Castle, do you consider Trick Arrow to be WAI and generally of a comparable power level to other Defender sets? Having played lots of defenders to a reasonable level, I'm finding my Level 14 Trick Arrows/Archery Defender to be surprisingly incapable. Any comment?
I have to admit that I also found my Trick Arrow/Archery Defender to be hard going all through his "teens". Now he's lvl33 he's a lot more fun to play, but I nearly gave up several times during those "growing pains" which are largely to do with the powers on offer with the sets. 
Formerly @Crimson Archer, now @CA
The Militia - Protecting Paragon City through roleplaying since June 2006!
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I'm finding my Level 14 Trick Arrows/Archery Defender to be surprisingly incapable.
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Trick Arrow/Archery only really works well with a team. I've got a level 50 and its slow to solo a mission and somethings are just impossible as it has a low damage output.
Yeah, TA/pointy sticks can be hard work getting through the high teens and low 20's and solo they positively suck the big one, but in a big team the carnage that ensues when you start laying down the debuffs is immense. Stick with it, find a semi regular team or get Sk'd up and TF's are a wonderful source of Xp as well. They begin to shine from the mid 20's upwards.
Defiant 50's
Many and varied!
@Miss Chief
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I'm finding my Level 14 Trick Arrows/Archery Defender to be surprisingly incapable.
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Trick Arrow/Archery only really works well with a team. I've got a level 50 and its slow to solo a mission and somethings are just impossible as it has a low damage output.
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I find that with any defender. I love trick arrow, it offers good debuffs overtime with no anchor involved and i am rather more optimistic about its potential than most people. I would love a early fix cos its a new set that needs more faith from others but it looks like its a case of the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
If you want to have a soloable TA then the controller works better.
I really should do something about this signature.
I'm pretty surprised because I've not had any problems soloing any other type of defender (I can't really comment on Empathy, as the one I have is a complete non-fighter) - they all seem to have debuffs or self-heals/buffs that are easily sufficient to solo.
I think it's fair to say that all Defenders are better in teams. I've never seen anything solo as badly as TA/A. I haven't done a serious analysis of the numbers compared to other Defender sets, but their debuffs generally appear to be weaker than other Defender debuffing sets. I'm a massive believer that players often underestimate powers that are commonly considered bad, but TA just seems weak even to me.
I don't want a soloable TA as much as parity in power with other apples (Defender sets).
Archery doesn't have good damage compared to some of the other defender secondaries, and it doesn't have a helpful secondary effect.
TA is just fine for soloing (it actually has the second highest possible res debuff).
I really should do something about this signature.
I'd have to recommend taking a TA/A on the STF as all the debuffs help alot. It doesn't matter if Oil Slick doesn't light as the auto hit defence debuff is great for Mako. Glue, hold and immobilse for GW and poison gas for Black Scorpion and Scirocco. Altho i just use all on them all 
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I'd have to recommend taking a TA/A on the STF as all the debuffs help alot. It doesn't matter if Oil Slick doesn't light as the auto hit defence debuff is great for Mako. Glue, hold and immobilse for GW and poison gas for Black Scorpion and Scirocco. Altho i just use all on them all .
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Wow! Oil Slick does a Defense Debuff too? I never knew that, and I've been using the thing for months. That's well cool.
The def debuff is the best thing about it, IE it actually works.
Also stacking -rech will help you with most AV fights, and a TA with a Rad make an awesome combo for that on the RSF (along with the -res, -def etc etc)
"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!"
But can Oil Slick Arrow be slotted with enhancements to the Defense Debuff? Or are we stuck with the default and slotting for recharge and damage? :P
Formerly @Crimson Archer, now @CA
The Militia - Protecting Paragon City through roleplaying since June 2006!
Hmm, a TA/Rad defender would do amazing levels of defdebuff then, with oil slick and irradiate.
Defiant 50's
Many and varied!
@Miss Chief
So, would you say it's fair to conclude that the strength of TA is in making enemies easier to kill, rather than in protecting the team?
Perhaps that's what I'm missing - I generally expect Defenders to have a decent capability to protect themselves and others. Perhaps I'm expecting too much in that regard, having played Rad, Dark, Kin, Empathy and Storm defenders. If I thought "team-oriented Offender" perhaps I'd get more mileage?
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So, would you say it's fair to conclude that the strength of TA is in making enemies easier to kill, rather than in protecting the team?
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Yes.
I really should do something about this signature.
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But can Oil Slick Arrow be slotted with enhancements to the Defense Debuff? Or are we stuck with the default and slotting for recharge and damage? :P
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Yeah, you can slot Oil Slick for defense debuff.
It's just that gratuitous megadeath is more fun.. 
I really should do something about this signature.
TA is all about debuffs, either -dam res, -recharge, - speed or -def. it's a bit like Dark in that it doesn't directly affect the team, but makes them much more able to despatch the mobs. Kin is all empowering the team, TA is about depowering the bad guys. If you want to protect your team then i'd say TA isn't really for you, there's basically nothing that can have a direct effect on your teammates. I picked aid other cos I wanted aid self. Apart from that I have nothing that does anything to the team itself.
Defiant 50's
Many and varied!
@Miss Chief
The other point is that two of TAs strengths compared to other powers are the low recharge of a lot of the powers, especially Glue, Disruption & Acid arrows. So it shines in that every group you come across can be hit with those 3. Against AVs with Haste you can stack Disruption which is handy too.
Also it has low End costs. Which would be great except you generally have to pick up Stamina anyway so it makes little ingame difference other than helping in the teens and early 20s, you can survive longer with a Staminaless TA than other sets (based on my experience of TA, Dark, Rad and Storm. Kin is also pretty horrible stamina-wise, until 26 when all your End needs are basically solved).
Agree with Praf on the Megadeath approach. Why debuff when you can fry em instead
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TA is all about debuffs, either -dam res, -recharge, - speed or -def. it's a bit like Dark in that it doesn't directly affect the team, but makes them much more able to despatch the mobs. Kin is all empowering the team, TA is about depowering the bad guys. If you want to protect your team then i'd say TA isn't really for you, there's basically nothing that can have a direct effect on your teammates. I picked aid other cos I wanted aid self. Apart from that I have nothing that does anything to the team itself.
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To be clear, by "protect", I don't mean "buff" or "heal". A Dark Defender protects their team by debuffing enemies, and would be viable without Twilight Grasp because of the large (and more-or-less always up) -Damage and -ToHit.
Carnifax - which powers are you comparing to when you state that TA powers recharge quicker than other powers? As far as I can see, Glue recharges quicker than Tar Patch, but lasts less long (they both have a 2:1 recharge/duration ratio). It also recharges slower than similar powers from other sets (Quicksand, Caltrops). Acid has no very similar power - Sonic Siphon would be the closest and recharges slightly faster, although as a single-target vs small AoE I would expect that. Disruption Arrow again has no direct equivalent that I can think of off the top of my head, but there are similar large AoE -Res powers available near-permanently without additional slots (Disruption Field, EF).
I'm playing Devil's Advocate because this is the first time in a long time that a set has mystified me somewhat... I'd rather find a groove I can enjoy for my TA/A than delete her.
TA defends by helping the team kill mobs quicker so they have less time to do damage.
Oh, and EMP Arrow is a very impressive hold.
I really should do something about this signature.
I think Carnifax is comparing defender TA to defender any which is what only matters really so Caltrops and Earthquake wont count.
With a TA defender as a tank id need to herd fast with as minimum fight duration to self as possible, gain taunt control asap and "hopefully" have the right debuffs in order and then live off of a fast fight duration. Health loss is a problem with which my TA has aid other to reduce down time.
Id sooner tank for a TA than a Rad when there is some anchor killing twit in the team.
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
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TA is all about debuffs, either -dam res, -recharge, - speed or -def. it's a bit like Dark in that it doesn't directly affect the team, but makes them much more able to despatch the mobs. Kin is all empowering the team, TA is about depowering the bad guys. If you want to protect your team then i'd say TA isn't really for you, there's basically nothing that can have a direct effect on your teammates. I picked aid other cos I wanted aid self. Apart from that I have nothing that does anything to the team itself.
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To be clear, by "protect", I don't mean "buff" or "heal". A Dark Defender protects their team by debuffing enemies, and would be viable without Twilight Grasp because of the large (and more-or-less always up) -Damage and -ToHit.
Carnifax - which powers are you comparing to when you state that TA powers recharge quicker than other powers? As far as I can see, Glue recharges quicker than Tar Patch, but lasts less long (they both have a 2:1 recharge/duration ratio). It also recharges slower than similar powers from other sets (Quicksand, Caltrops). Acid has no very similar power - Sonic Siphon would be the closest and recharges slightly faster, although as a single-target vs small AoE I would expect that. Disruption Arrow again has no direct equivalent that I can think of off the top of my head, but there are similar large AoE -Res powers available near-permanently without additional slots (Disruption Field, EF).
I'm playing Devil's Advocate because this is the first time in a long time that a set has mystified me somewhat... I'd rather find a groove I can enjoy for my TA/A than delete her.
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Difference between Glue and Quicksand & Tar Patch is the Glue actually sticks for longer, 30 seconds, even if the mob gets out of the patch. Glue Arrow is actually more like a cross between Snow Storm (the patch life is linked to the targets life, its effectively a toggleless, static anchor power) and Lingering Radiation. Also Quicksand & Tar Patch don't debuff Recharge at all, Defense and Resistance are what they debuff (all 3 debuff run speed obviously). I've no experience at all with Caltrops though, didn't know it had such a low recharge.
Acid & Disruption are actually like parts of Freezing Rain, its like Freezing Rain was split into 3 bits, Acid, Distruption & Oil slick (with the ignitable oil slick target added). So really I'm comparing to that. It can be compared to Tar Patch too but Tar Patch is an amazing power really
The recharge : duration ratio isn't quite the same as something quickly recharging when you think about it, if you're storming through groups the quick recharge of the TA powers is more useful than the longer duration of something like Tar Patch, it just means an empty Tar Patch is left behind for 15 seconds. For AVs it probably balances out but at least with TA you can get the stacking up quicker.
With TA though the last three powers are the best, with the last two being really strong. EMP Arrow is the best AOE hold in the game (with the exception of Ghost Widows hax hold in the States TF ), and its ranged which is wonderful. It also works better in TA than EMP works in the toggle-heavy Rad.
Oil Slick is really powerful when it works properly. I'd say wait until 26/27 and see if it makes you love TA, it made the set for me. I do think TA could do with a little buffage, say Poison Gas changed to a low duration Fear effect rather than sleep and Disruption Arrow doing a bit of -Regen. That'd balance it with the big hitter defender sets.
But I've only got experience of it as a Controller, not a defender. If I was going the Defender route I'd probably make a TA/Dark or TA/Rad to be honest.
I'd still say EMP was better than EMP arrow personally. The recharge makes a hell of a lot of difference to me, and with the Rad set you're unlikely to be sat at range to start with. I'd happily place EMP Arrow in at second, but it doesn't knock EMP from the top spot for me
Oh and going defender route would make TA/Rad so that one of my rad AoEs could light the slick without me having to target it. I'm lazy
"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!"
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I'd still say EMP was better than EMP arrow personally. The recharge makes a hell of a lot of difference to me, and with the Rad set you're unlikely to be sat at range to start with. I'd happily place EMP Arrow in at second, but it doesn't knock EMP from the top spot for me
Oh and going defender route would make TA/Rad so that one of my rad AoEs could light the slick without me having to target it. I'm lazy
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The recharge is the same on both isn't it, 300 seconds apiece? In fact they're exactly the same except EMP is PB with a 60 foot AOE and EMP Arrow is ranged with a 35 feet one.
Agreed on Playstyles though, I'm again coming from Rad as the secondary & Hotfeet running with the other toggles means EMP isn't as nice for me as EMP Arrow is for my Grav/TA who's pure range and toggle-less.
I'm in shock here
"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!"