Luminara

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Here is my build, and set IO recomendations would be greatly appreciated. (and only sets that are available at or around lvl 30, not purples and what not.

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Level 30 build with sets.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Level 48 Magic Defender
Primary Power Set: Trick Arrow
Secondary Power Set: Dark Blast
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Dark Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Flash Arrow -- DarkWD-ToHitDeb:30(A), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/Rchg:30(3), DarkWD-ToHitdeb/Rchg/EndRdx:30(3), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/EndRdx:30(5)
Level 1: Dark Blast -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg:30(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx:30(5), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg:30(7), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:30(7), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:30(9)
Level 2: Glue Arrow -- RechRdx-I:30(A)
Level 4: Gloom -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg:30(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx:30(9), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg:30(11), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:30(11), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:30(13)
Level 6: Swift -- Run-I:30(A)
Level 8: Poison Gas Arrow -- CSndmn-Acc/Rchg:30(A), CSndmn-EndRdx/Sleep:30(13), CSndmn-Acc/EndRdx:30(15), CSndmn-Acc/Sleep/Rchg:30(15), CSndmn-Heal%:30(17)
Level 10: Hover -- Zephyr-Travel:30(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx:30(17)
Level 12: Acid Arrow -- ShldBrk-Acc/Rchg:30(A), Achilles-ResDeb%:20(19)
Level 14: Health -- Heal-I:30(A)
Level 16: Tenebrous Tentacles -- Acc-I:30(A), Range-I:30(19), Range-I:30(21), Cloud-%Dam:20(21), TotHntr-Dam%:20(23), Posi-Dam%:20(23)
Level 18: Disruption Arrow -- RechRdx-I:30(A)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I:30(A)
Level 22: Night Fall -- Det'tn-Acc/Dmg:30(A), Dmg-I:30(25), Det'tn-Dmg/Rchg:30(25), AirB'st-Acc/Dmg:30(27), Posi-Dam%:20(27), Cloud-%Dam:20(29)
Level 24: Fly -- Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx:30(A)
Level 26: Assault -- EndRdx-I:30(A)
Level 28: Oil Slick Arrow -- Empty(A)
Level 30: Tactics -- Empty(A)
Level 32: Moonbeam -- Empty(A)
Level 35: Life Drain -- Empty(A)
Level 38: Blackstar -- Empty(A)
Level 41: Dark Consumption -- Empty(A)
Level 44: Dark Embrace -- Empty(A)
Level 47: Soul Drain -- Empty(A)
Level 49: Vengeance -- Empty(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Vigilance



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Should I bother taking both smoke and flash arrow?

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Yes.

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Would the -to hits stack

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Yes.

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and if so would it actually be worth it?

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Slot them both up to ~7.5% -ToHit, there you go, you have the equivalent of 15% Defense versus everything.

Yes, it's worth it.

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In my opinion, I think I'll be killing a lotta stuff so fast it won't matter much.

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You won't be defeating anything fast until you get your pets and get them slotted up. My Fire/TA hit 28 last night and even with two veteran reward attacks, the only fast thing about that character is how quickly I can get around with Hurdle + CJ.

Here's my recommendation: take both Smoke and Flash Arrow. Use them for the first 33-34 levels. Make it a habit. See spawn, Smoke spawn, Flash Arrow spawn, then attack spawn. After you have your pets and they're slotted appropriately, run a simple series of tests. Fight a few spawns without Smoke and Flash Arrow, then fight a few with Smoke and Flash Arrow, and compare the survivability between those two types of fights.

I already know that your Imps are going to significantly benefit from that 15% -ToHit, but you should experience it for yourself to understand how much of a difference it makes.

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What puts up the most single target damage, and what's the most survivable?

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Six scrappers. Still far and away the best pets defenders get. Usually not quite as smart as the AI, but that's why defenders have that "team chat" command option.

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So... what are your favorites?

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The people I've met and still see active in my global friends list.
Being able to talk with Castle about anything, from game mechanics to the various meanings of duck sounds. *quack*
The perspective gained from almost four years of subscribed time, which allows me to look back at the way things were and see how they've changed, for the better or worse, and appreciate those differences.
Understanding what goes on "under the hood" in this game and having the experience to know how to use that to my advantage.
Knowing that even after almost four years, what I've learned about the game and how to play it leads me to discovering new ways to enjoy it and maintain my interest.

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Can you effectively go beyond 300% through resistance debuffs?

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Yes.

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Update...So, far I am LOVING both my TA/Dark and my Storm/Ice alts! They both bring a series of "toys to the table that are simply too fun to get tired of! My TA/Dark alt is current lvl 13 and my Storm/Ice is lvl 14! Fun, Fun, FUN! ^^

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Pro tip: slot Tenebrous Tentacles for Range in addition to whatever else you like. It has a 40' range, Night Fall (the cone you can access at 20) has a 60' range. If you match the range of the two cones, you'll be a happy person, kittens will shower you with kisses and puppies will snuggle with you.

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My only problem? Now that I've been playing with the TA set...I find myself being lured towards rolling a TA/A as well...&gt;.&gt;

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I'd recommend exploring the other ATs with TA, rather than overdosing on TA/* defenders right away. There are all kinds of nifty things you can do as a */TA controller or */TA mastermind (and playing as a */TA mastermind is very similar to playing a TA/* defender with an above average pick-up group). You can always make more TA/* defenders, but it's useful to experience TA from other perspectives because it can teach you how to use some powers differently or in unique ways.

Like using Oil Slick Arrow as a heal dummy for Zombies. &gt;.&gt;

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(Tangentially related)
I want to love Trick Arrow, I really do. I like all the powers (on paper), as well as the look. There's something buried in my brain about TA from when it launched though, in the dark times when they over-corrected it. That, and I can't seem to figure out what I want to pair it with more, /Dark or /Ice.

Help me Luminara, you're my only hope!

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I can't even try to give an unbiased response to that. I'm so infatuated with TA/Dark that anything I say is guaranteed to be skewed in favor of that combination.

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Just saying it's unlikely due to the logic exhibited in the MA creator.

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Bots/TA.

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TA I have issues with mitigation, at least early game. You can also have trouble getting into teams if you are trying to just get on random teams. Random average player out there = " a defender with no heal? What is that? Me no like"

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And there are also players who actively seek debuffers. Not "healers", not buffers, debuffers. I didn't get Task Force Commander on my TA/Dark by being in a supergroup (never joined one with that character), being invited to teams by forumites (no-one from the forums had ever teamed with my TA/Dark before i acquired TF Commander), or by begging (even if i weren't too terrified of people to send /tells, that wouldn't be my style).

Of course, I'm not being inundated with invitations to Shadow Shard TFs either (or Hess, or the trials...), but I'm just making sure the OP understands that TA is not saddled with the stigma that it used to have. It's not the most popular powerset, but it's not shunned these days and there are intelligent players out there who are aware of the power of debuffs and actively seek them out for their teams.

I'm doing the Wheel of Destruction arc with my TA/Fire controller right now, and it just occurred to me, I have no idea what a Wheel of Destruction looks like. I have a contact standing here, telling me, "Yes, I can see how it fits with the other pieces you found.", but I can't see how it fits with the other pieces I've found because there's no visual representation of it in the game.

And it occurs to me that this is a problem. We're running through story arcs, picking up temp powers, getting all kinds of short, vague descriptions of items and objects in the game, but we never really know what they are because they're never shown.

Add pictures to contact dialog and temp power descriptions. It would, in my opinion, enhance the experience, the feeling of being part of the game world instead of just some random player reading things on a monitor. Being able to see that Idol of Lughebu, or the pieces of the Wheel of Destruction... that'd be downright nifty. We'd know what we're fighting for, and that would add a significant degree of immersion to the entire game.

All of these graphically pleasing power effects, all of these wonderful costume options, more capes that you can shake a stick at... and we don't have simple images of items/objects in description and dialog windows? Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaame.

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It probably has something to do with Aero, maybe getting CoX properties and choosing xp compatability mode would fix it.

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Running 64 bit Vista with Aero turned on, been tabbing between the game, seven or eight open Firefox windows and Mids' planner for the last three hours.

The OP is having a driver issue, not an OS issue.

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Now the only question is as a blaster, do I go for maximum offense and whatever bonuses that come along are icing on the cake, or go for defense because I'm made of wet tissue paper?

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Some blasters opt for +Damage, so all of their attacks hit harder.

Some blasters opt for +Recharge, so they can use their most powerful attacks more frequently.

Some blasters opt for +Defense (usually Ranged), or +Resistance, or +Regen, or +HP, or any combination of two or three of those, or even all of them, to improve their survivability.

And some don't pursue a specific set bonus, they use set IOs to slot their powers as well as possible with the fewest number of slots, which allows them to use those extra slots in other powers or for other benefits (like Range or Knockback enhancements).

Look at your build and your play style and see what looks fun, effective and most compatible with you. Download and use Mids' planner to try out different things without burning up respecs or inf*. Check the prices on IOs and recipes (in the game) before you solidify your plans, so you can be certain you're not respecing into a build you can't afford or play at its full potential. Keep track of your merits and/or tickets and use those to acquire some recipes.

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&lt;QR&gt;

It increases the magnitude of the the KB, which in turn goes above 1.0 and it becomes KB instead of KD.

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Above 0.75.

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Of course, I also have Hurdle three-slotted, Combat Jumping and enough +Movement from IO set bonuses and other sources to give that character a total Jump Speed of ~53 mph, so bouncing into and out of spawns is relatively easy for me... and something I'd be doing anyway, for no good reason other than the joy of bouncing... *shrug*

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So Luminara is not only the official master of Trick Arrow, but also the official Defender Forum Pogo Stick?

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The first person who tries to "ride" me dies.

Slowly and painfully.

-_-

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I just had a nasty thought... is that exemp problem deactivating ALL purples?

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No.

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Wait, what? Soulbound set doesn't work on imps? Was this known prior to this and the "fix" is merely to mention it in the help text? That's horrible.

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From what I can gather, it was just figured out recently. There have been numerous Fire controllers who noted that the Build Up proc wasn't working in their pets, but it was (mistakenly) believed to be an oversight or a deliberate limitation for that specific IO. That all of the IOs weren't applying their boosts to sub-50 pets wasn't known, or deliberate, or an oversight, it's a bug that, as I said, I believe they just didn't know about until now.

Castle says they intend to fix it (got a PM today). The whole set. The warning is being added as a temporary measure, just until they can track down the bug and squash it.

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Ok, does anyone have any ideas/hunches as to why this is necessary? I'm just glad I found out before I went ahead and made/slotted the set for my Fire/ 'troller, but it does leave a hole in her level 50-build.

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I just caught a couple of other threads about it. Seems the IOs themselves are busted, and limiting them to specific pet summon powers won't help because they're exhibiting the bad behavior even when someone exemps down.

The developers are trying to figure out what's causing the IOs to stop working, and apparently the warning is being added because... well, I'd guess that the only other option would be to remove them from the game completely until they can track the problem down, something they're probably trying to avoid doing unless absolutely necessary.

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Added a note to pieces of the Soulbound Allegiance IO set that will warn the player that slotting this enhancement into a pet power that summons a pet that is lower than level 50 will result in the pet not benefiting from the effects of the enhancement.

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Which controller pets summon at level 50 ?

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Should be all of them except Fire Imps.

I haven't gotten down to the mastermind forum yet (just got home from work), but I suspect there's probably a huge row going on there, since this affects 5/6ths of their henchmen.

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however, since they can only slot the set once, the only thing that should be an issue would be the proc.

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Um... no, not really. Slotting any of the enhancements in any of the tier 1 (max level 48) or 2 (max level 49) henchmen summon powers, or Fire Imps (max level 49), has exactly the same result as leaving those slots completely empty.

That means slotting the Acc/Dam/Rchg enhancement gives no increase in Accuracy or Damage. Slotting the Damage enhancement gives no increase in Damage. Dam/End, these pets won't deal more damage or use less endurance. Et cetera.

It's not just the Build Up proc that would be the issue, it's all of the enhancements in that set. This restricts the use of these enhancements, essentially making them unavailable for frankenslotting (either to achieve more of the 2 or 3 piece bonuses, or to squeeze in more enhancement boosts with fewer slots) for a wide range of players, as well as potentially resulting in some players slotting up "the wrong pets" with the purple set and discovering that they perform as if they weren't slotted at all.

Frankly, I think all powers which summon pets below level 50 should be flagged not to accept the purple set at all. As it stands now only a warning will be given, allowing players to slot this set and gain no benefit from it beyond the set bonuses (which, in my opinion, aren't that good, and certainly not good enough to warrant running around with pets which perform as if they aren't slotted at all). Access to this set should be completely removed from the appropriate summon powers to prevent misunderstanding and potential outcry in the future.

It would be a heck of a lot easier to explain to newer players why they can't slot the purple set in Fire Imps or tier 1 or 2 henchmen than it would be to explain to players why slotting the set results in absolutely no improvement to their pets and then having to put up with fifteen page arguments about lack of information or poor developer decisions.

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Any chance we can get motion blur effects one day for when we're speeding through environments and/or to just have it turned on in general?

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I suggested just that in a PM to Castle a couple of weeks ago, specifically for Fly, to give Fliers a heightened sense of motion so it wouldn't "feel" so slow. He didn't respond to that part of the PM, so... *shrug*

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Thanks Luminara.

I'll have to try dark in an alternate build. Maybe I will just ditch fistful for that build and use explosive... My fistful has a fair amount of range enhancement on it, but that makes me want to stay as far out as possible to get the widest spread.

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I'd recommend trying it with Fistful before making that decision. In my experience with TA/Dark, using two cones, I haven't had any trouble using OG offensively when I need to (such as when i'm facing Rikti Mentalists) and still using my cones effectively and efficiently (meaning, catching entire spawns in them).

Of course, I also have Hurdle three-slotted, Combat Jumping and enough +Movement from IO set bonuses and other sources to give that character a total Jump Speed of ~53 mph, so bouncing into and out of spawns is relatively easy for me... and something I'd be doing anyway, for no good reason other than the joy of bouncing... *shrug*

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Added a note to pieces of the Soulbound Allegiance IO set that will warn the player that slotting this enhancement into a pet power that summons a pet that is lower than level 50 will result in the pet not benefiting from the effects of the enhancement.

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Which controller pets summon at level 50 ?

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Should be all of them except Fire Imps.

I haven't gotten down to the mastermind forum yet (just got home from work), but I suspect there's probably a huge row going on there, since this affects 5/6ths of their henchmen.

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same as having one chance for smashing and one chance for energy, etc.

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That. Slotting more than one X damage proc into a power (from different sets, because you can't slot two of the exact same IO into the same power) doesn't change the chance to trigger, or the damage dealt when a proc does trigger. Nothing at all about the procs change, they work completely independently of each other.

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Does the Rectified Reticle +Perception IO help reduce being blinded by critters in PvE?

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Yes.

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I have a question, have the Devs ever said growth is not possible as a power set?

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Yes, in the past. "We wanted to do it, but it doesn't work with the current tech", was, as I recall, the explanation.

That's not to say that it will always be impossible, simply that to date, it hasn't been something they could do without redesigning one or more major parts of the game engine. They did hire a lot of new people over the last year, including some programmers, and they are aware that this is a somewhat popular request, so it may happen "some day".

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Elongation is never possible, is that correct?

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Currently and in the foreseeable future, correct. Not because the engine doesn't support it, but because the character models don't support it. There is no way yet for them to design animations which affect specific areas of a target's model, which is what they'd need to do for any kind of "flexible object" animation, like whips, chains or super stretchy arms. With the current model system, when you "hit" something, where you hit is relative to your height, so if you hit, say, a Devouring Earth Monster, you're only hitting it in the knee, or shin, or even the toe (if your character is very small). You also can't, say, wrap something around that target, which is what you'd need to be able to do in order for "flexible objects" to work. That super stretchy arm would end up disappearing inside the Monster's leg, or wrapping around its foot, or something similarly ridiculous looking, instead of wrapping around its torso or head like you'd expect/want.

Again, though, with a larger staff, the developers have been able to start working on things that were previously considered impossible, so we may eventually see an Elongation powerset, or a Whip powerset, or other things of that nature.

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Power proliferation - instead of porting directly, can they not change them slightly, wait, probably not because that would require additional work.

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In general, unless there's a specific reason to alter a power (if the power summons a pet, for example, which then deals damage, the pet itself might be altered to deal less damage), there's actually very little need to change powers for different ATs. Every AT uses a set of modifiers, those modifiers alter the behavior of the powers, and when a power is made newly available to an AT, it usually "inherits" the necessary changes simply by using that AT's modifiers.

For instance, Blazing Arrow is exactly the same power for every AT which currently has it. It has specific base values. When someone of one AT uses Blazing Arrow, those base values are cross-referenced with that AT's modifiers and the final result is a power that appears to have unique values for that AT. Thus, it appears to deal more damage for blasters, or less damage for defenders, but in reality, it's exactly the same power, it's just using the Ranged Damage modifier for the blaster or defender who uses it.

But if there is a need to change a power, they do, and that power then becomes unique in the database until another AT is given access to it. Rain of Arrows is a good example of this. RoA is not the same powers for blasters and defenders, it's actually two separate powers, one for each AT, each specifically customized for the AT. Doing this is a little more work, because the power has to be copied, altered in one or more ways, verified as working, checked for balance, then tested before it's released.

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(QR)
Sorry, snuck an edit into there to add a bit.

For survivability in an APP, I'd probably go with Psi.
Two Holds and an AoE Sleep? Not bad.

Dark can give you more potential damage boosting with Soul Drain, but as a TA/A and being rather range-centric, I try to stay out of melee for the most part.

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Dark Mastery is god mode for TA/Archery, TA/Dark, TA/Psychic, TA/Rad and TA/Sonic defenders. Each of those secondary powersets has a Stun that can be stacked with Oppressive Gloom, giving you the ability to control bosses with a single click, and in only ~2 seconds.

Practically all of the minions in the game are vulnerable to Stuns, too, so they instantly cease to be a problem simply by allowing them to get close or deliberately wandering into the middle of them. That, in turn, frees up your other controls to use on lieutenants and bosses. With OG and your other controls, you can manage a spawn almost as well as a controller, but with less activity on your part because part of your control is constantly working without the need to be activated every X seconds.

Once you have your spawn controlled, pop Soul Drain, hop back to your preferred range and unleash hell.

I don't even look at the other APPs any more, I default to Dark Mastery for all of my defenders. I actually look for ways to leverage it, such as sneaking up on Rikti Mentalists and Malta of all sorts and giving them a taste of their own medicine (perma-mez them and slowly cut them into little quivering, screaming pieces, laughing maniacally the entire time).

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Honestly, I'd look to IOs for increasing my survivability over the APPs. That and really look at my tactics with the powers I have. A nice dose of Ranged DEF can really help out.

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Good advice. With just a small amount of Ranged Defense, TA/anything can be exceedingly safe. IOs fix everything, even powerset design flaws.