Ice/Energy best single target damage
Fire/* best AoE damage
Most survivable? Probably Ice/* (maybe Ice) or Elec/* (maybe Elec) because of the holds early on - they make such a difference.
Highest AoE alpha: Any /devices.
3 Trip Mines deal more combined damage than any of the nukes if slotted equally.
Trip Mines can be set up to alpha an (non-Lethal/Fire resistant) EB if you have patience and proper terrain. Trip Mine + standard AoE will take down most even level minions, something that can be done right on top of an unaggroed spawn if you use Cloaking Device + Super Speed. That combo recharges faster than a nuke and it doesn't take all your endurance either.
However, using Trip Mines in the middle of combat is only recommended if you aren't being attacked directly and the enemy isn't liberal with AoEs.
Trip Mine (when combined with your other powers) is just about the safest damage dealing power you can access as a Blaster. It's also among the slowest and generally only good in teams if you know you'll get time to set a couple up before you attack.
Electrical Blast is another good option for survival, a properly slotted Short Circuit helps a lot more than any Blaster Hold as long as you aren't up against an AV. Stopping 2 bosses from pounding your face in at the same time is such a nice ability.
The Rain powers can be used in a similar way, but they should be used with greater care if you're teamed.
actually ice/elec has higher st damage then ice/energy.
*sets up stool with mug of coffee*
*waits for argument over Fire Vs Ice*
*waits for topic to change to PvP*
*then waits for BindW to make an excellent post, turning the OP's mind, and making her roll Elec/Elec*
Seems there's a different question in there though asking for "Survivability"
Hmmmmmmmm, now i personally feel that I should spout the cliche "best defense is a good offense" line because I feel it's true for Blasters.
However, if you're aftr Defense in a numbers/tactics way, i guess you couldnt go wrong with Devices.
It has caltrops and trip mines to stop heavy hitting melee attacks, cloaking device for stealth and Taser for some mez.
*sits back on stool*
[ QUOTE ]
Whats the most Survivable Power Set Combos?
[/ QUOTE ]
Blaster + Survivability.
There's something wrong with the sentence but I just cant set my finger on it.
Nope, I'm just not getting it.
Ice/Energy is best single target, and with /Energy you get Conserve power, and Powerbuildup, so you do more damage, and run out of end less= survivability.
Fire/Fire is best AoE damage, but has least survivability, as gets a lot of aggro.
*/Devs is not the highest damage, there is no Build Up, and Nova/Nuke takes hardly anything to activate, whilst trip mines take a century.
Energy/* has a lot of survivability, as if anything comes within threatening range, you can push it away, either with inherent % of KB or Power Push, if you decide to get it.
Elec/* is also good for survivability, and basically all round damage. Good AoEs, good ST, good hold, good secondary effect (when slotted properly)
ST damage is imho more PvP than PvE, as, how often is it you come across something so big that a few charged up AoEs can't take down? Sure, AVs, Elite Bosses, but that's about it.
So, if you want:
Great minion/lieut killer- go Fire/Fire
Survivability- [en/ice/elec]/en
ST damage- Ice/[en/elec]
[ QUOTE ]
Ice/Energy is best single target, and with /Energy you get Conserve power, and Powerbuildup, so you do more damage, and run out of end less= survivability.
[/ QUOTE ]
*/Energy gets Power boost, not Power build up. Power boost doesn't increase damage 
.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Ice/Energy is best single target, and with /Energy you get Conserve power, and Powerbuildup, so you do more damage, and run out of end less= survivability.
[/ QUOTE ]
*/Energy gets Power boost, not Power build up. Power boost doesn't increase damage .
[/ QUOTE ]
I think Chi meant BuildUp, which increases damage
[ QUOTE ]
Ice/Energy is best single target, and with /Energy you get Conserve power, and Powerbuildup, so you do more damage, and run out of end less= survivability.
[/ QUOTE ]Ice/Elec and fire/elec both have higher damage and better endurance gain.
[ QUOTE ]
*/Devs is not the highest damage, there is no Build Up, and Nova/Nuke takes hardly anything to activate, whilst trip mines take a century.
[/ QUOTE ]
I did say Highes AoE alpha. 19 Trip Mines will deal a lot more damage than any of the nukes, it just takes time to set up.
Nukes take 2-3 seconds to activate while Trip Mines take 4 seconds. Endurance and Recharge wise Trip Mines win big time, Trip Mines can be used for every spawn when solo (20 sec recharge unenhanced) and you don't need to eat CaBs to clean up their misses.
Surely you mean Trip Mines = 4 seconds........x19, so 76 seconds
[ QUOTE ]
Surely you mean Trip Mines = 4 seconds........x19, so 76 seconds
[/ QUOTE ]Which still beats the 360 sec recharge of nukes, plus you don't need 19 trip mines per mob.
That was just the activation, coupled with the 20 second unenhanced recharge of Trip mines, it might be closer to that 360
And yeah most mobs wouldnt need 19. Still think in DPS, a nuke would beat Trip Mine fields.....
[ QUOTE ]
That was just the activation, coupled with the 20 second unenhanced recharge of Trip mines, it might be closer to that 360
And yeah most mobs wouldnt need 19. Still think in DPS, a nuke would beat Trip Mine fields.....
[/ QUOTE ]Not really, you can lay trip mine every 13 secs or so including the animation time, and 2 or 3 trip mines is already over nuke damage.
2 or 3!?
Blimey. It's been a while since I've seen Trip Mines but couldnt remember them being THAT powerful 
Hmmm, the source i have doesnt have BI numbers for Trippies.
You got anything to-hand MaX?
I'd like to point out that while /Electric does technically have higher Damage, it's a negligible difference in PvP and PvE. Personally, while I love Power Sink (WOO!) some of the other self buffs in /Energy would sway me if I was making a new Blaster.
I'd probably go fire/fire for AoE, Ice/Energy (though /Elec also works, as said) for ST Damage and Elec/Elec or Ice/Ice for Suriviability.Both have very nice control options and build sinergy.
I don't have damage scalar numbers, but SherkSilver's planner gives trip mines 5.5 BI, with 2 possible hits of 2.7, while nove with all possible damages hitting is around 12 BI.
Cheers MaX, always nice to know the numbers
So 2-3 unenhanced Trips = an unenhanced Nuke.
I guess the only factor to add in then in the ability to buff Nukes with Aim and Buildup, maybe pushing it up towards 5-7 mines.......and that enhancements would open the gap a bit wider.
Oh well, learn something new everyday.
[ QUOTE ]
Cheers MaX, always nice to know the numbers
So 2-3 unenhanced Trips = an unenhanced Nuke.
I guess the only factor to add in then in the ability to buff Nukes with Aim and Buildup, maybe pushing it up towards 5-7 mines.......and that enhancements would open the gap a bit wider.
Oh well, learn something new everyday.
[/ QUOTE ]
At the damage cap a nuke will aproximate 7-8 3 Dam SO Mines.
19 Trip Mines take a bit less than 4 min to put down for 2 Rech Mines + 3 Rech Hasten if you time Hasten correctly. Trip Mines have a 4 min duration before they explode on their own.
Damage cap?
Do you mean our 500% cap, or the maximum we can reach by ourselves with Aim, Buildup and Enhancements?
[ QUOTE ]
What the Highest Single Target damage Blaster out there?
[/ QUOTE ]
I'd say Ice or possibly Sonic for the primary. Elec or Energy for the secondary.
Sonic is a possible because of the -res.
/Energy has less damage than /Elec but gets Build Up earlier.
[ QUOTE ]
What the Highest AOE damage Blaster out there?
[/ QUOTE ]
Fire/ and Elec/ both have 2 good AoEs.
Fire/ has a cone and a ball.
Elec/ has a ball and a pbAoE. Fire's do more damage though.
/Fire has 2 PbAoEs and 2 damage Auras.
/Devices has Trip Mine and Time Bomb. See other posts.
I would say either Elec/Fire or Fire/Fire with Fire/Fire just winning.
[ QUOTE ]
Whats the most Survivable Power Set Combos?
[/ QUOTE ]
Possibly Ice/Ice? Or Sonic/Ice? Or something Dev. Other than damage, Control is the best way for a blaster to be survivable.
Ice/ has 2 single target holds and a rain power, although the second hold is not that good.
Sonic/ has a single target stun and a cone sleep as well as a cone knockback.
Elec/ has 1 single target hold, also Short Circuit can be used to drain endurance.
/Ice has a hold, a small AoE knockdown patch, a toggle self debuff and a cone debuff.
/Devices has 2 stealth powers ( Smoke Grenade and Cloaking Device ), Caltrops which messes up enemy AI and a single target stun.
@Unthing ... Mostly on Union.
[ QUOTE ]
Damage cap?
Do you mean our 500% cap, or the maximum we can reach by ourselves with Aim, Buildup and Enhancements?
[/ QUOTE ]
When I say cap I mean the cap, you can always stack Enrages to reach it if you absolutely want to. Inspirations are fairly well suited for something like the nukes.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What the Highest AOE damage Blaster out there?
[/ QUOTE ]
Fire/ and Elec/ both have 2 good AoEs.
Fire/ has a cone and a ball.
Elec/ has a ball and a pbAoE. Fire's do more damage though.
/Fire has 2 PbAoEs and 2 damage Auras.
/Devices has Trip Mine and Time Bomb. See other posts.
I would say either Elec/Fire or Fire/Fire with Fire/Fire just winning.
[/ QUOTE ]Fire also has RoF, and combined with caltrops from devices can be interesting.
Also, don't underestimate AR, it has 2 normal cones, AoE, small LBAoE, and a semi-nuke cone.
I would say that the highest AoE damage blaster is by far fire/fire. Aim+build up, fireball, fire sword circle, combustion. pretty much everything in a +1/+2 spawn lay on the floor. There's no way AR can compare to the sheer destruction that a fire/fire blaster can lay down.
Considering a new blaster in the distant future and just wonderd a few things
What the Highest Single Target damage Blaster out there?
What the Highest AOE damage Blaster out there?
Whats the most Survivable Power Set Combos?