Quote:
Boost Range seems like it would be a niche choice for an AT designed around ranged damage AND melee damage.
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Originally Posted by JohnnyKilowatt
Every time I create a new blaster, it makes me very sad that if I want Boost Range there is only one secondary to choose from.
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Why Blasters? Empathy Sucks.
So, you want to be Mental?
What the hell? Let's buff defenders.
Tactics are for those who do not have a big enough hammer. Wisdom is knowing how big your hammer is.
Quote:
I suppose you think mezz protection is a niche choice on an AT designed around damage AND defense.|
Originally Posted by StratoNexus
Boost Range seems like it would be a niche choice for an AT designed around ranged damage AND melee damage.
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Yes, the most effective blasters use both range AND melee. That is well known and I agree. But still, long range attacks have their uses and it pains me that choices are so limited with regards to this power.
The Bacon Compels You.
Quote:
Mezz protection supports both damage and defense. It does not seem like a niche ability for a class based on both damage and defense. Perhaps you should have chosen Build Up for your analogy, but even that power has a considerable use for defense, as it is often used to take out the most threatening enemy in order to mitigate damage. |
Originally Posted by JohnnyKilowatt
I suppose you think mezz protection is a niche choice on an AT designed around damage AND defense.
Yes, the most effective blasters use both range AND melee. That is well known and I agree. But still, long range attacks have their uses and it pains me that choices are so limited with regards to this power. |
Scrapper taunt may be a good choice for your analogy, it is a niche concern for that AT, yet all scrapper primaries have it as a choice.
Boost Range only supports ranged damage and even then it does so in a limited way, since ranged damage already has range without Boost Range. I agree that Boost Range can be nifty and you are obviously devoted to that niche. That does not make it a good choice to be widespread for an AT that is designed to operate best at about 40 feet, dropping in and out of melee with enemies.
Why Blasters? Empathy Sucks.
So, you want to be Mental?
What the hell? Let's buff defenders.
Tactics are for those who do not have a big enough hammer. Wisdom is knowing how big your hammer is.
Quote:
But is countered by the ever-pressing desire to get in and use drain psyche and psy shockwave.|
Originally Posted by StratoNexus
Devices has a lot of nice tricks and gets two powers to help keep enemies at range in the low levels.
I am surprised no has mentioned Mental. At level one you get a ranged immob (80', which is way longer than any other secondary's immob) to keep an enemy at range. At level 4 you can take a melee KB power to send an enemy back to range. At level ten, you get a 60' ranged cone with good damage and decent mitigation in the form of -recharge. Take Concentration (Build Up clone) at level 16. At level 35 you get a ranged control power. |
It certainly has the ability to stay ranged well enough, but means sacrificing considerable advantage.
/nrg on the other hand has no real need or even desire to go into melee. TF is slow enough to get you killed and no longer one shot mezzes bosses. Bonesmasher is nice, but st and not amazing enough to pull you into melee provided you have a full ranged chain.
I have to agree that the lack of boost range to be found anywhere except /nrg is disappointing. I thought they would toss it in some of the epics/ppp's just like they seem to throw powerboost around like it is going out of style. Imo boost range is great fun, whereas powerboost just tends to break the game.
I find /Energy is great for a character who wants to stay mainly at range but still be able to make things regret getting in close, and also great for characters who want long range. /Devices does have better tools to keep anything from ever reaching you for a pure ranged character, but it lacks Build Up. A pure ranged character generally has little use for mines, so you'd sacrifice significant damage by choosing /Devices over /Energy. I find that with Boost Range and a set with decent AoEs I can just wipe out the enemies before they reach me unless I am fighting a flying boss or EB... and in those cases I just pop a couple purples. Flying EBs aren't that common and you can always set your missions to "no bosses" so I find the problem is rare enough that inspirations can handle it.
Now if you are planning to fight lots of bosses, /Devices may indeed be the better choice because stacked Trip Mines soften them up very nicely. But then again, so does Aim + Build Up + your heaviest blasts from 100+ feet away.
Cascade, level 50 Blaster (NRG/NRG since before it was cool)
Mechmeister, level 50 Bots / Traps MM
FAR too many non-50 alts to name
[u]Arcs[u]
The Scavenger Hunt: 187076
The Instant Lair Delivery Service: 206636
After further thought, I apologize to StratoNexus. That's what I get for posting over lunch break angry about work stuff. I'll step away from the PC for a bit.
The Bacon Compels You.
/NRG blasters are great for Boost Range, true. Power Boost is also great for boosting secondary effects that might keep enemies away, like the Knockback in the Energy primary. It also gets Build up at level 4, which is great, and Conserve power at lv 16 to help with endurance management.
/Ice is another one that works well for ranged blasters, since it has Ice Slick and Shiver to keep enemies from reaching you, and chilling embrace for when they manage to break through.
/Devices lacks Build up, which I don't like, but it has a whole lot of tactics that make it possible to wipe out enemies without using your primary (aside from pulling). My brother loves those narrow hallways and cave tunnels, since he can block them off entirely with Caltrops. He lays down mines in front of the caltrops, and a gun turret behind them, forcing enemies to take piles of damage from the mines and take forever wading through Caltrops while the Turret is chewing them to pieces. While it has the aggro, you have a prime opportunity to open fire with attacks from your primary.
Too many alts to list.
Here is my current build for Airmammer who is a ranged specialist. I want really focused on all the IO set bonuses and stuff. I just wanted to max my range. I had lots of HO's from back in the day and this is one fun toon because I can outdistance almost anything in the game.
In fact I used to blast Mitos from outside the goo in the old hami raid. My SG members used to joke that I could Snipe foes from the couch inside the base.. LOL..
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.621
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
AirhammerFInal: Level 50 Technology Blaster
Primary Power Set: Energy Blast
Secondary Power Set: Energy Manipulation
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Flight
Ancillary Pool: Force Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Power Bolt -- Dev'n-Acc/Dmg(A), Dev'n-Dmg/EndRdx(3), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(3), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(5), HO:Centri(5), HO:Centri(7)
Level 1: Power Thrust -- Acc-I(A)
Level 2: Power Blast -- Dev'n-Acc/Dmg(A), Dev'n-Dmg/EndRdx(7), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(9), HO:Centri(11), HO:Centri(11)
Level 4: Energy Punch -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg(13), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(13), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(15), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(15)
Level 6: Power Burst -- Dev'n-Acc/Dmg(A), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(17), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(17), HO:Centri(19), HO:Centri(19), HO:Centri(21)
Level 8: Sniper Blast -- Dev'n-Acc/Dmg(A), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(21), Mantic-Acc/ActRdx/Rng(23), Mantic-Dmg/ActRdx/Rchg(23), HO:Centri(25), HO:Centri(25)
Level 10: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(27), RechRdx-I(27)
Level 12: Swift -- Flight-I(A), Flight-I(34), Flight-I(34)
Level 14: Super Speed -- Clrty-Stlth(A)
Level 16: Health -- Heal-I(A)
Level 18: Build Up -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(29)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(29), P'Shift-EndMod(31), P'Shift-End%(31)
Level 22: Aim -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(33)
Level 24: Hover -- Flight-I(A), Flight-I(33), Flight-I(34)
Level 26: Power Push -- Acc-I(A), HO:Centri(33), HO:Centri(37), HO:Centri(37)
Level 28: Bone Smasher -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg(37), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(39), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(39), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(45)
Level 30: Explosive Blast -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(31), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(36), Posi-Dmg/Rng(36), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(36), RechRdx-I(39)
Level 32: Nova -- Oblit-Dmg(A), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(40), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(40), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(40), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(42), Dmg-I(42)
Level 35: Boost Range -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(42), RechRdx-I(43)
Level 38: Total Focus -- Acc-I(A), HO:Nucle(43), HO:Perox(43), HO:Perox(45)
Level 41: Personal Force Field -- DefBuff-I(A)
Level 44: Repulsion Bomb -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(45), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(46), Posi-Dmg/Rng(46), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(46), RechRdx-I(48)
Level 47: Temp Invulnerability -- RechRdx-I(A), ResDam-I(48), ResDam-I(48), ResDam-I(50)
Level 49: Force of Nature -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(50), RechRdx-I(50)
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Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Defiance
Level 0: Ninja Run
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Set Bonus Totals:
- 9% DamageBuff(Smashing)
- 9% DamageBuff(Lethal)
- 9% DamageBuff(Fire)
- 9% DamageBuff(Cold)
- 9% DamageBuff(Energy)
- 9% DamageBuff(Negative)
- 9% DamageBuff(Toxic)
- 9% DamageBuff(Psionic)
- 41% Enhancement(Accuracy)
- 27.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
- 5% FlySpeed
- 108.4 HP (9%) HitPoints
- 5% JumpHeight
- 5% JumpSpeed
- MezResist(Immobilize) 4.4%
- MezResist(Stun) 2.2%
- 5% (0.08 End/sec) Recovery
- 60% (3.02 HP/sec) Regeneration
- 3.15% Resistance(Fire)
- 3.15% Resistance(Cold)
- 5% RunSpeed
The hard things I can do--- The impossible just take a little bit longer.
If numbers are so much more important than a teammate who is fun to play with, forget about the game altogether and go play with a calculator instead. -Claws and Effect-
Every time I create a new blaster, it makes me very sad that if I want Boost Range there is only one secondary to choose from.
The Bacon Compels You.