Looking for Input on Crab Leveling Build =)

Hello.

I am creating a Crab and I have browsed the forums looking at specs, but, understandably, most of them are IO’d out 50 builds with the travel powers taken late, etc, and I was looking for some direction on practical power and slot selection when I ding 24 and then moving up to 40 or so when I would think about the more advanced choices.

I would like to primarily team, with the ability to solo as needed, and to generally level at a good pace. The below is based on reading between the lines of the 50 builds I have seen and working backwards, so I may have goofed something up in that, and for all I know, this could be a disastrous build. =) Since this is a first pas, I am expecting to have to do some tweaking based on feedback.

Thanks for any feedback on the build or general crab tips! (mmm crab tips)

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.91
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Operative Blackiron (Pass 1b): Level 40 Natural Arachnos Soldier
Primary Power Set: Crab Spider Soldier
Secondary Power Set: Crab Spider Training
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Leadership

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Channelgun -- Acc(A), Dmg(3), Dmg(3), Dmg(5), DefDeb(5), EndRdx(34)
Level 1: Crab Spider Armor Upgrade -- ResDam(A)
Level 2: Longfang -- Acc(A), Dmg(7), Dmg(7), Dmg(9), DefDeb(9), EndRdx(40)
Level 4: Combat Training: Defensive -- DefBuff(A), DefBuff(11), DefBuff(11)
Level 6: Combat Training: Offensive -- Acc(A), Acc(13), Acc(13)
Level 8: Suppression -- Acc(A), Dmg(15), Dmg(15), Dmg(17), RechRdx(17), EndRdx(34)
Level 10: Tactical Training: Maneuvers -- DefBuff(A), DefBuff(19), DefBuff(19)
Level 12: Arm Lash -- Acc(A), Dmg(21), Dmg(21), Dmg(23), DefDeb(23), EndRdx(37)
Level 14: Combat Jumping -- DefBuff(A)
Level 16: Tactical Training: Assault -- EndRdx(A)
Level 18: Venom Grenade -- Acc(A), Dmg(27), Dmg(27), Dmg(29), Range(29), RechRdx(37)
Level 20: Tactical Training: Leadership -- ToHit(A), ToHit(31), ToHit(31)
Level 22: Mental Training -- Run(A)
Level 24: Super Jump -- Jump(A)
Level 26: Fortification -- ResDam(A), ResDam(31), ResDam(33)
Level 28: Serum -- Heal(A), Heal(33), Heal(33), RechRdx(34)
Level 30: Assault -- EndRdx(A)
Level 32: Maneuvers -- EndRdx(A)
Level 35: Summon Spiderlings -- Acc(A), Dmg(36), Dmg(36), RechRdx(36), RechRdx(37), RechRdx(40)
Level 38: Call Reinforcements -- Acc(A), Dmg(39), RechRdx(39), RechRdx(39), RechRdx(40)
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Level 2: Stamina -- Empty(A), Empty(25), Empty(25)
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I think the power choices make sense (at least on paper to me), but am curious if the slotting makes sense.

One thing I am confused about is the potential end issues from having so many toggles running. They look relatively low end use (.2/sec?) so I suppose that helps.

Also, I didn't take slice or frenzy and am wondering if that would add some close range value, and if that might be a weakness of the approach I took with this.

Any thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks!

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None of the def debuff enhancers are really worth slotting - the extra 2.5% def debuff they buy you is either going to be totally wasted because you are already at the to hit cap or are not going to be enough to really make a difference, not when you can slot a recharge in place of the def debuff and get a faster attack chain. The range enhancment in venom grenade is also pretty useless, all it does is increase the range at which you can use the AoE, it doesn't increase the size of the AoE, and being able to use the venom grenade at 96' isn't going to buy you much when all your other attacks are limited to 80' (or 50' for suppression). Now, that same IO in suppression might be worth it - it will buy you an extra 10' on the cone with a corresponding increase in the area.

Combat Training offensive is also not worth it - especially when you have tactical training:leadership. For everyday, mob to mob accuracy the combination of leaderships +15% to hit and the accuracy slotted in your attacks is going to be enough. I would take Aim in it's place - when you do need more to hit/acc, like when your to hit is being debuffed by a tsoo sorcerer or spectral demon lord, you need a LOT more than CT:O offers and the +50% to hit boost from aim is tailor made for this, the +50% damage is gravy.

The only other thing I would suggest is to look into cheap frankenslotting for the attacks at least - you can get about the same or better accuracy, recharge and end reduction while still capping damage for fewer slots if you buy and slot cheap (relatively speaking) multi-aspect set IO's. I like to start picking up L25 IO's when I hit L22 and slotting combo's like the following (all L25):

1: Ruin acc/dam, Ruin dam/end, Ruin dam/rech, Ruin acc/dam/rech and Maelstrom's fury acc/dam.

2: Ruin acc/dam, Ruin dam/end, Ruin dam/rech, Maelstrom's fury acc/dam, Maelstrom's fury dam/end (or dam/rech)

Ruin and Maelstrom's fury IO's are usually cheap, easy to craft and the first combo will give you 56% accuracy, 94% damage, 36% recharge and 20% end recover - all for only 5 slots. The second one will give you 40% acc, 95% dam, 40% end red and 20% recharge (or 40% rech and 20% end red), again for only 5 slots.

It takes a little time investment to bid/craft them and may cost a little more than pure SO's - but those IO's will give you good value until you hit 50 and/or decide to get serious about slotting sets.

EDIT: Also, even if you don't slot any other IO's I would suggest trying to pick up and slot a steadfast prot -KB and a steadfast prot +3% def as soon as you can. Crabs (like all soldiers) don't get any KB protection in thier armors and the 4 points in a single -KB IO is going to cover like 95% of your knockback needs. The 3% def IO is a nice boost to everything - getting nearly as much def as the maneuvers pool power in a single IO is hard to pass up. If you can free up one slot and move it to the crab spider armor, you can put the two IO's there without much cost as the resistance you currently have in the base slot is barely worth slotting (an extra 0.6% smashing/lethal resistance is not even going to be noticable).

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Globals: @Midnight Mystique/@Magik13

Thanks so much for the response.

I have never really mastered the art of using IO's while leveling (sticking to the easier to get and work with SO's) and this was very helpful detail.

The reason I didn't take Aim was that I didn't see it in many builds. One thing I had debated was hasten, so now am thinking about hasten vs. aim for that CT:O replacement.

Any thoughts?

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Attempting to answer my own question... I am not using Combat Jumping for anything right now (like a DEF set mule), so I am switching to hasten/SS. This gives me more levelling value from Hasten as opposed to something that is just a place holder.

Thanks so much!

With the suggestions of 5 slotting attacks, conversion of CTO to Aim, haste/SS for CJ/SJ, and an extra slot in CTD so I can add the KB protection (eventually), here is the build with just SO's (although I will start to work on IO's):


Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.91
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Operative Blackiron (Pass 2): Level 40 Natural Arachnos Soldier
Primary Power Set: Crab Spider Soldier
Secondary Power Set: Crab Spider Training
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leadership

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Channelgun -- Acc(A), Dmg(3), Dmg(3), Dmg(5), RechRdx(5)
Level 1: Crab Spider Armor Upgrade -- ResDam(A), ResDam(34)
Level 2: Longfang -- Acc(A), Dmg(7), Dmg(7), Dmg(9), RechRdx(9)
Level 4: Combat Training: Defensive -- DefBuff(A), DefBuff(11), DefBuff(11)
Level 6: Aim -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(13), RechRdx(13)
Level 8: Suppression -- Acc(A), Dmg(15), Dmg(15), Dmg(17), RechRdx(17)
Level 10: Tactical Training: Maneuvers -- DefBuff(A), DefBuff(19), DefBuff(19)
Level 12: Arm Lash -- Acc(A), Dmg(21), Dmg(21), Dmg(23), RechRdx(23)
Level 14: Hasten -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(31), RechRdx(34)
Level 16: Tactical Training: Assault -- EndRdx(A)
Level 18: Venom Grenade -- Acc(A), Dmg(27), Dmg(27), Dmg(29), RechRdx(29)
Level 20: Tactical Training: Leadership -- ToHit(A), ToHit(31), ToHit(37)
Level 22: Mental Training -- Run(A)
Level 24: Super Speed -- Run(A)
Level 26: Fortification -- ResDam(A), ResDam(31), ResDam(33)
Level 28: Serum -- Heal(A), Heal(33), Heal(33), RechRdx(34), Empty(37)
Level 30: Assault -- EndRdx(A)
Level 32: Maneuvers -- EndRdx(A)
Level 35: Summon Spiderlings -- Acc(A), Dmg(36), Dmg(36), RechRdx(36), RechRdx(37), RechRdx(40)
Level 38: Call Reinforcements -- Acc(A), Dmg(39), Dmg(39), RechRdx(39), RechRdx(40), RechRdx(40)
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Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod(A), EndMod(25), EndMod(25)
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Why did you slot Fortification for Resistance instead of heal or recharge? Personally I'd rather have it up more often then resisting more toxic.

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Deamus the Fallen - 50 DM/EA Brute - Lib
Dragos Bahtiam - 50 Fire/Ice Blaster - Lib
/facepalm - Apply Directly to the Forehead!
Formally Dragos_Bahtiam - Abbreviate to DSL - Warning, may contain sarcasm

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