DP/Dark build - help needed please

I based this off a couple builds I saw around here, but I have very little idea of just what I'm doing, so some help with this would be appreciated. I was thinking of something that adds a fair amount of defense to complement the emphasis on shorter range and PBAoE with this powerset combo. Advice on incarnate powers would be great as well.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.954
http://www.cohplanner.com/

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Level 50 Magic Blaster
Primary Power Set: Dual Pistols
Secondary Power Set: Darkness Manipulation
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Medicine
Ancillary Pool: Force Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Pistols -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(3), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(3), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(5), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(5)
Level 1: Penumbral Grasp -- Dev'n-Acc/Dmg(A), Dev'n-Dmg/Rchg(33), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(33), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(33), Dev'n-Hold%(34)
Level 2: Dual Wield -- Dev'n-Acc/Dmg(A), Dev'n-Dmg/Rchg(7), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(7), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(9), Dev'n-Hold%(9)
Level 4: Empty Clips -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(11), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(11), Posi-Dam%(13)
Level 6: Swap Ammo
Level 8: Smite -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(13), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(15), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(15), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(42)
Level 10: Fly -- Flight-I(A)
Level 12: Bullet Rain -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(17), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(17), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(19), Posi-Dam%(19)
Level 14: Death Shroud -- Oblit-Dmg(A), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(21), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(25), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(25), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(27), Oblit-%Dam(27)
Level 16: Shadow Maul -- Armgdn-Dmg(A), Armgdn-Dmg/Rchg(34), Armgdn-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(34), Armgdn-Acc/Rchg(36), Armgdn-Dam%(36)
Level 18: Kick -- Empty(A)
Level 20: Tough -- Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(A), Aegis-Psi/Status(21)
Level 22: Weave -- SW-Def/EndRdx(A), SW-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(23), SW-Def(23)
Level 24: Soul Drain -- Sciroc-Acc/Dmg(A), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx(29), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg(29), Sciroc-Acc/Rchg(31), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(46)
Level 26: Executioner's Shot -- Dev'n-Acc/Dmg(A), Dev'n-Dmg/EndRdx(36), Dev'n-Dmg/Rchg(37), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(37)
Level 28: Piercing Rounds -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(40), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(40), Posi-Dam%(42)
Level 30: Dark Consumption -- Oblit-Dmg(A), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(31), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(31), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(48), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(48)
Level 32: Hail of Bullets -- SBlastersW-Acc/Dmg(A), SBlastersW-Dmg/Rchg(37), SBlastersW-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(39), SBlastersW-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(39), SBlastersW-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(39), SBlastersW-Rchg/Dmg%(40)
Level 35: Dark Pit -- Amaze-Acc/Stun/Rchg(A), Amaze-Acc/Rchg(43), Amaze-Stun/Rchg(45), Amaze-Stun(46)
Level 38: Midnight Grasp -- Hectmb-Dmg(A), Hectmb-Dmg/Rchg(42), Hectmb-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(43), Hectmb-Acc/Rchg(43), Hectmb-Dmg/EndRdx(46)
Level 41: Aid Other -- Heal-I(A)
Level 44: Aid Self -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(A), Numna-Heal/Rchg(45), Numna-Heal(45)
Level 47: Personal Force Field -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def(48)
Level 49: Temp Invulnerability -- EndRdx-I(A)
------------
Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Numna-Heal(A), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(50)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(50), P'Shift-End%(50)
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Defiance
Level 1: Sprint -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 6: Chemical Ammunition
Level 6: Cryo Ammunition
Level 6: Incendiary Ammunition

Don't have Mids on me ATM, but I can say what issues I had to deal with and what why I went the direction I did.

DP biggest attack is PBAOE. Now no one is saying you have to rely on it. You could just have it just like any other attack and have it for when mobs get too close. Then you can just stick as a range attacker with a few attacks that you have as back up on teams or when solo and mobs come in too close.

The issue is Dark.

Dark is very PBAOE so now your stuck with a Melee set but trying to play a ranged blaster. Personally I think that is just conflicting. What I felt was the best route was to work with the best attacks in DP which is HOB and build it in with the PBAOE of Dark.

Deciding to go that route I needed some way of protecting myself while at melee. I could not find a way to obtain Melee Defense cap which of course would have been completely ideal, so instead I went with the next best and go Smash and Lethal defense cap. To going range defense is not so great because Dark is forcing you into melee range. Otherwise powers like Soul Drain are sort of useless if your going to be using it near the end of a fight. Assuming your starting off at ranged.

At first I thought that Death Shroud was not the best, but after hitting mobs with Soul Drain I can see that the numbers Death Shroud is putting out ( in the mid 20s ) is nothing complain about. Sometimes when I see mobs are near death I might ignore them and continue on to the next group knowing that the next time that mob comes near me it will die from the dot alone.

I went with the gimmick of spring attack for the Knock down, which honestly does not happen as often as I would like, but it does work and it is helpful for what it does. I might replace it with something else eventually.

My whole concept is basically jump into the middle drop a bunch of AOE starting with Soul Drain to boost the damage of the rest of the attacks and hope I live. What I eventually did was pick up Barrier for me and the pets which allows me to sometimes use aid self in the middle of a fight. Otherwise it can be touch and go trying to get that off in the middle of a fight as there is only so much S/L Defense cap is going to help me.

Its not going to be a 4/8 solo build. But 2/8 is doable. Again this is just me discussing my build.

The big issue with this type of build is the melee set. As we know DP is not the king of DPS so now combining it with a melee set now makes it a bit tougher. I always had a gripe with this Dark set but wanted to give it a try as well.

Thanks for the input, that'll definitely help me refine the build. I was aware of the issues with DP before I made the character(maybe not so much on dark), but I'm up for the challenge. Just hope it ends up being fun haha.

Just noticed I had my build posted in a thread just a few down

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showp...01&postcount=2