Ninja/Time/Mace + Comedy Nukes


Redlynne

 

Posted

Just in case anyone was ... curious ... about the build I'm currently using which I alluded to over here with the "discovery" of Atomic Annie Shurikens. I anticipate that this build strategy will undergo some minor adjustments with the release of Issues 24 and 25, but what you see here is the current state of play with Issue 23.

The first thing I assume people will notice is that there is no Hasten in the build. That's simply because the build doesn't "need" Hasten and wouldn't be able to leverage Hasten quite as strongly as I'd prefer or like. Adding Hasten wouldn't make Chrono Shift perma (although it would be closer to perma) and Farsight is already perma (and effect does not stack from same caster, so no benefit to double stacking). After that, the benefits of adding Hasten don't really outweight the "costs" of adding Hasten to the build (in my humble opinion), so I left it out.

The second thing I assume people will notice is the rather extreme frankenslotting of the Ninja Pets. After fiddling around for a few hours with Mids', this was the best compromise I could find for them. The slotting for Genin is quite possibly the most ... bizarre ... I've ever seen in any Mastermind build (THREE Procs?!?), but it's also remarkably effective. The Overwhelming Force Proc makes every attack made by Genin a potential KnockDOWN attack, which has some very serious survivability implications for them since Knockdowns buy Genin necessary *time to survive* until the next casting of Temporal Mending. Genin are also slotted with the Soulbound Allegiance Proc for Chance to Build Up, which with their rapid fire attack rate combined with there being three of them in play (usually) ought to leverage this enhancement to maximum possible. Jounin, of course, are slotted with the Achilles' Heel Proc for Resistance Debuffery through their attacks, and the 4-slotted ATO1 set has the potential, when upgraded, for +10% Recharge and +15% AoE Defense to Pets. The Sovereign Right Proc in Oni is just a placeholder for when the ATO2 set is released to Live, presumably in Issue 24. Oni has a slightly different frankenslotting to maximize his Control potential without sacrificing Damage throughput.

The third thing I presume that people will notice is the inclusion of the Presence Pool (Provoke being "mandatory" for Tankerminding) but with the inclusion of Intimidate and Invoke Panic, in anticipation of these powers being MASSIVELY (and quite necessarily) buffed in Issue 24. Both Intimidate and Invoke Panic will have their endurance costs reduced (from their ridiculous legacy costs) and have their Mag increased from 2 to 3, making them useful against Lieutenants and not just Minions. This in turn leaves open the possibility of taking the Presence Tier 1 and/or 5 power(s) in Issue 24 ... although I anticipate that the Tier 1 Presence/Pacify power will be all but useless to this build, except as a pre-emptive action, since Placate powers have long been negated/invalidated by Status Effects, and Time Manipulation is all about applying lots and lots of status effects on $Targets. The Level 47 and 49 powers are effectively "To Be Determined" placeholders at this time.

The fourth thing I anticipate people noticing about this build is that it isn't maximized for Hold Power ... it's instead maximized for Movement Debuffing and Recharge Crashing (hence the rather unusual selection of Procs in Time's Juncture and Distortion Field). This is because (PvE) Foes who can't Recharge their attacks pose remarkably little threat to Ninjas (who it must be said need all the survivability help your Secondary can offer them!). The combination of Time's Juncture and Distortion Field, with this slotting, has an unusually extreme potential for "soft control" shut down of Foes with some really severe "tar baby" style peformance. It is relatively simple to keep the AoEs of Time's Juncture and Distortion Field overlapping since combined they "crash" Movement Speeds to the minimum cap, and the Recharge Debuff Procs within those powers last for 20 seconds as opposed to merely 8 seconds, which synergizes better with the Proc Check Every 10 Seconds rule for Toggles ... and all it takes is ONE of the three Recharge Debuff Procs taking effect to "floor" (PvE) Foe Recharge rates. In combination then, the Movement+Recharge Debuff "crash" these powers produce synergizes extremely well with the Melee Preferred disposition of Ninjas (and I presume, Beasts as well) and offers a surprisingly high level of "safety" once all the Buffs (to Self and Pets) and Debuffs (To-hit, Movement and Recharge) are tallied up together. Stack in Presence Fear powers, to "pin" Foes in place while the Ninjas "dismantle" them with impunity, and you've got a pretty serious set of "soft controls" at your disposal, that are NOT a part of the "usual toolkit" seen in play, for taking on a remarkably wide variety of opponents. And at the same time, you've got Heals and Buffs at your fingertips so that you (and your Ninjas) can "take hits" and still keep on going.

The last time I posted something akin to this build was last year around this time. As you can see, a few things have changed since then. Right now I'm only up to Level 20 on this build (and Level Locked to finish out Praetorian content), but already the value of slotting Time's Juncture for To-hit Debuff early on is making its presence felt since it has increased the survival rates of my Ninjas tremendously. Combined with all the KnockDOWN (and Mushroom Clouds!) being thrown around by my Genin, I was surprised to discover that soloing the Neutropolis Event with this build was actually something of cakewalk (in a good way!) ... as opposed to the nerve wracking experience I had with my Stalker trying the same thing. Even without throwing down Distortion Field all the time, the build feels "very solid" with excellent Tankermind potential at Level 20, which is not always (ie. rarely) the case when playing Ninja/* (unless playing Ninja/Storm, of course, thanks to HERDicane).

The way the combination "plays" is very much in the tradition of the "mix it up/mess THEM up" set of tactics and strategies, since Time Manipulation favors "close" engagement by the Mastermind in conjunction with your Pets. Keeping your Ninjas "together" close by advantages them through Time's Juncture, Distortion Field and Temporal Mending ... all of which are Force Multipliers for the effectiveness of Ninjas so long as you keep them on a tight leash. I personally have found that "grabbing alpha" using Time's Juncture while in Bodyguard Mode, followed by a Temporal Mending once the alpha strike has been "soaked" through onto my Ninjas is an extremely effective engagement tactic, that further boosts my Ninjas' survival rates. The combination is remarkably cohesive and rarely requires "directing traffic" as a Mastermind (except maybe for stragglers and runners). In fact, I often spend most of my time and attention span on Situational Awareness and "flying the guages" with this build, such that I'm often playing on a more relaxed and Strategic level than I am on a Tactical one ... which is something of a departure from other powersets I've played (including my Level 50 Ninja/Trick Arrow Mastermind!).



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Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.96
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Ku no Ichi: Level 50 Technology Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Ninjas
Secondary Power Set: Time Manipulation
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Presence
Ancillary Pool: Mace Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Call Genin

  • (A) Blood Mandate - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50
  • (3) Sovereign Right - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50
  • (5) Overwhelming Force - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
  • (5) Overwhelming Force - Damage/Chance for Knockdown/Knockback to Knockdown: Level 50
  • (7) Edict of the Master - Defense Bonus: Level 15
  • (7) Soulbound Allegiance - Chance for Build Up: Level 50
Level 1: Time Crawl
  • (A) Accuracy IO: Level 50
Level 2: Temporal Mending
  • (A) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance: Level 31
  • (42) Doctored Wounds - Endurance/Recharge: Level 31
  • (42) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge: Level 31
  • (43) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance/Recharge: Level 31
  • (43) Doctored Wounds - Heal: Level 31
Level 4: Time's Juncture
  • (A) Dark Watcher's Despair - To Hit Debuff: Level 27
  • (9) Dark Watcher's Despair - To Hit Debuff/Recharge: Level 27
  • (9) Dark Watcher's Despair - To Hit Debuff/Recharge/Endurance: Level 27
  • (11) Dark Watcher's Despair - Recharge/Endurance: Level 27
  • (11) Dark Watcher's Despair - To Hit Debuff/Endurance: Level 27
  • (23) Dark Watcher's Despair - Chance for Recharge Slow: Level 21
Level 6: Train Ninjas
  • (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50
Level 8: Maneuvers
  • (A) Karma - Knockback Protection: Level 10
  • (34) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance: Level 27
  • (34) Red Fortune - Defense/Recharge: Level 27
  • (37) Red Fortune - Endurance/Recharge: Level 27
  • (40) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance/Recharge: Level 27
  • (42) Red Fortune - Defense: Level 27
Level 10: Temporal Selection
  • (A) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance: Level 31
  • (43) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge: Level 31
  • (45) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance/Recharge: Level 31
  • (45) Doctored Wounds - Heal: Level 31
  • (46) Doctored Wounds - Recharge: Level 31
Level 12: Call Jounin
  • (A) Command of the Mastermind - Accuracy/Damage: Level 27
  • (13) Command of the Mastermind - Damage/Endurance: Level 27
  • (13) Command of the Mastermind - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 27
  • (15) Command of the Mastermind - Recharge/Pet +AoE Defense Aura: Level 27
  • (15) Achilles' Heel - Chance for Res Debuff: Level 10
  • (17) HamiO: Nucleolus Exposure (+2 Acc/Dam)
Level 14: Assault
  • (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50
Level 16: Distortion Field
  • (A) Curtail Speed - Endurance/Recharge/Slow: Level 30
  • (17) Impeded Swiftness - Endurance/Recharge/Slow: Level 30
  • (19) Tempered Readiness - Endurance/Recharge/Slow: Level 50
  • (21) Pacing of the Turtle - Endurance/Recharge/Slow: Level 27
  • (21) Pacing of the Turtle - Chance of -Recharge: Level 20
  • (23) Basilisk's Gaze - Chance for Recharge Slow: Level 10
Level 18: Smoke Flash
  • (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50
  • (19) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50
Level 20: Time Stop
  • (A) Basilisk's Gaze - Accuracy/Hold: Level 27
  • (25) Basilisk's Gaze - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 27
  • (25) Basilisk's Gaze - Recharge/Hold: Level 27
  • (33) Basilisk's Gaze - Endurance/Recharge/Hold: Level 27
  • (33) Basilisk's Gaze - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge/Hold: Level 27
  • (34) Lockdown - Chance for +2 Mag Hold: Level 30
Level 22: Provoke
  • (A) Mocking Beratement - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50
Level 24: Intimidate
  • (A) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 27
  • (48) Glimpse of the Abyss - Endurance/Fear: Level 27
  • (50) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Endurance: Level 27
  • (50) Glimpse of the Abyss - Fear/Range: Level 27
  • (50) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Fear/Recharge: Level 27
Level 26: Oni
  • (A) Blood Mandate - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50
  • (27) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50
  • (27) Sovereign Right - Resistance Bonus: Level 25
  • (29) HamiO: Endoplasm Exposure (+2 Acc/Mez)
  • (29) HamiO: Peroxisome Exposure (+2 Dam/Mez)
  • (31) HamiO: Nucleolus Exposure (+2 Acc/Dam)
Level 28: Farsight
  • (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed: Level 25
  • (31) HamiO: Membrane Exposure (+2 Rech/To-hit/Def)
  • (33) HamiO: Membrane Exposure (+2 Rech/To-hit/Def)
Level 30: Invoke Panic
  • (A) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 27
  • (46) Glimpse of the Abyss - Endurance/Fear: Level 27
  • (46) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Endurance: Level 27
  • (48) Glimpse of the Abyss - Fear/Range: Level 27
  • (48) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Fear/Recharge: Level 27
Level 32: Kuji In Zen
  • (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50
Level 35: Slowed Response
  • (A) Shield Breaker - Defense Debuff: Level 27
  • (36) Shield Breaker - Accuracy/Defense Debuff: Level 27
  • (36) Shield Breaker - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 27
  • (36) Shield Breaker - Defense Debuff/Endurance/Recharge: Level 27
  • (37) Shield Breaker - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge: Level 27
  • (37) Shield Breaker - Chance for Lethal Damage: Level 10
Level 38: Chrono Shift
  • (A) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod: Level 27
  • (39) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Recharge: Level 27
  • (39) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Accuracy/Recharge: Level 27
  • (39) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Recharge: Level 31
  • (40) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance/Recharge: Level 31
  • (40) Numina's Convalescence - Heal: Level 31
Level 41: Scorpion Shield
  • (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed: Level 25
Level 44: Power Boost
  • (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50
  • (45) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50
Level 47: Challenge
  • (A) Mocking Beratement - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50
Level 49: Vengeance
  • (A) Defense Buff IO: Level 50
Level 1: Brawl
  • (A) Accuracy IO: Level 50
Level 1: Prestige Power Dash
  • (A) Empty
Level 1: Prestige Power Slide
  • (A) Empty
Level 1: Prestige Power Quick
  • (A) Empty
Level 1: Prestige Power Rush
  • (A) Empty
Level 1: Prestige Power Surge
  • (A) Run Speed IO: Level 50
Level 1: Sprint
  • (A) Unbounded Leap - +Stealth: Level 15
Level 1: Supremacy
Level 2: Rest
  • (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift
  • (A) Run Speed IO: Level 50
Level 2: Health
  • (A) Miracle - +Recovery: Level 20
  • (31) Numina's Convalescence - +Regeneration/+Recovery: Level 30
Level 2: Hurdle
  • (A) Jumping IO: Level 50
Level 2: Stamina
  • (A) Endurance Modification IO: Level 50
  • (3) Endurance Modification IO: Level 50
------------

Set Bonus Totals:
  • 6% DamageBuff(Smashing)
  • 6% DamageBuff(Lethal)
  • 6% DamageBuff(Fire)
  • 6% DamageBuff(Cold)
  • 6% DamageBuff(Energy)
  • 6% DamageBuff(Negative)
  • 6% DamageBuff(Toxic)
  • 6% DamageBuff(Psionic)
  • 5% Defense
  • 1.56% Defense(Smashing)
  • 1.56% Defense(Lethal)
  • 1.25% Defense(Fire)
  • 1.25% Defense(Cold)
  • 2.5% Defense(Energy)
  • 2.5% Defense(Negative)
  • 3.13% Defense(Melee)
  • 1.25% Defense(Ranged)
  • 12.5% Defense(AoE)
  • 62.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  • 5.5% Enhancement(Terrorized)
  • 29% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  • 8% Enhancement(Heal)
  • 81.32 HP (10.13%) HitPoints
  • Knockback (Mag -4)
  • Knockup (Mag -4)
  • MezResist(Confused) 7.5%
  • MezResist(Held) 7.5%
  • MezResist(Immobilized) 9.7%
  • MezResist(Sleep) 10.25%
  • MezResist(Stunned) 7.5%
  • MezResist(Terrorized) 11.9%
  • 8.5% (0.14 End/sec) Recovery
  • 24% (0.8 HP/sec) Regeneration
  • 10% Resistance(Smashing)
  • 10% Resistance(Lethal)
  • 13.78% Resistance(Fire)
  • 13.78% Resistance(Cold)
  • 10% Resistance(Energy)
  • 10% Resistance(Negative)
  • 10% Resistance(Toxic)
  • 13.75% Resistance(Psionic)
------------

Set Bonuses:

Overwhelming Force
(Call Genin)
  • 12% (0.4 HP/sec) Regeneration
Edict of the Master
(Call Genin)
  • 5% Defense
Doctored Wounds
(Temporal Mending)
  • MezResist(Terrorized) 2.2%
  • 1.26% Resistance(Fire,Cold)
  • 4% Enhancement(Heal)
  • 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
Dark Watcher's Despair
(Time's Juncture)
  • 12.05 HP (1.5%) HitPoints
  • 2.5% (0.04 End/sec) Recovery
  • 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  • 2% DamageBuff(All)
  • 3.75% Resistance(Psionic)
Karma
(Maneuvers)
  • Knockback (Mag -4), Knockup (Mag -4)
Red Fortune
(Maneuvers)
  • MezResist(Immobilized) 2.2%
  • 1.26% Resistance(Fire,Cold)
  • 2% DamageBuff(All)
  • 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
Doctored Wounds
(Temporal Selection)
  • MezResist(Terrorized) 2.2%
  • 1.26% Resistance(Fire,Cold)
  • 4% Enhancement(Heal)
  • 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
Command of the Mastermind
(Call Jounin)
  • 2% DamageBuff(All)
  • 15.06 HP (1.88%) HitPoints
  • 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  • 10% Defense(AoE)
Pacing of the Turtle
(Distortion Field)
  • MezResist(Sleep) 2.75%
Basilisk's Gaze
(Time Stop)
  • 2.5% Defense(Energy,Negative), 1.25% Defense(Ranged)
  • 2% (0.03 End/sec) Recovery
  • 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  • Status Resistance 5%
Glimpse of the Abyss
(Intimidate)
  • 2.75% Enhancement(Terrorized)
  • 15.06 HP (1.88%) HitPoints
  • 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  • 6.25% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
Sovereign Right
(Oni)
  • 10% Resistance(All)
Luck of the Gambler
(Farsight)
  • 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
Glimpse of the Abyss
(Invoke Panic)
  • 2.75% Enhancement(Terrorized)
  • 15.06 HP (1.88%) HitPoints
  • 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  • 6.25% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
Shield Breaker
(Slowed Response)
  • 2.5% (0.04 End/sec) Recovery
  • Status Resistance 2.5%
  • 2.5% Defense(AoE), 1.25% Defense(Fire), 1.25% Defense(Cold)
  • 11% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  • 3.13% Defense(Melee), 1.56% Defense(Lethal), 1.56% Defense(Smashing)
Efficacy Adaptor
(Chrono Shift)
  • 9.04 HP (1.13%) HitPoints
  • 1.5% (0.03 End/sec) Recovery
Numina's Convalescence
(Chrono Shift)
  • 12% (0.4 HP/sec) Regeneration
  • 15.06 HP (1.88%) HitPoints
Luck of the Gambler
(Scorpion Shield)
  • 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)

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It's the end. But the moment has been prepared for ...