New Dawn

I have only just logged into game, as said I am "on call" so sorry although i bet it was a full house with that 50 max rule...which i hate.

Dwarf form is neither a soloing toon or a panic button for me, its one for the team. Teams can vary in make up and have moments in which a Dwarf form can offer them saviour and/or better flexibility. Dwarf form is as needed in a typical team usually as much as a WS or PB, they are not. The main reason to play them is for fun and I, like Maelwys see that as 35+ game but people's mileages will vary, but having past that lvl35 in 2005 I still haven't found them amazing but everyones mileage will vary and one can't promise another that something is worth loving. As much as antagonise sucks its better and much more worth slotting than glowing touch.

Why I felt the need to stipulate that any type of Tank can be better than Dwarves. A typical opinion from Plasmas guide:

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What's a better tank, a dwarf form, or a tank?

That depends on the tank, and the dwarf. Tanks get aoe punchvoke, whereas Dwarfs only get punchvoke on the target. Dwarves get a taunt, but it is not autohit. Dwarves get strong defense, but it can't compare to the ridiculous defense some tanks can get with Tier 9s (Unstoppable, Granite) - not even close. Also, with buffs, tanks can hit a 90% resist cap, whereas the dwarf form caps at 85%, meaning even under ideal circumstances, you take 50% more damage. Also, real tanks don't take massive damage from quantums and voids. So I'd say, off the cuff, that Dwarf form is a good but not a great tank. I'd say both dwarfs are superior to Fiery Aura Tanks, simply because fiery aura sucks. Otherwise, the other tanks are as good or better, and for stone and invuln, distinctly better at higher levels; although not so much better that a dwarf is a "bad" tank.

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To be fair this was back in 20/1/07 before IOs when it was less obvious how survivable and good Firetanks can be, but nevertheless still incorrect at that time. If it was said before the healing flames change, I would still of said its incorrect and actually did. Nowadays its simply even more obvious to some people since the healing flames buff and the new IO slotting.

For anyone without a side buttoned mouse, I'd press either a bind or macro to switch to any tray and change forms at the same time.

"Powexec_toggle_off Bright Nova$$Powexec_toggle_off White Dwarf$$goto_tray <insert number here>"

This changes to human moves by bottom tray to my human form attacks. I tend to keep all my survivability buttons where I can see them. I like to know whats recharged and whats not if having to change forms to get a heal etc.

/bind <key>,
/macro <name>,

Change to Nova and change tray to Nova Attacks.

"$$Powexec_toggle_on Bright Nova$$Goto_tray <insert number here>"

For Dwarf change and change to Dwarf Attacks.

"$$Powexec_toggle_on White Dwarf$$Goto_tray <insert number here>"

Only the bottom tray moves so you can even keyboard in bed with one hand if necessary.

*yawns*

Weekdays I am, on call. Should I not be at work tomorrow I will try to be present with a team teleporter.

Either way good luck with this.

Try SUs debuff method. Always good to try new ways. Debuffs would need range in them and the bigger the AoE they have the better. I'd like to learn of the result.

When properly hidden a stalker can perform critical hits with attacks.

Once an attack is made you are no longer hidden.

Hence the term "critting out of hide" as in "coming out of hide", not as in "already being outside of hide". I'd call that "critting outside of hide".

It could of been me who started the term "critting out of hide" as it fits my level of english too well

Critting out of hide is something I would do, I'd imagine if AS was very likely to be interrupted. I have entertained the 'idea' with Shadow Maul but only on bunched groups but have never got to test.

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P.S has anyone managed to get permadom without a LOTG rech?

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Thats gonna take some serious gimping of everything else surely? Well, I wouldn't entertain trying.

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Depends for what you use it.Here is a perma domination sample build with a 7sec hasten downtime and no LoTG. Clicky

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And sufficient evidence as to why I wouldn't entertain trying.

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EDIT: Nvm the flurry at level 14 was just messing around checking some set combos

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This comment edited in, made me laugh I almost cried.

I have to say what Mighty said "It all seemed to come at expense that looked a bit too distasteful for all the glory of having perma Domination."

I'll settle for nothing less than LotG.

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P.S has anyone managed to get permadom without a LOTG rech?

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Thats gonna take some serious gimping of everything else surely? Well, I wouldn't entertain trying.

I think you have to be narcissistic, insensitive, systematic, charismatic and most of all fearless.

There is bound to be one character you find a place with. I normally see Kins, Rads, Empaths and Bubblers receiving more love than Dark, its silly really. Even one person with a 50 kin and a 50 dark prefers his kin, but people behind a character make the character and everyones bound to find a character they gel with sooner or later.

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True, golden girl, i have permadomination

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Something someone isn't telling us?

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Add hasten 3 slotted with IOs and ull have a downtime to 1-2 secs before nxt activation

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So not Perma after all? Perma is:

Duration > Recharge time + Cast Time.

Mine are 2 acc 2 taunt and 2 rechg to get a "close to what I am looking for". Mids says its duration is like Presence Pool's 8.23 secs and CoD says it has a base duration of 14 secs (which I do believe). Either way, its mainly when its resisted and misses its "pants".

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Yeh its not really helpfull to put khelds in terms of blapper etc. I have seen khelds with full slotted dwarf forms who can tank REALLY well.
But then again its hard to describe them to the unitiated :/

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Dwarfs do not have taunt aura nor gauntlet. their taunt has toHit check in PVE. Theres more to tanking than just taking damage.

PS. I have a PB almost at lvl 30 and it sucks .

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To add:

My Dwarves both have antagonise 6 slotted and they both suck as Tanks, beneath my expectations despite doing well "enough". In my not so humble but totally honest opinion on this, they are overall physically incapable of being "as good" as "any" type of properly built and played Tanker that there is at Tanking "anything". The fact that someone says that one Dwarf is, is a bad sign for the Tankers that they have seen. However circumstances and to be expected, experiences vary. But bare in mind not every team needs a tanker type in the first place and if they do, then its to varying degrees. So given time, support and opportunity there will be occasions Dwarves can tank really well or well enough.

I have to say some builds have made compromises for Domination. I'd be happy with the recharge being 90 secs - the action time of domination + the longest action time of any taken power which on my Fire/Fire would be: 90 secs - 1.17 secs - 3 secs = 85.83secs.

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The only time I'd consider taking CoF would be on a Brute /DA.
Dirty Brutes get a Mag 3 Fear while Scrappers are stuck with Mag 2...

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I actually didn't know that there was a difference. I assumed there was a fault on my part in initially thinking CoF was Mag 2 and then seeing that it was Mag 3 for my Brute. Well I suppose its fair that Scrappers get a Mag 2. Its still minions ain't it.

Actually the way of my Brute really as I don't play a DM/DA scrapper.

Death shroud reduces the duration of a fight within a group preferably between 4 and 10. Sometimes that fight duration isn't reduced enough and you pop your clogs before the enemies do. CoF offers a level of control to atleast survive the group but with a longer fight duration for a downside (providing your not running Death Shroud as it breaks the fear). It's simply an active defense like touch of fear is, as opposed to passive defense like dark embrace. Being a heavy toggle doesn't matter as you probably should have turned Death Shroud off and then ST'd any main target before switching CoF off and DS on again. In teams that are AoE heavy, then there is lower fight durations and possibly a large amount of control anyway so just Death Shroud or even Death Shroud and Oppressive Gloom is fine. Situational toggling is nothing new, there is no point running Brimstone Armour on a Freak Mission. In short I wouldn't normally run CoF for its -tohit.

I look at the 15 mins and immediately walk my way, allowing for ambush spawns to come in their own time and then dealing with them at different points before proceeding. The Safe door is not something to open straight away it something to take my time on. It triggers spawns as its reduced and I wouldn't want all of them together. Have done an all stalker one of these, mad fun, no jail time as someone happened to have caltrops

Tanks shouldn't care too much what a scrapper does. Tankers aren't actually there for them. Its everyone else Tankers are there for and can't prevent any AoEs on scrappers, who are meant to be in melee too, aka up the Tankers butt. Scrappers solo the best, ploughing thru groups the best, easily boss dropping on route. I see them as Boss droppers with AoEs for minions while they are at it. The only time to care what a scrapper does is when it compromises the rest of the team. If a scrapper runs into another mob while the team is fighting elsewhere, leave the scrapper to it. Defenders such as rads going to help are sometimes likely to get aggro and defeated in helping. A scrapper may enter a group before the Tanker but its not necessarily safe to attack for anyone else, sometimes the best time for people is after the Tanker/Controller has entered and gained control and for some controllers its after the Tanker has got there first but it all varies as my opinions are all enemy, lvl and powerset dependent.

Its all well and good saying I took an alpha off an AV before but most alphas are made up of more than one damage component with which one may miss. With each AV level damage is modified. Clockwork Kings opening Psychic Wail can be prevented altogether using the taunt and kiting as well as preventing all his worse attacks being chained, however his -rechg isn't nice but as an SR with a scrappers handy fast rechg taunt "I wouldn't know". Many normal mobs can be alpha'd instead, split, pulled whatever. The primary powers are what a scrappers about to me and survivability and team survivability can actually come from them. The reason to picks sets is either concept or you'd do better with it. I find Regens a bit sucky therefore I suck at regens.

I use chill blain alot, keep a foe outranged whilst I am already dealing with what I can't handle, or immob a foe and block myself from them with an obstacle whilst dealing with what I already cant handle, or even what someone else cant handle, a defenders anchor about to leg it or something.

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If someone dies it would be nice for them to wait for vengence before accepting there rez(or using an awaken) Love my power boosted vengence and again hate wasting powerboost when i not got time to fire vengence off.(fair enough if they dont relise anyone had vengence on the team but i always make a note i got it when joining one.


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I have to say on my DA I prefer not to wait too long before using my self-rez because it's reliant on enemies being above me, and if I wait they'll either wander off or get killed But then I don't think I've every actually teamed with someone with vengance

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I wouldn't wait to use RotP with a Firetank either but clicking RotP is not "accepting a res" or "using an awaken" but hell, I usually wouldn't wait with any Tank. That part might of actually been a dig at me really from Lycon

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Why are people slotting a hold for damage? IMO that's just lame, you wanna max out acc/mez/rechg, a hold ain't really there for damage.

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Dominate power in PVP, I think some damage slotting is definately beneficial from experience. Prioritising Acc, Hold, Dam per End with some of the recharge buff coming from +spd powers, IOs and IO sets could prove better.

With the Illusion's Blind, in late levels, I just don't know. My Ill/storm is only 16 iirc.

Dominate has a 4 sec greater hold duration and a 1 second recharge less than Blind. Possibly making damage more affordable even for you, but Blind isn't the same as Dominate.

When I look at Scrappers I look at the primaries. Which pretty much says "Go Kil".

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Level 1: Blind -- HO:Endo(A), HO:Endo(5), HO:Perox(5), HO:Perox(19), HO:Endo(27), HO:Perox(37)

Properly min/maxxed Blind

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Just so ya knows just means I am not serious.

And TG if you copied and pasted what I wrote and used the Instant UBB Code Quote instead it could of unnoticeably of left the off of it.

I often write things down and how it comes across to me and how it comes across to others is very different. Sometimes you get to a point where you think its just better to not reply to people.

Back to my question:

How bad is repel nowadays? 1 in 16 secs chance of detoggle isnt it?

Cos I distinctly remember being tp foe'd into a corner, detoggled and flipping up and down like a fish out of water. But it was a greater chance then. It was upto then, the first time my tank got beat by a kin def. Before then, I beat them.

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Its a game. People are here to have fun. Leveling is supposed to be fun, not hard science.

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In agreement but just a little middle ground.

When it comes to TFs and stuff, if a team can't afford to take a stalker in order to complete it then I think they need to look at the game as a science because in needing an "optimum" in any aspect they are lacking in experience somewhere. The game should be about concept builds and people can learn to function with each others and still get the whole content done. Although if everyone made an AT, what its not and played the AT badly then that does go against the designed mechanics.