Preferred targeted AOE powerset?

As the subject asks, what is the preferred AoE powerset? The goal of this build is to assist in AE ticket farming so I can have some better chances at reward rolls and make a bit of cash to fund some other builds.

When time frees up, I'd like to build a tanker to do stf's, but most of them take a few hours to do and I just don't have the time to dedicate to that since most people want to do it all in one 3-4 hour period instead of 1-2 parts each night (which is the only way I could complete such an event since I have young children)


So anyways, Looking for assistance with a blaster type build to lay in heavy targeted AoE damage in AE ticket farming teams. Thanks for any help. I have never played a blaster past level 5 sine I started the game (years ago). I've always been a controller fan, starting with a mind/kin at release.

Fire. Always Fire. When in doubt: Fire. Some people like a little Static Discharge from the Epic Pool in with their Fire.

You may need some meatshielding/buffing to team with Fire/Fire (unless you heart IOing all your toons) as you need things dead fast or you're in trouble. Otherwise, Archery/Mental gets much love from the farmers and is about as good a AoE killer + survival build as you'll find on a blaster.

Fire/Mental, all ranged multi target powers. Do it do it

What level will you be doing this at? (I'm not real familiar with how AE ticket farms are set up). If it's post-leve 32, I'd say Archery. Archery isn't really an AoE standout at low levels, but Rain of Arrows makes it one.

Oh, another question: When you say "targeted AoE", does that mean you don't want cones or PBAoE? Or you're just looking for AoE generally.

Anyway, if you want early-level AoE, Fire is always good, and Assault Rifle is pretty strong as well. AR is pretty much all cones, in case that does matter, and is a little less team-friendly with knockback. Fire is just all damage. Make sure your team includes someone who can take the aggro off you or otherwise keep you alive, or be careful.

The fire secondary would add a bunch of PBAoE. Mental gives another cone, and later on another PBAoE power.

Hope that helped?

Okay, so you're not real interested in PBAoE, prefer targeted AoE to cones, and want a little self-protection.

Before I go any further, I'm going to go ahead and put in a good word for fire/ice. The ranged damage is very good--the AoE does include one cone--and /ice is a good secondary to give you a little safety with it. I also just really like that combo, and like recommending it.

Here's the rundown, though, so you can make your own choice.

Archery--one cone very early, one targeted AoE in mid-levels, and then Rain of Arrows at 32. RoA is targeted on the ground. It's a pseudo-pet like Freezing Rain and things like that.

Assault Rifle--lots of cones. Three? Or four? I think 4, counting Full Auto. Plus a targeted AoE. So lots of AoE. Lots of the powers have a chance of KB. The cones all have different ranges and widths, so you'd probably have to do a fair bit of moving around to get the full effects.

Energy--so-so. About like Archery, except instead of Rain of Arrows you get Nova. RoA is much better for farming. Plus a lot of teams hate all the knockback, and you'd have to be careful with that.

Ice--probably not. One cone and one rain. The rain will have mobs running out of it unless someone is doing something to keep them in. Blizzard is really nice, and is ranged, but drains your end and has high recharge like most nukes.

Psychic--not a chance

Sonic--Also has four cones, I believe. No targeted AoE. A PBAoE nova-power. One cone is very low damage but with a sleep (not too helpful on fast-moving teams). Another of the cones is kind of low damage, with knockback. Probably not the best choice.

Fire--always a good choice. A targeted AoE, a cone, and a rain. Plus PBAoE Inferno. Again, the rain will give your team problems unless there's a way to keep them from running. (If you go with the fire/ice, Shiver will do the job pretty well, but still watch out). Fire has extra damage as its secondary effect, so it's the best if pure damage is what you're looking for.

Electric--probably not. I might be too hard on Electric, though. One PBAoE and one targeted AoE, and a ranged nuke.

What did I forget?

Oh, Radiation blast looks to be heavy on the AoE. A cone, a PBAoE, and a targeted AoE. But of course, it's not out yet.

Secondaries: Electric and Energy give good ST melee damage, and energy adds melee stuns. Energy also has Boost Range--that power helps a lot with cones, makes the positioning much easier. That might make it a good choice.

Ice and Devices both add to safety, but not too much to your damage. I prefer Ice myself.

Fire adds a bunch of PBAoE damage, won't help with safety much at all.

Mental, as I said, gives you a PBAoE and a cone, a really good recovery and regeneration buff (PBAoE), and a couple other nifty things.

Can you tell I'm procrastinating about something?

Fire/ice for added safety. Fire/MM if you want all AoE all the time.

The thing about cones is that with a little range and practice, you can make them not too hard to target correctly.

For farming of any sort, I like my Energy/Energy/Electric or my Archery/Energy/Fire blasters.

For the first, I combine Energy Torrent and Static Discharge after Boost Range. I know you said you don't like cones, but nothing's going to match that area of effect.

With the second, Boost Range goes with the three AoEs (Fistful, Explosive, Rain), just so I'm out of range of their attacks while I rain down on them. This depends on what you're fighting though... somethings out range you anyway.

Give Sonic some serious consideration. Sonic/Energy or AR/Energy would rock those cones.

I've farmed on Fire/Ice/Fire... a lot, actually. I don't like it. Yeah I get that Fire's mitigation is "more damage... and death = perma hold" or something, but that stuff takes time. Unless you're fighting some real squishy enemies they'll be shooting at you while they're ablaze.
Also, there's a lot in /Ice to add safety, but nothing to speed up your farming.

Bear in mind, I play on Champion (the server, not the game) where "Tanker Tuesday" has spawned tons (yes, TONS) of Tankers who don't take Taunt. If you're a blaster there who is worth his/her salt, you will pull more aggro than some of these Tankers. So, being way out of range is very helpful if it's a team effort.

Edit: I should have echoed some other posts. /Mental gets a lot of praise for its farming abilities. I also should have emphasized that Fire/ is a solid AoE set, but it's not that good for farming. You will need /Energy or /Mental to pull it off.

Thanks for the info. I'm going to try out assault/mental.

One suggestion if I may sneak one in:

Archery/Energy/Munitions w/ Hover

Just about every farm consists of mobs unable to vertically travel effectively. Taking advantage of this by Hovering just outside of their effective firing range and raining down -all- of your AoEs safely via Boost Range, you can also force those whose attention you have to pile all over your tank, which you should be directly above. Think of this as a reverse-repel function: you suck in all potential targets which the tank either can't or won't aggro by himself, and you don't have to limit what abilities you can use due to self-preservation.

-Get into position using fly, while cuing (Power Boost)Boost Range / Aim / Build Up
-Fist Full of Arrows
-Explosive Arrow (by this time you are directly above the mob and limit mob scatter)
-Fist Full of Arrows
-Rain of Arrows
-Fist Full of Arrows
-Explosive Arrow
-Fistful of Arrows
-LRM
= one very dead or dying spawn. Seamless chain that you can keep doing indefinitely, mixing up with your single-target abilities to mop up anything that's been missed by the AoE carnage.

If you have a problem with the knockback effects in m30 and buckshot, i reccomend hover! My Ar blaster has it and when you are hovering directly above the group of baddies, they will just fall down when you use m30 or buckshot. Knockback always throws the target away from the shooter. When above them, "away" is down and they can't go through the street.

You get to level 33 with hover, full auto, flamethrower, m30, buckshot will make you a deadly hail storm of fire and bullet. And you will be safely out of melee range of accidental aggro. The only down side is that teammates will probably get bored when they have nothing to do.

I have a 50 ar/nrg blaster, (Sights)and can't fault Assault Rifle, I have it combined with NRG, that way if somebody comes face to face you have a couple of punch attacks to knock them back. Also, my trick if you pull the aggro is fire ignite onto yourself, should see the buggers run.
Teamwise, send tank in, fireup Build-up/Boost range, full auto into the middle of mob, flamethower, ignite onto tanks location, buckshot, m30, use rest of set combined with flame thrower and ignite until full auto recharges, (35s), rinse and repeat. Most mobs will be wiped before full auto is back so its there for next one.

Just wish ignite had'nt been nerfed so badly, used to recharge in about 3 seconds so could lay down multiple layers which used to destroy anything especially AV's.

Playing with an AR/EN now as well. As far as sheer numbers are concerned AR has the most targeted AoE powers (buckshot,m30,flamethrower,ignite,Full Auto). Flamethrower makes it good damage, and supplies a non-KB power, then Full Auto makes puts the set at great to incredible damage, again non-KB.

However, the KB of buckshot and and m30 can be annoying... I mean buckshot is quality frontloaded Area damage. I've found it to be livable though, if this is for AE farms, most take place around building walls and map borders, just blow all the enemies in the group towards the nearest wall. (Bonus point, ragdolls stick to those blue walls and are helpless) if you use m30+buckshot you can reposition an entire mob quickly enough that your team shouldnt notice them spreading out for a moment.

It could be *easier* with another set, but nothing does area damage like AR.