DreamWeaver

Not only that - I noticed I could take on a Dark Crystal and not actually encounter repeated messy death. Keen.

Other than "son of a window-dresser" (clicky)...

...what's the best Invention to slot for Taunt and in which powers? (I have a Taunt and my Invulnerability aura)

Yep. Don't say it like it's a five-day-dead fish... I've worked alongside tanks and blappers who have used Fear before as an effective control / lockup method. One that, unlike Taunt, involves people not hitting you for the duration and staying still.

Plus, this being this guy, inspiring terror is an essential part of the build.

(And shouting a lot.)

The story so far...
+---------------------------------------------
+ Built with SuckerPunch's Online Planner
+ http://www.cohplanner.com
+---------------------------------------------
Level: 26
Archetype: Tanker
Primary: Invulnerability
Secondary: War Mace
+---------------------------------------------
01 => Bash
01 => Temp Invulnerability
02 => Dull Pain
04 => Resist Physical Damage
06 => Air Superiority
08 => Unyielding
10 => Swift
12 => Jawbreaker
14 => Fly
16 => Health
18 => Invincibility
20 => Stamina
22 => Provoke
24 => Pulverize
26 => Tough Hide

And next planned moves...

28 => Whirling Mace
30 => Intimidate
32 => Unstoppable
35 => Shatter
38 => Crowd Control
41 => Conserve Power
44 => Invoke Panic
47 => Laser Beam Eyes
49 => Focused Accuracy

Advice welcomed... it is a concept build, mind.

How about an empath's lament similar to Buffy's Going Through The Motions - "Why do I have to pick up the piiieeeces... Why am I the one who carreees..."

IMHO... feel free to flame...

Drop Absorb Pain. It's not selfish, since you're no use to your team if you're dead - and if you're getting into firefights that are big enough to need this as a spare heal, the five-second heal lockout leaves you seriously vulnerable. If you really think you'll need an extra heal, Aid Other from the Medicine Pool is just as effective without the penalty, though only at short range.

Take Telekinetic Blast. It's a solid damage power - and with the best will in the world, even the best tank you're working with will let one or two enemies slip past. A well-aimed and well-slotted TK Blast will shove them back into taunt range - and at least out of your melee zone.

Consider the use of Psi Wail carefully. It's the only really spectacular Emp/Psi power, but there may be other more practical options that will keep you and your team standing longer.

Switch Hover for Air Superiority. Not for the damage, for the knockdown - any enemy that's off its feet is one that isn't attacking you for those precious few seconds. Swap your Flight Speed enhs for EndRdx and you'll barely notice the difference.

Drop Phase Shift for Total Focus. Solid damage and a high-mag Disorient will stop most mobs dead - particularly with your Power Build Up - and seriously inconvenience any others.

Sure I do

My personal advice to you would be: Power Mastery all the way...

@41: Power Build Up - amazing power. Not only does it work like a regular Build Up (+DAM, +ACC) - but it also boosts all your other effects like heals, regen buffs, defense buffs, endurance buffs/drains, disorients, holds, immobilizes, knockbacks... even your run/flight speed. ((Red Tomax Guide values))

Get it. Slot it. Love it.

@ 44: Conserve Power - once this is slotted, you'll never run dry in a firefight again.

@ 47: Total Focus is Extreme damage and adds one heck of a punch - as well as the slam-dunk Disorient - and can get you out of a lot of trouble.

@ 49: your choice. Temp Invuln isn't really up to much - as an empath, your Aura heals should give you plenty enough regeneration to outweigh this. But it does give you more survivability. For an equivalent amount of END, you might consider Maneuvers to give your whole team a decent extra little buff.

Tried out a TA/Archery a looong while ago and quickly got fed up with the OMGurdefenderwherertehheels tells.
(And if you've ever done that, please READ THIS NOW. OR ELSE. (clicky)

Not being Manticore, I can't shoot my teammates. But with Vet Respecs, new snazzier bows and the DXP weekend, I brought Ranger Marianne out of retirement for a new round of play.

Powers thus far to L33 are: (sorry haven't got the exact order in front of me...)

TA:
- Flash
- Glue
- Disruptor
- Oil Slick

Archery:
- Snap Shot
- Aimed Shot
- Fire Arrow
- Explosive Arrow
- Ranged Shot

Medicine
- Heal Other (3 Health, 2 Recharge, 1 Interrupt)
- Heal Self (3 Health, 1 Recharge)
- Rez (1 Recharge)

Fitness
- Swift
- Health
- Stamina

Flight
- Air Superiority
- Fly

Surprisingly, it works well as an all-purpose support toon. The debuffs add a lot to most teams performance (particularly Disruptor - "OMG you turned them to jelly!" and Flaming Oil Slick, which works wonders when teamed with Fire Blasters, Controllers or Tanks.)

Healing wise, I can take care of up to 3/4 non-insane players so long as it's not against CoT (Quicksand is doom.) Wish you could put Range in Heal Other.

Advice welcome on build and slotting.

Next planned moves:

35 Aim
38 Rain Of Arrows
41 Power Build Up
44 EMP Arrow (for the Praetorian missions)
47 Temp Invuln
49 Total Focus

That's a farmer/llama ding-dong brewing right there.

[ QUOTE ]
I don't think it improves flight speed. It just removes the inertia associated with flight so I guess reduces total flight time if you turn a lot.

[/ QUOTE ]

Inertial thing is true and handy, but I tested it on straight-line flight in Steel and boosts your flight speed by roughly 10%. Add on Sprint and the Jump pack and I can crank about a 25% boost, then use Power Boost and it's about 40% faster than normal in short bursts. When Paragon's in danger, you need all the help you can get

[ QUOTE ]

Jump around. Seriously, it works.

Edit: That's put an absolutely terrible song in my head.

[/ QUOTE ]

Fixed that for ya. And if Demonika's out there, I think I have a video challenge for you.

Although I hate SJ as a travel power, getting Combat Jumping and Acrobatics can seriously improve the life of a blaster. Use height, position, terrain and RANGE to your advantage. Unless you've got a specific ("blapper") build for closeup combat, your melee moves are just to take down anything that gets near you QUICKLY so you can move away and start again.

Oddly enough, the Devastation HoldProcs seem to work pretty well for me. More holds = better. I don't bother with the DamProcs, though, since there are far more reliable and cheaper ways of boosting your DAM.

And yes, it's a PVE build.

Thanks Cap. Forgot my favourite power too - Tesla Cage, which is a godsend.

OK: New build to L40:

01 Lightning Bolt - 1 Acc, 1 Dam, 4xDevastation(inc Hold)
01 Powerthrust - 1 Acc
02 Ball Lightning - 1 Acc, 5xPos Blast
04 Build Up - 3 Recharge
06 Air Superiority - 2 Crushing Impact (more to be added)
08 Swift - 1 Fly
10 Bonesmasher - 1 Acc, 5 Crushing Impact
12 Zapp - 5 Manticore, 1 generic Acc/Dam (67% Acc, 96% Dam, 50% Int, 45% Recharge)
14 Fly - 2 Fly
16 Health - 2 Health (takes advantage of Regen bonuses)
18 Tesla Cage - 1 Acc, 2x Neuronic Shutdown (more soon)
20 Stamina - 3 EndMod
22 Aim - 2 Recharge (75%)
24 Conserve Power - 3 Recharge
26 Hasten - 3 Recharge
28 Power Boost - 2 Recharge
30 Short Circuit - 1 Aim, 2 EndMod
32 Thunderous Blast - 1 Acc, 5 Positron
35 Charged Bolts - 1 Acc, 4 Devastation(inc Hold)
38 Combat Jump - 1 Kismet+6Acc, 3 Serendipity

Potential builds here on out:

MUNITIONS
41 Cryo Rifle - stackable holds!
44 Body Armour - unmezzable, zero end Smash/Dam Res
47 LRM - stackable ranged nuke!
49 Total Focus

FORCE
41 PFF - live to fight again
44 Temp Invuln tanker's friend
47 Force Of Nature uberwhirlingdeathmachine time
49 Repulsion Bomb or Total Focus

ELEC:
41 Shock Bolt stackable hold
44 Charged Armour
47 Jump Kick
49 Acrobatics

Got to 40 with a freespec and plenty of IOs, here's the story so far. In no particular order:

ELECTRICAL BLAST:
Charged Bolts (4xDevastation)
Lightning Bolt (4xDevastation)
Zapp (4xManticore, 1L40 Aim, 1 L40Dam)
Ball Lightning (5xPositron)
Voltaic Sentinel (2 Acc 1 Dam)
Aim (3 Recharge)
Thunderous Blast (1xAim, 5xPositron)

ENERGY MANIPULATION:
Powerthrust (1 Aim)
Build Up (3 Recharge)
Bone Smasher (5x Crushing Impact)
Conserve Power (3 Recharge)
Power Boost (1 Recharge)

POOL POWERS:
Swift (1 Fly)
Health (1 Health)
Stamina (3 EndMod)
Air Superiority (2 Aim, for the guaranteed knockdown)
Fly (1 Fly, I just like it)
Hasten (3 Recharge)
Combat Jump (3 Serendipity, +6 Acc Kismet)

What should I tweak and what Epic suits best out of Energy, Elec, or Munitions?

Took CJ, and found an odd side benefit - having CJ active improves flyspeed by about 20%

...and yes, it's mostly for the IO benefits... already got the +Acc bonus, but not liable to get the +Recharge one unless I've got 35 mill to spare...

...isn't always a good offence.

Assuming I've got just one spare power slot, what would be the best +DEF deal out of:

Hover
Combat Jump
Stealth
Other (insert name here)

PS:Fly is my main power set - just because I like it and I like to type when travelling to missions. And I ain't changing.

It's OK, boosts your overall DPU a bit, and can pull round corners. Would be better if it was targettable as a mini aggro magnet.

Anything / Energy. Especially at later levels when you want to help out lowbies - simply punch a few CoT off rooftops into their waiting arms below.

I love Energy/Energy and Elec/Energy, and quite keen on trying AR/Energy for the classic guns'n'fisticuffs hero.

Ar/Dev gives you the classic "Solo Commando" feel, is quite soloable with a little caution and patience (setting up mines and spikes etc), and is a valuable asset to a team.

With any /Dev, though, although you've got lots of combat options, you really do miss a Build Up.

I unleashed Ranger Emily (AR/Dev 50)today for a bit of slice and dice action - and even with no Build Up, nothing shreds mobs of minions like the Full Auto -> Flamethrower -> Buckshot chain.

...unless you go for AR/En. Which makes you a classic two-fisted Natural hero, and gives you access to Build Up and Boost Range. Imagine what that could do...

Pour tous reponses:

- beaucoup mieux que WoW, MxO, EVE ou (nom de dieu) SWG.

Rejouissez, vous etes tous benis par ces developpeurs.

I'll join the Gravity/Storm love-in too. It's a combination that gives you a ton of offensive options and keeps the big SMASH of your Propel doing maximum damage. However, you may have to be a little more in-yer-face with the enemies to make the most use of it, so you'll need courage and care.

Played correctly, you're not just locking down whole mobs, you're mashing them.

If you wanted a bit more of a team support role, Rad or Kin also have good synergies.

Yep - still break out my En/En for a bit of a laugh on occasion, especially to annoy Tanks

BTW, I watched FG vs FFM's match "live" and it was a VERY close run thing - both down to fractional health repeatedly...

I currently have:
- a BS/Regen (which I don't find dull, though I do miss any kind of status effect at the moment - should be fixed with Disembowel at 26 )

- a MA/Regen ninja cow

- a Claws/Regen battle hamster (in honour of Richard Hammond).

The only problem I have sometimes with Scrapping is with target selection and keeping in the thick of things. Otherwise - KILL KILL KILL!

Well, I played doctor for 50 levels, so that's my meat and drink. Regen Aura is skippable, but everything else in the Empath's toolkit is worth taking and a blessing to your team.