Eiko-chan

Is this where I insert the obligatory plug for The Supreme Society? We're classic take-over-the-world villains.

There actually is a high-level Snakes arc, and it includes an Arch-villain.

I hated Batman Begins. Not enough Joker.

My Bots/Traps MM can solo even-con missions (+0x0, in other words) without pets and without sweat, so it's entirely possible. I haven't tried higher settings petless yet.

Of course, Traps is overpowered.

FFG should be giving your party 20% defence to all (including psi) and more than 6 mag protection from Holds, Stuns and Immobilises. If that alone isn't enough to keep your party alive, I think you're all doing it wrong.

And if you don't have FFG (I notice you didn't mention it), then you're definitely doing it wrong.

Get Web Grenade too. -recharge on a boss or a few Lts is really nice.

Soggy? But Fourth hasn't posted in this thread!

I think I might have once finished the first level of the 8-bit Prince of Persia.

Don't encourage him.

My recommendation is that you start a new character and play through the dev content (and maybe an occasional good AE arc) all over, so you can learn the ropes (or re-learn).

Of course, eventually someone will be by plugging the global channels like VU2009, but the leveling process isn't just a "grind" of getting XP and levels, but the training period that teaches you how to play that specific character, what works and what doesn't work for both you and the powersets you've chosen. A PLed 50 (however it was PLed) is going to show its stripes, and it will be extremely difficult to learn what your limits are and aren't without the training period of the lower levels that slowly ease you into them.

You might be able to redeem that character you played to 32 yourself, but it's going to be a long hard grind learning the limits, foibles and strengths of your other 50s, I think. You might start by seeing how far you can push your difficulty settings with them solo, and should definitely play them for several weeks before you try to find a "Master" run of anything, for both your sake and that of the badgers.

But ... it's not talk like a pirate day.

End Redux slotted in summon powers both reduce the cost of summoning the pet and the cost of the pet's powers.

Recharge Redux slotted in summon powers only reduce the recharge of the summon powers, not the pet's powers (this is a change from earlier issues.)

Damage, Accuracy, and other enhancements (including Procs) apply to the pet's powers.

That help?

I will fully admit (as an experienced /Traps MM) that Traps's Tier 9 is less than great. Trip Mine is a nice bonus (as is any damage in a buff/debuff set), but I'd say Traps's greatest strength are in its first 7 powers. MMs and Corruptors have always "had" to take Web Grenade, and I have to wonder if some of those thinking Traps is subpar for Defenders have been skipping Web Grenade because they can? On the surface, the immobilise of Web Grenade makes it seem sub-par, but the -recharge is a real boon - it's 50%, and stackable.

Traps is at its greatest power against single large, hard targets - AVs, GMs, EBs, etc (PGT's Hold being a Choke, and thus unresistable, is a fair aspect of this, along with its nice -regen). But Caltrops, Acid Mortar, PGT and Trip Mine are all real nice for taking out groups - and with Defenders modifiers to defence, FFG is even more a benefit to them, which means they can afford to be up close and personal to deliver the traps.

It might take a while to get blueside teams used to how Traps works ("Why's the Defender right in the middle of everything?!"), but it's a beautiful set, and I can't imagine anything but greatness for it with the larger numbers Defenders will get out of it compared to MMs and Corruptors.