So Sonic/Devices - really soloable?

I'm considering one because I love blasters and I don't want to be reliant on PUG's to play. From what I'm seeing, it looks very soloable. Sirens + toe bomb then clean up, right?

As an aside - anyone think Devices could be 'fixed' by adding a +Damage component to targeting drone? Maybe 15% or something?

I certainly haven't had any problems soloing it. In fact, it's one of my favorite combinations, and the only reason I don't play mine more is that all my friends decamped to a different server. Yes, your damage will be a bit lower than a blaster's who has a damage-based secondary, and you might notice it to a large degree if you're used to something like /energy, but your -res helps make up for that. I can guarantee that it's one of the safest, if not the safest, of all blaster builds.

I like to refer to this build as a "controller with blaster damage." It reminds me a bit of a dominator or a warshade in that way. My one tip would be to pick up some Sonic stuff early, to build a good foundation of damage, but I'm sure you're aware of that. Personally, I don't much care for the knockback of Shockwave when combined with /devices, but I seem to be in the minority there.

In addition to combining Siren's Song with Trip Mine, some other tricks that you may or may not enjoy include:

-stacking Screech and Taser (the Devices power, not the origin power) to stun bosses.

-putting a bunch of damage proc's in Caltrops to turn it into a placeable damage field.

- Using Cloaking Device with Superspeed or a +stealth IO to become invisible.

My point here is that there are quite a few odd and interesting things you can do with this combination, even if it doesn't quite top the damage charts.

The only other blaster I've played who I've been completely enraptured with is a Fire/Ice. I've gotten an Archery/Electric and a AR/Mental into the 30's but the Fire/Ice is my only 50. She's great.

Thanks for the tip - I wasn't going to take Tazer at first though I was eyeing Repulsion bomb in the epic. Considering one application of Siren's won't lock down bosses, it might be a good 1-2 early take.

Since you've got some experience - maybe a quick build critique? I built it pretty much with SO's only and a couple of procs since I'm just now starting out and money is a bit of an object.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.707
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Technology Blaster
Primary Power Set: Sonic Attack
Secondary Power Set: Devices
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fitness
Ancillary Pool: Force Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Shriek -- Acc(A), Dmg(3), Dmg(7), Dmg(15), Decim-Build%(42), EndRdx(42)
Level 1: Web Grenade -- Acc(A)
Level 2: Scream -- Acc(A), Dmg(3), Dmg(7), Dmg(15), RechRdx(36), EndRdx(37)
Level 4: Howl -- Acc(A), Dmg(5), Dmg(5), Dmg(13), RechRdx(36), RechRdx(37)
Level 6: Caltrops -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(17), ImpSwft-Dam%(43), Posi-Dam%(46), Dmg(46), Dmg(46)
Level 8: Shout -- Acc(A), Dmg(9), Dmg(9), Dmg(13), RechRdx(36), RechRdx(37)
Level 10: Targeting Drone -- EndRdx(A), ToHit(11), ToHit(11), ToHit(17)
Level 12: Hover -- EndRdx(A), Flight(43), Flight(43)
Level 14: Swift -- Flight(A)
Level 16: Hurdle -- Jump(A)
Level 18: Sirens Song -- Acc(A), Acc(19), Acc(19), Sleep(23), Range(23)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod(A), EndMod(21), EndMod(21), P'Shift-End%(40)
Level 22: Cloaking Device -- EndRdx(A)
Level 24: Taser -- Acc(A), RechRdx(25), Dsrnt(25)
Level 26: Screech -- Acc(A), RechRdx(27), Dsrnt(27)
Level 28: Trip Mine -- Acc(A), Acc(29), Dmg(29), Dmg(31), Dmg(31), RechRdx(31)
Level 30: Amplify -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(34)
Level 32: Dreadful Wail -- Acc(A), Dmg(33), Dmg(33), Dmg(33), RechRdx(34), RechRdx(34)
Level 35: Fly -- Flight(A)
Level 38: Gun Drone -- Acc(A), Acc(39), Dmg(39), Dmg(39), RechRdx(40), RechRdx(40)
Level 41: Personal Force Field -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(42)
Level 44: Repulsion Bomb -- Acc(A), RechRdx(45), RechRdx(45), Dsrnt(45)
Level 47: Temp Invulnerability -- EndRdx(A), ResDam(48), ResDam(48), ResDam(48)
Level 49: Force of Nature -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(50), ResDam(50), ResDam(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Defiance
Level 6: Ninja Run

Build critiques definitely aren't my forte, as I'm not much of a numbers person, but here's what I'd suggest:

1) Don't bother with an endurance reducer in Hover. Even if you're firing off powers constantly while Hovering, its cost should be low enough that your Stamina, end reducers in the attacks, and Performance Shifter proc make up for it. I wouldn't bother with adding slots to Hover, either; I usually just stick a defense or a fly in the default and let that take care of things.

2) Because of Targeting Drone, you probably only need one SO's worth of accuracy in each power. I'm not sure if Trips Mines inherits that to-hit buff or not, so that might be the exception.

3) I'd probably replace Hurdle with Health, a great power that's sometimes underrated solely because it's in the same set as Stamina.

4) I'm not sure what you're seeing out of the damage of Caltrops, but I'd recommend against enhancing its base damage in favor of raising its recharge, which could eventually get you to stacking Caltrops like the Knives of Artemis if you get enough incidental recharge in your build. The proc's are different; they're worth leaving in because their base damage isn't dependent on the power's. As for Damage enhancements themselves, I'd just rely on your Howl to effectively buff the patch's damage and use recharge for potential stacking. Oddly, I actually ended up putting a Range in Caltrops, just because I had to get just a bit too close to enemies to drop it from the safety of Cloaking Device (I'm not sure that's the best slotting, though, and I'm hesitant to recommend it).

5) If you're flexible on travel powers, I'd go with Hasten and Superspeed rather than Hover and Fly, since the Speed powers have some nice synergy with with your secondary. For what it's worth, I went with Combat Jumping and Superhop, so your mileage will obviously vary here.

6) I'm not sure you need all three to-hit buff enhancements in Targeting Drone. Someone who's more of a devices number-cruncher could tell you better than me. I always seemed to do fine with just one. That said, Targeting Drone is a handy power for IO sets, so you may want the slots there after all.

I hope that helps.

Thanks for the suggestions.

I'm pretty comfortable using the ninja run as my base travel power - hence the Swift and Hurdle to aid in getting around - and Fly was thrown in as an afterthought. I've now replaced it with Smoke Grenade, figuring it would synergize with Cloaking Device well enough.

I made a few other changes based on your suggestions, specifically deslotting Hover, removing the damages from Caltrops and beefing up my mezzes a bit. I'm fairly certain Targeting Drone doesn't help the Trip Mine or the Gun Drone, hence the extra Accuracy in them respectively.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.707
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Technology Blaster
Primary Power Set: Sonic Attack
Secondary Power Set: Devices
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fitness
Ancillary Pool: Force Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Shriek -- Acc(A), Dmg(3), Dmg(7), Dmg(15), Decim-Build%(42), EndRdx(42)
Level 1: Web Grenade -- Acc(A)
Level 2: Scream -- Acc(A), Dmg(3), Dmg(7), Dmg(15), RechRdx(36), EndRdx(37)
Level 4: Howl -- Acc(A), Dmg(5), Dmg(5), Dmg(13), RechRdx(36), RechRdx(37)
Level 6: Caltrops -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(17), Posi-Dam%(46), ImpSwft-Dam%(46), JavVoll-Dam%(46)
Level 8: Shout -- Acc(A), Dmg(9), Dmg(9), Dmg(13), RechRdx(36), RechRdx(37)
Level 10: Targeting Drone -- EndRdx(A), ToHit(11), ToHit(11), ToHit(17)
Level 12: Hover -- Flight(A)
Level 14: Swift -- Run(A)
Level 16: Hurdle -- Jump(A)
Level 18: Sirens Song -- Acc(A), Acc(19), Acc(19), Sleep(23), Range(23), Range(43)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod(A), EndMod(21), EndMod(21), P'Shift-End%(40)
Level 22: Cloaking Device -- EndRdx(A)
Level 24: Taser -- Acc(A), RechRdx(25), Dsrnt(25), Dsrnt(43)
Level 26: Screech -- Acc(A), RechRdx(27), Dsrnt(27), Dsrnt(43)
Level 28: Trip Mine -- Acc(A), Acc(29), Dmg(29), Dmg(31), Dmg(31), RechRdx(31)
Level 30: Amplify -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(34)
Level 32: Dreadful Wail -- Acc(A), Dmg(33), Dmg(33), Dmg(33), RechRdx(34), RechRdx(34)
Level 35: Smoke Grenade -- Acc(A)
Level 38: Gun Drone -- Acc(A), Acc(39), Dmg(39), Dmg(39), RechRdx(40), RechRdx(40)
Level 41: Personal Force Field -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(42)
Level 44: Repulsion Bomb -- Acc(A), RechRdx(45), RechRdx(45), Dsrnt(45)
Level 47: Temp Invulnerability -- EndRdx(A), ResDam(48), ResDam(48), ResDam(48)
Level 49: Force of Nature -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(50), ResDam(50), ResDam(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Defiance
Level 6: Ninja Run

Okay, here's my .02 inf.

Go with hover blasting and get your ranged defense as high as possible.

Take Cloaking Device, and slot a Freebird +Stealth in Hover (along with a couple BotZ if you can afford em).

Slot Siren's Song with Acc/Acc/Sleep/Sleep/Rech (you only need 5 slots, which sets you to put Fortunata's Hypnosis in it eventually)

Take both Screech and Taser. You can stack them to stun bosses or....do what I do with my Sonic/Devices.

Since you are completely invisible with Cloaking Device + Stealth IO, you can position yourself anywhere you like to start a fight. Then do the following:

Siren's Song to open, it will sleep the spawn for at least 45 seconds the way I suggested it be slotted. If there are any bosses, stack Taser and Screech on them immediately. If there are no bosses, start waking up the spawn one at a time, alternating between Taser and Screech. Kill the one you wake up and move on to the next. If your ranged defense is softcapped, or close to it, anything that DOES get a chance to shoot back probably isn't going to be hitting you. But, if you do it right they will never even get to shoot at you, since you slept the whole spawn before they even knew you were there.

Voila, you have just created the absolute safest blaster possible, one who is never even attacked, let alone defeated. My Sonic/Devices has been 50 for quite a while now, and if I play him right he is the most survivable character I have, including my scrappers and brutes.

Just for fun I am going to make */dev (the * a secret ) where I will have time bomb down to I think just under 90 sec rech. Yeah it going to be silly but will be lots of fun

Also, Gun Drone is pretty nice in AV fights. If it only has one thing to shoot at it pumps out some decent damage, especially with Sonic debuffing the target at the same time.

It tends to switch targets or focus on minions if there's more than one thing to shoot though.