macskull

[ QUOTE ]
I don't have anything to say, but I wanted to post in an epic thread.
-LoveLife

[/ QUOTE ]

As much as I love the official calendar, I can't really use it with my desktop, as the images are in a 4:3 format and I've got a widescreen monitor. Has anyone taken the time to make widescreen versions of the calendar images (if they have, my search-fu fails me again).

Kor's avatar fuels me with rage.

Whoops, my bad.

[ QUOTE ]
OP has been updated.

Ex

[/ QUOTE ]
Ex, I don't know if this is worth a mention, but the Kismet unique is listed in-game as "Kismet: +6% accuracy" while it actually provides a tohit boost. Perhaps the OP could be updated to include that as well?

[ QUOTE ]
Enforcers. Slotting the KB Chance for Damage into them would mean only one of their attacks would have the chance for damage, which would be the Blast Clip Power.

Now, if you slot the Defense Debuff Chance for Damage into the Enforcers all of their attacks except two will have the chance for Damage. The two it would not get them in, is Brawl, and Blast Clip. Neither of those powers are enhanceable for Defense Debuff.

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm seriously considering messing with my pets' slotting (I use set pet IO's, which don't give great enhancement values), and tossing in some Nucleolus enhancements into all my pets, and maybe the Achilles' Heel -res proc into my Enforcers. Since most of their attacks are AoE, I can see that proc being extremely useful.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What about powers that only have a chance for the enhancements type to fire off (Such as Energy Blast with Explosive Strike)?

There has been much debate about this particular point; via testing and thanks to Biowraith, there is now a perfect example/proof of how this works. In essence, a power only needs to be enhanceable for the type of enhancement for the proc to fire off. The power does not even need to contain such an effect for the proc to work! That is to say, slotting an Explosive Strike chance for Smashing into a power that has a 20% chance for Knockback, it will roll the chance for Smashing proc whether or not the chance for knockback the power has inherently fires off! What's my proof? Robotics Mastermind's first attack, Pulse Rifle Blast (Tier1 attack), has NO knockback effect at all, however, the power accepts both Knockback enhancers and Knockback Set Enhancers, and yes, the Explosive Strike proc works in it.


[/ QUOTE ]

i put an explosive strike proc in my lich, which without upgrades, has torrent (kb) and dark blast (no kb). torrent will proc, but dark blast will not - which is contrary to what is stated above.

[/ QUOTE ]
Even though Pulse Rifle doesn't do knockback, it does accept knockback enhancements and sets (although there is/was a patch to fix that in the works), therefore the proc would have a chance to fire when that power was used.

Your Lich, though it is one power, has multiple attacks of its own. Some do knockback, some do not. Only the attacks that are flagged for knockback will have a chance that the proc will fire.

I've seen Ice Controllers/Doms killed by their pets, it's quite amusing really (except when I'm in Granite on the KHTF and Jack's Chilling Embrace just happens to affect me, dropping my recharge even more ).

I believe you're missing Decimation: Chance for Build Up and Gaussian's Synchronized Fire Control: Chance for Build Up (though I'm aware that the latter is bugged and is able to be slotted more than once, to be fixed with I12).

Another: trial recipes are on a 24-hour timer, not 3-hour like Pool C.

I've got an Earth/Storm that'd be perfect for, say... April... Just send me a PM or in-game tell if you need reference screenies.

Soulbound Allegiance buildup proc not showing up in my combat log. I went around killing Luddites in Cap for a few minutes (with only the pets I had it slotted in, mind you) and didn't see it. Saw a big blank spot in my combat tab pop up every so often though.

I don't think it would work - Parallels lacks the 3D graphics functionality that CoX requires to run. Even if you could get it to work it'd probably run very poorly, and I don't think it would be worth the time.

To the poster above the previous one:

It might have something to do with your fan speed. I'm not sure how to change that (a program called SMCFanControl comes to mind though).

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
In closing: LOL.

[/ QUOTE ]

Psst. You missed a joke.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nah. Don't worry, I got it.

I assume you spent quite a bit of time on this. A pity, really - you could have spent that time out playing the Regeneration set that almost everyone I've ever talked to has no problem with. And, you say in the close of your post:

[ QUOTE ]
Regeneration lets you recover hit points almost as fast as they can be taken off...

[/ QUOTE ]

Other sets are based around taking less damage, or avoiding some of it entirely. Regeneration is built around being able to heal that damage back as fast as it can be dished out. Is it the same as other Scrapper sets? No. Is it just as effective? If you say no, you're probably smoking something.
In short, your gripe about enemies that cause -regen is about the only valid and sensible argument I've been able to pick out of this whole thing.

In closing: LOL.

Put up a new version of this guide, with some recommended fixes, found here.

1.5 IDEAL BUILD(S) AND IO SLOTTING

I don’t assume that anyone has exactly the same tastes or playstyle as I do, so I’m not going to tell you that this is a “must-have” build. However, I think it’s the best balance you can get without adding in Beanbag and Taser. This is the build I played my AR/Dev Blaster to 50 with, and I’ve done a few respecs to tweak things. Notice that all the IO’s (with the exception of the sniper set) are slotted at level 30 or lower – I try to keep them below level 34 because that’s the max exemplar level for the Katie Hannon Task Force. Additionally, notice there are no Ultra Rare IO sets, nor are there any global or unique IO’s of the incredibly expensive vein (i.e. Luck of the Gambler: +7.5% recharge, Miracle: +Recovery, etc.) in order to keep the cost down. I don’t know the exact cost of this build, but I’d expect it to be somewhere between 250 and 400 million (not very specific, I know, but prices fluctuate).

I used Flight for the travel power (as I do on all my characters with only a few exceptions) but it’s a matter of personal preference as to which to take. Also, it may be to your benefit to try and make a few swaps to put in Targeting Drone as soon as possible (although those early pre-level-20 levels tend to go by fairly quickly). Some of the later-level power picks can be moved around a bit, or skipped entirely; as I said, it’s all a matter of personal preference.

As far as damage procs go, notice I stuck a lethal damage proc in Web Grenade, an energy damage proc in M30 Grenade (to help offset its relatively low damage, and trust me, you do notice), toxic damage proc in Sniper Rifle (again, as toxic damage is mostly unresisted, you’ll notice the extra oomph), and lastly both an energy damage and smashing damage proc in Caltrops which can absolutely skyrocket the damage Caltrops causes (and the mobs can’t get away!).

For other procs and “special” IO’s, I have a chance for self heal proc in both Slug and Burst (not for the heal effect, which is so minimal that it really isn’t worth it on its own, but for the +6.25% recharge bonus),and a chance for resistance debuff proc in Burst, and three Force Feedback: +Recharge procs, one each in Slug, Buckshot, and Sniper Rifle. They don’t always fire off, but when they do, you can certainly notice the major increase to your recharge times. Additionally I have two knockback protection IO’s, one each in Hover and Cloaking Device, for at least a bit of protection against spending half my time on the ground. Finally, I have the Impervious Skin: Status Resistance IO in Body Armor (again more for the 5% recharge set bonus than the effect itself, though this one is more appreciable than the chance for self heal), and a stealth IO in sprint (I have the run speed one, but discovered after my purchase that the jumping ones can usually be had for quite a bit cheaper).

So, without further ado, here’s my build (designed for a level 50, because I don’t usually do “intermediate” IO sets, and start putting sets together around the time I hit level 30).

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.30
http://www.honourableunited.org.uk/mhd.php

Amazing Balrog: Level 50 Technology Blaster
Primary Power Set: Assault Rifle
Secondary Power Set: Devices
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Speed
Ancillary Pool: Munitions Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Burst <ul type="square">[*] (A) Entropic Chaos - Accuracy/Damage: Level 30[*] (3) Entropic Chaos - Damage/Endurance: Level 30[*] (3) Entropic Chaos - Damage/Recharge: Level 30[*] (5) Entropic Chaos - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 30[*] (5) Entropic Chaos - Chance of Heal Self: Level 30[*] (37) Achilles' Heel - Chance for Res Debuff: Level 20[/list]Level 1: Web Grenade <ul type="square">[*] (A) Trap of the Hunter - Chance of Damage(Lethal): Level 30[*] (11) Trap of the Hunter - Accuracy/Immobilize/Recharge: Level 30[*] (11) Trap of the Hunter - Immobilize/Range: Level 30[*] (13) Trap of the Hunter - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 30[/list]Level 2: Slug <ul type="square">[*] (A) Entropic Chaos - Accuracy/Damage: Level 30[*] (7) Entropic Chaos - Damage/Endurance: Level 30[*] (7) Entropic Chaos - Damage/Recharge: Level 30[*] (9) Entropic Chaos - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 30[*] (9) Entropic Chaos - Chance of Heal Self: Level 30[*] (31) Force Feedback - Chance for +Recharge: Level 30[/list]Level 4: Buckshot <ul type="square">[*] (A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage: Level 30[*] (13) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance: Level 30[*] (15) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge: Level 30[*] (15) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range: Level 30[*] (17) Force Feedback - Chance for +Recharge: Level 30[/list]Level 6: Swift <ul type="square">[*] (A) Flight Speed IO: Level 30[/list]Level 8: M30 Grenade <ul type="square">[*] (A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage: Level 30[*] (17) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance: Level 30[*] (19) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge: Level 30[*] (19) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy): Level 30[*] (21) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 30[/list]Level 10: Hover <ul type="square">[*] (A) Karma - Knockback Protection: Level 30[/list]Level 12: Sniper Rifle <ul type="square">[*] (A) Sting of the Manticore - Chance of Damage(Toxic): Level 35[*] (21) Sting of the Manticore - Damage/Endurance: Level 35[*] (23) Sting of the Manticore - Damage/Interrupt/Recharge: Level 35[*] (23) Sting of the Manticore - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 35[*] (25) Sting of the Manticore - Accuracy/Interrupt/Range: Level 35[*] (37) Force Feedback - Chance for +Recharge: Level 30[/list]Level 14: Fly <ul type="square">[*] (A) Flight Speed IO: Level 30[*] (25) Flight Speed IO: Level 30[/list]Level 16: Targeting Drone <ul type="square">[*] (A) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff: Level 30[*] (27) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Recharge: Level 30[*] (27) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Endurance/Recharge: Level 30[*] (29) Adjusted Targeting - Endurance/Recharge: Level 30[*] (29) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Endurance: Level 30[/list]Level 18: Flamethrower <ul type="square">[*] (A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage: Level 30[*] (31) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance: Level 30[*] (31) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge: Level 30[*] (33) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range: Level 30[*] (33) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 30[/list]Level 20: Cloaking Device <ul type="square">[*] (A) Karma - Knockback Protection: Level 30[*] (33) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 30[*] (34) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 30[/list]Level 22: Health <ul type="square">[*] (A) Healing IO: Level 30[/list]Level 24: Stamina <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Modification IO: Level 30[*] (34) Endurance Modification IO: Level 30[*] (46) Endurance Modification IO: Level 30[/list]Level 26: Smoke Grenade <ul type="square">[*] (A) Dark Watcher's Despair - To Hit Debuff: Level 30[*] (34) Dark Watcher's Despair - To Hit Debuff/Recharge: Level 30[*] (36) Dark Watcher's Despair - To Hit Debuff/Recharge/Endurance: Level 30[*] (36) Dark Watcher's Despair - To Hit Debuff/Endurance: Level 30[/list]Level 28: Trip mine <ul type="square">[*] (A) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Recharge: Level 30[*] (36) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 30[/list]Level 30: Caltrops <ul type="square">[*] (A) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy): Level 30[*] (37) Impeded Swiftness - Chance of Damage(Smashing): Level 30[/list]Level 32: Full Auto <ul type="square">[*] (A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage: Level 30[*] (39) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance: Level 30[*] (39) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge: Level 30[*] (39) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range: Level 30[*] (40) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 30[/list]Level 35: Ignite <ul type="square">[*] (A) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge: Level 30[*] (40) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 30[*] (40) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance: Level 30[*] (42) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range: Level 30[/list]Level 38: Hasten <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 30[*] (42) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 30[*] (42) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 30[/list]Level 41: Body Armor <ul type="square">[*] (A) Impervious Skin - Resistance/Endurance: Level 30[*] (43) Impervious Skin - Resistance/Recharge: Level 30[*] (43) Impervious Skin - Endurance/Recharge: Level 30[*] (43) Impervious Skin - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge: Level 30[*] (45) Impervious Skin - Status Resistance: Level 30[/list]Level 44: Cryo Freeze Ray <ul type="square">[*] (A) Ghost Widow's Embrace - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 30[*] (45) Ghost Widow's Embrace - Endurance/Hold: Level 30[*] (45) Ghost Widow's Embrace - Accuracy/Endurance: Level 30[*] (46) Ghost Widow's Embrace - Hold/Range: Level 30[*] (46) Ghost Widow's Embrace - Accuracy/Hold/Recharge: Level 30[/list]Level 47: LRM Rocket <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 30[*] (48) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 30[*] (48) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 30[*] (48) Damage Increase IO: Level 30[/list]Level 49: Auto Turret <ul type="square">[*] (A) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 30[*] (50) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 30[*] (50) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 30[*] (50) Thunderstrike - Damage/Recharge: Level 30[/list]------------
Level 1: Brawl <ul type="square">[*] (A) Empty[/list]Level 1: Sprint <ul type="square">[*] (A) Celerity - +Stealth: Level 30[/list]Level 2: Rest <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 30[/list]Level 1: Defiance
------------
[u]Set Bonus Totals:[u]<ul type="square">[*]+5% DamageBuff[*]+3.45% Defense(Energy)[*]+0.95% Defense(Negative)[*]+6.75% Max Endurance[*]+52% Enhancement(Accuracy)[*]+2.5% Enhancement(Held)[*]+5% Enhancement(Immobilize)[*]+53.8% Enhancement(RechargeTime)[*]+81.3 (6.75%) HitPoints[*]+Knockback (Mag -8)[*]+MezResist(Confused) (Mag 13%)[*]+MezResist(Held) (Mag 7.5%)[*]+MezResist(Immobilize) (Mag 7.5%)[*]+MezResist(Sleep) (Mag 9.7%)[*]+MezResist(Stun) (Mag 7.5%)[*]+MezResist(Terrorized) (Mag 7.5%)[*]+14.5% Recovery[*]+42% Regeneration[*]+7.88% Resistance(Fire)[*]+7.88% Resistance(Cold)[*]+1.26% Resistance(Energy)[*]+1.26% Resistance(Negative)[*]+5% RunSpeed[*]+2% Debt Protection[/list]


<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>| Copy &amp; Paste this data chunk into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
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</pre><hr />

1.4 ANCILLARY (EPIC) POWER POOLS

Congratulations! You’ve played your Assault Rifle/Devices Blaster long enough that you’ve made it to the Ancillary power pools. Of the five APP’s available to Blasters, Munitions Mastery comes to mind as the one that fits the AR/Dev concept the best. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best choice of the five, as which APP to take really is a matter of personal preference and style of play – therefore I’m not going to go into any real details about the APP’s except to say what each one offers. I took Munitions Mastery for the reason I mentioned above (plus the thought of an AoE sniper attack made me giddy), and also it uses the rifle so there are no nasty redraw issues. What follows is a rundown of the five APP’s available, and the powers in each.

COLD MASTERY – Offers Snow Storm (a ranged AoE toggle slow), Flash Freeze (a ranged AoE sleep), Frozen Armor (a smashing/lethal defense and cold/fire resistance toggle), and Hibernate (a self +recovery, +regeneration, invulnerable). Of the defense/resistance toggles in the APP’s, Frozen Armor is the only one that offers both defense and resistance, as opposed to resistance only. Hibernate is useful in situations where you’ve just taken unexpected aggro or a lot of damage and need a quick way out.

1. SNOW STORM: While active, the chill from this Snow Storm can dramatically Slow the attack and movement speed of the target and all nearby foes. Recharge: Slow
• Level available: 41
• Range: 80 feet
• Recharge time: 20 seconds
• Cast time: 2.03 seconds
• Endurance cost: 0.33/second
• Effects to target: -50% run speed, recharge, jump speed, jump height, -fly

2. FLASH FREEZE: You can Flash Freeze a large patch of ground beneath a targeted foe, instantly forming dozens of deadly ice shards that do Cold damage to all enemies in the area. The victims are left trapped within the icicles, but can break free if disturbed. Only targets near the ground can be affected. Damage: Minor, Recharge: Slow
• Level available: 41
• Range: 60 feet
• Damage: 5.56 lethal, 5.56 cold (11.12 total)
• Recharge time: 90 seconds
• Cast time: 2.37 seconds
• Endurance cost: 19.5
• Sleep to target: 17.88 seconds mag 3

3. FROZEN ARMOR: While this power is active, you coat yourself in rock hard Frozen Armor. The hardness of the Frozen Armor offers good defense to Smashing and Lethal attacks as well as reducing Cold damage. Also, Fire attacks deal slightly less damage. You must be level 44 and have Snow Storm or Flash Freeze before selecting this power. Recharge: Very Fast
• Level available: 44
• Recharge time: 2 seconds
• Cast time: 0.73 seconds
• Endurance cost: 0.16/second
• Defense/resistance bonus to self: 10.5% smashing/lethal defense, 21% cold resistance, 7% fire resistance

4. HIBERNATE: When you activate this power, you encase yourself in a block of solid ice, making yourself invulnerable, though you are frozen solid and cannot act. While Hibernating within this block of ice, you Heal Damage and Recover Endurance at an incredible rate. You can emerge at will by deactivating the power, but you cannot Hibernate for more than 30 seconds. If you activate this power while in the air, you will fall. You must be level 47 and have two other Cold Mastery Powers before selecting this power. Recharge: Long
• Level available: 47
• Recharge time: 240 seconds
• Cast time: 0.07 seconds
• Endurance cost: 0.16
• Effects to self: +1000% regeneration, +400% recovery, invulnerable

ELECTRICAL MASTERY – Offers Static Discharge (a ranged cone attack), Shocking Bolt (a ranged hold), Charged Armor (a smashing/lethal/energy resistance toggle), and EM Pulse (a PBAoE stun that also drains endurance and slows a foe’s regeneration). Electrical Mastery is great for bringing in not only a single-target hold to add to your arsenal, but a PBAoE disorient that also has some rather nasty side effects to whatever it happens to hit.

1. STATIC DISCHARGE: Discharges a cone of static electricity that deals damage and drains endurance from all affected foes in the area. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Slow
• Level available: 41
• Range: 80 feet
• Damage: 50.61, energy
• Recharge time: 12 seconds
• Cast time: 2.17 seconds
• Endurance cost: 14.82
• Endurance drain to target: -5

2. SHOCKING BOLT: Holds a distant foe by shocking him with electricity. The seized target is left writhing in agony and is unable to defend himself. Shocking Bolt also drains some endurance from the target over time. A portion of drained endurance may be returned to you. Damage: Minor(DoT), Recharge: Slow
• Level available: 41
• Range: 80 feet
• Damage: 5 ticks at 5.56 each, energy (27.8 total)
• Recharge time: 16 seconds
• Cast time: 2 seconds
• Endurance cost: 10.66
• Effects to target: 14.304 second mag 3 hold, -2 endurance
• Effects to self: 30% chance for +5.33 endurance

3. CHARGED ARMOR: When you toggle on this power, you are surrounded in a charged field that makes you highly resistant to smashing, lethal and energy damage. You must be level 44 and have Static Discharge or Shocking Bolt before selecting this power. Recharge: Fast
• Level available: 44
• Recharge time: 2 seconds
• Cast time: 0.67 seconds
• Endurance cost: 0.16/second
• Resistance bonus to self: 19.25% smashing/lethal/energy

4. EM PULSE: You can unleash a massive pulse of electromagnetic energy. This EMP will drain the endurance and HP Regeneration of all affected targets and leave them incapacitated and disoriented for a while. Additionally, most machines and robots will take moderate high damage. However, this power uses a lot of endurance and leaves you unable to recover endurance for a while. You must be level 47 and have two other Electrical Mastery Powers before selecting this power.
• Level available: 47
• Damage: 91.2, energy (if target is machine)
• Recharge time: 800 seconds
• Cast time: 2.93 seconds
• Endurance cost: 26
• Effects to target: 17.88 second mag 3 stun, -50 endurance, -1000% regeneration for 15 seconds
• Effects to self: -100% recovery for 15 seconds

FLAME MASTERY – Offers Bonfire (a ranged locational knockback), Char (a ranged hold), Fire Shield (a smashing/lethal/fire/cold resistance toggle), and Rise of the Phoenix (a self-rez power with special side effects). Here’s your chance to pick up fire resistance, which as it stands is fairly rare in the game. If you have a tendency to faceplant a lot though, this APP might be worth taking for the self rez alone.

1. BONFIRE: You can create a bonfire that knocks back and burns any foes who try to pass through it. Damage: Minor, Recharge: Long
• Level available: 41
• Range: 70 feet
• Damage: 5.56, fire
• Recharge time: 120 seconds
• Cast time: 3.07 seconds
• Endurance cost: 16.25
• Chance to knockback target: 100% mag 6.23

2. CHAR: Incapacitates a distant foe by Charring him with smoldering soot and cinders. The target is left helpless, choking on the soot. Damage: Moderate(DoT), Recharge: Moderate
• Level available: 41
• Range: 80 feet
• Damage: 5 ticks at 12.23 each, fire (61.15)
• Recharge time: 16 seconds
• Cast time: 1.07 seconds
• Endurance cost: 10.66
• Hold to target: 14.304 second mag 3

3. FIRE SHIELD: While this power is active, you get a good resistance to Lethal, Smashing and Fire damage. Fire Shield also provides minimal resistance to Cold damage. You must be level 44 and have Bonfire or Char before selecting this power. Recharge: Very Fast
• Level available: 44
• Recharge time: 4 seconds
• Cast time: 1.67 seconds
• Endurance cost: 0.16/second
• Resistance bonus to self: 19.25% smashing/lethal, 14% fire, 7% cold

4. RISE OF THE PHOENIX: If you are defeated, you can rise from the ashes. The fiery resurrection blasts nearby foes with an explosion and knocks them down. You will revive with about half of your hit points and endurance. Rise of the Phoenix will actually leave you invulnerable. Recharge: Very Long
• Level available: 47
• Range: 25 feet
• Damage: couldn’t find specific numbers for this power, but ParagonWiki says it’s “nuke-like”
• Recharge time: 300 seconds
• Cast time: 4.33 seconds
• Effects to nearby enemies: stun (3x mag 4), extreme fire damage, “high-magnitude” knockback

FORCE MASTERY – Offers Personal Force Field (a toggle defense/resistance to all damage), Repulsion Field (a toggle PBAoE knockback power like Repel from Kinetics), Temp Invulnerability (a smashing/lethal resistance toggle), and Force of Nature (a click self resistance power similar to Unstoppable from Invulnerability). Personal Force Field is somewhat like Hibernate, except you’re able to move around – it’s a good lifesaver if things get hairy. Force of Nature is very useful, but the endurance and hit point crash once it wears off can prove dangerous if you’re not prepared.

1. PERSONAL FORCE FIELD: The Personal Force Field is almost impenetrable to all attacks, even Psionics and Enemy Teleportation, although attacks from more powerful foes may get through more easily. Personal Force Field will also reduce the damage of any attacks that do get through. The Personal Force Field works both ways; while it is active, you can only use powers that affect yourself. Cannot be used with Rest. Recharge: Slow
• Level available: 41
• Recharge time: 30 seconds
• Cast time: 2.03 seconds
• Endurance cost: 0.16/second
• Effects to self: 52.5% defense to all, 28% resistance to all, can only affect self while power is active

2. REPULSION FIELD: This Toggle power creates a field that violently repels nearby foes. Each villain that is repelled costs you additional Endurance. Recharge: Slow
• Level available: 41
• Recharge time: 40 seconds
• Cast time: 2.03 seconds
• Endurance cost: 0.49/second (plus an additional 2.5 per enemy repelled)
• Chance to knockback target: 100% mag 4.985

3. TEMP INVULNERABILITY: When you toggle on this power, you become highly resistant to Smashing and Lethal damage. When you toggle on this power, you become highly resistant to Smashing and Lethal damage. You must be level 44 and have Personal Force Field or Repulsion Field before selecting this power. Recharge: Fast
• Level available: 44
• Recharge time: 2 seconds
• Cast time: 0.67 seconds
• Endurance cost: 0.16/second
• Resistance bonus to self: 21% smashing/lethal

4. FORCE OF NATURE: When you activate this power, you not only become extremely resistant to most damage but also to most Disorient, Immobilization, Hold, Knockback and Sleep effects. Endurance recovery is also increased. Force of Nature costs very little Endurance to activate, but when it wears off you are left exhausted, and drained of almost all Health and Endurance. Recharge: Very Long
• Level available: 47
• Recharge time: 1000 seconds
• Cast time: 3.1 seconds
• Endurance cost: 3.25
• Resistance bonus to self (120 seconds): 35% all but psionics
• Effects to self (after 120 seconds): -100% recovery for 15 seconds, -100% endurance

MUNITIONS MASTERY – Offers Body Armor (an always-on smashing/lethal resistance power), Cryo Freeze Ray (a ranged hold), Sleep Grenade (a ranged AoE sleep), and LRM Missile (a ranged AoE attack that has a sniper-like range). As I mentioned earlier, Munitions Mastery is the APP that best fits the concept of the Assault Rifle/Devices Blaster, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best choice of the five available. The fact that Body Armor is an always-on power means that even if you get mezzed (and it will happen) you’ll still have the resistance active - the other APP’s offer toggle powers, which get turned off when mezzed. This is “balanced” by the fact that Body Armor grants a smaller bonus than do the other toggles. Cryo Freeze Ray offers a much-needed hold, Sleep Grenade is of limited usefulness on teams, where AoE attacks are commonplace, but occasionally useful in solo situations, and the LRM Missile is just cool. I mean, an AoE sniper attack? Come ON.

1. BODY ARMOR: You have Body Armor that will reduce all smashing and lethal damage. This power is always on, and costs no endurance.
• Level available: 41
• Resistance bonus to self: 8.75% smashing/lethal

2. CRYO FREEZE RAY: Although this weapon deals very little damage, the Cryo Freeze Ray encases your foe in a block of ice, holding him helpless in place for a while. Damage: Minor, Recharge: Moderate
• Level available: 41
• Range: 60 feet
• Damage: 5.56, cold
• Recharge time: 16 seconds
• Cast time: 1.87 seconds
• Endurance cost: 8.58
• Hold to target: 11.92 seconds mag 3

3. SLEEP GRENADE: Launches a Sleep Grenade at long range from beneath the barrel of your Assault Rifle. This small blast does minor smashing damage but affects all foes within the blast radius, and can knock them back. You must be level 44 and have Body Armor or Cryo Freeze Ray before selecting this power. Damage: Minor, Recharge: Slow
• Level available: 44
• Range: 80 feet
• Damage: 5.56, smashing
• Recharge time: 90 seconds
• Cast time: 1.87 seconds
• Endurance cost: 19.5
• Sleep to target: 23.84 second mag 3

4. LRM MISSILE: The LRM Rocket is a powerful piece of hardware. It is very accurate and has a very long range. The impressive round can knock down its target. Like most sniper attacks, you must take your time to aim, so this attack can be interrupted. You must be level 47 and have two other Munitions Mastery Powers before selecting this power. Damage: Superior, Recharge: Slow
• Level available: 47
• Range: 150 feet
• Damage: 82.86, lethal plus 55.61, smashing (138.47 total)
• Recharge time: 240 seconds
• Cast time: 1.87 seconds
• Interrupt time: 4 seconds
• Endurance cost: 22.8
• Chance to knockback target: 50% mag 1.163

1.3 THE DEVICES SECONDARY POWER POOL – ANOTHER NOT-SO-QUICK GLANCE, BUT THIS TIME BEHIND YOU AND IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DIRECTION

Devices - the neglected child of the Blaster secondaries. Prior to enhancement diversification (ED), this secondary was quite popular: six-slot Targeting Drone for tohit buff, six-slot Cloaking Device for defense, six-slot Hasten for recharge, and then slot all your powers with maybe five damage and one endurance reduction, or just six-slot for damage. Unfortunately between ED and the “Global Defense Nerf” (GDN), the defense values for Cloaking Device were lowered to the point where they’re almost negligible, and perma-Hasten is a thing of the past unless you manage to make a very well-thought-out (and very expensive) IO build. That led to a general shift away from this secondary and toward others that offered a bit more “offensive” capability.

However, you will find that Devices offers quite a bit of variation as compared to other secondaries, which generally consist of some melee attacks, a bit of mez, and maybe a utility power or two (i.e. Consumption from Fire Manipulation). It’s the only Blaster secondary with a stealth power, and through Targeting Drone, makes up for the lack of an Aim power in the Assault Rifle primary.

So, here we have the nine Devices powers, with values for endurance cost, accuracy, damage, recharge, etc., also taken from “Red Tomax’s Guide to City of Heroes,” with some additional data provided by Mids’ Hero Designer.

1. WEB GRENADE: Upon impact, the Web Grenade expels a strong, tenuous, and very sticky substance that can Immobilize most targets. This non-lethal device deals no damage and does not prevent targets from attacking, although their attack rate is slowed. The web can bring down flying entities and halts jumping. Recharge: Fast
• Level available: 1
• Range: 50 feet
• Recharge time: 4 seconds
• Cast time: 1.37 seconds
• Endurance cost: 7.8
• Effects to target: 17.88 seconds mag 3 immobilize; -50% recharge, run speed, fly speed for 15 seconds (-speed does not stack from same caster)

You never actually had a choice as to whether or not you took this power. But that’s ok, since it’s extremely useful early on to keep foes out of melee range, and extremely useful later in the game as a bit of “soft control” – even if you don’t immobilize the target, you’ll still drop their recharge and running speed by 50%, which is nothing to sneeze at. The –fly component is especially useful for a Blaster, because everyone knows flying opponents are annoying, and they’re better off at ground level where you can whale on them more effectively. Web Grenade counts as a ranged attack, which serves to build up the damage boost from Defiance, so it’s also useful in that regard. Slot it with a damage proc IO from an immobilize set (Trap of the Hunter: Chance for Lethal damage comes to mind), and it has a chance of dealing damage on top of the already appreciable effects. Plus it builds Defiance!

2. CALTROPS: You toss a handful of Caltrops at a targeted location and spread the tiny metal spikes over a large area. Any villains that pass over the Caltrops will be forced to move at a slower rate. They will also take some trivial Lethal damage over time. Damage: Minor(DoT), Recharge: Slow
• Level available: 2
• Range: 25 feet
• Damage: trivial, lethal
• Recharge time: 45 seconds
• Cast time: 1.07 seconds
• Endurance cost: 7.8
• Run speed to target: -80%

Some choose to skip this power – in my Radiation Blast/Traps Corruptor, for example, I skipped Caltrops in favor of some other powers. It’s useful in conjunction with, say, Ignite, for keeping enemies in the burn patch, or useful for slowing down pursuing mobs, so long as they’re not flying. I usually drop Caltrops right around a corner when a Tanker is herding, along with a few Trip Mines, so when the mob rounds the corner they walk straight into a death trap of pointy metal spikes, high explosives, and whatever else my team feels like dealing out. Caltrops isn’t a necessary power pick, but it has its uses, and considering most enemies in the game aren’t resistant to slow effects (and, for that matter, neither are most player opponents), it comes in handy at times. As with Web Grenade, damage can be added via a proc or two.

3. TASER: The Taser is a basically a stun-gun. This small device releases a high-voltage, low-amperage electrical charge that can Disorient most opponents with minimal damage. The Taser has a very short range. Damage: Minor, Recharge: Slow
• Level available: 4
• Range: 40 feet
• Damage: 13.9, energy
• Recharge time: 20 seconds
• Cast time: 1.37 seconds
• Endurance cost: 10.19
• Stun to target: 11.92 seconds mag 3

Taser is exactly like Beanbag, except the damage it deals is energy, and it’s a very short-range power (I had incorrectly stated in my last guide that it was melee, but that had been changed a while ago). If you take Beanbag just for the utility, you might take Taser as well, to stack stuns and take out bosses or similarly tough enemies. As I said before, though, I find it more effective to simply take out an enemy before they’ve got a chance to respond. Considering the fact that */Devices Blasters are quite weak in the melee damage department, getting into close range is never the wisest option, unless you’re able to get in, drop off your attacks, and get back out just as fast. If you can do that, more power to you, but for the average Blaster, especially with the new Defiance, ranged attacks grant the biggest damage boost, and it’s best to stick with those.

4. TARGETING DRONE: When this small device is activated, the small Targeting Drone hovers around your head and emits targeting laser sights. The lasers can dramatically improve your Accuracy and increase your Perception, allowing you to better see stealthy foes. Targeting Drone also grants you resistance to powers that debuff your Accuracy. This is a toggle power and must be activated and deactivated manually. Like all toggle powers, the Targeting Drone uses Endurance while active. Targeting Drone also adds a slight damage bonus when used in conjunction with Sniper Rifle. Recharge: Slow
• Level available: 10
• Recharge time: 10 seconds
• Cast time: 1.17 seconds
• Endurance cost: 0.16/second
• Effects to self: 13.875% tohit buff, 55.36% resistance to tohit debuff, 60% perception radius

Here’s where the Devices set really shines. In fact this power was the singular reason many Blasters took the Devices secondary prior to ED. A toggle power that consumes minimal endurance and grants a very good tohit buff that can be enhanced isn’t something to sneeze at. The fact that it grants resistance to tohit debuffs is a bonus – the smoke grenades that Arachnos minions like to toss around like they’re hot potatoes aren’t even a minor annoyance. Meanwhile the rest of your team is running around blindly looking for an enemy to target, and the Kinetics guy is complaining because he can’t see any targets to heal off of, and you’re just sitting there laughing to yourself while you continue to fire away. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could slot Targeting Drone with the “Gaussian’s Synchronize Fire-Control: Chance for build up” IO – more on IO slotting later in the guide.

5. SMOKE GRENADE: The Smoke Grenade envelops all those in the affected area in a cloud of smoke. Most villains will not be able to see past normal melee range, although some may have better Perception. If the villains are attacked, they will be alerted to your presence, but will suffer a penalty to Accuracy. Recharge: Slow
• Level available: 16
• Range: 70 feet
• Recharge time: 15 seconds
• Cast time: 1.37 seconds
• Endurance cost: 7.8
• Effects to target: -3.5% tohit debuff for 60 seconds, -90% perception for 60 seconds

The nasty Arachnos smoke grenades I mentioned earlier? You’ve got ‘em – time for payback. The tohit debuff to the target is very small, but the huge reduction in their perception radius helps a ton, and when combined with Cloaking Device, you’re able to sneak into a mob undetected, lay down a Time Bomb, and run away cackling madly to yourself. It’s a skippable power, if you so choose, but I find it useful as an opener, especially on teams, so the non-stealthed members of your team can get closer without alerting the mob. Also useful for tossing at a nearby mob so they don’t get accidentally aggroed when the Scrapper goes nuts and plunges into a mob without warning.

6. CLOAKING DEVICE: The Cloaking Device allows you to use a LCD body coating become partially invisible. While Cloaked you can only be seen at very close range. IF you attack while Cloaked, you will be discovered. Even if discovered, you are hard to see but will retain some of your defense bonus to all attacks. Unlike some stealth powers, the Cloaking Device has no movement penalty. The Cloaking device will not work with any other form of Concealment power such as Shadow Fall or Steamy Mist. Recharge: Slow
• Level available: 20
• Recharge time: 20 seconds
• Cast time: 0.73 seconds
• Endurance cost: 0.13/second
• Defense bonus to self: 1.75% (all)

If you’re taking Cloaking Device because you noticed it grants a defense bonus, you’ll be disappointed, because Cloaking Device grants about as much a defense bonus as an umbrella grants you protection from golf ball-sized hail. Its usefulness is in the fact that it’s the only power available to Blasters that grants stealth without a movement penalty (short of Super Speed, but that requires another power pool). You wanna stealth through missions? Go ahead, you can do it, with some well-placed Smoke Grenades and a bit of luck. Being partially invisible means you’re less likely to catch stray aggro, which as a squishy is always a good thing. I’m so used to being stealthed that when I play one of my characters that doesn’t have a stealth power, I feel naked. You can slot a running or jumping stealth IO in Sprint to stack with Cloaking Device for near-cap PvE invisibility, allowing you to stealth around missions without the aid of Smoke Grenade.

7. TRIP MINE: You can place a Trip Mine on the ground. Any villains that pass near the Trip Mine will cause it to explode, severely damaging all nearby foes and sending them flying. The Trip Mine is almost impossible to detect, but it is fragile and may be set off by an enemy's explosion. Even if destroyed, the Trip Mine will detonate. Damage: Superior, Recharge: Slow
• Level available: 28
• Damage: 112.2, lethal plus 55.6, fire (167.8 total) plus 10% chance for extra 55.6, fire
• Recharge time: 20 seconds
• Interrupt time: 4 seconds
• Endurance cost: 13
• Chance to knockback target: 50% mag 2.08

Trip Mine is the last of what many consider the “truly useful” Devices powers. It does a good amount of damage (more so than even Sniper Rifle), and some of that damage is in the form of the usually-unresisted fire damage. The recharge time is only 20 seconds, which can be brought down to something around 10 seconds (or even less) between recharge IO’s and set bonuses. That means while everyone else is off killing Mary MacComber for the umpteenth time during the Katie Hannon Task Force, you’re laying mines at the normal mob spawn point, all the while cackling evilly to yourself. When you’ve dropped about six or so mines you head back into the fray, back off a bit before the next spawn, and watch the unsuspecting Cabal explode before they’ve even got a chance to scatter. A good half-dozen Trip Mines don’t take too long to place and deal very good damage to large mobs. Only real drawbacks to Trip Mine are that it doesn’t contribute to the Defiance damage boost(at least I don’t think it does) and its accuracy is not increased by Targeting Drone, as it is considered a non-targetable pet by the game. An extremely useful, if not situational, power.

8. TIME BOMB: You can place a Time Bomb on the ground. The Time Bomb will detonate 15 seconds after being placed, resulting in a massive explosion that can devastate all nearby foes and send them flying. The Time Bomb is small, and almost impossible to detect. However, it is fragile and may be set off by an enemy's explosion. Even if destroyed, the Time Bomb will detonate. Damage: Extreme, Recharge: Very Long
• Level available: 35
• Damage: 166.8, lethal plus 111.2, fire (278 total)
• Recharge time: 360 seconds
• Interrupt time: 8 seconds
• Endurance cost: 26
• Chance to knockback target: 80% mag 8.31

I wouldn’t blame you if you chose to skip Time Bomb. I took it in my build as one of those “ah, what the heck” powers, and I was surprised by the damage it dealt – but if you expect to use it in fast-moving groups as a form of a nuke, you’ll be disappointed. Eight seconds to plant the Time Bomb plus another fifteen for it to detonate turns into 23 seconds, by which time your team is fighting a mob at the end of the next hallway. Its damage is comparable to a nuke from most of the other Blaster primaries, and its recharge is identical (six minutes), but its usefulness is outweighed by the long setup time. It’s good for soloing if you’re running on a higher difficulty level where mobs are sufficiently large enough to justify using it whenever it recharges, but that’s about it. As I stated earlier I ended up respec-ing out of it to take Ignite.

9. AUTO TURRET: You can place a stationary Auto Turret on the ground. The Auto Turret has an extremely fast firing rate and is equipped with a customized tracking system. Once locked on, the Turret will continue to unload a volley of lead into the target until it is destroyed or out of range. The Turret is armored, but can be destroyed. Damage: Moderate(DoT), Recharge: Very Long
• Level available: 38
• Damage: 7 ticks at 9.34 each, lethal (65.38 total)
• Recharge: 180 seconds
• Interrupt time: 6 seconds
• Endurance cost: 39

Another power that if you skipped, I wouldn’t blame you. The first time I asked a Blaster that had this power what it was like, he replied with “It’s a fun toy - it’s more for show than anything.” That’s why I took it at level 49. I had more useful things to take in the late 30’s, but I threw it in there at 49 because I wanted to see what it was like. It’s useful for AV fighting (gives a secondary source of damage output if you’re tied up doing something else) and distracting mobs (during the first mission of the Statesman Task Force, for example, I set one up, along with a few Trip Mines, at the top of the ramp Arbiter Sands is on, to deal with the ambush that spawns during the fighting). It’s situational and has limited usefulness, but it’s fun to play around with.

1.2 THE ASSAULT RIFLE PRIMARY POWER POOL – A NOT-SO-QUICK GLANCE

First, a rundown of all the Assault Rifle powers, in order, with the corresponding values for damage, recharge, and the like (taken from the “Powerset Quantification” database from “Red Tomax’s Guide to City of Heroes,” found here). Note that the powers from Assault Rifle have a base accuracy of 1.05, as opposed the standard 1.0 (presumably to slightly offset the lower damage output), except Sniper Rifle (1.25), Flamethrower (1.3), Ignite (2.0), and Full Auto (1.35). From the beginning, these nine powers are as follows (values for damage are level 50 base values in PvE):

1. BURST: Quickly fires a Burst of rounds at a single target at very long range. Damage is average, but the fire rate is fast. Can also reduce the target's defense. Damage: Moderate(DoT), Recharge: Fast
• Level available: 1
• Range: 90 feet
• Damage: 4 ticks at 15.01 each (60.04 total), lethal
• Recharge time: 4 seconds
• Cast time: 2.2 seconds
• Endurance cost: 5.2
• Defense debuff to target: -7% for 8 seconds

Burst is kind of like every other offensive power set’s tier 1 power: less damage than the tier 2, which is also available when starting a new character, but a faster recharge. Most people like to go with the damage straight out of the gate, and I’m one of them. If you don’t want to take this power at level 1 (or ever), I wouldn’t blame you. However, I took it fairly early because it gave me another power to use while the rest of my attacks were recharging. The defense debuff, while small, is enhanceable, and at a level where it seems you can barely hit anything anyways, even a small debuff can be useful. Add in the fact that with the new Defiance, each primary or secondary attack gives a slight damage boost, and that’s another way to slightly increase your output.

2. SLUG: Fires a single Slug at a targeted foe. Firing a single Slug is slower than firing a Burst, but deals more damage, is longer range, and can knock down foes. Damage: High, Recharge: Moderate
• Level available: 1
• Range: 100 feet
• Damage: 91.2, lethal
• Recharge time: 8 seconds
• Cast time: 1.87 seconds
• Endurance cost: 8.53
• Chance to knockback target: 25% mag 1.246

Slug is the bread-and-butter attack of the Assault Rifle set. It’s a moderately damaging power with a decent chance of knockback, which is quite useful – keeping an enemy pinned to the floor pretty much ensures they can’t attack you. Recharge is twice as long as Slug, while the damage is about 50% higher. Throw in a good IO set, and the recharge becomes minimal, and the damage becomes even higher. This power’s a must-have for the Assault Rifle set.

3. BUCKSHOT: Good at close range. Fires a cone of Buckshot pellets and can knock some foes down. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Moderate
• Level available: 2
• Range: 40 feet
• Damage: 50.61, lethal
• Recharge time: 8 seconds
• Cast time: 1.87 seconds
• Endurance cost: 10.19
• Chance to knockback target: 50% mag 1.246

This is it – your first AoE power. Get used to these, because from here on out, with the exception of Beanbag and Sniper Rifle, all your Assault Rifle attacks are gonna be the same thing. Some people choose to forego this power in favor of something else, but I see it this way: for only slightly more endurance than Slug, you’ve got an equal chance of knocking back every target you hit. So, even if the damage itself isn’t great up front, you’ve got a 50% chance of keeping anything in front of you out of melee range simply by firing off Buckshot every once in a while. As you get later into the game, you may decide to get rid of this power because its range is relatively short, but I like it. It’s all a matter of preference.

4. M30 GRENADE: Launches a Grenade at long range from beneath the barrel of your Assault Rifle. This explosion affects all within the blast radius, and can knock them back. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Slow
• Level available: 6
• Range: 80 feet
• Damage: 16.68, smashing plus 33.37, lethal (50.05 total)
• Recharge time: 16 seconds
• Cast time: 1.87 seconds
• Endurance cost: 15.18
• Chance to knockback target: 50% mag 3.323

M30 Grenade, like Buckshot, is a power that some choose to look over. Its damage is nothing special, and its endurance cost is relatively high all things considered. With that in mind, consider the fact that it’s got a decent range, a good area of effect, and a higher magnitude of knockback, which means you’re more likely to take down tougher enemies. If you’re going to skip any “damage” power from the Assault Rifle set, skip this one. I’ve got it on my Blaster, but find that I don’t use it often. It’s useful in certain situations, but not something that would be part of the normal attack chain.

5. BEANBAG: Fires a single non lethal Beanbag that can seriously Disorient a target. Deals little damage and takes a long time to reload, but renders most targets unable to attack for a good while. Damage: Minor, Recharge: Slow
• Level available: 8
• Range: 60 feet
• Damage: 11.12, smashing
• Recharge time: 20 seconds
• Cast time: 1.87 seconds
• Endurance cost: 10.19
• Stun to target: 11.92 seconds mag 3

There are some who swear by Beanbag – what better way to keep your opponent from attacking you than by scrambling his brains a little bit? I, however, find that the best way to keep an enemy from attacking me is taking his hit points to zero before he’s got a chance to respond with any real effect. If you plan on taking Taser from the Devices secondary, the stuns can stack nicely to neutralize a boss, but Taser’s range makes it somewhat harder to do this from range. I skip this power in favor of something that deals more damage, but again, if you are the type who likes to stun/hold/whatever your target before really opening up on them, go ahead. Notice that level 8 is where the other Blaster primaries get their Aim power – there’s been some talk in the community (none of it really serious) about dropping this power and replacing it with an Aim-like one. Nevertheless, don’t expect that to be happening anytime soon.

6. SNIPER RIFLE: Sniper Rifle is a powerful piece of hardware. It is very accurate and has a very long range. The impressive round can knock down its target. Like most sniper attacks, you must take your time to aim, so this attack can be interrupted. Damage: Extreme, Rech: Slow
• Level available: 12
• Range: 150 feet
• Damage: 153.48, lethal
• Recharge time: 12 seconds
• Cast time: 1.87 seconds
• Interrupt time: 3 seconds
• Endurance cost: 14.35
• Chance to knockback target: 50% mag 1.163

Here’s your long-range, high-damage power for the Assault Rifle set. It’s got a decent chance to knockback an enemy and is quite useful in almost any situation. Since most sniper IO sets have at least one interrupt-time reduction enhancement in them, that 3-second interrupt time can be brought down far enough to the point where if you’re taking damage in the middle of lining up your shot, you’ll continue and fire it off unfazed. This attack is the last of your single-target attacks, and is by far one of the most powerful, so it’s highly recommended that you pick this up as soon as you can. In addition to the already-high base damage that Sniper Rifle deals out, if you’ve got your Targeting Drone from Devices activated, there’ll be a bit of extra damage, which always comes in handy.

7. FLAMETHROWER: Spews forth a cone of flames from underneath the barrel of your assault rifle, setting foes on fire. Very accurate and very deadly at medium range. Damage: Extreme(DoT) Recharge: Slow
• Level available: 18
• Range: 40 feet
• Damage: 8 ticks at 13.35 damage each, fire (106.8 total)
• Recharge time: 22.6 seconds
• Cast time: 3.5 seconds
• Endurance cost: 23.92

Ah, here we go. Finally a power in this set that isn’t smashing or lethal damage! And it’s even got a decent recharge time considering the damage it deals out – and it’s all fire damage, which is one of the more unresisted damages in the game! Were it not for the relatively high endurance cost, with enhancements this power recharges fast enough that it might be useful as a single-target attack, if the situation warranted it. It’s great for taking out tightly-packed mobs – an especially useful strategy during the Katie Hannon Task Force is to fire off Flamethrower once a mob spawns, then immediately follow it up with Full Auto, which will start to cause damage even as the targets are still burning. Needless to say, two like-minded Assault Rifle Blasters can bring quite a bit of hurt to large mobs using only those two attacks. This power’s a must-have, if only for the fact that the damage it deals is minimally resisted.

8. IGNITE: Sprays a targeted location with accelerant from your flamethrower, igniting the location. Any foes that pass through the flames will be burned. Great for blocking doorways and small passages. Damage: Moderate(DoT), Recharge: Fast
• Level available: 26
• Range: 30 feet
• Damage: none, unless target passes through flames
• Recharge time: 3 seconds
• Cast time: 4 seconds
• Endurance cost: 5.2

In my original version of this guide, I ragged on Ignite as a power that was really only useful as an area-denial weapon that didn’t cause any significant damage unless a target was immobilized, held, or slowed inside the area of the burn patch. While it’s true that Ignite is useful as an area-denial weapon, and it’s true that it only causes good damage if a target is kept in its area of effect, my views on it have changed since I wrote up the old guide. I respec’d out of Time Bomb and took Ignite instead – I found that I don’t use Ignite often, but when I do use it, the damage is very good. The fact that it recharges every three seconds, plus the fact that it gives a good damage boost with the new Defiance, is very useful. It’s still a skippable power, but it’s not as bad as I had thought before.

9. FULL AUTO: Opens up your assault rifle on Full Auto to lay down a massive spray of bullets at your target. Although very slow to reload, damage from this attack is massive, shredding all targets within the narrow cone of effect. There's a chance you may land a lucky shot for extra damage. Damage: Superior(DoT), Recharge: Very Long
• Level available: 32
• Range: 80 feet
• Damage: 17 ticks at 8.9 each, lethal (151.3 total)
• Recharge time: 60 seconds
• Cast time: 6 seconds
• Endurance cost: 15.6
• Chance for extra damage: 10% for 55.61, lethal

Your tier 9 Blaster power. “Hey look, I’m gonna wander over to this group of baddies here, walk right into the middle of them, activate this power, and watch their hit points drop to zero! Wait, what’s this?” Know this: Full Auto is NOT a nuke. It doesn’t even PRETEND to be a nuke. What it is, though, is a very high-damage ranged AoE power and is extremely useful for taking large chunks of hit points off of mobs. Notice the base recharge time – a mere 60 seconds, compared to other Blaster tier 9 powers (except Rain of Arrows), which have a recharge of 360 seconds. That’s six minutes. So do the math here – your Full Auto may not deal as much damage as, say, Nova, but if you can use it six times more often than another Blaster can use his tier 9 power, that makes up for it a bit, wouldn’t you think? Add in the fact that for a few seconds, that other Blaster over there is a sitting duck because he’s got no endurance left, and can’t recover any endurance. All that while you’re laughing at him and continuing to spew bullets and flames at your targets in every direction, and again, that makes up for it. No endurance crash and pretty good damage, with a decent recharge? I’ll take it! Remember what I said about Flamethrower – fire that off, and while the targets are still burning, add in some Full Auto, and you can do a fairly good job of cleaning up a mob.

WHAT'S NEW IN THIS VERSION: I made some fixes regarding some numbers I had wrong, among other things, to my old guide, as well as added a bit of information regarding IO slotting. I also changed my opinion on a power or two so this update reflects that.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
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1.1 Introduction
1.2 The Assault Rifle primary power pool – a not-so-quick glance
1.3 The Devices secondary power pool – another not-so-quick glance, but this time behind you and in a slightly different direction
1.4 Ancillary (Epic) power pools
1.5 Ideal build(s) and IO slotting

1.1 INTRODUCTION

If you’re reading this, it’s either because you’ve already got an Assault Rifle/Devices Blaster and are looking to improve your build a bit, you’re new to City of Heroes and decided to make a build like this because it seemed cool, or it’s because you’ve grown tired of the run-of-the-mill Blaster and wanted to try something different. Or maybe you felt like you needed to challenge yourself. Whatever the situation may be, you are to be congratulated at attempting to do something few Blaster players do.

Before I begin, let me first say this: I am not, nor do I pretend to be, an expert on any of this. I’d like to think that, having extensive playtime with an AR/Dev Blaster, I know what I’m talking about, but be aware that your style of play, or personal preferences, may be different than mine. That being said, if anybody notices any glaring issues with this guide, feel free to contact me and I can have the appropriate changes made.

If you’re new to the Assault Rifle/Devices build, first be warned that as far as Blaster damage goes, this combination is not the best. The damage is relatively low compared to other Blaster power sets, which when added to the fact that it’s almost entirely comprised of smashing and lethal damage, both of which are the most common types of resistances among enemy mobs, and you realize that if you’re really playing a Blaster for raw damage output, you’re probably going to end up disappointed. The AR/Dev combination is one of the few Blaster builds that lacks a Build Up or Aim power (though the lack of Aim is somewhat made up for through the Devices secondary – more on that later); however, this can be forgiven through the use of IO’s.

Now, forward!

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I don't mind this change, though I don't think it's doing exactly what you intended - those players who have the builds that are capable of taking on massive spawns with little risk to themselves won't have a problem with this, and will continue to farm for salvage, influence, etc., and you've probably helped that more than hurt it. Now, that being said: task forces/strike forces are supposed to require a group effort, meaning they shouldn't be soloable by everyone and their brother. If you can't get a full 8-person team together to run a task force, then don't run it - simple as that. Besides, it seems as though many of you are making the argument that this will completely destroy the supply of recipes - what TF's/SF's do you think are run the most? Not the ones that require 8 people to start, I can tell you that much.

And, yes, I'm aware that some people prefer to solo their entire way through the game, and I don't think something that is intended to be a "group project," if you will, should be doable by those people. Oh, but you'll say, "I'm missing out on part of the game, and that's not cool." It might not be. But it's a game. Find a team that you know will be able to run the TF/SF - make plans in advance, if you have to, just to make sure it gets finished. These forums are a great place to do that. "But I might get stuck with horrible teammates and I won't be able to rely on them to cover my [censored]!" That's part of the risk inherent in something like this. Deal with it.

Yes, I solo sometimes, if I'm bored or if I can't find a team - but would I dream of soloing a task force? No way - they're not meant to be soloed. Notice the title of this game: it's not City of Hero, it's City of Heroes. It is a massively multiplayer online game. If it's the "multiplayer" aspect of the game that turns you off, then what are you still doing giving your $15 a month to NCSoft?

I'm guessing it's probably the people that [censored] about ED and the GDN that are most vocal about this change. It's been how long since those happened, and guess what? They weren't rolled back. What makes you think this is going to be any different? As I said before, you don't need to be paying money to play this game if you don't agree with what's going on in it.

Noooo spoilerz noooo! I'm still waiting to get in, in Atlas Park 2.

Sorry it took so long to get back to you... but Auto Turret lasts something around 2 minutes, I think (not sure, exactly). And yes, you can lay down TB, TM, and AT, and bring mobs into it for some ridiculous damage. It just takes a while to set up, is all. It doesn't make much sense to do on a team, but soloing it might be worth it for a tough mob.

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Hmm, I had a Rad/Trap Corruptor... deleted it before level 10 and replaced it with a Fire/Cold.