rina_

There are already threads around for kat/wp, just need to use the search. These are the most recent three I found, they include a ton of sample builds.

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=256638

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=252175

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=252350

No, I didn't toggle FA because you will not be able to keep it up constantly in long fights, that's its disadvantage. Personally I only have it running if I know that I will face defense heavy and/or to hit debuffing enemies (nemesis, carnies, CoT,...) or obviously when I see that I got debuffed. To check accuracy against +4 go into Mids under Options -> Configuration -> Exemping & Base Values -> Base ToHit -> 39.

I just checked it and my build doesn't reach 95% for GC and SD, without the Kismet it doesn't reach it anywhere.

Tactics has a lower end requirement which means you're more likely to be able to keep it running all the time, plus it buffs teammates. Focused Accuracy on the other hand has to hit debuff resistance, which is why I prefer it.

Concerning the build: I would try to get the Kismet unique back in there. My build doesn't have much global accuracy and afair I am not at 95% against +4s with the Kismet, so I would really try to keep that in there. All else looks good.

this is my kat/wp's current build, which is rather affordable.

I am not sure what your budget is, so some of these might not be an option for you.

- Slot 5 Hecatomb (all but the dmg one) and the Achilless' Heel proc into GC.
- Change the DA slotting to 4 Kinetic Combat (those can be easily earned with a merits) and two Lysosome Exposures (below 10 mil each, last I checked), doing this will soft-cap you to lethal with one DA and increases DA's accuracy.
- Consider slotting 3 Eradication and 3 Cleaving Blow into some ae powers (at least instead of the current GD slotting) to get more e/n def, which might free other powers up to get you other things that you are missing (like some more melee def)
- c/f def is not very important, it's nice to soft-cap it, but i would advise you to first see that you have lethal and melee def capped with one DA, next is e/n, only then f/c.
- Try not to build for double stacked DA. You will miss with it from time to time and when switching mobs you always loose time. It is far safer and more convenient to only have to rely on one DA in normal situations. You can always double/triple stack it when fighting defense debuffers.
- The res you get from High Pain Tolerance is minuscule, you don't have to feel obligated to slot for it. I see that it's also for f/c def atm, but there might be other options.
- Consider slotting a Kismet unique.

As was already said, cardiac alpha is generally not necessary with WP. I'd suggest either spiritual (recharge/heal) or musculature (damage/end mod), depending on what you like better/need more.

I am not sure you understood me right. What I said is that DM/SD actually has synergy, while BS/SD does not, once you're IO'd out. Also, BS/WP has a far better synergy than BS/SD.

Your question was whether BS/SD compares to DM/SD and while BS/SD certainly is fun it does not compare since there is no great synergy like there is in DM/SD. I added the part about BS/WP because you discarded it as lacking in favor of a BS/SD.

And yes, I do have a DM/SD, as well as a Kat/WP.

BS/shield only has synergy during leveling when you are not soft-capped yet. Once you soft-cap shield on it's own you can throw parry away and you have not gained any survivability over any other primary (yes you still have the small control effects of BS, but nearly all primaries have some control or debuff, DM has -to hit). DM on the other hand supplements shield no matter how well slotted it is. A BS/WP which you seem to think is lacking, has a far better synergy.

Kat/WP: DA > GC > GD > GC > SD > GC or DA > GC > GD > GC > DA > GC > SD > GC
Soft capped with one DA, so my normal attack chain is the first one to maximize my dps. However, if I am fighting enemies with increased accuracy or defense debuffs with attacks (partially) covered by lethal or melee, I switch to double stacked DA. Also, if I see that I missed with DA in the first chain, I will change to the second chain until DA hits and then revert back. The beauty of these two chains really is that the first is a subset of the second and you can change between them without interruption.

DB/SR: Blinding Feint > Attack Vitals
Low recharge necessary, cool animation, good dps.

DM/SD (to be once she's leveled up): Smite > SL > Smite > MG
For dps and heals.

One of the goals of pretty much any build is that you do not die. This is especially the case for a BS/WP that can become incredibly tough. Additionally resurgence is quite frankly the suckiest of self-rezzes out there. The only thing it does is replace a wakie. Since it does not have any ae control-type effect to give you a second to breath after rezzing (you will in fact already get attacked during the rezz animation even though you can't yet do anything) you can only use it out of reach of enemies or when somebody else holds aggro. Since it has such limited use and you generally do not intend to die, hardly anyone takes it.

I will just list all that has jumped out to me (There may be some deeper reason behind some of your choices that have to do with your alpha choice, which I do not know):
- Kismet unique in an attack power (especially DA) is a no-no, there is so much more beneficial stuff you can put into it, the Kismet goes into some defensive power like CJ.
- Best slotting for DA if you have four Kinetic Combats in it is imho two Lysosome Exposures, they increase accuracy and def (the two most important things in DA) significantly and are very cheap (around 10 mil last i checked)
- You are slotting a lot of generic IOs for no apparent reason. Heightened Senses for example is way overslotted and would do much better if you'd replace the two generics with one +Def LotG. There are also a lot of +End Red generics slotted, like in RttC, which really isn't end heavy. Plus as a WP you already have a high recovery. Additionally you have many generic heal IOs slotted, which, when replaced with numinas, could give you very nice regen and hp bonuses.
- You've slotted things like shield breaker that gives mainly ae def and only secondary f/c but all your powers with Aegis in it have only two of the set even though Aegis gives an incredible f/c boost with three slotted.
- Serendipity is a waste in weave, slot LotGs
- Gambler's Cut is best with five Hecatomb and the res debuff (your s/l def is already way high, especially with an improved DA slotting), but you might have avoided purples on purpose.
- Your hasten has 40 seconds downtime between applications. Generally you either have hasten (near) perma or not at all since you want to use the same attack chain all the time. What is your target chain? You will only really need Hasten for the top end chains that do not include DA and your GD recharge is too high for that.
- Why did you decide to get Soul Mastery? Shadow Meld seems a waste on a Kat/WP, you can get soft-capped in most defenses without it and it is nowhere near perma without insane recharge (and even then you won't be coming close).


In conclusion it seems to me that you have not really worked towards a clear goal with your build (like hp/reg/def or hp/reg/rech) and because of it you're lacking in all areas. I hope this didn't come off too rough, I was trying to point out some glaring problems and explaining the common thinking. I would recommend looking at some other Kat/WP builds here in the scrapper section and draw inspiration from them for your own build. I can post my build(s) later tonight as a point of reference, but I currently do not have access to them.

It gives you +rec (and all the res of course) while it's active and drains 50% of your end on expiration, which is generally not a problem on a wp toon.

Hm, ok. Considering that, as you said, you are working mostly with standard IOs, I am not really sure where the discrepancy comes from. I have my end passives underslotted (musculature alpha will give me more recovery once i get the first rare) but as far as I remember I haven't died of toggle dropping the last few times against Carnies. The main problem of the mask is the def and regen debuff, which are the main defenses of a WP toon (aside from s/l res). I am not sure how high the regen debuff is, since I am only monitoring my defense normally, but the defense debuff is utterly crippling without ddr. My psi def is around 28%,psi res around 30% and I am not sure how you would be getting much above that without extensive IO slotting. I have all the important accolades, so my hitpoints are around 2200 (around 2300 when fully slotted) and regen with one enemy in rttc is around 700%.

I know that the phase shift cycles are fixed and there is certainly improvement possible there to time this better and avoid a few unaffected hits. But it's not like my defeats were close enough to put it on a phase shift timing issue. This all just makes me think that I suck at priority killing against Carnies or am oblivious to something. I will certainly be looking into this over the next days and monitor all my stats to see what my cause of death is, so I can work towards minimizing the problems. The fact that you are doing fine with a WP toon gives me hope that I can improve here.

There aren't really any duds in the scrapper pools, it's all about your preferences. Kat has the option of Divine Avalanche which is a very strong boost to your defense (lethal/melee), will however reduce your dps. DB has combos which give you things like an ae knockdown, ae -tohit -def, +dmg +tohit or a dot. Kat is very single target centered while DB has some cone damage (the combo dot is landed through a cone power). Both sets have easy to reach chains that don't need a lot of recharge but they also have high dps single target chains that can be achieved with a lot of recharge, somewhere around 230% if I am not mistaken.

I would play both to lvl 10/20 and then decide by look and feel.

Looking forward to it. I will be playing a dark/dark defender (starting at lvl 2, gotta get that third power before we go underground), name is ".lethe".

Great idea, i am in as well. Global is @rina. not sure what toon I will make for it, probably a scrapper or troller.

I haven't taken Hover in a long time, when I last did it didn't seem viable for anything other than quickly switching to it in combat with fly active. I stand corrected then and will check it out once more when making a new Character that I can see hovering.

My pointing out of defense holes etc. was not supposed to attack your build, as you seem to have understood (or I misunderstood your understanding). As a Kat/WP I was trying to point out to you where you will run into problems with this character, there is no way to close the ranged and ae smashing and psionic holes, those are simply a fact of life for a Kat/WP, the same for the problem with defense debuffs.

If you avoid problematic mobs you will obviously not run into many problems, ever. I was simply trying to point out some problems that might occur if we consider any mob as a possible opponent.

The reason I mentioned Focused Accuracy is that unless there are still mobs (which you can hit) around to bash on, waiting is not an option. A Kat/WP relies heavily on DA hitting at least once every 10 seconds (if your enemies are to be taken serious and you have aggro). Without an active DA, you have a huge defense hole that will get exploited instantly.