UnicyclePeon

I would recommend recharge set bonuses first, and endurance recovery second, and maybe defense a distant third.

Basically, the coolest Storm powers (Freezing Rain and Lightning Storm) benefit a lot from Recharge. So can O2 Boost for healing pets and allies. Doing so, however, makes your endurance usage more, so picking up some recovery bonuses is nice. Finally, it is nice to have just enough base defense to cap you for things you have debuffed with Hurricane, but I wouldn't necessarily go crazy with defense.

Picking up defense uniques for your pets is easier thanks to Tornado, so you could get them the unique defense bonuses to help them against stuff you've debuffed with Hurricane as well.

Lewis

What was your first Dom? I mean primary and secondary?

Anyway, of the four you mentioned, Fire/Psi is really good (though not as glorious as it used to be) but I think it could be a bit of a long haul even after the adjustments (in which the top attack was nerfed but some of the others are improved). I played one to level 50 myself and I really like it (and I never even had Perma-Dom on mine).

Plant/Fire is also really great. That was my first Dom and its pretty easy and straightforward.

I also found Earth/Fire to be really cool as well, my Earth/Fire is level 43 or so.

One combo that I like, that most people may not, is Earth/Energy. I know that Earth is already just about control overkill, and that Power Boost from /Energy makes it even more overkill. I also know that the blasts can knock stuff out of your location-based controls. I also know that /Energy is not an AOE set by any standard. I still found that I really love the combo.

Fire/Earth was nice and meaty. Lots of smash, lots of playing in close, which works well with Fire Control. Its a crunchy combo.

Finally, one set I don't recommend because its a serious pain in the butt, but its nice now that I'm finally high level with it, and that is Gravity/Fire. The control it has comes late, and its a bit of a chore, but I kinda like it because it's NOT sexy. If that makes any sense.

Good luck!

Lewis

If you've never tried Plant, you should give it a go. It is a pretty neat set.

Did you ever say what your friend's secondary is? Is he Fire/Fire? Fire/Regen? Fire/SR? Fire/Shield? Depending on which he is, that could change what the "best" fit might be, though of course /Kin will be universally good for any scrapper.

If his secondary is a resistance set (Fire Armor, Dark Armor, Electric Armor, and to an extent Invuln) then I might personally prefer an /Empathy controller. I know, I know. Kin is "better" ... but I do kinda like layered resist + defense, so it could be cool to do Earth/Emp, Illusion/Emp, Plant/Emp or even to be thematic Fire/Empathy. Actually to be totally thematic you could do Fire/Kin, but the social stigma of it all could be irritating.

Anyway, Plant/Kin seems like the go-to answer, but as a player, I enjoy /Empathy more.

Lewis

I keep meaning to try a soft-capped /SR scrapper with whirlwind.

Also, I have an Ice/FF and an Earth/FF that are both soft-capped to AOE, Ranged, and Smashing/Lethal (even without BOTZ) and I need to see if I can find somewhere to sneak in Whirlwind on them as well.

Lewis

Cool. Works for me!

Thanks,

Lewis

I definitely object to dropping Shadow Punch for Boxing, even if it saves a slot. I like shadow punch, and its a concept character first, and she should have shadow punch. I also object to the use of Petrifying Gaze, simply because all of her powers must be melee range only in order to fit my concept. Too bad tho, I'd love to get the bonuses from the hold set. I also thoroughly reject the change to Siphon Life. I don't want to lose the end reduction.

However, I really like some of the ideas you had with the Evasion set and Dark Consumption. I may see if I can help my numbers with those, without sacrificing my concept.

Thanks,

Lewis

I'm not trying to do anything in particular with the build, other than soft-capping it.

As for Touch of Fear, I like it for 2 reasons. First, when I exemplar down (and I do) it is nice to have some mitigation (since I won't be soft-capped). Also, conceptually, I want to take the power because it is part of the fun and the flavor of the set.

For the slots in my level 49 power, the reason I have 4 slots there is because my initial plan is to take Weave, unless someone convinces me that Combat Jumping is better and that "only" having 45% defense is OK (compared to 47.5%) for times when I am defense debuffed. Now, if I do switch to Combat Jumping, then sure, I don't need to slot for endurance reduction at all. But until I make the decision, I'm just planning on leaving the slots there.

As for the recovery, I haven't had any problems at all. I ran all my attacks at full speed for an extended period with my 4 toggles (including Tough) running and I almost never had to use Dark Consumption at all, and I don't even have a Miracle in the build yet (I have pretty much everything else slotted in tho since I'm level 48). I had no endurance issues at all. When fighting Carnies, I used Dark Consumption when I got drained by their death-wail, but thats about it. So, I don't think adding Weave to the mix will crush me. Still, ya never know, and so that is why I'm asking.

One other point is that I don't particularly care about global recharge. I've got some, but this is mostly just a fun/casual build. This was one of my day-one characters from about 6 years ago.

I made her on day one, but remade her a ton of times because I used to hate /SR back in the day, but that was the best concept fit. But, I deleted and tried DM/DA, DM/Inv, DM/Regen, and hated them all (and played them all into the 30s). I then re-made her as DM/SR and played her up to 35 or so. Then Willpower came out, I remade her and got her to level 43, but just wasn't happy conceptually. Then I finally got to the point that I had the resources and access to inventions that I never had in the day. I realized I could soft-cap her, so I deleted her at 43 and re-made her again as DM/SR and I'm finally happy with her now that I'm floating at near the softcap.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that this is an old nostalgia character who I want to soft cap, but I'm otherwise not looking to spend money on her or go crazy with her build.

Thanks,

Lewis

OP,

I slot for both when I can. Otherwise, if I'm going for a build that focuses on defense, I lean to defense. Otherwise, I focus on resists. That seems to be conventional wisdom as well. So, I'm not sure why conventional wisdom is wrong.

Lewis

All,

I just hit level 48 on my Dark Melee / Super Reflexes scrapper. At level 49 I'll take either Weave or Combat Jumping. Which do you recommend?

I have crafted and placed all my level 50 enhancements except for my 1 single purple recipe in Siphon Life (I happened to get one so I'm using it). I've even crafted my level 49 and 50 enhancements for CJ or Weave, I just don't know which to take.

If I go with Weave (as planned) then I'll have 47.5 or more to everything. That way, with 94% or so defense debuff resistance, even when debuffed, I'll be at the def cap. Of course, the endurance cost is higher.

If I go with Combat Jumping, I'll have only 44.7 to about 45 on my defenses, so when I'm defense debuffed, I'll be floating at about 42. Scary, considering I'll be taking almost double damage effectively. On the other hand, the endurance cost will be a lot less, I'll have greater jump height, and in theory my Dark Melee innate accuracy debuffs against foes could maybe cover the gap. Plus I've got a heal attack.

Then again again, I seem to be able to handle the endurance costs with my blue bar barely moving as it is, so I can probably handle Weave just fine.

BTW, I am NOT interested in BOTZ in CJ, even if I do go the CJ route. I won't go into why, but I'm not considering it. I'm just considering CJ with Def slotting vs Weave with Def slotting.

What would you do?

For reference, here is my build.

Thanks,

Lewis

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.621
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Starscape: Level 50 Magic Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Dark Melee
Secondary Power Set: Super Reflexes
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leaping

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Shadow Punch -- T'Death-Acc/Dmg(A), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx(7), T'Death-Dmg/Rchg(7), T'Death-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(19), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(19), T'Death-Dam%(39)
Level 1: Focused Fighting -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(11), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(23), RedFtn-Def(23), RedFtn-EndRdx(45), Ksmt-ToHit+(45)
Level 2: Smite -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(3), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(3), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(17), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(17), Mako-Dam%(39)
Level 4: Shadow Maul -- Sciroc-Acc/Dmg(A), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx(5), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg(5), Sciroc-Acc/Rchg(13), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(13)
Level 6: Touch of Fear -- SipInsght-ToHitDeb(A), SipInsght-Acc/ToHitDeb(40), SipInsght-Acc/Rchg(40), SipInsght-ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(43), SipInsght-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(43), SipInsght-%ToHit(43)
Level 8: Siphon Life -- Hectmb-Dmg/Rchg(A), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(9), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(15), Numna-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(15), Numna-Heal(37)
Level 10: Practiced Brawler -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(11)
Level 12: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(34), RechRdx-I(37)
Level 14: Super Speed -- QckFt-EndRdx/RunSpd(A)
Level 16: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 18: Health -- Mrcl-Rcvry+(A)
Level 20: Stamina -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(21), EndMod-I(21)
Level 22: Dark Consumption -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(31), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(31), P'Shift-Acc/Rchg(31), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(40)
Level 24: Focused Senses -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(25), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(25), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(27), RedFtn-Def(45), RedFtn-EndRdx(46)
Level 26: Soul Drain -- Oblit-Dmg(A), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(27), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(29), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(29), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(37), Oblit-%Dam(39)
Level 28: Quickness -- Run-I(A)
Level 30: Dodge -- DefBuff-I(A), DefBuff-I(42)
Level 32: Midnight Grasp -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg(33), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(33), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(33), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(34), DampS-Rchg/EndRdx(34)
Level 35: Evasion -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(36), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(36), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(36), RedFtn-Def(46), RedFtn-EndRdx(46)
Level 38: Agile -- DefBuff-I(A), DefBuff-I(42)
Level 41: Lucky -- DefBuff-I(A), DefBuff-I(42)
Level 44: Boxing -- Acc-I(A)
Level 47: Tough -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(48), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(48), Aegis-ResDam(48)
Level 49: Combat Jumping -- GftotA-Def/EndRdx(A), GftotA-Def(50), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(50), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Acc-I(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- ULeap-Stlth(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 1: Critical Hit
Level 4: Ninja Run

I play with guys all the time who could have taken an ally rez, but didn't, and so I was lying on the floor. It didn't bother me at all.

So, if you didn't take your ally rez, that'd be fine.

Lewis

I haven't read the whole thread but this is what I think.

First, people are sheep, and many jumped on the bandwagon.

Second, the bandwagon started in the first place because the set has everything you need to farm (except perhaps mez protection). It can do AOE damage, it can heal, it can recover endurance, and it can boost its own damage. It can do some incoming damage mitigation with controls.

Third, it is cheap. It can do what it needs to do on the cost of SOs only.

Lewis

(1) I drop every red-side Patron mission except the last one (because I can't drop those). Yes that means I wait a few days between missions. Then I use a level 50 on another account to clear the last mission. I do this because I hate the Patron concept. I don't like that the villains have to do a bunch of tedious missions just to get their powers. I've dropped the whole sequence on 12 of my villains so far. Basically, I did each patron once for real just to see it. After that? Never again.

(2) I drop missions that have the tight tunnels / caves. You see them all over the game. I actually love COT Oranbega maps, but I HATE the tight natural tunnels. I wish we could abandon these with no reward any time we choose, because I hate them and they are so common.

(3) Any mission that introduces me to Wincott, a PVP rep, a difficulty or informational contact, etc.

(4) Any mission with Knives of Artemis or Malta in it.

(5) Any mission with an EB or AV in which I have a low-damage character. Not fun.

(6) Any time there is something really tedious to do, whether its a hunt 50 in another zone when I'm not in the mood, or maybe I'm on the south side of PI and I get a mission all they way over on monkey island. Tedium of any kind gets a drop from me.

Of course, with all of the above, I end up running out of my drop mission pretty frequently. If I get the message about having dropped the max, I'll usually just switch characters and come back to it in a couple of days.

Lewis

Yeah I left Burn in my build simply because I do team with a lot of controllers.

Thanks all!

Lewis