Fury Flechette

I'm rather impressed with this. Kudos to you for putting it together. I think I have a few folks that will try their hand at this.

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Little late there Grae but I guess it's the thought that counts.

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Only a couple days late

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Wow, necropost for the win. Grae's probably got us on his mind since he's lusting after those costume pieces we're raffling off.

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OP - Please don't presume to talk for me even if your post was tongue and cheek. I have a 50 regen scrapper and I don't have anywhere close to your arrogance. I have also played with many bad regens who had to be rezzed (yet again) for thinking they can take that alpha strike, I want to make sure folks understand there is a smart way of playing a scrapper and a dumb way. Hint: thinking you're a mindless beast and charging into mobs is the dumb way.

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Come on, Fury this was just a fun post. While I'm sure the OP had a few serious points, I don't think this merited that harsh a response.

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I would normally let it go, but if you're going to be tongue and cheek, at least be accurate about it. The whole post contains a ton of misleading information. The section on PvP is particularly bad. I like that he wants his regen in a tight enclosed map...I bet he's never faced a /rad or a /cold in the office map.

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And it's pretty clear you haven't played other ATs very much. Your section on what a blaster does (so when have blasters been strictly a ranged AT?...like never) or what defenders and controllers can do is clearly lacking. And personally, I'd rather have an empath than a FF defender. Fort = FF bubbles defense AND provides an accuracy and damage buff. If you had to pick between those two defenders for an regen, you pick an empath not a FF.

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On the Empath/FF issue. I wouldn't universally go Empath. While Fortitude is generally the better buff, the two little bubbles have the advantage of lasting longer and being able to be applied to a whole group and giving the defender time to blast, adding damage. Additionally, Insulation Shield protects against endurance drain and recovery debuffs which against certain factions is more important to me than more damage.

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I'd still take the empath, especially if she's well spec'ed. While it's true that FF bubbles last longer, a well spec'ed empath can shield 4 people on the team with fort, provide regen and recovery aura and apply adrenaline boost. So while the defense protection isn't as good overall, the team's damage and endurance capability (their ability to mitigate damage by killing stuff faster) is improved. Also, on a smart team, you don't need to fort everyone on the team...that controller or debuffing defender (while everyone benefits from fort) doesn't need it. They do need clear mind and they do benefit from the auras. The heals are just icing on the cake, but completely unnecessary if the team is well designed and the empath knows what they're doing.

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OP - Please don't presume to talk for me even if your post was tongue and cheek. I have a 50 regen scrapper and I don't have anywhere close to your arrogance. I have also played with many bad regens who had to be rezzed (yet again) for thinking they can take that alpha strike, I want to make sure folks understand there is a smart way of playing a scrapper and a dumb way. Hint: thinking you're a mindless beast and charging into mobs is the dumb way.

And it's pretty clear you haven't played other ATs very much. Your section on what a blaster does (so when have blasters been strictly a ranged AT?...like never) or what defenders and controllers can do is clearly lacking. And personally, I'd rather have an empath than a FF defender. Fort = FF bubbles defense AND provides an accuracy and damage buff. If you had to pick between those two defenders for an regen, you pick an empath not a FF.

I'm looking for the name: Manes

It's for a friend of mine that doesn't post here much.

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It's going to be very beneficial to the rest of these committees that the PvPEC came first, because if there's one thing you can see about the PvP community, it's that they're brutally up front with their thoughts. There seems to be an undertone in your post that you somewhat blame the PvP community and some ex-committee members for the ranting and paranoia surrounding the committee's construction, but the fact is that the committee has been lax in terms of communicating with the community they represent. It just so happens that you picked the most vicious bear in the den to poke with that stick first, so the repercussions have been impressive in scale.

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This is honest and good feedback. As a committee we DO need to communicate better and many of us have expressed that recently. Expect to see alot more communication in the coming days leading up the event.

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Can we get any idea of the rewards...are these going to be game-time cards, video cards, in-game and board titles, OR:

PvP only accolades that give an Endurance, Health or Accuracy/etc boost earned through the event and usable in the Arena/Zones (similar to items of power).

You said "PvP oriented rewards", what are these exactly.

We aren't really hearing much about the event, rewards, ideas...so far. Is there positive stuff going on?

Also, I assume Issue 9 will be launching in Mayish...will the first event be concurrent with Issue 9 release?



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The rewards are BOTH in-game items (things that affect your character) and out of game items (game cards, video cards, etc.). Sorry for being so vague, but I can spill too much at the moment.

Hi folks,

FF here and I'm the chair for the Rewards subcommittee. My group is tasked to come up with the prizes that will be awarded during the upcoming event. The rewards will come in a number of forms, and as much as I'd love to reveal some of the details, I'm sworn to secrecy on alot of it. Suffice it to say, you'll love some of the rewards that we've proposed. If you are interested in giving your feedback or wish to help out, just drop me a PM.

As for PvP background, I've been PvPing since issue 4 and am one of the players on the committee that can backdate to retail release. Ever since PvP came out, I've loved it and the challenge it brings to this game. PvP has forced me to really learn this game, the power sets and its mechanics and have made me a better technical player. I also feel strongly that the CoX PvP engine revolutionary...a MMO that allows you to fight quickly in three dimensions like a FPS. It's a strong interest of mine to see the potential of CoX PvP really take off and do well.

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Ok, so seeing how a devices blaster is the best for hunting stalkers, and you have the cut off @ 30 for S.C. and 50 for R.V. could you all post a "to 30" build? (I think the full build is already posted, but does it take into account respecs later or no?)

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The builds can be played through to 50. The only issue is to get to 18 when you get blaze. After that it's pretty easy. If you need another attack, take one and then respec at 19 when you can slot up blaze a little bit. The builds posted assume caps for PvP zones. The last build posted reflects a final build compliant to the latest issue.

After seeing your original thread mod locked, you still had to bring it into the Guides section? Some people consider farming for badges (any badges, not just PvP ones) to be an exploit. I merely consider it lame. I will never understand why you and people like you want to have a badge for an activity that you either despise or in which you have no interest in participating. Weak sauce.

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I am gettin really frustrated at these posts saying PvP is unbalenced. First off any build can be good in PvP depending how u build it and play it. Now im not sure in CoV but in CoH where always worried about stalkers. Most of us building ANTI stalker builds. Anyone can kill anyone in PvP and i dont see unbalenced. Stalkers are crazy. Brutes are great to and so on. I dont really no why people are creating problems for the devs. If u dont like the system then dont PvP

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You're just not experienced enough to see the imbalance or you're a casual PvPer. Nothing wrong with either. However, don't discount the experienced posters when they say something isn't right. They have a point.

I think most folks in this forum are pretty jaded about dev intentions about PvP. On the advent of issue 9, you get pretty discouraged that you still see stuff broken since issue 4. Nor do the developers seem to understand about how exactly to balance some of the things they put into place:

* Unresistable damage
* Unresistable debuffs
* Tohit buffs vs. defense
* Stealth vs. +perception
* SJ + SS vs. any other travel power
* Buffs vs. debuffs
* Mez vs. suppression

I'm not sure you can fix some of those things without radically altering the PvE game that the devs feel is their bread and butter. I don't think the devs want to implement an "Enhancement Diversification 2.0" style change just to make this game more PvP friendly.

This is much improved from your previous guide which I felt was lacking in many areas.

One misconception: taser. Taser stacks with stunning shot. Two applications stuns a boss and with enough duration / recharge can keep him stunned. It's far from useless.

Smoke grenade is still the most awful power in the devices line. A whopping 3.5% debuff...almost unnoticeable. I disagree with your rating for it. It should be 1/5.

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Oh cool, I started an Ice/Dev blaster 7 days ago and man oh man, my build was almost exact to yours, except I am taking the cloak over hasten and I only had one endredux in assault and acro (mistake >_&lt but now they have two in them and I notice the difference. Great guide.

I have one question as far as Drone + Tactics stacked (I don't have Tactics yet). How do or is there a way to see thru Hide + Invis? I noticed that I was able to see them when they move with Drone & IR Goggles (unsure of comparisons on +perception of IR or Tactics) also as they begun their AS as they have to drop invis first.

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TD + Tactics stack, but there's a catch. It's not enough +perception to see hide + invis at the SC level. I previously thought it did. It does allow you to see it at RV, but not at SC just the way the stealth and perception caps work.

However, hide + invisibility lags. When you're moving and your stalker opponent moves, you can see and briefly target a stalker that is using hide + invisibility. It's just a matter of time that he drops invis and then you can see him pretty clearly. The sure way to get him is to simply pop an insight when you see a stalker flash past you. Then for 1 min, you can see them at 10' regardless of how much stealth he has since you're at the perception cap.

BTW, targeting drone + tactics + IR goggles all stack. And it puts you at the +perception cap.

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And yes, stalkers HATE you.

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Yep. This build generates MORE hate than even stalker builds. If you can't stand being cussed out in broadcast constantly, this is definitely not the build for you.

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yea it makes sense and I like the storm plus grenade. For my elec/nrg I tried to be a little different and not follow a typical ice or fire/nrg. I was going to try to pick up electric cause I was hoping the EMP blast combined with TB would take down most of the end of a player with power boost and conserve power running of course and the electric armor might give a slight advantage over other /nrgs because of the small resists. Of course I know sometimes it just comes down to preference but I was wondering if you have any info on EMP's end drain? thanks again for the last post

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Absolutely, the best way to get information about power sets: City of Data. Look under epics.

According to the site: EM Pulse drains -16.67 base to a player. That's not bad but it makes it situational and I think the animation times will still be a killer. I personally haven't tested this in PvP, so take this for what it's worth.

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Well, i took your guide and tweaked it a bit for Sonic/dev instead. While the sonic attacks are a bit slower on the animation time, i'm really happy with the build so far. And i'm not sure, but i think the -res from sonic attacks really helps out

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According to City of Data, sonic blasts have a -res value of 13%. Combined with the blaster AT damage modifier, that's alot of additional damage. I just wish shout was faster then the blast set would be roughly on par with ice and fire. Slower but with much more damage. Also, having a ranged stun is extremely nice. My sonic/sonic corruptor really enjoys hers.

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hey Fury I love your guides and ive been trying to find a nice build to get some payback with my fire/dev being the first char I made back in the day. Im had a liking to electric mastery lately though due to the EMP Pulse. I know Frozen Armor is to compliment CD and the SS combines with web nade. The pool with FoN and PFF are all around decent as is Flame Mastery with char and the shield. Is there any benefit to Electric maybe possible combining stuns with taser and EMP and I know the shield isnt the best but I was just wondering.

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Electric is okay, but there's a reason that most PvP builds gravitate to force and cold mastery.

PFF in force is just a nice to have. It allows for a peekaboo play style. Get hurt, and you hide in your bubble to take a break. Temporary Invulnerability is a good S/L shield. And Force of Nature is very nice - allowing you to have very high resist and approach scrapper level defenses for a time.

Cold mastery is nice because snow storm + web grenade = people not moving. The armor isn't the greatest but then again you can grab hibernate, which is the ultimate 'oh crap' button.

EMP isn't that useful. While a stun is good, it's a slow animating PBAoE. The new taser is much better because it's faster. Don't think about stacking stuns with EMP because of it's long recharge; it also has a high endurance cost to compensate for the fact that in PvE it's meant to stun multiple targets. You try that in PvP, and you won't be successful...even against MMs since some of them have mez protection (/traps, /FF). Also, stuns aren't usually stacked unless you're an energy melee toon, which has multiple stuns in its arsenal. Usually, one stun is sufficient to knockoff a squishie's acrobatics or bring them down if they are flying.

A Guide for PvP Devices Blasters: How to Make an Anti-Stalker

The guide has additional information to conform to adjustments in powers post issue 8.

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Hover costs 0.20 Endurance per second, slotted as it is it only takes 0.10 Endurance per second.

My toggles take up a great deal of Endurance, as shown here:

Base End Recovery: 1.667
Stamina: 0.812
Hover: -0.103
Stealth: -0.244
Repulsion Field: -0.513

Total Recovery: 2.479
Total Use: -0.859
Recovery per Second: 1.620

This gives me a great recovery for fights. If you feel comfortable with youe endurance recovery, then I'd suggest slotting three defense buffs into the Hover. People say that defense means nothing anymore, but I must disagree. If it means nothing, then why do they have it?

Bone Smasher is not neccessary for this build as I am not melee. That is the reason, as you point out, that I have Stun and Total Focus.

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This doesn't make any sense. You're not melee yet you take repulsion field and you skip boost range?

As for cost of hover. Hover is .2 end/sec. Flight is 1 end/sec. You devote 3 end redx for flight and zero for flight? Also, stealth and repulsion field are more expensive than hover. You'd get far more bang for the buck by just doubling up stealth and leaving hover at 3 flight, no end redx. That would save you 2 slots.

Not taking aim or power boost...*shakes head*

Also, what's the point of taking aid other, resuscitate and stimulant and not taking aid self for yourself? If you want to be a selfless player, that's fine but you're playing the wrong AT. Blasters do damage, first and foremost, and you didn't even pick up the one power in that pool that allows you to be self sufficient. And you do realize that power boost would've helped you to be a better healer if that was your intent...sadly, you didn't take that power.

Sorry, but this guide has awful advice. Even for a ranged/healing blaster. I really thought you would've learned something since this is the second guide you've published.

What you've done is published a spec with your play style but it is no where close to maximized for performance even for the professed play style you claim. For anyone that isn't you, they'd hate your build and your advice.

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In all that time, I’ve learned a thing or two about my powers. Now, after being asked by Statesman to give a class here at the Special Heroic Education Department of Paragon City University, I’m passing my knowledge on to you.

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I think you need some additional remedial classes. You can't teach what you don't know.

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Would this be somewhat akin to a Stalker's "Hide" in PvP?

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I'll be testing this. Would be interesting if it stacked with CD to produce the equivalent of hide + stealth on the hero side.

Updated build. As others pointed out, taser does not take range enhancements by design. Changed out slotting on taser. Good alternates would be to add two jump to combat jumping to increase jump height or add two tohit buffs to tactics...either way, it doesn't really change the fundamental design much. Enjoy.

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Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder - (http://sherksilver.coldfront.net/index.php)
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Name: RV Fire - Devices PvP
Level: 50
Archetype: Blaster
Primary: Fire Blast
Secondary: Devices
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01) --> Fire Blast==> Acc(1) Acc(3) Dmg(5) Dmg(7) Dmg(9) Rechg(34)
01) --> Web Grenade==> Acc(1) Acc(17) Range(37) Range(37) Rechg(39) EndRdx(40)
02) --> Fire Ball==> Acc(2) Acc(3) Dmg(5) Dmg(7) Dmg(9) Rechg(27)
04) --> Caltrops==> Rechg(4) Rechg(36) Slow(37) Slow(39)
06) --> Combat Jumping==> Jump(6) Jump(46) Jump(48)
08) --> Hurdle==> Jump(8)
10) --> Targeting Drone==> EndRdx(10) EndRdx(11) TH_Buf(11) TH_Buf(15) TH_Buf(17)
12) --> Aim==> Rechg(12) Rechg(13) Rechg(13) TH_Buf(40) TH_Buf(43) TH_Buf(43)
14) --> Super Jump==> Jump(14) Jump(15)
16) --> Swift==> Run(16) Run(39) Run(40)
18) --> Blaze==> Acc(18) Acc(19) Dmg(19) Dmg(23) Dmg(23) EndRdx(25)
20) --> Stamina==> EndMod(20) EndMod(21) EndMod(21)
22) --> Assault==> EndRdx(22) EndRdx(43)
24) --> Tactics==> EndRdx(24) EndRdx(25)
26) --> Acrobatics==> EndRdx(26) EndRdx(27)
28) --> Taser==> Acc(28) Acc(29) Rechg (29) Rechg (31) DisDur (36) EndRdx(36)
30) --> Hasten==> Rechg(30) Rechg(31) Rechg(31)
32) --> Inferno==> Dmg(32) Dmg(33) Dmg(33) Rechg(33) Rechg(34) Rechg(34)
35) --> Cloaking Device==> EndRdx(35)
38) --> Super Speed==> Run(38) EndRdx(46)
41) --> Snow Storm==> EndRdx(41) EndRdx(42) Slow(42) Slow(42)
44) --> Frozen Armor==> EndRdx(44) EndRdx(45) DefBuf(45) DefBuf(45) DefBuf(46)
47) --> Hibernate==> Rechg(47) Rechg(48) Rechg(48)
49) --> Rain Of Fire==> Acc(49) Dmg(50) Dmg(50) EndRdx(50)
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01) --> Sprint==> EndRdx(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Acc(1)
01) --> Defiance==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Rechg(2)
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[Edit: About Taser's range - it does not accept range enhancements, and did not on Test. This is intended according to Castle.]

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Ah good catch. I read his post wrong. It's still worth taking, just a little harder to joust with. I'd change the slotting on the level 50 RV guide and add recharge / end redx / disorient duration as needed. Thanks.

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arggg...no.

XX/Devs is FOTM but great guide... basically you are a droning master - as you lay down caltrops and 20 mines and sit there cloaked waiting to tp foe a villain into it...this annoys me to no end as most devs blasters will KS in PVP (unless you are on their team).

P.S. - little secret - mines are pets - a confused blaster in the middle of mines goes BOOM!

a couple of suggestions = - on most of your examples you have tripmines past 30 - essential for SC is Cloaking,caltrops,webnades,targeting and the lovely tripdrones...er mines...all need to be take before or at 30.

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Devices isn't close to FoTM. Really, it isn't. And certainly, not Fire/Dev, which is my preferred primary/secondary pairing. Energy manipulation yes, then followed by electric manipulation.

In my guide, I only have one build with trip mines in it. I currently have trip mines in my live build only because I like the flexibility to weed out large groups of villains and for the occasional pesky MM. However, I get a vast majority of my kills from moving fast, hitting opponents with web grenade and then kiting until they're dead. TP foe + trip mines is really kind of a slow way to get kills.

Most players that have used this guide have told me that they much prefer the build without trip mines, since it affords them the ability to take either hasten or medicine pool and they can put acrobatics in their builds.

As to the tactic of confusion, yes. A confused devices blaster can be killed by her own trip mines. Then again, I've turned that around many times by using a breakfree and then using a defianced charged blaze to kill the dominator or stalker. *shrugs*

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all good suggestion yes ... but since most stalkers now stacks invis and hide ... /devs uber perception is now useless ... having hover/tp as travel lets them tp beside you not worrying about caltrops or you seeing them since when you tp beside your target they can't see you off the bat and give the stalkers time to get AS off .. and the next blow will finish you .. not trying to discourage anyone that wants to make /dev blasters .. just fyi that stalkers now found ways to get around them .. but hey not all stalkers are built that way .. so you'd still be effective .. and not forgetting against other ATs

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1. Stalkers have to toggle off invis to AS you, then they are visible as long as they are in your field of vision. If anyone is stupid enough to just stand around, sure you can be AS'ed but a dev blaster that is moving and then using stacked +perception is difficult to take down.
2. It's not invisibility that makes a stalker hard to kill, it's teleport.
3. The guide makes no illusion that most don't go stalkers go hide + invis. In my experience, that's not what gives me problems, because there are ways around that.

I stand by my research and my tactics.