plainguy

Have to agree here.. IF you have not tried out Traps yet, I would definitely suggest it over Thermal.

IF ( and that's a big IF ) they could get the Mastermind pet AI and commands down a bit more solid then it is today. Then I think many other sets would open up to becoming a bit more viable.

The issue is simply the lack of control you have over the pets. Which I know you understand because you have the dark MM. The issue I find now is your going to have to rely on your pets now being buffed up enough to survive. With dark which is very much similar to Traps in this sense. Your debuffing and harassing the mobs instead.

Traps take this one step further because your really not relying on Anchoring a debuff to a mob or a Toggle. Traps is very much more Drop and go. The recharge with a low end set IO 50 toon makes the your traps come up then you need. I usually have 2 Acid Mortars, 2 Poison Traps, Several Trip mines as needed, Double Caltrops, ETC.

I would suggest this thread to really look at a great Robot Traps build. If someone could suggest a better build I would love to see it. My build posted there is pretty much the cheaper version of Raterro build. Of course being cheaper means less fire power then Raterro build. But I can solo +1 +8 and +2 +8 with the build. Raterro without a doubt with that build could do much more if not max setting.

http://boards.cityofheroes.com//showthread.php?t=227434

If you look at some of my threads in various AT forums you will see I push traps a lot. Traps and anything else is king. You can run Traps without pets and still do +1 +8, it's that good. People will say Dark is nice as well and I will agree, but since dark has nothing like trip mine you must have your pets for dps. With traps my pets are doing extra damage but not a requirement.

Though I have been playing around trying to make a tankermind out of pain. As I mentioned I'm a bit short on the defense caps. I am still working on it to see how close I can get. Pain unlike dark though does not have darkest night which helps your defense cap in the other direction, by lowering mobs to hit score. Which is really similar to gaining a defense increase.

As was mentioned Thermal is good and many consider Thermal superior to Pain. I sort of consider pain the set that just has enough to get you into trouble, but not much to get you out of it. It is still a new set to me as well and I have been asking around in other parts of the forums. I think it was Silias that mentioned the aoe regen for pain is much higher for MM then it is for others. Which is a bonus. Again something I didn't look at. Though I think it is mentioned in mids hero builder. Just something I over looked. And to be honest about pain, I have not seen any big info on it. I have not seen any of the big number crunching players put out data on how many of the powers work such. Again not when compared to some of the other power sets.

Personally I am thinking of maybe doing the same of kicking up all the Pain aspects and have high regen for world of pain and such. Might not be the +1 +8 solo machine, but the healing aspect might be of value to some end game TF and SF players. People remember how good the heals are or lack thereof. That might be a route to go. Then once 50 you can make a Defense cap Pain build but just to S and L and keep a 50 AE ticket mission based around S and L type mobs, like the samurai AE and some S and L regular mission to farm IOs and salvage.

You know there are so many angles sometimes who knows whats right or best to do.

I will echo this, but try to explain a bit more.. Not saying it is NOT possible, just more difficult and definitely not possible with this build..

You need to be DEFENSE CAPPED, not defense capped for this type of build. You need either many more defenses if not ALL capped to be able to pull Tankermind off. Otherwise every energy mob will drop you flat fast. Regardless of bodyguard mode and the resistances you might have. Elite Bosses or several bosses will dwindle down your health. Even if you had super regen and your heals up in .5 seconds you would not be able to keep your pets alive.

In bodyguard mode an AV or a High con EB would kills your tier 1 pets in 1 or 2 hits.. Your Tier 2 pets would be hurt. Another hit or even 2 ( I'm being nice with my estimations ) will kill off your Tier 2 pets. Your Tier 3 pet will maybe take 1 more hit before it dies.. Then your next..

It is very difficult to get Pain Defense capped. ATM this is best I can do. Compare it to your build to see the differences.

Range pets are much easier because big bosses, AVs do AOE attacks which might not hurt you because of defenses, but will kill off your pets instead.

It seems you understand defenses, but are thinking all you need is Smash and Lethal capped. Which is where your concept went off the mark. That is why I mentioned Energy attacking mob above..

Either way I hope you got something out of this, and maybe some new idea's as well

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

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Magic Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Demon Summoning
Secondary Power Set: Pain Domination
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Mace Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Summon Demonlings -- BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg(A), BldM'dt-Dmg/EndRdx(3), BldM'dt-Acc/EndRdx(3), BldM'dt-Dmg(7), BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(11), BldM'dt-Acc(21)
Level 1: Nullify Pain -- Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg(A), RgnTis-Heal/Rchg(5), H'zdH-Heal/Rchg(7)
Level 2: Lash -- ExStrk-Dam%(A), ExStrk-Dmg/KB(37), FrcFbk-Rechg%(48), ExStrk-Acc/KB(50)
Level 4: Soothe -- Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg(A), RgnTis-Heal/Rchg(5), H'zdH-Heal/Rchg(11)
Level 6: Enchant Demon -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 8: Kick -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(9), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(9), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(40)
Level 10: Conduit of Pain -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 12: Summon Demons -- BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg(A), BldM'dt-Dmg/EndRdx(13), BldM'dt-Acc/EndRdx(13), BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(15), BldM'dt-Acc(15), BldM'dt-Dmg(25)
Level 14: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 16: Health -- Numna-Heal(A), Numna-Heal/Rchg(17), Numna-Heal/EndRdx(17)
Level 18: Hell on Earth -- BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg(A), BldM'dt-Dmg/EndRdx(19), BldM'dt-Acc/EndRdx(19), BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(31), BldM'dt-Acc(31), BldM'dt-Dmg(36)
Level 20: Suppress Pain -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal(21), EndRdx-I(33)
Level 22: Stamina -- P'Shift-End%(A), P'Shift-EndMod(23), EndMod-I(23)
Level 24: Combat Jumping -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(25), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(34), RedFtn-EndRdx(39), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(42), RedFtn-Def(46)
Level 26: Summon Demon Prince -- BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg(A), BldM'dt-Dmg/EndRdx(27), BldM'dt-Acc/EndRdx(27), BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(29), BldM'dt-Acc(29), BldM'dt-Dmg(31)
Level 28: World of Pain -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A), S'fstPrt-ResKB(33), ImpArm-ResDam/Rchg(33), ImpArm-ResDam(34), RechRdx-I(40)
Level 30: Maneuvers -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-EndRdx(34), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(36), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(37), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(39), RedFtn-Def(40)
Level 32: Abyssal Empowerment -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 35: Anguishing Cry -- Achilles-ResDeb%(A), LdyGrey-%Dam(36), RechRdx-I(37)
Level 38: Tough -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(39), RctvArm-EndRdx/Rchg(42), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(45)
Level 41: Tactics -- GSFC-ToHit(A), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg(42), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx(43), GSFC-Rchg/EndRdx(43), GSFC-Build%(43), GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx(46)
Level 44: Weave -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(45), RedFtn-EndRdx(45), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(46), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(48), RedFtn-Def(48)
Level 47: Painbringer -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 49: Scorpion Shield -- DefBuff-I(A), DefBuff-I(50), DefBuff-I(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Supremacy
Level 6: Ninja Run

Though brophog02 gave you some links. So you know sometimes people appreciate it more if you post a build for others to critique. It makes people feel like your trying to do your part and give others an idea of what your interested in.

I could lay out a defense cap build for you, but if you don't even know what defense cap is or the whole purpose behind the build. You won't have a clue why certain powers were picked over others. Or how to run the build persay.

I made builds that I liked when I first started, but then after so many years I decided to read up on this Defense Cap so many talk about. I became a Defense Cap born again zealot. All my builds lean in that direction now.

So with that all said posting a build and having someone tweak or give you a direction to go to will make you understand a bit about the game mechanics, which are important if you want to last and be useful and honestly enjoy the game a bit more.

He said update. I was thinking more in the line of adding it to patch notes and not fixing it persay. I understood he meant working as intended but didn't mention it in the patch updates.

I sure hope he meant fix..

Actually I wouldn't mind if they had the run without the ninja.. Or I would like if when you stop running you stood up straight, or the option to choose so.. I find it a bit silly to have many just standing around in ninja pose ( looks more like count dracula without the cape )

So you know If you have Ranged/ Melee/AOE capped then you don't need Smash and lethal capped.. It's either one or the other.. Typed or Positional. The reason Depending on what your doing with the build Many try for Smash and Lethal and try to get Ranged capped or if your a Ranged attacker then your looking to get Ranged since your not looking to get into Melee range. The system will take which ever defense is greater to help you