Rolling a /Pain, need some info

I've decided that rather than going DS/Dark, I think I'm going to try out /Pain; the last time I played they didn't exist, and I've already gotten a Necro/Dark into the low 30's (a bit past 2nd upgrade).

I have two quick questions that I have been unable to find definitive answers for after searching around the MM and Corr forums:

First off, Share Pain vs Suppress Pain. I have read that both are skippable with more players seeming to favor doing w/o Suppress Pain if needed. After playing a /Thermal I can definitely see the merits of having another single target heal, especially one as meaty as ShaP; however, the fifteen secs of no healing concerns me. Fifteen seconds feels like an eternity, and I can foresee many deaths from AoEs or loose aggro during the no heal period that wouldn't have happened if I could pop a Respite or use NP. I realize that strategic use of the power will reduce these deaths, but I know I'm going to faceplant more than once because of it.

I have heard that SupP on the other hand is largely useless out of the box and even fully slotted is underwhelming. Personally I am considering taking it because I think it looks awesome, and I have heard that it makes a good set mule. (*Edit Scratch that; I've heard conflicting stories with some touting it as amazing (with prodigious use of BG mode) and others saying it's terrible. I'm really not sure what to believe at this point.)

If you are wondering, I cannot take them both because I am determined to have a personal attack on this MM for concept if nothing else; it is a nonnegotiable.

My other question is whether or not /Pain makes a good Tankermind. I don't really want to sacrifice a Pool pick to take Provoke, nor am I especially interested in tanking to begin with, but I am curious to see if it would be an option or even an expectation by teammates.

*Edit Also, how are /Pains at soloing AVs? I was able to solo a few on my /Dark, but it had built in -regen (among other things) so I'm not sure if /Pain will hold up nearly as well.


Any insight from the learned would be wonderful.

Valentyna has a great Necro/Pain tankermind build she's been working on here:

http://boards.cityofheroes.com//showthread.php?t=214126


As for Suppress Pain vs. Share Pain I would go with Suppress any day of the week. For your tier 3 pets, I find that Suppress heals somewhere around 50% or more of their hp, and that's if it's not even well slotted. (That was on a Thugz/Pain). As for Share Pain, I think the one thing MM's really cannot afford to do is sacrifice their own hp. You're just too squishy.

From what I can tell, the first attack power for DS isn't actually a whip, so you're not really losing out on any of the awesome whip-ness by taking a targeted heal. Plus, the variety issue with the demons means that, for most battles, there will probably be certain demons you want to keep alive more than the others because of the type of damage they deal.

I don't believe there is a single 'useless' power in pain domination. I have a Bots/Pain who is a tankermind, who took ALL of his pain domination, and has 2 rifle blasts and Knockout blow all worked in.

But the real beauty of that build is he can switch between solo tankermind, team tankermind, and full-on team support... without even changing builds.

Look man, Suppress pain is the reason a mastermind becomes a tankermind. Supress pain is 200% regen, and about 400% enhanced. That is pretty darn impressive for a toggle. You tack on resistance from World of Pain, and Defense or Resist from an epic shield, and Bodyguard... Man it will take a LOT to bring you down. You're rocking high resistance or a mix of defense and resist, in addition to some high regen rate.

And about Share pain... Normally that might get you in trouble, if you were a corrupter, but you're a mastermind. You've still got bodyguard and minions to take aggro for you if you're not taunting or something. Sure YOU can't heal, but if the minions draw aggro in BG mode, they sure can be healed.

So here is my build I use for a tankermind/team support. I even worked in 4 attacks. It is a very busy build.

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I'm about to go to bed, but thankee kindly for the responses (especially this late at night. ) I'd like to take both ShaP and SupP, but I really need to skip a power from my secondary to fit in an attack, my PPs, and my PPPs. I'll certainly try out ShaP; again I'm just worried about that no heal period when grouping on 8 man teams on higher difficulties when there's lots of painful AoEs being thrown about (I'll probably do a mix of soloing and teaming on this MM). The clarification on SupP is majorly helpful, as I've read a lot of mixed reviews on the power. It also can be confusing when a corruptor or MM mixes up the Corr version with the MM version in a post.

The last time I played an MM BG mode didn't exist, so I'm still getting used to the whole Tankermind thing. I kind of wanted to take Hover for concept (and to make Teleport less annoying), but I may consider dipping into Presence for Provoke and try it out. Can't hurt right?

Again thanks for your input, hopefully I'll have things worked out by the time I17 hits OB.

Suppress Pain is hilariously powerful--it grants everyone around you almost the same regen rate of a regen scrapper outside of IH.

Share Pain--it's skippable if you really must insist, but the fear of being left vulnerable for 15s is not an issue for MMs due to bg mode. I've ran my Bots/PD through the ITF several times and have never died once from taking the brunt of a cyst ambush, or against anything really.

About tankerminding: as a mm you can eat an alpha, but you're not going to be the tank if you only halfass it. Most teams aren't going to expect you to tank, so you don't have to worry about that if you don't want to play that role.