dave_p

So playing w/my Invul/Fire tank for I19 & inherent fitness, I happened to see that I was getting a decent amount of Psi def, so decided to see how far I could take it w/o gimping myself. Here's what I got. W/1 in range of Invinc:

Def:
S/L: 46.6%
F/C: 41.6%
E/N: 36.6%
Psi: 33.4% (so 1 small purp insp from cap)

Res:
S/L: 88.9% (yes, only 1.1 away from cap, but still no S/L cap on an invul makes me a little sad)
F/C: 29.4%
En: 21.3%
Neg: 35.7%
Tox: 29.4%
Psi: 18%

Need 4 mobs in range of Invinc to cap F/C def and 7 to cap E/N def. Not so hard as a tank. All this w/Hasten in the build and not sacrificing much, if at all, from the offense. Would like to 5-slot Energy Torrent, but still Not to shabby, I think.

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

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Fused Fury: Level 50 Mutation Tanker
Primary Power Set: Invulnerability
Secondary Power Set: Fiery Melee
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Energy Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Temp Invulnerability -- Aegis-Psi/Status(A), ImpArm-ResPsi(3), ImpArm-ResDam(3), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(31), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(48)
Level 1: Scorch -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(5), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(5), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(9), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9)
Level 2: Fire Sword -- KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(A), KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(11), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(13), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(13), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(23)
Level 4: Combustion -- Sciroc-Acc/Dmg(A), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx(7), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg(11), Sciroc-Acc/Rchg(23), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(34), Sciroc-Dam%(37)
Level 6: Resist Physical Damage -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A), ImpArm-ResPsi(7), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(37), ImpArm-ResDam(39)
Level 8: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), DefBuff-I(17)
Level 10: Unyielding -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam(27), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(31), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(40)
Level 12: Boxing -- Empty(A)
Level 14: Dull Pain -- Numna-Heal/Rchg(A), Numna-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(15), Numna-EndRdx/Rchg(15), Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg(17)
Level 16: Tough -- ImpArm-ResPsi(A), ImpArm-ResDam(33), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(40)
Level 18: Invincibility -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(19), LkGmblr-Def(19)
Level 20: Weave -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(45), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(45)
Level 22: Resist Energies -- ImpArm-ResPsi(A), ImpArm-ResDam(25), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(25)
Level 24: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(29), RechRdx-I(33)
Level 26: Build Up -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(43)
Level 28: Fire Sword Circle -- Sciroc-Acc/Dmg(A), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx(29), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg(33), Sciroc-Acc/Rchg(34), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(34), Sciroc-Dam%(39)
Level 30: Resist Elements -- ImpArm-ResPsi(A), ImpArm-ResDam(31), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(40)
Level 32: Taunt -- Mocking-Taunt(A), Mocking-Taunt/Rchg(45), Mocking-Taunt/Rchg/Rng(46), Mocking-Acc/Rchg(46), Mocking-Taunt/Rng(46), Mocking-Rchg(50)
Level 35: Incinerate -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg(36), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(36), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(36), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(37)
Level 38: Tough Hide -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), DefBuff-I(39)
Level 41: Focused Accuracy -- GSFC-ToHit(A), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg(42), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx(42), GSFC-Rchg/EndRdx(42), GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx(43), GSFC-Build%(43)
Level 44: Physical Perfection -- EndMod-I(A)
Level 47: Energy Torrent -- Det'tn-Dmg/Rchg(A), Det'tn-Acc/Dmg(48), Det'tn-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(48)
Level 49: Maneuvers -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(50), LkGmblr-Def(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(21), EndMod-I(21), Heal-I(27)
Level 1: Gauntlet
Level 0: Ninja Run

There's already a few very minor advantages to certain origins. If you're Trick Arrow, magic or tech origin will let you light your Oil Slick. If you're natural, both the Nemmie Staff & Blackwand will do more damage, istead of one or the other. I've rolled my last few toons as natural, stretching the concept a bit on one of them, to get the slightly extra bonus damage useful for low levels. If the advantages were any greater, I'd pretty much toss concept out the window and roll whatever was most advantageous (or just fit my concepts around whatever the best origin was). So yeah, another vote against, since I like varying up my toons' concepts.

I redid all my controllers in mids and it gets ugly, very, very fast. I'm talking about end usage.

Fire/Rad: Well, I dropped my ranged def capped, AV/GM soloing build for a more team friendly, AoE-oriented build, but w/3 extra power picks, I can get back to ranged def cap (& AoE w/RI running). Problem is I'd be running 2 more toggles and my end usage becomes a beast, even w/maxed out (perma) AM. If I go w/this route, toggle management will be key (as opposed to now, where I just run everything 24/7 w/zero problems).

Ice/Storm: I may fit in Med pool for AS and drop Hibernate as my only current self-heal. If I go w/Fighting, end use becomes an even bigger problem since Storm is already beastly, but my defensive numbers look insane.

Ill/Kin: End problems? What end problems (you know, unless Transference misses...)? Perma Hasten, np, and like 2 sec shy of perma PA w/capped ranged def. Can fit in Group Invis (on top of SI) for teaming.

Earth/TA: Haven't played w/this build yet for I19, but I'm guessing I'll fit back in Leadership, even though it's largely not needed. Or maybe Med Pool, since everyone loves that Heal Arrow. Somewhat worried about carrying 2 more toggles though.

Plant/Cold: Again, what end problems (Heat Loss FTW!)? Similar to Storm in the godly defenses & resists you can achieve w/Arctic Fog + Tough/Weave/Maneuvers + epic shield +set bonuses, but w/infinite end as well (well, like a 24sec dowtime for HL).

Elec/Therm: No idea, just rolled him up and I don't even know what I think about the set yet.

KB aside, En has middling overall damage compared to other blasters. The AoE damage leaves to be desired and even the ST damage is hurt by the long activation time of Power Burst. It doesn't suck or anything, but lags to the best damaging sets. Now combine that w/the KB and there's your reason for the hate, justified or not.

I happen to think it's a cool looking/feeling set, and I like to solo my en/en, but I rarely play him in groups, at least well run, fast paced groups. If I do, I focus on boss killing and do a lot of blapping, and live w/the motto, "if I knock something away, I *will* kill it."

*Shrugs* The thread's about whatever the hell we feel like talking about. Some of us find it infinitely more amusing to theorize about random stuff than add post #528123 on what the best farming build is.

Oh, and to be truly pedantic, the thread says "Best Farming Tank", not "Best Farming Tank today", so we're not even being off topic. Moar I0 farm tank talk plz!

Some observations, just having tried these for the first time, starting 2 nights ago, to see what you all were talking about:

Using my twinked out Fire/Rad (controller), I went to DA to get my first few tips, went to Talos to run the mishes, and actually took my time reading the text since they were new to me. 1st day, call it around 45min, last night, 30min to get & finish my morality mish. Sorta stealthed stuff, but killed plenty too when I didn't wanna retoggle/unsommon my pets, so I wasn't exactly being super efficient.

I'm surprised ppl are even bothering to go to DA for the tips. Last night, I just killed the 1st largish spawn in Talos I saw and got a tip. Killed a few more on my way to the mish and got a 2nd, got the 3rd inside the mish, etc. Of course, I'm playing the tip mish as I get them (I did delete one about rescuing debutantes from advice in this thread), so I guess if you wanted to be selective about missions, you might wanna go to DA, but I don't even think the travel time is worth it.

Skipping the text (I'm still reading any new mission text) and optimizing for time, I'm sure I can do it in well under an hour total (over 2 days). Someone who's fully optimized for this (meaning they know which tips are the fastest) will get this down to around 15~20min a night, I predict. I think even "casual" play will get a morality mish in 90min, assuming you have a stealth power. I'm gonna try a run starting tonight w/my Fire tank and see how long it takes, but I don't imagine it'll be much worse.

Of course, these are all fully IO'ed out toons running at -1/x1, but that'll likely be the case w/ all the speed runners. Bottom line, I can't see the time-to-reward ratio staying the same for very long. Load up while you can.

Back from a break for GR and trying to catch up on all the new info...

I'm also wondering about ST attack chains, and frankly I'm a bit stumped. Do you want to start w/quicker, but lower DPA attacks to get to your dam buff cap, then switch out to a more standard highest DPA gapless attack chain? Until Arcanaville straightened out the PS mechanics, I had that all wrong too.

Anyway, KM/Invul for me since I don't repeat powersets withing an AT, and Invul's the last scrapper secondary I'm not playing actively. Sort of a Iron Skinned monk, who would prolly work better as MA/Invul, but KM the new sexy.

The only reason I would want AS on an Earth/Storm was if I wanted to solo AVs w/no insps or temps. That's the *only* reason. If you need the occasional heal, that's what insps are for. Earth should have more than enough mitigation for most things that you & your blaster friend should be sitting pretty, and the few things that will overwhelm you, AS won't do that much for anyway. I do usually take AS on blasters, but blasters aren't Earth trollers in terms of mitigation.

Awesome news! Now I can twink out all my vils before I migrate them through to blue side. Hell, I might even keep some of them evil (not ebil) now.

Just make sure the "last 5" are all within a day or two. If you're seeing sales that extend out for months, yeah, this is prolly not a niche you wanna invest 200M into.

As for risk, well, of course there's risk. So start out small and scale upwards once you have a solid niche. I however never bought in too big, i.e. 10 at a time, cuz I didn't want to flood the market. I'd go tops 5 at a time, but that's more work intensive. Of course, that's also why I "retired" after working the market for about 18 months.

But hey, if you're too lazy/chickensh** to make your own billions (and really quite easily), more for the rest of us (unretired folks, anyway).

At work, can't really look at the builds, but I wanted to add a "well, it depends" vote for CJ.

Shields has a very strong taunt aura and if the OP has no problems currently w/o Taunt, I see no pressing reason to pick it up now. CJ + Hurdle is excellent *non supressable* mobility for combat, plus gives you a bit of Def and a good place to slot a LotG.

Now the "it depends" part is, if you plan on running mostly top end TFs and lead tanking it, you might want to pick up Taunt. Also, Taunt is also an excellent mule for 2 sets, though you'll likely want to 6-slot them.

So at least in the abstract, if you're short on slots and play sorta casually running missions and such, CJ >> Taunt. If you have slots to spare and run STFs every other day, Taunt >>>> CJ.

So what I've gathered is that a small, but vocal minority convinced the devs to roll back what was viewed my the majority as a good change for i17. Anecdotally, there is no one I play with who didn't hate the roll back, even if most of them didn't particularly mind the prompt in the first place. I for one hated that freakin' prompt and yelled any all my SG-mates (on Vent, so actual yelling) who kept trying to buff me w/it during a fight to the point they just stopped buffing me w/MF period, which was fine by me.

Obviously, there are ppl who hate being buffed unasked by anything no matter how positive the effects (granted MF has a few drawbacks too). The equally obvious answer is to make all outside buffs optionally prompted--if some of us want to get all the free goodies w/o being asked, let us. If others don't want fugly ice armors to cap their defenses, hey, their loss, er, choice. I don't even see why there's a debate about this other than as an allocation of dev resources, i.e. how big of an issue we, the community think it is. I really hate that freakin' prompt and would consider adding an option a rather high one, but then I value QoL fixes quite a bit.

Yikes, I might have to take back what I said about Fire >> Ill. Frosticus just posted an absolutely insane time on the pylon results thread (which I hadn't been paying attention to in a couple of months, but his thread made me check it) w/an Ill/Cold/Ice build. Not sure it was the Ill (no psi resists for the pylons) or the Cold part tho to be honest. I suppose Ill allows you to build for things other than def, like rech & a stronger ST attack chain, but those numbers were just unreal.