Phantom Army Slotting


Brawlnstein

 

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What is recommended for PvE? Teaming or Soloing.

If it matters, my secondary is Thermal.


T. Hayes
@The Cleansing

 

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Originally Posted by Kazuo_Kiriyama View Post
What is recommended for PvE? Teaming or Soloing.

If it matters, my secondary is Thermal.
All kinds of options can be found in my Ill/Rad guide, linked in my sig.

Bottom line: Recharge first, then Damage with some accuracy. With SOs or common IOs, 2-3 Recharge, 1 acc, 2-3 damage. Depends on whether you want them up as much as possible or want to maximize damage.

With IOs, there are a number of choices, but generally I suggest 4 Expediant Reinforcement (leave out the Dam/End and the 10% Resist), then fill the other two slots with the two triples from Call to Arms.


LOCAL MAN! The most famous hero of all. There are more newspaper stories about me than anyone else. "Local Man wins Medal of Honor." "Local Man opens Animal Shelter." "Local Man Charged with..." (Um, forget about that one.)
Guide Links: Earth/Rad Guide, Illusion/Rad Guide, Electric Control

 

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With set ios id go 4 expedient maximise the recharge and damage in fifth and but a soulbound allegiance chance for build up since it triggers alot.


 

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At lvl 50 I find the best slotting to be Expedient Reinforcement Acc/Rech, Acc/Dam, Acc/Dam/Rech, End/Dam/Rech combined with Soulbound Allegiance Dam/Rech, Chance for Build Up.

After ED's effects, that slotting gives 74% accuracy, 95% damage, 95% recharge, 21% end reduction and a 16% chance for build up with each attack Phantom Army uses.

In addition, that slotting gives the following set bonuses: 5% status resist, 3% global damage buff, 6.25% global recharge, and 16% regen.

It's pretty sweet.


...in CoH racing to 50 is like trying to race to the end of your vacation. -Arcanaville

Debt barely slows down levelling these days. It's just a little bar that measures how much Awesome you've generated recently. (If you're not getting debt, you're just not trying to generate Awesome hard enough.) -Kelenar

 

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Originally Posted by Mr_Enigma View Post
At lvl 50 I find the best slotting to be Expedient ReinforcementAcc/Rech, Acc/Dam, Acc/Dam/Rech, End/Dam/Rech combined with Soulbound Allegiance Dam/Rech, Chance for Build Up.
Does the build up proc actually do anything for PA? Considering that they are immune to any buffs you might put on them I can't see why a buff from a proc would work either.


Globals: @Midnight Mystique/@Magik13

 

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Originally Posted by EricHough View Post
Does the build up proc actually do anything for PA? Considering that they are immune to any buffs you might put on them I can't see why a buff from a proc would work either.
Yes it does, if it fires on one all three get the benefit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZi5H1jFq5E


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

 

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Originally Posted by EricHough View Post
Does the build up proc actually do anything for PA? Considering that they are immune to any buffs you might put on them I can't see why a buff from a proc would work either.
Yes, it works because it is slotted in the power itself. PA get the benefits of enhancements slotted in the power itself. That's why you can slot PA for damage and accuracy.

The slotting mentioned by Mr. Enigma is probably the best overall. I have that slotting mentioned in my Ill/Rad guide. But it only works at level 50 -- the earlier slotting I mentioned will work leveling up.


LOCAL MAN! The most famous hero of all. There are more newspaper stories about me than anyone else. "Local Man wins Medal of Honor." "Local Man opens Animal Shelter." "Local Man Charged with..." (Um, forget about that one.)
Guide Links: Earth/Rad Guide, Illusion/Rad Guide, Electric Control

 

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Originally Posted by Local_Man View Post
I have that slotting mentioned in my Ill/Rad guide. But it only works at level 50 -- the earlier slotting I mentioned will work leveling up.
I really like the guides you've written. They have a lot of great information. I think everyone should read it, learn it, live it. OK, so at least just read it. Thanks for the Great Info !


Demonfest - 50 - Demon / Thermal Mastermind
Covered Shadow - 50 - Dark Melee / Shield Scrapper

 

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Expedient Reinforcement Acc/Rech, Acc/Dam, Acc/Dam/Rech, End/Dam/Rech combined with Soulbound Allegiance Acc/Dam/Rech, Chance for Build Up.

This is what I have in mine currently.


@Mental Maden @Maden Mental
"....you are now tackle free for life."-ShoNuff

 

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Originally Posted by Local_Man View Post
Yes, it works because it is slotted in the power itself. PA get the benefits of enhancements slotted in the power itself. That's why you can slot PA for damage and accuracy.

The slotting mentioned by Mr. Enigma is probably the best overall. I have that slotting mentioned in my Ill/Rad guide. But it only works at level 50 -- the earlier slotting I mentioned will work leveling up.
Wow - thanks, I assumed the system would count the buff from the proc as an 'external' buff. That is really cool, guess I may be changing my ill/rad's slotting fairly soon.

Just to make sure - have folks doing this actually observed the proc going off and increasing damage in the pet combat log?


Globals: @Midnight Mystique/@Magik13

 

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Originally Posted by EricHough View Post
Wow - thanks, I assumed the system would count the buff from the proc as an 'external' buff. That is really cool, guess I may be changing my ill/rad's slotting fairly soon.

Just to make sure - have folks doing this actually observed the proc going off and increasing damage in the pet combat log?
Yes.


 

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Originally Posted by TRTerror View Post
Yes.
Thanks again.


Globals: @Midnight Mystique/@Magik13

 

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I used Ex. Reinforcement (Acc/Rech, Acc/Dam, Dam/End, and Acc/Dam/Rech) and Soulbound Allegiance (Acc/Rech, and Dam/Rech). I personally think slotting the proc in them is pointless because unless you are a soloer 100% it won't really matter since whatever you are fighting will be dead from your other teammates, etc. If you solo then I might understand why slotting the proc would make sense, but probably not.

I slotted mine that way because I wanted mac recharge and my build allows for perma PA so slotting the proc would have also not made much sense for me.

There are a lot of ways to slot PA, but the one that keeps them up the most often is the best way to slot them.


"People love to talk, but hate to listen." Alice Duer Miller, American Author (1874-1942)

 

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Are you guys with the chance for build up slotted finding that it is very effective ?


Shenanigans

LotD - JaL - POWT/SMD - SoCo - AJs

 

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There are a lot of ways to slot PA, but the one that keeps them up the most often is the best way to slot them.
Yes but the difference in recharge is like 2 minutes 2 seconds or 2 minutes 6 seconds. I've run across few scenarios where that 4 seconds is make or break.(numbers aren't exact...just to make the point that the difference due to ED is fairly small at that point)

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Are you guys with the chance for build up slotted finding that it is very effective ?
Depends how you define effective. It happens more than I expected, they do put out more damage (not a lot, but more). I don't think it makes the build so much better than without, nor do I think it harms a build to have it. At this point the best I could describe it is: neat.


@Mental Maden @Maden Mental
"....you are now tackle free for life."-ShoNuff

 

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Great, thank you.


Shenanigans

LotD - JaL - POWT/SMD - SoCo - AJs

 

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Originally Posted by MentalMaden View Post
Yes but the difference in recharge is like 2 minutes 2 seconds or 2 minutes 6 seconds. I've run across few scenarios where that 4 seconds is make or break.(numbers aren't exact...just to make the point that the difference due to ED is fairly small at that point)
I am not talking about a difference in reference to ED though. My statement in reference to recharge in general. My build is slotted for global recharge so having perma-PA is my main focus. That last part was just a little bit to add on to what I had said previously.

As for ED slotting I think anything 90% or more is suitable, but then again thats just me.


"People love to talk, but hate to listen." Alice Duer Miller, American Author (1874-1942)

 

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Originally Posted by Novella View Post
I am not talking about a difference in reference to ED though. My statement in reference to recharge in general. My build is slotted for global recharge so having perma-PA is my main focus. That last part was just a little bit to add on to what I had said previously.

As for ED slotting I think anything 90% or more is suitable, but then again thats just me.
Even with the proc you are over 90%.


@Mental Maden @Maden Mental
"....you are now tackle free for life."-ShoNuff

 

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Originally Posted by MentalMaden View Post
Even with the proc you are over 90%.
That's fine, but I personally think the proc is a waste unless you are a person that solos primarily. If you team even 30% of the team its pointless because your teammates will defeat whatever Phantom Army would be attacking, excluding Monsters and Archvillains. In my opinion accuracy and recharge are the best things to slot in Phantom Army.

The damage that the proc provides is not impressive nor is the 16% chance for it to fire off for each decoy.

Personal preference, not saying anyone is wrong for doing it, but if I did it I would feel like I was wasting something.


"People love to talk, but hate to listen." Alice Duer Miller, American Author (1874-1942)

 

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Originally Posted by Novella View Post

The damage that the proc provides is not impressive nor is the 16% chance for it to fire off for each decoy.

Personal preference, not saying anyone is wrong for doing it, but if I did it I would feel like I was wasting something.

For what it's worth, the difference in recharge between my slotting with the proc and yours without it is 1.1 seconds. ED is a harsh mistress.


...in CoH racing to 50 is like trying to race to the end of your vacation. -Arcanaville

Debt barely slows down levelling these days. It's just a little bar that measures how much Awesome you've generated recently. (If you're not getting debt, you're just not trying to generate Awesome hard enough.) -Kelenar

 

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Novella View Post
That's fine, but I personally think the proc is a waste unless you are a person that solos primarily. If you team even 30% of the team its pointless because your teammates will defeat whatever Phantom Army would be attacking, excluding Monsters and Archvillains. In my opinion accuracy and recharge are the best things to slot in Phantom Army.

The damage that the proc provides is not impressive nor is the 16% chance for it to fire off for each decoy.

Personal preference, not saying anyone is wrong for doing it, but if I did it I would feel like I was wasting something.
When I'm teaming, there is usually a tank on the team. In that case, the added damage actually provides more benefit than the minimally shorter recharge. PA becomes more of a damage power than anything else if you have a good tank. (Of course, a good tank will know to let PA take the alpha in difficult situations, too.)


LOCAL MAN! The most famous hero of all. There are more newspaper stories about me than anyone else. "Local Man wins Medal of Honor." "Local Man opens Animal Shelter." "Local Man Charged with..." (Um, forget about that one.)
Guide Links: Earth/Rad Guide, Illusion/Rad Guide, Electric Control

 

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Novella View Post
That's fine, but I personally think the proc is a waste unless you are a person that solos primarily. If you team even 30% of the team its pointless because your teammates will defeat whatever Phantom Army would be attacking, excluding Monsters and Archvillains. In my opinion accuracy and recharge are the best things to slot in Phantom Army.

The damage that the proc provides is not impressive nor is the 16% chance for it to fire off for each decoy.

Personal preference, not saying anyone is wrong for doing it, but if I did it I would feel like I was wasting something.
Well with ED your Acc or Dam won't be that big of an improvement either, though.

Currently my "proc'd" PA does:

Dam 91.3
Acc 94.9
Rech 91.2
End 21.45

Swapping out for the dam/rech purple will net you higher numbers but due to our evil mistress, it really won't make that huge of a difference. As I said in another post the proc won't make or break you. It's neat, not necessary. But I'd also not describe it as a waste. Being someone that teams, that extra 5 percent or so of damage I could eek out won't change my contribution one bit. It's great that PA does damage but for me they are merely a distraction-control meat shield. Personally, I had the two purples sitting in storage and I wanted the 4% recovery. And while I can't do 95% damage I can do something that I normally can't: buff my PA. Neat, but not necessary.


@Mental Maden @Maden Mental
"....you are now tackle free for life."-ShoNuff

 

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Originally Posted by Local_Man View Post
When I'm teaming, there is usually a tank on the team. In that case, the added damage actually provides more benefit than the minimally shorter recharge. PA becomes more of a damage power than anything else if you have a good tank. (Of course, a good tank will know to let PA take the alpha in difficult situations, too.)
Different benefits for different teams. In my case the lack of any downtime far outweights the little damage benefit.

Some Tanks aren't effected by alpha's so thats not really an issue. Most of the team the alpha misses my Tank when I am on her so those aren't really an issue for anyone playing a Scrapper or Tank.


Quote:
Originally Posted by MentalMaden View Post
Well with ED your Acc or Dam won't be that big of an improvement either, though.

Currently my "proc'd" PA does:

Dam 91.3
Acc 94.9
Rech 91.2
End 21.45

Swapping out for the dam/rech purple will net you higher numbers but due to our evil mistress, it really won't make that huge of a difference. As I said in another post the proc won't make or break you. It's neat, not necessary. But I'd also not describe it as a waste. Being someone that teams, that extra 5 percent or so of damage I could eek out won't change my contribution one bit. It's great that PA does damage but for me they are merely a distraction-control meat shield. Personally, I had the two purples sitting in storage and I wanted the 4% recovery. And while I can't do 95% damage I can do something that I normally can't: buff my PA. Neat, but not necessary.
Understandable, but I am also Kinetics so damage is something I am never lacking so the proc is a waste for my particular build.

To each his/her own I guess


"People love to talk, but hate to listen." Alice Duer Miller, American Author (1874-1942)

 

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Each his own indeed.

Although I might recommend finding new tank friends.


@Mental Maden @Maden Mental
"....you are now tackle free for life."-ShoNuff

 

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I have the luxury of teaming with one of the best tanks around. Call Me Awesome is one of my regular buddies, and he has written some of the better tank guides on these boards. He knows and understands the effectiveness of Phantom Army, when PA can be used for max benefit and when his tanking will do a better job (most of the time). Also, since I play Ill/Rad, Ill/Storm and Ill/TA, I don't have quite the damage buff of Ill/Kin to my other powers, and rely more upon PA to do a substantial part of my damage.

The fact that you are looking at the issue from the point of view of an Ill/Kin makes a big difference. The overall playstyle will be quite different than other combos.


LOCAL MAN! The most famous hero of all. There are more newspaper stories about me than anyone else. "Local Man wins Medal of Honor." "Local Man opens Animal Shelter." "Local Man Charged with..." (Um, forget about that one.)
Guide Links: Earth/Rad Guide, Illusion/Rad Guide, Electric Control