3B = Better Blaster *******
/emote Bows humbly before his sensei.
"He may be arrogant, but he happens to be correct" - Ellis
"The server is full of crazies" - New_Dark_Age
Rainbow Arcana / Diamond D: Legion of Freedom - Virtue
lof.guildportal.com
IBTL! (jk)
YEAH! a new one!
They just need to fix us damn it. Instead they put their efforts to arenas and gimmicks. That might be cool but it's like building a car and then doing a half [censored] job on the engine (the blaster) just to get to the paint job (the arena). PvP is cool and all but just in general, pve/pvp whatever, blasters need help and we can't wait a George Lucas amount of time for another issue. This game doesn't have that kind of magic anyway. They just need to seriously work this out now before adding more features or an expansion pack.
This thread is not here for people to complain but for those who wish to share how they beat the odds and want to help other blasters.
We have enough complaint threads. This is a thread that the community can come together and help each other.
Yeah I see that and I am SORRY I posted wrong to you in your thread (I did read it too, it's great), but honestly how can we do this? It's just kidding ourselves when what needs to be done, can't be done by us. I do see where you are going with the thread but seems like this is just what they want us to do, when what needs to be done is things just need to be fixed, and I know there are other threads like that.
Best advice I can give then is to voice your opinion on how things should be changed and hope they change it. In the meantime any new "tricks" you do to fight better, be it ranged or surprise attack etc (the ones you mentioned) would only strengthen and add to our playstyle later when they finally put the big band-aid on the hurt blasters.
Let me start off with one of the most obvious tactics in the book.
Pulling. This is an art that is usefull in teams and solo. Many times you will be tempted to lead an attack with snipe because of its range and its damage. This tactic is viable in the outdoors where you have an open area and plenty of range.
Inside building however you run into a range problem. Typically the mobs will have range on you and since you are stuck in a snipe position and you had to maintain LoS you get shot. Alot usually. Snipes because of their damage do draw alot of agro.
It is in practice easier to pull single mobs or fewer mobs with a low damage attack. The other advantage of useing a low damage attack is that you don't have to maintain LoS. So you can perform this maneuver while jumping behind cover of a wall or corner.
Why pull at all?
You will eventually find yourself in a situation where the pick-up group you are with has run into a scenario where they cannot charge in without alot of people dying. That is a good time to suggest to the group that they should start pulling. The other thing you may want to do is actually pull mobs into a trap.
Many times a tank will herd mobs around a corner to pull them where the group is waiting to unload. Well if no Tank is available you can do the same thing with your blaster. You also get the option of trying to pull just one mob back to your trap and thining the herd where a tank usually ends up with everything whether he wants them or not.
Pulling also allows you to eliminate troublesome mobs like Sappers and their ilk. Not to mention it is nice to get engineers away from their turrets and kill them by themselves then take on the turret by itself.
Devide and conquer is the strategy behind pulling. Range is a strength that you can use to devide and conquer the enemy and I suggest all blasters try to do so.
PS: This has also been found to work in PvP as well. You can hit a scrapper with a weak attack and lure him away from his group into a trap set up by yourself and unload on him with your stronger attacks while his group is not around to help him. Devide and conquer.
Never underestimate air superiority. This is especially true of PvP. That you are out of melee range of non-flying mobs goes without saying.
Raise your hand, how many times have you been on a team wipe where you got jumped from above because somebody (it's usually the Scrapper and sometimes the Tank) didn't notice the pack of baddies 10 feet above his head in a split level room? (Raises hand) Is that everybody? Good.
In PvP that baddie 10 feet over the Scrappers head is you. Jump him, NOW!
It's a fact, people don't look up. Remember the BBB always take full advantage of any foolish inattention.
"He may be arrogant, but he happens to be correct" - Ellis
"The server is full of crazies" - New_Dark_Age
Rainbow Arcana / Diamond D: Legion of Freedom - Virtue
lof.guildportal.com
Get a feel for your powers - sure numbers for range helps but game wise just how far is 20'?
Depending upon how you built your character when working with AoE's try to get a feel for how strong they are. What I mean is try to use your AoE combos when you know you can finish them especially solo.
A good example of this is using my Fire/Energy Blaster at level 15. Slotted with 2 Accuracy and 4 Damage DO's and with Aim and Buildup he can anniliate a whole pack of +2 minions - but only with Aim and Buildup.
Another perfect example is a level 32 Energy Blaster who just got Nova and leaps into a pack of level 35 minions and wonders why he didn't wipe them out.
Use the environment to your advantage - especially with pulling and breaking line of sight.
When teamed with a tanker/scrapper/herder of some sort - wait until they are set before launching your arsenal. Good tanks will often move that little step to the right or left or jump up to pack the mobs underneath them - that benefits you especially those of you who have AoE attacks.
Learn how to combine your powers to maximum effect - suppose you're a Energy/Devices Blaster and you're teamed with an Fire/Ice Blaster and you're facing one of those dreaded Freak Tanks. So at some point during the fight you both decide to use your root/immobilize (Web Grenade/Chilblain) and you root him - so now while he can fire ranged attacks at you he's not all up in either of your all's grills smacking you with the hook.
@Deadboy
Nice!! I love it! A very good thread!
Here is my two cents (PVE only; dont play much PVP):
1. I am sure most of us are blasters at heart. I know I am. But one thing you can do to generally improve your game overall, is to play all of the other AT's to a reasonable level. Oh sure, some of them may seem downright boring, but you learn a HECK of a lot that you can apply to your blaster techniques, especially when teaming. For example, even something as basic as, "Please don't kill the anchor". If you don't know what this means, you may be annoying others, but also you may be hurting yourself in the process.
2. For a while I thought purple pills were my friends. Now, I don't use them as much, only when I'm in a jam and by then it is usually too late! Range... is a wicked power! At first I was disappointed when I took Boost Range, but my goodness. Nothing like thinning out the numbers before they can even get a shot off! Moral of the story is, range is power.
3. Learn to adapt. If there is one thing that I think Blasters do well, its adapting. Forget all the "devs hate us, we need to be fixed" threads, work with what you got. If something doesnt work, like the man said, try something else, or give it another shot if you're confident. I also think a good idea is to find out which combo will kill what the fastest. Later in the levels, it seems as though we are killing the same type of thing alot more often than early in the levels. So find out which combo works the best.
4. If you have knockback, use it wisely. Instead of punching something across the room into another group and thus killing your entire team, knock the dude towards your group,or better yet, into a wall so the scrappers and tankers can wail on them. My goal for knockback is to usually get the guy into a wall and keep knocking him into that wall over and over and over, maiking sure he does not move from the wall. Or maybe knock him into Burn or something else like that. Use knockback wisely. Learn this early in the game.
There's more, but Id rather go home and play COH than stay at work! 
Know what you're up against by reading guides like the Villian Resistance Guide.
Know which enemies are vulnerable to your attacks and which can shrug off the best you can dish out. For example in my lower levels I went out of my way to take on the Vahzilok. For many low level heroes the Vahz are the hardest enemies they face for the first 15 levels of their careers. For me they were easy pickings with BuildUp and Lethal attacks. At the end game I find Carnies are much easier to deal with than for example, the resistant Malta.
Remember that what you do alone, isn't always the best thing to do when in a team. Always take out the mezzer first if possible. Snipe, while great range and damage, is NOT a very effective pulling tool. A dead enemy ALERTS nearby foes, but an enemy that you did moderate damage to will come after you alone. Never be ashamed to seek a teammate when the going gets rough. A blaster/tanker duo can be a wonderful thing. 
Coordinate with other blasters on your team. Double sniping any enemy is deadly, pick one blaster to target off of(preferably the most experienced) and the other blaster should target off him.
Learn enemy AI. If you knock an enemy back on a pull you will ALWAYS get the whole group. If you try and pull a lieut, you will almost always get the whole group. If you hit a minion in the middle of a group, you will usually get the whole group, but if you hit the minion on the edge, you almost never get the whole group, provided you don't kill him or knock him back.
Pay attention to the defenders on your team. Learn what types of heals and buffs they use(in fact, stop in at the defender forum and ask a question or two, they love an openminded blaster). Some of them can only heal you when you're close to them, others when you're close to the enemy. Some barely heal at all, but if you pay attention to what they anchor with their debuffs you won't need to be healed at all as long as you don't arrest it.
Learn what it takes to take out an enemy. If a minor damage quick recharge attack is enough to take him out, don't use a high damage high recharge attack. You want the highest DPS possible and that means not stopping in your attack chain if possible(especially if you're primary defense is knockback, like an NRG blaster).
While your tactics may be your strength, your damage is your power. How you decide to deliver it is up to you, but remember that above all else you want to be able to arrest your chosen target as fast as possible, especially if he's bearing down on you like a freight train.
Nice post! =)
Learn to prioritize. Make sure you take out lieutenants first, minions second, and bosses last. But disable in the order of boss, lt, minion, it works much better.
Why not bosses then lts then minions? Because lieutenants are often buffing fiends, like Sorcerrers or Shamans or Fungoids and other such nonsense. They make their friends much harder to kill, but thye take a while to apply buffs or their defenses and debuffs rely on toggles. Kill them before this happens, they are useless to their if held and/or dead. Then the minions. They deal constant damage to you, despite their lower power and hp. They become a real nuisance, especially if you are trying to focus on the boss, they whittle you down. Take them out, then the boss has less support. Bosses are often just juggernauts. Hold/disable them first, but kill them last, then they will fall easily.
But make sure to kill anything that still moves before you focus on things that can't move or attack you, they will still do lots of damage.
And in all situations, never be ashamed to run/phase. It can save your life.
Always analyze the area in which you are attacking prior to the actual attack. You never know when a sapper, or even another group might be right behind the wall.
Learn your enemy, if they have a acc debuff, have a insight prepared, if they have a mez, take them out first.
Always check who you are fighting. Nothing is worse then fighting a group of +1 minions only to find out that you didnt realize there was a boss in the group.
A prepared blaster is a safe blaster.
Learn how to Run. Like. Hell.
If a battle's going badly, do NOT be afraid to run. Run away so you can fight another day.
This includes getting good at manuevering. This is especially true in caves or in Council bases. If you have SS or Fly, get good at heading out, and not getting stuck in walls and such. Getting away FAST will allow you more time to heal, manage inspirations, wait for powers to recharge, set up a defense, regroup, get AWAY from that horribly fast mob, etc, etc.
Running is very important. Get used to doing it.
Know when to Control, and when to Attack. Controlling that Minion with 3 HP left isn't a very smart idea; attacking that Boss with a full life bar doesn't quite seem intelligent either.
1. Along the "know your powers" theme - If you change your build for whatever reason (different slotting, new power, respec), be sure to practice your combos.
For the longest time I didn't think I could take on two bosses at once, until I realized the power inherant in Total Focus. However, taking on two at a time does take a bit of effort, so you really do need to practice such tactics (in this case, Whack one with BU+AIM+PU+Total Focus, then wack the other with Bonesmasher and Energy Punch and everything else you have. By the time the mez wears off the first, you should be able to reapply TF again.) However, to get this down well, I had to practice more than a couple of times against the paired bosses in the Portal Corp parking lot.
2. In the "know you enemy" theme - know what explodes when it dies. And back the Furk up before it does.
3. Know your self and your relation to the powerset - personally, I've found that I don't play my blaster (or defender) very well after lvl 41. Why? Because I have too many powers. In constrast, I can play my Tanker just fine. Why? Because enough of his powers are inherant that don't forget that I have (say) Stone Mallet, or something.
You absolutely must work with the crowd control person(s) in your group. Don't shoot off that AoE unless the tank has gotten some taunts in or the controller is dropping a big hold in on them. If you're getting shot at in a group then you need to BACK OFF! Lay off the AoE's and stick to single target attacks against enemies that won't/can't fight back. Doing your maximum damage per second is all well and good, but you aren't doing any damage if you're face down.
In easier missions, assisting isn't a good idea. You end up wasting attacks. However, when the going gets rough, the team needs to start ganging up on one or two targets at a time. (With the exception of the crowd control folks.)
Never waste an attack.
There's a difference between arresting fast and arresting efficiently. If an enemy has a sliver of health, don't come flying in with a Total Focus. Energy Bolt him and move on. Use the right attack for the right situation.
An efficient offense is a balanced one that can attack from any range. Don't be afraid to move into melee to use Blaze or Power Burst, or Bonesmasher to finish your assailant. Melee attacks are fast and deadly.
Keep moving and always remember where the exits are.
*SnipeFu sits in the back of the crowd and listens to the mighty BMF intently*
*He reaches into his pocket, pulls out some rolling papers and his own bag of purple dust, rolls it up, lights, and takes a deep relieving puff.*
*Throughout the evening lecture he nods his head in understanding and compassion*
"Tell them BMF, tell them," he whispers in a hushed tone.
*As the presentation ends, SnipeFu, takes one last drag of his purple spliff and sighs in acknowledgement of the truth of BMF's words."
*As he leaves the gathering, it is dark outside, yet he spots a Hellion mugging a poor old lady several hundred yards away. Withouht batting an eyelash he cloaks, taps into his energy and Builds Up, Aims and releases a mighty Snipe from so far off the Hellion had no idea what just ruined him.*
"You tell them BMF, you tell them."
*He fades off into the darkness*
The Legion of Freedom
the best blaster defense in a team is: DON'T FREAKING SHOOT!
Mange your aggro, don't expect people to save your [censored].
The Leaping pool can save your life. You can't run away if you're immobilized. You can't do anything when you're getting knocked on your butt.
If you are on a bad team, quit. No apologies, no excuses, no "sorry guys my SG needs me". No matter who screws up on a team, it's the blaster that bites it. Just leave.
And quit WHINING. We do high damage at range. We are made of glass. If you don't like it, play something else.
Eva Destruction AR/Fire/Munitions Blaster
Darkfire Avenger DM/SD/Body Scrapper
Arc ID#161629 Freaks, Geeks, and Men in Black
Arc ID#431270 Until the End of the World
The best situation for a Blaster is control. Total control.
Teams degrade your ability to control a situation. Don't be afraid to cut yourself a piece of the action, remove it as a threat, and then return to the main battle.
Remember a wound causes less aggro than a status effect, which causes less aggro than a shot that drops it's target.
Remember that a boss causes more of a ruckus than a Lt, who causes more attention to be aimed at you than a minion does.
In teams, hunt minions. Be wary of Lt's. Save Bosses for last. The fewer bad guys there are, the better your odds of living through the encounter. If in trouble, you have the lowest odds of survival. Know where the exit is at all times, and use it if you ever feel a lack of control. Dump every defense/heal inspiration you have into protecting yourself and get moving.
It's a shorter trip and a less painful one than a hospital visit, and KO'ed Blasters provide no help to a team.
You are a Blaster. Your job in a group is to deliver firepower prejudically, not indiscriminately. Concentrate on the weak, slice them from the herds, and bring them down. The strongest are best controlled until they no longer have minion or Lt. support troops. Ignore them unless they're a direct threat or the only threat remaining. That's what Tanks and Scrappers are for.
You work better as a lone wolf or with other Blaster-wolves. Fight like one, even in a group. The only difference is that given a choice, pick targets that will assist other members of the team. Drop the ones attacking past the Tank/Scrappers. If you have to make the choice of saving the defense or the support- save the defense. They make better distractions if things go to hell.
Cold-blooded? Yes. But you'll suffer less pain and debt that way.
(Dark room with a full crowd seated in a half circle facing a black stage.)
(A beam of light shoots down from above and a figure is spotlighted)
(An old man dressed in a pair of Pin Striped Pants and an old white T-Shirt that has several holes in it and a number stains to rival the holes stares at the crowd in front of him.)
*He gazes at the crowd with a befuddled look on his face*
*Lifting his hand to call for a moment of time he pops a light purple pill into his mouth and chews feriously*
Ahhhhhhh. Out of breath give me a sec.
*He pulls out a blue aspirator and sucks in a lungfull of medicine. Seemingly full of breathe he pulls out a green Cigar and puts it in his mouth. He takes a yellow cigarette and puts it in his nose. Lighting both with a red lighter he tokes the cigar while putting a finger to his opposite nostril and pulling in a long drag on the cigarette.*
There, now I got a bit of energy back. Okay, if you are reading this you have probably come here for a bit of a reading from the 3B Bible *spits on the ground*. Well I'll read to you what is in the Bible then I will give you my thoughts on *begins to wheeze* it. Here is the original work.
[ QUOTE ]
Yep its just not hard to solo as a blaster as long as you realize a few things.
One: Remember that as a blaster you are a *******. This is explained in detail in the following statements.
Two: Always remember that you are a coward and a *******. Running is the better part of valor.
Three: You always kick your oppenent when he is down. This is the key thing. Now if you were a hero you might walk up mano y mano to slug it out with that consiglieri. But you're not a hero you're a *******, so what you are going to do is freeze that sum beiatch in place and hit him while he can't hit back. When he is breaking free you run for it and come back and hit him when he turns his back.
Or an alternative method is to knock that beiatch on his postierior and keep him there while you kick him in the ribs.
If you suddenly find yourself facing insurmountable odds, run your tail off and pretend to be frightened. Remember though that in your heart you are a ******* and are just waiting for them to turn their backs so that you can kill the weakest from behind.
I hope this helps those of you who think its impossible to solo with a bastar...... err I mean Blaster.
[/ QUOTE ]
*Old man sucks on another blue aspirator*
Did you catch all that crap? *Spits on the words written* It came so close to telling what a young blaster needs to survive in Paragon BUT it FAILED!
*He looks forth at the now angered crowd with a grim smile on his face*
Yes, it was a start but nothing more. What the above missed and should have focused on was what was at the heart of what it takes to survive as a blaster!
What I tell you next is the most important thing that a blaster can remember in Paragon. It is something that you should remember if you are soloing or if you are teaming. Remember this:
Adapt the battle to your strength!
(A figure from the crowd wreathed in darkness with a flowing cloak that spans to infinity with evil emanating from every pore stands up.)
*In a Mike Tyson voice* How do we do that B.M.F? We don't have any tools or special powers or defenses like everyone else. What can we do OH GOD WHAT CAN WE DO!? (Despair causes the speaker to dissappear with a pop like a soap bubble)
*The old man just raises an eyebrow while pulling a mirror with some purple dust on it and taking a line while puffing on both the yellow cigarette and green cigar*
Well now that the moaning and groaning is out of the way maybe we can talk about some of the common mistakes that Blasters make.
The first is that alot of blasters are pack rats. They hoard the little bits of insperation that come to them and don't use the insperations that come to them often enough. Many do not share them with those that might better use the bits of insperation that they do get.
The second is that many blasters don't know when to leave a bad situation. Sometimes it is best to leave a bad situation and to come back at it from a different angle. Sometimes a strategy does not work the first time you try it but will work the second time. Through experience, both your own and others you will learn when a strategy simply failed or when a strategy will not work. You don't have to experience everything yourself.
Take a look in the crowd around you. Amongst you are blasters of Wisdom, old like me and some, are better blasters than I. I did not come here tonight to explain how every single blaster can use every trick in the book to win. I am not young enough to think that I know all the tricks. I can however give the key to learning all the tricks. That key is to adapt the battle to your strength.
If your strength is subterfuge then beguile your opponents. If your strength is surprise then do the unexpected and vary your tactics constantly. If your strength is range then be sure you fight from range.
If your enemy is stronger than your strength then you must adapt the playing field so that this is no longer true. If the enemy has greater range and your strength is range, then you must use terrain to limit your enemies strength over you but still allowing you to strike from range. If your enemy is better at subterfuge then you must eliminate his ability to beguile through insperation or dogged persistance.
The one thing that you never do is play to your opponents strengths or bow and allow him controll of the battle.
(A chess board is suddenly lit on the stage with the pieces in a variety of positions.)
(The old man hovers over to the board and hovers directly over the middle)
Now what is the strongest piece on this board? Is it the Queen, King, Bishop, or knight?
It is whichever piece controlls the center!
*The old man draws in his breathe*
CONTROLL THE CENTER OF THE BATTLE AND BE ITS HEART, MIND, AND SOUL!
Then victory is surely yours.
That is all I have to say to you.
(The light dims from the stage and when the lights in the room turn on, it is empty. The ways are clear for everyone to leave but there is a sign on the door)
*The sign reads*
I Bad <censored> <cencored>, encourage you to leave any bits of wisdom and knowledge that may help future blasters in Paragon. We all have our tips and tricks that are old to us but new to many. With each season life changes in Paragon and it is important that we do our best to make blasting enjoyable for them. The longevity of Paragon depends on it and I encourage you to leave whatever tips you can in the Tip Jar below. The 3B Bible is not a set document but an attitude that flows like water down a mountain.