My 50 is empath/dark....I hate the sets.
FF/NRG offender used to be fun 'till it was double-[censored] by I5 (GDN) and I6 (ED - Bye bye defender damage)
TA/Psiiiiiiii is funky, and propably the char I'll be playing most after I8 if I don't drift away to other games completely.
After some trying around I have given kinetic archery a chance and am very happy with it.
I love kinetics (speeeeeeeeeed 
) and with no endu-crash it is so satisfying to unleash fulcrum-shifted Rains of Arrows as often as I can (and that is quite often).
So, Zagreus is like a decent backup blaster with a bag full of buffs, heals and other nice tools. As a result there is little incentive to play non-kinetic defenders for me.
If it has eyes, you can blind it, if it has blood, you can make it bleed, if it has a mouth, you can make it scream.
Have to say I'm loving my Rad/Sonic offender atm 
Although I still enjoy playing my emp especially in PvP 
thePhilosopher Martial Arts/Regen/Fire Scrapper
theRegulator Empathy/Energy/Soul Defender
Total Inertia Ice Blast/Kinetics/Psy Corruptor
Total Inferno Ice Blast/Thermal/Leviathan Corruptor
STORM!!!!!!!!!!!
Drama, unique powers, flexibility.
Of all the defender sets it's the one that makes me think... "wow I can't believe I did that" and the one that makes people ooh and aah and gasp in astonishment.
There is nothing like playing all your cards at once in a crisis and utterly dominating the situation. Nothing makes me feel like a defender more than the whole gale+hurricane into a corner, dumping all my storm powers and crushing a whole gang of mobs under my stormy thumb!
I'm enjoying it more than ever on my third stormy trip upwards, this time with Storm/Dark.
I do have a penchant for Trick Arrow as well though, enough that I have two in their 30s.
Kin drove me bonkers and gave me RSI. It was super powerful.... for a few seconds.... every few seconds, over and over and over and.... 
It was the fastest defender I ever levelled and I burned out completely just short of the nuke.
Forcefield is fab if you like blasting and/or Fairy Liquid and I love my little FF/Sonic Sputnik and the zany noises he makes. Force Bubble is truly godly and reminds me of my stormies.
Dark and Rad I can never really warm to the particle effects enough to fully "love" the sets, even though they are both good stuff. I've played them into the 20s but they always get deleted.
The next toon on the cards would be yet another Trick Arrow, this time paired with dark blast!
In terms of PvP, in teams I love playing my sonic/sonic. With my buffs, my team are damn near unkillable and thanks to Mind Over Body + Sonic Dispertion, so am I. I can stack over -150% resistance with my two blasts and sonic siphon, which renders granite tanks useless. I have sonic cage, which I know annoys people, plus TK which is absolutely awesome as well.
In fact, my favorite moment was when one of the people I'd been fighting sent me a tell saying "How can a defender shrug off as much damage as a granite tank!?"
Solo, definitely my rad/psi. My opponnet can't hit me, or move thanks to my debuffs and webgrenade. Add to that a fantastic self heal and insane damage from TK Blast, Will Domination and Subdue and I'm damn near unbeatable. It only gets more silly the higher level I get too! I can't wait for PBU.
I've played Empathy, Kinetics, Force fields and Dark and of them all Dark is my favourite. Why?
Because nobody bugs you. The other three meant that any team I was in I'd get "SB plz" and "HEAL!" the second any of them ran out like I was looking after them and them alone. I guess Trick Arrow is like that as well although the most fun I had with it was accepting blind invites to teams and watching their disappointment when it turned out I couldn't heal.
Plus, Dark looks great, feels nice and eerie and I can't wait to have a pet Fluffy to run around with too.
@Dante EU - Union Roleplayer and Altisis Victim
The Militia: Union RP Supergroup - www.themilitia.org.uk
STORMMMMM!!!!!
It's the most fun I've had on a computer. 
Plus, being the only Defender in a team of 7 other Blasters on Invincible missions and keeping them all pretty much alive is where Storm's chaos comes into it's own. 
Kin/Rad.
I get very excited about this character, ramble incoming.
I made her before it became one of the more popular combinations (or so I'm told, I've never actually bumped in to another ingame, but people tell me it is now), as it seemed a logical match to me. A defence debuff secondary, with powers that work in mele, to go with an accuracy dependant primary, with powers that work best in mele. I have to admit I also went with kinetic because I viewed it as a set hit to a lesser extent than a lot by ED (I made her at the start of issue 7, when playing my blasters was still extremely dissapointing compared to what I was used to), although it was also created initially as a bit of a joke at someone elses expense.
I had a very specific idea of what I wanted to do with the character and it really does match up to what I wanted. In a large team I love the versatility - she can support a damage heavy team or thrown out a lot of damage in a less damage heavy team, she can nuke without skipping a beat as long as she as a CaB, and throws out a lot of damage anyway. I vary how I play her depending on the team. The two sets mesh very nicely, I'm comfortable with what a squishy can and can't get away with in mele with my existing blasters, which I found helped. I like very active characters with a lot to do and kinetics definitely fits that bill. Just all round fun.
What she isn't especially good at is baby sitting particularly bad teams. Bad teams, particularly ones that spread out a lot, are a nightmare for a kinetic (especially because there appears to be a direct corrolation between the poorness of a team and their ability to scatter round the map, with how loud they screach for SB when it drops). Mind, I have no qualms about politely leaving a team if it is particularly bad, so that doesn't really bother me.
On a more general "what defenders do I like best" point of view, I like a rad or a dark first to a team, whichever of those is available, and then add a kinetic. On certain mobs I might prefer a kinetic first (for increase density, malta spring to mind). Overall though I like fast paced high damage teams, and put a rad and a kinetic in a team together, add some damage output, and that's my type of team. I ran the Eden Trial on Sunday with two rad secondary controllers, a rad defender, and my kinetic, in a team of 8. I was just mesmerised watching our katana scrapper two shotting purple bosses (when he critical hit of course), and also a bit thinking "oh for a fire blaster in this team" just to see how fast they'd all go down.
Kinetics/psi is my fave build. I am also very fond of dark/rad (dark for the -accuracy and resistance debuffs, rad for the -defense debuffs). However, with kinetics, it's like everything's on fast forward! I didn't have to take the fitness power pool (for once!) Also, the offensives, whilst being extremely powerful (FS + will domination - hellooooo, 1-shotted minion!) also lend to an extremely controlly feel, so soloing is very possible. Boss bugging you? No problem - hit him with transference, then transfusion (if he's got any remaining stamina) then will domination and scramble thoughts. Boss is disoriented, and you can get on with FS + psychic scream - and before the boss has had chance to come round after a nap and woozing around, you've hit him with transference again back up to full endurance.
I've yet to find a defender that can solo as quickly as a kinetics/psi (I said quickly, NOT safely). The endurance isn't a problem, the heal is superb (best AoE heal in the game) and the damage output is crazy. I just make sure that I have SB and ID set to keys on my number pad so that when the inevitable SB pls! (though I VERY rarely get it cos I stay on top of buffs all the time) gets shouted, it's just a quick press of a key.
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(though I VERY rarely get it cos I stay on top of buffs all the time)
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Wait till you're doing all those outdoor maps that you get in Unai Kemen's missions among others in the 40-50 range with your kinetic, and you have half your team going one direction and the other half your team going the other direction, plus a teleporting tank who teleports every time just before SB drops when you're about to put it on him and is suddenly 200 yards away spamming "SPEED BOOST NOW!" with you chugging along after him.
Actually, there's a possibility I told that tank where he could insert his speed boost. One of the few times I can recall losing my temper with someone in CoH. That's what you get for playing in pick up teams though I guess.
I love kinetics for what it does to already reasonable teams. It's like painting big red go faster stripes on them.
1 word guys... DARK!!!!
lol I got my dark defender to lvl 50 quite a few months ago and I still find myself always playing him and amongst the fab heal, rez, debuffs and fear there is that cute lil fluffy too now. go. make. dark. defenders!!!! :P
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STORMMMMM!!!!!
It's the most fun I've had on a computer.
Plus, being the only Defender in a team of 7 other Blasters on Invincible missions and keeping them all pretty much alive is where Storm's chaos comes into it's own.
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So totally the truth Pretty much sums up why I love storm. Getting invited to defend a team full of blasters is just too much fun.
So yes, my favourite Defender is Storm. I used to have this crazy idea that I wanted a lvl 50 of each defender, and I was doing quite well... but after playing Storm and then trying to level some others I realised nothing came even close in terms of fun and toys
Hmmm. Only got two defenders, a Kin/Elec & a lowbie Dark/Sonics. But I've also played Rad, Trick Arrow & Storm with controllers.
Ranking the 5 sets in terms of fun I have to say Rad goes bottom for me. Great set, ticks all the boxes, but I find it pretty boring to play.
As a Defender set I don't know if I'd enjoy TA as much as I am currently. The extra control it provides is great but as a TA Defender I think I'd feel like a Controller-lite until the 20s.
Kinetics comes next simply due to the time you spend buffing and Siphon Speed & low framerates is really annoying. That said I don't have Fulcrum Shift on this char and Kinetics is one of my fave types to team with.
Storm next. Great fun altogether. Nothing like seeing a bunch of mobs in a dead-end tunnel and just trashing them with Tornado, Hurricane Freezing Rain Lightning Storm and Snow Storm. My only issue with Storm is the set I chose to partner it (Illusion). Its a powerful combo but I can imagine the fun a Grav/Storm or a Storm/Dark would have.
Dark is my fav. My i8 char is Dark/Sonics & I've a Necro/Dark MM too. I love the control it gives you as well as the safety it provides. And Howling Twilight and Frowning of a Lifetime (Fearsome Stare) are two of my fav animations in the game.
I dont have any really high level defenders but I ahve enjoyed playing my empath most out of all the defs that I have. Including my rad/kin corr that plays like a defender.
My Empathy/Dark Offender is probably my favorite defender at the moment - Insane regen rate and two self-heals, combined with stacks of -ToHit and KB/KD makes fighting bosses with her fun.
My Storm/Psi comes quite close now that he has the cone attack from Psi, so does the Sonic/Sonic for the sheer awesomeness of the -res stacking.
PvP-wise, the most fun I've had on a defender has been teaming with Crimson Cannon (En/En Blaster), Tenebra (Dark/Dark Scrapper) and/or Aldwych (Kat/SR Scrapper) in Warburg as my other Emp/Dark ("pure empath" build), but that is pretty much only because the other defenders are a bit low in level to team there.
[b][color=blue]Coldest War /[color=red]/ Omega Patient[/b]
[url="http://www.the-cow.net/"][color=red]The CoW Network (Blog) /[/url][url="http://www.collegeofwar.com/"][color=blue]/ College of War[/url]
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And Howling Twilight and Frowning of a Lifetime (Fearsome Stare) are two of my fav animations in the game.
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*Laughs* I like to call it 'Gurning For England' myself.
@Dante EU - Union Roleplayer and Altisis Victim
The Militia: Union RP Supergroup - www.themilitia.org.uk
I would have to say my favourite Defender to play is Dark/Dark.
A very strong heal - second only to Kinetics I think - coupled with excellent debuffs, holds and a very handy pet all make this fun to play.
It's very effective in both a team situation and for solo work, where it will make short work of mobs that con above you.
However.....
My favourite Defender to be on the same team as is a Kinetic. The buffs are just simply awesome
The problem with Kin is that you can easily be viewed as a buff bot by your team and when level 32 comes every Granite Armour Tank (who wasn't savvy enough to take TP) will be looking for Speed Boost. This very quickly decreases the enjoyment of the set
I was once on a very long mission, with my Ill/Kin controller that had not one... but three Stone Tanks with Granite Armour. Plus 4 others who all wanted Speed Boost as well.
Not fun, I can assure you.
Something to think about when rolling a Kinetic\ Def.
Proud member of FOXBASE ALPHA and coalition associates.
Hero 50's - 25
Villain 50's - 1
After reading all your posts...if I decide to roll another Def, then will probably have to be a storm/dark one...
Main 50 & Badger Nine Claws Claws/Regen/Body
Other 50's Ph10x Brute Unjust Law Tanker Samantha Urai Scrapper Codename 1250 Scrapper
Cepheus Defender Nilus Scrapper Electro Field Blaster S.PONGE Tanker
I have 3 level 50 Defenders: Kin/Psi, Dark/Dark and Rad/Sonic.
All are great fun to play but my favourite has to be the kinetics especially on big teams
I also had a Storm/Elec in the mid-30s but she had to go to free up a character slot to try other things.
Octavian Vanguard
@ohmsEU and @ohms 2
Badging character: Bimble on the Union server, Badgehunter.com and City Info Tracker.
Don't make me choose! They're all great...
My Empath is just absolutely first rate team support - noone forgets their first 50, and playing my empath is akin to riding a bike... you never forget. Soon as I have that tray of green and pink powers I just swing straight into the heal-buff-blast rhythm again. There's almost nothing that an empath can't patch up.
Second up, my Dark/Radss and my Rad/Elec. Both ace debuff potential, and both fantastic levellers, as I can nip into a hazard zone, drop anchor and just fire off AoE after AoE after heal until each gert mob drops. Excellent in teams, too.
My Kin/Psi... too much work, I'm really lazy. Yet undeniably powerful and turns great teams into fantastically well-oiled killing machines.
Storm/Energy - soooo hectic, so swirly and blue and white. A walking whirlwind of knockback and fun.
Yet to get FF, Sonics or TA anywhere... but definitely looking forward to my son/son getting a decent level. Though the noise does my nut in.
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]!
pah, emp/psy/psy all teh way!
Have to say, my Emp/NRG blast defender was my first 50, and I can probably count the number of times I've played her since on 2 hands. That was over a year ago. ED just killed her. I copied her over to test to try and respec her, but no matter what I did I just couldn't get anything that felt or looked right.
My Kin/Rad (first on Defiant!!!) is totally fab, I love her to bits, just as you do. if I could ID myself or had a continual supply of Break Free's she'd be just totally fab, and perfect. When we did the Shadow Shards TF the other day, we were taking mobs down in about 10 seconds. literally. It was immense. I totally love her to bits, and every team I'm in does too!
Defiant 50's
Many and varied!
@Miss Chief
I love kinetics but never played it on a defender
thePhilosopher Martial Arts/Regen/Fire Scrapper
theRegulator Empathy/Energy/Soul Defender
Total Inertia Ice Blast/Kinetics/Psy Corruptor
Total Inferno Ice Blast/Thermal/Leviathan Corruptor
Emp/Psy/Psi... Once you buff, you can't stop!
All the others are FTL!
Obviously most people would say 'This is my humble opinion' afterward... well not this time buddy, cause this is...
MYSTIE'S INFALLIBLE LAW!!!!
I have 3 defenders personally; an empath/nrg (Cepheus), a sonic/sonic (Talskiar) and a rad/rad (Kryton-X429). Each one of them has different pro's and con's.
I prefer playing Talskiar as can attack and defend simultaneously, but depends on other players in team...as have played in some weak teams, where I earn more debt than xp...Cepheus is easy to play if all I want to do is get the healing badges as energy attacks have mgea end drain. Kryton has only been active for 3-4 weeks, so still getting to know his strengths and weaknesses!
Whose your favourite and why?
Main 50 & Badger Nine Claws Claws/Regen/Body
Other 50's Ph10x Brute Unjust Law Tanker Samantha Urai Scrapper Codename 1250 Scrapper
Cepheus Defender Nilus Scrapper Electro Field Blaster S.PONGE Tanker