lareit the evil

Elite Bosses and AV's say hi.

They also almost always have secondary effects or do a metric ton of damage(typically both)

This isn't a question of how is the best way to build to survive. It's obvious a bit of resistance, regen, heal and defense is the way to go. The question was Defense versus Resistance
Defense in this game is VASTLY superior.

For the record, my only 50 Brute is ELA. So I do know the merits of resistance.

All your points apply even to resistances sets.

Point being, Defense is still vastly superior to resistance.

Can you apply sufficient -regen for the full duration of the fight?

There is your answer.

Fighting psi cops with no defense and only resistance. Say bye to Recharge.
Fighting Circle Ghosts with no defense and only resistance. Say bye to tohit.
Fighting Blue Ink Tsoo with no defense and only resistance. Say bye to damage and speed.
Fighting a large number of Malta with no defense, only resistance. Say bye to Stamina and chain protection breaking through your passive immunities.

Vastly superior. There is a reason everyone D caps.

Open Client. Load into game. Make new chr. Select Villain. Select MM. Click "Show detailed information" Check the DPA/DPC Average damage and Recharge time.

Do the math yourself.

Known beta display bug. Has no actual variance in gameplay. Does not boost damage resist. Does not damage cap at 61%. Damage boost is on par with the other two pet slot options. 3 Damage SO will give an actual damage boost of 97%.

Ninja/Dark can defeat AV's solo
It's one of the weaker AV killer of the MM primaries.

That said I managed to solo Swan as Ninja/Dark. She does a PBAOE damage drain that allows her to 1 shot you through full bodyguard mode. This was before IO's even existed. It was interesting soloing her actually. I'd save howling twilight for when she used that ability, then I'd just kite her and let the -regen keep her from healing too much untill it wore off and hope she didn't kill too many of my pets while I had to flee and couldn't taunt spam her.

Point is it can solo most AV's.

But not as easily as the other primaries(cept Zombies)

Don't dismiss Ninja and Pain.

Demons are both new
Look good(in a fancy higher quality way, their actual aesthic appeal is up to the viewer)
Are effective against single target and aoe
Are very easy to play of the MM's(Resist aura, heal, good base resists, -recharge, hold)


Anything /Dark is a good set
Bots are still a good set, though recently nerfed in the incendiary missle department.

Is this before or after they up Necromancer Damage
Ninja durability
or merc everything?

This build seems really ineffecient and has some dramatic gaps. MM's don't need Smashing/Lethal in the same way a brute/scrapper or tank does. We don't need or want to melee. The complete disregard to other defenses means fire, toxic, energy, psi, negative, etc will shred you. There are LOTS of Psi AV's.

Also alot of your pet slotting doesn't seem to make too much sense either, you're slotting for End recharge which all added up is about the equivilent of Stamina. I know you're trying to avoid fitness and I'm probably a bit traditional that everyone should take stamina(except /ELA). All you're doing though is wasting potential set bonuses just to avoid an extreamly useful power in the first place.

You also don't need Aid other as a end game build. While leveling it's extreamly useful for a traps build since it lacks direct heals but at the end you'll be controlling the fight by tanking or with your variety of abilities(Seeker/Caltrops) limiting the damage your minions take.

As for your desire to run with leadership. You don't need tactics for a mercs build. All of your guys have -defense. You also have acid more for more -defense. Even against Mako and a few others you'll be stacking more then enough -defense to hit the 95% hit rate.

I also don't think Assault is worth it, but thats just me haha.

Some of your pet slotting doesn't make much sense either. 5/6 Blood Mandate+achilles is both effective and affordable. I don't understand the 2 and 3 slotting for the mundane effects.


Also add Gamblers Recharge to all Defense powers that you can. Such as Ice Armor, Combat Jumping, etc. You'll still keep your defense inc cap and get a free 7.5 recharge.

If you're going to add Gladiators, an expensive set, definitely add the +3% defense.

I'm sure there's more but you get the idea.

The last 2 powers were just gimmicks. I couldn't figure what to take.

If the genin kick something out of melee range, they just stand there. You have to command them to run to it to start attacking or they wait untill it stands up.

All ninja scatter like the 4 winds if hit by a fire patch. With their absurd speed they almost ALWAYS run into another pack.

Ninja's are by far the most focus fire and target selecting required of the MM primaries.

There are other quirks.

It's not a huge amount of effort, but compared to the other MM's it is a big step up.

Ambushes ignore pets and focus on you. USE THIS. Don't tanker mind initially. Drop snares and then park your pets on it and hide out of LOS.

They'll ignore your pets, trying to attack you but between collision detection with your pets and whatever snare you have(If you have one) and you running around walls and corners they'll never actually threaten you.

If you lack a snare, just pop purples while in tankermind for the duration of the ambushes.

I apologize about the remark, but the logic behind it still stands.

SD offers better damage by far then any other secondary. If you're willing to throw away a noticeable difference from 10% to 20% heal for what is a very marginal decrease in rotational dps then I can't see how you'd justify playing anything but SD for AAO and Shield Charge.

I agree as a brute it's better to out kill than to outlast, but outlasting is part of the brute mentality as well. We have the hp and tanking secondaries for that very reason. Most of our primaries help our survival with -to hit, knockdown, disorient, etc.

Better not roll anything but SD then.

Really? I thought Freezing Rain and Tar pit couldn't stack if used by the same source, IE the MM. If thats true, I might have to rework some haste into my dark build.