City of Heroes: Live Forum Archive

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Acemace

By Acemace,
Posted on: 2005-03-21 16:25 in Player Guides

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't mind having my planner on the list.

-Verxion

[/ QUOTE ]Verxion.... where the heck are you?!? You made this really cool Hero Planner and now has disappeared

 

Posted

I just restarted my account from last Oct. and with pvp out now, is there some place where there are pvp guides, like tips on what works etc, if ya know of any a link would be great thnx.

 

Posted

This guild:

[url=http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=1300312&page=0&am p;view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1#13003 12]My Observations: Regenerations and Spines v. 2.0 - by Thornkiller

[/ QUOTE ]

Needs to be replaced with this one:

How to build Spines/Regen v3.0 with I4 Powers.

Thanks to all of those who supported the original

 

Posted

Hmmm..let's see here, I think I want to make a new CoH toon. What shall it be?
Blaster- too squishy, but cool firepower...Too weak at high levels
Defender- semi-squishy, semi cool firepower (nah)
Controller- too weak at low levels (I'll be bored for 20 levels)
Scapper- Non-squishy, good attacks against single point targets good defense (Mental note- make scrapper for solo play)
Tanker- Solid Defenses, good team play, good attacks. (We have a winner!)


What kind of tanker? Ice (too controller-y), Stone (too slow), Invulnerable (good, but I need Pizzazz!) Fire..yes that is it! By God we have a winner. Pretty easy so far....


Tanks need defense & resistances, let's look at the primary powers.
I'll need fire shield (6 slotted), plasma shield (6 slotted) with tough (single slot), weave (6 slotted), combat jumping (single slotted), and acrobatics (single slotted).
I have to get boxing to get tough/weave and I'll need a travel power too, so I guess that means Super Jump since I need CJ, and I want Acrobatics.

MAN...That's 8 powers and 15 LVL UP slots just to be a walking meat shield. This might make attacking tough, but let's check the other numbers before I panic.
Hmm, it looks like a lot of toggles (6) just to stay alive. Let's look at the endurance issues....Holy Shitzu Batman, I am in the negative before I start attacking. How in the HELION am I gonna make this work? Think...think..think
I think can fix it with 6 slotted stamina, but this sucks (literally). In order to get stamina I will also have to take hurdle and health...dang it! 11 powers and 20 LVL UP slots. "grumbling"

Ok..relax....let's look at the other primary powers. I am gonna need blazing aura (power #12) for punchvoke (auravoke effect) and extra damage at low levels. I will 6 slot that one too (25 LVL UP slots total). Uh oh...that one really burns endurance. Maybe I can have my wife build an empath to travel with me for RA...UUUgggghh

Temperature Protection sucks.
Healing flames is a must (Power #13). (6 slotted brings me up 30 LVL UP slots)
Consume does pathetic damage, but wait...it also restores endurance...YAHOO and the truth will set you free! (Power #14 and single slotted for now)
BURN ROCKS! I'll 6 slot it. Why build a fire tank and leave this one out? (power #15 and 35 LVL up Slots)
Fiery Embrace looks cool. (Power #16)
Rise of the Phoenix will be at lvl 50 when debt becomes a non issue, but otherwise, nah.


My eyes are starting to burn and bleed from crunching numbers and reading the forums for useful information...maybe I can download Pac-Man or just play solitaire..."sigh"
Ok man..pull it together you are halfway done. Now I need good secondaries. Let's look at AoEs, since they match well with BURN.


The ONLY choice for Tanker AoE is Fire Melee, so that was easy, let's see what I have to work with.
I am stuck with scorch, oh well.
Combustion and Fire Sword Circle look good for AoE (both 6 slotted mean 18 powers and 45 lvl up slots)
Right now, it looks like I should be able to drop BURN patch, hold mobs in place with Blazing Aura, click Combustion and then FSC. I can throw Fiery Embrace in there for good measure.
**mental note to me** click consume to recharge endurance BEFORE toggles drop and death kicks me in the stones!

What about point targets like AVs and Bosses.

I have brawl, scorch, and boxing so far. I am not gonna do much with those.
If I get Incinerate and Greater Fire Sword, I should be able to deal out some decent single target damage when combined with Burn. (Both 6 slotted means I have 20 powers and 55 slots used).
Ugghhh I just realized that I am going to need hasten 6 slotted to cycle my attacks with Burn and have little or no down time. (21 powers and 60 LVL UP Slots) This is my last power pool too. I better recap to make sure I am not leaving anything out.
Oh yeah...Taunt....to taunt or not to taunt...that is the question! I will choose to TAUNT. (22 powers)

Defense/Resistances (15 LVL Up Slots)
Fire Shield / Plasma Shield / Combat Jumping / Acrobatics / Tough / Weave
AoE Attacks (20 LVL Up Slots)
Blazing Aura / Burn / Combustion / Fire Sword Circle
Single Point Attacks (10 LVL Up Slots)
Incinerate / Greater Fire Sword
Endurance Powers (10 LVL Up Slots)
Stamina / Consume
Other Powers (10 LVL Up Slots)
Healing Flames / Fiery Embrace / Taunt / Boxing / Hurdle (or swift) / Health / Hasten / Scorch / Super Jump
That is a confirmed 23 out of 24 powers and 65 out of 67 LVL UP Slots that I think I NEED to be a solid Fire/Fire Tanker. Dang..that doesn't leave much room for uniqueness does it?
A nice option is Rise of the Phoenix at lvl 49 or Conserve Power from the EPIC Pool. for the last power and the spare 2 slots can go into taunt or health or where ever.


Although nearly insane from creating this toon, now I have to plan how and when to take each power. Luckily, we get 3 respecs at 24, 34, and 44.

Initially, you simply must have Fire Shield, Plasma Shield, Combat Jumping, Super Jump, Blazing Aura, Burn, Consume, Healing Flames, and Scorch just to make the above tank workable. Otherwise, you can be a Scranker or Tapper!
Feel free to get Hasten and Super speed, but you'll need someone to TP you around Terra Volta. It sucks for runners.

You might be thinking...

But TuTANKHaman, I thought this terribly long post was about the life cycle of the Fire Tanker. So far all I see is a basic character map for a cookie cutter toon.
We are getting there. This is where I hit all the problems that you might not see in MEPHE's super cool Fire tank Guide...


Prior to lvl18 (before BURN) and Single Origin Enhancements(LVL 27), you don’t do much damage at all, your defense is almost non-existent and you resistances suck. At the same time, every raging lunatic is beggin you to take TAUNT so their squishies don't die. Guess what happens. You rely on high hit points and healing flames to keep you in the fight. If you take Taunt early, you will die a lot from being overwhelmed unless you are an excellent tactician.


At level 18 you get BURN and oh, how the pick up teams love you. You can now help them kill tons of whites and yellows with out much effort on their part. they get to "ride the experience bus for free!" Better have Taunt or really thick skin though....someone is gonna complain if you don't.

Stamina becomes an issue again (even with consume) around level 18. You need to be thinking about a respec if you haven’t taken swift and health to set up STAMINA.


Suddenly, around level 27-30 (when SOs are available) you become a transformed super tank against all smashing, lethal and fire damage foes. (If you don't have 6 slotted Fire shield and 6 slotted Plasma Shield, you have missed the Tanker Boat and you are more than likely considered a weak scrapper..)


Suddenly Rikti pop up. Who said life was fair? Just as soon as you get UBER, they throw you a group of villains with Psionic and energy attacks. Suddenly you suck again. You drop back to fighting 3-4 villains at a time and the now spoiled squishies whine that the "free ride on the experience bus" has slowed to a crawl by comparison.


If you didn't take boxing, and tough then you are probably unable to take weave before your next respec. 6 slotted Weave really helps against psionic, toxic and energy blasts (as well as smashing, lethal, and fire) which you resist from least to most. (Cold is never really an issue)


A few more levels pass and with enough hit points, continued use of 6 slotted healing flames, and a decent bubbler/empath you go back to killing tons of villains (Rikti included). This is the beginning of the 8 hero team phase.


You find that a good controller, a good defender and you can take out purples but the dozen. You add on a few scrappers to fatten up the mobs and a blaster for comic relief and your 8 hero team is complete.


You approach the 34 lvl respec. If you haven’t taken and 6 slotted hasten/weave/stamina this might be a good time to do so.


You start bumping into Carnies. These villains were designed to screw with the fire tanks. Sure, other ATs hate em too, but when you are a toon who kills 5 or more villains at a time with AoE AND you rely on endurance to keep your toggles going, CARNIES SUCK (literally, they suck your endurance with each death).


Suddenly, you are back to a pathetic pseudo-scrapper or you fight smaller and lower level mobs. To my knowledge, there is no way to counter Carnies Death Screams (endurance siphon). Blasters/defenders/controllers are at range, so they might be less affected. Scrappers and non AoE Tanks kill 1 at a time, so it doesn't hurt as bad. You get to drop burn, click FSC and run. Hopefully, your team will understand. Again, the free ride on the experience bus slows to a halt. (I tried to avoid Carnie missions).


You feel pretty UBER at mid-late 30s until Arch Villains start popping up. You wonder to yourself, how bad can it be? I can kill 20 purple minions with a boss or LT thrown in. AVs should be workable. Think again.


The Hydra mission in the Abandoned Sewers (lvl 36 to enter I think) is where you realize you went wrong somehow. There are 6 monsters to fight before the Hydra called Kraken. They do toxic damage if you are at range and have about 10 go zillion hit points. Well not really, but they have a lot.

Suddenly you realize that BURN, FSC, Combustion, Boxing, and Scorch just aren’t enough to hurt the darned thing. Incinerate and Greater Fire Sword become required. Hopefully you are ready to take them as soon as possible. (LvL 35 and 38 powers).


After you and a good team of high 30s beat all the Kraken (30-70K exp each) you get to fight the AV (Hydra). Now the funny thing here is that you can't damage it without special Rikti Temp powers and the Hydra does thousands of damage in Psionics. It can ONE SHOT a fire tank, and if you get lucky and live, the second, third and fourth shots will get ya. (The controller in your team better be good).


In your 30s and 40s you get a lot of experience for Crey, Nemesis, Devouring Earth, and Circle of Thorns, who were made for Fire Tanks to Arrest. This is cake, but the inevitable Fire Tank Screwing comes along in the Malta Group.


Sappers drain endurance using long range endurance siphoning cannons. if you don't spot them 1st and make a plan for the team to kill them/hold them you will get sucked and the your toggles will drop. That is when the Heracles and Zeus class Titans hit ya. Big damage with no toggles equals death.


You near level 50 and you finally think (humbly) that you are pretty UBER. your team (Super Group) loves you and you hope the road has been worth it.


The last and perhaps ultimate screwing is Fire Base Zulu. This is a dimension of land masses floating in the sky. Since you probably didn't take fly or Teleport (too few powers available to splurge) now you have to jump between sky islands. Very frustrating.


The hamidon raid is the last big challenge. Dozens of toons line up along the ridge in the HIVE to push the Hamidon back. All damage is Psionic....everyone is spamming heals....you are hoping for a few Hammi-o enhancements and death hits you time after time after time. it isn't because you have a bad toon. It is because the server lags so bad from the 50 other toons sucking its resources that you can barely move, attack or heal.


Lastly, as you consider retiring to a nice old Tankers Home at age 49-50, you get inundated with players who want you to power level their toons. All you want to do is maintain the pace and get yourself and a few key SG members into the lvl 50 hall of fame. No one saw this coming. The DEVS didn't do it...impatience and human greed are the last of the Fire tanker plagues. (Unless you consider PvP and all the NERFS as one long never ending plague.)


Feel free to add anything you want to this Guide. I made it for myself (as my lvl 50 contribution to the Tanking community and all newbie’s), but know that Mephe has a better build guide out there. Also realize that the CoH planner that Joe Chott made is an awesome tool to plan your own toon.



Good Luck and GODSPEED,

TuTANKHaman lvl 50 Fire/Fire Tanker-Victory

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
Is there anyway the issues that the guides were last updated for could be added. I think it'de help in deciding which guides have the most accurate info.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am strongly in favor of this. So strongly that if Cuppa or another board moderator wants to PM me, I'll help out with it.

We could either separate guides into 1. I3 and before and 2. I4 and after, or indicate the vintage of the guide for each one. The latter would be better, but more work.

 

Posted

Great thread. This is going directly into my favorite-folder

 

Posted

The link to Ladioss_Sopp's Dark Miasma guide is broken.

Here is the correct link Ladioss_Sopp's "Dark Miasma -- A Defender's Guide v1.0 "

Heroes
Dysmal
Lumynous
Sam Steele
Pluck
Wile
Slagheap
Pressure Wave
Rhiannon Bel
Verified
Stellaric
Syd Mallorn

Villains
Jotunheim Skald
Saer Maen
Jen Corbae
Illuminance
Venator Arawn
Taiga Dryad
Tarranos

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]

I am strongly in favor of this. So strongly that if Cuppa or another board moderator wants to PM me, I'll help out with it.

We could either separate guides into 1. I3 and before and 2. I4 and after, or indicate the vintage of the guide for each one. The latter would be better, but more work.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. next week I hope to have a revised list for the guide. I think at that time i'll check the launch dates for the diferent issues, and the dates of when the guides were posted, and apply an issue label to them or something. if anyone sees any horribly out of date guides due to power changes and such, let me know (post up here).

I definatly appreciate any help with pointing out bad links, misinformative guides (due to game mechanic changes, not opinions). I wish i could just edit the guide, that would make life so much easier

 

Posted

*update mark*

everything above this post should be added relitively soon. if you see one on the guide itself that is out of date or something. let me know

 

Posted

Well my Fire & Forcefields guide is actually listed twice in the Controller section for whatever reason - and could I please have my brand spanking new Mind Control and Kinetics Guide added too please? Thanks!

 

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most likely my fault. when its all layed out in a word document, it sort of blurs together i'll get it this go round though!

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
*update mark*

everything above this post should be added relitively soon. if you see one on the guide itself that is out of date or something. let me know

[/ QUOTE ]

lol ... you have missed alot:

This guild:

My Observations: Regenerations and Spines v. 2.0 - by Thornkiller

Needs to be replaced with this one:

How to build Spines/Regen v3.0 with I4 Powers.

This Guide:

Inv/SS How to Build Superman 2.0 - by ThornKiller

Needs replaced with this one:

How to build Superman v3.0 & Inv/SS Guide




AND finally this guide needs added:

Havok's Ultimate™ Spreadsheets of DOOOOOOMMMMMMMM™!!!

BTW ... for those of you who don't know yes I am Thornkiller I changed my forum name back to Havok when I came back

 

Posted

What is Each Server Known For? - By AnotherDeadHero

 

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I'm still working on it off and on this week (usualy up untill i get sick of looking at it). whenever its done, you'll likely see all of the comments after the initial post chopped off.

and thanks much havok! You'll save me time for sure