Empathy/Psychic Blast: An I-11 Guide

The_Laughing_Man · 03-05-2008 06:59 AM

Welcome to the final iteration of the Empathy/Psi defender guide. It's Long. I'm sorry.

I have been playing my Empathy/Psi defender for nearly 4 years now. I've played Kinetics to 43, Sonic to 28 and Rad & TA to 30. I've played /Force Fields to 38 and /Storm to 50. I've played a Fire/Fire Blaster, and a Peacebringer to 50 and seen how defenders work from the other side of the fence. More importantly how they have or have not helped me. The only thing I'm not familiar with is Dark. It's too dark

All the other defender primaries, and controller secondaries are very different. There are plenty of guides for deciding which power choices to make depending on the type of game you want to play. This guide will concentrate solely on Empathy and Psychic Blast.

All numbers are taken from the City of Data and hyperlinks on each power take you straight there. I can also heartily reccommend downloading Mids' Hero Designer for some really interesting information and help in building not only your Empath, but any other CoX character.

Powers :
Empathy powers are unique in that they have the smallest number of powers that actually benefit the hero using them. Of the 9 primary powers, only three will help you solo. This compares poorly to TA & Dark's 9, Kin/Rad 7, Storm's 8 and even Force Fields' 6 is surprising. Only Sonic comes close with 4 powers of any use solo. This gives you an idea of just how much the Empathy powerset will be useful to you if you plan to solo. If you know, when you pick up the powerset, that you will spend a good deal of time alone, then that will help with your power choices. For most of us, we sit somewhere in the middle of the solo/teaming band, which is why consideration must be given to your playstyle before you begin.
Everything in your arsenal buffs your team mates. Nothing can be used against the enemy. On the upside, people will thank you for your aid, because they can clearly see the effect you have on their health bars - either by it not moving, or by it being refilled when they thought they were going to eat dirt. The shields of Blue & Orange often get forgotten, both by the team, and by the defender who has 4 minutes of worry free time before reapplying the buffs. A kineticist throws out Speed Boost, maybe an occasional ID, then he is in on the action. A stormer or an archer will be making the enemies wonder what hit them, and a Radiation defender will throw out his debuffs on an anchor then relax. You have to keep your eye on your team. You have tools to help any one of them when they get into difficulty. Empathy is often lambasted for a poor playstyle, but Empathy really shines with poor team-mates (as much as it does with good ones).

Psychic Blast is often the choice of those with conceptual thoughts behind their character. It is also a set that Blasters don't have as a Primary choice, making those psychic blasts unique to those who wear the blue shield. Its main strength comes in the form of a -Recharge debuff on the target. The Psi damage caused by these attacks also tends to be either heavily resisted, or not resisted much at all. It is probably the least resisted damage type in PvP.

For slotting, I have included base IO/SO/DO/TO's only. Invention Set slotting is very much dependent on your available influence, and playstyle so I have discussed IO Set slotting in its own section.

Empathy

Heal Other (1):
This is a good single target heal that heals a target for 26% of their HP. It does nothing else. To get the maximum benefit from the heal, slot at least three Heal enhancements (when you can). Remaining slots can be taken up with a mix of range, end redux, or recharge redux as required. The recharge of 4 seconds is fairly rapid, whilst the end cost of 13 could be trimmed a little with an end reducer. PvP'ers may want to consider range as well.

Healing Aura (1):
This is the first power that will actually affect you personally. It has the same end cost as Heal Other, but the recharge is longer (8 seconds) and obviously as it is a PBAoE heal, the effect is reduced (13% Heal). Slotting here is similar to Heal Other. 3 Heals initially, then either End or Recharge reductions.

Absorb Pain (2):
This is where the decisions need to be made. Absorb pain's end cost is less than a single point. It provides a 66% single target heal and takes 15 seconds to recharge. The downside is that you take some of the damage yourself, and cannot be healed for a short time. The up-side is that it needs little or no slotting. One single +3 Health SO in here ramps up the heal to 89% and two takes it over 100%. No endurance reduction is needed, and if you enjoy pain, then I suppose a recharge enhancement could go in here. Most folks advocate a single health enhancement in it, then leave it alone. Throughout the game you will find yourself on a team where someone is getting his backside handed to him and AP will fill a green bar very quickly. It does need careful use though. If you're taking agro yourself and you fire this off, then you will be in trouble. Some defenders like to take a shot for the team, others believe they can handle it, and others bemoan it. Until you get your buffing powers later though, this can provide some level of damage-mitigation-through-healing. Controllers may find this power more useful due to the large heal and long recharge (they're busy controlling after all), but it does have a place in an Empathy build.

Ressurect (6):
Quite simply this gets a fallen hero back into the fray with the minimum of fuss. It has a hefty end cost (26) and a fat three minute recharge. I feel it's biggest use is in combat when you lose an important team member. It gets them back on their feet, fully healed and ready to carry on arresting. If a tanker (for example) goes down on a team where he is the main damage absorber, then you will often find that unless someone else can step swiftly into the gap, all hell will quickly break loose. In Arch Villain fights, or against Giant Monsters, it is not uncommon for people to face-plant. Getting them back into the fray as soon as you can is a good thing. As for slotting, this will depend on personal choice. Mine is slotted with a single END redux to allow the hit to be taken during a fight. Recharge reduction is a consideration, however with a three minute recharge, to be able to use it multiple times in a fight would require more slots. I have been on teams where two or even three heroes have fallen and once that happens, only rarely does everyone survive.

Clear Mind (8):
Finally... A power you can skip initially. This power offers a very good status protection to an ally. Fortunately, the villains that use status attacks don't generally appear until later in the game (low twenties on up). You could certainly get away with putting this off until after a travel power (if you are choosing one), but plan to fit it in somewhere around level 20. This power has a poor activation time (a shade over 3 seconds), and doesn't seem to last that long (although the Hero Planner says 90 seconds), but it is extremely useful and removes a large amount of different mez effects (it clears the dizzy effect of using a wakey). One technique of using this is to ask for team members to hit "zzz" in the chatbar rather than try and cover everyone with it. Additionally, if you use team based keybinds (team member number 1 bound to numpad1) you could ask them to call out their team number. When you see "3" in the chatbar, hit 3 on the numpad, then Clear Mind. In a fight, you'll be trying to do ten things at once, and refreshing CM will be low on the list. Accept that you can't keep everyone covered and move on. In smaller teams, this is less of an issue of course. As the levels progress, you will find that (non-Fire)Tankers and Scrappers get good mez protections, so are unlikely to need it. The Blasters and Controllers (as well as fellow defenders) however will thank you for it - and don't forget our Kheldian allies either. Nova (squid) form generally has no status protection. As you can't enhance the status protection, you can slot this as you wish, however a point to note would be that a single recharge redux would mean it would recharge before you'd finish activating it Most folks go for an end redux, but a range enhancement if you PvP on a team might be of more use. Blasters & Khelds get the most love from me with this, and I'll often throw it out when Fortitude has recharged. It's not 100% coverage but it saves me buff buff buffing constantly.

Fortitude (12):
Finally a power that reduces the need to stab green buttons all the time. Fortitude will give an +18% to hit buff, 15% Defence buff and whopping 30% damage buff to the target. Both the to hit and defence portions are enhanceable as well as recharge, and with a recharge timer of 60 seconds (it has a duration of 120 seconds) slotting is a juggling act. Most players already slot their attacks to make sure they hit as often as they like (not to mention tactics, and Set IO accuracy bonusses), so the defensive portion of this power is probably more useful. As to "who to target". Well that will depend on the team you're with. Rather than list a priority of AT's, I think the best way forward is to either ask who wants it initially, and then dish it out based on who is taking the biggest beating. Post level 25, Tankers & Scrappers tend to be able to handle themselves, so Blasters, Khelds and other Defenders would be my initial choice. Controllers are almost certainly going to be either not pulling any agro (everything is held) or pulling a ton of it (hold wears off/AoE Immobilise) so keep an eye on them too. If a tanker asks for it though, then it's worth handing it out. This is all part of the joy of defending for a team. Being reactive in a proactive way. Make no mistake, this is a good buff. With my IO'd out Empath, I could cover a team of 6, but after a while of micro management (who had it last, who needed it next etc) I relaxed a little. On a small team, I cover everyone, but on 8, I'll cover Blasters, Khelds, Trollers then Defenders in that order unless team tactics dictate otherwise.

Recovery Aura (18):
Finally, at level 18, we get access to the second power that can also affect us. It's nice too. For 90 seconds you'll have so large a boost to Endurance recovery that you will not need to worry about anything. The 500 second recharge afterwards also gives you a clue as to where the enhancements should go. There is no real need to enhance this for Endurance Modification. Adding a fourth slot (recharge reduction) will reduce by a few seconds the availability. At lower levels, creating a bind (or an emote, such as a whistle) to announce the firing of this power will make life a lot easier, but higher level characters tend to have their END covered, so I'll drop it on whoever is having the most trouble, or when I can get the most amount of team mates in the AoE.

Regeneration Aura (26):
Regeneration Aura has many benefits. At it's base, it is a 500% regen buff for 90 seconds with a 500 second recharge (same as Recovery Aura). What this doesn't do is give you the same perceived health recovery as Recovery Aura does for end. What it does do though, is trickle through an enhanced constant "heal" to all those in its aura when fired. Use of this power depends on your playstyle. In a team where everyone knows their job, and is managing their own defence to an extent (with click powers or insps), or they are "comfortable" cruising through mobs, this power will give you a lot more time to breathe & blast. If you intend to use this power regularly, slot three recharge, then as many heals as you can spare.

Adrenalin Boost (32):
Well this is the top-tier power and the "jewel" allegedly. The target will receive a nice boost to Recharge (100%), Endurance recovery (800%) and hit point regeneration (500%). It makes a massive difference to the survivability of whoever you gift this buff to. Combined with Fortitude you can put your mind at ease that short of trying to take on Lusca's 8 tentacles singlehandedly, your target will now be safe. Well... for the next 90 seconds anyway. Another 300 second recharge timer makes it a "once per fight" power when coupled with three recharge reductions. One further End Mod SO in here will push the recover to over 1000% negating the downtime after a blaster nuke. Something they would be grateful for I'm sure.

Psychic Blast

Mental Blast (1):
You have no choice, and to be honest, with the modifications in I8, this has now moved from dreadful to very "meh". Fast recharge, and moderate-low damage coupled with a low end cost make this an ideal attack chain filler. One version of my empath (without Stamina) had this slotted 1 acc, 3 dam, 2 end redux and got on very well with it. Look at it as a free attack

Subdue (2):
This power is a decent attack power as well as a good immobilise. The damage is not too shabby, but it's only a 9 second immob, so enhancing it is probably not worth the slots. The damage is very nice, so slotting for damage and a combination of whatever else tickles your fancy is the order of the day. It will certainly serve you well until your better attacks at 16. The only other noteworthy thing about Subdue is that the immobilise sets can be slotted. Unfortunately, no immobilise set enhances damage, but they are very very cheap.

Psionic Lance (4):
Another decent attack power here. However being a snipe, it is interruptible, and also has a lengthy animation. Initially, I used it in combat frequently, but the fixing of Mental Blast has meant that this has been relegated a little from the attack chain. It has a 20% attack bonus though, and a range of 175 feet (most Psi attacks have 100). It's not to be sneezed at damage-wise either. If you are looking to open your attack chain with a bang, then this is the power. However, I found that after opening with it, I tended to drop into a cycle of MB/Subdue/TK/WD/MB etc and never needed to fire this off. It does need investing with slots to be really effective outside the "alpha". When I was using it in combat, I slotted 3 damage, 2 interrupt reducers, and one end reduction. Certainly at lower levels (or when Flashing Back) it is very useful though, both as a pulling tool, and support fire.

Psychic Scream (10) :
I do like the look of Scream. It has a recharge of 12 seconds and end cost 11, as well as a pretty good AoE damage and a hefty -Recharge component. Choice of which secondary powers to opt for is always going to be hard, and this is a tough decision. Also it will be based on how many mobs you face in a mission, along with the difficulty settings. Against lots of mobs, repeated application of Scream will wear them down. If you have a team battering away at them at the same time, it's quite a good power for dropping your buff-mode for a second to damage a good proportion of the enemy. if you're solo vs three mobs, the investment might not be so great. The range of the cone is outstanding - even to the point of picking up mobs further away than you thought. It really does need 3 damage in here, plus whatever else you can spare in the acc/end redux/recharge redux department.

Telekenetic Blast (16):
I love this power. It hits hard, knocks back, and has a short activation time. If you hit and knock back a single target with this, you can fire off a Psi Lance before the hapless villain can get back to his feet, doing a very nice combo of damage to a single villain. Very quick activation (1 second!!) and a fairly quick recharge (8 seconds) make this one of your staple attacks. The end cost is also average (8) so slotting again is down very much to personal preference and secondary power choices.

Will Domination (20):
This is the second of your staple attacks. Not only does it do decent damage, but it will sleep your opponent (for 24 seconds). By now you begin to exert control on the mobs. You can knock-back with TB and snooze another target allowing you more breathing time. Soloing now really becomes possible. Slot for damage primarily with a mix of acc/end/recharge depending on your build. As for Subdue, sleep powers are also cheap to slot with Sleep invention sets. However this power does good damage, so unless you are really primarily teaming, it would be better to slot damage.

Psionic Tornado (28):
I'm not sure about this power, even after 4 years... The end cost is also hefty (18) and the recharge is not much better (20) although that's probably a good thing. It also feels like I'm locked in the animation for much longer than the 2.37 seconds stated in the planner. It is an AoE though, and does give you a measure of soft control with the knockback as well as a very hefty -recharge debuff. I have found that the only time it is useful is in large groups when those few seconds that some of the mobs stay in the air allows the team to take a breather. With the long DoT, it is best fired at the beginning of your attack chain so it can continue to do its stuff while you blast/buff/heal away. Large AoE at the beginning of a fight often = Agro though unless you have a good team backing you up.

Scramble Thoughts (35) :
This attack provides a measure of hard control with a Mag 3 disorient (15 seconds). If you can fit it into your build, this power can be a life saver, and will always be of use. Slot it and love it. The 20 second recharge is quite long, so slotting for recharge (if you want lots of mobs stunned for a short while) or Stun (if you want one mob stunned for a while) would be the order of the day. Invention sets for Stuns are also relatively cheap and as the damage is pathetic, slot to stun.

Psychic Wail (38) :
So this is your nuke. It also carries a Mag 3 stun so any survivors will be useless for 15 seconds un-enhanced. The downside is that it flattens your END line and prevents recovery. This is not great if you're in a team that's taking heavy fire and requiring your active management, but if you're luxuriating in a team that is blowing everything apart, then you can get more use out of it. Taking the power epic Conserve Power will also help the crash, as that blue popped after the nuke will go much further. Other End enhancing buffs (AM, SB, RA and AB) from other team-mates will also make this less situational.

Pool Powers
Secondary power choices are very much dependent on playstyle. I will try and cover all the merits as well as some synergies, but ultimately there are too many combinations to cover.

Speed :
Hasten... With over half your primary powers having a recharge of 300 seconds+, this power will help tremendously in making you capable in time for the next fight. Most of the secondary powers have long-ish recharges, so this power will almost certainly be a boon. It is also a pre-requisite for Superspeed which makes early power choices easier if you want a travel power at 14 without taking any other pools. Perma Hasten in an IO build is very possible.

Flight :
Flight is very much a personal preference. Hover works well 3-slotted and Air superiority is a decent melee attack if you are that way inclined. Group Flight is also useful for places like the Shadow Shard and as a partial replacement for Recall Friend in a pinch (i.e. Zone Transport). The knockback resistance in Hover is also very useful as you get no status protection in any of your primary powers.

Teleportation :
Once keybound (see binds), Teleport isn't so bad. It is still high maintenance (in some opinions), and if you have a requirement for Recall Friend or TP Foe, then it is always an option. Recall Friend is a convenience power at best. Pulling people long (across zone) distances, or out of a fight so you can rez them etc. is a useful tool, but is it worth the power slot? Of course the more useful aspect is when combined with Stealth to allow you to sneak to mission objectives and tp the team there. TP foe also has PvP uses as well as the pulling ability, but with the Psi secondary, you have already got an excellent choice of pulling tools.

Leadership :
Defenders get the best benefits from the Leadership pools. Manoevers isn't really worth the 3.5% defence (unless stacked!), however Assault gives you a nice damage bonus (18%) and Tactics (if three slotted for To hit Buffs) can compensate for lack of accuracy SO's in many (if not all) of your secondary powers. The PvP +Perception bonus is handy too. With the advent of IO's, though, accuracy has become even less of a problem, and Tactics in the high end game is probably not worth it save for perhaps a nice IO set. With all the Leadership powers, their real strength lies in the fact that they stack with other players' Leadership powers. Vengeance is great, but very situational towards 50 as you are by then an expert in keeping the team alive, and they are experts at avoiding dying. Leadership powers can be tricky to run in Stamina-less, IO-less, builds, but possible as long as not too many other toggles are running.

Concealment :
Very straightforward power pool. Useful if you are finding soloing difficult and want to "grab-the-glowy" without being seen. Also, grant Invis is a nice buff for squishie team mates until they've attacked (the 3% def buff is pretty insignificant though). Stacking secondary powers such as Stealth, Hover, CJ, Weave, Manoevers etc is a possibility, but there are so many powers to be chosen for so little defence. Bear in mind that Stealth IO's can now be slotted into Sprint, meaning you can gain full invisibility from Super Speed + Stealth IO as well as from the Stealth power in this pool + the IO without too much trouble.

Fitness :
Or should I say Stamina... Well, there are several schools of thought on this, and your entire build needs to be thought about carefully. Firstly, you can very easily build an Empath that doesn't need Stamina. Lots of end reduxes, Power epic pool (conserve power) and very few toggles will mean soloing is possible. In a team, this will be even easier with Vigilance (the defender inherent). However if you're running an Empath with lots of toggles (Leaping, Epic armours, Stealth, leadership etc) then Stamina will help a lot.
If you have the money, IO's can also compensate for a lack of Stamina, and if you're cash rich there is really no need to take this power. My level 50 build later has the equivalent of Stamina and more without gimping the build. Cash is the key though.
Swift, Hurdle and Health are really all just pre-requisites for Stamina, and don't really add too much to the build unless you're going without a travel power.

Presence :
It's just not your job to scare people. Let the tanker do that with his big axe/fist etc, or the Scrapper with her scintillating dialogue and maxed out chest slider. The top tier powers may however help with a more controllery type build. I have never run with these powers due to the limitation of four power pools so there's not a lot more I can say.

Medicine :
All of the powers available here are duplicated to a lesser extent your primary. Spending any of your four pool choices here is a waste.

Fighting :
The powers in this set don't really compliment your primary & secondary. Tough (15% resist) and Weave (5% defence) are all you will have, as your existing powers don't work to improve them with the exception of some other pool powers and the epic armours. Taking Weave, Manoevers & Combat Jumping could provide around 15-20% defence if you slotted for it, but in my opinion it's not worth it.

Leaping :
This is an interesting choice as it does provide you with a fair bit of status resistance (as well as a travel power). Combat Jumping resists immobilises and Acrobatics resists knockback & hold. There is nothing worse than hitting the "zzz" key whilst your team gets slaughtered. This poolset can provide a good mitigation to those nasty mezzes. Combat Jumping also allows you to slot Defence IO sets, of which the Luck of The Gambler recharge IO is a prime candidate.

Epic Power Pools :
The Epic pools are another set of choices that need to mesh with your primary and secondary choices up to Level 41. For me, concept was also a factor, hence why I haven't written much about Electricity. It's the only one that didn't fit with the concept and so didn't get tested. All the others have been run on the training room.

Power Mastery

Conserve Power :
Reduces the End cost of your powers for 90 seconds. It has a lengthy 600 second recharge though, so recharge reduction enhancements will obviously help. If you are running a Stamina-less build, this power helps survive during the downtime of RA. It also help if you chose Psi Wail as that single blue popped after the nuke goes much further. If you are running a lot of toggles and have gone Stamina-less or have no cash for IO +Recovery sets, then this power is a real jewel.

Power Buildup :
So much more than regular build up (from a Defender perspective), this power boosts your non-damaging attacks too. Not to mention your attacks. Another long recharge timer though makes this a painful set if you're without Hasten. A great power though. +80% damage buff and a +150% effect buff. It really does make Fortitude sickening.

Temporary Invulnerability :
A 20% resistance to lethal & smashing is not to be sneezed at. Slotted for resistance it provides some much needed protection, but then so do all the shields in the third tier of the epic pools.

Total Focus :
Very nice melee damage, with a solid Mag 4 disorient for good measure. The only problem with this attack is its terribly slow activation. In all the time I ran with this I was constantly finding my victim being shot out from under me by a blaster or scrapper. By level 47 those two AT's are cutting swathes through most things, so I dropped it in the end out of frustration. Try on test.

Psychic Mastery

Dominate :
15 seconds of hard control with a 1 second activation and moderate damage make this a much better contender (on paper) than Scramble Thoughts. Combined with the aforementioned power, this isn't too bad at giving you good controlling capability. It will also take hold sets, though as for Will Domination, damage would probably be more useful.

Mass Hypnosis :
Nice AoE snooze that works well solo unless you spam the two AoE's in the Psi set (which will awaken your targets as soon as you hit them). Gives you a 24 second sleep to all hit by the AoE which is lots of time to mop up those bad guys one at a time. Sleep sets are relatively cheap as well, especially the purple set (at the time of writing).

Mind Over Body :
A 27% resist to Smash & Lethal and a 20% resist to Psi makes this a better shield than Invulnerability. The special effect doesn't clash with your primary set either. To some... colour co-ordination is everything.

Telekenesis :
I have played around with this power and it is a good deal of fun. With Recovery Aura running, you can pin folks up against the wall and nail them all day (well for 90 seconds). It can be a lifesaver, as there are few mobs I have found so far that are resistant to the repel effect. I really hated this power when I first tried it on test, but after running with it for some time now, I like it a lot. In PvP it has saved my backside many a time, and whilst experienced PvP'ers can get around it, it will be a shock to those not expecting it. In PvP, you need as many shocks as you can get. I love it. Mix this with the nice range on your Psi attacks and you can keep most things pinned against a wall at distance whilst you pound them into whichever month you fancy.

Dark Mastery

Oppressive Gloom :
Oppressive Gloom allows you to use your hit points to keep enemies close to you disoriented. I have not had much luck at all with this. Most of my testing was done in the Hollows on grey cons who just seemed to ignore it, or it took them an age to react and become disoriented. In theory, it would work well with Regen Aura up and your Heal Aura to recover the damage. My experience with it has been underwhelming.

Dark Consumption :
This is a great power if you are end hungry (Stamina-less / toggle heavy) but again, on test, the recharge time (360 seconds) makes the power situational (i.e. whenever it has eventually decided to recharge). Even 3 recharge redux doesn't seem to help much. When it does fire however, the End gain is very nice. Just two or three mobs and a couple of end mod slots make this a blue bar filler. However you have to be really close to the mobs you're hitting.

Dark Embrace :
27% resist to lethal, smashing, and a 15% resist to toxic & negative energy. A shield.

Soul Drain :
Much better fourth tier power. Only a 120 second recharge, and a +20% accuracy bonus make this very nice out of the box. You will get a good damage bonus per foe affected for a short time, so if you can survive the initial agro, this followed by Psi wail can be a nice boost. You do have to be fairly close to the mobs though, and it will draw agro.

Electric Mastery (Note - never tested this. Comments are purely conjecture)

Electric Fence :
A single target immobilise (lasting 15 seconds) with a fast recharge makes this a good contender for the controllery defenders looking for more control. It will also take some of the IO Immobilise sets nicely. Especially the cheapo purple one.

Thunder Strike :
The 3 second activation appears to be quite a while but the damage would make it seem worth it. If this is anything like Total Focus however in terms of wind-up, then you'll be hitting a dead guy if you're on a team.

Charged Armour :
An 27% resistance to lethal/smashing, and 20% resistance to energy. Very good all round protection.

Power Sink :
Leeches mobs in close proximity of their Endurance, and adds to yours. This appears to be a much better option for the end-hungry than Dark Consumption, mainly because the recharge of 120 seconds is so much more manageable. It's the one power in the set that tempted me with my Stamina-less build, but the Electric Epic just doesn't fit conceptually. Try on test...

-H

The_Laughing_Man · 03-05-2008 06:59 AM

[u]IO's[u]

Recharge... That was my goal when IO'ing out my Empath. I was sorely wounded by ED when I lost perma hasten, but things are better now. Much better.

When IO'ing out any character, I tend to look at where the weaknesses are. For my Empath, it was certainly Recovery (due to a Stamina-less and Psi epic build) and Recharge.

Other things that you could slot for :

+Damage : You have lots of attacks. You could easily build +Damage into the build, but as a Defender with no primary powers to help you hurt the enemy is the gain worth it? Also, if you do slot heavily for recharge, your attacks will all come back quicker, improving your overall DPS as well as control. This is not a proven scientific fact, just another reason to choose +Recharge over +Damage.

+Regen : I feel this is fairly pointless. You have Heal Aura and Regen Aura to heep your own green bar topped up. If you're on a team, it's unlikely you'll be pulling agro to make +Regen as a set bonus worth the investment. As for Damage, +Recharge will automatically recharge both Heal Aura and Regen Aura faster - increasing availability.

+Defence/+Resist : The Defence and Resist bonusses from sets are very small and often against specific typed damage. Generally, these bonusses will only work well if you already have some base form of it in your primary and/or secondary power set. An Ice tanker or SR scrapper for example would benefit from +Defence even if it were only a few percentage points. As an Empathy defender, you have no powers outside the pool powers to increase your defence and only one power in the epics to increase your resists. Again... Is it worth it? I could understand a Stormer, Force Fielder or a Dark defender taking Def to work with their -acc debuffs, but as an Empath?

+MezResist : Mez resist is pretty useless. It just reduces the time you are mezzed. Generally if I'm held for 15 seconds or 7 it won't matter. I'm detoggled and in deep trouble. Slotting to reduce the time spent mezzed is really not worth it.

So, with that in mind, in order to reduce recharge, let's look at the IO's and sets that reduce this significantly.

At the top of the list we have our purple sets. Big bucks, but a big return. Most of the purple sets 5 slotted give 4% recovery and 10% recharge. However they are expensive... Sometimes... Sleep and immobilise sets do appear to be quite cheap, and the added bonus is that they work when exemplared. Unfortunately you have to be 50 to slot them, and slotting the Immob in Subdue and the Sleep in Will Domination will reduce your damage output. (Personally, I have the sleep slotted in Mass Hypnosis. The chance to placate proc has saved my hide twice in PvP so far)

The next highest reductions are the 7.5% seen in the Luck of the Gambler unique, and the Snipe set as well as the Knockback set.

Then we have the 6.25% sets, quite a few of those, and finally the 5% sets. If you slot your powers with these sets, you will find you have no room left for the 3.75% sets and lower.

Below are some prime set candidates for your powers, with a minimum requirement of slots. Please bear in mind that more than 5 types of the same bonus will not have an additional effect.

Primary Powers
Heal Aura : Doctored Wounds/Regenerative Tissue (5) : +5%
Heal Other : Doctored Wounds/Regenerative Tissue (5) : +5%
Absorb Pain : Doctored Wounds/Regenerative Tissue (5) : +5%
Regeneration Aura : Doctored Wounds/Regenerative Tissue (5) : +5% (If you're desperate/slot light)
(Bear in mind that Regenerative tissue is only a 5 slot set and has a +regeneration unique as part of the 5. It is an expensive set to 5 slot.)
Fortitude : Red Fortune (5) : +5%, Sixth slot with a LoTG Recharge for 7.5% (If you team!)

Secondary Powers
Mental Blast : Entropic Chaos/Decimation : 6.25%
Subdue : Entropic Chaos/Decimation : 6.25%
Psionic Lance : Sting of the manticore : 7.5%
Psychic Scream : Positron's Blast (5) : 6.25%
TK Blast : Entropic Chaos/Decimation : 6.25% or Kinetic Crash (6) : 7.5%
Will Domination : Entropic Chaos/Decimation/Call of the Sandman : 6.25%
Psionic Tornado : Positron's Blast/Kinetic Crash (5/6) : 6.25%/7.5%
Scramble Thoughts : Stupefy (5) : 6.25% (You could slot damage ones here but the damage is rubbish, so it's pointless)
Psychic Wail : Stupefy (5) : 6.25%

Pool Powers
Combat Jumping : LoTG Recharge (1) : 7.5%
Manoevers : LoTG Recharge (1) : 7.5%

I won't go into epics here as there are so many combinations, but you get the picture.

By level 50, you should be able to get at least 3x5%, 4x6.25% and between 2 and 6 7.5% depending on how rich you are. You could probably get between 55% & 65% recharge without too much trouble.

Add a couple of the 10% bonusses in there and it gets even more ridiculous as it does expensive. But bear in mind that slotting a purple ranged damage set in a power that already has Decimation will only get you the 4% recovery and effectively 3.75% extra recharge. Is that worth the couple of hundred million (at the time of writing) that this would cost? Replacing something like Positron's Blast is even less cost effective unless you have money to burn.

Some people would scream "Gimpage!!" when slotting for IO's, but it is my most humble opinion that in this case, there is no such grounds for that argument. 5 slots of Doctored Wounds gives you only a few points off 3 Heal SO's, and most of the Ranged Damage sets make for some very nice reading. Perhaps the only gimped choice would be slotting Psi Tornado for Kinetic Crash, but if you're doing it for recharge, consider the effect this will have on the recharge of all your attack powers. If you can chain a good attack string together, Psi Tornado is a handy form of soft control rather than straight damage.

Slotting health IO's was an interesting dilemma. Most people will take Health on the route to Stamina, and dropping an extra slot in there for a couple of nice Unique IO's, or a couple of Numina's (for Regen) or Miracle (for recovery) was quite easy. Indeed there are several forum posts indicating that health could be 6 slotted with various combinations of set IO's to get some spectacular results.

If you don't take Health, Healing Aura is the only other power that can be activated without being on a team to give you some of the unique bonusses. If you solo a lot and put a Miracle unique in Heal Other, you'll never see the benefit. Bear that in mind as you slot your sets.

Sample IO Builds :

I'm not going to clog the guide with reams and reams of Mids' builds, just paste these into the planner to see... All comments are based on Mids' readout, and may or may not be accurate! None of the builds include Stamina. With IO sets, there is a good degree of Endurance reduction in many of the powers. Add to this the fact that +Recovery is also present in addition to the Defender inherent, and End management is really not a big problem. Essentially, you're taking three powers for +25% recovery. What are you going to drop in order to get that? Is it worth it? if it is, get Stamina, if it isn't, you can definately live without it.

[u]The "This Is My First Toon And I Have No Money" Empath, L40/[u]

Well... you should have a bit of cash, but assuming you are a market minnow, or newbie, here you go.

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No Stamina, but you'll survive... You have 11% recovery bonusses (just under half unslotted Stamina) with the sets, and 36% recharge which will have Hasten back just over a minute after it drops. Fortitude could be kept on 4 people pretty easily. It's not great, but it's relatively cheap and avoids the Decimation sets which can be prohibitively expensive to some. No Miracles, Numinas or LoTG's in there either.

The "I'm Level 50 but still poor because I can't farm for loot, have no sugar daddies, or play the market" build

OK, so I'm assuming you're not totally poor here. There are a couple of cheaper Miracles, and an Impervous Skin and Decimation set. You also get a few new toys with a couple of chances to Hold and a +Recharge proc. The big Fortunata Hypnosis set is included because it's (at the time of writing) cheap as chips and gives you a nice fat boost to recovery & recharge.

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57% recharge. Getting much better now. 17.5% recovery which is marginally better than at 40. Hasten is now recharged 6 seconds after it drops, making a big impact on the recharge of your Auras and Fortitude. Consider also getting Subdue and slotting with the cheap purple Immobilise sets. You're not going to have a power that does much damage with it, but it will certainly help recharge and recovery as well as being a really good immobilise.

The "I'm Rich!" build.

This is the build I have for my Empath at the moment. It could be improved with more purple sets, but I have other alts to spend money on now. She's competent enough to solo and do some decent damage, as well as to provide a good benefit to any team. I have no idea how much this cost, but it was an awful lot.

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105% Recharge bonus, Perma hasten, 42% recovery when the uniques are firing. I've slotted both the numina and miracle uniques in Regen aura which may seem like a strange choice, but the speed at which Regen Aura recharges means there is only a small amount of time without the bonus. Absolutely no need for Stamina as the Auras recharge so quickly and the +Recovery in the build allows me to run CJ, Acro, Manoevers, Assault and the epic shield without too much of a problem. Sub-optimal recharge slotting for AB and Fortitude are inconsequential due to the massive global recharge available.

I can basically run with TK blast and Will Dom as an attack chain, throwing in Psychic Scream, Mental Blast or a snipe for good measure. The +Recharge IO in TK blast will trigger fairly quick as I'm using the power so frequently (although at the time of writing, some forum posts indicate this proc may be bugged). Auras are back fast, as are accolade powers. Psi Tornado and Wail are gravy for big teams, or for when I like to watch the pretty pretty lights...

It could be ramped up even further with AoE, and Ranged Damage purple sets as well as another LoTG +Recharge, but after paying for an Armageddon set I'm happy with the recharge I have at the moment.

-H

The_Laughing_Man · 03-05-2008 07:00 AM

[u]General Notes[u]

Most of the following post is designed for those new to defending a team. If you're an experienced defender, this is unlikely to be old news.

[u]The Respec[u]
Respec's are becoming more common. Veteran rewards and the respec trials mean that you may have a good deal of flexibility in your build. The Empathy defender doesn't really benefit from taking some powers and dropping them at a later respec, but the respec does allow you to change (quite dramatically) your playstyle whenever you wish.
Copy your toon to the test server (here's how). Try out the builds you like. This is so important when you consider that there are many ways of building a hero. There is nothing worse than dropping Stamina on a respec only to discover you absolutely cannot live without it and can't respec back. The Test Server will allow you to try some of the less obviously "great" powers and draw your own conclusions as to whether they are worth it for you.

Also, bear in mind that you may wish to Exemplar down to a lower level (to do Task Forces, Flashback arcs, or team with friends) and the powers you will lose as you drop may make a difference.
Mids' Hero Planner is a great program for building your hero offline, and for looking at the effect of your enhancements. Build, Test, then finally once you're happy, respec and enjoy. It can be a lengthy process, but getting the hero "just right" is well worth the effort.

[u]Team Play[u]
Time is your greatest enemy. Heals never recharge fast enough, animations never finish quick enough, and you always need RA ten seconds before it refreshes.
I believe that Empathy is a team orientated primary. Not until you move into the 20's are you going to feel able to take on the world on your own, and soloing as an Empath can be a slow process. Read the guides on starting a team, open the chat window and get talking...

[u]Screen Setup.[u]
Make sure you have your screen set up with everything you need. The team window should be open, so you can see at a glance who's in trouble and/or has status effects on them. It's easier for rotating Fort through your chosen few if you are skipping down the team select list. Some people prefer to have health bars on screen, some prefer not. Try both and see which you prefer. Clicking a target in a room full of mobs can sometimes be difficult.

[u]Team Setup.[u]
When you are on a team and in a fight, there is no need to look at the screen. Select your target hero from the team list, then the appropriate power from the team tray, keeping a close eye on those red and blue lines. Assume you're the only one watching that and call for END rests (at lower levels) or help for those that are getting continually battered. Get a feel for who's tough, who's not, who needs Fortitude, and who missed the last drop of RA. The fighters will be looking at the screen for targets. You should be looking at their health and status. When in a mission, you will quickly get a feel for the team and how badly they need your healing, Clear Mind or Fortitude. If they don't need healing. Get blasting! But start slowly, picking off stragglers and with one eye always on that team bar. Your job is to stop them dying. Blast if you can, but not at the expense of a team mate. Watch out for any AoE's you have. You are the last person that needs to pull agro. Likewise, make sure you're outside the range of enemy AoE's. This is especially important in the 35-50 range when you're going up against AV's and the like.
Remember: All the other defender sets affect the enemy in some way. Bubblers (FF & Sonic) will generally drop shields on the team then forget about them until rebubbling is required, Kins are the same for Speed Boost. Rad, Storm, TA and Dark focus heavily on enemy orientated debuffs. All (save TA) have team buffs of some description but compared to an Empaths team buffs they are not as good.

[u]Communicate.[u]
Ask who needs Fortitude. Call for recovery Aura. Tell folks to hit "zzz" when they are held, slept or want Clear Mind. Shout when you are out of end. Ask if anyone has spare insps (if you're short, for example, on blues). Give away your reds, purples and yellows (especially at lower levels) if you're not blasting. They are no good to you, and could swing the tide of battle. Call for retreat and then run! (Not sure how many teams shout "run" then all stay and die, but I've been on a couple) If you chose Recall Friend and Rez, you can pull the whole team back to a safe part of the mish to rest / awaken / rez as needed. If you die and no one has awakens, guess who has the long run back from Hospital? Communication is the key to a good team. Does the tanker need Fort? Ask him! He may say "nah, I'm fine", but that might prompt someone else to speak out.

[u]Buff![u]
If Fortitude is recharged. Hit someone with it. All too often I am on a team with an Empath, and no one has a red head. Even if you hit the same person, it's a big buff and it needs to be continually recharging. Every time you pause, check Fort. If it's recharged, hit a blaster with it. The same goes for Adrenalin Boost and to a certain extent, Clear Mind. This means you are constantly checking to see who has what and who needs what. Empathy Defending requires a sharp mind and quick thinking, if you want less stress pick another AT! Use your Aura's judiciously. If no one's end or health bar is moving, then there is no need to fire it off. It's then ready for the next "big" fight when you will actually need it.

[u]Key Binds.[u]
At the very least, you should macro or bind your calls for RA's. Later in the game, I found binding team select to the number pad (i.e. press 1, selects team member 1) then Fortitude, Clear Mind and Heal Other to "/" "*" and "-" respectively, with Heal Aura on "+" are invaluable in laggy situations where mouse clicks don't respond. You can practice the keybinds on the Police Drones. Although the powers don't work, they still go through the motions, and there's no one to laugh at you if you make a mess up! There are many guides to binds on the boards, but the one I followed is available here.

These are the binds I use for Mellenta. Just type them into the chatbar and they'll be done. This setup is based simply around the number pad. Numbers one to eight select the team member and the keys around the number pad are used for buffing. :

/bind numpad1 "team_select 1"
/bind numpad2 "team_select 2"
/bind numpad3 "team_select 3"
/bind numpad4 "team_select 4"
/bind numpad5 "team_select 5"
/bind numpad6 "team_select 6"
/bind numpad7 "team_select 7"
/bind numpad8 "team_select 8"

/bind add "powexec_name Healing Aura"
/bind subtract "powexec_name Heal Other"
/bind multiply "powexec_name Clear Mind"
/bind divide "powexec_name Fortitude"

/bind f "say Gather for Recovery Aura" (Binds the "f" key to a local shout for RA)
/bind lbutton+lshift "powexec_name Telport" (binds the shift key and the left click to teleport)

[u]PvP (Empath PoV - not other Defender AT's)[u]
I am not an expert PvP'er. Let's state that from the start. Every time I go into a PvP zone, I feel as though I have a big fat target on my head. I have joined teams, and tried to badge hunt solo and several times have been involved in some sort of conflict with villains. And those villains target Empaths. I can see why. We have little or no mez protection, we can't do a great amount of damage, we make their other opponents almost unkillable. So although we can't actually do much damage to the bad guys, we can make their life hell when we're teamed with someone. Make no mistake though, even on a team, you will be a priority target.
There are two ways to look at this. The first is to accept you're going to eat dirt fairly often and so you do your best to buff the hell out of your friends before face-planting. No need to change your PvE build, and it is pretty good fun (as long as you don't mind getting spanked). The second is to build your toon specifically for PvP, and this is doable without too much of a hit to your PvE build. You'll want to consider powers such as Leaping and Speed for the movement aspect of PvP, Concealment for stealth and Leadership for the +Perception. This means that your power pool choices will be restricted somewhat and this may affect (to the point of not being worthwhile to you) your PvE build. Remember : Only three of those powers work on you. Soloing in a PvP zone is going to require a good degree of skill.
Personally, I know I'm not great at PvP so I've stuck with my PvE build and don't let it worry me if it's not the PvP FOTM. I can make my scrapper or blaster friends (who I duo with quite a bit) pretty much invincible and it's good to watch the enemy fall, even if it is from behind the "Go To Hospital" pop-up. The simple fact is that we are less risky to take out than most AT's because our only arsenal is our secondary power set. The good news is that it's Psi which is not that well resisted by villains/heroes. Every cloud has a silver lining
There is a good guide to the PvP Empath here, which you should read (along with the reply comments) if you need a more detailed explanation.

And Finally...

[u]Jeez... I was annoyed when you said....[u]

[ QUOTE ]
Empathy really shines with poor team-mates (as much as it does with good ones)

[/ QUOTE ]

If you have a team running all over the map, dying left right & centre, then it doesn't matter what your primary, you will struggle. However, a poor team will also lambast Stormers for Knockback, regularly target Dark/Rad anchors, complain about SB (or over-run everywhere) ask bubblers for Heals/Rez constantly, and wonder why they are dying. To a new or poor player, death = health bar hitting zero. An Empath, especially at low levels where most of the misconceptions exist, fills up green bars. It is obvious you are helping. A poor team will welcome you with open arms, because it's easy to see what you bring to the team.
Likewise, if you're new to the game, it's easy to see how those first few powers work. Heal = Player not dead. This is so very true, and as you progress through the levels, you will be able to experiment with those other powers and see that Empathy Defending is not all about healing.

[ QUOTE ]
Heal/Healer

[/ QUOTE ]

::Yawn:: Use the word how you want. I am English, and I like to use the dictionary definition, but I don't get upset when other people take it to mean something different. Be aware that in-game it could mean anything from "someone who can stop us dying all the time" to "someone who can keep my green bar full so I can smash things" including all manner of variations in-between & outside it. On the forums... well... any post that mentions the word healer generally is filled with lol's, loi's and all other manner of fluff. If you have a question about Empathy and use the "h" word be aware that you will likely have to sort through pages of useless "lolling" and opinionated rubbish to find an actual answer to your question.

[ QUOTE ]
All comments are based on Mids' readout, and may or may not be accurate

[/ QUOTE ]

Some of the numbers may be wrong. I'm pretty sure Mids' planner doesn't include the recharge bonus of Hasten when calculating recharge times on powers. Similarly, I may have typoed information from City of Data. That's why I've hyperlinked most of the primary powers to that site. Undoubtedly, these pages may be moved/removed at some point, and in all instances the new combat window in-game will always give you the most accurate information.

That's all folks! Thanks for reading, and apologies for hurting your eyes!

-H

Umbramancer · 03-05-2008 07:36 AM

Oddly enough, I was about to pick my own Emp/Psi up again. Since I only got her to about level 8 (went on hiatus for, oh... four issues), having an updated guide to turn to for advice (let alone well thought-one like this), is a big help. Thanks a lot!

MindGame1 · 09-29-2008 03:59 PM

This was a very helpful guide for me. I recently decided to take a look at my first level 50 hero, and emp/psy defender, which I haven't played since pre-ED due to it being a staminaless build. With the global recharge on the last build I may eventually get the character back to a staminaless design if I can raise the cash/get the drops. Any estimates on what each build costs roughly? I only have about 30 mil infl on the character at the moment looking at the pricing on the consignment house it will cost more than that to buy the sets outright.

The_Laughing_Man · 10-06-2008 03:37 AM

Glad you found the guide helpful MindGame! I'd forgotten about this guide.

I have no estimates on the cost of things really. Any reply here with even an estimate would be out of date within a couple of weeks, and after the changes in the coming issues (specifically merits and dual-builds), I suspect there will be some sort of effect on the market. Good judgement/anticipation/luck there could net you quite a bit of cash if you're feeling risky. Even "casual" play can turn out some good inf/hour rates to fund your needs.

Ultimately though, you will need to work to earn the inf for a fully specced out purple build. The best thing I can recommend is to head off over to the Market forum, and read. They have some good ideas over there. There are a couple of good guides for making money, and although the niches are not as wide as they used to be, there is still money to be made.

-H

MindGame1 · 10-06-2008 11:39 AM

I've spent proabably 40 mil so far and I think I am at 26.25% recharge from global with partial sets also slotted so it will be very expensive to complete since I haven't slotted any purples yet or the +recharge, +recovery to global enhancements yet. I modified the power choices as I wanted fly instead of jump for travel and I am not interested in the leadership pool so I am exploring other options. Its tough to get all the slots needed though.

Right now I am still running with stamina but when I get to a certain % global recharge I will switch over. It will take time and lots more farming for the influence to do it though. Some of those recipes are 50 mil each on WW so I am hoping for some lucky drops as well.

The_Laughing_Man · 04-28-2011 10:59 AM

Update:

So much has changed!!

I had a couple of PM requests over the years asking for specific build advice, then had a PM today asking to post some up to date builds as these don't work in Mids.

So...

Incarnate!

My main (and badger) is an Emp/Psi, so I have spent a lot on her, and getting through the Incarnate stuff is an ongoing gripe. Some choices detailed below for others to consider, however I have neither the time or inclination to "try out" other trees within each slot. It's bad enough grinding for what I have now!

Alpha
Initially, I wanted more damage from my toon so Musculature was a consideration. But after playing with Mids, I realised I could save a heck of a lot of slots by choosing Spiritual (+Recharge). This was the way I went and am now a few shards short of Spiritual Core Paragon. This has the added advantage of increasing healing & stun duration.

By plugging that into Mids, I now only need two slotted Hasten to make it perma, which is another slot saved!

Judgement
Other than not choosing Void (a PBAoE being of less use than a ranged one) I don't see this as a critical choice. Each of the options has side-benefits, but I wanted a thematic "thunderstorm of mental energy", hence Ion was my choice.

Interface
Again, I'm not overwhelmed by these in play, but wanted more damage out of my toon, so Reactive was my choice. The small amount of -Res is better than nothing and the extra DoT is nice. I did consider Gravitic, but as a soloer, it doesn;t help me kill things quicker, so I didn;t bother. The -Recharge would be a nice stack with the Psi secondary, but these days nothing lasts long enough to matter.

Lore
I went with the Seer, purely for thematic reasons. I have very little experience with this, but will (when I get there) choose the most damaging pet.

Destiny
Clarion, clarion, clarion. It really is amazing and now at T4, it's perma. It's a 120 second Mez protection in an AoE that makes Clear Mind all but useless unless you are exemping. And it buffs you too!!!

This made a significant difference to my playstyle as now, with Regen Aura, Recovery Aura and Clarion, I am very very tough. The Chance to Hold procs in my main attacks, and the hold in Dominate all link up nicely to give me a decent form of control (for soloing anyway!)

So. On to the builds:

Current Build (money no object)
This is me currently:

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.93
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Mellenta: Level 50 Magic Defender
Primary Power Set: Empathy
Secondary Power Set: Psychic Blast
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Concealment
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Flight
Ancillary Pool: Psychic Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Healing Aura

(A) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance
(3) Doctored Wounds - Endurance/Recharge
(3) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge
(13) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance/Recharge
(13) Doctored Wounds - Heal

Level 1: Mental Blast

(A) Entropic Chaos - Damage/Endurance
(5) Entropic Chaos - Accuracy/Damage
(7) Entropic Chaos - Damage/Recharge
(9) Entropic Chaos - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
(9) Entropic Chaos - Chance of Heal Self
(50) Devastation - Chance of Hold

Level 2: Absorb Pain

(A) Doctored Wounds - Recharge
(11) Doctored Wounds - Heal
(11) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge

Level 4: Heal Other

(A) Doctored Wounds - Recharge
(5) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance
(7) Doctored Wounds - Endurance/Recharge
(15) Doctored Wounds - Heal
(37) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge

Level 6: Hasten

(A) Recharge Reduction IO
(19) Recharge Reduction IO

Level 8: Stealth

(A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed

Level 10: Psychic Scream

(A) Ragnarok - Chance for Knockdown
(19) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
(21) Ragnarok - Damage/Recharge
(21) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Recharge
(23) Ragnarok - Damage/Endurance

Level 12: Fortitude

(A) Red Fortune - Defense
(15) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance
(17) Red Fortune - Defense/Recharge
(17) Red Fortune - Endurance/Recharge
(23) Red Fortune - Endurance
(25) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed

Level 14: Assault

(A) Endurance Reduction IO

Level 16: Telekinetic Blast

(A) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
(29) Apocalypse - Damage/Recharge
(29) Apocalypse - Damage
(31) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Recharge
(31) Apocalypse - Damage/Endurance
(43) Devastation - Chance of Hold

Level 18: Recovery Aura

(A) Recharge Reduction IO
(31) Recharge Reduction IO

Level 20: Will Domination

(A) Decimation - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
(33) Decimation - Damage/Recharge
(33) Decimation - Damage/Endurance
(34) Decimation - Accuracy/Damage
(34) Decimation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
(40) Devastation - Chance of Hold

Level 22: Clear Mind

(A) Endurance Reduction IO

Level 24: Tactics

(A) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Endurance/Recharge
(25) Adjusted Targeting - Endurance/Recharge
(27) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Recharge
(27) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Endurance
(33) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff
(48) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up

Level 26: Regeneration Aura

(A) Doctored Wounds - Heal
(34) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge
(36) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance/Recharge
(36) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance
(36) Doctored Wounds - Endurance/Recharge

Level 28: Resurrect

(A) Endurance Reduction IO

Level 30: Fly

(A) Flight Speed IO

Level 32: Adrenalin Boost

(A) Doctored Wounds - Recharge
(37) Doctored Wounds - Heal
(37) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge
(40) Endurance Modification IO

Level 35: Scramble Thoughts

(A) Absolute Amazement - Stun
(39) Absolute Amazement - Stun/Recharge
(39) Absolute Amazement - Accuracy/Stun/Recharge
(39) Absolute Amazement - Accuracy/Recharge
(40) Absolute Amazement - Endurance/Stun

Level 38: Psychic Wail

(A) Armageddon - Chance for Fire Damage
(43) Armageddon - Damage/Recharge
(46) Armageddon - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
(46) Armageddon - Accuracy/Recharge
(50) Armageddon - Damage

Level 41: Dominate

(A) Basilisk's Gaze - Recharge/Hold
(42) Basilisk's Gaze - Accuracy/Recharge
(42) Basilisk's Gaze - Accuracy/Hold
(42) Basilisk's Gaze - Endurance/Recharge/Hold
(43) Damage Increase IO
(50) Damage Increase IO

Level 44: Mass Hypnosis

(A) Fortunata Hypnosis - Sleep/Endurance
(45) Fortunata Hypnosis - Chance for Placate
(45) Fortunata Hypnosis - Sleep
(45) Fortunata Hypnosis - Sleep/Recharge
(46) Fortunata Hypnosis - Accuracy/Sleep/Recharge

Level 47: Mind Over Body

(A) Resist Damage IO
(48) Endurance Reduction IO
(48) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance

Level 49: Telekinesis

(A) Endurance Reduction IO

Level 0: Freedom Phalanx Reserve
Level 0: Portal Jockey
Level 0: Task Force Commander
Level 0: The Atlas Medallion
Level 50: Spiritual Radial Boost
------------
Level 1: Brawl

(A) Empty

Level 1: Sprint

(A) Empty

Level 2: Rest

(A) Empty

Level 1: Vigilance
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift

(A) Flight Speed IO

Level 2: Health

(A) Healing IO

Level 2: Hurdle

(A) Jumping IO

Level 2: Stamina

(A) Endurance Modification IO

Ok. 37% resist to S&L, 27% to Psi, & 16% to Fire & Cold. That's plenty to keep you going if you're running Regen Aura (and have Healing Aura). With Clarion up, you're very very safe.

The +Recharge is ridiculous. Hasten is back in 111 seconds (and that's 2 slotted!), Recovery Aura has a 33 second downtime (a third slot only drops this to 31 seconds - not worth it IMO), Fort is back so fast it looks like a Heal Other, and can be reliably kept on 7 people. Attacks recharge so fast, you can have an attack chain of TK Blast, Will Dom, & Dominate with the occasional Mental Blast & Psi Scream for good measure. Oh. And you can occasionally heal if you like.

Now that Stamina is inherent, the AT is much more capable of running the Leadership toggles, and Assault is a good way of boosting your sub-par damage.

All in all, the Incarnate system has made a huge difference to how this toon plays - and for the better! I can now solo missions at even con with reliable speed, whereas before it was terribly slow and required a tray of Break Frees for emergencies. Judgement for that extra damage spike every so often is also very nice.

Suggested Build (no Incarnate, no expensive stuff)
So if this isn't your main, and you don't want to go into Incarnate & billions of inf territory, this might be for you. I can't imagine playing this with any relish to be honest. I have a Peacebringer, a Brute, a TA/A Defender, an Ice Tank and a Mind Dom all at 50 who already smash the content so hard they don't need Incarnate abilities. It's nice, and all, but it's not required to play the game. My Emp/Psi was terribly underwhelming compared to them, and has received a significant boost from the investment. Anyway...

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.93
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Magic Defender
Primary Power Set: Empathy
Secondary Power Set: Psychic Blast
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Concealment
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Psychic Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Healing Aura -- Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx(A), Dct'dW-EndRdx/Rchg(3), Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg(3), Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(5), Dct'dW-Heal(5)
Level 1: Mental Blast -- Entrpc-Dmg/EndRdx(A), Entrpc-Dmg/Rchg(7), Entrpc-Acc/Dmg(7), Entrpc-Heal%(9), Entrpc-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(9), Dev'n-Hold%(46)
Level 2: Heal Other -- Dct'dW-Heal(A), Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx(11), Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg(11), Dct'dW-EndRdx/Rchg(13), Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(13)
Level 4: Absorb Pain -- Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg(A)
Level 6: Psionic Lance -- Mantic-Acc/Dmg(A), Mantic-Acc/ActRdx/Rng(15), Mantic-Dmg/EndRdx(15), Mantic-Dmg/ActRdx/Rchg(17), Mantic-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(17)
Level 8: Resurrect -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 10: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(19), RechRdx-I(50)
Level 12: Fortitude -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(A), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(19), RedFtn-EndRdx(21), RedFtn-Def(21), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(23), LkGmblr-Rchg+(48)
Level 14: Psychic Scream -- Posi-Dmg/Rchg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(23), Posi-Acc/Dmg(25), Posi-Dmg/Rng(25), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(27)
Level 16: Clear Mind -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 18: Telekinetic Blast -- Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(A), Decim-Dmg/Rchg(27), Decim-Dmg/EndRdx(29), Decim-Acc/Dmg(29), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(31), Dev'n-Hold%(46)
Level 20: Recovery Aura -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(31), RechRdx-I(31)
Level 22: Will Domination -- Decim-Dmg/Rchg(A), Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(33), Decim-Dmg/EndRdx(33), Decim-Acc/Dmg(33), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(34)
Level 24: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 26: Regeneration Aura -- Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx(A), Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg(34), Dct'dW-Rchg(34), Dct'dW-EndRdx/Rchg(36), Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(36)
Level 28: Super Jump -- Jump-I(A)
Level 30: Stealth -- DefBuff-I(A)
Level 32: Adrenalin Boost -- Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx(A), Dct'dW-EndRdx/Rchg(36), Dct'dW-Rchg(37), Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg(37), Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(37), EndMod-I(39)
Level 35: Scramble Thoughts -- Stpfy-Stun/Rng(A), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(39), Stpfy-EndRdx/Stun(39), Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(40), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(40)
Level 38: Psychic Wail -- Stpfy-Stun/Rng(A), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(40), Stpfy-EndRdx/Stun(42), Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(42), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(42)
Level 41: Mass Hypnosis -- FtnHyp-Sleep/Rchg(A), FtnHyp-Sleep(43), FtnHyp-Acc/Sleep/Rchg(43), FtnHyp-Acc/Rchg(43), FtnHyp-Sleep/EndRdx(45)
Level 44: Dominate -- BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(45), BasGaze-Acc/Hold(45), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(46), Dmg-I(50), Dmg-I(50)
Level 47: Mind Over Body -- EndRdx-I(A), ResDam-I(48), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(48)
Level 49: Assault -- EndRdx-I(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Vigilance
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Heal-I(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A)

With 2 LoTG's and a Sleep purple set it's 3 seconds off perma-Hasten, and Fort can be kept on 4-5 reliably. It's not a bad compromise, and will definitely be playable. Another LoTG in Stealth would almost (0.7 seconds) perma-Hasten. It wouldn't be too hard to build for over a 1-50 run, as the occasional lucky recipe drop could probably fund the IOs. Shaving one of the Chance to hold procs and putting the KB resist IO in MoB would improve survivability a little, but as I've found out - playing at 50 with no mez protection is just not fun. As an aside, I haven't checked Decimation recipe costs recently, so I'm now not sure this would be prohibitively expensive.

There's not much room for manoevering in this build, as nearly every slotted power contributes to Recharge in some way. Psi Wail is slotted with Stun to get the 6.25 bonus, and could be switched for simple damage for a less gimpy build

Anyway. If you need more info, just ask away!

-H

Taosin · 05-03-2011 07:45 PM

These builds are brilliant, and your feedback on the Incarnate abilties very useful indeed. I'm using this as a guide for my Dual Pistol / Empathy Defender (currently at lvl 25; obviously am looking at the handling of Empathy in your posts). I'm having a lot of fun with the alt! He's taken Hasten, and Concealment, and will take recall friend.

It's probable that I'll never slot this alt with expensive Purples or the like, and his focus will be on team-play and decent average soloing. The lack (as far as I can tell) of decent/relaible control in Dual Pistols is the telling point :>

As it stands I've found this guide brilliant so far! I'm now tempted to put Psi heavily up the list on my 'to do' file.

� Taosin [Sydney, Australia]
Servers: Virtue, Justice, Exalted