dave_p

You got your Elec tank to close to 30% def for all positions? That's pretty impressive--I'm just working on S/L on mine, same as my Fire & Dark tanks (tho my Dark, I'm taking his E/N to cap too). I find the resist-based tanks w/some (or lots) defense to be very, very hardy. Sure, there's a lot of def debuffs, but you still have resists & heals to back your defenses up.

I definitely like the idea of shooting for 32.5% defenses if you can't flat out cap it, esp at lower levels before you're all IO'ed out. It's very easy to combine insp drops into purples and you can keep yourself artificially at cap a whole lot of the time.

Fire, Dark & Stone all get damage auras; Fire gets a BU-like power as well as Burn. Fire has the better heal also, and while Consume pales to Power Sink for +end, it received a nice buff recently. Now, if you're saying among resist sets Elec has the best resist #s, I'd agree with you, but Elec doesn't give you the most offense, and not by a long shot.

More to the point, there's a great deal of debate on whether resistance is better or worse than defense (most argue defense is better, btw), but a pure resistance set will never compete w/the kinds of layering Invul & Stone have, or even Shields (which arguably gives even more offense than Fire).

Now, get your Elec tanker to a few types or positions of defense capped, and now we're talking. On SOs, I find Elec lacking on overall mitigation, just as I find Fire & Dark on SOs (very) lacking.

Tell me about it. My I19 Invul build brings my Psi def into the mid-30s (capped, iirc, w/a small purple insp). I can't remember how many I need in range of Invinc to cap the exotics (I think like 4~6), but he's just going to be a beast. I mean, more than he is now.

Having said that, my Stony's already S/L/Psi capped out of Granite, and I'll prolly be adding back Crystals, maybe even (chuckle) Brimstone w/I19. Even in Granite, he's hardly slow, though you can't do much about the damage debuffs. Of course, I just spend as little time as possible in Granite.

While, that is of course true, there are some tricky exceptions where you mix to-hit rolls & auto-hits. Like Mud Pots, which has a to-hit for the damage, but an auto-hit debuff, thus the taunt effect is auto.

Of course Transfusion needs to hit for the debuff to take effect, but likely, and I'm thinking this was hurried typing during an AV fight, that the person meant, even if you're whiffing more than not, the debuff will likely stay in effect (20s), since Transfusion recharges very quickly. Really, as long as you don't miss 4 or 5 in a row, you're still contributing w/o healing a thing.

Then again, he just as likely wasn't paying attention any more than to make sure the Kin freakin' spammed his Transfusion for the -regen, nevermind the details as to why. I sometimes do this when the Kin on my team doesn't spam Transfusion against AVs and we have few other -regen powers on hand.

"Spam Transfusion!"

"Why? No one needs healing."

"-regen"

"But I'm missing a lot"

"Don't worry about it. Just spam it!"

Or the guy was just plain wrong about Transfusion not needing to hit. Also a possibility.

Claws, no Frost but taking GIS? See my guide for why I ask that. Could prolly sub Boxing as a Kin Combat mule instead of GIS, btw.

Here's my I19 build for my Dark/Mace, who is currently only capped to S/L, but w/free Fitness, I can fit in E/N capping too. Not horribly happy about the end consumption, but I prolly won't run Cloak of Fear all the time. Dark Regen up every 10sec too.

Edit: I should add, I'd long admired Dech's tank for capping E/N, but I thought he was giving up a shade too much to get there, at least for my playstyle. W/I19, I no longer think this is the case.

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

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Darkspawned: Level 50 Magic Tanker
Primary Power Set: Dark Armor
Secondary Power Set: War Mace
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Pyre Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Dark Embrace -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam(3), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(11), RctvArm-EndRdx(15), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(33), S'fstPrt-ResKB(34)
Level 1: Bash -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(3), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(7), KntkC'bat-Knock%(15)
Level 2: Murky Cloud -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam(5), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(7), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(17)
Level 4: Jawbreaker -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(5), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(11), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(17), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(34)
Level 6: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 8: Dark Regeneration -- Theft-+End%(A), Mrcl-EndRdx/Rchg(9), Mrcl-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(9), Mrcl-Heal/Rchg(13), Theft-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(13), Theft-Acc/EndRdx/Heal(34)
Level 10: Obsidian Shield -- TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(A)
Level 12: Taunt -- Mocking-Taunt/Rchg/Rng(A)
Level 14: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(25), RechRdx-I(25)
Level 16: Build Up -- Rec'dRet-ToHit/Rchg(A), Rec'dRet-Pcptn(36), RechRdx-I(50)
Level 18: Death Shroud -- Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(19), Erad-Dmg(19), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(36), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx(36), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx(48)
Level 20: Cloak of Darkness -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(21), LkGmblr-Def(21)
Level 22: Clobber -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(23), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(23), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(27), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(37)
Level 24: Cloak of Fear -- DarkWD-ToHitDeb/EndRdx(A), DarkWD-ToHitdeb/Rchg/EndRdx(50), DarkWD-Rchg/EndRdx(50)
Level 26: Boxing -- KntkC'bat-Knock%(A), KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(27), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(46), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(48)
Level 28: Whirling Mace -- Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(29), Erad-Dmg/Rchg(29), C'ngBlow-Acc/Dmg(31), C'ngBlow-Dmg/Rchg(45)
Level 30: Tough -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam(31), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(31), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(37)
Level 32: Weave -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(33), LkGmblr-Def(33)
Level 35: Shatter -- Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(A), Erad-Dmg/Rchg(37), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(39), C'ngBlow-Acc/Dmg(39), C'ngBlow-Dmg/EndRdx(39)
Level 38: Crowd Control -- Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(40), Erad-Dmg/Rchg(40), C'ngBlow-Acc/Dmg(40), C'ngBlow-Dmg/EndRdx(42)
Level 41: Char -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(A), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(42), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(42), BasGaze-Acc/Hold(43), Thundr-Acc/Dmg(43)
Level 44: Maneuvers -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(46), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(46)
Level 47: Oppressive Gloom -- Amaze-ToHitDeb%(A), Amaze-Acc/Stun/Rchg(48)
Level 49: Soul Transfer -- Numna-Heal/Rchg(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet
Level 12: Ninja Run
Level 1: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Health -- Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(A), Mrcl-Rcvry+(43)
Level 1: Stamina -- P'Shift-End%(A), P'Shift-EndMod(45), EndMod-I(45)

Okay, all roflcopter jokes aside, it occurs to me that there are people out there, likely RP'ers, who really don't want certain powers, and certainly there are ppl who would take slots over power selections. So, just as a though experiment (cuz this will never, ever fly w/the devs, except in a roflcopter), how about offering us slots *or* powers at lvl 49, maybe 47 & 44 as well?

These are your epic levels. You should be able to customize your epic toons a bit more than normal, so how about a choice at each of those power levels? 2 or 3 slots, or an extra power pick. Potential to be unbalancing for certain power combos, so I'm actually thinking just the 49 spot, so you can give up one power selection for 2 or 3 extra slots.

Yeah, when I was thinking of rolling up an ELM/SD brute, I was told pretty universally by both the brute & scrapper boards that the scrapper version was far better, and this was before I18. Rolled SS/SD instead and loving it. I'm sure ELM/SD brutes are darn tasty on their own too.

And they don't have mez protection.

On my Fire/Rad, Hasten is on Auto, but I keep AM & IW next to each other in the Alt+1 & 2 spots to fire off when they're up. I got both AM & Hasten perma, but IW has like a 10sec lag, which is really annoying at times, but I keep handy a few BFs just in case. I do really wish the game would let you have more than one power on auto though.

Right, we've all "tank stealthed" through missions before w/our melee, and hell, even on my controller w/capped def & mez protection, I'll sometimes do this leading hostages through mobs (so no actual stealth). And most of us have certainly seen the aggro cap effect in action w/our tanks and prolly used the various behaviors to good effect from time to time. It's just the first time I've seen it work to let me click on a glowie uninterrupted while standing right next to a mob.

Again, you really need to extend your range, and stand farther back. You may not hit every mob, but you'll hit enough. (Yes, Fire/En has it really good w/Boost Range.)

BU + FB + FB, next group, Aim + FB + FB, repeat. I used to grind in Boomtown for hours just wiping out groups after groups w/those two combos (helped that this was back before ED too ). It's the signature move for a Fire blaster, and one it pays to practice & get good at.

Well, put it this way, 45-50s, esp the 45s are risky. Sometimes you make money, sometimes you lose. 30-40s (and 25s too for select recipes, but then you're dealing w/another set of salvage) are absolute money makers, plus they move fast. If the goal is to get through FC and make a decent profit, I'd stick to the 30-40 range. If a measly 100~200M profit over a few weeks time doesn't seem that attractive to you, yeah, get the 45-50 mem badges on the way to Master Crafter.

Don't get me wrong, I get the same unreasonable sense of satisfaction of saving a few measly K on some common salvage item too. It's a total win feeling, but I just get the same effect by placing a bid, usually under the last 5 median, and just walking away. I could certainly get in Nao! and not have it affect my bottom line in any significant way, but I feel better about getting things cheaper, if just a day later.

Well, you're completely avoiding detection after the initial 17, aren't you?

Other than for Master Crafter, I wouldn't craft any 45-50s, unless you want the extra recipe slots. Of all my FCs (and I got 27 of them...), I only crafted all the 45-50s on my "main" badger, who now has 29 recipe slots. Of couse, if you don't care as much about profit, then craft 45-50s during your memorization run and sell at losses (most likely) to get your extra 9 recipe slots. You'll likely make it back w/the rest of the 30-40 sales anyway (see below:

Having completed FC 27 times (and 4 more coming up for my new Preatorians), and all for decent profit (100M+), Here's my advice:

Do your mem badges (10-40 only), then craft profitable 30-40s. Buy the 10s and maybe even the 15s & 20s from the crafting table, though you can buy cheap 15-20s from the market. In fact, during the early stages, your crafter should only be bidding on all the recipes while your mules (see below) bid on the salvage. During your mem badges, delete the crap (hold, taunt, low lvl run/jumps); even when crafting for profit, they'll just jam your slots. Now accelerate the process by muling w/your other toons to buy salvage & sell crafted IOs, as long as they're in the same SG w/enough storage.

As mentioned, your other toons should stack your base w/salvage. Then w/your crafter, buy recipes & your own salvage (after mem badges, salvage only), then also pick up your piles of salvage from the base, craft to memorize, then for profit, craft N x lvl 30, 35 & 40 dam, rech, acc, end mod, def, res, heal IOs, where N is defined by how much salvage space you have on you + in your base. You should be able to craft about 100 pieces per session, store them in base, then have your other toons sell them all while picking up salvage to do it again. Come back in a day or two and repeat, and you'll get your 1000 for Master Crafter fast.

I suppose you can use e-mail for salvage transfers also--I did all mine before e-mail was useful. Park your toons in Talos for easy base-to-Went's access. If you're not using mules, then Steel's better for the university access. Red side, Cap has easy access to all 3 key points.