Katten

Hahaha, Dechs Kaison got a great laugh out of that one. And officially, though I've already begun my badger, Kin/DA just sounds tasty when you put it down like that, and I've never tried /DA out (nor did I know about the dull pain base damage thing) so that will have to be my next project. The colors would be great to play with too.

We'll see who takes over when it comes to straight up fun. (I've already reset my badging character once, at this point I am getting a very intimate sense of the location of all the exploration badges hero side.) Amazing what time THAT saves.

Has this thread been linked in the suggestions forum yet? I haven't seen any dev posts here, and considering the amount of data and responses in this thread you'd think someone could pipe in at some point. Otherwise everything that this thread is about ultimately comes to nothing. (Except keeping further folk away from PB's)

I'd say take a look at this http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=253063


I know it's a KM/Regen build, but you'll find it's a very VERY similar set (mostly single target, one short range PBAoE, mixture of stuns and KD/KB. The only really different power was skipped anyway (the cone power).

So what you can do is import that to mids, exchange the Kin melee tab to martial arts, and tweak it to fit your preferences.

Honestly that build is about as good a /regen as I've seen, kind of expensive, but a good goal to have in mind.

I just don't talk about mine, made a Rad/Psy the instant the sets were available. The power of Irradiate+Psychic Shockwave was too obvious. Also, Irradiate is one of the best powers in the game for the achilles heel proc, the set easily hits 35% S/L defense, then it's just a matter of hitting drain psyche so your regen can cover up the last 10% damage coming through.

For awhile that was my farming character, it didn't have the power of RoA, but it had it beat on recharge, and thanks to irradiate I never miss. I also have no positioning games to play on that character but "stand in the middle" I don't even target anything ever.

Thing is, I just got bored of it. It performed superbly, and I probably wouldnt have if neutron bomb was faster to animate, but beach ball of doom just kinda killed the pacing for me. Also, Atomic Blast should be a bigger mushroom cloud than it is, or a shakier one, but it's just neutron bomb again. So Animation quibbles knocked that out for me.

I do sometimes miss having both the 'crashless nuke' (IR->DP->PS) and the crashing nuke Atomic, esp when you got your recovery high enough to use Atomic as a crashless.

Hmm, Enhancement diversification is the most important like many have said, it'll just have to be looked up.

To take your character to the next level, you should look up Invention Origin Enhancements. The best way to familiarize yourself with this system is to 'frankenslot' a couple of powers (2 healing SO's, 2 recharge SO's, and a Doctored Wounds: Healing/Rech) for example, allows you to only use 5 slots while maintaining the performance of 6, kind of like the use of Hami-O's. After that toy with bonuses. The key here: Set Bonuses effect ALL powers and IGNORE Enhancement Diversification Limitations.

As to the sets, I'll try and recall anything that's changed.

Dark Melee
Siphon Life now does considerable damage
Midnight Grasp does heavy up front damage (burn got the same treatment).

Regeneration Some of these changes might already have been in affect when you left
Instant Healing: No longer a heavy endurance toggle, is now a very slow recharge click, 200% is enhanceable.
Moment of Glory: Is no longer a power that will kill you, this power now has no downside but a 15 second duration, and is generally used to absorb the alpha (initial attack from a spawn). (It doesnt take you to 10%HP, It doesn't shut off HP recovery)

That doesn't seem like a lot, but not being able to 6 slot things for healing means fast healing and integration alone can't throw you in to unbalanced territories.

I haven't read anything on this thread, nor do I have any info or argument to add.

I just want to say that this subject header made me immediately go to creating a tornadocentric character (Whirlwind/Tornado/Water Spout).

So, thanks for that.

Both work well, claws has focus to keep a single enemy on their back 3/4 attacks in your chain, and shock wave to throw an entire spawn off you when you need a second or two for regen to recharge (health and powers). It's weapon draw time is also pretty much negligible. I believe you're factoring your chance for build up procs in to your DPS though, this is making it deceivingly high.

Broadsword has parry on the other hand, doing the same job of keeping attacks from hitting you with a little less positioning and chance involved. It still has KU/KD and on teams (not sure if you're primarily soloing or teaming) the attacks will tend to get the kill more often, if you like knowing the guy you hit is the guy you kill. (whereas claws, you're more a heavy and underappreciated contributor of damage all around). Draw time can be a bit lame though between all the regen clicks, though on the bright side you can put achilles heel proc in your PBAoE while claws can't.

As for Broadsword DPS... If you're concerned primarily with pylons/AV's and other hard targets, go Katana. If you're playing on a regular team, I'd prefer broadsword (one hit one kill vs two hits). Also, Katana vs Broadsword, Katana has that sweet rikti sword, broadsword gets the nictus blade, don't know if that makes a difference to your concept.

The question of Defense? I would say that both Werner and J had it to different extremes. With a regen you will be hit by defense debuffs often enough, however, ANY amount of damage that is deflected is another second for you to recharge a large bit of health, and another second for your clicks to recharge. So whether you're at soft cap, or your pushed down to 15-30% regen will take huge advantage of the extra defense. If cascade failure is imminent, keep MoG to prevent it, since you're likely not needing it for alpha's anymore that will boost your defense easily high enough to negate any debuffs that may have landed.

That... is a very tight build. Good job.

I can almost perfectly translate this into my MA/Reg (the sets are actually quite similar) except for 1 or 2 choices which will actually hurt me to fit with concept. So, thanks for the stepping stone, when I can get my hands on a ton of Touch of Death's, I'll very likely be taking a lot of tips from this.

As for tips to you, trade out the doctored wounds in Revive for one of the other sets (depending on if you want reg or rec) the fear mez resist is all your getting there.

Also, I'm not sure how important the range in that taunt is for you, but triumphant insult set (not that great for enhancement values) lends you another 1.9 s/l defense if you can three slot it.

Common Mistake to those first toying with mids: Slotting for global bonuses while underenhancing the powers themselves. Almost all of your powers could have up to 25-50% more recharge naturally, you ultimately managed to cover this with global recharge, but the sacrifices to do so are unnecessary.

Now, to misunderstanding the set itself as it is in it's current form.

Both Regen and Martial arts have changed drastically since release, this causes several problems in the build that may have made sense back then.

1.) MoG is not an IO Mule anymore. Now it's your go to I WIN button for 15 seconds. Know where most regens drop? The Alpha. Not a problem anymore. Team just wiped? You're covered. Need a few seconds to recover in a boss fight? You got it. Want to tank that AV while the actual tank revives? Sure you do, now you can.

The point, MoG is a perfect crashless defensive nuke, it is meant to be used to allow you the chance to pop the cap every other spawn and get the situation under control so regen can do the rest of the grunt work.

2.) Instant healing, without even a frankenslotted Heal/Rech? I know only 200% of that is enhanceable, but that's still enormous. /Regeneration is all about knowing what tools you'll need to win a fight in advance. You use reconstruction only if its a normal fight, instant healing or dull pain alone if you have a tough fight, you use both (+max HP stacked on high regen%) for fights that should be impossible. And you use MoG for fights that are impossible.

3.) Cobra strike isn't just a stun anymore, it hits just as hard as crane kick, only it doesn't knock the enemy back and it stuns longer than its recharge. Slot as an attack, if you want it, put a disorient IO in the final slot.

4.) Crane kick is an awesome attack, why did you slot it to knock an enemy in to space? For s&g's? Alright, I can get behind that.

5.) You have focused accuracy an incredibly end hungry toggle (that you CAN handle of course... but), why then did you slot the endurance reducing tohit enhancing set in Focus Chi instead of that?

6.) Why Mag 7 set bonus KB Protection? Integration has you covered.
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To get a good idea on how to correct, take a look at the enhancement values on the powers, shore up those weaknesses and then try to jam as much recharge back in to as you can. Remember you can use the new incarnate slot if you're missing something also (spiritual is a must, free +rech/Heal SO for EVERY power would go a long way to fixing this.)

Simple, controller, take taunt pool at 6, never train again.

Shame this is so long, so ignore if this has already been mentioned.

Electric Blast: Give us some powerful crackling lightning (like the cabal have, and like lightning storm has. I feel less like a lightning wielding god of a hero and more like a low power electric fence line.

I'm preparing to make a character that I will be highly invested in, that is, I'm preparing to finally make my badger. To do this would be much easier if I could take in content wherever I want it and whatever pace, so a solo artist is preferable. (I don't intend to just go back and get all my defeats at level 50(+1)) I've already got characters that can do that.

It needs to be both fun and self sufficient... I'm ruling out MM's. They aren't fun, it's like watching the game be played on TV.
As with that, I'm going to go ahead and rule out warshades also, I know they are incredible, especially later on, but the purples and blacks... I just can't get on that train knowing I'll never be allowed the customizability of other AT's to counter that.

I want it to excel at dispatching bosses (bosses give badges, and +(x)bosses are probably the single best source of experience when tackling hazard zones), and be able to have minimal downtime (waiting alone in an empty zone doesn't appeal to me.)

Candidates I've thought of so far...

MA or KM/Regen Scrapper (smashing means robots don't give me lethal trouble) and both provide some KD for regen to work without forcing redraw. Regen is a superb soloist set too, zero down time, a self rez, and I can gauge each of my battles according to recharge as I see fit (no team).

X/Nin Stalker, probably an exotic damage stalker I know would both be capable of stealthing missions, easy to push to soft cap with only 1 purple insp, and stalkers are perfect boss killers... right? Honestly I've never leveled a stalker past 12, I hardly ever see them, and the new buff only works on teams. Is Assassins Strike better for taking down bosses than scrappers with a higher survivability and raised crit chance?

I enjoy blasters and know they can do the damage to kill bosses best, but the rest of the spawn can be troublesome, and dying means waiting and waiting is lame.

I'd like it to kill quickly too, I know ill/rads are some of the best soloists out there, and tanks don't die, but they are SLOW... for the most part, if you know any highly damaging combo of another AT that fits the bill, I'm interested. I hear some good things about doms, and I know nothing of VEAT'S, so. All ears.

Those IO's are nice if you need a little bit extra endurance not to run dry, or a little more regen not to have to heal. They're not quite the same as they used to be (where the percentage on those procs was modified by enhancements in those powers), but they're still enough to get you over a hump. Now, other ways of getting that end or of getting those IO's.

Get the atlas medallion (a very easy +10 endurance accolade) that makes an impressive difference (since your recovery is a percentage of max end).

I don't even do tip missions to earn my a-merits and come by them easily, simply trading my regular merits after completing regular story arcs or task forces.

Each of those individual IO's will cost two A-merits a piece, which comes to 40M inf a piece. (Unless you do tip missions for your A-Merits) If I get low on influence I just craft a level 30 LoTG +rech from two A-Merits and sell it for about 150M, suddenly you're well funded again.

Or maybe you like playing in the AE, well, trade your merits in for rare salvage at a guaranteed 3-5mil per 550 tickets (or if you're really patient and attentive, sell common midlevel over priced salvage you derive from the AE Ticket bank)

Honestly, there's no way you can play this game and NOT be capable of attaining the required inf if your character is itching for endurance.

DM/Nin Stalker probably is up your alley more, since you're a fan of melee.. but..

Robots/Traps MM.

FFG+Support bots get you and all your bots very close to the soft cap. Your pets heal each other, you have every debuff there is, seekers take alpha strike damage, and between poison gas trap and the -regen in your t3 bots plasma blasts AV's are no problem (I've taken a few down on SO's only pre-50).

There is no content that character couldn't do alone, some just took more trap preparation than others.

Also, the assbot (so lovingly called) is freaking godly when you get your last upgrade, the missiles are Amazing.

It's an end hungry set, things pick up once you get full auto (big time) but before that... flamethrower eats a whopping 23.something end, trip mines eat end, gun drone is the highest end drain power in the game short of the crash on a nuke (over 50) time bombs is enormous. It's a bit slower and a bit safer than many sets. You don't have build up or aim... go ahead and take the snipe, you may as well, it's probably the only snipe in the game worth using, seems to work pretty quickly/effectively/looks cool and targeting drone gives it a unique damage bonus.

don't use your toggles if you don't have a purpose too...

Either take this character to Full Auto (level 32) or change characters (for you, anything /willpower or /regen will be a refreshing change... they get a second stronger stamina type power), but DON'T drop it after waiting til like level 30 and stop before full auto, it will change everything.

Firstly, I seem to be getting an error uploading your build, mind posting a data chunk? "End of stream" error.

Hmm, for redraw purposes I think I will take pistols instead of acrobatics and slot it instead of ring of fire (with thunderstrike still) I never did get much mileage out of acrobatics since enemies don't tend to 'hold'. Esp since burn is immob protection.

Everything else... THANK YOU! It's rare I come to two sets so unfamiliar, but I've simply no idea how either of these played, I've already noticed (at level 14) that combustion's not FSC with a larger radius by a long shot. It's slow, and it's damage is slow. Helpful comments on Hot Feet, I was unsure of slotting for slow, or using spiritual. but I forgot with IO sets your powers almost automatically acquire endurance slotting.

and slotting for range is far easier on the budget than slotting for S/L and should help with a lot more mezzes (psychic/energy/negenergy) based as they often are.

You even kept my spiderlings

Huge Help

I just want to say thanks for posting the build, it's a lot tighter than the one I have planned on my DP/Fire, some good tips to take from it.

As for acrobatics it is NOT worth the end cost. I thought it sounded like an awesome idea too.. except, as it turns out, almost no enemy in the game actually uses holds. The majority come in the form of stuns and sleeps. The few holds there actually are are also over mag 1... so, it's only really good for the immob protection.

However, stun duration decrease could be significant. I know having AM's protection against malta stun grenades, tsoo claps, and magus stalagmites is very, very noticeable.