ThunderPuncher

Okay, dude...,

- Look, I've been playing blasters probably since beta (or earlier)...you wanna complain? You wanna talk about no mez protection...no, serioiusly...let's TALK about no mez protection. Let's talk about a Sapper (Malta Minion/Lt) KILLING you because you could NOT fight back...because you were stunned. Yeah, I shut down this arguement...you can thank me later...'nuff said.

Heh...,

- Too true!...my personal favorite in regarding blasters is that when one person expressed to me that blasters, inherently, have very little/no damage mitigation. I simply replied, "Blasters have damage mitigation...see? $target is defeated...damage mitigated. ".

Well...,

- If you really want to haul off and start doing huge ugly numbers to the bad guys...you can either play an AT whose role is to DEAL damage (i.e. - scrapper and/or blaster) or take a good hard look at the powersets available and proceed from there. I found a wonderfully useful powerset combination that (so far) has allowed me to wipe out +5 mobs solo - the Kinetics/Energy Blast Defender.
- You want damage?...let's talk Siphon Power. Slot it 3 recharge and one accuracy and you have a 'Build Up' power that can stack 4 TIMES. Remember, just one application of Siphon Power BOOSTS your damage potential 25%...now imagine what happens when you throw in Fulcrum Shift. Blasters?...who needs blasters?!

Plant Control/Thermal Radiation was a nice pairing,

- You'll always have something to do: healing allies, buffing thier resistances, demezzing, ensnaring mobs and spreading the joyous 'seeds of love'...and that's all before level 20. When solo...you can pretty much ignore your secondary set (except for warmth every now and then) and let the wonderful plant world do it's work for you with lots of 'seeding' in between. The 'sleep bomb' does wonders in case you draw extra attention. Can't wait for 'Melt Armor' so my wonderfully confused mobs can kill each other faster.

While I'm wont to agree for the most part...,

- You must realize that a defender (more then any other AT) really shines in group play. In essence, a defender that's actually defending people is well...a defender. The powersets alone often scream 'team-player' (i.e. - empathy, force-field), but that is not entirely the case.
- After making a few defenders...some bad, some just plain blah yet others not knowing how I managed to get past 20th there are a few powerset combinations that really shine - SOLO. One particular set combination was Kinetics/Energy Blast. This combination, so far, has been fun...almost to the point of being helarious.
- With the recovery, regen, kb almost perpetual nonstop buildup...this powerset turns into a literal wrecking ball even after just one application of siphon power. Once you have siphon power stacked (or even better, fulcrum shift)...you won't have much by way of defense, but you won't have many enemies opposing you either - you just blasted them to kingdom come!
- Give a Kin/EB Defender a try...you might be pleased to have a defender deal out that much carnage!

Well...,

- Once again, I vote for EB/EM Blasters...the utility alone from EM is astounding - conserve energy, boost range (which literally makes all attacks snipes, except for cones aoes) and power boost which makes EVERYTHING more useful - it's got it all. The melee attacks are wicked as well...(quoting Forest Gump) 'They're my favorite'.

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Well...,

- I'd have to say of all the blaster's I've tried, I'm still stuck on my ol' standby Thunder-Puncher (EM/EB/Mu). He's the only blaster that I ever made to 50th, plays like a scrapper and only has two powers out of his primary set (Energy Blast, which I rarely use, and Nova). Considering he survive ED and Defiance 2.0...I guess that's sayin' something, I guess.

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Did You mean NRG/EM?

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Whoops!...,

- Yeah, I meant that...see, I've been meleeing with him so long...I forgot EB was his primary, not EM. *snerks*

Alright...,

- I guess I should put my two-cents worth in here. In regarding Tankers and Damage...you CAN spec a tank for pure damage - it's possible, I've done it (please see references regarding 'The Toggless Tanker' - a Inv/SS Build). The dps can easily be made on par with scrappers (if not blasters). You won't be group friendly and you most assuredly will not be leading the charge against AV's without a buff (or tier 9 activation)...but other then that, yes, you CAN make a Tanker deal damage.
- To put it simply...it's really all about slotting and power choices. If you want to be a standard 'Tank'...take toggles and a majority of what the primary powerset offers. If not, take only passive/click powers and focus primarily on the secondary (slotting for recharge/damage...accuracy optional) and there you go! See how easy that was?
- Okay, that was fun...next!

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Nope.

But look on the bright side.

It's springtime in the northern hemisphere, fall in the southern, not too hot OR too cold, great time to be outside instead of on the computer reading the emo whiny crap us mopey negative wet blankets are writing, anyhow.

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Too right...

Well...,

- I'd have to say of all the blaster's I've tried, I'm still stuck on my ol' standby Thunder-Puncher (EM/EB/Mu). He's the only blaster that I ever made to 50th, plays like a scrapper and only has two powers out of his primary set (Energy Blast, which I rarely use, and Nova). Considering he survive ED and Defiance 2.0...I guess that's sayin' something, I guess.

So ye wanna be a melee blaster, eh?

- Alrighty, I reckon I can give a few tips on th' fine art of 'zerkin' 'cause, technically, that's what ye are - a flat-out bezerker. Ye gots almost no defense an'/er resistances, only a sliver o' life an' enough damage magnitude ta make ye th' primary target even though there maybe a tanker tauntin'. If that donnae disuade ye then ta top it all off...ye gots ta be in melee range ta deliver yer payload. How is this done?!...well, friend, grab a brewsky - I'll tell ye all 'bout it.
- First off, th' basics: ALL melee blasters start out with one ranged and one melee attack at th' start. Now, certain powersets may vary, but on average it's par fer th' course. I chose the most powerful of the two initial primary ranged attacks 'cause if I ever was gonna blast...I wanted it ta hurt. Haven't used my initial secondary since day one simply 'cause when ye gets up close an' personal...th' LAST thing ye wants ta do is tickle yer opponent ta death. In th' beginnin', yer gonna feel most like a regular blaster 'cause ye ain't learned a lot o' melee skills an' th' one thing that does the most damage is yer blast. Donnae worry, though, I still use me only ranged attack ta pick off the mook runnin' fer 'is mommy...hate runners.
- Alright, as ye progress in level what I did was completely forget the primary powers an' delved exclusively inta th' secondary and power pools. This is gonna make ye a trademark melee blaster simply 'cause th' only thing ye gots a lot of is melee power. Yer gonna want to grab as many defensive powers you can muster 'cause, well, ye needs 'em - that means th' power pools an' whatever defense ye can leach out of yer travel powers. Now, these won't save yer bacon, but it'll postpone th' inevitable jest long 'nuff fer ye ta go ta work.
- Speakin' o' work...how to make it happen. It's an art, really, ye gots ta be mover. Ye donnae wanna spend more then a couple o' seconds on a minion er lieutenant 'cause that's all th' time it really should take fer a melee blaster ta put one down. Once ye drop yer target I've noticed the mob in general looks at ye like thier favorite past-time hobby. Donnae jest stand there bein' a punchin' bag - stick an' move! From my experience, ranged attacks donnae hurt near as much as melee so unless ye like advertisin' yer glass jaw - git movin'! Ye jest might be th' last man standin' if ye do...
- Bosses are a li'l more tricky since ye cannae one-shot drop 'em...they be the 'tough' ones. It's more like a boxing match with 'em: close in, deliver a few rounds an' back off...rinse, repeat. Ye can also jest go totally nuts on 'em an' nail 'em with everythin' in yer attack pattern, but yer runnin' th' risk o' gettin' nailed an' nailed hard. Both, I've noted, worked fer me hence I prefer the loony 'I'm gonna bash ye 'til ye drop' method. All in all, a boss shouldn't take more then fifteen seconds ta drop on a bad day - takin' longer encourages a trip ta th' hospital...
- How ta handle mobs...heh - mobs are gonna be yer bane. Anythin' solo, save arch-villains, is gonna be yer punchin' bag...a mob of them? Hmm, examine yer secondaries for thier special effect an' capitalize on it: energy disorientates, fire damages over time, ice slows an' devices does lots o' stuff. Lean on th' secondary effect like it's yer lifeline 'cause those secondary effects are savin' yer [censored] so spread th' love 'round. I prefer this method...charge in, nail the mob boss (whether it's a lieutenant or boss is nae important) an' dehabilitate him. Then go to work on th' mooks...hopefully ye'll be done with th' pack befer the effect wears off so all that's left is mobless leader who, of course, turns inta a punchin' bag.
- That's 'bout all I can suggest, folks...jest remember this: imagine yerself as a wreckin' ball an' that chain holdin' ye up is yer lifeline. That's exactly what ye are an' e'en though ye can take out buildin's...all that's gotta happen is someone gettin' wise an' takin' out yer chain to consciousness. Take 'em out first...take 'em out fast an' I'll see ye on' th' battlefield. Huzzah!!!

((Note: This guide was made purposefully vague - detailed guide to follow. *grins*))

- Okie folks, here's the guide to melee blastin' fer those that're crazy 'nuff ta do it (note: this is based on an energy/energy archetype - yer miles may vary)...

- Like I said befer, startin' out donnae leave ye with much an', like I said, I chose the stronger of th' two initial energy blasts...might as well make it hurt. To this day, I still use it to blast the pansy in [censored] when he's runnin'...hate runners. By all means, though, it will NOT be yer bread-an'-butter if yer goin' th' melee route...it doesnae e'en make a grand opener when ye gots it slotted fer damage (ye cannae still pull with it, though). The first secondary power ye get, I hate ta say, is just 'bout worthless...tried it, maxed it for damage an' noted me brawlin' skill did more, bleah! Sure, knockin' mooks 'round is all good an' fun, but if yer tryin' to knock someone inta the great bye-an'-bye smackin' 'em all across th' room ain't gettin' th' job done if they ain't stayin' down, neh?
- Speakin' o' knockin' 'em down...aye, this'll sound daft, but it's one o' me staples: Brawling. It's a default skill that only controllers seem ta use...slot it fer damage and make it yer default attack - ye'll be amazed how effective it can be (it's STILL my default attack). It's fast, burns almost no endurance an' can be that li'l punch that puts yer opponent down (does around 45 to an even con with 3 damage an' 1 accuracy).
- Alrighty, now that was me initial setup...Energy Blast, Brawl an' that annoyin' li'l power which I stopped using after...hmm, around - pfft, forgot. On to level 2 an' Energy Punch...Huzzah! Love this power - use it as much as possible, slot if for damage an' a li'l accuracy an' start droppin' th' mugs. This IS one o' yer bread-an'-butter moves. It's fast, burn a bit of endo, kinda slow on th' reload but hardly dissappointing. About this time ye can start callin' yerself a melee blaster 'cause ye'll be spendin' a majority of yer time brawlin' an' energy punchin' mooks with a few energy blasts scattered here an' there.
- 4th...Build Up - Huzzah! Another groovy li'l power that makes that not-so-impressive energy punch pack a wallop! Slot this puppy with recharge an' this li'l beauty will be the preverbial rabbit-out-of-th'-hat trick fer the mook that thinks he's got ye down fer th' count. I had experimented with a few respecs to see if slottin' recharge could make it perma - alas, nope. Still, it's a good power to have in yer tray when the brown, smelly stuff hits the fan an' ye really gots ta get somethin' done in a hurry. Next!...
- 6th...the power pool level. Oh boy, here is where all the options are, neh? Most folks go for travel power pools...like Superspeed (*snores*) - I went for Fighting and got Kick because...well, I like kickin' stuff! With another attack power ye can start cyclin' through a series of attacks without wonderin' how long it's gonna take ta fer somethin' ta recharge. Also, kick does a fair amount of damage, recharges faster then energy punch, burn a li'l endo and has a chance to do knockback, like power thrust, even though there's NO comparison damage-wise.
- Ye could also opt fer Boxing, I gots that one as well...at level 8: it's a fairly decent shot ta th' ribs, does decent damage, recharges faster an' burns less endo then kick. It also has a chance to disorientate which, when added to energy punch (which also has a disorientatin' effect), can knock yer boxin' partner loopy if he ain't already takin' a dirt nap...
- 10th...Bone Smasher - Huzzah!!! By far, one o' the best powers available ta th' secondary energy chain. It's execution is fairly quick, burns a bit of endo, does excellent damage an' doesnae recharge near as fast as I'd like it to. I gots it slotted with 3 damage, 1 accuracy and 2 recharge because this beauty packs a wallop! Get it, use it an' love it 'cause it's gonna be what ye use ta make bosses not like ye very much. Likewise, combine this li'l beaut with boxing and energy punch an' there's a good chance ye'll be makin' th' boss see stars!...burn build up prior to this an' ye'll make th' boss eat th' pavement (note: even con boss...not 'so purple he's black' con boss).
- 12th...Combat Jumping: still kinda wonderin' if the so-called defense bonus exists, but it does help in a fight. Acquire a target...auto-follow an' jump at 'im. Release yer jump when yer about midway an' ye'll literally land right on top of 'im. Make sure ye gots bone-smasher primed to go when ye get close enough, though. Nail with that an' follow-up with energy punch an' (if ye needs to) boxin', kick and brawl fer good measure...yer not gonna have much of a target after that run - won't have any target if ye burn build up prior to landing. This has been an' still is me main method of attackin'...jest make sure that as soon as yer boxin' partner calls it quits - ye jest might wants ta sashays away from that angry horde of mooks that just lost a lot of money bettin' on thier buddy. Or...you could go nova - ack, I'm gettin' ahead o' meself...
- 14th...Superleap, that's a given. I got really sick of askin' fer tele's, an' even though it's kinda hard ta chit-chat whilst jumpin' (reckon flyin' an' runnin's a no-brainer) it's been one o' th' more entertainin' travel powers I've experimented with. Plus, it's a hoot to richochet off the sides o' buildin's in Steel Canyon - can get some serious height off o' them...landin' kinda bites, though. Not too many places are inaccessible to a seasoned jumper...you know who you are. Slot it with jump enhancers and clear half th' city in a dusty gravel trail!
- 16th level...about this time ye gots yerself a good line of offensive attacks an' can chain fairly easily without havin' to worry 'bout recharge all that much. Now's the problem...yer gettin' yer tail kicked inta next Sunday. E'en if ye learned th' 'stick an' move' method yer still gettin' shot all ta pieces by them limey basterds with pea-shooters. Time ta invest in defense, folks, an' that only comes from power pools. Tough from the Fighting Pool helps out there an' though it's nowhere near as good as them tanker abilities, it does shave off a good bit of damage from the two most common attacks in the beginning - smashing and lethal. Slot it as much as possible because this is pretty much the only damage resistance yer gonna get.
- Note: Like Combat Jumping, Tough is a toggle an' toggles in me book...stink ta high heaven. They constantly burn endo an' can be snuffed by anyone wise enough ta slap a hold on ye, put ye ta sleep, stun, read you bad poetry...blah! Point is, they's nice but do NOT depend on them - at my level, they're more off then on an'ways...
- 18th an' 20th - Swift, 'cause I couldn't get Weave 'til I was 20th. Swift from th' Fitness pool is actually kinda handy...really helps out in a brawl when ye happen to do a lot of movin' an' donnae want ta wait until Christmas ta reach yer next dance partner. Slot as many run enhancers as you feel needed - I gots three. Nifty thing about Swift?...it's an auto power, NOT a toggle - it's on, stays on, groovy! Weave at 20th 'cause I was gettin' really miffed at gettin' hit all the time...slot with defense enhancers an' with Combat Jumping also slotted with defense - well, yer still gonna get hit...just not as much. Remember, Weave's 'nother toggle...*grumbles*.
- 22nd an' 24th - Health an' Stamina...Huzzah! Two auto powers that make somewhat of a difference - helps kill downtime, an'ways. Around these levels yer burnin' through endo like it's candy with all those toggles goin' an' fists flyin'...Stamina helps counteract yer endo-munchin' habit. Health's a given 'cause yer a melee-blaster an' yer gettin' nailed worse then yer buddy sittin' in back playin' dodge ball. Though it may not be noticeable in a fight...ye bounce back faster then those that don't have it.
- Note: There's no shame in jumpin' ship when the tide's against ye...jest hole back a bit an' let Health an' Stamina do thier job - then bounce right back in there, slugger!
- 26th - Acrobatics...th' first limey basterd that says I wear a tutu is gonna get slugged. Right, with that said, this li'l skill gives you some resistances to holds an' knockbacks. In a scrap, the last thing ye needs it ta be knocked on yer [censored]...this ability helps prevent that AND th' wierd thing about this toggle power is that it helps prevent yer toggles from bein' dropped by holds. Nifty, but don't bank on it...a strong enough hold's gonna drop yer toggles - just donnae expect it not ta happen. One thing I noted is that with acrobatics...Sorcerers didnae bother me much when they went all windy an' whatnot. All in all, not a bad power ta have...
- 28th an' 30th...Stun an' Hurdle. About around this time I was gettin' kinda bored an' wasnae too sure exactly what kind of power I was goin' ta invest in until Nova became available so I went with another melee power an' somethin' ta help me jump a li'l further. I respecced once I got Hurdle just for fun an slotted Sprint an' Superleap with all jump enhancers along with Hurdle...folks, don't do this - once ye jump ye'll wonderin' where th' ground is. Stun...heh, when I first got this I immediately wanted to respec out of it until I realized somethin' - villains use toggles, too! Slot for accuracy an' recharge - do NOT slot for damage, it's does the same amount as Power Thrust an' you all know my opinion on THAT power. Stun is a slow rechargin', slow executin', low damagin' attack that's almost pointless EXCEPT...it's got a great disorientation ability. Tired o' gettin' hit?...rear back an' bop yer boxin' partner on th' noodle with this beaut an' he'll not be so keen on dancin'.
- 32nd...Nova - Huzzah! Got yerself in a heap o' trouble?...surrounded by a bunch o' not-so-favorite fans? Let 'em know how much ye appreciate th' attention...by returnin' th' favor! As far as melee-blasters go...this is th' winner of 'em all. Slot for damage...it's accurate enough an' let th' fun begin! I personally prefered the 'Cannon-Ball' maneuver - target a large horde o' mooks, target one, auto-follow, jump, build up an' land with nova. We all know what happens after that...bodies fly. Th' only kick in th' teeth with this power is that is bleeds ye dry an' yer left runnin' fer cover 'cause ye ain't got's no endo left an' ye donnae recover for a while - NOT good for a melee-blaster. Th' cure?...stock up on endo inspirations - not much else ye can do 'bout it.
- By now ye gots Nova an' are havin' lots o' fun blowin' stuff up. Ye gots yerself a fairly standard method of operatin'...charge in an' start bashin' an' ye gots, at least, a moderate means o' defense. The 30's donnae hold much fer ye as there's only a few more powers ye can get an' by now ye should've acquired all th' defensive powers ye can get. With less then a half dozen powers left to attain, it's pretty much anyone's show as ta what ye should get. Me?...heh...
- 35th - Taunt...Huzzah! Nothin'll make yer team mates think yer crackers more then by bustin' out an' callin' the Psychic Clockwork King, 'Queenie'. A total fluff power in me book, but it has garnered me my notorious reputation of bein' a total whack-job, I takes it with a token o' pride. It also doesn't hurt to have someone in the group with taunt other then th' tank...unfortunately, it's you. Take yer licks, th' defender pullin' yer slumped body off th' ground'll thank ye fer it.
- 38th - Intimidate...Huzzah! Ye know yer bad stuff so if some mook's givin' ye a hard time, give 'em the ol' Thunder-Puncher 'stare down'. Ain't nothin' like makin' yer dance partner shake in 'is li'l booties knowin' that next punch yer gonna throw is gonna hurt an' probably pretty bad. Ye donnae gots much crowd control ability an' mobs are still a pain...doesn't hurt ta leave one quakin' whilst ye focus on some other mug. Another fluff power in me book...jest wanted ta be different, I wager.
- 41st...epic power pool time an' Body Armor...Huzzah! The very last defense power yer gonna be able ta get an' believe me...it's needed. It's an auto power so it donnae wink out when ye gets stunned er whatnot. It goes without sayin'...max this puppy out with defense! Pity it only protects versus smashing an' lethal - around this level yer gettin' nailed with everythin' from mental damage to frozen tofu. Still, it helps...I guess.

- At this time, I'm only 42nd...shucks, an' have still two other powers to attain. Most likely I'll be gettin' Snipe because, e'en though I'm a melee blaster, it wouldn't hurt to have a really nice blast - respecced out of it because I moved around too much. Total Focus was another I considered, but the amount of time it takes to deliver often left me face-down in th' dirt. Took it once an' respecced out of it because, at the time, my bone smasher was doin' comparable damage an' didnae take near as long to execute. Out of humor, though...probably going to get Panic for that crowd control I need so much an' Aim because all of my powers only have one accuracy enhancer an' missin' really blows - especially when yer up close an' personal.
- So, there ye have it...Thunder-Puncher 'in-a-bag'. Try it out, see what ye thinks...donnae hesitate ta try other powersets like Ice or Electricity Manipulation - there's more then one 'blapper' powerset. Good luck in yer venturin'...donnae get dissappointed when yer chewin' gravel - happens an' in yer case it'll probably happen lots. Donnae worry 'bout it...ye'll be 'Deathless' in no time - Huzzah!