For Fire Tank Immob Protection, Burn or CJ? And How's Burn vs AVs?

I apologize for making yet another Fire Tanker thread; I ran a few searches but wasn't finding anything that answered my question to my satisfaction.

I have been agonizing over a rebuild of my old-school Fire/Fire Tanker. At one point I planned a build without focusing on any defense. But after my recent experience in making a no-defense-to-speak-of Spines/Dark Scrapper who relies on resistance and heals, I decided that although that is fun in its own right (timing the heal), it's evident that a Tanker would benefit from less need to monitor the health bar, freeing up more time for situational awareness, so I am looking at a mid-range defense build (perhaps in the 25-35% range).

I am leaning toward using typed defense (because I can get some from my resistance toggles, using Reactive Armor, and it won't require all six slots in my attacks).

I need immobilization protection from either Burn or Combat Jumping. In the past I have used Burn, even just firing it off for the immob protection, and I am comfortable with using a click for that purpose (basically just setting it off when I find myself immobilized). Burn also will add a lot to my damage against AVs and monsters that do not run, which will help cut down on the length of pounding I will have to endure from them. But it will be a stretch to scrounge the slots to six-slot Burn (I think I can barely do it). I also love the way Burn looks. I understand that the fear and the 5-target cap limit its use against anything but a few kinds of enemies pretty sharply.

But Combat Jumping uses far fewer slots -- which helps -- and will give me a few more points of defense, which is nice (although I can get some typed defense from creative Burn slotting). I fly, and CJ might also make Flight more crisp-turning, I've heard, although never tried that combo.

My specific questions are:

Have you used Burn for AV-melting? It should still be handy for that, right?

Which way would you be inclined to lean?

Thanks!

I am rebuilding my fire tanker and brute both into def builds. Just like you i have been looking at the posts recently, and then playing with mids. Just like you, going for mid 20s or higher for general defense, mostly higher in s/l/m, but also diversifying my IOs for a good cover for aoe, fire cold and energy. I think ranged def is weak in both builds.

After my near permadom, I was ok with using Burn as a click and just firing it off as click immob protection too. Hasten was click with permadoms, so it is just a different way to play using burn as click, no biggie.

Burn is ok for AVs, as they usually get immob by controllers anyway, and its great for things like portals, DE eminators, ritki drones, nemisis bots and a few other things. I think some AVs may still run from Burn tho. I also love the way it looks, and the scatter can save you life at times. I am also like you, i just love the way it looks too. The thing to max burn, is to dumpster dive or pack them into a tight place, so when they run, they come back into the patch. If you are good with doing that, then you can use burn solo for damage. You have to time your combust and fsc as they run back and forth from the fear of burn. The to hit check is made when you activate combust or fsc, so it still hits them as run away from the burn patch the second time etc. It is all timing.

this is stuff i just know, i went to the test server when IOs were in closed beta. I could buy Numinas and Miracles and all sorts of rare things on the BM, for market testing (yes they were only 250k each lol). So i played some with my build. It was primarily a regen build with no defense. A solid build with a very high regen rate, (numinas regen/recovery and 5 stacked 10% regen bonuses) is pretty dog gone hard to kill. I was fighting 5 levels up. HF and my regen was ok enough, i had some really close calls but mostly i was generally ok for long periods of time solo. What i learned tho, as i was testing how hard i could get smacked around with that regen build.....burn, by itself, was not adequate to protect me from massive numbers of higher level immobs. Those guys were 5 levels up at the time. With out CJ, i was getting immob-ed due to stacking of immobs and the way the game does to hit from higher levels. Burns Immob protection came be over come. In regular game play, Burn may be just fine, especially since so much has changed with the sk set ups and everything.

As i build into defenses, i am planing on going with some regen on top of the defenses. Add some recharge and recovery. CJ is a good place for LOG recharge. I am going for Defs in the 20s or so, and i think about 30% global recharge, and then the super Health Procs IOs. I also respec into temp protection 20% slow resist, a slot for always on mag 4 kb IO, and then i got the winter gift slow resist 20% as well.

Should be a stout tank with decent killing power.

I think i went with CJ on live, now deciding on the trade off in damage output vs picking back up weave for the added defense. Will have to sacrifice something to get weave.

Combat Jumping is going to be a good idea for you, especially since you're going for defense. It's a very cheap toggle to run and has a nice little boost to all defense that will stack nicely.

Burn as is... well, I'd say it's optional for a Fire/Fire Tank. Sure, you can use it against AVs, but you have good ST damage already. Also, Burn is very situational. You can still take it if you have room, but I find my other power picks to be more useful to me all or most of the time, personally.

I do wish Burn was a good power to have at all times... it should still be a key part of the flavor to the set (like Shield Charge is for Shields), but it just isn't with how situational it is.

But as I said, grab it if you feel you have room and won't be nixing another needed power.