It feels like AR really needs a real boost. Is it just me?

So I have a new AR/Devices blaster (lvl14) and I am totally disappointed. Damage feels sub-par, redraw is a pain, I'm not real fond of the Targeting Drone noise (personal problem I know) and I can see the lack of Aim and Build Up to real limiting factor. With out Aim and Build Up some mutant freak that can shoot fire out of his @$$ is a better sniper than a guy with an actual sniper rifle? Am I the only person that has a problem with this?

I guess my real question is, does it get better or will I be happier if I re-roll?

Level 1: Burst
Level 1: Web Grenade
Level 2: Slug
Level 4: Buckshot
Level 6: Caltrops
Level 8: Combat Jumping
Level 10: Targeting Drone
Level 12: Sniper Rifle
Level 14: Super Jump

Thanks,

While AR has one of my all time favorite powers, Full Auto, I agree with you: It could use a bit of a boost damage-wise. This makes it all the more frustrating considering how far and wide you can spread the damage later on (seriously Full Auto is amazing).

I recommend Energy for your secondary. It gives damage, range, and special boosts (which will mostly just effect your knockbacks). Unfortunately, because of AR's ranged nature, that's about all you'll want to take.

Granted, I haven't made an AR/Dev, so I couldn't tell you how well they mesh together. I'm just going off my experiences with my AR/Elec and Psi/Dev and imagining how they would play together.

If it makes any difference... I still think AR is fun, regardless of the downsides. It can just get a little frustrating as all... and you'll probably have to team more than usual.

The nerf to ignite was overkill given that, as it has been mentioned, it requires a hold/immobilize power to maximize its damage potential, and it is a DoT. Furthermore, ignite takes the place of AIM I believe, so it should be potent.

Right now in its nerfed state, I wouldn't bother taking it without an immobilize/hold power.

AR is really powerful when you can toss out Grenade Launcher and/or FT + Buckshot + FA. Most people assume that single target is the way to go, but once you reach level 40 you will quickly figure out that being able to AoE is far more valuable given targets don't drop as quickly using single target attacks.

AR is quite good for AOE (and one of its AOEs, Buckshot, complements your ST damage nicely). M80 + Full Auto is up on mine pretty much every other mob (and I don't IO for recharge too much with my Blasters), and that will drop most minions, allowing me to Buckshot, Burst, and Slug any remaining harder targets.

My secondary is EM, which does help out with the ST damage. He can chain stun a boss and pound them down, pretty much. But AR isn't that bad for ST damage, either. I've dropped EBs with this guy relying on the AR powers only (because I didn't want to close to melee range with them). With a bit of slotting and recharge, Burst, Slug, and Buckshot can work for an ST attack chain that isn't very slow.

If you stick it out with Devices, realize that you can be safer if you toss out cal trops, etc., before a fight. You don't have build up, but you can prepare well before a fight to get it done. Redraw shouldn't be much of an issue, either, as most of Devices's powers should be tossed out before you start shooting. Also... Targeting Drone's noise should be fading out for you after it is activated: mine fades away after a few seconds. So the activation might be annoying, but if you leave it on, you won't hear it much.

My first 50's an Assault Rifle/Devices Blaster, but I haven't played that character in a long time. Assault Rifle has a great deal of area effect fire power as Pilgrim mentioned, that's what you're waiting for. Flamethrower and Full Auto are both enough for me in most cases. While lacking the power of Aim, Assault Rifle can still inflict decent damage. I think your problem may be with /Devices instead because, while it has pretty utility tools, it lacks the power other secondaries provide. Other sets have strong melee attacks and a potent burst damage boost while this set has mere tricks in small area denial, stealth, situational and slow to use albeit lethal traps and an extremely costly and woefully underpowered floating gun drone compared to heavy-hitting moves afforded at level 38 to other sets. In PvE, most tricks in /Devices do not provide practical benefit in actual combat situations compared to raw, melee damage and buffed burst damage.

I might also stress that your lack of single target attacks restricts you from performing well in that area. However, you can save yourself from the attack of a boss by applying both Taser and Beanbag to stack enough stun magnitude to lock them down. Gun them down at your leisure and reapply your stuns as necessary.

Panzerwaffen also has a point. Your single target damage could be made up for with the hard-hitting melee options in other secondaries. Haven't tried this, though, since I've been playing mostly Masterminds lately.

Having ST damage from a secondary does help. I fell back on EM's attacks a lot for my AR/EM: especially as I was working through all the Rikti arcs (the character's backstory had him being a part of Vanguard). Didn't need those as much when I was fighting Carnies, hehe. Got to love how they're weak to lethal attacks.

The set has too much Area Effect, no boost damage,and a real lack of single target damage. So no its not you. The set could use some help.

The sad thing, its still one of the top 3 blast sets you can take.

Could and should it be improved ? Yes. The problem is that the blaster as a class needs improvement, and that's just not likely to happen in a reasonable time frame.


Re rolling is hardly needed. Unless you have a particular goal that you are trying for on the toon, or you just want to put your effort into the very best there is no need. You have some very nice things you can do with this combo.

Just for example

Smoke Grenade spawn, Trip Mine at your feet, Caltrops on top of trip mine, drop a gun drone, then Full auto flame, flame thrower and watch things die. Anything that is left you can stun with bean bag or taser.

If you have to have the best combo ? well I can't think of anything this one would rank best at, and if you do have to you might want to decide what your metric is for best and then do some research. This is hardly the worst combo in the game and it is certainly playable.

I love my AR/Dev blaster... so much so I made him my badger. But like others have said it is not the best blaster combo if you're looking to steam roll through content solo at lvl 14. It's a slower paced set that becomes more survivable with prep work if you are going to solo.

With that said, my AR/Dev has a "few" IO sets on him and while he is slower paced while solo'ing compared to other blasters he is very survivable. While I team with him on TF's mostly, his AoE is devastating as I get Full Auto up on every mob sometimes twice if there are a few bosses and how many other blasters are on the team other high dps AoE's.

Lvl 14 is tough to call it quits on a toon though; I find most toons slow before 20. I think this holds especially true for AR/Dev as you don't really have any of your AoE's or the END to fire them off in rapid succession. However there are plenty of threads on the forums complaining about AR/Dev synergy, dps at higher lvl's, lack of single target dmg, etc. so to say its a great set and your missing the point would be far fetched at best. Some people simply don't like some sets. Play what you like, it is just a game after all.

I used to think the same.
Then I did the decent thing and gave my AR/Ice Blaster a proper build.
Now he's an unstoppable engine of Dakka. Dakkadakkadakka.

Devices, now...Devices could use some real help. Targetting Drone? Costs too much for what it does. Lack Aim or BU in the combo with AR. Gun Drone, and Time Bomb. Two powers that are like radioactive marmite. It's Devices that is to fault in that combo. Even then, it can be effective...although probably not as effective as other combos. It all comes down to play style.

AR is basically rapid fire AoE lead based death. Flamethrower and Ignite are best saved for teams with immob/mez however.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zwillinger GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Photon NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

Only buff I'd give AR is turning it into an ST attack, firing a napalm slug or something and dropping a burn patch where they stand. Split the damage so that 2/3rds is rapid Fire DoT against the target and 1/3rd is in the burn patch (which works like it does now, fear and all.

Buffs for Devices.. I'll repeat what Alpha raised and say end reduction for Targetting Drone plus changes for Gun Drone and Time Bomb. Make Gun Drone's attack like Arachnos Soldier's Heavy Burst and either increase the duration + recharge (so it's perma with three slots and still needs external +rech for multiple drones) or lower the endurance cost + animation (quicker to get into the fight). For Time Bomb, make it a longer recharge, increase it's endurance, lower it's damage.. ANYTHING! Just make it as fast as Trip Mine and shorten the fuse.. Maybe make it so you can attach it to an enemy rather than the floor too, that'd be fun.

AR is a great team based AOE dealer of defeats and destruction.

It just doesn't pair that well with devices. (though I also have an AR/Dev at 50, who most recently soloed Crimson's arc using Bean Bag a whole lot for the ranged stun on key critters)

Didn't AR recently get a buff a lil while back ??

awww man I was gonna add ignite back into my build come issue 19.... oh well...

It's Device which is weak when pairing with AR. I always said Traps is what Device should be. Sadly they really did attempt to do some thing with Device, but ultimately they dropped several of the changes due to imbalance issues. I think though today they should take a re look at some of those ideas as the game has really moved along way beyond what imbalance issues they felt Device changes were going to make back then.

The one thing that maybe Device could help do is allow blasters a bit more defense. Blasters have an issue getting towards defense cap at times. Maybe this could be the set that can allow players to build up towards 1 type of defense cap ? Maybe increase Cloaking Device to give better numbers as compared to SOA Cloaking Device ? Regardless it needs some Umph to get it up to par. It was great in the old days of SOs being king, but today it just isn't cutting it as it should be.

I also have a AR Traps defender that is super great at 50, Running 8/1 missions without any problems. I have power sink ( I think its that power ) that I can use to replenish my endurance when low, which makes it even that much greater.

Yeah AR is fine, its the second tier of blaster primaries, top tier is Archery, Fire, ice then second tier AR, Rad, Psy and Sonic, then you get into third tier, Dp, Elec, EB.

Fire and Archery so outdamage any other set its not even funny, Fireball is the highest damage per activation in the game, and both are very aoe heavy and level 50 is all about the aoe now.

Let me put it this way, ever go into best buy and see the signs good, better, best.... well here it is

Good DP
Better AR
Best Arch

They all fill about the same function, but arch outdoes the other two.

Dev however is a pile of crud that has never been buffed, and nerfed over and over and over...