Master Zaprobo

That was Dr E - I'm Zap

But yes - we're happy to have new members over at ARAD!

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I made the mistake of choosing this power with one of my alts as the description made it sound superb...sadly, i thought it was just a toggle power like the other Leadership powers. How wrong was i? Needless to say, it was respecced out at the first possible opportunity..

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I had exactly the same response to Vengeance. There are some powers that just don't suit some peoples' playstyles. For me, I took Vengeance in US Beta but used it so infrequently it was dropped from my EU Live build.

I recommend Aid Other instead - much more proactive!

In a duel I assume you're going to give him time to have all the bots out and upgraded. If he's turtling don't worry about Unstoppable and just pop a dirty truck-load of accuracy inspirations and wail on.

With PFF up he's going to die in short order as he can't fall back on any other tricks (like Force Bolt/Repulsion Field/Repulsion Bomb for detoggling, Force Bubble for anti-melee, and Detention Field for some breathing space) and as others have said PFF stops him doing anything to affect you except through the bots.

If you get down to about half health and you're struggling to hit still, just maul the bots which'll give you all the time you need in a duel (since he can't run to resummon and has no choice but to drop PFF or just sit there helpless).

Saw you fighting in Warburg the other day Mr Wuffles - and by saw I mean got pounded by you! I was there watching a few duels and was entirely my own fault I was sitting in the open with all my protections off!

I'd run from you anyway at the best of times - darn EA Bruets being able to ignroe my Force Bubble

Your tactics seem fine to me - not generic for a Brute, and more Stalker-esque but no less valid for it!

As a Bots/FF MM myself in Warburg using PFF is a bit inefficient and I much prefer Force Bubble - only switching to PFF when some serious ranged damage is incoming. Use Unstoppable - it'll nullify the Force Bubble (gives you Repel resist) and allow you to waltz right up.

Best way to defeat me? Drop my toggles - I had a good run the other day until I got duoed by a Dominator stacking holds on me, followed by a Stalker with an AS. Insta-drop.

If I'm just turtling in PFF then high accuracy with some form of mez (stun or sleep). Careful with FF MM's as we have mez protection with Dispersion Bubble so aim for the mezzes that it doesn't protect us from.

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Thanks for clearing that up for me Weasel

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This is already covered in my Guide to the Modern Mastermind (see the "Powers: Leadership Pool" section)

Don't hold it against him though

Yep, I'd need an Exemplar (and you can ignore Dr E - he won't mind )

Also, would love the chance to pop ina nd out of your mission for Shrouded (just saw your other thread!)

Please! Need the badge on MZ!

And just in case anyone was interested...

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From: Bridger
Thanks, Master_Zap - I'll be sure to highlight your excellent post in my next report to Cryptic, and if I hear anything back, I'll let you know.

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About time

Well played - now for you to do the final run with Prof Vulcan too!

Well played Snow!

The only downside is you need to leave your Necro Henches in Fol/Def and as such you won't be able to pilot your Grave Knights and Zombies into melee with goto commands (or Bodyguard drops).

Not as if Dark Miasma needs much more help - it's already seen as FOTM for Masterminds (and rightly so since it has a nice mixed toolbox that people are used to using).

I last made one of these posts on 22 January and I thought it was time for an update. Alas, it also seems none of the AI issues have been addressed.

Looks like I am going to have to start popping in workarounds with each so that people can start bypassing the problems.

Please, if our EU Admins can raise this list to the developers I'm sure we'd all feel a lot better (although better still once the devs fix them).

Onwards...

Ninja Criticals
All henchmen are hard-coded to prefer range or melee. Zombies prefer melee, Drones prefer range for example. This sometimes goes awry and they will behave contrary to expectations. That is normal enough and copeable.

There are times, however, when henchmen should immediately head into melee. Specifically for Ninjas when they use Placate or Hide. Or if Smoke Bomb is used on a Ninja henchman so they can Critical. They should, at this point be forced by the AI to use their most devastating single-target attack that is currently available in melee range. Not throw caltrops, or fire a bow thus wasting the power or ability.

Workaround: Use the goto command to place your Ninjas directly into melee. I'm sure most Ninja Masterminds are used to this by now (a sad state of affairs.

Burn Patch/Caltrop/Toxic Gas Fear Effect
I'm sure this also has been noticed when a henchman lands in a Scrapyarder Demolitionists Burn patches, Tsoo caltrop fields or Rikti Monkey Gasses. They flee as per a regular mob and stop responding to commands. And I mean flee - any direction, completely uncontrollable to aggro other mobs.

They should step out of the patch then resume their orders - not go down a corridor or two first. Or, if currently fleeing and issued a goto or follow, to follow that command instantly. The only command they should ignore is a Stay.

Workaround: Issuing a Passive/Stay combo will allow you to regarin control of your henchmen. Issuing a new Attack order will also sometimes override the fleeing

Team Aggro
This is a new one I've started to encounter when on teams, and usually with Masterminds aboard as well (though works with Dominator Pets). I can be apart from the team completely, with no mobs nearby but if my team engages some distant mobs my henchmen will suddenly decide they need to get some action too and start heading towards them. At intervals they'll run back to me and generally it's a shambles.

I expect this may be due to other henchmen classing as allies in the same way they respond to each other being attacked.

They're my henchmen, and should only be responding to direct threats to themselves or myself (like they do when no other pets are around). Under these circumstances, they should just stay put. Seriously - this is quite crippling for PvP Zones or in missions when you haven't even prepared your henchmen for combat (Upgrades, Buffs, etc.)

Workaround: As soon as you summon your henchmen put them in Stay/Passive for the upgrade period. Have them follow you around on Passive to stop them haring off. I know this is sub-optimal with Bodyguard coming along but it's the best we got

Group Flight
Possibly an issue with the power itself combined with the follow AI but henchmen will not keep up with a Group Flying Mastermind if he does not make frequent stops to let the catch up.

Henchmen should travel at a slightly faster speed than a Mastermind using Group Flight so that they can catch up with the player, and compensate for the decision time that a henchman has before it follows anywhere.

Workaround: This can be alleviated by setting a henchman on auto-follow then issuing goto commands for that henchman (so you're never going faster than that henchmen and the others can catch up)

Group Teleport
This Group Travel Power is a nightmare for Mastermind though as currently the henchmen do not get the 3-5sec hover that a player does. This means as soon as the Mastermind starts trying to teeleport into the air rather than along ground level, their henches will plummet.

The appropriate hover time needs to be coded into the henchmen themselves so that this Group Travel is viable again.

Workaround: Either Teleport along the ground, or have Group Fly as well. Yep, neither is a good option!

Stuck Henchmen - Lifts in Missions
Raised by Kalgoras
"Not sure if this is an AI issue or game mechanics When going through lifts in missions, the Assault bot seems to spawn on top of another minion, which results in 1 or sometimes both being stuck."

Workaround: Get more than 170 yards away from the lift, Recall Friend or sometimes Group Fly can help. Failing that go back down and up the lift.

Auto TP and Stay Commands
Raised by Soul Warden
If ordered to stay, and if you get too far away from them (travel power or something), they get "teleported" to you. OK, this is OK. But AFTER that teleport, they loose the "stay" command, and will follow you around until the command is given again.

Workaround: Reissue the stay command

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I really do hope most of these are due to be addressed in Issue Seven, as with the Bodyguard feature coming that is reliant on leaving henchmen in Defensive/Follow and most of the workarounds requiring Passive/Stay it will be negatively impacting Masterminds.

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Now I've found it I'll be along. If I don't forget

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And the question is... did you forget?

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He finally got there after spending too much time writing guides

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No such thing as too much time! Already redrafting my current releases as you well know!

Many thanks all - been a long hard slog, but a very enjoyable one!

And do remember to keep up with all my exploits! (if you've ever teamed with me you may find a screenshot of yourself on there!)

Suggested rebuild for Mastermind Patron Pools...

AoE Immob (As per current)
Self Shield (+Def as per current)
Snipe (Superior damage, as per Defenders)
Third Hench Upgrade (grants Patron-themed power to henchmen - hold or immob maybe)

Now that's not too different from what we have already - but feels much more in keeping with our set.

I just really don't like the single-target hold as the final power that requires two pre-reqs.

Traps with Stamina? What do you think you'll be using often enough to use all that endurance?

Drop Health, Hurdle and Stamina. Take some other powers earlier, and pop in a few you've left out (Caltrops, Poision Gas Mine). No direct heal? Pop Aid Other in as well.

Reckon that should make a little difference to your survivability (in a good way).

Actually, unresistable damage doesn't count. It's a straight transfer of whatever damage a MM takes.

According to Castle, Stateside...
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It takes the entire block of damage and apportions it by the ratios described. For the Mastermind, he then gets his Resistances applied, while the pets get no resistance to the shared damage.

In the case of unresistable damage, therefore, all damage is apportioned, then resists apply normally -- the unresisted portion is still unresisted, but it is reduced by the Bodyguard.

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So, in your example a snipe of 500 means the henches take 100 a piece. The MM takes 200 of which he can only resist (if he has any power that grant resistance like PFF) 140 points of.

If a Mastermind has henchmen on Bodyguard I doubt anything will be able to one-shot them. For instance, take this example from the US....

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Let's make it very apparent of how good a thing this really is for Masterminds.

2000 pts of damage on you, all 6 pets in Bodyguard mode.

Total parts = 8 (2 parts for you and 1 part for each henchman)

For for you 2000 * (2 / 8) = 500 pts

OUCH! But at level 40, you are still on your feet.

For you henchies

2000 * ( 1 / 8) = 250 pts

Most vulnerable is Tier 1 pet. They have 505 Health at level 40. Tier 1 pet are at almost 1/2 Health. But they are still up. Your higher tier pets are in even better shape.

Now let's look at the results. You just to an attack of a magnitude that only an Arch-Villain/Hero can throw. You are hurt pretty bad, but you are still on your feet. You pets are in rough shape but still on their feet. And they are now responding to the damage in kind.

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I can see how Bodyguard is very powerful as a stance - just not sure how useful it's going to be when you want to attack as well...

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Target your pet, set yourself on follow, and use GoTo to tell the pets where to go

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But then the henchmen are in Goto and not Follow. So then Bodyguard is disabled.

In essence this is a toggle power - if you know you're about to get into trouble, you can toggle on one or more bodyguards.

I think I'm really going to see how this plays in practice, as on paper it looks like it could go either way - ridiculously overpowered (MM's take next to no damage), or useless to the point of not mattering (MM's not being able to afford to leave henches in Def/Fol to direct a fight).

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supremacy doesnt work when PFF is up, so yeah, it wont

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You say that, but the info says that they must be in Supremacy range not that Supremacy must be active. I reckon we may just have to wait and see how it works once Issue Seven is on Test.

I suspect you may be right, but then the changes to Mastermind PFF doesn't really make sense.

With a single ranged attack for your MM, you could quite easily take an alpha strike (with a lil fancy hench healing immediately after).

I can certainly see potential here...

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2. I set my bots to bodyguard, but since my enemy ignores them, my bots ignore him too. I now die slowly because of bodyguard, but my bots just watch it happen?

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Nope, since they're in defensive they will retaliate against your attacker. Where it'll fall down is in fights with multiple foes when you need to split your fire.

Still, it's something we didn't have before so it's a definite improvement!

Going to have to rewrite my Guide for the Modern Mastermind with this sort of change in!

From Positron...
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Setting to Bodyguard
You can set any Mastermind Henchman to Bodyguard by selecting the Defensive Stance and the Follow Order. Your Henchmen must be within Supremacy range for this function to work.

Bodyguard Mode
When set to Bodyguard mode, the Mastermind and his Henchmen share damage from any attack that the Mastermind takes damage from. 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.

Example: If a Mastermind has 3 Henchmen set to Def/Fol, and he gets hit with 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 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.

What Does This Mean?
Bodyguard will work as long as a Henchman is in Defensive Follow. This means that they will follow you around and 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 or order. You can set as many of your Henchmen to bodyguard that you want. As long as the Henchman is in Defensive Follow and within Supremacy range, he is in Bodyguard mode. Being stunned will not turn off bodyguard mode.

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Not sure what I think about this yet... in PvP for instance, you'd need to attack as well as having the defensive boost. This setup just doesn't allow for it.

Ah, slowly but surely the odd scientist joins our ranks, and a new robotic intelligence reports in for repairs...

We're also very interested to hear from any other Arachnos-themed groups for Coalitions...

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Whoa no-one has mentioned zombies yet, i got them...are they really that bad?

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Actually I loved my Necromancy MM in beta, but with them needing to go into melee it can often be dangerous to get in close to assist them.

Robotics were my first love though for the MM AT.