1) Keep some of your aoes, this is an aoe centric game, after all.
2) You can go either s/l or ranged defense but pick one and stick to it.
S/L looks ideal for a melee centric blaster because melee attacks often carry a s/l component. The advantage of s/l is that since a large portion of your defense comes from the epic shield you won't have to invest as many powers/slots into ramping up your defenses, therefore allowing you more room to play with other set bonuses such as recharge. Kinetic combats are pretty expensive though, and you'll probably need a set of 4 or 2 sets to get to the s/l softcap.
In practice, a lot of ranged mezzes/disruption attacks don't have a s/l component. About half your s/l defense comes from your epic shield, and when mezzed its defense suppress. So you risk losing a significant amount of your mitigation if you are tagged with a mez, and you do so in melee range, the last place a blaster wants to be when mezzed. In a team situation where you have access to cm/clarity/thaw/antidote you should do well.
Ranged defense is ideal for ranged blasters (blah!) but it benefits "blappers" as well. For reasons I mentioned above it provides coverage against some ranged mezzes. If you know how to move you can always dictate that all enemies are using ranged attacks against you. Plus you are not as dependent on a single power contributing almost half your defense, meaning that when mezzed you will retain a significant amount of ranged defense because they come from set bonuses, which don't suppress. Because of this heavy investment in IO set bonuses it also can exemp very well if you choose to build for it. Also, since you are not locked down on certain epic pools for defense you can pick a resist shield and add layered resists on top of your defenses.
However, ranged def builds are not as flexible as s/l builds because you'll tailor a lot of set bonuses to ranged defense. And to really get the most of such builds you'll have to move around a lot and kite mobs. Just like S/L builds it does have holes, 5th column grenades will tear through range def builds because those attacks don't have a ranged component.
Below is a rough i19 range def build I put together which has a bit of AoE as well. The empty slots in rest represent stamina slotting-1 generic end mod and 3 performance shifters including the proc for the HP bonus. As you can see almost all my set bonuses went toward range defense, leaving little room for recharge.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.81
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Level 50 Magic Blaster
Primary Power Set: Radiation Blast
Secondary Power Set: Energy Manipulation
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Concealment
Ancillary Pool: Electrical Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: X-Ray Beam -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(3), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(3), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(5), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(5), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(7)
Level 1: Power Thrust -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(7), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(9), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(9), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(17), Mako-Dam%(17)
Level 2: Irradiate -- Erad-Dmg(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(31), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(34), Erad-%Dam(34), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(34), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx(37)
Level 4: Build Up -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 6: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 8: Aim -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 10: Bone Smasher -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(11), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(11), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(13), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(13), Mako-Dam%(15)
Level 12: Boxing -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-EndRdx/Stun(15), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(37), Stpfy-Stun/Rng(40), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(43), Stpfy-KB%(43)
Level 14: Super Jump -- Zephyr-ResKB(A)
Level 16: Conserve Power -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 18: Cosmic Burst -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(19), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(19), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(21), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(21), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(25)
Level 20: Tough -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(31), RctvArm-ResDam(31)
Level 22: Weave -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(23), HO:Enzym(23)
Level 24: Energy Punch -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(25), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(27), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(27), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(29), Mako-Dam%(29)
Level 26: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(46)
Level 28: Power Boost -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 30: Stealth -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 32: Atomic Blast -- Erad-Dmg(A), Erad-Dmg/Rchg(33), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(33), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(33)
Level 35: Neutron Bomb -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(36), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(36), Posi-Dmg/Rng(36), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(37)
Level 38: Total Focus -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(39), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(39), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(39), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(40), Mako-Dam%(40)
Level 41: Static Discharge -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(42), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(42), Posi-Dmg/Rng(42), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(43)
Level 44: Charged Armor -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(45), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(45), RctvArm-ResDam(45)
Level 47: Neutrino Bolt -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(48), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(48), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(48), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(50), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(50)
Level 49: Acrobatics -- EndRdx-I(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A), Empty(46), Empty(46), Empty(50)
Level 1: Defiance
Level 4: Ninja Run
Hello all.
) I'm going for a theme here and I want to pack as much defense on him as I can while attempting to maintain his endurance...if possible.
I'm working on a little PVE project and need some advice.
I'm making a Rad/NRG/Elec blaster...more of a blapper really...if the distinction matters.
My question is what type of defense should a blaster focus on? Typed or Positional? I'm guessing typed. I usally play scrappers so this is kinda new for me. I actually have a few blasters but this is the first time I've really tried to put any functional thought into one.
Here's a very loose version of the build that I'm aiming for without the slots. I'm skipping all of the AOE's in the primary in favor of a balance betwen melee and ranged ST attacks. The order is not necessarily the final order that powers will be chosen in either. Any power selection or slotting advice would be greatly appreciated.
I will probably only spend around 500 - 800 million on this toon and that is a ways off still.
Thanks in advance.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.81
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Rad/NRG/EM 1: Level 48 Magic Blaster
Primary Power Set: Radiation Blast
Secondary Power Set: Energy Manipulation
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Medicine
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Electrical Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Neutrino Bolt -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Power Thrust -- Empty(A)
Level 2: X-Ray Beam -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Energy Punch -- Empty(A)
Level 6: Build Up -- Empty(A)
Level 8: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 10: Aim -- Empty(A)
Level 12: Combat Jumping -- Empty(A)
Level 14: Bone Smasher -- Empty(A)
Level 16: Health -- Empty(A)
Level 18: Conserve Power -- Empty(A)
Level 20: Stamina -- Empty(A)
Level 22: Cosmic Burst -- Empty(A)
Level 24: Stimulant -- Empty(A)
Level 26: Proton Volley -- Empty(A)
Level 28: Super Jump -- Empty(A)
Level 30: Acrobatics -- Empty(A)
Level 32: Aid Self -- Empty(A)
Level 35: Boxing -- Empty(A)
Level 38: Tough -- Empty(A)
Level 41: Weave -- Empty(A)
Level 44: Power Boost -- Empty(A)
Level 47: Static Discharge -- Empty(A)
Level 49: Charged Armor -- Empty(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Defiance
Level 4: Ninja Run