Trying to decide on what MM for my first MM.

Bots/Traps, Bots/Psn, Thugs/Traps, or Thugs/Psn? I heard all 4 are pretty good. But can't decide.

For a first mastermind I suggest a Bots/Traps. The bots tend to wander less than the thugs. I found I need to manage the bruiser and arsonist for maximum results where the bots are self-managing. Good luck.

Bots for a first time MM, much easier to control as Psylenz said. Depending on whether you go solo or not the secondary is up to you, my bots MM is /FF and my thugs MM is/Psn and i love both secondarys

I would recommend demons.... Hey, it worked for me. First MM that has caught my full attention and quite honestly has sparked my interest in other MMs. Prior to demons my highest was a level 18 thugs/poison. My demons/dark is sitting pretty at 35 right now. :-)

Now that I've learned the mechanics of MMs I have plans to take the thugs/poison out for another spin.

I also rolled a bots/storm.

Planning a /traps but not sure what to pair with it.

Also planning a thugs/storm.

And a Necro/ something but leaning towards /storm as well. Not that I want to derail this thread but besides /dark, what's the best pairing for Necro/?

Derail away. I have a Necro/thermal that works fairly well. Flaming zombies smell like chicken.

If you have Going Rogue pre-purchase I would echo another vote for demons as the primary. If not, I would say bots are definitely easiest to use for a first time MM.

While you indicate this is your first MM it is hard to suggest some of the secondaries without knowing if you have played a defender, corruptor or even a controller with some of the secondary options.

If not, Traps is definitely a good way to go. I prefer Dark and Storm but they are not a good choice for someone not familiar with using those sets.

I'd start with a Thugs/Pain, its a VERY good way to figure the system out, the Thugs are powerful, but have few self support powers, the Pain is nothing but support powers. Just don't expect your boys to be geniuses. They're aggressive, up close n personal, its VERY easy to die if you don't keep em in line, BUT ... if you a quick learner, you'll be a damage GOD.

And besides, no other tier 3 is meaner than a Bruiser with Pain Bringer power!

/poison can be a pain because like others said, its waaaay too single target.

/ff can be a pain because its boreing and slow and Forcefields.

/storm will be awesome.

/thermal will be awesome and busy.

/ta will be fun but mines pretty much stalled for various reasons.

Havent rolled a pain /toon yet.

/traps should be fun.

/dark will be fun and busy and beefy.

Ide suggest storm, therm, traps, or dark.

EDIT: bots are pretty much good with whatever, if you roll a thugs you may want to pair it with a set that gives shields and maybe some heals because you will find 50% of your time and ability is tied into keeping the arsonist alive and attacking. It can definitely be a task since hes downright suicidal on a manic depressive type of level.

My Thugs/Dark is a bad ****. You can work wonders when the enemy can't hit you.

Big heal, too. Yeah, thugs are all over the place with mixed melee/ranged attacks. Darkest night is your friend!

Im thinking Bots/Traps, my main is a fire/rad controller, but i have a 50 invul/ss Tanker shelved atm.

Could anyone point me in the right direction for a bots/traps build mostly for socketing/enhancement layout?

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.707
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Level 50 Magic Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Robotics
Secondary Power Set: Traps
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Presence
Power Pool: Speed
Ancillary Pool: Mace Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Battle Drones

• (A) Blood Mandate - Accuracy/Damage
• (3) Blood Mandate - Damage/Endurance
• (3) Blood Mandate - Accuracy/Endurance
• (5) Blood Mandate - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (5) Blood Mandate - Accuracy
• (9) Blood Mandate - Damage

• (A) Enfeebled Operation - Accuracy/Immobilize/Recharge

• (A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage
• (9) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range
• (11) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge
• (17) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance
• (39) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance

• (A) Harmonized Healing - Heal/Recharge
• (7) Miracle - Heal/Recharge
• (7) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge
• (50) Regenerative Tissue - Heal/Recharge

• (A) Endurance Reduction IO

• (A) Accuracy IO

• (A) Shield Breaker - Defense Debuff
• (11) Shield Breaker - Defense Debuff/Endurance/Recharge
• (23) Shield Breaker - Accuracy/Defense Debuff
• (33) Shield Breaker - Accuracy/Recharge
• (39) Touch of Lady Grey - Chance for Negative Damage

• (A) Blood Mandate - Accuracy/Damage
• (13) Blood Mandate - Damage/Endurance
• (13) Blood Mandate - Accuracy/Endurance
• (34) Blood Mandate - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (37) Blood Mandate - Accuracy
• (40) Blood Mandate - Damage

• (A) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%
• (15) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance
• (15) Aegis - Resistance/Recharge
• (19) Aegis - Endurance/Recharge
• (21) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge
• (21) Aegis - Resistance

• (A) Red Fortune - Defense/Recharge
• (17) Red Fortune - Endurance/Recharge
• (19) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
• (34) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance
• (34) Red Fortune - Defense
• (40) Red Fortune - Endurance

• (A) Jumping IO

• (A) Essence of Curare - Accuracy/Recharge
• (42) Ghost Widow's Embrace - Accuracy/Recharge
• (42) Essence of Curare - Accuracy/Hold/Recharge

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
• (23) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
• (43) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance

• (A) Healing IO
• (25) Healing IO
• (25) Healing IO

• (A) Endurance Modification IO
• (27) Endurance Modification IO
• (27) Endurance Modification IO

• (A) Cloud Senses - ToHit Debuff
• (29) Cloud Senses - Accuracy/ToHitDebuff
• (29) Cloud Senses - Accuracy/Recharge
• (31) Cloud Senses - ToHit Debuff/Endurance/Recharge
• (31) Cloud Senses - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
• (31) Cloud Senses - Chance for Negative Energy Damage

• (A) Mocking Beratement - Taunt
• (33) Mocking Beratement - Accuracy/Recharge
• (33) Mocking Beratement - Taunt/Recharge
• (46) Mocking Beratement - Taunt/Recharge/Range
• (48) Mocking Beratement - Taunt/Range

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO

• (A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage
• (36) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance
• (36) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge
• (36) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range
• (37) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (37) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy)

• (A) Blood Mandate - Accuracy/Damage
• (39) Blood Mandate - Damage/Endurance
• (40) Blood Mandate - Accuracy/Endurance
• (42) Blood Mandate - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (43) Blood Mandate - Accuracy
• (48) Blood Mandate - Damage

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
• (43) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
• (48) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance

• (A) Trap of the Hunter - Accuracy/Recharge
• (45) Trap of the Hunter - Endurance/Immobilize
• (45) Trap of the Hunter - Accuracy/Endurance
• (45) Trap of the Hunter - Immobilize/Accuracy
• (46) Trap of the Hunter - Accuracy/Immobilize/Recharge
• (46) Trap of the Hunter - Chance of Damage(Lethal)

• (A) Endurance Reduction IO

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
• (50) Recharge Reduction IO
• (50) Recharge Reduction IO

• (A) Empty

• (A) Empty

• (A) Empty

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Very first mastermind...

I always recommend thugs/pain. Easy enough that you won't find yourself discouraged when it generally becomes tedious and painful for most other combinations.

Definitely Bots/Traps out of the given 4.

My bots mm is /Dark, but /Traps is just as win, if not more.

My wife's 50 Bots/Dark is tremendously successful. Just make sure you have extra accuracy on Twilight Grasp early on.

My Necro/Dark required a LOT more finesse up through 38. After that, I'd lob Dark Servant into the vicinity of any pets that were out of MY heal radius.

Problem with bats/tarps is that it ruins you for the other, inferior combinations (all of them)

I am unable to comprehend any build which puts Upgrade Robot off, at all, ever. Why would you wait until 47 to get your robots properly in shape?

FWIW, I'm doing bots/traps, and loving it. I have Aid Other, rather than Repair, although I might later get Repair too. JUST got my assault bot, haven't started running with it yet.