TA/AR Defender: Thoughts?

I had an idea for a character who carries a bow for firing specially designed rapid-deployment traps (an alt of a Traps/Sonic Defender called Defengineer) and an Assault Rifle for actually SHOOTING things, especially one he can make himself with various kinds of ammo and modular doodads like, uh, a flamethrower.

Has anyone made a TA/AR Defender, yet? If so, what is your take on it? It looks like it would have decent damage for a Defender, with Oil Slick Arrow, Flamethrower, Ignite, Glue Arrow, the res debuffs, and Full Auto. I don't know how people on teams would like it, however.

It should be pretty good, assuming you can stomach the redraw.

I don't see why people on teams would complain. TA isn't the best buff set but it's pretty decent and the staked resistance and defense debuffs help a lot.

Here's a rough build I slapped together in Suckerpunch. Comments?

Feel free to call me any name in the book if you think I made a stupid mistake. George, Paul, John, or even Ringo! I can take it!

+----------------------------------------------------------------
+ Built with SuckerPunch's Online Planner v5.0
+ http://planner.cohtitan.com/planner
+----------------------------------------------------------------
Archetype: Defender
Primary: Trick Arrow
Secondary: Assault Rifle
+----------------------------------------------------------------

01: Flash Arrow => Empty(1), Empty(15), Empty(43), Empty(45), Empty(46)
01: Burst => Empty(1)
02: Glue Arrow => Empty(2), Empty(3), Empty(3)
04: Buckshot => Empty(4), Empty(5), Empty(5), Empty(11), Empty(11)
06: Ice Arrow => Empty(6), Empty(7), Empty(7), Empty(9), Empty(9)
08: Hurdle => Empty(8)
10: Combat Jumping => Empty(10)
12: Acid Arrow => Empty(12), Empty(13), Empty(13), Empty(15), Empty(46)
14: Super Jump => Empty(14)
16: Health => Empty(16), Empty(17), Empty(17)
18: Disruption Arrow => Empty(18), Empty(19), Empty(19)
20: Stamina => Empty(20), Empty(21), Empty(21), Empty(40)
22: Hasten => Empty(22), Empty(23), Empty(23)
24: Beanbag => Empty(24), Empty(25), Empty(25), Empty(37)
26: Oil Slick Arrow => Empty(26), Empty(27), Empty(27), Empty(31), Empty(34), Empty(37)
28: Flamethrower => Empty(28), Empty(29), Empty(29), Empty(31), Empty(31), Empty(37)
30: Stimulant => Empty(30)
32: EMP Arrow => Empty(32), Empty(33), Empty(33), Empty(33), Empty(34), Empty(34)
35: Ignite => Empty(35), Empty(36), Empty(36), Empty(36)
38: Full Auto => Empty(38), Empty(39), Empty(39), Empty(39), Empty(40), Empty(40)
41: Aid Self => Empty(41), Empty(42), Empty(42), Empty(42), Empty(43), Empty(43)
44: Conserve Power => Empty(44), Empty(45), Empty(45)
47: Temp Invulnerability => Empty(47), Empty(48), Empty(48), Empty(48)
49: M30 Grenade => Empty(49), Empty(50), Empty(50), Empty(50)

+----------------------------------------------------------------
+ Inherent Powers
+----------------------------------------------------------------

01: Brawl => Empty(1)
01: Sprint => Empty(1)
02: Rest => Empty(2)

If you're taking Ignite (and it is worth taking) you might want Entangling Arrow. The patch is tiny and causes enemies to run so you really need to hold or immobolize them. Against bosses it's much easer to stack Entangling Arrow than Ice Arrow (I'd drop Beanbag to make room). Additionally it's an ok recharge debuff to stack on AVs (along with Glue and Ice).

Flash arrow is overslotted. It's a nice power and doesn't need much in the way of slotting. Recharge is low enough since you only use it once per spawn anyway so you don't need to slot for that. It's auto-hit in PvE so you only need accuracy in PvP. So basically you only need to slot it for To Hit Debuff (1-3 enhancements depending on if you've got slots free).

I'd try and slot up Burst a bit, you have basically no single target attacks which makes boss fights really, really suck.

Other than that it looks pretty good. When you do the actual enhancements but some end redux in flamethrower, it's a huge end hog.

If it was me, Although I do feel that in teams, if a defender attack is worth firing, its better an AoE however M30 grenade would be changed for something like Entangling Arrow I think.

AoEs hit several npcs, several times that little bit of damage it does to one npc can be worth X times more than a single target attack. So in terms of damage to a group, it's better. In between debuffs and that, it's hardly likely I would see the point in a single target attack so in theory M30 being an AoE should sound nice. But M30 is KB and use of it could lower the DPS of everyone else who could be doing more damage than you by knocking mobs out of their area effects and not only theirs, but yours as well. Buckshot is AoE Cone KB which is more directable.

Entangling Arrow would immob for ignite making you really good at dealing great damage per end over time as well as lighting Oil Slick, so much better in teams than that M30 "sometimes help the enemy power" but not only that, entangling arrow is part of the defence powers. Keeping hard hitting targets such as AVs at a distance can prevent them from using everything in their attack chain ergo providing damage mitigation of which poison gas arrow can stack or immob an AV still whilst someone who can be highest threat breaks line of sight for self recovery and regains it before threat is lost. It can be the difference between a trick archer being up to certain job or not and so either a need for another defender or no need. Relevent depending on what you do with others. The -fly is cool too and in some cases for kiting purposes a little bit more reliable than the immob.

I'd say Flash Arrow 3 slots max, Acid Arrow can be as low as 3 slots so from Flash and Acid you can pull slots to burst. When you got Aid self why bother with 3 slotting health? I would perhaps if I am putting special IOs in health. Stamina 3 slots would be ok, just 2 or 3 IO damage slots in ignite would be ok and so maybe put one more slot to bean bag perhaps. Between Ice Arrow, Bean bag and Ent and Ignite you should be soloing pretty damn well.

I have one that I've played all the way to 50 actually. The only powers I skipped were on the Assault Rifle side: Bean Bag, Sniper Rifle, and M30 grenade. It does quite an unsane amount of damage to foes once all the stars align: EMP Arrow, Disruption Arrow, Oil Arrow, Flamethrower...then glue/ice and Ignite anyone that's left. If a group is still left, there's always Full Auto for the whole flaming mess. Solo or against small groups though, I usually lean pretty heavily on Ignites and Ice Arrows. It's the only real fast and high damage attack the combo gets. You can take on huge groups of foes if you don't mind waiting for a minute between spawns for your AoE moves to come back, or if you're on a team, it's like having a big nuke up every two or three spawns. Definately need Hasten for this build...or pretty much any Trick Archer so your two big moves come back fast: EMP and Oil Slick.

Incidentally, my current project is a level 46 Trick Archery/Dual Pistols Defender who is MUCH worse due to the lack of strong single-target damage in the form of Ignite or even potent AoE damage. The only AoE I felt had any power was Hail of Bullets which is a mini-nuke and not up often enough to be called a regular attack. It also requires quite a bit more exposure to danger to use than either Flamethrower or Full Auto.