Yes! I finally solo my first real AV with Ninja/FF. The new change in ff buffs makes it more possible because I had severe endurance issue during long fight. I throw Smoke Flash all the time to add more dps.
I un-slot my tier 3 alpha. I only use Envenom Dagger and one Staff attack. It took me a while but I finally soloed Black Scorpian at lvl 50. I got more set bonuses for more +recovery and +defense for myself.
Before Black Scorpian, I almost took down Silver Mantis but that's with tier 3 Musculature. She actually used her god mode 3 times! I think I could take her down eventually but my friend got bored and joined me.
I respec and took Tough instead of repel aura. It makes a pretty big difference because Silver Mantis likes to target me.
What's left is to normalize all Assassin Strikes and improve Stalker's old sets (Claw, MA and EM)! You don't need to bring back the missing PbAoE attack. You just need to make the existing ones better! For example, make Slice a WIDER and LONGER cone.
The AoE buffs for forcefields are amazing. I have an FF/Elec Blast Defender and I often tag team with my friend on his Mercs / Traps MM when we want an easy night of gameplay. Between his FF drone and my own bubbles, plus dispersion bubble, his soldiers are just untouchable by the enemies. I literally only have to stand there. Since I got Manouvres, heck, he doesn't even need his FF drone any more.
Its a very lazy style of gameplay, but its quite amazing watching his trigger soldiers just cut a swath of destruction through the enemies with absolute impunity.
I gather though that MM buffs on Forcefields won't be quite as good as a Defender's more than likely, but even so, IMO any kind of forcefield that can be put up around you is helpful
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I used to think /FF is a "lazy" set. Well, with the old version, you had to keep bubble up on each pet and if you are Defender, you may need to keep bubbles up on most of the teammates. That's not really "lazy". That's "boring" in my opinion. |
Originally Posted by BigBoss Eyepatch
Its a very lazy style of gameplay, but its quite amazing watching his trigger soldiers just cut a swath of destruction through the enemies with absolute impunity. I gather though that MM buffs on Forcefields won't be quite as good as a Defender's more than likely, but even so, IMO any kind of forcefield that can be put up around you is helpful |
Now after the change, I cast once or twice and I have a lot more time to attack myself! On my Ninja/FF, I just constantly cast smoke flash.
Yes, MM's force field buffs are almost half effective comparing to Defender's version but MM can cast on his pets, which is almost like casting on yourself. Defender can't cast the two shields on himself.
The new buff makes MM pets more effective in general because other people's buffs benefit them. Nobody really buffed my MM's pets one by one unless it's in duo situation.
The group buff change is amazing because /ff is now "enjoyable". I am no longer a buff-bot every 4mins.
What's left is to normalize all Assassin Strikes and improve Stalker's old sets (Claw, MA and EM)! You don't need to bring back the missing PbAoE attack. You just need to make the existing ones better! For example, make Slice a WIDER and LONGER cone.
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I had my FF Defender pre upgrade, and found it frstrating on a team of 8 to get them all bubbled as they are all moving about etc. Now though its great, got a small macro that says "group together in a bunch and hold still for a second so I can Forcefield you" and thats it, done. MM pets, the lot. The people I group with regularly love my Defender, she's an animated Purple insp that keeps on insping.|
Originally Posted by Jibikao
I used to think /FF is a "lazy" set. Well, with the old version, you had to keep bubble up on each pet and if you are Defender, you may need to keep bubbles up on most of the teammates. That's not really "lazy". That's "boring" in my opinion.
Now after the change, I cast once or twice and I have a lot more time to attack myself! On my Ninja/FF, I just constantly cast smoke flash. Yes, MM's force field buffs are almost half effective comparing to Defender's version but MM can cast on his pets, which is almost like casting on yourself. Defender can't cast the two shields on himself. The new buff makes MM pets more effective in general because other people's buffs benefit them. Nobody really buffed my MM's pets one by one unless it's in duo situation. The group buff change is amazing because /ff is now "enjoyable". I am no longer a buff-bot every 4mins. |
Now though between Dispersion bubble and manouvres I get about 25% defence for me, my teammates are all up to the softcap. Between all my bubbles. Whenever Im on with my mates, they always ask I bring "bubbles" as she is now affectionately known.
Forcefields rule.
Oh yes! I just soloed a pylon on my Ninja/FF. I thought I would die for sure because pylon's aoe damage is so high and I don't have bodyguard/taunt.
I was using tier 4 Musculature and tier 1 Reactive and some envenom dagger.
I know soloing pylon doesn't seem like a big deal nowadays but I never thought my Ninja/FF could do it. Definitely not before the group aoe buff because I would have ran out of endurance for sure.
I've tried it with Merc/Poison, Necro/Pain and Merc/Storm and they all failed pretty bad (I don't use taunt). The aoe damage is so high that the +resistance doesn't work. I either run out of endurance or not doing enough damage 'cause I am always resummoning/reupgrading.
Ninja's damage is really quite high.
What's left is to normalize all Assassin Strikes and improve Stalker's old sets (Claw, MA and EM)! You don't need to bring back the missing PbAoE attack. You just need to make the existing ones better! For example, make Slice a WIDER and LONGER cone.
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Yeah. It's really hard to keep them grouped, because they like to spread out, but they've all got to be standing right by each other to get the bonuses. That's true for Thugs builds in general, though. I make a GoTo macro that just moves the enforcers, and then keep them snuggled up right next to my Bruiser at all times. |
Originally Posted by SpacePope
Oh, I'm not complaining about the stats, sorry if I presented it that way. It was mostly a question of curiousity.
I'm at level 35, so I've got plenty of defense going around. It's not that the minions are dying too fast. Well, except the arsonist, as noted. I can't really explain what it is. I'm just not liking the feel. Which is terribly vauge, I know. |
Getting the patron AOE immobilize later on is kind of a Godsend.
Don't make a FF you dummy GOD