I had it briefly on my merc/traps. I never fought any EBs while I had the power, so I don't know if it 'works' or not, giving the mitigation that you want, and like most people I found that the recharge was just too long for what the power did. On a build dedicated to taking out single hard targets like EBs and AVs, I can see the power having a place, though.
What is your secondary set? I would vary my response based on that. I would emphasize resistance over anything else, since no matter how good your recharge is you won't get it up twice in one fight, and you really want your commando to be indestructable while he's under the effects of the Serum.
Take all this with a grain of salt, I did level my MM to 50, but that's not exactly a heroic accomplishment these days, and I haven't played in quite a while.
In this game, I can probably count on one hand, primary or secondary powers that are total turds. Serum is one of them. Any pool power, and I mean any, would serve you better.
Serum is not what's going to win you fights against EBs. Your secondary is going to save the day there. You didn't mention yours in the OP, what is it?
Global = Hedgefund (or some derivation thereof)
Unfortunately force field. The defense does help, I can tell the difference when the bubbles go down, but it provides virtually no mitigation against anything that ignores knockback.
I finally slotted the two uniques for +Resist and +Defense. So far it has made a lot of difference. Now I just need to make them hit a little harder and I guess I was hoping Serum would do that in addition to making him nigh invulerable. Oh well. To the backup plan.
Edit: I wish to heck they would change that power. Make it last longer, or recharge faster, or give a better damage buff or SOMETHING. 
what about slotting an achilles heel: chance for -RES in your soldiers and spec ops?
Grab an envenomed dagger for -Regen too, it helps. I wish they could just cut the crash out of it and lessen the recharge time in Serum, at least.
I have a mercs/ta. I find that Serum is useful on the Commando, when you have an EB to take down. If only the recharge wasn't so horrible, the duration was longer, and they would remove the end crash.
Also try this upgrade order:
Special Ops >Tactical Upgrade > Soldiers > Commando >Equip Mercenary
This actually seems to improve the damage output. It gives the Special Ops their damage mitigation/control powers. While the Soldiers and Commando get a shorter attack chain, so they spam burst attacks.
That, serum, and the procs you have should help. I wasn't a believer in the upgrade order, until I actually tried it...and it really seemed to help. Let us know if it helped you out too..
Bon Chance!!!
My level 50 Dominators:
Madame Mindbender 50 Mind/Energy
Fly Agaric 50 Plant/Thorn
Nate Nitro 50 Fire/Psi
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That proc would only apply to my attacks right? I don't think it would apply to the pets. I'm not sure how that would work... but then I don't understand a lot about inventions and procs.|
Originally Posted by beyeajus
what about slotting an achilles heel: chance for -RES in your soldiers and spec ops?
Grab an envenomed dagger for -Regen too, it helps. I wish they could just cut the crash out of it and lessen the recharge time in Serum, at least. |
I don't have an envenomed dagger yet (it's been a while since I played him and just haven't gotten one yet). My experience with other characters is that it helps IF it hits which, as a temp power, isn't very consistent. But yeah, something I need to put on a short list of things to get for him. He's a bit of a temp power junkee anyway. I finally killed the Executioner when I turned on the Ace of Spades power (the Shivan wasn't getting the job done). Biff on the other hand went down quick against the shivan alone.
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Originally Posted by RiverOcean
I have a mercs/ta. I find that Serum is useful on the Commando, when you have an EB to take down. If only the recharge wasn't so horrible, the duration was longer, and they would remove the end crash.
Also try this upgrade order: Special Ops >Tactical Upgrade > Soldiers > Commando >Equip Mercenary This actually seems to improve the damage output. It gives the Special Ops their damage mitigation/control powers. While the Soldiers and Commando get a shorter attack chain, so they spam burst attacks. That, serum, and the procs you have should help. I wasn't a believer in the upgrade order, until I actually tried it...and it really seemed to help. Let us know if it helped you out too.. Bon Chance!!! |
The recharge isn't a huge deal for me. How often does a really tough boss/EB come up that they don't just mow over without external help? And the Commando rides around most of the time without endurance anyway so even the crash doesn't turn me off. Heck when he's pumped up on Serum is the only time he has a full blue bar anyway. It is the 1 minute duration that erks me. When you really need a little oomph it's against an enemy that's going to take a lot longer than 1 minute to kill. So really it's a combination of all three that killed the power for me before.
Let me get this buff order straight... summon the special ops and give him the tactical upgrade, THEN summon the soldiers and commando and do the equip mercenary to all three? So the commando doesn't get his top tier attacks like the LRM and the medic doesn't get the stimulant?
Wow, that sounds counter-intuitive. But I will give it a try in a couple of radio missions or something and see how it works.
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The proc applies to the attacks that the pet has that can use it, not your attacks in the case of pets.
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Originally Posted by Golden_Avariel
That proc would only apply to my attacks right? I don't think it would apply to the pets. I'm not sure how that would work... but then I don't understand a lot about inventions and procs.
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Ah cool. In that case I'll look into that right away. I could fit it in on the soldiers.
Thanks.
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I highly recommend it in your first tier of pets. Each attack they do has a chance to apply the debuff. I can't remember if this is true or not but I believe because they are three separate entities that the effect can stack, if you're lucky enough.
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Originally Posted by Golden_Avariel
Ah cool. In that case I'll look into that right away. I could fit it in on the soldiers.
Thanks. |
My guides:Dark Melee/Dark Armor/Soul Mastery, Illusion Control/Kinetics/Primal Forces Mastery, Electric Armor
"Dark Armor is a complete waste as a tanking set."
Exactly what I was thinking. Glad I put the other two procs in the spec ops and commando.
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If I remember correctly, arachnoids have very very high lethal resistance and high regen. Your Merc is at a very disadvantage fighting that EB. What is your secondary? |
Originally Posted by Golden_Avariel
I'm giving this power another shot to prove itself to me. I'm level 44 and having a rough time with some elite bosses (most recently Biff the arachnoid and the Executioner in the Easy Job Rogue morality mission). I'm hoping it will improve survivability and damage enough for that 1 minute to turn the tide and not have to use so many Shivans.
Does anyone have a recommendation for slotting it that isn't just using it as a mule? I'm thinking three Recharges, a couple of Resists, and a to-hit or some frankenslot version of that... maybe an Aegis set... not sure. Also, I assume the Commando is the best person to throw it on given the +endurance buff alone since he seems to burn through his blue bar pretty fast during a battle? Maybe a better question is - does anyone actually use this power and like the results? I really want to try and make it work this time around. If not I'll respec out of it again when issue 19 goes live and never look back. |
I would not use Serum because of the endurance crash. That EB fight will take a long time and what happens if your Commando has no End? You'll need to throw him blues. In that case, you might as well just throw him purples instead. Skip Serum and take Aid Other or Maneuver for team defense.
The problem with Serum is that your pet may not be able to hold the aggro during god-mode.
What's left is to normalize all Assassin Strikes and improve Stalker's old sets (Claw, MA and EM)! You don't need to bring back the missing PbAoE attack. You just need to make the existing ones better! For example, make Slice a WIDER and LONGER cone.
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Commando is better off with Sov 10% resist, Call 5% def and Soulbound: Chance for buildup since most of his attacks wont trigger Achilles. |
Originally Posted by Golden_Avariel
Exactly what I was thinking. Glad I put the other two procs in the spec ops and commando.
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I have all 3 above plus 3 more Soulbounds and he kicks butt, I have seen his slug hit for 220.
I don't, in general, have any trouble with arachnoids so I didn't realize they had high resistance to lethal attacks. Good point. Probably the same with the Executioner I imagine... and Silver Mantis *shudders*... and Malta Zeuses... and all the others that have sent me to the hospital so many times in the last few levels.
I already have Aid Other and Force Field is my secondary. I'll be getting Assault very quickly and that should help too.
I definitely agree Serum needs some love.
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The 10% resist is in the commando. The 5% def is in the special ops.|
Originally Posted by Brakner
Commando is better off with Sov 10% resist, Call 5% def and Soulbound: Chance for buildup since most of his attacks wont trigger Achilles.
I have all 3 above plus 3 more Soulbounds and he kicks butt, I have seen his slug hit for 220. |
I'm only level 44 now so a set of purples are a bit down the road for me if it ever happens. Right now all my pets have 2xAcc, 2xDam (one a Brilliant Leadership), and a Brilliant Leadership Acc/Dam with the final slot used for special purposes. I have a heal in the soldiers right now but I'll definitely be replacing that with the -Resist chance proc. I'll miss the medic's buffed heal which is actually decent now, but I'll like the -resist better.
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Yup.. high lethal resistance, malta robots have up to 40% or higher? Executioner definitely has pretty high lethal and Silver Mantis too.
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Originally Posted by Golden_Avariel
I don't, in general, have any trouble with arachnoids so I didn't realize they had high resistance to lethal attacks. Good point. Probably the same with the Executioner I imagine... and Silver Mantis *shudders*... and Malta Zeuses... and all the others that have sent me to the hospital so many times in the last few levels.
I already have Aid Other and Force Field is my secondary. I'll be getting Assault very quickly and that should help too. I definitely agree Serum needs some love. |
What's left is to normalize all Assassin Strikes and improve Stalker's old sets (Claw, MA and EM)! You don't need to bring back the missing PbAoE attack. You just need to make the existing ones better! For example, make Slice a WIDER and LONGER cone.
When I fought the Executioner I had the resist and defense procs in place. It was a stalemate. He couldn't hurt us so fast I couldn't liesurely heal it up and we couldn't hurt him either. Even after I let the Shivan loose it wasn't much better. Eventually I bit the bullet and turned on the Ace of Spades temp power. Within a minute he was half down and then suddenly he was dead and the hero had shown back up to take me in. It was quite a fight. The hero was a piece of cake compared to the Executioner.
Biff went down pretty fast after the Shivan came out but before that it was a stalemate. I even called in my men so he could escape but he'd get close to the mission exit then run back to beat on us some more.
Silver Mantis however... I never did take her down. The mission just suddenly ended when I came back from the hospital for the 3rd time with the message that Mantis had defeated Aeon who was her hostage... sort of strange but I was thankful it was over.
I ran a couple of tip missions last night using the alternate buffing order. I did notice a lot more burst attacks coming from everyone but otherwise didn't see a change in effectiveness... not that I had to fight anyone terribly difficult. I'll keep it up for now.
Also put a couple of bids in on the Achilles. I'm anxious to give that a try.
I'd like to thank everyone again for the comments and help.
I'm giving this power another shot to prove itself to me. I'm level 44 and having a rough time with some elite bosses (most recently Biff the arachnoid and the Executioner in the Easy Job Rogue morality mission). I'm hoping it will improve survivability and damage enough for that 1 minute to turn the tide and not have to use so many Shivans.
Does anyone have a recommendation for slotting it that isn't just using it as a mule? I'm thinking three Recharges, a couple of Resists, and a to-hit or some frankenslot version of that... maybe an Aegis set... not sure.
Also, I assume the Commando is the best person to throw it on given the +endurance buff alone since he seems to burn through his blue bar pretty fast during a battle?
Maybe a better question is - does anyone actually use this power and like the results?
I really want to try and make it work this time around. If not I'll respec out of it again when issue 19 goes live and never look back.