Thugs. they have range and barrels more personality than any other MM primary, I reckon.
DON'T eat muffins while I'm developing you.
Pants! Turkey Magnates! A man in a box! Rogue AI! Come one, come all, to arc ID 10107 - It's [i]'Not as long as some other arcs'[/i]!
Thugs. Thugs/dark is heaven. Go thugs/dark. You know you want to 
The stacked enforcer leadership rocks!
I think that thugs rock when dealing witbh large groups of enemies, the collective amount of cones and AoE's rip throught the enemies like they were nothing.
Sheer destruction, I tell you.
[ QUOTE ]
I think that thugs rock when dealing witbh large groups of enemies, the collective amount of cones and AoE's rip throught the enemies like they were nothing.
Sheer destruction, I tell you.
[/ QUOTE ]
that's a bit hard to get thugs on my characters now...i made my MM's before I7 
Ranged henchmen... that really leaves you with Robotics, Thugs or Mercs. Each have their respective benefits.
Robotics
- Self Healing (via Repair by Protector Bots)
- Self Defensive (via Force Shield by Protector Bots)
- MM Defensive (via Force Shield by Protector Bots)
- Ranged AoE post-L32 for all henchmen
Thugs
- Self Defensive (via Enforcers Leadership)
- Self Accurate (via Enforcers Leadership)
- Self Damage Boost (via Enforcers Leadership)
- Some Ranged AoE pre-L32, all but one henchman Ranged AoE post-32
Mercs
- Self Healing (via Aid Other by Medic)
- Self Status Protection (via Stimulant by Medic)
- MM Healing (via Aid Other by Medic)
- MM Status Protection (via Stimulant by Medic)
- Ranged AoE post-L32 for all henchmen
Pick what added extras you like for your MM/Henchmen and make a pick!
Personally I like the Zombie/dark combo and I just mix it up in melee with them.
Zombies have the ranged attacks too - Vomit for the minions, Gloom for the Grave Knights, and the Lich is a great help - once fully upgraded he can heal himself, cone immobilize, cone fear, hold, cone knockback, and do a little damage to boot.
However, the basic Horde and Knights are significantly more powerful in melee and you may need to actively steer them into contact.
Drawback - you don't get a pet repair or heal with Zombies, but Dark works to their strengths. You do, however get a handy replacement pet if one keels over - use Dark Extraction on a fallen pet to get a powerful Spirit to help you out. Don't waste it on a basic minion if you don't need it - the more powerful the pet you Extract, the more powerful the Spirit is.
Plus if you go Zom/Dark, which is a pretty natural match, you can get not one but TWO bonus pets - you get a Fluffy at 38.
Is it time for the dance of joy yet?
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Ranged henchmen... that really leaves you with Robotics, Thugs or Mercs. Each have their respective benefits.
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Apart from, say Ninja?
Superior Soft Control (Disorient, Slow, Placate, Hold)
Melee or Ranged Devastation.
Ability to be hid amongst.
Not to be discounted.
Weasel I've already tried ninja's there ok but not something I'm as much attached to as my fire imps I made a new master mind "ZZ Top Man" thugs/dark and so far I like it... robotics does sound interesting as well as mercs, but the idea of thugs for me having the Gang War power seems to have caught my eye mostly having 10+ more extra thugs sounds delightful hmmm thugs, enforcers, gang war, bruiser and dark servent? heh sounds like ownage to me ^_^
I'll take your Thugs and Pwn them with 3xCaltrops, Firecages, Disorients every 5 seconds, Placates every 20, Poison Cloud, Acid Mortar, FFG and Mister Servant webbed well out of harm's way.
Bodyguard actually works against you with Caltrops
[ QUOTE ]
I'll take your Thugs and Pwn them with 3xCaltrops, Firecages, Disorients every 5 seconds, Placates every 20, Poison Cloud, Acid Mortar, FFG and Mister Servant webbed well out of harm's way.
Bodyguard actually works against you with Caltrops
[/ QUOTE ]
Quote from Red Vs Blue "This doesn't seem physically possible!" 
Ok, Let's say I can web your MM and you fall to the ground. (minor damage).
Your henchmen surround you as I drop caltrops and my Jounin do the same.
You're now taking 3xcaltrop damage, but if Bodyguard is up, you're taking 3/2 caltrop damage, with the other 1/4's going out to the Henchmen; who are also taking 3xdamage for being in close; so they're dropping a lot faster than they would do normally; whilst everyone is suffering slows/interrupts; (preventing re-summoning/medicine Heals), Acid raining on you (splash debuff damage), Poision Cloud (Hold/Toxic) also affect all of you; and if you decide to use Travel to get away from the caltrops; bodyguard ceases as they're trapped within the deathtrap.
Given that disorients and confuses are raining in on you as well, your leadership won't help as they all pick differing targets to attack; unless you spam 'Attack this git', at which point your not attacking.
If you manage this, my Genin soak my damage; and if you can get free, I just Heal Self/SJ away before any more damage.
It's all in the location; in the open you can drop me easily; in a small area that I can set up with web, Thugs collapse against Ninja 
Similar happens with most of the ranged; as long as I can fix melee.
Without bodyguard, your henchmen tend to stay free of the PBAOE's and can happily interrupt/fire on me, losing Supermacy doesn't mean quiet as much to them.
right right and what about the darkness debuffs I could cast on you? such as Darkesst night and twilight grasp to reduce your accuracy and damage? not to mention that I might have group flight in my build so your caltrops would be useless tar patch to slow your ninja's down petrifying gaze to hold you fearsome stare to scare away any thoose who come even close to melee range still casting twilight grasp along with Nightfall, Soul Storm, and Soul Tentacles hmmm I would really like to duel you weasel if I ever get my villainous toon to 50
Web nullifies Flight, Leadership blocks your debuffs, meanwhile 4 attacks come in from range whilst 2 are in melee.
It really depends on where we fight, and if mobs are brought in; I really need to set a deathtrap area; if you can get a drop on me; I'll be slaughtered.
Like Sun Tzu says, control the battleground and 50% of the battle is yours.
I'll see about a battle when I'm next back on my proper computer I'm only 30 as is.
Go for necrophilia, you won't be dissapointed
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Drawback - you don't get a pet repair or heal with Zombies, but Dark works to their strengths.
[/ QUOTE ]
After you get the second upgrade power you do as all pets get a life tap type power that drains enemy HP to restore their own, except for the Lich who gets a PBAoE type one.
So with Zombies/Dark you can end up with a whole lot of healing going around.
The heals even count for the heal others badges. 
zombies all the way
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Go for necrophilia, you won't be dissapointed
[/ QUOTE ]
There is nothing right about that sentance
"Well, they found my diary today.
They were appropriately appalled
at the discovery of the eight victims
They're now putting it all together.
Women wrapped in silk
with one leg missing
Eight legs, one body, silk,
spider, brilliant!"
The other benefit of bots is that a) they're immune to fear attacks, and b) have a good defense against psi (afaik). Additionally, the lvl 32 Upgrade turns them from rinky-dink kiddie toys to unleashers of energy and rocket based death.
Couple this with a /dark secondary and you'll be running through missions and finding yourself cackling manicly in true evil mastermind stylee
@SteelRat; @SteelRat2
"Angelina my love, I'm a genius!"
"Of course you are darling, that's why I married you. Physically, you're rather unattractive"
http://faces.cohtitan.com/profile/SteelRat
Nonono! Whatever you do, DON'T go Bot/Dark.
They're far too overpowered, particularly when you pick up the AOE immob from the Mace patron pool.
You won't be able to play another toon without thinking "Bah, my MM could clear these mobs twice as fast".
Seriously though: think Fire/Kin/Fire troller, but with giant robots and a pet dark defender.
Bots/Dark is pretty hard to rationalise too other than to say "I picked the strongest combo"
But really its the stupid designers fault for allowing one of the MM powersets to be so overpowered. Pretty unforgivable given how much time & effort they'd spend nerfing the bad choices they'd made before (Controller pets & aoe holds, tanker defenses, pre-ED 6 slotting) and the amount of time & experience they had with Dark Miasma on the live servers.
Ah haah this would explain a lot. I've never really been able to get on with any other MM, because I've always felt they've been lacking something (my bot / dark was the first MM I played).
@SteelRat; @SteelRat2
"Angelina my love, I'm a genius!"
"Of course you are darling, that's why I married you. Physically, you're rather unattractive"
http://faces.cohtitan.com/profile/SteelRat
Bots/Dark is lacking something........... glorious melee. Which means it's perfect for the op, but fairly useless for me.
Bots/Dark would be my sugggestion if you're just looking for a strong ranged set. Now Thugs would be much more fun, I mean a brute and all, but not so much of a ranged set. Mercs are fairly nice, but not really on the same level as bots.
"Well, they found my diary today.
They were appropriately appalled
at the discovery of the eight victims
They're now putting it all together.
Women wrapped in silk
with one leg missing
Eight legs, one body, silk,
spider, brilliant!"
Interestingly, and purely from a concept point of view, Thugs has always been a set I've wanted to try, but have never been able to get on with. What would be a good secondary for them? I'm thinking FF or Traps maybe?
@SteelRat; @SteelRat2
"Angelina my love, I'm a genius!"
"Of course you are darling, that's why I married you. Physically, you're rather unattractive"
http://faces.cohtitan.com/profile/SteelRat
Hey guys now that I know that /dark is my favourite mastermind secondary I'm still having troubles getting attached to my ninja's so I was just curious whats the most prefered Henchmen to use? I'm thinking on something prefably for range but I'm always open for idea's!
Thx for the advice!