Questions from a MM-newbie.

Alright, I'll admit it right off the bat. I never play Masterminds.

Well, I built one of every AT for Virtue, because I'm an RP junkie, but they're all concept based, and as a result, my MM is a Mercs/Thermal.

My problem is that playing as her feels... weak, honestly. I've heard that Mercs is a strong DPS primary, but they don't feel that spectacular, and my shields don't do much for their surviveability, so I wind up slowed to a crawl as I wait for her End to recharge so she can keep up with the healing auras she has to spam. She's about level 20, so I figured I"d come here and ask the experts.

Are there any tricks that would make Mercs/Thermal a bit more fun, or a different playstyle I should be aiming for, or are the two just not very compatible? Or perhaps do they come into their own later, and I should just tough it out until later in the game?

What, in short, should I expect?

I'm not sure about Mercs/Thermal in particular but the low 20s is a VERY rough time for most Masterminds. Your minions have dropped to -2 to your level, you still only have one lieutenant and you don't have SOs yet.

With that in mind I'd stay stick with it, the next few levels will really help. At 22 you get SOs which will help a lot with End usage and make your shields a lot better. At 24 you will get your second Spec Ops which should help with damage. Finally at 26 you'll get your Commando for even more damage.

So in other words, this four-to-six-level period just sucks for MM?

Alright. Any advice, then, for how to play, if not the specific combination then just tips for either the primary or how I can best utilize the secondary?

Level 20-24 is a rough period. My mastermind with thermal took assault in the teens. It's easier now with inherent stamina to take leadership earlier. Level 24 is the second spec ops, level 26 command, and importantly, level 28 boiler plate forge in your build. This will help your damage, too.

Another trick is to put achille's heals resistance debuff in your pets to increase damage.

Tips for Mercs:

1. Serum sucks. Just don't bother.
2. Always take new pet and upgrade powers as they become available.
3. Your pets should have three modes: Defensive Follow (Default), Defensive Attack Target (focus fire), and Aggressive Follow (Everyone shoot everything)
4. Your attacks are okay, but if you're having to heal, you won't have much time to use them, so don't worry about it.

I've had more MM's stall out at the 20-22 level range than any other AT for the reasons described. The only one that didn't seem to notice and continued to steamroll everything was my Necro/Dark thanks to the
-tohit.

I'll second the suggestion to get the Pet uniques as soon as you can. I prefer to go with the +res and +def ones myself, as it makes them that much more survivable and lets me focus on more than healing.

My strategy of choice is to unlock capes and costume slot at 20. This usually gets me to 21 solo. Then I start the new arcs in Talos, mainly Nance and Cooling. They're new enough and engaging so I don't notice the slow down as much. Generally when I finsh with those arcs, maybe adding Adair in, I'm usually at 22 and then it's off for SO's which will improve things significantly!

I agree with Biowraith. I wish there were a way each of the masterminds could get a recharge intensive pet like the posse and hell on earth. Even the extraction on necros isn't a bad place to put the uniques. Mercs need something like a 'local militia' that rushes in to support the mercs instead of serum. Robots could get something like box of gears that the clockwork have in lower levels of hero mission content. Are there any suggestions for the ninja guys - perhaps something like the multiplication illusion trick that Loki used in Thor ?

Psylenz is right. Its really annoying that RIP slots are usable on most MM combinations. Any pet should just be able to slot them, it won't change anything for the guys at the top and it'll help bring some of the weaker combinations up.

Seriously aren't most first tier pets "recharge intensive pets"?

In the low levels you could get some extra xp on teh streets with ease with a mm without ANY risks. Stand on a high point and have all pets out. Then select the furthest enemy you can target and send teh pets to there... when the target shows its dead select the one close to the pets and attack again.

Killing many for nice xp from miles and miles away Like a real mastermind. I had lots of fun in the low levels this way. Got me an extra few levels in between. . to survive some missions.

Well ever since the devs nerfed the AI of ranged pets to force them to run into melee its been rough for all ranged based Pets classes (Bots, Mercs, Thugs) as stay doesn't work at all unless they are in passive. But for endurance problems make sure you have 3 slots in your Stamina and I recommend putting a end reduction into your heal powers and buffs. That should lower the problem with you running out of End.

You can build for recharge in the pets' SUMMONS, it just doesn't affect the recharge of the pets' abilities.