What'd I miss/What's new/What's powerful/What to play?

Yup, standard been back after a long time post and wondering what I missed out on primarily?

Left not too long after Freedom dropped I believe.

I'm doing DA now, I've learned a little about ATIOs, I know that there are new sets, but haven't played them yet.

Looking to finish up an old toon or work on a new toon to feel incredibly powerful in PvE, but not sure what...


Toons that got the most mileage before I left where my T4 incarnated Fire/Shield (complete except for 3% res IO), and my +1 complete DM/Elec brute.

Stuff I'm sitting on that I could work on if I don't finish/make something new:

50 Mind/Fire Dom (gutted)
50 Sonic/Therm Corr (85% specced, but PvP build)
50 SS/Invuln Brute (cheaper PvE build)
50 Thugs/Psn MM (SOs)
50 Sonic/Storm Corr (PvE build, but not sure how expensive)
50 SS/Fire Broot (farmer)
50 Psi/EM Blaster (PvP)
50 Fire/Shields Scrapper (mentioned above)
50 Elec/Psi Dom (PvE specced, and was fun but been a bit)

44 Fire/Emp Troller
39 Rad/Sonic fender
35 Crab



I'm looking for something that just feels overpowered and/or incredibly fun.

Leaning towards the fender, DP, or Beam Rifle, but other suggestions/ideas are always welcome as I've got plenty of altitis going around with the patience to farm to back it up.

Welcome back!

Time Manipulation is an extremely powerful support set. If you are interested in making a support character that is one of the most potent force multipliers in the game then Time/Sonics as a Defender is excellent. I feel that Time is a bit better than Radiation in all content other than AV fights, as the set has massive self buffs, team buffs, and potent AoE heals that pair extremely well with it's full toolkit of debuffs. Radiation is a bit better against AVs ONLY because it has better -Regeneration capabilities.

In relation to something you mentioned, and should you want to play a combination of new sets, a Dual Pistols/Time Corruptor is also an excellent choice, and grants you more than enough durability to spawn dive and Hail of Bullets the bejeezus out of everything. This would be a more solo-friendly build, and contribute more AoE damage than the Defender above.

**I will mention that Time is a very clicky set, and if you are a player that gnashes their teeth with a bit of redraw then look elsewhere. I play a DP/Poison, a combination that is perhaps even more clicky than Time, and I don't mind as I manage attacks and debuffs in blocks during combat so as to limit redraw.

As for melee sets, Titan Weapons is the most powerful but almost requires a pairing with an armor set that patches endurance (EA, Electric). I really enjoy Street Justice so far as well. It doesn't have the ridiculous AoE damage of Titan Weapons, but on a stalker can produce some jaw dropping single target damage numbers: AS-CU with the ATO set in AS is the best burst damage in the game. Period.

Let us not forget the recent revision (read: effing awesome upgrade) to stalkers. Stalkers can now use AS in mid combat. No wind-up, no interrupt. No fuss, no muss. But where this really shines is that now most stalker attacks, minus the AS itself, can accumulate "Assassin's Focus". For every stack you get, up to 3, gives the stalker a 33% chance to crit with AS...and at a stacking of 3...pretty much a garunteed critical strike. Not quite as much as the normal hidden AS...but still packs a serious punch, enough for some potential one-shots.

Masterminds got a new primary in the form of Beast Mastery. I haven't tried this one yet, myself, and reactions are rather varied. Pets are all melee all the time, except for the final pet. Some of the pets have long recharge, kinda short duration buffs that are subject to wonky pet AI...in other words...totally screwy...and the pets themselves are lacking in the number of attacks they actually have. Pretty good ST DPS tho...and not too shabby if paired with the right secondary...or so i've read.

Trollers and Dominators got a new primary in Dark Control while Trollers got Darkness affinity and Dommies got Dark Assault. Blasters got Dark Blast FINALLY...with some revisions...and a new secondary in the form of Dark Manipulation. While thematically these powers fit...not all do mechanically (looking at you, blasters).

Julius mentioned TW...but we also got Staff Fighting. Probably about a middle of the road set...but lots of aoe and interesting utility in the Staff Mastery power. Its kind of a "Choose Your Buff" power. And unlike Swap Ammo from Dual Pistols...this is actually GOOD!

So yeah...lotsa new shinies. Have fun! (i'm sure someone will come along and add more to this).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smiling_Joe ::looks at RaikenX's signature:: Something funny.

Welcome back!

I also rejoined recently (4 weeks or so ago). From the perspective of a deddicated mastermind player, let me second (err...third...err maybe just further endorse) the awesomeness that is the revamped stalker. And combined with the new staff-fighting powerset...just wow. Iwould recomend visiting the stalker forums- it is a different world there lately.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arcanaville ...[I]t would be more proper to say this game is slooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowly dying.

Previous posters have touched on most of the big stuff....

I'll give a very hearty 2nd to the voice for a Time alt if you decide to make a defender. Beam and DP will both feel powerful on a Time Def. There is redraw, but, as was said, done in blocks it's not all that noticeable. Not enough to avoid the pairing, unless you are one fo those that are just unduly, massively bugged by redraw.

And, also, a change that is worth noting that hasn't been mentioned yet, but not as comprehensive as the one stalkers got, was a long overdue tweaking of gravity. If you liked it for thematic reasons but avoided it before, it may be worth another look.