I usually opt for Build Up since many of the damage IO sets have decent accuracy bonuses and I can usually find a spot for the Kismet 6% +tohit.
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Well, personally, I rarely take either.
I prefer my blasters (and scrappers) to have a consistent damage output rather than the big spikes that relying on BU/AIM give.
However, that's strictly a personal choice, and I know most folks don't agree.
If you're going to take one (and only one) of the two, I'd say that Build Up is usually the better choice.
Build Up (generally) provides: +15% to hit and +100% damage
Aim (generally) provides: +37.5% to hit and +62.5% damage
But, by time you are in the upper levels, accuracy/to hit isn't normally much of an issue. You're character will be well slotted with accuracy and will probably have some global accuracy bonuses from IO's as well.
So the +to hit isn't nearly as important as the +damage in most cases...
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build up
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The blasters that take aim and/or buildup do as much damage as you do while A/BU are inactive, and then they do a lot more for the period that A/BU are active. They are not "relying on BU/AIM" to do their damage, they are using A/BU to give them a burst of damage when they need it, such as to take out a large group of dangerous minions or to work over a boss really fast. If there was some power you could take that raised your average damage all the time, and taking this power precluded taking A/BU, then you might have a case, but as it is your preference is doing nothing but purposely lowering your average damage. As you say, it's your choice, but I just don't want any new players to think that your choice is anything other than intentionally lowering the effectiveness of the character.|
Originally Posted by Soulwind
I prefer my blasters (and scrappers) to have a consistent damage output rather than the big spikes that relying on BU/AIM give.
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To the OP, if you only take one, take BU. You won't need the large to-hit that Aim gives, and you will appreciate the extra damage. However it's really nice to take both.
Seems we have a consensus, so Build Up it is. Thanks.
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just take both please if you can you will notice on your nuke damage is much better, if anything do it for the nuke.|
Originally Posted by JD_Gumby
Seems we have a consensus, so Build Up it is. Thanks.
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edit: aim and nukes are what sepperate blappers from scrappers
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Not all Blast sets have aim. And Aim's damage boost really doesn't make that large of a difference over time (and if you're not a mini-nuke set, your nuke doesn't really, either). Aim is largely an inferior version of Build Up (if you actually slot your powers with accuracy, you'll rarely need the additional tohit... very rarely), and in pve spike damage only has a moderate amount of tactical use... and rather minor in team pve.
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Originally Posted by Lucky666
just take both please if you can you will notice on your nuke damage is much better, if anything do it for the nuke.
edit: aim and nukes are what sepperate blappers from scrappers |
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Originally Posted by ShadowNate
;_; ?!?! What the heck is wrong with you, my god, I have never been so confused in my life!
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BU's damage boost doesn't make much of a difference over time either - it's the ability to frontload damage, and provide burst damage, that makes Aim and Build Up nice (and is one of the reasons Pistols is kind of a bad set, but that's neither here nor there). While I'll agree that BU is the better choice between the two, there's no reason to not take both unless you can't fit them in. Against a really hard target you could pop both for a huge damage boost to take the target out quickly, or if you're going at a more casual pace you could just alternate the two to be riding a respectable damage bonus most of the time. This is especially fun on high-recharge builds, where there's almost no downtime when you're alternating them.
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Originally Posted by Kitsune Knight
Not all Blast sets have aim. And Aim's damage boost really doesn't make that large of a difference over time (and if you're not a mini-nuke set, your nuke doesn't really, either). Aim is largely an inferior version of Build Up (if you actually slot your powers with accuracy, you'll rarely need the additional tohit... very rarely), and in pve spike damage only has a moderate amount of tactical use... and rather minor in team pve.
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@macskull, @Not Mac | XBL: macskull | Steam: macskull | Skype: macskull
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"One day we all may see each other elsewhere. In Tyria, in Azeroth. We may pass each other and never know it. And that's sad. But if nothing else, we'll still have Rhode Island."
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Echoing this... if you skip one or both (if avail) you are really doing yourself a large disservice when it comes to damage on a blaster. |
Originally Posted by macskull
BU's damage boost doesn't make much of a difference over time either - it's the ability to frontload damage, and provide burst damage, that makes Aim and Build Up nice (and is one of the reasons Pistols is kind of a bad set, but that's neither here nor there). While I'll agree that BU is the better choice between the two, there's no reason to not take both unless you can't fit them in. Against a really hard target you could pop both for a huge damage boost to take the target out quickly, or if you're going at a more casual pace you could just alternate the two to be riding a respectable damage bonus most of the time. This is especially fun on high-recharge builds, where there's almost no downtime when you're alternating them.
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The speed gap between a blaster who can Aim/BU but doesn't really starts to show as you pile more and more global recharge on. At around the 80 or 90% Recharge (+70 more from hasten) Its like 25 Second recharge for both of them. If you stagger them that is something close to 20 out of every 25 seconds having a very significant damage boost (between 62.5 - 100% )
And as said above, one of the reasons DP lacks damage. Take both and skip something else.
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Not at all true. Spike damage helps you kill troublesome targets quickly and by frontloading all your best DPA attacks. Wiping out most of the lieutenants/minions in a single AoE volley helps reduce the damage you take. The huge ToHit buff allows you to land hits when heavily debuffed and end fights that you otherwise couldn't because every other hit is whiffing. Spike damage is especially important for Blasters who usually can't stand there to trade hits. Even if you're playing a softcapped whatever, when fighting defense debuffing enemies you'll usually want to kill things quick before cascading defense failure can set in.
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Originally Posted by Kitsune Knight
(...) in pve spike damage only has a moderate amount of tactical use... and rather minor in team pve.
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QFT. BU + Aim + Nuke? (especially crashless ones)
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Originally Posted by Laevateinn
Not at all true. Spike damage helps you kill troublesome targets quickly and by frontloading all your best DPA attacks. Wiping out most of the lieutenants/minions in a single AoE volley helps reduce the damage you take. The huge ToHit buff allows you to land hits when heavily debuffed and end fights that you otherwise couldn't because every other hit is whiffing. Spike damage is especially important for Blasters who usually can't stand there to trade hits. Even if you're playing a softcapped whatever, when fighting defense debuffing enemies you'll usually want to kill things quick before cascading defense failure can set in.
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Or nukes.|
Originally Posted by Kitsune Knight
Not all Blast sets have aim.
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Definantly Build Up if you have to choose between one or the other. You should have more than enough accuracy with the basic IO's to cover anything you'd face, and in any case you're fighting something with enough defense to make it a problem, you'd probably have buffs anyway 
I'd go Build Up for sure. I find that it's not hard to keep my to-hit chance at or near 95% against almost everything I'm likely to be fighting (especially if using IOs), but being able to take down a boss faster is very useful. That means higher +damage is better than a higher to-hit buff, especially since Build Up can be slotted for to-hit if you really need that.
Of course Aim is nice against Elude users, but unless you are going to make a career of hunting Paragon Protectors I think the higher damage boost in Build Up will be more useful to you.
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If I had to choose between "Build Up and Stamina" and "Build Up and Aim" I'd pick BU + Aim.
Just sayin'.
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To the OP, I'm curious as hell what is so important in the build that you are skipping either.
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I just...I mean...If you aren't taking either and are focusing on DPS versus big spikes then I can only assume you mean taking something like Hasten instead because that's the only power I can think of that would make the kind of factor you are talking about. To be honest, so far I have found room for Aim, BU, and Hasten.|
Originally Posted by Soulwind
Well, personally, I rarely take either.
I prefer my blasters (and scrappers) to have a consistent damage output rather than the big spikes that relying on BU/AIM give. |
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Originally Posted by Soulwind
So the +to hit isn't nearly as important as the +damage in most cases...
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When you can take only one, which is generally considered better? I find I just can't decide whether the far greater accuracy with Aim makes up for the lesser damage bonus... :/