Can someone explain Attuned IOs to me?

I know that the new "Attuned" SBEs level with you as you go to make the expense worthwhile, but what happens when you exemplar with these?

Are they like Purples where you keep the Set Bonuses no matter how low you exemplar down? If that's the case, then these seem significantly more powerful than the in-game earned alternatives.

Or does it work that they level up with you, but when you exemplar down they act at the current level of the IO. For example, if I slot an attuned Thunderstrike at level 30, it will level with me up to 50, but when I'm level 50 and I exemplar down to 46, will I then lose the set bonuses?

Attuned IOs always act as if they're equal to your current, effective level, as long as that happens to fall within the possible level range of the set. If you're above the maximum level of the set (EX: 35 for Kinetic Combat) they will act as maximum set level enhancements (35 in this example). If you're below the minimum level of the set (20 in the case of Kinetic Combat), they will act as minimum set level enhancements (20s in this example).

So, if you slot a set of SBE Kinetic Combats in your Brawl and then do Positron's Task Force Part One, your Kin Combats will act as level 20 enhancements. They'll be reduced in enhancement value by the Exemplar scaling system and will lose their set bonuses because you're more than 3 levels below the enhancement levels.

I24 Proc Chance = (Enhanced Recharge + Activation Time) * (Current PPM * 1.25) / 60*(1 + .75*(.15*Radius - 0.011*Radius*(360-Arc)/30))
Single Target Radius = 0. AoE Non-Cone Arc = 360.

Take the LOTG set it is level range 25 - 50. Which in practical terms means it operates levels 22 - 50. Remember you can always slot an IO 3 levels above your current level. All sets have a level range the key for evaluating them is the range they cover.

So what does this mean in the above case if you exempler down to level 22 your SBE LOTG's will still work at level 25. If you exempler down further they will stop working.

To bring home what that all means, the practical benefit of Attuned IOs is that, when you're level 50, they'll operate at the high end of their effectiveness cap. Luck of the Gambler will act like the L50 version of the IOs, with attendant bonuses. Kinetic Combat (L20-40) will act like the level 40 version.

But if you exemplar down to the low end, you'll still have the bonuses. Your Kinetic Combats will still provide you with those big bonuses to your Defense rating if you're doing the Synapse Task Force, for instance.

This makes them better than the regular versions, which are locked in at the one specific level they're bought at. A lot of people choose to buy Level 30 sets, as they represent a compromise between effectiveness in the power and level range at which you can use them (they work down to level 27). Attuned IOs will perform better than L30s at the high end, and work exemplared further down (for sets that go below 30) on the low end.

Which is really annoying for those of us who don't have a fortune in real money to plow into blinging out our characters. :P

Thanks for all of the replies, guys. I think I understand it now.

My follow-up question is: Has there been any uproar about the effectiveness of SBEs vs. regular IOs? The set bonuses seem like the biggest game-changer (and even that is relatively minor).

What I mean is that if someone could slot say a set of Decimation SBEs (which I don't think exist, I'm just using it as an example), they could get the full enhancement value out of the set at 40, but keep the set bonuses down to 22. That could make a difference in the level at which a Dominator has perma-dom, for instance, which is a serious advantage over traditional IOs.

I'm asking because I had a hard enough time finding information on Attuned IOs and usually when something like this comes out, it's called to my attention by our very vocal community.

You haven't been looking in the right threads.

There has been plenty of rage against the "pay to win" aspect of SBE's and other items in the market.

Of course, I'm still trying to figure out how you "win" in CoH, outside of PvP.

Can Enhancement Boosters be used on SBEs?

no.

Will someone tell me what Attuned IO's are?
I've got.. that noobish feeling, oh that noobish feeling....

Attuned items match the level of who slotted them as long as it's within the level range of the item (25-50 for Luck of the Gambler, so spottable at 22 still). Set bonuses always work as long as your combat level is in the slotable range.

Aah. Okay. Thanks very much!