Mike's got the right idea - go read Lumi's exhaustive guide he linked to above.
My take (based on personal experience where my "main" is a 50 TA/A and my main villain is a 50 Bots/TA MM):
1. Do get attacks up to Blazing/Fistfull and then decide if you really want to stuff Stunning and/or Explosive in the build (I skipped them on ArcherBot but took them on my 38 blaster). But don't skip Rain of Arrows, its too useful/fun.
2. ArcherBot is mostly a debuffer and after that he's a wimpy blaster. I didn't skip any TA powers. After playing my /TA MM I regret the fact that I skipped Entangling Arrow until almost the end on the Defender, its turned out a lot more useful at low levels than I thought the first time through, and its become mondo important/useful on team AV fights now at the high end of things.
3. You *could* skip Flash at the start and take it later. I personally like it even at the low levels, both for the perception buff and for how it ends up becoming a non-verbal "trigger" for teams to attack.
4. Take Acid as soon as you can get it, and stick an accuracy in it too - great power.
5. Disruption is a "nice to have" but its not worth enhancing beyond 2-3 slots worth of Damage Resist in my opinion. My MM skipped it until the late 30's.
6. EMP *is* worth it but keep a blue or two handy for the end burn afterwards.
7. You could skip Stamina, but I have kept it with the shorter animations because I can burn through a blue bar in a medium length fight without it (thats impressions through 3 respecs speaking, I waffled a lot).
Lumi's guide is the best one anywhere, definitely read it and enjoy it.
My TA/A ArcherBot is still my favorite toon after 3 years.....but I play him like a hyperactive cricketbot (have swift, hurdle, and Combat Jump is running all the time and I bounce around all over shooting). That's just how I like to play him.
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5. Disruption is a "nice to have" but its not worth enhancing beyond 2-3 slots worth of Damage Resist in my opinion.
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*cough* Would you like to correct this, or shall I?
Ok. I've checked out Luminara's Guide..... all of them...
<.< >.>
I think I'll take her (his??) advice.
Thanks
That depends on the "correction tool" you are considering. 
I know, I know, it doesn't take Damage Resist enhancers since no one has invented them yet. I meant recharge. Really. Sigh.
There, how's that? I blame lack of caffeine.
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That depends on the "correction tool" you are considering.
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Like this...
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I know, I know, it doesn't take Damage Resist enhancers since no one has invented them yet. I meant recharge. Really. Sigh.
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Disruption only accepts Range, Endurance Reduction and Recharge Reduction enhancements, not Damage Resistance. Damage Resistance enhancements do exist, as evidenced by the multitude of powers which grant resistance to various types of damage and can be slotted with enhancements labeled as "Damage Resistance". There are, however, no Resistance Reduction enhancements, nor will there ever be because, as I recall, -Res is one of the powers which reacts differently than expected when enhancements affect that specific attribute. All -Res is flagged as "cannot be enhanced/buffed/boosted", and it's unlikely that -Res will ever be changed to allow it to be enhanced/buffed/boosted, due to the amount of work required overhauling the buff/debuff system to make it possible without side effects.
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There, how's that? I blame lack of caffeine.
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DIRNK MOAR COFFY NAO!!111!1eleven1
In my opinion, Disruption is far more than "nice to have". It has a large area and, for a set that's a "jack of all trades", allows you to become "a master of -res" when used with Acid Arrow.
Let me ask the Arrow experts this question, which primary gets the most benefit out of rain of arrows on a team and which gets the most benefit of that power solo.
Bump and Grind Bane/SoA
Kenja No Ishi Earth/Empathy Controller
Legendary Sannin Ninja/Pain Mastermind
Entoxicated Ninja/PSN Mastermind
Ninja Ryukenden Kat/WP Scrapper
Hellish Thoughts Fire/PSI Dominator
Thank You Devs for Merits!!!!
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Let me ask the Arrow experts this question, which primary gets the most benefit out of rain of arrows on a team
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That's a very, very situational question. It depends on team composition, speed, whether or not the defender is playing with the team as opposed to splitting off in order to solo while teamed... there are so many variables, it's next to impossible to say that any one primary is going to make RoA perform "best" when teamed.
In a team setting, defender RoA isn't really going to shine unless the team is moving slowly (giving the defender time to "set up" with -Res and -Speed before unleashing RoA); the team is deliberately giving the defender opportunities to use RoA (an all defender super team, for example); the defender is splitting off from the team specifically for the purpose of soloing some spawns; or the is taking point for the team and engages all of the spawns first. And, realistically, primary takes a back seat in all of these scenarios.
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and which gets the most benefit of that power solo.
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Any primary which offers both AoE -Res and AoE -Speed (or some other form of movement impairment). Cold, Dark and Storm would be "best", in that respect, because they each have a single power which imposes -Res and -Speed at the same time and on a short enough recharge to be used with RoA on every (or every other) spawn. Rad and TA would be near the top as well, because they both have AoE -Res and AoE -Speed, though in different powers for each set, but they rate below Dark and Storm due to the limitations they face (recharge time on LR for Rad, AoE radius on Acid for TA).
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In my opinion, Disruption is far more than "nice to have". It has a large area and, for a set that's a "jack of all trades", allows you to become "a master of -res" when used with Acid Arrow.
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Eh. It's got a disgusting endurance cost, it's limited to 10 targets (still have no idea why) and it's on a base 60s recharge time. If a player really wants to push it, it can be double stacked (theoretically, triple stacked) with enough +Recharge, but it will also cost quite a bit of endurance and potentially end up "wasted" on fast teams. It absolutely will allow a TA/* to be the strongest -Res debuffer, if stacked, but it's very... it's something that most players won't do, or won't be capable of doing.
And since the debuff is location-targeted, there's also the question of keeping critters in the debuff radius. Even with Glue, OSA and Entangling, sometimes it's a lost cause.
Personally, I don't tell anyone to skip Disruption, but I also don't insist that it's required for all TAs. Some builds just aren't going to see as much benefit from it as others will, and some players aren't going to be as willing to work within the power's limitations as other players are.
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potentially end up "wasted" on fast teams.
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I'd suggest the opposite, on a really fast moving team, disruption arrow is almost always useful. It's usually the very first thing I'll fire because it is guaranteed to help speed things along by increasing everyone else's dmg. There are very few instances where -res is "wasted."
Also, on a fast moving team, keeping things within the debuff radius isn't a concern. Things die too fast and there are other people handling agro management/positioning.
Hey TA/A peeps.
How does the defender RoA compare to the blaster RoA in terms of damage? I can't ever figure that stuff out since it's a "pseudo pet" power.
50s:
White Valkyrie - BS/Regen Scrap
Fear of Silence - Ninja/Dark MM
Corporate Zombie - Necro/Poison MM
Ardent Cataclysm - Stone/Fire Tank
Angelic Heart - Peacebringer
Maelstrom - Elec/Elec Brute
Novastar - Energy/Fire Blaster
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Hey TA/A peeps.
How does the defender RoA compare to the blaster RoA in terms of damage? I can't ever figure that stuff out since it's a "pseudo pet" power.
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Mid's base damage: RoA blaster 225.2 ; RoA defender 146.3
<3
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Hey TA/A peeps.
How does the defender RoA compare to the blaster RoA in terms of damage? I can't ever figure that stuff out since it's a "pseudo pet" power.
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Pet powers use their own modifier table, separate and discrete from what ATs use. Normally, this means pets (including pseudo-pets like RoA) perform exactly the same from one AT to the next. Ice Storm, for example, functions identically when used by a blaster and a defender.
RoA, however, was manually edited to deal less damage for defenders (or more for blasters, depending on which AT it was originally designed for (moot issue, though, since the change to the power was implemented before it was even sent to beta).
Blaster RoA deals 75.07 base damage (at level 50) per tick.
Defender RoA deals 48.77 base damage (at level 50) per tick.
Both can be enhanced, both inherit the caster's buffs. I think pets have a 300% damage cap, but I'm not certain.
But here's a more direct comparison.
A blaster with a fully enhanced RoA (95% +Damage) and using Aim (+62.5% Damage) will deal 193.31 damage per tick, and can defeat +0 minions if all three ticks hit (standard +0 minion HP at level 50, ~430).
A defender using RoA fully enhanced and with Aim (50% +Damage) will deal 119.49 damage per tick, and can't defeat +0 minions even if all three ticks hit unless that defender is also using additional +Damage buffs and/or -Res debuffs.
Thanks guys. I knew there was something like that, but my game mechanics isn't as good as some.
50s:
White Valkyrie - BS/Regen Scrap
Fear of Silence - Ninja/Dark MM
Corporate Zombie - Necro/Poison MM
Ardent Cataclysm - Stone/Fire Tank
Angelic Heart - Peacebringer
Maelstrom - Elec/Elec Brute
Novastar - Energy/Fire Blaster
Something else to consider with a TA/A Defender...fun. The toon will be so much fun to play you may feel giddy at times. Four of these can go through enemies like a hot mower through grass...all while having fun.
The TA portion of the toon alone is worth playing. Lots of great stuff there.
"Comics, you're not a Mastermind...you're an Overlord!"
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Something else to consider with a TA/A Defender...fun. The toon will be so much fun to play you may feel giddy at times. Four of these can go through enemies like a hot mower through grass...all while having fun.
The TA portion of the toon alone is worth playing. Lots of great stuff there.
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Agreed.
Global: @Shaman of Night
Shaman of Night lvl 50 Dark/Dark Dark Mastery Scrapper
Nicholai lvl 50 SS/INV Mu Mastery Brute
Danika Zora lvl 50 TA/A Dark Mastery Defender
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potentially end up "wasted" on fast teams.
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I'd suggest the opposite, on a really fast moving team, disruption arrow is almost always useful. It's usually the very first thing I'll fire because it is guaranteed to help speed things along by increasing everyone else's dmg. There are very few instances where -res is "wasted."
Also, on a fast moving team, keeping things within the debuff radius isn't a concern. Things die too fast and there are other people handling agro management/positioning.
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I agree... If you are on one of those teams that just mops the floor with every spawn, your best contribution as a TA/A is just to first disruption at the beginning and then maybe aim+rain (by which time everything is dead...)
What else are you going to do from your primary in this superteam at the begining?
(1) Entangling--pointless...good against AV type setups but that is not what we are describing in this AOE dream team.
(2) Flash--defensive and not really a concern if your team is steamrolling
(3) Glue--see (2)
(4) Ice--see (2)
(5) Poison--see (2)
(6) Acid--potentially good but probably not going to affect as many in the spawn as disruption will, even with the cap of 10
(7) Disruption--we discussed this
(8) Oil Slick--good when up because you could ignite it assuming it doesn't bug out. Still questionable whether or not you would be OVERALL contributing more damage to the team though if you didn't just disruption first
(9) EMP Arrow-- see(2)
In short, disruption is one of TAs few *offensive* buff/debuff powers and sometimes what the team needs is, in fact, an offensive power.
"Hi, my name is Ail. I make people sick."
A partial selection from my 50's on Freedom: Ail = Ice/Traps, Luck = Street Justice/Super Reflexes Stalker, Mist = Bane, Pixy = Trick Arrow/Archery, Pure = Gravity/Energy, Smoke = Fire/Fire Dominator
Ok... been playin for a bit with Ronin Bow on Guardian. And is it me or does Glue Arrow slow me down slightly as well???
I started a brand new defender today using the TA/A power sets. Within these two are there any powers that are ignorable. Conversely, are there any that are must haves?
Thanks