EPP on a Bots/Traps

What EPP do people recommend for a Bots/Traps MM?

My current thinking is:

Charge Mastery
Pros: I love Thunderstrike.
Cons: Other than Thunderstrike it seems kinda meh, no shield.

Field Mastery
Pros: Decent Shield, Energy Torrent useful as a "git outta mah face" power.
Cons: A bit dull

Mace Mastery
Pros: Web Envelope is pretty useful, does have a shield
Cons: Bots/Traps already has decent defense so a resistance shield would probably be more useful (layered defenses FTW!). Having to switch to Villain side, do the patron arc and switch back would be annoying. Some extra redraw.

Mu Mastery
Pros: Thunderstrike! Slightly better shield than Force Mastery (trades a small amount of S/L resistance for a decent chunk of Energy resistance).
Cons: Having to switch to Villain side, do the patron arc and switch back would be annoying. Ugly red color.

The others don't really work for me thematically. At the moment I'm leaning towards Field Mastery because I would like a resistance shield and while Thunderstrike is cool the red electricity clashes with my power armor. What do other people recommend?

For Bot and Trap MMs, an AoE immoblize is godly for keeping everything inside your aoes, burning patches and trap powers. Slow patches like caltrops do help, but the enemies will sooner or later run out, especially if they are higher level then you.

For shields, Scorp if you are not in a softcapped build, resistance if you are.

IN sort, Mace mastery if you want the defense, Mu mastery if you want the res shield.

My Bots traps has two powers from the MU PPP Electrifying Fences and Charged Armor. Electrifying Fences is the only AoE immobilize that stops knockback, which we all know bots love to do! I hate it when the baby bots knock my mobs out of the burn patch.

5 Posi Blast and 1 range IO gives EF a 56 range and a 9 second recharge ( with Hasten ). Its also a good source of damage that you can fit in while you're trapping.

*sigh* I guess I'll suck it up and get Mu Mastery then. On the plus side I do love the Thunderstrike animation so that's some consolation. Thanks for the advice.

Funny I wandered in on this. I was actually looking at Charge Mastery and EMP pulse. It does -regen and might be useful on a Bots/FF. But I could see why a Bots/Traps wouldn't bother with it.

The AOE Immobilize is far more useful for a trapper. You want to keep things solidly in your debuff patches.

I'd say go with Mace for the Web Envelope, not to mention for power boost, it will enhance pretty much all the effects of your traps including FFG. Good times.

I still prefer Mace Mastery on Bots/Traps simply because it pushes my Smashing, Lethal and Energy Defense well over the soft-cap. I really like being able to basically ignore Sappers and most melee guys.

Lewis


Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.803
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

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Personally, I refuse to take the epic powers on my masterminds -- it's highly offensive we're the only ones who don't get an epic pet. >:-(

There is no point to the APPs whatsoever. Unless you really want 2 tier 1 blasts.

Right now, this is my planned build, using the Field Mastery APP.

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.81
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Illera soft-cap: Level 50 Technology Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Robotics
Secondary Power Set: Traps
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Field Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Battle Drones -- SvgnRt-Acc/Dmg(A), SvgnRt-Dmg/EndRdx(3), SvgnRt-Acc/EndRdx(3), SvgnRt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(5), SvgnRt-Acc(5), SvgnRt-PetResDam(7)
Level 1: Web Grenade -- Enf'dOp-Acc/Rchg(A), Enf'dOp-EndRdx/Immob(7), Enf'dOp-Acc/EndRdx(9), Enf'dOp-Immob/Rng(9), Enf'dOp-Acc/Immob/Rchg(11), Enf'dOp-Acc/Immob(46)
Level 2: Caltrops -- TmpRdns-EndRdx/Rchg/Slow(A), P'ngTtl-EndRdx/Rchg/Slow(11), ImpSwft-Dam%(19), Posi-Dam%(21), Ragnrk-Knock%(21)
Level 4: Triage Beacon -- Dct'dW-Rchg(A), Dct'dW-EndRdx/Rchg(34), Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg(34), Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(34), Dct'dW-Heal(37)
Level 6: Equip Robot -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 8: Hover -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 10: Acid Mortar -- Achilles-ResDeb%(A), AnWeak-DefDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(37), AnWeak-Acc/Rchg/EndRdx(39), LdyGrey-DefDeb/Rchg/EndRdx(39), LdyGrey-DefDeb/Rchg(39), UndDef-DefDeb/Rchg/EndRdx(40)
Level 12: Protector Bots -- DefBuff-I(A), DefBuff-I(13), BldM'dt-Dmg(13), BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg(15), BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(15), EdctM'r-PetDef(19)
Level 14: Fly -- Winter-ResSlow(A)
Level 16: Force Field Generator -- DefBuff-I(A), DefBuff-I(17), LkGmblr-Rchg+(17)
Level 18: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 20: Health -- Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(A)
Level 22: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), P'Shift-EndMod(23), P'Shift-End%(23)
Level 24: Poison Trap -- Lock-Acc/Hold(A), Lock-Acc/Rchg(25), Lock-Rchg/Hold(25), Lock-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(27), Lock-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(27), Lock-%Hold(29)
Level 26: Assault Bot -- BldM'dt-Dmg(A), BldM'dt-Acc(29), BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg(31), BldM'dt-Dmg/EndRdx(33), BldM'dt-Acc/EndRdx(33), BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(33)
Level 28: Seeker Drones -- SipInsght-ToHitDeb(A), SipInsght-Acc/ToHitDeb(40), SipInsght-Acc/Rchg(40), SipInsght-ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(42), SipInsght-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(43), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(43)
Level 30: Maneuvers -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(31), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(31)
Level 32: Upgrade Robot -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 35: Trip Mine -- Oblit-Dmg(A), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(36), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(36), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(36), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(37), Oblit-%Dam(46)
Level 38: Repair -- Efficacy-EndMod(A), Efficacy-EndMod/Rchg(43), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(45), Efficacy-Acc/Rchg(45), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc(45), Efficacy-EndMod/EndRdx(46)
Level 41: Temp Invulnerability -- ResDam-I(A), TtmC'tng-ResDam(42), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(42), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(50)
Level 44: Boxing -- Empty(A)
Level 47: Tough -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(48), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(48), RctvArm-ResDam(48)
Level 49: Weave -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(50), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Supremacy
Level 4: Ninja Run



Mostly considering this because I would have more than enough personal defense to take on just about anything, with a good amount of smashing/lethal resistance to handle anything that throws that (Cimerora should be fun.) I suppose I could use a different one (and take Taunt come i19, or whatever the pool power is) for slightly more varied resistance types, but I liked the idea.

Edit: Looking at the numbers, I would only lose about 4% resistance S/L switching to Charged Armor with the same slotting and gain an additional 43.7% energy resistance...Worth the switch, I think.

Edit2: And while a single-slot Electric Shackles probably wouldn't amount to much, it would still have it's uses once i19 comes out and I gain those three powers...Hmm.

Edit3: Fences, not Shackles.

Edit4: Ignore my Caltrops slotting. I was just having fun with it.

Mace Mastery hands down. Never Ever say that 'oh I already have some defense, I don't need anymore' More Defense is more Defense. The Shield is absolutely perfect and the AoE Immob seems to be made specifically for Robots.

Go Mace Mastery and never look back. Don't get Tough and Weave, those have lower priority than your epic shield.

How is Mace's AoE immob 'made' for bots when it doesn't have -kb like Electric Chains?

With my build right now, everything except for Psionic is at least in the upper 30s before adding in the Bubble from my bot, so more defenses start to get rather unnecessary when I can add resistances to lessen the hits that go through my defenses. Without resistances, every hit that goes through hits 'me' (Bg mode notwithstanding) for the full hit.

Edit1: Gorram it, Fences, not chains.

I can't even imagine not having the Mu pool, for the AoE -kb immobilization alone. The armor is nice too I guess, but whatever, nothing lives through the lightshow for very long anyway.