal in the game. This is a mob-centered AoE...so tankers and scrappers (and those that think they are scrappers/tankers) are you friends with this power. This is one of the best powers for solo'ers...I know I have solo'ed my lvl 43 (almost 44) Kinetics/Radiation Blast a lot more than I expected and I survived by this heal. This (along with Transference) is hard to get used to when you have blasters (energy/energy comes to mind) or with Peacebringers/Warshades (Kheldians) with their knockbacks...but don't worry you can either try to teach the "knockbackers" that when they knockback an oppenent when you use Transfusion/Transference they don't get the heal or you just cope with it and learn to try to target other mobs that aren't being blasted away by the Kheldians/Blasters.
One of the things I like to do now is jump in the middle of a group of mobs, use Fulcrum Shift and get off Transfusion right before I get knocked down so that when I get knocked down and my health drops, the heal heals me right when I get knocked down (so that when I get back up I basically have full health and ready to fight
).
I have this 6-slotted. 1 Accuracy and 5 Heal enhancements.
Siphon Power:
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A good solid debuff that debuffs a mob by 25% and you gain 25% more damage per buff. You'll be using this alot before you get Fulcrum Shift (FS) but after you get FS you will still use it to debuff those bosses/AVs.
This buff can benefit teammates as well. If any teammate is around you when you use SP and SP hits/lands then you and anyone around you will get the 25% dmg. increase....it seems like a 20 foot radius or so...can't really tell.
I like the animation for this power; heck the animation is one of the reasons I went with Kinetics...seems like you are really "stealing/draining" the enemy.
Right now I have 3 slots in SP. 1 Accuracy and 2 Recharge enhancements.
Repel:
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A protective shield that encompasses you and repels anything that comes near you away. This is a very fun power to play around with and at times very handy (ie. you can keep a boss pinned on the ground/wall while others are blasting it/taking it down so that the boss can't fight back). This is power costs endurance...not just by having it on but when you knockback any mob it costs endurance. So the more mobs you knockback/repel away costs you more endurance. Very nice/cool power in the earlier levels.
Quick note on this power, while it does repel anything in melee range away, some mobs can get off a melee attack before they are repelled.
I used to have this on EI but I got rid of it for another power. This is one of those powers that if I had more power choices I would keep.
If I got this power again I would have at least 2 Endurance Reduction enhancements in it.
Siphon Speed:
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This is a single-target debuff that debuffs the mob's movement speed (and in the next issue (#4) it will debuff their attack rate as well) and buffs your movement speed (and in the next issue (#4) it will buff your attack rate as well). This power will make you faster than someone with Super Speed (as long as they haven't put running enhancements in Super Speed).
The animation is really cool but once you get used to the animation you'll wish it was shorter (the animation takes like 2 seconds).
I had this power for a good 36 or so levels and I found it useful (not just as a temp. travel power but as a good debuff. when I had it I really found it useful to use it against AVs (particularly against Bobcat) so that they can't run away (or at least not very fast).
I will be getting this power back in my line-up around lvl 47 or 49 (depends on if I want phase shift first or not :P) and can't wait for it.
I would put 1 Accuracy enhancement in it and possibly 1 Recharge...but with Hasten maybe I won't need too...we'll see.
Increase Density:
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This is a great buff for your teammates. This protects against almost ALL status effects which include: Stun, Disorient, Immob., Hold and Knockdown/back...the only thing it doesn't protect against is Sleep but you can wake people up with a heal so it's not that big of a deal.
Not only does I.D. protect people against status' effects but it also gives resistance to smashing and energy attacks...so if you wanted to you could slot ID with 6 resistance enhancements. The major pain about this power is that it only lasts one minute
Also in the earlier levels (around 8/10) some people say not to get ID until you get Speed Boost because ID slows people's running speed down....but again it's kinda nice to have around when someone gets held/stunned.
Right now I only have 1 Damage Resistance enhancement in this power. I would like to put 6 slots in this with all Damage Resistance but I don't see that many slots available unfortunately.
Speed Boost:
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Another great buff in the set. If you do choose this power be forewarned that you will have to have a nice little list of who wants this power and who doesn't. Usually people like the buff but some people can't handle the speed
The power grants the teammate increased recharge speed, increased endurance recovery and a running/speed boost and lasts for two minutes.
Right now I have 2 Endurance Recovery enhancements in it.
Please note that even though you can put a recharge enhancement in SB, it does NOT affect the teammates recharge recovery.
Inertial Reduction:
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A caster-centered AoE which enables anyone (including the caster) around the caster to be able to jump like they had the Super Jump power. This is what I use for traveling and it works out just fine. I've noticed that with the actual power Super Jump you can jump about 15 feet higher than you can with just IR...so no big difference between the two.
Again this is a one minute buff but usually good enough to get ya where you need to go.
If you plan on getting Super Speed or another travel power you can probably skip this power with no problem.
I have no enhancements in this power yet but when I get to lvl 47 or so I'll add a Jump enhancement.
Transference:
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You'll never know how you survived/leveled without this once you get it. This is just like Transfusion in that it is a mob-centered AoE heal...except it heals your endurance and not your HPs. With just one endurance recovery enhancement in this power I can get my endurance bar back to halfway when Transference lands...and with 2 endurance drain enhancements I can drain an even conned minion out of all his endurance and a red conned boss about 3/4's of his endurance. This power will allow you to solo bosses very easily (usually). And without any endurance...the bosses can't fight/attack you back
You only need 4 endurance to cast this so if you want to use your "nuke" power go ahead and do so and when you get 4 endurance (one second...maybe less/more) you can get your endurance back in no time.
I have this slotted with 1 Accuracy, 2 Endurance Drains, 1 Endurance Recovery and 2 Recharge enhancements.
Fulcrum Shift :
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Warning...once you get this power you will act and become a tanker!
Now that you are warned....Once you get this power you'll understand what I mean in the first sentence. Now everytime I see a big group of mobs together I want to jump in and FS them.
This is mob-centered AND a caster-centered buff/debuff. What happens is this...
You target X mob which is surrounded by lots of little Y and Z minions...You use FS on X mob and if the Y and Z mobs are close enough they also get debuffed and if a teammate (or yourself) are close enough to all the mobs you get all the buffs from all the mobs that were debuffed. Sounds complicated?
Okay if X mob has 5 minions around him (for a total of 6 mobs) and you are in the middle of them and use FS and if FS hits all of the mobs then you get 7 buffs (1 from each mob debuffed and I think the defender/person who casted FS gets 1 buff no matter what...so 7 for the defender and 6 for any other melee person).
With Kinetics/FS you will most likely not need to put lots of damage enhancers in your powers since FS and SP can put you to the damage cap very easily (damage cap is 400% I think).
The buffs seems to last about 25 seconds (maybe 30) and FS recharges every 60 seconds.
Oh and going back to my examples above...if the defender/caster is not in melee range (let's say he's hanging out by the blasters/controllers) and he uses FS on 6 mobs, anyone who is close enough to the defender/caster gets one buff per mob debuffed as well....so no negative effects like Transfusion/Transference where people have to be in melee range.
I have this power 6-slotted with 1 Accuracy and 5 Recharge enhancements.
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Radiation Blast:
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Note: In the Radiation Blast set, ALL powers debuff the target/mobs' defenses...so that it makes it easier for you/teammates to land other attacks/buffs/debuffs.
Neutrino Bolt:
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This power is the first in the set (duh!) and so you have to get it. When I made my character I used it for the first time...noticed it did more damage than Brawl and recharged faster than Brawl...I liked it from the beginning
I have read that if you slotted this power with Damage enhancements that it is the best/most powerful attack. Meaning if you only used one power over and over that Neutrino Bolt would come out ahead in damage over time.
This is a great power that I still use as of now. Granted it does do minor damage but I don't use it for the damage...I use it to debuff the mobs to help me land Transfusion/Transference/other attacks.
I only have 1 Accuracy enhancement in this power...again if I had more slots to spare I'd probably put some in this power to make it do some more damage.
X-Ray Beam:
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A moderate damage attack and pretty decent range to it too. The best thing about this power is the sound it makes and the animation (you shoot laser beams from your eyes!
).
I had this before I respec'ed it out for other powers to be described later (I got rid of it around lvl 36 or so).
Nothing much to say about this power...it does it's job and if I had more power choices I would get this power again
I'd slot it with 1 Accuracy and maybe throw in a Damage enhancement or two in there depending on what you need it for.
Irradiate:
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This is a good attack even though it is a PBAoE (Caster-Centered AoE). This is a DoT (Damage over Time) attack and it reduces any mob that is close to you defenses by a good 30% un-enhanced.
I think this attack works quite well for Kinetics since you will probably in melee range most of the time and since it debuffs the mobs' defenses quite a bit you can easily land the heals/debuffs from your Kinetics powerset.
Although this power is good I didn't get it until I was lvl 26 or 28. I originally got Aim but then resepc'ed out for this power. This does use quite a bit of endurance so maybe earlier on you might not want to use it a whole lot.
I have this power 6-slotted; 1 Endurance Reduction and 5 Damage enhancements. Some may ask why I have 5 damage enhancements since I have FS/SP but I don't think I'm always at the damage cap (if I'm solo'ing I only usually have like 2 or 3 mobs fighting me at once soo..) so I have the damage enhancements in there just for fun/incase.
I might switch out one or two damage enhancements for Defense Debuff enhancements or just put the slots elsewhere...we'll see.
Electron Haze:
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This is a high damage cone attack. It has a chance for knockback which is why some Kinetics don't take it but I have taken it and I am glad I did. I originally got Neutron Bomb because of the cool graphic animation of Neutron Bomb but the damage was just too low for me and I heard good things about EH.
With some getting used to you'll know how to use EH more effectively (like where to stand/where the mobs are and what not).
Again this is another endurance eater so might not want to use this a whole lot until you get Stamina or put another Endurance Reduction in it.
Don't worry too much about the knockback; it seems to knockback only a few times so it's not like it knockbacks the mob all the time.
Right now I have EH 6-slotted with 1 Endurance Reduction and 4 Damage and 1 Cone Extension enhancement. I used to have 5 damage but replaced it with a cone enhancement (to increase the cone's width *I'm guessing it's the width it extends*) and I have actually seen a difference at how many mobs I hit with the cone extension enhancement. And the damage is still there so it's all good
Proton Volley:
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Oh how I want thee Proton Volley. This is your sniper attack that does high/good damage. The animation and sound for this power are really fun/cool!
It basically shoots 4 (maybe 5?) balls of radiation goo at the mob and the sound sounds like a photon torpedo from Star Trek
Being a sniper attack it is an endurance drainer so you probably shouldn't/wouldn't use this all the time...it's meant for pulling really.
I don't have much experience with this power...only used it on the test server like once...soo..
If I had it I would probably put 1 Accuracy enhancement, 1 Endurance Reduction enhancement and maybe a Damage or two in there.
Aim:
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Aim is basically Build-Up for Defenders. It gives you a 100% Accuracy bonus and a 50% Damage bonus for 10 seconds. I got this at 28 but quickly respec'ed it out for Irradiate.
I first got Aim because I thought I would really need it to land my heal/transference more regularly but I noticed I was doing just fine...it was only when I was facing like +3 or +5 lvl minions that I needed to use it (which I don't usually do...I usually only fight oranges/reds at most if I'm solo'ing...I know *gasp* how does he do it folks?
).
In addition to that I didn't have Hasten at that time so for 10 seconds I could land my heals more reliably but after that...well...I just didn't feel it was worth it.
If I got it again I would put enough Recharge enhancements in it to make it "perma-Aim"...meaning once the effect wears off I could use it again. The recharge time I think is like 90 seconds so probably like 4 or so Recharge enhancements (with perma-Hasten) would do it.
Cosmic Burst:
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Aaah, Cosmic Burst. You are able to get this power at lvl 28 and I would highly recommend getting it at 28. This is a high damage attack that not only does good damage but also disorients any mob (unless it's a boss) in one hit. Two hits with Cosmic Burst to a boss and usually the boss is disoriented.
Only side effect is that it is a short range attack..about the range of Irradiate (where Irradiate's effect stops).
So if you are more of a Defender and staying away from melee (near blasters/controllers) then you probably don't want this power...but I'd say try it out; you never know when it might come in handy
Right now I have it 5 slotted with 1 Accuracy, 1 Disorient Duration, 1 Recharge and 2 Damage enhancements.
I find that with that 1 Disorient Duration enhancement that I can use CB on a mob and by the time the disorient effect wears off I can use it again on the same mob (even on a purple lieutenant!).
Neutron Bomb:
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This is a targetted/ranged AoE attack. This power has one of the cooler animations in the game I think. I tried this power out and even with 5 damage enhancements in it I was only doing like twice (maybe 3x) the damage of Neutrino Bolt. Even the radius of the AoE is quite small; which is a shame cause the power would be nice to keep. I respec'ed this out and got Electron Haze around lvl 40 or so.
This also takes a nice chunk of endurance to use and the animation seems to be too long for the damage it deals out.
This (along with Aim and Proton Volley) would be suitable for Defenders that stay on the outsides of battle (near blasters/controllers). But if you are like me and like to be near melee range a lot then...sorry to say you probably won't use this power a whole lot. :sad:
Atomic Blast:
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This is your "nuke" attack. Does "extreme" damage (from what I remember it does about 600 or so damage when I first got it at lvl 38) and since it is a huge attack it takes 6 minutes to recharge and it eats up/drains all your endurance if you use it to defeat mobs.
One of the better aspects of AB is that not only does it do extreme damage but it also holds the enemies that it hits/lands on (that is if they don't die...er..get defeated by the attack).
As I've said earlier I have done the "Fulcrum Shift, Irradiate (to make sure I'll hit as many mobs as possible) then Atomic Blast" to get as much damage dealt as possible and in about 2 seconds I can use Transference and gain all my endurance back
But don't let the devs know...they might "look" at us
Right now I only have 1 Recharge enhancement in this power but if I have any slots I'll possibly put more recharge reduction enhancements in it.
That's the power descriptions...not how about some builds eh?
First one is what I thought would be good for a ranged Defender (not melee Tankfender like me
):
Slot[01] Level 1 (Starting Primary) : Transfusion /Empty
Slot[02] Level 1 (Starting Secondary) : Neutrino Bolt /Empty
Slot[03] Level 2 : Siphon Power /Empty
Slot[04] Level 4 : X-Ray Beam /Empty
Slot[05] Level 6 : Siphon Speed /Empty
Slot[06] Level 8 : Increase Density /Empty
Slot[07] Level 10 : Hasten /Empty
Slot[08] Level 12 : Speed Boost /Empty
Slot[09] Level 14 : Super Speed /Empty
Slot[10] Level 16 : Proton Volley /Empty
Slot[11] Level 18 : Swift /Empty
Slot[12] Level 20 : Hurdle /Empty
Slot[13] Level 22 : Stamina /Empty
Slot[14] Level 24 : Maneuvers /Empty
Slot[15] Level 26 : Transference /Empty
Slot[16] Level 28 : Tactics /Empty
Slot[17] Level 30 : Aim /Empty
Slot[18] Level 32 : Fulcrum Shift /Empty
Slot[19] Level 35 : Neutron Bomb /Empty
Slot[20] Level 38 : Electron Haze /Empty
After lvl 38 you're on your own...at 41 you can choose from the Ancillary Power Pool so I'm not going to suggest anything...although my char. has the Psychic Power Pool just for the Dominate power (single target hold) and the armor (resistance to psychic damage).
Now for a possible Tankfender build:
Slot[01] Level 1 (Starting Primary) : Transfusion /Empty
Slot[02] Level 1 (Starting Secondary) : Neutrino Bolt /Empty
Slot[03] Level 2 : Siphon Power /Empty
Slot[04] Level 4 : Irradiate /Empty
Slot[05] Level 6 : Hasten /Empty
Slot[06] Level 8 : Increase Density /Empty
Slot[07] Level 10 : Swift /Empty
Slot[08] Level 12 : Speed Boost /Empty
Slot[09] Level 14 : Hurdle /Empty
Slot[10] Level 16 : Maneuvers /Empty
Slot[11] Level 18 : Inertial Reduction /Empty
Slot[12] Level 20 : Stamina /Empty
Slot[13] Level 22 : Tactics /Empty
Slot[14] Level 24 : Grant Invisibility /Empty
Slot[15] Level 26 : Transference /Empty
Slot[16] Level 28 : Cosmic Burst /Empty
Slot[17] Level 30 : Invisibility /Empty
Slot[18] Level 32 : Fulcrum Shift /Empty
Slot[19] Level 35 : Electron Haze /Empty
Slot[20] Level 38 : Atomic Blast /Empty
Again after lvl 38 it's up to you...the above build is basically what I have. I'm going to get the Psychic armor at lvl 44 then at 47 I'll get Phase Shift and at 49 I'll get Siphon Speed.
Again please have fun with your character...it is yours after all.
I'm not a numbers kinda guy so if you want to know the numbers for any Kinetics' power (or you want a different/better description of the power) click the link here.
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showf...Number=2123962 (Ladios_Sopp's guide to Kinetics)
Any thoughts/comments are appreciated
It was so awkward but the friendly GM's even told me where to find it so I was gosh darn happy! ^^