OttercubDCs Empathy/Sonic Defender Guide (v2.0)
PREFACE
I wrote this guide based on my experiences with my main character, Growlin Granny on the Freedom server. It was a wild and crazy journey to level 50 as a member of two different SGs, and frequently teaming with a few more. I thought I knew all there was to know for awhile, and then all that changed in my mid 40s.
Please note that because this is based on my main character, so YMMV. Please take any notes contained herein as suggestions, not imperatives. I have had other experiences with Empathy, which helped me make some mistakes that I learned from. And Im in an all /Sonic SG, so my experience with that powerset is substantial. Youll see below why my preference has been this build. I can tell you that Ive used every one of the primary and secondary Defender sets at one time or another with varying degrees of success. I wont say that this is my favorite AT, bar none I frequently find new excitement with different characters. But I found that this was a build that I settled into like a favorite chair.
Also, I have steered clear of including hard numbers, as they are not my specialty. If youd like that kind of info, please look to LadyMages excellent guide for specifics.
Lastly Ill point out that this guide is currently compliant through I7. There were not any major changes to either powerset in this issue, but Ive done some changes based on feedback from the previous guide. I also added a section on PvP since I now actually have significant experience in that area!
CAVEAT
First of all I must make it clear that Im extremely opinionated. In particular, Im loathe to hear the word healer. I do not think Empathy is a healer AT its a buff set with heals, and you have a secondary set of blasts that I think you should use judiciously. If you want to hear about playing a pure Empath, please dont read any further, as I will probably disappoint you.
OVERVIEW
Empathy is the only Defender set that does not debuff enemies in any way. It is strictly a set designed to enhance the performance of your team, and to repair damage in battle. Within this set we have one of the most sought after buffs, as well as some underappreciated gems. Also unique to Empathy is that there really is no bad power. If I had room Id take every power I ultimately only skipped one (which I will later be putting in with a respec). But Ive tried them all and they are indeed good (although there are shortcomings, which Ill discuss later).
The big challenges for Empaths are balancing your various roles (prevention, release, heal, blast), keeping your eyes both on the action and on your teammates. Endurance is an issue (as it is with every set), but were lucky to have some powers to help ourselves with that. But the big challenge remains dealing with people who want an Empath around so that they can play in an irresponsible manner. Avoid those players at all costs.
Sonic Attacks is one of the newest Defender secondaries, and its full of potential. You get solid attacks in every variety (small, DoT, cone, nuke) as well as a few control powers. The great advantage of Sonic powers is that your damage increases with each blast, as you wear down the damage resistance of your enemies. You may not be the real damage dealer on your team, but every hit you land helps your team take down the other side faster. The other benefit to Sonics is that its a combined Energy/Smashing damage set. So although Smashing damage is resisted well in upper levels, the Energy damage is often not.
A challenge for Sonics is that I think there are powers that just arent worth it, which will be discussed below. Also you can not slot for the debuff as you can with other sets like Dark Blast (-ToHit) or Radiation Blast (-Defense).
As for the two sets complementing each other well, they dont. Empathy really has no relation to its secondary, unlike most of the Defender primaries. But I feel that choosing Sonic allows you some real ease in the times that youre out there solo.
PRIMARY POWERS Empathy
Healing Aura (Level 1): HA is a PBAoE heal, and is one of your standard healing powers. It has the added benefit of healing yourself, which is helpful just about all the time. Hit by a sniper while flying through Founders Falls? No problem, just fire off your aura. The one thing to remember is that the amount of this heal is only about half that of Heal Other you will need both powers. There are times where your situation may require spam healing (e.g. battling Devouring Earth fungi). In that case just set this power to auto-fire, so you can forget about it and focus on buffing and blasting.
Recommended enhancements: First step is to slot this with 3 Heals. After that, add 1-2 slots of Endurance Reduction as needed its a bit costly. Slot at least 1 Recharge, and it will be up at a good rate 2 is even better (helpful for spam situations).
Heal Other (Level 1): This is your other standard healing power a single-target heal for allies. There is only one other power like this which is a guaranteed heal (O2 Boost being the other). As mentioned above, the magnitude of HP restored is twice that of your aura. There are a few situations that might require you putting this on auto-fire, particularly if youre teamed with the aggro Tank in a Hamidon raid.
Recommended enhancements: Same slotting as with Healing Aura, although I recommend you stick with just 1 Recharge here until youve got slots to burn.
Commentary: At level 1, you have the choice between these two powers. And I think the choice is simple pick Aura first. It will help keep you alive in the early levels, and I believe in being mostly selfish until you hit level 10 take things that help yourself first. But you wont want to delay on taking Heal Other it should be taken no later than level 6.
Absorb Pain (Level 2): This power allows you to heal a substantial number of HP for an ally three times that for Heal Other. But this strong heal has a cost you take damage and can not be healed by most means for a short time. (Natural and buffed regeneration will help, however.)
Recommended enhancements: 3 slots of Heal enhancements is enough. This isnt likely a power you want to use as often, and the endurance cost is negligible.
Commentary: This is the only power that I ended up not taking in my final build (but I will respec into it later). It feels very situational to me, and by the time I would want to use it, the team is headed to a full faceplant anyway. Dont get me wrong if I had room, Id have taken it, as the reward outweighs the risk. But I just had other powers I wanted more fervently. Ive since decided that I could move some things around to make room. So if you have the room, definitely take it. If you tend to not team with other Defenders, it could become a must-have.
Resurrect (Level 6): Quite simply, this power fully revives a fallen teammate. As soon as the teammate accepts the resurrection request, they can begin using their powers.
Recommended enhancements: Fill the default slot with Recharge, and thats it. If you need more recharge in this power, your teams problem is more likely tactical.
Commentary: Rez is the power you resort to when things take an unexpected turn keep it in your back pocket, dont rely on it for constant use. Unfortunately this power has no added benefit like Mutation does for Radiation Defenders, but it is a guaranteed rez, which is good. I dont recommend taking this power right away get some blasts and pool powers first, and perhaps take this in your teens or 20s. The exception is if you plan to run a taskforce, in which case youll need to have this power available.
Clear Mind (Level 8): This is a status effect negation/resistance power. It grants an ally some protection from Sleep, Disorient, Hold and Immobilization effects.
Recommended enhancements: Again, just one slot for Recharge, and even that isnt really necessary. You might consider Range instead, as its about 10 feet shorter in range than the rest of your buffs.
Commentary: This would be a wonderful power if it didnt take so long to use. The current animation time is 4 seconds, and the power only lasts a short time. So if youre on a full team, by the time youve used CM on everyone, youd have to start all over again. So I suggest only using it in 2 situations to either use as pre-battle protection for a team member or two who is most vulnerable to a status attack (like the Tank or a Controller), and/or to use it as a release from a hold or stun. Even that is a bit dangerous youre now locked in for 4 seconds that you cant do anything else. Sadly its a power you need to have, so live with the drawbacks while you send a PM to the developers!
Also, this power comes far too soon in the lineup you will rarely encounter enemies using status attacks until youre in your late teens. I recommend not taking this until after level 20. And remember that a healing power will break a Sleep effect, so you can provide release with your early powers. (If every team member carries at least 1 Break Free at all times, you can easily make it to your 20s without Clear Mind.)
Fortitude (Level 12): This is a strong single-target ally buff. The beneficiary receives a boost to defense, accuracy and damage. The duration should last through a full battle.
Recommended enhancements: This is the first power that you really must take immediately and then six-slot. Start with 3 Defense slots since ED, we all need as much Defense as we can get. Use the other 3 slots for Recharge once you have SOs you will be able to keep 3 team members buffed at once. You could put a slot for ToHit in there somewhere, but ultimately I switched it out (its pretty much redundant with Tactics running).
Commentary: This is what I think of as the hidden jewel in the set. I think there are far too many players out there who dont know how good it is to have a purple glow around your head. Use this power often, particularly as a pre-battle buff for the team member in the most danger, or whom you want to make the biggest alpha strike. There are long debates in the forums about whom you Fort first and why. For myself, I tend to hit Tanks first, then it goes to the team members whom I see tend to take the most damage, which is often Controllers with AoE powers. And if its available, I always follow up Heal Other with Fortitude. If he got hurt, repair the damage and then prevent it from happening again! With time youll see who is in the most danger on the team, and thus needs to be fortified first.
Recovery Aura (Level 18): A PBAoE power that greatly enhances the endurance recovery for yourself and anyone around you.
Recommended enhancements: Start with 3 slots for Recharge, and you want those in place immediately (so add the 2 slots at level 19). If you have extra slots you can add some for Endurance Modification, but I generally find that the base recovery rate is just fine, particularly once people have SOs.
Commentary: The crown jewel of the set, and one of the most requested buffs in the whole game. Everyone has endurance issues, so this is essential. Sadly the recharge rate was cut in I6, while the duration was reduced. So even with SOs youll only be able to get this up about every third battle. Thus its no longer the silver bullet; teaming with others who have recovery powers will help smooth things out. (2 Empaths on one team can generally keep RA up enough to prevent any endurance issues, 3 can make it perma.)
For the times you solo, this power is essential.
Regeneration Aura (Level 26): A PBAoE power that grants you and those around you the ability to regenerate HP at up to five times the usual rate.
Recommended enhancements: Again, start with 3 slots of Recharge. But if you can also fill it with 3 slots of Heal, youll see much stronger results.
Commentary: This is the unsung hero of the set. If your teammates are regenerating HP at a good rate, youll spend less time handing out heals, which means you can spend more time on buffing and blasting. For ease of use, just fire this off right after you hit Recovery Aura. This is a power you could hold off taking for a few levels if needed, but youll want it in your early 30s. I waited, and in retrospect wish Id taken it right away.
This has the same problem of long recharge, short duration that RA does. So get those additional slots of Recharge in place right away. It is also essential for soloing.
Adrenalin Boost (Level 26): Arguably the most powerful buff in the game. The targeted ally will see a dramatic increase in endurance recovery, HP regeneration and the recharge rate for their powers.
Recommended enhancements: Three slots for Recharge first. If you have slots to spare, you can add in some Heal or Endurance Modification.
Commentary: It doesnt take a genius to realize how powerful this one is. But with its long recharge you wont be able to use it as often. So keep an eye on when its available so you can use it right away.
Who to use this on? Youll have to keep an eye on your teams makeup and progress to decide. Personally I tend to use it mostly on Scrappers and Blasters. They want to attack often and quickly at a small cost, and AB is the secret. I especially use it for Blasters who have just used a nuke. That will put them back in the fray much more quickly. But remember that this can also be a pseudo-heal due to the regeneration boost.
SECONDARY POWERS Sonic Attacks
Shriek (Level 1): This power is a quick blast of smashing energy that can debuff the targets resistance to damage. The damge is minor.
Recommended enhancements: As with most blast powers that you use often, you want 1 Accuracy, and then fill in 3 Damage slots. You can add a slot of Recharge or Endurance Reduction if desired.
Commentary: You have to take this power, and its not too shabby (heck, be glad its not Mental Blast). The damage is indeed minor, but what I like about this power is that its fast, and has excellent range. Sonics is the one blast set with no snipe power, and its party because Shriek and Scream already have better-than-average distance. Perfect for picking off that runner with a sliver of health.
Scream (Level 2): This is a moderate damage blast that does quick damage over time, and debuffs damage resistance.
Recommended enhancements: Same as for Shriek.
Commentary: This is a power you could skip if you wanted to, but I think it makes a fine part of your attack chain. Im also a fan of having 3 attacks as soon as you can, and if you skipped this youd wait awhile. The DoT is very fast (unlike fire powers, for example), and if you lead with another blast, youll get more bang for your buck here because of the debuff. As mentioned above, it has very good range. So I like having both Shriek and Scream very handy for that minion that insists on hanging out on telephone wires.
Howl (Level 4): A moderate damage cone attack that debuffs damage resistance for all in its wake.
Recommended enhancements: Youll want the standard 1-3 slotting for Accuracy-Damage. But add a slot for Range the set range is a bit short, and just that little boost will make your life a lot easier. A slot of End Reduction is good (this is more costly), while Recharge will keep it available more often (HOs are a real blessing here).
Commentary: This is without question my favorite power in the set. The radius of the cone is very good, and with a Range enhancer youll be able to keep your distance. This is an excellent opening attack, as the whole group is now debuffed for your team. If there is a must-have power for Sonics, this is it. Fill the Damage slots in Howl first, then move onto Scream, and finally Shriek.
Shockwave (Level 10): This is similar to Gale its an AoE cone that causes knockback, and minor damage. It does NOT debuff resistance.
Recommended enhancements: If you take this, consider going for 2 slots of Accuracy. Its easy to miss some enemies in the cone if you dont. The Damage is minor, and not necessarily worth enhancing use those slots elsewhere first.
Commentary: Knockback doesnt really fit in with this build, so I recommend skipping this power. Youve got plenty of other attack choices, and knockback is a contentious issue on teams. But it can be used effectively. I have a couple SG members who use it carefully in almost every fight to good effect. Not my personal choice, but you might like it.
Shout (Level 16): A short-range attack that does superior damage and debuffs resistance to damage.
Recommended enhancements: 1-3 for Accuracy-Damage. The range is so short, that Range enhancements can help a lot. And this has a hefty cost, so a slot of Endurance Reduction is a must.
Commentary: I have a real love-hate relationship with Shout. One the one hand, its the big damage power but isnt a snipe, so thats good. But you have to be quite close to use it, and thats bad for a squishie. My recommendation is try this out and then decide - its not for everyone. Im a bit of a daredevil, so Im willing to get some face time with a CoT Behemoth just to shout in his face. But because Defender damage isnt that substantial, even superior damage isnt all that great. I have it for now, but will likely be dropping it in favor of Air Superiority.
Amplify (Level 20): Amplify is just like Aim in the other sets - granting you a huge boost to your accuracy, and slightly increasing your damage output. It has a very short duration.
Recommended enhancements: 3 slots of Recharge, and extra slots for ToHit if you have room.
Commentary: A standard tool for any Blaster, this is unlikely to find its way into the build of most Defenders. If youve got the room, its absolutely a worthwhile power to have for your attacks. Personally I just couldnt fit it in I usually team with several people who run Tactics, and the small damage boost didnt seem worth it.
Sirens Song (Level 28): This is a cone Sleep power. Slept enemies will be effectively held, unless they are hit with damage or a debuff. This deals minor energy damage as well.
Recommended enhancements: This is pretty good right out of the box. Put Accuracy in the default slot, and maybe a second one if you arent running Tactics. I added a slot for Sleep duration to make sure they stay out of commission long enough for a getaway. The damage is small, and not really worth enhancing unless you have slots to burn.
Commentary: This is a great power. I know there are a lot of folks out there who think that AoE Sleep powers in higher levels are a waste, as most players also have AoE attacks. First of all if even a couple minions get hit by this but missed by another players attack, it takes them out of the battle and thats a good thing.
Secondly, this is the vital must-have power for when youre solo. An Empath simply cant take on a group larger than maybe 3 white minions on his/her own. So sing them to sleep, and then pick them off one at a time. I generally will reposition so I can still use Howl on the baddie Im currently attacking.
Finally, remember that this does cause a little damage, too. So think of it as your second AoE attack power, with slept enemies being an added bonus.
Screech (Level 35): A single-target disorient attack that deals minor smashing/energy damage.
Recommended enhancements: 1 Accuracy, 3 Disorient.
Commentary: In my previous version of this guide, I ripped on this power, and now I take it all back. Screech is a handy thing to add to your arsenal, particularly if you want to do some PvP (see section below). It has a magnitude 3 disorient, and can be stacked with other disorients the easiest to obtain would be Oppressive Gloom from the Dark Mastery pool, but there are also some temp powers that can do this as well. If you use this often (as you could in PvP), you could add a Recharge slot or two.
Dreadful Wail (Level 38): The nuke an extreme smashing/energy PBAoE attack. Anyone left standing after the power goes off will be disoriented. This drains you of all endurance, and will shut down all your toggled powers.
Recommended enhancements: 1 Accuracy, 3 Damage, 2 Recharge. If you find you use this less often, swap a Recharge with a Disorient. This is a good place to use Hamidon enhancements so you can just enhance everything.
Commentary: An Empath using a nuke is certainly a touchy subject. But I will tell you that Im in favor of taking this power. Yes, its situational. But when you use it, it can make a huge difference to your team.
The key to having a nuke is knowing when to use it. You do not pull this out when wading into a group of 3 minions wait until youre in a good-sized group of 8 or more. Also pay attention to what your team is doing it would be a pity to use this just before your Kinetics teammate fires off Fulcrum Shift. Also watch your teams health if theyre mostly in the orange, youre taking an ill-advised risk by nuking. (Although it can be used as a polish off the leftovers maneuver.)
Another key point is inspirations. I NEVER use this power unless I have a couple blues in my inventory. (I also try to pop some yellow and red beforehand.) You want to be back in the game immediately, ready to buff/heal a teammate if needed. And by all means, get your butt out of the middle of the fray! As soon as you see that your team is in shape, you can turn your toggles back on. I also tend to use RA before nuking, so that as soon as the recovery period returns, Ill get my endurance back quickly. (The one exception is teaming with Kineticists if they time Transference just right, you can potentially gain back all your endurance, and even avoid toggles dropping.)
And dont forget the power of multiple nukes even against a group thats +3 or 4, two or three nukes used in succession should wipe out everything.
So in summary, I think a nuke is a power that an Empath should use, but with great caution. Ive considered dropping it from my build numerous times, but then Im in a mission where it makes all the difference (like speeding up things in a timed outdoor mission), and I resolve to keep it. Maybe this isnt for you, but personally I enjoy it.
POOL POWERS
This is a brief discussion of the various power pools, and my thoughts on their viability with an Empathy/Sonic build. Most of these I would say are going to be based on your personal preference, play style, and character concept. As youll see below, there are a few powers that I think are must-haves. Beyond that, the choice is up to you.
Im sure if youre reading this guide youre familiar by now with when you can select these powers, but just in case
You can select your first pool power at level 6. You can take the third power in a set only if you have one of the first two, and you can pick that up at level 14. You can take the last power in a set only if you have any two of the first three powers, and you can pick that up at level 22. Ultimately you can select powers from up to four different pools.
Lastly, let me add that you will need to select a travel power just to get around street maps at a decent rate of speed. So plan on taking at least one of the following pools Flight, Leaping, Speed, or Teleportation.
Concealment:
This is a pool that can have a couple different uses. If you need to sneak into places or situations, take Stealth. You could also take Grant Invisibility as yet another buff for your teammates (but watch out, its got a high endurance cost). Id say to skip Invisibility if you want that, take Stealth + Super Speed. Phase Shift is very situational, and was nerfed recently skip it.
Fighting:
I just dont see this pool as necessary for Empaths. The marginal benefit you get from Tough and Weave doesnt justify having to take a small melee attack first, ultimately using up three power slots in an already full build.
Fitness:
To Stamina or not the eternal question. I have been able to survive without it for 50 levels, and only felt the pinch post-I6 when soloing. But keep in mind that I also team regularly with Empaths and Kineticists, and use an ancillary power for further endurance recovery. So let me try a few blanket recommendations:
If you want the Psychic Mastery pool, you need Stamina. If you regularly team without other players who can boost endurance, you need Stamina. If you cant slot Endurance Reduction in a few of your blast powers, you need Stamina. Otherwise, you can try skipping it, but use the test server to see if you should add it in a respec.
Flight:
Fly is the slowest power, but its also the safest. If youre content with the fact that youll always be the last one to arrive at a mission, then its no big deal. Personally I chose Fly out of concept, and just kept it. Most of my SG are leapers, so Im the designated person to deal with flying baddies. If you go with it, 3-slots for Flight Speed + 1 Endurance Reduction slot will be best.
For the first power, I had Hover but will be swapping it out for Air Superiority. I know there are some that like Hover for combat situations, but Im not one of them.
Group Fly is something that can be useful, but tends to be best late in the game for Hamidon raids or traversing the Shadow Shard. If you want it, save it for level 47 or 49.
Leadership:
Im a firm believer that this is a must-have pool for Empaths. BUT
it can be very tough to fit in both this pool and the Fitness line. If you have the room, go for it!
The first power you choose is marginal either way. You can pick a small damage boost with Assault or a small defense bonus with Maneuvers. Either way, dont waste more than the default slot for Endurance Reduction. (You could slot Defense in Maneuvers, but the base value is so low, enhancements add almost nothing.)
After that, you must take Tactics! Everyone will love having this buff to help them reach towards that Accuracy cap. Slot it 1 Endurance Reduction, 3 ToHit.
And finally Vengeance one of my favorite powers. But why would an Empath take a power that requires a dead teammate? If you need to use this, U R th3 suxx0r h3alor! Whatever lets face it, someone is going to hit the pavement. It could be a mob on patrol, it might be an AV that you didnt see around the corner, or you perhaps you just have a dumb teammate. When someone gets 1 or 2-shotted, you will swoop in to rez them. But just before you do, fire off Vengeance. Suddenly the tide of battle turns in your favor! This is a potent buff to Defense, Accuracy and Damage, with a small AoE Heal as well. Slot this power with 3 Defense, and add other slots (Heal and/or ToHit) if you have room.
Leaping:
Super Jump is faster than Fly, but you run the risk of leaping onto a mob of purple bad guys. So if you go this route, travel carefully! 2 or 3 slots for Jump are all you need.
Dont bother with Jump Kick its a long animation melee attack. If you go this line, take Combat Jumping, and fill the default slot with Defense.
As the final power, you can grab Acrobatics which helps prevent knockback and immobilization. Neither of those is deadly to you, but if youre on your back or out of range, it can be hard to keep your team alive.
Medicine:
This pool is a waste for Empaths, as you have a duplicate (and uninterruptible) version of each of these powers in your primary set.
Presence:
Quite simply, this pool isnt really of value at all to you. These powers are mimics of a Tankers taunt powers or a Dark heros fear powers. Goading enemies into attacking your squishy self is generally not a good idea.
Speed:
First of all there is an execellent power choice here for an Empath Hasten. Hasten will allow you to fire off some of your vital click powers more often, as well as attack powers. If you can find room for this power, slot it with 3 Recharge Rate enhancements as soon as you can. This isnt the must-have it was before ED, but its certainly a good idea.
Flurry is another melee attack power, so
moving on.
Super Speed is a fast travel power, and can serve you pretty well for quite awhile, although you may find some zones hard to traverse, particularly Skyway City and Terra Volta. (But paired with Stealth, you get virtual invisibility, which is nice.)
Whirlwind isnt really worth it for you it drains endurance like crazy, and you tend to be out of melee range anyway.
Teleportation:
First there is Recall Friend, which is always valued on a team, but is a must-have for an Empath. Youll want it particularly to TP a fallen comrade out of battle to rez him, or perhaps into the middle of your group so you can use Vengeance and then Resurrect.
Teleport Foe is actually a great power, but I think it isnt really a match for this build. It can be used as a pulling technique, which is valid for Sonics which has no snipe power. Its also a very common power to use in PvP situations.
Teleport is ultimately the fastest travel power but its tricky to master. If you do take it, I highly recommend adding Hover, which makes the travel safe. Team Teleport is a power I have never seen used, presumably because of the endurance drain on the user.
ANCILLARY POOLS
At level 41 you can begin adding powers from one of these epic pools. You should certainly go with one of them. My suggestions are below:
Dark Mastery:
This was the pool I ultimately chose for my build, mostly out of character concept. But it has two very good powers. Dark Consumption is a PBAoE attack that fills your endurance bar it should be 6-slotted with 3 Recharge, 1 Accuracy and 2 Endurance Modification. And of course you should take Dark Embrace as your shield (which offers moderate resistance to Smashing, Lethal, Negative and Toxic damage). Oppressive Gloom is a PBAoE toggle that disorients (see note above in regards to Screech), while Soul Drain increases your Accuracy and Damage (not necessary if you have the Leadership pool, but it couldnt hurt).
Electric Mastery:
Electric Fence is an underwhelming single-target immobilize. Thunder Strike is a high-damage melee attack which causes knockback and disorient (fun to watch). Remember that you could stack the disorient with Screech. Charged Armor is the shield, which offers moderate resistance to Smashing, Lethal and Energy damage. Power Sink is the must-have its a PBAoE endurance drain.
Power Mastery:
Conserve Power is a must it reduces the endurance you use for a short time. Power Buildup is actually a strong choice. The effectiveness of all your heals will be doubled while under its effects, as well as increasing the secondary effects in powers like Shockwave, Screech and Sirens Song. The shield is Temporary Invulnerability although it only resists Smashing and Lethal damage, it has a much higher resistance percentage. Total Focus is an extreme melee attack that causes knockback and disorient. Again stacks with Screech.
Psychic Mastery:
Dominate is a great single-target hold power excellent if you want to try every role in a Hamidon raid! Mass Hypnosis is pointless for you, as its a duplicate of Sirens Song, but with no damage. Mind Over Body is probably the most popular shield for Defenders, because it offers not just resistance to Smashing and Lethal damage, but also Psionic. Telekinesis is a tricky power to master it holds an enemy and then turns them into a repel toy.
TECHNIQUES
What follows are a few helpful tips and techniques I have found in playing this build. There isnt much synergy between your two powersets, but knowing what to use when is important. Of course YMMV, particularly based on the enemies youre facing, if youre low on endurance, etc.
1. Leading the Alpha Strike
This isnt too common, but perhaps youre the highest level in your group, youre teaming with all Defenders, etc. So how do you prep for the big one?
First, be clear that youre going to nuke, and examine timing. If youre with a Kineticist, you should nuke immediately after a Fulcrum Shift (and make sure you buffed that person with Fortitude first). Also make sure you have Leadership (and any other buff) toggles up, and popped at least 1 yellow pill and several red ones. And of course have a couple blue pills on the ready. If the enemies youre facing are your level or lower, it can be safer to lead off with Sirens Song, and then move in for the nuke.
Dive into the fray, and nuke dont hesitate, or your face could hit the floor. (Stealth or Invisibility can really make this safer.) Immediately jump back out, pop those blue pills, and heal any damage to your teammates. Help your team pick off any stragglers with Shriek and Scream. And finally, turn back on your toggles when the dust settles or once everything is under control.
2. Assisting the Alpha Strike
In most cases you will instead be supporting someone else whos leading the charge a Blaster nuke, for example. How do you prep for this?
First make sure that the one leading the charge has Fortitude, Clear Mind and Adrenalin Boost. If its two people, I tend to Fort & CM one, and AB and CM the other.
If it is a Blaster or Defender nuke, then save AB for that character after the nuke happens, so he/she will recover endurance quickly after the dead period.
Almost simultaneous with the strike, fire off Howl. Then immediately move into a defense mode if needed heal damage, Fort the person that doesnt have it, toss out CM if anyone is held, etc. If everything appears under control, use your Shriek and Scream to knock off the stragglers.
3. Basic Teaming
In an average team situation, follow a basic priority schedule. First and foremost buff. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Secondly, mitigate or heal damage as required. On a good team youll generally spend very little time doing this. Lastly, blast as much as is reasonable, contributing damage, but also debuffing the enemy.
Pre-battle, youll want to toss out AB, Fort and CM as needed, especially in guidelines 1 & 2 above. But in general, focus on buffing the most vulnerable member of your team first. Common candidates include a lowbie who is SKd up, a Controller (who often lacks protection proportional to the aggro they generate), or a Tank thats vulnerable to the type of damage youre facing.
In the midst of the fray, watch your teams health out of the corner of your eye. (I like the team window to be under the target window in the upper left.) If one target is taking damage, use Heal Other. But if not, start with a Healing Aura, and then follow up with HO on anyone still hurt. Generally I prefer to follow HO with Fortitude or AB if its available, and possibly CM. And as mentioned above, throw out AB for a nuke-dealer.
When not involved in the above situations (and between, of course), blast away! Howl is your best lead-off, to debuff a large # of enemies at once. Use Shout at short range for the bigger targets. Shriek and Scream can be used at a distance and to pick off stragglers. Shockwave is best in corners or as an Oh crap! maneuver. And use Sirens Song liberally it does contribute a bit of damage, and any enemy slept is not harming your team. Also a very important note on debuff stacking all Sonic blasts that have the RES debuff to stack. However, the stacking only comes when different powers are used. An example:
Howl-Shriek-Scream consecutive debuffs stack
Scream-Scream-Shriek the first two will not stack, but Shriek will stack on the previous
The other big decision to make is your RAs Recovery Aura and Regeneration Aura. Some players prefer to use them pre-battle. Others advocate waiting until mid-battle, when endurance is waning. And still others say you should save it for post-battle quick recovery. My preference is to just watch my teams endurance. When its clear that the majority are at less than ½ a blue bar, its a good time. Assuming things are generally under control, call out your intention (a macro like RA in 5 seconds is helpful). Make sure youre in a position in the middle of several team members (most will instinctually gather to you), and use both auras in immediate succession. If youre on a team with another Empath, make sure youre staggering your auras, so you keep the team covered as much as possible. (It takes 3 Empaths for perma-coverage.) Also try and stagger with other recovery powers like Accelerate Metabolism.
(Youll notice my focus is on Recovery Aura. Regeneration Aura is something less noticeable to team members, and the timing isnt always as crucial. But if the whole team is in the orange and you have it available, thats a good time to use it, in between a couple Healing Auras.)
4. Faceplants
Although we may hate to admit it, team members will go down in a fight even with you there. Accidents happen, patrols come strolling by, etc. So what to do next?
First, take stock of the situation. If the only team members standing are you and a Blaster, youd probably better run for it. Get as far away as possible, and start TPing corpses to you. Resurrect anyone who has a rez power first. You could wait around for your Rez to come back, but more likely youll start handing out Awakens or encouraging others to use them. Once you get to a point where only one man is down, target him and cast Vengeance. Then get him up, and get moving! Use that buff for all its worth.
If you only have two team members down, then youll want to just deal with it right then and there. Again, rez the one with a rez power first, or the one most likely to help the current battle situation. Cast Vengeance on the other. If they cant be rezzed right away, TP them close to you, or alternatively off to a safe location so they can Awaken.
When its just a single team member, TP the corpse into the midst of your group, and cast Vengeance (so the whole team gets the buff). Rez and buff that team member, then move on.
5. Positioning
An Empath can be a bit flexible with position in a battle, but a few things should be kept in mind.
Generally a good position is midfield easily in LOS for both the front line (Tanks and Scrappers) and the back line (Blasters and Controllers). This gives you the flexibility to use your Healing Aura on either group by moving a bit. Youll also need to be somewhat closer because of Howl. And use your current position as a way to decide what blast to use. If youre in close to heal some Scrappers, then its a good time to let loose a Shout.
Another possibility is hovering above the fray. This is especially effective when facing enemies who use ground-based slow powers like Caltrops and Quicksand. Again, your best position when flying above will still be in mid-range.
If youre in a situation where you just need to focus your buffing and healing on one team member (e.g. the aggro team in a Hamidon raid), then you will be able to stay at a farther distance.
For those who choose Shockwave, your chosen position may sometimes be on the opposite side of the melee knocking back stragglers into the Tank or other major AoE.
Also a note that I have these preferences based on being a /Sonic Defender. Your secondary can greatly change your positioning tactics (e.g. a /Psychic will probably stay towards the back, as the powers have long range, and theres little reason to be in melee). If youre used to hanging back and want to stay there no problem. Youll just need to add some Range enhancement to Howl and skip Shout.
6. Pool and epic powers
Empaths are usually only running a couple toggles (Leadership buffs). With one slot of Endurance Reduction in each, youll probably be OK. But for long travel or recovery periods, shut them off. Protective toggles like Combat Jumping or Tough and Weave also fall in this category. And a note about Sprint youd be surprised what an endurance drain it can be when youre not paying attention. Keep it off unless youre on a team where recovery buffs are plentiful.
For your epic shield, keep it on for the duration of a mission if it provides protection against the damage your facing (which means you should know your enemy). So if youre up against a bunch of CoT Behemoths (who use Fire damage), that Dark Embrace isnt going to help much (but its a must when youre facing Spectral Demons).
If you have an epic endurance recovery power, use it for when Recovery Aura is not available. Two of them (Dark Consumption and Power Sink) generate some aggro, so make sure the situation is in control first. It can also be a post-nuke strategy, although youll need to pop at least one blue pill to activate it.
Hasten should be set as your auto-fire power if you have it. You can certainly time it to be used only after youve used your RA powers, but I think that can be too much to think about. In a post-I6 world, Hastens buff is more like an occasional perk.
Should you choose to have Grant Invisibility, think of it as any other preventative buff. (Although there are certainly situations where youre using it strictly for the Perception aspect.)
PLAYER VS. PLAYER
An Empath is highly desirable as a teammate in PvP, and one of the first targets as well. If you talk to my friend Hobo, he can tell you a lot of the ins and outs. But I wanted to summarize a few key ideas here.
Soloing in PvP can be very difficult, and isnt encouraged. You cant do much in the way of self-buffing, and thats what you really need to be an aggressor. Team up with other Defenders (or Controllers) and you can be a real machine.
On the flip side you can be the ultimate support teammate, keeping everyone well buffed and healed as they merrily go about taking down opponents. But beware everyone on the other side is going to be hunting down the pocket Empath so you are ALWAYS in grave danger.
As for build strategies, look to your power pools first. The Leaping pool is the king of travel powers in PvP Combat Jumping will protect you from immobilizes, and Acrobatics from knockback. Youll need Super Jump to keep yourself always moving. (Another possibility is to take Hurdle and 3-slot that and CJ with Jump enhancements.) Next youll want to consider the Concealment pool either running Stealth (and Invisibility if you can) or being on a team that all uses Grant Invisibility. Phase Shift will save you in a tight spot. Leadership powers are also a big bonus youll want both Assault and Tactics to see those Stalkers who are creeping up on you!
For your primary, you need most of the same powers you do in PvE. Absorb Pain isnt absolutely necessary, but the extra heal cant hurt. Resurrect isnt really needed, although if your team strategy is to use combat resurrecting, then keep it. Clear Mind is needed more in PvP than anywhere else considering slotting it for Range so you can keep your team buffed from afar.
As for the Sonic powers, the emphasis in PvP is often on single-target attacks. This is where Screech really shines it should be your lead-off power! Use it to stack disorients with your teammates or your own ancillary pool powers. Shriek, Scream and Shout are all a must. The AoE powers can still work, but will help more as support to your team by debuffing a group. And dont forget Shockwave knocking back any players who skipped Acrobatics is always fun!
FINAL THOUGHTS
The life of an Empath is a tough one. One the one hand, you have to deal with the idiots out there that still think Defender = h3al0r. Then there will be those Defenders who resent all Empaths because of that mentality exists. But if youre patient and pick your teams right, youll find the sweet spot where people appreciate everything you bring to the table. Its one thing to hear someone say, Nice heals. But its far better to take out a mass of Carnies with your nuke and hear, Wow.
Sonics is a truly great secondary, and I think the best new powerset in the game. Its not complicated, the results are good, and you know youre always adding a debuff to the mix. You just might need to turn down your speakers
I just hope you enjoy playing this combination as much as I have. All feedback is welcome and appreciated. I will be attempting to keep this guide revised as new game updates are released. Also feel free to PM me with questions, or let me know if you want to see any of these techniques in action.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Since this was in some ways a celebration of my character reaching level 50, I wanted to take a brief moment to do a little Oscar acceptance speech. A lot of folks have helped me on the long journey, and I want to thank them publicly.
First and foremost, thanks to my wonderful SG, The Sonic All-Stars. They were constant and loyal companions every weekend from my 30s to the end. Thanks to SonicPrime (our fearless leader), Tynee Bubbles (my constant companion), Wailing Spirit ([censored] extraordinaire), Hunter Orion (the strong and silent type), Sonic Boy Toy (my fierce protector) and Energizer-Bunni (the SB goddess). You were the best buddies an old lady could have.
Next I must thank all my friends in the Repeat Offenders coalition who helped me along the way. You gave me such pride in being a Defender, and I treasure every chance I get to play alongside you. So a big shout-out to Akari Hayasa, Monkey in all her forms, Ilr, Tormentoso, Satans Spawn, Dawns Veil, Teklord and many others that I will probably neglect to mention. Heres to many more days of wowing the masses with all that we can accomplish when we stand together!
Also a quick note of thanks to a few gals who helped me through a rough patch in my late 20s. Boo-boo1, Stormsrage and Shadi were my frequent teammates, and showed me that there are great players out there who appreciate everything a Defender can do.
And finally Id like to thank the legends of the forums who have imparted so much knowledge to me, particularly LadyMage and Frost. If there is even one nugget of good common sense in this guide, it was because you helped me find it.
