Slotting help


Bonnes

 

Posted

Greetings,

I have fallen in love with stalkers. I don't know what it is about the set, it just clicks with me in game. I will freely admit, I've read a lot here, so I went with one of the stronger sets. KM/EA for my combo. I'm at level 37 at time of this writing and my SG had told me to wait til 38 for IO slotting. That said, I'm excited about getting the real damage output and procs and such from IO's into my build. Unfortunately... I don't know what to look for.

"But SB! Why don't you just download Mids?"

Mids is a nice, solid tool.. if you know what you're doing. Kinda hard to hammer the nail, if you don't know what nail to use though.

So, can someone give me an idea of general IO sets to look for? I abuse the 100% crit for burst, love concentrated strike, etc etc.. I just don't know what to try and put in when I can see 4 different melee sets, yanno?


 

Posted

Well, I happen to have a KM/EA. There are a variety of ways to go, but I went for softcapping defense and +hp because I was trying to cap hit points and ignore Overload.

Because of what the sets are, I would also disagree with waiting to IO the character - most of the key sets cap at 35 or below.

Key sets for softcapping are Kinetic Combat to boost S/L defense, and I use Pounding Slugfest and Pulverizing Fisticuffs for E/N defense (Thunderstrike works well also). I throw in a few Aegis for F/C defense and a Steadfast Protection +defense to help everything, and Energy Drain's frankenslotted so that it will keep defense above the softcap by a decent margin.

I also try to get +recharge for Energize (5 x Doctored Wounds) and so use Luck of the Gamblers for +hp, +regen, +accuracy, and the proc'd recharge in the defense toggles.


Edit: also, the set bonus finder in Mid's can help you choose sets if you know what types of bonuses you're looking for - so I recommend Mid's regardless.


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Posted

In addition to Siolfirs comments, I'd also add that much of the slotting debate
depends on what you're trying to achieve.

Some thoughts to ponder...

* Performance: Two L25 duo-aspect IO's outperform one +3 SO from each aspect - forever...

-- Example: L25 Bruising Blow Acc/Dam + L25 Pounding Slugfest Acc/Dam
gives you 40% Acc and 40% Damage boost in two slots...

A corresponding +3 Acc SO and a +3 Dmg SO gives you 38.3% in each.

Not much difference, you say? Numerically, true (at +3). However, you can slot
them once at L22, get better than +3 SO performance all the way to L50, and *never*
have to replace them... With SO's? Not so much...

* Slot Reduction: As a general rule of thumb, you can get roughly 7 slots
worth of enhancement benefit in only 5 physical slots using IO set pieces.

-- Example 2: Consider a Melee Attack like AS.

Typical SO slotting might be something like: 2 Acc, 3 Dmg, 1 Rch giving
you 66% Acc, 99% Dmg (before ED), and 33% Rch using even level SO's
and 6 slots.

With this slotting, you'd typically be at 95% softcap in Accuracy against most
mobs, well into ED scaling on Damage, and have a full SO worth of recharge.

Not Bad.

Using 5 L25 set IO pieces:

L25 Touch of Death: Acc/Dmg, Acc/Dmg/End, Dmg/End/Rch
L25 Bruising Blow: Acc/Dmg, Dmg/Rch

You'd get the following numbers: 56% Acc, 92% Dmg, 36% Rch and 32% End
which will be very comparable to the SO slotting - you're probably still at the
Acc softcap, pretty much equal in Dmg and Rch, and you'll have an SO's worth
of End Redx in there too -- in only 5 slots.

Want to put a dmg proc in your AS? You just created the slot for it. Would
you rather use that extra slot for a Kismet, Stealth, Perception or LotG proc
instead? No problem.

On top of the comparable performance, you...

A: Can do this at L22 and forget about it for the remainder of the toon's career...

B: Also get 3 set bonuses - 2.75% immob duration reduction, 1.5% max health,
and 1% End Recovery. Due to the level of IO's you used, you also have those
3 bonuses on your toon from L22 all the way to L50.

That's a pretty good deal in my book.

* Build Goals: If you want to focus on set bonuses, say for capping S/L defense,
for instance, then you'd look more at full sets, along the lines that Siolfir is describing.


In the long run, slotting lower lvl set IO's is usually cheaper than repeatedly
replacing SO's, gives smoother and more consistent performance throughout
your toon's leveling career, and gives you the benefits of useful set bonuses
much earlier than you'd have by waiting.

Otoh, if you don't exemplar much, or if you want to save more slots (you can
typically max core attributes in 4 slots with L50 set pieces), or if you don't care
about bonuses while you're levelling your toon, then waiting for higher level
IO's may be the ticket for you...

As stated at the outset, it really depends on what you're trying to achieve
with your build.


Regards,
4


I've been rich, and I've been poor. Rich is definitely better.
Light is faster than sound - that's why some people look smart until they speak.
For every seller who leaves the market dirty stinkin' rich,
there's a buyer who leaves the market dirty stinkin' IOed. - Obitus.

 

Posted

May I recommend the build in Post #18 of this thread as being something worth taking a look at?


It's the end. But the moment has been prepared for ...

 

Posted

I find that a good way to learn Mids', or to learn how to slot things I'm unfamiliar with, is simply to leap in and try. I'll often try slotting a character up, wipe it, try again, and then give it another go the next day. It doesn't take long before it feels like I'm not totally guessing anymore. :P


's doesn't make things plural.