I am still pretty much a novice at this game (been playing around 4 months) and am FAR from an expert on builds but......
Isn't ANY power 6 slotted for damage a bit like using an Apache Gunship to trim back the trees in your garden?
Also, with SOs isn't there some kind of "law of diminishing returns" thing with slotting more than 3 of em in a power?
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I am still pretty much a novice at this game (been playing around 4 months) and am FAR from an expert on builds but......
Isn't ANY power 6 slotted for damage a bit like using an Apache Gunship to trim back the trees in your garden?
Also, with SOs isn't there some kind of "law of diminishing returns" thing with slotting more than 3 of em in a power?
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Yeah, 6-slotting powers for damage doesnt work in practise due to ED (enhancement diversification). In short it means that there is a sharp drop in enhancement boost after third similar enhancement, so 6 slots for damage is in practise only SLIGHTLY better than 3 damage slots. In practise its only worth 3-slotting things with similar type of boost. so: 2 acc, 3 damage, 1 rechrage for instance.
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Plight is correct, Aim and buildup have no weak points at all. Iirc BU doesnt even root you, but aim might, anyway the animation in both is very fast.
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since when does aim root you:/..did I miss somethin in the past week:P
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Plight is correct, Aim and buildup have no weak points at all. Iirc BU doesnt even root you, but aim might, anyway the animation in both is very fast.
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since when does aim root you:/..did I miss somethin in the past week:P
[/ QUOTE ]It doesn't, I thnk the thread covered this already although I don't want it to seem unanswered if anyone else reads this part.
Plight
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Hi there people, new, old, clueless and confuzzled.
I have just read a post where a friend was talking about how, many blasters do not take both Aim and Build Up. I've also run into a lot of blasters in game without one or both of these powers.
I'd just like to say that if Aim and Build Up are in your sets (they aren't in Assault Rifle or Devices) then to maximise your potential as glass cannon, you need these powers. These are all about doing more damage more often, and for many blasters, damage is all you have (utility is discussed elsewhere I know).
I played a blaster for a few months without Build Up when I started a few years ago and was amazed when I got it and slotted it. I didn't pick up Aim for about 9 months and I never regretted anything so much, and I was very happy indeed with the benefits it brought.
I recommend slotting both of these powers with 3 recharge reduction enhancements, and if you plan to PvP, add as many to hit enhancements as you can spare. Try and fit these powers in before too many levels go by, 15 is very early, while the early 20s is sensible, by 30 these powers really should be part of your build.
[EDIT in response to a quick reply]: These powers boost damage and accuracy the same proportion of base values at all levels, so where, for example, Build Up boosts your damage in the mid to late game from around 195% (enhanced) to 295%, at level 12 or so the values would be boosted from around 120% (enhanced) to 220%, a far greater proportional reward at earlier levels indeed.[/Edit]
I hope this post will help make many new and existing blasters mash more and more foes into the ground ever before, and allow blasters as an AT to outdamage scrappers, it is the one the deities of CoH intended it to be.
Plight
P.S. A kind note to all of the freedom of build types who do not wish people to follow cookie cutters. Aim and Build Up are in nigh on every blaster set; blasters do damage, people enjoy the game more when they die less and they die less with builds that have optimised function. If you want to create a concept toon without these 2 powers then go for it and good luck, but if you are new to CoH or blasting, or feel that your blaster is underperforming, these are 2 very quick fix powers to get into your attack cycles.
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Sticky this pls.
Oooooh 
I'd be honoured. Never had anything stickied before. But I did make this post to be for all blasters, and you can't deny it's relevent.
Plight
Havn't read what others have posted so I'll just post my opinion to the topic.
Here is my balanced equation.
build up + aim = ultimate pwnage for a few seconds (providing you don't die.)
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Also, with SOs isn't there some kind of "law of diminishing returns" thing with slotting more than 3 of em in a power?
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Yes, but I don't let that stop me. My En/Dev Blaster was level 49 when ED was put on the Live Servers, and I wasn't going to waste time and influence changing all my enhancements round that late in the game.
I still use him for misisons and Task Forces, and he's in no way 'disadvantaged' because he six-slots, it's just that the damage boost is now incredibly small. I'm still playing the same as I always did, and quite often defying the Blaster stereotype by being the last team-member standing.
Of course, all other characters I've amde since have been slotted to comply with ED, but as a matter of principle, and more importantly, choice, my Blaster stays as he is.
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Havn't read what others have posted so I'll just post my opinion to the topic.
Here is my balanced equation.
build up + aim = ultimate pwnage for a few seconds (providing you don't die.)
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BU + Stealth + Defence Inspirations = Pwnage.
Aim and BU are both perfectly acceptable powers, and together they're very useful, but if you DON'T want to take both for whatever reason, it WON'T hinder your build whatsoever. Of course, hardcore PvP builds will likely have both in there, but it's entirely up to you. I have a PvE / PvP mix build and I wouldn't change much in it at all, and if you get placated, or phase shifted on during those 5 seconds you have those buffs, well, you're a bit screwed anyway 
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Aim and BU are both perfectly acceptable powers, and together they're very useful, but if you DON'T want to take both for whatever reason, it WON'T hinder your build whatsoever.
[/ QUOTE ] I pretty much said that in the OP, although this thread is more to encourage blasters to be the damage dealers they are supposed to be, not second rate ranged scrappers with not defences or decent damage.[ QUOTE ]
Of course, hardcore PvP builds will likely have both in there, but it's entirely up to you. I have a PvE / PvP mix build and I wouldn't change much in it at all, and if you get placated, or phase shifted on during those 5 seconds you have those buffs, well, you're a bit screwed anyway
[/ QUOTE ]Any PvP build, not hardcore ones IMO. Tell the last comment to my PBAoEs and my pet, I don't think they mind placate too much .
With regard to PvP builds, dropping either of these powers due to the chance that someone may placate you or phase you as you use them is pretty silly IMO, to not have these powers means you won't succeed in PvP not only when placated or phased, but generally.
Plight
Being a /dev blaster I've felt I was missing out with not having BU, when I get to 50 I have the eventual plan of getting into PvP. Is not having BU such a loss?
Yes BU and AIM is definetly a must have in PVP , PVP burst damage is always beter then static long damage .
The faster you can kill somebody the less time you give them to react , its also the shock elements when somebody is full health suddenly is dropping till 10%
So in that way AssualtRifle/Dev blasters are a bit left out , cause of too low damage with no burst tricks up the sleeve.
it depends how u play, many see /dev as the new "uber" pvp blaster secondary and wud pick it over /nrg for pvp.
/dev isnt a killer and needs to be played in a controller type way using web grenades and caltrops etc to slow down the enemy, works great in a team but solo dont expect to be killing that much other than with mines
I still think /dev depends too much on tricks to get kills. You can do some very cool tricks with it though . I need to sort out my Ice/Ice build like that.
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Being a /dev blaster I've felt I was missing out with not having BU, when I get to 50 I have the eventual plan of getting into PvP. Is not having BU such a loss?
[/ QUOTE ]You will simply have to learn to play to your own strengths, Build Up just won't be part of it. I wouldn't fret though, there is plenty you can still do . (You essentially lose 100% of base damage for about 10 seconds out of every 40, so your DPS will be about 25% of base less than people with Build UP, this is wothout really crunching the numbers though)
Plight
This thread is my fault, isn't it? 
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Being a /dev blaster I've felt I was missing out with not having BU, when I get to 50 I have the eventual plan of getting into PvP. Is not having BU such a loss?
[/ QUOTE ]You will simply have to learn to play to your own strengths, Build Up just won't be part of it. I wouldn't fret though, there is plenty you can still do . (You essentially lose 100% of base damage for about 10 seconds out of every 40, so your DPS will be about 25% of base less than people with Build UP, this is wothout really crunching the numbers though)
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I ran a spreadsheet a while ago to work out whether Targetting Drone was better or worse than Build Up in sustained DPS delivery.
Basically the to hit buff of 3 slotted TD is about the same as 1 ACC in effectiveness ( actually slightly better ) so you can drop an accuracy off your attacks.
I used lots of sensible slottings and found if you did this, on average you got just a bit better DPS and DPE with Targetting Drone than with Build Up, averaged over a number of slotting combinations. Similarly if you added Aim ( so it was Build Up and Aim vs Targetting Drone and Aim ) the results were the same. However add Hasten to the mix and Build Up and Aim have better DPS and DPE.
However this only applies if you attack constantly, so probably isn't extremely valid and Build Up probably has the edge.
@Unthing ... Mostly on Union.
Because I can't pin threads up I thought I'd bump this post, there have a been a lot of builds going up lately and I thought I'd remake the boanket statement
*bump*
Plight
The Aim and build up advice is really very handy for all balsters who have access to them imo of course wonder if Bridger would be kind enough to consider pinning this ... meh just a thought.
Cheers,
White 
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its not i4 any more is it
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It is in *my* head.