Smersh
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Posts
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Joined
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Quote:I don't think we'll be seeing any sort of GDN for buffs and debuffs - They work well in this game, and are what distinguishes CoX from its fantasy competitors. Buffing and debuffing instead of healing is a valid strategy in this game, and I don't think it will be changed in any sweeping way.Originally Posted by Heraclea
I suspect that at some future date we're going to have to suffer the equivalent of the GDN for buffs and debuffs. This is going to cause even more howls of dismay than the original did. In the good old Golden Age of the game, it was no sacrifice to play a tanker or scrapper; but these characters typically sacrifice a lot of power for team utility.
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Actually, Leviathan Mastery is the best pool for getting S/L resist bonuses from.
Here's an electric/dark tank I think might have a good shot at tanking Recluse. Smash/Lethal resists will be easily capped with alpha slotting; as it is, it's got 88.5% smashing resistance and 86.5% lethal resistance. Being an electric tank, it of course has total immunity to endurance drain and capped energy resists. Siphon Life and energize provide plenty of healing potential.
It's not the best possible build; I'm sure that defense or recharge could also be built onto this chassis.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.90
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Recluse Tanker: Level 50 Magic Tanker
Primary Power Set: Electric Armor
Secondary Power Set: Dark Melee
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leaping
Ancillary Pool: Leviathan Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Charged Armor -- Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(A), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg(17), Aegis-ResDam(17), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(21)
Level 1: Shadow Punch -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(A), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(34), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(36), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg(36), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(36)
Level 2: Lightning Field -- M'Strk-Acc/Dmg(A), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx(3), M'Strk-Dmg/Rchg(3), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx(5), Efficacy-EndMod/EndRdx(11), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc(19)
Level 4: Conductive Shield -- Aegis-ResDam(A), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(5), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg(7), ImpArm-ResPsi(7)
Level 6: Static Shield -- Aegis-ResDam(A), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(9), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg(9), ImpArm-ResPsi(11)
Level 8: Grounded -- ImpArm-ResPsi(A), ImpArm-ResDam(19)
Level 10: Smite -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(37), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg(37), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(39), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(39)
Level 12: Energize -- Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx(A), Dct'dW-Rchg(13), Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg(13), Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(15), Dct'dW-Heal(15)
Level 14: Taunt -- Taunt-I(A)
Level 16: Siphon Life -- Nictus-Heal/HP/Regen/Rchg(A), Nictus-Acc/EndRdx/Heal/HP/Regen(31), Nictus-Acc/Heal(33), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg(33), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(33), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(34)
Level 18: Lightning Reflexes -- Run-I(A)
Level 20: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(21)
Level 22: Kick -- KinCrsh-Dmg/KB(A), KinCrsh-Acc/KB(23), KinCrsh-Rchg/KB(23)
Level 24: Tough -- Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(A), Aegis-ResDam(25), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg(25)
Level 26: Weave -- RedFtn-Def(A), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(27), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(27), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(29), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(29)
Level 28: Power Sink -- P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(A)
Level 30: Soul Drain -- M'Strk-Acc/Dmg(A), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(31), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(31), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg(34), M'Strk-Dmg/Rchg(39)
Level 32: Combat Jumping -- SW-ResDam/Re TP(A), LkGmblr-Rchg+(37)
Level 35: Dark Consumption -- M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx(A), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg(43), M'Strk-Dmg/Rchg(43), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg(46), Sciroc-Acc/Rchg(50)
Level 38: Midnight Grasp -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(A), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(40), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(40), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg(40), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(43)
Level 41: School of Sharks -- AirB'st-Acc/Dmg(A), AirB'st-Dmg/EndRdx(42), AirB'st-Dmg/Rchg(42), AirB'st-Dmg/Rng(42)
Level 44: Arctic Breath -- AnWeak-DefDeb(A), AnWeak-Acc/DefDeb(45), AnWeak-Acc/Rchg(45), AnWeak-DefDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(45), AnWeak-Acc/Rchg/EndRdx(46), AnWeak-%ToHit(46)
Level 47: Summon Guardian -- EdctM'r-Acc/Dmg(A), EdctM'r-Dmg/EndRdx(48), EdctM'r-Acc/EndRdx(48), EdctM'r-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(48)
Level 49: Spirit Shark -- KinCrsh-Dmg/KB(A), KinCrsh-Acc/KB(50), KinCrsh-Rchg/KB(50)
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Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- Empty(A)
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Quote:Correcting myself - Earth Mastery cannot be slotted for defense debuff.Originally Posted by Smersh
I didn't say it was probable, just possible.
The other issue is figuring out where to put those Analyze Weakness on a tanker... the only way that I see offhand is to go dual blades on the secondary and pick up four Earth Mastery powers. -
Quote:I've experimented before with taking electric armor to the resist cap, so I've looked at those particular set bonuses before. (I also did weird things like splitting purple sets, to double up on the 2.52% resist bonuses in things like Hecatomb.)Originally Posted by Arcanaville
I thought it was possible also, I just didn't realize how costly (in some way) it would be when I said it.
Just thought experiments, mind - my only electric armor is on a scrapper and a brute. -
Quote:I didn't say it was probable, just possible.Originally Posted by Arcanaville
One PvP IO is a little expensive. 26 PvPOs is something else entirely. I think it would be cheaper to bribe Lord Recluse to take a dive in your task force.
The other issue is figuring out where to put those Analyze Weakness on a tanker... the only way that I see offhand is to go dual blades on the secondary and pick up four Earth Mastery powers. -
Quote:Or expensive with Gladiator's Strike x5 and a Shield Wall.Originally Posted by Arcanaville
78% wouldn't be enough. I was thinking inventions could get you within striking distance of 90%, but now that I think about it the only way to do that is to sell out your offense completely and go with Shield Wall + Analyze Weakness.
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Quote:Battle Maiden isn't any tougher from a lore perspective. She's just leading an invasion with orbital weapons backup and a new trick in the form of flying swords.Originally Posted by Johnny_Butane
Except that's not what the Alpha and these two TFs do.
The devs again throw us at Kobolds, but make them level 54 and enforce an additional -4 debuff if you don't have the Alpha.
The Alpha didn't make us more powerful so we could face enemies we couldn't before; it merely partially removes an arbitrary and completely artificial gate the devs created and enforced.
And, we're not fighting dragons now. We're fighting the same Battle Maiden we've fought before, that I've both soloed and duo'ed, but now I can't even stand up to her where as before I could.
So who got more powerful? NOT US.
In this case the rewards only lets us backslide a little less than we would without them, but we still have backslid. I used to be able to stand up to AVs. I stood up to these very same AVs. If the point of the Incarnate system is to present us with new challenges, these aren't that. They're not new; they're the guys I used to be able to go up against but I can't because the devs gave THEM the power boost along with cheating versions of Vengeance, a Lore slot that's way more powerful than players will ever get and rapid fire unresistible damage type nukes.
I'll spell it out clearly:
If you make player characters 5% more powerful but make the enemies 400% more powerful, you didn't really make player characters more powerful AT ALL.
The challenge of the content aimed for the Alpha slot should reflect the improvement the Alpha actually brings, not what it may bring four months later when they get around to adding the rest of the tiers and not what other Incarnate slots may bring if they get released before the game goes under.
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It's not Battle Maiden that's harder, it's the situation that's gotten harder.
It's perfectly sensible from a comic book perspective.
I just ran an Apex TF for the first time last night - it was an unsuccessful run, but I loved that last battle nonetheless. It added more than a superhero dogpile to the mix. The lack of success had to do more with the fact that we were melee heavy and we lost a couple of people before the end, and if we had been really determined, we could have pulled it off.
The only wish I had was that the ground floor part of that map was a little larger - I found myself getting cornered by the orbital swords of doom a few times.
I viewed the difference between Battle Maiden on Warrior Earth and Battle Maiden invasion leader in that, in the first case it was a hasty, thrown-together defense against a surprise attack, and the second was a calculated assault with backup.
Playing a tank meant that I had the ability to take the death patches for a few seconds if I miscalculated and the ability to recover from that miscalculation, as well as the opportunity to move her from her death patches so that the other melees could engage her.
Upgrading to fight dragons is all well and good, but that kobold chieftein you fought early on is a very credible threat later when he puts on the Hand and Eye of Vecna. -
Still no helmet on the robot form?
Bah, I say. -
Quote:Not everyone thinks as you do. You seem to think that my admitting 'Nancy Boy' to my supergroup would somehow be a bad thing, or at least imply that it's worse than bringing in Manly Man.Originally Posted by Ultra_Violence
No no men can't have shorts. That brings up the whole shaved/unshaved legs issue. Then if you give men unshaved legs some women will want it to and there goes the ESRB again (in the US anyway) lol. We went through all this with nipples.
Seriously though there are a LOT of immature players and if you give them ammunition they will use it and you be admitting 'Nancy Boy' joining your SG because, after all, you shouldn't judge. As a GM do YOU want to put your job on the line for saying what is cross dressing and that it is inappropriate? Well for men anyway, no one dares tell women what to wear - no one would dare accuse a female charater in a flannel shirt and work boots of not dressing appropriately (unless she also had an inappropriate name then they'd make you change the name).
We live hip deep in hypocrisy. The easiest way to avoid problems is not to take risks. I think some long hair isn't TOO much, but I'm sure they had a lot of meetings before they even introduced kilts. Personally I don't think varieties of shorts would be all that popular for guys. "Bicycle Delivery Guy" dies on the vine.
Your arguments are invalid, and have a bizarre form of gender myopia.
I say, long hair for men. Skirts for men. High heels for men. Tops with skin for men. Male costume pieces for women (I really want the Baron Boots for my female characters!)
In my experience, it's not just the use of costume pieces that make creating characters fun - it's using costume pieces in ways other than the intended to create something completely new that's really fun. -
Quote:They start examining Super Strength, say goodbye to Rage in its current incarnation.Originally Posted by Hyperstrike
That's just it though. If they're going to start flipping powers around, etc, etc. They're going to start fiddling with the entire set, trying to "rebalance it".
One is NOT enamored of the possible results of this.
In my opinion, of course. -
The 88s... just so crazy, it might work.
I support this endeavor. -
Quote:Nope. All taunt auras can take taunt IOs, but not taunt set IOs.Originally Posted by Teh_Valcarde
Not able to access Mid's at the moment...
But will the Perfect Zinger Psi damage proc (taunt set) fit in the taunt aura in Shield Defense? -
Hurl with a shield equals a big boulder-sized one-handed fastball.
That was reason enough for me to take it. -
I would think it would be do-able, though I won't swear to it as I haven't run the numbers that closely. Your chain would look something like Beheader-Gash-Swoop-Cleave at moderate levels of recharge (70%-ish global, no hasten) and would be immensely aided by using AAO fodder - gather a stack of minions to fuel your damage.
I'd have to look at a proposed build before I could make any further statements, of course, and I don't have any sort of DPS-calculating spreadsheets - I do the math by hand. (I should set one of those up at some point.)
Cleave, of course, can take the Fury of the Gladiator -Res proc, which I would think could speed up the process significantly.
Just make sure that your endurance usage is sustainable first, because running down your blue bar really hits your DPS. I have no experience playing with Battle Axe above level 8 or so, but I found my Shields/SS to be pretty endurance-heavy.
Also, I'd suggest trying at first with an AV who is does not have a heavy S/L resistance, to get a feel for it. -
Quote:There is that.Originally Posted by Wayfarer
Of course does tracking Hulu viewers do them much good? One of the primary reasons for tracking viewers is so that they can set advertising rates. People who view a show on Hulu aren't going to help the broadcast network sell more advertising on the show.
You can argue that Nielsen ratings are outdated, you can argue that the networks have no clue what to do with the information outside of the traditional broadcast ratings.
You just can't argue that Nielsen is not good at collecting the data, because they really are good at collecting the data. -
Quote:Not true. Nielsen does have the technology to figure out time shifts. They can even figure out your time shift if you use the antiquated technology known as the VCR. And diaries are only used in a very few areas of the country anymore.Originally Posted by Mandu
Neilson ratings are for idiots. They only take into account people who don't know how to time shift or people who are willing to fill out a diary.
It's like Ford asking the Amish what their favorite features are in a car.
And they do track online views... sorta. A website like Hulu has its own way of tracking viewers, so Nielsen has no need to track that specifically. What Nielsen does do... is track how their homes use online viewing versus standard television viewing.
Now, Nielsen also doesn't track something like Netflix on very well. But they do track how their selected families view their content, and what their habits are.
Unless, of course, you're downloading the episodes and watching them on your computer... I think they only monitor streaming video in their homes. -
0/5.
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Also, Alignment Merits.
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Not to mention that Melt Armor is virtually useless... I used to use it on Smersh before I decided that it was largely pointless.
Likewise, if you're needing to use Unstoppable enough that you are needing to slot additional recharge in it, you're doing it wrong. Tough and Weave do wonders for an invuln tank, but they shine best in conjunction with those passive powers. They supplement, they don't replace.
For STF, you will want a good inspiration loadout and as much team buffing as you can get your hands on. And it really does help to be level 50.
Monitor your defenses, you need 75% defense to softcap against Super Recluse. Oranges will help to alleviate the two-shot chacha.
May I also suggest that even a modest IO investment can have huge returns. -
Quote:I should point out that the problems tanking Numina are related to the mobs, not to any issues with Ice or Shields.Originally Posted by Heraclea
Invulnerability is probably the best all around performer for what you are doing. You can get solid defense, good physical resistance, and run every TF in the game, including the ones that exemp you down. (If you want to know pain, tank Numina on a shield or ice tanker.)
For your goals, I'd suggest a specific build: Inv/Dark Melee. Dark Melee makes any tanker primary tougher. It builds on your defense, it gives you health back, and if you are out of end it might help there too.
Ice and Shields do exactly what they are supposed to do. It's just that the DE Quartz make everything ignore your defense. -
OpenOffice.
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Quote:I liked it when Christopher Lee asked Eccelton how many lights there were and he was all "I am not a number, I am a free man!"Originally Posted by Mirai
Yes, I think the Master has some of the best lines in Star Trek. And he looks much better in that picture than his recent clean-shaven look.
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Quote:That's... evil.Originally Posted by Leandro
Doesn't work for me. PayPal *used* to work, but for the last couple of months it says that the transaction "did not past risk assesment", and that's that. No game time for me. My account expires the 27th and it'll likely remain expired until I manage to hunt down a time card again. Took two weeks to get one last time, and trying to buy them on other websites resulted in various un-fun things, such as this one. So come December 27th, no COH for me for a while.
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Invulnerability is very tough, especially softcapped to S/L/E/N.
Dark is likewise very tough, with a massive self-heal, but has no way to increase its hitpoints outside of set bonuses. Also easy enough to cap to S/L/E/N.
Ice is not quite as tough, but has the best aggro auras.
Shields is incredibly easy to softcap.
Fire and Electric are less tough defensively, but add extra offense.
Willpower has very well-rounded defenses, but has a weak taunt aura. -
So you could skip from book six to eleven and not miss a thing?