Ignite for boss killing, Full Auto for pew pew pew
RoA for mob-wiping, overall good performance
I'm a Boost Range abuser, so my opinion of secondaries is a little biased
This one's a bit tricky to answer... The two sets perform very similarly and pump out very similar amounts of damage. But if you're a number crunching min/maxer Archery will edge out AR. RoA especially is better than Full Auto. On paper anyway. The delay for RoA's rain has been known to ruin someone's day. ...Mostly because the poor guy was teamed with ME at the time.
However, in the end, it's all about your personal preference. Which of these makes you happy in your pants? Silent but deadly archery... Or THIS IS MY BOOMSTICK!
I've seen this thread before and I've seen it drag on for pages and pages, but in the end there was no winner. There was only "What makes you happy in your pants?".
So my suggestion to you is to go forth and pew pew pew. Roll one of each and find out!
As for secondaries? Energy is probably the go-to set for performance, but Devices is so very thematic... Again I can only recommend what fits your theme and makes you happy.
...in your pants.
Virtue - @Carlin
If it's not on fire yet, you're not trying hard enough!
Archery and AR both excellent sets its a bit of mix arguing their performance at various levels, especially when you mix them with different secondaries.
In general AR, with a secondary that has buildup is a little more team friendly, As full auto will start applying damage almost immediately after you pull the trigger. Archery enjoys advantages in soloing due the the higher burst damage that Rain of Arrows can achieve with a secondary that has buildup.
If you are going Archery, you might want to consider either /Fire or /Mental, /Electric also looks like a contender but I have never tried that combo
The sets will let you do things like this
1. Stealth to center of group
2. Aim and Build up
3. Rain of Arrows as Pbaoe (Does not notify till after the pet starts)
4. Psychic Shockwave, or Fire Sword Circle
5. Combustion or Drain psyche.
If you go AR and want to use Ignite for boss killing be sure to get a set that has an immob, otherwise ignite is going to do very little to them (Exception robots which for some reason don't seem to bother to get out of the fire)
If there is no descicive victor than what are the + and - for each?
Group and solo please! I know I ask a lot but y'all have the experience.
AR has the potential for lots of Knockback which, used correctly, can be a very defensive option. It also has slightly stronger AoE potential outside of the nuke. The trade off is slightly worse soloing due to lackluster Single Target damage. (though the Energy Secondary can negate this) It can get nice ST damage in Ignite, but that takes setup and time. (it is a DoT)
But the lack of good ST damage is offset by lovely and consistently high AoE damage. It can really shine in protracted and manic fights by just... not... stopping... There's never anything NOT spurting out of my barrel and I don't even use Hasten or IOs.
Archery meanwhile has superior ST damage out of the gate thanks to Blazing Arrow and is the better soloer. It's no slouch in teams but a suitably manic Assault Rifle may be able to outshine you. (Knockback as you try to Rain of Arrows can make you cry silently) And while AR is good at constant DPS Arch has great Burst damage potential.
Though if you're a min/maxer who likes to break the game Arch can be turned into a beast... I'm fine with that. I'll just stick to my rifle and yell at these crazy kids to get off my lawn before I Ignite it.
(authors note: I'm slightly crazy and by no means an expert, so I still highly recommend you just try both of em out and see which is more fun. Performance be damned, lots of folks just can't stand one or the other)
Virtue - @Carlin
If it's not on fire yet, you're not trying hard enough!
Hi everyone, I am deciding between these two power sets but I find myself unable to decide. I'm looking for a character that can solo but also group well. I couldn't find a decisive compilation of the pluses and minuses and things of that type (the guides don't cover this and are old).
Also which secondary would you suggest to go with your selection. Thanks in advance!