Huntsman (pre- and post- 24 branch leveling build)
By
Alkirin,
Posted on: 2010-12-24 07:38 in Soldiers of Arachnos
Quote:
Because I'm using it as a movement power and not just as a Dump Slot for yet another LotG Proc. As far as movement is concerned, anything I can do with Combat Jumping can be done better by Ninja Run, particularly in the Travel Power department. Hover though gives me movement options I simply don't have otherwise (especially when Temp Powers get disabled).|
Originally Posted by Issen
Also, why Hover and not Combat Jump?
|
Hover lets me "hang in the sky the way that bricks don't" ... which has been *very* useful over time. In the early levels, being able to "go up and stay there" allows you to pretty much avoid any and all melee attacks ... making your Ranged Defense even more important than it otherwise would be. Hover also allows me to easily clear obstacles that can otherwise be a pain if you haven't got enough Jump Height. So Hover offers me Peace Of Mind that I wouldn't get with Combat Jump, because I know that I can pretty much "get to anywhere" if I need to.
It's the end. But the moment has been prepared for ...
Just found this thread and it's helped me a lot.
Bumping this and suggesting it be added to the FAQ post.
I remember the first Huntsman guide that helped me when I made Operative Nobel. At the time, I had two builds that I ran with for PvE/PvP (where he'd pull out the ol' mace to pounce people with).
I retired for a bit and have recently returned and I'm glad to see this guide up, and very glad to see that I don't have to radically change my old setup. I think that this time around I'll try this recharge-intensive build.
Though, I changed things up a bit. I'm a very big fan of stacking Bile Spray ontop of Venom Grenade. I stripped some slots from Call Reinforcements to get the last 6.25% out of another Positron set (I slotted a couple of Blood Mandate for the Recovery since they're already perma), then went the extra mile to push Hasten to perma.
I have to say, though, that 200-300m is a very conservative estimate for much of this. The low-level procs alone are going to run over that, assuming it's only the LOTGs that you're spending merits on.
Quote:
If you're ONLY buying the recipes off the market, you'd be right. Thankfully there's the option of using Reward Merits and/or Alignment Merits to get a great many of the "you've got to be kidding me!" expensive items relatively cheaply with just a little bit of effort.
|
Originally Posted by Alkirin
I have to say, though, that 200-300m is a very conservative estimate for much of this. The low-level procs alone are going to run over that, assuming it's only the LOTGs that you're spending merits on.
|
It's the end. But the moment has been prepared for ...
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Redlynne
If you're ONLY buying the recipes off the market, you'd be right. Thankfully there's the option of using Reward Merits and/or Alignment Merits to get a great many of the "you've got to be kidding me!" expensive items relatively cheaply with just a little bit of effort.
|
Doing alignment merit rolls and selling (crafting) the results will on average get you a significant amount of inf more than purchasing high value recipes outright. Like everything with the market, you pay extra for convenience (not having to deal with crafting and selling all those enhancers). It's a perfectly valid choice, but don't fool yourself into thinking it's cheap.
Culex's resistance guide
Actually, I wasn't even thinking in terms of doing random rolls. I've never once yet used the random rolls feature to obtain things. I'm talking about direct buying of what you want/need using Merits rather than INF.
It's the end. But the moment has been prepared for ...
Quote:
Yes, and on average doing the random rolls selling them, then using the market for what you want is significantly better than buying stuff directly. But less convenient.
|
Originally Posted by Redlynne
Actually, I wasn't even thinking in terms of doing random rolls. I've never once yet used the random rolls feature to obtain things. I'm talking about direct buying of what you want/need using Merits rather than INF.
|
Culex's resistance guide
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Pitho
Yes, and on average doing the random rolls selling them, then using the market for what you want is significantly better than buying stuff directly. But less convenient.
|
I know what he means. I've done it before, but it's more of a marketeer thing. Instead of buying a LOTG that's worth about 100m or so; you roll in a range and luck out with recipes that will net you over that amount (possibly even a LOTG to boot).
The way that the market insanity tends to flow, odds are in your favor for at least breaking relatively even. Though, having unlucky days can be very, very discouraging.
On a plus side for the economic bit...While the low-level procs themselves are going to be a little hairy to get, aiming low on the rest of the enhancement sets IS relatively cheap. Especially since the original build is mostly avoiding the rounded levels where prices tend to spike.
As an aside, this is the semi-twinking that I've done with the build. My MIDS-fu is a bit off so I am unsure how to adjust the enhancement levels.
Code:
| Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| |MxDz;1563;758;1516;HEX;| |78DA65944B4F135114C7EFB4534A5B4A29A5505A28052CB4C59656716D50093EC01| |041166E9A099DD049EAB4990E46972EDCC9CBE8D6577C6ED00888CF850BBF801FC3| |04D14F80A773FE852ADDFCE6FEEF3DE7FCEFB9F776FAE6B9968DC9DBA785D479B6A| |454ABF971435928EAE56A7EB65C2A68AAE1BCAC984B8652B20B21DACE2FE966F5BA| |A2C71227C6D2A7B2492789F1FF23AA99338AAEE6672B5A4135EA627CCE50345DD31| |7F3934A615135FF5D549FF45FD08BAAA1EA66A6FED132532E973253AA52A169B735| |98ADA86AC157D729BC5AD42AEDD6784E2DA995B2612AA656D62313156D21333F313| |E979F526F688A5954F4FCB4523555E356888C2744E36FDF2196096159D85698F22A| |B8C66C5A27066431F4CD6671C34363C98A9544177DB8684D88B9437312CF0929481| |F21597C20CD0ECD1E26E4A816C181FA0ED46F46FD66D477A3BE1BF587515FA6A113| |B14EBBDD5AD3E200DF71FED6316293FD80B95A2CF9FB485E5CECC5E172B3BF7E0FE| |8650EB6823E10FBA8DD040FD7953D6B92552FB40EDE6386EF33A30F989D64D48BBD| |7B6B79C8DB274AE283E6EB67BF4D043F72FB3779DF1D5BE036B3F33DB8C3FC4C790| |2D84BE019ED2F288BD473E6F117E04BF01533FD9AD8218B2F141B8487E0207B7843| |5A17F275A13751F42686DEC4D09B187AD38FDED4CEA31B67D20DFF3D3B9C77E88EC| |D6212FB49623F29ECE72DD58D70AC88FCE0B50394B097BDD87A47384F141C06FDB4| |A60F7EFB6A7E7B6571CC037AC156E6B08F9984DF00C50E70AC3CF0906AC6C8E753A| |E9D7EC4E3F463E6E813E657F219679F527C5758F9523FD94B3BE54BA09F099CE91E| |5D9811EC6B04F7FE0F69199C736693B5D12D709B997B0FA27F71CA9D459E6C84B51| |EF9E0FD520F594B356AFBF413D9234AEE8872F28832D6A8A439F725F9E0CDEF4F35| |CEDBB9673332A66BEF1EE7E36A13D69BA9C5ECBA1BFE1770DFF60E359B7451B2DE7| |6789ECFA9E72A312A8B5F8D71098EFB7DA839A4BB7CAF6DCBCCB6157095D9BE06AE| |33AFB92DD796A72B014A87EFEF0DDF7F01F5DEEA05| |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
Quote:
You know how in Mids' you click to get the Enhancement Window, and down in the bottom right it shows you what level you're slotting? While you have that up, type a different two digit number on your keyboard and see what happens.
|
Originally Posted by Alkirin
My MIDS-fu is a bit off so I am unsure how to adjust the enhancement levels.
|
It's the end. But the moment has been prepared for ...
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Redlynne
You know how in Mids' you click to get the Enhancement Window, and down in the bottom right it shows you what level you're slotting? While you have that up, type a different two digit number on your keyboard and see what happens.
|
...I never thought that was an input window. Huh.
The moar you know.
Quote:
And to think when I was trying to get different enhancement levels in Mids I would always go change the default enhancement level.
|
Originally Posted by Redlynne
You know how in Mids' you click to get the Enhancement Window, and down in the bottom right it shows you what level you're slotting? While you have that up, type a different two digit number on your keyboard and see what happens.
|
Culex's resistance guide
I just wanted to say that this is one of the best build discussions I've seen here.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Ang_Rui_Shen
I just wanted to say that this is one of the best build discussions I've seen here.
|
It's the end. But the moment has been prepared for ...
Quote:
Wow. That's actually pretty snazzy.|
Originally Posted by Redlynne
type a different two digit number on your keyboard and see what happens.
|
Thank you for the info.
"Champion (the Community Server... or GTFO) is like a small town where everyone knows each other's names, for better or worse." -kojirodensetsu.
"If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." - Maslow's Hammer
I've tried a simple SO-based version of the build that delays Frag Grenade until level 26, but I missed that power so much that I repeatedly crafted the Hand Grenades temp power to make up for the loss, in spite of the redraw it caused. heh.
Quote:
I use hand grenade because it's ******* awesome.|
Originally Posted by Ang_Rui_Shen
I've tried a simple SO-based version of the build that delays Frag Grenade until level 26, but I missed that power so much that I repeatedly crafted the Hand Grenades temp power to make up for the loss, in spite of the redraw it caused. heh.
|
Update on my build! I dropped Bile Spray.
It's odd. Back in the day, I talked up BS alot because, yes, it's just that awesome. Lovely range, nice wide cone, amazing damage and a beautiful synergy with Venom Grenade.
Did it cause redraw? Yeah. Not that it mattered because even at +2 there is precious little that will survive a WAWG > Venom Grenade > Frag Grenade > Heavy Burst > Bile Spray chain.
This recharge build poses a serious conundrum, though. I love Bile Spray, don't get me wrong. But I saw myself using it less and less when the other 4 attacks were cycling as fast as they were. Even worse, BS comes at the expense of another power that I don't even use. So the question becomes whether or not it's really worth it.
In my case, no. Bile Spray is good, but it's not that good. I'm still debating what to replace them with. I might consider taking tough/weave to top over defense, which is the low point in this build I think.
These days, when I have extra power slots in a build (thanks to inherent Fitness), I try to figure out if I can fit in one of those great new tier 5 movement pool powers.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Alkirin
Update on my build! I dropped Bile Spray.
It's odd. Back in the day, I talked up BS alot because, yes, it's just that awesome. Lovely range, nice wide cone, amazing damage and a beautiful synergy with Venom Grenade. This recharge build poses a serious conundrum, though. I love Bile Spray, don't get me wrong. But I saw myself using it less and less when the other 4 attacks were cycling as fast as they were. Even worse, BS comes at the expense of another power that I don't even use. So the question becomes whether or not it's really worth it. In my case, no. Bile Spray is good, but it's not that good. I'm still debating what to replace them with. I might consider taking tough/weave to top over defense, which is the low point in this build I think. |
That's one of the things that I just really love about my build strategy and going high +recharge on a Huntsman. Exemplar/Malefactor to Levels 25+ and you're really just burning through WAWG, Venom Grenade, Frag Grenade, Heavy Burst ... wash, rinse, repeat. Sometimes I toss in a Burst attack at the end of the chain, simply because I've got time to do so ... but then everything's recharged and it's time to unleash Round Two. The Huntsman powers just animate and recharge so FAST with this build that there's hardly any downtime and you're just MOWING through everything that shows itself in front of you. So yeah ... I can see how dropping Bile Spray as being "unnecessary" for cycling your powers could be considered on balance when it comes to gameplay (as opposed to spreadsheet analysis) advantageous.
Thanks for sharing the benefits of your experience(s) with the rest of us.
It's the end. But the moment has been prepared for ...
Did some playing around.
I call it 'Rambo'. Because if the Frag Grenade procs, then Heavy Burst will recharge by the end of it's animation. (0.2 sec downtime)
+101.3% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
- 190% Endurance Recovery (+2.03/Sec with all toggles running)
- Softcap Defense to all but Psionic (35%), extra buffer for Ranged
- 30% Smash/Lethal resist
- Permahasten
- Semi-Permapets (if Frag procs, yes. Otherwise, roughly 20 seconds)
Code:
| Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| |MxDz;1551;741;1482;HEX;| |78DA65944953134114C77B961092104208212140084BC882C444F16CA1222E60518| |21CBCA4A6C81449559CA49250A5470FDE64B3F4EAF601D072C3F5E0C12FE05D4B3F| |80CBD5ADF0CDBC7F60945C7EDDFFEEF7DEBF5F4F67F6F289B6ADE9AB4785D47DBCA| |CD5EBF9C99AB654342AF5FC7CA55C28E935E739ADB152D3CA8A10A2E3D48AD1A85F| |D28C58F2D0C4F8916CCA4962FCFF887AE69866E8F9F96AA9A0D79A627CA1A6958C9| |2B19C9FD60ACB7AE3DF4DCD45FF69A3A8D774A391690EDAE62A95726646D7AAB4EC| |B626F3555D2FF89A3A85D78BA5AAD79A9F2C2D171BB4B16BAA5A5ACA2C4E4D2EE46| |757F2B35ABDA1D7AE84C96C52D87F3B0EB14A88A8425E63AAEBE006B365931850C5| |E85BD9E29687E692152B89100D5CB427CCDCA63589D78414A4415815CF4953A0291| |1428E6A111CA8EF40FD56D46F457D37EABB513F81FA2A4D9D88752A8AB5A7CD013E| |E2FCED13C4166597393396FCBD202F2EF6E270B9D9DFA007F43287DB411F887398B| |7EFE1BAAA6743B2EA8537C11BCCC84D66F416B39B8C7A7176AF9987BCBDA4243E68| |BE41F6DB42F023B7FF319FBBEB09F894D9FD0CDC66BEA23C01CEA3066ED3F982AA4| |8DF611EB80BDE03EF335F534C10B583C35CFB016921F424849E44D193187A12434F| |62E8C9207A62DE430FEEA207BEFBB639EFE835D9620AE748E11C699CE321D5EDE55| |8D1FB9EF70E51C27EF622F78F719E289800FDB467007E074CBFFDAA18F1805EB09D| |99F03153F02B53EC106A0EE15B7C433EE2AC29F10FB2B57FF42333FD8979F033B39| |3E293E85F1277A79036C69A32662E2654313E0226C01453A5BD19DC59E687E0DC3F| |C15FCCDC6FF00F3344315978CEF62A56CD3E75F7FD522FD947DAAEEDD04F64F729B| |97DCAE17DCA845D19E7DC67D5DD37BF33635F57F8DEE6542C9BEF1EF7E4EA10D69B| |3163BEB86DFF0BF8EEBEED69B27446B2DE766491EFABEF0231AA8AAFF6B824C77DD| |FD31CD275FEAEE55566C71AB8CEECDC00379917DD966BCBD3F900A5C3F89D6DFC17| |7C8DE24A| |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
Quote:
Speaking of which, I'm going to try out a laid-back version that drops Hasten and moves Teleport to level 30. I've also been tinkering with slot placement in the cases where I'm not likely to have a particular IO set in time so the slot goes somewhere else more immediately useful on the way up in levels.
|
Originally Posted by Ang_Rui_Shen
These days, when I have extra power slots in a build (thanks to inherent Fitness), I try to figure out if I can fit in one of those great new tier 5 movement pool powers.
|
Quote:
it's just not possible till a power start recharging after the animation has ended.|
Originally Posted by Alkirin
Did some playing around.
I call it 'Rambo'. Because if the Frag Grenade procs, then Heavy Burst will recharge by the end of it's animation. (0.2 sec downtime) |
Quote:
| Softcap Defense to all but Psionic (35%), extra buffer for Ranged |
Quote:
Err...Are you sure about that? I thought that recharge began after activation?|
Originally Posted by Nemeros
it's just not possible till a power start recharging after the animation has ended.
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Nemeros
no you're not. cloacking device loose half of the +def when you are fighting.
|
Quote:
yes, you can check ingame easily
|
Originally Posted by Alkirin
Err...Are you sure about that? I thought that recharge began after activation?
|
Quote:
This is correct. I had the same impression when attemptin' somethin' on a DB scrapper o' mine that it began after activation, which is not true.
|
Originally Posted by Nemeros
yes, you can check ingame easily
|
"Champion (the Community Server... or GTFO) is like a small town where everyone knows each other's names, for better or worse." -kojirodensetsu.
"If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." - Maslow's Hammer
I haven't been following Redlynne's builds that closely but it sounds like we have similar goals for our Soldiers, so I thought I would add in the 4 different builds I have developed for my 2 SoA's over a lot of playing, rebuilding, etc, so folks would have some more examples of what you can do. I am only going to post the data chunks to save on space. One thing to note is that I have no purples in any of my builds - the most expensive things are LoTG +recharges and the miracle/numina unique's, most of which I bought with merits. Both characters are incarnate, although the crab only has her alpha slot open and populated.
I have one dedicated crab, Midnight Carnage, who has 2 builds. A gun crab (Huntsman like but with crab powers instead of bane) and a melee/pet crab. MC is currently using the cardiac alpha for end reuduction and range - I am working on the cardiac core paragon for the end reduction, range and resistance boost.
First the melee/pet build: its at 44.7%/46.8%/44.7% def to melee/ranged/AoE, 50% S/L resists and about 40% to everything else and has 80% global recharge. I only went with the 2 pets the crab gets - didn't have the room to take 2 extra powers from a patron pool to get the third pet.
His first build is a more classic huntsman build, although I skipped frag grenade and rely on bile spray + arctic breath for my extra AoE. He has 44.8%/48.3%/40.4% def to melee/ranged/AoE and 102.5% global recharge.
Globals: @Midnight Mystique/@Magik13