Pyromantic
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I'm currently leaning more towards this build with musculature. Still manages to hit 45% nrg/neg def, though the fire/cold is a tad lower than I would like. Not sure if end management is impacted too much, though I should expect to be ok with all the recovery in there. I could go musculature radial I suppose for the end mod enhancement. The damage increase is substantial.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.952
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
As the River Flows: Level 50 Natural Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Katana
Secondary Power Set: Willpower
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Speed
Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Gambler's Cut -- Hectmb-Dmg(A), Hectmb-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(3), Hectmb-Acc/Rchg(3), Hectmb-Dmg/EndRdx(5), Hectmb-Dam%(5), Achilles-ResDeb%(7)
Level 1: High Pain Tolerance -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal/Rchg(25), Numna-Heal(25), GA-3defTpProc(46)
Level 2: Flashing Steel -- Erad-%Dam(A), Erad-Dmg/Rchg(7), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(9), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(11), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx(11)
Level 4: Fast Healing -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal(33), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(33), Numna-Heal/Rchg(36), RgnTis-Regen+(42)
Level 6: Build Up -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(33)
Level 8: Divine Avalanche -- P'ngFist-Acc/Dmg(A), P'ngFist-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(13), P'ngFist-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(13), P'ngS'Fest-Acc/Dmg(15), P'ngS'Fest-Dmg/EndRdx(15), P'ngS'Fest-Dmg/Rchg(17)
Level 10: Indomitable Will -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(34), LkGmblr-Def(34)
Level 12: Super Jump -- Winter-ResSlow(A)
Level 14: Mind Over Body -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam(17), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(19), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(42)
Level 16: Rise to the Challenge -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal(34), Heal-I(36)
Level 18: The Lotus Drops -- Erad-Dmg/Rchg(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(19), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(21), Erad-%Dam(21), Armgdn-Dmg/Rchg(23), Armgdn-Dam%(23)
Level 20: Quick Recovery -- P'Shift-End%(A), P'Shift-EndMod(31), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(36)
Level 22: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 24: Boxing -- Empty(A)
Level 26: Soaring Dragon -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(27), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(27), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(29), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(29), Mako-Dam%(31)
Level 28: Heightened Senses -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def(31), LkGmblr-Rchg+(45)
Level 30: Tough -- Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(A), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg(37), Aegis-ResDam(39)
Level 32: Golden Dragonfly -- Erad-%Dam(A), Erad-Dmg/Rchg(39), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(39), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(40), Armgdn-Acc/Rchg(40), Armgdn-Dmg/EndRdx(40)
Level 35: Moonbeam -- Apoc-Dmg/Rchg(A), Apoc-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(42), Apoc-Dmg/EndRdx(43)
Level 38: Strength of Will -- RctvArm-ResDam(A), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(43), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(48)
Level 41: Shadow Meld -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def/Rchg(43)
Level 44: Weave -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def(45), LkGmblr-Rchg+(45)
Level 47: Summon Widow -- S'bndAl-Dmg(A), S'bndAl-Dmg/Rchg(48), S'bndAl-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(48), S'bndAl-Acc/Rchg(50)
Level 49: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(50)
Level 0: Freedom Phalanx Reserve
Level 0: Portal Jockey
Level 0: Task Force Commander
Level 0: The Atlas Medallion
Level 50: Musculature Core Paragon
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Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal/Rchg(46), Numna-Heal(46), Mrcl-Rcvry+(50)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(37), P'Shift-End%(37)
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Critical Hit
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run -
So I've pulled out my favourite character after a fairly long hiatus: my kat/wp. She desperately needs a respec since I last played her when there was no inherent fitness and no PPPs for heroes.
My build priorities: High (very) survivability and a good mixture of ST and AoE damage. I will be soloing quite a bit and want to clear high difficulty mishes, but also do incarnate content and perhaps try my hand at AV soloing. With that in mind I went for 45% nrg/neg def but am content with 32.5% fire/cold (which the build below hits using agility--haven't updated my mids yet). Will use DA to deal with melee. Also a significant number of "panic" buttons including void radial, barrier core, SoW (mostly to cap smash/lethal resists) and shadow meld.
So here's the build: (EDIT: I'm now leaning more towards the build in 2nd post that hits most of my goals but uses musculature)
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.952
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
As the River Flows: Level 50 Natural Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Katana
Secondary Power Set: Willpower
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Speed
Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Gambler's Cut -- Hectmb-Dmg(A), Hectmb-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(3), Hectmb-Acc/Rchg(3), Hectmb-Dmg/EndRdx(5), Hectmb-Dam%(5), Achilles-ResDeb%(7)
Level 1: High Pain Tolerance -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal/Rchg(25), Numna-Heal(25), GA-3defTpProc(46)
Level 2: Flashing Steel -- Erad-%Dam(A), Erad-Dmg/Rchg(7), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(9), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(11), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx(11)
Level 4: Fast Healing -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal(33), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(33), RgnTis-Heal/EndRdx(42), RgnTis-Heal/Rchg(43), RgnTis-Regen+(43)
Level 6: Build Up -- AdjTgt-ToHit/Rchg(A), AdjTgt-Rchg(33), HO:Membr(48)
Level 8: Divine Avalanche -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(13), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(13), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(15), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(15), Mako-Dam%(17)
Level 10: Indomitable Will -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(34), LkGmblr-Def(34)
Level 12: Super Jump -- Winter-ResSlow(A)
Level 14: Mind Over Body -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam(17), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(19), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(42)
Level 16: Rise to the Challenge -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal(34), Heal-I(36)
Level 18: The Lotus Drops -- Erad-Dmg/Rchg(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(19), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(21), Erad-%Dam(21), Armgdn-Dmg(23), Armgdn-Dam%(23)
Level 20: Quick Recovery -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(36), P'Shift-End%(36)
Level 22: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 24: Boxing -- Empty(A)
Level 26: Soaring Dragon -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(27), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(27), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(29), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(29), Mako-Dam%(31)
Level 28: Heightened Senses -- SW-Def/EndRdx(A), SW-Def(31), SW-ResDam/Re TP(31), LkGmblr-Rchg+(45)
Level 30: Tough -- Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(A), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg(37), Aegis-ResDam(39)
Level 32: Golden Dragonfly -- Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(A), Erad-Dmg/Rchg(39), Erad-Acc/Rchg(39), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(40), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(40), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg(40)
Level 35: Moonbeam -- Apoc-Dmg(A), Apoc-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(42), Apoc-Dmg/EndRdx(43)
Level 38: Strength of Will -- ResDam-I(A)
Level 41: Shadow Meld -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 44: Weave -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def(45), LkGmblr-Rchg+(45)
Level 47: Summon Widow -- S'bndAl-Dmg(A), S'bndAl-Dmg/Rchg(48), S'bndAl-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(48), S'bndAl-Acc/Rchg(50)
Level 49: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(50)
Level 0: Freedom Phalanx Reserve
Level 0: Portal Jockey
Level 0: Task Force Commander
Level 0: The Atlas Medallion
Level 50: Nerve Core Paragon
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Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal/Rchg(46), Numna-Heal(46), Mrcl-Rcvry+(50)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(37), P'Shift-End%(37)
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Critical Hit
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
I'm interested in suggestions regarding the build. I had another build that excluded Summon Widow in favour of Resurgence. That one had a little better numbers in Lotus Drops, with a little less hit points. I would like to fit in the rez if I can as I really push my survivability sometimes, but perhaps its not necessary. I don't know how powerful the Widow is; would you suggest keeping it? Is there something else I could drop? (I would consider hasten--my current build actually doesn't have it.)
I'm also unsure about incarnate powers. I mentioned already that I'm pretty settled on agility, barrier core and void radial. For Lore I'm considering seer radial for the buffs and the psychic damage (for pesky lethal-resistant baddies). I would assume Reactive is a good choice for the interface but wonder if something else is as good or better? Any advice here would be appreciated as I'm pretty new to incarnate material.
Should I abandon agility and just go for musculature, trying to find other ways to meet by build goals? Part of the reason I'm not currently thinking that way is the number of damage buffs that generally float around on incarnate trials, but perhaps any serious solo efforts really need musculature.
Please note that the cost of the build isn't an issue as I have just about everything already. If I were to make major changes then I might need to consider inf costs. Thanks for your help. -
I've installed ESET recently and have been having major problems with slowdowns. I have it set to enable gamer mode automatically with full screen applications, so I don't think that's an issue. Any advice?
I'm not sure what this HIPS business is, or whether that is related... -
After a fairly long break from the game I've been playing again and brought a new WS up to level 50. I'm working on the build, but I have no experience with incarnate content and feel a little overwhelmed by the options.
I'm playing a tri-form build with an emphasis on recharge and modest S/L def. All I have so far is my alpha slot. Here's what I'm thinking:
Alpha - I have Spiritual Partial Radial Revamp slotted already. Eventually I'd like Core Paragon.
Destiny - I was thinking clarion for mez protection, but maybe also rebirth (for times I'm not swimming in bodies)? Rebirth would benefit from my spiritual alpha as well would it not? I'm thinking this is one spot I want to invest in each and switch depending on whether I'm doing content that needs mez protection beyond just switching to dwarf as needed.
Interface - Reactive radial flawless? Is anything else worth going for?
Judgement - Was thinking Pyronic on the radial side.
Lore - No idea. I was thinking I might like some degree of support from my lore pet, and wondered about cimerorans for the surgeon? Or would something else provide good overall support? I don't know how this interacts with my alpha or other incarnate slots and whether other choices influence this.
Very new to this so any advice you have would be appreciated. -
My personal feeling is that actively using (as opposed to simply a roundabout respec) multiple builds is only worth it in certain niche situations, such as building specifically for pvp/pve, team/solo, 50/exemp etc. In most cases a second build requires just as heavy an investment as the first; otherwise you generally end up with something no better suited to the task for which you are building than you already have. For example, suppose I dump a ton of inf into a cold/ice defender's first build, but then decide to make a second build for soloing. I drop the ally-targetted powers for a couple of other powers, but only use SOs to save inf. In the end that second build may not be any better at soloing anyway, since I've lost all the benefits of my IO build.
In general I would have to be able to answer "yes" to all the following questions to invest in a second build:
- Will this character see a lot of play?
- Will this character split substantial time between activities for which one build is very poorly suited?
- Is the expense of time and effort justified compared to what else I could do with it?
Obviously these questions are subjective, but for me it's rarely worthwhile. I understand why other people really wanted this feature though. -
Firstly, you might be interested to know that recent changes to buffs mean that speed boost is much easier to apply. Buffs with short recharge and relatively long duration such as speed boost, thermal shields, sonic shields and bubbles now affect an area around the target, making it far less demanding to keep them on a full team.
On the question of the "best" team controller, as others have said it's really dependent upon opinion and situation. Often, only a modest amount of pure control is needed and a solid contribution of damage (either direct or through buff/debuff) is desireable. Many factors influence what will benefit a team most, and there are diverse methods of achieving success.
For mass crowd control, earth is regarded as a very strong set, almost universally. Mind also has many proponents. Plant is very effective but can struggle against enemies resistant to confuse.
Illusion is an interesting mix and is one of strongest sets for dealing with tough single targets.
Fire and plant have solid damage options, which is often desireable.
As for secondaries, there are many strong options. Honestly, if you pick a secondary you like the look of, you probably won't be disappointed. They can influence your playstyle a lot. /Storm for example adds a solid amount of control and damage but has a bit of a learning curve. -
I'd disagree that BS/FA will feel squishy. There's practically no such thing as a squishy character with parry. This power adds a lot of survivability, and from an early level too.
I'd consider BS/Elec too, as parry will help until you get energize and lightning reflexes will be helpful.
Of course I'd pick katana before BS even though I've played it before, but that's me.
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I agree that leadership feels thematic for MMs and that's probably one reason why it's so popular. And I'm not saying it's a bad pool for MMs; both maneuvers and tactics are very useful for a lot of builds. I just think assault is often overrated for them. The notion that a MM "feels" like a team just because their damage is split amongst multiple entities does not make assault a better pick for one. It's simply decent; a way to squeeze out a little more damage and buff the (actual) team when you're not solo.
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Quote:I never understand why people say this. It's a percentage increase, so the fact that the damage is spread across multiple sources is practically meaningless.Originally Posted by _Klaw_
Assault is a good thing to get as well. It's low number but spread over 8 attack sources it adds up.
Some made up numbers for demonstration:
Suppose one character does 100 units of damage, and takes assault, for a 15% damage increase. That character is now doing 115 units of damage.
Now suppose a mastermind has 5 pets that do 20 units of damage each, for a total of 100 damage. That character also takes assault, so the pets deal a total of (20 X 1.15 X 5) 115 units of damage. It doesn't matter that lots of individual entities are dealing that damage.
Of course none of this considers other damage improvements such as enhancements. Masterminds actually get comparably less from assault than most other ATs, since the bonus they get is relatively little and they already provide a damage bonus to pets through supremacy. -
Thank you for the replies. Some good info in here.
Sounds like the best way to enhance poison trap is very similar to an AoE hold from a control set.
Was playing this character a little yesterday and wow, I'd forgotten that bots masterminds can feel pretty painful in the early 20s. I know it will get a lot better soon. -
So after a long hiatus from the game I've been back the last few weeks, and have had some serious altitis. One of the characters I've played is a bots/traps which is now 21. While it soloes along just fine, I'm aware that it's really at an awkward level. Only one protbot, no SOs, and missing the powerhouse of an upgraded assault bot. I expect in a few more levels it will feel a lot more potent.
One question I have is in regards to poison trap. How should this be slotted? I've heard a lot of good things about this power but with just one level of using it unslotted it has felt underwhelming. Is this a power that gets a lot better once it's heavily enhanced?
Please note I'm not talking about endgame. I'm just looking for opinions on how many slots to prioritize for this power, and what kind of enhancement values you'd be going for with SOs and frankenslotting. I notice that it doesn't take accuracy enhancement, but sometimes powers like this benefit anyway from accuracy in set IOs. Wondering for example if some acc/hold/rcg from hold sets would be a good fit.
Thanks. -
Ok after pondering a switch to musculature and a couple of other revisions, this is what I'm thinking now.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.93
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Level 50 Natural Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Katana
Secondary Power Set: Willpower
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Gambler's Cut -- Hectmb-Dmg(A), Hectmb-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(3), Hectmb-Acc/Rchg(3), Hectmb-Dmg/EndRdx(5), Hectmb-Dam%(5), Achilles-ResDeb%(7)
Level 1: High Pain Tolerance -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal(7), Numna-Heal/Rchg(9), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(40), GA-3defTpProc(45)
Level 2: Flashing Steel -- Erad-Dmg/Rchg(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(11), Erad-%Dam(11), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(13), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx(40)
Level 4: Fast Healing -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal(13), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(15), Mrcl-Rcvry+(25), Mrcl-Heal(43)
Level 6: Mind Over Body -- TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(A), TtmC'tng-ResDam/Rchg(15), TtmC'tng-ResDam(17)
Level 8: Divine Avalanche -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(17), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(19), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(19), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(21), Mako-Dam%(21)
Level 10: Indomitable Will -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 12: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), Ksmt-ToHit+(40)
Level 14: Super Jump -- Winter-ResSlow(A)
Level 16: Rise to the Challenge -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal(23), Numna-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(23), HO:Golgi(46)
Level 18: The Lotus Drops -- Armgdn-Dmg/Rchg(A), Armgdn-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(25), Armgdn-Acc/Rchg(27), Armgdn-Dmg/EndRdx(27), Armgdn-Dam%(29), LdyGrey-%Dam(31)
Level 20: Quick Recovery -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(29), P'Shift-End%(31), EndMod-I(45)
Level 22: Build Up -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 24: Boxing -- Empty(A)
Level 26: Soaring Dragon -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(31), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(33), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(33), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(33), Mako-Dam%(34)
Level 28: Heightened Senses -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def(34), LkGmblr-Rchg+(34)
Level 30: Tough -- TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(A), TtmC'tng-ResDam(36), TtmC'tng-ResDam/Rchg(36)
Level 32: Golden Dragonfly -- Erad-Dmg/Rchg(A), Erad-%Dam(36), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(37), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(37), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg(37), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(39)
Level 35: Weave -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def(39), LkGmblr-Rchg+(39)
Level 38: Maneuvers -- SW-Def/EndRdx(A), SW-Def(43), SW-ResDam/Re TP(50), HO:Cyto(50)
Level 41: Moonbeam -- Apoc-Dmg/Rchg(A), Apoc-Acc/Rchg(42), Apoc-Dmg/EndRdx(42)
Level 44: Shadow Meld -- HO:Membr(A)
Level 47: Soul Storm -- BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(48), Apoc-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(48), Apoc-Dmg(48), Apoc-Dam%(50)
Level 49: Strength of Will -- ResDam-I(A)
Level 0: Portal Jockey
Level 0: Task Force Commander
Level 0: The Atlas Medallion
Level 0: Freedom Phalanx Reserve
Level 50: Musculature Radial Boost
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Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Critical Hit
Level 1: Sprint -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal(42), Numna-Heal/Rchg(43), RgnTis-Regen+(45)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(46), P'Shift-End%(46)
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Edit: see further down thread for a revised build.
Well a couple of threads in the scrapper forums and elsewhere got me thinking about pulling my Kat/WP into serious play again. I was away from the game for over a year so the build I have right now is dated. In particular, when I last played there was no inherent fitness, no alpha slotting, and no PPPs for heroes. That means I'll need to make some significant changes. Here's my first run at it.
A couple of notes: Yes the build is stupidly expensive. I have just about everything in it, including the LotGs, heal uniques, PvP IOs and most of the purples. I think all I'd really need to get is the membrane and one or two of the apocalypses. I also have the accolades already so that's a nonissue. Would have to work towards the alpha slot though.
I'm going for high survivability without substantial compromise to damage. For def I've hit 45% E/N, 32.5% F/C, and figure I can rely on DA, shadow meld and purples beyond that. Put a significant investment into hit point and regen bonuses. I'm not really worried about exemplaring performance, in large part because enough bonuses and accolades should carry down for the build to still be pretty effective.
I was thinking spiritual for the alpha slot for the extra survivability but I'm wondering if it's just overkill and I should be going the more obvious damage route in musculature. I have practically no experience with incarnate content and abilities so I'm flying blind there.
I'd need to check a couple of things like my attack chain (I'd expect to generally use GC->DA->GC->SD->GC-GDf) under Arcanatime and endurance usage. I've actually skipped hasten as I don't think enough powers benefit substantially enough to warrant making room.
I can maybe squeeze out an extra slot here or there if I can come up with a better use for it. I could for example put one of the 3% def uniques in the default slot of SoW instead, though I would prefer to have S/L resists capped while SoW is up unless there's an obvious improvement to be made.
Thanks for any suggestions you have. I'd love to hear any improvements you can find.
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Level 50 Natural Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Katana
Secondary Power Set: Willpower
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Gambler's Cut -- Hectmb-Dmg(A), Hectmb-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(3), Hectmb-Acc/Rchg(3), Hectmb-Dmg/EndRdx(5), Hectmb-Dam%(5), Achilles-ResDeb%(7)
Level 1: High Pain Tolerance -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal(7), Numna-Heal/Rchg(9), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(40), GA-3defTpProc(45)
Level 2: Flashing Steel -- Erad-Dmg/Rchg(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(11), Erad-%Dam(11), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(13), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx(40)
Level 4: Fast Healing -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal(13), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(15), Mrcl-Rcvry+(25), Mrcl-Heal(43)
Level 6: Mind Over Body -- TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(A), TtmC'tng-ResDam/Rchg(15), TtmC'tng-ResDam(17)
Level 8: Divine Avalanche -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(17), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(19), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(19), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(21), Mako-Dam%(21)
Level 10: Indomitable Will -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 12: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), Ksmt-ToHit+(40)
Level 14: Super Jump -- Winter-ResSlow(A)
Level 16: Rise to the Challenge -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal(23), Numna-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(23), HO:Golgi(46)
Level 18: The Lotus Drops -- Armgdn-Dmg/Rchg(A), Armgdn-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(25), Armgdn-Acc/Rchg(27), Armgdn-Dmg/EndRdx(27), Armgdn-Dam%(29), LdyGrey-%Dam(31)
Level 20: Quick Recovery -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(29), P'Shift-End%(31), EndMod-I(45)
Level 22: Build Up -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 24: Boxing -- Empty(A)
Level 26: Soaring Dragon -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(31), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(33), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(33), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(33), Mako-Dam%(34)
Level 28: Heightened Senses -- SW-Def/EndRdx(A), SW-Def(34), SW-ResDam/Re TP(34), HO:Cyto(48)
Level 30: Tough -- TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(A), TtmC'tng-ResDam(36), TtmC'tng-ResDam/Rchg(36)
Level 32: Golden Dragonfly -- Erad-Dmg(A), Erad-%Dam(36), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(37), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(37), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(37), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg(39)
Level 35: Weave -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def(39), LkGmblr-Rchg+(39)
Level 38: Strength of Will -- ResDam-I(A)
Level 41: Moonbeam -- Apoc-Dmg/EndRdx(A), Apoc-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(42), Apoc-Dam%(42), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(43), Dev'n-Dmg/Rchg(45), Dev'n-Dmg/EndRdx(50)
Level 44: Shadow Meld -- HO:Membr(A)
Level 47: Maneuvers -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def(48), LkGmblr-Rchg+(48)
Level 49: Soul Storm -- BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(50)
Level 0: Portal Jockey
Level 0: Task Force Commander
Level 0: The Atlas Medallion
Level 50: Spiritual Radial Boost
Level 0: Freedom Phalanx Reserve
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Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Critical Hit
Level 1: Sprint -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal(42), Numna-Heal/Rchg(43), RgnTis-Regen+(50)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- Efficacy-EndMod(A), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc(46), P'Shift-End%(46)
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It's late and I'm kinda dopey at the moment, but looking at it a couple of quick things I see right away. Will try to have a more detailed look later, though it's a pretty different approach than my kat/wp.
Quick recovery provides more recovery than stamina, so I'd say your slotting is backwards there.
I think you still have room for another 10% regen bonus, so changing the common def IO in DA to LotG def would provide that.
I assume the proc in Lotus Drops is supposed to be eradication instead.
The first place I would steal a slot for the steadfast is build up. Going to 2 common IOs won't have a huge impact on the recharge. -
Quote:Either will work nicely. The only reason I suggested /elec over /wp for you is the damage aura for higher AoE damage, which goes with the (albeit mild) interest in farming you stated. However, either will work very nicely, and as I stated earlier I have a particular love for kat/wp.Originally Posted by Narkor
I'll definitely try out Katana/Willpower or Electric, I even have a character concept to go with it!
One thing I would stress is that you should take divine avalanche at 8 and get it reasonably slotted right away. Opinions differ as to whether it is worth slotting for defense, but at the very least you want to get some good accuracy in it quickly. This power is huge for survival, and does some ok damage too.
Again both should work well. I've never tried elec/elec. I'd imagine it has some reasonable sapper potential as a form of mitigation, though probably not much before power sink at 35. Most people would skip lightning clap from elec melee due to the kb, though I have heard of some herding strategies that use it.Quote:Originally Posted by Narkor
As for the rest, how does Electric/Electric or Willpower sound? Any particular holes/weaknesses that I should watch out for if I were to try it out?
One thing to watch for in /elec is that status protection is split between grounded and static shield. The kb protection in grounded only works when you're on the ground, so some people like to slot a -kb IO in case they're hit while jumping. -
A couple of notes on what you've said:
Katana and broadsword are indeed very similar. However, katana is generally considered superior for overall damage in PvE thanks to quicker animations. The set offers modest AoE damage, good ST damage and a substantial boost to survivability thanks to Divine Avalanche. It's an excellent well-rounded set for levelling and end-game, though not the best farmer out there. I will say that my kat/wp has seen far more play than any of my other characters.
The discussion of lightning rod on the brute forum probably left you with doubts because of the way this power (and shield charge) works in regards to being a pseudopet. As a result brutes don't necessarily get the most out of the power. This doesn't translate to scrappers though. Elec is an excellent set for AoE damage though quite lacklustre for ST damage. It can feel kind of incomplete until it gets to lightning rod though, so it may not be the best set for trying to get into scrappers.
Spines is another strong set for AoE damage and a good contender for laying waste to large groups of enemies. Like electric it's not fantastic for ST damage but it gets by. I'd say it's a bit smoother to level than electric though.
You've seen Dark a bit and not too many surprises later. Excellent ST damage and some nice survivability increases, including the fantastic siphon life. Shadow maul can be nice for dealing with groups if you're happy to line up cones, though the set as a whole is generally weak for AoE damage and is about the last choice for farming, depending on secondary.
As for secondaries, the smoothest levelling tends to come with sets that minimize downtime and that function quite well without particular IOs. You've mentioned Regen and WP. Regen is very click heavy, which is either a plus or minus depending on what you like. This does mean that a new player may find the choices as to when to hit which power a little overwhelming. WP is an excellent toggle-up-and-forget set, with a nice balance of survival layers providing versatility. I'd look at electric armour too, since it offers some nice benefits like a damage aura and recharge bonus. All three of these sets also provide some help with endurance which can really smooth out the levelling process. Regen gets this the earliest with quick recovery at 4, while the other two sets are looking at more like level 20.
TL;DR: Based on what you've stated, I'd go with katana or spines for the primary; and WP, regen or electric for the secondary. If I were to pick one for you I'd say katana/elec. -
For the most part I'd say it's a non-issue. Most of the time exemplared characters are at least as powerful as they would have been when they were actually at the lowered level when using 50 IOs, even without the set bonuses. Think of it as a nicely frankenslotted build.
One exception is if you dropped certain powers or massively underslotted an important power on the basis of having something to make up for it later in the build, such as alpha slots or set bonuses to deal with endurance issues.
Someone may want to build with lower level IOs if they specifically do a lot of exemplaring though, particularly if they are aiming towards certain content, like a TF they intend to run regularly or a PvP zone they frequent. -
A few possibilities off the top of my head:
2 shield/fire tanks: Ludicrously easy to softcap just with SOs when you overlap grant cover. You'll have solid AoE damage from a very early level with combustion, and you don't even have to wait that long to get shield charge and fire sword circle. I'd imagine you could turn the difficulty up to X8 pretty early on this and sail through the levels.
2 fire/? controllers: All sorts of possibilities here. 2 /rads, or a /rad and a /kin, are obvious candidates. Especially with the buff changes coming, /sonic, /thermal, /cold would all be pretty good either doubled up or mixed and matched. Two /emp would also work nicely.
2 illusion/? controllers: A little bit different here. One really nice advantage is being able to alternate phantom army so there's always one up. Also easy to stack deceive on AVs. You won't be steamrolling large groups as quickly as some other combinations, but should be solid and steady.
Earth/? and Elec/? dominators: Earth has strong control to open a fight, giving the elec's conductive aura and chain AoEs time to work. Elec can also use its AoE immobilize over earthquake.
Any tank with good aggro management with any good AoE damage dealer: Already brought up in a common form, a tank with a blaster.
Warshade with empath: Mez is an achilles' heel for warshades, but a non-issue with an empath around. Plus, fortitude will help keep them safe through early levels, and adrenalin boost is pure gold to keep a warshade's AoE damage and buffs like mires and eclipse going.
2 /dark corruptors: Overlapping tar patches, fearsome stares and darkest nights keep enemies squishy and unable to hit the broad side of a barn. The combined fear and slow should keep everything in its place nicely, ready to soak up AoE damage.
Earth/storm and fire/storm controller, or plant/storm and fire/storm: Massive amounts of control from pretty early levels, and plenty of damage by the time you're stacking freezing rains. If you work really well together sculpting enemy groups with hurricane would be a thing of beauty. Once you hit tornado and lightning storm, the pair of -kb immobilizers should make it that much easier to lock everything down. You can even have some pretty nice exotic resistances with overlapped steamy mists. -
Had this happen to me 3 times in the past 24 hours. I autocompleted the first one, waited a half hour for a GM to fix the second one, and am sitting in the map for the third right now. This is making Praetoria unplayable and desperately needs to be fixed...soon.
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Quote:While this is true, I believe if you have a single target on the ground you can use them as the target for roots, and nearby enemies will be affected and grounded. In practice I didn't find this to be much of an issue because you will typically have at least one enemy landing, often to move into melee with you if you have aggro. You can always take air superiority also as a backup.Originally Posted by FrostyG
IIRC you simply can't activate roots on targets that are off the ground, so a plant dom often has no way of getting them down there.
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Quote:I don't disagree that it's awesome, and something I would build for in any 50 dom I intended to continue playing. I just don't think it's as important as it used to be for levelling. Still useful, and certainly an option that I would consider, but it won't have the impact on levelling speed that it once did.Originally Posted by Sardan
This is subjective, I know, but to me perma-dom is extremely important. The ability to have a mez-proof squishy is pretty awesome.
I think it depends quite a bit on the difficulty settings you want to use for soloing. If you're set for larger groups in order to take advantage of AoE potential then its usefulness increases, especially if you have bosses. -
Advice so far seems to be geared a bit more towards endgame play; just thought you might be looking for something a little more immediate in its application.
In general I'd say how you slot depends on a couple of things. Firstly, will you be teaming more or soloing? If soloing, what kind of difficulty are you aiming towards? If you are soloing a Dom, then you generally want just enough control to survive with an emphasis on slotting your damaging powers. To that end I would keep certain powers from your primary to minimal slotting and focus on your secondary. If you're teaming more then you may want to balance everything a little more.
Slotting for end drain is certainly a way to go but keep in mind that if you have well-slotted attacks and you're soloing more then all you really need is to keep a group of enemies busy (likely with static field, jolting chain or a comination thereof, and synaptic overload when you get it) while you use tesla cage and attacks to take them out. To that end I would look at 3 options:
1. SO slotting. Most controls want a balance of accuracy, recharge and duration. Chain fences just some accuracy and endurance reduction if you use it a lot. Jolting chain really depends on how much you use it, though just enough accuracy to be reliable at your difficulty setting should be ok. Again maybe some end red.
2. Frankenslotting. This is my preferred method on most characters while levelling. Similar priorities to SO slotting.
3. Perma-dom. Note firstly that perma-dom isn't nearly as important as it was when it provided a damage bonus. It really isn't necessary for levelling, though it does provide some nice benefits if you want/are able to invest the time and inf. At this point you're looking for recharge bonuses, so likely candidates include Basilisk's Gaze in the holds, Call of the Sandman in static field, Malaise's Illusion in synaptic overload. -
Quote:Yes and no. It has some heavy hitting, fast animating attacks that can drop your endurance bar pretty quickly. On the other hand the endurance you pay for those attacks is entirely commensurate with the damage being done. DA can be a bit of a hog too, but a lot of it depends on making sure you slot well for endurance reduction in the powers that need it.Originally Posted by ThebigT
Thanks for ur help so far, is /stone not super end heavy?
I found it entirely manageable on my DA/SM, but I was also willing to shell out for recovery uniques.
Hard to go wrong with fire as a secondary though, if AoE damage is a high priority for you. -
I'm gonna say DA/Stone. Stacked AoE stuns means multiple bosses = no problem. Plus seismic smash if any of them get away from you. Excellent mitigation through control in this combo.
While the AoE damage in /stone isn't fantastic and comes late, tremor is serviceable and the damage aura helps until then. -
Hmm. Making Claws look quite appealing. I hadn't noticed the shorter recharge on BU, and I must say I like that.
I figure I can squeeze two of Swipe, Strike and Slash into the build early on, though I'm not sure which one to drop.
I'm curious to know how quickly a character like this can set the difficulty for higher level and/or bosses, but I suppose the best way to find out is just to try. I'm levelling a crab right now but I think I may have found my next project. Thanks for the advice.