Two_Dollar_Bill

I posted my own DDDD build some time ago, here.
In my case, I felt the Fighting pool was unnecessary as long as I had good positional defense bonuses from IO sets, Shadow Fall, Hover and Tactics.

My own experiences are not exactly a peer-reviewed scientific study, but I have a Controller and a couple Defenders whose DPS is laughably poor, and they still get rares at the same rate as my more damage-dealing characters.
Back before Keyes got nerfed, my Empathy Defender went on a series of Keyes runs in which he was so busy healing that he barely attacked at all, and he got quite lucky with the drops.
Anyway, I have no reason to doubt the official line: rewards are random.

I have an Empathy/Energy Blast Defender. His survival is largely based on three factors:

1) Single target attacks. I don't damage the whole room so I don't aggro the whole room. This option may not work as well for Electric Blast.

2) Positional defense from IO sets on top of normal defensive powers like Maneuvers, Hover, etc. There are lots of cheap (or at least non-purple) IO sets with great defensive bonuses.

3) Stealth IO. Even if you're just minding your own business and healing, that crazed Brute you're trying to keep alive can drag you through a lot of random aggro. Being stealthy makes you a lot less interesting for them to attack.

How set are you on this specific power set combination?
I have a Merc/Poison Mastermind and I've tried to make him durable for years, without success. I've debated deleting him because ALL my other Masterminds are more durable. (No, I don't have any Ninja.)

My Crab's main build is melee-oriented and I enjoy it, but it does lack one of the fun features of Crab Spiders... pets. I have a secondary build that has never been entirely satisfactory, but I keep tinkering with it. This is my next attempt.

- Leadership heavy... six toggles + Vengeance. Intended for teams, not solo.
- Defenses: 33% Melee, 44.5% Ranged, 35.1% AoE.
- Disruptors and Blaster are not permanent and I am not taking Hasten. I rotate pet summoning powers so that two sets are always active.
- Intended to fight at range using Suppression, Venom Grenade and Frag Grenade.
- Although it is a ranged build, I like Arm Lash too much to drop it. Shatter Armor is a prerequisite for Summon Blaster and it really helps for dispatching high-priority targets quickly.
- I discovered that I seldom remember to switch from Super Jump to Combat Jumping when battle begins, so none of my builds have Combat Jumping anymore.
- Ragnarok is a place-holder for the Dominion of Arachnos ATO set.

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.951
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Mastercrab I21.5: Level 50 Natural Arachnos Soldier
Primary Power Set: Crab Spider Soldier
Secondary Power Set: Crab Spider Training
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Teleportation
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Mace Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Channelgun -- ShldBrk-DefDeb(A), ShldBrk-Acc/DefDeb(3), ShldBrk-Acc/Rchg(3), ShldBrk-DefDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(27), ShldBrk-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(45), ShldBrk-%Dam(46)
Level 1: Crab Spider Armor Upgrade -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A), S'fstPrt-ResKB(5)
Level 2: Combat Training: Defensive -- LkGmblr-Def(A), LkGmblr-Rchg+(7)
Level 4: Super Jump -- Zephyr-Travel(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(9), Zephyr-ResKB(9)
Level 6: Recall Friend -- Zephyr-ResKB(A)
Level 8: Suppression -- Ragnrk-Dmg(A), Ragnrk-Dmg/Rchg(11), Ragnrk-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(11), Ragnrk-Acc/Rchg(31), Ragnrk-Dmg/EndRdx(31), Ragnrk-Knock%(33)
Level 10: Tactical Training: Maneuvers -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(13), LkGmblr-Def(13), LkGmblr-Rchg+(23)
Level 12: Arm Lash -- Oblit-Dmg(A), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(15), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(15), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(34), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(34), Oblit-%Dam(34)
Level 14: Venom Grenade -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(17), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(17), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(37), Posi-Dam%(40)
Level 16: Maneuvers -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(19), LkGmblr-Rchg+(19)
Level 18: Frag Grenade -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(21), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(21), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(40), Posi-Dam%(42)
Level 20: Tactical Training: Assault -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 22: Mental Training -- Run-I(A)
Level 24: Fortification -- Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(A), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg(25), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(25), Aegis-ResDam(42), Aegis-Psi/Status(42)
Level 26: Tactical Training: Leadership -- GSFC-ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx(A), GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx(27)
Level 28: Serum -- Numna-Heal/Rchg(A), Numna-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(29), Numna-Heal(29), Numna-EndRdx/Rchg(37)
Level 30: Assault -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(31)
Level 32: Tactics -- GSFC-ToHit(A), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg(33), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx(33), GSFC-Rchg/EndRdx(43), GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx(43), GSFC-Build%(43)
Level 35: Summon Spiderlings -- ExRmnt-Acc/Rchg(A), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg(36), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(36), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(36), ExRmnt-Dmg/EndRdx(37), ExRmnt-+Res(Pets)(50)
Level 38: Call Reinforcements -- ExRmnt-Acc/Rchg(A), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg(39), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(39), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(39), RechRdx-I(40)
Level 41: Web Envelope -- Acc-I(A)
Level 44: Shatter Armor -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(45), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(45), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(46), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(46), Mako-Dam%(50)
Level 47: Summon Blaster -- ExRmnt-Acc/Rchg(A), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg(48), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(48), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(48), RechRdx-I(50)
Level 49: Vengeance -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Conditioning
Level 1: Sprint -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Mrcl-Rcvry+(A), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(7)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-End%(5), EndMod-I(23)
------------

My Crab Spider operates in melee. He doesn't want his victims stunned, slowed, terrorized or immobilized. He wants the whole mob to run up and give him a group hug so he can use Frenzy and hit multiple targets with Arm Lash. That's why I consider the ATO proc more annoying than useful. Even on teams when I can't really hold much aggro, I normally fire off Suppression while the tank is herding things up. But with the ATO proc it creates stragglers that stop and cower instead of being herded. I am currently using the whole set in Suppression, but I will probably replace the proc with a recharge IO or a Damage/Range Hami-O.

I did have Omega Maneuver slotted with Stupefy when I was leveling up, but I liked Positron's Blast better. Ultimately I dropped the power altogether because it was too slow to be effective on teams.

I will join the chorus: Assault.

The relative unpopularity of Soldiers of Arachnos compared to say, Scrappers, should create a glut on the market for a while. But, since you can convert them to other sets, I expect that the price of the less popular ones will soon develop a "floor" like the unpopular purple recipes did. So, this may be the time to pick them up on the cheap while many people are still opening packs.

Based on other threads that have discussed it, I don't think there is huge enthusiasm for it. The effects of the proc seem pretty modest. Some people will want it just to squeeze a few extra percentage points out of every power. A lot of people seem to be eyeing the set as a replacement for Positron's Blast. Crabs in particular can easily bump into the Rule of Five (for 6.25% Recharge bonuses) if they have a few ranged AoE attacks and some pets.

I think you'll find that taking all three of the Crab ranged AoE attacks plus Channelgun and Longfang will give you plenty of attacks to keep you busy. Once you add in two more AoEs from a patron pool, you've have useless attacks that you never use.

It's fairly straightforward to write up a Crab that has a ton of AoE attacks. Things only get tricky when you try to include other priorities. Do you want all your defenses soft-capped? Do you want the maximum number of rapid-recharging pets? Are you going to taunt to keep your pets from taking damage, or rely on the incarnate Barrier power? Do you want lots of Leadership to make your pets (and teammates) strong, or maximize your own power instead? In general, do you want extreme DPS or would you rather be very survivable?

Well, I don't think there's any point in just borrowing someone's build if you don't know why certain design decisions were made. So, I have a few (okay, several) pointers:

Leadership
One of the major strengths of any Soldier of Arachnos is Leadership. You have superior versions of all the Leadership toggles in the Training and Gadgets powerset, and if you take the actual Leadership pool, you get very favorable numbers from all of those powers, better than most other archetypes. My own Crab has no pets and still runs five leadership toggles because they're just that good. A Mastercrab like the one you want to make should think long and hard before skipping any Leadership power.

Defenses
The main thing that keeps any Crab Spider alive is high defenses. Soft-capping your ranged defense is so easy and so vital that it should be considered one of the most basic requirements of an effective Crab build. Whether you need to worry about Melee or AoE defense depends on your play style, but it doesn't hurt.
- Tactical Training: Maneuvers is just plain amazing. With modest slotting, it should provide a massive 15% to all defenses for yourself, your pets and your team.
- Combat Training: Defensive is what makes capping ranged defense so easy. You can get better than 10% ranged defense with just two slots: the Defense IO and Global Recharge IO from LotG.
- Maneuvers (Pool) gives your whole team and all your pets better than 5% defense with minimal slotting.
- You may or may not need Combat Jumping, Hover or Weave. They don't benefit your team or pets, and you can cap out your ranged defense without them.

Damage Resistance
Crabs can have very respectable damage resistance, but not enough that they can rely on it for their survival like some Tankers. It is strictly a backup to good defenses.
- Fortification is like Tough, but on steroids. Every Crab should take it and slot it generously. (More generously than that.)
- Crab Spider Armor Upgrade is a good power, mainly for the status protection it provides. The enhanceable part of this power (3% S/L resistance, 2% psi) is really nothing to write home about. A good spot for 2 or 3 slots of Steadfast Protection, but that's it.
- Wolf Spider armor is an inferior knockoff of Crab Spider Armor upgrade (lower status protection values) and isn't really worth taking at all.
- Tough is a solid power, but that doesn't mean every Crab Spider requires it. For a ranged Crab, if your defenses are solid without Weave, you probably don't require Tough.

Attacks
I don't understand the way Channelgun, Longfang and Suppression are slotted. This is a ranged build. These are your ranged attacks. Slot them up to be useful as attacks.
- Some people do slot Channelgun and/or Longfang with Shield Breaker for the defense bonuses. They are single-target filler attacks, so it's not a huge loss. However...
- Suppression is your mega AoE attack that damages the whole room and lets everyone know that the Crab Spider has arrived. It will deliver a substantial portion of your total DPS, if you allow it to. Slotting it to be a feeble debuff should be a criminal offense.
- I actually like Arm Lash a lot, and you have it slotted just like mine, and Trilby's for that matter. However, if you really intend to fight from range, I would drop it and use Shatter Armor as your one melee attack.
- Shatter Armor covers a prerequisite for more pets, it hurts like heck and it delivers another big resistance debuff. Give it 6 slots.
- Venom Grenade is great and your slotting for it is fine. I like to add a sixth slot for recharge so I can debuff even more.
- Omega Maneuver is a strange sort of psuedo-pet power that I personally find very hard to use on a team. I encourage you to try it before you do your last big respec, that way you can drop it if you need to.

Pets!
I think that giving a Crab Spider a full set of "perma pets" is too costly in terms of other build priorities. You can do a whole lot of other cool things with your Crab if you're willing to give up a few seconds of recharge. Still, that's neither here nor there. Your build does make some very inefficient choices in the name of recharge:
- Hasten is really highly overslotted. Three recharge IOs is the maximum you should ever consider, due to the diminishing returns of enhancement diversification. For best slotting efficiency, two is not bad.
- Stamina is also overslotted, and many of those slots include useless bonuses like Accuracy and Recharge. Stamina is fine with three slots. Performance Shifter, with the proc, is the way to go on Stamina.
- The standard way to get lots of recharge bonuses is Luck of the Gambler. Crabs are defense-based so it's easy to fit in five of them.
- None of your pet powers is anywhere near capped-out in terms of its own recharge. If you really want them to recharge faster... make them recharge faster.

Dark Miasma.

I always choose badges that relate to my characters' personality or background. I don't use badges to boast of my accomplishments. If anyone cares about that, they can just look at my Badges tab on their own.

- My Crab Spider is my main character and has traditionally worn the "Big Spider" badge, though I have more recently changed to "Webmaster".
- When I made a Troll character, he ran out and got "Just Said No to Superadyne" the instant he was high enough level to enter all of the zones, and has worn it ever since.
- I have a Mastermind who's a disgruntled Crey employee, and I try to keep him logged out in the Crey building in Nerva (doesn't have the badge yet).

I've never deleted a 50, and seldom any other characters, but it's more due to laziness than sentimentality. I've never run low on character slots so it's never been an issue.

- If I like a character concept but want different power sets, then I'll delete the character and it will be reborn, better than before. That's a good thing in my book.
- If I dislike a character concept, then deleting that character is no loss.

Well, if you want a very easy and painless way to scrounge more enhancement slots, I'd remove them from Upgrade Robot and Equip Robot. Although both powers are endurance hungry, they are seldom used. That third IO is largely being eaten by enhancement diversification and it really does very little.

How much protection is it to fight at range 100 as opposed to range 80? Do you get one extra attack before your assailant is on top of you? And what happens when you're indoors and can't get far away from your opponents? Do you hide around the corner and refuse to contribute at close range? I would say that as long as your opponents are mobile and able to close with you, long range is a poor defense. What you need it the ability to keep your opponents outside of melee range, even if you end up fighting at 40 feet. Yes, you need knockback!

I admit that I have deleted every Blaster I've ever made in favor of Defenders and Corruptors. But, I do have an Empathy/Energy Blast Defender that has all of his attacks and his heals/buffs slotted for range. His normal attack chain is just single target attacks (Power Bolt, Power Blast and Power Burst and an occasional Sniper Blast thrown in) which keeps his melee teammates from screaming at him. The only thing that he gets aggro from is the one target he's got pinned helplessly to a distant wall, so this play style is quite safe.

So, if I were making a Blaster who really wanted to fight at range and use his melee secondary attacks only as a last resort, I would try Energy/Energy. You can choose how close your opponents get. If the team can't control aggro, which is when Blasters usually start to faceplant, your Energy Torrent can turn the knife fight back into a gun fight you can win.

The first thing I must ask is... how many billion influence do you have? This build is very, very expensive, and often for no real benefit. You really don't need any purples at all, and certainly no PvP sets. The era of cheap unwanted purples is officially over (see Market forum for multiple I22 threads).

All of your defense powers have been pushed so hard into the red that enhancement diversification is just eating much of your bonus. You could reallocate many of those enhancement slots to get defense bonuses from IO sets. You could realize an instant boost to all defenses if you'd just finish slotting Tactics with Gaussian's set, for example.

I do have a Robot/FF Mastermind, and I took all three Pulse Rifle attacks. Yes, they're feeble, but when you have a passive secondary like Force Field, you need something to keep yourself busy. And you can slot them with sets like Thunderstrike and Stupefy that increase your ranged defense.

Edit: I have written up an example build that is much cheaper. This is not the build I use. Among other things, my own Robot/FF has the Medicine pool so he can heal himself, but he cannot taunt. This build actually features too much ranged defense, since it's almost soft-capped even before the Protector Bot bubble is factored in.

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.953
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Technology Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Robotics
Secondary Power Set: Force Field
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Teleportation
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Presence
Ancillary Pool: Field Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Pulse Rifle Blast -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(3), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(3), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(5), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(5), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(40)
Level 1: Force Bolt -- Acc-I(A)
Level 2: Pulse Rifle Burst -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(7), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(7), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(9), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(42)
Level 4: Deflection Shield -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def(11), LkGmblr-Rchg+(11)
Level 6: Insulation Shield -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def(13), LkGmblr-Rchg+(13)
Level 8: Photon Grenade -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-EndRdx/Stun(15), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(15), Stpfy-Stun/Rng(17), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(17), Stpfy-KB%(42)
Level 10: Fly -- Zephyr-Travel(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(19), Zephyr-ResKB(19), EndRdx-I(21)
Level 12: Protector Bots -- EdctM'r-Acc/EndRdx(A), EdctM'r-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(21), EdctM'r-PetDef(23), SvgnRt-PetResDam(23), DefBuff-I(25), DefBuff-I(25)
Level 14: Battle Drones -- BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg(A), BldM'dt-Dmg/EndRdx(27), BldM'dt-Acc/EndRdx(27), BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(29), BldM'dt-Acc(29), BldM'dt-Dmg(31)
Level 16: Equip Robot -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 18: Recall Friend -- Winter-ResSlow(A)
Level 20: Dispersion Bubble -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(31), LkGmblr-Def(31), LkGmblr-Rchg+(33), EndRdx-I(33)
Level 22: Maneuvers -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(33), LkGmblr-Rchg+(34)
Level 24: Assault -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(34)
Level 26: Assault Bot -- BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg(A), BldM'dt-Dmg/EndRdx(34), BldM'dt-Acc/EndRdx(36), BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(36), BldM'dt-Acc(36), BldM'dt-Dmg(37)
Level 28: Repulsion Field -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(37)
Level 30: Tactics -- GSFC-ToHit(A), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg(37), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx(39), GSFC-Rchg/EndRdx(39), GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx(39), GSFC-Build%(40)
Level 32: Upgrade Robot -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 35: Repair -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(42), EndRdx-I(43)
Level 38: Force Bubble -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(40)
Level 41: Provoke -- Zinger-Acc/Rchg(A)
Level 44: Temp Invulnerability -- Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(A), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg(45), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(45), Aegis-ResDam(45), Aegis-Psi/Status(46), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(46)
Level 47: Repulsion Bomb -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-EndRdx/Stun(48), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(48), Stpfy-Stun/Rng(48), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(50), Stpfy-KB%(50)
Level 49: Vengeance -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(50)
------------
Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Mrcl-Rcvry+(A), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(43)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-End%(43), EndMod-I(46)
Level 1: Brawl -- Acc-I(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Run-I(A)
Level 1: Supremacy
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run

My plans for this character got derailed during the holidays, and I never even responded to my own thread. However, I have recently dusted off my Robot/Sonic Mastermind for some more gratuitous violence, and I have some more data to report.

Liquify
My Mastermind now has 6-slotted Liquify and I've been experimenting with it. It's slotted with 3 Recharge SOs and 3 of whatever I feel like testing. With 3 Damage SOs it's still not a nuke. With 3 knockback SOs it still can't prevent mobs from leaving as soon as the Assault Bot's burn patch goes down. Although the hold is only Mag 2, slotting it for hold does at least make it last long enough to be noticeable. Maybe debuffs are the only really practical slotting.
In general, I am not finding Liquify to be as useful on my Mastermind as it was on my Corruptor. My pets' will usually get aggro right about the time I am close enough to drop it (need to slot for range). Then their knockback often blows targets completely out of the Liquify patch. Once the patch is vacant, I can run over and stand in it to protect myself from melee attackers, but it's not ideal. I've actually pondered dropping it.

Sonic Repulsion
Knockback is a perfectly valid form of crowd control, and that's what I use it for, mostly while soloing. Since robots are not especially melee-oriented, I will usually keep it running on a Protector Bot. The pet is protected from melee attacks, and I can jump behind it to protect myself. You can park a pet with Sonic Repulsion in a doorway to keep the mobs on the other side. Sometimes if I am really losing robots and need more control I will keep giving a Repelling pet "Go To" orders and make him play bumper cars with the enemy mobs until they can be defeated.
If you name one of your pets "Bouncer" for example, and then "/bind tilde petcom_name Bouncer Goto" you can quickly and easily send your chosen pet scurrying around to deliver some crowd control. Just remember to put him back on follow afterwards.
I've also found that on most 8-player teams there is someone who actually likes having Repel... the Corruptor or Defender who keeps getting beaten down by melee attackers, or even the Kheldian who only seems to play in Nova form.

Fly
Ideally, I would not be using Fly in combat due to endurance issues. Even so, I often find myself doing exactly that so the crazed Brute that I've anchored with Sonic Disruption cannot race ahead of me and break the link.

Budget
Pretty-much all of my characters have the same uniques in Health and Fitness, always purchased with merits rather than cash. Thanks to the signature story arcs, these are really pretty quick and easy to acquire. Purples and Hami-O's are possible, but only if this character becomes one of my mains that I spend a lot of time on.

Hold Procs for Pulse Rifle
I would like to get my pulse rifle attacks to recharge fast enough that they actually feel like an attack chain, and have enough endurance cost reduction that they don't cripple me. Of course their damage is feeble so procs may be the best way to make them useful. If my pets had a hold attack I could stack with, that would be excellent.

Deacon NA's Build
The forum benefits from more discussion of odd combinations like Robots/Sonic even if my own plans are moving in the opposite direction... trying to protect my pets rather than just the Mastermind.

For myself, what makes for bad synergy with Beam Rifle is redraw. Fights can be over very quickly these days and if you find yourself putting away your rifle to heal a teammate or debuff your foes, you'll get a lot less shooting done. So, I actually think it works best with those "boring" passive sets like Force Field and Sonic Resonance. Run your toggles, buff between fights, and spend all the rest of your time shooting things.

Last year I posted a build for my Empathy/Energy/Power Defender which may be useful for comparison purposes, although the build I finally went with is not posted. Some of the discussion in the thread will apply to your character as well.

If rock-bottom pricing is your goal, then pure SOs are the way to go. I often sell level 53 SOs on the auction house for 100 inf just because I have /auctionhouse and I'm too lazy to find a vendor who will buy them. In many cases they don't sell, even at those prices. Where are those lazy marketeers?
Anyway, those procs you are planning to use are not exactly cheap. For a similar price you could get whole sets of bad or lower level IOs. There are a number of IO sets that have lame set bonuses but their enhancement values are still good. For example, using Air Burst instead of Positron's Blast. These might work as a bargain alternative to SOs or non-set IOs.

(My supergroup has a "lowbie night" in which our characters shut off their XP gain at certain points and play for a while at that level. When you know you're going to be level 15 for a few weeks, it actually pays to check out the dumping ground of obscure and unloved IO sets that exists at that level. Not that I think you should slot your level 50 Night Widow's attacks with Salvo, I just think the crappy IO sets are something to be aware of.)

Last year I posted a MasterCrab build w/ SOs thread. Many people looked at it, but the thread got zero responses. Evidently there are not a lot of people out there who want to unlock VEATS and then go Premium. Anyway, I will not allow your SO-only thread to meet the same ignoble fate as mine! And my response is...

Whoa! Don't you think it's a bit dishonest to post a thread called "SO Only Night Widow Build" and then post a build that has a bunch of set IOs in it? It's like going "camping" with an RV.

My advice is to get rid of all those procs and either:
A) Use the slot for damage and suffer the ED consequences, or
B) Use the slot for Recharge. You've got no Hasten and no set bonuses, so things will recharge MUCH slower than you are accustomed to.

I would slot Mind Link with regular old Defense and To-Hit SOs and use it only when needed. Even with your current frankenslotting of set IOs, it's still not permanent so you are going to need to accept downtime. If there's too much downtime, get Hasten.

I would take the Leadership pool; Maneuvers at the very least. VEATS have great bonuses for Leadership. I'm not sure what powers you consider optional. If there's nothing else you want to give up for it, give up Combat Jumping. It's a choice between 3.5% defense for the whole team or 2.5% defense for just you.

Confront can miss and needs accuracy. (Unless you drop it for Maneuvers.)

Tough and Weave are both hard on endurance. I would give them each two End Cost Reduction SOs. And I would give Tough two Damage Resistance SOs. No point taking the toggle if you're not going to get full effect from it.

I would put the new AT set in Shatter. You have exceeded the Rule of Five with 5% Recharge bonuses, so Crushing Impact is not doing much good anyway.

Other observations:

Your endurance slotting is FAR less efficient than if could be. You've overslotted Stamina with useless accuracy and recharge bonuses in order to gain a trivial 0.04 End/sec from a set bonus. Meanwhile, you've done nothing to offset the massive 0.39 End/sec cost of Maneuvers (Pool) or the 0.33 End/sec of Weave.

Impervious skin is a really poor set in general, and horrible for Wolf Spider Armor. Even if you genuinely needed the 5% Recharge (you don't), Impervious Armor mostly enhances Endurance Cost and Recharge, both of which are utterly useless in an auto power like Wolf Spider Armor. What little it does do for damage resistance is weakened by the fact that it's a level 30 set. I think two slots of Impervium Armor is plenty of slotting for this power.

Bane Spider Armor Upgrade is good enough to enhance, but I think you've pushed it too far into the red for too little benefit. You've enhanced it even more than Tough, and Tough has much better base values. The 2.25% max End set bonus is not as good as simply fixing your worst endurance hog powers. All of your melee attacks have an extra slot available to either finish out the set or do some frankenslotting for greater accuracy, endurance discount, or whatever.

Two purples in boxing just to get 0.07 End/sec? It's a waste of infamy and an enhancement slot that could be used to improve a power that you actually use in every fight. You could even reduce the endurance cost of a big one like Shatter Armor and come out ahead on endurance.

(However, I will defy conventional wisdom and not tell you that you must take Venom Grenade.)

If any of your builds have Crab powers, then all of your costumes have the "backpack".
I think the rationale for this is that Crab Spiders are cyborgs and the "backpack" is connected to their nervous system. It's not something you can just take off if you decide to use your mace or SMG that day.

I have two completely separate Soldiers characters with different backgrounds, not one guy who switches back and forth depending on how he's feeling that day.