Wiccania

I am aware that they are Amazingly Expensive (pun intended) that is why I noted the recharge times without them in my blurb. 2 second downtime on Hasten isn't going to kill a Crab and while I say perma on the pets, you need to wait till they time out to recast them anyways so a 5-10 second downtime doesn't really hurt.

As for the AoE's I skipped the reasons are simple:

First to note, I don't need that many different AoE powers with the level of recharge in this build.

As for the individual powers.

Heavy Burst has Redraw, nuff said.
Arm Lash and Frenzy are Melee AoE, you'll notice melee defense isn't capped like ranged is. I could cap it if i took these powers but its really not needed. Plus to use the powers I would need to run around a lot more. Currently with my build the only power I need to worry about position for is Suppression and Sup's cone is huge.
The AoE radius of Frag Grenade is tiny. Basicly only enemies in melee range of the primary target get hit. Frag Grenade barely qualifies as an AoE attack.

Venom Nade on the other hand is a no brainer of course.
Supression is pretty long activation but you can stick an Achilles heel into it and its cone is huge.
Dark Obliteration has a larger radius than Frag Grenade, doesn't do uncontrollable knockback, activates in 1 second and does Negative Energy damage. Also Dark Oblit's pre-requisite for aquisition is Gloom, a simply amazing single target ranged attack that immensely improves the Crab Spider's rather weak single target power.

You are trying too hard. Crab can perma Hasten and the Pets without making sacrifices like slotting damage powers with Kinetic Crash or Omega with the Stun Purple.

This is the build planned for my Crab. I made no sacrifices, every power is used and useful and every power is slotted with a set to improve its effect. Also I have much higher defense values.

I used two purples but they aren't really necessary, just nice. Remember this isn't a Perma-dom we are talking about, there is no absolute rush to get hasten every time its up. Without a purple it is a couple seconds short of perma hasten and perma pets. With one purple it has hasten recharging one second before ending and the pets are fully perma. Two purples has hasten recharging 4 seconds before ending.

This build does use more endurance so I have 4 slots open. 1 to fit both Miracle and Numina in Health, 3 to slot 3 endmod and a P'shifter in Stamina.

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.803
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Natural Arachnos Soldier
Primary Power Set: Crab Spider Soldier
Secondary Power Set: Crab Spider Training
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Speed
Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Channelgun

• (A) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage
• (3) Devastation - Damage/Endurance
• (3) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• (5) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (5) Achilles' Heel - Chance for Res Debuff

Level 1: Crab Spider Armor Upgrade

• (A) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%
• (37) Steadfast Protection - Knockback Protection

Level 2: Longfang

• (A) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage
• (7) Devastation - Damage/Endurance
• (7) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• (9) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (9) Achilles' Heel - Chance for Res Debuff

Level 4: Combat Training: Defensive

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed

Level 6: Combat Jumping

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
• (11) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed

Level 8: Suppression

• (A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage
• (11) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (13) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance
• (13) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge
• (15) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range
• (15) Achilles' Heel - Chance for Res Debuff

Level 10: Tactical Training: Maneuvers

• (A) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance
• (21) Red Fortune - Defense/Recharge
• (21) Red Fortune - Endurance
• (23) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
• (34) Red Fortune - Defense
• (34) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed

Level 12: Venom Grenade

• (A) Ragnarok - Damage
• (17) Ragnarok - Damage/Recharge
• (17) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (19) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Recharge
• (19) Ragnarok - Damage/Endurance

Level 14: Kick

• (A) Empty

Level 16: Tactical Training: Assault

• (A) Endurance Reduction IO

Level 18: Maneuvers

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
• (43) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
• (43) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
• (46) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge

Level 20: Tactical Training: Leadership

• (A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff
• (23) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge
• (25) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge/Endurance
• (25) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Recharge/Endurance
• (27) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Endurance
• (27) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up

Level 22: Mental Training

• (A) Run Speed IO

Level 24: Fortification

• (A) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance
• (29) Aegis - Resistance
• (29) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge

Level 26: Tough

• (A) Steadfast Protection - Knockback Protection

Level 28: Assault

• (A) Endurance Reduction IO
• (37) Endurance Reduction IO

Level 30: Weave

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
• (31) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
• (31) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
• (31) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed

Level 32: Serum

• (A) Doctored Wounds - Heal
• (33) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance
• (33) Doctored Wounds - Endurance/Recharge
• (33) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge
• (34) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance/Recharge

Level 35: Summon Spiderlings

• (A) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Recharge
• (36) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (36) Expedient Reinforcement - Endurance/Damage/Recharge
• (36) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Damage

Level 38: Call Reinforcements

• (A) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Recharge
• (39) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (39) Expedient Reinforcement - Endurance/Damage/Recharge
• (39) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Damage
• (40) Recharge Reduction IO

Level 41: Gloom

• (A) Apocalypse - Damage
• (42) Apocalypse - Damage/Recharge
• (42) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (42) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Recharge
• (43) Apocalypse - Damage/Endurance

Level 44: Dark Obliteration

• (A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage
• (45) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance
• (45) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge
• (45) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range
• (46) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance

Level 47: Summon Widow

• (A) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Recharge
• (48) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (48) Expedient Reinforcement - Endurance/Damage/Recharge
• (48) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Damage
• (50) Recharge Reduction IO

Level 49: Hasten

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
• (50) Recharge Reduction IO
• (50) Recharge Reduction IO

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Level 1: Brawl

• (A) Empty

Level 1: Sprint

• (A) Empty

Level 2: Rest

• (A) Empty

Level 1: Conditioning
Level 4: Ninja Run
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Rule of thumb. It is far easier to analyze a build from inside Mids. Always give us the copy and paste import code.

Channelgun: The Hami-O is mostly wasted. Without the Hami you are already hitting diminishing returns on your damage and your accuracy already has over 60% bonus. If you are that worried about accuracy you'd be better served by a simple level 50 IO. However since you get set bonuses with accuracy all over the place I'd suggest either yanking the slot for use elsewhere or sticking an Achilles Heel: Resist debuff proc in it.

Crab Spider armor: You wasted 3 slots improving 3% resistance to about 5% resistance. Cut a slot here for use somewhere else. Slot Steadfast 3% defense and Steadfast Knockback protection. All kinds of win here. You free up at least 2 slots for use elsewhere, get a nice set bonus and all you give up is about 2% resistance (negligible at best).

Longfang and CT: Defensive: Crab spiders do not have any difficulty capping ranged defense. Seriously they don't, at all. If you are exceeding 45% ranged defense (i am assuming you are, by a lot) consider a different set for Longfang and definately cut that junk defense IO from CT: D.

Also Longfang can take the Achilles Heel proc. Its a damn good proc and Crabs can get it on 3 of thier most used powers. Channelgun and Longfang it is good for helping with single hard targets. I know Romulus started going down faster in ITFs when I slotted the two powers with the proc.

Supression: Can't go wrong with good ole Posi's Blast. Here is a good spot for one of those free slots. Supression is power number 3 that can take Achilles Heel.

Stamina: I suggest more slots here. Especially after i19 with more power picks and thus more toggles Crab Spiders are voracious end hogs.

Fortification: Just noting that this is the 2nd slot you free up by moving Steadfast to Crab Armor.

Omega: Ragnarok is a damned expensive set for a power that has such a long recharge you can't use it every battle even in the best of recharge situations. I'd swap this with the Posi's in Venom Nade.

TT: Assault: If you need another slot somewhere else for something this is a good place to get it. The TT powers are so cheap you don't get much from double slotting them.

As for places to put slots after i19.

With 3 more powers opening up TT: Leadership with the full Gaussians set is a no-brainer. To-Hit buffs are great, the set bonuses are wonderful (especially the 6 piece) and the Proc works (chance for it every 10 seconds).

Also look into the Soul Patron Pool. Gloom is an excellent power to improve your single target attack chain and Dark Obliteration is a good AoE to add to your arsenal. Both are 1 second activations and Gloom even does more damage than Longfang. I suggest dumping Omega and pulling two slots from your Spiderlings to fit these in your build.

That leaves one power pick open. Combat Jumping will give you some leeway with defense and give you another power to stick an LotG in.

Talk to a trainer, they will let you switch between your two builds. Careful there is a cooldown on switching and your alternate build does not have access to the enhancements in your first build.

As for the OP.

Night Widow = ScrapStalker
Fortunata = BlastTrollStalker

Pick whichever you think you'll enjoy more.

And Ideon swoops in with the build jam packed with the most Win.

I support Dech's recommendation.

6.25% recharge you are unlikely to even notice at the level of recharge you have. Damage on the other hand you can never have enough of.

Sorry if this is off topic but all the good arguements are already used. However I just had to note.

Guys, I think the end of the world is here. Je_saist didn't make any claims or give any advice that is obviously and demonstrably wrong.

Remember that these are enhancements to your powers, not straight increases. That is not 20% more resistance. That is 20% enhance to your resistance powers.

My only issue with it all is: why give us an accuracy focus when folks slot accuracy naturally already. There aren't many IO sets that neglect accuracy and a great many IO set bonuses that give accuracy along side other bonuses that we wany anyways. I fear that Incarnate content will feature enemies that are neigh impossible to hit without choosing Accuracy for our Incarnate slot.

Folks say that DB doesn't build fury very well and is thus better on a Scrapper.

By certain interpretations of what the current info released on the Alpha slot says. The 3rd and 4th tier enhancements will increase your effective level as well. They state: "This power also applies a level shift."

My Crab is still growing up and I'm not sure where I'm going to go with the Alpha slot on him. Plus we don't know anything about incarnate content. If too many of the fights have rediculous defense then everybody will be slotting Nerve reflexively anyways. Otherwise Muscle will become quite popular and thankfully Crab will be able to take advantage of the defense debuff side effect on it as well.

I suggest Dart Burst over Psychic Scream. The range is slightly less but the damage is higher, the activation time is lower, the debuff is better and it recharges in half the time. With the recharge you are sporting you could Dart Burst, jump in, Spin, jump out, Dart Burst as much as you like.

Also you are seriously hampering yourself by slotting Follow Up with full Gaussian. You don't really need the 6 piece bonus since your defenses already exceed the cap and you have defense debuff resistance as well. I suggest 4 of Mako's Bite, the Gaussian Proc and a Damage Proc.

Just don't rely on AoE holds for your regular group control. Each control set has an "every spawn" control or two. Mind has Sleep and Terrify, Fire has Flashfire, Electric has Static Field, Earth has Stalagmites, etc. All of these powers with recharge slotting are available basicly every spawn on everything but the fastest plowing groups.

Heres my feedback

Jolting Chain: JC is a great proc power. The chance for -end and the damage procs do work in Jolting Chain and to great effect.

However I don't like the Hold Proc because it is only mag 2 and rather small chance. Too unrelyable to leverage and plus this is a Dom guide. If I need to stack mag on a boss I'll triggger Domination not rely on a proc.

Static Field: Yes it can miss and its very noticable when it does, they don't fall asleep.

Also yes it does restore end to the caster. The end restore is tied to its end drain, it has a chance (i think 30%) per enemy to drain thier end and when it does that, it restores some end to all friendlies in the field. Thus it is easy to not notice the end restore when solo.

Worth noting that Paralyzing Blast has a 100% chance for a -recovery debuff. I often use it on AVs and GMs that i've sapped to zero end to hold back thier attacks more.

Stone Spears does knock up, not knock down.

Tremor and Fissure knockdown chance are not 100%.

Mud Pots the primary complaint about this power is that the Dom version of the power has smaller range than others

When in doubt, doubt mids.

Small tweaks but they will help.

Your ranged defense is very high, way above the cap, you could free a slot or two by yanking from the pets (I'd go with the pure accuracy piece since you run TT:L). Stick them in Venom nade, get some recharge in it.

Also you could switch the two slots in CJ over to LotG to get another 10% regen. You'd lose minimal defense (your still way over caps tho) going with a Global recharge and the pure defense piece.

Even after that you are still so far over the cap on Ranged Defense you could yank the Numina's Unique from Serum and put it in Health.

On my /Earth dom I get by mostly on Seismic Smash and the two Mallets. Theres some cooldown wait in the chain but I use that time to toss Controls or on teams to toss my AoE damagers.

I agree that Stone Spears is junk. I use it to finish off enemies with a sliver of health left and it is starting to fail in that role more and more as well. If I had Hot Feet I wouldn't even bother keeping Stone Spears on my bar.

Local_Man, you are completely ignoring context and you are assuming I mean to state that every controller should always take Earth Mastery because it has Seismic Smash. Which if you look at my post can't even be inferred when taken entirely in a vacuum. Of course we could all also just not assume someone means the worst possible interpretation of what they are saying. No wait thats crazy talk.

Since you have decided to assume the worst about me though: The person asking for advice is using a power set that rewards being in or near Melee range. Additionally they took the basicly melee range Fissure for an attack. Not taking Seismic Smash in those circumstances is like not taking your Mez Protection power on a character with a defense set.

Sorry if I came off as snarky.

Thaw -> Forge

Plasma Shield -> Seismic Smash

Forge is useful if you have anybody that does damage on your team. Thaw is only useful those few times an Archvillain has the potential to overwhelm your tank's mez protection and when a squishy gets overzealous and pulls agro on something they shouldn't.

Plasma Shield's protections (Energy/Negative) are less common and this build tends to be very very busy as it is (I play one myself). Rebuffing folks with Shields every couple minutes will detract from doing other things even on moderately paced teams.

Some Tricks I found useful:
bind Warmth to lshift+lbutton (Shift + Left Click)
bind Jolting Chain to lshift_rbutton (Shift + Right Click)
set your numberpad keys 1-8 to target party members
bind Cauterize to numpad 0
bind Forge to numpad 9
bind Shield to numpad enter

With everything this build has going on it is hard to fit every power you intend to use regularly on the easy to reach number keys. Shifting and hitting a mouse button is easy so two powers I use situationally but frequently (Warmth and JC) work nicely there for me. The numpad is also an obvious choice for targetting party members. You can set it so that you target and autocast a power with each number key. However I didn't want to be firing off Cauterize every time I target someone for Forge or shielding.

None of the Patrons give soldier type pets. Leviathan gives Coralax, Soul gives Widows and Fortunatas, Mu gives Mu Mystics and Mace gives Arachnobots.

Widow's don't get End management? Thier base recovery is higher than the standard due to Conditioning. That means Stamina, Miracle and Numina are boosting a higher base number. Right now Miracle and Numina are easier to get than ever with a-merits and Stamina isn't even going to take a power slot soon.

No Forge: You do an extreme disservice to any team you join by not having this power.

Also I believe it should be a crime to pass on Seismic Smash no matter what kind of character you are. However the ability to stack Hold Mag with another attack that is high damage to boot should be a no brainer for any Controller.

The slow on WAWG is enough to save you a ton of damage against annoying enemies like Fortunata or most bosses. Even knocked down to Lt boss types still have all thier attacks.

I picked Omega mostly as a "for Fun" power. If as I'm playing it turns out that Serum would have proven to be more fun (eg: prevent a lot of faceplants) then I'll respec into it. I'd only lose 1.5% recharge switching to a healing set so no big loss there.

So I've been looking into making an ultimate Crab and with fitness becoming inherent Crab potential is looking damned good. On this build note that I have 3 slots left out for putting into 1 into health (Miracle + Numina) and 2 into Stamina (2 endmod and pshifter).

Heres some highlights:

47% Self Ranged Def
40% Self AoE Def
38% Self Melee (no PvP IO 3% tho)
21% Team buff defense from Both Maneuvers
30% Team buff damage from Both Assaults
15% Team buff to-hit from TT: Leadership
Gloom, Channelgun and Longfang for Single Target attacks
Venom Nade, Supression, Dark Obliteration and Omega for AoE attacks
All 3 Pets with cooldowns less than thier duration.

And I have all of that without sacrificing functionality in any of my powers by putting in a junk set just for bonuses.

I do believe i19 will make Crab Spider's potential quite rediculus.

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.803
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Natural Arachnos Soldier
Primary Power Set: Crab Spider Soldier
Secondary Power Set: Crab Spider Training
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Speed
Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Channelgun -- Dev'n-Acc/Dmg(A), Dev'n-Dmg/EndRdx(3), Dev'n-Dmg/Rchg(3), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(5), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(5)
Level 1: Crab Spider Armor Upgrade -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A), S'fstPrt-ResKB(37)
Level 2: Longfang -- Dev'n-Acc/Dmg(A), Dev'n-Dmg/EndRdx(7), Dev'n-Dmg/Rchg(7), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(9)
Level 4: Combat Training: Defensive -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 6: Combat Jumping -- DefBuff-I(A), LkGmblr-Rchg+(11)
Level 8: Suppression -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(13), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(13), Posi-Dmg/Rng(15), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(15)
Level 10: Tactical Training: Maneuvers -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(21), RedFtn-EndRdx(21), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(23), RedFtn-Def(34), LkGmblr-Rchg+(34)
Level 12: Venom Grenade -- Ragnrk-Dmg(A), Ragnrk-Dmg/Rchg(17), Ragnrk-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(17), Ragnrk-Acc/Rchg(19), Ragnrk-Dmg/EndRdx(19), Posi-Dam%(40)
Level 14: Kick -- Empty(A)
Level 16: Tactical Training: Assault -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 18: Maneuvers -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(43), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(43), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(46)
Level 20: Tactical Training: Leadership -- GSFC-ToHit(A), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg(23), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx(25), GSFC-Rchg/EndRdx(25), GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx(27), GSFC-Build%(27)
Level 22: Mental Training -- Run-I(A)
Level 24: Fortification -- EndRdx-I(A), ResDam-I(29), ResDam-I(29)
Level 26: Tough -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 28: Assault -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(46)
Level 30: Weave -- EndRdx-I(A), DefBuff-I(31), DefBuff-I(31), LkGmblr-Rchg+(31)
Level 32: Omega Maneuver -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(33), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(33), Posi-Dmg/Rng(33), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(34)
Level 35: Summon Spiderlings -- ExRmnt-Acc/Rchg(A), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(36), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(36), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg(36), ExRmnt-Dmg/EndRdx(37)
Level 38: Call Reinforcements -- ExRmnt-Acc/Rchg(A), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(39), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(39), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg(39), RechRdx-I(40)
Level 41: Gloom -- Apoc-Dmg(A), Apoc-Dmg/Rchg(42), Apoc-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(42), Apoc-Acc/Rchg(42), Apoc-Dmg/EndRdx(43)
Level 44: Dark Obliteration -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(45), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(45), Posi-Dmg/Rng(45), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(46)
Level 47: Summon Widow -- ExRmnt-Acc/Rchg(A), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(48), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(48), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg(48), RechRdx-I(50)
Level 49: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(50), RechRdx-I(50)
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Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Conditioning
Level 4: Ninja Run
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