It takes a lot of trial and error to learn to make builds. Once you get good at it, though, you will be able to make one for any class. Instead of giving you a build, I will point you in the right direction.
The easiest way to soft cap S/L defense involves picking up a defense toggle from the epic pools. Basically, that means you need Mace Mastery, so start changing your alignment to villain so you can do the mission arc. One advantage to picking up Mace Mastery is Web Envelope. With that AoE immobilize on critters, you can drop ignite patches (AR's best damage-dealing power) without worrying about them running away.
As you make the build, start by going for your first or most important goal. I assume that is decent defense. After choosing powers, slot your defensive toggles. I usually use 3 Luck of the Gamblers for the most benefit per slot. This includes the global recharge bonus. You can buy that one with 2 Hero Merits and eventually start selling them for a profit to pay for the rest of your build.
After slotting your defensive toggles, identify which powers could give the most defense per slot expended. Keep in mind that you will only get to 45% on a few categories. I usually go for S/L and ranged defenses when using Mace Mastery. After soft-capping, the rest of the bonuses can go towards recharge.
Here are two example builds. Keep in mind that Stealth gives double defense bonus when out of combat and Mids' is currently showing the out of combat value. Also, don't use purples. I have them in the build in Mids' to see the potential recharge bonus, but there are cheaper alternatives with slightly less recharge bonus.
Code:
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And another build...
Code:
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Thanks, for the reply, Syntax. After reading what you posted, peeking at your builds, and fiddling with Mids, I think I kinda understand how it works. I worked on a build today, if you don't mind, please tell me what you think. I am sure it could be optimized better, not sure what the soft cap is, 45% springs to mind, so i might be a few points overkill on that. Anyways, thanks for looking.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.90
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Mr. Hollowbead: Level 50 Technology Defender
Primary Power Set: Dark Miasma
Secondary Power Set: Assault Rifle
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Mace Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Twilight Grasp
- (A) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance
- (3) Numina's Convalescence - Endurance/Recharge
- (7) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Recharge
- (11) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance/Recharge
- (13) Numina's Convalescence - +Regeneration/+Recovery
- (33) Numina's Convalescence - Heal
- (A) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage
- (3) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance
- (7) Thunderstrike - Damage/Recharge
- (11) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
- (13) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
- (33) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
- (A) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage
- (5) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance
- (9) Thunderstrike - Damage/Recharge
- (15) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
- (19) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
- (34) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
- (A) Pacing of the Turtle - Range/Slow
- (5) Pacing of the Turtle - Accuracy/Slow
- (15) Pacing of the Turtle - Endurance/Recharge/Slow
- (23) Pacing of the Turtle - Accuracy/Endurance
- (A) Defense Buff IO
- (37) Defense Buff IO
- (37) Endurance Reduction IO
- (A) Explosive Strike - Chance for Smashing Damage
- (9) Explosive Strike - Damage/Knockback
- (21) Explosive Strike - Accuracy/Knockback
- (A) Dark Watcher's Despair - Chance for Recharge Slow
- (45) Dark Watcher's Despair - To Hit Debuff
- (46) Dark Watcher's Despair - To Hit Debuff/Endurance
- (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
- (19) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
- (A) Recharge Reduction IO
- (A) Explosive Strike - Damage/Knockback
- (17) Explosive Strike - Accuracy/Knockback
- (17) Explosive Strike - Chance for Smashing Damage
- (A) Glimpse of the Abyss - Fear/Range
- (23) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Fear/Recharge
- (A) Sting of the Manticore - Accuracy/Damage
- (21) Sting of the Manticore - Damage/Endurance
- (27) Sting of the Manticore - Accuracy/Interrupt/Range
- (31) Sting of the Manticore - Damage/Interrupt/Recharge
- (37) Sting of the Manticore - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
- (A) Endurance Reduction IO
- (A) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance
- (25) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Recharge
- (27) Reactive Armor - Endurance/Recharge
- (34) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge
- (A) Gift of the Ancients - Defense/Endurance
- (46) Gift of the Ancients - Endurance/Recharge
- (46) Gift of the Ancients - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
- (A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage
- (29) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance
- (29) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge
- (31) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range
- (31) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
- (A) Endurance Reduction IO
- (A) Theft of Essence - Healing
- (33) Theft of Essence - Healing/Recharge
- (34) Theft of Essence - Accuracy/Healing
- (36) Discouraging Words - To Hit Debuff
- (36) Discouraging Words - To Hit Debuff/Recharge
- (36) Discouraging Words - To Hit Debuff/Recharge/Endurance
- (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
- (40) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Recharge
- (40) Luck of the Gambler - Endurance/Recharge
- (43) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
- (43) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
- (A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage
- (39) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance
- (39) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge
- (39) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range
- (40) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
- (A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage
- (42) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance
- (42) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge
- (42) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range
- (43) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
- (A) Enfeebled Operation - Accuracy/Recharge
- (45) Enfeebled Operation - Endurance/Immobilize
- (45) Enfeebled Operation - Accuracy/Endurance
- (50) Enfeebled Operation - Immobilize/Range
- (50) Enfeebled Operation - Accuracy/Immobilize/Recharge
- (50) Enfeebled Operation - Accuracy/Immobilize
- (A) Gift of the Ancients - Defense/Endurance
- (48) Gift of the Ancients - Defense/Recharge
- (48) Kismet - Defense/Endurance
- (48) Kismet - Defense/Recharge
- (A) Endurance Reduction IO
Level 1: Brawl
- (A) Empty
- (A) Run Speed IO
- (A) Recharge Reduction IO
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift
- (A) Run Speed IO
- (A) Jumping IO
- (A) Miracle - +Recovery
- (A) Endurance Modification IO
- (25) Endurance Modification IO
Your build links don't work. Could you post the data chunk?
Hey, Syntax, thanks for popping back in, try this datachunk here. Still sort of new with Mids.
Code:
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Gift of the Ancients is not a good set to use. Regular IOs would be better in Weave. It isn't a big deal in Scorpion Shield because you are way over the soft cap on S/L anyways. Getting ranged defense to 45% might be tricky, but you can get close with a few adjustments to this build. Swap Enfeebled Operation set for Trap of the Hunter and fix Weave's slotting to get to 44.8% ranged defense.
Some other adjustments I would make may not improve survivability much, but will help overall. Scorpion Shield does not need recharge. Slot it like you have Maneuvers slotted. That saves you a slot for something else. Twilight Grasp needs more accuracy if you plan on doing +4s or the new I19 content. Put Numina's in Health instead and take a slot from Scorpion Shield, Darkest Night, and Fearsome Stare for slotting Twilight Grasp. Leave Fearsome Stare slotted with one regular accuracy IO. Darkest Night should have 2 End Reductions. That gives you 4 slots for your heal. Touch of the Nictus without the proc or heal IOs will work.
Here you go:
Code:
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Hey folks, I have a level 48 Dark Miasma/AR Defender, and am looking to get him up to snuff. I am looking for the usual; soft-capped defense, good end regen, recovery, and decent damage. I just can't wrap my head around all the numbers, no matter how long i stare at them. Here is what skills i have, and how they are slotted. I am sure that there are mistakes in it, and any help with corrections would also be appreciated. The levels at which the powers are taken, are somewhat more random than what I actually have on my live toon. Also, I am not the richest person in the world, and dont expect to have everything as high as it can be in all situations, just looking for something workable, and better than regular IO Enhancements.
Thanks for any and all help in advance.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.90
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Level 50 Magic Defender
Primary Power Set: Dark Miasma
Secondary Power Set: Assault Rifle
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leaping
Ancillary Pool: Power Mastery
Hero Profile:
------------
Level 1: Twilight Grasp
(A) Empty
(3) Empty
(3) Empty
(5) Empty
(5) Empty
(50) Empty
Level 1: Burst
(A) Empty
(7) Empty
(7) Empty
(9) Empty
(9) Empty
(45) Empty
Level 2: Tar Patch
(A) Empty
(11) Empty
(11) Empty
(13) Empty
(33) Empty
Level 4: Darkest Night
(A) Empty
(33) Empty
(34) Empty
(34) Empty
Level 6: Buckshot
(A) Empty
(13) Empty
(15) Empty
(15) Empty
(17) Empty
Level 8: Slug
(A) Empty
(17) Empty
(19) Empty
(19) Empty
(21) Empty
Level 10: Howling Twilight
(A) Empty
Level 12: Shadow Fall
(A) Empty
(27) Empty
(27) Empty
(31) Empty
(33) Empty
Level 14: Fearsome Stare
(A) Empty
(23) Empty
(25) Empty
(25) Empty
(50) Empty
Level 16: Kick
(A) Empty
Level 18: Tough
(A) Empty
(23) Empty
(34) Empty
(46) Empty
Level 20: Weave
(A) Empty
(21) Empty
(37) Empty
Level 22: Maneuvers
(A) Empty
(46) Empty
Level 24: Assault
(A) Empty
Level 26: Tactics
(A) Empty
Level 28: Flamethrower
(A) Empty
(29) Empty
(29) Empty
(31) Empty
(31) Empty
Level 30: Hasten
(A) Empty
(45) Empty
Level 32: Combat Jumping
(A) Empty
(46) Empty
Level 35: Dark Servant
(A) Empty
(36) Empty
(36) Empty
(36) Empty
(37) Empty
(37) Empty
Level 38: Ignite
(A) Empty
(39) Empty
(39) Empty
(39) Empty
(40) Empty
Level 41: Full Auto
(A) Empty
(42) Empty
(42) Empty
(42) Empty
(43) Empty
(50) Empty
Level 44: Power Build Up
(A) Empty
Level 47: Temp Invulnerability
(A) Empty
(48) Empty
(48) Empty
(48) Empty
Level 49: [Empty]
------------
Level 1: Brawl
(A) Empty
Level 1: Sprint
(A) Empty
Level 2: Rest
(A) Empty
Level 1: Vigilance
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift
(A) Empty
Level 2: Hurdle
(A) Empty
Level 2: Health
(A) Empty
(40) Empty
(40) Empty
Level 2: Stamina
(A) Empty
(43) Empty
(43) Empty
(45) Empty