Characters Who Alpha Slots Totally Transform
By
Adelie,
Posted on: 2011-02-10 23:31 in Archetypes and Powers General Discussion
What, no Level Shift yet?
Speeding Through New DA Repeatables || Spreadsheet o' Enhancements || Zombie Skins: better skins for these forums || Guide to Guides
Quote:
Ooh 35% defense! |
Originally Posted by Oedipus_Tex
So for a good while I've had an Ice/Radiation Controller (code name: "Radio Iceotope"). I have a strange affection for Ice Control because, while not all that powerful, it is so unlike any power set/spell caster class I've seen in a game. My Ice/Rad has plodded through most of his life as an "average-at-best" Controller, unable to solo in any capacity until after level 45, and for all that damage he gave up, hardly the best of Controllers either.
Ice Control, I think most of us know, is a melee heavy set that requires taking a lot of chances to survive. Paradoxically, it also has a relatively fragile pet and uses too much endurance to really slot armors. Or so it used to be before Cardiacs... With the magic of incarnate sauce, I have stumbled across a build that gives me capped Ranged defense and enough recharge to gain perma mezz protection. This build would have been unthinkable six months ago. But this is the dawn of a new age! I'm not going to go into a whole lot of detail about what happens when a character has perma mezz protection, capped ranged defense, 2 PBAoE holds, Arctic Air, Choking Cloud, Ice Slick, a self heal, enough -Recharge to floor a group of +4 enemies, and the indecency to wear underroos into mortal combat. While I still can't kill anything quickly... this is a totally different character. My other characters have changed somewhat, but this one completely transformed. EDIT: Best part. The build ISN'T DONE. I'm riding at 35% defense until I bother to work up the cash for the final sets. |
Yeah my trapper with level shift and 60% defense was being hit at 95% chance by minions in the BAF preview.
Defense may be meaningless again soon.
When something good happens to me, I can never enjoy it....
I am always too busy looking for the inevitable punchline...
BEHOLD THE POWER OF CHEESE!
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Test_Rat
Ooh 35% defense!
Yeah my trapper with level shift and 60% defense was being hit at 95% chance by minions in the BAF preview. Defense may be meaningless again soon. |
I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic or serious.
But yeah an Ice Controller with 35% defense (or the 45% I'm working toward) is quite a different thing than a Trapper. I don't expect to be a god of raiders but this character certainly gained a lot more ground than my others, largely due to overcoming endurance burdens holding Ice Control back from taking many toggles.
Quote:
Is that because of ACC or def debuff? (also, that's 60% def in which types/positionals? deff debuff may be sneaking through undefended directions) That's a very important consideration.
|
Originally Posted by Test_Rat
Ooh 35% defense!
Yeah my trapper with level shift and 60% defense was being hit at 95% chance by minions in the BAF preview. Defense may be meaningless again soon. |
Quote:
From the posts in the BAF feedback thread, it sounds like it's because of tohit.
|
Originally Posted by Signpost
Is that because of ACC or def debuff? (also, that's 60% def in which types/positionals? deff debuff may be sneaking through undefended directions) That's a very important consideration.
|
Before I got my Cardiac, I'd be sucking wind every fight because I like to run leadership toggles and spam AoE attacks. My AoE chain is very inefficient because I use Terrify slotted up for damage, so after about 4 attacks and an AoE Hold, I have zero end.
Now I can basically spam anything all day long and never run out. I could fight two spawns back to back with nothing but my AoE chain and still have half my end bar. The level shift made me over-f**king-powered.
Earth/Sonic for sure. I would nearly bottom out casting just the two shields on everyone (Tough/Weave, Rock Armor, and the Bubble running). And this was without Disruption Field, which comes with it's own problems.
Quote:
I have pretty much the same on my ill/rad troller. Perma-IW, perma-Hasten (2-slotted), perma-PA, perma-AM and softcappped ranged def to boot. It's pretty neat indeed. |
Originally Posted by Oedipus_Tex
With the magic of incarnate sauce, I have stumbled across a build that gives me capped Ranged defense and enough recharge to gain perma mezz protection. This build would have been unthinkable six months ago. But this is the dawn of a new age!
|
Thanks to perma-PA it was already pretty awesome solo before I last respecced and put in the softcapped ranged def, but now I laugh at the stray mob that moves away from PA or the one ranged hit mobs can throw at me per minute due to the old PA disappearing as a result of being cancelled out by me casting a new PA before said new PA taunts the whole shebang again.
Definitely, definitely a fan of the new doors being opened up allround as well.
At the same time however, I sometimes miss many of the challenges that were daily business pre-i9 - before there were even IOs. The new rep settings alone don't seem to make up for it. Solo maybe, yes, to an extent. But once you're running a story arc with a proper team in which everyone has sets and level shifts and who knows what even setting the rep to +4x8 - something that was unthinkable and not even possible back then - still results in you walking right over everything pretty much with your TV remote in one hand, the other in a bowl of crisps and your nose on the attack hotkeys.
At least that's how it is in my experience these days, though not everyone might be getting that same feeling - I wouldn't know about that.
PS: One thing that is quite annoying on said ill/rad though is it keeps Hasten, AM and IW up at all times... whilst being limited to 1 power on auto - grrrr
.
Duo MoITF - 26:06 | Duo MoKahn - 25:50 | Duo MoLGTF - 29:34 |
Quote:
It seems to be tohit. I will be running today with my huntsman to get more details.|
Originally Posted by Signpost
Is that because of ACC or def debuff? (also, that's 60% def in which types/positionals? deff debuff may be sneaking through undefended directions) That's a very important consideration.
|
My trapper has 60% ranged, 45% to melee/aoe and at least 40% to all types and I was being hit as if I had no defense whatsoever.
When something good happens to me, I can never enjoy it....
I am always too busy looking for the inevitable punchline...
BEHOLD THE POWER OF CHEESE!
Coincidentally, the toon I thought of when reading the subject line was my own Ice controller. Ice/Storm though, and for Cardiac, not Spiritual. And in fact, I wrote an ode to him on the controller boards.
To sum up: my Ice/Storm (already Ranged capped, 40's S/L, high 30's AoE & F/E/C/N) was pretty bad ***, but only for spurts. W/Cardiac, he's a non-stop mayhem machine. My Fire/Rad w/Spiritual can almost get to Perma-IW (3s down), but even if I had full perma (and yes, I know full well the ramifications of perma-IW), I don't think the difference would be as great as what Cardiac provided for my Ice/Storm.
An Offensive Guide to Ice Melee
Spines/DA scrapper. Enter Cardiac slot. Hello God-Mode.
[url="http://data.jsonline.com/sports/favre/"]Need some Favre info?[/url]
[url="http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage"]Some news maybe?[/url]
[url="http://www.packers.com/"]Packers stuff.[/url]
How can you call Ice/Rad "average at best control" with a straight face? Arctic Air + Choking Cloud, and stand in the middle of them, keeping them still with aoe imob... and I do believe it is the very best control I have every experienced in the game. Add an ice slick isntead of that imob and its even better. Or use Ice slick to lock down a 2nd mob. Add TP Foe and nothing escapes. Nuclear Zamboni is definitely one of my most powerful controllers - even comparable to my earth controllers.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Adelie
How can you call Ice/Rad "average at best control" with a straight face? Arctic Air + Choking Cloud, and stand in the middle of them, keeping them still with aoe imob... and I do believe it is the very best control I have every experienced in the game. Add an ice slick isntead of that imob and its even better. Or use Ice slick to lock down a 2nd mob. Add TP Foe and nothing escapes. Nuclear Zamboni is definitely one of my most powerful controllers - even comparable to my earth controllers.
|
Because this game is up the second you get mezzed or something shoots you from outside your PBAoEs. And the endurance costs of all of those toggles meant you couldn't get any meaningful defense despite having to play squishy-tank. Hence why dramatic reductions in endurance cost totally turned the character around.
My fire/storm is very happy with the cardiac rare. I still run out of end, it just takes a whole lot longer.
Five toggles and spamming attack powers like lightning storm and tornado with fire cages cost a lot of end.
Anyone with end problems. Remember when you grabbed Stamina and six-slotted it by 23 before ED? Yeah, Cardiac is even better.
Issue 16 made me feel like this.
Warning: This poster likes to play Devil's Advocate.
Quote:
It's been a while since I played him but "spiritchaser" was actually an Ice rad, and when IOs made def capping possible, I don't remember having too much problem getting capped ranged def and (if you count the debuff) melee as well, even while still running those toggles, plus with the mez shield from the psi epic, I don't recall much of anything mezzing him.|
Originally Posted by Oedipus_Tex
Because this game is up the second you get mezzed or something shoots you from outside your PBAoEs. And the endurance costs of all of those toggles meant you couldn't get any meaningful defense despite having to play squishy-tank. Hence why dramatic reductions in endurance cost totally turned the character around.
|
Now in fairness, he is an IO'd build. If the discussion is intended to adress SOs only then I conceed the point.
Actually I must still have some good IO's in there... I should pull those out... I could desparately use the resources...
The cake is a lie! The cake is a lie!
Quote:
If you've got the Indomitable Will on a reasonable recharge, you will avoid a lot of mezzes. However, if you rely solely on defenses then you'll come up short. Master Illusionist's Blind has no positional component. Rikti will circumvent positional defenses with Mesmerize, Dominate, Mass Hypnosis, and Total Domination. There's a very solid reason Ice/Rad is most often paired with Psi Mastery. An Ice/Rad with any other APP is likely going to get mezzed quite often even with soft-capped ranged defense. The point of ranged defense is much more to mitigate damage outside the radius of CC/AA.|
Originally Posted by Spiritchaser
It's been a while since I played him but "spiritchaser" was actually an Ice rad, and when IOs made def capping possible, I don't remember having too much problem getting capped ranged def and (if you count the debuff) melee as well, even while still running those toggles, plus with the mez shield from the psi epic, I don't recall much of anything mezzing him.
Now in fairness, he is an IO'd build. If the discussion is intended to adress SOs only then I conceed the point. Actually I must still have some good IO's in there... I should pull those out... I could desparately use the resources... |
For me, I haven't had a major game changer with the alpha slot though it has helped my mind/energy/fire dom considerably with her endurance consumption. I find the alpha slot helps most often if your build has one prominent weak point.
whom*
Gratz on your new build.
Infinity and Victory mostly
dUmb, etc.
lolz PvP anymore, Market PvP for fun and profit
My fire/rad is sitting on the 45% Cardiac rare.
Hot Feet + Choking Cloud + all my toggle debuffs while still attacking? OH YEAH!
Running it during my fire/rads group? OH BABY! OH BABY!
I can basically mash buttons like the Endurance bar didn't exist.
Clicking on the linked image above will take you off the City of Heroes site. However, the guides will be linked back here.
Storm Summoning, meet Cardiac.
Now make sweet love to it...
Virtue - @Carlin
If it's not on fire yet, you're not trying hard enough!
When he got his Cardiac slotted, my Son/Son Defender went from "runs out of breath like a 2-pack/day smoker" directly to "sssssmmmmoking!" There was no in-between. 
Later on,
Gate
@Generator
Mostly Pinnacle, with scattered alts on Liberty, Freedom, and Justice.
I had a great time playing with you!
Quote:
[EDIT: Removed a statement that was snarkier than intended, not aimed at person I'm quoting. My apologies.]|
Originally Posted by Spiritchaser
It's been a while since I played him but "spiritchaser" was actually an Ice rad, and when IOs made def capping possible, I don't remember having too much problem getting capped ranged def and (if you count the debuff) melee as well, even while still running those toggles, plus with the mez shield from the psi epic, I don't recall much of anything mezzing him.
Now in fairness, he is an IO'd build. If the discussion is intended to adress SOs only then I conceed the point. Actually I must still have some good IO's in there... I should pull those out... I could desparately use the resources... |
I'd have to see the build. IMO fast recharge in IW is more important than the capped Ranged defense. I'm not saying it's not possible, but I have never seen an Ice/Rad Controller build that had both together prior to Cardiacs. I wasn't even sure I'd be able to pull it off because my previous builds for the character had all been pure-Recharge. The character is using 2.87 end/sec WITH Cardiacs, so I'm not sure what other people could have done. Especially before Stamina was inherent. If they had those builds, they were holding out on those of us on the troller boards.
I'm not big on talking about builds without providing up specific examples, so here is the current 'cheaper' version of the build that does not use the expensive PVP +defense IO. Buying that would close my 1% defense "hole" and let me slot slightly more efficiently. There are some personal decisions in the build (like which powers to slot for damage and whether to keep EM Pulse over invisibility via Super Speed) that other people would have to weigh for themselves. Also note the six slotted purples in AA, which I would never ever ever do without Cardiacs. There is also a sub-version which changes slotting in Choking Cloud to grant more end reduction but loses the bonuses.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.92
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Radio Iceotope REAL: Level 50 Magic Controller
Primary Power Set: Ice Control
Secondary Power Set: Radiation Emission
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Leaping
Ancillary Pool: Psionic Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Block of Ice -- BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold:30(A), BasGaze-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold:30(3), BasGaze-Acc/Hold:30(5), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold:30(11)
Level 1: Radiant Aura -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx:50(A), Numna-EndRdx/Rchg:50(3), Numna-Heal/Rchg:50(15), Numna-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg:50(25), Numna-Heal:50(37), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+:50(46)
Level 2: Radiation Infection -- DarkWD-ToHitDeb:50(A), DarkWD-Rchg/EndRdx:50(36), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/EndRdx:50(39), DarkWD-ToHitdeb/Rchg/EndRdx:50(50)
Level 4: Accelerate Metabolism -- P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg:50(A), Efficacy-EndMod/Rchg:50(5)
Level 6: Arctic Air -- CoPers-Conf%:50(A), CoPers-Conf/EndRdx:50(7), CoPers-Acc/Rchg:50(7), CoPers-Conf/Rchg:50(9), CoPers-Acc/Conf/Rchg:50(9), CoPers-Conf:50(13)
Level 8: Frostbite -- GravAnch-Immob/Rchg:50(A), GravAnch-Acc/Immob/Rchg:50(11), GravAnch-Acc/Rchg:50(13), GravAnch-Immob/EndRdx:50(15), GravAnch-Hold%:50(17)
Level 10: Hasten -- RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(17)
Level 12: Ice Slick -- Range-I:50(A)
Level 14: Chilblain -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg:50(19), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(19), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx:50(21), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(21), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(23)
Level 16: Boxing -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg:50(A), Stpfy-EndRdx/Stun:50(25), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx:50(31), Stpfy-Stun/Rng:50(34), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg:50(39), Stpfy-KB%:50(39)
Level 18: Enervating Field -- EndRdx-I:50(A)
Level 20: Maneuvers -- LkGmblr-Rchg+:50(A), HO:Enzym(23)
Level 22: Lingering Radiation -- TmpRdns-Acc/Slow:50(A)
Level 24: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Rchg+:50(A)
Level 26: Glacier -- Lock-Acc/Hold:50(A), Lock-Acc/Rchg:50(27), Lock-%Hold:50(27), Lock-Rchg/Hold:50(36), Lock-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold:50(36), Lock-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold:50(37)
Level 28: Choking Cloud -- UbrkCons-Hold/Rchg:50(A), UbrkCons-Acc/Hold/Rchg:50(29), UbrkCons-Acc/Rchg:50(29), UbrkCons-EndRdx/Hold:50(31), UbrkCons-Dam%:50(31), Lock-%Hold:50(34)
Level 30: Tough -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+:30(A)
Level 32: Jack Frost -- ExRmnt-Dmg/EndRdx:50(A), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg:50(33), ExRmnt-Acc/Rchg:50(33), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(33), ExRmnt-+Res(Pets):50(34), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg:50(40)
Level 35: Weave -- LkGmblr-Rchg+:50(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg:50(40), RedFtn-EndRdx:50(40), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:50(43), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg:50(43), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx:50(43)
Level 38: Super Speed -- Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx:50(A)
Level 41: Indomitable Will -- RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(42), RechRdx-I:50(42), LkGmblr-Rchg+:50(42)
Level 44: Mental Blast -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(45), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(45), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx:50(45), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg:50(46), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(46)
Level 47: Psionic Tornado -- Ragnrk-Dmg/Rchg:50(A), Ragnrk-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(48), Ragnrk-Acc/Rchg:50(48), FrcFbk-Rechg%:50(48), Ragnrk-Dmg/EndRdx:50(50), Ragnrk-Dmg:50(50)
Level 49: Mind Over Body -- TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx:50(A)
Level 0: Portal Jockey
Level 0: The Atlas Medallion
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Clrty-Stlth:50(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Containment
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Mrcl-Rcvry+:40(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod-I:50(A), EndMod-I:50(37)
Code:
| Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| |MxDz;1422;695;1390;HEX;| |78DA6593594F135114C7EF74A622A5A5D4B20A8552560BD456501F8D62D11A5028E| |09358C732C024D869DA9AE893B83DFA64E212032E2F7E03A37C09971835F13328B8| |2F2FF5CCFFDC424D27EDFD9DF9DFB3DCB9E7DE894B47DD42AC1C124ADDE8B29ECFA| |746AD4C21672D2F1B39E784BE68A6FD497DDEB48289B46115ACAC114CC60F8F5709| |21DAB71D4B3111722AD9A1B2E92317171622761ABD605A9954FC8299CF93E14B649| |68C9C9129444A866BD2A22CD359C398F7C01C3317970A6666D18BB771439F3772F9| |2533EB2EBD6769B23E9E35D391493BA5994E4DE8F98291BBDC4C4BECA7FF5D45C8A| |7A88A0F0E2102C2F11ED0DE02AE77C049DB0FBE45A7982223261C49A0761A689E01| |BA6781A1D3C0291A158E5295670E5BEA7A01F4AE03B1E7C024F9A8ECA7A8B72169B| |780FBA43A655DA70E69C739460AD839C7380BB8CF00F728A28ABF4AAB9A82E44AB2| |C334503B03D4CD0221F2AD96E5AB070466180F48ADE144A2260CE90E491E969C9E5| |548BB1E329E00F56B8CC740E32340A1125E19E5BDC23BB602B45F053AAF01BDD719| |37007BA37DBC30E1EB44221F25F2CBB5FA1BE0D57890DE3455D88D68908B6D78CA5| |3E4DD241334B1F72A8D2D72252D3FF0FDBB7F32FE72877E31FE00DDBF01BBBBADB2| |0FAD71486D638C6340FB714602E8E4542A950FC8F2017B1D01B14663872CDFF1055| |EC14DC606E32B67F80EF47DE3D3408942B27C88BFA3AF86E105C21E869BE102BA28| |AA476E48CF47247AA5D2B99727B29F7BBCE77F70F697E437209739C05D1EE4860E7| |29707B9CB43DCFA21EEF21B8A8AC8A8C8300AEE1D61EC67DCE4637F80B10F784D51| |51B94BD130CAB7695BD7927EF488716DEB02D261E55BA3498524054E81EDB062751| |DDD2969CFB9ECE3C2F6F932FB936BEB7ECA0C9F2B948D72E504197D62735B529420| |BEBC9B11AD5877B8428955282315CA7085620FC57F66B8FD1C| |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
Quote:
On my Incarnate build, I literally can't play my Son/Son w/o his Cardiac. He runs like 9 or 10 toggles (Son stuff, Leadership, Tough & Weave, epic armor--S/L res cap + ranged def cap FTW!), and basically has almost zero net recovery. W/Cardiac, esp at T3 now, he's rolling along no prob.
|
Originally Posted by Gatecrasher
When he got his Cardiac slotted, my Son/Son Defender went from "runs out of breath like a 2-pack/day smoker" directly to "sssssmmmmoking!" There was no in-between.
|
An Offensive Guide to Ice Melee
Quote:
... You know, that's a very good point. Now I need to dust off my spines/DA and push the last few levels to 50.
|
Originally Posted by Cheeze_Head
Spines/DA scrapper. Enter Cardiac slot. Hello God-Mode.
|
Tech support IRL, CLR/DRU/MED/WHM/PRI/DEF. Hmm, I sense a pattern...
S 80% E 80% A 40% K 0%
A few of my alts
So for a good while I've had an Ice/Radiation Controller (code name: "Radio Iceotope"). I have a strange affection for Ice Control because, while not all that powerful, it is so unlike any power set/spell caster class I've seen in a game. My Ice/Rad has plodded through most of his life as an "average-at-best" Controller, unable to solo in any capacity until after level 45, and for all that damage he gave up, hardly the best of Controllers either.
Ice Control, I think most of us know, is a melee heavy set that requires taking a lot of chances to survive. Paradoxically, it also has a relatively fragile pet and uses too much endurance to really slot armors. Or so it used to be before Cardiacs...
With the magic of incarnate sauce, I have stumbled across a build that gives me capped Ranged defense and enough recharge to gain perma mezz protection. This build would have been unthinkable six months ago. But this is the dawn of a new age!
I'm not going to go into a whole lot of detail about what happens when a character has perma mezz protection, capped ranged defense, 2 PBAoE holds, Arctic Air, Choking Cloud, Ice Slick, a self heal, enough -Recharge to floor a group of +4 enemies, and the indecency to wear underroos into mortal combat. While I still can't kill anything quickly... this is a totally different character. My other characters have changed somewhat, but this one completely transformed.
EDIT: Best part. The build ISN'T DONE. I'm riding at 35% defense until I bother to work up the cash for the final sets.