Psylenz
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Posts
2510 -
Joined
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After 8 years and the more modest pacing of new material in Issues 2-20, I like new content
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Quote:Yep, the CoH crew is checking to see if the wheels fell off on anything unexpectedly. If there's a bug, I hope they find it, if not -- sweet Issue 23.Originally Posted by Cerulean_Shadow
Not live yet. Just tried to get in, and it said it's still undergoing maintenance. -
All patched up, now for the bug hunt phase Good luck Devs!
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Quote:I am parked on the update screen of the CoH login myself in EDT land. The process started at 7AM; I cannot log into the game. The newest issue 23 update is not available yet. We may have to wait a bit to kick off the update.Originally Posted by Robo_Knight
Ah, thank you, but, what time do the servers start to update for i23? I have to leave for work at around 10 PM Eastern & I really wanted to have it so that Coh would update while I was at work.
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WST - Weekly Strike Target
WTF - Weekly Task Force
WTP - What the Pancake?!?! for people undecided on which acronym to use. -
I think traps is a great set to solo. Depending on your tastes, fire, ice, or sonic would help your damage and survival. (Ice blast gets ice storm at blaster modifier levels).
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First I will start with the oblique analogies. Just because your dentist doesn't usually use a sledgehammer on a patient, it doesn't mean that sledgehammers are useless. And just because a highway construction work doesn't use a dental drill, instead of a jack hammer, doesn't devalue either tool.
Knockback and repel are both meritorious options at the storm summoner's disposal. The underlying problem is that far too many people see those aspects as never to be used; instead, the player needs to know when they SHOULD be used. Gale, tornado, hurricane, even lightning storm are a bit more complicated in implementation compared to rockin' the aura and bubbling the team.
Case in point, effectively making an alpha strike with gale and a hurricane followup CAN be useful to pile up the victims for a more effective fire bombing by the arsonist. Also remember, foes that are flying across the map, pulling themselves up off their kiester and then falling down in freezing rain like the proverbial drunk don't even get to make an accuracy check if they cannot attack.
Bots/storm, thugs/storm, even Necro/Storm are very formidable mastermind combinations. -
I am not one to scold, but I think you may have dropped this in the wrong forum.
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Per the tomax.cohtitan numbers: EM Pulse has a -1000% recovery for 15 sec. It's not a full end crash. If you have a recovery boost power like conserve power or power sink or dark consumption, the 15 sec drain on recovery is manageable.
The PbAoE mag 3 Hold is very manageable, especially stacked on choking cloud. 1000% -regen is a big boost to taking down the EB, AV, GM in tough fights.
I guess my comments before on end usage of enervating field, choking cloud, are predicated on using EM Pulse in the package. -
Neutrino bolt is a good mule for Achille's proc. I would put one in Irradiate as well.
Radiation Infection is more useful primarily slotted for tohit debuff. The achilles proc does will in this power, too.
Accelerated Metabolism is underslotted for recharge. You want to keep this on a fast recharge with Hasten. The speed buff, the end recovery are nice, but the damage buff should not be overlooked either.
Enervating field probably needs 2 End redux IOs.
Mutation appears overslotted to me. Aim needs more slots if you can afford it.
Choking Cloud is a real pig using endurance, you need at least 80% end reduction. The lockdown proc is golden in the power. Split acc/hold IOs will allow Choking Cloud to hit with more accuracy unless they changed that recently.
Hover needs at most two slots: Luck of the Gambler 7.5 recharge proc, and maybe a flight stealth.
If you plan to solo, fighting pool will bring you more. I really like EM Pulse for the burst -regen in tough fights. Power mastery with Buildup for Lingering Rad, EM Pulse and Acclerated Metabolism are a good fit. Conserve Power smooths out the decreased recovery after EM Pulse. EM Pulse is not a full end crash. I am pretty sure you can power boost Fallout as well. -
Quote:I really like my Elec/Shield brute. I call him Thunderbull. I think he does pretty good AoE damage with Lightning Rod>Shield Charge>Spring Attack, but I would agree the single target damage seems sub-optimal.Originally Posted by Obscure Blade
While I like Electric Melee, keep in mind that it does less damage on Brutes. Same for Shield.
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Quote:And the force feedback kb proc would increase the lightning storm's strikes.Originally Posted by Tater Todd
I think so? It would also fire faster is you use hasten before you cast it.
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Quote:Even with the kraken farming, old school abandoned sewers was HARD. That Rikti ambush was really amazing. Now we have scads of praetorians shooting endless missiles with endless recharge and endless endurance.Originally Posted by Nihilii
I will never understand this argument, related to CoH specifically. How could you lose in the old game? Outside of Hamidon, the highest threat you ever faced was a lone archvillain at +3. At a time where AVs regenerated less and resisted debuffs and holds less. At a time where invul characters had 90% res to everything, regen had perma-IH, rads had much stronger debuffs, ET activated in roughly one second, Burn recharged in 5s (IIRC?) and did much better damage, Fire controllers would hang out with a dozen imps. The old TV respec trial was already a joke nobody save for people with broken builds and terrible playstyles could fail.
Which is likely the crux of the issue. You long for a time when the game was harder, but in reality it's your knowledge of the game that improved significantly just as much as anything else. This game has never been hard or even about giving a challenge at all. That's never been the point - or if it was, it has been a spectacular failure right from the start, because for anyone who knew what they were doing, you could close your eyes and power through the entire content, save for Hamidon, on the maximum available difficulty, autorunning with a single power on auto.
Compare that to right now. Try to sit AFK against one of the foes using patches of autohit unresistable damage, no matter how many IOs or incarnate powers you've got, you're going down eventually. For that matter, if your entire league went AFK on autofollow in a trial, you'd get a big, nice mission failure after half a hour and a boot back out. Again, compare that to those supposedly hard old TV trials where burn tankers just sat still and obliterated anything without pressing a key.
This game is nowhere near hard, but it's definitely harder than it used to be. Claiming otherwise is misplaced nostalgia. -
Quote:Old school lightning storm, couldn't you pop a big red and boost the storm's damage that way or am I misremembering?Originally Posted by Tater Todd
Lightning Storm used to be a BEAST before the pet change...the thing that amazes me is that the Devs refused to do anything about it.
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Gale, not so much, maybe a chance to stun would be nice.
Freezing rain is the most powerful defender debuff. Throw in the Achille's heel proc and it's clearly devastating.
Tornado is pretty strong considering it doesn't miss.
Lightning Storm, I agree, getting hit by gigawatt of energy should do more dmg. I think random chance to rez teammates AND foes would be an interesting tip of the hat to Frankenstein's monster :P -
Kin, Time, Cold, maybe dark, maybe Rad? That's a sweet combo. Lots of -resist, +recharge +regen +recovery - all of those have some -regen for the AV. Really teams do better with 5 support and 2 damage opposed to 5 damage and 2 support.
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I am very partial to my Bots/Storm
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/dark, /time, /thermal, /traps -- as well as /storm, /sonic and /pain, which I neglected before, all benefit from the mastermind being right in the mix, in near melee, with debuffs, aoe buffs, working together.
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/dark, /time, /traps, and /thermal IMHO are the upper echelon
/sonic is underrated. It does very well with the +resistance / -resistance spectrum.
/FF is a lot slower paced and doesn't have buff/debuff outside of the big defense. If you team regularly, FF is more valuable.
I haven't done Demons/storm yet. Demons are fairly rugged, combined with the big debuffs in storm, I can't see it tanking.
I have done Demons/Poison in a level pact long ago. The single target debuffs and noxious gas make the combo a big game hunter. My level pact was Demons/dark. Our duo was a juggernaut.
I haven't done Demons/TA. Again, TA has debuffs galore, and the pets occasionally heal themselves, much better after level 32. The AoE fire would have synergy with oil slick. -
It wasn't an option you listed, but I think chill mastery gets a bad rap for masterminds.
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Quote:I cannot repeat this enough for emphasis.Originally Posted by Nyghtmaire
Creatures stunned and/or knocked-down don't attack.
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Here is my stab at a leveling build. Your very first priority is to slot pets ASAP. Slotting for the other mastermind primary attacks comes later. I also prioritize getting some endurance reduction and some functionality in your storm powers: steamy mist, freezing rain, snowstorm, and hurricane.
It can be easier to bring targets to you with a snow (also slow) pull, or by blowing them up to a corner when you can pin them down with successive gales and hurricane. Remember
use freezing rain to wash your pets' food before they eat. It also knocks them down and helps with positioning.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.956
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Mowgli Manju: Level 49 Magic Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Beast Mastery
Secondary Power Set: Storm Summoning
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Mace Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Summon Wolves -- BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg(A), BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(3), BldM'dt-Acc(3), BldM'dt-Acc/EndRdx(5), BldM'dt-Dmg(5)
Level 1: Gale -- Acc-I(A)
Level 2: Call Hawk -- Acc-I(A), Acc-I(7), Dmg-I(7), Dmg-I(11), ToHitDeb-I(11)
Level 4: Call Swarm -- Acc-I(A)
Level 6: Train Beasts -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 8: Call Ravens -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(9)
Level 10: Combat Jumping -- Jump-I(A)
Level 12: Summon Lions -- BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg(A), BldM'dt-Dmg(13), BldM'dt-Acc/EndRdx(13), BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(15), BldM'dt-Acc(15)
Level 14: Steamy Mist -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(17), Krma-ResKB(23)
Level 16: Freezing Rain -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(17), UndDef-DefDeb/Rchg(19), Achilles-ResDeb%(19), EndRdx-I(21)
Level 18: Fortify Pack -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(21)
Level 20: O2 Boost -- Heal-I(A)
Level 22: Snow Storm -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(23)
Level 24: Hurricane -- EndRdx-I(A), DampS-ToHitDeb/EndRdx(25), DampS-ToHitDeb(25)
Level 26: Summon Dire Wolf -- BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg(A), BldM'dt-Dmg/EndRdx(27), BldM'dt-Dmg(27), BldM'dt-Acc/EndRdx(29), BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(29)
Level 28: Assault -- Empty(A)
Level 30: Tactics -- Empty(A)
Level 32: Tame Beasts -- Empty(A)
Level 35: Tornado -- Empty(A)
Level 38: Lightning Storm -- Empty(A)
Level 41: Maneuvers -- Empty(A)
Level 44: Scorpion Shield -- Empty(A)
Level 47: Power Boost -- Empty(A)
Level 49: [Empty]
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- ULeap-Stlth(A)
Level 1: Supremacy
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 4: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 4: Health -- Heal-I(A)
Level 4: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 4: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(9)
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this is up through level 27 as requested. -
As far as personal attacks, photon grenade, force bolt, and repulsion bomb definitely give the mastermind worthwhile things to do. The knockdown of repulsion bomb also assists in keeping the targets in the burn patches longer.
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Praetorian arcs, praetorian warrrior world, black swan, couldn't debuff, stun, or fear much of any thing
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Luck of the Gamblers are something to grow into. You don't have to spend the influence up front. You can earn them with hero merits via alignment tips or weekly SSA mini-arc runs.
With photon grenade and repulsion bomb, you have four AoE sources of stun that can stack; the protector bots seeker drones and the protector bots photon grenades also are AoE stuns. Repulsion bomb is also AoE knockdown, which I would like even if the power didn't stun.
The extra health and regen mean you can do a 'hot' personal forcefield and hang on while the bots with the extra defense take the heat off you.