Sonic/Energy Suggestions

With the release of i19 and the new power animations that came with it, I was finally able to bring myself to roll a sonic toon, something I've wanted to do for some time but simply couldn't because of the stupid animations and sounds.

Anyway, I've decided to take energy as my secondary which is another set I've never played. Though I have played a blaster once, I've never played these sets so I was wondering if anybody could offer some good advice on which powers I should and shouldn't take, possibly what io sets to slot etc. I mostly play solo but will normally join a team if the opportunity presents itself and I also don't plan on playing long enough to bother trying to get purples, so please don't suggest anything that involves them. Thanks in advance to any kind soul who replies.

If you mostly play solo then you are in for a real treat with Sonic/Energy, especially if you're looking for a pairing of power sets that don't take forever to mature and don't require expensive slotting to make effective. My Sonic/Energy is one of my favorite characters ever and I generally run her solo or with one other who understands the unique playing style she offers.

Let me put it this way - there are occaisional missions where I don't even get attacked, much less hit, and that's at level 29.

I'm in the process of re-working my build at the moment to account for the new inherent Fitness powers, so here's an early look:

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.90
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Mutation Blaster
Primary Power Set: Sonic Attack
Secondary Power Set: Energy Manipulation
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Concealment
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Teleportation
Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Shriek -- Acc(A), Acc(3), Dmg(5), Dmg(7), Dmg(17), Decim-Build%(46)
Level 1: Power Thrust -- Acc(A), Acc(11), Dmg(48), Dmg(48), Dmg(48)
Level 2: Scream -- Acc(A), Acc(3), Dmg(5), Dmg(7), Dmg(17), RechRdx(40)
Level 4: Build Up -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(13)
Level 6: Hover -- EndRdx(A)
Level 8: Shout -- Acc(A), Acc(9), Dmg(9), Dmg(11), Dmg(15), RechRdx(15)
Level 10: Stealth -- EndRdx(A)
Level 12: Amplify -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(13)
Level 14: Super Speed -- Run(A)
Level 16: Conserve Power -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(43)
Level 18: Sirens Song -- Acc(A), Acc(19), Acc(19), Sleep(31), Range(31), Range(31)
Level 20: Stun -- Acc(A), Acc(21), RechRdx(21), RechRdx(37), Dsrnt(37), Dsrnt(37)
Level 22: Bone Smasher -- Acc(A), Acc(23), Dmg(23), Dmg(33), Dmg(33), RechRdx(33)
Level 24: Energy Punch -- Acc(A), Acc(25), Dmg(25), Dmg(34), Dmg(34), RechRdx(34)
Level 26: Screech -- Acc(A), Acc(27), RechRdx(27), RechRdx(36), Dsrnt(36), Dsrnt(36)
Level 28: Power Boost -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(43)
Level 30: Fly -- Flight(A), Flight(50)
Level 32: Dreadful Wail -- Acc(A), Dmg(42), Dmg(42), Dmg(42), RechRdx(46), RechRdx(46)
Level 35: Boost Range -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(43)
Level 38: Total Focus -- Acc(A), Dmg(39), Dmg(39), Dmg(39), RechRdx(40), RechRdx(40)
Level 41: Dark Embrace -- S'fstPrt-ResKB(A)
Level 44: Oppressive Gloom -- Acc(A), Acc(45), Dsrnt(45), Dsrnt(45)
Level 47: Recall Friend -- IntRdx(A)
Level 49: Teleport -- Range(A), Range(50), Range(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Acc(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Run(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx(A)
Level 1: Defiance
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Run(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump(A)
Level 2: Health -- Heal(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod(A), EndMod(29), EndMod(29)

I took Stealth and Super-speed as early as I did to allow me to ghost missions if I chose - you may not have the advantage of veteran rewards allowing you to take Super-Speed without the prerequisite and might have to tweak things a bit if you want to go that route.

Early on, you just play the character as a straight-up single target blaster, using Hover as your primary means of defense. Put Power Thrust on auto-fire as a means of dealing with anyone who gets to close - its a nice, basic strategy that can save you a lot of hurt in the long run.

In your mid-20's is when the character graduates from Blaster to Blapper and when the real fun begins. Essentially, you put mobs to sleep using Siren's Song, choose one to Stun or Screech and defeat him with your potent single-target attacks... lather, rinse, repeat - reapplying Siren's as necessary.

Your Epic pool offers Oppressive Gloom which helps against sleep-resistant foes and stacks nicely with all of the other stuns available to you, letting you handle Bosses more easily. Once you get set up with some cash, I have an alternate IO build that will allow you to soft-cap your S/L defense and nearly do so with your Energy defense as well -a potent but probably unnecessary additional benefit. I can post that build if you like.

Good luck and good hunting.

If you don't mind posting that alternative IO build then please do. Also, I notice that you didn't take Shockwave, what do you think of it? Only I've heard quite mixed thoughts about it, some say its useless while others say its brilliant dmg mitigation when used correctly, and can't really decide whether to go with it or not.

Shockwave is... okay. It's a low damage AoE attack with guaranteed knockback. It doesn't really mesh with the standard soloist Sonic strategy of Siren's Song + ST power, since throwing stuff around will wake it up. On teams, vs. lots of baddies, any AoE attack will likely do more net damage than a ST attack, but teammates have a tendency to hate the knockback. I usually skip it, and rely on Howl (and Siren's Song in a pinch) for AoE damage.

The main draw for Shockwave would be to clump up groups of enemies into corners, or back onto an ally's debuff patch, or back towards the tank, or so on, and to provide a little more AoE to the AoE-light Sonic blaster. If you're soloing primarily, I'd say you're fine with relying on your Sonic blasts and Energy punches.

LOL - it editted 'c-h-i-n-k-s'. We might be getting a little TOO politically correct here.