Korith

Not sure if I'd really agree with this. Depending on what you're up against, ranged and AoE smashing/lethal attacks aren't that unusual, and such attacks that have smashing or lethal components are very common.


For example:
Arachnos - Crab Spider Slicers, Bane Spider Commandoes, Bane Spider Scouts, Bane Spider Executioners, Tarantula Mistresses, and Tarantula Queens (found at level 50) all have smashing or lethal components in at least some of their ranged attacks.

Council - Zenith Hoverbots, Zenith Mechmen, Mk I and Mk II Zenith Warcry, Galaxy Archons, Vortex Cor Leonis Assault, Vortex Cor Leonis Marksmen, Vortex Cor Leonis Adjutant, Vortex Cor Leonis Archon and all War Wolves have Smashing or Lethal components in their ranged attacks


Now, that said, 16.64% resistance (ie, Tough 3-slotted with level 50 IOs) would mean that if it takes 20 hits to defeat you without it, you've increased the number to about 24 (not accounting for Regen - if you have significant regeneration, that changes a lot), assuming that the attacks are entirely smashing and/or lethal. When attacks are mixed, it might be a matter of 22 hits to defeat you. That can be enough to pop an extra green before kissing the floor, but Tough by itself isn't going to net you invulnerability in any case. If the attacks don't use smashing or lethal components (say, Mu Striker's electrical blasts), then Tough isn't going to help you at all.



EDIT: Now, mentioning that you're an /MM blaster - if you've got Drain Psyche providing a near-permanent buff, Tough + loads of Regen can make quite a noticeable difference, as Tough can carry you past that threshold of being downed before you regen and instead give you enough survivability to wipe out everything before dying. That said, if you're not dying anyway, then maybe Tough isn't a requirement. It still depends on what you're facing and in what sort of numbers.

You missed

• Positron is an Incarnate under the influence of the Well of the Furies!

...so that might be why my controller got the small table in Neutropolis' Great Escape while merely setting up lightning storms and tossing about Tornadoes, while also getting about 2/3s of the requirements for the failed experiment kill badge and only sharing the event with a lower level MasterMind.

Next time, I spam more controls

I'll see your "hated the second" and raise you "couldn't stand to finish watching the second"

Clearly this requires some testing.

Tell that to my triple-stormer ITF team from last week

Of course, the question pertained to FrostFire

A very mechanical explanation might be that he's been demoted to a Boss in all cases I've seen outside of The Hollows

Well, I've been able to take out +8 minions before with a non-optimal build. A +10 minion may well be possible...although it would take a strong build and/or a ton of inspirations.

3 +10 minions would be horrific.

This is incorrect. Incarnate Shards and Gr'ai matter are different types of Incarnate Salvage. Gr'ai matter is a specific ingredient used in the Cardiac and Spiritual entry-level recipes, and (I think?) in the higher level recipes, and can also be crafted by using 4 Incarnate Shards.

As for drops outside of TFs, over 2 nights (about 2-3 hours of play), I was able to accumulate enough shards on a Controller running x2/+0 missions (combination of Tip and Story Arc) to craft a common Spiritual Alpha Slot enhancement (after spending 150 Vanguard merits on Gr'ai matter). The following night, I ran an Imperious Task force taking about 75 minutes, and received 4 shards plus the Incarnate Salvage reward I chose at the end of the TF.

TFs are typically going to be the fastest way to get the components for your Alpha slot, but they aren't the only way.