Robots/Traps, your tactics vs. /x8?

Overall i'm really satisfied with my Robots/Traps. I'm soloing at +2/x8 since lvl 27. Pets are softcapped and i'm close to. Only problem i have is to find the right tactic to hold the NPCs together. First tatic was placing my Traps and using Provoke to pull the enemies to me and my Bots. Then at lvl28 i switched to different tactic and now i use the Seeker Drones to take the Alpha and jump in to place my Traps in the middle of the Spawn. Then i provoke, provoke, resummon Traps, provoke, provoke, call that stupid Battle Drone back only to see it run away again a second later, provoke....most of the time it ends in a big chaos. What disturbs me is that i don't find a way to keep the Mobs together. They split in groups and i end using provoke in all directions. It's hard to keep the Aggro that way and to avoid that my Robots don't split up in all directions.

I'm very interested to hear what tactics you use if you fight large spawns. Maybe there are some tricks to make it all less chaotic, to keep the Mobs and the Pets closer together.

Team Teleport, i thought about that before. I only don't know how to get it into my build. ATM i have the Speedpool/Hasten, Fighting Pool which gives me >10% DEF and Knockback Protection, Leadership/Maneuvers to softcap my Pets and Presence/Provoke. If i don't want to loose survivability the only Way would be to skip Hasten or Provoke, mmmmh, i'm not sure.
With the more than stupid Pet-AI...can't imagine that it works so well without Provoke.
Hasten? I don't like Hasten, but atm i don't have the Recharge to live without it. I think later when i start to use more IO-Sets skipping Hasten would be an option for me.

I'd never drop Provoke. It's not about the stupid pets, it's about the smart enemies. I want them hitting me, not my pets.

I don't have the fighting pool, but for what it's worth, I'm considering dropping teleport entirely to pick up hasten, superspeed, and aid self (already have aid other (it's way better than Repair)).

Hehe, my dream-MM. Softcapped to all + Aid Other/Self + Team Teleport/Recall Friend + Provoke + Permahasten + softcapped Pets

WTB the possibilty to use 6 Pools......:-)

In response to the team teleport...

I do use that tactic on my ninja/storm, and for a group of henchies that are generally all over the place, they are right in the thick of it always, no provoke necessary... this however may be because of storms massive agro.

I've often thought about adding it to my bots/traps... but I don't have it in the build to give up anything. It is lots of fun though and takes the micromanaging out of MM pets.

I have found on my /traps toons that having the chance for hold procs in both PGT and Acid Mortar will do a lot to keep things bunched up.

Normally I lead with seekers, move in and drop Acid then PGT and finish off with caltrops.

This will keep any normal size spawn locked down for a good 6 seconds. That doesn't sound like long but with the aoe that the bots put out it tends to be long enough so that only hard targets are left.

For extra giggles toss the chance for KD proc into caltrops

I started dropping seeker drones ABOVE the mobs heads. They don't notice the first one and they get hit. They then fire on the second seeker.. So I find your getting the benefit of seeker drones absorbing the alpha strike, but also have a chance of the drone take effect as well.

As was mentioned Provoke alone is not gonna help. I use trip mines and I have Oppressive Gloom ( OG ) working. O.G. without pets is 15 points of damage, with all 3 pets you and your pets are all getting 1 point of damage. But I notice I am stunning all sorts of mobs including those in the incarnate missions. Though I turn it off during prisoner escape. I have stunned a few team mates if I got confused.

I spam all pets stay to try to keep the pets behind me. Which works to keep them out of aggro and getting all mixed up during the fights. I hot keyed the command so I can spam it while still using the mouse to place traps.

Solo I might loose 1 pet during a 4/8 mission setting which is usually that one Tier 1 bot that always runs off.

Personally I have defense cap without the pets. It's a personal preference. I don't like having that delay of waiting for the protector bots to buff you since your the last person on their list. Go figure your the boss but last on the buff list right behind the FFG. Plus from what I read the new defense cap for incarnate is 50 something, think 59. The buff from pets puts me at 54 or something like that.

Caltrops is your friend. No, really, Caltrops is your FRIEND. Melee mobs? You just won the game thanks to Caltrops. Enemies closing in? Caltrops. Bots getting swarmed? Caltrops (maybe some detonator/mines).

i use electric fences + provoke to keep them together this is after seekers

I just got Electric Fences so it doesn't really have any slotting yet, but at this point I'm not sure it makes much of a difference. Seekers, PT, Provoke (if mobs are not held), Acid, Caltrops, Provoke has been great for some time now.

ATM I am going Seekers, PT, EF, Provoke (if mobs are not held), Acid, Caltrops. Provoke.

I toss in PG here and there, but I really only have it for the Stupefy bonus.

HOLY CRAP GUYS!

Get the reactive chance for damage interface. It procs for each malla falla tick that caltrops produces.

You want aggro? You got aggro.

Thanks to all the new incarnate stuff, my Mastermind doesn't fight anything at less than +2/x8, and I only have T3 stuff as it is. And that +2/x8 setting is still a casual stroll in the park. I can bump it to +4 and still handle any enemy type now.

That's ludicrous.

ION is pretty nice as well.

I never noticed the caltrops. I need to take a look and see as I have reactive as well.

If they tighten up the Pet AI one day, it will make Robot Traps that much better. Like having speakers on 11.