I can personally attest to Dark being an excellent complement. You can do all your stuff at range, which is where you need to be to use AR's cones. Storm and Rad should work well. Kin does what it does for anything... stupid good damage buffing but less effective on defense. Also you have to be close to get the most out of Fulcrum Shift and to heal yourself or use Transference... then pop back out to range to line up a cone.
But overall I think AR is fun. It's no Fire Blast, but it compares favorably on overall AoE potential. Not as good at single-target but not too shabby. The -def in Burst is a nice little side-benefit that can enable the use of vet attack powers early on, if you have them, and also allow for slotting Achilles' Heel -res proc if you want to do that. Lethal damage is a downside, but is helped by Flamethrower and Ignite (and Black Scorpion's Web Envelope is fantastic with Ignite).
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I've personally run AR with /Dark, /Rad and /Pain to 50. /Rad was the only one that I spent money on though. Dark was a good complement. A lot of slowing and stopping matched up well with ignite. both AR and Dark have end issues though so it's a somewhat slow build before heavy slotting. AR/Rad gives you a larger damage potential from AR from stacking AM and the offensive toggle. The slow patch in /Rad is similar enough to the one in dark to help with ignites. A patron immob is the best complement to AR no matter which secondary you pick.
I got an AR/Kin to the mid teens before frustration got to be too much: kinetics just has no mitigation to speak of and while Siphon Speed feels GREAT, having to get in close for Transfusion (and later, Fulcrum Shift / Transference) did not look promising.
I made an AR/Dark, though, and things have been going QUITE well so far. Still not up to the mid-teens, so I cannot say for SURE that it'll continue to be easy (just about ANY powerset is easy until the teens).... I have a feeling it'll be a LOT easier based on the powers that will be available.
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both AR and Dark have end issues though so it's a somewhat slow build before heavy slotting.
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Not sure I agree. What is endurance inefficient about either of these powersets? If anything, AR with its many AoEs gets a lot more bang (no pun intended) for its endurance buck when used properly than most sets which favor more single target attacks.
In the upper levels, lethal resistant enemies can cost you more endurance to defeat, certainly, which is where it's good to have an immob/hold + ignite combo. But otherwise unless you're using buckshot on single targets or M30 on less than 3 or 4 at a time, you should be good.
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I like AR simply because I perfer natural themed toons. For some reason, the flashy/posey stuff gets old to me.
I have an AR/Trap that I've been pretty happy with. You become a real minon killler once you get web envelope. Web Envelop-Full Auto-Flamethrower--Can be pretty impressive. They both recharge pretty fast, particularly after they are slotted up. They also do not use much endurance in my opinon.
Ignite can be used as an AV eater if you have someone on the team that can keep the AV from moving out of the ignite patch. If that AV stays in the patch, they will not be lasting very long. Of course, web grenade-ignite arrests most yellow minions and below with one application.
Early levels may be tough with just two mediocre single target attacks. Having a vet power will help alot.
All that said...Any secondary will go with it. It just depend on how important synergy is to you. Surprisingly, traps offers the worst synergy with AR overall. But even that it is still quite manageable. As much as everyone complains about it (including myself) it really isn't that bad.
Fact is, the best secondary is the one you will stick with. Pick the secondary that you want. Whatever you choose will work fine.
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Does anyone even like using Assault Rifle anymore? Because I want to start one because i like the whole Military Toons, My MM being Mercenaries, If you do still use and enjoy it What is a good secondary with it? ( just for an idea I play more for fun and content not to really be an elitist)
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I ran AR/Storm, and I honestly can't recommend it as a SUPAR ULTIMATE DOOM BUILD. Your single-target damage is weak, you have no immobilize to go with Ignite, and Storm's KB works against neat AoE groups almost as much as it helps make them. Freezing Rain barely offsets the ridiculous Lethal resists you encounter late-game, and the more I play, the less useful Gale becomes.
My advice would be to pick something less funky than Storm. Dark would be good, I think, as might Traps. Kinetics is always powerful by itself, but forces a lot of redraw.
I'm playing, finally, the AR/Traps that I was planning for so long, and it's very entertaining. The gadgety theme really works for me, the damage is good (though not great) and you have something to help in most occasions.
Of course, for highly-resistant enemies (Lethal) it can be tough, at least before you grab a nice BBQ trap for your Fire damage, but it performs decently. Stick with it till the mid 20s/early 30s, then you'll know if it's for you.
I think AR won't work so well with /Storm (specially with higher-level powers), /Sonic (not much synergy, there), /Kinetics (redraw madness and lack of survivability/mitigation). /Dark goes well with pretty much anything, as does /Rad.
AR/Kin ftw. A lot of forumites will look at it and go 'ewww' because they base everything on solo ability in an MMO - which is retarded for the corr class.
AR/Kin is very likely the reason AR got changed so much - I and several others were spouting about being able to pour out 550+damage every 3 seconds with fulcrum, web envelope, and ignite.
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AR/Kin ftw. A lot of forumites will look at it and go 'ewww' because they base everything on solo ability in an MMO - which is retarded for the corr class.
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Soloable doesn't mean "bad on teams". /Dark, /Rad, and /Storm are all good soloers AND good on teams. Soloable also means you don't fold like a lawn-chair when the team gets into trouble, which is anything but "retarded". 
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However, to base a build on the ability to solo while playing an AT that was designed for support in a Massively Multiplayer game just makes me scratch my head. They have their purpose, but to completely ignore team-friendly builds is ludicrous in my eyes. I was just saying several people on the forum act this way.
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Okay, I reread a little and I see what you're responding to. It's not fair to say AR doesn't go well with Kin because of survivability. It's fair to say the combo doesn't offer much survivability and leave it up to the person asking about builds to decide whether they care about that or not.
Redraw is a valid complaint though. Kinetics is a very active set, assuming you are using the Siphons, and since redraw times are no longer included in AR"s animation times, Kinetics pays a heavier penalty than most as does anyone who needs to do a lot of clicking in their secondary, usually.
Then again, it's not like Kinetics doesn't make it all back up and then some when you finally draw the rifle with THAT much damage buffing behind it. 
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Yeah I love my 50 AR/Kin.
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AR does work exceptionally well with storm, but there is a caveat: you have to know how to leverage your storm powers to best benefit your cones. It also helps to have a playstyle where the player doesn't necessarily NEED to use all of there powers. Storm is a tool box full of sky-splitting primal badassery, but you have to use the right power in the right situation.
My AR/Storm is 45 and typical encounters wind up with me using my positioning tools (Gale, Hurricane, Snowstorm) to put mobs together (usually in a corner), Freezing Rain to soften them up, and then Ignite, Flamethrower, Full Auto. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Now, I can't always do exactly that on every team, but then I don't really have to. Freezing Rain, Snow Storm and my cones usually get the job more than done on fast moving teams.
Side note: If you go with Assault Rifle, 6-slot Slug and Burst and try to get them to maximum recharge as quickly as possible. Mine are currently Frankenslotted for 90% Damage, 90% Recharge, a smidgen of End reduction, and about 30% Accuracy. (I also have about 30% in global acc bonuses from IOs.)
The recharge is REALLY important, since those two powers are your entire single-target attack chain. I don't have Sniper Rifle, but that might be another option.
love my AR/Kin, she's a hover blaster ^.^ if things get a bit hairy, Ignite does a good job of making them go crazy with "OHMYGODIMONFIRE!!!" Though Ignite could do w/out the long pause after the patch is laid down...
Im a fan of the AR/kin too. I find it very fun and hella neat!
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Im a fan of the AR/kin too. I find it very fun and hella neat!
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Hi Five!
My new Youtube Channel with CoH info
You might know me as FlintEastwood now on Freedom
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Im a fan of the AR/kin too. I find it very fun and hella neat!
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Hi Five!
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I like my AR/Kin too, but it is definitely not for the faint of heart (there are easier secondaries to pair with AR). You are never going to be the most survivable of kins when it's paired with AR, but it's really not THAT bad...just requires paying attention and a lot of hyperactive movement if Beanbag misses that target (I know, lolz beanbag, but it's really helpful solo or for stacking stuns on teams).
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Im a fan of the AR/kin too. I find it very fun and hella neat!
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Hi Five!
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Hi Five I have a 50 AR/KIN/BS ruptor its absolutley fun as heck... Having the web aoe then FS then Full auto and ignite with flame thrower watch all the scourage scourage scourage!! really fun stuff..
I found that my AR/KIN did much more damage than my AR/device blaster (which I deleted) hence Fulcrum Shift and Siphon Power FTW!!
It didn't really start to shine until the mid 30's. But from that point it got really fun in PvE.
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Yeah I usually don't play corruptors to solo with, so that point is moot to me.
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Good to see other people like AR/Kin; I love mine. Not quite 50 yet, but limited time to play.
I'd like to try AR/Dark one day, but I might save that concept for Dual Pistols, whenever they come out.
I have a 50 AR/Kin,
It's very ridiculous. In a good way, of course.
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I'm sorry, but till this day, I will still say that I have had both the best team experience and the most fun playing my AR/Devices on hero side. I know it's blasphemy to mention blue side here, but just wanted to make it known that the AR on blasters is still deadly as hell even without scourge.
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What has always bugged me about AR is that every damn power comes with some kind of caveat.
Flamethrower. Good damage, but it takes over SEVEN seconds to deal that damage. Even longer now that the stealth nerf of having the damage delay on enemies at range. I think BaBs said something about how it's more realistic that the flame travels to the enemies in the back slower than enemies up front. Maybe he's never seen an actual real flamethrower in operation. Realistically, it should be an incredibly fast BLAST of concentrated cone fire that instantly fries the targets. Not a slow-motion snake of fire that slowly toasts enemies to a healthy brown. I have never agreed with FT being a pure DOT. It should be huge upfront damage with minor DoT. If we're going to be talking about realism, and since AR is a natural themed set supposedly based upon real physics, I believe it's a totally relevant argument.
Full Auto. Cool power but extremely long animation time and a narrow cone. The new animation is shorter, but it's still LONG.
M30. Only good targeted AoE in the set but it's smash/lethal and has tons of KB.
Buckshot. Good animation, average damage, annoying KB.
Ignite. Wow you used to SOMETIMES be able to make it work under the correct circumstances but now it's been painfully nerfed, even further reducing it's practical applications.
Burst and Slug are...average ST attacks.
Beanbag has some good uses but it doesn't help you kill anything. In an AT with an entire secondary dedicated to support and buff/debuff and survival tools it's use is extremely limited. Better on a blaster.
It's still a decent set, but I don't have the patience for it, no matter how many different AR characters I've tried. As mentioned earlier, the KB is not reliable. You can't avoid scattering mobs. Some are gonna get KBd, some won't. It's a random percentage and it's unpredictable even by the best of players.
And since we're talking realism, Grenades and gun shots do not knock people flying. If AR is the realistic natural choice of blast primaries, then let's take a look at realism.
Buckshot. IRL a shotgun blast will stagger a human target. Obviously getting shot will make you fall down, but that's only because you're dead. If a shotgun blast were strong enough to send people flying, it would send the shooter flying as well, or send the gun flying out of the shooters hands.
M30 fragmentation grenade. It would knock you down, maybe the force of the explosion would push you back a little, but again, the vast majority of the damage comes from the little fragments that cut through the target like butter.
Flamethrower, like I said earlier, would be a massive and insanely fast burst of flaming death. Not a slow moving cloud of uncomfortably warm air.
For me, when I play AR I want the concept of a natural themed gun using character that has some basis in real physics. So many of these powers being so inaccurate bugs me in both a RP sense and a game mechanic sense.
Does anyone even like using Assault Rifle anymore? Because I want to start one because i like the whole Military Toons, My MM being Mercenaries, If you do still use and enjoy it What is a good secondary with it? ( just for an idea I play more for fun and content not to really be an elitist)