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On my Ice/Axe Tank I use CE and Taunt to hold aggro and it works in spades. I did not take Icicles because the time it did any relevant damage the mobs had been long gone from my teammates' assault.

I wouldn't worry much about endurance issues once you get Energy Absorption. I use EA whenever recharged (as long as I'm planted in a spawn) which keeps my endurance fueled. I do have Stamina as well.

The newly formed team will still have a team leader.

Unfortunately, the person holding the star gets to dictate what powers he or she should have for his/her team. I don't agree with that attitude but he who has the star makes the rules.

But not of the thread and my previous and after posts. You just took a question I posed to the thread as some type of proof. If that's the best you can do, then you need lots of practice.

I've already disclaimed that I run speed TFs/SFs along with normal instances. I even proposed a solution that would keep merits the SAME for speed runners while providing bonuses to teams that did not avoid content. Keep up.

Taking a post out of context only shows your ignorance. Follow the entire thread or troll elsewhere.

This. And Gloom and Dark Obliteration both provide a -tohit debuff which is great for a defense secondary like SR.

I hope you got her soul in trade Mr. Bubba.

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A can of worms isn't very chaotic, just ewwy. I've never really understood the use of that phrase.

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You are not being forced to use the market or slot SOs. You choose to do both. Blame yourself.

Oh noez, no SB...must...nerd...rage.

I'd be more upset if the Kinetics user lacked transfusion, transference and fulcrum shift (assuming level appropriate).

wut?

Stealth/TP? No, but avoided...hell yes. Let me show you what a speed run consists of...

Mission 1: Team has to free all 10 Sybils. Ignore all mobs except those guarding Sybils. Get Sister Solaris to the altar.
Mission 2: Team has to destroy the 10 Shadow Cysts. Ignore all other mobs and ambushes.
Mission 3: Team has to defeat the generals, the computer, Romulus and Requiem. Computer first, pull AVs to computer. Then defeat generals. OR Pull Generals to bridge, then computer with AVs pulled.
Mission 4: Team has to defeat Romulus and 300 Cimeroran Traitors. Towers then Rom or Rom then Towers.


That's not what I'm assuming. Heck, I even posted a question that pitted speed runners (stealth/tp/avoid) vs. a team steamrolling content.

Speed runners try to find the quickest way to completion while a efficient team (which you outlined above) is trying to just push their way through while experiencing the majority of content.

I do want to make clear that I think both playstyles are valid and not a form of cheating.

EDIT:

What I see are folks asking for a better metric to determine merit rewards while not alienating either the preferred playstyles; normal and speed.

Don't forget the Winter's Gift: 20% Slow Resistance.

http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Winter...ce_%2820%25%29

But why should a team that skips content get the same merit reward for a team that does not?

Remember Merits are the reward for median time is takes to complete a TF/SF. So if someone is skipping the content to get a faster merit/hour ratio why should people who don't skip the content be subject to the same merit reward because they choose to actually experience the full TF/SF?

Basically, what I'm seeing is that speed runs (stealth + TP) are the norm (especially on the ITF) and normal runs are what seem out of place. If anything, people running normal TFs/SFs should be a bonus merit(s) for not skipping content.

In short, merits stay the same, but completing certain % of content rewards additional merits. That way speed runners aren't being penalized and normal TFs get their just merit rewards.

Why should someone skipping content receive the same merit reward as someone completing all the content?

Please know that I speed run TFs/SFs as well as run them normally. I'm only trying to figure out why stealthing missions and skipping content should provide the same merit rewards for people not skipping content.

I thought we were talking about merits. Let me rephrase then.

Should a team that can stealth and TP most missions get the same MERIT REWARD as a team that steam rolls the same content and does not skip any?

That's really the best DPS chain for EM? Ew.

Of course it did, but it was ignored because no one wanted ET nerfed. Now that ET is nerfed the self damage is used as an argument against the nerf when in fact removing the self damage would cause another nerf.

Exactly, and the self damage still reflects a balancing point against the BI.

I'm no dev but I assume the equation is per power and not per set. I agree, and have always agreed, that the AoE abilities of EM are poor. However, I think the purpose of EM is to provide that good ST ability while providing good mitigation.

Now, I know you are going to say that EM's stuns are not reliable or good mitigation but I assure you that having the ability to stun a boss and 2 other critters at once is indeed, good mitigation. Stun is a fantastic power that nearly ever EM user skips because it does zero damage but it used properly Stun can provide excellent mitigation when stacked when Barrage, EP, BoneSmasher, TF, WH and ET.

I agree. EM is a better solo set than team and I don't find that to be an issue. The same way I don't mind ELM being a better teamed set than solo.

To be accurate, EM is not an underpowered set overall. It's underpowered in the AoE department and that's it. EM provides good ST ability with good mitigation but offers poor AoE capabilities (damage wise).

The only changes to EM I would like involve re-instituting the fast pace feel of the set. The low AoE damage really isn't a concern. I just pair it with a secondary or primary that provide some AoE Damage (ELA, DA, SD, etc).

I don't think all sets should be the same.

I would love to see the attack chain.


I'm 85% sure the devs take into account both AoE and mitigation when creating or balancing a set. Did you think that maybe, just maybe, the devs don't want EM to have a mid-high level of AoE damage?

You are right to a point. I'm ok with the nerf because I understand why the changes were implemented to ET, TF and Barrage. I'm not ok with the nerf because I dislike the slow, clunky feel of the set since the changes to ET and Barrage.



Is buffing WH and removing the self-damage from ET your only wants for this set or did you have something else in mind?

You missed my point. Dark Regen is part of his armor set whereas Siphon Life is part of your attack set. The OP did not use any mitigation from his attack set to help increase his survivability. You did.

It was just an observation or nitpick if you will. I still think soloing those mobs at +4/x8 is awesome no matter the AT and powersets used.

In theory, and using today's game as a yard stick...you are right. However, I was in the Brute forum for quite some time and I remember all the EM Brute thread (mostly EM/ELA) and they weren't all PvP related either.

EM/ELA was FotM for quite sometime before IOS hit the scene because /ELA offered Lightning Reflexes which gave the user +20% recharge. That was the ONLY way to obtain more recharge other than Hasten and Buffs before IOs. Having a 1 sec ET animation that recharged so quickly was extremely potent. No one really cared as much about AoE back then in my experience. This whole AoE is king thing started around the time IOs were introduced.

I agree for blasters, but brutes and scrappers shouldn't have a insta-boss-mezz power in their primary when they have an entire secondary devoted to mitigation.

I respeced my FM/SD into the Blaze pool the other day and I was able to obtain 46% to melee, 48% to range and 44.8% to AoE without the PvP IO. I'd think about getting that PvP IO if it weren't so ridiculously expensive and I didn't have so many alts to IO.