GreatBigHippy

Hey all.
Inv/En aren't very popular right now, and I can kind of see why. I see other tankers mow through spawns without even thinking about it, why would anyone go En?
Well, Ditzy has been around the block and her shiny pom-poms of doom have taken her through the worst ED could throw at her and she has come out groovier than ever.
I have never posted a build for critique before but I am reasonable proud of this and and am looking for assistance in tweaking.
I'm not rich (yet) as I only started again recently. This build is live and has been funded by one hecatomb purple drop and a synthetic hami-o from the statesman TF. I am now poor again! At some point I will probably move the touch of death sets to Kinetic combats to free up some slots for extra damage. But that can wait for the next purple drop
I have currently plumbed for the Musculature Alpha as a bit more damage whilst soloing is helpful but I am now in two minds about going to cardiac. My end is generally ok as long as I stay away from using boxing in the attack chain unless conserve power is up but the second level in cardiac would give me 20% on resists taking me to the s/l cap. I can't decide how important that is over soloing a bit easier at the moment.

EDIT: to add. I was playing today and was thinking about going down the cardiac route for Alpha. Then getting Pyro in the epic pool so I can have fireball for extra AoE. Ditz as she is can easily solo +2*8 but it takes an age for each spawn as I rely on whirling hands for AoE. Any thoughts on that?
Anyway's here she is.

According to mids the currents stats are

Def:
S/L 45%
E/N 37.5%
F/C 32.8%
Melee 28.9%
Ranged 19.6%
AoE 17.7%
Psi 16.4%

Res
S/L 87.2%
En 30.5%
Neg 33.6%
F/C/T 30.7%
Psi nada

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.942
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Ditzy: Level 50 Technology Tanker
Primary Power Set: Invulnerability
Secondary Power Set: Energy Melee
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Energy Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Resist Physical Damage -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam(3), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(3), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(39)
Level 1: Barrage -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(5), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(5), KntkC'bat-Knock%(46), T'Death-Dam%(46), Zinger-Dam%(48)
Level 2: Temp Invulnerability -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(7), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(7), RctvArm-ResDam(9)
Level 4: Bone Smasher -- T'Death-Acc/Dmg(A), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx(9), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(11), T'Death-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(11), T'Death-Dam%(17), T'Death-Dmg/Rchg(25)
Level 6: Dull Pain -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-EndRdx/Rchg(13), Numna-Heal/Rchg(13), Numna-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(17), Numna-Heal(19), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(19)
Level 8: Unyielding -- RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(A), RctvArm-EndRdx/Rchg(15), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(15), RctvArm-ResDam(21)
Level 10: Taunt -- Zinger-Taunt/Rchg(A), Zinger-Taunt/Rchg/Rng(21), Zinger-Dam%(23), Zinger-Taunt/Rng(23)
Level 12: Combat Jumping -- Winter-ResSlow(A)
Level 14: Super Jump -- ULeap-Jump(A)
Level 16: Whirling Hands -- Sciroc-Acc/Dmg(A), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx(25), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg(27), Sciroc-Acc/Rchg(27), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(29), Sciroc-Dam%(29)
Level 18: Invincibility -- S'dpty-Def/EndRdx(A), S'dpty-Def/Rchg(31), S'dpty-EndRdx/Rchg(31), S'dpty-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(31), S'dpty-Def(33), GSFC-Build%(33)
Level 20: Resist Elements -- ResDam-I(A), ResDam-I(33), ResDam-I(34)
Level 22: Resist Energies -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(34), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(34), RctvArm-ResDam(39)
Level 24: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(36), RechRdx-I(36)
Level 26: Tough Hide -- DefBuff-I(A), DefBuff-I(36), DefBuff-I(37)
Level 28: Build Up -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(37), RechRdx-I(37)
Level 30: Boxing -- KntkC'bat-Knock%(A)
Level 32: Unstoppable -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A)
Level 35: Energy Transfer -- T'Death-Acc/Dmg(A), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx(39), T'Death-Dmg/Rchg(40), T'Death-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(40), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(40), T'Death-Dam%(42)
Level 38: Total Focus -- T'Death-Acc/Dmg(A), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx(42), T'Death-Dmg/Rchg(42), T'Death-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(43), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(43), T'Death-Dam%(43)
Level 41: Tough -- ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A)
Level 44: Weave -- DefBuff-I(A), S'dpty-Def(50), S'dpty-Def/Rchg(50)
Level 47: Conserve Power -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(48), RechRdx-I(48)
Level 49: Physical Perfection -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-End%(50)
Level 0: Portal Jockey
Level 0: The Atlas Medallion
Level 50: Musculature Boost
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Heal-I(A), Heal-I(45), Heal-I(46)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(45), EndMod-I(45)
------------
Set Bonus Totals:

• 7.5% DamageBuff(Smashing)
• 7.5% DamageBuff(Lethal)
• 7.5% DamageBuff(Fire)
• 7.5% DamageBuff(Cold)
• 7.5% DamageBuff(Energy)
• 7.5% DamageBuff(Negative)
• 7.5% DamageBuff(Toxic)
• 7.5% DamageBuff(Psionic)
• 17.4% Defense(Smashing)
• 17.4% Defense(Lethal)
• 5.19% Defense(Fire)
• 5.19% Defense(Cold)
• 9.88% Defense(Energy)
• 9.88% Defense(Negative)
• 6.13% Defense(Psionic)
• 18.6% Defense(Melee)
• 9.25% Defense(Ranged)
• 7.38% Defense(AoE)
• 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
• 6% Enhancement(Heal)
• 12% Enhancement(Accuracy)
• 5% FlySpeed
• 161.6 HP (8.63%) HitPoints
• 5% JumpHeight
• 5% JumpSpeed
• MezResist(Held) 11.6%
• MezResist(Immobilize) 15.4%
• MezResist(Terrorized) 2.75%
• 40% (3.12 HP/sec) Regeneration
• 20% ResEffect(FlySpeed)
• 20% ResEffect(RechargeTime)
• 20% ResEffect(RunSpeed)
• 3.13% Resistance(Negative)
• 5% RunSpeed

At the risk of sounding old, I much prefer to take it slower and steadier.
Steamrollering missions can be fun but it misses out on a lot of the whole "being a superhero" story.
If you fancy a fogey plod about and some good ol fashioned story arc playing then look me up. @Ditzy I.P I play on union mostly.

I've got my main Inv/En Tank that is currently at 46. I reckon with some 8 man teams and a bit of elbow grease I could hit 50 in a weekend.... or pass out trying

Thanks very much for all the replies and welcome backs
I've started to realize that my addiction is also coming back with this game, playing it all weekend cannot be good for me.
Ditzy (my main Char) is now at 45! Pretty impressive. And I have found many good PuGs from the global channel advice. I also decided to be a little pro-active and start inviting others who seemed to be soloing, that worked too!
I've started some new characters (I'll never learn.....)
And I think I must have a new record with longest time to lvl 3 - 5 years. With Explodo, a fire/fire blaster who my friend designed and I never deleted.
Did the Terra Volta trial the other day, that bought back memories, although when will the devs decrease the time between waves? That took 3 times as long as it should and most of it is standing about.
I'm even starting to build up some IO stuff. Money is a huge issue as all my inf is from old inf drop levels, so I'm poor by your current standards. But some lovely soul chucked me a few mil so I could start looking for IOs, and when the odd rare IO I've made but don't need sell, I should have some more
After a biref period of being a little upset that I never saw anyone I'm now quite liking it. My heros now actually seem like big names in town, not just one of thousands!
So, if anyone ever needs to team my global is @Ditzy I.P
Same goes for anyone who needs some SG members! Mine are currently dead so I'm gonna start looking for anyone else who has some space in an SG with a kitted base... Ditzy don't walk...
TTFN, catch you on the blueside

Thanks for replies.
I actually found a team last night with some other recent returners. I'm starting to wonder if NCSoft have hired Derren Brown for their marketing team......
Regarding posting on server forums, is cross posting acceptable?

Following on from the great thread concerning how to get a level 50 when you can't seem to concentrate on one character I have resorted to casting my net into the forums for assistance.
I played for about 2ish years then left about 2 years (roughly) ago. Just after ED, as it took the fun out of my tanker.
I've come back and found that someone went and put a lot of the fun back in! Missions are more varied, fitness is inherent, there is loads to do!
One big downside though is that no one seems to be around to see it anymore, which is a massive shame. I used to have to say no to teams all the time when I wanted to solo in the past, now I almost never get an invite. My old SGs are full and dead and, although I can see the place isn't a wasteland, there doesn't seem to be a place for lowbies who hate farming anymore.
Now, I do play on union, which may be an issue. Although I tried Freedom earlier, that felt more like it but was laggy from this side of the pond (I assume that was the issue).
So this is a call to anyone who has come back to find that things have changed! All they want is a good team but no one seems interested unless you are farming or out getting purples!
Taking some good advice from the referenced thread I suggest a theme team of old fogeys. Heroes from a pre-ED era trying to make it in a world that no longer understands them. We may not understand about this new Intention System! We may not even care about your new obsession with iTasks and iMissions and iPhones... We want to level it the old way, with mission after hard mission and story arc after story arc. We are even gonna take Frostfire!
Nuts and bolts.
This will be a one night a week thing - no over committing, I have a job and a wife, and sometimes a job of a wife. Next meet to be arranged at the start of each session. I'm not gonna be a hard a**. If I get a lot of interest then we could even make this an SG thing. If there is only one other person out there who this appeals to... we will become very close....
Who knows, I may get a level 50 after 3 years playtime out of this!

My Inv/En tank has just hit 40, and as such I'm the world foremost authority on tanking (stop snickering at the back there!).
My Pick of the Pops is
Barrage (coz you have to, but it fills up a chain and is good for not wasting end with overkill damage when you have to finish em off. No need to slot heavily, I have 1 acc and 2 dam)
Bone Smasher (decent damage and looks coooOOOool ) 6 slot !
Whirling hands (good for getting the attention of a crowd, lets me use taunt on remote targets and a good backuyp till they fix my aura!)
Build up(some think its optional, not me, get it and use it all the time, 3 slot with recharge and its up every other attack chain)
Taunt (lots of discussion, I think you need, need need!)
Energy Transfer(OH YES!! Sock it to me BABY! There is not a soul on earth who doesn't weep when they first witness this slotted! With build up and 2 damage you can 1shot a +3 minion. Also a short as hell animation for such a powerful attack! Just be careful, there are some fights where I can do more damage to myself than the mobs do!)
Total Focus(Despite the uber animation and the fact that it is your last power, not as cool as ET. But, I take it. With slotting this makes soloing very easy. First minion goes down to ET. Then TF, BS and Barrage takes the next one. Then one go through the attack chain will take out a lietenant(sp I know) easy peasy.
You will solo quicker than any other tank because of the ST nature of your attacks. And most bosses spend thier time shuffling about after you hit em so a little control is thrown in.
Enjoy hitting stuff, and hitting it hard!

Ditz

I'm up for this. I haven't tried a defender yet because of problems getting teams early on but I would love to go for a storm/Archery if you have room for one. I'm kind of flexibe with time but I can't do VERY long stints as her indoors gets narky
Sounds fun though!

Ok we have 2 for tonight.
I'm happy to go with that as TBH, I just wanna get on with it with this alt!
My glbal sig is @Ditzy I.P and I should be on around 5:30 6ish, barring any major probs with the home life.
If you can post your global tell name here if you want me to message you when I'm ready, that would be grand.
Ta for your interest
Ditz

Hey up all,
Saw the save fortune teller mish come up in the window and thought, hey thats the one that gives you that badge that everyone always wants!
I'm not expecting anything for it but if you are a level fifty coming in for the badge then a little inf to my new lowbie alt would be greatly appreciated.
Gonna go for in on thursday evening unless that turns out to be a massive prob. More details when I know what I'm doing then.
Until then post your chars name along with the previous ones (so we can stop when we hit 8).

1: SpitSpot

Cheers all,
Ditz

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Oh and big automatic pistols and a bow? Doesn't work for me.

[/ QUOTE ]

Who needs pistols when you have a bow that can do so much

[/ QUOTE ]

All Very true. But I rolled a Thugs/TA last night and for concept reasons was just going to go for the bow. In the end after about an hour I had to re-roll and choose the dual pistols as my lv2 power as I was getting very bored with waiting for my punk to reload and flash arrows debuff isn't that useful at lv2. I'll respec out of it later on and go purely archer on em.
Just a warning, unless you are patient as hell, take at least one blast

Count me in on that one! I can just see it now

"Everybody be cool, this is a robbery!"

@Ditzy I.P

I am going to have to delete another alt......

Although I don't think I know many of you well apart from Edge I shall be there. Also living in Bristol I can suggest places to eat for you all to go to.

I have a mind storm at lv24.
I know a lot of people have problems with the aoe sleep power, i.e, you sleep mob, blaster throws fireball, they all wake up.
Very useful for getting a team into place, once you are high enough you should be able to sleep very large groups of enemies, this means tankers and blasters can get into position and properly nuke. Its also useful as your aoe hold aggros groups if you don't get em all. So what I usually do is
aoe sleep - aoe dom - freezing rain - snowstorm
this slows the enemies massivly, debuffs em to hell and back and they still can't move!
Steamy mist and hurricane are absolute musts, they keep me alive when it all goes wrong, its surprising much less damage ranged attacks do compared to melee range.
Take telekiniesis and then practise your little heart out until you can push an entire mob into a corner. Very easy to go badly wrong with this power but when it works the mobs can do nothing against it.
Confuse has always been a tricky one. I like it but I only partly see it for its original use, getting the mobs to attack each other. It can also be used for.....
Just like a hold, if there is only one left, they just stand there.
Confusing CoT mages, forcefield generators, any bad guys that buff, suddenly you have an extra defender with the team
Carrying debuff auras towards thier mates. Drop a rad aura or snow storm onto billy no mates and he will happily fun into melee range of a mob and de-buff em all.. and hit em!
Other ATs seem to see the confuse aura as a target but this doesn't matter, its only a utility, don't rely on it.
The only power I question at the moment is O2 Boost. Its an OK heal but I have found that people can't and don't rely on me to heal, its just there for helping the other healers out when it gets rough, you can probably leave it if you don't want it.
Anyways, find a good team... you cannot solo... well... you can.... but it is very very dull.
Hope this hasn't just been random ramblings

KIN! The streets of paragon will not be the same without you.... you got so much closer too them than most of us!
There are a few nurses in the hospitals that I'm sure will be sorry to see you go as well.
Good luck with the real life stuff. Just remember that males have been nerfed in the latest update (life 24363.0004) and as such cannot do anything right.
Miss ya dude!

I think Ditzy is now 31, about half a pie away from 32.
Just respecced and haven't had chance to test. Basiclally got rid of taunt and resist-energy and put in jump kick and dull pain. I ahvn't been using taunt at all recently, tanks have this new power thingum which means I just have to keep hittin em! Perfect for the Ditzenator!
BTW, Go to iTunes now and buy the Kid Carpet album, it rocks!

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I now seem to be the only survivng member of Team Whole Bee still in my 30s!

[/ QUOTE ]
Apart from Persil/Pursel and Quick, that is.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah I'm pretty much lamenting that fact, but at least I'm not the only one

I have just realised that I haven't levelled up since before S4 - Wasn't that like 6 months ago?

[/ QUOTE ]

Right, thats it! Ditzy, Blade and Persil, out on the streets together again! We must level. I've only gone up one since I4!
Can't do saturday but what about sunday? Get a few new Bees involved and hit a TF?
If Kin can do it anyone can surely?

Go Kinny, its yer Birthday!!!

Kin, I glad that you are living proof that vast amounts of debt can't keep a good hero down!
I now seem to be the only survivng member of Team Whole Bee still in my 30s!
Gratz kin dude, it was nice to see you did it in style too!

Big glowy hugs from Ditz!

Garrrr!
The Dread Pirate Steve has his evil hoard of undead cabin boys!
Currently,

Guybrush
Roger
Joe (Anyone know why this one may be Joe?)

Only a slightly dread pirate at the moment but my hoard is expanding and soon the buried treasure will be mine!
Garrrrrrrrr!

Fair enough,
I guess I don't really think about solo play that much. I normally "go solo" (no snickering at the back) only up to level 8. And that is only as it is hard to find a mature team before then.
I suppose my, point, if any would be that I always found soloing boring. Partly because of the loss of interaction but also because (as an inv/en) the blasted legth of times I would spend battering people senseless whilst being in a non-perilous situation.
I think as a "pure concept" (rather than on game terms) the issue of peril is what makes a superhero superheroic. I like the more pathetic heros, makes victory all the more sweeter!
That being said I will go so far as to say that the devs went a little too far on the nerf. I think that enough to make it difficult (i.e. bars drop down to red/yellow in hard/big fights) would make the game interesting but not impossible. I feel that maybe they think that the vast hps of tanks is more of a benefit than it really is. With the number of foes we face at once we generally pull a proportionaly larger amount of aggro than the squishies to counteract the hp difference.
Maybe if the game seems to be heading in a damage cousing, rather than mitigation direction then there is another solution. Maybe give the tanks a higher natural regen than all other classes. This would only kick in though if the tanker was below a certain amount of health.. or not attacking in any way. This would solidify the tankers natural role of being damage soaks, stop the whining that regen scrappers are harder than tanks and decrease the amount of downtime if you, in your headstrong soloing ways, take on a bit much in a fight.
This isn't really thought through yet but with a little refinement I think something of this ilk could work.

Ok,
I have read a lot about tanker nerfs and, playing a tank myself, have first hand experience. I play a lv30 Inv/En tank and dropped out of CoH about 3-4 months ago. The reason I had dropped out was lack of challenge mainly. I remember a number of missions where the entriety of the rest of my team could get floored and I would still be in the middle of the vast group of enemies swing left and right. This always seemed odd to me; Yes, a tank should be the hardcore sonofa***** on a team but there is something wrong when I can go toe to toe with Luska for an infinite stalemate.
The first time I played with my tank again I was a little upset, I didn't feel super enough anymore, I got floored by stuff I could a least stand against before, and I felt I had been screwed over in some way.
This has changed now, I've been in some good teams and, with a little help from my friends (groan) I have been kicking serious booty again!
Yeah, I have to watch myself now; Yeah, I need to know a bit more about my limitiations.
I am a TANK. My job is to sit there and take it for as long as I possibly can whilst dealing out as much pain as possible to the evil doers that surround me. I now know that, if I get myself in trouble, it is just a matter of time before I go down. I have to watch myself, be careful, rely on support. I don't think, "oh, damn this nerf". I think "why didn't I bring along a blaster, or a scrapper, or anyone!"
I feel the changes have improved the need for team play... which is where the fun of this game comes from, I get very very very bored soloing.
With me and a fire tank back to back the other day with a defender, scrapper and blaster in support we were easily dealing with red and purples. I got mezzed (I even got floored once) but I had loads of fun... Risk = fun here guys.
No super hero can take anything (even superman met his end). No super hero is able to take on anything the world can throw without getting help from thier friends.
I feel this will tell more in high lev HvV. The villians work together only out of neccesity when they can't take it. Heroes support, heros have friends!
What I suggest for the fire tanks out there (and any others who feel they have been nerfed) is to find a group of good, intelligent friends and see how much they appreciate you.
Defenders will appreciate you more (poor guys, sitting back, waiting for stuff to go wrong). Blasters and scrappers will still appreciate the aggro pulling and you will come to love controllers.
Well.. I feel I have said everything that I have been thinking..
Strength through Unity!

Hello, as my first post on the boards I'd first like to put a big shout out to all those who make playing this game fun! In particular the Darkwings SG who looked after mysquishy little controller for a long time b4 she became useful!
I would also like to announce a new SG, there are only two of us at the moment but we are hoping to recruit on merit, not to bolster numbers! Details are,

Blue Screams of Death
"Hacking em up is a way of life"
Primarily a group for technology freaks but open to anyone with skills in "social Engineering".
We want to create a group that is not only willing to get together to blat the big guys but to help any new supers that we can.
Colours: Pink/Blue (was going to be pinl/pink but getting male members would've been hard!)
Root: Ditzy I.P (supported by Ooh La LAN when neccesary)
Super User: Captain Tank (lovely guy!)
Users: none, but here is hoping!

Once I get about 5 members I think I'll start a website. I kinda have an idea of having reporters about, bringing back stories of daring do to publish but we'll see how that goes!

Nemesisisisis...???? CLOCKWORK!!! Damn them, Damn them! Electricity hurts!

If you fancy joining we have to accompany other supers on at least one good length mission to get the measure of em but after that its just down to how groovy you are! There are no level limits, always willing to sidekick or exemplar with people. And I am fairly friendly and chatty for a tank!
Find me in game!
Cheers,
GreatBigHippy

Oooh La LAN: 21 Mind/Weather Controller
Ditzy I.P: 11 Inv/En Tank