Scyta

[ QUOTE ]
If you only had a trick archer for a defense set in the team you wouldnt play as though you had an empath would you?


[/ QUOTE ]

Hell yeah! And I'd spam "Heal! Why don't you heal!" all the time too! [img]/uk/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/uk/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Just started a new Sonic/Sonic Defender and think it is great. However, I do have a few questions that I've been wondering about.

First I know that my sonic attacks debuffs stacks to about 30% and that my Sonic resonace Debuffs stack but what I'm wondering is does the debuff from my attacks and my resonace stack with each other?

Also the does the Dispersion Field power affect my own toon to or just allies. It seems like it only affects allies but I'm not sure.
If it does only affect allies does Sonic Resonance have ANY power that affect the Defender itself?

[ QUOTE ]
Well... Knockup/-down is always cool, but I find knockback very situational. It heavily depends on the team setup. When I play one of my nukers or brutes I almost have tears in my eyes when there are knockbackers around...
And I think many have been in a team with a knockback-happy fool at least once. It´s astonishing how much aggro these guys can accumulate when they start what I call "spawn bowling"...

[/ QUOTE ]

Bwahahahahahahaha!!! Says the Energy Blaster.

[ QUOTE ]
Whats the most Survivable Power Set Combos?

[/ QUOTE ]
Blaster + Survivability.
There's something wrong with the sentence but I just cant set my finger on it.
Nope, I'm just not getting it.

[ QUOTE ]
Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

((((Just have to tell an anecdote that happened to me recently that's kind of related to this but doesn't really have somthing to do with the disscussion.
The team I was in need a tank. I suggested one that I think is a great tank but the team invited another one that the whole team (cept me) said was the best tank they ever teamed with.
Tank comes in and the first thing the tank does is start herding, it's the second thing the tank does too. In fact it's the only thing the tank does. It never stands still, it moves around constantly. As soon as some of it's herd dies, it goes after another mob. Never waiting for us to finish the herd off or telling us when we should attack. Instead the rest of the team had to chased it around, trying to get off attacks when we could.
When the team had wasted about 5 nukes (2 of my own) because the tank moved away with the mob when they went off, I asked the tank if it could stand still so we didn't have to chase it around and waste nukes like we did. Another blaster also said something along those line. The tanks reply was "Don't tell me how to play" (that's practically word for word. Won't forget that reply in a hurry) and then went on herding.
Now the thing I find the most mind boggling about this experince isn't that the tank was bad at what it did nor that the player behind the tank couldn't take suggestions or construktive critisism.
It's the fact that the rest of the team thought the tank was one of the best tanks on the server and with the exception of me and the other blaster probably still does!!!)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



I bet that tank pulls forward, doesnt check mobs too well for a foe worth preparing for and leaves blasters and defenders to tank the mobs hes left behind. There are so many so called "best tanks" on union that its ridiculous. I have never seen anyone i'd give more than a 8/10 to and i dont give myself more than that for the record.


[/ QUOTE ]

Actully, the point (if i had any) wasn't that the tank was bad or good at what it did (It was bad IMHO though.). But that you had a team in thier 40is that obviously never played with a skilled tank to be able to tell the difference between good and bad tanking. ¤0 lvl is a long time to play a toon and to never see a skilled tank in all that time, that's just scary.

For the record, I'm probably a lousy tank myself since I've never played one myself (cept for my first toon and boy was that a noob mistake. Had all the Resist powers befor temp. inv and had Jump kick, CJ and acor before unyielding. ) So I only know tanking from a observers point of view. (though I tend to change that with my new tank)
I'm more of scarpper/blaster type of player. It's probably the eaiset play style just have to wait till team is ready to fight then just go wild killing stuff. The only thing you have to be cautious of is not agro another mob by mistake.

On the other hand Tanking is probably the hardest playing style since at any given moment you'll need to have full controll of where all the foes are, where the rest of your team, how your team is doing and what the foes are doing. You'll need to have really good situational awarness to pull that off.

[ QUOTE ]
My blaster would much rather hit 16 at once than 5 here and 5 there, it kills more sooner and saves on endurance seeing as one attack can hit 16.


[/ QUOTE ]

So do I but considering that with a full team mobs often consists of about 8 to 12 Foes I still rather take 1 mob at the time instead of trying to herd 2 mobs or more and risk getting overwhelmed because the tank hits his agro cap of 17


[ QUOTE ]
It is impossible for a tanker to exceed 17 its impossible. Only if someone else is near the tanker whilst he is gaining the 17 can you possibly get more than that for the team to deal with. As said some creatures spawn more creatures and so gaining 17 of these can turn into mob which means the tanker is being a planker.


[/ QUOTE ]

I admit I've never counted the foes but from what I've seen if a tank runs through 3 mobs then those 3 mobs will chase him even if only for a few seconds. I've so far never seen a few foes in one mob ignore a tank (or another AT) just because he already had 17 bad guys on his tail.

[ QUOTE ]
Your meant to wait for the tankers herding to stop its best especially with invulns to atleast let them say ready before you attack.

[/ QUOTE ]

Tell that to the tanks. Most of the herding tanks never stop. Instead they are constantly running around trying to pick up straglers or maybe a new mob if if the DDs in the team managed to kill a few foes.
Seriously though, the tanks that I prefer to team with does exactly what you suggested. They jump in to the foes get their attention and then tells the rest of the team when it's safe to attack.
Though those seems to be the exception to the rule.

((((Just have to tell an anecdote that happened to me recently that's kind of related to this but doesn't really have somthing to do with the disscussion.
The team I was in need a tank. I suggested one that I think is a great tank but the team invited another one that the whole team (cept me) said was the best tank they ever teamed with.
Tank comes in and the first thing the tank does is start herding, it's the second thing the tank does too. In fact it's the only thing the tank does. It never stands still, it moves around constantly. As soon as some of it's herd dies, it goes after another mob. Never waiting for us to finish the herd off or telling us when we should attack. Instead the rest of the team had to chased it around, trying to get off attacks when we could.
When the team had wasted about 5 nukes (2 of my own) because the tank moved away with the mob when they went off, I asked the tank if it could stand still so we didn't have to chase it around and waste nukes like we did. Another blaster also said something along those line. The tanks reply was "Don't tell me how to play" (that's practically word for word. Won't forget that reply in a hurry) and then went on herding.
Now the thing I find the most mind boggling about this experince isn't that the tank was bad at what it did nor that the player behind the tank couldn't take suggestions or construktive critisism.
It's the fact that the rest of the team thought the tank was one of the best tanks on the server and with the exception of me and the other blaster probably still does!!!)

In that case slogging my up through the hollows on my way to 20 is R.Elemnts better than R. Energy? Because after 20 I can take the protection I missed out on because haveing to take the fittness pool.

Just want to comment on the aggro cap of 17.
Few mobs are that big so mostly it's only when you herd that the aggro cap start matter.
Now my main is a blaster and from my experince as one herding is overrated. Don't get me wrong I'd rather team with a tank that is good at herding than one that isn't but there are seldom any reson for them to actully use that skill. It's only when you have small pairs of foes scattered over a large area that I as a blaster would want to see the tank herding.
Mobs plural, forget about it. I'm squisy so I rather fight the mobs one at the time instead of a herd of 2-3 mobs or more and risk get overwhelmed.
While you don't risk a team wipe when the tanker is good at it you know that you'll get at least 1 faceplant and it's usally the blaster.
From a blasters point of view, a tank isn't there to save the squisies by pulling foes off them, it certainly isn't herding. Tanks are there for one reason and that is to take damage so that I as a blaster don't have to.
Tank, reciver of Alpha strikes be thy name!

How a tank does that, I as a blaster really don't care. Be it with taunt, punchvoke, or just running into the mob (that last one works perfectly well before a nova) as long as the make the mob attack them and ignore little ole me untill I've gotten my first attack chain off. After that I don't mind if i take a little bit of damage because by then hopefully the mob will have thinned out enough for it not to matter.

Which leads me back to herding. When a tank herd a couple of mobs then it doesn't matter if I get off my first attack chain unoticed since it won't thin the foes out enough for me to be able to take any secondary damage. In that situation if the tank isn't very good at what they do or happen to exceed the aggro cap of 17 well then my blaster is a goner.
(There is another minor reason, why I as a blaster dislike herding. Simply because a herding tank seems to have to move around. That means that my nova and target for my AOEs will often be drawn out of the ideal position. That is in the dead center of the mob.)

Lastly, a comment on tanks being redundant in teams. As a blaster I rather have a tank in my team than a healer. A healer can heal any damage I take but I rather not take any damage in the first place and that's the tanks job.

Is that true even for the foes below lvl 20. Esp. in hollows there seems to be more foes that use Fir and Ice attacks that there are that use energy.

Am building an Invun tank and I'm planning on taking one of the resist power before lvl 14, most likely R. Energy or R. Elements to buff up the protection unyielding gives me against those type of powers. However, I don't know which to take.
So to try and make a tactical choice I was wondering if someone knew just how common certain types of damaged is in the game, besides Leathal and Smash and esp. below lvl 20 since most power slots will be used for the fittness pool?

I know that this mostly depends on what type you mostly fight but for this a generalisation works for me.
But if for example fire and ice attacks are more common than negatvie energy then R. Elements are better to take.
So do anyone know how common the types of damage is?

[ QUOTE ]
@Cognito
[ QUOTE ]
Personally I dont trust tanks without taunt. Aside from the fact it impairs aggro pick up (It just does ok? No getting away from it! ).

I know good tanks can manage fairly effectively without it (with the exception of flying/ranged foes like the cabal and fofr AVs), but my anxiety comes from the psychology of taking it.

If I see a tank with taunt I am always somewhat reassured that he/she sees it as his job first and foremost to save people and take aggro.

As its one power, works well with one slot - its auto hit, fast recharge, no end cost, I am very nervous about a tank without it, because of what it suggests about the psychology of the tank.

Please bear in mind this is not always true - but it has been a pretty good indication of the tank from my experience.

However, as an invun tank, I dont think you really have much choice but to take it at level 10. You could possibly respec it out once you have invincibility at level 18 (although I wouldnt advise it).

[/ QUOTE ]

I pretty agree with this whole post. If a tank has taunt they are more likely to be look at my health bars than a tank who hasn't.

Tanks with no aura completely annoy me. Unless they are fantastically good at Gauntlet they really add very little to the team.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hehe. Before this post I didnt even know invun tanks had auras.
AS for gauntlet. Doesn't it suck just as much as defiance suck for blasters?

Think it's a shame that the taunt element in invincibility isn't explain anywhere offical (like in the bloody game), esp. since taunting is a tanks primary role. But as for how it works I stand corrected.

Another thing I'm wondering about invincibility is just how well it works together with Unyeilding at lower lvls. If the numbers I've seen is correct the negative def you get from unyeilding just cancel any positve effects you get from invinciablitity. (Unless you have 3 slotted CJ or hover). This changes of course when you get tough hide.

As for taking taunt at lvl 10. I tired that with an experimental tank I did. The trouble was I stopped taunting with him since taunting resulted in a faceplant. All got a lot better at lvl 12 when I got another armor for protection.

Anyway here is the build I'm planing to make. up to lvl 25.
Any Comments?


---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
---------------------------------------------
Name:
Level: 26
Archetype: Tanker
Primary: Invulnerability
Secondary: War Mace
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Temp Invulnerability==> Empty(1)
01) --> Bash==> Empty(1)
02) --> Pulverize==> Empty(2)
04) --> Dull Pain==> Empty(4)
06) --> Hover==> Empty(6)
08) --> Unyielding==> Empty(8)
10) --> Resist Physical Damage==> Empty(10)
12) --> Taunt==> Empty(12)
14) --> Fly==> Empty(14)
16) --> Swift==> Empty(16)
18) --> Invincibility==> Empty(18)
20) --> Health==> Empty(20)
22) --> Stamina==> Empty(22)
24) --> Jawbreaker==> Empty(24)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
01) --> Gauntlet==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)
---------------------------------------------

Sometimes when I have Aim and/or Build Up active and I use a power Aim and BU will end before the power activates even though i turned the power on when Aim and BU was still up.
Will that power still get the boost from Aim and BU or not?
Or more simple when are the boost added to the power, when I turn it on or when it actully goes off?

I know about the +def and +acc. It's just the auto hit taunted part that I've never heard off or read about anywhere offical or half offical like builder. So sorry for sounding sceptical but you absolutely 100% certain that it has a taunt effect too?

I might be mistaken and I admit that I'm not an expert at tanks, but from what I understand from what I've read mudpots and the other "taunt auras" doesn't have an acctual taunt effect. Instead they cause damage, slow or similar effects on foes that draw aggro the same way a punch will do. Only diffrent is that they do it as an PAoE, does it more often and auto hit. Not that they cause a taunt effect identical to taunt.
Invincibility on the other hand seems to be purely defensive, giving out defence bonus for foes inside the PAoE but not activly effecting the foes itself.
It's just seems odd that if it has a taunting effect on foes why haven't Cryptic or SherckSilver mentioned that in their power descriptions?

Had no idea that Invincibility worked as an taunt aura. Niether the in game descriptions nor the hero builder mention it. So how does it work? Do you only need toturn it on and foes get taunted automatically as with mud pots?

[ QUOTE ]
As soon as humanely possible.

And if you are an invun tank, take it at 10 or you wont be worth much to a team.

[/ QUOTE ]

How come that applies just for invun tanks?

I know that taunt is on of the most useful powers a tank can have.
But when is the best time to take it?
Before lvl 14 or after lvl 20 since you need the teens to take the powers required for stamina. So should I take taunt eatly on or can I wait with it.
(Note: I tend to play mostly in teams.)

Hehe.. All right, I'll take it then.

Have taken the Froce Mastery for my Nrg/Nrg Blaster's epic. Primarily, for PFF and Temp Inv. but are now also wondering if I should take Force of Nature.
But before I do I would like to hear some opinions on it, if it's good, how and when to use it and such.

Presonally, I'm a bit ambigous about it. To me it feels like a tank panic power like unstoppable. (Prolly because it is but with a diffrent name )
And as such I can see that it has great uses if you nearing a faceplant, turn it on and you can keep on fighting.
Trouble is with PFF you already have a defence panik power that's just as good, isn't timed, doesn't drain your end and is also effective against psy attacks. Of course, PFF doesn't let you do anyting but stand there or run away. unlike FoN which lets you go on fighting.
But then I'm a blaster. If I'm nearing a face plant and need a panik power like PFF or FOE I'm prolly already in a team wipe in which case it doesn't matter if I keep on fighting or just stand safe in my bubble.
On the other hand if I'm not in a team wipe, either the team with save me with heals or something in which case I don't need a panik power or the team will do fine for the minute or so I need to compose myself and get back into the fight, in which case i only need PFF as a panik power.
Of course, I can see the benefits if you are soloing with FoN but then if you are soloing it doesn't matter if you turn on PFF and runs away for awhile before going at it again.

But that's just my thoughts on the subject and I have never actully used it force of nature.
So quite simply is it worth taking?

Cool.. in that case i rather take it than slot aim and BU with tohit buffs

Just saw in another post that said Power Boost boosted BU and AIM. Never thought about that and was wondering just how effective that is?
Playing a Nrg/Nrg blaster I've always been a bit apprehensive about power boost since I've always felt that with all the knockback I dealing out increazsing its range would just mean knocking foes out of my range.
But boosting Aim and BU would mean I could 1 hit purples with snipe!

Nukes is definitively a team effort. While they are good when soloing it is in teams they show their superiority.
A team with 1 tank and 3 blasters that takes turns nuking missions go by very fast. Though be prepared for the tank complaining about things getting boring.

Never used nukes before ED so don't know how much better they where then but correctly slotted (suggest 1 acc, 3 dam and 2 recharge) it will take out even lvl mobs with the exception of bosses. However, with mobs of higher lvl and bosses some if not all will survive, not to mention the 5% chance of missing that also means leaves a lone survivor now and again. That's why nukes is best it teams where you have other players to mopp up, for even if a nuke doesn't kill a mob out right, it does enough dam so that Defs can 1 hit the surviviors.
Also CABs is a must!

First time I've played a controller and using builder came up with the current build which looks great (to me). Only problem is that I have no idea how to slot troller powers. Been playing DDs mainly which is more straight forward 3dam/3acc on everything and your fine
So my question is what should I think about when slotting troller powers?

Here is the build which I plan on using. Only lvl 10 yet thought. Not added any enchanments since I don't know what to take.

---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
---------------------------------------------
Name: Name Arctic Tempest
Level: 50
Archetype: Controller
Primary: Ice Control
Secondary: Storm Summoning
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Block of Ice

2. Empty Enhancement(1)

01) --> Gale

2. Empty Enhancement(1)

02) --> Frostbite

2. Empty Enhancement(2)

04) --> Snow Storm

2. Empty Enhancement(4)

06) --> Arctic Air

2. Empty Enhancement(6)

08) --> Shiver

2. Empty Enhancement(8)

10) --> Hover

2. Empty Enhancement(10)

12) --> Ice Slick

2. Empty Enhancement(12)

14) --> Fly

2. Empty Enhancement(14)

16) --> Swift

2. Empty Enhancement(16)

18) --> Health

2. Empty Enhancement(18)

20) --> Stamina

2. Empty Enhancement(20)

22) --> Steamy Mist

2. Empty Enhancement(22)

24) --> Freezing Rain

2. Empty Enhancement(24)

26) --> Glacier

2. Empty Enhancement(26)

28) --> Hurricane

2. Empty Enhancement(28)

30) --> Thunder Clap

2. Empty Enhancement(30)

32) --> Jack Frost

2. Empty Enhancement(32)

35) --> Tornado

2. Empty Enhancement(35)

38) --> Lightning Storm

2. Empty Enhancement(38)

41) --> Ice Blast

2. Empty Enhancement(41)

44) --> Frozen Armor

2. Empty Enhancement(44)

47) --> Ice Storm

2. Empty Enhancement(47)

49) --> O2 Boost

2. Empty Enhancement(49)

---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint

2. Empty Enhancement(1)

01) --> Brawl

2. Empty Enhancement(1)

01) --> Containment

2. Empty Enhancement(1)

02) --> Rest

2. Empty Enhancement(2)

---------------------------------------------

Right my Archer defender (trick arrow/archery) seems to never run out of end. The only time she's done that was when some end sucking Mu's ganged up on her. So I'm just wondering if trick arrow/Archery will continue to be so end conservative. In that case I might not need to get stamina which would be a nice change for once.
So will I have to take stam or will TA/arch continue to drainvery little end?

Been playing my old Def Archer after i7 and noticed some things about flash arrow. First off, it don't cause aggro. Mobs won't see you outside melee range unless you attack them (The aggro comes when i shoot of my follow up glue arrow) Second, Flash arrow don't interupt sleep like powers which looks a bit silly but is useful. Third, the accuracy debuff is really good. Even Boss a couple lvls above you misses more that they hit after a flash arrow.

There is just one thing I'm wondering. Is the flash arrow's accuracy debuff stackable? It's the fastest recharging trick arrow power that i currently got (besides entangling which is faster but i don't have yet) which means it's one of the few trick arrows powers I shot a lot in fights. I just don't know if it does any good or if I'm better off using a stackable power.
In fact which powers in the trick arrows set is stackable and wich are not?