Sagamemnon

There is a redraw trick that helps, a lot. A friend of mine and discovered, tho others prolly already know this, that if you click say Web Arrow, and as its animating instantly hit any DP attack at the end of the bow attack you automatically fire your pistol. There is no draw animation from the pistol attack.

Context:
Mob of 3 Snakes and My DP/TA corruptor.

Flash Arrow-Empty Clips
Soon as flash arrow hits the snakes the empty clips starts tearing up the enemies.

My theory is that if the first attack is animating when you click the 2nd its registers the first animation for both attacks. Someone will prolly come along and correct or confirm this however.

Not the DP attack must be click almost directly after the TA attack is clicked.

I find Ghost Widows Arc the easiest over all. Mako has those annoying (Nado-EB-things) in his. Scirocco, has MU and more MU and wait ICE MISTRAL too!!!! I personally find Scorpion to be so bland and boring and his arc rather uninteresting.

Most of Ghost Widows can also be stealthed to the mission end point rather easily. Plus her badge looks good and has a nice title.

Just my 2 inf, tho. Ymmv.

Traps is not a pulling secondary. Traps is a rush em secondary. You have Seekers for the alpha, which keeps mobs busy. You can then rush in and drop PGT, Acid Morta, Caltrops. Back up and blast away with your arrows.

Traps is best played at mid-close range (IMO). So you can run in a drop PGT whenever it is up.

Rain of Arrows is a great opener, however on a corr I think its a better closer. While mobs are tryin to escape from the caltrops. With scourge is really nice to see.

Note you can pull mobs and to the Trip Mine field effect, but I think its far to slow. More so on teams. With a decent enough DEF (which you can get from slotting FFG+Man+Hov/CJ) you can drop mines in the middle of battle. Personally I skip'd em tho. I drop my traps then shoot the hell out of the mobs.

Also you can drop PGT and ACID from hover, if you are close enough to the ground.

The only power to watch out for is explosive arrow. You don't want to blow mobs out of the Poison.

Depends on your play style. I can see the case for skipping the HOlds/stuns if you get enough of a solid attack chain. Personally I like having holds on most toons that solo. Considering you can get a Hold from you Patron as well you can however stack some nasty mag. I find DP damage to be weak so I like having that EB locked down while I whittle away at his health. However they are personal tastes and entirely skippable. I don't think they are vital to a build. They just offer some diversity and ways around certain obstacles.

IOs play a part as well. I can put basilisk 4x in each and in fluffy, plus a 4x in the patron hold. Thats 30% global rech for fairly minimal slotting. 2 Lotg in hover and def toggle and I'm upto 45%.

I would say find your play style and skip/choose powers that work with you, rather then based upon comparing them to how a similar power works in another set.

Earthquake: Huge -to hit, nice -def, cast around corners!!

Volcanic Gasses: Longest last AOE hold ever!!! Ignites OSA!!! Cast around corners!!

Rain of Arrows: Looks sexy!! Nice Damage!! They never even see me!!

OSA: Blizzard-esque damage!!! Enemy bouncie!!! Cast around corners!!!

Boost Range: I can snipe from the MOON, while talking to Alice Kramden.

Hover: Same great taste as combat jumping, but with vertical movement! So you can laugh at the KoA caltrops!

Yeah, the redraw honestly never bothered me. I have a Mercs/TA MM, and it doesn't bother me swappin back and forth. I was more curious that I have yet to taste the /TRICK ARROW on a corruptor. I must confess I am a trap lover. That being said my Archery toon is traps so I was thinking DP/Trick Arrow instead of DP/Traps to set myself apart.

So far the buzz seems positive. Defenitely going to take one around the block.

Hahahahaha

Yeah I know people made some AR/TA toons and they were awesome. However I don't really care for AR. I know its a good set, just not my thing. Running around with a rifle is what my crab is for and she gets a cool back pack!

Ok I got to ask. I know Dual pistols is in the dog house with many people. Not arguing for or against it. My question is Dual Pistols/Trick Arrow!!! Has anyone run one of these bad boys yet? I know Trick Arrow is also in the dog house with many people, but I love the set. I ran a DP on test and was underwhelmed with it on the blaster, but I like the idea of these 2 together and imagine there is some Masochist (maybe trickshooter) whose run one of these.

I know it would be very clicky but is it a fun ride?

This thread has gotten some very nice differences. I like that while everyone has a different view of what to take/skip, most people haven't really bashed anyone for taking/skipping a certain power. I agree with Dave that it is more a difference in philosophy and play style. That's what is so great about it that everyone has a unique spin on the same combo, so there aren't any real cookie cutter set ups.

Otherwise every Earth/TA would be identical. What works for me may not work for you, or others and what they like may not work for me. Some people really have some nice builds too. In the end play what you find to be fun! If fun for you is doing X, then use the build that best supports X.

Earth/Trick Arrow is insanely fun and devastating. You can destroy whole spawns without taking an alpha!!

I skipped a few powers on mine, simply because of play style. Your mileage may very but here's what I skipped and Why.

AOE IMmob: This is a decent power but negates both OSA and EQ.

AOE Sleep: So much control not needed (IMO)

Yes I kept the Single Target Immob, it is great damage and a nice 5x decimation power.

I skipped a few powers from TA that many will likely go "WTF! were you thinking!!! But here they are and why.

Ice Arrow: Personal Preference here, don't really need the extra hold and animation time is too long for what it does to me.

Glue Arrow: I went with QS for the -def buff it gives and better mileage from the power.

Poison Arrow: I wish I could fit this in, the -dam can be handy for GMs and such, but on normal mobs I find stuff is locked down or dead so its really not as beneficial for me and I really don't miss it.

EMP Arrow: Again, this is one of those OMG I'm crazy to skip powers. But I have so much control at my disposal that I honestly feel this to be pretty wasted over all in my build. If I could squeeze it in but it requires a lot of slots to be truely great and i don't have that many to spare. If could work it in tho man would I. I might just drop the earth epic AOE stun for it.

I took Flash Arrow and 4x Accurate to hit debuff set for extra rech. Was a choice of AOE IMMOB, Glue ARROW, Flash Arrow. Easy enough choice for me, I will admit I don't get as much mileage out of it tho. But its really handy and stacks nicely with EQ's to hit debuff.

Now why did I skip those powers, for the following Support and Epic powers.

Hasten (I want VG, OSA, EQ up frequently)
Hover+Fly (Personal travel power choice)
Assault+Tactics+Manuevers (Now I don't really need the to hit from tactics but I really like the +per and love to hit buff sets, assault is a very nice damage boost for me and my team, and manuevers is great for more DEF ontop of all that -to hit and a 7.5% LOTG)

I went earth mastery for epic, and took all but the rock armor and the AOE stun. Seismic Smash is just awesome and helps my damage output as does the throw stone power. I have enough RECH without purples to make Earth's Embrace overlap for a decent amount of time. The damage from the AOE stun just didn't do it for me, nice when the stun kick in tho to stack with stalagmites.

I can take out a large mob spawn safely from behind a corner with the following chain.

Volcanic Gas, Quicksand, Disruption Arrow, Oil Slick Arrow. That drops a lot of jaws right there when people see the damage from OSA.

Again just how it works for me and my personal tastes. I am a leadership nut. You could cut out that whole pool and open 3 powers but even I did those 3 are light on slots, so whatever powers I took wouldn't be too strong IMO.

My earth/fire is lvl 33. Its very strong. The Damage from fire far eclipses the damage from psi for raw power.

Earth/psi I have just made. The damage isn't as great as fire and very heavily resisted later on by many mobs. Psi's advantages go beyond damage tho. Drain Psyche is really good for removing REGEN, something that fire can not do. That makes such a huge difference. That makes up for the Fires +damage boost IMO. Stacking -Rech on top of -Def is also a great two punch combo. Your just not going to mow down mobs as fast as /FIRE, but its more survivable. People cry about PSW but honestly its not that bad and the rest of the set more then made up for what nerf it got by getting boosted nicely.

Example: Fighting Babbage, we had a blaster with Drain Psyche, and everyone on the team knew when he'd used that power. His health just didn't go back and we were able to eventually take him out at lvl 20.

Fire also has a benefit of most of the powers are ranged. If you don't like going into melee with your dom that may sway your vote. Earth has a few good powers for slotting the Achille's Heal Proc as well to help with PSI's nature.

I have to apologize! My times were in correct. I was thinking of a different TF until I recently noticed Sarah Moore. For some oddball sleep deprived reason I was thinking moonfire.

That will learn me! On that note 1hr 24mins on Sarah Moore! My hats off to you!

1hr 24mins? I can beat that no probs. Record is 1hr 9 mins. Average is 1hr 20 mins. Is this contest still going on? Does it have to be a full team of 8?

Thugs/traps is seriously strong. It was scoffed at a ways back. Until people beheld the power of TRAPS. Poison Gas Trap got nerfed but for a good reason. People were putting 4 procs in it dropping it and going to lunch. It would take out a whole spawn by itself. The puking was so powerful but no one ever cared. Until the wedding, then when the devs got hit with all the PGTs and they could do nothing but puke it got the bat. No site to this day has made me laugh as hard as watching the entire Freedom Phalanx Puke on the LRSF, before it got whacked.

Still strong. Favorite combo with a MM on traps is the following set up. Feel free to try it.

Set your map for an 8 man spawn.

1> Summon pets then buff them.
2> Summon FFG
3> Approach spawn, cast seekers.
4> Run in Drop PGT, Acid Mortar, Caltrops.
Sissies can also drop Triage if you picked it.
5> do emote /e evillaugh

That act always get a few Jaws droped on people who have never witnessed it. Especially when you don't face plant.

I have to agree with both sides a bit here. I agree largely with Knight about TA on a troller.

TA is very strong in connection with many controller primaries. Earth shines because I can cast Quicksand, Volcanic Gasses, Disruption Arrow, OSA. From around a corner and take out an entire spawn! With no alpha taken.

On a defender/corruptor Trick Arrow is meh. Now that Trick Arrow and Traps are side by side on both ATs, they are learning what MMs already knew. Traps is just flat out better. I agree whole heartedly that Traps would be broken a troller along with Dark Miasma.

I do agree that Trick Arrow should be better. Rad trumps it in pure debuffage with a heal and AM. If debuff is all TA does then it should be the best at it. However I think that its more a fact of the other sets being so INSANE that makes TA look so terrible. The other sets get away with more diversity because they aren't pigeon holed by a concept. Let us be honest there is only so much disbelief you can do with a bow. Healing Arrows!!

The math is there. I will concede that I have no clue as to what would make TA better without breaking it on Controllers more so then it now. I leave that to people like Luminara and Trickshooter.

On a side note!! curse you defenders!! Give us traps and we'll let you buff TA!! We'll even throw in a better special power, then vigilance!!

-def on rad blast is just gravy. Its a strong set on its own. Cosmic Burst is bar none one of the best single target attacks you can have. High Damage + Stun! Most of its attacks are also of the ENERGY type with no lethal/smashing split. Which can effect how well you do against certain enemies.

It also allows you slot your AOE attacks with better values then most of the crappy Targeted AOE sets, which have serious crappy END components. One END/RECH from any of the sets in the Defense Debuffs helps alot with getting a decent amount of recharge and endurance reduction on those hefty costing/recharging powers.

Plus it can never hurt to have lotsa -def. Not as effective a secondary effect as sonic's -res or darks -hit. But better then nothing. I do believe it can be very valuable in PvP. Since a lot of toons IO for positional defense but lack the -DEF debuff resists that a few sets have. It can be very effective in helping others take down high DEF builds.

I want to throw out Sonic/Mental as a great blaster for all events. Sonic has one of the best secondary effects. It has 2 cones which go really well with Psychic Scream. They match remarkably well. Here are just some fun pairings.

AOE Sleep, then Drain Psyche.
Add in the lvl 38 PSW for a nice hit.

The 2 sonic cones do enough -RES to make even robots melt before Psychic Scream and are all roughly the same cone size for all 3 attacks.

You get a reliable single target stun. Not as good as RADs mind you, or as early.

-RECH & -RES are very valuable on teams as well.

I have a buddy who was doing PvP with friend and trying to get into it. The thing that kept discouraging him was that it was mostly 1 sided and insulting. I don't mean 1 sided in villains are better, but one sided in that it was usually 10 villains on 2 heroes or 12 heroes on 3 villains. All it did was discourage him, that and the feeling that his AT (Defender) was pretty useless in PVP. Contributed to turning him off.

Also the PvP in most games is just insulting. It is filled with primarily whiners who are the first to cry fowl if its done to them.

Example: I was in RV with a heavy in tow, taking out the pillboxes. A stalker rolled up on me, standing under the heavy! When he got plastered by me and the heavy, he cried for 10 mins in the zone. Talking about the heavy was cheating and tried his best attempts to berate me for it. Going on a long rant about PvP zones are for PvP and I should just leave.

Hell I even saw that same person with another constantly mess with 2 guys who were trying to dual. Even going so far as the chastise them into going into the arena if they wanted to dual since PvP zones were for PvP. But once heroes out numbered them and they started to lose the fights, they shut up and eventually left.

Hell I've seen groups of stalkers try and AS people as they coming into the zone and get droned but hope that they can take out that target before the drones get them.

Villains also still have a large advantage in PvP. Now this will change with GR but as it sits its very discouraging to some.

As for myself I have done some PVP in the arenas and zones. Some with friends some not, and I just don't care for the mentality. I do not mind the trash talking and encourage it but there is a line between trash talking and just being a baby. Sadly the later is more prevalant in PVP in just about every game, so its sort of "The Nature of the Beast".

I play a lot at night and would be willing to help you in your efforts tho. I see what you are trying to do and while I cannot stomach PvP for long intervals I would be willing to help. If it was with fun people then it itself would be fun.

Please note that my lack of fun simply comes from the tiring effect of chasing people bunny hoping around for 30 mins while I myself am bunny hoping from people chasing me. Guess I'm more of an arena fan.

Gravity/Kin (L 47)
"She stole my recharge! She stole my damage! Then she hit me with a car??"

Illusion/Rad (L 42)
"Recluse found in a corner sobbing! Claims army of heroes did it!"

Mind/Trick Arrow (L50)
"From low to high making villains cry in their sleep"

Earth/Thermal (L26)
"Slow and steady wins the race, requires buddy for max effect"

Earth/Trick Arrow (L 33)
"Abosolutely everything on map is locked down, takes enemies out at leisure"

Fire/Storm (L 34)
"Blue bar drops as fast as bad guys, so pretty!!"

Ice/Storm (L 20)
"Minions dance and dance and dance, slow to start"

Plant/Sonic (L 8)
"Bad guys tear each other apart, really REALLY fast!"

Didn't I read through all that text that Electric Control was coming to us?

I'll throw a nod to Grav/Kin. Siphon power makes PROPEL! (Yes I said it!! and I use it liberally) wonderful. Singy loves Siphon Power, it makes it (he? or she?) a happy mob controller.

You get Siphon Speed to bring back wormhole quicker. Siphon Speed also lets you use hover as a really freakin fast combat travel.

You get a heal!! Which needs to hit Thankfully held enemies don't hit back!

Trick Arrow is like A-1 steak sauce, it goes good with every primary. It goes good with every AT.

Now if controllers could just get Devicetraps for a primary!! Gun Drone for a lvl 32 pet PAWEEEEEEEEZ!

Forgive me if this has been discussed already. I was curious if the Villain Disruptor badge for heroes works the same way as the version for villains? and if so anyone know what arcs give villains that count for it?

I know for the villain one, the demons summoned by infernal counted.

Thanks

If you take SS, then you should take hurdle instead of swift.
If you take SL, then you can pick either tho swift is usually better.
If you take FLY, then you should take swift.

HVR is one of the greatest combat gems in the game. It gives you mobility and defense. You can hover blast from the ceiling away from those pesky melee types.

FLY is the limousine of travels as others have stated.

CJ is great for hoping around the combat area and gives the same defense as hover.

SL is great for getting around spots however your landing can be problematic if your not careful. SL is also rather fast in the air.

SS + SJ is a great set and combined are a fantasticly fast and effective travel set up. However fitting both into a build can be tight, but if your taking HASTEN anyways its not that far of a stretch. Hell even combat jumping with SS is pretty dam good. You can also always go with SS and just buy a RP for those times when you need to clear obstacles.

Red side, SS can be a PITA!!! without any sort of jump power or RP

Teleport is a great power when used correctly with macros and a zoomed out camera.

Many people skip travel powers all together and buy RPs. Either in GV (red) or FBZ (blue). This can be effective and frees up a power slot however it can't be slotted and is not very fast. So take it for what its worth.

For the record hover can be very fast when slotted correctly and with a few +spd sets. I have several melee toons who use hover and they are as fast as, if not faster, then most people using sprint. The also help against those dreaded caltrops the Knives like to drop like they bought em by the hundreds at the dollar store.

RP= Raptor Pack
GV= Grandeville
FBZ= Fire Base Zulu

Read Lilac's guide. It is out of date since the damage bump for doms but is spot on for breaking down every single set. Her control breakdown is the best around and has limited the need for most guides.

I have a lvl 50 Fire/Psi not perma, made 50 before doms even dreamed of a damage bump. It plays very nicely. However it is an aggro (CENSORED). On a large team if you are not careful you will draw way more aggro then you can handle.

Imps and PSW make bad guys want to reach out and punch you, A LOT!

Min Min has given a lot of good advice and a very solid breakdown of how the combos will work. Mind just has way more situational powers. Mind also gets a great alpha negating power that many over look in its AOE sleep. This is not so much a deal if your on a team since more then likely your not the alpha striker. But a non aggro power that allows you to pull (ALA LRSF) is always gonna find a way to save your ***.

Personal play styles dictate how much mileage/fun you will get from either primary. Saying one is better over all is like saying your left arm is weaker then your right arm. Each has their situations where they really shine and if you grade them both in one area then that grade is already askew.

For this combo I am gonna buck the trend and say that I would take stunning shot or snap shot over explosive arrow.

The KB really messes with the nature of TA wanting to keep enemies close. That and the fact that the damage on Explosive, even for an AOE, is rather lacking. Now its a good power to be sure and I imagine I'm rather daft for even suggesting it. However, I feel that in this combo situation explosive arrow doesn't net you as much as one of the other powers. The KB is a great form of mitigation tho and if you need to scatter people to save your bacon its awesome. I just feel it ruins Acid, Arrow, OSA, Glue Arrow especially when applied liberally (READ: Every time its up)

By comparison Stunning Arrow gives a really good stun, which combined with your Ice Arrow makes a decent way to eliminate 2 pesky foes while dealing with that boss. Its also a great set taker.