Alright - now normally I tend to not comment in the forums for the reason that I find it more amusing than anything, then go back to playing the game with the few people who I helped get most of the original numbers with. However, my one friend did recommend I check out this link so get a laugh out of the AV story, so hence here I am. Now before I explain why Kalashnikow is obviously lying about his AV encounter I will say this - *most* of what plainguy has said is sold stuff, for a starting player, you may want to mix and match a bit depending since often new people just don't like tanking as much with a MM. However his ideas on soft-capping defense are VERY good, and I'd use those as the starting point, and use either his or others ideas to work in the other skills as you want them to. In the end Bots/Traps is a very powerful combination (right up there with Thugs/Dark etc.) so you'll be pleased.
Now the reason that I decided to post...Kalash have you ever considered how level and AV/Monster/Boss status affects defense and damage? Let me give you a scenario. By the way, my numbers ARE correct, data mine them if you want.
Ok, you said you were sidekicked 10 levels above you...this means your maximum level could have been 39 (bringing you up to 49 after SK), I'll be generous here and give you the maximum values since you'll need them...you'll see why in a second. Now we'll also say that you were fighting +10 after your mentor left since well its still the best case scenario for you.
First off - defense: Let's say you even got to soft-cap, given your comments we all know you weren't, especially since you couldn't have been using level 50 IOs, but hey for the fun of it, we'll say you focus on defense and enhanced all of your defense skills with 6 lvl 40 IOs. Its the best number I can give you, and you'll need it. Now given your power sets the defensive skills we can say you had were FFG and Maneuvers, hell I'll even say you had perma-Seeker drones with 6 IOs for to_hit debuff too. That'd put you at lowering their base chance to hit to 50(base) - 16.8(FFG w/ 6IOs) - 4.41(Mans w/ 6 IOs) - 8.39%(Seeker Drones w/ 6 IOs) = 20.4%
Now, if they were +10 to you that raises that 20.4% by 40% to give them a 60.4% base chance. Now, they also get accuracy multipliers of 1.5 for being +10, and 1.3 for being a boss.
So let's say they use a VERY conservative AoE accuracy of 0.7 base attack. They still have a chance to hit of (0.7)x(1.3)x(1.5)x(60.4) = 82%
Now for the normal ST attacks of 1.0 its:
(1)x(1.3)x(1.5)x(60.4) = 117% -> 95% (cap)
So basically every time it attacks anything with a ST attack it hits, and it'll hit 8/10 times with an AoE attack (granted the AoE would probably be higher than that even), and this is all assuming BEST CASE scenario with your defense. So in the end: They hit you and your pets.
Now should we go the other way, your chance to hit him? For the sake of your sanity how about I don't do all the numbers, but the end result is you and your pet's chance to hit, even after Supremacy, Tactics, and 6 Accuracy IOs in all of your attacks - your BEST case scenario is 16%, the most likely scenario is the (luckily for you, lowest possible floor value) of 5%. So basically you don't hit them. Well there is that streak breaker thing (for you, not your pets) where you'll gain higher chances to hit after missing enough times...we'll average that out for YOU (not your pets) to hit once ever 7 seconds.
Now shall we go onto damage? Nevermind, let's not I'm pretty sure I'll be hurting your head with that first part. So I'll just sum it up: Your tier 1's are being one-shotted. Your tier 2s are most likely being one-shotted, possibly two. Your tier 3 will survive the weakest attack from the boss, not the strongest.
Now you're damage to him. Again, I'll stop on the numbers because your head probably hurts, however if it doesn't then just let me know and I'll be happy to type it all out for you. Well we already established that you can't hit him, but let's say you can. You do with your highest damage attacks, best case scenario 16pt of damage. Most likely scenario - 1-3. Now the flaunted caltrops that auto-hit! Max possible damage on those bad boys is not even 1. It'll show up on the screen as 1, but if you check the combat log, most likely it'll be 0.01.
Ok, let's set out the scenario with that information: You can't hit him, and when you do, you do almost zero damage, he almost always hits you, and does a massive amount. let's see how it plays out:
Kalahs sets out all traps and his merc tier 2s even stun the boss (we'll say it hits, why not), hit him with the -regen poison trap (or else he'd heal faster than he'd be damaged), hits him with the acid mortar so he takes a bit more damage, and maybe can hit him. Also throws down the caltrops so the boss runs back and forth a bit on them. Great start! Then the mercs start pounding away, they're shooting bullets all over the place, they're using fire to get extra damage, they're shooting and flashbanging and using the LRM, **** even the medic whips out his gun and start opening up on that Winter Lord! Its pure MAYHEM!!!! Then the mercs have to reload. We notice the Winter Lord's life has dropped only a couple points. He hasn't attacked yet because he was running around on the caltrops. He did however get out of the stun after about 0.5seconds due to the level difference. Since the Mercs MUST HAVE HAD Line of sight to shoot him, he opens up with a cone attack of his own, since this WAS in a clogged hallwayish type area. Two of the Tier 1 Soldiers die, and one of the Tier 2s gets hit. Somehow the Commando and both the Spec Ops survive. The Medic who also somehow managed to survive this uses a med-pac wisely on the wounded Spec Ops. The boss runs around a bit more scared he didn't hurt enough, and noticing those barbs on the ground are not hurting him at all. The villianous Mastermind resummon his Tier 1 pets, and the rest open up on the wimpy Winter Lord again, expecting to wreak havoc on him while the Seeker Drones have piled in now, the Acid mortar raining down on the Winter Lord, the poison making his regeneration rate plummet! This time we get the BIG SCORE! The Commando's flamethrower hits him for the extra damage of fire against the Winter Lord who has -resist to fire, combined with the -resist of the Acid Mortar its the big One! 24points. Unfortunately this makes the WInter Lord target him with his ST attack and he roasts the Commando, one-hit. Fear not! Our superstar of a Mastermind resummons him as well! As the commando is paragliding in to save the day the Winter Lord goes to the next threat generator - the Spec Ops and uses another ST ranged attack and roasts him. Our superstar Mastermind sees how its going and throw down more caltrops realizing if it goes into Melee its all over, he also waits to resummon the Spec Ops, knowing the other may die soon. The soldiers, newly recruited, but not yet upgraded unload as best they can again on the now-running-around Winter Lord. Bullets are flying everywhere, the casings are on the ground, it looks like Ragnarok come! Except bullets flying everywhere is right, none hit the target. Not a single bullet. By this time the web grenade, though slowing the attack rate of the Winter Lord...oh wait...it doesn't since the Winter Lord has resist to -recharge powers, and since its -10 it has less of an effect, but hey we can pretend it did! Finally getting over the -recharge of the webnade that somehow hit him, he blasts forth another cone attack which finishes off 2 of the Tier 1s and the last spec ops. WAIT! The battle isn't nearly over! Our now so-smart Mastermind is ready to resummon his Spec Ops to save the day, along with the last Soldier! Make that just the spec ops since while he's summoning them the Winter Lord blasts the last soldier with a single-target ranged attack. More caltrops are thrown to keep this beast at bay, he cannot come to the mastermind! All of the already deceased party cheers him on! Go -10 Mastermind you can do it, we know you can! We're not even going to the hospital we're so impressed with the Mayhem you're causing! As the Mastermind, running out of options uses all of his last available skills he again sees the Winter Lord start blowing out a shiver attack that hits both of his Spec Ops. Now its only a matter of time for the Mastermind....
Now, obviously I had some narrative fun with a story to go along with it - but the point is: You couldn't hit the boss, he'd always hit you. You wouldn't do any damage to him, he'd destroy you. You're disruption powers would have a duration of a second or less, his would last for nearly a minute. Your debuffs may tickle him, his would cripple you.
You lie, he wins.
Come back with a story that could possibly be true, and don't try to lie when there are still a few of us around who, as plainguy alluded to, figured out the math way before you were doing your AE runs to 50. If you really want to see all of the numbers and formulas for the exact reason I'm right then let me know and by all means when I have nothing better to do I'll come back and enlighten you, or try to at least since obviously it all wouldn't get through. Next time you're going to make a story up - either post it on the proper board for it, or try way harder. Or, perhaps your best option - make up a story I'll only laugh at and go on my way. Maybe, just maybe I won't tear it to shreds with how impossible the game mechanics make it.
To the OP - plainguy's advice on the capping defense is very solid, it'll keep you and your minions alive a long time, which is the number one reason MMs die...you won't die much against mobs but against EBs and AVs they'll start one-shotting your tier 1s with their AOE, the defense lets you keep going. Use that as the starting point, then all of the others had valid points, use theirs as you will to find if you would rather be a tankermind, or one that let's your pets take the aggro. The beauty of bots/traps is that it can be both and works well as both its a very solid build. Get the defense and you'll see yourself living a long time and brining the havoc with the debuffs and your bots. You'll enjoy the build either way. So go for it, have fun =)
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