Sailboat

I'm guessing you really meant s/l and e/n, as I believe I have read other posts in which you have emphasized the prevalence of energy damage in the late game. Also, a Fiery Aura character gets so much fire resistance, it takes the pressure off your fire defense.

edit: Also, the Gaussian's isn't helping either positional or typed defenses very much by itself -- I'd only invest in it if I were building up significant defensive bonuses from other sets as well.

That 5th and 6th slot of MB give some pretty nice bonuses: 3.13% fire/cold defense and 7.5% global recharge (that stacks with the LOTGs, even). That might be worth scrounging the slots for.

Aha! Nice to be able to link yet another forum ID to someone on my friends lists!

Isn't that just called "leveling"?

This closely matches my experience. My two most-played Tankers are Fire/Fire and Inv/SS, both 50 (I also have a 50 Shield/Axe and various other combinations at lower levels). I think my Fire/Fire is pretty durable now that she's fully kitted out with expensive gear, but I have to admit she's no match for the Inv/SS when the red and purple mobs cluster around thick and fast. Conversely, she does a ton more damage. I like them both for different reasons.

So far it's been pale blue (capped) on every character with Flight at every level I've checked. I think it's capped at all times. Enjoy.

No, that's the goggles. The goggles, they do nothing!

Right, meaning Fly is a good place to stick End Reduction, or one of the Universal Travel IOs like BOTZ -knb or Winter's Gift slow resist.

Well, to be fair, they DID do something in Flight at creation. Originally even 3 SOs did not quite cap Flight speed, IIRC. That was a long time ago...maybe it was two, but I think it was indeed three.

Much later, Swift was modified to affect Flight speed, and Flight speed was buffed, maybe more than once.

But you're looking at it the wrong way. Flight isn't "limited so that it's speed can't be enhanced by IOs" so much as it is now "already performing at the absolute peak the Devs will allow -- without any investment at all on your part." It's a GOOD thing for you and for your build that it's this way.

At one point in the game, ONE jump enhancement in Super Jump capped your jump speed, but THREE flight enhancements in Flight did NOT (quite) cap your Flight speed. So it cost you more slots and a lot more end and was STILL substantially slower and STILL not capped. Flying characters usually paid the extra slots -- for the privilege of being slower.

This change means that at least flying characters aren't paying a two-slot penalty for parity any more.

So spread your wings and fly! Fly like the wind!*

*not a hurricane-force wind, mind you. Flight caps at 58.something mph at level 50; putting it at Force 11 on the Beaufort Scale of wind speeds, defined as 56-63 mph. The next higher category, 12, is considered the start of actual hurricane wind speeds.

Yeah, at one point they reduced the end cost to what it is now.

He is? How did he get in there?

Roger that -- teams require some restraint, but solo, open everything. I've repeatedly found that I die more when I apply some powers and think "that's enough" than when I just click every damned thing I have and bring it.

Also, I don't know about x8. Hurricane is one of the game's greatest debuffs, but without terrain, it tends to spread out a large group radially. You CAN work with that, by constantly moving to keep touching them with the debuff, but it's labor-intensive. A few enemies are easier to keep clumped...and ONE enemy you can totally own with Hurricane, because he can't radially scatter form himself, and you can just follow him everywhere, keeping him helpless. When passing through the streets, if I see a solo boss, I start to salivate like I've heard Pavlov's bell.

Well, your character will animate those powers (instead of attacking) even when they are on auto, so they will still take away from your attack chain.

If by "damage" you mean Build Up and/or Aim...I generally advise against autoing those anyway. They add so much benefit that it's worth timing them to use with your best powers or against key enemies. If you let auto-fire determine their availability, you will have the boost at times you don't need it and will be without it at key times. Recognizing when to use Aim and Build Up and budgeting the time for them is IMHO a one of the ways a skilled player can play Blasters better than a button-mashing monkey.

Rapid orbital ejection? No no, the Distressed Urban Youth Space Program Act uses language focusing on rehabilitation rather than punishment:

• The Program prepares participants for re-entry into Paragon City society.

That's a little...quirky. Thanks.