Personal Hold Protection?

I was trying to do a patron mission to unlock patron powers on my defender and I ran into some malta. I have my difficulty set to -1 x1. The malta gunslinger was somehow a +1 lieutenant. He landed a hold on me and I died. I went in again, this time with a break free. It expired before I could attack the lieutenant because I was dealing with the minion in his group. Again, he held me and I died without a chance to heal or fight back. After three deaths, I had enough and requested help in /b.

Where is a defender supposed to get hold protection? The game is getting frustrating in the 40s instead of having the fun debuffer/buffer/attacks I could do in the early game.

Three choices:

1) Be a FF or Sonic Defender with their big bubble.

2) Acrobatics

3) Buffs via various non-self ways. Break free, CM, Clarity, FF/Sonic big bubble, etc.

In these types of situations, I'd looks a several options.

Slot Procs in your Tier 1 & 2 attacks.

Nectar comes in handy in these situations.

Looks for Day Job temp powers that will allow you to stun/sleep/confuse/blind.

Beguile allows you to Placate your target.
Security Chief is an Targeted AoE Hold.
Scientist gives you and Targeted AoE Sleep.

There are numerous temp powers you receive in missions as well.

And my personal favourite, Psychic Mastery's Dominate and Mass Hypnosis.

I'm kinetics / archery and only level 40.

My defender is basically dead against Malta when soloing (a single LT is enough to hold and kill me) unless I have a break free. Acrobatics is a mag -2 hold protection. I'm not sure if that is enough for the holds the gunslinger and titans use, but I hadn't planned on obtaining it for my build due to the prerequisites, the low magnitude of protection (KB protection is easy to slot), and kinetics already having a super jump power.

I just won't fight Malta solo until they do something about the number of mezzes they have. A 40+ second stun from operatives, holds from gunslingers and titans, and endurance sapping is a bit too much for most non-melee types.

Stunning Arrow is your friend, use it on the Sapper. Siphon Speed the Gunslinger.

And I'm not sure if you've settled on an APP yet, but Mass Hypnosis is great for setting up mobs for RoA.

Putting a Devastation: Chance for Hold in Snap Shot or Aimed Shot gives you a pretty good chance of holding a foe because they recharge so quickly, you can pretty much spam the attacks.

Snipe the minion is also an option too...

I agree with Red,

Stunning Shot is gonna be your best friend. I am currently leveling an Archery-Dark corruptor and am planning on taking Dark Mastery for Oppressive Gloom so that I can double stack stuns.

For what its worth, I think Malta are probably the worst group of enemies to face solo, so dont feel bad about getting beat by them. They can beat up ATs that have built-in status protection too.

Also, if you have access to an SG, the Empowerment Station will be useful as well. Using Invention Salvage you can craft a variety of 60 minute self buffs.

Its been very well covered. Mez them first, use and make sure you have breakfrees, purples, oranges handy. If you don't turn around and go get some. RoA from around the corner whenever possible, doubly so if you don't have a breakfree handy. Use your camera to peek around the corner or over whatever cover you are behind, not your character. Pull them to the vators or door if possible ... you can always click on the door to get away even when held. When you use that breakfree don't let your first thought be continuing to fight unless your next shot WILL drop something ... use it to break contact and start fresh, regroup.

And yes Malta are bad bad news for a squishy and mez is huge component to survival (both for and against) in the last 10 levels. I know for me it's one reason Cimerorans are so nice for a change. Yes they can cleave me into 5 parts in a heart beat, but its a clean fast death , not the frustrating perma mez helplessness of so many late game mobs.

1) Welcome to the 40's. They're a lot tougher than the 1-39 game. Well, they put in easy modes like Council newspaper missions, but fundamentally you've got yer ugly enemies there. Malta and Carnies have done a lot of ugly to everyone I know.

2) You're playing a the most offense-heavy defender, solo. Sometimes you're going to die a lot. Compared to, say, Rad or Dark(mostly floored enemy defense, lowered enemy damage, heal, enemy slow, enemy stun, possible fear) you have virtually no tools in your primary to keep yourself alive. This is what you gave up for the ability to put your whole team to the damage cap with huge recharge and end buffs. Did you think that came for free?

Other people have covered the tactics pretty well. I'm going to say "play like a Blaster". Assume that if anyone shoots you you are very likely to get Sudden Blaster Death Syndrome, and plan your fights accordingly.

The easies way is..... get some help!
Find (or make) a friend to help you out on that mission.

If not, tray-up on some breakfrees... get a shiva (and any other temp pet you can think of).
And on your breakfrees, spent the cash and get the longer duration ones. Then focus on the malta gunslinger, get him out first. Here is another trick you can use (likely you know about it already it but it never hurts to be sure), email yourself some more breakfrees just in case.


Or just auto complete the misson.

You're a kin, huh?

Pick up Repel and knock the baddies into the corner, make sure they can't move/attack.

That's about the best inherant defense you're going to get from Kin/. Otherwise, you're relying on insps =(

I don't get why the gunslinger is set tougher than the difficulty!
Is it because he is a lame AT? Turn him down already sheesh.