Plasma's Ultimate Guide to Kheldians (v1)
By
Anarchist_Kitten,
Posted on: 2007-01-20 10:07 in Player Guides
II. WARSHADE POWERS
Non-Form Inherents
Dark Sustenance
Available: 1
AUTO: this power is always on (only in human form)
Range: 300ft
Effect: +20% Smashing/Energy damage per Blaster or Scrapper on team and within range, +10% res (all, including psi) for each Defender or Tanker on Team and within range, and -1 mag protection vs all mez effects per controller within range.
Description: Buffage. This can make teaming even at L1 fun, as you can see your damage rise as people join you. Note that this power doesn't quite kick on instantly when you come out of a form, and it isn't active at all while in a form (shapeshifted). Human only. The peacebringer version is, IMO, the more useful of the two, since it tends to make you better at whatever the team is missing. The major problem here is just that the mez protection is nigh useless, because -1Mag is pathetic. That will save you from one - yes one - minion or lieutenant mez. You'd need two controllers to avoid a single boss mez attack, and once they stack? Forget about it. A team full of controllers is worth less than a single Clear Mind. If I could pick one reasonable improvement for Kheldians, it would be to alter this buff to change this to -2 or -3Mag.
Shadow Step
Available: 1
Range: 300ft
Activation: 1.67s
Recharge: -
End Cost: 13
At L50: You teleport.
Plasma's Rating: 
Recommended Slotting: Range and EndRed. 3 Rng/2 EndRed would be about the ultimate travel power, but you will likely leave it at one slot indefinitely because slots are scarce.
Description: It's teleport, with a Warshade visual. You get it free at level one. Teleporting around Outbreak is almost cool enough to make you do nothing but reroll Warshades all day long, and delete them at L2. See the "Binds" section in the strategy section for information on setting up binds for your Warshade's teleporting, so you can use one bind regardless of form.
Shadow Recall
Available: 10
Range: 10,000 ft (not quite 2 miles)
Activation: 4s interruptible + 1.93
Recharge: 6s
End Cost: 20
At L50: You teleport an ally to you
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 range
Description: This will make you the world's most popular teammate in the Hollows from L10-14. It's recall friend, but for free at L10. Given that you can already teleport yourself around, it's pretty nice to have at L10, and it remains useful throughout your career.
-=== Primary Set: Umbral Blast ===-
Shadow Bolt
Available: 1
Range: 50 ft
Activation: 1s
Recharge: 1.5s
End Cost: 3.12
At L50: 20.85 Negative Energy Damage, -20% Fly/Run speed, -20% recharge for 4 seconds
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 acc; if you are fighting in human form regularly, 1acc/3dmg
Description: This power is the equivalent of Neutrino Bolt from the Defender Rad Blast set. Fast activating, very fast recharge, minor damage. You can think of it almost like a ranged brawl - it does slightly more damage than Brawl and recharges faster. The good side is that it recharges so fast, it can fill almost any hole in an attack chain. The bad news is...well, it's weak.
Ebon Eye
Available: 1
Range: 60ft
Activation: 1.67s
Recharge: 4s
End Cost: 5.2
At L50: 34.76 NegEnergy damage, -20% Run/Fly/Jump/Recharge for 6 seconds
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc/3dmg.
Description: It's not the best attack in the world, but shooting beams out of your eyes is always fun. The secondary effect is good.
Gravimetric Snare
Available: 2
Range: 40ft
Activation: 1.67s
Recharge: 4s
End Cost: 7.8
At L50: 5 ticks of 3.48smash+3.48 lethal over 9.2seconds, for a total of 34.80; Mag 20 immobilize; -20% jump/run/fly/recharge for 6 seconds
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc/3dmg
Description: You start to feel how the Warshade is a bit more "controllery" (that's not a word, is it?) with this power. Although this aspect of the Warshade is typically overemphasized, this is a useful power. It does good damage over time, if your enemy survives. By no means strong enough or useful enough to be a required power, but it can be useful.
Dark Nova
Available: 6
Range: -
Activation: 2.03s
Recharge: -
End Cost: 0.26/sec
At L50: fast flight; 15% to recovery; +45% damage (Smash, neg energy); 15% res (energy, neg energy); 9% tohit buff
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1fly
Description: This is your first shapeshift power, and it is juicy. Your transform into a flying artillery platform, with inherent buffs to accuracy, recovery, and damage. You have a fast flight which has some inertia, allowing you to do some interesting fly-by type maneuvers. In my mind, this power is your bread and butter for at least 15 levels. If you want to be at maximum effectiveness, it will get heavy use forever. See the Peacebringer Bright Nova for the full explanation, but you're better of slotting EndRed in the powers most likely, rather than the form itself. 2 SOs of EndMod are less than an extra 12 End per minute. You get better return on slotting for EndRed.
[ QUOTE ]
Dark Nova Inherent Powers
(Note: I'm lazy. I took the time to get "correct" numbers on PB nova attacks, and I'm going to assume that these are the same base damage like the ebon eye and shadow bolt/blast are.)
(All damages listed are BEFORE applying the Nova form's inherent 45% buff. They are listed here as bases so you can appropriately figure out what damage would be with enhancements. 3 SO-slotted Nova attacks are NOT roughly 2x the damage of an unslotted attack, because the unslotted attack is at about 1.45x base, and the 3-SO version is about 2.4x base)
Dark Nova Bolt
Available: When you take Dark Nova. (min: 6)
Range: 100ft
Activation: 1.5s
Recharge: 1.5s
End Cost: 3.12
At L50: 40 NegEnergy Damage, -20% jump/run/fly/recharge for 3 seconds
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc, 3dmg
Description: This is your basic fast-recharge miniblast from Nova form. It's a worth attack, though. Slotting the AoEs is a higher priority, but this is worth it.
Dark Nova Blast
Available: When you take Dark Nova. (min: 6)
Range: 100ft
Activation: 1.5s
Recharge: 4s
End Cost: 5.2
At L50: 66.73 Neg Energy damage, 10% chance of knockback, -20% jump/run/fly/recharge for 6 seconds
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc, 3 dmg, 1EndRed. Can eventually add a recharge if you like.
Description: A stronger single-target blast. When you add in the nova's inherent damage buff, this is really starting to dish it out. Again, slotting the AoEs is probably higher priority, but this attack is excellent.
Dark Nova Emanation
Available: When you take Dark Nova. (min: 6)
Range: 60ft in a 45 Degree cone
Activation: 1.5s
Recharge: 12s
End Cost: 11.86
At L50: 66 Neg Energy damage, -20% run/fly/jump/rech for 8 seconds
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc, 3 dmg, 1EndRed. Eventually adding recharge wouldn't hurt.
Description: A large cone blast. It does plenty of damage. Like the Peacebringer's Bright Nova attacks, these AoEs are competitive or superior to even a Blaster's AoE attacks. In my opinion, Nova form is a must have, and this is a must-slot power. (For more details, you can see Bright Nova Scatter for Peacebringers)
Dark Nova Detonation
Available: When you take Dark Nova. (min: 6)
Range: 100ft, AoE 15ft radius
Activation: 2.5s
Recharge: 16s
End Cost: 15.18
At L50: 60 Neg Energy Damage, 50% chance of knockback, -20% jump/fly/run/rech for 10s
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc, 3dmg, 1EndRed. A rech would definitely be a good idea.
Description: The big final blast. The notable thing about this attack is that unlike the peacebringer version, this version is pure Negative Energy, which is usually nice, since smashing is resisted more often. Again, this is a must-slot power, because having two uber-strong AoEs you can fire off makes you a huge asset to any team, almost regardless of its makeup. The sheer amount of damage makes it great solo. (For more details, you can see Bright Nova Detonation for Peacebringers)
[/ QUOTE ]
Shadow Blast
Available: 6
Range: 50ft
Activation: 1.67s
Recharge: 8s
End Cost: 8.53
At L50: 57 Neg Energy, 20% run/jump/fly/recharge for 10 seconds, 10% chance of knockback
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc, 3dmg.
Description: This is a decent blast. Moderate damage won't be pushing blasters aside just yet, but it has a nice secondary and it does start to do decent chunks once augmented by Mires or team buffs (or both). Like all the human form warshade attacks, the mires make this considerably more viable.
Starless Step
Available: 8
Range: 200ft
Activation: 1.93s
Recharge: 20s
End Cost: 15
At L50: Teleport a foe.
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc.
Description: This is teleport foe, keeping in theme with your teleport abilities. It has plenty of uses, including ganking bad mobs like Sappers or Quantums/Voids. Like TP Foe, it has a 50% chance to "alert" enemies which are within 10ft of your target when you use it.
Dark Detonation
Available: 12
Range: 50ft, hits AoE in 15ft radius
Activation: 1.67s
Recharge: 16s
End Cost: 15.18
At L50: 31.28 Neg Energy Damage, 50% chance knockback, -20% Run/Jump/Fly/Rech for 6 sec
Plasma's Rating: meh
Recommended Slotting: Don't take it. If you do, 1acc/3dmg.
Description: This power just doesn't do the damage you'd want. If you go all-human, you may want it, but it largely just isn't worth it. Otherwise, it's about equivalent to fireball, save that it will do slightly less than half the damage. (Although it does have a knockback chance and a slow effect)
Sunless Mire
Available: 12
Range: PBAoE, 15ft radius
Activation: 2.37s
Recharge: 120s
End Cost: 15.6
At L50: 41.71 NegEn damage, -20% Run/Jump/Fly/Rech for 6 sec, 4.5% tohit and 11.25% damage (all) to self per for hit for 30 seconds
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 acc, 3 rech
Description: Yessssss! There is basically nothing to NOT like about this. It does nice damage, but that's just a side effect: it gives you an enormous buff. You can hit up to 10 targets with it. That's a +45% tohit buff, and a +112.5% damage buff, for 30 seconds. Wow. The downside is: you have to be in the middle of 10 mobs to get that buff. The upside is: it's a huge buff, and lasts a long time compared to build up. (3x as long). It basically does not matter what build you have; you should slot this up early and enjoy. Incidentally, this power is one (more) reason to not take Dark Detonation: they're both available at L12. And as Mr. T would say, I pity the fool who takes Detonation instead of this.
Essence Drain
Available: 18
Range: Melee
Activation: 1.93s
Recharge: 15s
End Cost: 15.6
At L50: 41.71 Neg En Damage, 107.09 heal to self, -20% Jump/Fly/Run/Rech for 6 seconds
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc/3dmg, or 1acc/3heal, or 1acc/3dmg/2heal... or 1acc/3dmg/1heal/1rech.
Description: This is a strange power, in the sense that it can be many things to many people. It is a melee attack like Dark Melee's siphon. The damage is tolerable; given some team buffs or mire buffs it will do enough to notice. But it is a self-heal which is also nice. The problem is, you have much better ways to do damage, and much better ways to heal. Also, your Dwarf Form gets a version of this power for free. Consequently, you may want to skip this, especially since it becomes available at a time when, frankly, there are higher priorities. Also at 18 is Gravity well, a must-have, and then at L20 is your Black Dwarf, then at L22 you can get Stygian Circle. I just don't think it is optional to pass on any of those powers, unless you're going for a pure human build.
Gravity Well
Available: 18
Range: Melee
Activation: 2.07s
Recharge: 20s
End Cost: 18.51
At L50: 65.06 NegEn damage, +50 NegEn DoT over 10 seconds, Mag 3 hold for 13.41 seconds, -30% Run/Jump/Fly/Rech for 10 seconds
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc/2 holds to start; could go 1acc/2dmg/3hold, 2acc/3hold, 1acc/3dmg/2 hold.
Description: This power is hard to slot, and that's about the only thing bad to say about it. It has a nice hold that will get anything except a boss, it is fast activating (the activation is 2.07s, but the power actually "hits" near the front end of that whole time), and does excellent damage. It isn't quite as much damage as the Peacebringer Incandescent Strike, and some of it is as a DoT, but then again, you don't have to leap way up into the air like a loony for 3 seconds to execute this power. Slotting is to taste; some people will slot purely for holds, adding 2 accs to make sure they hit the quantum/void on the first try. Others will use this as an attack. Just keep in mind: you have two mires (Sunless and the Dwarf Mire) to boost your damage, along with team buffs - so you may want to prioritize hold time over damage at first, which is why my default recommended slotting is acc/hld rather than acc/dmg.
Gravitic Emanation
Available: 26
Range: 40ft 45 degree cone
Activation: 1s
Recharge: 45s
End Cost: 14.35
At L50: 9.3Mag Knockback, Mag 3 stun for 13.41 seconds, -20% jump/fly/run/rech for 10s
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc/2DisDur. Add a rech when you can, and another accuracy+disdur if you fight +3 or more often.
Description: This power is awesome. Not to be confused with the crappy, weak-damage cone attack that Peacebringers get, this is the same cone, but converted to a very handy control power. It comes out VERY fast, hits in a very wide cone, and has a 100% chance to knockback and a Mag 3 stun, which will nail minions and lieutenants. Unlike the PB Pulsar, this will ALWAYS get a lieutenant (unless they have Stun resistance). This power is very useful - both to reposition mobs and groups (for mires or AoEs) to the more obvious control power. Because it is SO fast AND at range, it is also extremely useful for taking out Quantums and Voids before they have a chance to tag you. Get it, slot it, love it.
Unchain Essence
Available: 26
Range: Corpse within 40ft, which explodes in a 20ft AoE burst
Activation: 3.17s
Recharge: 240s
End Cost: 26
At L50: 90.37 Neg Energy dag, Mag3 stun (50% chance) for 6.7s, -30% run/jump/fly/rech, 10% chance of knockback
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc/2rch/3dmg
Description: Diablo 2 players will recognize this as the Power Formerly Known As Corpse Explosion. It has revitalized its career in City of, and it can do some pretty heft damage. It's a LOT of damage for an AoE, especially when your mires have you at the damage cap. It has a stun, but the stun isn't reliable, so I don't recommend thinking about it much. This is a damage power. The downsides for this enormous damage are two-fold: First, you need a corpse. One major problem is that by the time you can use this power, is there much left standing that really requires another big AoE to kill? And Secondly, it takes a Looooong time to recharge. Even if you run fully slotted Hasten and have 2 recharges in this, you'll wait nearly 2 minutes between activations. In balance, it is very much a mixed bag. I have it, I use it, but I often feel like I'm not getting the bang for my buck I deserve. When Kismet delivers the perfect circumstances to you for its use, the damage is fairly impressive; it's just that givne the long recharge, those circumstances don't come up half as often as you'd like. It's takeable, or skippable. I find I have plenty of room for powers in my tri-form build, so I took it; just don't spend slots on it when there are other powers that are more consistently useful that really need them.
Dark Extraction
Available: 32
Range: 40ft
Activation: 3.2s
Recharge: 240s
End Cost: 26
At L50: Summons a fluffy
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc, 3dmg, 2 rech.
Description: First: get this at 32, slot it full before you bother with anything else. Now that we have that clarified, let me regale you with the glory of the Extracted Essence, colloquially known as 'Fluffy'. This thing is a beast. First, the actual summon usually looks VERY cool, as the body you extract spins up from the ground as you go all Shang Tsung on it - "Your soul is mine!" The pet itself lasts 200 seconds, and has a recharge of 240s. This means you can OFTEN have two out if you have Hasten up all the time, and add the recommended recharges. It has 3 attacks: Shadow Bolt, Shadow Bolt, and Gravitic Emanation. They do, at L50, 26.69, 72.96, and 44.04 Neg En respectively. All 3 attacks have the standard -jump/fly/run/recharge. Unlike your controller-ish Gravitic Emanation, theirs is damage - like your nova form cone. The recharge on the powers is completely impressive. This thing will be blasting at all times. _Brev_ did a nice analysis of pets, and concluded that Warshade pets were competitive with imps as the most damaging pets. They are one of the coolest things about a warshade, and the fact that they will flank you and attack regardless of your form is nice. After you have these, you can be like a one man team - you summon a pet, and then go in and tank for your fluffies in Dwarf Form while they blast away! This is truly one of the must-haves from the set. It is the whole package: useful in every form, looks cool, highly effective.
Quasar
Available: 32
Range: PBAoE 25ft Radius
Activation: 3s
Recharge: 360s
End Cost: 20.8 (and drains your end dry)
At L50: 104.27 Neg Energy, 52.13 Neg En (75% chance), 52.13 Neg En (50% chance), large knockback, -30% run/jump/fly/rech for 20 seconds, -100% recovery to self for 20 s
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 3dmg, 3rch.
Description: Unlike the Peacebringer version, your nuke tends to be a lot more useful. Why? Two words: damage cap. Peacebringers only get their Build Up to boost theirs, but Build Up + Enhancements only takes them to 267% of base damage. You have double-mires to use, and that means that when you go in to level some enemies, you will be at 400% of base (the cap). Otherwise, this is an ordinary nuke. It is STILL weaker than a blaster's version. Your average base damage from this is 169. Compare that to Nova, at an average of 269, or fire, which does that much AND a DoT on top of it. Still, this is not to be sneezed at. As with the Peacebringer nuke, you have an advantage over blasters: you can be invincible. See the Eclipse power in the secondary Umbral Aura set, and you'll figure out what I mean. The other nice thing is that thanks to Stygian Circle, one blue will get you completely back into battle.
-=== Secondary Set: Umbral Aura ===-
Absorption
Available: 1
Range: Self
Activation: Auto
Recharge: -
End Cost: -
At L50: 11.25% Res(Energy, Neg Energy)
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 DamRes
Description: You have to take it, so it doesn't require a lot of discussion. It's a decent auto shield, but it only affects Energy and Negative Energy. They're not the most common damage types, and so it isn't that useful. Because the percentage is relatively small, I don't generally recommend adding slots.
Gravity Shield
Available: 2
Range: Self
Activation: 0.67s
Recharge: 2s
End Cost: .26/second
At L50: 22.5% resistance (smash, lethal)
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 end, or 1damres, or 1endred/3damres.
Description: This is your standard smash/lethal shield, same percentages as a Dark Armor scrapper gets, for example. That having been said, this power is skippable, because like all toggles: It can only be used in human form, and it is detoggled if you are mezzed. Those are big hurdles. Add to that it is often redundant. Then again, Smash/Lethal is the most common damage type, and if you get a weak hit on Eclipse, this can shore up your resistances. You may or may not want it; it is a mixed bag. You may want to see the sample builds and discussion of them to decide.
Orbiting Death
Available: 4
Range: PBAoE toggle, 20ft radius
Activation: 1.17s
Recharge: 4s
End Cost: 0.78/second
At L50: 7.09 Neg Energy every 2.5 seconds.
Plasma's Rating: ...
Recommended Slotting: 1acc/3dmg/2endred
Description: This power is another mixed bag. First, it's yet another human form toggle. Shuts off when mezzed, shuts off when you change forms. Consequently, I found myself not using it. It looks EXTREMELY cool, especially while moving, and that alone earned it a 3rd from me. A lot of Warshade regulars like this power. When I respeced, I reluctantly got rid of it, because it is a toggle. If you are going human-only, which I am vehemently against for shades, you definitely want this. Otherwise... maybe. Again, see the sample builds. Because it is fairly expensive as a toggle, it is crippling to your endurance at lower levels, eating up half your end recovery.
Penumbral Shield
Available: 10
Range: Self
Activation: 0.67s
Recharge: 2s
End Cost: 0.26/second
At L50: 22.5% Resistance (fire, cold), 15% resist (toxic)
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 endred, or 1 damres, or 1endred/3damres
Description: It's the fire/cold shield. comments about human form toggles all still apply. I'm fairly skeptical about this power for warshades. It IS a good shield, it's just that because you aren't likely to stay unmezzed in human form, it just won't be that useful. And turning on 3-6 toggles any time you shapechange or get mezzed is painful.
Shadow Cloak
Available: 14
Range: Self
Activation: 1.17s
Recharge: 20s
End Cost: 0.26/second
At L50: Stealth, +perception, 3.75% defense (ranged, melee)
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1endred
Description: This power is pretty nice. It is stealth without a movement penalty, with an added bonus of +perception, which is useful in PvP or against things like Night Widows that hurt your perception. Mostly, this is great because adding a power like Super Speed makes you effectively invisible against mobs that don't have perception bonuses, which is very useful for skipping to the end of missions and such. Since you automatically have recall friend, that makes you very useful for that sort of thing in things like the Cavern of Transcendence trial, or the Terra Volta trial.
Twilght Shield
Available: 16
Range: Self
Activation: 0.73
Recharge: 2s
End Cost: 0.26/second
At L50: 22.5% Resist (energy, Neg Energy)
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 endred, or 1 damres, or 1endred/3damres.
Description: Another decent shield. The thing that makes Warshade AND pb shields appealing is that they stack with team buffs from Cosmic Balance/Dark Sustenance. However, since you get YOUR +res buff from tankers and defenders, one has to wonder if you'll CARE about your resists during the times you're getting a bonus. On top of that, this stacks with your required Absorption power; whether that makes you more or less likely to take it is up to you. (For me, it meant less), and I wasn't super inclined to take it to begin with.
Black Dwarf
Available: 20
Range: Self
Activation: 2.03s
Recharge: -
End Cost: 0.26/second
At L50: 37.5% res (all but psi), shift into dwarf form, +803 hp max health, +jump, 15% recovery, -15.57 MAg resist (hold, sleep, stun, confuse, fear), -18.684 Mag resist (immobilize), and gain 6 inherent attacks
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 3 damres first and foremost; after that, 2 endmod and then 1endred would be good.
Description: This is your defensive form shapechange. It's great. You gain very strong resists, and pick up 6 inherent powers, including a teleport, taunt, and 4 attacks. You become a pretty good tank, and the large addition to your hp means you have the hp of a tank. And you get Mez protection, which you can't get on your own any other way.
[ QUOTE ]
Dwarf Form Inherent Powers
Black Dwarf Strike
Available: When you take Black Dwarf (min: 20)
Range: Melee
Activation: 1.2s
Recharge: 3s
End Cost: 4.37
At L50: 16 Smash dmg, 23.6 Neg Energy dmg, -20% jump/fly/run/rech for 6 sec, 30% chance knockdown, 5% chance toggle drop, Mag 4 Taunt for 13.5 seconds
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc/3dmg.
Description: A respectable entry-level attack for the form. I didn't slot it right away, but I did eventually slot it. Slotting your dwarf attacks makes dwarf feel like a 'real form', which is good, since it's the only way you can get mez protection on your own (outside of break frees/disciplines).
.
.
.
Black Dwarf Smite
Available: When you take Black Dwarf (min: 20)
Range: melee
Activation: 1.5s
Recharge: 6s
End Cost: 6.86
At L50: 15.18 smash dmg, 47.46 neg energy dmg, 30% knockdown chance, -fly, -20% jump/fly/run/rech for 10s, Mag 2 stun (10% chance) for 7 seconds, mag 4 taunt for 13.5 seconds.
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc, 3dmg. Add 2 rech if you like dwarf form.
Description: The beefier melee attack in dwarf form. Decent damage, good side effects, and pretty good damage given the recharge and end cost.
.
.
.
Black Dwarf Mire
Available: When you take Black Dwarf (min: 20)
Range: PBAoE 15ft sphere
Activation: 0.73s
Recharge: 120s
End Cost: 15.6
At L50: 47.25 neg energy dmg, -20% jump/run/fly/rech for 6 seconds, +3.75% tohit and +11.25% dmg (Smash, Neg En) to self per enemy hit
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc, 3 rech. 2 dmg optional.
Description: This is your other Mire. The first, Sunless Mire, you get in human form at 12. This one features more damage, a larger +dmg buff, and the very convenient fact that you can do it while in dwarf form, meaning you have nice big resists to keep you alive while you're ticking off a large group of enemies. It can hit up to 10 enemies, for a colossal +37.5% to hit buff, and a wonderful 112.5% damage buff, which last 30 seconds. This power alone is reason enough to take dwarf form. No, I'm not kidding. It is one of the reasons I think of human-only Warshade builds as so painfully "wrong" - because human-only means passing up on this.
.
.
.
Black Dwarf Drain
Available: When you take Black Dwarf (min: 20)
Range: Melee
Activation: 1.93s
Recharge: 15s
End Cost: 15.6
At L50: 47.25 neg energy damage, +210hp heal, -20% run/jump/fly/rech for 6 sec, mag 4 taunt for 13.5 sec
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc/3 heal, or 1acc/3dmg, or 1acc/3heal/2dmg, or 1acc/3dmg/2heal, or 2acc/2dmg/2heal, or... yeah
Description: This attack carries a good heal, good damage. The downside is, it's expensive and on a fairly long recharge - although the recharge is quite short compared to other heals. Slotting it depends on your needs; 1acc/3dmg for an attack, 1acc/3heal for heals. If you're a big Dwarf Former, I can see going 2acc/2dmg/2heal. Note that 3 slotted with heals, it will restore about 1/4 of your dwarf form hp every 15 seconds; that's only 8.8 seconds with Hasten running. That's a pretty nice heal! I'd tend toward slotting this for accuracy and heal, and toss in a dmg or two later if you have slots - rely in the intervening time on your mires to boost the damage, and focus your dmg slots on smite and strike, which have much higher dps. (Although this attack outdamages strike, strikes MUCH lower recharge makes it more appropriate for dmg slots)
.
.
.
Black Dwarf Step
Available: When you take Black Dwarf (min: 20)
Range: 300ft
Activation: 0.73s
Recharge: -
End Cost: 13
At L50: Teleport 300 ft.
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1endred.
Description: It's teleport. You already have this, since your human form has been doing it since level one. However, it's actually nice that you have it in dwarf form also, since you're SLOW as a lobster. It has the same cost and function as all the other teleports.
.
.
.
Black Dwarf Antagonize
Available: When you take Black Dwarf (min: 20)
Range: 60ft, AOE 15ft sphere, 5 target max
Activation: 1.67s
Recharge: 10s
End Cost: -
At L50: Mag 4 Taunt, for 8.24seconds
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 TntDur; if you want to tank higher level stuff, 2-3TntDur, 1acc.
Description: This is your taunt. It works like tanker taunt, but requires an accuracy check. The good news is, it is by default highly accurate (50% more accurate than a standard power), but you MUST have a taunt SO in it at least to keep even an even-level minion taunted nonstop. The higher level stuff you'll need more taunts, and you may start missing also. If you routinely play tank against +3s, I'd say 1acc/2 taunt will squeak by, but 1acc/3 taunt is better for overlapping them.
[/ QUOTE ]
Stygian Circle
Available: 22
Range: PBAoE, 20ft radius
Activation: 1.17s
Recharge: 30s
End Cost: 15.6
At L50: +214hp heal per dead minion, +321 per lt, +428 per boss, +535 per AV/Monster, +20 end per mob
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: endmod -> endred -> endmod -> heal -> endmod -> endred, in that order, when you can spare them
Description: Wow. This power is one of the most dramatically awesome powers in this set. As you can see! A huge health recovery, and a substantial end boost. The downside is: you need dead mobs. This makes it less useful as a heal, at times, than the Dark Armor version which is powered off live enemies. That said, this version might be more appropo for a warshade: as you rise in level, you'll leave a trail of the dead, I promise. Nice looking effect, to boot. You'll notice I slipped EndRed enhancers into the mix of recommended enhancements: this is so you can fire it when you are very low on endurance. In terms of pure recovery, 3 endmod is certainly the best choice. However, the PB/WS nukes have the nice side bonus of only adding -100% recovery, instead of -1000% blasters get. This means that with things like stamina, speed boost, recovery aura, etc, you will get an uptick sooner, and that uptick can allow you to fire off this power, restoring you to full and getting you back in battle immediately. Still, the EndRed is still nice for when you run yourself dry in a fight or get sapped or such. Regardless, take this power at 22, period.
Nebulous Form
Available: 24
Range: self
Activation: 3 LONG seconds
Recharge: 60s
End Cost: 2.6/second
At L50: Phase shifts you, gives you about half-strength superjump
Plasma's Rating: ? Maybe.
Recommended Slotting: 1 endred.
Description: This power is phase shift, period. Unlike the extremely cool Peacebringer phase, which has 0 activation time, this has the same long, "look at me make an overly elaborate gesture!" activation sequence as Phase Shift. So its use as a panic button is fairly low, because that's 3 long seconds to get tagged or even have attacks queued up against you that will hit you AFTER it finishes activating. (Because once a mob decides to fire, if your phase isn't running yet, that activation will bypass it) And of course, since mez attacks detoggle... it can be less than pretty. It does last 60 seconds, rather than 30, which is about the only thing that makes it better. The one interesting use for this is to use it to coax an attack out of a Void or Quantum. You phase, hop around in front of them until they get angry and waste their shot. While they are recharging, you pop out of this, and use some combination of Inky Aspect, Grav Well, Gravitic Emanation to disable them.
Inky Aspect
Available: 28
Range: PBAoE 8 ft sphere
Activation: 1.17s
Recharge: 8s
End Cost: .08/s
At L50: Mag 2 NONSTACKING Stun for 8.046 seconds, 4.17 dmg to self.
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 2 acc, 0-3 DisDur
Description: This power allows you to damage yourself in order to keep enemies around you disoriented. The major problem with it is that it only stretches out 8 feet - that's barely outside of direct melee range. You'll be continually surprised how small 8 ft is. Additionally, the power is only Mag2, which means it only disorients minions. Also, the pulses from it do not stack with themselves, so you can't stand next to a lieutenant longer to get him stunned. On the other hand, this provides you with a reliable (100%, if it hits) second stun, which combined with Gravitic Emanation will allow you to stun a boss. Given that Gravitic Emanation can actually be perma with DisDor + Rech slotting, this means you can actually perma-stun a boss reliably. That's a pretty nice effect. I mean, you're not a controller yet, but it's convenient. This power can be used in combination with Shadow Step or Starless Step to deal with voids and quantums of minion class; a standard tactic being to port next to them with this running and Grav Well them, or port them to you and GW them. For lieutenant+ class Voids/Quantums, you can use this in combination with Gravitic Emanation to stun them. In combination with Nebulous Form it can be relatively safe. This is not a must-have power; I've actually respeced out of it and haven't particularly missed it, but it certainly has its uses. Personally, I'd think it was much better if it came a lot earlier, but the vast majority of the time, you're better off just using Gravitic Emanation, which you should probably pick up at 26, 2 levels before this is available. It can provide some damage mitigation at higher levels when porting into a large group about to use Eclipse - this usually simply doesn't matter, but sometimes lag and AI pulses can end up making it a life saver, saving you minion damage until your Eclipse goes off. I think advanced players who are more comfortable handling mob position, knockback, and tracking stun levels will get more use out of this.
Stygian Return
Available: 35
Range: Self, when dead
Activation: 1.17s
Recharge: 300s
End Cost: -
At L50: Self Resurrection; 41.71 negen dmg in a PBAoE of 25ft; +289heal to self per enemy, 20 seconds debt protection 10 seconds of immunity, +30 endurance per enemy.
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 rch
Description: Unfortunately, having to be dead to use a power is a bummer. This power also suffers from the fact that if there's not an enemy within 25 ft, you can't use it at all. That said, I actually get a fair amount of use out of it. I'm a very high-intensity warshade in the 40s, and as such, you forget Eclipse is dropping or make some sort of tactical error, forget to see a quantum or void, and down you go. And... back up you come! There are reports that the invincibility for 10 seconds doesn't work; I'm uncertain. I can say I re-die a LOT with my PB using his self-rez, but not so much with the shade, so I think it's just missing from the PB version, and works on this one. In any event, as far as self-rezes go, this is basically the weakest. It requires enemies, but lacks the massive obscene disorient of the Dark Armor self-rez. Only the PB one is arguably worse, and that's because it locks you in the animation while stuff kills you, with no period of invulnerability. On the upside, with 4 enemies, you'll have full health, full end, and be ready to go. If you don't have a pressing power choice, feel free to pick it up, but like any self-rez, it is wholly optional.
Eclipse
Available: 38
Range: PBAoE 15ft sphere
Activation: 1.03s
Recharge: 300s
End Cost: 0.52 (yes, less than 1)
At L50: -33% end/-100% endrec on mobs hit, +25end self, +11.25% res (all, including psionic) to self for 90 seconds.
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc/3rch/2damres
Description: Okay, let's start with the downside: this power does not give you mez protection. Okay, now that we have that out of the way, let me RAVE! This is the power you have waited for and craved your whole career as a Warshade, and IT IS WORTH IT. You have an 85% resist cap, and this power all by itself will put you there with 8 enemies to power it. If you have 2 +3 DamRes SOs in it, 5 will cap you, and even 4 will get you VERY close (79.2%). It includes psionics! Take that, Carnies! (And believe me, you'll be glad you had it, because even with Eclipse, you'll be wondering why Master Illusionists don't give out Monster-class xp) As if that wasn't enough, it's a huge end boost. All worn out from that last fight? Bodies faded? No problem - teleport into the next pack and Eclipse. Not only are you invincible, but your end is full. This power is also the reason that as a Warshade you simply MUST HAVE HASTEN. I cannot imagine NOT taking it, because it speeds it up so much. At base, this power would be 90s up, 210s down. At that point, it's situational. With 3 recharge SOs, it is now up 90s, down 64s. That's a big improvement, and it becomes less about situations and more a way of life. But throw in Hasten, and it is up 90s, down about 32s on average. (It will be 23s down if Eclipse and Hasten basically totally overlap; otherwise from 24-38s) If you get something like Speed Boost or Adrenline Boost from a teammate, you are golden, at 6s or less of downtime. (Note to Kineticists: SB that shade! We don't like crying "sb! sb!" over and over again, but if you had this power, you'd want it up all the time too)... In any event, this power is mandatory. You must take it at 38, you must slot it up immediately, and it is highly recommended you cackle with joy when using it. (What? That's just me?) Incidentally, this is another minor use for Starless Step + Inky Aspect: mob herding. You wander around porting and stunning minions with Inky until you have 4-5 nearby, then Eclipse before taking on the big boss. If you're soloing much, it's a good technique; in a team where the spawn sizes are larger, it will be completely unnecessary. The best thing about this power is that it is a clicky, which means that you can use it, then change forms. That painfully Squishy Nova form is squishy no longer. You can now hop into a pack, Eclipse, go dwarf and mire, back to human, mire, and go Nova. You are now the end-all, be-all floating artillery platform, with capped damage, capped resists, and ludicrous accuracy, a gamewide-best damage scale on your fast-recharging attacks, which include 2 AoEs. I cannot emphasize enough how amazing the level of destruction you can wreak is. Sadly, you still have your achille's heel: Mez. If you can get a clear mind, you are golden. Beyond that, Increase Density is another good choice (although it won't stop sleep), and stimulant is as good as clear mind, but it only lasts half as long. (Clear mind lasts about as long as Eclipse, which is nice; Stimulant, at 45 seconds, needs to basically be refreshed every fight... it's quite servicable IF your teammate with it knows how critical it is for you and is Johnny-on-the-spot with it between fights)
III. FAQ
How can I make a Kheldian?
Get a hero to level 50. No, villains don't count. Once you have a hero at 50 on any server (other than test) you can create a Kheldian on any server, not just the one your 50 is on.
Can Kheldians take pool powers?
Yes, with the exception of Flight and Teleportation. They can't access those pools at all; but Peacebringers get Fly and Hover as inherents, and Warshades get teleport self and recall friend as inherents. PBs also get Group Fly as a power choice, and Shades get TP Foe as a power choice. Neither can take group teleport or Air Superiority. Both get a fast, unsuppressed flight in Nova form, and both get a teleport inherent in Dwarf form, as well. Otherwise, they can take any pool. Keep in mind, however, that toggles shut off when you enter a form.
Can Kheldians use XXX when in a form?
No. The only power a Kheldian can activate in Dwarf or Nova form are the inherents for that form. Accolade Auto powers still work in your forms, but other auto powers (including Fitness pool powers), and Kheldians inherent Cosmic Link/Dark Sustenance auto, shut off. All click powers DO carry into forms, which includes Hasten, Essence Boost, Mires, Eclipse, etc. All click powers do not function in forms, including temp powers like the Jump Jet and Pocket D VIP teleporter. Apparently Accolade click powers WILL function in forms. I didn't bother to get them with my Kheldians yet, but I've been told the Dwarf form has an animation for busting out the Crey Pistol, for example.
Which Kheldian should I be? I played an XXXXX before, and I am (happy with that/want something new).
Kheldians do not map well to other ATs. There's an oft-repeated and not-very-useful adage repeated on the boards that "PBs are scrapper/blasters and WSs are defender/controllers". That's a terrible piece of advice. First, both versions of Kheldians make very servicable Blasters AND very decent Tankers, because of their forms. That much is for sure. In human form, it would be accurate to say that Warshades have more controlling powers, because they do, but PBs also have 2. It would be accurate to say that PBs have more attacks, because it's true, but WSs also have many blasts as well as Grav Well, which is a very strong melee attack arguably the equal (or superior!) of Incandescent Strike.
The most controllery thing about Warshades is their pets. The way PB "pets" (photon seekers) work, they're more like a melee attack, because of their idiotic AI. Regardless, their DPA (damage per activation) is utterly inferior to the Extracted Essence, which is a "real" pet. (mind you, the burst damage on photon seekers is obscene; this isn't about which is better, but which one more resembles a controller pet)
Realistically, though, each of them has SO many powers, each with so many caveats, it does them a great disservice to try to label them with the other ATs. They are their own unique packages. Each has a lot of good and bad things. About the only thing you can be sure of is: you will desperately wish you had more slots to place.
Because this question is asked SO much, I want to give a thorough answer, so:
Early levels (L1-L10):
Warshades and PBs feel about the same here. They have similar or the same blasts, they both get Nova form, and both Nova forms are remarkably similar. Warshades get a slow effect, PBs get -def. Perhaps the most noticable difference is their inherent buff power: Warshades act "like" their teammates, getting +dmg from offensive characters and +res from defensive characters. I'd characterize that as less useful than PBs, who "fill in the gaps" in their team by being more defensive (+res) when their teammates are offensive, and more damaging when their teammates are defensive (tanker/defender). And, of course, flying vs teleporting matters. But keep in mind, using forms, both can fly at 6, and both can teleport at 20. Given that the inherent fly is slower than the nova fly, I'd say the Warshade is slightly more useful, since it can then fly AND port by L6, and its fly is faster than the fly a PB gets at 1.
In the 20s: (L11-20)
The classes remain a remarkable similarity, and because Nova form is so obscenely strong, they may well play the same for a lot of this. A huge difference is Sunless Mire vs Build Up. They get them each at Level 12, and this is where the ultimate difference between them first manifests: Warshades are about abusing lots of enemies, whereas PBs are "independant". This is a lot more noticable in the 40s, but you can see that in a team situation with someone to get aggro, your sunless mire lasts 3x as long as buildup and is stronger to boot. But a PB, all alone, can just use Build Up and attack.
Mid Levels: (L21-30)
The big differences manifest here, and this is where the board adage of "blapper" vs "blastroller" manifest. The PB now has 2 good melee attacks, and picks up a 3rd. It's also a fairly rough stretch for PBs who aren't leaning on the strength of their forms. Their early buffs like Build Up and Essence Boost don't mean as much, and since the damage scaling is now evened out, their anemic blasts are not so useful as a human. Meanwhile, getting all the slots you'd want into Rad Strike, I Strike, and Solar Flare is tough. Warshades, on the other hand, pick up their best control power (Gravitic Emanation) and it helps a lot to keep them alive. Because their dwarf form has its own mire to add to their human mire, and both of them last 30 seconds, their dwarf form is a LOT more viable without heavy slotting than the PB version. Still, both of them still have the same highly powerful and useful nova form, both have dwarf form and can play tank, both are scooping up various utility powers. However, the other huge difference here is that PBs are really starting to hurt for endurance, especially in human form. Warshades get Stygian Circle, however, and it nearly ends their healing/endurance issues in one stroke. PBs do pick up conserve energy, but it is less consistent by far because of the super-long recharge.
Big Power Levels: (L31-40)
These are the levels where both ATs "come into their own". Now the differences become dramatic, because those high end powers are so different either in form or application. For example, both get nukes, but the double-mired shade is a lot more dangerous with it. The PB gets photon seekers for burst damage, but the Warshade gets pets for higher sustained damage. Both get a self-rez (woop-de-doo), but at L38, the defensive powers could NOT be more different. The warshades is an ironclad defense which includes psi protection, but requries a bunch of enemies to power. This makes the shade a lot weaker soloing missions where big groups just aren't around. The PB gets their own version of Unstoppable, complete with mez protection and a very large recovery boost. But they can't change forms, whereas the Warshade can.
The Golden Age: (L41-50)
It really doesn't matter which one you take. If your build is reasonablly efficient, you can now do it all: Blast, Tank, and generally terrorize enemies. The Peacebringer remains better when independant of a group and against smaller spawns. The Warshade really needs mez protection to realize her potential, but given that and a large team, the Warshade is less a character, more a force of nature. Perhaps most importantly: in this bracket, both are very, very fun. I can definitely see playing mine long past they reach 50, and I'm consequently very happy that I8 includes Police Band and Safeguard missions so we never run out of mission content. (Note to devs: L50s should get Praetorians in police band missions)
OMG, my Kheld sucks!
It is very, very easy to make a broken Kheldian. Honestly, even when you build an optimal build, Kheldians have some weak times, especially solo. I can't emphasize this enough, though: you were meant to team. Really. If you want a solo toon, you're better off not even making a Kheldian. That said, read through this whole guide and you should be well on your way to kicking rear and taking names, especially when you're out of bubble gum. If you still are having a rough time, try to pinpoint what is making things rough:
* Are you not doing enough damage? (Look into using Nova more and slotting it more)
* Are you too squishy? (Make sure you use things like Essence Boost, or tactics like killing a few enemies, then dropping into human form to Sytgian Circle yourself back to health)
* Are quantum/voids kicking you around? (Look into the strategy section for dealing with Qs/Vs)
* Do all your powers feel anemic? (Realize you have to focus; you can't just toss a couple slots into everything, you need some strong points - see the build advice)
Finally, realize Kheldians are late bloomers. They take a long time to pick up all the goodies and slot them. Even in the 40s, you'll be wishing you had more slots. But by 20 the "golden era" of Nova Form is wearing off a bit, and depending on your build and skill level, you may find a rough patch until you get more powers and more slots. A lot of ATs fill their role well by 22 and the rest is gravy. Kheldians really do continue to dramatically change up to 39+.
Can a dwarf form really tank?
Unequivocally, yes. With 3 damres SOs, you are at nearly 60% resists to all but psi. That's on par or better than the defenses of almost any tank. You also have clicky buffs that can carry through (mires, essence boost), as well as some kind of self-heal, and a taunt. And you get it all for a lot less powers and slots than a Tank has to burn. Your offense can also be fairly strong, but you usually have to dedicate a lot more slots than that.
What's a better tank, a dwarf form, or a tank?
That depends on the tank, and the dwarf. Tanks get aoe punchvoke, whereas Dwarfs only get punchvoke on the target. Dwarves get a taunt, but it is not autohit. Dwarves get strong defense, but it can't compare to the ridiculous defense some tanks can get with Tier 9s (Unstoppable, Granite) - not even close. Also, with buffs, tanks can hit a 90% resist cap, whereas the dwarf form caps at 85%, meaning even under ideal circumstances, you take 50% more damage. Also, real tanks don't take massive damage from quantums and voids. So I'd say, off the cuff, that Dwarf form is a good but not a great tank. I'd say both dwarfs are superior to Fiery Aura Tanks, simply because fiery aura sucks. Otherwise, the other tanks are as good or better, and for stone and invuln, distinctly better at higher levels; although not so much better that a dwarf is a "bad" tank.
What's a better blaster? Nova form, or a blaster?
Well, Blasters have a whole secondary, defensive and utility powers, and nukes, all of which Nova Form does not have. They have a higher damage cap. That having been said, I think a fully slotted Nova Form can blast with the best of them, and it is arguably the best AoE "blaster" in the game. Among blasters, that crown would be worn by fire, which has 2 solid AoEs and a third situational AoE (which requires enemies to be immobilize or seriously slowed). The Nova form has two very solid AoEs with good recharges. Also, the Nova form can be augmented with Build Up and Mires, to keep up with Build Up and Aim on a blaster. Best of all, the Nova form has a nice inherent buff and a very high base damage scale, which is 20% over the blaster damage scale. The nova form itself also has several useful buffs, like a recovery boost and a tohit buff, although the recovery+tohit is certainly inferior to Tactics+Stamina. Certainly, solo, the blaster is almost always better, and I have played every blaster set, 2 to 50 and several others into the 30s and 40s. In a large team, where the AoEs are of maximum effect, I think the Nova has a small edge. When you throw Eclipse and 2 mires into the mix, the fully-realized Warshade nova is quite possibly the strongest thing in City of, bar nothing... it lacks only mez protection, and has a void/quantum weakness; otherwise, those buffs do truly transform it into a tank mage (who dies to one hit from a quantum boss 
).
Is a human-only (warshade/peacebringer) viable?
Yes, but it will be weaker than a bi-form, which is probably weaker than a tri-form. If you play human only, being in a team is CRITICAL. Your forms are constant, regardless of teammates or lack thereof. In human form, you are weaker - your damage is lower, your attacks cost more end and have longer recharges... but you can get significant buffs from teammates. Kheldians, of course, are better with teammates anyhow. Mez Protection, more enemies to mire/drain/eclipse/blast...
There is a strong appeal to human-form characters, of course. A lot of people decry the forms because in forms, every PB and every WS looks the same, and that's very unlike City of. Also, a lot of people come up with neat concepts that they like the powers/visuals for, but the forms completely do not fit. I think that's fine, and the game should be played however it is fun. But keep in mind that other people who invite you to a team may be expecting something you are not. I think putting "human only" in your team-find tag is a good courtesy to follow. And you WILL get less teams because of it, I imagine, because, as I said, human-only is weaker.
That's not to say it isn't effective. Everyone playing a human-only build has a set of tactics, strategies, and attack chains that work. They have a lot more slots for their human powers. But after having played at least 5 Kheldians, one of each well into the 40s, I have to say: they were meant to use all their powers.
How can I do this with so few slots?
This is a common frustration. An ordinary character has 12 powers at L20, and they will often wish they had more slots. A tri-form Kheldian has *22* powers at L20, and I guarantee you, you will not have enough slots. There are a few pieces of advice I can offer:
(1) Do something well. That means, if you're going to melee with your PB, slot up Rad Strike, Inc Strike, and a blast or two (and Solar Flare when you get it). If you're going to use Nova a lot (which I recommend), then slot up at least your AoEs, if not all your blasts.
(2) Beware of diminishing returns! A lot of people had plenty of slots to go around in their original build. They may have had a lot of powers they skipped or that could only really take 3 slots at all. so they could generously slot things. As a Kheldian, you simply will not have that luxury. This may mean putting 1-2 dmg enhancers in certain powers for a while, or it may mean getting by with 1acc/1mez in a control power when you'd rather have 2acc/3mez. But think of it this way: If a base effect is 100%, then adding an SO makes it 133%, a 33% increase. Adding a second SO makes it 166% effective, which is only a 25% increase. A third SO is even less effective, as ED kicks in and shaves some off, so going from 166 to 195% is only a 17.5% boost. (And if you are talking +3 SOs, then the effect is WAY more dramatic going from 2 to 3, with the 3rd SO only adding 12% effectiveness)... And the scaleback on powers which affect the divisor in a formula is worse. For example, end reducation: 1 SO means your power takes 1/(1+.33) end, or 25% less. A second SO only makes that (1+.66), or another 20% effectiveness; so End Reducation and Recharge SOs, because both operate on the divisor of a formula, are inherently "less effective" on a percentage basis than things which are strictly multiplicative like +dmg.
(3) Realize that slotting just the best powers from each form may not work at first. This is an offshoot of "do something well". Trying to play fully tri-form too early can leave you without enough slots for any form. I tend to think many builds need to focus on 2 forms for a while; I usually recommend slotting up Nova first and foremost. Partially, this is because it is on par with the damage output from its contemporaries - blasters. A fully slotted up nova form is a match on a team for any blaster, and will outblast most because of the superior AoE damage. While you lack all the support, defensive, utility powers, as well as the blaps, you will blast with the best of them. Likewise, you can afford to put 2 extra slots into dwarf form to cap the resists, and I'd do that regardless of build... but slotting the attacks is optional. You really do have to choose to be more effective in human or dwarf form a lot of times. Note that you can respec - load up nova early, and respec yourself out later. In fact, there's a bug currently with respecing that allows you to slot forms starting at L1 during a respec. It will no doubt be corrected, although lets hope the Devs take the time to send Photon Seekers to "how to attack an enemy" school before they correct bugs that actually benefit players 
But it means, for now, you can blow early slots on things like Dwarf Form if you're so inclined. I don't, but that's just me.
(4) Think about how your powers interact . For example, with a Warshade, I like slotting my mires - especially the dwarf mire - as a priority, because that huge damage buff benefits every form. Slotting essence boost a lot early on can make your nova form a LOT more durable. Every build is different and every playstyle may merit tweaks, but with a Kheldian, you can't afford to think about each power in a vacuum.
(5) Think about your playstyle - This is critical. Think about how you fit into a team. For a long time, I played a PB that only slotted up nova, dwarf, utility clickies (Essence Boost, Hasten), and didn't even TAKE human attacks. Instead, I went for helpful buffs, like medicine pool things, grant invis. If the team needed offense, I was nova. If they needed tanking, I was a dwarf. If they needed healing or control, I had pulsar, glowing touch, and the medicine pool. But by knowing my role - which was to be one thing at a time - I was able to fill a role decently well.
Why is (Power X) so awful?
It just is. You didn't think you'd have 26 primary and secondary powers and a dozen inherents and love them all, did you? See the powers part of the guide, and avoid powers that suck.
OMG, Voids and Quantums are slaughtering me!! Help!
They're dangerous, but they're manageable. There are several key things to dealing with them. See the "Dealing with Quantums and Voids" section of the strategies area for ideas. Using a bind to spot them is CRITICAL.
Why are all these Cysts showing up?
Originally, a dev claimed Shadow Cysts would ONLY show up in the high-level Kheldian story arcs. But now, they'll spawn in any mission with enough players, on a team flagged as "with Kheldian", and even occasionally in the street. A few notes about cysts:
(1) The more people nearby, the more unbound nictus they spawn. Buff up the heavy hitters and send them in.
(2) They explode when they die, and they do a LOT of damage. Don't be there.
(3) The nictus fluffies are -rech, so make sure your Hasten is fresh and get your speed boost/adrenaline boost in place.
(4) They're all Negative Energy damage. Keep that in mind before you send in your invuln tank, thinking he can hold them off.
(5) Or... just bypass them. You have teleport and recall friend. You can use them.
Why are Quantums/Voids showing up even though there's not a Kheldian on the team?
The "Kheldian bit" on a team is really, really sticky. If one joins even for a second, then leaves, you'll get the Qs/Vs spawning endlessly. I think completely deforming and reforming the party will stop it, but maybe not then. On the other hand, Qs and Vs are weak, and you shouldn't care unless you're avoiding cysts. Those can be plenty tough, but Qs and Vs have attacks that are fairly weak when you're not a Kheldian.
Can anything resist Quantum/Void Nictus damage?
No. The only way to be more resilient against Quantum Array weapons is to have more hit points; think Essence Boost and Dwarf Form.
(How/What/Why) does (Power X) work?
If you find a question that isn't answered in the individual power descriptions, then I'll add it there. I think most common questions about how powers work or their precise effect is listed with the individual powers.
Should I take power X or power Y at level Z?
This is one of the most-asked questions. You're not going to get a coherent answer unless you're asking something like, "Should I take Stygian Return or Eclipse at 38?" in which case, you'll probably find a rare case of agreement. Your best bet is to look at what the power does, consult the notes on that power, and try to see what works for you. Some powers are SO strong, it's hard to avoid them. I find that's more often the case with the Warshade, which has more weak powers and more strong powers, whereas the PB is more a matter of trying to fill in your own style. In any event, if this guide can't answer that question for you already, then you should be more specific when you ask this, since Kheldian power choices have to fit you -- they don't exist in a vacuum.
This AT doesn't feel epic. Isn't this supposed to be an epic AT?
Are Kheldians easier or harder to play than normal ATs
I've grouped these questions together because they're closely related. These ATs are referred to as "Epic" ATs, and consequently, people expect them to be "epic" in terms of power level. The devs have noted "epic" is more that they are involved in the story of the City Of ... world, and not that they're supposed to be overpowered. Kheldians ARE difficult to play, especially to their maximum potential. (It may be easy to play a fully-dwarf-form Kheldian, but then they are also far less effective than they could be) Some posters have commented that Kheldians are, in fact, "Hard Mode" for CoH. It may be true. I have 3 deleted Kheldians and at least 4-5 respecs under my belt for the two survivors, and I still think there's a lot of room for new tactics and tricks. I have 4 L50s and a host of 30s and 40s, and I've never faced as much of a challenge as playing my Kheldians. On the other hand, the high end Kheldians get to be fairly ridiculous in strength. They're certainly capable of a lot of things at higher levels that other ATs can only dream of. They always have weaknesses - voids and quantums most notably. No matter how strong you are, a Quantum Boss will likely one-shot you at range, and that's all there is to it. You usually lack mez protection. If you work around your weak spots, however, you can eventually be of amazing strength. Kheldians are, in my opinion, a fairly masterful design effort. You get out what you put into them. If you expect them to just steamroll for you, you'll just die and hate them. If you make the effort to truly master them, your capabilities are amazing. In any event, if you want easy mode, you're looking in the wrong place, big time.
IV. Sample Builds
Preface: there's no one way to eat a Reese's, and there's no one way to build a Kheldian. For that reason, I'm presenting a few builds I think are viable for each type. In determining your build, the commentary on the build might be more useful. There are some guiding principles involved in doing Kheld stuff, and a lot of it depends on how you intend to play them.
-=== The Gold Standard Tri-Form Peacebringer ===-
---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
---------------------------------------------
Name: PB-goldstd
Level: 50
Archetype: Peacebringer
Primary: Luminous Blast
Secondary: Luminous Aura
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Glinting Eye==> Acc(1)Dmg(40)Dmg(42)Dmg(43)
01) --> Incandescence==> DmgRes(1)
02) --> Gleaming Blast==> Acc(2)Dmg(3)Dmg(3)Dmg(40)
04) --> Essence Boost==> Rechg(4)Rechg(5)Rechg(5)
06) --> Bright Nova==> Fly(6)
08) --> Hasten==> Rechg(8)Rechg(17)Rechg(17)
10) --> Radiant Strike==> Acc(10)Dmg(19)Dmg(31)Dmg(37)Rechg(46)
12) --> Build Up==> Rechg(12)Rechg(23)Rechg(23)
14) --> Shining Shield==> EndRdx(14)
16) --> Thermal Shield==> EndRdx(16)
18) --> Incandescent Strike==> Acc(18)Dmg(19)Dmg(31)Dmg(36)EndRdx(45)Rechg(45)
20) --> White Dwarf==> DmgRes(20)DmgRes(21)DmgRes(21)
22) --> Reform Essence==> Heal(22)
24) --> Conserve Energy==> Rechg(24)Rechg(25)Rechg(25)
26) --> Pulsar==> Acc(26)Acc(27)DisDur(27)DisDur(50)
28) --> Quantum Flight==> EndRdx(28)
30) --> Solar Flare==> Acc(30)Dmg(37)Dmg(37)Dmg(39)Rechg(46)EndRdx(46)
32) --> Photon Seekers==> Acc(32)Dmg(33)Dmg(33)Dmg(33)Rechg(48)Rechg(48)
35) --> Dawn Strike==> Dmg(35)Dmg(36)Dmg(36)Rechg(48)
38) --> Light Form==> Rechg(38)Rechg(39)Rechg(39)DmgRes(40)EndMod(42)EndMod(42)
41) --> Restore Essence==> Rechg(41)
44) --> Glowing Touch==> Heal(44)Heal(50)
47) --> Group Energy Flight==> EndRdx(47)
49) --> Super Speed==> Run(49)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)
01) --> Energy Flight==> Empty(1)
10) --> Combat Flight==> Fly(10)
01) --> Cosmic Balance==> Empty(1)
---------------------------------------------
06) --> Bright Nova Bolt==> Dmg(6)Dmg(15)
06) --> Bright Nova Blast==> Dmg(6)Dmg(13)Dmg(15)
06) --> Bright Nova Scatter==> Acc(6)Dmg(7)Dmg(9)Dmg(11)EndRdx(13)
06) --> Bright Nova Detonation==> Dmg(6)Dmg(7)Dmg(9)EndRdx(11)Rechg(50)
20) --> White Dwarf Strike==> Acc(20)Dmg(34)Dmg(43)Dmg(45)
20) --> White Dwarf Smite==> Acc(20)Dmg(31)Dmg(34)Dmg(43)
20) --> White Dwarf Flare==> Acc(20)Dmg(29)Dmg(29)Dmg(34)
20) --> White Dwarf Sublimation==> Heal(20)
20) --> White Dwarf Antagonize==> Taunt(20)
20) --> White Dwarf Step==> EndRdx(20)
---------------------------------------------
I call this my "Gold Standard" build, because I think it capitalizes on the strength of the AT best. One thing you'll notice is that I'm taking a lot of powers early on (Rad Strike, I Strike, Solar Flare), and not slotting them until MUCH later. That's unavoidable. The thing is, your forms are very strong, but they suck up slots like mad! I've tried respecing into a mostly-human build before I was ready, and it was painful. I barely played until I got another respec. (Note: USE THE TEST SERVER! I didn't, and I suffered)
So this build emphasizes Nova early on, because you can get it at 6, and it is consistently strong. It capitalizes on the fact that PB attacks have a defense debuff, and avoids slotting accuracy in nova attacks except scatter. I always lead into groups with scatter. Between its acc slot and the forms tohit buff, I almost always hit... even against +3s, unless they have defense like a Rikti Drone. Build up can put me over the top against mobs that DO have defense, and using Build Up on the way in is fairly standard.
Let me list powers that are non-essential, and therefore easily interchangeable: (1) Both shields, although I'd tend to keep shining shield. If you DO ditch Shining Shield, you should probably slot Light form 3rech/3damres instead, but then unless you're dropping powers to squeeze in Stamina, you may have an endurance problem. (2) Pulsar. My actual build does not have it, and I'd use those slots for Reform Essence and Essence Boost instead. (3) Dawn Strike. It's so situational, you can ditch it entirely. Again, I don't have that. (4) Everything at 41+. They're all just optional.
What might you pick up in their stead? Well, a lot of people are going to want Stamina. Realistically, you can't slot up a good attack chain until you have Rad Strike, I strike, Solar Flare, and 2 blasts. (Incidentally, swapping Eye for Bolt would be fine) So there's no need to be human form until around 30, and even that is pushing it. Therefore there's no need for stamina before then. You could drop Pulsar, Thermal Shield, and take Qfly later, letting you pick up Stamina at 28. You could then take Thermal shield later on if you like.
You might be wondering: how does this build survive without stamina?! Well, both Conserve Energy and Light Form help your end a lot, and Nova Form itself is very end efficient, especially with the EndMods slotted. You can use Conserve Energy, then Light Form, then Conserve Energy again (when light form ends, Conserve Energy will be back up). This basically eliminates your need for endurance during that 5 minutes. You then have about 2.5 minutes during which your endurance will be a little scarce. It's a good time to use blues you've been collecting, or to have Speed Boost, Adrenline Boost, or RA from a teammate. I do actually play without stamina using this pattern, and I do fine. In fact, I often find I don't even need Light Form. In a team, I'm usually soaking up enough SB/RA/AB/AccelMeta that it mitigates my end issues. When solo, the groups I fight are smallers and die fast enough that I don't need Stamina; against tougher mobs/longer fights (like +1-+3 bosses), I have to use Light Form for defensive purposes anyhow, and that mitigates it.
Still, the lack of slots triforming here is painful. There are a few powers that could REALLY use more slots in this build: Essence Boost (so you can get +60% hp instead of +40%), Reform Essence (say, 2 more heals, or heal/rech). All 3 big melee attacks have a rech enhancement; you could steal those. When Hasten is running, you really won't notice. When Hasten is down, you feel slow - slow enough that you will not be able to put together a full attack chain. There will be a little gap. You could dump Dawn Strike entirely, and feed those slots to Dwarf Form and Essence Boost, or add an EndRed to Nova. In my build, I don't have Pulsar, but Pulsar sucks without at least 3 total slots, preferably 4. So if you can't spend the slots, don't take it. Essence Boost is still good with 3 slots, and they should be all recharges. Having it be near-perma is more important than a larger but less consistent boost.
If you did ditch Pulsar, what might you take in it's place? Well, Super Speed earlier is a thought. Alternately, use the Thermal shield slot for SS, and get Stealth in lieu on Pulsar for "invis vs mobs".
With all this in mind, let's try an "alternate" Gold Standard build, that is still tri-form, still effective in all forms, but tries to Squeeze Stamina in:
-=== The Stamina-carrying Gold Standard Tri-Form Peacebringer ===-
---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
---------------------------------------------
Name: PB-gold-stamina
Level: 50
Archetype: Peacebringer
Primary: Luminous Blast
Secondary: Luminous Aura
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Gleaming Bolt==> Acc(1)Dmg(36)Dmg(36)Dmg(36)
01) --> Incandescence==> DmgRes(1)
02) --> Gleaming Blast==> Acc(2)Dmg(3)Dmg(3)Dmg(34)Rechg(45)Rechg(48)
04) --> Essence Boost==> Rechg(4)Rechg(5)Rechg(5)Heal(42)Heal(43)Heal(43)
06) --> Bright Nova==> Fly(6)
08) --> Hasten==> Rechg(8)Rechg(17)Rechg(17)
10) --> Radiant Strike==> Acc(10)Dmg(23)Dmg(23)Dmg(31)Rechg(37)Rechg(46)
12) --> Build Up==> Rechg(12)Rechg(19)Rechg(19)
14) --> Hurdle==> Jump(14)
16) --> Health==> Heal(16)
18) --> Incandescent Strike==> Acc(18)Dmg(27)Dmg(27)Dmg(31)Rechg(37)Rechg(46)
20) --> White Dwarf==> DmgRes(20)DmgRes(21)DmgRes(21)
22) --> Reform Essence==> Heal(22)Heal(37)Heal(43)Rechg(45)
24) --> Conserve Energy==> Rechg(24)Rechg(25)Rechg(25)
26) --> Solar Flare==> Acc(26)Dmg(29)Dmg(29)Dmg(31)Rechg(40)Rechg(46)
28) --> Quantum Flight==> EndRdx(28)
30) --> Stamina==> EndMod(30)EndMod(34)EndMod(34)
32) --> Photon Seekers==> Acc(32)Dmg(33)Dmg(33)Dmg(33)Rechg(48)Rechg(50)
35) --> Shining Shield==> EndRdx(35)
38) --> Light Form==> Rechg(38)Rechg(39)Rechg(39)DmgRes(39)EndMod(40)EndMod(40)
41) --> Dawn Strike==> Dmg(41)Dmg(42)Dmg(42)
44) --> Restore Essence==> Rechg(44)
47) --> Thermal Shield==> EndRdx(47)
49) --> Glowing Touch==> Heal(49)Heal(50)Heal(50)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)
01) --> Energy Flight==> Empty(1)
10) --> Combat Flight==> Fly(10)
01) --> Cosmic Balance==> Empty(1)
---------------------------------------------
06) --> Bright Nova Bolt==> Dmg(6)Dmg(15)Dmg(45)
06) --> Bright Nova Blast==> Dmg(6)Dmg(11)Dmg(15)
06) --> Bright Nova Scatter==> Acc(6)Dmg(7)Dmg(9)Dmg(9)EndRdx(13)
06) --> Bright Nova Detonation==> Dmg(6)Dmg(7)Dmg(11)EndRdx(13)Rechg(48)
20) --> White Dwarf Strike==> Acc(20)
20) --> White Dwarf Smite==> Acc(20)
20) --> White Dwarf Flare==> Acc(20)
20) --> White Dwarf Sublimation==> Heal(20)
20) --> White Dwarf Antagonize==> Taunt(20)
20) --> White Dwarf Step==> EndRdx(20)
---------------------------------------------
One thing you'll notice here is in addition to squeezing in Stamina, we did a tradeoff: we gutted the dwarf form. You can still pseudo-tank, because you have the 3 resists in the form, but your attacks will completely lack damage. But in return, we have stamina, and we have robustly slotted every human attack. In fact, this build could fight in human form with reasonable effectiveness at 31; that's about as early as it gets. However, it won't be very tough. It lacks defense, and essence boost and reform essence aren't well slotted until the 40s. Still, it will be a juggernaut. Because we have Conserve Energy AND Light Form slotted up for end, AND Stamina, we should almost never be at a loss for endurance. Consequently, we have slotted almost every attack with Rech Reduction enhancements. You will be a dervish of destruction. You still have a viable Nova form for teaming in the pre-30s, and allowing you to use the "Triple AOE Alpha" strategy (see the strategies section). You've given up on controlling, here - Pulsar is gone. Realistically, this isn't so bad, as Pulsar only reliably affects minions.
You can cap your damres in Light Form in Smash/Lethal at 39. When you take Thermal shield (which you could pick up at 44 instead of Restore Essence), that adds fire/cold. You'll be slightly vulnerable to En/Negen, but not very - since you have incandescence, that puts you at about 80% even against those. Because you have 2 slots of EndMod in Light Form, powering those shields will still leave you gaining plenty of extra end, and Stamina still functions in Light Form.
The problem with this form is that it will still be fairly tenative in human mode in the 30s, because without Light Form, you're fairly squishy, even with Essence Boost and Reform Essence.
To show how different you can be, however, let's take the opposite tack here, and show the PB who completely abandons building up human form, focusing on utility powers and awesome form powers:
-=== The Form-Focused/Utility Peacebringer ===-
---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
---------------------------------------------
Name: pb-formsavant
Level: 50
Archetype: Peacebringer
Primary: Luminous Blast
Secondary: Luminous Aura
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Glinting Eye==> Acc(1)Dmg(3)Dmg(3)
01) --> Incandescence==> DmgRes(1)
02) --> Shining Shield==> EndRdx(2)
04) --> Essence Boost==> Rechg(4)Rechg(5)Rechg(5)Heal(42)Heal(42)Heal(42)
06) --> Bright Nova==> Fly(6)
08) --> Hasten==> Rechg(8)Rechg(15)Rechg(17)
10) --> Stimulant==> IntRdx(10)
12) --> Build Up==> Rechg(12)Rechg(15)Rechg(17)
14) --> Aid Other==> IntRdx(14)
16) --> Super Speed==> Run(16)
18) --> Pulsar==> Acc(18)Acc(19)DisDur(19)
20) --> White Dwarf==> DmgRes(20)DmgRes(21)DmgRes(21)
22) --> Resuscitate==> Rechg(22)
24) --> Conserve Energy==> Rechg(24)Rechg(25)Rechg(25)
26) --> Glowing Touch==> Heal(26)Heal(43)Heal(43)Range(45)
28) --> Quantum Flight==> EndRdx(28)
30) --> Stealth==> EndRdx(30)
32) --> Photon Seekers==> Acc(32)Dmg(33)Dmg(33)Dmg(33)Rechg(43)
35) --> Restore Essence==> Rechg(35)
38) --> Grant Invisibility==> EndRdx(38)
41) --> Group Energy Flight==> EndRdx(41)
44) --> Challenge==> Taunt(44)
47) --> Intimidate==> Acc(47)Fear(48)Fear(48)
49) --> Invoke Panic==> Acc(49)Acc(50)Fear(50)Fear(50)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)
01) --> Energy Flight==> Empty(1)
10) --> Combat Flight==> Fly(10)
01) --> Cosmic Balance==> Empty(1)
---------------------------------------------
06) --> Bright Nova Bolt==> Dmg(6)Dmg(36)Dmg(37)
06) --> Bright Nova Blast==> Dmg(6)Dmg(13)Dmg(36)EndRdx(37)Rechg(45)
06) --> Bright Nova Scatter==> Acc(6)Dmg(7)Dmg(9)Dmg(11)EndRdx(11)Rechg(39)
06) --> Bright Nova Detonation==> Dmg(6)Dmg(7)Dmg(9)EndRdx(13)Rechg(37)
20) --> White Dwarf Strike==> Acc(20)Dmg(29)Dmg(34)Dmg(34)EndRdx(40)
20) --> White Dwarf Smite==> Acc(20)Dmg(23)Dmg(27)Dmg(31)EndRdx(31)Rechg(40)
20) --> White Dwarf Flare==> Acc(20)Dmg(23)Dmg(27)Dmg(29)EndRdx(31)Rechg(40)
20) --> White Dwarf Sublimation==> Heal(20)Heal(34)Heal(36)
20) --> White Dwarf Antagonize==> Taunt(20)Acc(39)Taunt(39)
20) --> White Dwarf Step==> EndRdx(20)
---------------------------------------------
You won't see a freaky build like this very often, but it goes to show how far from the norm a viable build can be. By focusing on Dwarf and Nova, this build is a powerhouse in those, and it adds a bunch of utility powers, including stimulant, resucitate, aid other, fully slotted glowing touch, and is much stronger in both form than either previous build. The real point of this build is to show the forms more heavily slotted. Notice the recharge reductions in the nova and dwarf attacks, and how robustly the forms themselves are slotted. Because of that slotting, this build CANNOT slot the needed human form powers - attacks, defenses like light form, etc - to be viable. Therefore, it replaces all those attacks and powers with ones that will work with the build - powers that can be used at the start or between fights. Both invoke panic and intimidate are Mag 2 fear effects (with an additional Mag 1 30% chance on intimidate). Added to Pulsar, you have a fair bit of crowd control. But the utility powers are only there to supplment your forms; the focus here is on nova and dwarf, with a few scattered utility powers, as well as powers you can use without a form. (Photon seekers, for example, can be summoned between fights; even though they are less effective that way) I actually did play a build like this, and in many ways, I felt more effective in a team than the standard human build. Many PB builds are focused on the day when they can finally be effective in human form... but keeping a heavy emphasis on the forms, and the click powers that support them, can be a very effective way to build.
For those who just have to be different, there you go.
Continued Next Post
I'd be remiss listing Peacebringer builds if I didn't do a human-only. This variant gets a lot of interest. Is it viable? Yes. You're going to miss the forms, but it is absolute feasible. The real issue is that you tend to become a sort of second-rate blapper for quite a while.
-=== The Human-Only Peacebringer ===-
---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
---------------------------------------------
Name: pb-humanonly
Level: 50
Archetype: Peacebringer
Primary: Luminous Blast
Secondary: Luminous Aura
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Gleaming Bolt==> Acc(1)Dmg(3)Dmg(5)Dmg(17)
01) --> Incandescence==> DmgRes(1)
02) --> Gleaming Blast==> Acc(2)Dmg(3)Dmg(5)Dmg(15)Rechg(34)Rechg(43)
04) --> Essence Boost==> Rechg(4)Rechg(13)Rechg(15)Heal(40)Heal(42)Heal(42)
06) --> Radiant Strike==> Acc(6)Dmg(7)Dmg(7)Dmg(9)Rechg(9)Rechg(36)
08) --> Hasten==> Rechg(8)Rechg(11)Rechg(11)
10) --> Hurdle==> Jump(10)
12) --> Build Up==> Rechg(12)Rechg(13)Rechg(17)
14) --> Health==> Heal(14)
16) --> Shining Shield==> EndRdx(16)
18) --> Incandescent Strike==> Acc(18)Dmg(19)Dmg(19)Dmg(23)Rechg(34)EndRdx(37)
20) --> Stamina==> EndMod(20)EndMod(21)EndMod(21)
22) --> Reform Essence==> Heal(22)Heal(23)Heal(29)Rechg(31)Rechg(42)
24) --> Conserve Energy==> Rechg(24)Rechg(25)Rechg(25)
26) --> Solar Flare==> Acc(26)Dmg(27)Dmg(27)Dmg(29)Rechg(34)Rechg(43)
28) --> Quantum Flight==> EndRdx(28)Rechg(46)
30) --> Pulsar==> Acc(30)Acc(31)DisDur(31)DisDur(45)DisDur(46)Acc(46)
32) --> Photon Seekers==> Acc(32)Dmg(33)Dmg(33)Dmg(33)Rechg(37)Rechg(37)
35) --> Dawn Strike==> Dmg(35)Dmg(36)Dmg(36)Rechg(43)Rechg(45)Rechg(45)
38) --> Light Form==> Rechg(38)Rechg(39)Rechg(39)DmgRes(39)EndMod(40)EndMod(40)
41) --> Thermal Shield==> EndRdx(41)
44) --> Quantum Shield==> EndRdx(44)
47) --> Glowing Touch==> Heal(47)Heal(48)Heal(48)Rechg(48)Range(50)Range(50)
49) --> Restore Essence==> Rechg(49)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)
01) --> Energy Flight==> Empty(1)
10) --> Combat Flight==> Fly(10)
01) --> Cosmic Balance==> Empty(1)
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
What a difference the forms make. Toward the end of this career, you have trouble placing all the slots you have! But there's still a dearth early on. Still, you manage to respectably slot everything. Some people want the leaping chain; if that includes you, you can axe shining shield, Qfly, and Pulsar, and have Acrobatics by 30. I'd recommend then taking Qfly and Pulsar in place of Thermal and Quantum shield, and replacing the EndMod enhancements in Light form with DamRes. You may need to slot an EndRed in Gleaming Blast and Rad Strike in lieu of the 2nd RechRed.
Another variant of this is to ditch the pseudo-utilities -- pick 2 of Qfly, Pulsar, and Conserve Power -- and replace those with shields, so you have stronger defense early on. You could theoretically delay Essence Boost until later, but I would NOT recommend that, as Essence Boost helps you survive Voids and Quantums.
This is a path I haven't walked, personally. I know the powers, but I'm too in love with triforming to ditch the forms.
Even though I've covered four possible builds, there's a bunch of variants still out there: the Nova-form savant (which neglects both human AND dwarf until late game to 6-slot the AoEs, 6-slot the form, and 4-6 slot the single target blasts), the human-dwarf build which skips nova form to slot some human powers, then goes big into dwarf when it is acquired, then goes back to slotting human for the late game.
They're all viable. What you have to consider is how the powers work together. For this reason, I like the "crazy" build that is missing all the human attacks and powers like Light Form. While it is "out there" as far as PB builds go, it is internally consistent: it doesn't go and waste a power slot on Light Form, no matter how good that is, when it has nothing much to DO while stuck in glowball form. Likewise, the all-human form aggressively slots its human attacks early, since it has to rely on them for damage.
With a peacebringers, there's a few questions you should be asking every step of the way:
(1) Can I win fights, or help win fights, in a team? If you only have a smattering of attack powers, or your attacks are poorly slotted, the answer is no.
(2) Can I survive? Early on, you may get by with just attacks and Essence Boost, but in the late teens and 20s, you'll start pining for either another strong heal, or your shields, to survive.
(3) What does my build have to deal with Quantums and Voids, or other dangerous mobs?
(4) Will I have enough endurance?
My experience is that peacebringers are significantly "tighter" on slots than are Warshades. So if you are concerned about frustration over slotting, a Warshade might be for you. Speaking of which, let's get on with the Warshade builds:
-=== The Gold Standard Tri-Form Warshade Build ===-
---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
---------------------------------------------
Name: ws-gold
Level: 50
Archetype: Warshade
Primary: Umbral Blast
Secondary: Umbral Aura
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Shadow Bolt==> Acc(1)Dmg(3)
01) --> Absorption==> DmgRes(1)
02) --> Gravimetric Snare==> Acc(2)Dmg(3)Dmg(5)
04) --> Ebon Eye==> Acc(4)Dmg(5)
06) --> Dark Nova==> EndMod(6)Fly(19)
08) --> Hasten==> Rechg(8)Rechg(13)Rechg(15)
10) --> Starless Step==> Acc(10)
12) --> Sunless Mire==> Acc(12)Rechg(13)Rechg(15)Rechg(17)
14) --> Shadow Cloak==> EndRdx(14)
16) --> Super Speed==> Run(16)
18) --> Gravity Well==> Acc(18)Hold(19)Hold(37)
20) --> Black Dwarf==> DmgRes(20)DmgRes(21)DmgRes(21)
22) --> Stygian Circle==> EndMod(22)Rechg(25)EndMod(37)
24) --> Nebulous Form==> EndRdx(24)
26) --> Gravity Emanation==> Acc(26)Acc(27)DisDur(27)DisDur(48)
28) --> Unchain Essence==> Acc(28)Dmg(42)Dmg(43)Dmg(43)Rechg(43)Rechg(45)
30) --> Inky Aspect==> Acc(30)
32) --> Dark Extraction==> Acc(32)Dmg(33)Dmg(33)Rechg(33)Rechg(34)Dmg(34)
35) --> Quasar==> Dmg(35)Dmg(36)Dmg(36)Rechg(40)Rechg(42)Rechg(42)
38) --> Eclipse==> Acc(38)Rechg(39)Rechg(39)Rechg(39)DmgRes(40)DmgRes(40)
41) --> Stygian Return==> Rechg(41)
44) --> Stimulant==> IntRdx(44)
47) --> Aid Self==> Heal(47)
49) --> Resuscitate==> Rechg(49)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
01) --> Shadow Step==> EndRdx(1)
10) --> Shadow Recall==> Range(10)
02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)
01) --> Dark Sustenance==> Empty(1)
---------------------------------------------
06) --> Dark Nova Blast==> Acc(6)Dmg(45)Dmg(46)Dmg(46)
06) --> Dark Nova Bolt==> Acc(6)Dmg(17)Dmg(45)Dmg(46)
06) --> Dark Nova Detonation==> Acc(6)Dmg(7)Dmg(9)Dmg(11)Rechg(50)
06) --> Dark Nova Emmanation==> Acc(6)Dmg(7)Dmg(9)Dmg(11)Rechg(48)
20) --> Black Dwarf Strike==> Acc(20)Dmg(29)Dmg(31)Dmg(48)
20) --> Black Dwarf Smite==> Acc(20)Dmg(29)Dmg(31)Dmg(34)
20) --> Black Dwarf Mire==> Acc(20)Rechg(23)Rechg(23)Rechg(25)
20) --> Black Dwarf Drain==> Acc(20)Dmg(31)Dmg(36)Heal(37)Dmg(50)Heal(50)
20) --> Black Dwarf Step==> EndRdx(20)
20) --> Black Dwarf Antagonize==> Taunt(20)
---------------------------------------------
You'll notice a few things here. One, we're not as aggressive slotting for EndMod or EndRed - and this is the power of Sygian Circle.
You can certainly vary it according to your needs. No matter how you slice it, you're going to wish for more slots through the 20s. You have all these great powers, plus dwarf form, and just no way to slot them all. I like slotting the dwarf mire first, but it certainly isn't requisite. If you are a big soloist, you may want to put off slotting both mires until much later... since they operate off pack of mobs and you'll likely only run into 1-2 at a time, your buffs off those are negligible, and you're better off adding the slots to grav well, nova and dwarf attacks.
More than even a PB, the Warshade seriously suffers from triform disease - that is, anything that's a toggle is nearly useless. This isn't a bad thing, since you have such versatility and power - but it makes all the toggle powers painful. That's why we don't have any shields or Orbiting death: they're just too hard to keep up with all the shapeshifting.
It would be very feasible to swap one of the first 3 attacks out and pick up Gravity Shield instead, however. The reason would be that Smash/Lethal is the most common damage type, and that lets you augment your Eclipse when you (1) don't have enough enemies to cap up, or (2) get unlucky and miss several. My personal build actually does this, but I'm not doing this one that way because, frankly, I almost never use it. Hitting just 4 mobs puts you very near the cap with this Eclipse, and hitting 5 puts you way over it.
I think it would be very reasonable to ditch Unchain Essence completely in favor of taking and slotting up something like Essence Drain, or replacing it with Gravity Shield, and using the slots to power up the other attacks (perhaps the human attacks that are short slots). Notice that because unchain comes at a bad time for getting slots and because it requires so many to be good, we're not slotting it until the 40s. You could dump the accuracy out of it, though and slot for damage first (the idea being that your accuracy would come from mires).
It's also possible to go another route slotting, and mostly avoid slotting dwarf attacks. You can just slot the mire (which I strongly, strongly recommend slotting as soon as possible) and the form, and use the mire to power your damage when you NEED the form. That also lets you take the alpha strike. Teleport in -> dwarf mire -> eat alpha -> back to human and Sunless Mire, then flit off in nova for and start blasting.
I've never needed Stamina with my Warshade. Unlike my Stamina-free PB, who sometimes feels a bit of an endurance pinch, I almost NEVER have that problem with the Shade - between the Stygian Circle and Eclipse, I'm never having a problem.
The nice thing about this form is you'll almost always be useful in a team and at fairly high effectiveness. It also emphasizes what you tend to be best at: blasting stuff with mired-up damage. But in the late game, your slotted up dwarf form has serious staying power, allowing you to tank for your pets. This is the primary reason why I like a viable dwarf form - tanking for your own essences. In fact, a lot of people may prefer to slot drain earlier than this build does, and add the extra slot or two to antagonize earlier, so that they can keep their fluffies alive.
I'm going to do a human-only warshade build, by requestion, but it is not recommended. Because Warshades are so much more filled with clicky powers (mires, eclipse) that can go through form changes, the utility of the forms is even higher. There are also a lot of interesting strategies possible, such as tanking for your own extracted essences.
-=== The Warshade Human-Only Build ===-
---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
---------------------------------------------
Name:
Level: 50
Archetype: Warshade
Primary: Umbral Blast
Secondary: Umbral Aura
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Shadow Bolt==> Acc(1)Dmg(3)Dmg(3)Dmg(7)Rechg(45)
01) --> Absorption==> DmgRes(1)
02) --> Gravimetric Snare==> Acc(2)Dmg(5)Dmg(5)Dmg(7)Rechg(45)
04) --> Gravity Shield==> EndRdx(4)DmgRes(48)
06) --> Orbiting Death==> EndRdx(6)Dmg(42)EndRdx(43)Dmg(43)Acc(43)Dmg(45)
08) --> Shadow Blast==> Acc(8)Dmg(9)Dmg(9)Dmg(11)Rechg(15)Rechg(17)
10) --> Hasten==> Rechg(10)Rechg(11)Rechg(17)
12) --> Sunless Mire==> Acc(12)Rechg(13)Rechg(13)Rechg(15)
14) --> Hurdle==> Jump(14)
16) --> Health==> Heal(16)
18) --> Gravity Well==> Acc(18)Dmg(19)Dmg(19)Rechg(21)Dmg(21)Rechg(25)
20) --> Stamina==> EndMod(20)EndMod(25)EndMod(34)
22) --> Stygian Circle==> Rechg(22)EndMod(23)Rechg(23)EndMod(50)EndRdx(50)Rechg(50)
24) --> Nebulous Form==> EndRdx(24)
26) --> Gravity Emanation==> Acc(26)Acc(27)DisDur(27)DisDur(31)DisDur(42)Rechg(42)
28) --> Unchain Essence==> Acc(28)Dmg(29)Dmg(29)Dmg(31)Rechg(37)Rechg(40)
30) --> Inky Aspect==> Acc(30)DisDur(31)DisDur(46)
32) --> Dark Extraction==> Rechg(32)Acc(33)Dmg(33)Rechg(33)Dmg(34)Dmg(34)
35) --> Quasar==> Dmg(35)Dmg(36)Dmg(36)Rechg(36)Rechg(37)Rechg(37)
38) --> Eclipse==> Rechg(38)Rechg(39)Rechg(39)Acc(39)DmgRes(40)DmgRes(40)
41) --> Shadow Cloak==> EndRdx(41)
44) --> Super Speed==> Run(44)
47) --> Starless Step==> Acc(47)Acc(48)
49) --> Stygian Return==> Rechg(49)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
01) --> Shadow Step==> Range(1)EndRdx(46)Range(46)Range(48)
10) --> Shadow Recall==> Range(10)
02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)
01) --> Dark Sustenance==> Empty(1)
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
V. Strategy - Building and Playing your Kheldian
I've commented on this a lot of times, but of course, one of the important things about a Kheldian is to figure out what your role is going to be in a team -- or roles, since you can have several.
My own preference is to try to be a jack of all trades, but not give up TOO much in terms of effectiveness. So early on, I focus on what Kheldians do best: blasting things. The inherent buff and high damage of the Nova form puts it on par with any character for damage. The secondary effects are useful for a team.
Another important thing to know is whether you're going to be solo or teamed more often. This can lead to important strategic differences. For example, you may slot single target nova blasts more evenly, not making them secondary to the AoE blasts. You may slot dwarf form more aggressively, because you know you'll need to to take down mezzing enemies. You may take all three warshade shields to supplement Eclipse, knowing that you won't be able to hit 4 mobs that often. You may want to save more slots for your mez powers like Gravitic Emanation, I Strike, or Pulsar, knowing that you'll need the extra mez time to finish off enemies. (This tends to be more true for the Shade, because without the bigger mire buffs, you'll take longer killing enemies, and need more mez time)
Binds for Making the most of your Kheldian
For each type of Kheldian, I recommend having 3 files for binds.
pb_humanform.txt
[ QUOTE ]
e "powexec_toggleon White Dwarf$$bind SHIFT+LBUTTON powexec_name White Dwarf Step$$goto_tray 3$$bind_load_file c:\coh\pb_whitedwarf.txt"
q "powexec_toggleon Bright Nova$$goto_tray 4$$bind_load_file c:\coh\pb_nova.txt"
[/ QUOTE ]
pb_whitedwarf.txt
[ QUOTE ]
e "powexec_toggleoff White Dwarf$$goto_tray 1$$bind_load_file c:\coh\pb_humanform.txt"
q "powexec_toggleoff White Dwarf$$powexec_toggleon Bright Nova$$goto_tray 4$$bind_load_file c:\coh\pb_nova.txt"
[/ QUOTE ]
pb_nova.txt
[ QUOTE ]
e "powexec_toggleoff Bright Nova$$goto_tray 3$$powexec_toggleon White Dwarf$$bind_load_file c:\coh\pb_whitedwarf.txt"
q "powexec_toggleoff Bright Nova$$goto_tray 1$$bind_load_file c:\coh\pb_humanform.txt"
[/ QUOTE ]
What the above binds assume is that you put your nova blasts in tray 4, your dwarf attacks in tray 3, and you use use 1/2/5 for three trays of human junk. What matters is that tray 1 is normally on the bottom, and 3 and 4 are off-screen normally, but swap in when you change forms .
A lot of people use similar binds and toggle on shields in their switch from Dwarf to human mode. I used to, but it irked me when it interference with things like the PB Triple-Alpha (see below), or when popping out of Black Dwarf to do a 2nd Mire.
With these binds, the q key switches you to nova form, and the e key is dwarf. If you're already in the form you pick, you switch back to human. (But if you're in nova and click e, you'll drop nova and immediately begin shifting to dwarf form)
Here's the set for warshades:
ws_humanform.txt
[ QUOTE ]
e "powexec_toggleon Black Dwarf$$bind SHIFT+LBUTTON powexec_name Black Dwarf Step$$goto_tray 3$$bind_load_file c:\coh\ws_blackdwarf.txt"
q "powexec_toggleon Dark Nova$$goto_tray 4$$bind_load_file c:\coh\ws_nova.txt"
[/ QUOTE ]
ws_blackdwarf.txt
[ QUOTE ]
e "powexec_toggleoff Black Dwarf$$bind SHIFT+LBUTTON powexec_name Shadow Step$$goto_tray 1$$bind_load_file c:\coh\ws_humanform.txt"
q "powexec_toggleoff Black Dwarf$$powexec_toggleon Dark Nova$$goto_tray 4$$bind_load_file c:\coh\ws_nova.txt
[/ QUOTE ]
ws_nova.txt
[ QUOTE ]
e "powexec_toggleoff Dark Nova$$goto_tray 3$$bind SHIFT+LBUTTON powexec_name Black Dwarf Step$$powexec_toggleon Black Dwarf$$bind_load_file c:\coh\ws_blackdwarf.txt"
q "powexec_toggleoff Dark Nova$$goto_tray 1$$bind SHIFT+LBUTTON powexec_name Shadow Step$$bind_load_file c:\coh\ws_humanform.txt"
[/ QUOTE ]
One notable difference here is that we rebind a bind for dwarf form. With my warshade, I like using shift+left mouse button to teleport to wherever I am pointing. Placing that circle is a pain. But since both forms have teleports which use different names, we rebind them, so whichever form we're in, shift+LCLICK is the right teleport.
There are two other must-have binds; some other people have put forth more complicated versions which scan for White Dwarves, Bright Novas, and Shadow Cysts. I don't worry about those, because they're easy to spot from a distance. Not as true for voids, and not at ALL true for quantums, which tend to blend in completely. so I do:
/bind b "target_name quantum$$target_name void"
/bind v "team I see that $target is carrying a Quantum weapon! Please make sure that $target is taken care of quickly!"
That lets you quickly target and warn a team about a Quantum/Void. Using the b key is pretty critical - I always do it before going into any fight. You'll still be caught unawares once in a while, say going around a corner or such, but at least you won't stupidly charge a big pack with a Quantum sitting in the middle!
Here's another great one that's floating around, that's a brilliant bind:
/bind TAB "target_enemy_next$$target_custom_next enemy alive quantum$$target_custom_next enemy alive void$$target_custom_next enemy alive cyst"
About the only reason you'd stick with the b bind and not use the tab bind is that you didn't like the "X not found!" spam.
For Warshades, I also like having a dead-corpse bind. I use this:
/bind z target_custom_next enemy defeated
That will cycle through defeated enemies so you can pick a corpse to blow up.
A note on setting up trays
A lot of powers you'll use regularly you'll want to know WHEN they are recharged. While it is hard to tell an almost-recharged power from a fully-recharged power when it is faded out, when a power recharges fully, it does a little "burst" on screen, even when faded. So if you are in dwarf form, you can keep an eye on Eclipse, and know when it is ready again because of the "pop".
I often slot certain powers in multiple trays, not to use, but to keep an eye on their recharge. For example, while my dwarf mire sits in the 1-key position in my dwarf tray, it ALSO sits at the far right of my top tray. (I use an ergo keyboard, so reaching for keys past 5 is generally infeasible; so I use 3 trays + dwarf/nova attacks in their own trays, and pack them all into numbers 1-5 unless they're rarely used. So 6-10 is for rare things like rest or accolade powers, or for "monitoring" as I describe here) So when in nova or human form, I can see Black Dwarf Mire "pop" when it is ready.
Nova Form Tactics
Nova form has a lot of inertia. It lets you do a lot of interesting things. You're a heck of a hover blaster, and you can alpha strike quite impressively, and pull off some weird airborne maneuvers.
The pull-up approach
You need a way to maximize your AoEs so you hit everything, which means being fairly close on your scatter blasts. You want to initiate, so you can't just float up close. Coming in from the top can make it harder to get the distance right, since you can't aim down in your trajectory, because then when you fire, your inertia carries you into the mobs.
Consequently, my favored Nova approach tends to be the "pull up" approach. You start higher, dive down to the ground and approach the enemy mobs level to the ground. Right before entering scatter range, you pull up sharply, then fire. Your inertia carries you up out of reach of melee attacks, and closer -- sometimes even directly above. Then you fire the detonation. Because you're not up higher, the detonation won't send mobs flying as far back, which is good - it can do strong knockback, which can irritate a team, but if you are firing down on the mobs, that issue is eliminated. Again, the reason you don't descend from above in the first place is you're trying to make a fast approach, and coming down, your intertia carries you into the mob. Using the ground-level/pull-up approach, you can get a good hit with your scatter and end up out of melee range, hopefully mostly above the mobs.
The triple-alpha strike
Peacebringers can execute a triple-alpha strike. Changing into a form is a bit slow, but returning from it is instant. You can take advantage of this in a variety of ways, and a useful one is the triple-Alpha. Hit buildup, and do a standard approach with the PB. Scatter, then click to fire your detonation. At this point, you should be more or less over the mob - that's important. Right as it activates (the line begins to swirl around the power in the tray), click out of nova form, and drop down into the mob below, spamming your Solar Flare key. Flare will go off almost instantly after the Detonation, allowing you to catch even mobs being knocked down/back with the Flare. Morever, buildup + Scatter + Detonation + Flare, if they all hit, is sufficient to kill even +2 minions. Yeah, it's a good thing.
Note that any "third" attack can be used here - for packs with bosses, I'll use a variant on this where I do a scatter, then a detonation, then drop into human and land an incandescent strike. Warshades may want to execute a double-aoe, then drop into human and peg them with gravitic emanation, or drop into human and Sunless Mire.
Abusing Dark Astoria
Speaking of Peacebringers and nova form - Dark Astoria. Unfortunately, I haven't been hunting here since ED. However, pre-ED, it was possible to two-shot +1 minions with 5 damage SOs in Dark Astoria, without buildup. Since buildup is WORTH more than 2 SOs, it stands to reason you can still do it WITH build up. Large packs of Banished Pantheon husks is what you want - they are VULNERABLE to Energy damage. So you build up, nova scatter, nova detonate, and then fly off to the next group. You'll also pick up a ton of inspirations, and you can use 3 reds in lieu of buildup. (And of course, they last longer)
Attacking Top Down
It's already been mentioned, but it bears repeating: if you attack from above, you won't ever send guys flying all over the place from knockback in Nova form. When possible, do this if you have a team. Once enemies are immobilized by a controller, they are generally immune to knockback.
Using Inertia for Kiting and Corners [
As a Nova, you're a master of abusing corners and walls. You can be flying in a line, fire an attack, and let your intertia carry you around a corner, past the edge of a wall, or onto a second floor (think office buildings, where you can be at the level of the 2nd floor, but fire on the first floor, then sail out of view). You can actually combine this with other tactics - dropping out of Nova and phasing - to get completely retaliation-free alpha strikes and pulls. Fire as you sail past a corner, drop out of nova and turn on Nebulous Form/Quantum Flight, then fly BACK into view and let them wail on you. They shoot their load, and your team comes into to assist - and you switch back to nova, your AoEs now recharged, and wail away.
Dwarf Form Tactics
Know Your Icons
It is critically important in dwarf form to "know your icons". That is, look up in the upper right corner. You can see effects on you. While the specific powers vary wildly, each icon of a certain type looks the same. It is important to know when you're NOT going to be mezzed coming out of dwarf form. Learn the icons for Hold, Sleep, Stun, Confuse, Fear, and Immobilize. Do a visual verification before dropping out of dwarf form. (Or alternately, verify you HAVE the increase density/clear mind/stimulant on you)
The PB drop-and-phase
Because Peacebringers have an instant activation phase shift, you can do a lot of neat things with dwarf form. They revolve around dropping out of dwarf form, and immediately phasing. You may want to even do a bind:
/bind t "powexec_toggleoff White Dwarf$$powexec_name Quantum Flight"
I'll use this maneuver to pop essence boost and Hasten in a long fight, or to use my human-form heal if I'm really taking it as a dwarf and need an extra heal. It's also a decent way to get away, although just porting away as a dwarf tends to be effective too.
You can also taunt before doing this, and then do it, allowing you to maintain aggro while firing off heals and self buffs. When you're done, you can go directly into Dwarf Form, which will toggle of phase automatically as you enter it. Be wary of mez! You can fall out of Dwarf and be insta-mezzed if you aren't checking your icons.
Using dwarf form for a getaway
First, realize going to dwarf and porting away is a pretty good way to escape, since you get your monster damage resistance. For PBs, there's usually a quick heal waiting for you to fire off as you switch.
But fighting Tsoo, Knives of Artemis, or others who toss around caltrops a lot, a quick switch to dwarf is a good way to get out of a patch. Switch to dwarf, activate port. The moment port is activated, you can drop back out of dwarf form - you will actually disappear and reappear back in human form, so the maneuver only adds 2 seconds to the time of porting out of the caltrops. (Obviously, warshades don't need this tactic! )
It's an extra heal, use it
Don't forget dwarf form has an extra heal. There's no shame in going dwarf, firing off a heal, and switching right back. (When solo, I often use dwarf form more for this than anything - yay for 3 self-heals!)
Take out the mezzers
It's not uncommon to have a group of tough enemies, with one you know can mez. There's no two ways around it: you have to take them out. Dwarf form can be useful in two ways:
(1) Port in, and just pound the mezzer into dust.
(2) Port in, pound the mezzer until there is NOT a mez currently on you and you get them knocked down - the drop to human to drop a mez of your own on them. Since both Kheldians have a melee-range hold (IStrike/Grav Well), this can be handy.
Soak the Alpha
Even if your dwarf form isn't slotted out for a drawn out fight, there's no shame in taking the alpha with it. You can teleport into a back, punch them a bit, fire off your heal, the hit your AoE (Mire/Flare), and then drop back to human. This is a critical part of double-miring with a warshade before you have eclipse. You get the first mire, take the alpha, hit your drain as a dwarf, then drop human and mire again. After that, you can port up into the sky, and turn nova and come zooming back, buffed to the gills.
Remember the Hover
Small detail: when you port, you have 2 seconds of hover. If you teleport in dwarf form, then immediately hit your bind for going nova, by the time your tp hover wears off, you'll be in nova and flying. This can be useful to remember for travel or escape.
Tactics for Using Specific Peacebringer Powers
The Fly-By IStrike
Incandescent Strike is great for taking out voids, quantums, and dangerous opponents. However, staying in melee range for three seconds is almost always a bad idea - especially for voids. Fly by! You start at a distance, build up speed and act like you're just going to fly by an enemy. Right as you're about to pass, hit your attacking. Your momentum will carry you out past their melee range, but you'll attack nonetheless. This is fairly standard fly-by jousting.
If your build has super speed, you can do the SS variant: ss past an enemy, jumping right as you're next to them, and instantly after jumping, fire the attack. You'll get air, fly a ways away, but use the attack nonetheless.
The Qfly Alpha Draw
When you are facing highly dangerous enemies - Quantums, Voids, sappers - it can be useful to draw their alpha strike with QFly. Turn it on, get right in their face, and get them to attack you. Many enemies have a melee AND a ranged attack; if you're close, be sure that if they fire their melee, you back up and draw their ranged also. I prefer to stay just out of melee range to draw the ranged attack first. One you draw the alpha while phased, you drop Qfly and Pulsar/IStrike/Solar Flare.
Photon Seeker Strike
Photon seekers work in a 7ft radius; that's big enough that if you get enemies packed tightly around, you have a nuke-level attack without the drawbacks. You can suck enemies in close in dwarf form, using Qfly, or while roaming around in light form. Then, drop photon seekers, using them as a real AoE, and watch the bodies fly. Photon Seekers can also be very useful against Rikti Portals. You can summon them as the portals appear, killing them instantly (before they even summon anything!) for a lot of xp. Be careful not to do it TOO soon - it's possible the Seekers will instakill the portal and the comm officer before it fully manifests, and depriving you of the xp.
Drive-By Pulsar
With fly or superspeed, fly/run-hop by a group, and fire off pulsar, allow you to stun them without exposing you to melee retaliation. A more advanced technique involves a variant of the pull-up attack. You start in Nova form, fly at a pack, and right as you reach its edge, you pull up, then drop to human. You fly through the air at an arc, firing the attack immediately as you fly over.
Essence Boost vs. Reform Essence: The Grudge match
Essence Boost, or Reform Essence... or both? And in which order? There's a great Guide to Dull Pain. Read it, love it, and think about when to use each. The way Essence Boost works, if you're on your deadbed blinking red, then Boost followed by Reform might only heal you 75-80%, whereas Reform followed by Boost might let you get full.
Tactics for specific Warshade powers
Drive by Grav Well
See PB under "Fly-By Istrike". This means you need super speed, which the sample build does.
The delayed triple alpha with Unchain
A lot of times against groups of tough enemies, you'll find that even doubled mired, the AoEs from Nova form aren't quite enough. So execute the nova form pull-up approach, and similar to the PB triple alpha, drop out of nova form right after you fire the Detonation. Land, targeting an enemy you can finish off with grav well. Hit them with it, then immediately unchain that corpse. With Unchain Essence, you often need to make your own circumstances rather than waiting for them to come up.
Starless Step into Inky Aspect
Get out of visible range with Inky on, and Starless Step your enemy. You can land a hold, and even if it misses, they may be stunned by Inky.
Shadow Step + Gravitic Emanation, with Inky on top
To stun an lieutenant or boss, teleport directly next to them, then fire off gravitic emanation, while running Inky. If Inky ticks before GE finishes, they'll be stunned. Then you can roll up next to them to KEEP them stunned. With 2 DisDur enhancements, 1 Rech, and Hasten, you can reapply GE before it wears off, and with Inky running, that will keep the boss stunned. The upshot is that if Inky does NOT tick, there's a good chance they'll get tossed by the knockback effect, and be getting up when you roll up next to them and tag them with Inky.
Get an Eclipse Before the Alpha Strike
The best way to do this is probalby to port directly into a mob with Shadow Cloak running, and immediately fire it. If you use Dwarf mire FIRST, you may get hit by knockback. After eclipsing, dwarf form and mire, then human and mire. Careful before you fire the dwarf version - if you get hit by a knockback attack in the teleport hover, you'll often fly off as it repelled - it can look quite funny.
Death (well, stun) from above!
Fly up over a mob using nova form, and fire Gravitic Emanation DOWN if you want to avoid knockback.
Mire, Mire, Nuke, Circle
It's a Warshade standard. Teleport in as Dwarf, mire, go human and Sunless mire, then Quasar. After the bodies go flying find 3 within range (you usually can, have the camera zoomed out so you can quickly assess the damge), and move to them, pop a blue, and Stygian Circle. You're back to full health and endurance and ready to roll.
Reposition them with Gravitic Emanation
If you have mires or eclipse coming up and your enemies aren't close enough to each other, consider using Gravitic Emanation (and possible a port to get yourself in position for the emanation) to pack them in nice and tight.
Regrouping enemies is why God made corners
If there's a corner nearby, force your enemies to come around it to fight you. That positions them in a clump for mires and eclipses if needed.
A corpse is never used up
You can use the same corpse for Unchain Essence, Dark extraction, and Stygian Circle.
Tank for Poor Fluffy
Especially if you have two fluffies (extracted essences) out and you're solo, consider going in Dwarf Form if you need to, and keep the aggro off them so they can survive and blast another day.
General Kheldian Tactics
If you KNOW they'll drop your toggles, use a BF in advance
Sometimes you just KNOW you're going to get mezzed. Don't wait to use the Break Free AFTER they do it if you're running toggles. Use it in advance.
Know your team
Be aware of what buffs you're getting from Cosmic Balance or Dark Sustenance at all times. For example, if you are using Light Form and have 3 blasters/scrappers in your party, there's no need to turn on a shield to supplement Light Form - you're already at the cap.
Shapeshift, Cosmic Balance/Dark Sustenance, and you
Cosmic Balance and Dark Sustenance have an "activation period" of 10 seconds. That means it may take up to 10 seconds for their buffs to kick in. Keep that in mind. If you're a Peacebringer with a bunch of Defenders/Tankers on your team, don't shift out of Dwarf/Nova and insta-nuke; make sure your Cosmic Balance kicks in first. (Or just avoid the forms if you know you're about to nuke)
-=== Appendix A: The Warshade Hami-O Build ===-
I love my Warshade, and I recently hit 47 (and then 50 in fairly short order). I wanted to share my L50 Hami-O laden build. I have about 90% of this slotted this way, and let me say: it is legion. Because the HOs allow you to squeeze so much more utility out of a slot-starved Kheldian, you become a LOT stronger. The "tank for fluffy" strategy is even better, because with the 3rd recharge and the stronger dwarf form, you will almost always have 2 fluffies out, and your dwarf form can fight well and for extended amounts of time. I am thinking about some sort of rearrangement to squeeze a slot or two into antagonize JUST for this purpose. Obviously, you can replace the medicine pool with anything, but since my use for my shade now is exemping, being able to unexemp and help get a team on its feet is a nice use.
Without further ado:
-== The Warshade L50 Hami-O Build ==
---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
---------------------------------------------
Name: ws-hami
Level: 50
Archetype: Warshade
Primary: Umbral Blast
Secondary: Umbral Aura
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Ebon Eye==> NucleExp(1)NucleExp(5)CentiExp(5)
01) --> Absorption==> DmgRes(1)
02) --> Gravimetric Snare==> NucleExp(2)NucleExp(3)PeroxExp(3)
04) --> Gravity Shield==> GolgiExp(4)
06) --> Dark Nova==> MicroExp(6)
08) --> Hasten==> Rechg(8)Rechg(17)Rechg(17)
10) --> Starless Step==> Acc(10)
12) --> Sunless Mire==> Acc(12)Rechg(13)Rechg(13)Rechg(25)
14) --> Shadow Cloak==> CytosExp(14)
16) --> Super Speed==> Run(16)
18) --> Gravity Well==> EndopExp(18)NucleExp(19)PeroxExp(19)PeroxExp(42)
20) --> Black Dwarf==> RibosExp(20)RibosExp(45)DmgRes(50)
22) --> Stygian Circle==> Rechg(22)EndMod(23)EndMod(23)EndRdx(45)
24) --> Nebulous Form==> EndRdx(24)
26) --> Gravity Emanation==> EndopExp(26)EndopExp(27)EndopExp(27)
28) --> Unchain Essence==> EndopExp(28)PeroxExp(29)PeroxExp(29)Dmg(46)Rechg(48)Rechg(48)
30) --> Inky Aspect==> EndopExp(30)
32) --> Dark Extraction==> NucleExp(32)NucleExp(33)CentiExp(33)Rechg(33)Rechg(34)Rechg(34)
35) --> Quasar==> Dmg(35)Dmg(37)Dmg(37)Rechg(37)Rechg(46)Rechg(46)
38) --> Eclipse==> Acc(38)DmgRes(39)DmgRes(39)Rechg(39)Rechg(40)Rechg(40)
41) --> Stygian Return==> Heal(41)
44) --> Stimulant==> IntRdx(44)
47) --> Aid Other==> Heal(47)
49) --> Resuscitate==> Rechg(49)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
01) --> Shadow Step==> Range(1)
10) --> Shadow Recall==> Range(10)
02) --> Rest==> Rechg(2)
01) --> Dark Sustenance==> Empty(1)
---------------------------------------------
06) --> Dark Nova Blast==> NucleExp(6)NucleExp(11)CentiExp(15)
06) --> Dark Nova Bolt==> NucleExp(6)NucleExp(11)CentiExp(15)
06) --> Dark Nova Detonation==> NucleExp(6)NucleExp(7)CentiExp(9)EndRdx(43)Rechg(50)
06) --> Dark Nova Emmanation==> NucleExp(6)NucleExp(7)CentiExp(9)EndRdx(40)Rechg(50)
20) --> Black Dwarf Strike==> NucleExp(20)NucleExp(31)NucleExp(36)EndRdx(43)
20) --> Black Dwarf Smite==> NucleExp(20)NucleExp(31)NucleExp(31)EndRdx(43)Rechg(45)
20) --> Black Dwarf Mire==> NucleExp(20)Rechg(21)Rechg(21)Rechg(25)Dmg(48)
20) --> Black Dwarf Drain==> NucleExp(20)GolgiExp(34)GolgiExp(36)NucleExp(36)GolgiExp(42)Rechg(42)
20) --> Black Dwarf Step==> EndRdx(20)
20) --> Black Dwarf Antagonize==> Taunt(20)
---------------------------------------------
Thanks to this slotting, you're basically totally awesome at every level. Your forms are both fully viable - you could sit in nova or dwarf 100% of the time and be effective. At L38+, you have everything going for you: you have both forms, all the good human powers slotted amazingly well, including your pets. The ability to effectively slot 3 rech, 3 dmg, 2 acc, 1 rng into your pets is one of the best things about Hamis. This build is great, and I imagine I'll spend a lot of time hanging around with my Find Team set to Any, message: "Any job, any level." Warshades were already good, but this really takes it over the top, so to speak. One of the goals of dwarf form was to maximize its survivability for situations where you CAN'T drop out of it, so the self-heal is slotted to be useful both as an attack and for survivability via healing. (Dwarf form can be really useful even against small numbers of enemies if you even catch a couple with eclipse. 2-3 hits from eclipse then going dwarf means your damage resistance is capped vs all but psi and good vs psi. Given that and the dwarf heal, you can tank like a champ.) I'm not sure where I'll get the slots, but I'd really like to get 2 more into antagonize to be better at holding aggro. (acc+taunt)
I said it before I'll say it again: amazing guide. So helpful for new kheldians, and probably even old ones.
@Bengal Fist - Freedom - Authority SG
Bengal Fist (SS/EA) - Thirt3en (Time/Elec) - Aussi (Elec/Shield) - Potamoi (Water/Time) - Parkr (Staff/Ela)
Lots of good stuff here, especially the complete and updated section on powers and strategies.
Having played both tanks and Kheldians, I think it should be very clear that the Dwarf's problem in tanking is not surviving aggro, it's getting it in the first place and keeping it. In my opinion this is the single biggest difference. When there is a tank on the team, I let them tank and go into damage mode, unless the tank needs help (unstoppable carsh for example) in which case I can jump in.
Your builds are good builds, I still prefer mine, both for PB (see sig) and Warshade. In particular I never once wished I had the shields on my Kheldians. I would *mcuh* rather take superspeed+stealth than the shields for example.
I had to say this because too many people will see a build and copy it blindly, especially for ATs as complex as Kheldians. There probably is not one "best" build, because it depends also on your playstyle, so read up on the powers and make up your own mind about it.
I may mention this in there somewhere, but I agree that it is very hard to call any Kheldian build a "best" build. There are so many variables, especially with respect to slotting. Personal preference weighs in heavily. With a Kheldian, you are definitely forced to make choices, so my builds are one set of choices. I try to identify places where the builds can be tweaked, even, in the footnotes to them, so people who DO copy can copy but tweak.
I generally only include the shields for the purposes of stacking on top of Light Form to reach the damage cap. I'd rather slot LF for EndMod than DamRes. I did do a build with SS+stealth, and it has its uses. In the world with Police Band missions, I even tend to want it back; the utility is pretty good.
Great Guild..one of the best on the forum!!
If you may I would like to point out two things.
1) Ebon Eye has two thing to it that make it better that attack than noted. Better range and 1.1 inherent acc. At lvl 1-6 this is golden. lock down foe with Grav snare and rock them.
2) [ QUOTE ]
By no means strong enough or useful enough to be a required power, but it can be useful.
[/ QUOTE ]
Agreed. It is weak and in late game may loss its usefulness. BUT. it is the only attack that does smash damage as well as negative. Against neg res baddys this is pricless.
Now I maybe on glue here but this is what Ive seen and read. These are the tactics I use and like you said there is no right/wrong to make a Khen. just My 2 inf.
Again great guild.
First off, GREAT guide. It's got everything a Kheld would want. Time to Favorite this and get rid of all the others, it's that good. But I do have a few minor points...
It's ALWAYS better to slot forms for END Mod rather than END Reduction, but you probably shouldn't do either. The first END Reduction will reduce the toggle cost by 0.065 END, while later ones do less. END Mods add a flat 0.083 each. You'll get a bigger bang for your buck by slotting the powers in your forms for END Reduction. You basically said this, but I want to emphasize it.
PB: Bright Nova Bolt recharges in the time it takes to cast any 1 other Nova attack. I almost always alternate it and another attack, so I don't benefit from slotting Recharge Reduction.
WS: Shadow Step I always leave unslotted. It's just safer to use Black Dwarf Step if you want to use Teleport as your main travel power. You get high Resists and Mez protection while Teleporting in Dwarf form, so what's not to like?
WS: Stygian Circle is game changing. I'd give it 6
My PB build is similar to the one you have specializing on forms. Nova is better slotted, including the base power for END Mods and Micro HOs. I've shaved some slots off Dwarf form to buff up some human powers. I went Super Speed and extra situational PB powers (IS and Dawn Strike) rather than Presence. I can stealth missions, do nasty damage in Nova form, or sit there and take it in Dwarf. Just don't expect me to do much damage in Dwarf form. My PB is 50, and loaded with HOs wherever they can go.
My WS is only in the low 30s, so I can't comment on them as much.
I had a bind on my PB that would toggle off forms, toggle on Super Speed, set IS to auto, target a void or quant, and hit follow.
I think with WS you can use a single bind that calls both Shadow Step and Black Dwarf Step. One will be ignored, and the other one will fire.
Teams of Khelds are just plain sick. Three Novas will take out most mobs excluding bosses with their first 2 AoEs.
Goodbye and thanks for all the fish.
I've moved on to Diablo 3, TopDoc-1304
Great guide! Added to favorites!
[ QUOTE ]
First off, GREAT guide. It's got everything a Kheld would want. Time to Favorite this and get rid of all the others, it's that good. But I do have a few minor points...
[/ QUOTE ]
Thank you!
[ QUOTE ]
It's ALWAYS better to slot forms for END Mod rather than END Reduction, but you probably shouldn't do either. The first END Reduction will reduce the toggle cost by 0.065 END, while later ones do less. END Mods add a flat 0.083 each. You'll get a bigger bang for your buck by slotting the powers in your forms for END Reduction. You basically said this, but I want to emphasize it.
[/ QUOTE ]
It's not QUITE true. If you are talking +3 enhancements, ED kicks in and makes that third EndMod worth considerably less, but the EndRed is at full power (over full power). My math basically worked out that 2 EndMods was always better, but if you had +2 or higher enhancements, then an EndRed as the third was more effective than EndMod. Truthfully, we're talking about minute amounts of Endurance, and the emphasis here should simply be: don't slot the form for either.
[ QUOTE ]
PB: Bright Nova Bolt recharges in the time it takes to cast any 1 other Nova attack. I almost always alternate it and another attack, so I don't benefit from slotting Recharge Reduction.
[/ QUOTE ]
With slotting, you can get it so you can basically alternate the single target attacks nonstop. With a rech SO and hasten, blast recharges in under 2 seconds, and the act time on bolt is 1.5, so there's maybe a .4s gap. But I mostly like slotting rech into the AoEs, so if you need them more than once per fight, they're there for you.
[ QUOTE ]
WS: Shadow Step I always leave unslotted. It's just safer to use Black Dwarf Step if you want to use Teleport as your main travel power. You get high Resists and Mez protection while Teleporting in Dwarf form, so what's not to like?
[/ QUOTE ]
That's a good point. Personally, I like looking at my costume while I port, and I don't like shapeshifting to travel, but that's just me. This seems like good advice. (And at lower levels going through tough zones, I've stuck to dwarf, so I've practiced what you're preaching)
[ QUOTE ]
WS: Stygian Circle is game changing. I'd give it 6
[/ QUOTE ]
Hah! I did give it 5 BIG smileys, I think. But it is a landmark power. I deleted my first shade JUST before getting it. If only...
[ QUOTE ]
My PB build is similar to the one you have specializing on forms. Nova is better slotted, including the base power for END Mods and Micro HOs. I've shaved some slots off Dwarf form to buff up some human powers. I went Super Speed and extra situational PB powers (IS and Dawn Strike) rather than Presence. I can stealth missions, do nasty damage in Nova form, or sit there and take it in Dwarf. Just don't expect me to do much damage in Dwarf form. My PB is 50, and loaded with HOs wherever they can go.
[/ QUOTE ]
I have a HO build prepared to test for my PB, and I'll post it when I manage to get there (44.5) and get the HOs (slotting up my WS cleared out my inventory, I'm down to only like 8 or 9, and just 1 Nuc).
[ QUOTE ]
My WS is only in the low 30s, so I can't comment on them as much.
[/ QUOTE ]
You're in for a treat. Warshades are late bloomers.
[ QUOTE ]
I had a bind on my PB that would toggle off forms, toggle on Super Speed, set IS to auto, target a void or quant, and hit follow.
I think with WS you can use a single bind that calls both Shadow Step and Black Dwarf Step. One will be ignored, and the other one will fire.
[/ QUOTE ]
Ah, yes, that makes sense, and I bet it would work.
[ QUOTE ]
Teams of Khelds are just plain sick. Three Novas will take out most mobs excluding bosses with their first 2 AoEs.
[/ QUOTE ]
My first WS was a WS+PB pairing with an in-game friend, and that's all we did: zoom around and double-scatter, double-detonate large groups. Totally abusive. (This was pre-ED)
Thanks for a good post.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
PB: Bright Nova Bolt recharges in the time it takes to cast any 1 other Nova attack. I almost always alternate it and another attack, so I don't benefit from slotting Recharge Reduction.
[/ QUOTE ]
With slotting, you can get it so you can basically alternate the single target attacks nonstop. With a rech SO and hasten, blast recharges in under 2 seconds, and the act time on bolt is 1.5, so there's maybe a .4s gap. But I mostly like slotting rech into the AoEs, so if you need them more than once per fight, they're there for you.
[/ QUOTE ]
I was just recommending not slotting Bolt for recharge. You definitely want Recharge Reduction in the other Nova powers for high-end damage. Someone posted a PB guide about a year ago HERE. My last post in that thread was an analysis on Nova form attack chains. Take a look there if you want to tweak your slotting for max damage.
Goodbye and thanks for all the fish.
I've moved on to Diablo 3, TopDoc-1304
[ QUOTE ]
I was just recommending not slotting Bolt for recharge. You definitely want Recharge Reduction in the other Nova powers for high-end damage. Someone posted a PB guide about a year ago HERE. My last post in that thread was an analysis on Nova form attack chains. Take a look there if you want to tweak your slotting for max damage.
[/ QUOTE ]
Oh, yeah. I have no idea why that says "add a rech if you like", I think I did Blast first, then bolt, did a copy paste on that line, and then reorganized them later (probably because the CoX listing had blast first). I'll definitely correct that for v2, bolt is way too fast to slot a rech into.
Great guide. Just got my first 50 yesterday and started a PB, so I'll be referencing this alot. I have a question though. You talk about and give sample builds for triforming and human only. But what's the feasibility of a human/dwarf only build?
[ QUOTE ]
Abusing Dark Astoria
Speaking of Peacebringers and nova form - Dark Astoria. Unfortunately, I haven't been hunting here since ED. However, pre-ED, it was possible to two-shot +1 minions with 5 damage SOs in Dark Astoria, without buildup. Since buildup is WORTH more than 2 SOs, it stands to reason you can still do it WITH build up. Large packs of Banished Pantheon husks is what you want - they are VULNERABLE to Energy damage. So you build up, nova scatter, nova detonate, and then fly off to the next group. You'll also pick up a ton of inspirations, and you can use 3 reds in lieu of buildup. (And of course, they last longer)
[/ QUOTE ]
That's a good tip. Perez Park is another great place to find targets with a vulnerability to energy early in the game. Those herds of Skulls (lvl 7-10 or 11, I think) on the streets are very tasty to a young Bright Nova. Everyone levels pretty quickly from 6-10 anyway, but wiping out packs of Skulls makes those levels fly by.
[Don't try it with your Warshade though: Skulls resist negative energy.]
[ QUOTE ]
Great guide. Just got my first 50 yesterday and started a PB, so I'll be referencing this alot. I have a question though. You talk about and give sample builds for triforming and human only. But what's the feasibility of a human/dwarf only build?
[/ QUOTE ]
It's certainly feasible. I've actually run something approaching each of those builds that I listed. I've never tried human/dwarf. Also, while there are LOTS of requests on the Kheldian forum for human-only and for tri-form builds, I have seen only one request for a human/dwarf biform since I started reading it.
It's certainly feasible though. Of the three forms, Nova is, in my opinion, the "strongest" form, natively. That is, if I had to pick a PB for MY team which would stay in one form, on the balance, I'd prefer a squid floating around. That said, if a triform can be viable, and a human-only can be viable, it stands to reason a human/dwarf biform is viable. Again, you need to decide your slotting priorities. Are you going to be slotting dwarf form in your 20s, or slotting reform essence and solar flare? As always, it's important to have a plan and to think about WHY you're doing what you're doing, and how your choices translate into a battle plan.
[ QUOTE ]
That's a good tip. Perez Park is another great place to find targets with a vulnerability to energy early in the game. Those herds of Skulls (lvl 7-10 or 11, I think) on the streets are very tasty to a young Bright Nova. Everyone levels pretty quickly from 6-10 anyway, but wiping out packs of Skulls makes those levels fly by.
[Don't try it with your Warshade though: Skulls resist negative energy.]
[/ QUOTE ]
I've done this in the Hollows, too. You can do one mission there, get a full inspiration store, and just pop inspirations like mad while you chew through huge groups. It's not hard to go from 6-12 in a very short time. (You can do this with any aoe character; I've been experimenting with a fire/elec blaster, and that's how he got up)
Why no Membranes? They not only decrease recharge time, but lower the targets Defense.
I really notice a difference on my build with them. Being more accurate can't hurt right?
Just Lucky that way...
[ QUOTE ]
Why no Membranes? They not only decrease recharge time, but lower the targets Defense.
I really notice a difference on my build with them. Being more accurate can't hurt right?
[/ QUOTE ]
Crap, I need some context for this. I'm not sure what you're asking in response to? Membrane is +rech and +tohit/def. I use them on various characters in Build up and Aim to max out the thbuf of those.
If you wanted tohit and defense DEBUFFS + accuracy, you could actually slot the oh-so-easy-to-get-in-trade Lysos. (Anyone need them? Call me, special deal!) I had thought about slotting them in PB nova powers, but in the end, I don't think the -def is quite worth it. I mean, if it's that or a plain acc, go for it.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Why no Membranes? They not only decrease recharge time, but lower the targets Defense.
I really notice a difference on my build with them. Being more accurate can't hurt right?
[/ QUOTE ]
Crap, I need some context for this. I'm not sure what you're asking in response to? Membrane is +rech and +tohit/def. I use them on various characters in Build up and Aim to max out the thbuf of those.
If you wanted tohit and defense DEBUFFS + accuracy, you could actually slot the oh-so-easy-to-get-in-trade Lysos.
[/ QUOTE ]
Due to the way TH/Defense (De)Buffs are calculated, Hamis with a (De)Buff component affect both buffs and debuffs. In other words a Cyto and an Enzyme function identically. So slotting a Membrane in a PB nova's attacks will give you +rech and -def.
Why are you only slotting one fly in Nova? I would think you'd want to get as much speed as you can out of it to get across the City, or is that perhaps what you'll use SS for?
Howl of the Wyld
The Regenners
[ QUOTE ]
Why are you only slotting one fly in Nova? I would think you'd want to get as much speed as you can out of it to get across the City, or is that perhaps what you'll use SS for?
Howl of the Wyld
The Regenners
[/ QUOTE ]
Nova flight has a higher base fly speed but the same cap. To me, 1 +3 fly SO in nova feels about the same as 3-SO fly using the pool power.
Note that I intend to keep the most updated version of this guide in my signature.
Kheldians are a complicated Archetype. They are often disparaged by the ignorant, or disappointing to those who expected them to be something they are not. I was initially relatively unimpressed with them, but over time, I've come to fall in love with both versions. This guide should be a lot of things: A primer on the ATs and their powers, a guide to different ways to attack the many possible builds, an FAQ on the ATs, and some strategic advice on making the most of your unique powers.
Here's a table of contents:
a. Preface and Introduction
I. Peacebringer Power Information and Ratings (in this post)
II. Warshade Power Information and Ratings
III. FAQ
IV. Sample Builds
V. Strategy - Building and Playing Your Kheldian
VI. Appendix A - the Hami-O build
a. Preface and Introduction
First, a few words. Peacebringers and Warshades are unlocked when you get a Hero to level 50. No, villains do not count. Once you have a single Hero at 50, you can create unlimited Kheldians on any server.
Kheldians each have a fixed origin (Natural for PBs, Science for WSs). They each have only one primary and one secondary power set, but the power sets are significantly larger than ordinary 9-power sets. They have an astounding 14 Primary and 12 secondary powers. The astute will realize that means you literally cannot take them all! Even if you took ONLY powers from your primary and secondary, you would have to skip two. Additionally, both WSs and PBs have as many as 13 inherent powers, 12 of which will be slottable. It's pretty tough to choose, and even tougher to slot.
As you'll see if you read through this whole guide, Kheldians are both stronger and weaker than ordinary ATs, depending on the circumstance. But they're capable of doing some amazing things. They are never without a weakness, but given the right team, they are also unmatched in strength and versatility at many stages of their career.
Kheldians have shape shifting abilities. When they shift to forms, all auto powers (e.g., Stamina, Swift) turn off. Click powers that have a continuing duration (e.g., Hasten, Essence Boost) will continue to function. Those powers can only be activated in human form, but the effects persist into other forms.
Finally, a note on powers. Kheldians have different damage modifiers depending on their form and the attack type. This is only worth note for comparison purposes. The entire idea of a "brawl index" isn't particularly useful, because Kheldians have a different scale for the damage for melee and ranged attacks, and for their dwarf and nova attacks. Roughly speaking, though, human form melee is slightly weaker than tank damage; human form blasts are slightly weaker than defenders; tank form attacks are slightly stronger than tank attacks; and nova form attacks are on the highest damage scale in the game, higher than blaster ranged attacks, even. Keep this in mind as you read the damage numbers with the powers. This is the reason that I have not listed the traditional "brawl index" type numbers, because it is deceptive. Also, Kheldians have a variety of buffs, including Cosmic Balance/Dark Sustenance, which buffs them based on their teammates, or the inherent form buff the nova form gets.
If you have a general question or curiousity NOT answered in the Preface, check the FAQ.
Kheldians have a damage cap of 400%, like most ATs. (Blasters, Scrappers, Brutes, and I believe Corruptors excluded) Kheldians have a resist cap of 85%, regardless of form.
Note that power information is accurate as of I7. Note that the power's effects are "at Level 50". In many cases, for example, Energy Flight, you get the same power at L1 and L50. For powers that involve heals, damage, and so forth, the numbers obviously scale up. But you could read it to mean, "Power Effect (at L50 if it scales):" rather than just "At L50", but I'm saving space.
Acknowledgements
This guide would not exist without Red Tomax's excellent City of Data, or Iakona's help figuring out what all these numbers mean. Although I've done a lot of calculations myself, I am definitely standing on the shoulders of giants. I'd also like to thank Thomie Dead-Eye for his efforts keeping Kheldian bugs in the devs face for a long time, helping to fix what was broken. And thanks to the devs for creating such a wild, intriguing, fun pair of ATs. How they managed to make them feel hard AND easy, weak AND powerful, while giving them soooo many choices is almost a mystery, but nice work.
Feedback
I welcome feedback on the guide; just post. If you have a question not answered in the guide, you can reply here; if I'm not responding, then feel free to msg me.
Teaming
If you like teaming with Kheldians, I'm @Plasma, and play mostly on Virtue. My Peacebringer and Warshade are Solar Surfer, and Shadow Force, respectively. I especially love teaming my Warshade with empaths or kineticists, since their buffs are ideal complements to a Warshade's powers. Seriously, you have not seen carnage until you've seen a high-level warshade with an Empath. (I'm not exaggerating when I say that tearing up 8-man invincible spawns with nothing but a couple buffs and no other help is quite possible)
Shameless Plug
How does a Peacebringer get his start? What is merging with an alien like? Well, you can read Solar Surfer's origin story in the City of Heroes comic, #11-13, available from the main CoH website under the 'comic' tab - just download and read away.
I. PEACEBRINGER POWERS
Non-Form Inherents
Cosmic Balance
Available: 1
AUTO: this power is always on (only in human form)
Range: 300ft
Effect: +20% Smashing/Energy damage per Defender or Tanker on team and within range, +10% res (all, including psi) for each Scrapper or Blasters on Team and within range, and -1 mag protection vs all mez effects per controller within range.
Description: Buffage. This can make teaming even at L1 fun, as you can see your damage rise as people join you. Note that this power doesn't quite kick on instantly when you come out of a form, and it isn't active at all while in a form (shapeshifted). Human only. The peacebringer version is, IMO, the more useful of the two, since it tends to make you better at whatever the team is missing. The major problem here is just that the mez protection is nigh useless, because -1Mag is pathetic. That will save you from one - yes one - minion or lieutenant mez. You'd need two controllers to avoid a single boss mez attack, and once they stack? Forget about it. A team full of controllers is worth less than a single Clear Mind. If I could pick one reasonable improvement for Kheldians, it would be to alter this buff to change this to -2 or -3Mag.
Energy Flight
Available: 1
Range: -
Activation: -
Recharge: -
End Cost: 1/second
At L50: You Fly.
Plasma's Rating:
Description: This is just like fly, except cooler, and you get it free at L1. There is nothing like flying around outbreak, eyes glowing.
Combat Flight
Available: 10
Range: -
Activation: -
Recharge: -
End Cost: 0.2/second
At L50: You fly (slowly), 1.75% defense (melee, ranged)
Plasma's Rating:
Description: This is hover. You get it for free at Level 10. If you're not into flying, hey, you can pick up speed or leaping. But you get these free, and that's tough to complain about. Good use of hover will avoid your being knocked down. The one problem with fighting with this on is that one of your major attack powers (Solar Flare) requires you to be on the ground to activate it, and that flies in the face of hover-as-knockdown-protection. Oh, well. It's a free power.
-=== Primary Set: Luminous Blast ===-
Gleaming Bolt
Available: 1
Range: 50 ft
Activation: 1s
Recharge: 1.5s
End Cost: 3.12
At L50: 20.85 Energy Damage, -9% defense debuff for 3 seconds
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 acc; if you are fighting in human form regularly, 1acc/3dmg
Description: This power is the equivalent of Neutrino Bolt from the Defender Rad Blast set. Fast activating, very fast recharge, minor damage. You can think of it almost like a ranged brawl - it does slightly more damage than Brawl and recharges faster. The good side is that it recharges so fast, it can fill almost any hole in an attack chain. The bad news is...well, it's weak.
Glinting Eye
Available: 1
Range: 60ft
Activation: 1.67s
Recharge: 4s
End Cost: 5.2
At L50: 34.76 Energy Damage, -18% Defense debuff for 6 seconds
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 acc; if you are fighting in human form regularly, 1acc/3dmg
Description: Another undistinguished blast, but it shoots frickin laser beams from your eyes, and for me, that's good enough to choose it over Gleaming Bolt, since one is required.
Gleaming Blast
Available: 2
Range: 50 ft
Activation: 1.67s
Recharge: 8s
End Cost: 8.53s
At L50: 57 Energy damage, 10% chance of knockback, -18% defense debuff for 6 seconds
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 acc; if you are fighting in human form regularly, 1acc/3dmg
Description: This blast is a bit better in a vacuum, because for the same activation time (1.67s) you get more bang for the buck. With SOs and some cosmic balance, this can start to feel like a real attack.
Bright Nova
Available: 6
Range: -
Activation: 2.03s
Recharge: -
End Cost: .26/second
At L50: Unsupressing fast flight, +15% recovery (stamina, for reference is +25%), 9% to-hit, +45% damage (energy,smashing), +15% Res (energy,negative energy), and enables Nova inherents
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 Fly
Description: This is your first shapechange power. It turns you into a flying artillery platform. In addition to fast, unsuppressing flight (which has a bit of inertia, allowing for some unique combat maneuvers), you get a mini-stamina, a decent tohit buff, a large damage buff, and perhaps most importantly, your damage scale in the form changes from doing 62.5% ranged to 120% ranged! Your attack scale is now 20% over blaster scale, and on top of that, you have an inherent buff. If you're not a glutton for punishment, you'll likely make this your bread and butter for a long time, and you'll probably want to heavily slot it and keep it indefinitely. After all, you can never have too much damage, solo or on a team. On Slotting: Slotting EndMod here may be a mistake. 15% recovery translates into .2505 end per second. This means 2 +3 SOs will give you about an additional .2 end per second. That accounts for 12 end per minute. That's not much end. Compare that to Bright Nova Scatter and Detonation. They have a recharge of 12s and 16s, and consume about 12 and 15 end, respectively. You could conceivably - without Hasten or rech enhancements - use scatter 5x and detonation about 4x, for a grant total of 120 endurance per minute. Slotting a single +3 EndRed SO in each results in a savings of 34 end off of the attacks. So, save 34 end per minute, or 12 end per minute? There's something else as well. If using a strategy where you Alpha with the AOEs then switch to human for Solar Flare and other melee attacks, you may only spend 10 seconds or less in Nova form, for the benefit of about 2 endurance. By slotting EndRed in the AoEs instead, you can save 7.5 endurance rather than gain back 2 endurance, an even more dramatic comparison. If you use Bright Nova Blast quite a bit, one EndRed in it at base recharge could save up to 21.45 end per minute, compared with the 5.67 end you'd gain from one minute of the EndRec bonus from 1 SO in the form. Finally, while some people like slotting EndMod because it works "even when they aren't fighting", when you ARE fighting is when you need the endurance. EndRed is superior because the gain is frontloaded. If I fire off 3 attacks, I've saved that endurance immediately, and I'm not waiting for the endurance to return.
[ QUOTE ]
Since we've just covered the shapechange power, now on to the 4 inherents:
(All damages listed are BEFORE applying the Nova form's inherent 45% buff. They are listed here as bases so you can appropriately figure out what damage would be with enhancements. 3 SO-slotted Nova attacks are NOT roughly 2x the damage of an unslotted attack, because the unslotted attack is at about 1.45x base, and the 3-SO version is about 2.4x base)
Bright Nova Bolt
Available: When you get Bright Nova (min 6)
Range: 100ft
Activation: 1.5s
Recharge: 1.5s
End Cost: 3.12
At L50: 40 Energy Damage, -7% defense debuff for 3 seconds
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 3 damage. Add an acc and recharges in the upper levels if you like.
Description: The basic Nova form bolt. Unlike the basic blast in human form, the damage scale and inherent buff make this a worthwhile attack. It is very fast recharge, long range, very low end cost, and thanks to the high Nova form damage scale and inherent buff, it is a worthy attack. I like having mine slotted specifically for a very end efficient attack chain - with hasten running, I can basically just alternate between the single target blasts.
.
.
Bright Nova Blast
Available: When you get Bright Nova (min 6)
Range: 100ft
Activation: 1.5s
Recharge: 4s
End Cost: 5.2
At L50: 66.73 Energy Damage, -14% defense debuff for 6 seconds
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 3 damage, 1 EndRed. Add an acc and recharges in the upper levels if you like.
Description: A meaty single-target attack. Again, long range, fairly cheap, and fairly fast to recharge. This is your highest damage ranged attack, in any form. Fully slotted at L50 it will do about 160 energy damage. Compare that to fire blast, for example, which will do about 150 fully slotted, including it's DoT. In any event, it's great to have, and almost certainly worth slotting.
.
.
Bright Nova Scatter
Available: When you get Bright Nova (min 6)
Range: 60ft 45-degree cone
Activation: 1.5s
Recharge: 12s
End Cost: 11.86s
At L50: 66 Energy Damage, -7% defense debuff for 8 seconds
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc, 3 damage, 1 EndRed. Add recharges to taste in the later game.
Description: One of your Nova AOEs. Nova's strength is it's AoE power, and it starts with this. The cone is quite large. The range is not as extreme as the other Nova blasts, but very respectable nonetheless. This is the one power I recommend an accuracy in, and the idea is to have this be your opener. Between the accuracy SO and the form's inherent tohit, you will land this even on +3s almost always... add in BuildUp, and it is near certain. Once the defense debuff is in place, hitting them subsequently with other attacks should be easy (and those, in turn, apply more defense debuffs!) Because slots are VERY tight for a long time in many builds, this is a good way to conserve some slots with minimal impact.
.
.
Bright Nova Detonation
Available: When you get Bright Nova (min 6)
Range: 100ft
Activation: 2.5s
Recharge: 16s
End Cost: 15.18
At L50: 40 Energy Dmg + 20 Smashing Damage, -7% def debuff for 10 seconds, 50% chance of knockback
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 3 damage, 1 EndRed. Add recharges and perhaps an endred and/or an accuracy later in the game.
Description: The second AOE blast. Again, very spectable damage, on par with your single target Nova blasts, and, for that matter, any AOE blast. It bears comparing. Fully slotted damage at L50 for this AOE attack is around 144. Compare that to fireball from a blaster, which will do 130 fully slotted (assuming maximum DoT!) So this is a very strong blast, no doubt about it. Also note the extremely generous range for an AoE attack.
[/ QUOTE ]
Radiant Strike
Available: 6
Range: Melee (5 ft)
Activation: 1.07s
Recharge: 10s
End Cost: 10.19
At L50: 41.71 smashing + 40.04 energy damage, 30 seconds -1 fly, -9% defense for 6 seconds, 60% chance of knockback
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc/3dmg; add an extra acc if you fight +3 or higher regularly. Add an endred in the late game, or recharge if you have stamina.
Description: My favorite melee attack. It doesn't have the same drama or damage as Incadescent Strike, but you can't beat the dps on this. It's a super quick punch with a cool explosion of light that will often send your enemy flying. If you intend to fight in human form, this is a must-have attack.
Proton Scatter
Available: 8
Range: 40ft
Activation: 2.17s
Recharge: 12s
End Cost: 11.86
At L50: 34.41 energy
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: Don't take this. If you do, 1acc/3dmg.
Description: This is a human form cone attack. You will almost never see this in a build. For a human-only build, I'd say it has a place... maybe. Like all human form blasts, the damage is fairly anemic. However, it is the equivalent of Glinting Eye, but in cone shape... but beware the short range (1/3 less than the nova form equivalent). Most tri-forms and even many human forms will prefer to pass on this attack.
Build Up
Available: 12
Range: Self
Activation: 1.17s
Recharge: 90s
End Cost: 5.2
At L50: +72% damage (all), +18% toHit buff, for 10 seconds
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 3 Rech.
Description: It's a very large damage buff. You want it. Note it is weaker than the Scrapper and Blaster versions, since it does +72% instead of +100%. Even the tankers get +80%. That said, it's still very useful, to the point of being mandatory. Keep in mind that it is long enough that you can use it and change to nova form for your AOE attacks, and this is 72% applied to your base damage, which is 120% of blaster scale.
Luminous Detonation
Available: 12
Range: 50ft
Activation: 1.67s
Recharge: 16s
End Cost: 15.18s
At L50: 31.28 energy damage, -9% def debuff, 50% chance of knockback
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: Don't take this. If you do, 1acc/3 dmg.
Description: This is your other human-form AOE, and it carries the same anemic damage problem the cone attack does. Because you do less damage than a defender at range, you have to be dedicated to human form to want this. Of course, given a few teammates, your cosmic balance will make it somewhat better... but even at the damage cap (say, from 6 cosmic balance buffs, 3 SOs, and build up), you do less than a fire blaster's fully slotted fireball. So if you're all about human form, you may well want this; if not, you should skip it just like the cone.
Incandescent Strike
Available: 18
Range: Melee (5ft)
Activation: 3.3s
Recharge: 20s
End Cost: 18.51
At L50: 65.06 smashing + 83.42 energy damage, 80% chance of knockdown, -1 fly on target for 30s, -9% def debuff for 10s, Mag 3 hold for 13.41s
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc/3dmg/1endred. You can add a rech later. 2 acc will probably not be needed due to higher base acc.
Description: This attack bears a lot of similarity to Total Focus. The critical difference is that the hold attached is mag 3 only, not mag 4, which means it will NOT hold bosses like the blaster and tanker version will. That having been said, this attack does a LOT of damage. And while it takes quite a while to fire off, and sucks end like a vacuum, it is still a centerpiece of your melee attacks. The hold is nice for using with your controller friends to stack on things, and of course, it is useful for holding voids and quantums, if they are less than boss level. (Although the long activation time means they will almost certainly get an attack off before this lands). In any event, almost any build can use this attack. It also has an inherent accuracy boost (20% more than normal), for smashing the especially tough-to-hit enemies.
Pulsar
Available: 18
Range: PBAoE (20ft burst)
Activation: 3s
Recharge: 45s
End Cost: 15.6
At L50: Mag2 stun for 13.41 seconds, 50% chance of additional Mag1 stun for 13.41 seconds
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 2acc/2disdur, and add recharges to taste; if you can't afford at least 3 slots, do NOT take the power.
Description: Pulsar is a mixed bag. It's purely a control power, and the only one like it that you have. Unfortunately, it isn't that strong. It activates with the same animation and speed as Illusion's Flash power. It has a much faster recharge than most AoE holds - if you slotted it for recharge, you could use it every battle. This power has an inherent penalty to accuracy (80% of normal accuracy), and so it requires even more slotting to hit. When it does hit, it only has a 50% chance to stun Lieutenants. When PBs started off, this power was nearly useless because of the wonky AI the mobs executed when disoriented. Since they no longer do things like jump 30 ft to get away while disoriented, this power is more useful. At higher levels, you can kill minions with 3 quickly chained AoEs... so you're really taking this for two reasons: (1) For a 50% chance to disorient lieutenants, or (2) To stun very pesky minions who may have the resists to survive your AoE trio - for example, sappers. But you can also use Incandescent Strike for one-off dangerous minions. The other problem is that because Incandescent Strike is a hold, and this is a disorient, you can't stack them. I'm not a big fan of the power, but if it is your bag, after knowing its limitations, more power to you. It certainly has its uses. My current build no longer uses it, but I had taken it in the past.
Glowing Touch
Available: 26
Range: 30ft
Activation: 2.27s
Recharge: 4s
End Cost: 13
At L50: Heals 188.906
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 3 heals. Add range down the road if you can spare it.
Description: An impressive ranged heal other. It is about 3/4 as strong as an Emp Defender's Heal Other, and it has an equally impressive speedy recharge. It also looks quite cool. People will know whose heal that was! The downside is the short range... it's very short, and that is hard to mitigate with enhancements, also, because they are only 20% each, and honestly, buffing range from 30ft to 42ft at the cost of 2 SOs doesn't feel like much of a bargain. Still, for the jack-of-all-trades peacebringer, this is a nice power to have. The real issue is: will you ever be able to use it in a timely manner? You're as likely as not to be busily punching or blasting things. When someone needs a heal in a pinch, will you be close enough and fast enough on the draw? Maybe, maybe not. Like Pulsar, this power is definitely skippable. Because I like the look and enjoy being able to dish out a heal, I took it, but it is very much optional. Like Pulsar, it is a matter of knowing its limitations, and whether or not you still want it. In my large team experience, it feels very much as if I'm the second person to get there with a heal.
Solar Flare
Available: 26
Range: PBAoE (15ft burst)
Activation: 2.1s
Recharge: 20s
End Cost: 18.51
At L50: 59.22 Energy, 80% chance of knockback, -18% def debuff for 10s
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc/3dmg/1endred. Add an extra accuracy if you regularly fight +3 or higher, and +rech otherwise.
Description: Now this is the human form AoE you were waiting for. Unlike the anemic scatter and detonation ranged attacks, this is a melee attack, and it can dish it out. Just with SOs, it can be a useful attack, and when buffed by your team via cosmic balance, it can become downright impressive. That said, you can skip this attack if human form is not your bag. If you plan to fight in human regularly, this is a must have. If not, you can pass. However, it does have an interesting strategic use as well: it can be the "third AoE" for a Peacebringer. The attack sequence is: Build up, Go to Nova Form, bright nova scatter, bright nova detonation, then pop out of nova, land, and Solar Flare. If you time it right, you can actually make flare and the nova detonation hit at nearly the same instant, since the switch to human is instant, and thus you can hit a whole group with 3 AoEs. That really adds up, and even with ED in place, it can potentially let you solo a large group of minions in a matter of seconds.
Dawn Strike
Available: 32
Range: PBAoE (25ft burst)
Activation: 3s
Recharge: 360s
End Cost: 20.8 (and drains you dry)
At L50: 104.27 En Dmg + 52.13 En Dmg (75% chance) + 52.13 En Dmg (50% chance), -18% def debuff for 20 s, large knockback to all, and -100% recovery to self for 20 seconds.
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 3 damage. 3 recharge is optional. It has a large base acc (40% higher than a standard attack), and if you use Build Up first (which you ALWAYS SHOULD), then acc should not be needed.
Description: The real comparison here is one of damage. Fire/Energy nukes do 111/83(75%)/83(50%). Fire will also do another 100 damage in DoT. So your nuke is strong, by any measure, but not ridiculously strong. You won't have Aim+BuildUp like most blasters do, and your BuildUp is weaker, and your damage cap (400%) is lower even with team buffs. That said, if you're getting a fair number of cosmic balance damage buffs, you can rival a blaster here, if all they have is BU+Aim. You have one MAJOR advantage that blasters don't have: Light Form. It is a click mega-defense power, so if it is running, you can nuke, and remain effectively nearly invincible. There's a reason they don't give blasters Unstoppable! And yet you can run the equivalent of Unstoppable, AND nuke. Like any nuke, this power is highly situational, and extremely destructive. Whether or not the details work out is up to you. It looks very cool.
Photon Seekers
Available: 32
Range: -
Activation: 2.03s
Recharge: 300s
End Cost: 31.2
At L50: Summons 3 dumb pets, which self-destruct, bursting for for base 111.22 Energy Damage in a 7ft sphere (+50% chance to knockback)
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc/3dmg; add 2 rech when you can; or perhaps 1rech/1endred. They have an acc bonus and should not need more than 1 acc.
Description: The recharge on this power is horrendous. The Seekers are so dumb, you'll swear the devs programmed them JUST to frustrate you. That having been said: these things seriously dish it out. Stand aside nuke! A total of 333.66 damage unenhanced. There are two ways to use them: as accompanyment in an attack, or summon them right next to a target. The effective way is to summon them right next to something. If they spawn right next to an enemy, they will almost always all detonate immediately and simultaneously, meaning you have a nuke-and-a-half you can fire off, with no end penalty, but it only has a 7ft radius. You'd be surprised when stuff is packed in tight how much a 7ft radius can hit. My favorite use in the 30s and 40s for these so far is taking out Rikti portals. They're worth a ton of xp and prestige, but they're a pain because they summon up tough enemies. But right as one is appearing, you can conjure up the photon seekers, and blast the portal, the comm officer, and anything else foolish enough to be standing near at the time. If you summon them, then move in for an attack, they will pick targets quite randomly, and there's a good chance the dumbest of them will just decide to float around watching you fight until it evaporates. This is not an exaggeration. The stupidity of photon seekers is legendary. Post I8 there was a patch to the seekers, and they're still dumb, but they seem to have improved. Only once since the patch have I completely seen one fail to detonate, which was my major irk before. So they're more aggressive. The only reliable use is still releasing them in melee, but they're improved somewhat.
-=== Secondary Set: Luminous Aura ===-
Incandescence
Available: 1
Range: -
Activation: Auto
Recharge: -
End Cost: -
At L50: 11.25% res(energy,negative energy)
Plasma's Rating:
Description: You have to take it. 11.25% resistance isn't really going to impact much of anything. Oh, well.
Shining Shield
Available: 2
Range: -
Activation: .67s
Recharge: 2s
End Cost: .26/second
At L50: 22.5% res(smash, lethal)
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 damres, or 1 endred/3 damres for pure/mostly human builds.
Description: This is a fairly standard shield. To compare, it is identical to the resists that Dark Armor scrappers get from Dark Embrace. That said, like all PB shields, if you don't have mez protection, you are one tiny sleep/stun/hold away from all your toggles dropping, including this one, which is why I only rate it three smilies. On the other hand, smash and lethal are by far the most common attacks in the game. I think this shield is definitely is worth taking for situations where you have mez protection, to stack on Light form, and to augment team-based damage resistance buffs to these common damage types.
Essence Boost
Available: 4
Range: -
Activation: .73s
Recharge: 360s
End Cost: 10.4
At L50: +428 to max health (50% enhanceable) for 120 seconds, 428 heal, and 15% res(toxic) for 120s
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 3 heal, 3 rech. It's tough to find these slots, but the power is awesome. Do 3 rech first.
Description: This is a great power, and I can't imagine not taking it. It is Dull Pain repackaged, making it both a potent heal, and a substantial boost to your health. Half the boost to your max hp is enhanceable. With 3 recharge and 3 heal SOs, you are looking at a 836 point heal, and a 631 point boost to max health, or about 60%. Best of all, this is a click power, and so it carries through form changes. So you can run around in Nova form, blasting away, with nearly tanker-sized hp. You have to love it! Ordinarily, it would be up 120 seconds, down 64 if you just used 3 even level recharge SOs, but if you have 3-slotted Hasten, it will be more like 20-25 seconds of downtime. You should try to be aware of that, as you'll be a lot less resilient for those 20-25 seconds. The hp boost adds SO MUCH to your survivability in nova and human forms (and some to dwarf, of course).
Thermal Shield
Available: 10
Range: -
Activation: .67
Recharge: 2
End Cost: .26/second
At L50: 22.5% resist (fire,cold)
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 DamRes, or 1 EndRed, 3 DamRes for mostly/pure human builds.
Description: It's a decent shield, same percentages as Shining Shield, but again, suffers from the detoggling issue. Also, if you're using 3 forms, switching into forms ruins the shields. Also, because fire and cold are a lot less common than smashing and lethal, it's just less useful. I took it in my current build, but I will probably get rid of it when I respec.
Quantum Shield
Available: 14
Range: -
Activation: .73s
Recharge: 2
End Cost: .26/second
At L50: 22.5% resist (energy, neg energy)
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 DamRes, or 1 EndRed, 3 DamRes for mostly/pure human builds.
Description: Another so-so shield. This one stacks with your auto incandescence power; whether that means you are more likely or less likely to take it is up to you. I feel the same about this as about Thermal.
Group Energy Flight
Available: 16
Range: -
Activation: 2.03s
Recharge: -
End Cost: .52/sec
At L50: Group flight (sloooow), -25% tohit
Plasma's Rating: meh.
Recommended Slotting: 2 taunt, 3 dam, 3 acc, 4 thbuf, and 5 PartInPearTre. Blah. You take it, you decide.
Description: This is just one of those powers, you know? You might use it on a hami raid, or perhaps exploring the shadow shard. But it is expensive, it is slow, and it is nigh useless in combat thanks to carrying a massive tohit debuff that was replaced by suppression on other fly powers. I could see taking this in the 40s so you could tote lowbies around the Hollows or something in a pinch, or help fly people to mitos in Hami raids. By and large, this power is eminently skippable.
White Dwarf
Available: 20
Range: -
Activation: 2.03s
Recharge: -
End Cost: .26/sec
At L50: 37.5% resist (all but psionic), +803 max hp (not enhanceable), boost to threat level, +15% recovery, +jump, effectively immune to knockback, -15.57 Mag (stun, hold, sleep, immobilize, confuse, fear), change forms, and acquire 6 inherent powers
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 3 damres is mandatory. After that, up to 2 EndMod, then 1 EndRed.
Description: This is your other shapechange form. This one is defensive, and it is great. For starters, you have a nice big resist (all but psi). Fully enhanced, that's almost 60% resists. Because you're in a form, you won't get additional boosts from your auto powers, or team buffs, but that's nothing to sneeze at. You get a hp boost that takes your hp level up to tank hitpoints, and essence boost will carry into the form, taking you up even higher. (In fact, if you have essence boost fullly slotted, you'll actually cap out at your maximum max-hp, a total of about 225% of your kheldian base hp in human form). You're very resistant to mez attacks, again equivalent to tanks. Your form itself cannot be detoggled in PvP either. (You can lose it if you run out of end or get mezzed through your strong mez protection, but toggle dropping attacks will not ever take it down). You pick up 6 inherent powers - a self-teleport, 3 attacks, a taunt, and a self-heal. Like nova form, you pick up a minor stamina-like recovery boost; initially, it only offsets the cost of the form itself, but it can be enhanced. The huge hp boost of this form is a big help in surviving against a quantum/void.
[ QUOTE ]
Dwarf Form Inherents
White Dwarf Strike
Available: When you take White Dwarf (min 20)
Range: Melee
Activation: 1.2s
Recharge: 3s
End Cost: 4.37
At L50: 16 smashing + 23.6 energy damage, 30% chance knockdown, -7% defense debuff for 6 seconds, Mag4 Taunt for 13.5s, and a 5% chance to detoggle in PvP
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1acc; add up to 3 dmg. Add another acc if you fight +3s regularly and use dwarf form a lot.
Description: It's a decent attack. It's cheap, has some decent secondary effects, can help you keep aggro. Given the cost and recharge, the damage is respectable, but it certainly isn't impressive. Of course, beggars can't be choosers: You're getting this for free with Dwarf Form. You may slot it up or not, depending on how much you like to emphasize dwarf form.
White Dwarf Smite
Available: When you take White Dwarf (min 20)
Range: Melee
Activation: 1.5s
Recharge: 6s
End Cost: 6.86
At L50: 15.18 sm + 47.25 energy damage, -Fly, Mag 2 Stun (10% chance) for 7.1 seconds, Mag 4 taunt for 13.5s, knockdown (30% chance), -7% def debuff for 10 seconds.
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 acc/3dmg. Add 1 rech if you use dwarf form a lot.
Description: Slightly most costly and longer recharge, and just over a 50% damage boost from the weaker single target attack. This one hurts, and carries a variety of good little secondary effects. This attack is 20% more base accurate than a typical attack.
White Dwarf Flare
Available: When you take White Dwarf (min 20)
Range: PBAoE 15 ft radius
Activation: 2.1s
Recharge: 16s
End Cost: 15.18
At L50: 42.52 energy damage, 80% chance of knockdown, -14% defense for 10 sec, Mag 4 taunt for 13.5s.
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 acc, 3 dmg. Option Rech+EndRed for regular Dwarf Form users.
Description: This isn't foot stomp by any measure, but the damage is acceptable, the secondary effects nice. It's a bit slow on the recharge, but with a recharge SO and hasten, it will feel pretty speedy. Because it is an AoE, it is the most useful for gaining and holding aggro.
White Dwarf Antagonize
Available: When you take White Dwarf (min 20)
Range: 60ft, hits a 15ft radius AoE, Max 5 Targets
Activation: 1.67s
Recharge: 10s
End Cost: 0
At L50: Mag 4 Taunt, 8.24s
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 Taunt, first. To be effective against +3s in a team, add another taunt, an acc, and a rech.
Description: First, notice that the taunt duration is less than the recharge. For this reason, I strongly recommend that your first SO in this power be a taunt SO. Because it can only hit 5 targets anyhow, I don't think of accuracy as that important, even though this power is NOT autohit like a tanks. However, it DOES also have a VERY hefty accuracy bonus inherent - it is at 50% higher base accuracy over a standard attack. Otherwise, it's taunt. Tauntin' all ur mobs, pertektin' all ur teammates.
White Dwarf Sublimation
Available: When you take White Dwarf (min 20)
Range: Self
Activation: 0.73s
Recharge: 60s
End Cost: 10.4
At L50: Heal self, around 530hp.
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 Heal. Optionally up to 3 heal/3 rech, depending on how much you use dwarf form.
Description: For an inherent, this one is nice. It's reconstruction, amped up for your beefy lobster side. Those who don't spend a lot of time in human form will find it easy to switch to dwarf and use THIS heal, in combination with dull pain, and avoid Reform Essence entirely.
White Dwarf Step
Available: When you take White Dwarf (min 20)
Range: 300ft
Activation: 0.73s
Recharge: -
End Cost: 13
At L50: Teleport 100 yards.
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 EndRed. Optionally, up to 3 rng/2-3 EndRed if you REALLY like to teleport around.
Description: Another freebie travel power! Since the dwarf itself is horribly slow, this is good to have. I highly recommend this bind: "/bind shift+LBUTTON powexec_name White Dwarf Step", as it makes using it a lot easier. Hold shift, point, click, and you're there; no placing some funky circle. If you're impatient, you can slot this for range and endred, and use it to get around; Teleport is the fastest travel power, especially when slotted.
[/ QUOTE ]
Reform Essence
Available: 22
Range: -
Activation: 0.73s
Recharge: 60s
End Cost: 10.4
At L50: Heal Self (267hp)
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 3 heal, 1-3 rech. Keep in mind with Hasten up, recharge is 35s without slotting for it; 1 SO makes it 29.5, 3 reduces it to 22.6. So there are greatly diminishing returns.
Description: This heals you 1/4 of your base hp. It's basically reconstruction rewrapped. It's good, it does its job, it looks cool. It is possible to get by without this using dull pain, and the dwarf form heal, but I'd definitely recommend it.
Conserve Energy
Available: 24
Range: -
Activation: 1.17s
Recharge: 600s
End Cost: 7.8
At L50: 134.1% Endurance Discount for 90s
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 3 rech.
Description: One thing you can never have too much of: endurance. This cuts the endurance cost on your powers to 42% of their previous cost and stacks with EndRed enhancers. While this is running, you have to do some impressive work to run your end down. Peacebringers suck end like a Dyson with a nuclear reactor add-on, so you almost certainly want this power. Realistically, it will be up 90 seconds, down about 160, if you use Hasten. Otherwise, up 90, down 217. I have it, I love it.
Quantum Flight
Available: 28
Range: -
Activation: 0. Zip. Zilch. Nada.
Recharge: 60s
End Cost: 6/second
At L50: Capped fly speed, stealth, intangibility.
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 EndRed.
Description: This is the best panic button in existence. You click it, you are instantly untouchable. Caveat: enemy attacks activated before you click this power can still hit you, since after weapon draw/fire times they will land way after this works. Sadly, if one of those attacks happens to mez you, this toggle will drop, and will need 60s to recharge. That's the downside. The upside is that unlike the painful 3s that phase shift takes, this power clicks on instantly. Back in the day, it also had 0 recharge, which made it a bit of an "I win" button for those with patience, since you could drop it, punch them, then toggle it back on. It's gruesome on endurance, and after 45 seconds, it (and all your powers, for that matter) takes 4% more endurance each second, until it runs you dry. It is great for escaping tight situations, or taunting an alpha strike out of certain enemies without risk (say, voids, quantums, sappers).
Restore Essence
Available: 35
Range: -
Activation: 4.33s
Recharge: 300s
End Cost: -
At L50: Self-res, you return with 75% of your hp and 50% of your endurance, with 20s of debt protection
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 1 recharge
Description: It's nice to have a self-rez, especially at higher levels where you're doing Raids and such. Obviously, it is by no means necessary. Whether you take this is really a matter of preference.
Light Form
Available: 38
Range: -
Activation: 1.67s
Recharge: 1000s
End Cost: 2.6
At L50: 52.5% res(all but psi), nearly immune to knockback and repel, -15.57mag (hold, sleep, stun), -18.68 mag(immob), 100% recovery boost, all for 180seconds
Plasma's Rating:
Recommended Slotting: 3 recharge is mandatory. You could add 3 DamRes if you don't have shields; if you do, you could go 1 DamRes, 2 EndRec. Alternately, you could go 3 EndRec, and count on shields/team buffs to top off your resists. (3 blasters or scrappers will put you not quite at the cap)
Description: Ooh, baby. You transform yourself into a glowing ball of woop-[censored]. First, the downsides: you can't shapeshift while this is running. You aren't protected from fear and confuse. Hmm. Um... your enemies won't be able to tell it's you while you drop the hammer on them, big time? Yeah, well, there's not a lot to dislike about this power. It's very unique looking, and with 3 +3 DamRes SOs, you're pushing right up against your resist cap. Also, this is NOT a shapeshift, and so you still get team buffs; so team buffs from Cosmic Balance can also easily push up to the resist cap a lot of the time. If you don't have human form attacks, however, this form can be less than useful... after all, what good is being invincible if you can't DO anything with it. If you have Solar Flare, Rad Strike, Incandescent Strike, and a couple blasts, you should more or less be a dervish of destruction. When the power ends, you crash to 10% hp and 0 endurance. With 3 Rech SOs and Hasten, you'll find this is about a bit less than half the time. (180s up, 220s down is a good guess). If you're only using Human form for clickies and utility powers, skip this. If you fight in human form, this is mandatory. As an added bonus, this form has a hefty 100% recovery bonus - that's Stamina x4 - so you can get pretty crazy with your attacks without a problem. Even without Stamina, you have to use several toggles (say, all 3 shields) AND attack nonstop with Hasten running, to really burn through the amount of end you're getting. Note that because each shield toggle uses .26 end/sec, and this form recovers an extra 1.67 end per second, you are better off turning on all three shields for +22.5% resist (base) and putting in 2 extra endrec slots into power (+1.1 end/sec) than you are putting those 2 slots into damage resistance. Obviously, it's not a big edge, but it is notable (About equivalent to base stamina). But of course, don't take the shields just to do that.