Psylenz

Anything melee gets more benefits from kinetics. I would suggest Demons. They have a variety of damage, and they benefit from the +recovery.

My favorite AT is defenders. My favorite defender is Storm.
I also have a very soft spot in my... head for Robots, so my favorite character is Bots/storm.

I love the MMs, and Defenders sooooo much.

True, and since IO enhancements, affect multiple aspects, cheaper sets, and generic IOs can often yield far better results than SO slotting without considering IO enhancement set bonuses with the added benefit that IOs don't expire.

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.942
http://www.cohplanner.com/

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Level 48 Natural Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Robotics
Secondary Power Set: Dark Miasma

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Battle Drones -- Acc(A), Acc(3), Dmg(3), Dmg(5), BriL'shp-Acc/Dmg(5)
Level 1: Twilight Grasp -- Empty(A), Empty(7), Empty(7)
Level 2: Tar Patch -- Empty(A), Empty(9)
Level 4: Darkest Night -- Empty(A), Empty(9), Empty(11)
Level 6: Equip Robot -- Empty(A)
Level 8: Photon Grenade -- Empty(A)
Level 10: Howling Twilight -- Empty(A), Empty(11)
Level 12: Protector Bots -- BriL'shp-Acc/Dmg(A), BriL'shp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(13), BriL'shp-Acc(13), BriL'shp-Dmg(15), EdctM'r-Acc/Dmg(15)
Level 14: [Empty]
Level 16: [Empty]
Level 18: [Empty]
Level 20: [Empty]
Level 22: [Empty]
Level 24: [Empty]
Level 26: [Empty]
Level 28: [Empty]
Level 30: [Empty]
Level 32: [Empty]
Level 35: [Empty]
Level 38: [Empty]
Level 41: [Empty]
Level 44: [Empty]
Level 47: [Empty]
Level 49: [Empty]
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Supremacy
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- Empty(A)


I dummied up this robots/dark for discussion. I am not sure if the OP has Mids. Note I put a brilliant leadership acc/dam as the fifth spot in battle drones and an edict of the master acc/dam in protector bots fifth slot.

Working at four slots, battle drones have 66% accuracy and damage enhancement from SOs. On the protector bots at four slots you have 82% acc and dmg, AND 19% endurance cost reduction. The fifth slot puts you in the enhancement diversification range nicely over 90% and it is cheaper, but the SOs will expire and no IO set benefits. The fifth slot of edict (equal level to the brilliant leadership) puts your accuracy and damage deep into the enhancement limitation with the added IO set bonuses of regeneration, debt protection and confuse resistance.

None of the IO set bonuses are anything by themselves enough to write home about, but they are not bad perks. Both tactics leave your enhancing open for the sixth slot for IO set defense or resist aura slotting, or you could put a big defense IO in protector bots for better defense for the mastermind and pets.

Enhancement diversification is not limited so much by the count of enhancements appearing in a powers slotting as the percentage enhanced. The max green healthy SOs give about 33 % enhancement, while IOs are based on a cap >40%. This is of course speaking of Schedule type enhancements: accuracy, damage, health, endurance cost. Schedule B: enhancements cap out for diversification limits between 45 and 50 including defense, damage resistance, range, etc.

I agree Traps/dark is a very solid build. The dark cones and debuffs really synergize with the trap debuffs. Eventually you even get a self heal. My Trap/dark took dark mastery for AoE stun, dark consumption, dark embrace shield for extra sturdiness.

If I am looking for any basilisk gaze for sale, and filter on items for sale, the search comes back with no matches even if I then go down through the unfiltered list and find a level 34 for sale with 5 for sale and 2 bids posted.

Shoot me if this was discussed previously, but has anyone noticed how utterly borked the filters are for searching for IO recipes that are up for sale?

Ghost widow's hold proc only rolls a chance to hit on the one ice block hold power that the Demon Prince has. I wouldn't put that in Demon Prince.

I really didn't finish my thought on how to six slot the Demon Prince. I have one Edict of the Master: Acc/Dmg/End, a pure IO generic enhancement for Damage and the same Pacing of the Turtles you have shown. The AoE slow aura on the Demon Prince is significant, and I don't feel like I am wasting a slow set on a slotting that features substantial slow as mitigation.

With this slotting I have over 60% accuracy for the prince, over 75& of damage enhancement with nearly 60% endurance cost reduction in abilities with slow and damage. I try to maintain Hell on Earth (or Forge on my Demons/Thermal) to keep him boosted and to generally diffuse aggro to the expendable living hellfire.

Another thought worth mentioning: your twilight grasp is an important DEBUFF, even if all is well, you can DEBUFF hard targets tohit and damage potential while the demons destroy your foes. The Dark Servant will augment this feature as well.

When I look at streetlight's build I see he is boosting the recharge bonus so he doesn't have to slot so much recharge in sleet and heat loss. That looks fine. I just choke a bit on six slotted health. I noodled a bit in mids, if I take two slots from health and put them in arctic fog, I get the cold, fire, and energry resistance up to 34%, 34%, and 30% in an AoE aura which I would prefer on a team. If you moved a third slot over to arctic fog, you could slot for some psi/status resistance with an Aegis unique.

I believe what you are asking is would 5 of a pet IO set squeeze out more than 2 Acc and 2 Dmg. The answer is yes. You get some benefit of the enhancement diversification limit being filled with multi-aspect IO sets. Extra benefit for endurance and the sixth slot for an option is viable

You can slot 2 Acc IOs, 2 Dmg IOs, and a fifth slot with acc/dmg to maximize the acc and dmg enhancement leaving you with a free slot for extra end or resistance, etc.

Demonlings are fine. A combination of 5 in a Pet IO set with a generic IO for end redux goes well with Summon Demons. You can split up, frankenslot the demons for acc, dmg, dmg resistance, heal, and end reduction. Demon Prince I slot with 4 Pacing of the turtles since it contains good stuff for acc, dmg, slow, and end reduction.

A fancy way to slot the Demons is with a couple Centrioles for Damage, Endurance and Damage Resistance. It's a specific feature of that hami-o enhancement to benefit all three. There was some talk of adjusting it so it doesn't benefit dmg resist, but it seems to be a back burner deal.

I like Demons/Dark. It matures faster than thermal in the debuffing aspect. My friend, I surely hope you don't wait until level 44 for tar patch. It has -resistance in it, and is quite viable with just two recharge reductions in it. It will up the kill rate significantly.

You also want so endurance reductions in Summon Demons and Summon Demons Prince since the Pet IO set do not offset the endurance cost in non-attack abilities.

I took a stab at it. For leveling up I want Tar Patch, Howling Twilight and Fearsome Stare ASAP. I also slotted to-hit debuff in Fearsome Stare. After my dark users gain enough experience with dark servant and such, I switch to Glimpse of the Abyss sets.

Also, for your five slotted blasted and AoEs, some sets are very cheap (IF they are available) and can leverage some nice attributes like Range in your empty clips.

I didn't switch it out but I would consider dark mastery for the PbAoE stun, endurance refill power, and a self-rez which is nice in the higher levels.

In short I agree with the majority of powers and slotting. I would emphasize the level up sequence for pre-emptive crowd control earlier.


Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.942
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Science Defender
Primary Power Set: Dark Miasma
Secondary Power Set: Dual Pistols
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Teleportation
Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Twilight Grasp -- Acc(A), Acc(3), Heal(13), Heal(19), Heal(31), RechRdx(31)
Level 1: Pistols -- Acc(A), Dmg(9), Dmg(25), Dmg(43)
Level 2: Tar Patch -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(3)
Level 4: Empty Clips -- Acc(A), Dmg(5), Dmg(11), Dmg(15)
Level 6: Howling Twilight -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(7), RechRdx(15)
Level 8: Darkest Night -- EndRdx(A), ToHitDeb(9), ToHitDeb(13), ToHitDeb(19)
Level 10: Hasten -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(11)
Level 12: Fearsome Stare -- Acc(A), Acc(23), ToHitDeb(25), ToHitDeb(40), ToHitDeb(40)
Level 14: Super Speed -- Run(A)
Level 16: Shadow Fall -- EndRdx(A), ResDam(17), ResDam(17), ResDam(40), DefBuff(46)
Level 18: Swap Ammo
Level 20: Bullet Rain -- Acc(A), Dmg(21), Dmg(21), Dmg(34)
Level 22: Petrifying Gaze -- Acc(A), Acc(23), Hold(43), RechRdx(46)
Level 24: Dual Wield -- Acc(A), Dmg(31), Dmg(37), Dmg(37)
Level 26: Suppressive Fire -- Acc(A), Dsrnt(27), Dsrnt(27), RechRdx(43)
Level 28: Executioner's Shot -- Acc(A), Dmg(29), Dmg(29), Dmg(37)
Level 30: Recall Friend -- RechRdx(A)
Level 32: Dark Servant -- Acc(A), Heal(33), Heal(33), ToHitDeb(33), ToHitDeb(34), Hold(34)
Level 35: Piercing Rounds -- Acc(A), Dmg(36), Dmg(36), Dmg(36)
Level 38: Hail of Bullets -- Acc(A), Dmg(39), Dmg(39), Dmg(39)
Level 41: Dark Embrace -- EndRdx(A), ResDam(42), ResDam(42), ResDam(42)
Level 44: Soul Storm -- Acc(A), Acc(45), Hold(45), Hold(45), RechRdx(46)
Level 47: Summon Mistress -- Acc(A), RechRdx(48), RechRdx(48), RechRdx(48), Dmg(50), Dmg(50)
Level 49: Power Boost -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Run(A)
Level 1: Vigilance
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx(A)
Level 2: Swift -- Run(A)
Level 2: Health -- Heal(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod(A), EndMod(5), EndMod(7)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 18: Chemical Ammunition
Level 18: Cryo Ammunition

Another thing to remember, if you are at the end of the mission and have a bot or two down, just resummon. When you exit the mission (or enter the mission for that matter) the bots are resummoned and any buff on a single existing bot will apply to all. This also of course applies to other mastermind pets.

As a corollary, any buffs, like forcefield, ice, thermal, sonic, etc will NOT carryover when you zone in and out of missions.

Psy Mastery - Mind over Body is a great addition to self preservation. If you can learn the ins and outs telekinesis is better in situations than force bubble.

The OP is focusing on the +dmg of kinetics, but siphon power and fulcrum shift are great damage DEBUFFS on the targets.

I made an Ice/FF for this purpose. It can't solo -- at all. This controller has the taxibot powers: Superspeed and recall friend.

Did it really end?

A teammate noticed he wasn't using as much patrol xp, and then my level 47.9 traps defender pushed clear to level 50 on a single ITF, seven member team, and we didn't grind for xp's.

I have an FF/sonic. For the secondaries with FF, it provide good -resistance debuff. FF (especially with the AoE buffing) has time to blast. I also run leadership on my FF.

Red Fortunes are a good way to get some defense for yourself. It's not really a high recharge build because your shriek, scream, howl sequence isn't very long at all. Screech with the stun can help on problem foes likes sappers. I like the psy mastery on my FF's for the psy resistance. Toss in the rikti invasion accolade for elusive mind and you are pretty solid for psy blasting AVs and such.

I usually do take the Force Bubble. Situationally it helps a lot, esp on the director in the Tin Mage Strike Force.

Alpha slotting, I take Nerve on my FF defenders. Ideally you can soft cap teammates to 95% defense in regular content, but with +4 Praetorians and purple patch rules, the extra defense in FF is worth it.

Let me chime in and say Bots/Storm/Mace is a terrific juggernaut! I use teleport on my MM to bounce into position with gale queued up followed by the debuffs (rain, cane, snow) while the bots blast away. I do it to them before they do it to me

The mm's mantra: level 22 is SOs, level 24 is 2nd lieutenant bot, level 26 tier 3 pet, gravy time at level 32 with AoEs.

Your robots are all single target pets at level 21. You don't have to go melee, but firing off fearsome stare or leading off with twilight grasp means you have 4 pets replying to the first attack by foes.

Level 21 is the low spot. You should have some accuracy especially for the attack drones at this point. Just one more level will make so much difference.