PvP Mastermind
The reason I'm writing the following guide is to fill a big gap in the CoH Boards. This guide represents the only venture into the realm of Masterminds and PvP - that I know of. And keep in mind that I follow the Boards on an almost daily basis and take great interest in anything tagged as PvP. In my time of monitoring the Boards I've seen - maybe - 3 PvP MM builds. I recall 1 of these builds being put together by someone who said "this should work". In other words, this particular poster had never actually played the build in a PvP environment. He merely sat down with Mid's Designer and put together something that he thought would work.
**** that.
The following guide will take you into the zone of Recluse's Victory(RV) and give you a general idea of the abilities and limits of the Mastermind arch type. After reading this guide you will have a sense of what its like playing in zone PvP through the eyes of a MM. You will also better understand what if takes to prepare for level 50 combat. Particular attention will be given to the Incarnate abilities and the affects they have on RV gameplay. Lastly, a played and proven build will be given to show what works in the chaos known as RV.
Masterminds
Masterminds are the most popular AT in the CoH game. But yet when it comes to PvP, it is one of the least played. You go into RV on any given day and will see several Scrappers, Stalkers, Tanks, Doms, and Blasters. But where are the MMs? Are MMs
not compatible with zone PvP? They must
not be, otherwise there would be several of them roaming the zone looking to impose themselves on the opposite faction?
First of all, MMs are compatible with PvP. I promise you this much. But is the arch type compatible with your play style? Most likely
not. The arch type doesn't play like other ATs in that it is slow to set-up and get to a target. Where as with other ATs it is advisable to move around - move around a lot, with MMs you want to stay put. My point is this: to play the MM you need to have patience. Patience in your preparation and patience in your gameplay. Patience as a whole is something found less and less in the game nowadays. Let me give you a 'for instance'. The power Super Speed. Prior to Issue 21, to take the power a character needed to be at least level 14 and have taken another power from the Speed pool. Currently, a character only needs to be a level 4 to take Super Speed. The game is speeding up, it doesn't matter if your talking about the player base, or the game itself.
Below are the 6 Preparation rules for taking a Mastermind into RV
1) Have your MM at level 50 with tier 4 Judgment, Lore, Interface, Destiny, and Alpha Slot powers. These are the Incarnate powers that are achievable by doing the Incarnate Trials found in the 'LFG' tab on your chat box.
2) Have your MM enhanced with IOs that provide goal oriented set-bonuses. For example, if your build is going for a lot of Resistance, have set-bonuses that provide +Res.
3) Have stat-enhancing badges. For more info go to: http://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Hero_Accolades or http://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Villain_Accolade_Badges
4) Have the power Teleport. Have a Patron Shield.
5) Have the power Hibernate or Phase Shift. The temp powers of Phase Shift will do.
6) Have several large Green inspirations along with many Orange inspirations.
Also keep a couple large/super Blues in your tray.
The following 6 Golden rules enable a MM to be 'well played'
7) Get a Heavy and keep it with you. These RV Heavies not only represent another controllable henchmen, but they are a very powerful one - level 54 Elite Boss with 5,416 hit points. And to top it off, all of your Leadership, Secondary, and Pet IO buffs are shared by the Heavy.
8) Stay in Bodyguard(BG) mode. This is where your henchmen are set to either Follow/Stay/Goto & Defensive stance, and are within 60' of your MM. While in these stances, your henchmen share any damage that the actual MM may incur. The more henchmen within 60' of the MM, the more damage is mitigated away from the actual MM. See the quote further down in this guide for explanation.
Another benefit of having your henchmen close to you is the Supremacy mechanic. It grants a 25% bonus to Damage and a 10% ToHit bonus to henchmen within 60' of the actual MM. This mechanic requires line of sight between the henchmen and the MM to work.
9) Get a Team. Most preferably - another MM. As a single MM in RV, your no big deal. But add one or more of your kind and your team incrementally gets closer to God Mode. This is not to say that other ATs are nice to be teamed with, but other MMs on your team is what you should be striving for. When MMs are on the same team, they share several important buffs as well as create confusion for any enemy looking to target them. Couple this with the fact that the MMs' sustained damage turns into burst damage, and... I think you get the idea.
10) Know your environment. When you fist enter the zone, go ahead and take a TP around. Is there a gank squad roaming around? Are there a lot of enemy Controllers/Doms/Blasters? How about other MMs? Who is out there to team with? For the duration of your time in RV, your going to be in one small area of the map. Know what is happening in the other parts.
11) Stay out of Broadcast. Nothing positive can come of you engaging in zone Broadcast. Your there to get kills and have some fun. You already have too many things to keep track of playing a MM, no need to add one more.
12) Be patient in your game play. Stay in BG Mode. Keep your Heavy close. Make sure your buffs are applied. Move around, but in small bursts. Remember that the fight will come to you.
If you feel compelled to be aggressive in an active zone, switch to another one of your characters.
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Heavies — your new best friends
Overview: Each side has at its command 3 Heavy Class robots that can be utilized as pets. The locations can be found on the OPS map in your starting base. Think of these as the tanks of this particular battlefield.
As far as firepower and the amount of damage taken, a Heavy can go head-to-head with 4 elite bosses and emerge victorious most of the time. A Heavy can take out most players in three shots, and are not to be ignored.
These Robots can be used by any class, and work exactly like a mastermind pet; remember that these are slow movers, so if super speed is your thing, you will have to wait a while for it to catch up with you.
To acquire a Heavy, locate a platform and click on the control panel. If there is no Robot on the platform, someone has already taken it. A Heavy will re-spawn on its platform only after it or its controller has been defeated, or it has been dismissed.
Be careful not to camp the spot too much waiting for one to appear, as these areas will no doubt be camped by the enemy after they discover them.
Tactics: Heavies are very good at helping.
One of the best uses for Heavies is to capture pillboxes. A single player with a Heavy can defeat the turrets of an undefended pillbox fairly quickly, without too much risk.
If attacking a defended pillbox, set the Heavy to take down the turrets or send it straight at the pill box controller to help draw fire away from you as you attack.
When attacking players, each heavy has special attacks particular to it. The Freedom Corps Cataphract has excellent medium and long range AoE capabilities, where the Arachnos Blaster has great medium range hold attacks and is extremely dangerous in hand to hand combat; and is no slouch at long range.
The best thing to take out a Heavy is another Heavy.
If you are I.D.’d as the controller of the Heavy (and your name does show up on its target bar) the enemy will be looking to take you out as quickly as they can, so make sure that you are in a position such that you cannot be easily spotted, or if in the open, that you are properly defended by your team.
If you have a team set up, make sure the person with the best chance of survivability has control of robot.
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-Taken from Tips and Stratagems, Recluse's Victory By Thomas Foss (aka Archon Voss) — Senior Staff Designer & Zone Director
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Core Powers: Bodyguard
This is accessed by setting any henchman to Follow/Stay/Goto and Defensive. When set to Bodyguard mode, the Mastermind and his Henchmen share damage from any attack that the Mastermind takes damage from, after the MM's personal resistances are applied.
Each Henchman takes one “Share” of the damage, and the Mastermind himself takes 2 “Shares”. This is in addition to any damage that the Henchmen themselves might incur from Area attacks. The resistance/defense of the henchmen is not applied to this damage and instead goes straight against their hitpoint total.
Example 1: If a Mastermind has 3 Henchmen set to Def/Fol, and he gets hit with (after resistance is factored) a 100 point attack, each Henchman will take 20 points of damage, and he himself will take 40 points. (total of 100 points of damage).
Example 2: If a Mastermind has 3 Henchmen set to Def/Fol, and he gets hit with (after resistance is factored) an Area Effect attack for 10 points of damage, then each Henchman will take 2 points of damage, and he himself will take 4 points. Henchmen that were also in the Area of Effect will take an additional 10 points each.
Bodyguard will work as long as a Henchman is in Defensive Follow or Defensive Stay/Goto. This means that they will attack back when you or they are attacked. Issuing an order of “Attack my target” will take them out of bodyguard mode, as will issuing any other stance. You can set as many of your Henchmen to bodyguard that you want.
As long as the Henchman is in Defensive Follow/Stay/Goto and within Supremacy range, he is in Bodyguard mode. Status effects will not turn off bodyguard mode. Bodyguard does not function with Lore Incarnate henchmen.
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-Taken from MZ's Guide to the Modern Mastermind v4.5(@Master Zaprobo)
Incarnate Powers in RV
The powers derived from doing the Incarnate Trials have changed PvP in RV. Incarnates have also changed the way to attack an MM. The very 1st Incarnate power granted to a character is the
Judgement attack. This is the power that I will discuss the most throughout this guide, since it affects the Mastermind AT so much. It is important to remember that everyone now has an AoE attack that does Extreme damage and recharges every 90 seconds. As if that is not enough to worry about, these attacks also have nasty secondary affects. Two of the most common being additional DMG and chance for a hold. What better opening attack to use on a MM? I can't think of any, and I can safely say that either can my fellow players in RV.
Below are the 10 types of
Judgement attacks that a MM will be bombarded with in RV. All powers shown here are tier 4. All powers are typed as AoE/'SLFCENPT'. The Ion Judgements are set at 2.00X Accuracy, which basically makes them auto-hit. All other Judgements are set at 1.30X Accuracy, which is still quite accurate.
Cryonic Core Final Judgement: Long Ranged Cone(120' radius/45 degree arc), Extreme DMG(Cold type: 428), Chance for additional DMG(20% chance, Cold type: 161)
Cryonic Radial Final Judgement: Long Ranged Cone(120' radius/45 degree arc), Extreme DMG(Cold type: 428); Foe -Speed(-50% for 30sec), -Recharge(-50% for 30sec), Chance for Hold(25% chance/Mag 4/4.00 sec duration)
Ion Core Final Judgement: Chain Ranged AoE(80' range), Extreme DMG(Energy type: 428), Chance for additional DMG(20% chance to each foe surrounding the target, Energy type: 161)
Ion Radial Final Judgement: Chain Ranged AoE(80' range), Extreme DMG(Energy type: 428); Foe -End(-10), -Rec(-100% for 10 sec), Chance for Hold(25% chance/Mag 4/4.00 sec duration)
Pyronic Core Final Judgement: Targeted Wide Ranged AoE(80' range), Extreme DMG(Fire type: 428) + Superior DoT(6 ticks of 80% chance for Fire type: 21.4)
Pyronic Radial Final Judgement: Targeted Wide Ranged AoE(80' range), Extreme DMG(Fire type: 428), Chance for Disorient(25% chance/Mag 4/4.00 sec duration)
Void Core Final Judgement: Wide PBAoE Extreme DMG(Negative Energy type: 428/50' radius), Chance for additional DMG(20% chance, Negative Energy type: 161)
Void Radial Final Judgement: Wide PBAoE Extreme DMG(Negative Energy type: 428/50' radius), Foe -DMG(-50% for 30sec)
Vorpal Core Final Judgement: Self-Targeted Wide Cone(120' radius/120 degree arc), Extreme DMG(Smashing type: 428), + Superior DoT(6 ticks of 80% chance for Lethal type: 21.4)
Vorpal Radial Final Judgement: Self-Targeted Wide Cone(120' radius/120 degree arc), Extreme DMG(Smashing type: 428), Self +Defense(30% to All for 10 sec duration)
Below are the 16 types of
Lore pets that a Mastermind may choose from. All powers shown here are tier 4. The
Core Superior Ally pets both attack and are spawned for a duration of 5 minutes. The recharge time is 15 minutes between uses.
The
Radial Superior Ally pets have 1 that attacks & 1 that supports. The Support type pet is out for a duration of 3 minutes, 20 sec, while the attacking pet has a full duration of 5 minutes. Also note that the Support pet is 'untouchable' while spawned. The recharge time for these pets is only 10 minutes.
Arachnos - Pets have mostly Melee attacks with DoT(Toxic type) secondary effects; Support pet has single target heal & PBAoE toggle(+Perception, +Res(Perception), +ToHit, +Res(Confuse))
Carnival of Shadows - Pets have mixed attacks with control secondary effects; Support pet has single target heal & single target buff(+ToHit, +DMG; 60 sec duration)
Cimerorans - Pets have mostly Melee attacks with -Def effects; Support has single target heal & AoE heal
Clockwork - Pets have all Ranged attacks with -Def/DoT(Energy type) effects; Support has single target heal & single target buff(+Def for 20-30 sec)
IDF - Pets have mixed attacks with Stun/Knockback effects; Support has single target heal(+Res(Stun, Hold, Sleep, Immobilize, Confuse, Fear, Terrorize; 30 sec duration) & PBAoE toggle(+Def, +Res(Stun, Immobilize))
Longbow - Pets have all Ranged attacks with Knockback effects; Support has single target heal & AoE heal
Nemesis - Pets have mixed attacks with Knockback/Stun effects; Support has single target heal(+Res(Stun, Hold, Sleep, Immobilize, Confuse, Fear, Terrorize; 30 sec duration) & AoE heal
Phantom - Pets have mixed attacks with DoT(Fire type) secondary effects; Support has single target heal & single target buff(+Rec, +Regen, +Rech, +Res(Jump, Run, Rech, Fly); 75 sec duration), note: Pet will cast buff every 4 min 20 sec.
Polar Lights - Pets have all Ranged attacks with -Def effects; Support has single target heal & PBAoE toggle(+DMG, +Res(Taunt, Placate))
Rikti - Pets have mixed attacks with control effects; Support has AoE heal & AoE buff(+DMG, +Rech, +Rec, +Fly, +Run, +Res(Hold, Stun, Sleep, Immobilize); 60 sec duration), note: Pet will cast buff every 4 min
Robotic Drones - Pets have all Ranged attacks with -Regen effects; Support has single target heal(+Res(Stun, Hold, Sleep, Immobilize, Confuse, Fear, Terrorize; 30 sec duration)) & PBAoE toggle(+Def, +Res(Stun, Immobilize))
Rularuu - Pets have mixed attacks with 2 being Holds; Support has single target heal & AoE buff(+DMG; 30 sec duration), note: Pet will cast buff every 4 min. Pet has to take damage before triggering buff?
Seers - Pets have mostly Ranged attacks with control effects; Support has single target heal & single target buff(+ToHit, +DMG, +Def; 30 sec duration)
Storm Elementals - Pets have Ranged attacks with -End effects; Support has single target heal(+Perception, +Res(Stun, Sleep, Rec, End drain, Perception; 60 sec duration)) & PBAoE debuff toggle(-Range, -ToHit; 25' radius)
Vanguard - Pets have mostly Ranged attacks with assorted secondary effects; Support has enemy-targeted AoE heal/debuff(-ToHit, -DMG, -Regen) & PBAoE toggle(+DMG, +Res(Taunt, Placate))
Warworks - Pets have mixed attacks with -Def/-Regen effects; Support has single target heal(+Res(Stun, Hold, Sleep, Immobilize, Confuse, Fear, Terrorize; 30 sec duration)) & PBAoE toggle(+Def, +Res(Stun, Immobilize))
The above list is meant as a general guide to the Lore pets that a Mastermind may choose from. If you want to look at the hard numbers of the pets' attacks or buffs, simply access the 'Incarnate Abilities' menu in game and right-click the powers tree. Keep in mind that when looking at these hard numbers that the pets, like henchmen, are
not subject to the DR mechanic in PvP. That is to say that your henchmen will receive a buff at full strength, but the actual MM will have the same buff watered-down to comply with DR. Also, the Lore support will focus its single target buff on the actual MM and
not the MM's henchmen/pets.
Valid questions about the Lore pets are: Which type of pet do I equip my MM with? And, do I choose the 2 attacking pets
or do I go with the 1 attacking pet and the Support - which are up 5 minutes faster?
Unfortunately, I cannot give a definitive answer to either of these question. This is why I have gone through the process of listing each of the Lore pets for the player to consider. I will say this though, the Storm Elementals are a good choice due to their having ranged attacks and the ability to create an environment of 'confusion'. I am
not referring to the status effect. The colored clouds that make up the pets are semitransparent making it difficult for players to target through. Also, the heal/buff provided by the Storm Elemental Support is great for PvP. I further believe that either the Core Superior Ally
or Radial Superior Ally is a fine choice here. The only no-choice with Lore pets is whether to have them or not.
The following list shows the 8 types of
Interface procs that a Mastermind may choose from. I use the word 'procs' here because the Interface is
not a power within itself, but more of a contingent affect. In other words, the primary power must 1st hit its target in order for the Interface to have a chance to activate. Think of it as an 'add-on' to a character's existing powers. Its important to note that these procs are applied to attacks used by the actual MM, henchmen, and pets - including Lore pets. A single target can have up to 4 debuffs stacked from the same type of proc. The effects Confuse & Immobilize(PvP) are both Mag 2 and have durations of 2 sec. All procs shown here are tier 4.
Cognitive - Core Flawless Interface: 20% chance for Confuse and 25% chance for minor Psionic DoT
Radial Flawless Interface: 12% chance for Confuse and 75% chance for minor Psionic DoT
Degenerative - Core Flawless Interface: 75% chance for a Max HP debuff and 25% chance for minor Toxic DoT
Radial Flawless Interface: 25% chance for a Max HP debuff and 75% chance for minor Toxic DoT
Diamagnetic - Core Flawless Interface: 100% chance for a 5% ToHit debuff and 50% chance for a 15% Regeneration debuff
Radial Flawless Interface: 100% chance for a 15% Regeneration debuff and 50% chance for a 5% ToHit debuff
Gravitic - Core Flawless Interface: 75% chance for a 10% Recharge Rate debuff, 75% chance for a 10% Movement Speed debuff, and 50% chance for a 10% Recovery debuff
Radial Flawless Interface: 75% chance for a 10% Recharge Rate debuff, 75% chance for a 10% debuff on secondary effects of enemy attacks, and 50% chance for a 10% Recovery debuff
Paralytic - Core Flawless Interface: 75% chance for a 2.5% Defense debuff and 25% chance for a 5% Damage debuff
Radial Flawless Interface: 75% chance for a 5% Damage debuff and 25% chance for a 2.5% Defense debuff
Preemptive - Core Flawless Interface: 75% chance for Endurance drain with -Rec, and 25% chance for moderate Energy DoT
Radial Flawless Interface: 25% chance for Endurance drain with -Rec, and 75% chance for moderate Energy DoT
Reactive - Core Flawless Interface: 75% chance for a 2.5% Resistance debuff and 25% chance for moderate Fire DoT
Radial Flawless Interface: 75% chance for moderate Fire DoT and 25% chance for a 2.5% Resistance debuff(-Res to all, 8 sec duration)
Spectral - Core Flawless Interface: 25% chance for Immobilize and 25% chance for moderate Negative Energy DoT
Radial Flawless Interface: 12.5% chance for Immobilize and 75% chance for moderate Negative Energy DoT
Below are the 5 types of
Destiny powers that are available to players. The Destiny powers are all click type abilities that provide certain buffs and/or heals to all allies surrounding the caster. These powers are basically group buffs that lesson in strength as time passes. All powers shown here are tier 4, and thus have a 60' cast radius with a durations of 90
or 120 seconds.
Ageless - Core Epiphany: +Endurance, +Recharge, +Recovery for 120 sec
Radial Epiphany: +Endurance, +Recharge, +Debuff Resistance for 120 sec
Barrier - Core Epiphany: +Defense(All), +Resistance(All) for 120 sec
Radial Epiphany: +Defense(All), +Resistance(All), Ally Rez(up to 2) for 90 sec
Clarion - Core Epiphany: Status Effect Protection/Res for 120 sec
Radial Epiphany: Status Effect Protection/Res, +Range, +secondary effects boost for 90 sec
Rebirth - Core Epiphany: Heal, +Max HP for 120 sec
Radial Epiphany: Heal, +Regeneration for 120 sec
Incandescence - Core Epiphany: Targeted Wide AoE League Teleport, +Healing Received Bonus(league members & pets will get their Healing Resistance reduced, resulting in more HP healed for 120 sec). Foe KB(Mag 10) and Stun(Mag 3/4.00 sec duration)
Radial Epiphany: Targeted Wide AoE League Teleport, +Healing Received Bonus, +Stealth, +Perception, +Movement Speed. Foe KB(Mag 10) and Stun(Mag 3/4.00 sec duration)
The last Incarnate power is the
Alpha Slot. Think of the Alpha Slot as a giant enhancement that boosts all your powers. It grants its boosts to every power that can utilize it. A power can utilize a boost if it slots the same type of enhancement. Powers can be enhanced by more than 1 element of the Alpha - if they are applicable. The affects of the Alpha Slot are not only felt by the actual Mastermind, but by his henchmen & some pets as well. This is an important fact when considering which type of Alpha to choose for a build. All powers shown here are tier 4, and thus 2/3 of the boosts ignore the effects of enhancement diminishing returns.
Agility - Core Paragon: Increases Endurance Modification powers by 45%, Recharge rate by 33%, and Defense Buffs by 20%
Radial Paragon: Increases Endurance Modification, Recharge, and Movement Speed by 33%, and Defense Buffs by 20%
Cardiac - Core Paragon: Reduces Endurance cost by 45%, increases Range and DMG Resistance by 20%
Radial Paragon: Reduces Endurance cost of powers by 33%, increases Range and DMG Resistance effects by 20%, Fear, Sleep, and Intangibility duration by 33%
Intuition - Core Paragon: Increases Hold duration by 45%, Defense Debuff by 33%, and Range by 20%
Radial Paragon: Increases Hold duration, Damage, Slow Movement, and Defense Debuff by 33%, ToHit Debuff and Range by 20%
Musculature - Core Paragon: Increases Damage by 45%, Immobilization duration and Defense Debuff by 33%
Radial Paragon: Increases Damage, Immobilization duration, Defense Debuff, Endurance Modification, and Run Speed effects by 33%, and ToHit Debuffs by 20%
Nerve - Core Paragon: Increases Accuracy by 45%, Hold duration by 33%, and Defense Buffs by 20%
Radial Paragon: Increases Accuracy, Hold duration, Taunt effects, Confuse duration, and Fly Speed by 33%, and Defense Buffs by 20%
Resilient - Core Paragon: Increases Damage Resistance and Immobilize Durations by 33%, and ToHit buffs by 20%
Radial Paragon: Increases Damage Resistance and ToHit effects by 20%, and Taunt, Immobilize, Intangible, and Stun Durations by 33%
Spiritual - Core Paragon: Increases Recharge by 45%, Stun duration and Healing by 33%
Radial Paragon: Increases Recharge, Healing, Stun duration, Slow Movement, and Jump effects by 33%, and ToHit Buffs by 20%
Vigor - Core Paragon: Increases Healing by 45%, Accuracy and Endurance Reduction by 33%
Radial Paragon: Increases Healing, Accuracy, Endurance Reduction, and Confuse, Sleep, Fear Durations by 33%
Incarnate Powers Summarization
Incarnate Powers in RV are both a blessing and a curse for the Mastermind. The MM has to manage the constant use of Judgement AoE powers on himself. The Destiny buff/heal is one way to manage these attacks. The MM then can turn around and use his Judgement attack to finish off a debuffed & wounded attacker. The enemy's Lore pets distract the MM's henchmen. These same type of pets work effectively when used by the MM himself - much like the Heavy.
The enemy will have Interface procs empowering his attacks. The MM will have these same type of procs on his attacks, plus all his pets. And once again, the enemy will have an Alpha Slot enhancing all his powers. The Mastermind will as well.
Teleport Foe
The power Teleport Foe(TP Foe) is relevant to a Mastermind. Both in its being used by and against him. Let me start this section by saying that TP Foe is
not a reliable power. It is
not reliable for the following reasons: it can be interrupted, it needs to 'hit' the target, the target must also be in range, if the target is moving while TP Foed - the purpose of the TP is negated, and... there are ways to avoid being TP Foed.
Taking Teleport Foe in the build of a Mastermind helps bring the fight to the MM. The power also fits nicely due to the MM being mostly stationary while PvPing. Additionally, Masterminds will already have the Teleportation pool on their build. But, the primary benefit a MM will derive from having TP Foe is to exploit player 'base sitting'. Base sitting is a term to describe the act of a player staying in his faction's base and the safety that it provides. A player may also base sit by attacking opposing players near the base and then quickly retreating to the base's safety. This scenario of players base sitting is very common in RV.
The down-side of Teleport Foe is that it can be used against the MM to remove him from Bodyguard Mode. Once removed from BG Mode, the MM is subject to being 2-shotted. This is the tactic that I see many new players struggle with when first playing their MMs. Being aware of your environment comes into play here. The MM player needs to recognize his vulnerability to being TP Foed and have a plan with how to 1) prevent the TP, and 2) what to
do if TP'ed by the enemy.
Preventing enemy Teleport: Stealth, having high defense to Ranged and/or Energy attacks, creating an environment of confusion, teaming, usage of Orange inspirations.
Reacting to being TP Foed: Super Speed or Combat Jump away, use a super Purple, Hibernate, Phase Shift, use Personal Force Field, click Invisibility, or use Detention Field/Sonic Cage on opponent.
I have found that a combination of the above preventative measures coupled with fast reaction time is the best way to deal with Teleport Foe.
What provides Teleport Protection for a MM?
The powers Rest, Hibernate, and Personal Force Field
The Kinetic's buff Increase Density(100% for 60 sec)
After a successful or missed Teleport Foe attempt. Teleport Foe Protection buff(10,000% for 15 sec)
Pillbox bunkers in RV. Force Field(10,000% for duration)
Small, medium, large, and super Orange inspirations. Sturdy, Rugged, Robust, & Resistant(100% for 60 sec)
I have purposely left off this list the enhancements: Gladiator's Armor: Teleportation Protection, +3% Def(All) & Shield Wall: Teleportation Protection, +3% Res(All). The descriptions for both these PvP enhancements states, "Gives the user a 20% chance for protection from Teleportation effects for 10 seconds". This description is misleading. Through testing I have found that for every 10 second cycle, 2 of the seconds will provide Teleport Protection. The TP Protection simply cycles on & off. In my opinion, the TP Protection provided by one of these IOs is very unreliable and provides more of a slight chance for TP Foe to
miss its target. Having said this, the +3% Def/Res to all damage types is a good reason to slot either of these enhancements.
Also left off the list is the auto temp power
Time Lord's Boon: Self +Recharge, Res(Slow, Teleport). For every 10 second cycle, 7.5 of the seconds will provide Teleport Protection. The TP Protection simply cycles on & off. This Day Job temp power is difficult to charge for an active character. However, the TP Protection is in affect just about all the time.
Note that the large & super Orange inspirations
DO provide enemy teleport protection, tested: 11/11/11. This is no longer bugged.
RV's NPC
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In zone PvP a Mastermind will fight the NPC as much, if not more than, other players.
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No truer words have been spoken of a Mastermind's interaction with the PVE element of RV. RV is
not pure player-vs-player. RV is actually a 'player-vs-player-vs-environment', also known as PvPvE. All ATs are subject to the 'environment' element of RV, but you feel it so much more playing a MM. This constant meddling of the zone's NPC takes some getting use to, but yet is easy to overcome with proper game play. When choosing your place to setup, the NPC should be cleared of the area quickly. Even with this preparation, you will still have the occasional patrol to deal with. The plus side of dealing with the zone's NPC is that they are a good source of inspirations, and sometimes, a good source of protection.
If you enter RV as a Hero, you will have to deal with Arachnos NPC. The closer you get to the Villain base, the more Arachnos mobs & patrols will be present. The Arachnos are known for their cone Psi attacks and control powers. Think Scramble Thoughts with its Mag 3 stun, Telekinetic Blast with its Knockback, or Mental Blast with the -Recharge. A well built MM with a Heavy will quickly dispose of these mobs and then be able to focus on players.
If you enter RV as a Villain, you will have to battle the Longbow NPC. Once again, the closer you get to the opposite faction's base, the more mobs & patrols will be present. The Longbow are known for their exotic bosses along with an effective AoE debuff that every mob seems to possess. The debuff I am referring to is the Sonic Grenade(-Res to all damage types). This debuff is autohit and takes -30 to -40% of your resistance. The debuff also stacks when you encounter large Longbow mobs. The exotic bosses I mentioned are either Controller type NPC that do everything from Hurricane you to Radiate your team, Scrapper types that possess AoE attacks,
or Tank types that take time to defeat.
Whether you enter RV from the blue side or red, you will have pillboxes to contend with. These pillboxes are armed with 4 level 54 Bosses. Though that sounds impressive, the guns actually fire at a slow rate. The upside of these pillboxes is that they are easy to avoid and can be fought to secure an advantageous fighting position for a player. This position I speak of is a small bunker area located in the center of the pillbox structure. A secured bunker provides 25% Defense to all, 40% Res to Toxic, 2%/sec Regen, as well as Protection from enemy TP. This is a perfect place for a MM to gather himself after doing battle with other players. The pillboxes in RV are part of the minigame in the zone. I could write a lengthy guide on the minigame found in RV, but that is
not the purpose of this guide. The minigame aside, the pillboxes are also a favorite amongst players as a farming activity.
Arena
Though the purpose of this guide is zone PvP, I feel urged to briefly mention the other part of PvP. That of course is the Arena. Many players that play in RV, also engage in Arena play. I have found that these players are few in number, but very passionate about this small portion of the game. These players tend to play their characters well and are confident in their abilities.
Many challenges are issued through RV's broadcast for Arena matches. Some of these challenges are valid, some are the normal broadcast banter and not worth a second thought. Many players feel slighted when loosing to a well-played build and will want to further investigate the reason for their defeat. The Arena can be useful for this purpose because it is considered pure PvP. Or is it?
The player that sets-up the Arena match has many options as to how the match will be played. He can set the match to duplicate the settings of RV or he may alter the game to the opponents' liking. This is to say, the event creator will dictate the rules of the match. This is something that can easily be abused by the player creating the match. Add to this the fact that the accepting player only has 10 seconds to review the settings of the event, and you have a situation created that is open to debate. The advice I give to avoid this potential problem is to
not agree to Arena any non-friendly players. I am NOT saying you should avoid the 1vs1, what I am saying is take the challenge to a rooftop or corner of RV - there are many. Clear the area of any NPC, agree to inspiration terms, and tell the player to move when he is ready to battle. With this in-zone duel comes PvP that is direct, quick, and fair.
Masterminds generally do very well in 1vs1 encounters, it doesn't matter if its in zone or the arena. There is a standout build though, as with any AT, and the MM's is the /Time secondary. I have observed several Arena matches with this build fighting. Through its use of the power Time Stop a Demons/Time MM is very impressive.
What type of Mastermind to play in RV
There really isn't any wrong type of MM to play in RV. I believe that a well played Mastermind will get kills and have fun don't matter what his Primary/Secondary are. Needless to say, I have
not played every Primary & Secondary available to players. So, going in-depth on subjects I don't have first-hand knowledge of would be foolish on my part. So I will point out several things that I know work well in PvP.
Ranged attacks are king in PvP. It doesn't matter if your talking about a Tank or Blaster, ranged attacks are what allows a character to consistently do damage in a fast paced zone. This speaks to henchmen that have ample ranged attacks. Think along the lines of Thugs or Bots. If your going with a build that TPs its targets to him, your still going to want a mix of ranged & melee attacks on your henchmen, think Demons or Necro.
Mastermind secondary. The secondary options a player has to choose from go from very offensive to very defensive. When considering a secondary, try to imagine getting hit with several Judgements and then the actual MM getting attacked. This scenario is typical RV game play. This is also where an AoE heal is most valuable. If your going for a build that TPs its targets, think along of the lines of 'what to do' when the target is actually in front of you. A target will try to get away when it realizes its been TP'ed. Debuffs are also something that should
not be overlooked in a secondary. Remember that MMs do sustained damage, so softening up a target goes a long way towards a kill.
Patron/Ancillary Pool. This is where a Mastermind picks up his Shield. A Shield is a toggle power that provides protection to the actual MM. Shark Skin, Charged Armor, Temp Invulnerability, etc. are all Shields. Ideally you want to see a significant amount of +Res to all DMG types in a Shield. This thinking is due to MMs getting zero PvP Resist Bonus while in a PvP setting. Also, remember how the MM's Resistance figures into the BG Mode equation shown in '
Core Powers: Bodyguard'. These 2 factors make the Shield a priority when choosing a build's Patron Pool. Not all Shields are created equal though, so research carefully which one is right for your character.
The Patron Pool is also where a MM can pick up damage, Immobilize, and Hold attacks. It is good strategy to have a Hold power when your build utilizes TP Foe. Honorable mention here goes to the
Time Stop &
Soul Storm holds. For disruption and debuffing,
Power Boost paired with the /Dark Secondary is effective in PvP.
To show I am
not going to end this guide on a vague note, here is my current Thugs/Thermal build. The below build is being posted to give players an idea of what a PvP build looks like. Please keep in mind that this is a MM designed to be played with other MMs, though the build does quite fine solo. I'd like to add that this build shoots for a lot of +Def and that +Res based builds are also very effective - if not more effective. Posting any active PvP build on the forums is considered a social misstep and I am well aware of this point.
Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.952
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
LTi: Level 50 Magic Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Thugs
Secondary Power Set: Thermal Radiation
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Teleportation
Power Pool: Concealment
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Chill Mastery
Villain Profile:
Level 1: Call Thugs Tier 1 henchmen. My henchmen are responsible for 90% of my MM's damage output. This is
not the power to seek set-bonuses. No slotting of a DMG proc here because it would only be used in 1 Thug attack.
- (A) Accuracy IO: Level 50
- (3) Damage Increase IO: Level 50
- (3) Blood Mandate - Accuracy/Damage: Level 50
- (5) Blood Mandate - Accuracy: Level 50
- (5) Blood Mandate - Damage: Level 50
- (25) Edict of the Master - Defense Bonus: Level 40
Level 1: Warmth AoE heal. This is the 1st thing I click after being hit with a Judgement.
- (A) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance: Level 50
- (7) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Recharge: Level 50
- (7) Numina's Convalescence - Heal: Level 50
Level 2: Fire Shield- (A) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance: Level 50
- (9) Aegis - Resistance/Recharge: Level 50
- (9) Aegis - Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
- (31) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
- (46) Aegis - Resistance: Level 50
Level 4: Cauterize This is a weak single target heal compared to the other heals in the game. Will this heal stop a spike on a teammate? No. But, its perfect for healing henchmen to 100% and helping teammates with their green bars.
- (A) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance: Level 50
- (11) Numina's Convalescence - Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
- (11) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Recharge: Level 50
- (13) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
- (13) Numina's Convalescence - Heal: Level 50
- (46) Numina's Convalescence - +Regeneration/+Recovery: Level 50
Level 6: Equip Thugs- (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50
Level 8: Hasten (Please note that Enhancement Boosters are utilized here)
- (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50+5
- (15) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50+5
Level 10: Plasma Shield- (A) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance: Level 50
- (15) Aegis - Resistance/Recharge: Level 50
- (17) Aegis - Resistance: Level 50
Level 12: Call Enforcer Tier 2 henchmen. Once again, ACC & DMG are my concern here.
- (A) Accuracy IO: Level 50
- (17) Damage Increase IO: Level 50
- (19) Blood Mandate - Accuracy/Damage: Level 50
- (19) Blood Mandate - Accuracy: Level 50
- (21) Blood Mandate - Damage: Level 50
- (21) Touch of Lady Grey - Chance for Negative Damage: Level 50
Level 14: Super Speed Helps with Run speed debuffs.
- (A) Celerity - Endurance: Level 50
- (23) Celerity - RunSpeed: Level 50
- (23) Celerity - +Stealth: Level 50
Level 16: Recall Friend This is where TP Foe would go if I had chosen it. Recall TP is helpful for teams.
- (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points): Level 25
Level 18: Gang War 1) Creates environment of confusion for the enemy. 2) Helps with DMG output. Fantastic power.
- (A) Call to Arms - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 30
- (27) Call to Arms - Accuracy/Damage: Level 30
- (27) Call to Arms - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 30
- (29) Soulbound Allegiance - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50
- (29) Soulbound Allegiance - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50
- (31) Call to Arms - Defense Bonus Aura for Pets: Level 30
Level 20: Thaw When teamed, this is my best buff by far. Takes those long Stuns & Slows out of the equation for teammates. I make it a point to have at least one application on the MMs at all times.
- (A) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%: Level 30
- (31) Steadfast Protection - Knockback Protection: Level 30
Level 22: Teleport Fastest and safest way to get around the zone. I use this power also to get out of gank situations.
- (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range: Level 50
- (33) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range/Endurance: Level 50
- (34) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points): Level 50
Level 24: Stealth This power helps avoid enemy TP as well as stack more Def on my build.
- (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance: Level 50
- (33) Luck of the Gambler - Defense: Level 50
- (33) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed: Level 50
- (34) Karma - Knockback Protection: Level 30
Level 26: Call Bruiser Tier 3 henchmen. Great melee henchman with 1 ranged attack.
- (A) Accuracy IO: Level 50
- (34) Damage Increase IO: Level 50
- (36) Blood Mandate - Accuracy/Damage: Level 50
- (36) Blood Mandate - Accuracy: Level 50
- (36) Blood Mandate - Damage: Level 50
- (37) Explosive Strike - Chance for Smashing Damage: Level 20
Level 28: Forge I always have this buff applied to my Bruiser. If teamed, the player with TP Foe will also have this applied to him.
- (A) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff: Level 50
- (37) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Recharge: Level 50
- (37) Adjusted Targeting - Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
- (39) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Endurance: Level 50
- (39) Adjusted Targeting - Recharge: Level 50
Level 30: Maneuvers More Def for the henchmen and the actual MM.
- (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance: Level 50
- (39) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
- (40) Luck of the Gambler - Defense: Level 50
- (45) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed: Level 50
Level 32: Upgrade Equipment- (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50
Level 35: Heat Exhaustion Thermal's 1st debuff. I apply this to the target after Melt Armor takes affect. Debuff is known for its -Recovery affect.
- (A) Accuracy IO: Level 50+5
- (40) Accuracy IO: Level 50+5
- (40) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50+5
- (42) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50+5
Level 38: Melt Armor Thermal's 2nd debuff. This is my primary debuff power. It softens up a target for the sustained DMG from the henchmen.
- (A) Accuracy IO: Level 50
- (42) Accuracy IO: Level 50
- (42) Touch of Lady Grey - Defense Debuff/Recharge: Level 50
- (43) Touch of Lady Grey - Defense Debuff/Recharge/Endurance: Level 50
- (43) Touch of Lady Grey - Recharge/Endurance: Level 50
- (43) Analyze Weakness - Accuracy/Defense Debuff: Level 50
Level 41: Ice Blast I have 2 DMG dealing attacks on this build. This one I use to augment the -Recharge & -Speed debuffs of Cryonic.
- (A) Accuracy IO: Level 50
- (46) Accuracy IO: Level 50
Level 44: Tactics The +ToHit, +Perception of this toggle makes it very valuable in PvP.
- (A) Rectified Reticle - Increased Perception: Level 20
Level 47: Frozen Armor This is my Patron Shield. Is it a good Patron Shield? Its
not the best is my answer to that. With Frozen Armor, this build gets either +Res
or +Def to each of the DMG types.
- (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance: Level 50
- (48) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Recharge: Level 50
- (48) Luck of the Gambler - Defense: Level 50
- (48) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed: Level 50
- (50) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All): Level 50
- (50) Karma - Knockback Protection: Level 30
Level 49: Hibernate The only reason I took the Patron Pool: Chill Mastery is for this power. Hibernate on a MM is the ****. It protects the actual MM from all incoming attacks for up to 30 seconds while the henchmen/pets battle whatever is around. This fact makes Hibernate superior to Phase Shift on a MM.
- (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50
- (50) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50
------------
Level 1: Supremacy
Level 2: RestLevel 2: Swift- (A) Run Speed IO: Level 50
Level 2: Health- (A) Miracle - Heal: Level 40
- (45) Miracle - +Recovery: Level 40
Level 2: HurdleLevel 2: Stamina- (A) Performance Shifter - EndMod: Level 50
- (25) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Recharge: Level 50
- (45) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy: Level 50
------------
Incarnate Powers:
Level 50: Judgement A 144' ranged cone attack that debuffs. I'll take it!
- (A) Cryonic Radial Final Judgement: Tier 4
Level 50: Lore I choose the 2 combat pets that spawn every 15 minutes. I took the option of more damage output coupled with creating an environment of confusion.
- (A) Storm Elemental: Core Superior Ally: Tier 4
Level 50: Interface- (A) Reactive: Radial Flawless Interface: Tier 4
Level 50: Destiny The +Def stacks nicely with my existing Def. The +Res fills a big gap in this build.
- (A) Barrier: Core Epiphany: Tier 4
Level 50: Alpha Slot Reduces End cost by 45%, increases Range & DMG Res effects by 20%. The Thermal secondary is very End demanding. This Alpha also allows me to run my 5 toggles constantly. My Res buffs see a minor increase in strength. My attacks/debuffs, as well as those of the henchmen, benefit nicely from the range increase.
- (A) Cardiac: Core Paragon: Tier 4
Set Bonus Totals:- 2% DamageBuff(Smashing)
- 2% DamageBuff(Lethal)
- 2% DamageBuff(Fire)
- 2% DamageBuff(Cold)
- 2% DamageBuff(Energy)
- 2% DamageBuff(Negative)
- 2% DamageBuff(Toxic)
- 2% DamageBuff(Psionic)
- 6% Defense(Melee)
- 10% Defense(?)
- 6% Defense(Smashing)
- 6% Defense(Lethal)
- 20.38% Defense(Fire)
- 20.38% Defense(Cold)
- 8.5% Defense(Energy)
- 8.5% Defense(Negative)
- 6% Defense(Psionic)
- 11% Defense(Ranged)
- 16.94% Defense(AoE)
- 33.75% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
- 27% Enhancement(Accuracy)
- 6% Enhancement(Heal)
- 5% FlySpeed
- 108.4 HP (13.5%) HitPoints
- 5% JumpHeight
- 5% JumpSpeed
- Knockback (Mag -20)
- Knockup (Mag -20)
-
I wanted to try something different so ima branch out my normal toons and try this out. Was thinking of a Mastermind maybe a necro/time, ninja/poison or a ninja/pain ...i know these are odd combos but I HATE common toons in pvp (psy/em blasters km/regens.....stalkers lol) and these combos seem workable if built right btu since this is my first MM can can someone help me choose between these 3 and show a couple builds so i can get a mental picture on how much to save and strategies