MM vs controller heroes (EB)

I just started playing an MM and got him up to lvl 20. It was smooth sailing and zero deaths until I met my first Elite Boss. He wasn't just any EB but a controller with a singularity pet. I eventually defeated him in my second attempt but I think I may be doing it wrong by focusing my attacks on the boss and not his pet. I shudder to think that there may be more nastier EBs like that one. Is there a better (more survivable) strategy in dealing with these mobs?

What are your powersets?

I'm kind of embarassed to say but it's bots traps. When I first heard the hype, I didn't think anything short of an AV would stop me...

Kadabra Kill is one of the most annoying enemies in the game. The only EB that might be worse is a Longbow Ballista, and you don't run into those until you're much higher level (and have more pets/traps to work with).

Kadabra comes right at the worst speed bump for any MM - the low 20s, before you get your second Tier 2 or your last Upgrade - and has one of the most powerful pets in the game, the Singularity.

So I wouldn't measure the success of your build against him.

Agreed with Eiko-chan. I wouldn't worry about it, since Singularity screws over a lot chars.

That said, if you want to go EB/AV stomping that you probably want to pick up Provoke from the Presence pool.

Even grav wardens own my bots/traps so you aren't alone, but I think it is more to do with the way gravity seems to ignore your bodyguard mode rather than it being an EB you were fighting.

Quote:

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

Or just drop that mission, wait 3 days and drop the next one he appears, and then never, ever, EVER take Darrin Wade's arc ever again. Should've realized that the game giving you a free contact in Sharkhead was too good to be true. :P

The biggest enemies to Masterminds are Kadabra Kill, and that *$#@*&% Calystix the Shaper. Actually, Kadabra is childsplay compared to Calystix's Slag Heaps.

The best way I've found to get through them is to load up your henchmen with Lucks and hope for the best. Lowering your difficulty to -1 can help, too. This is actually one of the few times I will concentrate fire, you do want to take out the master first, his pets will fall when he does.

Someone else may have a strategy for targetting the pets first, but nothing has worked for me but to brute force it. Lately, I've taken to dragging one of my other characters in on a second account to do the actual fighting.

Calystix... that's the name I remember when I first started playing MMs in I6 or I7. I remember it was only mob I couldn't defeat at that time and I broke a mouse out of frustration. I'm going to be real prepared this time with inspirations. Thanks for the advice.

**** zenflower

Yeah, Kadabra Kill is just in a poor level bracket in general. Most of my toons encounter a spike in game difficulty when I reach the guy, mostly because of the damn Singularity. You can only get stronger and stronger as you go on the MM, though. Keep at it. Kadabra Kill is in no way a good indicator of the average challenge level you'll encounter when fighting EBs.

You did take the Forcefield Generator, right? It gives some Hold protection to you and your pets. On the flipside, Robotics has no protection against Smashing damage, if I recall correctly. If all else fails, either wait a few levels, or give your pets some Inspirations to help against the Singularity. Breakfrees, purples or oranges, that sort of thing. Or reds, and try to burst KK down. Or ask for someone else to help you - no shame in that.

Slightly off topic - what's so bad about Ballistae? Never had any issue with those on my MMs.

In retrospect, what could have helped me most was if I had slotted a kb protection in CJ. Kadabra did some serious knockups which were a pain in the rear. I could've also hold off on stamina until 22 and get poison trap which would've helped in killing him faster. The FF generator was indeed a big help but it was no lifesaver (at low levels anyway).

Having just done a mission against high level Family on my level 39 Bots/Storm, I have to say Singularities are just nasty. Everything else, including the Nemesis ambushes that also attacked was just bot-fodder; the first group with a Consigliere I ran into was tougher than everything else combined. His Singy kept throwing around my bots like toys, and stacking holds on everything.

Kadabra Kill has some other hax powers besides his Grav/kin that make it tough. I think Kadabra Kill is tougher than Calystix.

I would point out that there is a Ballista in a level 25 capped story arc you get from Lt. Chalmers in Sharkhead. What makes him so hard is the flowing groups of flying longbow patrols that get sucked into the battle with the Ballista. It is my favorite red-side mission with the flying action at the skyraider base. It's a unique experience.

The family Consigliere do indeed wipe the floor with your bots that have no resistance to smashing damage from the gravity AoEs. These guys are found in missions in St. Martial.

When you think about it, it is kind of unfair that he has a level 32 controller power, whilst you don't even have your level 26 MM power yet.....