Mithos_Aurion

Hey, thought I'd chime in.

I'm a fan of Dark Armor on any AT it is available on (yes, even Stalkers, though only slightly less so than others).

TL;DR version: DA takes effort, skill and patience. It does just fine solo, teamed and on Task Forces (presuming there will be buffs).
If you spend the time to learn it, it does well. If you spend money, it can do some pretty crazy things.

Long version:

Dark Armor gives you the tools to be very, very unique with your character. You can stack fears. You can stack stuns. You can stack resistance OR defense or BOTH. You can stack heals. You get a self-resurrection that gives you complete safety in PvE short of AV/EB. It also gives the most resistance of any tank sets to more exotic damage and mez types: Toxic, Psionic, Negative, Endurance Drain, Fear and Confusion. It even provides +Perception, so pesky Widows are a joke.

On to some more serious business:

DA is awesome without IO bonuses. With Tough/Weave/Cloak of Darkness/CJ and a couple one-slot wonder IOs, you can be pretty dang hard to take down even without agonizing over slotting and or using a character planner.

On a Tank, if you take the above powers on top of your own toggles, you wind up with the following:

70% S/L res
33% Energy/Toxic res
48% Fire/Cold res
65% Negative res
80%+ Psi res
19% defense to Melee/Range/AoE (via Weave/CoD/CJ)

Very respectable, and you still haven't touched IO sets/bonuses.

The four holes of Dark Armor:

1. Lack of KB protection (easily solvable)
2. High endurance costs (easily solvable)
3. Weakness to -Recharge. (easily solvable)
4. Low Energy resistance (not so much of an issue unless fighting heavy hitting mobs like Neuron, Antimatter, Nightstar, PPPs)

Solution:

1. Karma or Steadfast KB protection IO (easy to pick up for between 3-20 mill, almost anyone can make this by level 20-25 tops).

2. Performance Shifter: Chance for +Endurance in Stamina (or Physical Perfection, or one in BOTH if you prefer), Theft of Essence: Chance for +Endurance in Dark Regeneration, Miracle: +Recovery and Numina +Recovery/Regeneration in Health.

Note: the only ABSOLUTELY necessary one of these is Performance Shifter, it is very easy to get and by far the cheapest (125 merits). The other procs are useful, but not required to maintain decent endurance recovery. If you DO manage to get them, your life will become very easy. Slot for endurance reduction in each attack. If you can afford to frankenslot Dam/Acc/End ios, then do so. It helps immensely.

3. Hasten, Recharge bonuses and Force Feedback: Chance for +Recharge.

Hasten I only have for times where I am under heavy fire from -recharge effects (Arachnos, Carnies, Malta, Council). You can pick up about 20-30% global recharge rather cheaply by using Stupefy in OG, Crushing Impact or even Taunt sets (which are incredibly inexpensive and VERY nice).

4. This is the toughest hole to fill for a Dark Armor (in my opinion). I have never had trouble with Clockwork, Rikti, Freakshow, Carnies or Praetorian minions who use EM.
My biggest challenges are AVs (and rarely PPPs). Neuron, Marauder, Synapse and the like will rip you apart, sadly. The only real way to fix this is to focus on +Energy Defense bonuses. I decided, however, that with so few mobs, and very slight chance to meet up with them while solo, that I did not need to do this personally.

Player skill will easily make or break this set. If you can solve these issues and practice, customize, and make it your own, you will end up with a very powerful character. On its own, it can be good. With a few IOs, it becomes awesome. I have never gone all-out towards putting sets on a character, but I will with this one. I imagine it will be incredible once I am done, and I can't wait.

I've had so much fun working towards 50 thus far, but its only just beginning.

Hey UP! Long time no see.

Edit: I agree entirely with your comment in the above post.

TL;DR: Dark Armor ROCKS (if you know what you're doing).

Long version:

Alright, so here's the thing: I've always preferred Resistance rather than Defensive.

I know when I'm going to get hit, and for how much, so I know when I will be needing to react accordingly. This is not something you can really do on a defensive set.

For Scrappers, I would say that Dark Armor is my Resistance set of choice.

Pros: Amazing heal, High Psi/Negative resistances, some Toxic resistances, Endurance Drain resistance, Fear/Confuse resistance, +Perception, To-Hit Debuffs, able to completely nullify minions.

Cons: High base endurance cost, no kb res, no immob res, low Energy resistances.

On its own, the set does just fine. It nothing spectacular unless you are facing mobs that most others would fear (Carnies, Malta, Knives, Rikti, Arachnos).

You will be able to laugh at any psi/negative/end drain abilities like they're nothing. You won't even notice the other tankers and scrappers drop like flies as you keep fighting.

Being able to get a couple of key IO's will help Dark Armor greatly: Theft of Essence- Chance for +Endurance is lovely in Dark Regeneration. The proc will give 10 endurance when it fires, and when done in a large group, the chances are high it will go off.
The KB protection IOs are nice, too.

The other powers in the set offer some very interesting customization, and places to slot other sets should you decide you DO want to stack some defense on top of that resistance and godlike heal.

Oppressive Gloom will take minions out of the fight permanently, as long as they are in range. This is good for keeping a few mobs around to heal off of.

Cloak of Darkness and Fear are nice for several reasons: +perception, immob res, +def, tohit debuff. Stacking these two can give you a nice start on your defense stats, if you chose to go for set bonuses.

On average, my Dark Armor Scrappers will run Embrace/Murk/Obsidian/Tough/OG/Shroud/Combat Jumping. If you go for max defense, throw in CoS, CoF and Weave to taste.

Its a solid set- baseline, its average. If you spent time and effort, it will be a beast. The hardest part is learning when to use toggles or turn them off.

It also really depends on your primary.

Dark/MA/Kat or Claws all work very well imo. Endurance light/utility/control/defense options that greatly boost the effectiveness of the secondary.

Spines/DB/BS and Elec conflict with DA in my personal opinion. I know they may work for other people, but to me, they just grate.

Second Edit:

Also, if you've never tried it (or haven't tried it recently), give Regeneration a try.

I'd say it is a tie between Regen and DA for me, on a Scrapper. My DA can do things my Regen can't, and vice versa.

So I'm dusting off this old Blaster, the highest one I've ever had. Played her for about twenty minutes and hit 41..

With the invention of IO's (yes, that is how long it has been...). I'm wondering what powers are worth taking/skipping/slotting and how.

I'm planning on being a Flyer, and looking to get a decent amount of +ranged and +aoe defense.

I don't have a build planner on this computer, but here was a rough draft of the POWERS I was planning to take (I don't know the blaster 41+ pools either).

1: Power Bolt
1: Web Grenade
2: Power Blast
4: Energy Torrent
6: Power Burst
8: Swift
10: Targeting Drone
12: Health
14: Hover
16: Fly
18: Power Push
20: Stamina
22: Aim
24:
26: Explosive Blast
28: Trip Mine
30:
32: Nova(cuz its a NUKE!)
35:
38:
41:
44:
47:
49/50: (I don't remember when you get the last power, it's been awhile since I played or respec'd a 50).

Some things I'd really like to know:

Is Gun Drone worth taking now?

Are Caltrops still useful on a Ranged build for the 'fear' to reduce amount of incoming attacks while enemies flee?

Do I really need Cloaking Device or ANY stealth at all? Its just more of an end-drain, and I've never been that interested in toe-bombing- I simply drop a mine around a corner and pull if I need to weaken mobs first.

Which Blaster epic shield/set would be most beneficial? Energy Torrent + Explosive Blast is not near enough AoE damage to two-shot a spawn without Buildup, so is there a strong case for the Elec set which has another Cone?

I appreciate any advice on build/some cheap IOs to pick up that would greatly help my survival. I've got to run for the day, but I'd be back later tonight to read up. I really want to get my first Blaster to 50- I can see her potential, but as she is now, its very iffy.

I am NOT on unlimited funds, nor am I even on 100mill+, to be honest. So, please take that into consideration! Not saying I won't get there eventually, but for the time being...

I realize how potent the Mag 4 sleep is for taking out bosses in a single shot (but other teammates don't), and that my only on demand aoe control until 26 is a sleep as well.

That being said, I absolutely love Total Domination, Terrify and Mass Confusion.

Does this combination pretty much do just fine for Mind Control at higher levels? I know that when solo, I can lock down a decent sized spawn and just go to town at my own leisure, but I want to know if i can take charge and lead the group with these controls.

Also.... might Telekinesis be worth investing in, if I REALLY feel the need for more hard control?

Side note: I have always wanted an Energy melee/blast character, so i was eying the Assault set... but reading that the only aoe is rather lacking.... kinda sucks.

Alright, so I just got back after being gone for roughly a year.

First off, let me say, HUZZAH! I remember now why I loved this game so much. Now, that being said- ALTITIS!

One of my projects I had begun last year was an Earth/Thorn Dominator. The story I came up with is awesome, with the new power customization, he is everything I wanted him to look like.

Unfortunately, I have little to no experience with the Thorny Assault set.

I've heard Thorntrops are good, bad, ugly, useful, 'clone of caltrops' etc.
The most common argument I hear for these is that they're good if you have a way to keep enemies from leaving the area, but that doesn't also negate mitigation. Quicksand/Earthquake/Stone Cages/Stalagmites/Volcanic Gasses seem like they would enable me to do some interesting things with Thorntrops.

I searched the forum but got no returns on this subject- and I would be most appreciative of advice from anyone who has perhaps tried this combo.

I love it thus far (lv 23 as of writing this).

Sweeeeeeeet. I remember the original invasions into Atlas, they were insane. Huge mobs running around, even with a group of 8 it was hard to take them on, but you were well rewarded.

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QR

I can't help but notice that Metal Armor/Melee and Elastic Melee/Elasticity aren't on that list.
Bone Armor/Melee would also be cool.

The powers listed seem kind of... dull.
Most of them are just hand-held items; shield, weapons, etc., Only psychic weaponry and vibration actually seem like actual super-powers.

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You really want them to attempt Bone Melee when you already have Poison Banana Melee?

Hey, how about instead of Energy Blade or Staff Melee.....


What about Energy Staff Melee?

FtW.

I love this post.

My sig shows why.

Global: @Roy Matsuya
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Born: Tacoma, Washington.
Currently: University Place, Washington
Height: 6'4
Joined the CoH family: October '04.
SG Affiliation: OSHA Academy, M.D.K. Inc, JLGC, Statesman's Watch, Knights of the Apocalypse, couple others i can't remember.
Most Recognizable Characters- Ashley Pyra, Qin Xion, Oriana Darkstar.

Random Facts:
-In my final semester of college, studying Mechanical Engineering and Design.
-Only male in the latest generation of my family. Two sisters, 40 female cousins. As if that weren't scary enough- I'm the oldest one. *waits a moment* now, re-read that. If it wasn't already, the Horror should begin setting in now.

So i've just whipped up a couple of points and tips that i've learned over the past couple years playing this game. I've noticed that many people don't join random groups anymore unless there is an obvious benefit (duh). They even go so far as to say 'i will group until (x) has happened, then im gone'. One example of this is a blaster saying that he would be with us for the duration of him dying three times (true story, but he didnt have to worry, not one death).

I have to say, that most of the time when i join a PuG, it usually falls apart before too long, but when i make one up myself, it stays together for quite a while and does very well for itself. Based upon these observations i have come up with the following suggestions for people when creating or joining a PuG. It contains a couple of tips, common courtesies, suggestions, and definite DON'Ts of the PuG. First from the aspect of -you- being the leader and assembling the group, secondly, as someone randomly invited to a PuG. Hope at least a handful of people may find this useful. Enjoy.

Leader of the Group-to-Be-

1. Look first for people you have grouped with before. Obvious.

2. Look secondly for people within one level of yourself. This helps eliminate annoying sk/exempings and 'oh damnit i lost this power nvmtxbye*quit*'.

3. When inviting people, ALWAYS send a tell politely explaining the what, the when, the who else currently, and the where. Using PROPER ENGLISH to do this with. People will be much more likely to join and stay awhile if an effort is made to ask for -precisely- the sort of help you are looking for. If they join, then thank them for coming. If not, then thank them for their reply (if they give one).

4. Once getting another player on the team, if they have not volunteered the information, beforehand, check their power sets against yours, and the task at hand. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE SUCCESS OF THE TEAM. If you are say, a fire/rad controller and get a dark/dark defender, you will probably not -need- an empath for healing. If you are going against mechanical foes, it would probably be wise to find a Dark Melee or Martial Arts scrapper instead of a Claw or Katana scrapper, because of the way those two damage types fare against enemies' defenses.
5. Use the knowledge of who is already on the team to entice/persuade others to join. That stone tank will jump at the chance to run with you if you have a kineticist on the team, that blaster will love to join if you have an empath to bestow Fortitude and healing on him. Play to the growing strengths of the group you are building.

6. Keep it balanced, unless you know you will be alright with those five empaths and little damage, or those six tanks and no healing. Don't go overkill in any one department.

7. Make sure people know how each others’ powersets work!! This is especially frustrating for Radiation Emission, Dark Miasma, Kinetics, and Mind Control. Binds work well to inform people about who or what they should or should NOT attack- i.e. ‘Reducing Accuracy and Defense of (Target) and all nearby enemies, attack him last!’ when you toggle on Radiation Infection, etc. Many powers require an enemy in close proximity, learn to tell people if they want the maximum effect of a power, where they should stand in relation to you or your foes.

8. Keep it fun! Chat! Don't be a quiet group. Get talk and get to know people so you have a wider base of people to group with who know how to work together.


If you are invited to a group that you've never teamed with before-

1. If they send no tell explaining what they're doing before inviting, chances are, they are careless in the way they play as well. Take your chance with the team as you will.

2. If you want to know the makeup of the team before you accept or decline the invitation, ask. If they are going to try a respec TF or AV without anyone to buff/debuff, take the aggro, or do enough damage to succeed, its your choice to try and help, or kindly refuse the offer and wish them good luck as-is.

3. If you do accept the invite, study the team, compare with your power set. Who needs protecting? Who needs the major buff/bonus/gets the most out of -your- powerset? Who can help your powerset? Know who you can help and who can help you- and ask for it if need be.

4. Don't just randomly quit if the team starts going under. Don't lay blame on why the team isn't doing so hot unless it was an obvious bad move on the part of a member. Wait until the fight is over, be it in good standing or a wipe, and explain that you must go. Don't bash the other players even if they perhaps -were- the ones who caused the problem. Remember, -YOU- joined of your own free will. Nobody forces you to click 'accept'.

5. If at all possible, try and team with at least *one* other person you have run with before. This makes it so that at least one member of the team will know your style and plan accordingly. The difference between knowing nobody and knowing at least one person is immense.

I know I may have left out a couple points, and I may have even put in some that are redundant. However you view it, remember this- if you are putting a group together, please THINK, PLAN, COORDINATE, be POLITE and INFORMATIVE.
If you are invited to a group by people you don’t know, either refuse the offer, or accept it and deal with the consequences of your decision to join. People will very rarely team with you again if you dump them in the middle of a Task Force or other difficult mission when they need all the help they can get.

Obviously, some of you will all know this, as well as some who have never thought of this at all (i'm talking to you, sewer group and random mish leaders).
Following the suggestions above will help people make better decisions to either help a promising-sounding group, or stay away from surely-doomed, poorly-planned groups.