Bean Sidhe's Guide to E Blasters (v2.0, Issue4)

Bean Sidhe's Guide to Energy/Energy (E²) Blasters, Version 2 (Issue 4)

Thanks

This guide was put together to look at the energy/energy blaster as a whole, not just the individual parts. Thanks to Snipe-Fu and Pulsewave for their guides to Energy Blast and Energy Manipulation respectively. Thanks to Ian_Of_Moore for the Brawl Index. Thanks to my supergroups: Omega Corps on Victory and the Legion of Freedom on Virtue.

Overview

E² blasters have a wide variety of attacks and buffs early on, allowing you to get a quick jump on your opponents. E² blasters can effectively solo and team; the trick is knowing how and when to use your powers. Not everyone appreciates knockback for what it is and what it can do. That's a nice way of saying it. There are many who outright despise knockback, mostly melee types. That's OK. This is mostly a byproduct of blasters using it inefficiently and not for the greater good. Beginning blasters want to use all of their powers, not just energy blast, like a great big hammer. Like the saying, if your only tool is a hammer, everything begins to look like a nail. Experienced blasters realize they have a toolset. A hammer is one tool out of many. Many times when teaming, you need a scalpel. In making this guide, I'm assuming several things. You are planning to have stamina and slot it, you are planning to have perma-hasten, if you select a power as an attack, you're going to slot it as such. If you don't have the slots or inclination to slot out an attack, don't bother selecting it. Other ATs can afford to do that, as damage is not their primary concern. It is your primary concern. Tanks can focus on their defenses; controllers and defenders have plenty on their plates. You have your attacks. Don't neglect them.

Accuracy and the Damage Cap

Accuracy is not a simple additive process. Your accuracy enhancements are a multiplier to the base to-hit, just like any other enhancement. In other words, one white SO accuracy will multiply your base accuracy by 1.33 (33%). Six white SO accuracies will multiply your base by 3. This is all well and good assuming your base accuracy is positive. Enough defense and to-hit debuffs will overwhelm your base accuracy, making your vaunted accuracy enhancements worthless. To-hit buffs, like aim and build up, are added to the base accuracy, not multiplied after the fact. Modifying your to-hit buff can have a huge effect on your accuracy. Of course, once you manage to get your base accuracy positive from to-hit buffs, your accuracy enhancements come into play and things start to get ugly for your target.

The damage cap for blasters is 400%. 100% base damage, plus 300% buffs. Six white SO damage enhancements will provide a 200% buff to damage (33% x 6 ˜ 200%), leaving 100% unaccounted for (Build up). This is true for any attack. There is no magical slotting for one power that will make it hit the damage cap in a different way from another power.

Primary Power Set - Energy Blast
<ul type="square"> [*] Power Bolt - 2.7778 (2.2222 Energy/0.5556 Smashing)
Recharge: 4; Animation: 2; Endurance: 6; Available: 1

Power bolt is a great starting attack and should be the second or third attack you take, Power Blast being the first. It's simple, it does good damage for what it is, and it recharges quickly. Combined with Power Blast, you have a basic cyclical attack that will carry you through the entire game, start to finish. Slotting: 1-2 Accuracy, 4-5 Damage. I always go with just one accuracy enhancement, but suit yourself.
[*] Power Blast - 4.5556 (2.7778 Energy/1.7778 Smashing)
Recharge: 8; Animation: 2; Endurance: 10; Available: 1

This is the first attack you should take at the beginning of the game. Combined with power bolt, you have your base 1-2 punch. These are reliable things to lean on when you're in a tight situation. You don't always have the time to set up the perfect attack, so alternating blast and bolt is your standby. With perma-hasten, the cycle time on these two powers is negligible. Slotting: 1-2 Accuracy, 4-5 Damage. I always go with one accuracy enhancement, but suit yourself.
[*] Energy Torrent - 2.6666 (1.8333 Energy/0.8333 Smashing)
Recharge: 8; Animation: 1; Endurance: 12.5; Available: 2

This is your earliest area of effect attack. It is a cone of energy with a 40yd range along with a good chance to cause knockback. It's a very useful attack, even for a blaster type that is primarily single-target. I recommend getting it and slotting it fully. This was a difficult choice though. It is useful to have that cone power in tight spots - sometimes you just need to hit everything in your way. Slotting: 1-2 Accuracy, 4-5 Damage. I always go with one accuracy, but suit yourself. SnipeFu recommends 1 Accuracy, 4 Damage, and a Cone Increase. Again, whatever floats your boat. In a team situation, this power can hit a lot of packed foes who will, in turn, ignore the resident tank and begin to pummel you mercilessly. Use with care. Blaster "Range-voke-fu" is powerful enough to put you in the spotlight long enough to make a difference.

PVP Note: The best utility Energy Torrent has is ferreting out invisible controllers. Blasters don't have any innate ability to see through stealth, so an invisible opponent is difficult to defeat. You can target pets and let loose an area of effect attack with the hopes of catching them in it. It's not a bad strategy, but definitely more of a last resort than a primary method.
[*] Power Burst - 5.2222 (3.1111 Energy/2.1111 Smashing)
Recharge: 10; Animation: 2; Endurance: 12; Available: 6

Power Burst is a very popular, high damage power. So why would I recommend that you not take it? It is all a matter of having both the power choices and slots available. I've seen several prominent blasters choose this over energy torrent. The difference in damage is clear. I've played both ways and I find that I have plenty of powerful, close range, single target attacks. The others have some secondary utility while burst does not. Therefore, it was cut. The range is not large enough for it to be a primary cycling attack unless you plan on being really close all the time. It's a close range tool that can be filled by energy punch and/or bonesmasher, both of which do more damage and knock toggles off to boot.

Before you say "Well, I don't plan on doing PVP", remember that the status effects in your secondary stack - energy punch and (more likely) bonesmasher have a chance to add magnitude. This is another important factor in selecting. I'll deal with that when I get to those powers though. Slotting: 1-2 Accuracy, 4-5 Damage.
[*] Sniper Blast - 7.6667 (5.5556 Energy/2.1111 Smashing)
Recharge: 12; Animation: 6; Endurance: 16.5; Available: 8

Your longest range attack packs enough power to drop minions with one shot. It's a great pulling tool and great first shot to initiate combat until you get to the upper levels. Definitely take it and fully slot it. Slotting: It has a base 20% accuracy buff, so go with six damage. You should be using aim, build up, or both when firing sniper blast. One accuracy isn't a bad thing, if you really want to be sure though.
[*] Aim: 10 second duration 100% to-hit buff and a 62.5% damage buff.
Recharge: 90; Animation: 1; Endurance: 6; Available: 12

This should be a no brainer. Take it when it's available. I have aim three slotted with recharges. Some people are happy with one slot, others with more. Three seems to work for me. It is not a bad idea to put some extra slots in this and put to-hit debuffs in it. Certain enemies, both in PVE and PVP, can increase their defense to ridiculous levels. Certain scrappers, Ice tankers, Paragon Protectors, Storm defenders and their PVE equivalents can all either increase their defense or debuff your accuracy. See the section above on Accuracy for more information.
[*] Power Push - 1.1112 (0.5556 Energy/0.5556 Smashing)
Recharge: 8; Animation: 1; Endurance: 10; Available: 18

This is a little used and little understood power. It's also incredibly useful at high levels. Think about it this way - it's not an attack, it's a control power. It doesn't do enough damage to be considered one of your main attacks, but it has a large accuracy bonus (40%) and will always knock something back. Better yet, it has pretty decent range on it - this means that, unlike power thrust (in the secondary set) you can keep somebody away from you without letting them actually get into melee range. With all of that said, this is still a power that gets low priority. It's very useful, but not to be taken at the expense of something more vital. If you pick it up, it doesn't need any further slots - pop an extra accuracy in it and you'll be golden.
[*] Explosive Blast - 2.5 (1.1111 Energy/1.3889 Smashing)
Recharge: 16; Animation: 2; Endurance: 17.5; Available: 26

A long range area of effect attack! What could possibly be wrong with this? The damage is awful for something you take at level 26 and it scatters your opponents everywhere. Energy torrent drives your opponents in the direction of your choosing; this power annoys friends and enemies alike. Tanks will hate you, your girl (or boy) friend will stop calling, and your mother will disown you. You get the idea. I have seen explosive blast apologists saying that with proper slotting (1) and in combination with energy torrent (2) you can take out a group of white conned minions...

To have this fully slotted to do this you'll be at least level 29, three levels from getting your real alpha strike. Time to get out of the kiddy pool! Don't waste your time. At most, you'll use this to farm for badges when you're much higher level.
[*] Nova - 8.3334-16.6668 (2.7778 Smashing/5.5556 Energy + 4.1667 Energy * 0-2 (25% chance of * 0, 37.5% chance of * 1, 37.5% chance of * 2)
Recharge: 360; Animation: 3; Endurance: 11*; Available: 32

Where explosive blast fails, oh great and mighty nova succeeds. Rolling up on large, tightly packed groups begins to trigger a drooling influence and you start classifying all mobs by how packed they are - "nova" and "non-nova" encounters. This costs eleven endurance to activate, but will drain you dry and leave you unable to recover endurance normally (without stamina or some other endurance recovery buff) for ten seconds. Always have an endurance inspiration available in case one of the targets gets up. You should always use this in conjunction with aim and build up. You want to maximize your accuracy and damage for this, because there is no mulligan. Slotting: 3-4 Damage, 2-3 Recharge. With four damage SOs (133%), aim (62.5%), and build up (100%), you'll have a damage buff of 295.5% - make sure at least one of your damage enhancements is in the green and you're at the damage cap! Yay us! With the alternate slotting (3 damage), pop a red pill and you should just about be in the same place.

Important Note: Before the "suppression craze", it was easy to have super speed and stealth stack to give you "ghetto invisibility". You could wander up into the middle of a group, hit aim, build up, nova and the crowd would disintegrate on cue. Now, when you activate nova suppression kicks in. This means that the crowd probably can see you and start attacking. This is bad and will require some thought. The best way to adapt is to set yourself up on the edge of the crowd with their backs to you so they will have a delay in seeing you if they spot you at all. Consider yourself warned![/list]
Secondary Power Set - Energy Manipulation
<ul type="square"> [*] Power Thrust - 2.2222 (1.1111 Energy/1.1111 Smashing)
Recharge: 6; Animation: 1; Endurance: 8; Available: 1*

This is your mandatory level 1 power and not a bad one, all things considered. It's really nice if you just want someone to back off and give you some space. Slot it with one accuracy and leave it. It doesn't need or deserve anything else. At level 50, I don't even have it on my power tray anymore.
[*] Energy Punch - 5.4445 (2.6667 Energy/2.7778 Smashing)
Recharge: 4; Animation: 1; Endurance: 6; Available: 2

This does more damage than power burst with a very quick animation and recharge. It's great for PVP because it has a 100% chance to drop those pesky toggles. If you take it, no one is going to blame you. I had it and played with it, but it ended up being one of my late cuts. It is a very good attack, but I didn't want to spend as much time in melee range as having three melee attacks would force me to do. Slot it normally as you would any attack.
[*] Build Up: 10 second 62.5% to-hit buff and a 100% damage buff
Recharge: 90; Animation: 1; Endurance: 6; Available: 4

This set gets build up well before any other set, so take advantage of it. Take it at level four and don't look back. The early bonuses you get from this will help you considerably. I have mine three slotted, although those slots are lower priority than many of your attacks. As with Aim, feel free to put extra slots in here and consider some to-hit buffs. If you have to make a choice of aim and build up as far as to-hit buffs go, choose aim - you'll get more mileage for each slot as it has a higher base to-hit buff.
[*] Bone Smasher - 7.2223 (1.6667 Energy/5.5556 Smashing)
Recharge: 8; Animation: 1; Endurance: 10; Available: 10

Now it gets interesting. I chose to have this as my close range attack over power burst for several compelling reasons. The range difference is not significant (15yds), the damage of bonesmasher is significantly greater, the recharge is smaller, the endurance use is smaller, and it has a 50% chance to disorient - which is nice for later. It's a great power and, in the early to mid game, excellent as a finisher for when you knock someone down with one of your many knockback powers. This is such a great attack that you truly can't afford to be without it. It's vicious and the animation has a feeling of finality about it.
[*] Conserve Power: 90 second endurance discount
Recharge: 600; Animation: 1; Endurance: 10; Available: 16

This gives all of your powers a 50% endurance discount, basically making your endurance bar not budge for 90 seconds. That would be 90 seconds of unlimited output, an impressive thing at any level. I was kind of annoyed that almost everyone can get this power now with the auxiliary power pools, but we get it 25 levels earlier, so I'll live. Fully slotted and optimized with perma-hasten will you only 60 seconds of downtime to your 90 seconds of conservation. Several people ask if you can ignore stamina if you have this - well, I suppose you could but I wouldn't recommend it. Especially at higher levels, you'll be running toggles and firing quickly. Every bit of endurance recovery is useful. It's especially nice to have this activated just before you nova, as recovering will be that much quicker with your reduced endurance costs. Slot this with as many recharges as you can manage. Get this at level sixteen, even if it pushes stamina back two levels.
[*] Stun - 0.6945 (0.4167 Smashing/0.2778 Energy)
Recharge: 20; Animation: 2; Endurance: 12; Available: 20

I've heard good things about this power and I've used it once or twice. I wasn't impressed. It is a control power and has a good disorient, but not as powerful as total focus. Once I drop total focus on someone I need more damage. You could use before level 38, but once you get to total focus range you really need to respec out of this power. I don't use it and I wasn't horribly impressed with it when I did. If you decided to go with this, slot it with an accuracy and as many disorient durations as possible. You might as well make it really good at what it does.
[*] Power Boost: 15 second secondary-effects buff
Recharge: 60; Animation:1; Endurance: 10; Available: 28

This power gives a 100% buff to the following effects: Disorient Duration, Sleep Duration, Confuse Duration, Fear Duration, Immobilize Duration, Hold Duration, Knockback (Knock-Up) distance, Repel strength, Run speed, Fly speed, Defense Buffs, Heal Accuracy Buffs, and Endurance Drain. This power takes a little getting used to as you really can't see the effects. Many people dump it without giving it a chance because they don't notice a difference. The difference is there, I assure you.

Whenever I go into a tough situation, boost is activated. Just before I drop total focus on some poor, unsuspecting boss - it's there. It's not only a great power, it is a must have power for anyone if only for the application with total focus. The movement speed buff is nice, enabling you to not slot your movement powers as much. Get it, love it. It has a quick recharge, so I just have one slot in it. You can put more, but it won't take many to keep it available all the time. Some blasters have experimented with making this a perma-power with perma-hasten and six slots. They said the animation became annoying. There is some movement interference when it is activated, so I can understand the frustration.
[*] Boost Range: 30 second range buff
Recharge: 60; Animation: 1; Endurance: 15; Available: 35

This is a very useful power and many people swear by it. It is not something that fits into my build though, so I didn't take it. By all means take it if you plan on keeping your distance. I have used it before and it's nice to increase your sniper range. There have been times when I've been so far away I was able to snipe a target and he didn't aggro because he had no idea where I was. One recharge should be enough here.
[*] Total Focus - 9.8889 (2.7778 Smashing/7.1111 Energy)
Recharge: 20; Animation: 3; Endurance: 22; Available: 38

The granddaddy of them all, the mother of all melee attacks. There is no choice here. When you get level 38, this is the power you must choose. Only nova has the possibility to do more damage. No other melee attack will come close. It has a 100%, high-mag disorient. You walk up to previously unattackable bosses and drop this on them. Ten seconds of freedom to open up with everything. If you activate power boost before attacking, it turns into twenty seconds. Twenty seconds is an eternity.

There are a few bosses who are somewhat resistant to disorient (titans, warhulks, devoured) - a follow-up bonesmasher will finish the job most of the time. I slot mine with an accuracy, and five damage. People are tempted to slot disorient durations in it, but slotting for damage accomplishes the same thing - reduces the time your opponent will be able to act against you. Instead of being disoriented longer, they'll be defeated sooner. Take your pick. With a base damage so high, it would be a shame not to maximize it. [/list]
The Big Picture
The E² blaster is a powerful and versatile character to play - so versatile that many people make the mistake of trying to do everything and end up being ineffective. Early on they are great long to mid range fighters with a variety of attacks and the oft-maligned knockback keeping opponents on their backs. In the upper levels they have the ability to take on any single opponent, barring archvillains, with little to no problem.

You can switch the type of attack pattern depending on the situation. Against an archvillain, you can get into a routine of power bolt, power blast, and energy torrent - keeping a decent range (around 40 yards) while the melee types get up close and personal. Against small groups (three is the normal spawn when solo) you can build up (or aim) then snipe, bonesmasher, total focus each foe respectively. They'll be lucky to get more than two shots (total) off at you and they won't survive each of yours - even if they show up orange to you. (Note: Build up is better versus orange conned foes, aim may leave them with a sliver of health. Use both if you're unsure). Bosses can be had with a leadoff total focus, followed by a bonesmasher if they're resistant. If you're fighting two bosses, power push or power thrust can be used to effectively keep the other boss out of the fight until you're done with the first. When a boss is in a big group of minions - power boost, build up, aim, total focus, and nova. That will clean up your problem.

As far as auxiliary pools go, I go with the fire pool. Energy is more consistent thematically, but the fire pool has a ranged hold - something the energy power set is lacking. For that alone, it is worth to get - both for PVP and PVE applications. It even allows you to help out during the hold phase of a Hamidon raid. With power boost, your hold is pretty effective. Fire Shield is a great defense power and should be fully slotted. The other two powers in the set are not needed, but are fine if you think you have room for them.

Awsome post man

Very nice post, I just wish with my energy blaster that I hadn't chosen fire control as the secondary set, oh well, can't change it now(unfortunately) It would be nice if with a respec, we could change our secondary....

Excellent post Bean_Sidhe, I have a respec planned for my 37 E2 and it gave me a lot to think about.

Bean Sidhe, with I5 currently hitting my tanker on Test very hard, I want to make a blaster alt that specializes in playing "keep away" and defense. I am not familiar with the Energy epic coming out for Blasters, but have looked over your guide to build this one. Please look it over and let me know what you think.

Thank you!

Kimmie, hoping her Supergirl build isn't hit too hard when I5 goes Live.

Please ignore what levels each enhancement is taken at, I grab whatever is needed most at each level.

Exported from version 1.5A of CoH Planner
http://joechott.com/coh

Archetype: Blaster
Primary Powers - Ranged : Energy Blast
Secondary Powers - Support : Energy Manipulation

01 : Power Thrust acc(01)
01 : Power Bolt acc(01) dam(3) dam(5) dam(5) dam(7) dam(7)
02 : Power Blast acc(02) dam(9) dam(9) dam(11) dam(11) dam(3)
04 : Build Up recred(04) recred(13) recred(15)
06 : Hover fltspd(06)
08 : Sniper Blast acc(08) dam(15) dam(17) dam(17) dam(19) dam(19)
10 : Swift runspd(10)
12 : Bone Smasher acc(12) dam(21) dam(21) dam(23) dam(23) dam(13)
14 : Fly fltspd(14) fltspd(25) fltspd(27)
16 : Conserve Power recred(16) recred(27) recred(29) recred(29) recred(31) recred(31)
18 : Health hel(18)
20 : Stamina endrec(20) endrec(31) endrec(33) endrec(33) endrec(33) endrec(34)
22 : Hasten recred(22) recred(34) recred(36) recred(36) recred(36) recred(34)
24 : Energy Torrent acc(24) dam(25) dam(43) dam(46)
26 : Aim recred(26) recred(50) recred(50)
28 : Power Boost recred(28) recred(37) recred(43)
30 : Explosive Blast acc(30) dam(42) dam(43)
32 : Nova dam(32) dam(37) dam(37) recred(39) recred(39) recred(39)
35 : Boost Range recred(35)
38 : Total Focus acc(38) disdur(40) dam(40) dam(40) dam(42) dam(42)
41 : Personal Force Field endred(41)
44 : Temporary Invulnerability damres(44) damres(45) damres(45) damres(45) damres(46) damres(46)
47 : Force of Nature damres(47) damres(48) damres(48) damres(48) damres(50)
49 : Power Push acc(49)

-------------------------------------------

01 : Brawl acc(01)
01 : Sprint runspd(01)
02 : Rest recred(02)

I just started a nrg/nrg build too and i'm not really sure if i want to go the melee or distance way attack wise,
in my current planned build i don't have much melee attacks simply because all the posibilities that ranged offense offers but i might change that to have more melee "defense"

Also you might want to consider a 6 slotted hover after you get stamina.

It's not the most important power but it really helps you manage the direction of you knockback attacks or even attack from above and just knock down the mobs and keep them near the tank.

I am a huge fan of 6 slotted hover, with plans to respec my tanker to it if I5 doesn't nerf her too badly. Currently she is Invuln/SS and flies up to foes to use Air Superiority to bring them down, then lands to pummel. I'd prefer to give her 6 slot hover over 3 slot fly so that she can fly more like Supergirl.

This character is her little sister, and I like the idea of 6 slot hover. Just not sure that I want to pull any slots from my attacks or defenses. Have to play and see.

Issue 5 has me worried, but I figure there is no harm in giving blasters a second chance.

Kimmie, a knockback/up/down tanker at heart, so En/EM should approximate that and enhance Sif's chances of survival.

I'll get around to updating for I5 sometime soon, when life allows it.

Come back soon, we miss the Bean!

I must say I feel a bit different from all the other Energy/Energy Blasters for my "build" (more or less what I feel is cool or not) gets slotted but if I were to Respec what should I choose and How should I play for I5 has killed my AoE's and has done many other bad things curse I5.......curse I5.........curse I5......, but that is all I need an I5 post Build plz and Thank you. I5 makes me

this guide i consider nice this makes me consider making a energy/fire aura brute or energy/energy stalker in CoV after hearing what you said about toal focus either way i like the sceintific name for this build and msot enhancement slotting fit well with ED

Ok so I read the guide, and wow. I have a E2 blaster and he was my first toon, so I had his powers, especially the power pool all over the place. Then I did Respec mission and now I feel that I can take on a huge mob of like lvl and some higher with no prob at all, Purples are still the crux (I accrue a lot of debt), just can not say no when I see a purple with another color I have to charge. This guide was very helpful in helping me be a more efficient blaster than I was.