SevyDuce
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Posts
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Joined
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Quote:Yes, sadly that death was mine. I accidentally pressed "R" and ran right into a group alone. Sigh....Originally Posted by Llydia
Professor lead our team through a rather successful TF tonight in under 50 minutes and with only one death.
Thank you for the fun hour, Freedom Horde! Looking forward to the next team. ;->
Still a great time with a great team. -
SevTheCinder - LvL 41 Blaster, sounding off
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Actually, my Ninja/FF is pretty much this very concept, as far as playstyle.
I have repulsion bomb, but I never use it. I've got the AoE and cones from force mastery, and never use those either. The only things I use are ally buffs such as force field and grant invisy, and aid-other.
I never get directly involved in fighting enemies.
I am the Sense, the Master, the Word. -
Dang, I missed this event and haven't yet got a lvl 50 MM on this server.
Any lower levels want to get together this week and work towards 50? -
Quote:Thank you....that was the very first place I looked as I was approaching 50. Honestly, none of it made sense because I had absolutely no exposure to the incarnate system (this is my first 50). It only now makes sense after I've had a chance to play with it.Originally Posted by wudake
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Quote:Indeed, I just logged my 27 thug/dark and realized I didn't have the 2nd equip. Thanks for correctingOriginally Posted by Reppu
32 is the second tier equip. 26 is the Boss Pet.
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Ok, I'm going to chime in here again because, well I'm somewhat new to the game and was new to masterminds a couple of months ago and basically had the same questions you did, and got much the same responses. What did it lead me to? Confusion
It all comes down to your playstyle, and as I mentioned yesterday, you won't get a realistic grasp of the capabilities of your MM until lvl 26 when you get the 2nd tier training/equip ability. Then, things get very, very fun
What someone says will work well for them, didn't work so well for me....and that may be the case with you as well. Just do what feels right and fits well with the way you play, and you will be happy.
As another poster said, MM are THE solo'ers of the game. However, I personally have not found the bodyguard mode very helpful in soloing. What I do in large groups with many LTs and Bosses is to target specific foes until they are dead, rinse and repeat until the horde is gone. If I stick with bg mode, then the ninjas spread out and go 1:1 with each foe. This draws the battle out, and if I get a tier 1 henchman against an LT or boss, well he's finished. It's easier for me to take them out one by one. Literally I can take down a +3 boss before I can reach for a drink and take a sip if I do it this way. Also, with FF as my secondary, the only way I can tank is if I use personal FF, which cripples my ability to control and removes the other pbaoe buffs I share with henchmen. The only way I can effectively use BG mode is in a team. And therefore tanking isn't really my thing when MM'ing.
But again, this is just one way to play. I have tried to place the henchmen at strategic points for ranged, melee, and control....but once they defeat a foe, this strategy is left for the chaos that is the henchmen AI.
Also, I have to disagree that FF is a boring secondary. I am constantly having to apply the ff's to newly summoned henchies, toggling the force repellent on/off, same with personal ff. Granted, there are no good debuffs or other things to cast at enemies with active frequency, but there are plenty of things to do. Again, that's just the way I personally play. It's all about personal interest here. However, I will say that once you get barrier....you are done. Nothing will touch you....for about 30-45 seconds
And, for the record.....ninjas > anything
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Aw, I wish I saw this a week ago! I'm still getting a grip on incarnate abilities as this is my first lvl 50 ever (also ninja/ff)
I actually went for the Agility as well looking for added defense. To be honest, I don't see damage being a problem at all with the ninjas, it's always the defense. But, in hindsight, now that I have Barrier, I think I should have gone a different route with the alpha slot, so musc would have been the right choice. With Barrier and all other FF's up....they are untouchable! Finally!
I wish I knew the incarnates more, because I was planning ahead for either lore or something else, and there is an AoE heal there, but it's conflicting with something else that I want/need. I'll have to pose the question when i get home. -
Quote:This^^Originally Posted by azamean5663
The problem with your pets going into aggressive is most likely from using the "Attack" command you get by default in your power trays, this turns all pets aggressive. To avoid this make a simple macro "/macro Attack "petcom_all defensive attack" that way they will stay defensive, later you can setup macros for individual pets with a bit more complexity.
MM's are my absolute fav AT!
And, to add a couple more inf to the pot, I want to reiterate that all MM are rubbish until you get to lvl 26, when you get the 2nd tier "equip" power. Granted some more than others, sure. At that point you'll have all 6 henchmen and both levels of equip/train/etc. This is where they really shine and you can really see what they're worth.
I've played nearly all mastermind primaries to at least lvl 20. They all suck, and all die very quickly if not managed well....even the so-called "toughest" of the group, such as bots, thugs, and demons. If you don't have any tohit or def debuffs, they will die. If you as the MM don't have a heal, you will lose henchmen. Your def caps won't come until much later in the game, unless you already have boatloads of inf to spend, but even then you can't get anything useful until level 20.
My absolute fav, which nobody has mentioned, is ninja/FF. By lvl 26 with all FF on, they are at 40.65% def. Add grant inv and they have capped at 46%. But, they still die, I still have to constantly spam heal other (which sucks in combat, btw)
Next fav is Thugs/dark. Their damage is almost as good as ninja, but are a little bit tougher and carry additional buffs with the enforcers. They last about as long as ninjas do, but without the defense.
Personally, I don't like demons and bots...but more for aesthetics. They are ugly, loud, and soooooo slooooowwww. They may deal more damage per attack, but their attacks are at about 1/3 the rate of ninjas.
It all comes down to your play style. I like the fast paced nature of ninjas. Imho, I don't think any MM are truly "safe". They take a fair bit of work to manage, will die very easily in one fell swoop if left unattended, and they are all different and effective in their own rite. Also, playing with teams takes an entirely different approach, and you may want to have a 2nd build for teams, where you can sacrifice some support for more damage or your own attacks. (Mine usually have absolutely ZERO attacks until I get to epic pools while soloing).
Oh, and please read the guide to the "****** Mastermind". it should be required reading for all new MM's. It is pretty good at explaining the basics of control and combat, and then delves pretty deep into the mechanics.
Long live the mastermind! -
Quote:I was on this team! It was a blast. Well done, and thanks again for the invite. Looking forward to the next oneOriginally Posted by Llydia
Team Battler did well tonight, meeting both goals with a time of 54:34 and 3 deaths.
Thank you very much for letting me join in again this week, Freedom Horde!
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Count me in!
SevTheCinder. Lvl 39 Fire/Fire Blaster
Will be on about 9:30pm ET -
Quote:Well I did create a new toon on Freedom last night. Needless to say I was very busy until about 3am. LOTS of teams forming, it was great.Originally Posted by Madadh
It really is pretty slow by the prime time for the US. That said, I've had a lot of fun there, even late, but, if you are a US evening player, you might not be best served on Union. As someone who plays on Union late, I'd hate to see ya go, but if you'd rather stay just on one server, and US evenings are you major play time, it would be a bit self serving to tell ya to stay.
I didn't realize I could have 12 toons per server. I think I'll keep the toons on Union for the weekend, and build new ones on Freedom for during the week.
Thanks again for the info
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Quote:Hey, thanks. I am on the Union Chat channel. Unfortunately everyone is ready for bed when i get home from work since most are in the UK on that server. I mean, that place is a literal ghost town.Originally Posted by Texas Justice
Check the global channels on Union and you can likely find where and when people are organizing WST runs.
If you don't know the main global channels for Union you may want to check the Union forums.
But on the weekends.....if I'm up at 7am, it's lovely
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Quote:Which is where I first and last looked, which did not answer any of my questions....so, thanks.Originally Posted by StarGeek
More info in the usual place.
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Quote:Thank you, Solar. I may have to switch servers, but i'll give it a shot this week to see what I come up with on Union.Originally Posted by SolarSentai
WSTs are active for one week, hence the "Weekly Strike Target." If you run that Task Force/Trial anytime during that one week period, you get the special bonus - either the Notice of the Well or the XP Bonus (if you're not incarnate.)
Each character can only get the special bonus once per week. So if you run the WST on Tuesday, get your bonus, then decide you want to run the same Task Force later in the week, you will get the regular rewards.
However, running the WST more than once during a week earns you credit for in-game badges.
As far as when folks run the WST, I have no idea when "peak" hours are for Union.
For Virtue (and I'd guess Freedom, the two most populated US servers), after 5:00 pm ET is usually a safe bet for people to be around.
Most (if not all servers) have global chat channels run by players to help forum teams. If you ask around, I'm sure someone can point you to the one(s) for Union. -
Hi,
I've just reached 50, and am learning much about the incarnent content. I've been hearing about the WST, and haven't found anywhere how it's organized. I see that this week it's the Statesman TF. Is there a set time each day that it's usually done? Does it depend on the server? (I'm on Union, btw....which I found out AFTER I put all my toons there that it's an EU server).
Anyway, just trying to get an idea of how to participate. Also, can it only be done once per week by a character? -
Hi, I've just reached lvl 50 for the first time. When is the next raid and how does one prepare for such a thing?
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I didn't read all of this thread, but I will say that the AI can be annoying sometimes, however manageable nonetheless as another poster mentioned. Knowing these limitations means you can play to accommodate them, which is what I've done.
Now, what REALLY bothers me to no end is when certain AOE's and psi attacks cause my henchmen to run around crazy. At any other point I feel I have full control, but ironically, caltrops drives them wild.
It's bad when you're fighting a group, with 3 other groups in somewhat close proximity, and they run around attracting those other groups. Talk about chaos and annoyance.
But other than that, I have no real issues to be honest. Masterminds take a lot of work to play. If it was simply a matter of point and click and watch all the magic happen.....well that'd be pretty darn boring. -
Quote:I hear what you're saying...it is a lot of work for sure, but as the old adage goes, it's not about the destination, but about the journey. The road with ninjas is fun. Same with Thugs. I also have Robots and Demons, both of which are not that fun in my opinion. To each their own. Now, at the endgame, I may say otherwise, but as I'm making progress through the lower levels I find that both robots and demons are just as squishy as ninjas were.....albeit WITH a force field or two. But that's moot since a buff is a buff (or debuff),and the bottom line is I still have to summon them frequently. The only difference is it's not as fun. Purely subjective, for sure.Originally Posted by Reppu
Hrm. That is a lot of work to still be less effective than Thugs or Demons.
Working as intended. -
Alright
So, I'm level 44, and have been finding the going somewhat easy with Nin/FF up until last night. I was on a team battling Nemmy in PI. Now, usually with teams my ninjas rarely fall. But last night they just kept getting drilled to the point that I couldn't even summon them and keep them alive long enough to add bubbles. It was pretty bad.
Now, I am also rolling a new Thug/Dark MM. I'm only at lvl 12 right now, but I can already tell they will shine. Took out 2 lvl 13 bosses solo, which I know i couldn't do with ninjas way back when. So, I may have a new favorite after all... -
Quote:My 3 MM's have these as secondaries. Guess I'm doing something right, haha.Originally Posted by Lord_Thanatos
(which is why secondaries like /FF, /Time, /Dark are recommended)
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Quote:Indeed that is exactly what I've done. I didn't take a personal attack power until lvl 35 from the Epic pool. I've got every possible force field and defensive buff I could get for them....and myself.Originally Posted by Lord_Thanatos
People are not stating that ninja is weak, at least not damage-wise. Its that the issues with the AI and their inherently terrible survivability makes them a chore to play.
To be successful, you basically devote the entirety of your build in making them survivable enough to kill the enemy before they get massacred. (which is why secondaries like /FF, /Time, /Dark are recommended)
Well, I've also been known to love torture, so maybe this suites me just fine.
It's not just the damage, but it's their quickness. Robotics deals a lot of damage, but they are so slow! Ninjas move quick and their powers have high attack rates, so it makes their damage seem much more....fun!
But yes, I can tell when the force fields have worn off because they will instantly die. And I mean instantly....well Genin anyway. -
haha, yes I know that I came off a little happy-go-lucky there. I read so much about some of the negative aspects of the Ninja/ being too weak, and I just wanted to express how much I absolutely love the set.
I have to admit though, cockiness led me to get my butt handed to me the other night. I also noticed that the freaking Rikti monkeys and their mind control send my ninjas scattering. Very annoying. That and the Knives with their aoe....ninjas hate that, lol -
Ahhhh...now that makes the most sense. Ok, thank you, I get it much more now.
And now that I just figured out about the different builds, I can "try this again" so to speak.
Appreciate the help
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Ninjas make the best pets.
(flinch)
Ok, so I've ready pages and pages about all the issues surrounding ninjas and their squishiness and lack of def/res. But I believe that is the trade off for such awesome damage capability, and it just means you have to play to that style.
Couple things I do to keep them alive. Oh, and I have FF as secondary
(flinch)
- Don't use bodyguard mode. They are squishy, and if you let them run around untamed they will not be able to go toe to toe with any one foe, even with 3 shields up. Simply have ALL attack individual targets and continue to switch, timing the switch just as one dies to keep up the momentum.
- Buff, buff, and buff. It is quite a pain to summon, train, and then throw on all the buffs, but it's necessary. And take all the buffs you can get. I've got all the FFs, grant invis, all leadership....and one more I forget. Make sure they are all active before you go into battle.
- Green inspirations. Have plenty of them. Even though heal other is available, it is merely a crutch and cannot really be used in the heat of a battle.
- Pull. You do this by selecting a target, hitting attack, and then immediately click follow (defensive). They will run back to you and only attack the pulled target, putting distance between you and the mob whenever necessary.
- If all else fails, personal FF, and RUN! Through up personal force field and get the heck out of there. Leave the pets (do not let them follow and bring enemies to you!) and re-summon. I've tried to use personal FF to allow me to tank and let bodyguard mode distribute damage, but this only results in slower kills and still high chance for ninjas to die. PFF (coupled with Invisibility) is my last resort to stay alive.
I have heard a lot of negative things about this combo (Ninja/FF), but in my experience I've had the quickest kill rate out of the other pet primaries. And, if I'm on a team with healers or other buff-heavy members, they are unstoppable.
And, they are quiet!!! No grunting or heavy breathing, snarling, howling, or loud footsteps. Ahhhh.....
