When do you use inspirations?

Always, always, always. It is tougher pre-25 if I get an insp load I like a lot, but otherwise... always.

I used to think the purples were the awesomest. But since doing iTrials and high-end TFs, I've noticed that there's an awful lot of stuff, L54+ mind you, that either sports autohit damage or massive -DEF debuffs that make using purples a dangerous habit to get into. You get lulled into a sense of false security and you faceplant because you instinctively pop a couple of purples instead of oranges.

So now I look forward to those orange drops almost as much as those purple drops. Everyone is so in love with softcapping DEF, but ignoring (or under-buffing) resistance seems to get me in as much trouble these days as ignoring (or under-buffing) DEF.

And I agree that yellows make you miss. I only eat 'em to make space for something more useful, like oranges and greens.

I use them randomly depending on the character that I'm playing.

My BS/SR scrapper I'll eat a purple to keep me at around the defense soft cap for most of a mission. I'll typically use the others when I feel like it.

My Grav/kin/primal controller I have a bad habit of not using them.

My Beam/energy blaster I like to use the reds as they drop. Save a few purples and greens for dicey situations.

I do try to keep one breakfree and one awaken on all characters at all times. If I'm on a team then I try to keep 2-3 awakens on my characters at all times.

I live on a drip on them, and buy them off the auctionhouse while I run between missions. You wanna make easy cash, feel free to grab purples off a vendor and throw them on the market, chances are I'm buying them for a thousand times what you paid. ;p

Heroes, Villains ♦ Reviews ♦ Retrospect

If my lvl-ing strategy is to continuously fight over my head (my katana/regen brute has no business at +1/x6 at lvl18...), then I'll bind keys to convert everything to purples, then keep 3 of them on me at all times as I clear rooms. When I run out, I fight anyway, die, and buy a full tray again at the hospital. Then the process repeats itself!

Depends on the character, and their level, and such like that there.

One particular one though, doesn't use them at all, because he's just that awesome and doesn't need them. But he'll eat them anyway, and then stand around to wait for them to wear off, just to clear the tray.

If I want my next attack to miss I pop a yellow.

I always keep combat numbers for Melee/Ranged/AoE Defense up and Smashing/Fire/Energy Resistances.

When I need to, I pop lucks to soft cap, and if I really need, I'll boost my resistances a bit.

Watching my defense numbers is the absolute most important thing I can possibly do. I usually keep a line of greens, a line of blues, one break free/awaken combo for a quick rez, and the rest, lucks. Nothing will make someone survive faster (in most situations) than popping just enough luck to reach 45% defense.

All extra insps I can get I convert to lucks. I also usually designate two slots of my insp tray to (automatically pop whatever lands here), so I keep a couple slots open for insp drops, and thus, I usually have a few insps that were used on my buff bar at all times. Works pretty well.

I also compulsively sort my insps as I go. Neat and tidy is how I like it.

For me it really depends on the toon but usually have just 1 wakie in the tray and a few in email:
Support Squishy - consume Reds/Oranges as they drop since those aren't as noticable to my performance use Lucks/BF/yellows as needed.
Offensive Squishy - consume Oranges as they drop and Reds/Purples/yellows for alpha strikes, use BF's as needed
Melee - eat BF's as they drop or hand out to team members, try to keep an orange/luck always active (just to go thru them) Yellow/Reds as needed

As always YMMV.

When my tray fills up eat anything that is not a T-3 or a mez protection one on a squishy.