City of Heroes: Live Forum Archive

Rolling a new sonic/elec. what to take?

Bonnes

By Bonnes,
Posted on: 2009-06-04 21:40 in Blasters

 

Posted

Just rolled this one up for when my current 44 ice/dev hits 50, still toying with mids after getting her to lvl 5, but not sure what to take just yet, or what style to use (ST, cones, blapping, etc)

Between the two powersets though anything in particular I should look to take, or would be considered skipable? Powers I'm most curious about would be shockwave, lightning clap, and the viablilty of lightning field for damage with sonic's -res stacking or the chance to stun IO in the energy manipulator set. That and using it's drain plus power sink to keep mobs from reticking any end back. Or would that not be enough drain without short circuit?

Planning in the 40's to stack the elec epic pool as well. Best course or choose a different one?

 

Posted

A great deal depends on how you intend to play. Some powers are better solo than teamed.

IMO the best pairing with Sonic is /energy (Blaps, Boost range and Power Boost), /Ice (stacking sleep and slows), or /MM (Shockwave into a corner, Sirens, walk in and Drain Psyche with impunity).

Sonic/Elec can be a very KB heavy set depending on how you play it. You can actively use KB as mitigation by taking Shockwave, Lightening Clap, and Thunderstrike. These tools will allow you to keep a spawn on it's keester the entire fight.

Sirens is an excellent tool when solo or if you are teamed with players that know what they are doing when it comes to sleeps. One of my favorite tactics is shockwaving mobs into a corner (thus mitigating the Alpha Strike) and then following up with Sirens before they regain their feet. Lightening field will be bad in this case as it will wake up the mobs as soon as you close.

You won't get too much use out of power sink. Sonic's animation times are pretty longish. It's one of the primaries where it's fairly easy to get away with out having either hasten or stamina just because the animation times don't play well with recharge. Slotting too much recharge just means you have attacks sitting in your tray that are seldom used.

-Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. - Albert Einstein.
-I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use. - Galileo Galilei
-When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty. - Thomas Jefferson

 

Posted

I wound up deleting my Sonic/Elec because he was boringly powerful solo. I seem to remember: Siren's Song the mob, then each of Shriek -> Havoc Punch and Scream -> Charged Brawl with Amplify or Build-Up would take out the minions, and then Shriek -> Shout -> Thunder Strike on the lieutenant. I was lacking in AoE contribution early on, but Howl was some panacea for it. Howl -> Static Discharge made me quite happy later on.

His build was something along these lines:

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's doesn't make things plural.

 

Posted

Oh, and:

[ QUOTE ]
Powers I'm most curious about would be shockwave, lightning clap, and the viablilty of lightning field for damage with sonic's -res stacking or the chance to stun IO in the energy manipulator set.

[/ QUOTE ]
I didn't see any particular *need* for any of those in the blapping playstyle.

[ QUOTE ]
That and using it's drain plus power sink to keep mobs from reticking any end back. Or would that not be enough drain without short circuit?

[/ QUOTE ]
Not enough, sadly.

[ QUOTE ]
Planning in the 40's to stack the elec epic pool as well. Best course or choose a different one?

[/ QUOTE ]
Looks good to me - you get a cone that works great with Howl and a hold to stack with Shocking Grasp. The powers are also very pretty. What's not to love?

's doesn't make things plural.

 

Posted

I took my sonic/elec to 50 almost entirely teamed. I took the entire sonic/ set and skipped lightning field and lightning clap. Also skipped the fitness pool.

Sirens song is great solo but not very useful on teams. I happen to really like shockwave, but takes some thought to avoid pissing folks off with it. It provides a trmendous amount of mitigation plus you can get some -kb with one of the kb IO sets (the name escapes me). Power sink is not that useful for sapping, but is a great follow up to Dreadful Wail - you can get right back in the action.

I took the cone and the armor from the elec APP. Was already 50 when they added the 5th power and haven't gotten around to respecing yet.

 

Posted

Played around with mids this afternoon, came up with an ultimate dream build, long long term planning and lots of spending.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Trianna: Level 50 Magic Blaster
Primary Power Set: Sonic Attack
Secondary Power Set: Electricity Manipulation
Power Pool: Teleportation
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping
Ancillary Pool: Electrical Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Shriek

    [*] (A) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage[*] (3) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (3) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (5) Devastation - Damage/Endurance[*] (5) Entropic Chaos - Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (7) Entropic Chaos - Accuracy/Damage[/list]Level 1: Electric Fence
      [*] (A) Energy Manipulator - Chance to Stun[*] (7) Devastation - Damage/Endurance[*] (9) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (9) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (23) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage[*] (27) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End[/list]Level 2: Scream
        [*] (A) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (11) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (11) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage[*] (13) Devastation - Damage/Endurance[*] (13) Entropic Chaos - Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (15) Entropic Chaos - Accuracy/Damage[/list]Level 4: Charged Brawl
          [*] (A) Energy Manipulator - Chance to Stun[*] (15) Pounding Slugfest - Disorient Bonus[*] (17) Pounding Slugfest - Damage/Recharge[*] (17) Pounding Slugfest - Damage/Endurance[*] (19) Pounding Slugfest - Accuracy/Damage[*] (19) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End[/list]Level 6: Shockwave
            [*] (A) Force Feedback - Chance for +Recharge[*] (21) Force Feedback - Recharge/Endurance[/list]Level 8: Lightning Field
              [*] (A) Energy Manipulator - Chance to Stun[*] (21) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End[*] (23) Damage Increase IO[*] (25) Damage Increase IO[*] (25) Damage Increase IO[*] (27) Accuracy IO[/list]Level 10: Havoc Punch
                [*] (A) Energy Manipulator - Chance to Stun[*] (29) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End[*] (29) Pounding Slugfest - Disorient Bonus[*] (31) Pounding Slugfest - Damage/Recharge[*] (31) Pounding Slugfest - Damage/Endurance[*] (31) Pounding Slugfest - Accuracy/Damage[/list]Level 12: Teleport Foe
                  [*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]Level 14: Teleport
                    [*] (A) Range IO[/list]Level 16: Build Up
                      [*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (33) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (33) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 18: Swift
                        [*] (A) Run Speed IO[/list]Level 20: Health
                          [*] (A) Healing IO[/list]Level 22: Stamina
                            [*] (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End[*] (33) Performance Shifter - EndMod[*] (34) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Recharge[*] (40) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy/Recharge[*] (40) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy[/list]Level 24: Lightning Clap
                              [*] (A) Razzle Dazzle - Chance of Immobilize[*] (34) Razzle Dazzle - Accuracy/Endurance[*] (34) Razzle Dazzle - Accuracy/Recharge[*] (36) Razzle Dazzle - Accuracy/Stun/Recharge[/list]Level 26: Screech
                                [*] (A) Razzle Dazzle - Chance of Immobilize[*] (36) Razzle Dazzle - Accuracy/Stun/Recharge[*] (36) Razzle Dazzle - Accuracy/Endurance[*] (37) Razzle Dazzle - Endurance/Stun[/list]Level 28: Thunder Strike
                                  [*] (A) Razzle Dazzle - Chance of Immobilize[*] (37) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (37) Obliteration - Damage[*] (39) Obliteration - Accuracy/Recharge[*] (39) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (39) Obliteration - Damage/Recharge[/list]Level 30: Combat Jumping
                                    [*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]Level 32: Dreadful Wail
                                      [*] (A) Razzle Dazzle - Chance of Immobilize[*] (40) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (42) Obliteration - Damage[*] (42) Obliteration - Accuracy/Recharge[*] (42) Obliteration - Damage/Recharge[*] (43) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[/list]Level 35: Power Sink
                                        [*] (A) Energy Manipulator - Chance to Stun[*] (43) Performance Shifter - EndMod[*] (43) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End[/list]Level 38: Shocking Grasp
                                          [*] (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End[*] (45) Performance Shifter - Accuracy/Recharge[*] (45) Pounding Slugfest - Accuracy/Damage[*] (45) Pounding Slugfest - Damage/Endurance[*] (46) Pounding Slugfest - Damage/Recharge[*] (46) Pounding Slugfest - Disorient Bonus[/list]Level 41: Shocking Bolt
                                            [*] (A) Ghost Widow's Embrace - Accuracy/Hold/Recharge[*] (46) Ghost Widow's Embrace - Accuracy/Recharge[*] (48) Ghost Widow's Embrace - Endurance/Hold[/list]Level 44: Charged Armor
                                              [*] (A) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/Endurance[*] (50) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%[*] (50) Steadfast Protection - Knockback Protection[/list]Level 47: Surge of Power
                                                [*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (48) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (48) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (50) Resist Damage IO[/list]Level 49: Static Discharge
                                                  [*] (A) Accuracy IO[/list]------------
                                                  Level 1: Brawl
                                                    [*] (A) Empty[/list]Level 1: Sprint
                                                      [*] (A) Empty[/list]Level 2: Rest
                                                        [*] (A) Empty[/list]Level 1: Defiance

                                                        +23.5% DamageBuff(Smashing)
                                                        +23.5% DamageBuff(Lethal)
                                                        +23.5% DamageBuff(Fire)
                                                        +23.5% DamageBuff(Cold)
                                                        +23.5% DamageBuff(Energy)
                                                        +23.5% DamageBuff(Negative)
                                                        +23.5% DamageBuff(Toxic)
                                                        +23.5% DamageBuff(Psionic)
                                                        +3% Defense(Smashing)
                                                        +3% Defense(Lethal)
                                                        +3% Defense(Fire)
                                                        +3% Defense(Cold)
                                                        +6.75% Defense(Energy)
                                                        +6.75% Defense(Negative)
                                                        +3% Defense(Psionic)
                                                        +3% Defense(Melee)
                                                        +4.88% Defense(Ranged)
                                                        +3% Defense(AoE)
                                                        +18% Enhancement(Accuracy)
                                                        +10% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
                                                        +4% Enhancement(Stun)
                                                        +20% FlySpeed
                                                        +180.7 HP (15%) HitPoints
                                                        +20% JumpHeight
                                                        +20% JumpSpeed
                                                        +Knockback (Mag -4)
                                                        +Knockup (Mag -4)
                                                        +MezResist(Stun) 4.4%
                                                        +8% (0.13 End/sec) Recovery
                                                        +80% (4.02 HP/sec) Regeneration
                                                        +25% RunSpeed

                                                        Till the sets fill out Just picture old school SO slotting (acc, damage, recharge) Just replace the SO's with 30 and up IO's

 

Posted

I was also fooling around in Mids with a Sonic/Elec build, and I managed to make a Ranged Soft Cap fella who I think will work pretty well. Looks like he'll be skipping Shockwave and Shout, as well as Lightning Field, Lightning Clap, and Thunderstrike. I have zero experience attempting to solo AVs with a Blaster, but theoretically, this guy might be able to do it. Hover-blasting from a safe distance while keeping the big bad Immob'd, and letting Sonic's -Res + Defiance 2.0 add to the damage.

One thing I saw that I thought was odd was the lack of "synergy" between Sonic and Power Sink...does Power Sink break Siren Song's sleep? I can't imagine that it does, since it causes no damage whatsoever. If I'm wrong, I'd love to know now before I get this (admittedly completely theory-crafted) project underway.

Oh, plus Sonic/Elec just plain lends itself to a rockstar superhero.