Secondary Build... Doh!

OK, this falls under the heading "Yes I've got a high lvl toon, but I'm still a Beeg Noob".

I've never used the Secondary Build option. Ever. Heard about it, but since going through the tedium of respec twice, I figured it would be similar so I ignored it. Now that my character has just about reached 50, I decided to look into it, but now I'm thinking I'm probably going to regret not getting that secondary build a lot earlier.

According to Paragon Wiki, the secondary build does NOT level alongside the primary. It must be leveled seperately. So (shudder) does that mean if I choose a secondary build on my lvl 49, I'd have to start ALL OVER AGAIN at lvl 1?

Thanks for your patience and assistance!

Both build have the same experience but you'll have to visit the trainer 48 times and buy a new set of SOs (it's useful to think of them as two different level pacted characters).

I actually think that setting up a second build is a lot more tedium than respeccing (although personally I love respeccing ).

Well, i use a secondary build on all my hero toons and a few of the villains too...

First build is main build/concept of the toon. This is the one I play most.

Second build is the Shadow Shard build (hero side only). I love the shard, and i love creating versions of the toons for it. Red side i normally second-build the VEATS, so i can try the other career...

Sometimes its a concept challenge of the powers... I normally see for powers of my sets that i use less, and try to focus and learn their secrets...

And... in a rare occasion... i make a build just to have fun... Like maximizing Repel-like powers and then go cruising atlas or other low zones and flinging baddies all around...

Oy! Thanks for the reply I'd probably enjoy respec-ing a lot more if I didn't torture myself by writing my entire build down on paper before I did it.

It sounds like implementing a secondary build at my level would be about as much fun as a stick in the eye. That's it, no secondary for me.

Appreciate you clearing that up!

Well for respeccing I use Mids to design it then either print it out or alt-tab back and forth, either way it's much easier than writing it down .

See, Adeon, that's why Beeg Noobs like me ask question of smart players like you

me<runs off to look up Mids on Paragon Wiki

I'm not sure if the wiki has a page on it, but heres a link
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Secondary builds are expensive (twice the SOs or IOs), but can be very handy in some cases. I have an Ice/Axe Tanker with a solo build and a team build, and this makes leveling much easier for this particular character. Also, I recently created a Bane build as my alternate to my Crab SoA. As it turns out, I like my Bane MUCH better than my Crab, so I'm playing my second build almost exclusively.

My other characters forego secondary builds, though.

My plan is to wait until I hit 50, then build up the second build planning on using it to exemplar with - lower-level IOs in places so as to not lose set bonuses, being very careful with the order I take the powers (I wasn't on the way up with the main build) so that I have the powers I think I need available at the right levels, that sort of thing.

Thanks so much for the replies! Man I love this game community - much better than Anarchy Online.

OK, I'll give the secondary build a go then. Cheers!

I use second build if I scr... - not satisfied with first build, so I want to try something different before deleting it (kind of like respec with buying new enhancments).
Only high level character I have used second build is my slow leveling Empathy/dark defender that have reached level 50 after more than year of playing - since I have forget order of taking powers and I want to do low level TF's with it (don't want to go to Synapse or sister P. only to find out I don't have RA).
Also planing to make second one on widow so I could play both night widow and fortunata on the same one, saving slot for some other concept.

I don't pvp much so I use the secondary build on pretty much all my toons as a flashback build.

Primary build is set for 50 with all the best enhancements I can afford at the highest respective levels available for the set I chose.

Secondary build is generally the same spec (sometimes differs if a power isn't good enough imo based on how I slot this build) but I use straight IO's for all the powers at the levels +3 I would have gained that power. Sometimes I get the exact level I need through mission artifact tickets but thats more of a chore since I don't MA too often so typically I just use the closest 5 level.

That way if I want to flashback to say 13 I can do so and have all the powers fully slotted with 15's, etc.

Just a strategy added onto all the other useful info people have included.

VEATs are the best for the huge time-sink that is secondary build. Not only do you have to individually train up from 1-50, but you also have the forced respec at 24 meaning none of the first 23 you did count for anything.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PRAF68_EU Dispari has more than enough credability, and certainly doesn't need to borrow any from you.

On my level 43 scrapper, I'm using the 2nd build as my "work in progress final build", where I'm plugging in things like ToDs and Scirocco's as I buy them on an alt. The 1st build is frankenslotted with whatever was readily and cheaply available as I was levelling up.