Ninja/Therm Build?

I'm bored with my other characters, and wanted to try something different. I usually run with bots on my MMs, but I always get irritated with them in higher levels. I can never get my necros very high, and I just didn't like arsonists dying all the time.

Therm is the new one to try out, and I've never done it as a corruptor, and I although I can think of a theme for Mercs on fire, I think Ninajs might be better. So I'm thinking of of a Ninja/Therm build, but I haven't the foggiest of what powers or slotting to get. Obviously all the pets and upgrades for them, but I haven't a clue beyond that.

Here's a starting point I guess...

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.601
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 48 Magic Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Ninjas
Secondary Power Set: Thermal Radiation
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Teleportation
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leadership

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Call Genin -- (A)
Level 1: Warmth -- (A)
Level 2: Fire Shield -- (A)
Level 4: Cauterize -- (A)
Level 6: Train Ninjas -- (A)
Level 8: Fly -- (A)
Level 10: Plasma Shield -- (A)
Level 12: Call Jounin -- (A)
Level 14: Recall Friend -- (A)
Level 16: Swift -- (A)
Level 18: Smoke Flash -- (A)
Level 20: Thaw -- (A)
Level 22: Health -- (A)
Level 24: Stamina -- (A)
Level 26: Oni -- (A)
Level 28: Forge -- (A)
Level 30: Maneuvers -- (A)
Level 32: Kuji In Zen -- (A)
Level 35: Heat Exhaustion -- (A)
Level 38: Melt Armor -- (A)
Level 41: Assault -- (A)
Level 44: Tactics -- (A)
Level 47: Vengeance -- (A)
Level 49: Power of the Phoenix -- (A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- (A)
Level 1: Sprint -- (A)
Level 2: Rest -- (A)
Level 1: Supremacy

If dying all of the time annoys you, then you just multiplied that problem by at least 3.

The Genin make the Arsonist look tough. Only the Jounin really have anything that amounts to defense, with the Oni living pretty good due to his hit points and level. The Genin are basically cannon fodder, which is why I prefer Ninjas with a set that can rapidly debuff tohit or otherwise really increase their meager defense. (Do note, I really like the Ninjas, but their frail nature can't be underspoken. You have to be very active with Ninjas or very willing to replacing the Genin.)

That said, the thermal shields can help, and you have some heals at your disposal. Thermal is a great MM set, but it is still mostly reactive and the Genin go from alive to dead in a blink of the eye.

I would recommend Air Superiority early on, even if you have to respec it later. Early on, you may find yourself very frustrated with the Ninjas because Thermal's resistances are meager early, and you'll find yourself healing a ton. Air Superiority will help by giving you some active mitigation (whch is really what the Ninjas are based on, at least in theory).

Thermal's best debuffs come clear at the end of the set. This will be a combination that will be very rewarding late, but frustrating early. You'll want Heat Exhaustion with a lot of recharge, because that's your key damage debuff, and the Ninjas need all of the protecting you can give them. Your best defense is gonna be a good offense, and Smoke Flash and Forge will come in handy in killing mobs quickly. Once you get those two, I recommend your difficulty settings being set to higher conning enemies, but not very many of them. You'll get overrun trying to heal up the damage that gets through, but you'll be a very quick killer of even high conning enemies (that's true of Ninjas in general, as they are a far better ST set than an AOE set, but even moreso with reactive based sets such as Thermal and Pain. The Ninjas are pretty good at debilitating an enemy or two with all of their knock effects, stuns, holds, and slows......but they dont have much for group mitigation).

With thermal's shields I'd argue that it's not completely reactive (sets like pain, on the other hand are all reactive for the most part...at least early on), but with ninjas you are right...I have a ninja thermal in training and on large teams they can be a little bit frail (small to midsize they do just fine). I deal with their fraility by picking up provoke and slotting it up and setting it to auto. I actually do this on all of my melee MM's and honestly it makes a BIG difference on my minions ability to survive. So thermal shields + provoke really helps things out a great deal with Ninjas.

So far ninja's with thermal is actually working out quite well...funky ninja AI aside (which is actually what makes them annoying to me...being paper dragons isn't a big deal to me..I accept that going in). Yesterday I was in full body guard and it was triggered as the Jounin were fighting, but the Genin were just sitting there picking their noses...for the entire fight. I thought about ordering them into action, but it was not the kind of fight where you want to drop body guard.