Pets useless in trials?

Is this true? I hear lot of MM saying they do next to nothing in trials. And I spend most of my time on trials when lv50 I dont want to be useless

My diplomatic answer is "None of the devs bother testing/playing any Incarnate content on Masterminds."

This may not be true, but it's certainly how a lot of it feels.

First of all, I would say pets are only useless on trials when you still have the low tier Interface and Destiny powers and don't have the level shifts. I don't personally have an MM at 50, but I've been on trials with a lot of successful MMs.

Second of all, don't forget that i22 is bringing the solo/small team version of Incarnate content. So even if trials don't pan out for your MM, you'll have something else to do.

@Rorn ---- Blue Baron ---- Guardian

I've found that you are likely better served running petless or only spawn your Tier 3 lone henchman until you achieve at least 50+1, but that won't take very long to accomplish. Even with the fix that went in a short time ago, your Tier 1 and 2 pets are roadkill.

Once you get your second level shift, your pets can take a fairly active role in the prisoner escape sequence and during all the outdoor segments of the LAM. AV battles are still problematic thanks to the idiot henchman trying to run into melee all the time.

You won't be worthless....but you won't feel like a VIP either. A$$hat team leads will still choose just about any other AT over an MM for an iTrial, but fortunately, A$$hat team leads aren't that prevalent because, well....they are A$$hats.

the BAF is perfectly fine for mm, and in fact they are some of the best at the escape phase

the lambda trial is almost actively hating mm until your inthe courtyard fighting marauder

the keyes trial the pets are ok but they are not really needed until the final fight and mm pets are better since they are easier to control

the underground trial is fine for mm, unless the mm gets confused in the end of the trial and all the pets turn on you lol

i have not had a chance to run the new incarnate trials on beta to determine how well a mm can run them, but my main is a mm who is a huge badger so i basicallly will be running them regardless

I bring my MM regularly on all the iTrials and do quite well. And that's even before there were several buffs to pets on iTrials.

Then, again, I can adjust my playstyle. I can see how those who can't cry "unfair to MMs".

Lambda is a bit difficult if one doesn't know how to play a MM with constantly resummoning your henches. But that's a tactic all MMs players should learn how to master. Can't stand playing with MMs who think their pets are not expendable.

I think the answer to your question varies based around what type of MM you are running and how you are built.

BAF should not be an issue for really any build.

LAM you have to settle with assisting the tank types in the group and not fighting during the warehouse / lab phase. Basically the tank is your pet during the warehouse / lab phase. Dark and Trick arrow for example excel a bit more during this phase then traps because they are much faster. During the AV phase it can be a bit tricky because he moves around so much but not far enough that your pets will run instead of being TPed to his location. What I try to do is if I should loose target on the AV as soon as I can I retarget and direct the pets to attack him even if he is across the screen. This way they are running towards something and keep going even while getting hit by other mobs.

Keyes is much easier now and even having the AV at 80 the pulse was not bad at all. The only issue you have in keyes is making sure your pets are not attacking the AV. I just stay completely away from him. There is enough to kill that you don't need to be near him.

Underground is like BAF your just running around killing so no issues. At the end your either set up to kill the AV or your not. So if the group does not have clarion then its doomed if you can't kill it fast enough. I have done UG with again my SO DS Traps and the AV died in moments. But we had 5 players with Clarion. With Underground pretty much the League leader picks up the clarion players and fills in the rest.

But honestly at this point in the game the only rarely will you have issues as you so many players who are incarnate slotted and IOed out. I recently ran a LAM where the AV didn't even get to move from the first spot. One grenade and he will killed in moments. I was leading the LAM on my SO DS Traps MM. Not one person noticed or cared if they did notice my build. I ran about 5 or 6 other LAM and BAF mix after that one and no one said a word about my build or how I was slotted.

Thugs/Time, Bots/Traps totally OWN the escapee phase of the BAF. Since they can also solo AV's the AV fights are not a problem either. UG is fine as long as you have tactics or clarion.

LAM warehouse and lab are just a pain if you try to follow the normal path. I have learned the pattern so I go the opposite direction of the team and usually end up soloing 2-3 arms crates/lab containers myself.

Keyes requires a bit of re-summoning and running around and is not "ideal" for MM's no.

My Thug/Dark does well on all trials except LAM. I think LAM is the least friendly for Masterminds. All the others work fine for MMs.,

Try being a DOM. Not only can I not control my pet to try and keep him out of danger but I have NO buffs at all to help him so he is killed instantly upon summoning. They need to do something about this soon cause my doms are pissing me off in trials.

Way I see it.

BAF: Pets rule.
Lam: Pets are OK on first/final fight.
Keyes: Pets are generally OK.
UG: Pets can be annoying/need some micromanagement/means you need to go through doors last.

My experience is about the same as others. I wish I'd thought to use just some of my pets until the character gets a level shift - thank you, Crysys, I'll do that with my second mastermind to do iTrials. During those early trials (which really didn't take that long to do), the protector and assault bots were certainly more useful than the battle drones. Once I got the first level shift, no particular problems overall, just the kind of strength and weakness others have already discussed.

Ahh ok. Thanks guys. I'll give my thug/dark a go to see how I like it.

I had an odd experience the other day, and wonder if anyone else has run into this:

Someone in a BAF run went on this moderately extended rant about how masterminds and their pets are just no damn good on iTrials, and how his super-group won't even let them join when they're forming leagues. He blamed my pets for any positioning problem the league had with arch-villains, even when it was quite clear my pets weren't responsible. (When my pets are in passive and gathered around me, and there's a blaster standing right next to the arch-villain firing away and taking the AV's attention, there is a problem, but it's not one of my making.)

The other mastermind on that run sighed and said something that suggests it wasn't the first time they'd run into that kind tirade.

It hasn't come up again, and it didn't really make any problems then (not least because an SG-mate of mine was running the league that time), but...it was odd.

Yes, the pets can get sequestration rings. Can be bloody hard to sort out with all the effects going on. I generally peel the pets off the AVs every so often to visually confirm if they have rings or not.

On the plus side, every time I've managed to do this, I invariably get a better reward drop.

The only pet that can cause any serious ring issues is Earth Control's Animate Stone. I have never seen any other pet in the game sequester the league.