Somewhat new to MM....

Heyo! Still in the under lvl 20 stage of trying out a mastermind (robotics/dark) and was wondering if there were any specific tips I should look out for?
I already figured out some basic keybinds for the bots (numpad keybinds)....but any suggestions/tips would be great!

(especially since I mostly play scrappers, and blasters..... )

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I would suggest this thread: http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=179053
It's all you need to know about playing a Mastermind

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Thanks!

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In general, Masterminds go through a funk from around level 18 to level 26. The pets aren't too powerful, you don't have your last pet buf, and until the top tier pet at 26 things can be a little lack luster.

The solution is to team so you can get through those levels quickly.

Other stuff: Dark is awesome, you'll pretty much want to take all your secondary powers. In your primary you might want to consider taking one or two attacks. This can help with damage before you get all 6 pets.

Inherent Stamina is coming up. Get ready to respec to take advantage of it. With a secondary like /Dark you want all the extra powers you can get.

That's about all I can think of. Ask if you have any questions.

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For robots the critical level is level 24. Your mastermind gets the second tier two protector bot. Your minions will have double bubbles, and an extra robot healer. When you get to level 20, don't even think about it, you NEED fearsome stare like your mastermind needs oxygen. The to-hit debuff is critical.

I recommend that robots play the range game, your first tier guys can shoot most targets before they can shoot them. Stack up some knockback, and you can literally roll your foes to walls. By the way, I DON'T recommend that on boss spawns.

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Triumphant Defenders Forever
Psylenz FF/Psi, ArticQuark Storm/Rad, Symon BarSisyphus Bots/psn, Max VanSydow Thugs/Dk, Cyclone Symon Bots/stm, Blue Loki Ice/Cd, Widow 46526
HelinCarnate:OMG it is so terrible. I have the option to take 3 more powers but no additional slots. Boo F'ing hoo.

Bots deal quite a bit of knockback, this can cause enemies to get bounced out of your Tar Patch. At low levels your main counter to this will be positioning your Tar Patch and bots so that enemeis get bonuced into walls when possible. Another otion is to take Challenge or Provoke to make it easier to lead enemeis back into the patch. At higher levels you might consdier taking Mu Mastery since Electrifying Fences makes affected enemies immune to knockback.

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I certainly agree, it's an effective robot combo, knock them into a wall, drop the tarpatch, and when you add Assault Bot he lays the fire on them as they struggle in the patch.

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Triumphant Defenders Forever
Psylenz FF/Psi, ArticQuark Storm/Rad, Symon BarSisyphus Bots/psn, Max VanSydow Thugs/Dk, Cyclone Symon Bots/stm, Blue Loki Ice/Cd, Widow 46526
HelinCarnate:OMG it is so terrible. I have the option to take 3 more powers but no additional slots. Boo F'ing hoo.

I think for a Bots/Dark the only really skippable powers are Black Hole and Petrifying Gaze from /Dark and as usual Pulse Rifle Blast/Burst from Bots.

Even Dark Pit which is normally skipped by /Dark's would be a good choice for you because it stacks well with Photon Grenade and the Seeker Drones from your Protector Bots.

Repair is usually down to personal preference, some prefer Aid Other because it is available more often (With Twilight Grasp that isn't an issue for you), but I like the ability to pull my Assault Bot back from the brink of death with 1 click - I never waste it on the other pets.

My general tactic would be to open with Fearsome Stare, have my Assault Bot put on 'attack my target' while the rest of the bots stay in bodyguard mode, then launch Tar Patch, Photon Grenade and Dark Pit. If the spawn looks like surviving past that put down Darkest Night and let some of your other bots out of bodyguard mode.

I would look at the Leadership pool, possibly the Presence pool if you want to tankermind, and definately Electifying Fences from the Mu Mastery pool because they are your only way of negating all your kb and keeping things on your Tar Patch. Charged Armor is also a good choice from that pool because it adds some nice solid resists to your already survivable toon (And because Static Discharge is weak - and you have to pick at least one to open up Electrifying Fences).

Also this post is now really making me want to roll a Bots/Dark!

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- The laws of science were, first, God's laws. We didn't make them, we just gave them a name...likely not the name their creator gave them.
- No, no. Humans made them. The same way we made gravity, the atomic bomb, Cheetos, babies, and water.

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Thanks for all the help guys! I'm up to level twelve right now (I think...fell asleep while playing) and having fun. I'm also messing around with a robotics/force field on the test server that's really fun

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Bots/FF was my first villain to 50 and once you have your shields and your Protector Bots you basically never die again, so it is an awesome combo. But unlike /Dark you have nothing to increase your own kill speed, and overall potential for /FF is more limited.

My Bots/FF ended up as a Bots/Traps.

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Bots/FF was also my first 50 and I still love and play it. It's great on any kind of task force -- you bring great buffs and good damage to a team. Plus the bots work as a kind of aggro spill magnet. Any extra aggro floating around they tend to pick up, which helps keep squishies safe.

With Incarnates, I believe I'll be able to get an entire team past the softcap. That's a huge boost to any team. I doesn't make pretty numbers like other sets do but the effects are very noticeable.

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I agree with Gameboy1234, and on my Bots/FF I went the tankermind route and was able to cap myself to AoE and Ranged, then picked up Hover to keep me out of melee range and could solo AV's (Slowly lol but it does show you that bots don't lack for damage) by using Challenge/Provoke to keep the aggro off my pets.

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