Lots of Slots: Choosing When to Slot Powers
Introduction
There are dozens of great guides out there on everything from what a given power does (or what the powers in a set do) to how to build a specific character from the ground up. While picking powers is an integral part of making a character, its really only half of the deal: how you slot your powers and more importantly when you add the slots are just as key to a strong template. Most guides suggest combinations of enhancements for a power, and even how many slots should be dedicated, but very few offer advice on when to make these additions. One of the best parts of CoH is that there is no right or wrong way to do something: so use the following as guidelines, rather than a rigid guide, for how to make your characters powers grow more smoothly.
Basics of Balance
There are three rules for finding the best time to slot a given power, and once you have a handle on them you will be able to avoid most of the pitfalls of slot allocation. Lets take a close look at them and toss around a few examples:
Separate Key Powers: A common conundrum to get ones self in is to place too many important powers close together in a build, leaving yourself with many new additions that are all shouting for slots. By keeping your important, slot-heavy powers away from one another youll have time to slot up one before another comes along. Remember that (with few exceptions) at the lower end it wont hurt to wait two levels to take that power you really want. Youll also be encountering a few filler powers that dont need many slots at all - these are great for spacing out your more important powers.
Problem Example:
14) --> Super Jump==> Empty(14)
16) --> Health==> Empty(16)
18) --> Phantom Army==> Empty(18)Empty(19)Empty(19)
20) --> Stamina==> Empty(20)
Here we have an important level 18 power, Phantom Army, and Stamina side-by-side. Each calls for immediate slotting: splitting your slots each level leaves them both weakened, and ignoring one in favor of the other shows that another power that didnt need slots might have been a better pick.
Solution Example:
14) --> Super Jump==> Empty(14)
16) --> Group Invisibility==> Empty(16)
18) --> Phantom Army==> Empty(18)Empty(19)Empty(19)Empty(21)Empty(21)Empty(23)
20) --> Health==> Empty(20)
22) --> Stamina==> Empty(22)Empty(23)
By moving Stamina back just two levels (one power pick later), you are able to fully slot your important level 18 power without worry and pick up another non-passive power in the midteens when most folks are bogged down with pre-stamina choices. Remember to try and pick another low-slot power (or perhaps one that needs to be slotted, but not until much later) after Stamina so that you can slot it without conflict as well. While many would say that waiting on Stamina is blasphemy, those players dont have their extra non-passive power and a fully slotted level 18 power to make those two levels go faster!
Always Have Room for More: On the other end of the spectrum, at the high levels you will often find that you have more slots than you know what to do with at the moment. Having three extra slots at level 43 wont do you a lick of good if you need them for a power you cant take until level 44, and choosing a power at level 49 that you want to have six-slotted just wont happen.
Example Problem:
41) --> Acrobatics==> Empty(41)Empty(43)Empty(43)
44) --> Indomitable Will==> Empty(44)Empty(45)Empty(45)Empty(45)Empty(46)Empty(46)
47) --> Mind Over Body==> Empty(47)Empty(48)Empty(48)Empty(48)Empty(50)Empty(50)
49) --> Psionic Tornado==> Empty(49)Empty(50)
Without showing the whole template, you cant tell that all the other powers that needed slots had them but lets just assume they did, as many templates do by the time you hit your 40s. Slots in something like Acrobatics wont do you much good, especially if you would rather have them in your APP attack power. You cant just swap the two powers, however, since the fourth APP power cant be chosen until you have the other two.
Solution Example:
41) --> Indomitable Will==> Empty(41)Empty(43)Empty(43)Empty(45)Empty(45)Empty(45)
44) --> Mind Over Body==> Empty(44)Empty(46)Empty(46)Empty(46)Empty(48)Empty(48)
47) --> Psionic Tornado==> Empty(47)Empty(48)Empty(50)Empty(50)Empty(50)
49) --> Acrobatics==> Empty(49)
By moving the power that doesnt need any slots out of a position that has slots forced into it, you create an opening for one of your other powers. Further more, by sticking Acrobatics into the level 49 pick, you save another power from being non-six-slot-able. Its always best to hang on to a power you know wont need many, or any slots to chose in the last few levels other wise you wont be able to get the slots when and where you need them.
Save Your Slots
Since you cant really stick extra slots into a jar and save them for another time, the next best thing is saving a power that will need slots later but can do without them for now. Travel powers such as Flight and Teleport are prime examples, as are powers that are fine right out of the box with their one free slot (many utility spells, some toggles, and a few buffs fit the bill quite nicely). As noted above slots are plentiful later on, but its still easy to short-change yourself if you slot these types of powers too soon.
Example Problem:
01) --> Spectral Wounds==> Empty(1)Empty(3)Empty(3)
01) --> Healing Aura==> Empty(1)Empty(11)
02) --> Blind==> Empty(2)Empty(5)Empty(5)
04) --> Heal Other==> Empty(4)
06) --> Hasten==> Empty(6)Empty(7)Empty(7)Empty(9)Empty(9)Empty(11)
08) --> Hover==> Empty(8)
10) --> Swift==> Empty(10)
12) --> Flash==> Empty(12)Empty(13)Empty(13)Empty(17)
14) --> Fly==> Empty(14)Empty(15)Empty(15)Empty(17)
Shown above is a situation thats very tempting: slotting up your shiny new Travel power as soon as you get it. However, a key power and a handy secondary power both take a strong hit for a small boost in flight speed. Getting to the mission a few seconds later wont kill you, but having a bad guy alive and kicken for a few more seconds just might!
01) --> Spectral Wounds==> Empty(1)Empty(3)Empty(3)Empty(34)Empty(36)Empty(36)
01) --> Healing Aura==> Empty(1)Empty(11)Empty(17)
02) --> Blind==> Empty(2)Empty(5)Empty(5)Empty(36)Empty(37)Empty(37)
04) --> Heal Other==> Empty(4)
06) --> Hasten==> Empty(6)Empty(7)Empty(7)Empty(9)Empty(9)Empty(11)
08) --> Hover==> Empty(8)
10) --> Swift==> Empty(10)
12) --> Flash==> Empty(12)Empty(13)Empty(13)Empty(15)Empty(15)Empty(17)
14) --> Fly==> Empty(14)Empty(37)Empty(40)
Waiting until the late 30s and early 40s when slots are most abundant to boost the speed of a Travel power allows the natural progression of slots to continue in key areas. The same goes for powers that can only be used on other heroes, verses ones that effect yourself or more than one hero at once (as is the case with the two heals). By holding off until you have slots to spare, your character will be stronger in the interim levels meaning you get to those extra slots all the more quickly!
Putting it All Together
If you blend the three basic rules together you will create a template where the slotting flows from key power to key power without completely over-looking utilities and other handy effects. If things dont work out on the first try, or if you decide to swap another power in at the last minute dont worry its often easy to make a few quick changes and set yourself on the right course. The examples cited above are from my own characters Illusion-Empathy template (or slight variations there of) which is an example of the basics in action. Note how the key powers are stung together one after the other with slots:
01) --> Spectral Wounds==> Empty(1)Empty(3)Empty(3)Empty(37)Empty(37)Empty(37)
01) --> Healing Aura==> Empty(1)Empty(11)Empty(17)Empty(40)Empty(40)Empty(40)
02) --> Blind==> Empty(2)Empty(5)Empty(5)Empty(36)Empty(36)Empty(36)
04) --> Heal Other==> Empty(4)Empty(34)Empty(42)Empty(42)Empty(42)Empty(43)
06) --> Hasten==> Empty(6)Empty(7)Empty(7)Empty(9)Empty(9)Empty(11)
08) --> Combat Jumping==> Empty(8)
10) --> Hurdle==> Empty(10)
12) --> Flash==> Empty(12)Empty(13)Empty(13)Empty(15)Empty(15)Empty(17)
14) --> Super Jump==> Empty(14)
16) --> Group Invisibility==> Empty(16)
18) --> Phantom Army==> Empty(18)Empty(19)Empty(19)Empty(21)Empty(21)Empty(23)
20) --> Health==> Empty(20)
22) --> Stamina==> Empty(22)Empty(23)Empty(25)Empty(25)Empty(27)Empty(27)
24) --> Clear Mind==> Empty(24)
26) --> Fortitude==> Empty(26)Empty(43)Empty(43)
28) --> Recovery Aura==> Empty(28)Empty(29)Empty(29)Empty(31)Empty(31)Empty(31)
30) --> Absorb Pain==> Empty(30)
32) --> Phantasm==> Empty(32)Empty(33)Empty(33)Empty(33)Empty(34)Empty(34)
35) --> Resurrect==> Empty(35)
38) --> Adrenalin Boost==> Empty(38)Empty(39)Empty(39)Empty(39)
41) --> Deceive==> Empty(41)Empty(46)Empty(50)
44) --> Indomitable Will==> Empty(44)Empty(45)Empty(45)Empty(45)Empty(46)Empty(46)
47) --> Mind Over Body==> Empty(47)Empty(48)Empty(48)Empty(48)Empty(50)Empty(50)
49) --> Acrobatics==> Empty(49)
A Final Note: Exemplar
Now that the Arena is live, Exemplaring down to a lower level is more common than ever. One benefit of being an Exemplar is that you get to keep all of your slots* (although enhancements are scaled down) regardless if you had them at that level. If you chose Stamina at level 20, and then added two more slots at level 21, you would still have the benefit of all three slots should you Exemplar back down to level 20. Keep this in mind when making choices that involve pushing a power back a few levels: how often will you find yourself Exemplared to a level 20 or 21 (but not 22 or higher, 19 or lower), the only two levels that would be affected in the long term by moving Stamina back?
*There was some talk about this changing, but as of the time this guide was written it holds true.
Conclusion
I hope youve found this little guide to be helpful in untangling slots from your powers and keeping things running smoothly. As I said in the beginning, this isnt the right way, and if you do things differently it certainly isnt wrong if nothing else, I hope youve gained another perspective something you already knew!
