Triage Beacon... is it really worth it?

I've had Triage Beacon in my Bots/Traps build for a while now... but I never seem to use it. The last time I actually placed it, was during a Rikti Invasion event. I get a whole lot more mileage out of Aid Other, than I do from the Triage Beacon... leaving me the dilemma of "Why is this here?"

So, my question is... do other people find this useful? And, if so, how do you use it?

Because right now, I use it so little, I might as well not have it. If I had any good choice for an alternative, I would take it... but the only real other options are the two single target personal attacks...

You've identified the problem in your last sentence: the only alternative at level 4 is to take one of the primary attack powers.

So, it really comes down to whether you think having one of the first two attacks or triage beacon is the more useful choice. Personally, I think so little of the attacks that, even with the weaknesses of the Triage Beacon, I usually choose it over an attack (and just keep it around for AV fights later on).

There's always the option to use the attacks for a set mule. I use boxing for a set mule but rarely do I even let it be on my tray to use.

Triage Beacon is best used solo to recover between fights.

On teams, forget about it unless you really need it because no one bothered to bring an AoE heal and use it around your pets (they want to run off to the next spawn while your pets are half dead? Screw 'em!). I hear it's also good on teams where there isn't really much movement, such as AV fights. But you probably need to invest a couple of slots to boost the heal (via a healing set that gives defense, I'd assume).

I don't think it's as necissary to have on a bots/traps as a merc/traps. The bots have 2 healers already so that helps there. I have it on my merc/traps and it's part of my drop chain. It's more help to pets that don't come with or have a lot of def slotted IMO.

I like it. As was said, for longer, non-moving fights.

If you are soloing, then Aid Other is a lot better than Triage.

Triage works better on a larger team and on somebody else because the regeneration is more meaningful on your friend's Brute/Corr/Stalker/Dom than on your pet's. Your tier 1 or 2 pets won't get much from the healing before they die. And if it's a boss fight, your tier 1 pets may die in a few seconds and Triage won't even kick in.

I've taken Triage and I don't like it. Unless I am running a super-team with my friends to stack Triage Beacon, I don't think it's worth it. Recharge too long. Regen too little on pets.

I've found it to be useful as my Miracle/Numina unique mule.

My Bot/Traps runs around without fitness, but maintains all the leadership toggles. The +regen from the actual power is just a bonus.

IIRC when I had that power on my Mercs/Traps I mostly would just drop it down at the beginning of battle in around the center of combat. I think every spawn or two I would do that. Not a big deal but I believe it helped a little bit over time, and generally provided a little bit more of a margin of error. Not something that makes the set, however, but not totally useless (to me at least).

Solo, it's nice in tough fights if you can keep everyone's attention on you. Because of the way bodyguard mode works, the effective regen boost is far larger than the numbers say. If the only one being attacked is you, Triage Beacon can more than keep up with the shared damage.

As with most 'situational' powers it's not actually very good, but I like it thematically so I took it.

From a practical standpoint it'd be a handy place to stick some healing set IOs.

I find if you are playing the toon quickly you'll be leading the charge which means you'll likely be in bodyguard mode. In BG damage is spread to everyone. Triage heals everyone a little bit.

It's a good fit for that playstyle and on top of the ridiculous defense and mitigation a bots/traps possesses it should make a tangible and obvious difference in the type/difficulty of content you can tackle. Used in this manner it is way better than aidself and aidother.

If however you are more of a sit and watch type MM player and let your bots do pretty much everything than aidother will fit better.

Been pretty happy with it. It provides more healing than I originally thought, the key is that it's SLOW healing. If it's down at the start of the pull and you can keep your pets near it, it's pretty good. If you try to drop it when half your pets are under half health, it's pretty useless.

6 slotted it can be decent, with hasten.

For a long time I've been wanting triage beacon and spirit tree to grant +recovery on top of the regen, which would not be overpowered, would make it more attractive, and would offer slotting options.

Yeah, even a smallish recovery boost would make it dramatically more attractive.

I have triage beacon AND aid other, and I'm thinking about getting repair some day... My bots take too much damage. (Disclaimer: My bots mastermind is only 22. At 24 I expect it'll get a bit better, and again at 26.)