Looking for a blaster build wtih damage and a bit of survivability

So i hear blasters are walking corpses in a sense they die easier than other classes.

So I'm looking for a blaster class that can dish out pain, but still have a bit of survivability.

ive looked over the primaries and everything looks fun in it's own way.
I'm guessing swapping out travel pools for health and stamina would keep a blaster alive longer? or could i squish in fly with health and stamina? or would that be impossible?

Blasters, for me at least, tend to have several skippable powers. For instance, if you want to stay out of melee range, there are usually a couple powers in your secondary powerset that you can not take. It should be no problem to get both Stamina and a travel power.

For survivability, most primary sets have at least one mez-type power to help keep things from killing you. Sonic's sleep generally makes soloing a spawn easier by allowing you to kill them one at a time. Energy has knockback, which is a great way to keep the enemies from hitting you, but it takes practice to use it properly on a team.

For secondaries, most have an immobilize to keep an enemy at a distance. Mental Manipulation has Drain Psyche, which greatly increase your Regen and Recovery, but you have to get in close to use it. You're also still in danger from tougher foes who can hit you hard enough to kill you before you can regen your health back. Ice has a lot of tools for safety, but I find my time better spent burning things to death than debuffing them on my Fire/Ice blaster. Devices can be very safe, but tends to move a bit more slowly.

Knowing how you want to play (solo, in a team, or PvP) and what kind of enhancements you want to use (Single Origin, Basic Inventions, or Invention Sets) would help to know what to recommend for you.

Well solo when i can't find a team, but that is obvious.
as for enhancments simple training enhancments before level 12, then at 12 i want to start using Dual origins. then when I'm able to use Single origins i want to use them at that point. then when i get closer to 50 i plan on frankenslotting. I plan on my origin being magic.

hope that helps

\\\EDIT\\

well i found a fire/fire guide here in the guides section http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=125895
It only shows slotting for late game enhacments.

so i would like to know what to use in my skill slots for the fire/fire build?
example, would i want accuracyx2 damage x3 endurance reductionx1 on most of my attacks?
not sure how i would add enhancments early game or what to shoot for

I would personally recommend Sonic/Mental. The resistance debuff on Sonic attacks helps both you and your team hit things harder. The sleep will help you be able to use Drain Psyche even when solo. Sonic is short on AoEs, which are really useful on teams. Mental will help a bit with that.

If you prefer more AoEs and don't mind losing a bit of survivability for it, Radiation Blast is pretty AoE heavy.

If you decide to go with Sonic, I recommend slotting heavily for Accuracy. I don't have any hard numbers to back it up, but Sonic always seems to miss more than I expect at low levels.

Sonic/Energy manipulation
Sonic/Electric manipulation
Sonic/Devices

Archery/Whatever
AR/Ment
AR/Em


At level 18 take Sirens Call, slot for accuracy sleep duration and recharge.

For Sonic/En or Sonic/El

1. Sleep Spawn
2. Walk up to sleeping mob, bop them on the head
3. repeat 2 and 1 as needed

For Sonic/Dev

1. Sleep Spawn
2. Place trip mines appropriately
3. wake them up with caltrops and exploding mines
4. Enjoy the Hilarity

Archery/AR

Hit your self buffs (aim build up) Drop the mininuke on the spawn

Marvel at the dead bodies. Wonder why the defenders are still buffing up. Move on to the next spawn.

\\Total Edit\\

ok i found a sonic/mental build, was not in the guides section, but i found it on the forums through google.
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showt...sonic%2Fmental

my biggest problem with some of these builds is they only show level 50 enhancements, so that always leaves me wondering how i should place enhancements.

I'm no good with builds. Mids makes my head hurt.

Hopefully someone else will wander along. In the mean time, try putting one up for folks to look at. Most people are more willing to help with a build if you've taken the time to make one yourself first.

How about Energy/Ice? Or would that be less than effective? Theoretically the ice holds would lessen knockback, right?

There is only one (melee range) hold in the ice secondary. Ice Blast has the two holds.

Energy/Ice could work. Shiver slows things down, so you'd have even more time to kill them as they try to get back to you after you knock them back. You would have to be a bit careful to not knock things right off your ice patch, though.

Okay, ignoring the fact the best way for a Blaster to survive is by having more damage to take down the enemy first (or having a few billion to spend on softcapping), I would imagine Ice/Mental to have the most survivability.

Through a combination of quick damage, two holds, Drain Psyche and the extra AoE damage working with Ice's relatively low AoE potential, it should be tough to kill if played right and still be able to decimate enemies.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.704
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Level 50 Magic Blaster
Primary Power Set: Ice Blast
Secondary Power Set: Mental Manipulation
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Medicine
Ancillary Pool: Cold Mastery

Hero Profile:
------------
Level 1: Ice Bolt Dmg-I(A), Dmg-I(3), Dmg-I(3), Acc-I(5), Acc-I(5)
Level 1: Subdual Acc-I(A)
Level 2: Ice Blast Dmg-I(A), Dmg-I(7), Ruin-Dmg/Rchg(9), Acc-I(9), Acc-I(11), RechRdx-I(11)
Level 4: Frost Breath Dmg-I(A), Dmg-I(7), AirB'st-Dmg/EndRdx(13), Acc-I(13), RechRdx-I(15), RechRdx-I(48)
Level 6: Aim RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(15)
Level 8: Freeze Ray Acc-I(A), Acc-I(17), Hold-I(17), Hold-I(19), RechRdx-I(19), RechRdx-I(21)
Level 10: Psychic Scream Dmg-I(A), Dmg-I(21), AirB'st-Dmg/Rchg(23), Acc-I(23), Acc-I(25), RechRdx-I(25)
Level 12: Swift Run-I(A)
Level 14: Hurdle Jump-I(A)
Level 16: Concentration RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(27)
Level 18: Bitter Ice Blast Dmg-I(A), Dmg-I(27), Mael'Fry-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(29), Acc-I(29), Acc-I(31), RechRdx-I(31)
Level 20: Drain Psyche RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(31), H'zdH-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(33), Heal-I(33), Adrenal-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(33), Acc-I(34)
Level 22: Stamina EndMod-I(A)
Level 24: Ice Storm Dmg-I(A), Dmg-I(34), RechRdx-I(34), RechRdx-I(36), EndRdx-I(36)
Level 26: Bitter Freeze Ray Dmg-I(A), Dmg-I(36), Acc-I(37), Acc-I(37), RechRdx-I(37), EndRdx-I(39)
Level 28: Hasten RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(39), RechRdx-I(39)
Level 30: Super Speed Run-I(A)
Level 32: Blizzard Dmg-I(A), Dmg-I(40), Dmg-I(40), RechRdx-I(40), RechRdx-I(42), RechRdx-I(42)
Level 35: Aid Other Heal-I(A)
Level 38: Psychic Shockwave Dmg-I(A), Dmg-I(42), C'ngBlow-Dmg/Rchg(43), Acc-I(43), Acc-I(43), RechRdx-I(45)
Level 41: Snow Storm EndRdx-I(A)
Level 44: Hoarfrost RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(45), RechRdx-I(45), Heal-I(46), Heal-I(46), Heal-I(46)
Level 47: Hibernate RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(48), RechRdx-I(48)
Level 49: Aid Self Heal-I(A), Heal-I(50), IntRdx-I(50), IntRdx-I(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest Empty(A)
Level 1: Defiance
Level 6: Ninja Run

I'm still going to stick with Sonic/Energy as the most survivable, most versatile build, especially for soloing. Siren's Song is in a realm of its own when it comes to staying alive and all of the stuns in Energy stack nicely with Sonic's Screech.

Sleep the group, Stun the one you want to kill first and then do it. Lather, rinse, repeat. I've literally gone entire missions without getting attacked, much less hit. I can throw out a non-IO'd build for one, or for my favored Fire/Ice if you'd prefer.

If safety rather then DPS is your primary concern then */Devices. Very easy to achieve very respectable ranged defense very cheaply. Can stealth missions.

Energy/Ice has terrible synergy. Teammates will hate the knockback and you'll be constantly knocking targets off your own ice patches. Anything/Fire is a debt farm.

Why not Ice/Elec/Elec?

Ice has very good Holds that easily stack with one another while also slowing the enemies. With elec as your secondary, power sink, electric fence and shocking grasp pretty much gurantees that anything in your way will be drained of endurance. And seeing as how Ice would be your primary, hold, drain, destroy, rinse repeat. Your APP varies, but Elec APP gives you yet another ranged hold/endurance drainer, not to mention Surge of Armor.

Hope this helps!

Forgot to add my choice last night.

I'd say go with Fire/Ice for the best all around combo for solo or team play. You'll have massive damage at your disposal with excellent mitigation as well. Out of all my Blasters, this one combo leveled the fastest (and was the most enjoyable)

Might take a level or two to get used to the overwhelming power of the AOE's, so you don't draw unwanted aggro. But in the long run it's worth it.


If your planning on mainly playing solo though, I'd say go with Energy/Energy. Even though it's pretty much strictly ST damage wise, the KB will add loads of protection, when used properly. My Energy blaster went with SS + Stealth and turned into a boss killer. He ghosts most missions, stands in the bosses face for a second then unleashes a barrage of melee and point blank blasts. They melt like butter!