Harkness

I was concerned about melee AoE, but it seems to be a lot of cones and ranged AoEs... It might rival Fire Blast for that.

This was my other major concern. AR feels too dull for me to enjoy; a bit of flash and sparkle is fun when you're a superhero

It's looking like a wonderful set... How do you pre-order GR?

Thank you. I knew that RI dropped radically on the AVs, but not the exact figures.

With 40% Def, you'd still only be at soft-cap to those foes affected by RI, but it's a totally valid point.

I've read it a couple of times by the number-crunchers, but I'm not one of them, so all I can really say is that it works extremely well for me as a hover-blasting type, and it obviously isn't working as well with your variation of that play-style.

However, you're factually wrong that there's a "50% chance of holding a minion".

In PvE, the base power is:
+5.96s Held (mag 2) (50% chance)
+5.96s Held (mag 1) (80% chance)

And with the Lockdown Proc:
+8s Held (mag 2) (15% chance)

(This Proc fires off a lot more than 15% of the time, but that's anecdotal and subjective experience. The text says 15%.)

With the Lockdown set, the Hold duration is 11.5s, with it firing once every 5 secs at almost 130% Accuracy (excluding any additional set bonuses). While the individual component effects won't stack with themselves, within 5 seconds (after it fires for the second time), 75% of the mob has a Mag 3 Hold on them, and that percentage increases over time.

It's certainly not an always-on power (except on very particular maps), but as a situational power, I love it.

I think we'll be seeing a LOT of Vigilantes.

I wish WW had some kind of limited power suppression. I don't need to be in Shadow Fall or Steamy Mist at WW. And I really don't need Thermal shields...

SB doesn't really bother me though

In my experience, almost none of this paragraph holds true. So test your play-style and see what works for you.

I think being able to add the additional Proc in there changed some minds. I've always liked it.

Hover is going to run quite expensively in terms of End in your build. Personally, I'd either go the Swift/Hover/Flight route or the Hurdle/SS/CJ route. Your call though.

Also: There is no "perfect" build. If you play in a lot of TFs where you want to have RF, take the power. You'll probably enjoy it more than a few percent of Def

As a */Sonic on a team, I think of my attacks as debuffs more than DPS, but if your chain is smooth with 3 and you can't find time for the 4th, then go ahead and skip it.

I use both CC and WoC situationally, and not constantly, as a hovering type. You might want to try the build with regular IOs to see how the powers work for you before investing in the sets.

My only real concern over your modified build is the Stamina slotting, but I already mentioned that.

My Rad/Sonic has a team build and a solo build, both hitting Ranged softcap. The team build has perma-AM, and the solo has it down for a few seconds. So it's possible

I'd play with your powers a bit more before buying IOs, but the build you've posted is quite nice generally.

Unless you have a spare 3-4 billion, forget the PvP IO.

At 40% Def, you're getting hit roughly twice as often as you would be at 45% Def, so it's your call whether that extra 5% is worth it or not.

You get into a guessing game over how much your debuffs will influence that, since they'll debuff even-cons, EBs and AVs differently. And they only work once they're in place and the effect has spread out from the anchor.

I wouldn't bother with the fifth BG for status res since AM covers the important bases there.

While I do understand the fun of using Recall Friend on a dead team-mate, then Veng, Fallout and Mutation, I've found very few players willing to stay down that long. Since Veng and Mutation both work at an okay range, I dropped Recall and Fallout; I found that combo a time-sink when the team would be better served with my sonic debuffing, but YMMV.

I'm surprised that you skipped Choking Cloud, which is probably your best mitigation from Melee attacks (since you're not hover-blasting) and arguably the best AoE hold in the game. EMP stacks wonderfully with it, but I've found EMP alone to be just okay.

WoC, as Melee mitigation, is so-so. The general impression I've gotten from the boards is that most people think it's poor. I like it as a back-up to CC in "oh damn, the blaster just aggro-d a mob into the squishes" situations when I don't want the end plunge of EMP. But using WoC alone is something I do when I'm goofing off and enjoying the power without being seriously worried about mitigation.

I've found Assault to be a lot more useful than Tactics, esp. if you're looking at the end-game content. The majority of characters have their own Accuracy sorted out at that point and you're already casting RI, so if they can't reliably hit, I blame poor slotting on their part. Few people live at their damage cap though, so unless you have some good Fulcrum Shifts being thrown about, buffing everyone's damage by 20% is always a blessing.

Unless your attack chain is perfectly-smooth, seriously consider finding room for Scream.

Perma-AM + the Miracle Proc + Numina Proc + Vigilance covers my team build's Endurance needs. (I'm assuming you realise that you need to fire off RA at least once every two minutes to keep the Numina Proc up.) It runs tight during prolonged AV fights, but that's what insips are for.

If you need more Endurance, skip the Miracle Proc and two-slot Stamina with the Perf Shifter End Proc in the first slot, then the Perf Shifter EndMod in the second. If you really (really?) need more, then put a regular EndMod IO in the third slot and consider the Miracle Proc.

HTH

I don't really have alt-itis, but I value the insights of those who have experienced a broader range than most. Pointing to pairings and explaining why those pairings work - like you've done above - is great. Also explaining why some pairings are more tricky than others would be great.

I don't think suggesting specific slotting or attack chains is necessarily helpful in such a broad document. My immediate urge is to dispute your Fire/Dark chain, but that sort of detail derails the broader conversation.

Fav: Fire/Dark

My least favourite: I haven't tried them all, but I found AR pretty boring compared to the light-shows of other powers and the KB irked teams.

Just by the way, as I understand it, that Proc doesn't stack with itself.

Trade out Maneuvers for CJ. It'll keep you at Ranged softcap for a fraction of Endurance cost.

It took me a while to change my thinking about HT too. I find the stun a bit so-so myself, but the Regen debuff is godly.

And I'd agree with you about the Patron Pets. I always feel like I'm dealing with a toddler. Fluffy is a faithful and fairly-bright dog.

It's nice to see you get the Hold combo, but, given that you're Fire Blast, aren't you a Damage Dealer? It's a nice versatility option if you're on a DD-heavy team without a couple of good Doms to lock down the AVs, but usually you're going to be a key player in unleashing damage on an AV in-between your de/buffs. Worrying about Control shouldn't necessarily be where you're at, on a team, and if you don't solo AVs, then you probably won't use the combo.

It's a nice chain, though I still think you need another RR in Aim, and should have that up between TP and RoF.

I think you'll find yourself using DN a lot less when you're softcapped. FS covers most non-AV mobs. AoEs and un-typed mezzes will be your biggest problem.

I've had bad luck with using Hover and Fire Breath. If you don't hit 3 people with it, it wasn't worth it. Your slotting also suggests that you don't love the power, so I wonder if you have similar problems with it. I've found that it works much better with SS+CJ, so you might want to play-test that before deciding upon anything.

In fact, all of my experiences with playing Fire Blast leads me to find SS+CJ a far more effective combination of travel powers. I'd keep Hover around for the unexpected EB that Tar Patch doesn't affect, but you'll mostly be in teams for the AVs. In most solo situations, you're going to have Tar Patch keeping them out of melee, although I can see why you'd want to be hovering over your Dark "sacrificial lamb" Servant.

I mentioned this is another thread today, but note well: If you're slotting the Numina Proc in Twilight Grasp, you need to cast TG once every two minutes to keep that Proc active.

Also note that TG requires a to-hit check in order to Heal and debuff, and you haven't slotted any Accuracy in it at all. This may very well cause you to miss the AVs and GMs who need those debuffs the most. (I've struggled with this one myself, even argued that TG hits so often the Acc IO was worthless, but with an Accurate Healing set in there, the difference between it usually hits and it always hits is pretty obvious).

I'm curious to know how bad you find the scatter of RoF and Fireball (and DN) on Tar Patch. TP and Fluffy's tentacles, are you only way to keep the mob together how you want it. I've, personally, never liked relying upon Tar Patch. I realise this would be a total shift in your EPP, but Web Envelope offers an AoE immob, and you'd still maintain the hold in Web Cocoon.

Given the redraw involved with both powers, I only suggest this if you're finding scatter a problem, but it's the best solution to that problem you can get with your AT.

It's an impressive combination of goals achieved. Well done.

How much does it cost though? Isn't the PvP Def IO over a billion inf on its own? I'd guess your entire build is 3-4 billion inf at current BM prices...

Even with FA running, I'd be a bit concerned about the lack of Accuracy IOs in any of your de/buffs. Transfusion, Transference, Siphon Power, Siphon Speed, and Fulcrum Shift all depend upon a to-hit check. You might not be missing on those all that often with FA running and targetting even-con mobs, but I'd imagine you start seeing more misses than hits on AVs. FS, in particular, would benefit more from a single Accuracy IO than the third Recharge Reduction.

And I'm guessing you have Ninja Run or do you travel with Siphon Speed + CJ? I've tried the latter and really not enjoyed it, but YMMV. Something for the OP to bear in mind.

ETA: It just occurred to me that this is a farming-build (and a very nice one). If that's what the OP is planning on doing with his fire/kin, totally ignore my reservations.

Yes. There's also a draw time if you grab the Mace blasts.

There's no draw time if you mix the Crab powers with things like Mu Mastery.

When I build a kin for speed, I usually look for perma-hasten with siphon speed on twice. That's my standard and you hit it

However, you skip some obvious Recharge sets. Decimation is favoured over Thunderstrike for the +6.25% RR.

I'm confused as to your price-point. You have the extremely-expensive Ragnorak and Apocs, but skip the much-cheaper, 10% Recharge of Unbreakable Constraint. (Or the 4-slot 7.5% Recharge of Basilisk's Gaze).

You're also building for several different types of defense here, and that isn't helping. The general advice is: unslot everything, see whether you're naturally closer to S/L softcap or Ranged, and then build to that. Since really you want her to focus on Recharge, that advice should apply here.

Instead you have ~30% Def to Ranged, Energy and S/L, failing to reach any softcap, and with little Def elsewhere.

If you can work the Fighting Pool in there, the S/L softcap should be a breeze.

Do you really need Swift, Hurdle, Siphon Speed, Hover, Combat Jumping and Increase Density? How do you actually travel?

I'd seriously consider getting Focused Accuracy, even if you only use it in AV fights. All of your de/buffs require a to-hit check, and FA can make a difference.

Bitter Ice Blast is your highest ST DPA attack. Slot it for damage and recharge.

I'd two-slot Aim with RRs and leave it alone. It doesn't need the extra Accuracy. The BU Proc is much more worthwhile in a toggle power, like Focused Accuracy.

I'm sure you know this, but NB: in order to trigger the Numina Proc, you need to fire off Transfusion once every two minutes.

With Scorpion Shield and Weave, almost any Corr can hit the S/L softcap, so they're all pretty tanky if they want to be

In a team, Rad might prove most hardy due to its intense debuffs, AM and Choking Cloud. Solo, that doesn't work half as well unless you can lock the mob down with some immob (e.g. Dark Blast's Tenebrous Tentacles).

Traps has amazing survivability if you have the time to set everything up. Solo, I'd prolly vote for Traps.

I'd vote for Dark as the best all-rounder. The opener of TP and FS is fantastic for any mob. DN is nice for boss-mobs. SF gives you stealth, def and res. Dark Servant is one of the most handy pets in the game. TG is a great team heal with a nice -regen debuff in there.

HT's team-rez either means "really hardy" or "irrelevant" depending on whether you're solo or not. When I've been the last-man-standing in the middle of a boss fight and rezzed the 7 dead guys around me, that's felt pretty "hardy" to me

More seriously, HT's stun and massive -Regen debuff make a huge difference in AV fights, although that's not hardiness, per se.

Judging from current slotting, you don't have the inf to make that happen. Apart from Basilisk's Gaze and BotZ, your sets are cheap or basic IOs, so I think Ranged softcap is going to be beyond your reach without tilting your build.

As a general rule, even if you're hover-blasting, you'll face some AoE as well as Ranged attacks. 45% Ranged Def and 10% AoE Def will probably see you fine 75% of the time, with abrupt face-planting every now and again.

I normally aim for 45% Ranged and 25-30% AoE if I'm trying to "softcap Ranged".

However, aiming for Ranged softcap on a Dark Miasma character is often trading in Recharge, which DM loves, so you're hurting yourself even before you start sacrificing powers.

You're not using powers to get to the softcap either, which seems odd. You haven't put a single Def IO in Shadow Fall or Hover, and you haven't picked any other powers with Def. You'll notice that most softcap builds have Weave (or at least Maneuvers) because it's easier to use Def powers than just IO sets.

Aiming for the S/L softcap would be much, much easier. With Scorpion Shield, Shadow Fall and Weave, you can be almost halfway there before you slot IOs.

On your actual slotting:

Tar Patch shouldn't need 3 RRs. 2 RRs and an Acc/Slow (or two) is my preferred slotting.

Aim should be 2-slotted with RRs at least if you intend on using it.

Howling Twilight should be up as often as possible. Apart from being the team-rez, it has a Stun, a slow and a wonderful -500% Regen debuff.

Pet Gaze, by itself, isn't going to be holding a lot. Electric Shackles might change that, but it's under-slotted. I doubt you'll hold any AVs with them. I'd properly slot both or drop both.

I'm not sure why you'd pick Swift and Hurdle, but not Health. I'd start guessing about you using Ninja Run, but you have SS and Hover in there too. Health with even a single Heal IO should be more useful than Swift or Hurdle.

HTH.

This.

My widow/fortuna has lingered in the lower-40s for months because, in large part, there's no excitement to get her to 50 and IO her out. And that's because the BM is so awful.

It's become a part of my decision every time I start a new character. I'd probably be playing more Corruptors and less Defenders and Blasters if I wasn't always deterred at the last minute by thoughts of the BM.

I might bring heroes over to redside (or the Prae GR section), but only if they're fully-IOd out and I don't plan on changing them.

Because WP runs .84 End/s (unslotted) more than Regen?

I'm sure a proper IO build would have fixed that up, but it's my experience that End runs tighter on a WP than it ever does on a Regen.

I didn't. You misread. I had some end issues on my WP toons. I had no end issues with Regen.

Unlike the D4 players, who can argue that the Dark Epic has some really nice stacking powers there, I suspect that being a Fire/Fire/Fire is a sign of masochism (or pyromania).

The Cold Mastery Epic is definitely the way to go for a softcap, but don't you feel odd running about in Frozen Armor and tossing out fireballs? Or does the additional Def help you get over that?