hey Dechs...

hope i'm not bothering you.. but can i ask a favor? i started a dark/dark tank today & was wondering if you could suggest a leveling build from 1-20?

To anyone else who happens by this thread, don't be afraid to send me a PM.

Bench, for 1-20, this is how I'd go. I'm using common IOs here, but DOs work about the same.

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

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 21 Technology Tanker
Primary Power Set: Dark Armor
Secondary Power Set: Dark Melee
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Dark Embrace -- EndRdx-I(A), ResDam-I(3), ResDam-I(3)
Level 1: Shadow Punch -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(7), EndRdx-I(13)
Level 2: Murky Cloud -- EndRdx-I(A), ResDam-I(5), ResDam-I(5)
Level 4: Shadow Maul -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(7), EndRdx-I(15), RechRdx-I(15)
Level 6: Obsidian Shield -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 8: Dark Regeneration -- Acc-I(A), EndRdx-I(9), EndRdx-I(9), Heal-I(11), RechRdx-I(11), RechRdx-I(13)
Level 10: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 12: Combat Jumping -- DefBuff-I(A)
Level 14: Health -- Heal-I(A)
Level 16: Siphon Life -- Acc-I(A), EndRdx-I(17), Heal-I(17)
Level 18: Death Shroud -- Acc-I(A), EndRdx-I(19), EndRdx-I(19)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A)
Level 22: [Empty]
Level 24: [Empty]
Level 26: [Empty]
Level 28: [Empty]
Level 30: [Empty]
Level 32: [Empty]
Level 35: [Empty]
Level 38: [Empty]
Level 41: [Empty]
Level 44: [Empty]
Level 47: [Empty]
Level 49: [Empty]
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet
Level 6: Ninja Run

I recently created a DA/ELM tank myself and made sure to set him up with a low level "Theft of Essence: +chance for Endurance" IO to slot in Dark Regen ASAP.

Thank goodness for the recent changes to e-mail.

I'm curious - Why Skip Smite? It's one of your stronger attacks. I mean, sure, there are other things you can take, from the Primary and Pools, but I'd never skip a good attack. Particularly such a good attack.

And you're going without a Travel power?

Be Well!
Fireheart

When trying to build for a really defensive Tank, skipping some solid attacks becomes a good idea. On my team oriented builds I'm never able to fit in all the shiny orange numbers that I so desperately want, instead replacing a few with Boxing on the way to Weave... I can only fit all the smashing I want when using my second build for soloing or off-tanking. Painful yes, but I'll have Blasters who can pump out the orange numbers for me!


For a similar reason I stopped taking a real travel power. (on anyone, not just Tanks) With Ninja Run and jetpacks galore only Faultline and IP make me pine for Teleport...

Death shroud is a bit late for me Dechs, I like to have it about level 1 or 2 and then taunt is a must at 10, given the choice between CJ or hurdle I'd of prolly picked up cj first however I deffo would of taken cloak of darkness at 12 (but i am a 63 month vet what don't use that cj to get sj). I found immobs start after 10 anyway along with kb so then there would be a kb res in that CoD or CJ in that builds case.

Death Shroud is a huge endurance hog and I found it beneficial to rely on gauntlet because of the targeted aggro generation rather than the damage aura. I put off the damage auras until about the same level I take stamina. In the early levels I try to do what I can to maximize benefit per endurance.

CJ grants the same amount of immob protection as Cloak of Darkness and about half the defense for one tenth the endurance cost, plus it gives you some great combat mobility when paired with hurdle. I agree, CJ should have been taken before hurdle. Oversight on my part.

Another good point is the KB resist IOs. It'd be nice if you could buy one of those (probably Karma to slot in CJ).

thanks! that helps a lot.

I like the CoD as it means I get attacked late, the sooner your being attacked the more damage you take over the fight duration (plus cj would mean I have locked into a power pool pick when perhaps there is another 4 I could go for...thinks about it..flight or tp, fitness pool, speed pool, fight pool, yeah so say I was wanting haste, fitness, fightpool and flight I'd need to avoid cj.

I look at DPE when it comes to Death Shroud. Your attacks have a base DPE, now whatever figure that is, you can double it with damage enhancements and then reduce it further with end reduxes. Some attacks hit 1, some hit 5 max, gauntlet always hits 5 but the lower the end cost of the power the smaller the aoe of gauntlet which means low aggro control, death shroud hits 10, people can see death shroud, it needs to be slotted well at the point its really needed. It's nto until 28 when DM gets a hit 10 in the secondary. 10*dpe adds up. In the lower levels you can only really make a couple of attacks half good or DS really good.

Combining all that with me personally liking to wherever possible due to team support or good teamwork to tank off of the bat, my glass is half full and I think why not herd up frostfire like a lvl 50 making good use of obsidian shield (lvl 6) when/if you can? But I do know that really until lvl 10 people on any character are pretty much even on survivability and so up until 10 a tank getting all the aggro, or little more than the alpha is very unnecessary so I am not trying to impose any right/wrongs here.

Edit: an end hoggy character on a server with few decent teams (people who can cooperate with eachother within good reason) could be very unfun and I wouldn't want to solo with death shroud, death shroud could then wait.

Do you have a lvl 50 Dark/SS/Fire build strickly for team PvE. I have about 1 - 2 billion to spend, but I dont want to spend it all. Thanx for your help.

Hm... I guess I should start a side business on builds.

Nah.

Well I didn't think the guy would actually pay me to make the build. He said something like "I have 4 billion to invest, make me an awesome build" in his post. I replied with "Well, how about you give me one billion and I'll make you a three billion inf awesome build?"

Again, I didn't think he'd take me seriously. I was trying to say "Put some work into it, then I'll help." It'd be like a salesman putting a ludicrous price on an option that he doesn't actually want to sell. When the guy offered to pay up... well, I just couldn't turn it down.

I've never hesitated to help someone with a build that they've put some effort into, so long as I've had enough experience with the powers to offer meaningful criticism. If you show me you're willing to try, then I'll gladly help out where I can.

Carlin, I'll get to it as soon as I can. I'm on the road for work this week and don't have Mids on the company computer.

Howdy Carlin.

I think you've got most of the right elements in the build, but not where I would have grabbed them.

Rage can be chosen at level 28 and I grab it immediately on all my SS tanks. SS is slightly underpowered until you get Rage going. I would have grabbed Knock out blow at Level 22 as well. I tend to put off Tough/Weave until the early 30's if not later. I didn't put weave on my SD/SS tank until level 44 and didn't feel like I was late getting it. As always YMMV.

Active Defense should not require 3 recharge redux to keep it up so you're wasting a slot there.

Tough should have one end redux in it.

I'd also make sure I had at least one end redux in these attacks: Jab, Boxing, Shield Charge, and an additional end redux in Knockout Blow. You're attacks will chew through your endurance if you don't have some sort of end redux in them.

From this point are you looking to IO the build? It isn't all that hard to Soft Cap a SD tank. IF you are looking to IO your build, what do you wish to focus on?

If I were to really try to pimp myself, it'd have to be recovery and defense. I'm close enough to the soft cap now that a single luck or teammate in range of Phalanx bridges that final 5%. But if I could afford to dump CJ and Physical Perfection in favor of Fireball and One with the Shield, I would be one happy Tanker.




But the budget is quite limited, and I hate the idea of using full sets that may not enhance the power itself as well as Frankenslotting. I'd probably end up sticking to level 50 IOs as well because those recipes seem to be cheaper, and always available. Merits may be able to net a Numina or Miracle down the line... But sifting through all the sets for something that can help me, and not shatter my wallet seems out of my reach right now. My IO-Fu is weak...






...On a side note that I don't expect to solve, does anyone else hate radiation based enemies? I hit -53% def last time I fought Anti-Matter.

For endurance issues during a fight, end slot attacks. For best end recovery between fights, end slot toggles. Look at what costs the most over time and end slot them first. Jab, Boxing and Tough have pretty high eps for what they do.

The Jab and Boxing thing was kinda surprising to me... I tend to Box whatever happens to be in front of me when I'm running low because "pfft, 4 end cost? whatever". I never would have guessed it was a tiny little endurance vampire... Lesson learned here. Use a freaking calculator more often.