Missable Powers

I realise that this topic is probably open to much debate as different people play differently and enjoy some powers that others dont, but I was wondering if there are any powers that are more common to miss out when creating a build than others?

I find that powers like Black Hole, Sonic Cage and Detention field are skipped, as they usually end up hindering a team more than helping, same goes for any aoe knockback powers. Aoe sleep tends not to be very helpful, especially in teams or with other aoe's where damage happens constantly. I skip over the scrappers provoke, as I think thats the tanks job, then I pick them off from behind.

Missing out certain powers allows for more slotting potential in powers, and more utility powers like TP, Heals and Tough/weave. I seem to be taking all my powers as a Mace/Shield Tank, and I feel a bit laden down with powers.

so....What powers do you see as easily skipped in any powerset?

There are a LOT of these.

Confront in every scrapper primary gets taken very rarely.
Most controllers skip their single target immobilize.
Most powers that phase things get skipped.
Most AoE sleeps get skipped (the exception being people who almost always solo, and the pulsing sleep in electric control).
A lot of people skip self-rezzes in armor sets.

Past that you start getting into individual powers in sets, and it gets too tedious to write them all down.

Suffice it to say that nearly every set has at least one skippable power. Some sets have more.

Snipes are skippable. They don't do anywhere near enough damage to justify their enormous windup time, and the extra range is basically meaningless.

Hadnt thought of snipes. Yeah I tend to skip them until I get to the point where I just need to pick a power as ive run out of valid options.

Time Bomb.

A lot of people skip godmode powers when they start softcapping, and certain ones which drop health at the end due to thinking it's too big of a risk to use, such as Electric Armor or Invulnerability.

A lot of Scrappers and Brutes will only pick one of the first two primary powers once they can establish a decent attack chain.

It also varies by AT somewhat, ST & AE immobilizes are largely skipable for Doms, as mentioned are snipes.

Personally as long as the set is decent overall I actually like having a couple powers I can skip, it makes the build options a lot more flexiable than otherwise.

MM personal attacks.

A few months ago: the entire stalker AT.

I'd disagree with both ST Immob and snipes, at least personally. However:

- Some dom (and some controllers) skip the AOE immobilize, or put it off. (Note, my general reaction to the "It doesn't play well with the AOE patches like Ice Slick" is "Then don't put it there." Doms tend to skip/put off the AOE simply because they'll often get a face full of alpha strike in return.)

- Time bomb.

- MM personal attacks, *except* for the whip attacks in demon - which both look cook and have a -res (IIRC) component.

- /Poison (MM poison secondary) Poison trap. Not to be confused with the one from Traps.


And then there's the "If you use two builds," which opens up/changes a lot. For instance, if you run a support AT and play at really odd hours (or just have times where you have short enough snatches to play, but not find a team,) you may have a solo build - which will let you exclude things like rezzes and ally-only buffs and shields.

See my Guides and Tutorials

I don't know that most controllers skip their single target immob. Most lvl 50 builds posted on the boards do - but that is very different.

Many doms skip their single target immob because they don't need it for damage.
Low level controllers can really use the damage it provides.
Low level controllers usually don't benefit much from the AoE immobilize (fire/ and elec/ do)
But high level controllers with AoE attacks from EPP's want the AoE immobilize for containment and may well skip the single target immob because they don't need the damage from it.

Likewise l33t builds avoid snipes because they only care about dpa. But low level defenders may find they need the extra damage to open a fight.

Sleeps are often avoided because teaming they may not be useful. But solo characters often love sleeps because it makes soloing much safer.

I skip most powers like Unstoppable and Elude.
I skip taunt on my scrappers and all brutes brutes except my Stone Armor brutes.
I never take any MM personal attacks.

The Melee secondary T9 godmode powers (Except Strength of Will or Light Form)

Time Bomb

The crashing nukes in some Blast sets.

MM personal attacks except Beast and Demon
ST immob
Taunt/Confront (except on MMs)

besides that I'll normally end up taking whole powersets because it's more fun that way. With a few excepts, such as Choking Cloud.

I realized long ago that none of my Bots on my MM do massive damage, just a lot of little damage all at once. As such, I took all my attacks (all 3!) and slotted them up. I still enjoy my Pulse Rifle, and the knowledge that enemies are going down that much quicker as I am adding to the DoT. The AoE is especially helpful.

My Archery Blaster is slotted for range. Lots of it. In fact, she is the only character I have where the "range as defense" arguement can hold up, and her super long distance snipe is a big part of that.

I always take my single target immobilize. Can be stacked with the AoE Immobilize, if needs be, or just slotted with Immobilize and Recharge. Lock down tougher baddies for Rain powers, placed powers, or just so they stop running up and hitting me/a teammate.

I suppose I just like having as many tools as I can get on any given character and actually put them to use. It's probably why my main is a tri-form Warshade.

Anyway, not trying to be "that guy" in this thread. Carry on with the "worthless" powers list.

Terrible, aka Time Bomb.

And I like clearing maps with just trip mine (DP/Dev, yes, I have issues), so I like explosives but time bomb, I'm not that masochistic.