Recluse90

Originally Posted by Lastjustice

Unlock all stuff in the shops, let everyone have all costumes and power sets since no one will soon enough. I'd like to be able to post in any forum again since I can't upgrade back to a VIP account.

Originally Posted by SuperApe

Thank you for your replies. I just realized the post before mine was about time/dp as well. Picked up some info from that thread too, and other various ones floating around. Thanks

Originally Posted by plainguy

@ Recluse90,

Do you know what defense cap is ? Do you know how to obtain it ?

Do you know how -ToHit Debuff works ? How that works with your defenses ? The weaknesses behind using such powers that have -ToHit Debuffs ?

Do you know about streak breaker hits that this game has in place ?

If your answer to many of these questions is no then you should consider reading up on the links in my Signature.

Further there is a Mids tutorial in the players help section which does go over some of the tips and tricks with mids that is really not documented unless you have spent the time to read some of the olds posts on the mids website. For example you can click on a IO that is slotted in a power and then use the plus or minus key to increase the level of that IO. So for those that want to have really accurate numbers and do not have a 50 IO slotted but a 47 they can place a level 45 IO and then highlight it and hit the plus sign 2x to make the IO 47. I use that option a lot when I place a 50 IO and use slot enhancers to make it 55 to see what benefits I would get from it, if any.

The simple point I am getting at is once you understand the mechanics around the game every power set you come across you will see how to implement certain powers to obtain that goal your looking to get.

As a further example, Lets talk DP Time. Specifically Linea Alba build. Its probably down below or on the 2nd or 3rd page. I know you can search it and find it for sure. Here you have a build that soloed a Task Force. Honestly personally my only contention I would have with such a build were if it has purple sets that I cannot afford, how can I dumb it down for a guy like me in my price range. Or I like that she has hover but I don't like it, so how can I change the build keeping the same numbers but have another power instead.

So you have a really good build to work off and someone has invented this wheel for you. No need to reinvent it. Again personally my goal when making a build is how can I make it better then the next person or what am I lacking that this person can fix for me. Then I make my choices for my build and accept any losses from recharge or regeneration or recovery or defenses or whatever that suits me and my play style.

The reason I bring this up is because of this line in your first post.


This game sadly does not allow you to have a concept and then optimize your build around that concept. So you can't have a super jumping teleporting, super speed Imp that is defense capped. At the end of the day your will have to pick powers that Optimize the build that will go against your concept. That is unless you want a defense capped toon that happens to be made of stone and has stone weapons or is super strong. But you get my point.

I can understand where your coming from because I was in your shoes years ago. The only difference is I woke up a bit sooner then you did. Today I have an idea of what I want and I make builds based around this idea I then create the build to obtain this goal.

Now to make it clear to you, for me this goal is Defense cap. Either full positional defense cap or typed or something, based on the build and how it will interact with mobs. My next goal is some decent regeneration to get back some hit points at a faster rate then normal and try to have my endurance recovery at least 2 points higher then what I spend. If not I look to have some power that can sap endurance from mobs and give it to me. This compensates for the lower endurance values.

Once I achieve all of this I then think or rework the theme/concept of the toon. Because this is really the only real way, if your looking to optimize a build.

And if your going to spend money on IOs then I can only imagine this is what your looking to do. Otherwise there is not point. You can run with SOs on a build and survive 0/0 setting.

But if your looking to really test yourself and the build then your going to have to Optimize the build and you will be able to do 4/8 settings or do what linea alba did and solo a TF.

This at least was the fire for me. In the past, I would run on a team and I would see someone with the same power set as me on the team, but this player was making his toon look like a god where I was chump and could not do anything near as he or she could. I was like WTF ? What am I doing wrong. Someone mentioned defense cap. I was like whats defense cap? They said here read this. Then I went OHHHH MY GOSH, I was missing this all these years ???. I spent the next month or so reworking all my build into this new defense cap thing.

Today I have 3 pages and starting a 4th of toons with about 90% of them level 50 with IOs, defense capped in one way, shape or form and Incarnate slotted with at least one full set of T4 powers in each incarnate slot. I like that I can just about bring out any toon and be able to solo 4/8 and on some even do DA incarnate on 4/8 with limited deaths. It allows me to be a more then useful part of a team. It allows me the chance to step in and take the lead if needed because maybe the tank suddenly died and I need to hold aggro until he or she comes back for example.

Another limit I have is no purple sets. I make my builds where anyone can afford them with a reasonable amount of savings and investing. I might drop in one or 2 purple IOs but only because I had them or was able to get them on the cheap.

Trust me take the time to understand the game mechanics and it will feel like your cheating but without the fear of getting banned because your cheating.

Sorry for being long winded. But that's me.

Originally Posted by Shadey_NA

As others have stated, you will feel the most powerful when you are in melee. TJ is an incredible power. It will allow you to play at off tanking for your group also when you need to.
When you want to do that just switch to chemo rounds and fire off your aoe powers as fast as you can. You will be able to add a -Dam amount up to 52.5% which is a quite nice amount of mitigation for you and your team. Added to all the -rech, -tohit, and Def you will be adding can make most situations quite safe.

As you are in melee most of the time, I would suggest you think about Dark Mastery. It fits quite well with this combo on a defender. You can easily outheal the damage you sustain with Oppressive Gloom which will stun minions in melee (add Suppressive Fire to stun a boss). Good resistance with Dark Embrace. Soul Drain will add quite a bit to your damage with its buff. I even suggest Dark Consumption (you can never have enough endurance with high recharge builds) and Soul Transfer (you will probably feel too powerful from time to time).

Originally Posted by Wyatt_Earp

Yes, that's precisely what makes it good...

Originally Posted by MikeRobe

It is a chance for +2 mag on the hold

Originally Posted by Billy Mailman

Time Manip is fairly heavy on slows, debuffs, and a bit of control (especially with a Lockdown proc in Distortion Field), with a couple PBAoE buffs for defense, tohit, and recharge.