City of Heroes - Live Forum Archive

Active Defenses is Overdue

POST-ACTION

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oedipus_Tex

I'm pretty sure Hasten does root.

I don't think it does. I know that I have run across zones with my blasters and Hasten on Auto Fire. I can't ever remember travel stopping when hasten triggered.

@Deus_Otiosus

With enough +rech they can also be double stacked. This is good in the case of Active Defense where a good chunk of your defense debuff resistance is located.

Elec/fire.............

POST-ACTION

It does indeed look quite good.

As always, copy to test and try it before you buy it.

Good luck.

Is DP THAT bad? My Findings Thus Far...

POST-ACTION

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave_p

A pet peeve of mine is when ppl treat the entire playerbase of either RP/concept players, or Min/Maxers. There's sometimes a 3rd group who play, "just to have fun," as if the min/maxers aren't having fun. Most of us, however, are in the middle somewhere (tho I'll freely admit I'm closer to the min/max end of the spectrum), and trust me, it's not just pure min/max'ers that find sets like DP pretty meh. There are plenty of us who will play for concept, but still want a very effective set. About half the time, I'll find a set combo I want to play, and form a concept around it, where other times, I just want a tough guy w/a bat (say, WM/WP brute). Either way, I'll try to maximize my effectiveness as much as possible w/what I got, but if the combo it truly weak, I'll likely abandon it.

I wrote a kinda lengthy diatribe about my currently active blasters and the reasons I don't play the other sets atm, but here's what it all boils down to: At the end of the day, I have fun playing blasters by cutting down swaths of mobs in quick order, and if I feel my blaster isn't doing a good job of that, I won't be having fun, so I won't play it. I don't have fun playing DP blasters because I don't think their kill rate is high enough for me, esp in comparison to other blasters. End of story.

Oh, and if you think DP blasters are rare, how many Son blasters do you see out there?

For a lot of blaster players "fun" IS large batches of big orange numbers.

That said the devs have "told us" with the defiance revamp that the way that blasters are "intended" to be played is by defeating the mobs before they can defeat you. This means that to be "effective/survivable" new Blaster primary sets need to have:

1) Generous amounts of AoE.
2) Fast animations.
3) Average to high mitigation from secondary power effects.

Dual pistols rates:

1) Average
2) Extremely poor
3) Poor

Using the above criteria only Psi/ and Elec/ are worse than DP/

On the server I play on and the circles I run in most of the DP toons have all ready gone the way of the Dodo. The few folks that still play them tend to give comments on the order of "It's not a really good primary, but I love the animations."

For those of us that dislike the animations there's nothing else in the power set that stands out as a bell ringer.

Active Defenses is Overdue

POST-ACTION

I believe that the rooting issue is the only valid complaint here.

If I'm not mistaken self buff powers that do not affect allies or mobs in anyway aren't supposed to root.

Elec/fire.............

POST-ACTION

Your new build is much better but let me make just a few comments and you can go from there. I'm really not trying to pick your build apart. I just want to make you aware of a few things that you may not realize.

First off, try any new build on the test server to make sure that it does what you want it to do, the way you want to do it. You'll be much much happier that way I assure you.

Travel powers are a matter of taste. When I was a new player I couldn't stand super speed either, now though almost every toon I have has Super Speed. I found it was a matter of practice. That said travel the way you wish. You can still achieve PvE invis by slotting a Celerity Stealth IO or an Unbounded Leap Stealth IO (cheaper than Celerity) into sprint and running it in tandem with Stealth. Setting up your Alpha is the important consideration here.

Sigh, you've taken Kick and Tough again I see. This puts your build 2 1/2 seconds off of perma without Hasten. For a cost of .26 additional endurance per second you are only increasing your survivability against Smashing and Lethal Damage by 17.5% this sounds like a lot but it's not really.

Permadom is the way to go. It replenishes your endurance, doubles the magnitude of your controls (which means you affect bosses in a single application), increases the duration of all your controls by 50%, and provides you with mez protection. Any 1 of the last 3 things will provide you much more survivability than an extra 17.5% resistance to 2 damage types and it won't cost you a tick of endurance.

To get permadom without hasten you need another 7.5% recharge. That means that you need another defense power and an LotG +7.5. With your current build there are 2 ways to do that both involve dropping the fighting pool.

You can take the Leaping pool and select Combat Jumping and take Phase Shift as an escape power (that would be my personal recommendation) or you can take Leadership and select Maneuvers and Assault.

Combat Jumping gives a bit of extra defense, gives immobilization protection, gives you a form of unsuppressed movement, and costs virtually nothing in terms of endurance usage. Phase shift gives you an escape power that renders you virtually untouchable (only a very few ultra powerful mobs can hit you through Phase) with Elec/Fire this is especially nice since you can phase to safety while static field is actively sleeping the mobs, Synaptic Overload is making them attack each other, and the DoT from your fire powers continue to burn them.

Maneuvers + Assault can be nice though they are a serious endurance drain. Assault gives you another 11.25% damage to all your powers.

Now lets talk accuracy for a second. You don't really need the extra Acc SO in Paralyzing blast. If we talk in terms of SO usage a schedule A (like accuracy) gives a 33% boost to your stat. 2 Accuracy SOs (66%) are generally enough even for a lower than standard accuracy power such as Paralyzing blast. The Accuracy in Unbreakable Constraint is 59.62% BUT you also have the following accuracy set bonuses:

Crushing Impact - 7%
Posi Blast - 9% x3 = 27%
Obliteration - 9%
Grav Anchor - 15%
Fortunata Hypnosis 15%

For a grand total of 73% bonus accuracy to ALL powers. Even if you exemplar you still get to keep the bonuses from the purple sets making the extra accuracy in Paralyzing blast redundant.

There are lots of things you can do with that 1 slot:

Add a winters gift to a travel power to give your self 20% resistance to slows.
Add a damage proc to an AoE power that recharges in less than 10 seconds. (Chain Fences, Fire Breath, Combustion).
Slot the Decimation chance of build up proc in in Flares. When it procs all of your attacks are at +68% damage for the next 5.25 seconds.
Slot an Achilles Heel proc in Melt Armor.
Slot a Miracle + recovery in Health for the extra endurance recovery.

The Grav Anchor set. You really don't need the Immob duration enhancement. Chain fences will recharge in 2.6138 seconds (without Hasten). With Domination up (remember this is why we want Permadom) it will affect bosses in a single application and will keep the mobs immobilized for 67.67 seconds that's a lot of overkill. If you use the Grav Anchor proc your immob duration will be 63.67 seconds (ED kills the duration) AND you'll HOLD 25% of the minions for 8 seconds every time you cast it and you could stack it up to 3 times. A held mob does 0 damage. Immobilized foes can still attack from range.

Lets talk attack chain for a bit.

Your single target attack chain will be Flares > Fire Blast > Blaze > (Incinerate / Tesla Cage) and it should be seamless for you. You can throw in other controls when the opportunities present themselves.

Your AoE chain will be (Embrace of Fire / Melt Armor) > Chain Fences (if the mobs are not all ready immobilized) > Rain of Fire > Fire Breath > Combustion > Fireball......

Why stop there you say?

Chain Fences = 28.61 damage
Rain of Fire = 380.46 damage
Fire Breath = 284.65 damage (the minions should all be dead here)
Combustion = 223.02 damage
Fireball = 374.73 damage (the lieutenants should all be dead here)

Leaving only bosses to finish off with your seamless single target chain.

Part of this is due to your +damage set bonuses from Efficacy Adaptor (+2.5%), Obliteration (+3%), Coercive Persuasion (+4%), and Devastation (+3%)

Since your AoE chain will take about 10 seconds to run and you'll have to go through your single target chain 2-3 times. You should be able to do this every 1-2 spawns. Static Field and Synaptic Overload should be up every spawn and (with Permadom) will last more than long enough to finish off every spawn you encounter making you a very survivable, AoE machine.

The best advice I can offer though is to copy to test, try it there before you buy it live, and see what best fits your play style.

::bows::

Elec/fire.............

POST-ACTION

This build, for instance, will give you all the control you had before but will do significantly more damage.

-It's Permadom without hasten and incorporates some slow resistance in the winter's gift IO to help keep you perma.
-The toggles during combat draw a mere .26 end per second (Combat Jumping and Fire Shield).
-Stealth + Super Speed give you PvE invisibility and allow you to perfectly position yourself for your Alpha. lacking Gremlins means that this can be done every mob.
-Phase shift gives you an escape power if you get overwhelmed.

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.90
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Magic Dominator
Primary Power Set: Electric Control
Secondary Power Set: Fiery Assault
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Concealment
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Fire Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Tesla Cage

(A) Basilisk's Gaze - Accuracy/Hold
(3) Basilisk's Gaze - Endurance/Recharge/Hold
(3) Basilisk's Gaze - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge/Hold
(5) Basilisk's Gaze - Recharge/Hold

Level 1: Flares

(A) Decimation - Accuracy/Damage
(5) Decimation - Damage/Endurance
(7) Decimation - Damage/Recharge
(7) Decimation - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
(9) Decimation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge

Level 2: Incinerate

(A) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage
(11) Crushing Impact - Damage/Recharge
(11) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
(13) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
(13) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance/Recharge

Level 4: Chain Fences

(A) Gravitational Anchor - Immobilize/Recharge
(15) Gravitational Anchor - Accuracy/Immobilize/Recharge
(15) Gravitational Anchor - Accuracy/Recharge
(17) Gravitational Anchor - Immobilize/Endurance
(17) Gravitational Anchor - Chance for Hold
(19) Trap of the Hunter - Chance of Damage(Lethal)

Level 6: Hasten

(A) Recharge Reduction IO
(9) Recharge Reduction IO
(19) Recharge Reduction IO

Level 8: Conductive Aura

(A) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod
(21) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Recharge
(23) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Accuracy/Recharge
(23) Efficacy Adaptor - Accuracy/Recharge
(25) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Accuracy
(25) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Endurance

Level 10: Fire Blast

(A) Decimation - Accuracy/Damage
(27) Decimation - Damage/Endurance
(27) Decimation - Damage/Recharge
(29) Decimation - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
(29) Decimation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge

Level 12: Static Field

(A) Fortunata Hypnosis - Sleep
(31) Fortunata Hypnosis - Sleep/Recharge
(31) Fortunata Hypnosis - Accuracy/Sleep/Recharge
(31) Fortunata Hypnosis - Accuracy/Recharge
(33) Fortunata Hypnosis - Sleep/Endurance

Level 14: Super Speed

(A) Endurance Reduction IO

Level 16: Fire Breath

(A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage
(33) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance
(33) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge
(34) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range
(34) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance

Level 18: Embrace of Fire

(A) Recharge Reduction IO
(21) Recharge Reduction IO
(34) Recharge Reduction IO

Level 20: Paralyzing Blast

(A) Unbreakable Constraint - Hold
(36) Unbreakable Constraint - Hold/Recharge
(36) Unbreakable Constraint - Accuracy/Hold/Recharge
(37) Unbreakable Constraint - Accuracy/Recharge
(37) Unbreakable Constraint - Endurance/Hold

Level 22: Combustion

(A) Obliteration - Damage
(37) Obliteration - Accuracy/Recharge
(39) Obliteration - Damage/Recharge
(39) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
(39) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge

Level 24: Combat Jumping

(A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
(40) Winter's Gift - Slow Resistance (20%)

Level 26: Synaptic Overload

(A) Coercive Persuasion - Confused
(36) Coercive Persuasion - Confused/Endurance
(40) Coercive Persuasion - Confused/Recharge
(40) Coercive Persuasion - Accuracy/Confused/Recharge
(42) Coercive Persuasion - Accuracy/Recharge

Level 28: Stealth

(A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed

Level 30: Invisibility

(A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed

Level 32: Phase Shift

(A) Recharge Reduction IO

Level 35: Maneuvers

(A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed

Level 38: Blaze

(A) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage
(42) Devastation - Damage/Recharge
(43) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
(43) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
(43) Devastation - Damage/Endurance

Level 41: Rain of Fire

(A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage
(42) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
(45) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance
(45) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge
(45) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range

Level 44: Fire Ball

(A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage
(46) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance
(46) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge
(46) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
(48) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range

Level 47: Fire Shield

(A) HamiO:Ribosome Exposure
(50) HamiO:Ribosome Exposure

Level 49: Melt Armor

(A) Analyze Weakness - Accuracy/Recharge
(50) Analyze Weakness - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
(50) Shield Breaker - Accuracy/Recharge

------------
Level 1: Brawl

(A) Empty

Level 1: Sprint

(A) Empty

Level 2: Rest

(A) Empty

Level 1: Domination
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift

(A) Empty

Level 2: Hurdle

(A) Empty

Level 2: Health

(A) Numina's Convalescence - +Regeneration/+Recovery
(48) Miracle - +Recovery

Level 2: Stamina

(A) Endurance Modification IO
(48) Endurance Modification IO

Code:

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Elec/fire.............

POST-ACTION

Well you are using ranged defense sets (thunderstrikes) without using the 6th IO that gets you the majority of the set's defense bonus.

You've skipped incinerate which is one of the most damaging (and firework looking) attacks that a /Fire dom has.

You've taken Jolting Chain which is good for a controller but marginal at best for a Dom, especially once you have Static Field. It's just not all that useful when your secondary is an assault set.

You have Consume slotted for endurance recovery but with Permadom levels of recharge, Static Field, and Conductive Aura the likely hood of actually needing to use it is almost nil.

You've taken Embrace of Fire but left it with a single slot.

You've taken the fighting pool, selected kick and left it unslotted and Tough and left it with it's base slot. Yet you took Maneuvers from the leadership pool when you could have taken Weave. (Weave provides you more defense than Maneuvers.)

You've skipped one of the most potent powers from your Epic (Melt Armor).

You are using flight as your travel power (and gone with minimal slotting) even though to be most effective (Static Field and Conductive Aura) you'll want to be on the ground.

Gremlins are also a pretty marginal power. They don't do much damage because they spend so much of their time using their own jolting chain power and they are very likely to aggro other spawns (especially since there are 2 of them). They don't look much like fireworks either.

Ice character... best AT?

POST-ACTION

I'll still vote for the Ice/Rad/Ice.

You can literally nullify 2 or 3 entire spawns while the rest of your team takes them out.

All the mobs are either, confused, held, flopping and/or at capped -run and -rech, not to mention having their accuracy, defense, resistance, total damage output, and regeneration debuffed.

All good things...

POST-ACTION

Quote:

Originally Posted by Candlestick

Thats bull and you know it. The OP's question was clearly about what defense to build for on his Elec^3, not what powersets to play.

No it's not, I read the OPs entire post.

He clearly stated

Quote:

I'm gonna roll a triple elec blapper...

That's not an existing toon that's an idea in formation. I was simply trying to point out better combinations for a blapper to use. Something that doesn't require a huge outlay of inf or skimping on other things that are important to blasters (like recharge and endurance management) all for the sake of having to over slot defense.

@ Grey

It's actually easier to slot a blapper for maximum ranged defense (Mako sets) than it is to slot a ranger for it especially if your primary has a nice tier 3 that will take another set of Thunderstrikes. Though Elec does have Sparky who can take a set of Blood Mandates and the snipe will take a set of T strikes.

Blapper def

POST-ACTION

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grey Pilgrim

Ummm, why do you think that? At least explain your reasoning. If you think there are better tools elsewhere, go ahead. It's still a little weird to just throw this out there when he said he was trying for that build and just wanting to know what kind of defense to go for.

E^3 can work pretty well as a Blapper, in my experience. Lot of holds to work with for bosses, and you can end drain mobs quite easily with good slotting. I went for mostly S/L on mine, since I was going to be up close so much. I do wonder if he had to deal with mezzes more often (as a lot of those are ranged and won't necessarily have a S/L component), but he could usually hold a mezzer as he was going in, end drain everyone, and not have to worry for the rest of the fight.

Mine has in the low 30s for S/L, as do most of my blasters (whether it's ranged, S/L, etc.). Worked well enough to even solo EBs like Nosferatu up close (though he used inspirations, obviously). If you can fit in some Ranged defense, go for it, but my build was a little tight. I wanted to get the defense in, recharge, and some procs. I think most of mine was from Weave, Combat Jumping, and the Steadfast +def, which isn't that much.

Play around with builds in Mid's, but about 20% defense to something is noticeable (though it helps sooner, you still feel like you get hit more before that), and 30ish is great. You can up it to the cap with an inspiration and you don't need that most of the time. Especially with drained mobs.

With Elec you get a single hold and in order to sap effectively you have to be in melee/close range before the spawns damage is mitigated.

With Ice you get 2 holds and you can -rech/-move cap the spawn before entering melee/close range.

With energy/elec you can keep all of the spawn off of you except for one or 2 at a time by using AoE KB powers.

If you go Elec/Elec you will (as other posters above have reccomended) NEED high levels of S/L or ranged defense for the level of survival you are after. Ice or energy as a primary allows you to go with much lower levels of defense slotting and still survive.

My Ice/Elec runs about 22% ranged defense and my energy/elec runs 11% with about the same level of survivability as my (now deleted) Elec/elec or my elec/energy (which needs around 33% ranged defense).

@Candle

I was answering the only question the OP asked:

Posts

Joined

Active Defenses is Overdue

Elec/fire.............

Is DP THAT bad? My Findings Thus Far...

Active Defenses is Overdue

Elec/fire.............

Elec/fire.............

Elec/fire.............

Ice character... best AT?

All good things...

Elec/fire.............

Ice character... best AT?

Blapper def

Blapper def

So... rularuu

Blapper def

Blapper def

Blapper def

Blapper def

Fire/Trick Arrow

The non-traditional farmer

AR vs DP

AR vs DP

Where'd all this money come from?

Wormhole with Kb Proc

Which Versatile Defender?