streetlight
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Posts
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Quote:Never seen zero damage before, barring an opponent being immune to either a specific type of damage (e.g. Ghost-Slaying Axe against non-ghosts) or all damage (e.g. phased Illusionists). Even with a Rage crash, my Inv/SS always does some tiny amount of damage.Originally Posted by Patchwork_Knight
It's been a while since I played my Invun/SS tanker, I've noticed that with rage running (haven't tried it without) about once every 7 or so times that I use it the knockup animation will play but the target will take no damage. I check my combat tab and the attack hit but damage was 0. Wondering if anyone else noticed this.
Does it happen for all opponents or a specific opponent or opponent type? I ask in case there was a potential debuff on you or your target was resistant/immune.
Does it happen in a pattern or randomly? Is it somewhere around your 7th use that it hits for zero or could it be the first one time, the twelfth the next time, etc?
Alternately, did they fix Rage so that you get a crash even when stacked? If so, you could still have Rage active (assuming a double-stack with one wearing off, causing a crash), but the crash would reduce damage. Still shouldn't reduce it to zero, but it might be a starting point. Come to think of it, they might've done this a while ago... -
Invuln/SS all about Rage at 28 (when you finally get some damage for your single-target attacks) and Footstomp at 38 (when you finally get an AOE). It's a brutal slog until then.
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Quote:Shield Charge carries a 13.5s Mag4 Taunt effect that - combined with Fire Scrapper damage, melee range, build up & AAO - could've easily grabbed aggro. It's easy to get SC cycling at 33s or less (I have one planned build that hits around 25s), so the Scrapper could've grabbed aggro fairly often, too. Follow up with GFS & Incinerate and you've got a combo that, to my knowledge, is the best blueside aggro-grabber in the game. And that's without factoring in any potential crits.Originally Posted by Sarrate
That's very peculiar, indeed. I've held aggro off Tankers, Brutes, and Scrappers using a similar tactic on my WP/Fire (heavily slotted Taunt, used on cooldown and dps in between.) In fact, I've held aggro off all four Patrons on the STF against a Shield Scrapper before.
There are only two possibilities I can think of:
1) The Fire/Scrapper's damage output (being Fire/Shield of all things) was just outstripping yours (being Ice Melee and dropping an offensive attack for the hold) by a larger amount than your threat multipliers could compensate for... but you had far more debuffs being applied than the Scrapper. (Not sure if debuff threat multipliers stack or not.)
2) He was using Confront.
Very peculiar... -
The biggest buff for a Tanker is, well, a team with some offense. It's not supposed to be a perfect archetype. It's supposed to be heavy on defense and light on offense. It's a melee controller set. Also, COH aggro is a lot more player-friendly than the other MMOs I've played.
When you run an AE farm with 8-man spawns and an ambush exceeds your cap, squishies are going to get aggro and likely die. The game isn't balanced around that, though. If the team can't handle maximized spawns, reduce the difficulty or change teams. -
I have to say I kind of enjoy the fire and forget nature of FF. Refresh the shields every few minutes, keep whatever toggles you want going, and you can spend the rest of your time blasting away.
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You're good without Punch. Jab will be plenty fast enough to fill in the attack chain and it'll be a more useful power with the new Bruising effect.
My Inv/SS uses Jab, Boxing, Haymaker, Knockout Blow, and Footstomp. I didn't need Boxing at all, but it holds IOs just fine and was a prereq for Tough/Weave. I like Hurl a lot (ranged Haymaker with -Fly!), though it does have a KB effect. I just couldn't fit it on my build.
Footstomp is your only AOE, and it's great, but it also requires you to be groundbound. If you're sticking with Flight, then you'll also want pretty decent footspeed. With Swift slotted once for +runspeed and Flight slotted once with +flightspeed, you'll have capped Flight speed and not be a total slug on the ground. I'd still recommend running Sprint (slotted once for +runspeed) in missions. -
On a character designed for maximum toughness, there's no such thing as "enough" until you hit the softcaps. Stone/* tanks are the epitome of the meatshield, able to take the worst the game can dish out and hold it all with some of the best aggro management available. Revel in that, don't fight it.
I say take Toughness & Weave to go along with Granite. Slot for defense (global & typed), then +hp, then psi resist & defense to maximize survivability. You'll likely go way above the softcap for S/L in the process, but I can't advocate taking both of the attacks from the Fighting pool.
Teleport is just good business for Stone/* tanks. Swift (from Fitness), too. You can get +runspeed from just two Aegis IOs - two of quite a few IO sets, actually - so you can be reasonably mobile in the thick of the fight.
I recommend taking advantage of dual builds and have one that is pure Granite joy without the incompatible toggles and one for exemping below Granite. -
The maturity of any SS character is based on Rage and Footstomp. Up until you get both, it's an underperforming set. Rage should've been available to a Brute at 18 and you'll get Footstomp at 32. It could be worse: you could be a Tanker waiting until 28 & 38, respectively.
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Ice Armor & Cold Domination: Something a little more sleek than the huge chunky blocks we get with the toggles/shields. Also, the Quills animation from Spines would be a nice alt for Icicles.
Fire/Ice Melee: Sword or no-sword options. -
The Ice/Ice Tankers I've run with never seemed to have trouble with AVs. IIRC, they used Tough and slotted for softcapped defense and +hp. Combined with -damage and -recharge, that was likely enough.
Not sure about how the combination of -damage and resist works in COH. -
I'd throw in a vote for SD/WM. You get a couple good-damage quick-recharging AOEs to clear groups and solid single-target damage. The mitigation is great, too.
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Quote:This, but I'd also recommend WM/* with */Fire, */Shield or */Elec.Originally Posted by Candlestick
SS/Fire or SS/Shield or SS/Elec
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So... DM is great with WP on single targets because of DM's heal, which does best with multiple targets and the combo likes crowds but can't kill them quickly? Those aren't things for the "pro" column. It's still okay, I'm not saying it's gimped, but it's nothing special.
Also, PVP-wise, I can't see DM being useful at all outside of fiteclub. It can generate great DPS, but has very little in the way of spike damage. The heal and damage buff both require opponents in PBAOE range, the heal really appreciates 2+ opponents, and the damage buff needs several to equal "build up" powers, though it does last longer. -
My FF/DP Defender right now. Great for teaming, several AOEs to help mow down mobs, and the sets look and sound good. Useful to almost every team, taskforce or raid.
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Quote:You have to work a little bit to make a truly bad combo in this game. Unlike the prior posters, though, I'd say this is probably an average combo. If it fits your concept, go with it. If not, maybe consider something else.Originally Posted by thgebull0425
Is this a good combo? Straight and to the point, lol.
Dark Melee is a single-target set with to-hit debuffs. WP uses a mix of defense and resistance with a lot of regeneration and significant boosts to regeneration when facing large crowds. The single-target vs. large crowd thing is where synergy breaks down, IMO.
Couple Dark Melee with a defense-heavy set and you get some great results. If you go */SR, for instance, you would get that synergy and have a nice global recharge bonus to go with it, helping you build a great single-target attack chain. If you have the influence and time, you can buy/create sets to take */WP to the softcap for several types, which will be even more effective than */SR (global recharge power aside).
Going the other way, pair up */WP with a more AOE-heavy set and you get great results. Katana, Claws, Broadsword, and Spines all have better synergy with WP than DM, IMO.
Again, DM/WP is still okay. WP is arguably the best survivability set in the game, so you can pair it with anything and be fine. I just believe you can get more out of DM and WP by pairing them up with other sets. -
I run a DM/DA Scrapper quite a bit using a low-budget IO set build that isn't softcapped to anything (probably nothing more than slightly slotted CoD). I run all */DA toggles, plus CJ & Sprint, and the set's mitigation has been great for survivability. PerfShift:+End, Stamina, Dark Consumption, and Conserve Power all help to keep him moving. I did spend for a few -KB IOs and consider them a great purchase.
The biggest adjustment for me was that */DA requires more attention from the player and smart use of click powers. Like with Regen, you have to keep an eye on your HP, but you also have to keep an eye on your End. You can get into trouble if you like to chat during combat or prefer a more relaxed playstyle, but it isn't that big of an issue.
On a Brute, you could concentrate a bit less on damage and a little bit more on endurance reduction when choosing IOs, which would be helpful. If you ignore the mitigation auras or find yourself in a situation where they don't work, then you can expect reduced survivability.
With enough inf or lucky drops, you can overcome survivability issues. It's a lot easier to plug defense into a build than resistance, so a resistance/mitigation set like */DA has a lot of upside. -
The trinity was born out of efficiency. You could usually go another route with potentially more risk or less reward, but the trinity just works well in most games. Add buffs and debuffs and you get even better. It works in COH, blueside or redside, due to Taunt being arguably the most effective control in the game for teams. However, redside ATs don't cater to the trinity like blueside does, mainly due to the absence of a Tanker equivalent. Without that focus in ATs, the trinity becomes less efficient and, consequently, used less often.
Then it becomes a matter of what works in your particular circumstance. Just like teaming without a Tanker blueside, you have to change your expectations when teaming redside. Controls and buffs/debuffs become the most efficient options remaining, which leads to some teams looking down on Stalkers.
There will be some circumstances where this outperforms the trinity (e.g. tightly packed mobs waiting for you with plenty of space between packs). It can be more engaging for the player, because the flow of combat won't be quite so regimented, which may or may not be a selling point to a particular player. That bit of added chaos also carries additional risk. You can mitigate that risk to a degree, but not to the same degree a blueside trinity team can. That's not a gamebreaking issue, just something to remember when playing redside. -
I like both sets and certainly appreciate them on any team, but I lean toward FF/*. Not being hit is huge. A debuff or mezz effect that doesn't hit doesn't do anything. A debuff or mezz effect that hits for less damage still has the debuff or mezz effect.
A softcapped Scrapper or Tanker won't really notice the addition of a FF/* Defender, but everyone else will. If you find yourself on a team full of those, switch toons and have fun. -
I like Ice/Dark combo, myself. You don't have to go outside your set or waste slots on KB or Immob protection. Dark's to-hit debuffs work nicely with softcapped defenses. You get +Perception and Hibernate.
The downsides are a lack of AOE damage and the look of Ice. If you can get past those, you're in good shape. I like the whole Ice set, but some builds skip Permafrost.
Kinetic Combat will be a good single-target melee set for an Ice/Dark. With four pieces, you get +3.75% defense to smashing and lethal. A couple of those and you're well on the way to softcapped S/L.
Eradication is great for AOEs. A mere three pieces gets you +3.13% E/N. Go for the full six and you add on +1.56 F/C, plus a huge HP bump. You even get extra endurance from just a pair. The downside is that it caps at level 30, but you'll be great in most exemp situations.
Pacing of the Turtle in Chilling Embrace can add another +1.56% to E/N, plus global accuracy (the proc can be nasty, too). Tempered Readiness isn't quite as good on the defensive side (+0.94%), but adds global recharge, endurance and recovery.
A full set of Mocking Beratement in Taunt is very nice (+2.5% S/L, +3.13% F/C, +7.5% global recharge).
For Tough (and Permafrost if you go with it) Reactive Armor 4-piece sets are great, granting +1.25% to S/L and E/N. Cap one of those off with a Steadfast Res/Def unique and you've just added 3% more defense across the board.
That's it off the top of my head. I'm sure others will have more info. Good luck with this one, I think you'll like it. -
Pros: great stuns and KD/KU for mitigation, two low-recharge powerful AOEs
Cons: smashing damage is highly and commonly resisted
I'd consider it one of the better offensive sets for Tankers right now. Most are fairly well-balanced, so it comes down to what you want out of the set and it's tough to argue with good AOEs and good mitigation for PVE purposes. -
My recommendation would be to hold off until Kinetic Melee, then roll a KM/*. Assuming no changes to the list of Scrapper secondaries, then I'd probably go with Electric Armor.
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Quote:I would run some TFs to get merits for the Numina's +Regen/+Recovery IO and slot it in Health. It doesn't take as long as you might think and it helps quite a bit. You'll also amass some influence along the way to help you spec up (possibly some of those rare recipes, too). A second Numina's (Health) slotted in Health gives even more regen. Find a way to get a third (Health/End) and you've got some additional health to feed both of those a bit more.Originally Posted by Death_Badger
I had a break from the game for a few issues, and my BS/SR scrapper's build seems to have aged a bit. I currently have softcapped def to all positions without the need for parry, which with the sets i have means that i have fairly small regen/recharge bonuses.
I'm looking for ideas for a new build that doesn't cost too much (though I do have a lot of IOs available - just not the really rare stuff/purples)
Regarding recharge, the real question is how much more global recharge do you need? Does your attack chain have a gap or would you like to drop an attack to get a more productive chain? Are you looking to move a slot out of Practiced Brawler without giving up too much overlap? Hasten is the cheapest solution, but that can impact other power choices and you might have to alter your slotting to maintain the softcap. -
(Deleted because I realized that the edits I proposed don't work due to missing the entry-level ancillary power)
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I'm working on a softcapped build for my Wife's scrapper. We're trying to get all of our older characters IO'd out to a nice degree, but avoiding full optimization for savings. I put this together using some of the typically-used sets and wanted to get some feedback before I threw the influence into it. If there's a better/cheaper way to get the same impact, I'd love to know about it.
Flight is one of those things I'm not a huge fan of, especially for Scrappers, but she likes it and it fits her concept. On the other hand, she likes Ninja Run a LOT and if I could softcap the build without Hover or Combat Jumping, I might be able to talk her into giving up movement powers altogether.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.707
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Level 50 Magic Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Broad Sword
Secondary Power Set: Super Reflexes
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Teleportation
Ancillary Pool: Body Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Slash -- T'Death-Acc/Dmg(A), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx(3), T'Death-Dmg/Rchg(3), T'Death-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(5), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(5), T'Death-Dam%(7)
Level 1: Focused Fighting -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(7), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(9), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(9), RedFtn-Def(11), RedFtn-EndRdx(11)
Level 2: Focused Senses -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(13), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(13), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(15), RedFtn-Def(15), RedFtn-EndRdx(17)
Level 4: Slice -- M'Strk-Acc/Dmg(A), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx(17), M'Strk-Dmg/Rchg(19), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx(19), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(21), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(21)
Level 6: Agile -- DefBuff-I(A), DefBuff-I(40)
Level 8: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 10: Practiced Brawler -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(23)
Level 12: Hover -- Flight-I(A)
Level 14: Fly -- Flight-I(A)
Level 16: Dodge -- DefBuff-I(A)
Level 18: Whirling Sword -- M'Strk-Acc/Dmg(A), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx(23), M'Strk-Dmg/Rchg(25), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx(25), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(27), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(27)
Level 20: Quickness -- Run-I(A)
Level 22: Health -- Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(A), Numna-Heal(29), Numna-Heal/EndRdx(39), Mrcl-Rcvry+(46), RgnTis-Regen+(50)
Level 24: Stamina -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(29), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(39), P'Shift-Acc/Rchg(39), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(40), P'Shift-End%(40)
Level 26: Disembowel -- T'Death-Acc/Dmg(A), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx(31), T'Death-Dmg/Rchg(31), T'Death-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(31), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(33), T'Death-Dam%(33)
Level 28: Lucky -- DefBuff-I(A), DefBuff-I(43)
Level 30: Recall Friend -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 32: Head Splitter -- M'Strk-Acc/Dmg(A), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx(33), M'Strk-Dmg/Rchg(34), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx(34), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(34), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(36)
Level 35: Evasion -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(36), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(36), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(37), RedFtn-Def(37), RedFtn-EndRdx(37)
Level 38: Build Up -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 41: Focused Accuracy -- GSFC-ToHit(A), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg(42), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx(42), GSFC-Rchg/EndRdx(42), GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx(43), GSFC-Build%(43)
Level 44: Laser Beam Eyes -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(45), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(45), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(45), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(46), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(46)
Level 47: Energy Torrent -- Det'tn-Acc/Dmg(A), Det'tn-Dmg/EndRdx(48), Det'tn-Dmg/Rchg(48), Det'tn-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(48), Det'tn-Dmg/EndRdx/Rng(50), FrcFbk-Rchg/EndRdx(50)
Level 49: Physical Perfection -- Heal-I(A)
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Level 1: Brawl -- Acc-I(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 1: Critical Hit
Level 6: Ninja Run -
Quote:Been teaming with one quite a bit over the past few weeks from late 20's through late 40's. Doesn't seem to have too many problems with anything, even on large teams, and I don't believe the build uses anything but SOs at this point. Willpower is a great survivability set that benefits from mitigation in a secondary and War Mace provides pretty good mitigation. What's not to like?Originally Posted by Yunalesca
Anyone who uses this power combination??? I have not seen it in game that much. If i ask for information well i am still learning about IO'S and i am starting this days to join more larger teams.
Well, I've said it before and I'll say it again, and some fan of WP will feel upset and say otherwise, but in my opinion it is the least of the tanking sets due to the weak taunt aura (Mag3, doesn't last long enough to make it from tick to tick). It can get by with taunts and AOEs - and WM's AOEs will help - but you'll find yourself spending more time on the controlling aspect than you would with any other primary. We've had an SD/Elec running with the same team and that helped. Between the two of them, the team rarely has to deal with any aggro.