City of Heroes: Live Forum Archive

Merc MM vs AVs

BlissKnight

By BlissKnight,
Posted on: 2009-08-29 07:48 in Masterminds

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Prof_Backfire View Post
I've a feeling your AV soloing success will be greatly affected by how whether the AV in question is vulnerable to Force Bolt.
All AVs have really good KB protection. Thats the problem. But i slotted my force bolt so it has a 10% chace to give me 100% recharge time.

 

Posted

Try to get yourself soft-capped, take the taunt from presence and aid self. Set your dudes (slotted with as many achielles as you can fit). Stand away and taunt, using aid-self as you need it. Bodyguard mode is probably a good idea.

Some fights might prove impossible, like Ms. Liberty. I beat her with my mercs/dark but she was -2 to me, and the fight still took FOREVER.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Neogumbercules View Post
Try to get yourself soft-capped, take the taunt from presence and aid self. Set your dudes (slotted with as many achielles as you can fit). Stand away and taunt, using aid-self as you need it. Bodyguard mode is probably a good idea.

Some fights might prove impossible, like Ms. Liberty. I beat her with my mercs/dark but she was -2 to me, and the fight still took FOREVER.
Yeah, i know! Ms. Liberty took FOREVER to beat even as a EB. Explain the term "Soft-Cap" to me. Im only 3 month so far.

 

Posted

"Soft-capped" refers to getting your defenses - usually positional (Melee, Ranged, AoE), but with some sets you shoot for damage type defenses - to 45%, the effective cap for defense (as to-hit cannot drop below 5% and mob base to-hit is 50%).

Some other folks have done a lot of number crunching to prove why this is such a big deal (for instance, 40% is good. 45% is twice as good), but the basics you need to know is that before you tackle really weird things like soloing AVs, you'll want to hit that softcap first.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eiko-chan View Post
"Soft-capped" refers to getting your defenses - usually positional (Melee, Ranged, AoE), but with some sets you shoot for damage type defenses - to 45%, the effective cap for defense (as to-hit cannot drop below 5% and mob base to-hit is 50%).

Some other folks have done a lot of number crunching to prove why this is such a big deal (for instance, 40% is good. 45% is twice as good), but the basics you need to know is that before you tackle really weird things like soloing AVs, you'll want to hit that softcap first.
Oh! Well thanks for that information. Rep+ Anyway i think using a Taunt and the Personal Force Field Would work pretty much like Soft-Cap, right?

 

Posted

Well, you can't re-taunt from inside the PFF, and Provoke (the pool taunt a Tankermind should take) doesn't last very long, so that strategy probably won't work too well. And that's assuming that PFF doesn't drop your threat immediately, which it might. I don't have any /FFs, so I don't know.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eiko-chan View Post
Well, you can't re-taunt from inside the PFF, and Provoke (the pool taunt a Tankermind should take) doesn't last very long, so that strategy probably won't work too well. And that's assuming that PFF doesn't drop your threat immediately, which it might. I don't have any /FFs, so I don't know.
As far as ive seen, They usually keep attacking the same player until they are dead or the AV has been taunted.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by BlissKnight View Post
As far as ive seen, They usually keep attacking the same player until they are dead or the AV has been taunted.
Or until they kill the mercs and you have to run away/resummon. Or until you have to turn off PFF to re-bubble the mercs. Dispersion Bubble won't work on the mercs when you're in PFF either.

Seems very clumsy to me (and very slow). You might survive, but I don't know if you'd ever be able to actually kill the AV.

Disclaimer: I haven't gotten a /FF mastermind to 50 yet (my bots/FF is at 26, and the Protector Bots also bubble; mercs don't).

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by FreckledAvenger View Post
Or until they kill the mercs and you have to run away/resummon. Or until you have to turn off PFF to re-bubble the mercs. Dispersion Bubble won't work on the mercs when you're in PFF either.

Seems very clumsy to me (and very slow). You might survive, but I don't know if you'd ever be able to actually kill the AV.

Disclaimer: I haven't gotten a /FF mastermind to 50 yet (my bots/FF is at 26, and the Protector Bots also bubble; mercs don't).
That is true that Dispersion bubble doesnt work with PFF. But i found out its easier just to bubble the Mercs who are essential to keep alive (ex: Commando and Medic) or just bubble the one who is currently being attacked. As i said before in my comments, Taunting and then PFF is used to keep aggro off of Mercs because they ARE the weapons of a MM or i could just let my pets aggro off an AV and hope my FF powers deflect most of the attacks.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by BlissKnight View Post
That is true that Dispersion bubble doesnt work with PFF. But i found out its easier just to bubble the Mercs who are essential to keep alive (ex: Commando and Medic) or just bubble the one who is currently being attacked. As i said before in my comments, Taunting and then PFF is used to keep aggro off of Mercs because they ARE the weapons of a MM or i could just let my pets aggro off an AV and hope my FF powers deflect most of the attacks.
Yes, PFF will keep the AV off the mercs...until the mercs start attacking the AV again.

You suggested Taunt/PFF as a replacement for soft-capped defense, that's what I was responding to. I think it would be a very effective strategy for keeping the mercs alive and fighting longer, but it would be a long fight, and I'm not sure it would be a successful one without some kind of debuffing.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by FreckledAvenger View Post
Yes, PFF will keep the AV off the mercs...until the mercs start attacking the AV again.

You suggested Taunt/PFF as a replacement for soft-capped defense, that's what I was responding to. I think it would be a very effective strategy for keeping the mercs alive and fighting longer, but it would be a long fight, and I'm not sure it would be a successful one without some kind of debuffing.
Achilles' Heel, Touch of Lady Grey, etc. I got pretty good Def Debuffs

 

Posted

Go for it Bliss I think it can happen with a bit of Crazyness I have soloed about 3 AV's with my Merc/Pois the only prob i have is mitigation I might change up my build to make it more mastermind Tankish.


 

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I... I cant beat any AVs... only EBs....

 

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Don't feel bad, when I was a 12 month veteran I went to kill Luminary ( as an EB) and she ended up killing 2 Commandos, 4 spec ops and 8 soldiers and I was a merc dark lvl 32 or lvl 31.

I can't remember anymore, I remember the death number cause I write that down.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by HK008 View Post
Elite bosses aren't that tough for many AT's to solo. However, when they go the next step up it's a night and day difference. You may pat yourself on the back for beating BAB as an EB. You haven't seen what he's capable of yet. Sorry to bring up BAB since you feel that is behind you. I'm just trying to help clear up what seems to me like a misconception here. Really the point that is trying to be made is that Elite Bosses aren't the toughest version of the respective NPC's. You can sub out BAB for any named NPC that has purple triangles floating around them. The end result is the same. Their EB version isn't the same fight as the full blown thing you'll find in a max difficulty setting. They can, and do become much, much, harder fights. Some that had hits that knocked your health below half will flat out kill you in one shot.
No ****. I soloed Sirocco AV level on my bots/traps. Took two retreats to resummon and let the bots buff up and one death to do it, ******* tornadoes.

Though back alley brawler is a pushover. No primarily melee AV stands up to my web grenade! I think I got hit like four times with bodyguard that whole fight when he'd hurl **** at me. Most boring AV fight ever.

Numina, on the other hand, is an absolute nightmare.