tusca21

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Please keep in mind that AOE attacks don't rule as much from late-30's to endgame. Before that, yes. After that, an AOE alpha strike pretty much means a dead blaster.

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This post is 100% right. yes, from 25-38 AE is overpowered, but from 39 on, it is pretty much a debt magnet. Unless you stick to even to +2 con minions only, but every group has bosses and LTs post 39, which means AE is a no-no, unless you have an empathy defender working overtime keeping your no HP, no defense having butt up.

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My only experience with blaster's is teaming with embyr and another 42 ar/dev blaster and seeing how they basically level our SG with the rest of us basically meatshields and buff bots, well until I leveled up the fire tank (and yes I think the fire tank is overpowered).

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Actually the AR/Dev blaster is essentially relgating you to those rolls. Anytime I get in a group with a */Devices blaster, rest of the group might as well go AFK, because they are adding almost nothing, except buffs, an occasional heal, and some damage. Smoke Grenade is being fixed. A */Devices blaster can no longer replace the Defender, Tanker, and Controller with 1 power after issue 2 goes live.

Yes, I know */devices people are angry about this chnge, but SG needed a change.

Well said Embyr.

The largest issue with lowering AoE damage is that most people advocating this change are basing their rants on middle to low level gameplay (less than level 40), and do not realize the game changes drastically again, around level 38. With the exception of blasters using the bugged Smoke Grenade power, blasters are no-longer fighting any groups (except even level, and the occasional +1) solo post 40, unless they like accruing debt. Almost every group of MoBs have bosses once you hit PI, or else even the minions have dangerous powers.

In the middle levels, blasters become ridiculous, but their uberness quickly dissappears shortly after level 38.

As for fire tanks, I don't play one, so my only comments would be based on hearsay, therefore I have no comment.