I'm assuming this is a ranged +def build, coupled with drain psyche and the other mental manipulation AoEs to provide healing, end recovery and -recharge based mitigation.
He probably also slotted his blaps and World of Confusion.
6 slotted Mako's Bite in Mind Probe yields +3.75% ranged defense
6 slotted Mako's Bite in TK Thrust yields +3.75% ranged defense
6 slotted Coercive Persuasion (a very cheap purple set) yield +5% ranged defense
Add in 6 slotting Gaussians in Concentration (+2.5% def all), the steadfast def/res (+3% def all) and 3 blasts worth of Thunderstrikes (3 * 2.5% ranged def), and you'd be on your way.
EDIT: might be possible to get enough +melee def to be a blapper build...that may work too, though I think +ranged would be easier.
Im sorry running in something and not dying is not tanking...
The hard things I can do--- The impossible just take a little bit longer.
If numbers are so much more important than a teammate who is fun to play with, forget about the game altogether and go play with a calculator instead. -Claws and Effect-
[ QUOTE ]
Im sorry running in something and not dying is not tanking...
[/ QUOTE ]
And why not? You may not have gauntlet, and unless you have the presence pool, you don't have a taunt but blaster damage is more than high enough, especially at melee range, to maintain aggro after the alpha, even with tanks on the team, as long as you have enough mitigation in what ever form to handle it.
-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
It's fire/mental/ice, the ice is there for a reason. It gives you smashing/lethal defense. It was probably an S/L defense build. I have something like it on my dominator that works pretty well.
It's more like scrapping than tanking though. It's hard to get everything hitting you without taunt etc.
Active (Freedom): Setna (Ice/Psi Dom), Arram (WP/KM Tank), Tesmiel (Elec/SS Tank), Astredax (Robot/Dark Mastermind), Operative Vidali (melee fortunata)
Retired (Virtue): Gaav (Inv/EM Tank), Baqra (Fire/SS Tank)
[ QUOTE ]
It's fire/mental/ice, the ice is there for a reason. It gives you smashing/lethal defense. It was probably an S/L defense build. I have something like it on my dominator that works pretty well.
It's more like scrapping than tanking though. It's hard to get everything hitting you without taunt etc.
[/ QUOTE ]
That sort of build works decently in AE farms where they do lethal damage, but I wouldn't want something like that for general purpose play. It's utterly useless against stuff like CoT, Carnies and a host of other villain groups.
I have capped smash/lethal on my ice tank but she has resists, 42% defense against energy/neg energy and tanker level hitpoints.
Capping one defense positional (either melee or ranged) would be better IMO *if* you're planning to do more than just AE.
Ranged defense is probably "better" for a /mental blaster, but most of the damage in the game is S/L, and if you close to melee a lot of enemies stop using their pure elemental attacks.
You can also get high S/L and ranged defense in the same build. My dom has about 30% range and softcapped S/L. It's like having capped melee defense for almost everything, since most melee hits have some S/L, while having protection against a lot of ranged attacks too.
Either way though, the OP was talking about a blaster tanking level 54 bosses using the ice pool, which indicates it probably WAS an S/L build surviving damage on a boss farm.
Active (Freedom): Setna (Ice/Psi Dom), Arram (WP/KM Tank), Tesmiel (Elec/SS Tank), Astredax (Robot/Dark Mastermind), Operative Vidali (melee fortunata)
Retired (Virtue): Gaav (Inv/EM Tank), Baqra (Fire/SS Tank)
For a Smashing/Lethal Def build you could go:
16% from slotted Ice Armor
7.5% from 2 Kinetics Combats
4.065% from Enfeebled Operation (2 bonuses)
3% from Steadfast IO in Tough
5.6% from slotted Weave
2% from Hover or CJ with a def IO in the default slot.
Thats 38% Defence vs Smashing and Lethal. I reckon thats enough to survive along with Drain Psyche.
Well, that wasn't me, but truthfully I draw the alpha strike all the time with my Fire/MM/Munitions Blaster. I routinely team with a Shield/Fire Tank that jokes that I make her job superfluous on the team...
My build is heavily IO'd with soft-capped Ranged Defense, no Drain Psyche, and Hasten on top of 40% global recharge.
The key to my playstyle on that character is to tactically move in and out of close range to use some of my PbAoE attacks, but use near constant movement and positioning to keep the foes using ranged attacks.
Usually an engagement flows like this...
1.) Identify spawn and set up for the jump in.
2.) Activate Concentration and Aim (plus reds if needed)
3.) Leap into the center of the spawn, queuing up Fireball on the way in.
4.) Upon landing, have Rain of Fire ready and drop it dead center in the spawn.
5.) Fire off Psychic Shockwave
6.) Leap back out just past the edge of the spawn, targeting a foe at the center.
7.) Fire off Psychic Scream and/or Firebreath, catching the spawn in the cone
8.) Fireball should be recharged, so fire it off if needed or swap to single target attacks to finish any bosses left in the spawn.
With this approach, Rain of Fire will distract most foes and Psychic Shockwave and Psychic Scream nerf their Recharge pretty hard, drastically reducing incoming attacks. They key for me is movement, and Hurdle + CJ gives some fantastic mobility plus protection from immobilize effects. That, plus the knockback protection IOs and the Ranged Defense make getting mez'ed very infrequent.
Note also that having high Ranged Defense from IO sets also has a side benefit of providing some substantial defense against Energy/Negative Energy attacks. That helps a lot with AoE attacks and Melee attacks if things get messy. Many foes have an energy component to their attacks, so you get double-duty from those IO bonuses.
I play a variety of characters, and truthfully, if you can play it to leverage the ranged Defense, that Fire/MM build feels [u]almost[u] as solid as my Claws/SR Scrapper, but with more AoE prowess.
Soft-capped Ranged Defense on a Blaster has made a believer out of me. 
Build in question, if any are interested...
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/
[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]
Patination: Level 50 Technology Blaster
Primary Power Set: Fire Blast
Secondary Power Set: Mental Manipulation
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Munitions Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Flares -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg:40(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx:40(3), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg:40(7), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:40(15), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:45(17), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:40(39)
Level 1: Subdual -- Acc-I:45(A)
Level 2: Fire Blast -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg:40(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx:40(3), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg:40(7), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:40(15), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:40(39), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:40(40)
Level 4: Fire Ball -- Posi-Acc/Dmg:40(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx:40(5), Posi-Dmg/Rchg:40(5), Posi-Dmg/Rng:40(13), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:40(19), RechRdx-I:50(31)
Level 6: Combat Jumping -- Zephyr-ResKB:45(A), Zephyr-Travel:45(42)
Level 8: Rain of Fire -- Posi-Acc/Dmg:40(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx:40(9), Posi-Dmg/Rchg:40(9), Posi-Dmg/Rng:40(31), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:40(31), RechRdx-I:50(34)
Level 10: Psychic Scream -- Posi-Acc/Dmg:40(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx:40(11), Posi-Dmg/Rchg:40(11), Posi-Dmg/Rng:40(13), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:40(19), RechRdx-I:50(34)
Level 12: Hurdle -- Jump-I:45(A)
Level 14: Super Jump -- Zephyr-Travel:30(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx:30(29)
Level 16: Concentration -- GSFC-ToHit:45(A), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg:40(17), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx:40(27), GSFC-Rchg/EndRdx:40(27), GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx:40(36), GSFC-Build%:40(36)
Level 18: Health -- Mrcl-Rcvry+:35(A)
Level 20: Stamina -- Efficacy-EndMod:45(A), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc:45(21), EndMod-I:45(21)
Level 22: Fire Breath -- Posi-Acc/Dmg:40(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx:40(23), Posi-Dmg/Rchg:40(23), Posi-Dmg/Rng:40(25), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:40(33), Range-I:50(37)
Level 24: Blaze -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg:40(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx:40(25), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg:40(34), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:40(36), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:40(37), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:40(37)
Level 26: Aim -- RechRdx-I:50(A)
Level 28: Hasten -- RechRdx-I:45(A), RechRdx-I:45(29), RechRdx-I:45(45)
Level 30: Boxing -- Acc-I:45(A)
Level 32: Inferno -- Erad-Acc/Rchg:25(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:25(33), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:25(33), C'ngBlow-Acc/Dmg:40(43), C'ngBlow-Dmg/EndRdx:40(46), C'ngBlow-Dmg/Rchg:40(46)
Level 35: Tough -- TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx:45(A)
Level 38: Psychic Shockwave -- Erad-Acc/Rchg:25(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:25(39), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:25(40), C'ngBlow-Dmg/EndRdx:40(40), C'ngBlow-Acc/Dmg:40(43), C'ngBlow-Dmg/Rchg:40(43)
Level 41: Weave -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx:45(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg:45(42), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg:45(42), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:45(45), RedFtn-Def:45(45), RedFtn-EndRdx:45(46)
Level 44: Body Armor -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+:20(A)
Level 47: World of Confusion -- CoPers-Conf:50(A), CoPers-Conf/Rchg:50(48), CoPers-Acc/Conf/Rchg:50(48), CoPers-Acc/Rchg:50(48), CoPers-Conf/EndRdx:50(50), CoPers-Conf%:50(50)
Level 49: Super Speed -- Zephyr-Travel:30(A), Zephyr-ResKB:30(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Acc-I:45(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- QckFt-EndRdx/RunSpd:45(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I:45(A)
Level 1: Defiance
------------
[u]Set Bonus Totals:[u]
- [*]8.5% DamageBuff(Smashing)[*]8.5% DamageBuff(Lethal)[*]8.5% DamageBuff(Fire)[*]8.5% DamageBuff(Cold)[*]8.5% DamageBuff(Energy)[*]8.5% DamageBuff(Negative)[*]8.5% DamageBuff(Toxic)[*]8.5% DamageBuff(Psionic)[*]4.25% Defense(Smashing)[*]4.25% Defense(Lethal)[*]4.25% Defense(Fire)[*]4.25% Defense(Cold)[*]32.7% Defense(Energy)[*]32.7% Defense(Negative)[*]3% Defense(Psionic)[*]5.5% Defense(Melee)[*]38% Defense(Ranged)[*]5.5% Defense(AoE)[*]3.6% Max End[*]4% Enhancement(Confused)[*]57% Enhancement(Accuracy)[*]40% Enhancement(RechargeTime)[*]17% FlySpeed[*]36.1 HP (3%) HitPoints[*]17% JumpHeight[*]17% JumpSpeed[*]Knockback (Mag -8)[*]Knockup (Mag -8)[*]MezResist(Immobilize) 2.2%[*]24.5% (0.41 End/sec) Recovery[*]7.56% Resistance(Fire)[*]7.56% Resistance(Cold)[*]17% RunSpeed[/list]
Code:[/color]
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Small note 6 Thunderstrikes actually yields you 3.75% ranged defense bonus
Virtue: @Santorican
Dark/Shield Build Thread
yesterday I teamed with a fire/mental/ice blaster that somehow managed to basically tank 54 bosses. I played with some builds in mids to see how one could up their def alot and still dont see how he did it it so well. Is there some build that is out there that does this well? All I know is that he only took fire blast, fire ball, aim and blaze from primary, many mental powers and the ice APP. It was the most I had been impressed with a blaster build in 4 years!