Returning player needs help with an old Kat/DA.

My main is a Kat/DA/BM. It made sense when I read about all the powers way back when but less and less as I went on. Were it a new toon I'd have given up long ago but he's my first and my main. He made the move over from the US servers a long time ago and has some nice older badges so I keep him and want to keep him up to date.

I have a feeling from having a look through the boards and just looking at other's powers in game and see some chat about IOs and stuff that this is perhaps not a very good build. I've been okay with that, it's done me well over the years but I'm looking to sort it out now.

So thank you kindly in advance for any suggestions and advice and for not laughing too much….

- Please ignore all slot placing. This was from a 50 respec and plainly isn't designed for lower level stuff. I should I suppose fix that for Ouroboros and older TFs but that's really not a priority for me now. Looking for a strong 50 and I'll play all the the lower stuff with the growing army of alts.

- I want to survive. I do pretty well on this build. I've run STF without dying, I can do a full MSR without dying (I don't know if this is normal - it didn't use to be!). I can tank reasonably well (and the dark heal certainly doesn't hurt). The IO sets were mainly picked for regen bonus. Soft caps and working things like that just hurt my head (though if anyone had a handy guide link that would be appreciated too) I'm much more likely to look at an IO set and think "oh cool if I slot 4 I get x and y and z that's what I want" at no point will I even think about working out if I'm not getting the benefit of the IOs themselves.

- I don't like SJ. I hate the jumping powers and so I skip the pool on every toon. I suppose I could take the set to get CJ and Acrobatics - KB protection would be quite nice but it feels a bit wrong. I would like to keep SS and Fly just because I like them.

- I've just done a respec to make fitness inherent and that's left me with at least an extra power choice - my attacks cycle fast enough that I don't need another. Ignore the heal other, that was really just to fill a slot and was a bit silly. That's why some things here may look even more off.

- I don't use Kick at all, having to watch the katana being drawn again annoys me A LOT. Just looking around though, is it worth slotting it (and I've seen brawl slotted in a build or two) just to get more sets in.

- I picked BM for conserve power. End was always a big issue but it's less and less now. I like Laser eyes and having a ranged attack is nice for that final runner. I put PP in with this respec, I suspect I'm overdoing it and I'm not attacked to having this as my Epic.

- The standard back when was to triple slot health and stamina, is that also overdoing it?

- I use to run this on unyielding, what should I be aiming to run at now? +3 should be fine, ideally I'd like extra enemies for more drops along the way.

- I have a fair amount of cash. I can probably throw 500 million into fixing this and I have some respecs available, I understand I also have a second and third build available and I really like the idea of testing stuff in there but not to kit out multiple builds, at least not just yet.

- If you want more comedy I'll post my Emp Def build over in the right forum sometime soon.

- Last but my no means least, what's my best Incarnate option?


Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.91
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Douro: Level 50 Magic Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Katana
Secondary Power Set: Dark Armor
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Medicine
Ancillary Pool: Body Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Sting of the Wasp

• (A) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage
• (3) Mako's Bite - Damage/Endurance
• (3) Mako's Bite - Damage/Recharge
• (5) Mako's Bite - Chance of Damage(Lethal)

• (A) Aegis - Psionic/Status Resistance
• (5) Aegis - Resistance
• (7) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance
• (7) Endurance Reduction

• (A) Scirocco's Dervish - Chance of Damage(Lethal)
• (9) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Recharge
• (9) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage
• (11) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Endurance
• (11) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Recharge

• (A) Titanium Coating - Resistance/Endurance
• (13) Titanium Coating - Resistance
• (13) Titanium Coating - Endurance
• (15) Titanium Coating - Resistance/Recharge
• (15) Titanium Coating - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
• (17) Recharge Reduction IO
• (17) Recharge Reduction IO

• (A) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff
• (19) Adjusted Targeting - Recharge
• (19) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Recharge

• (A) Aegis - Resistance
• (21) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance
• (21) Aegis - Resistance/Recharge
• (23) Aegis - Endurance/Recharge
• (23) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge

• (A) Empty

• (A) Quickfoot - RunSpeed

• (A) Touch of the Nictus - Healing
• (25) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Healing
• (25) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Endurance/Heal/HitPoints/Regeneration
• (27) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance
• (27) Numina's Convalescence - Endurance/Recharge
• (29) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Recharge

• (A) Cleaving Blow - Accuracy/Damage
• (29) Cleaving Blow - Damage/Endurance
• (31) Cleaving Blow - Damage/Recharge
• (31) Cleaving Blow - Accuracy/Recharge
• (31) Undermined Defenses - Defense Debuff/Endurance
• (33) Undermined Defenses - Defense Debuff/Recharge/Endurance

• (A) Freebird - +Stealth

• (A) Empty

• (A) Titanium Coating - Resistance/Recharge
• (33) Titanium Coating - Resistance
• (33) Titanium Coating - Endurance
• (34) Titanium Coating - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge
• (34) Titanium Coating - Endurance/Recharge
• (34) Titanium Coating - Resistance/Endurance

• (A) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage
• (36) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance
• (36) Crushing Impact - Damage/Recharge
• (36) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (37) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (37) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance/Recharge

• (A) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance
• (37) Red Fortune - Defense/Recharge
• (39) Red Fortune - Endurance/Recharge
• (39) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
• (39) Red Fortune - Defense
• (40) Red Fortune - Endurance

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
• (40) Luck of the Gambler - Endurance/Recharge
• (40) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Recharge

• (A) Multi Strike - Accuracy/Damage
• (42) Multi Strike - Damage/Endurance
• (42) Multi Strike - Damage/Recharge
• (42) Multi Strike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (43) Multi Strike - Accuracy/Endurance
• (43) Multi Strike - Damage/Endurance/Recharge

• (A) Damage Increase IO
• (43) Recharge Reduction IO
• (45) Empty
• (45) Empty

• (A) Empty

• (A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Endurance
• (45) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge/Endurance
• (46) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff

• (A) Empty
• (46) Empty

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO

• (A) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (50) Thunderstrike - Damage/Recharge
• (50) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance
• (50) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage

• (A) Empty

• (A) Quickfoot - RunSpeed

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO

• (A) Empty

• (A) Jumping IO

• (A) Numina's Convalescence - +Regeneration/+Recovery
• (46) Numina's Convalescence - Heal
• (48) Healing IO

• (A) Endurance Modification IO
• (48) Endurance Modification IO
• (48) Endurance Modification IO

• 10% DamageBuff(Smashing)
• 10% DamageBuff(Lethal)
• 10% DamageBuff(Fire)
• 10% DamageBuff(Cold)
• 10% DamageBuff(Energy)
• 10% DamageBuff(Negative)
• 10% DamageBuff(Toxic)
• 10% DamageBuff(Psionic)
• 2.188% Defense(Smashing)
• 2.188% Defense(Lethal)
• 10.31% Defense(Fire)
• 10.31% Defense(Cold)
• 5% Defense(Energy)
• 5% Defense(Negative)
• 4.375% Defense(Melee)
• 4.375% Defense(Ranged)
• 11.25% Defense(AoE)
• 10% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
• 32% Enhancement(Accuracy)
• 5% FlySpeed
• 165.65 HP (12.37%) HitPoints
• 5% JumpHeight
• 5% JumpSpeed
• MezResist(Held) 5.5%
• MezResist(Immobilize) 7.7%
• MezResist(Sleep) 6.05%
• MezResist(Stun) 6.05%
• 3% (0.05 End/sec) Recovery
• 44% (2.46 HP/sec) Regeneration
• 2.205% Resistance(Fire)
• 2.205% Resistance(Cold)
• 1.26% Resistance(Energy)
• 4.385% Resistance(Negative)
• 5.5% Resistance(Psionic)
• 15% RunSpeed
• 2.5% XPDebtProtection

• MezResist(Immobilize) 3.3%
• 20.08 HP (1.5%) HitPoints
• 3% DamageBuff(All)

• 5% RunSpeed
• 3.125% Defense(Fire,Cold), 1.563% Defense(AoE)
• 3% Resistance(Psionic)

• 10% (0.559 HP/sec) Regeneration
• 3.125% Resistance(Negative)
• 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
• 3.125% Defense(AoE), 1.563% Defense(Fire), 1.563% Defense(Cold)

• MezResist(Sleep) 2.2%
• 20.08 HP (1.5%) HitPoints
• MezResist(Stun) 2.2%
• MezResist(Held) 2.75%

• 2% DamageBuff(All)
• 1.26% Resistance(Energy,Negative)

• 5% RunSpeed
• 3.125% Defense(Fire,Cold), 1.563% Defense(AoE)
• 2.5% XPDebtProtection
• 3.125% Defense(AoE), 1.563% Defense(Fire), 1.563% Defense(Cold)

• 25.1 HP (1.874%) HitPoints
• 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)

• 12% (0.671 HP/sec) Regeneration
• 25.1 HP (1.874%) HitPoints

• 1% (0.017 End/sec) Recovery
• 1.25% Defense(Energy,Negative), 0.625% Defense(Ranged)
• 1% DamageBuff(All)

• 2% DamageBuff(All)

• MezResist(Sleep) 2.2%
• 20.08 HP (1.5%) HitPoints
• MezResist(Stun) 2.2%
• MezResist(Held) 2.75%
• 2.5% Defense(Melee), 1.25% Defense(Lethal), 1.25% Defense(Smashing)

• MezResist(Immobilize) 2.2%
• 15.06 HP (1.125%) HitPoints
• 7% Enhancement(Accuracy)
• 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
• 2.5% Resistance(Psionic)

• MezResist(Immobilize) 2.2%
• 1.26% Resistance(Fire,Cold)
• 2% DamageBuff(All)
• 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
• 2.5% Defense(Ranged), 1.25% Defense(Energy), 1.25% Defense(Negative)

• 10% (0.559 HP/sec) Regeneration
• 15.06 HP (1.125%) HitPoints

• MezResist(Sleep) 1.65%
• 0.945% Resistance(Fire,Cold)
• MezResist(Stun) 1.65%
• 1.875% Defense(AoE), 0.938% Defense(Fire), 0.938% Defense(Cold)
• 1.875% Defense(Melee), 0.938% Defense(Lethal), 0.938% Defense(Smashing)

• 5% JumpSpeed, 5% JumpHeight, 5% FlySpeed, 5% RunSpeed
• 25.1 HP (1.874%) HitPoints

• 2% (0.033 End/sec) Recovery
• 2.5% Defense(Energy,Negative), 1.25% Defense(Ranged)
• 7% Enhancement(Accuracy)

• 12% (0.671 HP/sec) Regeneration

Definitely room for improvement there. I THINK a build by Ramia Angriffe and modified slightly by Iggy Kamakaze may be just what the doctor ordered, and I'm guessing can be done on your budget The biggest thing is probably the survivability increase by getting to the soft cap. However, the attack choices, slotting, and resulting chain should give you a significant bump in damage output as well. There are better builds out there at higher price points, but I think this one is pretty impressive for a "cheap" build. The Dark Regeneration isn't as good as yours, but I think you'll find you need it far less often. It does not, alas, have Laser Beam Eyes. I'd probably swap out Soul Transfer for it, and just suffer with accuracy in the default slot. It's not a damage dealer; it's just a convenience when you need to hit someone at range.

You could probably run up to +4x8 with the easier enemy groups with the attached build.

I'd personally go with the cardiac alpha boost. I think the endurance drain running all out on this build without it could be pretty fierce. If you don't mind chugging blues, Spiritual might be a good alternative to bring back Dark Regeneration faster and buff your regeneration. Cardiac would be a direct damage boost and would at least help endurance a little.

Oh, your attack chain with this build is Divine Avalanche -> Gambler's Cut -> Golden Dragonfly -> Gambler's Cut -> Soaring Dragon -> Gambler's Cut. When defense debuffed, throw another Divine Avalanche -> Gambler's Cut in there before Soaring Dragon, or just spam Divine Avalanche. Use The Lotus Drops liberally in Crowds.

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Alrighty, thank you very much for that.

I had never considered Leadership for a predominantly solo toon. I'm somewhat surprised not to see Hasten in there though I suspect it's become much less of an absolute must have now compared to several years ago.

That's going to be 10 toggles? The Cardial Alpha sounds about right, along with a chunk of blues

So do the levels of IOs not make a difference? Instead of all 50s there are lots of lower levels in here (and I see this all over the place in builds now) so I'm guessing the answer is that it doesn't make a difference or that the set bonus makes up for any difference.

I'm gonna go and chuck the basics of this into a build and have a gander through the marketplace for a price idea.

Appreciate the help!

Leadership is necessary to get every tiny bit of defense you can get out of the build, in addition to things like Weave, Combat Jumping, and/or Hover (Hover and Combat Jumping stack! Give it a try if you don't mind having Hover on all the time while fighting). Katana/DA is one of the harder power combinations to build, I've found, due to the difficulty of reaching soft cap in a predominantly non-defensive set. However, the reward for reaching that soft-cap goal is well worth it.

That said, your presumption that Kat/DA is not a strong power combination isn't quite true. The way I'd put it is that Kat/DA can be as strong as you want it to be. With a proper build, Katana/DA can be one of the toughest power combinations in the entire game (I've heard some talk of /Inv or /Regen perhaps being slightly stronger with a proper build, but I think at that point it's more about what situation these builds are in than anything else).

A good reference thread for Kat/DA builds is this one: http://boards.cityofheroes.com//showthread.php?t=189427

Three pages of BS/DA and Kat/DA builds, most of which are trying to reach a defensive cap one way or another, with all sorts of builds in there, from ridiculously cheap builds to obscenely expensive ones (Mine tended more towards the expensive side...). Take a look through it, try looking at as many builds as you can in Mids. You'll start to see some of the tricks and slotting people are using to achieve a soft-capped build, and what it will take to make a build of your own.

IO levels matter, but the performance difference between a 35 and a 50 isn't huge. I always use 50s because I don't care about price, I don't care about exemplaring, and I do care about every last tenth of a percent in every power. But lower levels are cheaper and allow you to exemplar well, something many people value, such as for running the lower level task forces.

I'd love to have Hasten in a build like this. I haven't seen a way to fit it in without losing things that I consider more important.

I consider a properly-built Katana/Dark one of the toughest Scrapper combinations in the game. Not THE toughest, which I'll give to Dark/Invuln (depending on enemy, of course), but very, very high on the list. I carved through eleven Praetorian Archvillains in a row on mine in I17 with no temporary powers, no inspirations, and no deaths. I did a double Rikti War Zone Challenge, again in I17. I also survived four giant monsters in I19 with the uncommon alpha for about ten minutes, then upped the ante to six and survived another three minutes or so before they finally put me down. I plan to get a video of that at some point. Good Tankers and good Dark/Invulns can do even better, but it's very, very solid. Well... outside of heavy defense debuffs, anyway. But everyone has their Achilles' heel.

Alright, thanks again all. I'm looking through some options in Mids and pricing things up on the market (wow some prices have really gone up!). I got a purple drop earlier today so I've an good few extra million to chuck into this which is nice.

One question strikes now; can I chuck Blessing of the Zephyr: Knockback Protection into Sprints? Using the example build above, I'd rather slot Sprint for the bonus set there and simply take something - anything - else instead of SJ. No problems doubling Hover and Combat Jumping as suggested too.