MadManP

let me tell u why AR and Dev go best together imo... as powerful as AR can get dmg wise with BU... the problem with any other secondary set is that after u use a power u have to redraw ur AR... which is just an extreamly slow process (I hope they change that soon) BUT with dev (given u play it right) u plant the mines throw the smoke grande place the turret all b4 actually attacking... which means once the fight brakes out.. u never have to "redraw" the gun.. just keep it out there... and keep blasting and moving from mine to mine.. bosses are no truble either solo... do not try the imm ignite thing... just not worth the risk... rather place LOADS of mines, draw with snipe and make the boss step on em.. bye bye boss.. no risk to you...

Soloing with AR/dev is the safest way a blaster can go.. in teams ur dmg output is hurt badly by the lack of BU but timebomb is a riskless nuke if the team will let u place it.. smoke grenade/claok will let u get close enough most the time..

but all in all... I'd say AR is a weak set.. as all the above tactics would work even better with something like fire... or ice... or pretty much anything other than AR.. but if u must go AR... dev is a very valid secondary..

well i have to say... counter to what everyone else seems to agree on... I have all of 2 AR blasters.. which i REALLY tried to make work.. AR/Dev.. and AR/nrg... bottom line is.. it doesn't work.. AR is just not that good.. way too slow.. and not enough dmg to compinsate for it..

the only reason to pick AR... is roughly put.. the looks of it.. there is something quite enjoyable about laying down massive fire with a big bad gun! but game mechanics make AR one of the weaker blaster sets.. if not THE weakest..

true u can use ur BU/flamy/FA on every mob.. and that's great.. but using ONE nova to whipe out everything every OTHER mob is quite alright as well.. but god forbd a boss aggro's on you... even if u beanbag/stun/taser/whatever.. u will not do nearly enough dmg to kill before he's up... thanks to ur fantasticly slow attacks.. and when he IS out.. he will be in melee range after every single one of ur attacks.. cuz ur just standing there..

mildly put.. AR would be AMAZING.. if it were faster animations.. but as is.. it's just not worth it.. anything else would be better (with the exception of archery

that's my two cents

I'll tell u what NOT to get... seems easier.. and the list of pool powers above are very good.. use that

Do not get stun
Do not get consurve power
Do not get boost range

with the elec pool.. i'd actually suggets u get everything :P it's all great

I've tried a dozen blaster builds for PvP now... and the one's who made it the furthesr were an AR/Dev blaster (admitedly... Dev is what makes PvP fun on this toon... AR is simply useless... beanbag is the only worthwhile PvP power in my experience..) and my Ice/nrg blaster, which oddly enough, dishes out insane amounts of damage... prior to being mezzed and murdered... sigh

havn't gotten to the epic pools yet.. as both are in their late 30s.. but i need some advice here... trying to figure out which toon would be better all around in PvP... of course some AT's are tougher than others.. but i'm looking for the best all around PvP build for a blaster...

here's what i've learned about stratagies that work in the arena..

Web granade + mines + high ground = pwnage of all Melee toons..
keep em grounded.. find a spot they can't get to... lay a mine... go back down.. give him a little fight.. ground him.. repeat.. once enough mines are in place.. TP foe.. or just let him come to you.. and watch him die.. throw in a Full Auto burst for spite.. (some tanks will actually surivve up to 10 mines.. best thing to do is pray they don't)

Beanbag gived the opper hand against most other blaster/def/troller types as they are likely to have Acro to resist holds.. but no disorient res.. once mezzed u have 2 options.. blast away (given Dev.. u just don't have the burst dmg to kill em before they snap out of it) or smoke bomb and wait for cloak to kick in.. combined they have little to no chance of spotting you and u have time to place a few mines.. after which u mez em again and tp em on top of the mines and throw in a Full auto for spite (full auto is just a spitefull thing)

with Ice/nrg things get a little less tactical and a lot more gritty..

Against Melee toons I find that imagining u are a scrapper on the brink of death (even at full health) is what ur play style should be.. go melee.. but before you do.. power boost and make sure u throw every slow power at him u possibly can.. hasten (and conserve power if u have it) and keep the slows stacking.. might actually survive long enough for ur melee attacks to drop the mez res toggles.. if that happens.. power punch and while he's down use powerboost (if recharged) and hold him! then build up and aim and give him a shot of everything u have and finish with ice storm and blizzard..

against blasters and other ranges AT's.. I'm at a loss.. it seems to be a contest of mezzing and dropping enough dmg to kill... one thing most ppl do wrong tho is begin with a mez against a blaster... use that to ur adv.. once ur out u should be pretty low on health.. and pretty high on defience Now's the time to mez and aim/bu and kill..

I cannot in any way figure out a way to beat a troller with my ice blaster.. and only by hiding long enough to place 3 or 4 mines do i stand a chance with my ar/dev... but.. that only works once or twice.. then they figure out where u hide.. =/

at any rate.. i'd like for ppl to post their blasting tactics here.. in as much detail as possible..

I find that blasters need allot of skill to play right in PvP.. since u are a fragil creature.. and most anyone can kill you in a very short time..

So let's pool our ideas here... and get better at what we do..

and here's a useful list of PvP power for AR/Dev and Ice/nrg

AR:
beanbag... that's it.. lol but given u take it..
Flamethrower can be cery useful cuz of the DoT.. ppl don't realize how hurt they got till it's too late..
Full Auto should only be used as a finisher.. but as such it can be quite effective.. especially if u are dying.. once on full defience activate it.. u will die.. but chances are.. so will he!
Slug = fantastic!
burst: meh.. but good fluff
DO NOT TAKE IGNITE!
snipe: rarely useful actually.. but when the situation presents itself.. it'd be a shame not to take advantage..

Dev:
Caltrops: worth getting.. and slotting..
Web granade: very useful.. slot with recharge and acc.. to hell with immob
Cloak: MUST
Drone: MUST
Smoke Bomb: Rarely useful.. but when it is.. u'll be glad u got it... also in some ways it's a defencive power cuz of the -acc.. and lasts a good long time..
Mines: FANTASTIC! (get TP foe.. it's not fair.. but neither is ur lack of build up.. so.. )
Time bomb: only for PvE use.. and only if cloak and smoke bomb are taken as well.. utterly wasted in PvP
Auto Turret: meh... I wouldn't take it.. but.. hey.. it's a wee bit of dmg added.. can be useful.. if u get mezed uøll stil lbe doing a bit of dmg..

Ice: everything is fantastic!
frost breath.. is a bit.. meh..

and ice storm is only good for shining light on a stalker.. on very rare occassions..

Bitter freeze ray... can be very good cuz it stacks with freeze ray.. but is a SLOW power.. rarely useful..

Blizzard.. see.. it's a strange kind of PvP nova.. cuz it's an escapable DoT.. and thus.. very weak.. BUT given they are held.. it can do more dmg then any other nova..

Energy
ahhh..energy.. massive melee dmg.. and some fantastic buffs... it's easier to list useless powers here..

Boost range.. can be good.. but usually.. it's NOY
consurve power.. get at lower lvl's.. once u have stamina respec it out.. u really DO NOT need it..

Stun.. i'm torn about this one.. dissorient res is much less common than hold rez.. so it's a really good idea to have a dissorient mez handy.. BUT.. all ur other melee attacks do Dissorient as well.. so.. Personally i lean a bit towards stun based solely on the fact that u can control when u want the mez to kick in.. but it's a slow power and should be used only in special situations..

Pool powers:
AR/Dev
Go with TP.. cloak and tp can get you out of allot of truble.. Aid self goes well with this build.. even as a concept

Ice/Nrg
SS/SJ or both.. given u sacrifice enough powers.. SJ would be the better bet if u wanna pick one.. and then remember to get acro.. very very good..

Other AT's are invited to post methods which have been used successfully against them in PvP.. as well as blaster weaknesses and their take on the best PvP blaster...

My vote for best all around PvP blaster.. Ice/nrg

Personally

I love my Stalker... cuz... well... he's a stalker!!

One second some scrapper is cleaning the floor with a brute the next second he's dead on the ground looking up at a smiling stalker and a thankful brute.. laughing gleefully

BWAHAHAHA

Is it true??

And which primary is best for pvping anyway?

(yeah... i wanna go kill heroes with my stalker!!)