Defender suggestion
Of the primary sets you listed, TA is the best choice if you want to have nothing to do with healing or buffing your team. Rather than making your team less squishy, you make them tear through things like a rocket-propelled chainsaw through a phone booth full of college freshmen. Great selection of multi-purpose AOE debuffs, a hold, an immobilize with a -Fly tacked onto it, and a nice big AOE hold that has a 50% chance of locking down a boss in one shot. Plus, you get a nifty bow that none of the other Defenders get from their primary. Here, have the Best Guide Evar to TA: http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=122243
I don't have any personal experience with /Dark or /Ice, though I will say this: If you go with TA as a primary you'll have to think about the redraw between your primary and secondary powers unless you go /Archery (which is pretty rockin' as a secondary, IMO), and unless you go with Magic or Tech as an origin (or otherwise have reliable access to a fire or energy damage attack after level 26) you won't be able to light the patch left by Oil Slick Arrow on fire.
In order
Trick Arrow - all debuffs and controls
Dark Miasma - one heal, targeetd on you which i usually treat as a self heal with a bonus anyway.
Radiation Emission - PBAOE heal, oesn't require a target, plus AM once in a while, that its a good diea to try to get the team in one spot for
Cold Domination - 3 ally buffs (2 shields and frostworks) are rather important (IMHO)
Secondaries, either dark or ice are decent.
@Catwhoorg "Rule of Three - Finale" Arc# 1984
@Mr Falkland Islands"A Nation Goes Rogue" Arc# 2369 "Toasters and Pop Tarts" Arc#116617
My vote would be dark miasma, powerful for solo as well as teaming, the heal is just about all you have that affects your team directly. Everything else is debuffs/soft controls, with a pet that also takes care of healing. Lots of fun too!
edit: you get a team stealth too with psi resistance, but it's a toggle.
Defiant EU
Quaver: Kinetics/Sonic Defender
Semiquaver: Sonic/Kinetics Corruptor
I was going to say something... then I realized that I don't even NOTICE the time spent forcefielding my teammates. It's like the commute to work that you don't even notice. shift-1, 6,7, shift-2, 6,7 ... I will say you don't have to do anything BUT buff them and it's only around 25% of your gametime.
I find it incredibly relaxing looking at them get hurt and knowing that I've already done MY job, so that's all their own stupidity... I may be a Bad Defender.
Mini-guides: Force Field Defenders, Blasters, Market Self-Defense, Frankenslotting.
So you think you're a hero, huh.
@Boltcutter in game.
In order
Trick Arrow - all debuffs and controls Dark Miasma - one heal, targeted on you which i usually treat as a self heal with a bonus anyway. Radiation Emission - PBAOE heal, doesn't require a target, plus AM once in a while, that its a good idea to try to get the team in one spot for Cold Domination - 2 ally buffs (2 shields) are rather important Secondaries, either dark or ice are decent. |
Fixed that for you. Unless you're teaming exclusively with a non-dwarf Kheldian hero side, you'll never find good use for frostworks because of how awful HP caps are and how frostworks works.
|
I do agree that HP caps for some ATs could use an adjustment.
Why Blasters? Empathy Sucks.
So, you want to be Mental?
What the hell? Let's buff defenders.
Tactics are for those who do not have a big enough hammer. Wisdom is knowing how big your hammer is.
If you dont want to buff:
Rad
Storm
Dark
TA
Storm has got a heal (O2 boost)but people don't really expect a Storm to heal the rest is debuff, control and damage.
L50s: Tanks: Cryofission - Ice/EM - Dr Celsius - Fire/Ice - Saint George - SD/SS | Controllers: Psichosis - Ill/Kin - Major Chaos - Ill/Stm | Scrappers - Neutron Crusader - DM/SR
Currently Levelling: Angelic Blade - BS/WP Scrapper | Seeds of Destruction - Plant/Kin Controller
I was going to say something... then I realized that I don't even NOTICE the time spent forcefielding my teammates. It's like the commute to work that you don't even notice. shift-1, 6,7, shift-2, 6,7 ... I will say you don't have to do anything BUT buff them and it's only around 25% of your gametime.
I find it incredibly relaxing looking at them get hurt and knowing that I've already done MY job, so that's all their own stupidity... I may be a Bad Defender. |
Adult_Swim,
Fulmens makes a great point. I know you expressed a desire to not buff, but I have played both Dark and Rad in team and solo settings. For me, Having your Anchors wiped ALL THE TIME is much more frustrating than buffing. I loved my Empath in a team, always something to do. But solo.... well I think you can guess.
So, from my perspective, if you can deal with your anchors dropping in group (And THEY WILL), Dark and Rad both solo quite well and offer great team benefits. I think RAD is a little more team friendly. And thats because , even though I love Tar Patch, most teams I have been on, its hard to get it into a good rythm and place it well for every fight. Combat is too fluid (read Chaotic), unless you have a great team that knows the value of what you are doing.
BIOSPARK :: DARKTHORN :: SKYGUARD :: WILDMAGE
HEATSINK :: FASTHAND :: POWERCELL :: RUNESTAFF
Disclaimer: I haven't played the game in general for a very long time. I recently came back.
I'm someone who enjoys playing support sometimes. Well I used to... I've played a emp in the past (long, long time ago) and recently picked up a kin, but I've realized I don't want to bother with directly healing and buffing teammates anymore. Is there a defender combo that wouldn't involve having to do either? I've whittled my list down to these and tried to rank them by my preference (based on zero/very little personal experience or knowledge lol): |
Keep in mind that I have not played Trick Arrow or Cold yet, so cannot say anything about them. But for the sets I have played (Emp, Kin, FF, Sonic, Dark, Rad and Storm) every set has some powers which you should be actively using on your team.
Storm might be the least buff/heal oriented of those sets, but its not a 'beginner' set either. You can easily annoy all your friends and run out of endurance before arresting anything hehe.
For an interesting read on a unique power combo, check out Luminara's Kinetic Scrapper Guide.
This is my current project defender (Kin/Dark) and its looking pretty good so far.
BIOSPARK :: DARKTHORN :: SKYGUARD :: WILDMAGE
HEATSINK :: FASTHAND :: POWERCELL :: RUNESTAFF
Disclaimer: I haven't played the game in general for a very long time. I recently came back.
I'm someone who enjoys playing support sometimes. Well I used to...
I've played a emp in the past (long, long time ago) and recently picked up a kin, but I've realized I don't want to bother with directly healing and buffing teammates anymore.
Is there a defender combo that wouldn't involve having to do either? I've whittled my list down to these and tried to rank them by my preference (based on zero/very little personal experience or knowledge lol):
Primary
Radiation Emission
Cold Domination
Dark Miasma
Trick Arrow
Secondary
Dark Blast
Ice Blast
I've always wanted to try a DDD, but I like radiation also...Rad/Dark?
I keep wanting to say I want to play this for support, but due to it being hard to find groups I leaning toward a more self-sufficient soloer.
Any comments, suggestions?