Strong AoE mixed with good survivability?

With the double xp weekend on the horizon, I'm getting myself together to start a new toon. I'm not sure what will be up my alley and am not set on AT or hero/villain. I want to be a strong AoEer, capable of just decimating spawns, but when the 2x xp is over, I want to be able to solo effectively as well. Having enough survivability to take on large mobs is essential to me. Also early on, prefferably pre 10, I want to be a decent AoEer, moving up to a strong AoEer later. I don't want to start out with nothing and then suddenly become AoE godlyness like super strength. So what should I be looking out for?

I hear fire/kin is still a popular combo. Scrappers have elec and fire melee/aura and I can see a good pairing with them and spines. Claws used to be competing with spines for AoE back when I last played and with brutes having it now I can see the potential in that. I heard something about a nerf to dwarf form mire, what went on with that and are Warshades still god like bringers of doom?

All help is appretiated!

If you want strong AoE early you will want to go with a blaster or a spines scrapper. Both of those are strong on AoEs early.

The scrapper will be more survivable long term especially mid game where blasters tend to have lots of damage and little mitigation.

As far as controllers go fire/kin is popular but it doesn't get really strong until level 32 when you get the imps and then level 38 when you get fulcrum shift.

The controller that get stongest earliest would be Plant/. Seeds of Confusion comes early as do Roots.

Your best all around bet will probably be a spines scrapper or a blaster with a heavy AoE primary and a very survivable secondary. The best combination in that case would be Fire/Ice with Archery/Ice as a very good second.

SS/Elec/Mu Brute

Are Masterminds out of consideration? I consider them AOE and survivable for their entire careers.

The 'nerf' to Dwarf form Mire was greatly exagerated, it was actually in effect a massive buff (The power now lasts 10s on a 20s recharge rather than 30s on a 120s recharge) meaning you can spam it like a SS brute spams Foot Stomp. The only thing that can be looked on as nerfed is the ability to use both Mires and then blast from Nova for 30s near the damage cap.

As for what toon to pick I would say it depends on your budget and playstyle.

For ranged AoE damage and survivability I would probably pick a Fire/XX blaster build for ranged defence and recharge (But you won't get the survivability until very late on when you IO out) or a Warshade again build for recharge (Where you get the AoE's earlier in Nova form [At level 6-15ish you can out AoE pretty much anything and only get overtaken by good blasters and then probably not by a great deal] and Eclipse gives wonderful survivability at 38). Getting the very best out of either of these won't be cheap though.

Otherwise for melee you could look into Claws/Warmace/Spines/Elec Scrapper/Brute, you will get the survivability earlier usually, but the true AoE potential tends also to be unlocked late when you get good recharge. Scrappers and Brutes can get good damage and survivability on a lesser bugdet, but still benefit from massive investment and will get even better!

Fire/Kin is great after 32, and at least it is a cheap build

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aggelakis PrincessDarkstar: "RAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHH SOMEONE IS *WRONG* ON THE INTERNET!"

My main is an Archery/Ice blaster. I love to play her. My second blaster is an Archery/MM. With the Electric epic, I now have 5 AOEs - 1 very strong mini-nuke (23s rech!!), 1 med-strong/~12 sec rech (explosive) and 3 cones. 3 aoe's available by L12.

I recommend it.

my suggestion for strong aoe with good survivability is spines / dark.

You get an ultra-strong heal, a good AOE stun, a good AOE fear, some stealth...

about the only problem is the sheer amount of endurance it plows through.

I've been running a couple characters lately, which fit that description to the letter.

I have a Plant/Storm controller, which is just devastating with Seeds of Confusion (which acts as a a great defensive power, as well as providing extra damage), Carrion Creepers (More defense, and even more damage), and Freezing Rain early on. Later on, using Roots (for the -kb protection it grants to mobs) and Tornado (Autohit damage, lots of it with 2 of them out a the same time, and it will keep ticking away on the unmoving targets without them being thrown acrross the room every 3 seconds). It has plenty of yummy IOing possibilities, with procs especially (Achilies Heel chance for -Res can go in Tornado and Freezing Rain, and dmage pocs in Carrion Creepers are things of beauty). All in all, its a fun combination,a nd one of my favourite controllers to date.

The other is an Elec/Shield Scrapper. It's less survivable early on, and really does need IOing to reach it's full potential in that regard. However, it does start with a bunch of nice AoEs (Jacobs ladder, Thunder Strike, Chain induction), looks snazzy cool, and later on is arguably one of the best AoE combos out there. Lightning Rod and Shield Charge together will just decimate spawns. If you're IOd to the defense softcap, taking on 8 person +4 level spawns is very doable. At level 35, I took mine into the RWZ, and started doing missions set to x8+1 without *too* much difficulty (As with any defense set though, Nemesis can be a handfull if you aren't carefull). This was a more expensive build than the Plant/Storm by far, but you get what you pay for.

I've also heard good things about Rad/Fire blasters, but I havent really had the chance to team with any (or make mine) yet. On paper though, it'll be a heavy PbAoE hitter and shouldn't be too squishy with the right build/tactics.

a slightly outside the box idea:

fire/ice blaster

Great AoE throughout their careers, and ice is a great sort of controller-ey secondary that keeps you alive about as well as a blaster can hope for.

Drop Ice Patch at a corner, pull some fools and let the AoE commence!

I second the Plant/Storm Controller (Eerie Gator). My most fun 1-50 character to date, with fantastic AOE lock-down and DOT, with bursts from multiple lightning clouds. Great fun.

Bots/Traps. Discussion over.

Fire/Ice blaster is very nice.

I'm on an /Cold kick atm. Red side, i am working on a Fire/Cold Corruptor. Very nice slows and debuffs and nice AoE with Fire.

The 2nd im on is a Fire/Dark Corruptor. Again, nice slow, holds, and a self heal AND a pet, with nice AoE again with Fire.

Rad/Fire/Fire blaster - You will have more AOE than you can shake a stick at. Mine is level 13 right now and already is AOE carnage.

I'm still strangely partial to Fire/Fire/Pyre Tankers.